I felt like this was the best place to have this rant. I've been on a smallville rewatch for a while now (mostly for nostalgia) and it's been fun the show isn't flawless by any means but its certainly got charm. Anyways I'm almost finished with season 6 now and one thing that stood out to me this season is how fucking weird and terrible the score is not so much the tracks themselves but the way there used for like 70% of the season the music doesn't match the scene a perfect example of this is in the episode "Justice" when bart and oliver meet up and share some quips theres like this ominous/eerie music that just feels so out of place and pretty much like that all season. Has anyone else noticed this or am I trippin and if u have does it go away in future I don't remember the first 5 seasons having this issue.

I am STILL NOT the Original Poster. That is u/ta-bff-234324. He posted in AITAH and amiwrong but posted the same text in both subreddits. I chose to use the ones from AITAH
Thanks again to u/Literally_Taken for the rec and to Choice Evidence and u/chickenoodledeprived for letting me know about the update!
Previous BORU here. New update marked with ****\*
Trigger Warning: racism
Mood Spoiler: tentatively happy ending
Original Post: April 1, 2024
My (29M) best friend Jess (29F) keeps on mentioning my ex (29F) in front of my fiancee, and I am thinking of cutting her off. I want to know if I am overreacting, or if Jess is in the wrong.
For context, Jess and I went to the same high school and the same college. We were friends in high school. However, since we both went to the same out-of-state college, we became best friends since then. We have always been there for each other during the best and worst times. However, things have always been platonic, and she is more like a big sister to me, who made sure I stay on the right track.
I have only been in two long-term relationships so far. One was with my ex Lisa for 7 years. We met in college and dated all through our college years. Lisa and Jess also became good friends, too. After college, Lisa and I just grew apart and had different goals in life. I became "boring" after college as I was working on my PhD while doing a full time job. Lisa broke up with me as she wanted to party on weekends, while I was home studying. I was heartbroken, but I don't think I ever blamed her or had resentment towards her, as I understood my decisions were selfish and should not hold her back from having the best life.
Jess always stood by me and comforted me during that time. Jess and Lisa were good friends and Jess always kept on telling me that Lisa loves me and will be back one day when I am ready. I foolishly held on to that hope and stayed friends with Lisa. That was until I met my fiancee Yang. After I finished my PhD, I got a nice job in a big tech company. Yang joined our team a year after me. We started going out for drinks, and dinner and we started dating seriously pretty soon. We are happy together, and financially in a great place. Needless to say, I stopped talking to Lisa after I started dating Yang.
I proposed to Yang a year after we started dating and got engaged last year. Jess has been acting weirdly since we got engaged. One of the first things she said to Yang after we got engaged was how I had planned the same thing for Lisa (proposing on a local hiking trail). It was a bit off-putting that she was bringing up Lisa whom I broke up with almost 5 years ago on such a happy occasion. However, Yang asked me to not spoil my mood, as she felt Jess was just commenting on how I had that plan in mind for years. Since then, every time we meet, Jess without fail brings up Lisa and how the things I am doing are all the things I had planned with Lisa. This happened when we bought a house, planned for vacations, etc. Jess always starts with some nostalgic story and then brings up how Lisa and I were so happy together. She is still good friends with Lisa and keeps giving me updates about Lisa and how great Lisa is doing at work when no one is asking for it. It felt like she was painting a rosy picture of Lisa to Yang and telling Yang that she would always be second to Lisa.
Yang told me Jess's comments bothered her, and I also felt the same. I have brought this up with Jess many times and asked her not to do it. However, she says she will try but since I dated Lisa for 7 years, she would be part of many stories from the past. Also, she asked me why talking about Lisa bothers me and if I still have feelings for her. I have reduced hanging out with Jess. However, she is close with my mom and is always invited to all our family parties and holidays.
I talked to my mom and sister about this and they feel I am overreacting. They feel Jess is just telling stories and since the stories are mostly from college days and later, Lisa will be a character in the story. They also feel I should not be bothered by Jess mentioning Lisa since we broke up a long time ago. I feel that it's disrespectful to Yang as she doesn't need to hear about all the fun Lisa and I had when we were together and how we were planning to get married. Do you think I am the asshole to stop here or Jess is truly acting out of line?
Relevant Comments:
Commenter: Probably need to separate your time with your fiancé away from your friend. ... On a side note, your friend comes across poorly on one other aspect. When you were too busy to date so you could study. She is encouraging you to stay available while your ex goes about dating around? Think she ever encouraged your ex to not? Or do you think she was telling your ex she could have all the fun she wanted cause you'd still be around? Food for thought.

OOP: She thought we were 24 when we broke up and she always justified that Lisa was young and it's natural to date around before you settle down. She also encouraged me to do the same. However, after my breakup, I decided that I would not be in a relationship (based on what happened to the previous one) and never dated anyone until after I graduated.

Commenter: Not wrong, in fact it's thoughtful of your finace's feelings. " Jess always kept on telling me that Lisa loves me and will be back one day when I am ready." - yikes.
An easy: "Jess, you keep bringing up my ex, and keep making comments which are dismissive of my relationship with Yang. I am telling you point blank that this is harming our friendship and it saddens me that you dismiss my feelings as being unimportant on this topic. If you can't respect me, and my relationship with Yang, please understand why it will likely end our friendship."

OOP: We have had this exact conversation. Jess then proceeded to ask Yang is she offended by her telling stories about me. Yang was polite and said she is ok. Then she told me I am being too sensitive.

Commenter: Op do you know if Lisa is married? Maybe Jess is trying to sabotage your engagement so you can be with Lisa.

OOP: I know Lisa is single. She has not been in any serious long term relationship after me. Infant, Jess always makes it a point to bring that up regularly and update me, even after I tell her I have no interest. My mom loves gossip and they also discuss a out Lisa regularly.

