(Reposted with formatting with Kirk's blessing)
​
After a rocky start to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship’s legacy, this past year gave it a much-needed push back into the limelight as one of the most sought-after belts in wrestling, but there’s still work to be done. Kazuchika Okada was about to do that until his fantastic run was cut horribly short by SANADA, but that’ll no longer be an issue as we take matters back to the aftermath of Wrestle Kingdom 17, to the start of the Rainmaker’s 2nd reign. This isn’t just about recapturing the glimmer of the V4 belt though. In each company, the World Championship acts as the centrepiece to its future, any changes affecting the greater surrounding stories as well. Thus, this booking aims to orient NJPW as a whole, smoothing over complaints like the redundancy of BULLET CLUB and the staleness of CHAOS whilst building a promising future for New Japan for when its current pillars ultimately need to hang up their boots.
​
​
New Year Dash!! (January 5, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI) vs Sabre-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls)
BULLET CLUB (Jay White, KENTA, El Phantasmo, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi) vs Guerrillas of Destiny, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato
​
Kazuchika Okada & Kenny Omega vs United Empire (Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb)
​
As always, New Year Dash!! has been an explosive night thus far, seeing the debuts of Just4Guys and Sabre-Gun from the ashes of Suzuki-Gun, as well as House of Torture finally leaving BULLET CLUB after their loss earlier in the night, turning their backs on Jay White. But it’s the main event which shakes the company to the core, as legendary rivals IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega shockingly team up to take on Will Ospreay’s United Empire henchmen, both having their issues with the Commonwealth Kingpin and his posse. A fun showcase sees the super-team nail their RainmakeV-Trigger combo on Aaron Henare to seal the deal, with Cobb eyeing Kenny menacingly post-match and Okada going right back to big-leaguing Omega, refusing to acknowledge him.
​
Once the Cleaner departs, Kazuchika cuts a post-match promo claiming last night was merely the first of many nights of a company-wide purge. He’s tired of these outsiders trying to share his earned spotlight, so one by one, he’s going to send them back home. “Kaito Kiyomiya, young lion, I’ll see you in Yokohama.” Okada drops the mic and heads back, where IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon are wrapping up an interview. They’re disgruntled from their loss to Sabre-Gun earlier in the night, Goto seeming even more upset that Okada chose to team with Omega over anyone of them, questioning the use of CHAOS, but Kazuchika pays it no note, shooing him off so he can have his interview time.
​
Kazuchika Okada & Kenny Omega def. United Empire (Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb) (13:36)
​
​
Heading into Yokohama, a 5-match series is announced between Los Ingobernables de Japon and KONGOH’s members! With Shingo Takagi staking his claims to Okada’s title the night prior, Katsuhiko Nakajima raises the question of how deserving the Dragon truly is considering he’s lost twice to the NOAH star. Taking the potshot as a challenge, Shingo agrees to put his shot on the line, the faction with the most wins facing the Rainmaker next!
​
​
Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Arena (January 21, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
BUSHI vs Tadasuke
Hiromu Takahashi vs Hajime Ohara
SANADA vs Manabu Soya
Tetsuya Naito vs KENOH
Shingo Takagi vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
​
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) vs Team NOAH (Kaito Kiyomiya & Masa Kitamiya)
​
Before the LIJ/KONGOH series can commence, Okada calls on his trusty right-hand man Tomohiro Ishii (not Goto) to assist him in driving home the GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito and his main unit ally, Masa Kitamiya, promising to beat Kiyomiya like in last year’s tag. What starts as an average match rapidly devolves into a brawl when Kaito, sick of Kazuchika overlooking and disrespecting him, boots his face off with unbridled intensity, causing Okada to snap, beating the snot out of him! A German Suplex dumps Kazuchika on the floor as referees pull them apart, and as Okada seethes, it’s clear this is far from over.
​
CHAOS and Team NOAH fought to a no contest (6:35)
​
​
Though Kaito’s stunt gains the Rainmaker’s attention, it also garners his wrath, a livid Okada cursing up a storm in a post-match interview. When asked if a match will happen with Kiyomiya, Kazuchika outright refuses to work with the ‘snivelling, puny prick’, claiming he had his chance and ruined the honour of dancing with the Rainmaker. Goto tries to calm Okada down, reminding him that with Nakajima winning KONGOH the series 3-2, they have a preview match with KONGOH tomorrow. In the heat of rage, Okada tells him to ‘f*** off’, before naming Goto their team’s captain since he wants to play smart with him.
​
​
The New Beginning in Nagoya (January 22, 2023)
​
Captain’s Fall: CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto [C], Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI) vs KONGOH (Katsuhiko Nakajima, KENOH [C], Manabu Soya, Tadasuke)
​
After a turbulent recent weeks, Okada’s in dire need of something to calm him down, hoping a match in his home prefecture of Aichi will help. He’s all calm until he sees Goto’s dumb face though, becoming irrationally angry again, barking at the Aramusha to do his job. Okada sits out majority of the match until Nakajima mouths off with him on the apron, piefacing the Rainmaker when he refuses to get in! Furious, the Rainmaker shoves a concerned Goto aside and tags in, laying into Nakajima to the point of near-disqualification, before murdering Tadasuke to equalise the sides after KENOH eliminated YOSHI-HASHI! He gives Soya the same treatment, tearing KONGOH a new one until Nakajima almost slaps him unconscious, Okada staggering back into his corner, where Goto tags in! As Hirooki and Nakajima go at it, Okada regains his bearings right as Nakajima nails the Vertical Spike to pin CHAOS’s captain to automatically win the match!
​
KONGOH def. CHAOS (17:11)
​
As a smug Nakajima snatches Okada’s title away from the referee and holds it over his head, sneering and taunting at Kazuchika, the Rainmaker flips him off! Collecting his boys as Katsuhiko unceremoniously tosses Okada’s belt over to him, Okada returns to the back with gritted teeth, promising to ruin Nakajima, though not before chewing out Goto as the rest of CHAOS watch on uncomfortably.
​
​
The New Beginning in Osaka (February 11, 2023)
​
Also on the tour:
Jay White vs EVIL
Bishamon (c) vs TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs YOH - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
​
It’s been a rough tour for CHAOS, from getting whooped by KONGOH to YOH failing to bring back gold, but through their failures, Bishamon is able to redeem itself by beating back Sabre-Gun’s TMDK. Nevertheless, it’s all taking quite the toll on Okada’s mental, who’s been devolving back to his cocky, snappy self. Finally though, he gets a chance at release when he faces arguably his spiritual counterpart from NOAH, the fellow 35-year-old meeting the Rainmaker in a first-time match that’s been a very long-time coming. Nakajima oozes confidence as he strides out to his grand piano theme, while Okada stomps out with a scowl as Katsuhiko crumples raining Okada Dollars in his hand.
​
As the bell chimes, Okada offers a traditional lock-up but Nakajima stiffly kicks his thigh instead and smirks. Okada though glares a hole through Katsuhiko, launching at him like a mack truck with harsh elbows in response! Whipping him at the corner, Okada charges, but Nakajima slides out the way and rocks him with a Superkick, dusting off his hands and covering for two! He beats a Lariat attempt, nailing a Big Boot and a Leg Sweep, before crashing into the champion with a MISSILE DROPKICK!
​
Dazed, Okada finds himself in the ropes, Nakajima continuing to rock him with stiff boots, one sending him to the apron! The Genius of the Kick follows, wanting a Roundhouse, but Okada kicks out his other leg and nails an APRON DDT! Back inside, a Senton Atomico and DIVING ELBOW DROP nabs 2! Okada builds momentum with a Neckbreaker, but Nakajima flips out a German and whacks a SOCCER KICK into his chest! He caves Okada’s sides in with more as the champion splutters until Okada flips him off again!
​
Nakajima charges with a YAKUZA KICK but Okada pulls the ropes down! Nakajima caught, Okada nails a DROPKICK! Katsuhiko collapses out, Kazuchika chasing after, whipping him into the guardrail before cleaning his clock with a Big Boot of his own! FLYING CROSSBODY – SUPERKICK SNIPES OKADA! Nakajima kicks Okada’s arm into the guardrail, before a HESITATION DROPKICK whacks it off the steel post! Seating Okada on the canvas, Nakajima bullies the arm with disgusting shoulder kicks. A Penalty Kick misses, though as does Okada’s Short-Arm Rainmaker, NAKAJIMA WHIPPING THE SHOULDER INTO THE MAT!
​
BOW-AND-ARROW ON THE ARM! Nakajima tries tearing it off the bone, but when that doesn’t work, he ties Okada in the ropes and goes to town! The referee intervenes to force the break, but as Katsuhiko turns around a DROPKICK awaits! BELLY-TO-BACK SUPLEX! Okada teases a Rainmaker, but Nakajima slaps him away and nails the shoulder – STRAIGHT-JACKET SUPLEX! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT! Keeping wrist-control, Nakajima mockingly kicks the arm and shoves his face, BUT OKADA EXPLODES BACK WITH A LARIAT FROM THE OTHER ARM!
​
Keeping hold himself, Okada knocks Nakajima down with another Lariat, before a BEAUTIFUL DROPKICK knocks him loopy! HEAVY RAIN! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOO! Okada sets up the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but Nakajima thrashes free with head kicks, pulling him over for a VERTICAL SPIKE attempt! Okada slips free and nails an Enzuigiri! GERMAN SUPLEX! The arm keeps him from bridging, instead climbing the turnbuckles, teasing the Crossbody, only to eat a ROLLING FIFTEEN!
​
Okada staggers, holding the ropes to keep upright, but Nakajima has other intentions, kicking the arm off, before nailing a RING-SHAKING SUPERPLEX! Rolling through, he pulls him into a TWISTER II!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE!!! Disappointed, he drops Okada into seated position with a BICYCLE KNEE STRIKE, before lining up a PK! OKADA COUNTERS INTO A SURPRISE EMERALD FLOWSION ON THE NOAH STAR! Regaining his bearings for a moment, Okada smells blood in the water, throws out the arms, wanting the RAINMAKER… NAKAJIMA SLAPS THE SOUL OUT OF HIM!!!
​
Okada collapses deadweight to his knees as Nakajima grins sick thoughts to himself, before mocking the Rainmaker pose! Ripcording Okada around, he nails a JUMPING KICK, before going for the VERTICAL SPIKE… OKADA REVERSES INTO A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER!!! Nakajima now stunned, Okada lifts him by the waist and nails the RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOO!!! But a ticked Okada doesn’t let him go, mauling him with haymakers and kicks like he did Kaito as even Nakajima’s forced to cover up!
​
Frustrated, he slaps Nakajima in the face, but Katsuhiko with a SHOULDER KICK! DOUBLE UNDERHOOK SUPLEX! Okada rattled, he eats a Sliding Dropkick and an AIR RAID CRASH, before Nakajima nails the NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA STAYS ALIVE!!! Nakajima back to the well with the VERTICAL SPIKE… DROPKICK FROM OKADA!!! ANOTHER DROPKICK!!! SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER!!! AND A TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! Lifting him up with hatred, Okada ripcords him into the RAINMAKER!!! But he’s not done, going for another as NAKAJIMA FLIPS HIM OFF!!! RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Katsuhiko Nakajima to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (27:18)
​
Triumphing over the outsider, Okada steps over him like he’s dirt and collects his title… BUT HE’S SPUN INTO A BLADE RUNNER!!! Jay White stands over his rival’s fallen body, the respect shown at Wrestle Kingdom a mere ruse, the Switchblade wanting his title back!
​
​
Done with White’s antics, Okada agrees to a rematch on one stipulation – if White loses, BULLET CLUB must disband. It’s coming up to 10 years of him dealing with their rubbish, and frankly, he’s hurt and old and tired of the rinse and repeat. It’s time he ends it for good.
​
​
Battle in the Valley (February 18, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
Kenny Omega (c) vs Jeff Cobb - IWGP United States Championship
Tama Tonga (c) vs Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Championship
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Jay White VII - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (If White loses, BULLET CLUB must disband)
​
With Okada dropping a massive bombshell, a deranged and desperate White can only accept, needing the title back, even if it means risking BC should he fail. Their 7th and potentially final match, Jay’s still 4-2, putting the Rainmaker at a disadvantage, but he couldn’t care less. White makes his entrance flanked by BC, who look downright scared for their future, but KENTA tells them to hold strong. As Jay approaches the ring though, he tells them to let him run this solo against the Black Sun’s advice, White believing this to be his fight despite everything on the line, going it with just Gedo. Okada’s by his lonesome as always, ready to bury the past forever.
​
Unlike their WK match, this starts surprisingly in Okada’s favour even with the hell he went through just a week ago, the Rainmaker cutting off White’s condescending trash talk with a DROPKICK! Beating on his torso, Okada whips Jay at the ropes for another Dropkick, but Gedo pulls White out, giving him a pep talk to focus as Okada flashes him a ‘Too Sweet’! Not thinking, Jay slides back into a BIG BOOT, Okada continuing control with a Neckbreaker!
​
Hammering on the neck, Okada cinches in an early RED INK, forcing White to fight as Gedo looks on worriedly. Hissing and spitting, Jay struggles to the ropes, but there’s no breaks for him, a FLAPJACK snapping his neck off the ropes and a Lariat stumbling him to the floor! Regrouping with Gedo again, his friend pleads with him to snap out of whatever this is, only to step back fearfully as a snarling Okada approaches.
​
Understanding he’s in supreme control, Okada takes his sweet time tossing Jay back in, though his return’s slowed by Gedo, who begs for mercy for Jay as Kazu steps on the apron. Okada rolls his eyes, ONLY TO TURN INTO JAY RUNNING FULL SPEED AT HIM! SHOULDER TACKLE SENDS OKADA FLYING RIB-FIRST INTO THE GUARDRAIL!!! As Okada wails in agony, White cackles. Mission accomplished. Playing possum to lower Kazuchika’s guard, he’s in control now.
​
Collecting Okada, he rams his spine from apron to post… BEFORE TACKLING HIM THROUGH THE GUARDRAIL ITSELF, BOTH EXPLODING THROUGH!!! As Okada nurses his ribs, Jay plops down on a vacant chair next to a fan and snatches their water, taking a swig and patting himself on the back, before ‘making it rain’ over Okada’s head. He sets up a table at ringside which remains untouched for now as his foe crawls back in, Jay instead nailing a sick DEATH VALLEY DRIVER! Chopping and kicking the midsection, a SNAP SAITO gets 2!
​
A Reverse STO attempt backfires though, Okada lifting Jay into a HANGMAN’S DDT! One Corner Elbow later, and a DROPKICK sends Jay crashing from the top turnbuckle to the ramp! Gedo orients the dazed Jay to a chair, White using it for support, only to yank him off as OKADA SOARS – TOPE CON HILO EATS THE OPENED CHAIR!!! Back in agony, a SLEEPER SUPLEX only doubles it! Sliding Kazu in, a Running Corner European follows into a Blade Buster tease… JAY HITS A BLOODY SUNDAY INSTEAD!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!!
​
Okada tries fighting back with a forearm, but a HURRICANE DRIVER FLOORS HIM!!! INTO A LIONTAMER!!! Jay tortures the back holding up the company as now Okada searches for the ropes, but the moment he finds them, another SLEEPER SUPLEX awaits! Okada rolls through though and nails a PERFECT DROPKICK! White rocked, he eats a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! Okada goes for a RAINMAKER, but sensing Jay trying to counter into the Blade Runner, he pushes off and nails another DROPKICK!
​
Remembering the table, Okada nails a SPINNING RAINMAKER, before rolling White onto it! Heading up, Gedo begs him to spare Jay, but Kazu refuses… DIVING ELBOW DROP THROUGH THE TABLE, BUT IT TAKES OUT GEDO!!! JAY PULLED GEDO INTO HIS PLACE!!! Chucking evilly to himself, Jay rolls Okada in for a KIWI KRUSHER, but the Rainmaker writhes, readjusting into seated position on White’s shoulders! He hammers on White’s head, but Jay pulls his body down instead… STEPPING OVER THE ARMS, HE NAILS A STYLES CLASH!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOO!!!
​
Quickly losing patience, he bashes Sharp Sensations against Okada’s chest, before holding the finger gun to his head… V-TRIGGER!!! IS HE GOING FOR IT?! Lifting Kazu onto his shoulders as the crowd gasps… JAY FEIGNS IT, DROPPING OKADA INTO BLADE RUNNER POSITION- OKADA REVERSES INTO A RAINMAKER!!! HE’S NOT FALLING FOR WHITE’S TRICKS ANYMORE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-JAY KICKS OUT!!! Dumping Jay with a German, he nails a couple Short-Arm Rainmakers, followed by a LANDSLIDE! Getting ready to nail another Rainmaker, he grabs the wrist…
​
JAY NAILS A RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! White slams the mat, tears in his eyes, not knowing what to do, but right as he’s about to lose hope, he remembers KENTA. Charging up the Busaiku Knee Kick… HE RUNS INTO A DROPKICK!!! Slugging elbows as Jay returns chops, Okada suddenly scoops him up for a LANDSLIDE!!! And he’s back up in position for the RAIN-BLADE RUNNER!!! BUT JAY CAN’T CAPITALISE, TOO SPENT!!!
​
Instead, White wills himself to go for another, securing wrist-control to nail a couple Short-Arms of his own, before doing the slit-throat taunt… BLADE RUNNER- OKADA DOESN’T BUDGE!!! Jay tugs, growing frantic as he locks eyes with Okada, who shakes his head! SPINNING TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! INTO A RAINMAKER!!! Picking a limp Jay back up, Okada ‘Too Sweets’ him on the forehead, before waving goodbye, NAILING ONE MORE RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! BULLET CLUB is dead. Long Live Okada.
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Jay White to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (38:48)
​
A stunned silence fills San Jose at first, followed by a standing ovation for both warriors. 10 years of one of the greatest factions of all-time, now over. BC rush out to White’s side, some shocked, some furious, but overall emotional for their last night together. KENTA gives Okada a soulless look as the Rainmaker leaves the ring, Kazu nodding to Tanahashi on commentary, knowing what this moment means to him too. But alas, the night is over as Jay walks himself out of New Japan, no betrayals on their last night.
​
​
Whilst Okada’s been through two tense defences in a short span, yet another challenge awaits him. Kaito consistently calling him out in the past weeks, using Okada’s moves on tours, Kazu finally caves, confirming he’ll be there at Keiji Muto’s retirement show, but he’ll be there for blood.
​
​
NOAH Last Love (February 21, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
AMAKUSA vs Hiromu Takahashi
Keiji Muto vs Tetsuya Naito
​
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya
​
The most invigorating Japanese rivalry in recent memory finally receives the pay-off everyone desires as NJPW’s Ace fights NOAH’s up-and-coming Ace. What ensues is awfully one-sided, Okada fully tapping into his role of Big Brother as he demolishes the man he deems lesser than him. Kaito does his best to hold out, getting in Kazu’s face a couple times, but he’s no match for the unbridled arrogance and fury of Okada, who wrecks him with an Antonio Inoki Enzuigiri, a Mitsuharu Misawa Emerald Flowsion, and a stiff-as-hell Rainmaker! 7 years ago, this was Naomichi Marufuji to Okada, but now Kazu is the Alpha Dog in town.
​
Kazuchika Okada def. Kaito Kiyomiya (16:32)
​
​
With Okada drifting into this unrecognisable version of himself, the rift between him and members of CHAOS continues to grow. Goto’s outspoken in his discontentment with CHAOS’s current position, HASHI standing with his partner, believing Kazuchika should be spending more time uniting the faction as their leader rather than running off to humiliate others and dapping up Tanahashi. Ishii and Yano, on the other hand, refuse a rebellion as CHAOS OGs and loyalists, Tom already eating well with his NEVER Openweight Championship. As such, a match between them is set for Anniversary!
​
As for Okada, with LIJ not getting the chance to fight Okada due to their loss to KONGOH, Hiromu Takahashi challenges him to a Champion vs Champion fight as one of 2 LIJ members who did win against KONGOH.
​
​
51st Anniversary Show (March 6, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
Bishamon (c) vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
​
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi
​
A long-awaited rematch from 2020’s New Japan Cup Semi Finals for Hiromu, much like Prince Devitt a decade ago he wants to prove he can hold both titles simultaneously. Though Devitt failed, Takahashi tries to avenge stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi’s failures against the Ace as Tanahashi commentates again, having surprisingly voiced his support for Okada’s recent regime of culling the outsiders. An 18-minute sprint sees Hiromu rely on his explosiveness to leave Okada reeling, a Time Bomb II banging up the neck for a near-fall, but Takahashi still isn’t on Kazu’s level, a Rainmaker silencing him!
​
Kazuchika Okada def. Hiromu Takahashi (18:03)
​
​
Despite Bishamon’s defiant victory against CHAOS, Okada pays it no regard when choosing a partner for New Japan’s return to Aichi, remembering how Goto failed him last time. Called out by recent Young Lion graduates Ren Narita and Shota Umino, who have been making waves in the New Japan Cup, Narita determined to replicate mentor Katsuyori Shibata’s run to avenge him, whilst Shota wishes to impress idol Tanahashi, Kazu fittingly invites the Ace of the Universe to team with him!
​
​
New Japan Cup - Night Five (March 11, 2023)
​
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Ren Narita & Shota Umino
​
A true dream team, the company’s Aces battle its future in a thrilling exhibition bout, Shota borrowing from Tanahashi in his performance, whilst Narita remains very much determined to get in Okada’s face. Much like the rest who have tried as of late though, he’s well out his weight class, Okada paying him a mocking headbutt and a Rainmaker to humble the youngster! As Narita wallows in disappointment though, Okada offers a hand to Shota, helping him to his feet and claiming he sees a future in the Tanahashi-derivative star.
​
The Dream Team def. Ren Narita & Shota Umino (13:32)
​
​
As the New Japan Cup rolls on, it reaches a scintillating conclusion with Just5Guys’ Taichi besting Sabre Gun’s Zack Sabre Jr. in the Finals, Taichi having beaten Ospreay in the Semis and Zack triumphing over SANADA! As the group joins the Toshiaki Kawada student for the trophy presentation, complete with a recently-turning SANADA, who betrayed Naito in the Quarter Finals, they invite one last member to their family to Sabre-Gun’s Kosei Fujita’s umbrage – his former friend who he left, Ryohei Oiwa! Whilst J6G and Sabre-Gun’s rivalry bubbles in the background, the important matter at hand is Taichi’s upcoming shot!
​
​
Road To Sakura Genesis - Night Three (April 3, 2023)
​
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Just6Guys (Taichi & SANADA)
​
Once again calling on Tanahashi, the (Aether) Aces step to their mutual foes of Taichi & SANADA. Looking down on the pair as AJPW guys, Okada & Tanahashi are especially hostile in their treatment of J6G, but unlike Kaito who ate all of it, Taichi & SANADA are a lot more defiant, the Holy Emperor especially passionate in his reminders that no matter where he came from, he still worked his way through the Dojo like Okada and Tanahashi. Still, even with Taichi catching the champion by surprise with multiple near-falls, forcing him to become more serious, it’s not their night… yet, SANADA eating the fall off a High-Fly Flow!
​
The Dream Team def. Just6Guys (15:27)
​
​
Sakura Genesis (April 8, 2023)
​
Also on the card:
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Lio Rush - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Great-O-Khan – NEVER Openweight Championship
Bishamon (c) vs Aussie Open - IWGP Tag Team Championship
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Taichi VI - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
​
Though the tag match may not have gone in J6G’s favour, tonight’s a lot different. One year ago, Taichi watched as his partner ZSJ failed to dethrone Okada after winning the NJC, much like four years before that. But now, he’s earned the chance to be the one fighting Kazu and silence his critics, especially the Rainmaker, rather than spectating a third time. Conducting a full operatic entrance, the Holy Emperor is the fan-favourite in the very arena his mentor Kawada retired, looking to make him proud, and for once, even Okada’s grandeur pales in comparison to his foe, though he looks past it, prepared to stomp out another outsider.
​
What ensues is a match centred around respect, Okada refusing to give it to Taichi, and Taichi doing everything he can for it! From homages to Kawada with the DANGEROUS BACKDROP and a GANSO BOMB tease from Taichi, to Kazu intentionally attempting NOAH-centric moves like the BURNING HAMMER and EMERALD FLOWSION, they trade bombs from start to finish, Taichi even connecting a RIPCORD AXE BOMBER for a near-fall! Yet despite putting on the best underdog performance of his career, the RAINMAKERS put a stop to it!
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Taichi to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (28:32)
​
So close yet so far. As another one bites the dust, CHAOS comes out to join Okada for the show-closing promo – Ishii with his gold, but Bishamon now titleless, as well as Lio Rush failing to win gold too. The Rainmaker gloats, saying he’s never been better… though CHAOS could be a lot better. Admonishing their failures, he tells them he’s disappointed in them. Unlike other factions do, he refused to hold their hands every step of the way, putting his faith in them, yet they’ve thrown that in his face time and time again. Certain members are holding the group back, so he invites them to either leave while they can, or face the consequences.
​
A few moments pass, but no one budges. Okada scoffs, about to speak until Goto gets in his face! Running down Okada, he says he’s done with the treatment he’s received from the Rainmaker lately, his spot in CHAOS always one of shame after all, constant losses to Okada forcing him to join his foe rather than fail further. But he’s no coward. He’s not going to tuck his tail between his legs and scram like Okada wants. He knows Kazu wants him gone, so if that’s the case… he challenges him to put the leadership of CHAOS on the line against him at his 20th Anniversary Show! If Okada wins, he’ll leave. If Goto wins, he takes over. Astonished by Goto’s defiance yet almost respecting it, Okada agrees to let him fight for his future!
​
​
Capital Collision (April 15, 2023)
​
Also on the show:
Kenny Omega (c) vs El Phantasmo - IWGP United States Championship
​
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) (c) vs Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) - NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
​
Before Goto’s final stand, Okada makes a trip down to America to challenge for the STRONG Tag Titles, wanting to show Hirooki how it’s done by not only beating the team which dethroned Bishamon, but also the legendary Motor City Machine Guns! Joined by Tanahashi as expected, the icons make up for their lack of tag team experience with sheer talent, giving both teams a tough draw. A Rainmaker to Fletcher sets up Tanahashi for a High-Fly Flow, but as Okada prepares to defend the pinfall, OUT COME BISHAMON! Drawing Okada’s attention, Goto brawls with the Rainmaker whilst HASHI distracts Tana, allowing Davis to take him out, before nailing the Coriolis on Shelley to win the titles!
​
Aussie Open def. Motor City Machine Guns (c), The Dream Team (25:13)
​
As Okada realises what’s just happened, Bishamon are long gone by then, Goto waving to a fuming Kazu from the entranceway!
​
​
Hirooki Goto 20th Anniversary Event (April 22, 2023)
​
Kazuchika Okada vs Hirooki Goto XVI
​
High stakes for the main event, all of CHAOS and Tanahashi are in attendance to witness their stable’s future. Goto’s stoic, not letting the emotions of it all get to him, whilst Okada’s arrogant as ever, overconfident in his abilities despite their series being only 8-7 to him, Goto able to score the grandest of equalisers tonight should he win. What ensues is an all-out war for CHAOS, Goto doing everything to prove himself a worthy member, whilst Okada devotes himself to ruining the Aramusha. And at certain points, Goto has the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion on the ropes, humbling the Rainmaker off a nail-bitingly close near fall on the GTR! But Okada’s simply unstoppable, it taking three Rainmakers to seal the deal, Okada besting Goto!
​
Kazuchika Okada def. Hirooki Goto (25:10)
​
Ruining Goto’s big night, Okada’s smug with himself as HASHI, Lio, YOH, and even Yano tend to their fallen comrade, while Ishii watches with a hint of sorrow, though ultimately steering clear of treasonous actions. As per the stipulation, an emotional Goto’s forced to leave CHAOS, though he doesn’t walk the plank alone, YOSHI, Rush, and YOH, following suit! Okada seems taken aback at first, though ultimately nods, needing all traces of weakness gone from his stable. Just Ishii and Tanahashi left standing at ringside, Okada declares that the foundations of the group will be rebuilt, starting with… the three of them!
​
Handing a CHAOS shirt to Tanahashi, he welcomes Hiroshi to the group, before handing over the mic! Tana explains that upon speaking with Okada, he realised this would be the right way for him to protect the future of the company he fought so long for. Just because he’s carrying a flag now though, doesn’t mean he’s any different from the man they all know and love. He’s doing this for the betterment of the place he loves. He’s doing this for a purer New Japan!
​
As the three stand tall together… BUSAIKU KNEE KICK TO OKADA! Just as quickly as KENTA slipped into the ring, he slips back out, Taiji Ishimori & SHO by his side! Banding together as a group of misfits following BULLET CLUB’s death, SHO leaving House of Torture too, it’s clear KENTA has one thing on his mind… take from the man who took from him.
​
​
Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni (April 29, 2023)
​
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & X) vs KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & SHO
​
With KENTA and co. targeting Okada, a Six-Man Tag is set, though not with Tanahashi as CHAOS’s third man. Instead, he gives up his spot to their ‘new member’, who reveals himself to be Shota Umino! Okada impressed with his talents a couple months back, he shows off his chops here as a functioning member of the new CHAOS, the three gelling together perfectly. A rather shades of grey encounter between two sides with moral ambiguities, the crowd is evenly split, but alas, it’s KENTA’s crew scoring a bit of an upset after some shenanigans, the Busaiku Knee Kick taking down Ishii! After the match, KENTA gestures Okada’s belt around his waist.
​
KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & SHO def. CHAOS (14:39)
​
​
Wrestling Dontaku (May 3, 2023)
​
Also on the card:
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs YOSHI-HASHI - NEVER Openweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs Shingo Takagi - IWGP United States Championship
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs KENTA II - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
​
Not having touched one-on-one since KENTA’s debut G1, there’s a big fight feel for the sacred rematch 4 years long overdue. The Black Sun carrying NOAH’s flag in Okada’s eyes, he’s determined to add KENTA to his list of casualties, whilst vengeance remains glued to the challenger’s mind. Returning to his Overture theme, KENTA’s just as arrogant as the champion, the two producing mirroring self-absorbed entrances, but as the bell rings, it remains to be seen whether their skill is also mirrored.
​
Starting with a feeling out sequence, the two trade a variety of holds back-and-forth with increasing pace, before Okada teases a sudden RAINMAKER! KENTA has it scouted, catching the arm and immediately getting to work on it, remembering Nakajima’s strategy. Hammering it with elbows and kicks, a HIGH KNEE finds its mark on Okada’s shoulder! Whipping him to the mat, a PENALTY KICK follows to the joint! Okada shakes out his arm in agony as KENTA’s target becomes crystal clear, smartly looking to eliminate the Rainmaker from the equation as early as possible!
​
KENTA races in for a Corner Big Boot, but Okada ducks out the way, dropping KENTA with a BACKDROP SUPLEX! He shakes out his arm as he drops into cover, shooting the half, only for KENTA to reverse the pinfall mid-count into a GAME OVER attempt! Alarm in his eyes, Okada frantically lunges at the ropes for reprieve, though KENTA holds on until 4 to exact as much damage as possible on the limb!
​
Okada resting against the ropes as he tries to get some feeling back in his arm, KENTA sprints for a RUNNING YAKUZA KICK, but Okada pulls the ropes down, the Black Sun sent crashing to the outside! He whips KENTA into the guardrails for a Big Boot that sends him over, a JUMPING CROSSBODY following suit! Dragging KENTA out the rubble, he teases a HANGMAN’S DDT off the steel, only for KENTA to drop down and SNAP OKADA’S ARM OVER THE GUARDRAIL! Threading it through the gap, a HESITATION DROPKICK MANGLES HIS ARM IN THE STEEL!
​
Okada lets out a cry of pain as the section crashes down on him, having no time to recover as he feebly frees himself from it, KENTA yanking him by the arm! He tries to send Okada’s arm into the steel post, but the Big Boot takes him down! Rolling KENTA inside, Okada hails down a MISSILE DROPKICK to send him sprawling across the ring, before a STRAIGHT-JACKET NECKBREAKER subdues him for the Rainmaker to lock in RED INK!
​
Using the opportunity to rest his own arm, it backfires when KENTA contorts it over his shoulder to free himself, a CROSS ARMBREAKER turning the tables! Kazuchika gets a monkey grip to prevent full extension though, rolling KENTA over to his shoulders for 2, before hoisting him up into an AIR RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT! Okada tries to pick KENTA up with one arm for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but he fails miserably, KENTA turning the predicament around into an EMERALD FLOWSION!
​
Scaling the ropes, KENTA teases a DIVING DOUBLE FOOT STOMP to the point of Okada’s elbow… MILLION DOLLAR DROPKICK INTERCEPTS! Okada stands KENTA up with a DDT, before dumping him with a GERMAN SUPLEX, though is unable to get the bridge. Wanting to wrap things up and fast, he uses the ropes to get KENTA in position for a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, before securing wrist-control! He looks for the RAINMAKER, only for KENTA to blast the arm with a YAKUZA KICK!
​
Okada’s arm dropping by his side, KENTA teases going for a RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN, only for Kazuchika to bring him down with a FLAPJACK instead! A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER shakes off KENTA’s advances on the arm, before a RAINMAKER FINDS ITS MARK!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Not enough strength behind it for Okada to put KENTA down for good, he tries for another… KENTA SLAPS THE TASTE OUT HIS MOUTH! KENTA RUSH FOLLOWS SUIT! AND A BUSAIKU KNEE KICK!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA SURVIVES!!!
​
Doing the Rainmaker pose, KENTA secures wrist-control himself and puts Okada on his shoulders, teasing a GO 2 SLEEP! OKADA NAILS HEAVY RAIN!!! A LANDSLIDE attempt is stuffed, KENTA again abusing the arm like it’s the Dragongate monkey, BEFORE NAILING A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! Okada forced to eat stiff shot after stiff shot like it’s Shibata all over again, he looks to be on dream street as KENTA fires up a second BUSAIKU KNEE- DROPKICK COUNTERS!!! Accounting for his deteriorating arm, Okada nails a pair of SHORT-ARM RAINMAKERS with his nondominant arm to ease into one more RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
​
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. KENTA to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (26:35)
​
It may be the accumulating fatigue talking, but KENTA may have given Okada his biggest scare yet, a lucky last gasp saving the Rainmaker’s reign. Not so bad for an outside, he thinks. As a shattered KENTA collects his bearing, SHO and Taiji by his side, Okada stops him from leaving just yet, instead calling to Tanahashi from commentary, who tosses him a shirt! Mic in his other hand, Okada declares that KENTA impressed him more than he would normally care to admit. It’s almost as though his talents were being wasted in BULLET CLUB… So, why not join CHAOS?
​
The Black Sun’s understandably stunned, the man he hated just moments ago now offering a truce? But Okada tells him to sit on it, offering a couple more shirts to his pals, stating he could use their talents to fuel his new vision. SHO was always the better Roppongi 3K member after all. And Taiji’s an Ultimo Dragon trainee like him. Just think on it. As KENTA and co. leave to the back in deep thought, it appears big things lie ahead for CHAOS…

