Hi there, welcome to my post! Feel free to make an offer for anything listed :D
The Boring Stuff: - Items come from a non-smoking home, and are all new / never used unless noted. Used items have photos showing usage. - Prices exclude shipping & insurance, to be calculated to your zip code ($5+).

ISO List

(trades only, not looking to purchase at this time. Will also look at lists!)

• Imaginary Authors: A City on Fire, Memoirs of a Trespasser, O Unknown, Saint Julep, Whispered Myths
  
• Too Faced mini Gingerbread Spice palette
  
• Too Faced mini Salted Caramel palette
  
• Tetris x Ipsy brushes
  
• Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Mask - FS or multiple minis from beauty boxes
  
• Necromancy Cosmetica lipsticks in Ancient Queen, Lydia, Solis Mortem, or Ophidian
  
• Try me on lip scrubs (new please)
  
• Pat McGrath Subversive palette (also interested in other gold PM items)
  
• Lalique fragrances: Fleur Universelle, Or Intemporel, Silver, Zamak, and Zinc
  
• Jo Malone fragrances: particularly interested in Bloomsbury (non-floral - Leather & Artemisia, Tobacco & Mandarin, and Whiskey & Cedarwood) and Ginger Biscuit, but try me
  
• Zoologist samples
  
• Marc Jacobs fragrances: Ginger Cocktail
  
• Diptyque fragrances: Eau Lente and Eau Duelle
  
• Ginger / clove forward fragrances in general...if someone has a decant of CB I hate perfume Gingerbread that would be awesome
  

Palettes, Kits, and Sets

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow singles, listed L-R, top then bottom. $25 for the 4 shadows, or priced individually below: - ABH eyeshadow single in Wine, full size, swatched - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Surface of the Sun, full size, swatched - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Chocolate Crumble, full size, new - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Metal, full size, swatched - $8
Benefit Greeting From Cabana Glama DesTANation Makeup Kit, used as shown - $15
Karl Lagerfeld x ModelCo Minaudière with Mini Lip Kit, full size, NIB P - $100 Includes: - Minaudière hard clutch / makeup bag, with attachable (heavy) chain to use as a shoulder bag and dust bag - Full-size Lip Liner in Rosewood (0.05 oz.) - 2 Mini Lip Glosses in Ramatuelle and St Tropez Sunset (0.04 oz. each) - 2 Mini Lipsticks in Kate and Stella (0.05 oz. each)
Flesh Starshine eyeshadow palette, full size, new. Open. Back of palette. - $20
Kat von D Shade + Light eyeshadow palette in Plum, full size, used 2x as shown. Back of palette. - $10
Make Up For Ever MUFE 9 artist shadow palette Volume 4 (shades 100, 842, 240, 620, 806, 536, 126, 546, 530), full size, used 2x as shown. Back of palette. - $25
Smith & Cult Book of Eyes quad palette in Noonsuite (bronzey), full size, NIB - $25
Tarte Be Your Own Tarteist Eye & Cheek Palette, used as shown - $20
Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette, full size, NIB - $40