Jess is just being a mean girl/have you talked to Lisa at all?
At this point, I suspect Jess is just being mean to Yang. I would have cut her off long ago if she was not so close to me or my family for so many years.
Lisa is out of the picture, to be honest. I have completely gone no contact with her for the last 2 years.
Jess has feelings for you:
That's not true. I did not write it since I thought it was irrelevant, but Jess is happily married and has a 3 year old kid.
There is no consensus bot on AITAH, but top comments were NTA
Update Post: April 23, 2024 (22 days later)
I wrote a post a month ago regarding my friend Jess mentioning my ex constantly in front of my fiancée. Thanks to everyone who commented, and how inappropriate it was. However, the last month has been nothing but crazy and I still trying to make sense of what happened so far.
After my post, I decided to talk to Jess and gave her an ultimatum not to speak about my ex Lisa again. I know Jess and Lisa are still friends, but I was uncomfortable of her comparing my fiancée Yang with Lisa all the time. I broke up with Lisa 5 years ago, and she is nothing but a faint memory in my past. Jess kept on defending herself and telling me that I was with Lisa for most of my adult life and it's hard to tell any stories from the past without including her. She also blamed me for being emotionally childish and just forgetting about Lisa when she was with me for 7 years. Finally, Jess agreed that she will not bring up Lisa in front of Yang, and I should also not treat Lisa as she does not exist since she is still Jess's friend. I informed Yang about our conversation. Although she was appreciative about it, she said I did not need to do it and she knows how much I love her and every time Jess brings up my Lisa, she feels sorry for Lisa that she let a guy like me go.
Yang went to visit China two weeks ago for a month as we plan to get married in her hometown. She is taking care of her shopping as well as preparations for the wedding. Jess invited me to her house that Friday for dinner as I was home alone. I am also good friends with her husband, and we were all just chatting and drinking in the living room. Around 7.30pm, the doorbell rang, and Jess excitedly went to open the door. To my surprise, it was fucking Lisa at the door. She was all dressed up as if she were ready for a date and came in. I had not seen her in person for almost 3 years and I was shocked to see her. She sat down and started making small talk with me. I was extremely uncomfortable and went into the kitchen to talk to Jess. I was angry at her and asked her what was going on. She kept on telling me that it's been 5 years since the breakup and to get over it and be nice to Lisa. She said Lisa was excited to meet me and she thought we were all adults and could have one fun evening together. We had a fight and I told her that she should not have invited Lisa after our conversation the other day and I do not want to be friends with her anymore. I went into the living room and politely excused myself and told everyone that I had a work emergency and had to leave early. Lisa looked sad, but I genuinely felt uncomfortable to be made to hang out with my ex without my consent.
I came home and called Yang. I have never seen her more furious, and she told me she is not comfortable with Jess anymore as she has some agenda that we do not know about. It's different to talk about Lisa, but to invite her without consulting is not ok. I also felt the same and I called Jess the next day and told her that she crossed a line, and I was terribly upset with her. I stopped taking her calls and ghosted her. I also told my mom and sister about the whole incident.
Last Sunday, my mom called me for lunch. When I got there, I saw Jess was already there. I told my mom that I do not want to talk to Jess and can't stay. However, she asked me to sit as they all wanted to talk to me. I have a glutton for punishment and decided to hear them out. My mom started with how Jess has been there for me all these years and only has my best interest at heart. She kept on telling me that they are the three people (mom, sister, and Jess) that love me the most. Jess started saying how she felt that I was making a big mistake in not having to hear what Lisa had to say. She told me that Lisa was my first love and Lisa is now ready to settle down and we can pick where we left off. She reminded me how broken I was when Lisa left me and how life is giving me a second chance. My sister also chimed in and said how they all liked Lisa more than Yang and how we both looked so great together. Finally, my mom started saying how our culture was so different than Yang and it is hard for them to relate to her. I asked them in what way, and my mom said that they did not understand what Yang says sometimes and have nothing in common with her. Then my mom asked me to think about how Lisa and I would have such wonderful looking kids, while if I marry Yang, our kids will look so different. I started getting their drift and I probed more. My mom told me how our kids would look Asian with "small eyes" and not like any others in the family.
I asked my mom if she cared about my kids looks more and not about how smart they will be since Yang has a PhD. She blew it off, and I realized she just did not want me to marry Yang because she was Chinese and not white. My mom told me to forgive Jess and my mom asked Jess to talk to Lisa on my behalf and asked her if she would be interested in getting back together with me. My mom was adamant that since I loved Lisa so much, I should be happy and pick up things where we left off as that is the best for everyone. I have never been so angry and may have said a lot of unkind things to all of them before I left
I am so depressed right now. I not only lost my best friend, but also am not sure how I can move on from what my mom said. My mom and sister raised me and that is the reason where I am today. However, I cannot get over how racist they are being and how they were just pretending to like Yang all these years while actively working on breaking us up. I have been so shocked that I have not told any of this to Yang so far. I might wait for her to come back next week and talk to her in person.
Again, thanks everyone for all your messages on the last post as they helped me a lot to think through the situation. My life is more fucked up than I could imagine, and I cannot imagine how dejected Yang will feel after hearing all this.
*****New Update Post: May 7, 2024 (5 weeks after OG post)****\*
I wrote a post two months ago regarding my best friend Jess constantly bringing up my ex when talking to my fiancée Yang. I wrote an update two weeks ago about my mom, sister and Jess scheming about trying to get me back with my ex Lisa because they were uncomfortable with Yang being Chinese. They tried to do it when my fiancée was visiting her parents and I felt so betrayed by their actions.
As I said in the previous post, I blew up on my mom and sister about what they said and immediately left. I did not take calls from them or answer texts for the next several days. Their messages initially were anger towards me on why I left before they could finish what they wanted to say. However, I think they realized on day 3 that they might have crossed the line this time and became extremely apologetic. I finally messaged them to leave me alone and not to contact Yang or I until we contact them. Jess did not message me the whole time.
I did not tell Yang about the situation until she came back home 9 days ago. I initially did not know how to bring up the subject, but she sensed something was wrong and asked me about it. I was so worried about hurting her, but I told her about what happened. I was upfront about the stunt Jess pulled and she was angry at Jess. I also told her about my visit to my mother's place, but she did not react with any anger. She just asked me if I was ok.
The next few days were confusing where I was more upset than Yang. She was just excited showing me all pictures and telling me stories. Finally, on last Thursday evening, she opened up and asked me if I was ok about my mom's behavior and what I plan to do. I told her my thoughts and how I cannot forgive them for what they said about her being Asian and them wanting me to marry a Lisa because she was white. I asked her why she was not more upset as it was bothering me.
She told me that when she told her parents about me, they had the exact same reaction for her dating someone who was not Chinese. Her family is very traditional, and her parents were very upset about her decision. It took them a few months to warm up to me and accept me. She never told me about this because she wanted me to have good relationship with her parents. She told me that now they are the most excited doing arrangements for our wedding.
She told me that she has always felt something was off when she talked to my mom, my sister or Jess and they did not like her. My mom and sister would be very friendly with her in front of me, but never invited her for anything when I am not around. She suspected that it may be due to fact that she is not white and does not understand the American traditions. She said she is not upset with them and now that this is in the open, she should talk to them and assure them that she would be as good of a wife as Lisa or any other girl. She said that she does not want to break a family in order to start a new one.
Despite my protests, Yang invited my mom and sister for lunch on Sunday. She said that it would be good for us to talk about everything and hear why they are concerned about her marrying me. I was really not happy with this, but Yang spent most of Sunday morning cooking for them.
When my mom and sister arrived, there were a lot of waterworks and apologies. My mom apologized to Yang and me for her behavior and told us that she would never bring it up again. My sister also was quiet and had tears in her eyes. There were a lot of blame games. My mom and my sister were blaming Jess for constantly telling them how Yang might not be great for me and how she won't fit into our family. My mom and sister fought with Jess after I left and Jess blamed Lisa. Based on Jess's story, Lisa has been depressed for the last few years and when I suddenly got engaged to Yang, it became worse. Jess thought I was also depressed after Lisa left me, because I did not date anyone for 3 years. In reality, I just wanted to focus on my work and studies and never had time. So, Lisa convinced Jess that she has to get back together with me as that is what I wanted too. Jess said how sorry she felt for Lisa as she was her longtime friend and listened to her plan as she thought it was good for everyone.
My mom and sister told us that I should stay away from Jess because she orchestrated the whole situation. They kept on hugging Yang and apologizing to her. Yang in turn also started crying and telling them that she will do better to fit in with them. It was all a big mess. I am still skeptical of my mom's change in heart, but I also want to see Yang happy. However, I think it will take a lot of time and healing before I could truly trust my mom and sister.
Currently, my mom invited us to lunch at her place next week and told me that Jess will not be there. Jess has still not message me or Yang. I really don't know what I can do in this situation. I am still upset and furious at my mom, but I also want to respect Yang's effort to keep the family together. Thanks to everyone for all the messages and supportive comments. It really helped reading them when I was feeling very sad.

Having spent a few dozen hours in the game & menu loading a save file that had 230 gold bricks……. I realized how frustrating this game was and the potential it could’ve had. I just am at a loss for words on the game. This game had SO MUCH POTENTIAl but had too much focus on the toys, & bugs or game breaking engine problems.
I haven't touched dimensions in a hot minute but.. really wish lego added more PATCHES before they shut down the game & wish it got its own remastered lego game without the toys…. or some version with a % meter & better save system…. Feel like if TT worked longer on it, they could have been better fixes with the game & the other lego ip dlc’s.
I noticed a few times HOW ANNOYED I was when my many save files from 2019, 2023, & 2024 all were gone….. on ps4 I just gave up caring and was disappointed even after completing it & saving the game to my console. so furthermore after I just stopped playing, not sure if this is a bug but was annoying.
Starting with the dlc's i noticed things felt off like each dlc was the weakest or too short for a game entry story, or more specifically the simpsons one recreating the episode with homer & the chilli cook off, of all the new story levels it was fun but felt weird. All the other lego film games got it down very well gameplay wise so, why not do a lego batman movie or a lego simpson's game? & have it's own game... instead of dimensions? ALSO THE PUZZLES THE COLOR PUZZLES THE KEYSTONES all annoying. DOING THEM EVERY DAM TIME I GOT SOOOOOO BORED… decent game, fun worlds, annoying locking content in it and no 100% to finish. Only letting the player use a character…. That was Dedicated TO THAT SPECIFIC world locking you out… is annoying also cant access mini-kits without said character… This is not fun TT…. but moving on to a few other things, did not care for switching the keystones, and using vehicles for every dam puzzle or ramp.
The best level was probably fantastic beasts or portal & that could’ve & should have been added in its own lego Hogwarts FB saga game.
I enjoyed the lego ninjago game more then I thought I would, & the first lego movie game was cool just felt weird they put Lego Batman movie in dimensions vs its own separate actual lego game.
The movie scene cutscenes for each dlc were recreated in the dimensions in-game engine & had a fun charm to them. But at times was very disappointing as the quality difference is very noticeable. On the contrary, The LEGO Movie Game used movie cutscenes beautifully and it worked out really well. Could be a licensing issue, but if not I have no idea why they didn’t just use movie cutscenes where they could. I understand not wanting to release 60% of the movie in the game, but they could always shape it around the scenes shown in the trailer. The batman story pack felt like devs rushed it…. Not bringing actors back for discount va’s. Robin sounds like a kid in this dlc not anything like Michael cera. I can understand if they didn't get every one back for the game for rights or contract issues but just was weird. & newt or the FB story were interesting using new keystone & magic abilties. The ghostbuster ones were weird since I never cared for the movie..
There are a few differences like In the dlc levels, Batman is picked up by Alfred outside the power plant and heads directly to Commissioner Gordon's retirement party. In the film, he heads home and the retirement party is the next evening.
Some of the voice work is off. Many characters don’t sound like they did in the movie (I know they’re different VA’s) Alfred sounds nothing like movie Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), Robin sounds nothing like movie Robin (Michael Cera), etc. Other LEGO projects have had fairly good voice replication.
The LEGO Batman Movie expansion is all and all a success. It’s given us the best portal base so far, as well as the first expansion to give us 2 mini-figures which are both great. The game is great and funny as well as a decent length. The game only suffers from occasional bugs and terrible voice acting.
Maybe I just really disliked the keystone puzzles but I was really disappointed in it overall. The scenes were funny bringing in joker & all the villains, I enjoyed seeing the gremlins & agent smith from matrix & sauron’s eye but wish they made a lego Batman game not within dimensions.
If you want to play around in the LEGO Batman Movie HUB world you can access to the HUB world for maximum fun. Id say just try the hub level if you are interested but I felt bored with the lego batman movie game dlc levels. Sadly its REPLAY-Ability was a 5… compared to fantastic beasts and others.
imagine what they could've done with a full roster of batman's villains & heroes in a full open linear game with gotham, & sure we've had tons of batman games but just loved will arnett's version of batman. I really love will arnett so felt like dimensions needed more of that batman.
Too much clutter & focus on building vehicles when they aren't all that interesting or useful…. Switching from the ecto car to the ghost trap each time felt stupid. Even tho they fixed it in 2016 with the characters instant traps. Flying characters freak out when you are next to the edge of the map & fall off repeatedly or just stand there hovering… did NO ONE THINK about patching that?
I also understand this is not a typical lego game & the audience is for kids but at least try to juggle both demographics for those who dont want to waste time?
No percent on gold bricks collected, or the items…. Why couldn’t they added a save system where if you lose your file you can save & quit with the bricks you found why is it on ps4 ps5…. Somehow deleting the game doesn’t remember where you left off?? Was this a patch that they never fixed?
Also, anyone else find it weird that the courtroom from Ghostbusters 2 isn't in the world? They even have the whole Titanic, something that only appears for 30 seconds in the movie, but one of the most important scenes isn't in the world at all or hell adding more side characters or locations why not explore inside of a building?
Also X-PO talks too much, every line of him talking during hints. I've made the choice to leave the main campaign unfinished just so he can stay silent while I play other levels. In the actual campaign and cutscenes he's fine but they made a huge mistake making him react to puzzles.
The bugs and lack of polish ruin the game..massively this is a massively outdated engine and the more they keep adding to it the buggier the games get. I'd love to see a new one built from the ground up for next gen capable created of anything they can think of with some impressive graphics. When you look at the fidelity of ratchet and clank on PS Pro there's no reason this game can't look as good as the Lego movies or very close, it's just laziness and greed (lack of investment from WB wanting to just churn out content quickly on the old engine) even on ps4 its annoying losing your save file deleting the game then reinstalling It AND LOSING ALL YOUR PROGRESS!!!!
In addition to that.... if your in game and you come across a character with some of the features or skills that you don't own and it doesn’t register or displays a hint message on your system with them… saying use this specific character, your forever locked out of hiring them when you need them, after it has taken them home & shows the ability… the game forgets…. you own them, while the game gets amnesia, even if you own the tag it gets stuck with missing features, forcing you to reload & quit, Really lame, as well as if you don’t own a certain character & need them for specific puzzle your just screwed.. it sounds like this would have been an afterthought amidst the torrent of further stand-alone level and story packs not being patched & lack of auto save or levels not being able to cloud save. >_< why? who knows...
So many boring hubs, & races locking variety or enjoyment, too many hubs that had New York…ghostbusters 1980 New York, ghostbusters 2016 New York……. FB New York…..Lego Batman movie Gotham hub just looks like New York.
Characters like the witch newt Gandalf all have the same magic ability, not interesting since they all do the exact same thing.
The vehicles are very boring, not very interesting too small. Why is chima here??? Random moments that just feel weird the battle arena was fun but after a while I got bored.
Also, I kinda wish there were in game unlockable characters: Like if you bought the Sonic dlc, beating quests would unlock the ability to buy Amy, Tails, Shadow etc. or The Simpsons allowing you to buy Marge, Lisa, maggie or each of the ghostbusters, etc. with studs.
Overall there were a few interesting levels but could’ve been cooler if we got a lego Batman movie game, or a lego bttf game, or a lego ghostbusters game, yada yada..... & just surprised at it not being its own game instead of within dimensions. I know sadly this likely wont happen tho.. it disappoints me that the game is mostly looking at build instructions, back & forth again and again….. I am very upset dimensions wont ever be remastered added with better patches because what I had played felt muddied & not crafted well. I don’t mean to be so negative but it was weird having these problems front & center. in the end too many glitches & gameplay loop moments.