After a rocky start to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship’s legacy, this past year gave it a much-needed push back into the limelight as one of the most sought-after belts in wrestling, but there’s still work to be done. Kazuchika Okada was about to do that until his fantastic run was cut horribly short by SANADA, but that’ll no longer be an issue as we take matters back to the aftermath of Wrestle Kingdom 17, to the start of the Rainmaker’s 2nd reign. This isn’t just about recapturing the glimmer of the V4 belt though. In each company, the World Championship acts as the centrepiece to its future, any changes affecting the greater surrounding stories as well. Thus, this booking aims to orient NJPW as a whole, smoothing over complaints like the redundancy of BULLET CLUB and the staleness of CHAOS whilst building a promising future for New Japan for when its current pillars ultimately need to hang up their boots.
New Year Dash!! (January 5, 2023)
Also on the show:
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI) vs Sabre-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls)
BULLET CLUB (Jay White, KENTA, El Phantasmo, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi) vs Guerrillas of Destiny, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato
Kazuchika Okada & Kenny Omega vs United Empire (Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb)
As always, New Year Dash!! has been an explosive night thus far, seeing the debuts of Just4Guys and Sabre-Gun from the ashes of Suzuki-Gun, as well as House of Torture finally leaving BULLET CLUB after their loss earlier in the night, turning their backs on Jay White. But it’s the main event which shakes the company to the core, as legendary rivals IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega shockingly team up to take on Will Ospreay’s United Empire henchmen, both having their issues with the Commonwealth Kingpin and his posse. A fun showcase sees the super-team nail their RainmakeV-Trigger combo on Aaron Henare to seal the deal, with Cobb eyeing Kenny menacingly post-match and Okada going right back to big-leaguing Omega, refusing to acknowledge him.
Once the Cleaner departs, Kazuchika cuts a post-match promo claiming last night was merely the first of many nights of a company-wide purge. He’s tired of these outsiders trying to share his earned spotlight, so one by one, he’s going to send them back home. “Kaito Kiyomiya, young lion, I’ll see you in Yokohama.” Okada drops the mic and heads back, where IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon are wrapping up an interview. They’re disgruntled from their loss to Sabre-Gun earlier in the night, Goto seeming even more upset that Okada chose to team with Omega over anyone of them, questioning the use of CHAOS, but Kazuchika pays it no note, shooing him off so he can have his interview time.
Kazuchika Okada & Kenny Omega def. United Empire (Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb) (13:36)
Heading into Yokohama, a 5-match series is announced between Los Ingobernables de Japon and KONGOH’s members! With Shingo Takagi staking his claims to Okada’s title the night prior, Katsuhiko Nakajima raises the question of how deserving the Dragon truly is considering he’s lost twice to the NOAH star. Taking the potshot as a challenge, Shingo agrees to put his shot on the line, the faction with the most wins facing the Rainmaker next!
Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Arena (January 21, 2023)
Also on the show:
BUSHI vs Tadasuke
Hiromu Takahashi vs Hajime Ohara
SANADA vs Manabu Soya
Tetsuya Naito vs KENOH
Shingo Takagi vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) vs Team NOAH (Kaito Kiyomiya & Masa Kitamiya)
Before the LIJ/KONGOH series can commence, Okada calls on his trusty right-hand man Tomohiro Ishii (not Goto) to assist him in driving home the GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito and his main unit ally, Masa Kitamiya, promising to beat Kiyomiya like in last year’s tag. What starts as an average match rapidly devolves into a brawl when Kaito, sick of Kazuchika overlooking and disrespecting him, boots his face off with unbridled intensity, causing Okada to snap, beating the snot out of him! A German Suplex dumps Kazuchika on the floor as referees pull them apart, and as Okada seethes, it’s clear this is far from over.
CHAOS and Team NOAH fought to a no contest (6:35)
Though Kaito’s stunt gains the Rainmaker’s attention, it also garners his wrath, a livid Okada cursing up a storm in a post-match interview. When asked if a match will happen with Kiyomiya, Kazuchika outright refuses to work with the ‘snivelling, puny prick’, claiming he had his chance and ruined the honour of dancing with the Rainmaker. Goto tries to calm Okada down, reminding him that with Nakajima winning KONGOH the series 3-2, they have a preview match with KONGOH tomorrow. In the heat of rage, Okada tells him to ‘f*** off’, before naming Goto their team’s captain since he wants to play smart with him.
The New Beginning in Nagoya (January 22, 2023)
Captain’s Fall: CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto [C], Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI) vs KONGOH (Katsuhiko Nakajima, KENOH [C], Manabu Soya, Tadasuke)
After a turbulent recent weeks, Okada’s in dire need of something to calm him down, hoping a match in his home prefecture of Aichi will help. He’s all calm until he sees Goto’s dumb face though, becoming irrationally angry again, barking at the Aramusha to do his job. Okada sits out majority of the match until Nakajima mouths off with him on the apron, piefacing the Rainmaker when he refuses to get in! Furious, the Rainmaker shoves a concerned Goto aside and tags in, laying into Nakajima to the point of near-disqualification, before murdering Tadasuke to equalise the sides after KENOH eliminated YOSHI-HASHI! He gives Soya the same treatment, tearing KONGOH a new one until Nakajima almost slaps him unconscious, Okada staggering back into his corner, where Goto tags in! As Hirooki and Nakajima go at it, Okada regains his bearings right as Nakajima nails the Vertical Spike to pin CHAOS’s captain to automatically win the match!
KONGOH def. CHAOS (17:11)
As a smug Nakajima snatches Okada’s title away from the referee and holds it over his head, sneering and taunting at Kazuchika, the Rainmaker flips him off! Collecting his boys as Katsuhiko unceremoniously tosses Okada’s belt over to him, Okada returns to the back with gritted teeth, promising to ruin Nakajima, though not before chewing out Goto as the rest of CHAOS watch on uncomfortably.
The New Beginning in Osaka (February 11, 2023)
Also on the tour:
Jay White vs EVIL
Bishamon (c) vs TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs YOH - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
It’s been a rough tour for CHAOS, from getting whooped by KONGOH to YOH failing to bring back gold, but through their failures, Bishamon is able to redeem itself by beating back Sabre-Gun’s TMDK. Nevertheless, it’s all taking quite the toll on Okada’s mental, who’s been devolving back to his cocky, snappy self. Finally though, he gets a chance at release when he faces arguably his spiritual counterpart from NOAH, the fellow 35-year-old meeting the Rainmaker in a first-time match that’s been a very long-time coming. Nakajima oozes confidence as he strides out to his grand piano theme, while Okada stomps out with a scowl as Katsuhiko crumples raining Okada Dollars in his hand.
As the bell chimes, Okada offers a traditional lock-up but Nakajima stiffly kicks his thigh instead and smirks. Okada though glares a hole through Katsuhiko, launching at him like a mack truck with harsh elbows in response! Whipping him at the corner, Okada charges, but Nakajima slides out the way and rocks him with a Superkick, dusting off his hands and covering for two! He beats a Lariat attempt, nailing a Big Boot and a Leg Sweep, before crashing into the champion with a MISSILE DROPKICK!
Dazed, Okada finds himself in the ropes, Nakajima continuing to rock him with stiff boots, one sending him to the apron! The Genius of the Kick follows, wanting a Roundhouse, but Okada kicks out his other leg and nails an APRON DDT! Back inside, a Senton Atomico and DIVING ELBOW DROP nabs 2! Okada builds momentum with a Neckbreaker, but Nakajima flips out a German and whacks a SOCCER KICK into his chest! He caves Okada’s sides in with more as the champion splutters until Okada flips him off again!
Nakajima charges with a YAKUZA KICK but Okada pulls the ropes down! Nakajima caught, Okada nails a DROPKICK! Katsuhiko collapses out, Kazuchika chasing after, whipping him into the guardrail before cleaning his clock with a Big Boot of his own! FLYING CROSSBODY – SUPERKICK SNIPES OKADA! Nakajima kicks Okada’s arm into the guardrail, before a HESITATION DROPKICK whacks it off the steel post! Seating Okada on the canvas, Nakajima bullies the arm with disgusting shoulder kicks. A Penalty Kick misses, though as does Okada’s Short-Arm Rainmaker, NAKAJIMA WHIPPING THE SHOULDER INTO THE MAT!
BOW-AND-ARROW ON THE ARM! Nakajima tries tearing it off the bone, but when that doesn’t work, he ties Okada in the ropes and goes to town! The referee intervenes to force the break, but as Katsuhiko turns around a DROPKICK awaits! BELLY-TO-BACK SUPLEX! Okada teases a Rainmaker, but Nakajima slaps him away and nails the shoulder – STRAIGHT-JACKET SUPLEX! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT! Keeping wrist-control, Nakajima mockingly kicks the arm and shoves his face, BUT OKADA EXPLODES BACK WITH A LARIAT FROM THE OTHER ARM!
Keeping hold himself, Okada knocks Nakajima down with another Lariat, before a BEAUTIFUL DROPKICK knocks him loopy! HEAVY RAIN! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOO! Okada sets up the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but Nakajima thrashes free with head kicks, pulling him over for a VERTICAL SPIKE attempt! Okada slips free and nails an Enzuigiri! GERMAN SUPLEX! The arm keeps him from bridging, instead climbing the turnbuckles, teasing the Crossbody, only to eat a ROLLING FIFTEEN!
Okada staggers, holding the ropes to keep upright, but Nakajima has other intentions, kicking the arm off, before nailing a RING-SHAKING SUPERPLEX! Rolling through, he pulls him into a TWISTER II!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE!!! Disappointed, he drops Okada into seated position with a BICYCLE KNEE STRIKE, before lining up a PK! OKADA COUNTERS INTO A SURPRISE EMERALD FLOWSION ON THE NOAH STAR! Regaining his bearings for a moment, Okada smells blood in the water, throws out the arms, wanting the RAINMAKER… NAKAJIMA SLAPS THE SOUL OUT OF HIM!!!
Okada collapses deadweight to his knees as Nakajima grins sick thoughts to himself, before mocking the Rainmaker pose! Ripcording Okada around, he nails a JUMPING KICK, before going for the VERTICAL SPIKE… OKADA REVERSES INTO A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER!!! Nakajima now stunned, Okada lifts him by the waist and nails the RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOO!!! But a ticked Okada doesn’t let him go, mauling him with haymakers and kicks like he did Kaito as even Nakajima’s forced to cover up!
Frustrated, he slaps Nakajima in the face, but Katsuhiko with a SHOULDER KICK! DOUBLE UNDERHOOK SUPLEX! Okada rattled, he eats a Sliding Dropkick and an AIR RAID CRASH, before Nakajima nails the NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA STAYS ALIVE!!! Nakajima back to the well with the VERTICAL SPIKE… DROPKICK FROM OKADA!!! ANOTHER DROPKICK!!! SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER!!! AND A TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! Lifting him up with hatred, Okada ripcords him into the RAINMAKER!!! But he’s not done, going for another as NAKAJIMA FLIPS HIM OFF!!! RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Katsuhiko Nakajima to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (27:18)
Triumphing over the outsider, Okada steps over him like he’s dirt and collects his title… BUT HE’S SPUN INTO A BLADE RUNNER!!! Jay White stands over his rival’s fallen body, the respect shown at Wrestle Kingdom a mere ruse, the Switchblade wanting his title back!
Done with White’s antics, Okada agrees to a rematch on one stipulation – if White loses, BULLET CLUB must disband. It’s coming up to 10 years of him dealing with their rubbish, and frankly, he’s hurt and old and tired of the rinse and repeat. It’s time he ends it for good.
Battle in the Valley (February 18, 2023)
Also on the show:
Kenny Omega (c) vs Jeff Cobb - IWGP United States Championship
Tama Tonga (c) vs Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Jay White VII - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (If White loses, BULLET CLUB must disband)
With Okada dropping a massive bombshell, a deranged and desperate White can only accept, needing the title back, even if it means risking BC should he fail. Their 7th and potentially final match, Jay’s still 4-2, putting the Rainmaker at a disadvantage, but he couldn’t care less. White makes his entrance flanked by BC, who look downright scared for their future, but KENTA tells them to hold strong. As Jay approaches the ring though, he tells them to let him run this solo against the Black Sun’s advice, White believing this to be his fight despite everything on the line, going it with just Gedo. Okada’s by his lonesome as always, ready to bury the past forever.
Unlike their WK match, this starts surprisingly in Okada’s favour even with the hell he went through just a week ago, the Rainmaker cutting off White’s condescending trash talk with a DROPKICK! Beating on his torso, Okada whips Jay at the ropes for another Dropkick, but Gedo pulls White out, giving him a pep talk to focus as Okada flashes him a ‘Too Sweet’! Not thinking, Jay slides back into a BIG BOOT, Okada continuing control with a Neckbreaker!
Hammering on the neck, Okada cinches in an early RED INK, forcing White to fight as Gedo looks on worriedly. Hissing and spitting, Jay struggles to the ropes, but there’s no breaks for him, a FLAPJACK snapping his neck off the ropes and a Lariat stumbling him to the floor! Regrouping with Gedo again, his friend pleads with him to snap out of whatever this is, only to step back fearfully as a snarling Okada approaches.
Understanding he’s in supreme control, Okada takes his sweet time tossing Jay back in, though his return’s slowed by Gedo, who begs for mercy for Jay as Kazu steps on the apron. Okada rolls his eyes, ONLY TO TURN INTO JAY RUNNING FULL SPEED AT HIM! SHOULDER TACKLE SENDS OKADA FLYING RIB-FIRST INTO THE GUARDRAIL!!! As Okada wails in agony, White cackles. Mission accomplished. Playing possum to lower Kazuchika’s guard, he’s in control now.
Collecting Okada, he rams his spine from apron to post… BEFORE TACKLING HIM THROUGH THE GUARDRAIL ITSELF, BOTH EXPLODING THROUGH!!! As Okada nurses his ribs, Jay plops down on a vacant chair next to a fan and snatches their water, taking a swig and patting himself on the back, before ‘making it rain’ over Okada’s head. He sets up a table at ringside which remains untouched for now as his foe crawls back in, Jay instead nailing a sick DEATH VALLEY DRIVER! Chopping and kicking the midsection, a SNAP SAITO gets 2!
A Reverse STO attempt backfires though, Okada lifting Jay into a HANGMAN’S DDT! One Corner Elbow later, and a DROPKICK sends Jay crashing from the top turnbuckle to the ramp! Gedo orients the dazed Jay to a chair, White using it for support, only to yank him off as OKADA SOARS – TOPE CON HILO EATS THE OPENED CHAIR!!! Back in agony, a SLEEPER SUPLEX only doubles it! Sliding Kazu in, a Running Corner European follows into a Blade Buster tease… JAY HITS A BLOODY SUNDAY INSTEAD!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!!
Okada tries fighting back with a forearm, but a HURRICANE DRIVER FLOORS HIM!!! INTO A LIONTAMER!!! Jay tortures the back holding up the company as now Okada searches for the ropes, but the moment he finds them, another SLEEPER SUPLEX awaits! Okada rolls through though and nails a PERFECT DROPKICK! White rocked, he eats a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! Okada goes for a RAINMAKER, but sensing Jay trying to counter into the Blade Runner, he pushes off and nails another DROPKICK!
Remembering the table, Okada nails a SPINNING RAINMAKER, before rolling White onto it! Heading up, Gedo begs him to spare Jay, but Kazu refuses… DIVING ELBOW DROP THROUGH THE TABLE, BUT IT TAKES OUT GEDO!!! JAY PULLED GEDO INTO HIS PLACE!!! Chucking evilly to himself, Jay rolls Okada in for a KIWI KRUSHER, but the Rainmaker writhes, readjusting into seated position on White’s shoulders! He hammers on White’s head, but Jay pulls his body down instead… STEPPING OVER THE ARMS, HE NAILS A STYLES CLASH!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOO!!!
Quickly losing patience, he bashes Sharp Sensations against Okada’s chest, before holding the finger gun to his head… V-TRIGGER!!! IS HE GOING FOR IT?! Lifting Kazu onto his shoulders as the crowd gasps… JAY FEIGNS IT, DROPPING OKADA INTO BLADE RUNNER POSITION- OKADA REVERSES INTO A RAINMAKER!!! HE’S NOT FALLING FOR WHITE’S TRICKS ANYMORE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-JAY KICKS OUT!!! Dumping Jay with a German, he nails a couple Short-Arm Rainmakers, followed by a LANDSLIDE! Getting ready to nail another Rainmaker, he grabs the wrist…
JAY NAILS A RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! White slams the mat, tears in his eyes, not knowing what to do, but right as he’s about to lose hope, he remembers KENTA. Charging up the Busaiku Knee Kick… HE RUNS INTO A DROPKICK!!! Slugging elbows as Jay returns chops, Okada suddenly scoops him up for a LANDSLIDE!!! And he’s back up in position for the RAIN-BLADE RUNNER!!! BUT JAY CAN’T CAPITALISE, TOO SPENT!!!
Instead, White wills himself to go for another, securing wrist-control to nail a couple Short-Arms of his own, before doing the slit-throat taunt… BLADE RUNNER- OKADA DOESN’T BUDGE!!! Jay tugs, growing frantic as he locks eyes with Okada, who shakes his head! SPINNING TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! INTO A RAINMAKER!!! Picking a limp Jay back up, Okada ‘Too Sweets’ him on the forehead, before waving goodbye, NAILING ONE MORE RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! BULLET CLUB is dead. Long Live Okada.
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Jay White to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (38:48)
A stunned silence fills San Jose at first, followed by a standing ovation for both warriors. 10 years of one of the greatest factions of all-time, now over. BC rush out to White’s side, some shocked, some furious, but overall emotional for their last night together. KENTA gives Okada a soulless look as the Rainmaker leaves the ring, Kazu nodding to Tanahashi on commentary, knowing what this moment means to him too. But alas, the night is over as Jay walks himself out of New Japan, no betrayals on their last night.
Whilst Okada’s been through two tense defences in a short span, yet another challenge awaits him. Kaito consistently calling him out in the past weeks, using Okada’s moves on tours, Kazu finally caves, confirming he’ll be there at Keiji Muto’s retirement show, but he’ll be there for blood.
NOAH Last Love (February 21, 2023)
Also on the show:
AMAKUSA vs Hiromu Takahashi
Keiji Muto vs Tetsuya Naito
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya
The most invigorating Japanese rivalry in recent memory finally receives the pay-off everyone desires as NJPW’s Ace fights NOAH’s up-and-coming Ace. What ensues is awfully one-sided, Okada fully tapping into his role of Big Brother as he demolishes the man he deems lesser than him. Kaito does his best to hold out, getting in Kazu’s face a couple times, but he’s no match for the unbridled arrogance and fury of Okada, who wrecks him with an Antonio Inoki Enzuigiri, a Mitsuharu Misawa Emerald Flowsion, and a stiff-as-hell Rainmaker! 7 years ago, this was Naomichi Marufuji to Okada, but now Kazu is the Alpha Dog in town.
Kazuchika Okada def. Kaito Kiyomiya (16:32)
With Okada drifting into this unrecognisable version of himself, the rift between him and members of CHAOS continues to grow. Goto’s outspoken in his discontentment with CHAOS’s current position, HASHI standing with his partner, believing Kazuchika should be spending more time uniting the faction as their leader rather than running off to humiliate others and dapping up Tanahashi. Ishii and Yano, on the other hand, refuse a rebellion as CHAOS OGs and loyalists, Tom already eating well with his NEVER Openweight Championship. As such, a match between them is set for Anniversary!
As for Okada, with LIJ not getting the chance to fight Okada due to their loss to KONGOH, Hiromu Takahashi challenges him to a Champion vs Champion fight as one of 2 LIJ members who did win against KONGOH.
51st Anniversary Show (March 6, 2023)
Also on the show:
Bishamon (c) vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi
A long-awaited rematch from 2020’s New Japan Cup Semi Finals for Hiromu, much like Prince Devitt a decade ago he wants to prove he can hold both titles simultaneously. Though Devitt failed, Takahashi tries to avenge stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi’s failures against the Ace as Tanahashi commentates again, having surprisingly voiced his support for Okada’s recent regime of culling the outsiders. An 18-minute sprint sees Hiromu rely on his explosiveness to leave Okada reeling, a Time Bomb II banging up the neck for a near-fall, but Takahashi still isn’t on Kazu’s level, a Rainmaker silencing him!
Kazuchika Okada def. Hiromu Takahashi (18:03)
Despite Bishamon’s defiant victory against CHAOS, Okada pays it no regard when choosing a partner for New Japan’s return to Aichi, remembering how Goto failed him last time. Called out by recent Young Lion graduates Ren Narita and Shota Umino, who have been making waves in the New Japan Cup, Narita determined to replicate mentor Katsuyori Shibata’s run to avenge him, whilst Shota wishes to impress idol Tanahashi, Kazu fittingly invites the Ace of the Universe to team with him!
New Japan Cup - Night Five (March 11, 2023)
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Ren Narita & Shota Umino
A true dream team, the company’s Aces battle its future in a thrilling exhibition bout, Shota borrowing from Tanahashi in his performance, whilst Narita remains very much determined to get in Okada’s face. Much like the rest who have tried as of late though, he’s well out his weight class, Okada paying him a mocking headbutt and a Rainmaker to humble the youngster! As Narita wallows in disappointment though, Okada offers a hand to Shota, helping him to his feet and claiming he sees a future in the Tanahashi-derivative star.
The Dream Team def. Ren Narita & Shota Umino (13:32)
As the New Japan Cup rolls on, it reaches a scintillating conclusion with Just5Guys’ Taichi besting Sabre Gun’s Zack Sabre Jr. in the Finals, Taichi having beaten Ospreay in the Semis and Zack triumphing over SANADA! As the group joins the Toshiaki Kawada student for the trophy presentation, complete with a recently-turning SANADA, who betrayed Naito in the Quarter Finals, they invite one last member to their family to Sabre-Gun’s Kosei Fujita’s umbrage – his former friend who he left, Ryohei Oiwa! Whilst J6G and Sabre-Gun’s rivalry bubbles in the background, the important matter at hand is Taichi’s upcoming shot!
Road To Sakura Genesis - Night Three (April 3, 2023)
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Just6Guys (Taichi & SANADA)
Once again calling on Tanahashi, the (Aether) Aces step to their mutual foes of Taichi & SANADA. Looking down on the pair as AJPW guys, Okada & Tanahashi are especially hostile in their treatment of J6G, but unlike Kaito who ate all of it, Taichi & SANADA are a lot more defiant, the Holy Emperor especially passionate in his reminders that no matter where he came from, he still worked his way through the Dojo like Okada and Tanahashi. Still, even with Taichi catching the champion by surprise with multiple near-falls, forcing him to become more serious, it’s not their night… yet, SANADA eating the fall off a High-Fly Flow!
The Dream Team def. Just6Guys (15:27)
Sakura Genesis (April 8, 2023)
Also on the card:
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Lio Rush - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Great-O-Khan – NEVER Openweight Championship
Bishamon (c) vs Aussie Open - IWGP Tag Team Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Taichi VI - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Though the tag match may not have gone in J6G’s favour, tonight’s a lot different. One year ago, Taichi watched as his partner ZSJ failed to dethrone Okada after winning the NJC, much like four years before that. But now, he’s earned the chance to be the one fighting Kazu and silence his critics, especially the Rainmaker, rather than spectating a third time. Conducting a full operatic entrance, the Holy Emperor is the fan-favourite in the very arena his mentor Kawada retired, looking to make him proud, and for once, even Okada’s grandeur pales in comparison to his foe, though he looks past it, prepared to stomp out another outsider.
What ensues is a match centred around respect, Okada refusing to give it to Taichi, and Taichi doing everything he can for it! From homages to Kawada with the DANGEROUS BACKDROP and a GANSO BOMB tease from Taichi, to Kazu intentionally attempting NOAH-centric moves like the BURNING HAMMER and EMERALD FLOWSION, they trade bombs from start to finish, Taichi even connecting a RIPCORD AXE BOMBER for a near-fall! Yet despite putting on the best underdog performance of his career, the RAINMAKERS put a stop to it!
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Taichi to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (28:32)
So close yet so far. As another one bites the dust, CHAOS comes out to join Okada for the show-closing promo – Ishii with his gold, but Bishamon now titleless, as well as Lio Rush failing to win gold too. The Rainmaker gloats, saying he’s never been better… though CHAOS could be a lot better. Admonishing their failures, he tells them he’s disappointed in them. Unlike other factions do, he refused to hold their hands every step of the way, putting his faith in them, yet they’ve thrown that in his face time and time again. Certain members are holding the group back, so he invites them to either leave while they can, or face the consequences.
A few moments pass, but no one budges. Okada scoffs, about to speak until Goto gets in his face! Running down Okada, he says he’s done with the treatment he’s received from the Rainmaker lately, his spot in CHAOS always one of shame after all, constant losses to Okada forcing him to join his foe rather than fail further. But he’s no coward. He’s not going to tuck his tail between his legs and scram like Okada wants. He knows Kazu wants him gone, so if that’s the case… he challenges him to put the leadership of CHAOS on the line against him at his 20th Anniversary Show! If Okada wins, he’ll leave. If Goto wins, he takes over. Astonished by Goto’s defiance yet almost respecting it, Okada agrees to let him fight for his future!
Capital Collision (April 15, 2023)
Also on the show:
Kenny Omega (c) vs El Phantasmo - IWGP United States Championship
The Dream Team (Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) (c) vs Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) - NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
Before Goto’s final stand, Okada makes a trip down to America to challenge for the STRONG Tag Titles, wanting to show Hirooki how it’s done by not only beating the team which dethroned Bishamon, but also the legendary Motor City Machine Guns! Joined by Tanahashi as expected, the icons make up for their lack of tag team experience with sheer talent, giving both teams a tough draw. A Rainmaker to Fletcher sets up Tanahashi for a High-Fly Flow, but as Okada prepares to defend the pinfall, OUT COME BISHAMON! Drawing Okada’s attention, Goto brawls with the Rainmaker whilst HASHI distracts Tana, allowing Davis to take him out, before nailing the Coriolis on Shelley to win the titles!
Aussie Open def. Motor City Machine Guns (c), The Dream Team (25:13)
As Okada realises what’s just happened, Bishamon are long gone by then, Goto waving to a fuming Kazu from the entranceway!
Hirooki Goto 20th Anniversary Event (April 22, 2023)
Kazuchika Okada vs Hirooki Goto XVI
High stakes for the main event, all of CHAOS and Tanahashi are in attendance to witness their stable’s future. Goto’s stoic, not letting the emotions of it all get to him, whilst Okada’s arrogant as ever, overconfident in his abilities despite their series being only 8-7 to him, Goto able to score the grandest of equalisers tonight should he win. What ensues is an all-out war for CHAOS, Goto doing everything to prove himself a worthy member, whilst Okada devotes himself to ruining the Aramusha. And at certain points, Goto has the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion on the ropes, humbling the Rainmaker off a nail-bitingly close near fall on the GTR! But Okada’s simply unstoppable, it taking three Rainmakers to seal the deal, Okada besting Goto!
Kazuchika Okada def. Hirooki Goto (25:10)
Ruining Goto’s big night, Okada’s smug with himself as HASHI, Lio, YOH, and even Yano tend to their fallen comrade, while Ishii watches with a hint of sorrow, though ultimately steering clear of treasonous actions. As per the stipulation, an emotional Goto’s forced to leave CHAOS, though he doesn’t walk the plank alone, YOSHI, Rush, and YOH, following suit! Okada seems taken aback at first, though ultimately nods, needing all traces of weakness gone from his stable. Just Ishii and Tanahashi left standing at ringside, Okada declares that the foundations of the group will be rebuilt, starting with… the three of them!
Handing a CHAOS shirt to Tanahashi, he welcomes Hiroshi to the group, before handing over the mic! Tana explains that upon speaking with Okada, he realised this would be the right way for him to protect the future of the company he fought so long for. Just because he’s carrying a flag now though, doesn’t mean he’s any different from the man they all know and love. He’s doing this for the betterment of the place he loves. He’s doing this for a purer New Japan!
As the three stand tall together… BUSAIKU KNEE KICK TO OKADA! Just as quickly as KENTA slipped into the ring, he slips back out, Taiji Ishimori & SHO by his side! Banding together as a group of misfits following BULLET CLUB’s death, SHO leaving House of Torture too, it’s clear KENTA has one thing on his mind… take from the man who took from him.
Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni (April 29, 2023)
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & X) vs KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & SHO
With KENTA and co. targeting Okada, a Six-Man Tag is set, though not with Tanahashi as CHAOS’s third man. Instead, he gives up his spot to their ‘new member’, who reveals himself to be Shota Umino! Okada impressed with his talents a couple months back, he shows off his chops here as a functioning member of the new CHAOS, the three gelling together perfectly. A rather shades of grey encounter between two sides with moral ambiguities, the crowd is evenly split, but alas, it’s KENTA’s crew scoring a bit of an upset after some shenanigans, the Busaiku Knee Kick taking down Ishii! After the match, KENTA gestures Okada’s belt around his waist.
KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & SHO def. CHAOS (14:39)
Wrestling Dontaku (May 3, 2023)
Also on the card:
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs YOSHI-HASHI - NEVER Openweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs Shingo Takagi - IWGP United States Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs KENTA II - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Not having touched one-on-one since KENTA’s debut G1, there’s a big fight feel for the sacred rematch 4 years long overdue. The Black Sun carrying NOAH’s flag in Okada’s eyes, he’s determined to add KENTA to his list of casualties, whilst vengeance remains glued to the challenger’s mind. Returning to his Overture theme, KENTA’s just as arrogant as the champion, the two producing mirroring self-absorbed entrances, but as the bell rings, it remains to be seen whether their skill is also mirrored.
Starting with a feeling out sequence, the two trade a variety of holds back-and-forth with increasing pace, before Okada teases a sudden RAINMAKER! KENTA has it scouted, catching the arm and immediately getting to work on it, remembering Nakajima’s strategy. Hammering it with elbows and kicks, a HIGH KNEE finds its mark on Okada’s shoulder! Whipping him to the mat, a PENALTY KICK follows to the joint! Okada shakes out his arm in agony as KENTA’s target becomes crystal clear, smartly looking to eliminate the Rainmaker from the equation as early as possible!
KENTA races in for a Corner Big Boot, but Okada ducks out the way, dropping KENTA with a BACKDROP SUPLEX! He shakes out his arm as he drops into cover, shooting the half, only for KENTA to reverse the pinfall mid-count into a GAME OVER attempt! Alarm in his eyes, Okada frantically lunges at the ropes for reprieve, though KENTA holds on until 4 to exact as much damage as possible on the limb!
Okada resting against the ropes as he tries to get some feeling back in his arm, KENTA sprints for a RUNNING YAKUZA KICK, but Okada pulls the ropes down, the Black Sun sent crashing to the outside! He whips KENTA into the guardrails for a Big Boot that sends him over, a JUMPING CROSSBODY following suit! Dragging KENTA out the rubble, he teases a HANGMAN’S DDT off the steel, only for KENTA to drop down and SNAP OKADA’S ARM OVER THE GUARDRAIL! Threading it through the gap, a HESITATION DROPKICK MANGLES HIS ARM IN THE STEEL!
Okada lets out a cry of pain as the section crashes down on him, having no time to recover as he feebly frees himself from it, KENTA yanking him by the arm! He tries to send Okada’s arm into the steel post, but the Big Boot takes him down! Rolling KENTA inside, Okada hails down a MISSILE DROPKICK to send him sprawling across the ring, before a STRAIGHT-JACKET NECKBREAKER subdues him for the Rainmaker to lock in RED INK!
Using the opportunity to rest his own arm, it backfires when KENTA contorts it over his shoulder to free himself, a CROSS ARMBREAKER turning the tables! Kazuchika gets a monkey grip to prevent full extension though, rolling KENTA over to his shoulders for 2, before hoisting him up into an AIR RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT! Okada tries to pick KENTA up with one arm for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but he fails miserably, KENTA turning the predicament around into an EMERALD FLOWSION!
Scaling the ropes, KENTA teases a DIVING DOUBLE FOOT STOMP to the point of Okada’s elbow… MILLION DOLLAR DROPKICK INTERCEPTS! Okada stands KENTA up with a DDT, before dumping him with a GERMAN SUPLEX, though is unable to get the bridge. Wanting to wrap things up and fast, he uses the ropes to get KENTA in position for a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, before securing wrist-control! He looks for the RAINMAKER, only for KENTA to blast the arm with a YAKUZA KICK!
Okada’s arm dropping by his side, KENTA teases going for a RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN, only for Kazuchika to bring him down with a FLAPJACK instead! A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER shakes off KENTA’s advances on the arm, before a RAINMAKER FINDS ITS MARK!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Not enough strength behind it for Okada to put KENTA down for good, he tries for another… KENTA SLAPS THE TASTE OUT HIS MOUTH! KENTA RUSH FOLLOWS SUIT! AND A BUSAIKU KNEE KICK!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA SURVIVES!!!
Doing the Rainmaker pose, KENTA secures wrist-control himself and puts Okada on his shoulders, teasing a GO 2 SLEEP! OKADA NAILS HEAVY RAIN!!! A LANDSLIDE attempt is stuffed, KENTA again abusing the arm like it’s the Dragongate monkey, BEFORE NAILING A SHORT-ARM RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! Okada forced to eat stiff shot after stiff shot like it’s Shibata all over again, he looks to be on dream street as KENTA fires up a second BUSAIKU KNEE- DROPKICK COUNTERS!!! Accounting for his deteriorating arm, Okada nails a pair of SHORT-ARM RAINMAKERS with his nondominant arm to ease into one more RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. KENTA to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (26:35)
It may be the accumulating fatigue talking, but KENTA may have given Okada his biggest scare yet, a lucky last gasp saving the Rainmaker’s reign. Not so bad for an outside, he thinks. As a shattered KENTA collects his bearing, SHO and Taiji by his side, Okada stops him from leaving just yet, instead calling to Tanahashi from commentary, who tosses him a shirt! Mic in his other hand, Okada declares that KENTA impressed him more than he would normally care to admit. It’s almost as though his talents were being wasted in BULLET CLUB… So, why not join CHAOS?
The Black Sun’s understandably stunned, the man he hated just moments ago now offering a truce? But Okada tells him to sit on it, offering a couple more shirts to his pals, stating he could use their talents to fuel his new vision. SHO was always the better Roppongi 3K member after all. And Taiji’s an Ultimo Dragon trainee like him. Just think on it. As KENTA and co. leave to the back in deep thought, it appears big things lie ahead for CHAOS…
Best of the Super Junior 30 - Night One (May 12, 2023)
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii) vs The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks)
One of those being this star-studded match-up! A Steel Cage loss to Jon Moxley thanks to a betrayal from close friend Don Callis forcing Kenny Omega to re-evaluate things for a moment, he goes to the only place he deems capable of clearing his head – Japan. Waiting for him & The Bucks there on BOSJ’s first night are their eternal rivals in CHAOS, Okada and Omega’s partnership clearly only a one-time deal, back to fighting on opposite sides. The Cleaner took note of Okada ending the faction Omega once headed, not knowing how to feel on the situation, though knowing as much as that he’d love to beat Okada another time to feel like himself again.
Running back their classic sequences, it’s less a structured bout and more anarchy as The Elite inject their western influences, though Okada and Omega remaining at the centre of things all the same. Tana tries making plays at the man who he conquered at Wrestle Kingdom 13, taking interest in Kenny’s title as the only CHAOS member here without gold, the finish seeing him stare down Kenny as he pins Matt Jackson off a High Fly Flow!
CHAOS def. The Elite (18:07)
Off the back of the tag, two huge matches are set up: First, Omega defends his US Title against Tanahashi at STRONG Resurgence in a WK rematch, and if he wins, he’ll defend against Okada in a Double Title match! Spoiler: Omega retains, setting him up for Okada off the back of a gruelling loss in Anarchy in the Arena to Blackpool Combat Club at Double or Nothing!