Eyes

Brows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills ABH Clear Brow Gel, travel size (2.5ml), NIB - $7
ModelCo More Brows in Light / Medium, Full Size - $10
Ulta Brow Tint in Medium, full size, new - $6
Eyeliner:
BareMinerals Lasting Line Long-wearing Eye Liner in Absolute Black, Full Size, New - $10
Beauty For Real I-Line 24-7 Eyeliner in Black Magic, full size, new - $10
Estée Lauder Automatic Eye Pencil Duo Refill in Charcoal, full size, NIB - $10
Lancome Drama Liqui-Pencil in Noir Intense, Travel Size, .018oz - $5
Laura Geller I-Care Waterproof Eyeliner in Charcoal, Full Size - $10
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (white), full size, new - $3
Sephora Waterproof Contour Eye Pencil in 33 Love Affair (plum), new, travel size (.017oz) - $3
Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray (jet black), full size, NIB - $15
Tarte Sex Kitten Eyeliner in Black, travel size (half size, .0035oz), new - $8
Ulta Dual-Ended Liner, in Halo & Black/Brown, Full Size - $3
Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Sparkling Eyeliner in Blacklight, Full Size, cracked cap used 2x - $5
Eyeshadow:
Kat Von D KVD Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck (warm white gold), full size (.1oz), swatched - $12
Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow in Amethyst, full size, new - $12
Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow in Amethyst Smokes, used 3x - $2
NYC HD Color Trio Eye Shadow in Late Night Latte, Full Size, used 5x - $2
NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow Single in Punk Heart (plum with purple shimmer), full size, used as shown - $3
Trestique Color and Smudge Shadow Crayon in Marimoto Pink Pearl, full size, NIB - $15
Ulta Eye Shadow singles Duo in Petite (light beige matte) and Beauty Junkie (mauve glitter), both full size (.06oz), both new - $8 for the pair
Ulta Eye Shadow Palette in Lace, Charm, Nostalgia, Vintage, Delicate, and Seaside, .21oz, new - $6
Lashes:
Eyelure London Limited Edition Party Lashes in Snow Princess, full size, NIB - $3
Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Blue Glow in the Dark Lashes, full size, NIB - $2
Mascara:
BellaPierre Volume Lash Waterproof Mascara, full size, new & sealed - $10
Butter London Double Decker Lashes Mascara in Black, travel size (.18oz), NIB - $6
Clinique Chubby Lash Mascara in 01 Jumbo Jet (black), travel size (4ml), NIB - $5
Clinique High Impact Mascara in black, half size (.15oz), new - $10
Clinique Lash Power Flutter-to-Full Mascara in 01 Black Onyx, travel size, new - $8
Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Mascara in 01 Black, travel size (.09oz), new - $10
Julep Length Matters Mascara in Jet Black, travel size (.2oz), NIB - $8
Laura Geller StyleLASH Intense Lengthening Mascara, FS (.33oz), NWOB - $14
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black, travel size (.15oz), new - $2
Pur Big Look Mascara with Argan oil, full size (.12oz), new - $6
Ulta Amped Lashes Mascara in Jet Black, full size, new - $6
Ulta Beauty Maximum Lashes Defining and Lengthening Mascara, full size, new - $6