As we know they were originally planning a trilogy which never happened and probably never will. What story lines would you have liked to see play out ? What do you think they had planned out?
Honestly we have no idea what that would have looked like though here’s my version
Days Gone 2
Fast forward a few years. The map remains the same but expanded upon to the south west. I’d think deacon would remain the protagonist, seeing as the fans took quite liking to him.
Deacon has embraced his leadership skills and leads a host of bikers clearing out caves or something. Boozer among them. We see Deacon at his happiest here among a band of brothers & friends, as it was before the shit
With the Colonel dead in the west, warlords & the survivors that follow them emerge left & right in new parts of the map. Kouri among them. Some of these camps very well equipped, almost resembling current day technology & lifestyles. Many of them occupy large towns & cities, fortifying every inch and living lavishly. Their personalities range from readers to brutes, psychopaths and philosophers. Despite the fact they’re all proud men, a fragile peace holds. However with the zombies becoming less prevalent, they begin to look for new enemies. If the player attacks one of their patrols or encampments, they’ll become hostile like in Skyrim or something.
Anyways, we are going to see tucker die in a slave uprising at some point and replaced by a democracy. That guy with the cowboy hat is going to get tarred and feathered or something. Lisa too is going to come into play. I think she’s going to be a psychopath regardless Deacon will keep trying to help her, tho she’s too far gone and we see a parallel to Skizzo & Iron Mike.
At one point Deacon comes across Nero slaughtering a camp. They gotta eat brains to not spazz out or some shit. Price to pay for being a super zombie. Some plot twist ensues like the Colonel knew about the nero super mutants hence why he would attack em but he didn’t tell anyone so panic wouldn’t ensue.
One warlord raids another, he retaliates & before you know it all hell breaks loose and you a free for all breaks out. Deacons camp is caught in the middle of it.
Humanity fights amongst itself. Tragedy ensues. It is a bloody battle, humanity is brought to a low. Spiked heads, disembodies corpses & slaughter scenes become a common sight. For every low, a new low follows. Babes are torn from their mothers breast and spiked upon bayonets for fun. Savagery rules unchecked. Fields filled with flayed men on sticks can be found. Cruelty becomes the norm. Zombies become a means for torture and depravity. The lands are brazen with ash & the people weary. Deacons own motorbike host are ambushed and slaughtered within the chaos, their heads mounted outside lost lake , Boozer among them.
The fighting leaves Deacons settlement as a pile of rubble, but deacon is persistent in his revenge and for every man of his killed, he spikes 10 of theirs. His fury follow all those who have any association to the murder of his band of bikers. Even those who’s only crime is being related to the perpetrators are not spared. Deacon is a cold, bitter man.
Deacon then finds out that lost lake is Nero’s next target. Maybe obrian followed him. He plans to relocate
The game ends with Sarah dying, maybe to Lisa or a daughter, son, mother or brother of one of deacons victims.
Days Gone 3
Game starts off and Deacon is mad with grief. He brutally kills lisa or whoever killed Sarah. But their infant child needs him and eventually he somewhat pulls himself back together though he’s bitter, angry and violent
He remains a shell of his former self, cold and distant. The warlords are weakened from warring with one another and are helpless when their dominions are getting engulfed by swarms of Nero soldiers who plan to rid the world of man. Only the few will be spared, to be raised as farm animals for food.
The third game would be the finale so there would need to be a big war. The remaining warlords will band together to defeat Nero, Kouri among them, though at this point they are all a fraction of what they used to be. Their cities ash & rubble. Nero will arrive with the largest horde the game has ever seen. Thousands strong, wiping out every sign of life they come across. Thousands die as every position gets overrun.
Deacon and the other leaders manage organize a retreat with those strong enough to relocate and go to hot springs for their last stand. With tucker gone, it is thriving and remains the last untouched encampment.
When Nero reaches the walls of paradise springs, Fighting ensues. The siege of Hot Springs has begun. Cope dies with a smile on his face fighting government scum. Obrian feels bad and sacrifices himself for humanity by betraying Nero. Maybe deacon drops an atomic bomb on their headquarters, who knows. Or maybe everyone just relaxes a bit and coexists
In the end deacon learns to move on from Sarah, grieve healthily, and honor her memory through being a good father to their child. The game ends with flash forward scene and Hot springs is now a thriving town. The final scene shows Deacon and his kid riding motorcycles where him & boozer used to go. Or maybe it ends with an old Deacon telling his grandkids stories about the fallen legends of Iron mike, Sarah, Boozer, and how they saved the world
There’d definitely be a ton more plots, characters and locations & so on. Doubt this even encompasses a fraction of what it could have been.
Sucks we’ll never even have a clue

Hi everyone! Thought I'd share my 4 tips for students writing their college essays this year. Hope they help!
1) Stop writing your college essay and start playing with it.
One of the main reasons students struggle with their personal statement is because it involves an approach counterintuitive to what schools and society teach. There's no formula to follow, no test to pass; just a story to tell, and that can be quite daunting for some. That is why, when it comes to the college essay, it's imperative to get your mind out of the classroom and into a playground—where all the magic happens.
Start by forgetting what colleges "want" to hear, and focus instead on what you want to say. Remember, this is the one part of your application where you aren't a grade, score, or checkmark but a human being. So act like one! Don't treat the college essay as an assignment you have to do but rather as an experience you get to have. After all, it's a privilege to have the opportunity to share our story with others. The more freedom and joy you have while sharing yours, the better the finished product will be. Whether it's da Vinci's Mona Lisa or Michael Jordan's legendary basketball career, every great masterpiece begins with a person simply having fun.
2) If you want to find treasure, dig.
If there's anything I've learned from years of helping countless students write their college essays, it's that every single person on earth has a story worth telling. No matter how plain or boring you think your life may be, I promise that there is a gem inside you waiting to be unearthed. However, like all treasure, you have to dig for it, so embrace the mess and stay patient. You'll see that as soon as you combine curiosity with persistence, all the right doors will begin to open.
On that note, I highly recommend some form of journaling. Having a safe, non-judgmental place to let out your thoughts and emotions is essential, as expression and discovery always go hand-in-hand. In general, you should take the time to get to know yourself a little better; after all, that's who you are writing about.
3) It's ALL in the presentation.
You've probably been warned to avoid sob stories and cliches, but what ultimately matters more than the subject matter is the context in which you use it. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a single "generic" topic that is off-limits so long as you talk about it in a non-generic way. In other words, it's not so much about what you say but how you say it. Yes, the number of themes available to you is ultimately limited, but the ways of packaging them are endless.
4) The college essay isn't about impressing your readers; it's about connecting with them.
How do you connect with an audience? First and foremost, you let go of the need for their approval—an irony, I know, considering your entire goal is to get accepted into college. However, think of any piece of music that speaks to your soul. Chances are the artist behind the song doesn't even know who you are, let alone wrote a tune for you. Yet, somehow, hearing that song makes you relate to them in a profound way.Whether it's art or a personal statement, the only way to reach someone's heart is to speak from yours.
Why? Because no matter our differences, we are fundamentally all the same. You will never know who is reading your college essay, but I promise that so long as they are human, they are just like you. So before you aim for a good college essay, aim for an honest one, and never be afraid to let your essence shine. That is how you evoke a powerful and authentic feeling in your reader, and as the late Maya Angelou famously said, a person will never forget how you made them feel.

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⚠️ WARNING: Maasverse Spoilers—Proceed with Caution ⚠️

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Part 1: Characters and Courts (sorry for those who already saw this post and now it's gone. I realized after publishing that Reddit formatting deleted a solid CHUNK of detail after the fact. Gimme a few days and I'll get it back up and published)
Part 2: World Map, Items, Terms & Other - YOU ARE HERE
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If this is the first post you've landed on, see Part 1 above for an introductory explanation to this two part post.

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UK + IRELAND

PRYTHIAN

A combination of Prydain, the old Welsh name for Britain, and Brython, which translates to “Ancient Britons” from Welsh.