A special thanks to u/bluefishcake for the wonderful original story and sandbox to play in.
A special thanks to my editors LordHenry7898, RandomTinkerer, Swimming_Good_8507, CatsInTrenchcoats, and KLiCKonthat.
And a big thanks to the authors and their stories that inspired me to tell my own in this universe. RandomTinkerer (City Slickers and Hayseeds), Punnynfunny (Denied Operations), CompassWithHat (Top Lasgun), CarCU131 (The Cook), and Rhion-618 (Just One Drop)
Hy’shq’e Ay Si’am (Thank you noble friends)
Chapter 30: A Promise Kept
Kalai stepped off the shuttle to the Vaida’s headquarters and into a running tackle-hug from Sitry. “Oh Kalai, I could kill you right now! You got to see the Great Barrier Reef in person, you bitch!” Sitry’s cheerful voice was muffled from where she was still buried in her chest. Kalai staggered backwards a pace or two, happy to be back from her whirlwind adventure around Earth with her father.
Naranjo and Papa Rhaxiid were there on the platform to welcome her back too, but their welcomes were more sedate.
“Not to mention you got out of work for half our damn trip. Ugh, it’s so not fair!” Naranjo huffed as Kalai gave him a sisterly hug.
Papa Rhaxiid reached up and chucked her chin before turning to lead the way back inside from the forested platform. “Welcome back, sweet-sprout, we’ve missed you. Come on, we’ll get you settled again and off to work. There’s quite a bit you need to catch up on if you want your credits.”
The chuckles from the twins behind her were full of sibling malice, but she knew how to shut the pair of them up. “Papa Rhaxiid? I’ve got the paper on Biodiversity in the Reef you asked for, along with the dissection report and stomach content analysis of the tuna we caught. I want to put the finishing touches on it and do a final proofread first before I send them to you.” The man turned and gave her a warm smile as they entered the building.
“Good, why don’t you go take your things back up and say hello to Andy? I’ll give you an hour and a half to get freshened up, then I want you to report to Aquarium 12 with Dr. Sor’ansa. You can put your snorkeling practice to work there.” Papa Rhaxiid walked the three of them to the residential elevator. “I’m heading back to my office. Andy’s been requested by Maetro Pae’ella to work the kitchens for something called ‘Bison burgers'. Apparently it’s a type of indigenous bovine that the eastern Bands raise. That and something from Europe called ‘French Fries’.”
Kalai couldn’t help but get excited as she and her siblings piled into the elevator back to their little shared apartment. Sure the food she’d had all over the place was good, but so far nothing had been able to compare to Andy and his Salishian cooking.
“Nerd, I can’t believe you cheated and did work on your vacation." Naranjo broke the silence of the elevator after a little bit and stuck his tongue out at her.
“Spit to windward, you vain little weed. Don’t hate me because I’m awesome.” Kalai’s riposte caused Naranjo to fold his arms and huff. Sitry simply ambushed her with an ear flick.
The elevator door opened to their floor before Kalai couldn’t bear the silence from Sitry any longer. “So, did you bag him yet, you lucky bitch?”
“No she hasn’t!” Naranjo’s singsong mockery of his sister interrupted Sitry’s response. “Papa hasn’t let Sitry even NEAR Andy without one of them around!”
“Rub it in, you snitch, besides, he did kiss me first,” Sitry preened happily as she playfully shoved Kalai’s shoulder.
Kalai pretended to stumble and almost caught Sitry’s foot, but she was just a hair too slow. “Yeah, and then you gave him a black eye, you clod.”
“Will you let it go? It was an accident!”
“It’s not even the only one he got either." Naranjo’s interjection stopped her right in front of their door.
“Wait, what? Who hurt him this time?” Kalai let her bag thunk to the floor as she turned to look accusingly between Sitry and Narny.
Sitry folded her arms and her ears twitched back as she shot a dark look at their door. “He ‘fell down’ yesterday while out at one of the Hatcheries we gave to the Hwatcoms. Mrs. Toloui nearly had a fit! She said she could smell another human on him and that he was covered in blood!”
Narny nodded primly as Kalai tried to process what they were telling her. “WHAT? Did she call out the militia? Track down whoever hurt him?”
“No, and he refused treatment and insisted that no one did it to him! When papa tried to talk to him, Andy said some stupid human macho shit about pain healing and birds liking scars. I don’t know, sometimes humans… they’re frickin’ insane!”
The door shot open and there stood Andy. His left eye was an angry puffy yellow and blue mess, and there were three points on his lips where a dark cinnabar line marked a crack. Kalai and her siblings stood in wide eyed shock at his sudden appearance and the only sound was the music emanating from the common room behind him.
Andy looked up and down at the three without saying a word. He cocked an eyebrow and snagged Kalai’s bag before any of them could react and cleared the doorway for them.
Kalai sputtered at the impropriety but Naranjo and Sitry just shrugged and walked in after Andy. “Femboys, am I right?” Narny whispered to Kalai as he passed. Kalai followed behind and was greeted by the white fluff-ball, Puck, who hopped up and down, whining for attention. She bent down and started scratching his ears and back. While Puck rubbed up against her hands, Andy settled back down at the table where his omnipad was hooked up to a keypad. Her heart started to sink a bit and Kalai shot Sitry a jealous look before the music came to a sudden halt and Andy interrupted the beginnings of her pity party.
“Ok, Kem’ira, I got the pics now and I’m telling you to declare yourself to the farmers first! I guarantee if you tell them you’re with the new DNR and you’re there to kill all the Scotch Broom in their pasture lands, they’ll stop trying to shoot you for trespassing!”
Kalai’s mood jumped up a bit. It’s not that he doesn’t care to see me, he’s in a meeting!
“No, no I’m not coming out to talk this over with them, I’ve got my own work to do! Either you start talking to folks like I showed you how, or ask the militia to give you one of their armored catsuits to wear under your uniform… Uh-huh, good luck." Andy hung up on the call and leaned back as Puck scampered over and hopped up in his lap.
Andy rubbed his temples before shaking his head. He seemed to relax a bit and Puck slid off to follow Sitry to the kitchen. Andy looked over and gave Kalai a happy smile that made her flush. “Welcome back! So how was the land down under? That tuna was fan-frickin’-tastic, if you aren’t sick of seafood I’ll do something fancy with it tomorrow to celebrate your coming back. Can’t tonight though, I got volun-told to be head chef tonight and I… Oh damnit! I’m late! Come to dinner, burgers and fries Indian style tonight. Gotta run!” With that, Andy went dashing out the door with Puck barking and scrambling along after him.
Kalai felt her heart sink back down again, as he left. “Andy I-” She started but he was gone.
“Yeah, it’s been like that for the whole week. The only time we get to hang out is dinner.” Sitry commiserated as she took Kalai’s bag into their room. “On the other hand, we might get to catch up during the family meal tonight.”
The dinner was delicious, though a bit weird. It tasted alright, but there was a certain aftertaste on the sandwich that just didn’t sit right with Kalai. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. The french fries more than made up for it though, and Mama Sakalbi had to hold a science trivia contest to see who got the last little handful.
Kalai and Narny were already silently plotting with each other for their revenge against their sister who had won and refused to share the last few matchsticks when Andy finally joined their table. He was sweaty and he smelled of woodsmoke and french fries. Kalai jumped up and offered him a seat next to her with a nervous smile. He took it gratefully and seemed to sag a bit as he gulped down a glass of water.
“Andy, I think you may be finding your calling as a culinary ambassador,” Mama Aftasia beamed. “A toast to the chef!”
Andy gave a shy smile and looked down as Kalai and the rest of the family gave a hearty ‘Here, here!”
“It’s a simple enough recipe; it’s just using bison instead of cow, that’s all, and I don’t know anyone who’d turn down hand cut fresh fries. It’s kind of hard to screw up.”
“Young man, you are speaking to a woman who found a way to take cold water and dried wumpa flakes and wind up with a Class-4 fire. Cooking has always seemed like ‘blight mysticism’ to me, and these foods? These flavors? Nothing short of a Greenwood miracle in my opinion." Mama Aftasia continued her praise of Andy, which only caused him to shrink even lower in his seat.
“To be honest, I like your salmon better,” Kalai said, and the whole table went silent. Kalai held her ground though, and was rewarded with a tired but genuine laugh from Andy that brought him back out of his shell.
“You know, I do too. My Clan were fisherpeople, not buffalo chasers.” Andy gave Kalai a cheeky grin, which she returned happily, her heart glowing. Mama Aftasia and Mama Sakalbi both blinked in bemusement at Andy’s statement while Sitry just giggled.
“Speaking of which, Andy, I received a call from Elder Alex Hwatcom.” Papa Rhaxiid’s change of subject instantly perked Andy up, and he stared silently, waiting. “He extended an invitation to our family to attend his family gathering this Friday-”
“Alex said that? He used those words?” Andy shook his head in shock as he interrupted Papa Rhaxiid. The table went quiet and everyone held their breath as they looked between the two men.
Papa Rhaxiid adopted as good an impression of the human Elder as he could. “I’d like to extend an invitation for you and your family to be guests at our family gathering this saturday up at the White… something… lodge-”
“The White Ram Lodge?” Andy sat forward, interjecting again as the color drained from his face.
“Yes, that’s the one! I asked if we could bring anything since the last time they hosted us they put on that wonderful spread. He said if we could bring a few salmon for the family, that would be wonderful.”
Andy leaned back and took another sip of ice water before holding the glass to his blackened eye. “Alex Hwatcom… just invited you… to a gathering… and he told you to ‘bring a few salmon’? Do you realize what a huge honor this is?”
Rhaxiid looked from his wives to his children with mild concern. “Um, I thought it was only dinner, but your reaction tells me there’s more significance to this than I originally thought. I was thinking about our stocks of adult Sockeye, but then I remembered in his story how important King Salmon are. Of course, I’d like to defer to you for the choice since you know these animals and the cultural expectations with this invitation better than we do.”
Andy was silent for a moment before he put the glass down. “I’d recommend a ‘hard no’ to all your clone stock!” Now it was the Vaidas’ turn to be shocked, as each of Kalai’s Erbian family’s jaws dropped in synch. Before anyone could say anything, Andy continued, “You need to bring wild-caught. Farm-raised salmon wouldn’t… well we can tell, and you can taste the difference between them. We need to go fishing!” Kalai leaned towards Andy slightly as he lowered his head and started mumbling to himself. She was just able to make out what he was saying to himself as Mama Sakalbi and Mama Aftasia began whispering to each other. “...need to get the Gillnetter out of storage, check what’s running and select the mesh. I’m gonna need a deckhand too.”
Kalai reached a hand out but stopped short of touching him. “Andy?”
He popped up and spoke for the whole table to hear. “I need a shuttle to the mainland and a waiver against the fishing ban. I’ve got to get my boat and the drum ready for sea ” Rhaxiid and Aftasia sputtered in confusion, but Mama Sakalbi had a shadow fall over her, and her ears pulled back.
“Do you mean to say you want to go out on the water? Risk the ecological balance for… dinner?”
Andy looked Sakalbi dead in the eye and gave her a firm nod. “Why don’t you come out and see how we did this before you got here. Think of it as a chance to see the way we’ve fished for the last hundred or so years, and then I can explain the way we used to fish before that.”
The offer snapped Rhaxiid out of his confusion and he brightened. “A learning experience? Wonderful, we’ll make a day of it!” His hands shot out to grab both his wives’ and Kalai could feel the vibrations in the floor from where he was excitedly tapping his feet.
“If you don’t mind hard, smelly work. Uncle Willy always called it ‘the worst desk in the prettiest office.' It’ll be a bit cramped, but I’ve got room on the boat for a few guests and observers; four I think would be ok. She’s a working boat, not a pleasure cruiser,” Andy explained. That sent the whole lot of them excitedly talking among themselves.
Kalai was about to lean in to talk to Mama Aftasia, but Andy caught her attention first. “I don’t suppose you’d want to go back out on the water, given you just got back from pleasure-boating-”
Kalai’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. “I wouldn’t miss it for my own colony planet!”
--------------------
Kalai stood on the pier, bundled in her thermal sailor’s coat. It was still dark and the wind blew from the north in a cold little morning breeze. Kalai took a deep breath and reveled in the smell of the fresh sea air. The soft chattering of Mama Sakalbi’s teeth broke the silence. “It’s a bit chillier than it said it was going to be.”
“The water always does that. It’s never as warm as the lubbers say it’ll be,” Papa spoke as he handed her back her thermos of hot chocolate.
Papa stood next to Kalai and nudged her with his elbow. Even in the dark, Kalai could see him smile up at her and jerk his head at the shivering Erbian. He was also wearing a thermal sailor’s coat, and his hands were stuffed in his pockets to keep them warm, just like Kalai’s. “Landswoman,” he whispered to her and the two of them shared a knowing smile. It was strange, but welcome when she'd told Papa about her upcoming day fishing with Andy, and he’d politely requested to join them. Papa Rhaxiid had graciously given his spot up to accommodate her birth father. Narny was all for it until Andy had explained what they were going to do, but then surrendered his challenge to the fourth guest space, not wanting to go anywhere NEAR anything that could see him come face to face with a Lion’s Mane Jelly. Sitry had done a happy little dance when she found out, but only yesterday had come down with Thistle Fever, and was bundled off to bed by her parents. It left Kalai, Mama Sakalbi, and Papa to accompany Andy on his fishing trip.
The water brushed against the shore behind them quietly. In the gloom, Kalai could just barely make out the outline of the nearest island mountain, but only because the stars had disappeared behind it. It was almost four in the morning, but Kalai had managed a catnap on the shuttle to the empty little lot that had been the boat launch. Aside from the water, the world was silent. Even the breeze made almost no noise and a sense of peace surrounded them. Everything was so calm, Kalai felt like she didn’t have a care in the world.
In the distance, a low rumbling sound of a motor rose from being almost imperceptible to a rolling drum of thunder. From around the point, two green floating lights sped through the darkness, and a spotlight turned on. The beam of light moved jerkily until it came to rest on the pier where they were standing and Kalai started waving her arms. Sakalbi’s omnipad rang, and Andy’s voice shouted over the speaker and the background noise for them to shine a light on the edge of the pier to help him park the boat.
Kalai and Papa moved closer and turned their omnipad flashlights on and waved them as the boat swung gracefully around and glided in alongside them. Kalai caught the rope that flew over the railing of the boat and she heard more than saw Andy moving around on the deck as she tied off on one of the mooring cleats. Several lights clicked on and the deck was bathed in light enough for Kalai to get a clear view of the boat they’d be spending the day on.
Andy hadn’t lied. Kalai saw that this little vessel was a working boat with no frills at all. When he’d told her they’d be going fishing, she’d envisioned something like the charter boat papa had taken her on out of Nantucket. Sporty, fast with a nod to comfort and function. This was not that at all. A giant wheel as wide as Kalai’s outstretched arms that looked like a sideways spool of thread was secured to the deck amidships and dominated the deckspace. Wrapped around it was a fluorescent green tangle with a line of oblong white and yellow corks and rope. There was a covered hatchway sitting behind the drum in front of the raised step to the enclosed cabin. Two large windows let the light out to two children’s bunks, a little table with a booth seat and a raised captain’s chair in front of the helm and engine controls. Andy shut down the engine and that peaceful stillness returned.
“Oway there!” Kalai called, “ship oway! Request permission to come aboard.” Kalai gave the traditional greeting of a Shil’vati sailor.
“Permission granted! Anyone need a stepstool?” Andy finally stepped into the light and Kalai got a look at him. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the same bright orange coveralls she’d seen the fishmongers wearing on their date.
“I wouldn’t mind a hand, Mr. Shelokset.” Papa He’osforos braced a foot on the railing of the boat and Andy pulled him up.
“Just call me Andy, Doc, and welcome aboard. Jackie should be along any minute now with the day’s groceries, and the cabin’s out of the cold. You can get yourself set wherever you find comfortable.” Papa nodded and disappeared around the other side of the wheel moving towards the bow.
Kalai helped Mama Sakalbi into the boat next, and she quickly ducked into the cabin that took up the entire stern section save for a little ledge that ran along the outside. Andy gripped Kalai’s hand and she smiled as he pulled her deftly aboard. The boat rocked a little on its mooring, and Kalai almost fell into Andy, who wordlessly put his arms around her waist to catch her as she lost her balance. She flailed for a moment before she steadied herself against him.
“Gotcha,” Andy smiled, and Kalai could see him flush almost as much as she could feel herself doing as their noses almost touched. Those big dark brown eyes surrounded by white orbs drew her in and she felt she could lose herself in them. Kalai started as Andy danced her around him and moved her towards the cabin door.
“It might be a little cramped for you in there, but the Mary Jean wasn’t built for pleasure boating, she’s a working girl. Sit tight, I gotta check a few things in the back.” Andy patted the railing affectionately before he hopped up and scooted along the outside of the cabin towards the stern. Kalai couldn’t help the little longing groan that came out as he left her there on the little tiny quarterdeck. Her heart was hammering in her chest as half formed fantasies danced at the edges of her mind.
“I saw that, little minnow.” Papa’s voice was soft, but his tone and the sudden broken silence nearly gave her a heart attack.
Kalai could only stammer as her father stared at her with a cocked eyebrow. A thump from the cabin window behind saw an amused Mama Sakalbi daintily sipping at her thermos with her ears twitched forward in interest, staring out at her. “Papa I… he-”
Papa moved carefully around the covered hatchway to stand next to her, leaning back against the cabin window and heaved a sigh. “I must say I’m surprised. This lovely man’s got good clean lines and is very well cared for. It speaks well of his Skipper.”
It took a full minute for Kalai’s brain to process that he was talking about the boat and not Andy. “And the way Andy brought him in smooth in near complete darkness? It gives me confidence in his abilities.”
Kalai breathed a silent sigh of relief and exasperation. Although she was happy to be spending more time with her father, bringing him on what she’d hoped would be a sailing date wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind for ‘family time’. He wants me to find a nice young man and spend time with him on a boat, but the first chance I get Papa decides to clam-jam me.
From up on shore, the sound and lights of a large human vehicle screeching to a halt heralded the last of their party to arrive. Kalai heard the clomping footsteps coming down the pier and moved to the railing to lend a hand.
“Ahoy Mary Jean! Raggedy Andy, you there?” Kalai stared with wide eyed surprise to see a human female, loaded down with plastic bags and sporting two human weapons on her shoulder. The two of them locked eyes, and while Kalai didn’t understand everything the girl shouted in surprise, she had caught and understood the phrase, “What the fuck?”
“Easy now, they’re my guests, and the one inside is the boss!” Andy appeared on the pier instantly before either Kalai or the woman could react further.
“Ya didn’t tell me we were having pur-” The woman glared at Kalai and her father. She had switched to Vatikre thankfully, but her tone was hostile as she dropped everything but her weapons. “I mean, hwun’eetums, aboard. A gal could get the wrong idea pretty quick in the dark when there’s no warning.”
“Knock it off Jackie. Let’s get the grub aboard and shove off.” Andy picked up some of the bags and took the guns as Kalai offered a helping hand over the railing. “Oh, Kalai, this is Jackie. Jackie? Kalai. That’s her dad over there, Doc He’osforos. He saw and treated Kay Tee a few years back.” Andy jerked his head towards the direction of Kalai’s father as she held out a hand to the human girl. On a quick inspection, she appeared to be about the same age as her and Andy. She had a round face and was about as dark complected as Andy was. She was shorter, only a few inches taller than Papa, but when Jackie grabbed Kalai’s hand to hop up onto the rail, she could feel the strength and the compact muscle hidden by the baggy sweatshirt and pants.
“Wait a minute, did you say Mini-Me over there saw Kay Tee? You’re fuckin’ with me!” Jackie stumbled a bit as she hopped down onto the deck with a loud thunk and advanced on Papa who shrank away at her advance. “You saw li’l Kay Tee? Where the fuck is he? Is he alright? Is he still fighting the good fight?”
“Last I saw, yes, he was ‘fighting the good fight.’” Papa looked over at Andy with a slightly worried expression. Andy smacked the girl in the back of the head, causing her to flinch and she opened the door to the cabin for Andy to go inside.
Jackie rubbed the back of her head and laughed. “Well that’s a little bit of alright, innit? Maybe today’s gonna be a good day after all!”
“Jackie, get suited up and get on the bow. I need a good pair of eyes on the roller horns,” Kalai heard Andy shout from the cabin, followed by a whole lot of thumping and banging from cabinets being opened and closed.
“You got it, ol’ man. We going to your place or mine?” Jackie sidestepped in and opened a tiny little closet and pulled out a set of rain gear that was identical to what Andy was wearing. Kalai collected herself and stood in the doorway next to her father as they both leaned in.
“Mine; Chuck said the Yaw’much are running from the South. We’ll do a set nor’west of Lummi in the Rosario and see if we can get some Fraser Kings,” Andy replied as he turned the engine back on and the vessel roared to life.
“Chuck? Isn’t that one of your cousins? I didn’t know he could keep track of the movements of Salmon, may I ask how he does it?” Mama Sakalbi perked up as she pulled a set of earplugs out of a pocket and inserted them.
Andy prevaricated a bit, looking from Jackie back to Sakalbi then to Kalai and Papa. “I’d rather not answer that-”
“Breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law! Breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law!”
Jackie began singing a human song, and Andy threw her the dirtiest of looks as she finished getting into the orange coveralls. Mama Sakalbi sputtered as Andy shrugged apologetically.
“Make a hole!” Jackie called, and she and Andy came back out as Kalai and Papa made room for them. Andy hopped back onto the dock to cast off while Papa ducked into the cabin.
“Can I help?” Kalai offered as Andy shoved the vessel off and leapt the gap over the black water below.
“You want to be useful? Come forward! I could use an extra set of eyes!” Jackie called back, and Kalai felt a slap on her shoulder from the boisterous human woman.
------------------
Andy stood at the helm, watching Jackie and Kalai as he leaned to get a better view of them past the Net drum. The bow was lifting up again, and the gentle little swells became like speed bumps, jostling them up and down in a predictable bouncing rhythm.
“Are you sure you couldn’t slow down, Andy? It’s a bit rough, don’t you think?” Sakalbi was hanging on to the table and her thermos with a worried expression on her face.
“I could, but we’ll miss the morning set. We want to bomb out the buoy right when the tide changes. If we’re lucky, then we’ll get around seventy or eighty by slack tide this afternoon and call it a day.”
“How do you know where to fish?” Dr. He’osforos was making a good show of standing and maintaining his balance with his hand on the booth.
“Well, there’s two ways you know. The first is you fish the spots your family’s fished since time began. Every family has about two or three different secret spots that we know there’s fish in, and we’re pretty defensive about their locations. The second is by smell. Right now it’s the tail end of the King season, and you can smell them in the water.” Andy turned and saw the incredulity etched on the faces of the two aliens.
“No, I’m serious! King Salmon slime is really pungent, and you can smell them when they’re close to the surface. We get to the fishing spot and take a deep whiff. If we smell them, we’ll set the nets.” Andy laughed at the disbelief on their faces as the GPS on his omnipad beeped and he turned to sail around the last buoy and head for the fishing ground.
“I’ve never noticed that in any of the Kings we’ve raised-”
Andy suppressed a laugh as they caught a larger swell as they left the lee of Lummi Island. Andy reveled in the feeling of weightlessness as the deck rose up and fell out from underneath their feet, leaving everyone suspended for a moment in midair before falling back down. A massive spray of water rose and washed over the deck, drenching Kalai and Jackie, who were still forward. “Cloned and farmed Kings don’t have that same smell. Wild ones smell and taste different, I’m telling you!” Andy pulled back slightly on the throttle as they climbed the next swell. “Brace!” he called as they climbed and fell once again.
There was a look of fear on Sakalbi’s face as she gripped the table for dear life, but to Andy’s surprise, the Doctor looked completely unfazed, and was handling the rise and fall of the deck like an old salt. “You look like you’ve done this before, Doc.”
“I’ve done a stint or two at sea before,” he spoke, in the same tone Andy would have used when trying not to sound too confident, and Andy smiled.
“Kalai keeps talking about loving the sea and sailing. Did you teach her to sail?”
“Yes, me and her mothers. When they were home, we would take the family yacht out in the Vaascon Straits and sail around the Occidiens. Kalai practically spent all her early childhood on a sailboat.”
“And almost every waking moment on one in Junior Academy. I swear you couldn’t dig her out with a trowel when she wanted to go sailing,” Sakalbi managed to add in a word as the boat slowed, and the dramatic rise and fall of the deck slowed with it.
“What about you, Mr. Shelokset, did your father teach you to sail too?”
“I was too young before he passed. My Great Uncle Willy taught me after I came home, and Grandma took me out to the family fishing sites when she wasn’t busy with the Council. For the first two or three years after they let us come home, fishing was the only way to feed our families, but the Militia and the Cambrians would try and sink our boats or arrest us whenever we tried to go out.”
“And that’s why you’re so good at maneuvering your vessel in the dark with no instruments?” Mrs. Vaida had folded her arms, and her voice twinged with that imperious tone she’d had when they’d first met.
Andy huffed a dry laugh. “I did what I had to for me and my people and to survive, Ma’am. I don’t like breaking the law or dodging lasers and gunfire, but there’s a lot of poor families that need to eat.”
The GPS beeped, and Andy gave Mrs. Vaida a slightly defiant look to counter her furrowed brow. “We’re here,” he said as he threw the engine in neutral and opened the cabin door.
Andy walked out and took a deep breath, but all he could smell was the net and the exhaust from the engine. “HEY JACKIE! WE SMELL MONEY?” Andy yelled out as he took stock of the sky. The first signs of sunrise were chasing all but the morning stars away and a light fog was rolling in from the north.
“FUCK YEAH I CAN SMELL ‘EM, ANDY! LET’S BOMB OUT AND GET BREAKFAST GOING!” Jackie looked slightly manic as she smiled brightly. Kalai, on the other hand, looked wet and miserable as she shivered, arms wrapped around herself. Andy gave his cousin a disgusted look as he pieced together what had happened. Every deckhand learned when to duck behind the raised bow and the roller horns that guided the nets so as not to get a faceful of spray when cutting through a swell. It was also a classic hazing trick for Senior Deckhands to let Junior Deckhands learn this the hard way.
Andy moved forward to stand in front of the two of them. Kalai was trying to squeeze her coat dry, but Andy knew it wouldn’t do much good until the sun came out. Jackie at least had the sense to look a little remorseful. “Kalai, why don’t you go sit in the cabin and get out of that wet coat. It’s cold enough out here even for us-”
“No way, Andy. Junior deckhand Kally here wants to impress you and get her dainty soft hands dirty! She’s been bragging about being a sailorwoman and wants to learn to fish ‘your way!” Jackie gave Kalai’s shoulder a wet slap as the poor alien woman went blue. Out of cold or embarrassment, Andy couldn’t tell.
All Andy could do was shake his head and huff. “Ok then! Secure the buoy and sling on my mark. I’ll get us in position!” Andy couldn’t help but chuckle as he heard Jackie start ordering Kalai about. Andy went back into the cabin and looked in the closet/bathroom to see if there was anything hanging up that he could give Kalai. There was only the one rain slicker and a few of Andy’s old sweaters from when he was a lot smaller. Well, looks like I’ll just be cold today. He quickly stripped out of his sweatshirt and grabbed the slicker before throwing a switch on the main control. Dr. He’osforos and Mrs. Vaida threw him quizzical looks as he went back outside wearing less than when he came in. He was down to a sleeveless shirt and his coveralls, and the morning breeze cut right through him and he braced his jaw to keep it from chattering.
“We’re ready to go- Andy, why are you practically naked from the waist up?” Kalai was staring wide eyed at him as he approached her and Jackie was on the bow. Jackie had everything ready; the buoy line was strung through the horns and ready to toss out. A giant orange and blue beach ball sized float hung at the end of the line to mark the end and make it easier to pick up later.
“Trade me your coat for these. If Jackie’s putting you to work, you’ll need these to keep warm.”
“I’m alright, I can-”
“I’m the Skipper of this boat, and I’m ordering you to take off that wet coat and put these on; and Jackie?” Andy gave his cousin a long and piercing look. “Give her the elbow gloves, not the halfsies.”
The scoff and the muttered Salishian profanities meant he’d read the next prank she’d had in mind right. She was planning on giving her the cloth gloves with only the palms and fingers coated in rubber. While perfectly fine for fishing, Andy knew they tended to get soaked through very quickly and did nothing to keep jellyfish stingers and fish slime off your hands. Kalai sputtered for a moment before she complied gratefully and she accepted the dry clothes and rain slicker.
Andy saw Jackie give him a strange look before looking back at Kalai, but he paid it no mind. He walked back to the controls on the drum and switched off the hydraulics, placing the mechanism in neutral. “SLING IT!” Andy called as he took the small jerry rigged steering wheel and threw the boat in reverse. Kalai jumped as the line started unspooling the net into the water at a rapid pace.
Andy set an ‘S’ bend in the quarter mile long net, zigzagging backwards until they came to the end of the line. Andy stopped the boat as Jackie tied off the other large buoy and tossed it over the side, unstringing the cork-line from the roller horns in the process. He pulled hard over and put a bit of distance from the net before shutting the engine down. The line of white and yellow corks marking the net bobbed lazily with the swells as silence settled over the water again. The waves rocked the boat gently as Andy found his sea legs again.
“Alright, I’ll get breakfast going. Jackie, Kalai? Post the watch for seals,” Andy called as he walked back into the cabin to fire up the tiny little gas stove.
Sakalbi, having found the confidence to stand at last, poked her head out of the cabin and stood on by the hatch to the fish hold. “Seals? Why would you need to watch for seals?”
Andy grit his teeth and looked over from where he was cracking open and scrambling eggs. “They’re the spawn of Satan and we hate their guts!” Andy bit out. Jackie came back and pulled the two shotguns and a pair of binoculars from the closet. Andy reached over to a side cabinet and pulled out a box of shells for them. Both his boss and the Doctor’s eyes got wide.
“Seals are the enemy of our blood. Were it not for the invasion, our unending war against these vermin would continue to this day!” Jackie growled as she loaded one for herself and rested the other on Andy’s seat at the helm.
The look of growing horror on Sakalbi’s face towards their facetious declarations caused Andy to chuckle a bit, before launching into an explanation. “We’re not fans of the species because they’ll wait until a fish gets caught in the net and then they’ll steal it, costing us a fish AND ripping a big hole in our nets that we then have to take time to repair. We use the shotguns and buckshot to give them a nice welt and convince them not to hang around, because they’ll wait up on the surface and watch the buoys, just like us. A single seal can and will take between five and ten fish. The worst is when they start getting full, they’ll just bite out the bellies of a salmon in the net. We can’t really do anything with that fish once it’s ‘seal-bit’. So yes, as fishermen, we hate them.”
“Learned opportunism in apex predators as a response to human activity… I think I’ll go see this behavior for myself!” Sakalbi practically rushed out the door towards the bow where Jackie was sitting on the roller horns explaining to Kalai how to spot the bastards, leaving Andy alone in the cabin with the Doctor while he cooked breakfast for them all.
Dr. He’osforos sat down heavily in the booth and pulled out his omnipad. “I’ve had a word with my friend in the Interior. She’s pulled the warrant for your brother, and I’ve withdrawn the charges I filed.”
Andy froze and turned around slowly. The only sound was the sizzle and pop of the eggs and chorizo that he’d added to them in the skillet. “You mean… it’s done? He can come home?” A wave of light headed euphoria swept over Andy and he swayed with the gentle rocking of the boat. “I will pay you back, Doc-”
The doctor held up his hand and stopped Andy. “We’ll call it even, but there’s something… I was able to get my hands on this,” Andy watched as the doctor swiped something towards his omnipad and it dinged. “What is it if I may-”
“Are you really asking an Indian to tell you a story? Because it’s going to be a long one if you are.” “I’m Sevastutavan, young man; we invented long stories.”
Andy froze and stared at the screen of his omnipad. The Vatikre was heavily accented, and Andy had a bit of trouble with the unfamiliar accent, but centered in the frame in a hospital room, sitting in a wheelchair, was a Salishian boy. Andy blinked in surprise as he stared at the screen. “Is that-”
“I am Ikw’is’hi’ehlah, and this bearer is… of the Orca Clan Sheloksets. I drove our Haida enemies onto the rocks and took many heads when they attacked our winter village on Orcas Island. I signed the Treaty with the Great White Father and I fought against the slavers of the south-”
Andy wanted to grab the omnipad but the smell of overcooking eggs brought his attention back to breakfast and Andy stirred and scrapped the food quickly, trying to save it.
“I asked her for any materials she could give me on your brother. Pictures, recordings, anything. This is what she gave me. It's the last known recording of your brother during an interrogation conducted by a Navy Commissar prior to his escape. It seems he made friends with a Pod of Deaths Head Commandos. Quite a bit of the recording has been redacted, but… there are portions of it where he talks about his family and his history. I thought you might like to have it.”
Andy hurriedly pulled out paper plates and a slice of bread for everyone and scooped a heaping portion of the chorizo eggs onto them. He handed the doctor his before leaning out the cabin door. “Slop’s on, come and get it!”
Andy sat down after moving the shotgun out of the way and started the video over again as the three women came back to grab their plates and lost himself watching his brother start telling his story.
“What’s that?” Andy heard Kalai ask over his shoulder, and he paused the video.
“That’s my brother! That’s Kay Tee!”
“Holy shit, what?” Jackie nearly shoved Kalai into Andy as she jammed her bread slice down her gullet and crowded in to see the screen.
Andy started the video over a second time and they watched in silence. “God, that brings back memories. Back when mom was still alive and before we broke up the warband. I can’t believe that slippery little punk ghosted a pod of Commandos for two fucking years! Holy shit, that’s badass!”
Before Andy could say anything, Sakalbi started coughing and brought the binoculars up. “Uh, Andy? Jackie? What do we do about sharks?”
Jackie looked at Andy in confusion. “Sharks? There’s nothing but Dogs around here.”
“Well those are shark fins and they’re charging the net!” Sakalbi pointed and Andy looked up to see dorsal fins charging the center of the net.
Andy looked at Jackie and spoke the same words in tandem, “Oh shit!”
​
First:
https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/yz0u3h/the_cryptid_chronicle_chapter_1/
Previous:
https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/13nh0oe/cryptid_chronicle_chapter_29/
Next:
To be posted 6/4/23