Lips

Lip Gloss, Balms, & Stains:
ChapStick Lip Butter in Green Tea Mint, full size, NIB - $2
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Lip Therapy, full size (.5oz), new - $8
Jane Iredale SPF 15 Lip Drink Lip Balm in Flirt (sheer pink), full size, NIB - $10
MAC Vamplify Lip Gloss in Suggestive, FS, new - $12
Mally Beans High Shine Lip Gloss in Pilar Bean, DS (.07oz), new - $6
NYC City Proof Extended Wear Lip Gloss in Mauving All Night #458, Full Size - $3
Philosophy High-Gloss Lip Shine in Fresh Cream, full size (.4oz), new and sealed - $6
Pur Chrome Glaze High-Shine Lip Gloss In DIY (pinky nude), full size (0.07 oz), NIB - $10
Ulta Double Duty Lip Stain and Balm in Drama (Dark Red), full size, new - $4
Ulta Double Duty Lip Stain and Balm in Romance (Pink), full size, new - $4
Urban Decay Revolution Lip Gloss in Savage (bright pink), travel size (.05oz), new - $5
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Peppermint, full size, new and sealed - $1
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Pomegranate Orange, full size, new and sealed - $1
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Tangerine, full size, new and sealed - $1
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Balm in Minty Kiss, Full Size - $3
Lip Liners & Primers:
Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner in Homegirl, full size (.25g), used 2x as shown - $10
Milani Color Statement Lip Liner in 02 True Red, full size, new - $2
Tarte Tarteist Lip Crayon in Thirsty (bright red), .01oz, NIB - $10
Lipstick - Liquid:
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in At Midnight (Fireball Red Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Love Potion (Bronzed Black Metallic Matte), full size (.14oz), new P - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Pillow Talk (Victorian Pink Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Say Hello (Rich Marsala Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in XOXO (Femme Fuchsia Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Laura Geller Lip Silk Liquid Lipstick in French Kiss (soft pink), full size, new - $10
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color in Nude Flush , Full Size, swatched 1x - $3
NYX Suede Cream Liquid Lipstick in Orange County (bright orange), travel size (.05oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
NYX Suede Cream Liquid Lipstick in Pink Lust (bright pink), travel size (.05oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania (deep wine), full size (0.27 oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
OCC Lip Tar in Disintegration (pale plum metallic), full size, NIB - $12
OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie (magenta / purple), full size, NIB - $12
Tarte Lip Sculptor, Lipstick & Lipgloss, in VIP (cool nude), travel size (1.5g lipstick 1ml lipgloss), new - $10
Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Bae (red), full size, new - $13
Lipstick - Bullet & Pencil:
Almay Demi-Sheer Creme Lipcolor in 80 Demi Mauve, full size, used 3x as shown - $8
Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Topper, no shade listed but a shimmery bronze, full size, new - $18
Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb, full size (.09oz), used 1x - $10
Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lipstick in Barberry (cool dark plum), full size, used as shown - $16
DCA Lipstick in No. 108, full size, used 2x as shown - $4
Estée Lauder All-Day Lipstick in Ancient Brick, full size, swatched as shown - $12
Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Irresistible, full size (.12oz), new P - $15
Illamasqua Glamour Lipstick in Tease (pale Nude), full size, used 3x - $12
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl (satin matte berry), travel size (.04oz), used as shown - $6
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Poe (cool metallic blue), full size, NIB - $12
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Roxy (purple), mini size (1g), used 1x as shown - $6
Korres Matte Twist Lipstick in Tempting Coral, full size (.05oz), new - $10
Lancome Rouge Absolu Lipstick in Rose Espace, full size, used 3x as shown - $12
Laura Geller Color Brilliance Lustrous Lipstick in Cute, full size, new - $12
Laura Geller Italian Marble lipstick in Strawberry Toffee, full size, new - $12
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Flat Out Fabulous (bright pink/purple), full size, new - $12
Makeup Academy Lipstick in Persian Rose (bright pink), full size, used 1x - $3
Makeup Revolution Scandalous Lipstick in Depraved (violet), full size, used 1x - $3
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 413 BLKR (fuchsia), full size (.08oz), new - $16
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy (cool fuchsia), 3/4 size (1.8g, FS is 2.4g), new - $10
Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone (greige), .088oz (FS is .1oz), new - $12
NYC Lipstick in Fragile Pink, Full Size - used as shown - $2
NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Blossom #316, Full Size, Used 2x - $2
NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Ruby #305, Full Size, Used 2x - $2
Sephora Collection Rouge Cream in #49 Belly-Dancing (red), mini (.03oz, FS is .14) - $2
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Inspiration (cool fuchsia), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Legendary (cool red), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Tabloid (cool violet), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Ulta Lipstick in Cherry Picked 202 (medium true red), Full Size, Used 1x - $4
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani lipstick in Spiderweb (satin red cream), full size, NIB - $12
Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in Temper (red-orange), full size, NIB - $12
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Phone Call (bright pink with cream finish), full size, NIB - $10
Wander Beauty Wanderout Dual Lipstick in Wanderberry (rich burgundy), half size (.07oz), new - $10
Winky Lux Matte Lip Velour in Royal (purple), .14oz, NIB - $10