HYBERN

A riff of Hibernia, the Classical Latin name for Ireland.

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Artist of Prythian map: P-dulcis on redbubble

ADDITIONAL EUROPEAN-PARALLEL LOCATIONS

ILLYRIA

The Ancient Greeks used the term Illyria to define a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. The numerous peoples who populated those areas were known collectively as the Illyrians. The region itself is quite mountainous.

THE MIDDLE

May refer to the Midlands, the central part of England, though geographically the Prythian map places the Middle central to Prythian, not central to England; with the Prythian inclusion of Scotland, the Middle on Prythian maps is located further north than the actual Midlands of England.

UNDER THE MOUNTAIN

A potential nod to the Schiehallion, a cone-shaped mountain often referred to as the center of Scotland. It's name comes from the Gaelic Sìth Chailleann, meaning "fairy hill of the Caledonians." On the southwestern side of the mountain is said to lie the well-concealed Uamh Tom a' Mhòr-fhir, a cave serving as an entrance to the underworld.
As the Schiehallion lies in the middle of Scotland (the Night Court) and not the middle of mainland UK (Prythian), the Sciehallion could instead be representative of Ramiel.

THE WESTERN ISLES

May refer to the Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, which is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. They are also sometimes known as Innse Gall, a Gaelic term meaning "islands of the foreigners/strangers" which was originally used by mainland Highlanders when the islands were ruled by the Norse.
ACOTAR role: The Prison is located in the Western Isles.

THE PRISON

Though located in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland rather than the Outer, the Prison may be a nod to Beinn Shiantaidh, which is Scottish Gaelic for "holy mountain." It is located on the western side of the Island of Jura and is the second highest peak of the Paps of Jura.
Fun fact: Pap is of Old Norse origin and means breast.

VALLAHAN

Valhalla is the hall of slain warriors in Norse mythology, located in Asgard, where those who die in combat live in peace under the leadership of the god, Odin. They are said to dwell in Valhalla until the events of Ragnarök, where they will then march out to fight in aid of Odin against the jötnar, a type of being in Germanic mythology.
ACOTAR role: Vallahan is a faerie territory located in the northwest portion of the Continent.

ADRIATA

The Adriatic Sea is located in Southern Europe and separates the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. It contains more than 1,300 islands.

BOG OF OORID

The Oorid Lough is a freshwater lake in the west of Ireland.

CRETEA

Crete is the largest and southernmost island in Greece.
ACOTAR role: Cretea is where Miryam and Drakon's people lived following the War.

LAPPLUND

Lapland is a geographic region in Northern Fennoscandia which covers much of the Nordic countries. It is also a province of Sweden and the largest region of Finland.
ACOTAR role: Lapplund is where the Cauldron was hidden.

ITICA

Ithaca is an island featured in the Odyssey and was the island home of Odysseus. It is also a real island in Greece. The Kathara Monastery is located in Ithaca.
ACOTAR role: Itica is one of three temples where the feet of the Cauldron were hidden.

MONTESERE

Montserrat is a mountain range near Barcelona.
ACOTAR role: Montesere is a fae territory located in the Continent's NW and is considered generally wealthy. They allied with the loyalists in the War.

RAVENNIA

Ravenna is located in Northern Italy and was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.
ACOTAR role: Ravenna is a fae territory on the Continent and allied with the Loyalists during the War.

DUNMERE

Dunmere is a hamlet in Cornwall, England.
ACOTAR role: Dunmere is a town located within the Night Court, between Velaris and the sea.

NEVA

The Neva is the fourth-largest river in Europe and is located in northwestern Russia.
ACOTAR role: Neva is one of the largest human cities on the Continent and is where the Archeron sisters' father travels to trade.

SCYTHIA

The Scythians were an ancient Eastern Iranic equestrian nomadic people who migrated from Central Asia to the steppes of modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia.
ACOTAR role: Scythia is one of the territories of the human lands on the Continent, ruled by Queen Vassa. They are said to be a horse loving people.

ROSEHALL

Rosehall is the name of a remote hamlet in the Scottish Highlands.
Fun fact: The 2nd Duke of Westminster acquired the Rosehall estate and his mistress at the time, Coco Chanel, redecorated the interior to her own liking. Winston Churchill, a close friend of the Duke, also visited the estate.
ACOTAR role: Rosehall is mentioned in ACOFAS and is theorized to be the place where Azriel's mother resides.

AFRICA-PARALLEL LOCATIONS

THE BLACK LAND

Black Land translates from Kemet, a popular ancient name for Egypt, which is derived from the color of the fertile black soil along the cultivated area of the Nile valley.
ACOTAR role: The Black Land is a region of the continent where human slaves were ruled over by a High Fae queen. Miryam and Drakon joined the mortals in the War and freed Miryam's people by crossing the desert and eventually the sea.

THE ERYTHRIAN SEA

The Erythraean Sea, originally an Ancient Greek geographical designation, has been used as a name for the Red Sea which lies between Africa and Asia.
ACOTAR role: Drakon used his magic to split the Erythian Sea.

ASIA-PARALLEL LOCATIONS

XIAN

Xi'an is the the most populous city in Northwest China snd the second most popular tourist destination in China.
ACOTAR role: Xian is a Fae territory on the Continent and allied with the Loyalists during the War. A large majority of the Dawn Court is made of Fae from Xian, including Thesan's mother. Feyre remarks that Amren may have molded her mortal body after their peoples.

BHARAT

Bhārat is one of the two principal official short names for the Republic of India.
ACOTAR role: The Archerons lost their fortune when their father's ships sank on the way to Bharat.

RASK

May refer to Rask, a city in Iran, that serves as both capital of its county and district.
ACOTAR role: Rask is a Fae territory on the Continent and allied with the Loyalists during the War.

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS

VELARIS

Possibly derived from the Latin vēlo*,* meaning "to veil, cover, wrap" along with "to hide, conceal" and "to clothe in." Could also derive from the Latin vēlum, meaning "to veil, curtain" and also indicates a tarpaulin acting as cover for outdoor spaces.

THE WALL

No singular reference, but the presence of a wall separating one race from another, often humans from mythical beings, is rife throughout history, mythology, and fantasy.
One from each category that has loose ties to ACOTAR: (1) Hadrian's Wall, ie the Roman Wall, a defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia. It spanned from coast to coast, cutting across the entire width of Northern England. (2) In Norse mythology, the Master Builder asking for the hand of the goddess Freyja as payment for constructing a wall around Asgard to defend the gods. (3) The English village of Wall in Neil Gaiman's Stardust, named after the wall separating the land of Faerie from the mortal realm, highly guarded and cautioned against for mortals seeking to pass through.

THE MOONSTONE PALACE

Romans linked moonstone to the moon goddess Diana (goddess of wild animals and the hunt) and Ancient Greeks linked it to their lunar deities Artemis, Hecate, and Selene.

SIDRA RIVER

Sidra is a name of Latin origin and means "Goddess of the stars" or "like a star."

RAMIEL

Ramiel is a fallen Watcher, a type of Biblical angel, one of the 20 Watchers that rebelled against God by mating with mortal women, therefore creating the Nephilim (Shadowhunters, anyone?). Ramiel means "God has thundered." Ramiel is sometimes conflated with Remiel, also known as Jeremiel, meaning "God shall have mercy," as is listed as one of the seven Holy Angels. He is the archangel of hope and is responsible for divine visions and guiding the souls of the faithful into Heaven.

POOL OF STARLIGHT

No plausible connection found, though there is a famous pool in Greek mythology—a pool Mnemosyne presided over in Hades, counterpart to the river Lethe. Dead souls would drink from Lethe to wipe their past lives from remembrance when reincarnated. Those who drank from Mnemosyne's pool remembered and halted their transmigration of the soul.

ATHELWOOD

Ethel (also aethel) is an Old English word meaning "noble." Athelwood can mean "noblewood."
ACOTAR role: Athelwood is Morrigan's estate located in the Night Court.

GOLLIAN MOUNTAINS

Göll is one of the named Valkyries from Norse mythology. Her name means "tumult," or "noise, battle."
ACOTAR role: The Gollian Mountains are where the Valkyries were slain during the War.

MYRMIDONS

In Ancient Greek mythology, the Myrmidons were an Ancient Greek tribe. In the Iliad, they are the soldiers commanded by Achilles. Myrmidon has also come to mean "a follower or subordinate of a powerful person, typically one who is unscrupulous or carries out orders unquestioningly."
ACOTAR role: The Myrmidons are a set of mountains serving as the border between the Day Court and the Night Court from which the Illyrians migrated.

CESERA

No direct reference found, but may allude to Caesarea, the name of numerous cities and locations throughout the Roman Empire.
ACOTAR role: Cesera is one of three temples where the feet of the Cauldron were hidden.

SANGRAVAH

No direct reference found (and I lost my mind searching for one). Closest I came to was the similarly sounding Angharad, a feminine Welsh name, long associated with Welsh royalty, history, and myth, including Arthurian legend.
ACOTAR role: Sangravah is one of three temples where the feet of the Cauldron were hidden.

GREENFIELD VILLAGE

No direct connection found, though Greenfield is the name of several villages of England.
ACOTAR role: Greenfield village is a neighboring village to where Feyre grew up and where Isaac Hale's wife is from.

WINDHAVEN CAMP

No connection found, though a separate Windhaven also appears in Tower of Dawn in the TOG series. Altun—Windhaven being the rough translation—is located in a three-peaked mountain range and is the home of Sartaq's hearth-mother and family.
Fun fact: Windhaven is the name of a science-fiction novel by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle following a group of humans who crash-landed on a foreign planet and learned to craft their own wings out of the spaceship wreckage.

THE WOLF'S DEN

No connection found, BUT fun fact: there is a named Wolf's Den castle in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (aka Game of Thrones) that now serves as a prison. "All the days were much the same inside the Wolf's Den, and any change was usually for the worse." A Dance with Dragons, Ch 29
ACOTAR role: The Wolf's Den is the name of the worst tavern in Velaris that Nesta is known to frequent.