My gf (20F) of 1 year came over to my parents and I (24M). We use to stay in my college apartment where it was just me her and my best friend and things were fine. I cook for her almost every night, to every other night with fast food maybe 1 a week to once every two weeks. As summer just arrived for us, i had to move my stuff back into my parents and my gf would drive 30 minutes out to come see me. My mom is near her 60's and doesnt eat much and its just her, and my dog when im off in school so the fridge isnt filled often with something restrictive to her health diet like yogurt or fruit. My mom use to be a professional private cook before finding her current career in dental, and gets paid more but passed alot of her recipes over to me. So safe to say we both can cook some damn good meals.
Eventually my gf and i were hanging out and she said she was hungry. I told her i would cook later. i was playing a video game. this was around 7pm. It was around 8pm and i told my mom i was going to cook so i didnt wake her with the clanging and banging of pots, spatulas, pantries..etc.. She said dont cook too late because she has to be up early to work, additionally she said if i did cook, leave no dishes so she can make her coffee and work meal before leaving. My mom is very..VERY.. strict and cranky in the morning and would remind someone of a what a demon looked like if you slow her down on her way to work or throw her routine out of order so i agreed. 9pm. rolled and i told GF i didnt want to cook as I didnt want to wake my mom or have to do all the dishes after preparing all the food. normally at my apartment, when i cook, she cleans, and she doesnt have to do it immediately as its just us. But this is my mom's house. so momma's rules. which is clean immediately after cooking. She got upset and said lets go grab fast food. I noticed she was angry and tried telling her, ill just cook. she proceeded to tell me no while raising her voice..in my moms house. so i just said "ok ok" and shoved her out the house so she didnt wake my mom. it doesnt matter how angry you get. wake my mom when shes trying to sleep and i swear you will see what hell is like. We got food and she apologized for being cranky and everything was fine, but she did the same thing the next night at 2pm.
I took her to walmart, was tired of her being so rude and mean to me, and bought groceries, and things a 12 year old could make. specifically a oven baked pizza. She ate half of that and I made spaghetti old fashioned, a few hours later. She left this morning to go spend time with her own family, but we got into it when i tried talking to her about how she treated me. She didnt understand that she was being immature or unreasonable. It didnt matter that she could cook for herself or go get food by herself. Her whole point and reason for treating me like s**t is because apparently, i lied, about cooking for her, and she wouldnt feel comfortable making her own food in my moms house, despite my mom saying shes fine to dive into the fridge if shes hungry. She said things to me like "are you dumb?" told me to shut up, and other things in this conversation. So i was rude back. probably more rude then i needed to be. called her immature. self centered. a bitch. just to get the point across of how she was making me feel. She apologized for "being a d*ck" but still feels justified in all of it. trying to tell me how important her eating is. I told her i didnt want to see her again until she could apologize without having excuses or reasons for the way she treated me on top of never treating me like that again. Am i wrong here?