Face

Blush:
Lancome Blush Subtil in in Rose Fresque, full size (.18oz), used as shown - $12
Ulta Cheek Palette in Fresh Glow Highlighter and Nude Pink Blush, .155oz, new - $5
Bronzer & Contour:
BareMinerals BareSkin Serum Bronzer in Sheer Sun, Travel Size (.1oz) - $3
St. Tropez One Night Only Finishing Gloss, travel size (.16oz), new - $2
Foundations, Concealers, CC Cream, & Powders:
Bee Naturals Tinted Moisturizer in Shade 2 (Medium/Dark), Full Size (1oz) - 1/$15 or 2/$20
Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup in Shade 1, travel size (.16oz), new - $10
Dermablend Loose Setting Powder, travel size (.11oz), new - $10
Jane Iredale Smooth Affair, travel size (.24oz), new - $8
Julep Cushion Complexion concealer 5-in-1 Skin Perfector with Turmeric in 200 Nude, full size, NIB - $18
Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten Baked Foundation in Medium, full size, new - $15
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, travel size (.12oz), new - $6
Pixi by Petra Beauty Bronzer in Summertime, Travel Size, .16oz - $4
Highlighters:
Laura Geller Baked Gelato Lace Illuminator in Ballerina, full size, new - $15
Laura Geller Baked Golden Rose Highlighter, full size, new - $12
P/Y/T Upgrade Highlighter in Backstage Pass (warm shimmer nude), .07oz, NIP - $8
Primers & Setting Sprays:
Becca First Light Priming Filter, travel size (.2oz), NIB - $7
Japonesque Velvet Touch Primer, travel size (.3oz), new - $8
Laura Geller Spackle Even Tone Primer, travel size (.5oz), new - $6
Pur Correcting Primer, travel size (.3oz), new - $10
Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Face Primer & Setting Spray, travel size (.06oz), NIB - $4
Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer, travel size (.16oz), NIB - $4
Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Spray, travel size (.5oz), new - $6

Skincare & Body

BareMinerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion, full size (1.7oz), new - $35
Bliss Leave it to Cleavage, Travel Size, .5oz - $4
Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Foaming Mask, new, travel size (.16oz) - $3
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, new, Travel Size (.5oz) - $4
Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $5
Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber - $5
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Daily Anti-Aging Serum, Travel Size, .17oz - $8
Erborian Bamboo Creme Frappe Skin Reviving Gel, new, travel size (.17oz) - $4
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam, travel size (1oz), new - $6
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Global Anti-Aging Cell Power Creme, .5oz, new - $15
First Aid Beauty FAB Facial Radiance Intensive Peel, travel size (.34oz), new - $6
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $6
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration in Honeysuckle, travel size (1oz), new - $6
First Botany Cosmeceuticals 50X Strength Hyaluronic Acid Serum, .5oz, new - $8
MAC Cleanse Off Oil, travel size (.2oz), new - $4
Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil, Sample, .1oz - $2
Murad Age Reform Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, travel size (.25oz), NIB - $10
Omorovicza Budapest Magic Moisture Mist, full size (1.7oz), NIB - $65
Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer, full size (30ml), new - $50
Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment (gentle cleanser), travel size (2oz), new - $18
Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus + Eye Cream, travel size (.25oz), new - $30
Proactiv Skin Purifying Mask, travel size (1oz), NIB - $10
Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, travel size (.33oz), new - $15
Strivectin TL Advanced Light Tightening Neck Cream, travel size (.25oz), NIB - $10
Toulon Mineral Infusion Serum-92, 1oz - $6
Whish Self-Tanner, Travel Size (.75oz) - $2

Hair / Tools / Nail Polish / Etc

Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Miracle Volume Mist, travel size (1.4oz), new - $6
Bumble & Bumble BB Pret-a-Powder, travel size (.5oz), used 1x - $8
Essie Nail Lacquer in Say it Aint Soho (metallic copper), full size, new - $5
Fatboy Spray Putty, full size (4.8oz), new - $15
Julep Color Treat Polish in It Girl Lillian (pink creme), full size, new - $8
Living Proof TBD Multi-Tasking Styler, travel size (1oz), new - $7
OPI Nail Lacquer in Can i Bairro This Shade (dusty teal), full size, new - $5
OPI Nail Lacquer in The Taupe of the Iceberg, full size, new - $5
Phyto Paris Phytoelixir Cleansing Care Hair Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $8
Phyto Paris Intense Hydrating Brilliance Mask (Dry Hair Phytojoba), 1.7oz, NIB - $8
Matrix Total Results Miracle Creator Multi-Tasking Treatment, travel size (1oz), new - $3
Urban Decay Heavy Metal loose glitter in Reverb (blue), full size (.10oz), NIB - $10