SILVERSPRING CREEK

No plausible connection found, BUT fun fact: "Silver Springs" is a song written by Stevie Nicks, performed by Fleetwood Mac, and is so strongly ACOTAR-coded even my non-loving playlist-to-book self can't deny it. If you want more bread crumbles that SJM is a Stevie Nicks fan, "Rhiannon" and it's lyric origins have potential ties to the Rhiannon of TOG.
You could be my silver springBlue-green colors flashin'I would be your only dreamYour shinin' autumn ocean crashin'
Time cas t a spell on you*, but you won't forget me*I know I could have loved youBut you would not let me
ACOTAR role: Silverspring Creek is a stream running through Feyre's human village, near where she hunted rabbits.

STRYGA'S CASTLE

No direct reference found, but due to Stryga/the Weaver resembling a female demon akin to a vampire in Slavic mythology (see the Monster section above), it is possible Stryga's former home, before she was confined to her cottage, is reminiscent of Bram Stoker's 1897 Dracula and the Transylvanian Castle complete with three vampiric sister brides who entice men with their beauty and charm before proceeding to feed upon them.

The Night Sky

ARKTOS

Arktos, also written Arctus, means "bear" in Ancient Greek. Arktos was a centaur who fought against the Lapith spearmen. The Arktos Megale (aka Ursa Major, the Great Bear) is one of the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy who drew on earlier works by Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian astronomers.
ACOTAR role: Arktos is one of the three regarded holy stars (the furthest left star) of the Illyrians and serves as part of the symbol for the Night Court. The echelon of Arktosian is reserved for Illyrians who survive the Blood Right but fail to reach Ramiel.

CARYNTH

May refer to Corinth, an ancient city that was one of the largest and most important of Greece, or Carinthia, the southernmost Austrian state in the Eastern Alps, noted for its mountains and lakes.
ACOTAR role: Carynth is one of the three regarded holy stars (the middle star) of the Illyrians and serves as part of the symbol for the Night Court. The echelon of Carynthian is reserved for Illyrians who scale the summit of Ramiel during the Blood Rite and are considered elite warriors.

ORISTES

Orestes (also spelled Orestes) means "stands on a mountain" and he is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays and myths concerning his madness and purification.
ACOTAR role: Orestes is one of the three regarded holy stars (the furthest right star) of the Illyrians and serves as part of the symbol for the Night Court. The echelon of Oristian is reserved for Illyrians who make it to the Ramiel during the Blood Rite but don't reach the top.

Locations not listed: A slew of various more minor locations have not been listed, including the Four Market Squares of Velaris, certain cottages and houses, and even the Ironcrest Illyrian war-camp.
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THE CAULDRON

There are many magical cauldrons present in various mythologies, one being the Pair Dadeni in Welsh mythology, a magical cauldron able to resurrect the dead, and the coire ansic of Irish mythology, the cauldron of the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann, which never ran empty.

TRUTH-TELLER

Possibly inspired by Fragarach, an Irish mythological sword known as "The Whisperer" or "The Answerer." It was the sword of Nuada, the first high king; it was said that no one could tell a lie with Fragarach at their throat and that the sword inflicting wounds from which no one could recover.

THE HARP

May refer to the uaithne, the magical harp of the Dagda, the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology. It could control men's emotions and change the seasons.

THE MASK

In Egyptian culture, death masks were designed to guide the spirits of those mummified into the next world.

THE UNKNOWN 4th TROVE ITEM

Seen in a vision by Nesta via Lathys, which we now know to be the Horn, and may refer to the Gjallarhorn of Norse mythology, the sound of which is said to herald the beginning of Ragnarok.

ATARAXIA

Ataraxia, in Ancient Greek philosophy, was a state of calmness untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet, ie tranquility of the mind. It was considered the ideal mental state for soldiers entering battle.
ACOTAR Role: Nesta's Made sword.

GWYDION

Gwydion is a name meaning "born of the trees" and is the given name of Gwydion fab Dôn, a magician, hero, and trickster of Welsh mythology. Caer Wydion, the castle of Gwydion, was the traditional Welsh name for the Milky Way.
ACOTAR role: The Starsword and twin to Truth-Teller.

NARBEN

No direct reference found, though narben in German means "scar."
ACOTAR role: Narben is a lost sword from the Dread Trove.

OUROBOROS MIRROR

The ouroboros is an ancient symbol of a serpent or a dragon eating its own tale, first present in ancient Egyptian iconography and the Greek magical tradition, the term itself deriving from Ancient Greek. It has been used frequently and extensively throughout fantasy literature. It often symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

BOOK OF BREATHINGS

The Books of Breathing are a set of ancient Egyptian funerary texts that are intended to enable those deceased to continue their existence in the afterlife. It is a simplified form of the Book of the Dead.

VERITAS ORB

Veritas is of Latin origin meaning "truth." It is the name for the Roman virtue of truthfulness and in Roman mythology, Veritas is the Goddess of Truth. Universities and colleges such as Harvard use the term veritas as their motto.

SYMPHONIA

Symphonia is Greek in origin and was used to denote a variety of musical instruments.

AMARANTHA'S NECKLACE AND RING (JURIAN'S FINGER AND EYE)

Jurian's finger bone and eye, kept by Amarantha, are reminiscent of relics and reliquaries, often religious in nature. Relics typically consist of the physical remains or personal affects of a saint and the reliquary is the container that holds them.

FAEBANE

Possibly inspired by wolfsbane (aka aconite or monkshood), a poisonous flower ancient Greeks would poison arrows and bait with to hunt wolves. It is lethal and often fatal and is an oft-used plant and poison within the fantasy genre.
Fun fact: In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet himself was killed with an aconite-laced blade.

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DAEMATI

Potentially a combination of the Greek word dae (to give) and the concept of mati, labeled as "the evil eye" in Greek classical antiquity. Daemati may effectively mean "to give the evil eye."

THE WEAVER'S SONG

The Weaver's song, sung when Feyre was stealing Rhysand's ring from her cottage, is similar to "The Twa Sisters," a traditional murder ballad dating back to mid 17th century England. It tells of two sisters who travel down to a body of water where the older one pushes the younger one in. A harp or a fiddle is then made out of the murdered sister's body, which plays itself and sings about her murder.

Hi everyone!
Longtime lurker, first time caller :) Just wanted to share some opinions on recent Sezane purchases in terms of fit, quality, etc. Hope it's helpful for anyone thinking about these purchases!
For reference, I'm 5'5", 135-140 lbs (depending on my menstrual cycle), athletic build but also quite curvy (broad shoulders and lats from years of rock climbing, wide hips, smaller waist). Measurements are roughly 37 inch bust - 28 inch waist. My complexion is dark (olive-tan skin, black hair, brown eyes).
Clyde Trench in Camel
I ordered a size 4 as I range anywhere from a size 2-size 6 in Sezane tops just depending on how I want something to fit.

• Pros: Fit me very well in the shoulders, which is hard to do sometimes! Fabric feels like it has a great heft being 100% cotton, lining inside is very cute and comfortable against the skin.
• Cons: Found the camel color to be a bit off-putting in person under fluorescent lights. Wonder if I should've gone for the light beige? Color has an almost beige-green-puke appearance to it instead of a warm-red brown. Very unflattering for my shape. So baggy everywhere but the shoulders. I'm not (that) short but the coat makes me look short and stout. It's also visually just so, so much beige. Drowning in a sea of beige. Really disappointed because I love how this coat looks on models!
• Overall: I would consider trying a size 2 but I'm guessing it'll be tight in my shoulders and for $350 USD, I really would want a coat to be both comfortable and very flattering. Also it's so annoying that it's dry clean only and not at all water resistant, though I would've kept it if I loved how it looked. I think this coat does look great on a lot of people but not me!!

Riddle Jacket in Pied de Poule (Houndstooth) Khaki
I love Octobre Editions and I'm obsessed with how Sezane does a lot of their Instagram reel styling with women wearing men's jackets and knit tops. I watched a reel where their social media ambassador Lise (Lisa?) tried on the Riddle Jacket and commented on being a European size 52 (US Size 42) (which seemed large but what do I know?) so based my sizing off of that.

• Pros: Fabric is very lightweight and cool for the summer, great pattern, extremely cool colors (the houndstooth is very subtly dark green). Construction is very precise and just makes for a very sharp looking jacket.
• Cons: Fabric is maybe even too lightweight, and the jacket has no lining (I think to make it more breathable), but it kind of has an effect of feeling and looking cheap. Which is just not at all what I want in a $450 blazer! In terms of sizing, unfortunately just absolutely gigantic on me everywhere. Not in a cute oversized way. Just a little kid in their dad's suit way.
• Overall: Lesson learned, will try a size 36 if I ever do a Octobre Editions jacket try on again. Also, for the price point, I would definitely just get one of their blazers with a nice lining and a nice heft (wool or 100% cotton instead of seersucker)

Paula Babies (in Polished Camel and Patent Khaki)
I have a quite flat, wide foot (very little arch) and I typically wear a size 7.5-8 Womens US. I've heard a lot of rumblings on this subreddit to size up in Sezane shoes, so I got both a size 8 (Camel) and size 9 (Patent Khaki).

• Pros: Beautiful patent leather (with that new car smell haha)! The colors are to die for! The heel is nice and wide and chunky and feels substantial. Everything is stitched together so I know that the lining won't peel away from the outer leather. Slingback and front straps allow for a lot of adjustability, so much so that I actually fit into both sizes quite comfortably. Decently comfortable in the sole for a dressier shoe.
• Cons: A bit of pinching on the side of my foot unless I let out the straps all the way, then it's mostly gone. Only notice it after sitting in them for a few hours. Walking around my apartment, I think there might be some potential hot spots if I walked a few miles in them, so they will probably need a break in period or a sock. Patent Khaki color looks a bit nicer in bright outdoor lighting and a wee bit dark for my tastes in more indoor lighting, but I still think it'll be adorable with a pair of jeans.
• Overall: Honestly kind of obsessed with them! I think they're incredibly cute and comfortable for a heeled mary jane. I am absolutely not a heel person but the wedge makes them easy to walk around and balance in. The aesthetic is very hard to beat in my opinion (and I stared at a lot of competitors, including Jonak, Bobbies, and Carel, etc), and the color options are really fun. I heard so many terrible things about Sezane's mary janes on this subreddit but I think I'm keeping them both (one for wearing barefoot, one with extra room for frilly socks, they're both so adjustable anyway). You could probably get a nicer shoe for more money but I think the construction and appearance are perfect for the price point.