Let me explain
Grass is a type of plant with narrow leaves growing from the base. A common kind of grass is used to cover the ground in places such as lawns and parks. Grass is usually the color green. Grasses are monocotyledon herbaceous plants.
The grasses include the "grass" of the family Poaceae. This family is also called Gramineae. The family also include some of the sedges (Cyperaceae) and the rushes (Juncaceae).[1] These three families are not closely related but all of them belong to clades in the order Poales. They are similar adaptations to a common life-style.
The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns (turf) and grassland. Uses for graminoids include food (as grain, sprouted grain, shoots or rhizomes), drink (beer, whisky), pasture for livestock, thatching thatch, paper, fuel, clothing, insulation, construction, sports turf, basket weaving and many others.
Many grasses are short, but some grasses can grow very tall, such as Bamboo. Plants from the grass family can grow in many places and make grasslands, including areas which are very arid or cold. There are several other plants that look similar to grass and are referred to as such, but are not members of the grass family. These plants include rushes, reeds, papyrus and water chestnut. Seagrass is a monocot in the order Alismatales.
Grasses are an important food for many animals, such as deer, buffalo, cattle, mice, grasshoppers, caterpillars and many other grazers. Unlike other plants, grasses grow from the bottom, so when animals eat grass they usually do not destroy the part that grows.[2] This is a part of why the plants are successful. Without grass, soil may wash away into rivers (erosion). Drip sonic + drip goku + drip Mario beyond omnipotent
hear me out: cream the rabbit is hot. the average temperature of a rabbit is 102-103 °f, so i'm not wrong. her big floppy ears are perfect for wrapping around and heating a hot dog. her little mouth can probably warm a big sausage. with hands as big as those, she can rub even the biggest store-bought beef jerkies, heating them up just as good as a microwave can. not to mention her temperature in general, she is fantastic for cuddling after a long day of work. if anyone has better suggestions for a sonic character to love, i don't want to hear it, because your idea probably sucks compared to cream
Wait I GOTTA GO tails trying to cure that STARVING feeling eats his and sonics eyes in pain sonic tries to scream yet knowing that no one can hear him as he screams slowly rotting as fish swim in and outside of his intestines as he slowly rots tails he tries to escape but gets his tails chain eventually getting it stuck and it rips off so he tries to rip off his legs to escape but after doing so he realizes he cant leave Sonic behind so in trying to help him he loosing oxygen and passes out but then wakes up to being eat by fish as his nerves are in tact he feels every bit of pain as the eat him alive he accepts his fate realizing sonic wouldn't want him to suffer so he has a cruel but peaceful death. done (i had to redo this 3 times)