Hope this experience helps anyone making a decision! Happy to answer more questions and post pictures of shoes (but probably not the jackets, as I've already re-packed them).

Hello and welcome to a very special installment of The Great Spice Off! What is The Great Spice Off?
I love the scent of Old Spice, so much so that it's the only aftershave I use as I don't really feel a need to splash anything else on. But, as we all know, Old Spice no longer makes shaving soap. They do still make a cream but that's hardly a great soap and it doesn't actually smell like Old Spice. As such my plan is to test out all the Old Spice options that are out there on as many bases as possible both to try out a variety of bases from different soapmakers and to report back to you on who really nails the scent.
I'll be shaving three times with each soap, using a variety of brushes and razors, and blades. Yes, I know that means it won't be exactly scientific but this is going to take a while and I want to use all my other shit too. Soaps will be rated on a few factors and given points from 1-5 for each.

• Oldness: How much does the soap smell like OG Old Spice. This is the more analytical scent analysis and I'm comparing to an OG Old Spice aftershave I have and the Shulton aftershave from India.
• Spiciness: This is the je ne sais quois of Old Spice. Does the soap make me feel the nostalgia, warmth, and whatever it is about the scent that works. Is there something special about it that makes it stand out? Does it invoke a memory or make a new one? The most subjective of this list.
• Lather: You know, can I make a shave soap out of it.
• Shave: How's it work on the ol' face while shaving.
• Post: How's the scent profile after the event. How does my face feel.

Crowne & Crane The Spice

And so we enter (for now) into a strange little corner of Old Spice dupery that I honestly wouldn't have even entered if I had read the description of The Spice before ordering it long ago. Also, if Crowne & Crane hadn't named the soap something pretty inaccurate. Also, also, if I hadn't accidentally picked up a second dupe of the scent recently. Yes, The Spice is not an Old Spice dupe but an Old Spice Limited Edition (LE) dupe.
Record Scratch. Double Take. Wuuuuuuuh!???
So you're asking yourself what the heck is an Old Spice LE. Well, despite what most think, Old Spice has had many scents over the years and almost none of them are riffs or new twists on their original Old Spice scent. Old Spice, the company/brand, made a plethora of scents throughout the history of producing Old Spice that, while all fell in the kind of old fashioned scenting category, had nothing to do with what we think of as Old Spice. Old Spice LE was one of these scents. From the dating I can find online, it was released sometime in the early 90s and stuck around for a chunk of that decade and possibly into the 2000s. It's also possible it was a scent released every couple of years as I can see a few different bottle versions. I don't actually know that much about it, have never smelled the original myself, and the Internet is not actually full of Old Spice product history let alone a defunct aftershave from the early 90s.
Whatever the history, what appears to be consistent is that it came in a clear bottle and was called Limited Edition. It also featured a base of amber, cedar, and woods with supporting notes of cardamom, lavender, moss, and jasmine, and citrus top notes. As you can see, aside from the citrus, it doesn't have all the much in common with Old Spice but that hasn't stopped a fragrance seller from selling a dupe of the discontinued scent for those who may still be looking for it. And so, there are soapers out there who pick this scent up for whatever reason instead of actual Old Spice. Actually, there are only two and Crowne & Crane are the only ones I can find doing it intentionally (more on that in a future review). They're also naming it The Spice, which is a little misleading considering the only spice scent in it is cardamon and given the lavender, citrus, and moss present its clearly intended to be somewhat of a fougère. The Spice, I think we can all agree, is not the name anyone would give a fougère.
So why then am I even reviewing it? That is like asking why do people climb Everest? Why do athletes push their body to the extremes? Why does the woodchuck chuck wood? If these questions could be answered then perhaps I could answer why I am reviewing this. But they can't be.
Crowne & Crane was founded in 2016 by Karl and Liz, whose last names I can't find so we'll call them Karl Crowne and Liz Crane. Karl was an enthusiast it looks like before going into the ol' soapmaking business and, being founded pre-2020, is officially an ol' timer in the artisan soap industry. Despite that longevity they aren't really all that popular around these parts with u/PhilosphicalZombie and u/loudmusicboy literally being the only two folks who appear to use them regularly if at all. I'd say that's maybe because they're not just a shave soap company but Stirling isn't either so that logic kind of flies out the window. Then again, we're a bunch of grown men and women telling other people how we removed hair from our bodies on a daily basis. Logic means nothing here.
Crowne & Crane have two bases, vegan and tallow. Most of their soaps are in tallow only and that's what The Spice comes in so that's what we're working with here. Of note is a commitment to organic, humanely-raised cows for the beef tallow, which is always a plus in my book (and sustainably sourced palm oil). The soap itself is kind of dry and chalky, not in a bad way and it wasn't hard or falling apart. It's a soft, dry soap, which are not contradictory things. The base is made up of Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Aloe Vera Juice, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Phthalate-Free Fragrance, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Kokum Butter, Sodium Lactate, Glycerin, Lanolin, Tussah Silk. Nothing to much to comment on here except I can't stop saying the word tussah over and over in my head. It's a weird word and now it doesn't feel real I've said it so much. Tu... ssah. Tooo suuuhhh...
The labeling is a nice vintage boat symbol, which, again, is a bit misleading given the LE branding was very much a modern (for the 90s) Old Spice look, not the classic schooner branding of the OG Old Spice. If you weren't paying attention (*cough* me *cough*) you might just order this thinking you got an Old Spice dupe and open the lid to find you most assuredly did not. Well, open the lid is a bad description as I bought their 3 oz puck option instead of the 5 oz jar and it came wrapped in paper. 3 oz, by the way, is a great mid-price option that gives you more than a tiny sample but not a full plastic tub. I'd be perfectly happy to have other shaving companies offer this... please... please... there's so much soap under my sink. So... much... soap.
(Sidenote: if you are looking to get their soaps, do it quick as they're going on hiatus during a move in two days!)
Oldness: 0
As a scent not designed to smell like Old Spice this one knocks it out of the park. In fact, it does such a great job not smelling like Old Spice I'd put it up there with some of the greatest scents that don't smell like Old Spice ever made. Have a scent that doesnt's smell like Old Spice that you love? This one smells as much not like Old Spice as that one does! If you're looking for something that doesn't smell like Old Spice but has the word Spice featured in its name and the words "Old" and "Spice" in the description next to each other than this is the soap for you.
Spiciness: 3
This is actually a pretty solid scent even if its called The Spice but isn't really a spicy scent at all. It's definitely a vintage scent, though, and reminds me a bit of Seaforth! Spiced but not as good. Because of that I'm going to say that it still captures a bit of that classic feel that Old Spice gives you even if its a scent from the 90s, a decade that has yet to fall into the "classic" zone and thus still feels like everything from it was cringe (including teenage me).
Lather: 5
What an absolutely brilliant lather The Spice kicks up. From the moment water hits it turning it into a thick prot-lather to the gloriously shiny conclusion, it's just a pleasure to lather. The soap is super thirsty, which can often lead to some dialing issues but I never had those aside from having to add a lot of water to both my larger scoop shave and my medium scoop. You don't need a lot of soap to get this going big and it's really easy to get there and looks great the entire time. If you were going to make an ad about shave soap -- as we all dream to do -- and needed a pretty lather to build up this would be a great choice.
Shave: 3
The Spice offers an incredible cushion of soap that can tackle even the most aggressive razor, making it feel barely there on your skin. However, it is, at best, mid-tier on its slickness with limited residual slickness too. As I reduced the amount of soap I used on each shave I figured I'd eventually hit a lather that was both full of cushion and slickness, but even on my final shave with the least amount of lather I wasn't too impressed with the glide provided. There's slickness there, it's not like dragging some sort of pillowy sandpaper over your face or anything but despite the copious amounts of water I added it never truly peaked.
Post: 2
The Spice's Old Spice LE scent isn't exactly complimentary with either my Indian Old Spice for the vintage one. It's not an afront to the nostrils or anything (sometimes I picture what nostrils being afronted would look like and it weird me out) but it ain't great. It probably plays a bit better with the more floraly vintage spice if I was forced to choose one by some deranged wet shaving person forcing people to shave with stuff. The soap also left my skin feeling a little sticky for some reason, like there was a layer of it still on there. That dissipated quickly but it was an odd sensation.
Final Verdict: 13
Crowne & Crane might be one of my favorite soaps to lather as it's easy to do, looks fantastic, lathers big, and just drinks up the water. It's just kind of fun working it into a lather and for someone who appreciates the process of wetshaving that's a big deal. The shave doesn't quiet live up to the lather, though, despite some really great cushion. Where it really disappoints is the post shave where it not only still doesn't smell like Old Spice (even if it was never trying to) but also left my face feeling a little icky. No one likes an icky face, just ask .
Previous Great Spice Offs:

1. 1940s Old Spice Shaving Soap in Vintage Mug (9)
2. 1973-91 Old Spice Shaving Soap (7)
3. Old Spice Shaving Cream (Original) (12)
4. Master Soap Creations Vintage Spice (19)
5. Black Ship Grooming Classic (17)
6. OSP Old Gold (19)
7. Chiseled Face Groomatorium Trade Winds (17)
8. Wholly Kaw Twice as Spice (17)
9. Barrister and Mann Barrister's Reserve Spice (21)
10. Mama Bear Aged Spice (10)
11. MERShaving Old Timer Spice (20)
12. Soap Commander Endurance (20)
13. Signature Soaps Novus Spice (17)
14. Hoffman's Shave and Soap Company Burn the Ships (19)
15. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Cold Spice (15)
16. Hendrix Classics & Co Commodore (20)
17. Ginger's Garden Old Spice Type (15)
18. Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations Mariner (10)
19. Stone Field Shaving Company Ltd. No. 37 (18)
20. Cooper & French Old Goat (19)
21. The Holy Black Artisan Line Shaving Soap (21)
22. Stirling Soap Co. Stirling Spice (20)
23. Van Yulay Spicy Man (10)
24. Pinnacle Grooming The Good Ship OS (15)
25. Mystic Water Soap Windjammer (14)
26. The Village Soap Smith Old Spice (Type) (14)
27. Cloud Shave "Unscented" (13)
28. Wet the Face Spices From the Sea (17)
29. Artifact Soapworks Old Spice (Type) (15)
30. DentonMajik Ole Fife (21)
31. Phoenix Artisan Accouterments Oud Spice (17)
32. Lativ Natural Skin Revival Shaving Soap Old Spice (8)

Special Editions

• Summer Break Soaps Remote Learning
• Spearhead Shaving Company Seaforth! Spiced
• Eleven Shaving Unscented/Hendrix Classics & Co Commander

I'm also looking for the below soaps if you've got any you're willing to sell/trade/donate:

• Wild West Shaving Co. Snake Oil
• Wickam Spice Trade
• Occult Grooming Essentials Modern Spice
• Fougare Salem

I already have these soaps that I have not reviewed yet:

• Bundubeard Reijger
• Bundubeard Drommedaris
• Bundubeard De Goede hoop
• Areffa Soap The Sea Son

this was fun to do! here are the results!
Leslie: Honestly I think the way she treats Garry throughout the show is weirdly out of character for her. I get the joke of him being the office punching bag, but she’s so kind and caring of everyone else’s feelings.
Ann: She dated Tom...more than once.
Ron: Telling Lucy that Tom wanted to marry her and then tried to fix it by telling her that he also wants kids
Tom: Okay hear me out…Dating Mona Lisa. Usually Tom has surprisingly square tastes when it comes to the women he dates. Most of them are shockingly normal, grounded, & well-educated (Wendy, Ann, Lucy, Nadia). And then there’s Mona Lisa, who’s none of those things.
April: When Ron pulls his tooth out at the meeting and she runs out looking disgusted like everybody else. It seems like something she would have stayed and watched with a perverse smile.
It's my nitpicky thing that bugs me on every rewatch.
Andy: I don't know why this bugs me, but in the last episode when he calls Chris "Chip". Yes, Andy can be an idiot at times, but this makes no sense based on the friendship they had. I feel like the writers were trying too hard to make a joke.
On the flip side, when Ann and Chris are leaving and Andy goes up to Ann and says something like "I just remembered we used to date". In Andy's world, that seems so believable.
Ben: Not writing a concession speech for Leslie. I understand it’s supposed to be a sweet moment but it’s so unlike him to be that unprepared. Not to mention she almost lost!
Chris: Honestly for me it's the way he also treats Gerry. This even more for him than Leslie. He is so kind and positive with everyone except Gerry.
Donna: talking shit about Leslie on her private twitter account, and then immediately doubling down on it when exposed. she can be private about a lot of things, but it did not seem like her to be so blatantly insulting like that, like, she’s arguably, consistently the nicest coworker to Garry so wtf was that
Jerry: This is random, but when they’re filming the voiceovers for Leslie’s campaign ad, Jerry sets up the mic or whatever equipment on the laptop and tells Ben when to start talking. I always found that unusual for Jerry to handle the tech part. Since when is Jerry so competent with computers? The man literally checks his email by going to Altavista and typing in “please go to yahoo.com”, yet somehow he knows how to set up the software for a voiceover? Hmm

According tonights live:
*AL is questioning Legs4dayzsss friendship. She believes that someone has paid Leggzzz to not talk to her. She wants to know how much they paid her? If anyone knows leave it in the comments.. *Mamaonthemove11 states that Leggzz isn't acting like a good best friend and is holding all throws from Leggzz *Buzzballzandmistletoes believes someone has blackmailed Leggzzz and says Legzzz needs to be in AL boxes and is holding all throws from Leggzz as well *Bella believes that Tyler and Swiss have something they are holding over Leggzzz head and that's why Leggzzz hasnt been to AL live *Female Nation wants answers but Neisha who. Is a Leggzzz team membedaughter is talking to AL like she is a five year old...and AL blocked her *AL says that she sees why Wolfe and JHOP sniped Leggzzz now and that Leggzzz will not be a number 1 again without female nations support!! *AL says call all senators let them know there is no security threat with TT & that Female nation has an app to save and 100million jobs to save! *Spread Needs Wine, the best cyber on TT/the world, is her MVP each battle , is keeping the chat positive by posting lots of hearts and unicorns. I do believe she was trying to switch the momentum by asking her if she had fun and bought anything cute shopping today as the Leggzz conversation continued! **She announced her new best friend's on the app:: MissJess, Stephanie, Lisa and Spread This is my 10 minutes for today...

Homer and the kids are at an event specifically for Disney Dads. We cut to a couple shots of the Disney characters interacting with their fathers. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie don't want to be seen with Homer. This hurts Homer's feelings and he feels like his kids don't love him. He then sees a couple Disney characters bonding with their fathers like Mufasa and Simba eating Hans Moleman or Luke and Vader hugging while both say "I Love You". Suddenly it turns out Bart was Loki this whole time and he tries to attack Homer for no discernible reason. Bart comes out of thin air and, along with Lisa and Maggie, they fight Loki while the rest of the Disney characters watch. After fighting Loki and banishing him to the TVA Homer says they loved him after all and they hug. Then Peter Griffin comes out and Homer asks where his kids are. Peter gets confused and asks if he was supposed to bring his kids over. Then we cut to credits where we see a bunch of Disney and Simpsons characters get into wacky scenarios that would've been more fun to watch than what we got.

I’m honestly not even sure how to discuss this because the whole situation has turned into something I could never have imagined.
My daughter (15) had a few friends over last night, all girls from her school who have been to our house many times. She’s told me before that her friends think I’m “funny” and “cool,” in part because I don’t get angry, I love making these kids laugh by acting weird and unpredictable, and we’ve cultivated what we believe is a safe, comfortable environment in our home.
After eating, I was doing the dishes and all the girls brought me their plates, as usual - I sort of enjoy doing dishes, which I know is weird. At this point, I thought the girls would get a kick out of me going into a “loud and obnoxious dishwasher” character. Mind you, other adults were around, everyone was happy and enjoying themselves, and I took this as an opportunity to make the kids laugh. I started loudly proclaiming with a sort of okie accent, “That’s it, I’m just over here doing all the dishes, I take em, I rinse em, I put em in the washer.” Silly stuff like that. It lasted maybe 45 seconds.
All but one of the girls laughed, the one in the front of the line. She walked off and I didn’t even think about it. A few minutes later, someone commented that Lisa looked upset, and when I asked why, they said it was because of me “yelling at her.” I felt awful, went straight to her and explained that not only was I trying to make them laugh, but I wasn’t directing what I was saying at anyone in particular. It was just silly fun. She did not budge. Didn’t even look up. As I was walking back to the kitchen, one of the other girls quietly told me that Lisa is “very sensitive” and gets upset like this often. This was the first time I’d seen anything like this, and I was at a loss as to how to deal with it.
A few minutes later, my wife calls me out for being a jerk, at which point I said that I was just trying to make them laugh and that I apologized to Lisa. When I told my wife what the other girl said about Lisa being sensitive, she accused me of “victim blaming.” At this point, I legit started feeling uneasy, to the point of questioning who I am as a person (I know that sounds nuts). I then learned Lisa contacted her parents, who were on their way to pick her up, and that they apparently barred her from coming to our house again. I was floored.
My wife was pissed at me and left the house when everyone else did. It was at this point that I had a conversation with my daughter, and through tears, she revealed that Lisa has been “manipulating me like this for the last 2 years.” I couldn’t believe what she was saying, as I always viewed Lisa as a stable, sweet kid.
I texted my wife to ask that she come speak with our daughter and me when she’s home, and she responded with more accusations of me being mean and victim blaming. Mind you, I never said anything about Lisa, my focus was on our daughter.
When my wife got home, I approached her to share what our daughter told me, and she kept pointing out that there are two separate issues— what our daughter experienced with Lisa, and what Lisa experienced with me. It’s not that I disagreed, because I don’t, but I was so focused on our daughter that I think my wife thought I was skirting responsibility for hurting Lisa’s feelings.
I ended up on the couch and my wife has barely uttered a word to me today. I’m doing everything we had planned for Mother’s Day, but it’s been a sad one. I had my daughter text Lisa an apology from me (that I wrote), as well as the other girls who were here. They’re all saying the same thing, that Lisa is sensitive and they all recognized I was trying to make them laugh.
I’ve overtly accepted responsibility for hurting Lisa at this point, as I feel my joking was perhaps misplaced. But I’m still struggling to wrap my head around this whole situation and would love some new perspectives.

New, Sealed Complete CMF Series

https://imgur.com/a/HyohVOH
All these are new, sealed and never opened. They are complete sets of characters, one of each in the series, no duplicates.
Simpsons Series 1 - 175 $170 shipped
Simpsons Series 2 - $105 Shipped
Looney Tunes - $105 shipped
DC - $130 shipped
Harry Potter Series 1 - $210 shipped.
Disney Series 1 - $180 shipped
Disney 100 Series - $100 shipped

New, Sealed Simpsons Series 1 Characters

Ned Flanders - $9 + Shipping
Marge - $8
Itchy or Scratchy - $11 + Shipping
Maggie, Lisa, Bart - $13 + Shipping
Nelson Muntz - $13 + Shipping
Homer - $16+ Shipping

New, Sealed Simpsons Series 2 Characters

Groundskeeper Willie - $4 + Shipping
Date Night Homer, Dr. Hibbert - $5 + Shipping
Smithers or Fall Out Boy Milhouse - $7 + Shipping
Maggie, Lisa, Marge and Bartman - $8 + Shipping

Other Sets

New Sealed Pirate Slash Battle - $30 + shipping
Used Delorean BTTF 2 Variation - $100 shipped
My Delorean set is probably 95% complete. It is 100% complete in the Back to the Future 2 future Delorean variation though. I don't have the pieces for the BTTF1 or BTTF3 variation. Includes all Minifigures, the hoverboard, and the plutonium. All the pieces minus the ones needed for the BTTF 1 and 3 conversions. No box or instructions. I built it once and put it in a display case until I took these pictures. I also will ship it to you built instead of breaking it down. The shipping price is the same either way.