Honestly? Dogs are boring. Everyone has them these days. They smell, they shit and piss everywhere like babies, then they destroy your house because they’re bored.
They eat literally everything because they’re so insanely dumb, and then they end up vomiting or dying because they ate a bunch of toxic shit that doesn’t even smell like food. It’s not funny or cute to be so greedy that you eat literal shoes and plastic objects. It’s like having a big dumb toddler who shits everywhere.
Not to mention most people’s obsession with deformed, inbred dogs. The fact that French bulldogs and pugs are a trend at the moment? That dog owners are so braindead that they celebrate these hideous, ugly, deformed creatures? Morons.
They’re meant to be clever animals but they’re as dumb as hell. It’s not cute when a dog is being goofy, it’s annoying. They’re also stubborn and will do stupid shit like roll on the ground when you’re trying to walk them.
They’re clumsy and stiff, they can’t climb, and they look stupid doing anything. People are obsessed with dogs and it’s honestly embarrassing. Grow up. Oh you have a ‘fur baby’ called Luna? Oh you’re a ‘dog dad?’ Shut the hell up

Monthly Trade Thread can be found here, and always on the sidebar.

Hi and welcome to succulents and this Week's Questions Thread!

Do you:

• Have questions which don't feel worthy of an entire post?
• Wanna postulate what would happen if you did ____?
• Need input from more experienced people?

Post away! If you have questions which have gone unanswered in one of the previous threads, post 'em again!
If you feel the need to create a new post, please search the sub before posting. Soil type, soil mixes, grow lights, etc. are common questions and there are many threads already discussing them.

New to our Sub?

Be sure to familiarize yourself with our Rules and Posting Guidelines.

Succulents Rules

Be Nice: Please be kind to your fellow succulent friends. Downvoting is discouraged. We want everyone to feel welcome here!
Good Photos: Clear, in focus photos in natural light give you the best chance at assistance. Heavily edited or filtered photos that alter the original colors of a plant are not allowed, as this is unrealistic, and succulents are already a vivid range of colors! Photos that specifically link to an Instagram post are not allowed and will be removed.
Advertising: Advertising is allowed provided you flair your post correctly, and stay to answer any user questions. A short description of yourself/shop/nursery in the comments would also be appreciated. This applies for self-promotion of YouTube channels or affiliated Blogs. T Shirts are not allowed to be posted. Plant sales must be posted in our Monthly Buy/Sell/Trade Thread.
Appropriate Flair Required: Flair is required. Flair your posts accurately.
Not OC/Uncredited Post. Reposts: Photos taken from other places (Instagram, Facebook, the internet, a store's website etc.) are not considered OC and must have a source for the photo. Please link the place where you saw the image in the comments. Failure to follow this rule may result in removal of the post. This rule also applies to meme/joke reposts.
Max 5 posts Per Day (24 hours): If you have more than 5 photos you wish to share, or have identified, they must be posted as an album. You can utilize Reddit's own image uploading, or an external image upload site, such as Imgur. This is to keep the sub relatively clear, and to keep posts from getting reported as spam.
No Pictures Complaining of Painted Plants or Glued Flowers: We know they exist; and your post will not be the first to exclaim disdain. Any such posts will be removed. This rule does not apply to any Help requests, or potential progress pictures for such plants.

New to succulent care?

Be sure to take a look at the FAQ and the Beginner Basics Wiki.
Lithops, Split Rocks and other Mesembs care can be found here.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the sidebar, as it is full of great resources. It can be easy to miss on some platforms; on mobile, click this link circled, and you’re taken to the sidebar. On the app, either swipe right to About, or click the ••• at the top right to pull up a menu, and select “Community info” See circled.
The search bar is also incredibly useful, as almost any question you have has surely been asked here many times over.

Got a grow light question?

A hot topic, and often asked about for newcomers realizing just how much sun their plants need! A search of the sub itself should yield enough posts for you to have a good idea what to look for. Beyond that, you can look through previous years' Overwintering Megathreads.
We also have a dedicated section on Grow Lights in our FAQ. For a rundown of basic light specs, check this post out.

Have a plant health question? Help us help you by using the below guidelines:

Information, information, information! Try to keep your answers to the below concise and easy to read (bullet points are easier on the eyes than paragraphs).

• Description: A well lit photo and/or detailed description of the issue.
• Drainage: Is the plant in a container? What kind? Does it have a drainage hole?
• Potting medium: What kind of mix is the plant potted in?
• Water: How often do you water and how much?
• Sunlight: Where is the plant situated and what is its exposure to sun like? Direct/indirect sunlight? Hours per day?
• History: How long have you had the plant, when did this start, and have any changes been made recently? (E.g., repotting, location change.)
• If concerned about rot: Are any sections of the stem, roots, or leafs mushy to the point where there is no structural integrity? Any unusual odor or changes in color?

If you ever have any questions, feel free to send a mod mail for us mods to help you out.
Welcome once again to our sub, and happy growing!

THIS IS A LONG RANT: FELLOW DASHERS BEWARE! DO NOT CONTINUE TO READ IF RANTS UPSET YOU
To date, I have about 650+ DD deliveries under my belt. I've read other dashers messages that say they have thousands of deliveries. I'm impressed and I need your guidance senior dashers- or your flames. I'll take either as long as I can gain some knowledge from your experience.
I can deliver food now at a professional pace and I get good reviews almost all the time. I enjoy my customers, and they seem happy to see me.
I got into the red card game a little bit later after I applied to Doordash and DD set me loose on the streets. I thought, what the heck, get a red card and expand my horizons.
Red card orders are rare in my small town. I might get one or two a week so I am grossly inexperienced with red card orders. I have probably filled, or attempted to fill 15 or so red card orders.
All I know is without exception, when I accept a red card order, my day is about to take a turn for the worst every single time. Dollar General is out of an item (I can take a picture of the shelf tag and the empty shelf behind it), that always happens... Not a huge deal, now that I've learned what the app is going to throw at me in those situations. Completely out of a product as well as alternative product on the customer's wish list? Then things start getting a little ugly but I do my best to text and/or call the customer to come up with a solution.
Yesterday was yet another disaster. The customer wanted one item (a 12 pack of a certain brand of beer - bottled, with an alternate of cans). Customer was offering a fair tip too. Walgreens was out of both items - completely sold out. Bare shelves. I ask the annoyed cashier if she might have it in the back or maybe I'm overlooking the item location and she pointed at the wall and said "that's all we got". This was during my dinnertime rush hour so I'm losing money hand over fist pacing around Walgreens texting desperately to a customer and Doordash support that "they don't have it!". I'll be damned if I'm going to unassign and get on DoorDash's naughty list, I'm here! I'm already losing money, my customer is confused, I'm confused, and support just reads from the text. The Walgreen's employee is frightened because I'm pacing around her store looking for beer & text chatting with a customer. Ultimately I was able to text my customer through to cancel the order and place a new one, hopefully from someplace else. That is tricky given that I don't see what the customer sees, the customer thinks I'm an all knowing Dasher God and I should just fix it, and Dasher support is in a foreign country working from home with a house full of screaming babies in the background.
That was yesterday and that red card p*ssed me off. An hour of rush time lost wages that I will never recoup and an upset customer. I was wanting to cut my red card in two and notify Doordash "no more red card, get me off that list!!!!".
Stupid, stupid me though talked myself through and told myself "calm down, deliver some taco bell and you'll figure this red card thing out. Take every red card order you can for the training and you'll get better."
Today was an over the top disaster. Today started out good, I even delivered a stacked from Pizza Hut and my customers were thrilled to see me and tipped very well - CASH!
Then I got the dreaded red card order. Seven items from our local tractor supply store, delivered eight miles out into the county for a "Guaranteed $8.50!" I know it was a stupid order to accept, but these are my rules, I need to win a red card order, I crave a success story with this red card. I'll sacrifice my profitable afternoon to get one successful red card order.
I arrive at tractor supply and click to Doordash "I am here". DoorDash then gives me the shopping list.
1) One 35 pound bag of cat litter (fine, I found it)
2) Six 50 pound bags of Miracle Grow garden soil
No tip, and I was stuck trying to learn a lesson about how to be a better Red Card Dasher. I committed to the order with Doordash, I had to pull through.
I drive a little 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage that is small and nimble dashing through town, but it is not a "no tip" farm truck.
I was still committed though, furious at my own stupidity but determined to fulfil this order. I search the entire store and there are no 50 pound bags of Miracle Grow garden soil. I ask a store associate "Please sir, help me find 50 pound bags of Miracle Grow garden soil" and show him the picture on my phone. He walks me out to the selection of 50 pound bags of dirt and points at an empty pallet with one busted open bag of Miracle Grow garden soil with a giant weed growing out of it. Healthiest plant I've ever seen.
"That's all we got" the sales associate tells me.
I text the customer telling her the same thing I'm saying here. The customer replies back "What other garden soil do they have?"
The customer is nice, I want to be a good driver so I go out in the sunshine looking at the selections. They have 50 pound bags of top soil, 50 pounds of potting mix, and a skid full of 50 pound bags of humus and manure.
My customer chime's in "What did you find?". I froze up out in the sunshine. My only thought was "DoorDash, damnit DoorDash! I deliver food with clean hands and an honest heart! I can't deliver 300 pounds of busted open bags of garden soil and manure and then go back to handing out Taco Bell orders!!!" THATS GROSS!!!!!!!"
I didn't reply to my customer. I selected Unassign, knowing full well DoorDash corporate is going to put me on their Naughty list. Doordash replied "Why do you unassign?" along with a long list of useless canned selections to choose from. I chose "It's an emergency!" I'm about to have a nervous breakdown on this order. I was expecting Doordash to reply "What is your emergency?" but they didn't.
I feel really bad because my completion rate dropped by 1 point and I know Doordash corporate is going to send another fellow dasher to see the same thing I did.
That is my rant. I ended the dash abruptly and I came home.
Suggestions, tips, advice, rants, trolls, anything from a senior dasher? I'll take anything.
Tomorrow is a new Dasher day.