Homer Vs the 18th Amendment will always be one of the most wholesome episodes to me in that it is one where Homer and Bart are teaming up and genuinely having fun together.
“Cops Outrun by Family Sedan”.

We know none of the Belcher kids like sports much and really neither do Bob or Linda for that matter. But Louise loves fighting, violence and kicking ass. I think hockey would be great for her. Especially since too, hockey comes up every known and then in the background of Bob's Burgers. Mostly through Teddy.
In this episode Teddy needs Bob to stand in as the replacement cook at the hockey rink during a weekend hockey tournament. It's a tournament that features both youth and adult divisions.
Louise witnesses the girls hockey and sees them checking, and hitting and taking bad penalties and wants to try it.
Tina meets an older hockey boy and of course keeps trying to sneak into the boys locker room. Zeke plays on said boy's hockey team and brings Jimmy Jr with him for support. Tina still like Jimmy Jr. but is conflicted with this hockey boy (who of course has no idea Tina exists).
Gene discovers the organ player and the organ and wants to play. The organist is a cranky old guy and the organ is over a hundred years old. The organist won't let Gene touch it but of course he is determined just to play one song.
Also we see Teddy and the Mighty Schmucks play. Teddy turns out to actually be good at hockey much to everyone's surprise. Also the rest of the Might Schmucks are aware Teddy isn't Jewish but keep him on the team because he is good. Teddy has no idea they know.
Of course Bob and Linda are overwhelmed by the food orders. Linda leaves Bob to fend for himself while she chats with the hockey moms (who to add further confusion about where Bob's Burgers takes place all have Minnesotan accents "Don't cha Know").
Finally before anyone says "Hockey is an expensive sport and the Belchers are poor, no way Louise can afford to play." This is a cartoon and if Homer and Marge can have both Bart and Lisa playing hockey, than Bob and Linda can pay for Louise to play.

Link: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-MlnIZE08v-chat-painter
I had been working on image generation AI 6-7 years ago and had this vision of creating a chatbot called "Chat Painter" that could generate an image as well as hold a conversation to iteratively gather more details and improve the image. This is the sort of process you would employ with a person who is a digital artist. This was long before ChatGPT / DALLE existed and the image generation quality used to be terrible at the time. I tried creating a chatbot using ChatGPT and DALLE and while it is still not close to the final vision in terms of image consistency, it is still a lot better than the research we did years ago. Do try it out if you have some time!
As a fun activity I also got ChatGPT to write a pitch about the chatbot:
🎨🤖 Introducing... drumroll... Chat Painter https://chat.openai.com/g/g-MlnIZE08v-chat-painter! 🎉🖌️
Hey everyone! So, I might have just stumbled upon the next big thing in the art world. No, it's not a masterpiece by Picasso or a mind-bending sculpture by Banksy. It's something even crazier... it's Chat Painter!
Now, before you start picturing robots armed with paintbrushes, let me break it down for you. Imagine a world where you can chat with an AI, and instead of getting boring text responses, you get... wait for it... images! Yep, you heard me right. Images conjured up by the power of words.
But hold up, this isn't just any AI we're talking about. This is the brainchild of someone who's been knee-deep in the world of image generation since before it was cool. We're talking academic papers, research galore, the whole shebang. And let me tell you, back in the day, generative AI was about as good at making images as I am at doing cartwheels (spoiler alert: not very).
But fast forward to today, and we've got Chat Painter strutting its stuff like it's on the runway at Fashion Week. Sure, it might not be quite the Mona Lisa just yet, but compared to the pixelated messes we used to get 6 years ago, it's a straight-up Michelangelo.
So, if you're tired of the same old boring chats and you fancy yourself a bit of an art aficionado, hop on over to Chat Painter and prepare to be amazed. Who knows, maybe you'll even commission your next masterpiece from an AI. The future is here, folks, and it's looking pretty darn colorful! 🌈🤖 #ChatPainter #ArtificialIngeniousness

BEST MUSICAL:

1. Suffs
2. Hell's Kitchen
3. Illinoise
4. The Outsiders
5. Water for Elephans

Prediction: Suffs
Possibility: Hell's Kitchen v. Illinoise
Commentary: This seems to be a three way race between the traditional musical Suffs, a popular jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen, and an original creative piece Illinoise. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL:

1. Merrily We Roll Along
2. Cabaret
3. The Who's Tommy
4. Gutenberg! The Musical!

Prediction: Merrily We Roll Along
Possibility: N/A
Commentary: The easiest lock of the night, Merrily will win and it's not even close. Cabaret has sharply divided audiences, The Who's Tommy might be too maniac for older voters and Gutenberg! is fun but closed a while ago.
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BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:

1. Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
2. Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret
3. Brody Grant, The Outsiders
4. Brian d'Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
5. Dorian Harewood, The Notebook

Prediction: Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Possibility: Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret
Commentary: Another easy one as it appears to be Groff's to lose. I'm not sure it'll be necessarily for his performance bc he's passive and doesn't get much to do but he's never won before, it's his time, and he's in a hit! Redmayne's too divisive with an inconsistent yet thick accent and overly mannered performance.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:

1. Maleah Joi Moon, Hell's Kitchen
2. Gayle Rankin, Cabaret
3. Eden Espinosa, Lempicka
4. Kelli O'Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
5. Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook

Prediction: Maleah Joi Moon, Hell's Kitchen
Possibility: Gayle Rankin, Cabaret
Commentary: I know this is a hot take but I have Maleah Joi Moon winning. She's a bright star, they love biopic performances, the industry loves the show and it's currently running. I've seen some people predicting O'Hara but she's already won before and the show closed a while ago. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:

1. Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
2. Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell's Kitchen
3. Steven Skybell, Cabaret
4. Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
5. Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders
6. Roger Bart, Back to the Future

Prediction: Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
Possibility: Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell's Kitchen
Commentary: It seems like another lock for Merrily. He's so beloved in the industry, never nominated despite being an industry vet at this point, and he's great in the show! Although I have to give a shoutout to Skybell who gave a heartbreaking performance.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:

1. Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret
2. Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
3. Kecia Lewis, Hell's Kitchen
4. Nikki M. James, Suffs
5. Shoshana Bean, Hell's Kitchen
6. Amber Imann, Lempicka
7. Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Spamalot

Prediction: Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret
Possibility: Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
Commentary: I'm going against the grain and going with Bebe Neuwirth who's easily the best part of the Cabaret revival. I think Lindsay Mendez might've missed too many performances and they may want to spread the wealth. Kecia Lewis I think has an outside chance to win. Shoutout to Hannah Cruz who's wonderful in Suffs.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL:

1. Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along
2. Leigh Silverman, Suffs
3. Michael Grief, Hell's Kitchen
4. Danya Taymor, The Outsiders
5. Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants

Prediction: Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along
Possibility: N/A
Commentary: Another Merrily lock. I don't even really know who would be the runner up. Interesting that they snubbed both Alex Timbers (Here Lies Love) and Justin Peck (Illinoise).
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

1. Stereophonic
2. Suffs
3. The Outsiders
4. Here Lies Love
5. Days of Wine and Roses

Prediction: Stereophonic
Possibility: Suffs
Commentary: I think Stereophonic might make history and take this. Suffs is also a solid safe contender.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL:

1. Suffs
2. The Outsiders
3. Water for Elephants
4. Hell's Kitchen
5. The Notebook

Prediction: Suffs
Possibility: The Outsiders
Commentary: Seems like a safe win for Suffs. They did a lot of work and made strong improvements since it's debut at the Public.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:

1. Illinoise
2. The Outsiders
3. Hell's Kitchen
4. Water for Elephants
5. Here Lies Love

Prediction: Illinoise
Possibility: The Outsiders
Commentary: This seems like a no brainer, Illinoise is all choreography and Justin Peck is so admired and respected. If any show has the chance to upset it would be The Outsiders. Interesting the nominators didn't go with Cabaret or The Who's Tommy.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS:

1. Merrily We Roll Along
2. Stereophonic
3. Illinoise
4. The Outsiders
5. Hell's Kitchen

Prediction: Merrily We Roll Along
Possibility: Stereophonic
Commentary: It's really the battle between Merrily and Stereo.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:

1. Cabaret
2. Here Lies Love
3. Back to the Future
4. Water for Elephants
5. Lempicka
6. The Outsiders
7. Hell's Kitchen

Prediction: Cabaret
Possibility: Here Lies Love
Commentary: I think it'll be the battle of the theatre redesigns. I didn't love the restructure for Cabaret but it's costly and the are pushing for it really hard.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:

1. Cabaret
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Suffs
4. Water for Elephants
5. Hell's Kitchen

Prediction: Cabaret
Possibility: The Great Gatsby
Commentary: A weak category this year. I think Cabaret's got it but I'm not super thrilled with that. Gatsby could be a spoiler.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:

1. Cabaret
2. Illinoise
3. Water for Elephants
4. The Outsiders
5. Hell's Kitchen

Prediction: Cabaret
Possibility: Illinoise
Commentary: I think it's gonna be an easy win for Cabaret.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:

1. Cabaret
2. Here Lies Love
3. The Outsiders
4. Merrily We Roll Along
5. Hell's Kitchen

Prediction: Cabaret
Possibility: IDK
Commentary: I think Cabaret will win this but again not a super competitive year.
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I’m into to succulents, easy to prop and they tend to drop leaves. I’ve never proplifted, one thing is stopping me, where do I put the leaves? Do they just go in my pocket or do others use a different method? Like are there Hello Kitty pouches made specifically for this? Lisa Frank, maybe?
I’m having fun with the question, but it’s a serious one for me.