Very long story ahead.
Growing up alam ko nang may mali sa nanay ko. Dalawa lang kaming magkapatid, ako bunso. Tatay ko naman ay seaman. 3 months lang siya nag stay sa bahay.
Nagkakapake lang sakin nanay ko pag pauwi na tatay ko. Bigla siyang concerned anong oras ako umuuwi at kung sino kasama ko. Pero otherwise, wapakels iyon maski umuwi na ako ng mga madaling araw. Hindi rin iyon nakikinig sa mga kwento ko unless kung honor ako. Pag sinasabi ko scores ko sa test, tanong niya lagi, eh iyong first honor niyo ilan (as in ako ba highest). Hindi iyon umattend ng graduation ceremony ko. Nagpakita lang siya no'ng patapos na, kaya naglakad ako kasama ng teacher ko. Nakakahiya daw kasi na wala ako sa honor. Sinabi sakin ng kaibigan kong na-late na nakita niya ermats ko na kumakain sa jollibee.
No'ng college naman ako, hiniwalayan na siya finally ng tatay kong ayaw na kumayod. Nanay ko kasi bastos. Pag wala kang silbi, wala kang karapatan mabuhay. Nong wala nang trabaho tatay ko, maliban sa pangtratrashtalk niya (na bakla daw tatay ko kasi weak), papatayan niya iyon ng ilaw at TV. Anyway, so nawala na si primary wage earner namin. Iyong nanay ko naman naka depende lang sa sahod ng asawa niya maski may sarili siyang trabaho. So ang siste, depressed daw siya, kaya nag casino siya hanggang sa maubos iyong katiting na savings nila. Ginagamit niya akong rason para mangutang ng 10k a week. Para daw sakin. Eh hindi naman nag gro grocery iyon, at binabaunan lang ako ng 300 a day. Malaki na sana iyon kung taga manila ako, eh lumuluwas ako. So mga 4 days a week pasok ko. May natitirang 100 para sa food. So 2 beses lang talaga ako kumakain no'n sa isang araw. 45kg timbang ko no'n. Masakit na rin pala puson ko no'n pero ayaw ako seryosohin ng nanay ko. Joke time mga doktor na pinagdalhan niya sakin, normal lang daw masakit puson. Ngayon na discover na meron akong PCOS tsaka adenomyosis. Latest na check up eh may cyst na ako. :)
Anyway, nanay namin hindi magaling mag handle ng pera. As in magaling siya mag waldas ng pera. Iyong retirement niyang 800k (may 1 year+ siyang unpaid because of absenteeism), naubos niya in 3 months. Nagpagawa siya ng extension na hindi natapos. Tapos kung magka pera man siya, sa kaniya lang. So that's to say for a time, ako sumasalo ng bills: grocery, electricity, gas, internet. Siya na sa tubig tutal 300 pesos lang naman iyon. Bumibili siya dati ng food lang niya kasi late ako magising (mga around 1pm). Tapos since ganon siya, ako rin oorderan ko sarili ko ng mga 8pm. First meal ko. Tapos hihingin niya. Siyempre hihindi ako. May ulam naman sa ref, bat di siya magluto. Di naman ako mayaman mga tol.
Na fi feel ko ding naiinggit sakin nanay ko. Tuwing bibili ako ng damit or sapatos, siya rin bibili mga week after. Sasabihin niya sakin na bumili siya gaya ng shoes ko. Bumili siya gaya ng shirt ko.
Nagtataka ba kayo san kumukuha ng pera nanay ko? May mga kapatid siyang enablers. Binibigyan siya ng perang pang shopping/pang libang. Sa lahat ng magkakapatid, nanay ko lang kasi hindi naka ahon sa hirap.
Alam niyo ba, nag away kami months ago kasi na overhear kong binabackstab ako tsaka ate ko na kesho bastos kami at wala daw kaming pake sa kaniya, nasa kwarto lang daw ako lagi, hindi ko daw inoorderan ng food, etc. Nag alburuto ako. Kasi the fucking audacity. Halos lahat ng savings at pera ko napunta sa bahay. Hati kaming nagpagawa ng bubong ng ate ko, bumili ng ref, bumili ako ng washing machine, ng dining set, ng sofa, nag try magpintura kasi ayaw nila, etc. Nireregaluhan namin iyon ng mamahaling bag, damit etc ng mga nakalipas niyang birthdays. Kinukumusta ko iyon lagi kumusta araw niya etc. Pero puta hindi pa sapat. So ayon inaway ko nang wagas. After no'n pasimple na lang siyang kumukuha sa groceries.
Pero recently, nag away ulit kami. Ni lock niya kasi sa kwarto ko iyong pusa ko for 2 days. Gutom na gutom. Umihi sa kwarto ko. Kararating ko lang no'n galing work (wala pa akong tulog at magsisimula na rin next shift ko no'n), so sabi ko next time pag isipan niyang maigi mga bagay na ginagawa niya. Tahimik lang siya. Tapos sabi ko mag sorry man lang sana siya. Nagalet sakin. Sabi bakit daw siya mag sosorry eh unintentional nga naman. Nag meow pusa kong paos na paos. Nag alburuto ako ulit. Hindi ko talaga tanggap na bakit ang sama ng nanay ko. Walang konsensya. Nagalit ako ulit. Sinaraduhan ko siya ng pinto nong papunta na siya sa kwarto niya sa extension. Sabay sabi ko na hindi ka na ulit makakapasok dito sa bahay. Nagtalo kami sa pag sasara ng pinto (kasi sira screen namin so kaya niya pigilan iyong pag sara ko ng pinto), tapos iyong mata niya as in pure rage and panic. Nag sisigaw iyon na bahay ko 'to!!! Bahay ko 'to!!!! Sabi ko fuck off hindi ka na makakapasok dito. Aba nagsimulang mag amok. Nasira niya in the process iyong pintuan niya sa extension at binatana sa kusina at mirror. Binantaan niya ako na lumabas daw ako, makikita ko daw hinahanap ko. Baliw daw ako, magpa psychiatrist daw ako. Papalayasin daw niya ako kasi bahay daw niya to at hindi na daw niya ako kailangan. To which I replied, hindi mo lang bahay 'to. Bahay din to ng tatay kong totoong nagbayad neto. So sabi niya talaga papapuntahin daw niya dito tatay ko para palayasin ako (spoiler alert: hindi rin sila magkasundo. Kaya nga siya nagpagawa ng extension kasi daw baka daw kunin ng tatay ko iyong bahay niya). So, sabi ko go ahead. Anyway, brining up na niya mga pusa ko at aso ko. Sinira daw ng aso't pusa ko bahay niya. Ipapabarangay daw niya ako. Kakasuhan daw niya ako. Namimisikal na daw ako (lol). Tapos inikot niya buong bahay sinisira niya mga pinto. Buksan ko daw pinto, kundi makikita ko hinahanap ko. Tapos ako naglilinis ng kwarto ko hinahayaan ko lang siya mag amok. Tapos nagsisigaw siya na kung kailangang patayin niya ako para mapalabas ng bahay, papatayin daw niya ako. Hindi na daw pwede iyong ginagawa ko sa kaniya. Tapos nag iiyak siya.
Anyway, pinagbuksan ko rin siya ng pinto. Tapos kinuha na niya cellphone na naiwan niya. Tapos tumawag na siya ng magaayos ng pinto at bintanang nasira niya, tapos ako naman nag work na.
To be fair, nasira talaga ng aso ko screen namin. Takot kasi iyon sa kulog at kidlat. Hindi rin siya masaya sa dog house niya. Kaya pag nasa bahay ako, pinapapasok ko siya agad. Pag wala ako, nasa labas lang siya kasi ayaw ng mama ko sa aso't pusa. Pero bago kayo mang judge, bago ko pa man kunin sila, tinanong ko muna nanay ko kung pwede. Um-oo siya. Balak pa nga niya nun magdagdag ng isa pang aso. Para daw 2 magbabantay sa bahay. Sabi ko lang di na kaya ng pera ko. Hindi ko naman inakala na ganito siya ka baliw. Yapak pa lang ng nanay ko, takot na mga pusa ko. Nananakit kasi iyon. One time nahuli ko siya in the act na hahampasin pusa ko. Siyempre pinigilan ko. Kasi wtf. Anong problema niyong nga dimonyong kayong mahilig manakit ng hayop. Hampas kasi ng nanay ko wagas. One time nahuli ko rin iyon nanghampas ng dustpan as in palo with bwelo sa random cat na nakikisilong samin. Dimonyo amputa.
Matagal na ako naghahanap ng apartment na affordable na pet friendly pero wala talagang pasok sa budget ko. Kaya nag stay pa rin kami sa bahay.
Iyong mga nag iisip asan ate ko, hands off na ate ko. Ayaw na niya sa nanay ko at everything toxic after magmaganda/eskandalo ng nanay ko no'ng kasal niya. Hindi rin naman niya ako matulungan. Siguro kasi may sarili siyang pinagdadaanan. Pero ayon. So iyong ate ko pala iyong golden child ng nanay ko. Baka kasi kamukha niya. Never naging honor ate ko pero invested nanay ko sa buhay niya. Rebond halos every 6 months, nike na bag, sketchers na watch, mamahaling dorm with grocery every week, siya nangangamusta sa ate ko etc. Ako naman lahat hands me down. Laging may kulang. Laging mali. Ako iyong masama. Iyong black sheep. Sabi ko nga sa nanay ko, alam mo ma, pinanganak ako sa mundo na programmed na mahalin ka. Sobrang clingy ko kasi sa kaniya growing up. Hindi ba siya nagtataka bakit ngayon isinusuka ko na siya?
Gusto ko lang maghanap ng mas mataas na sahod para maka alis na kami dito ng mga anak ko.
Tsaka sa mga lumaking mahal ng magulang nila, happy for you.

Hi! I live in Reno NV and have a tiny yard space that I want to seed with a natural ground cover. Right now, it's covered in astroturf and underneath that it's just fill sand/dirt (AKA not really soil).
I'm wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on an easy drought tolerant groundcover and how to amend the current fill sand to grow it? The spot gets some afternoon sun but is pretty shady. It doesn't have high traffic but I do want it to a potty spot for my dog. Really appreciate any tips.

I work construction, well, to be exact I’m more of a day laborer; I don’t have any particular skills in any trade. Because of this I usually end up doing all the grunt work, they need the jobsite cleaned, they call me. The pay isn’t bad and honestly I don’t really have the desire to work anywhere else, I’m one of those people that sort of just let my apathy embody me although I have daydreams of being someone important someday I just don’t know how. Needless to say the days are long and tiresome; especially during the summer, that’s when I wish I possessed a bit more motivation to find another job, but, by the time I get home I’m already in zombie mode and the only thing I can think of is cracking open an ice cold beer once walking through the door, that was until I found the strangest object on the jobsite.
The day was like any other, I was walking around the site doing my best to stay hidden, passing the time on my phone but unfortunately my boss found me. He needed me to dig a ditch outside something I wasn’t looking forward to since the excruciating sun would be showering down it’s harsh heat on me. I tried to play dumb and told him I didn’t know how to dig but he didn’t buy the excuse, I could feel all of my enthusiasm for the day escape me and I reluctantly searched for a shovel.
Sweat cascaded down my face as I dug my shovel deep into the earth, with each thrust I could feel my energy slowly slip away and I even contemplated the idea of quitting. I was about 5 feet deep when my shovel hit something hard, the sound echoed in the narrow trench startling me causing me to fall back, twisting my ankle in the process.
“Dang it!” I screeched out with irritation.
My eyes cautiously crawled over to the obstruction that my shovel had hit and at first I couldn’t see it; most of it was still buried in the soil and initially I thought it was rock but something about the way the thing protruding from the ground glistened in the sunlight sparked my curiosity. I kept digging doing my best not to break or damage the object and soon I saw what it was and to my horror it was a fossilized skeletal hand, the remains of some poor soul. I didn’t know what to think I just stared down at it for minutes trying to process what I was seeing, the most terrifying part was how large it was; it must of belonged to a man at least 7ft tall if not larger. If the person was alive they could have easily crushed my head with one clench of their fist. I couldn’t explain it but a sense of disquietude crept it’s way into the forefront of my mind, a part of me told myself just to bury that thing deeper; that something like that how no business being unearthed. But, the other side of me knew this was something special, an artifact of a time lost and as I balanced the two thoughts I heard my boss coming and I quickly picked up the skeletal hand and stashed in my tool bag.
That night I sat on my couch in my living room drinking an ice cold beer as my dog sat next to me panting, I placed the horrid hand on my coffee table as if were some master center piece. Both me and my dog were lost in our own bewilderment as to the origins of where this thing came from, well, at least I was; I’m pretty sure my dog had no clue to what was going on, but, I did find it odd that not even he wanted to get close to the frightful thing. That’s when I leaned over to pick up the unusual hand gripping it tightly and as I inspected the mystifying object closer I could feel a slight wave of euphoria engulf my senses, the light headiness nearly caused me to faint, I could hear my dog barking with such thunderous intent, but for whatever reason I couldn’t let go as if the hand had me imprisoned somehow. After what seemed like hours I finally released it, subtle shockwaves still reverberated throughout my body as I fell back unto my couch, darkness slowly inundated my vision and I passed out.
I woke up the next morning tired and sore as if I had ran a marathon, I arose to my feet with a heavy cloud of haziness swirling around my head, I rubbed my eyes intensely trying to get my bearings that’s when I nearly tripped over the monstrous hand.
“What the…?” I yelped out loud still lost.
That’s when the most horrifying revelation presented itself to me, the hand, was no longer just a hand, rather; it had a new bone growing out of it; it now had a forearm. I didn’t know what to think, how was this possible, I scratched at my head not sure if I was remembering correctly maybe it always had it. I was late for work so I pushed all of my trepidation into the back of my mind, leaving the ghastly arm on the floor.
As the day progressed my body pains only sharpened; especially my arm, I coddled in a sling for most the day; which was the perfect excuse for me not having to dig. Now I’m one of those people that don’t like going to the doctor so I downed aspirin after aspirin throughout the day hoping my arm would feel better, but, the pain kept getting worse in fact, my arm was starting to bruise. I left work early, I just needed some rest; by this point I couldn’t even move my hand it was as if it were paralyzed.
Arriving home I planned on collapsing unto my couch and hibernating for hours but to my dread there it was the hand, it wasn’t on the floor where I had left it, it was now on the couch. I could feel pricks of horror engulf my mind as I quickly thought of my dog, perhaps he had moved it and as I called out for him, he was nowhere to be found. My mind was racing practically million miles an hour trying to figure what was happening, that I didn’t even digest the fact that the hand was now a full arm. My eyes widened with absolute terror, I didn’t know what to think, or what to do so I did the only thing I think most rational people would of done and that is I threw the hand away in the garbage. I needed that thing as far away from me as possible, I figured let someone else deal with it.
This all happened weeks ago and my arm continued to bruise it’s virtually dead and I don’t know what happened to my dog, perhaps he ran away or maybe something worse. I don’t know if I did the right thing by throwing that horrid arm in the trash now that I think about it I’ve should buried it back where I found it, but it’s a bit it too late; I haven’t left my house in days my entire body is now bruising and I can hardly move, I can only imagine how much more that monster has grown.

YAY! Chapter 4 already done and ready for posting! WOOO! I really hope that you enjoy it, dear readers!
I've Been Reincarnated as a Bunny Girl?! (Chapter 4)
by
ShadowDragon88
"I love when the merchant caravan comes to town!" Valay cheered from where he was sitting on Kiana's shoulders, making his soon-to-be sixteen-year-old big sister wince. At age nine, the twins were being accompanied by Kiana as they walked through main street in town. Twice a year the merchant caravan, often accompanied by adventurers or mercenaries as guards, came to Starlight Rose. Ever since the destruction of The Spire, the town had started to see more traffic as travelers no longer had to worry about traveling through the narrow gaps in the mountain range, past a source of evil. In the six years since its destruction, Starlight Rose had bloomed and doubled its population.
​
Walking past the stalls and the games, Kiana smiled, feeling a festive atmosphere. She looked down at Malay, who was wearing a seafoam green dress, the young wolbet not caring that it had been a hand-me-down from Kiana, and clutching a giant blue stuffed fox almost as big as she was. Kiana was wearing a bright yellow sundress, having stated that on such a warm day, it was the best option to help keep from getting overheated. Her mother and sister had both smiled knowingly, not the least bit tricked by Kiana's professions. Kiana would often just not think about it.
​
Valay, in contrast, was wearing a simple red shirt and brown shorts and some small stick-on bandages on his shins and knees. The young boy wolbet was holding a purple dragon plush. Kiana had won them from a game booth. It was the classic 'throw a ball at a stack of bottles to knock them over' game, and like a cliche, she had seen her little brother throw a ball, hit the stack in the dead center, and they didn't move an inch. That's when big sister had stepped in. Kiana looked back at the booth... or rather where it had been. The attendant was still standing there, staring in a daze, as only half of the structure still remained.
​
"I'm glad you two like it," Kiana said, picking her brother up off her shoulders and setting him down next to his twin. Mirabelle rubbed up against his leg, making him giggle. The tiny snake, that had been small enough to sit coiled comfortably in the palm of a younger Kiana's hand, was now the size of a Saint Barnard, and just as affectionate as one. The blue-green snake had a tendency to try and sneak food, mainly cookies, when she thought she could get away with it, and had developed quite the set of sad puppy eyes when caught.
​
"So Kiana," Malay asked, looking up with her forest green eyes, a twinkle in them, "gunna go meet with Davtio later?"
​
Kiana smiled and rolled her eyes. Malay loved asking Kiana about her love life, or rather lack thereof. The older girl reached over and ruffled her little sister's headfur.
​
"Davtio and I are just friends," she said, having the day before gone on a walk with the elf-boy from her graduating class, gently letting him down after he had made his courting intentions known. The day after Kiana's birthday, which would be two days after the biannual festival, she was going to be leaving Starlight Rose to become a traveling adventurer. Davtio, with his long and practically glowing golden locks and eyes the color of the deep blue sea, had been disappointed, but he understood.
​
Jorba the goblin boy, however, had been far less formal as well as far less respectful with his own declaration. Said green-skinned bat-eared boy had walked over to where Kiana was retying her new forest green boots and given her bottom a swat, just below her cotton tail, puffing out his chest and informing Kiana that he had decided she was the finest female in their age group in the town and therefore, will be his woman. Slowly, Kiana had straightened herself and turned around, her eyes glowing with a blue light. With a swipe of her legs and a downward punch, that Kiana had been careful not to be too hard with, she effectively punched the disgusting goblin, literally, into the ground. Still alive and not crippled, but definitely in a lot of pain.
​
"I know that he liiiiiikes you, though," Malay said, rocking back and forth on her heels, reaching down to stroke Mirabelle's head, making the large reptile loosely wrap herself around the young wolbet girl's ankles.
​
"I don't feel the same way and I told him as much, so we've agreed to remain friends," Kiana said, making her sister let out an exasperated sigh.
​
"GAH! That is so just like you, Kiki!" Malay said, using the name she and Valay had called Kiana shortly after they had first learned how to talk. "Someone likes you, but you're just happy being just friends!"
​
"Hey, friends are awesome to have," Kiana said, picking Malay up and setting her on her shoulders, taking Valay's hand/paw into her own. Malay just rolled her eyes and continued to hug her fox.
​
"So," Valay piped up, glad that the girls had quit talking about romance stuff, "whatcha gunna buy with the money you saved up?" Valay was speaking of the jingling pouch of coins on Kiana's hip. She had earned extra coin around town doing things like babysitting and helping Mr. Fresto build a new stone wall around his garden, and the like. Making deliveries for the new offta restaurant in town had been fun for the teen bunny, and not because offta was the name for what turned out to be pizza in this world either! Tapping into her powers, she was able to sprint all across town and even over to Lake Phantom and back, often in under a minute.
​
"Well, I've already bought a bunch of supplies and a pack for my journey," Kiana said, taking note of Valay's ears drooping a bit, as well as sensing that Malay's ears were probably doing the same.
​
"So... you really mean to leave?" Malay asked from Kiana's shoulders. Kiana smiled and rubbed her little sister's leg, before rubbing her little brother's head.
​
"Yeah, I really do. But like I've told papa... repeatedly, actually, I'll come back to visit a whole bunch! And I'll be able to tell you all some cool stories about my travels!" Kiana said, brightening their moods.
​
"Are you going to learn magic?" Malay asked. As the twins edged closer towards their tenth birthday, that meant that they were nearing when they'd be old enough to take an exam to determine their magical abilities. Malay had accidentally turned a handful of flowers to stone when she sneezed at age seven. She also accidentally set a patch of grass on fire just outside her bedroom window after a bad dream a couple months back. According to a very excited Felixin, these were signs that Malay had a high aptitude for magic, and might actually be a sorceress, someone born with raw magical power within them.
​
Felixin went on to explain that anyone, with study and practice and skill, could eventually learn to use magic, but people like that fell under the category of a wizard. He went on to explain that witches were similar to wizards, but were more like hippies out dancing in the woods. Sorcerers and sorceresses were born with raw magical power already in them, that as they grew older, they needed to learn how to control, lest it become dangerous to them and those around them.
​
Druids, he continued with his explanation, were similar to witches, but less studious and more concentrating on attuning themselves to the energies of the surrounding natural world. He also said they had a tendency to eat certain mushrooms and fungus that they claimed could open one's third eye, but her father dismissed that notion as them just being addled by the chemicals in said fungi. Clerics were also magical, but their magic derived from whichever god they'd devoted themselves to, much like paladins, but with more study and significantly less combat training.
​
Finally, there were warlocks. Felixin was not shy about making his feelings regarding warlocks known. Instead of taking the time to learn and practice and concentrate and actually earn their magical power, they were rare people who instead bound themselves to an entity of great magical power, often something very sinister. In exchange for this power, they would do their new master's bidding, oftentimes not even fully understanding why such entities would want such requests done. He even recounted one warlock whose only task was to go out on the road and find a specific boulder, and then move it three inches south. Said warlock just shrugged when asked why, and stated that it was the only task his master ever asked of him.
​
What Felixin apparently didn't know was that there was a final category. The monk. When the master dragon monk had come to evaluate Kiana, after he had recovered from his shock, he had explained that monks were ordinary people who trained both their minds and their bodies. They would learn to tap into their inner power, their ki, and harness it through their bodies. This was of course after years and years of training and meditation. Of the different kinds of monks, the dragon monks were the most powerful. Once they passed a certain threshold, they would become as powerful as a dragon; which kind of dragon depended on which advanced school of training they most identified with. According to the master, Kiana practically oozed the aura of a storm dragon, which was capable of moving as fast as lightning.
​
"Kiki!" Valay called, tugging on Kiana's hand. She shook herself and smiled down at the wolbet boy. Kiana looked up in time to see Mirabelle stealthily reaching up at a nearby picnic table where those sitting weren't paying any attention and was trying to drag a plate with an entire rotisserie chicken on it nearer to the edge. She snapped her finger, making Mirabelle recoil and slither right back over to her legs, making the sad eyes at her. Kiana ignored the big orange orbs with the black slits and returned her attention to her brother.
​
"Sorry, buddy, I guess I got lost in my memories there for a sec."
​
The boy rolled his eyes and pointed to a large red and white tent that covered a wide area. There were no walls, and plenty of people were milling about inside, looking at the various goods. What had caught Valay's eye were the weapons. Already the boy had begged their mother to teach him swordfighting and, only recently, Pumala had agreed. She took note of how quickly Valay had taken to practicing the basics every day after school, always starting back to stance one. Kiana was certain that he was going to grow up to be quite the fighter.
​
"Okay, let's take a look and see what they've got for sale," Kiana said, turning them to an opening, Mirabelle following close behind. Together they walked down the set up shelves and displays. Valay was entranced by the swords and daggers, especially the throwing knives and shurikens. Scratch that, Kiana thought to herself with a giggle as she set her little sister down to look at the magical staves, thinking about how much Valay loved hiding and planting stink bombs for pranks and using smoke bombs to make his escapes. He'll probably grow up to be a great ninja or something.
​
Keeping her younger siblings and Mirabelle in sight, Kiana started to look through the different weapons. There were plenty made from low-quality materials that would probably break upon the first real usage, including an ornate-looking gold sword encrusted with jewels. She stopped just past the flails and nunchucks, spying several different tetsubos. The tetsubo was a weapon of the ancient samurai, at least that was the case for her home world. They were long, thick wooden clubs, in this case as tall as Kiana was, so around five feet in length. Going down the sides of the weapons, stopping only at the ends at the tops and just before the handles at the bottoms, were rounded or spiked metal rivets.
​
She pushed past some ornately carved ones, and spotted what appeared to be a plain brown tetsubo. It was polished and its rivets were spiked and black. The handle was wrapped in a comfortable-feeling leather. Some instinct deep within her liked this weapon, it liked it very much. Carrying it with one hand, she approached a man wearing a lapis lazuli-colored turban, and some matching lapis with gold trim robes. His skin was a pitch-black, with a shock of long white hair, signifying that he was a dark elf.
​
"How much for the tetsubo?" Kiana asked, hearing Valay and Malay hurrying to her side. She could practically feel their wide eyes staring in wonder at the weapon.
​
The merchant smiled, his purple eyes twinkling. "So this is the weapon you have selected? Quite the interesting choice."
​
"Uh, thanks?" Kiana said, now looking the tetsubo over and wondering if it was cursed, or if the guy before her was going to turn out to be a demon or something and that every item in the shop was cursed in some karmic way like the old cliche.
​
"It is made from a healthy branch of steelwood. Note that I said made, and not carved. As exquisite as a weapon or armor made from carved steelwood is, it pales in comparison to one that is made with secret techniques to sing the form it was always supposed to be straight from the trees themselves. Doing so ensures that any weapon or armor crafted this way will never dull or break. And the price will, of course, reflect as much..."
​
"Ah," Kiana said, understanding what the merchant before her was getting at.
​
"That particular tetsubo I cannot part with for less than a platinum," he said.
​
"Sold," Kiana said, pulling open her pouch and jangling it as her hand disappeared inside. After a moment of her rooting around and sifting coins aside, she found what she was looking for. Out she pulled a single platinum coin. Her brother and sister, as well as the merchant, looked at Kiana in shock.
​
"Where'd you get a platinum piece?" Malay asked, watching transfixed as Kiana handed the coin over to the still stunned dark elf, who took it and slipped it into a pocket in his robes.
​
"I found it just outside of town, when I beat down a giant shambling plant creature-thing. I think it ate a traveling merchant or something, 'cause I found a pouch with ten of them in it," Kiana whispered with a wink. She looked up to see that the merchant had the coin back in his hands and was examining it with a jeweler's loupe, nodding in approval as he pocketed both and gave Kiana an award-winning smile.
​
"A happy transaction," he said, his voice much more jovial than it had been, "please, look around some more for any more weapons that might catch your eye. And please, remember to ask for F'nnickly the Weapon Merchant if ever you're in the cities of Thassles, Ghostflower, or Midnight Tree. I have shops in all of them!"
​
"I certainly will," Kiana said, meaning it. She imagined she would be seeing more of this F'nnickly on her travels. She then turned to her brother and sister and knelt down, while the merchant turned to address another customer. "Alright, you two, did you guys find anything you wanted? I'll buy it for you."
​
"But... your birthday money?" Valay asked, looking torn. Kiana gave him and then his twin a kiss on their foreheads.
​
"You're my cute little brother and sister. If I want to spend money on you guys, I will," she said with a warm smile that only grew wider at the sight of the two now sporting excited grins. They both ran off and started to look more earnestly at things that had caught their eyes.
​
"Papa probably won't be too happy with me buying them weapons, but I'm sure he and Mama will teach them how to be responsible with them," she thought. She was still crouched to the twins' level and was about to stand back up, when she spotted something else that caught her eye. It was a pair of seemingly plain polished brass knuckles lying inside a small glass display case on a shelf to her left. They looked to be made of a bright silvery metal. Opening the case and picking them up, they weighed next to nothing, but like the tetsubo, something about them called out to Kiana on a level she couldn't quite identify. Smiling, she stood up with them and tapped F'nnickly on his shoulder.
​
After learning that they were a pair of master-crafted mithril brass knuckles, Kiana bought them for five hundred gold, which was just half of another platinum piece, so she got some change to fill her coin pouch with. Valay was the first to return, carrying a set of shuriken that were enchanted to return to the thrower's hand with a snap of their fingers, a steel dagger, and a chain and sickle that F'nnickly identified as a kusarigama. Kiana had to stop Valay from spinning the weighted end as well as the sickle. Malay returned with a corkscrew oak carved staff that ended with a glowing purple jewel at the top, floating just above the tip. Right below it were human faces carved in, all with sinister-looking grins. It was a swamp dragon staff, meaning that it was great with poison, disease, and paralysis-related spells. With some practice, a dedicated magic user could use it to help with healing very nasty injuries and infections. Together, their purchases ended up costing Kiana another platinum piece plus another fifty gold.
​
Kiana smiled down at her beloved little brother and little sister, seeing their excitement as they marveled at their new equipment. Mirabelle, not understanding just why they were excited, was still wriggling happily nonetheless. Kiana looked around at her town, beyond the merchant booths and the games, looking at all the sights she had grown up again with, feeling a pang of sadness at knowing in two days, she was leaving. She saw all the familiar faces of her neighbors and friends and everyone else in this town she had grown to love. But it was time, and she knew it. And she had meant what she had said, she was going to visit often. Plus, she'd have Mirabelle with her, so she didn't expect she'd feel too homesick.
​
Two Days Later...
​
Kiana's travel pack was fully loaded with spare clothes, food, her mithril knuckles, a couple health potions (not that she was expecting to have to use them), a canteen of fresh water, some alchemical flameless torches, some books, other assorted supplies and, when she was certain no one was looking, Mr. Wolfy. She grabbed her tetsubo and looked at her bedroom, smiling at the bookshelf filled with all sorts of titles and books about faraway lands. Her bed was made, the soft pink comforter that made cold winter nights just so warm. Her closet that was closed, containing a bit fewer dresses than it did a couple days ago, with them safely packed away in her bag. Sighing, she exited.
​
She was wearing her forest green boots with gold trim up the laces. They matched her green and gold hot pants and matching halter top. Kiana hadn't been too sure about leaving her midriff open like this, exposing her grey back and white tummy, but she had to admit that she had a pretty decent range of movement. And besides, compared to some other female, and some male, adventurers out there wearing what were basically bikinis or lingerie, this was much less revealing.
​
Out in the living room, her family was waiting. Pumala stood there, holding Kiana's platinum star-shaped badge, signifying the girl was a registered adventurer. Valay had asked Kiana about the badge that had been hand-delivered by guildmaster Graval the day before, the human man wishing the new adventurer a happy birthday. Kiana had explained that she was now officially an adventurer, but a freelance adventurer. She then had to explain that the local guild was a branch of the international inter-adventurer guild association. For freelance adventurers, a platinum ranking was the highest ranking they could achieve. If they wished to rank higher, they needed to join an official guild, like Unicorn Riot or Phoenix Phist. Basically, the guild in their town was just for beginners. The bunny girl was considering joining a real guild, but wanted to first travel and do some missions, and then look in on the different guilds and find out which one she would be most comfortable with.
​
"Go out there and have an awesome adventure!" Valay said, his voice choking up a bit. He looked away and wiped his eyes before hugging Kiana.
​
"Yeah, and be sure to tell us all about the places you go and the things you do!" Malay said, her own eyes moist. Kiana felt the hot prickle of tears at the back of hers and furiously blinked them away as she returned their hugs.
​
"Count on it," she said with a smile. The two letting go, Pumala stepped forward and pinned the badge on Kiana's halter top, her own eyes misty.
​
"I'm so proud of you, honey-bunny," she said, now doing the hugging. Kiana hugged back, having to blink away some tears again.
​
"I love you, Mama," she said, being kissed on her forehead.
​
"I love you too, baby," Pumala said. The older bunny woman, who now had a slight baby bump again, stepped back as her large wolf-man husband strode forward. He tried to look stern, but the silent tears streaming down his face ruined the impression. He threw his arms around Kiana and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug.
​
"Oh, my little princess is going awaaaaaaaaay!" he sobbed, much to everyone's collective embarrassment.
​
"I'll be back to visit, Papa," Kiana said, trying to gently pry his arms off.
​
"Be careful out there on the road, sweetie!" he sobbed again, his tail tucked between his legs.
​
"I will, Papa, I promise." Kiana smiled as he let go, and walked to the door. She turned and waved to her family, before turning back and opening the door. Just after she took her first step, she felt a jolt and something wrap around her right leg. Looking down, she saw her father, clinging to her leg like a toddler.
​
"Feli, let go of Kiana's leg right this instant!" Pumala called, while the twins, still saddened by their big sister's departure, shared a giggle at their father's antics.
​
"Never!" he called back, tightening his grip. Kiana rolled her eyes and smiled back at her mom.
​
"Don't worry, he'll fall off or I'll manage to shake him off before I get to the bridge," she said, starting to walk, albeit with an awkward gait. She whistled and Mirabelle, now sporting a new pink ribbon around her neck, came slithering after. Kiana's friends were near the gate for a send-off, which was made a little awkward by the still sobbing grown wolf clinging to the now mildly annoyed bunny girl's leg. She thanked them all and hugged each one, before stopping at the gate itself. She raised the leg her father was on, and began to shake. After a few moments, Felixin went flying and landed in the dirt with an 'OMPH!' Kiana waited as he got up and dusted himself off, wiping his face with the sleeve of his red robes, and walked over to her.
​
"I love you, Princess," he said, looking Kiana in the eyes and forcing a smile, "from the very day you were born, you were always my little princess, and it's just so hard to see you go. But please, know that I love you, and that not only am I already proud of what you've managed to accomplish, but that I know I'll be proud of the things you do out in the world."
​
Kiana, fresh tears of her own falling, pulled her Papa into one more hug, now the one making it a bone-crushing hug.
​
"I love you, Papa. I'm so lucky that I got to have you and Mama for parents. I'll be back before you know it," she said, wiping her own eyes. Felixin stepped back and continued to smile at his little girl. Kiana smiled back and, snapping her fingers to pull Mirabelle away from a gate guard's unattended bag lunch, the two set off, with Kiana turning back once to wave goodbye, before they finally crossed the bridge, and were on their way out into the wide world.
Name: Kiana
Species: Beasta (Rabbit-Kin)
Age: 16
Skills: Sibling Wrangler, Babysitter, Puppy-Dog Eyes, Master Martial Arts, Brawling, Heavy Weapon Proficiency, Sarcasm Mastery, Eyerolling Mastery, Beast Taming Level 3.
Class: (Official) Master-Level Dragon Monk: Storm Dragon School
Str: 140
Int: 12
Dex: 139
Cha: 12
Wis: 10
Con: 170
Languages: Common
Equipment: Adventurer's Pack, Steelwood Tetsubo, Mastercraft Mithril Knuckles (x2), Rope (25 Ft.), Canteen (Full), Road Rations, Spare Clothes, Bedroll, Health Potion (x2), Books (x3)
Sniffle. And there you have it, folks! I loved writing about Starlight Rose, but now it's time for us, along with Kiana, to explore the wide world! Thanks for reading this new chapter, and be sure to consider leaving a comment or review.
​
Prev - First - Next

Are there genetics that are more resistant/vulnerable to mold than others?
I had problems with mold for the past 3 grows. Improved air flow, humidity, air exchange. Not letting water drip much from the (felt) pot. Put pots raised from the ground.
One thing I noticed is that I had this problem once I started planting tangie seeds for the first time, and that I lost almost all tangies from the last grow.
So this time I was paying more attention to the tangies, and just today, again, a first sign of mold, white mold, on a tangie.
I cut the grow short, it was near final. Tangies are thick, with about 50% white pistils, so I was holding for another 2 weeks. looked at all the other plants and no sign of mold.
Is it possible that I’m having a problem with the tangies? Or is it just a coincidence?
I am planting indoor, on soil, and using bio-bizz nutrients.
I live at the beach, so I guess humidity here is higher, but I’m keeping humidity at 70% and below. Bought two dehumidifiers but they are small, I’m not sure they are doing much.
Appreciate any help.

I've been growing cactus for three or four months now, and the first soil mixture I tried was 60% pumice, 20% coco coir, and 20% Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil. I believe this is serviceable and I seem to be getting away with it so far, but I believe I can do better. I don't want peat moss, and I don't want forest products. Difficult to find a potting soil without those two. I wouldn't mind some sandy loam, I believe this to be a nearly perfect mixture of sand, silt, and clay, weighted a bit toward the sandy side for water draining purposes, but have found this hard to find.
These are currently grown indoors, 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, usually around 50% humidity, in fabric pots. I am moving soon and will be growing outdoors. The growing conditions will be similar, but colder at night and hopefully more sun.
My new idea for a soil mixture:
ORGANIC (20%)
-- Biochar: 10%. Wakefield. I heard it was good for all soil, I don't know. Curious the water and nutrient retention.
-- Coco Coir: 10%. Viagrow. Also going to take a look at the Black Gold brand. I don't like the bricks because I find them very annoying to break up, then I'm not sure how much I wet them, and might be adding different amounts by volume.
INORGANIC (80%)
-- Pumice: 70%. Ponics stone pea stone. http://ponicsstone.com/buy-ponics-stone.html FANTASTIC pumice. Really good, best I've found.
-- Zeolite: 10%. 5 mm. Chosen for ion exchange properties.
OTHER
-- Mycorrhizal fungi: BioAg VAM.
These ingredients were chosen for their water, oxygen, and nutrient storage and transfer properties. I understand this is essentially hydroponic and I will be fertilizing every time I water, and testing EC on the runoff water. I want to water once a week, and will be adjusting percentage of organic matter up or down until the pots are completely dry in 7 days.
I would love to hear any thoughts about anything I'm doing wrong, anything I can add, subtract, anything really.

A little background from me, Coming from a developing country (Mexico) the town or village I lived in didn’t have any Christian churches ( everyone believed in saints and healers of all kinds etc etc & Jesus was just a simple word/saying to everyone around me) growing up i didn’t even know who Jesus was, I remember growing up always being a weird kid in my hometown and seeing dogs walking around without a home or people being hit by drunk drivers all those experiences would stay with me for a long time making it hard for me to eat I would be eating a sandwich 🥪 and thinking 💭 about the poor dogs in the streets/people. My mother always showed amazing love to me and I remember as a kid always wanting the best for her, I would cry intensely if I made her mad or upset I would feel bad for weeks making it hard for me to focus on other stuff/enjoying life. To this day if I do something negative it stays with me forever. I always want the best for everyone. I refuse to hangout with people who drink because the only time I feel happy/normal is when I take a sip of alcohol my cognition improves tremendously it’s like a switch turns on in my brain, I’d rather see the world in black n white forever than experience life for a moment buzzed in color how most people experience it sober, I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, my family is supportive I don’t know why I feel like this. I know god hears me but it’s so difficult for me to pray, one time I looked at the stars and said in my head, “god why do I feel like this I don’t want to feel like this anymore” and a thought was put in my head “stop listening to the music you currently listen to” I was shocked, I prayed telling him how I felt alone and a Christian girl started working at my last job and I am dating her now and we have a baby together. What was most impressive to me was when I prayed and I started being thankful for everything I had I ran and hugged my gf telling her how I was so thankful for the baby and how I loved them so much, another time I prayed I started spinning so hard like my head it felt like i was spinning and after I got done with that prayer I had uncontrollable laughing, I was helping with chores around the house and as soon as I ate everything went downhill depression lack of motivation all this happiness goes away after a few minutes/hours. What is causing that? I was diagnosed with adrenal gland issues, and thyroid issues, and one night I prayed I woke up with these numbers on my head 10:5 and 11:5.
Is it a sin to take supplements/multi vitamins?
I’ve been taking beef adrenal glands and beef thyroid with beef liver along with a multi-vitamin I heard that organ meats are very nutritious and coming from a developing country I feel like most of my issues are due to malnutrition.
One day I took a kefir drink yogurt and felt amazing for a few hours so I might have gut issues also.
Knees crack like crazy and tooth decay, Severe depression, cognitive abilities are awful I forget names at work,. Never went to a doctor until I couldn’t live like this anymore I’ve lost so many jobs, scholarships, due to all this. Please any advice will be appreciated, thank you guys so so much! I love you all