Fragrance

Full Size
Aromachology Exotic & Spicy EDP, full size (1.7oz), used 1x - $40
Jo Malone English Oak & Redcurrant Cologne, full size (3.4 oz), sprayed 1x - $100
Penhaligon's Heartless Helen, full size (75ml) in box, used 3x - $160
Ralph Lauren Polo Sport for Women, used as shown - $12
Travel Size
Armani Air di Gioia EDP, travel size spray (.5oz - bigger than a rollerball), NIB - $20
Armani Sky di Gioia EDP, travel size spray bottle (.5oz - bigger than a rollerball), NIB - $20
Bvlgari Au The Rouge EDC, travel size (.17oz), used 2x - $10
Candie's Candie's EDT, travel size (.5oz), about 60% remaining - $5
Lush All Good Things solid perfume, travel size (12g), used 1x as shown - $15
Origins Ginger Essence Sensuous Skin Scent, travel size (.5 oz), used as shown (about 80% remaining) - $12
Philosophy Pure Grace EDT spray, travel size (.5oz), NIB - $15
Samples 3/$5
Atelier Cologne Vanilla Insensée Cologne Absolue, sample size + postcard, new - $3
Burberry Mr. Burberry EDT, sample size (2ml), new - $2
Calvin Klein Eternity for Men EDT, sample size (1.2ml), new - $2
Clean for Men Classic EDT, sample size (1ml), new - $2
Versace Eros EDT, sample size (1ml), new - $2
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb EDT, sample size (1.2ml), new - $2.

Picked the game up very briefly in 2017 and it didn’t click. Decided to try Arena with a friend last year and enjoyed the game mode a lot, specifically Jhin. I randomly decided to try some normal games this year, honing in on ADC, and was ranked eventually at Iron 3. I then got destroyed to Iron 4, and figured the game was trolling me with afks or bots. I tanked my Jhin win rate to like 20% lol. I got some great advice though, that really helped my mentality and pushed into Bronze 4 (the enemy gets bots too, just keep playing and stop dying). I must have played about 150 ranked games, playing Lucian, Jinx, Twisted Fate and Smolder (until those two were nerfed).
I eventually got a little frustrated at my skills again and tried jungle, which wasn’t terrible, I maintained 50% win rates on my champs after 30-40 games. But finally I decided after watching three youtubers (FxN Saber, Vapora Dark, and Doublelift) to try ADC again, playing Caitlin and Jhin. That really solidified and after 225 games have gotten all the way to Silver 4 before the end of the season. I’m really happy because my last push was after an unfortunate demotion to Bronze 2 50 LP and I proceeded to win my next 5-6 games in a row on Jhin and got me in right on the last day.
I had some friends who are Platinum-Emerald and been playing for 10+ years say they’d be surprised if I hit Silver and it was crazy hard but I finally got there. Just really hyped to have hit my goal and this new season I’m going to try for Gold 4.
Thanks for the surprisingly positive advice and venting that pops up here. This community is actually pretty rad and was super helpful! Between the mechanical league skills, game knowledge, macro/micro, etc… learning this game when others have 10+ years experience is kind of crazy but it was super rewarding and lots of fun (except f%#! AP Malhite).

Homeworld 3 is on track to becoming my least favorite HW game. Is it terrible? No. Is it great? Also no. Is it *good*? Eeeh... also no, not really. But it's also not bad. It's very mid.
Homeworld 3 *definitely* does not have the original’s gripping story or sense of mystery and player freedom.
It also does not have Cataclysm’s incredibly rewarding rags-to-riches feeling.
It also also does not have Homeworld 2’s polished gameplay.
And it also does not have Desert’s of Kharak fresh new take on the genre and franchise.
It’s okay. That’s about it.
Visuals and UI
It's stunningly beautiful, like every HW game. Space is gorgeous, filled with visual spectacle and lovingly detailed ships and environments (though frankly, space battles in this game are visually far less impressive than any previous installment). I'm not a sound guy so I have very little to say except that for my money the sound design is actually more impressive than the graphics. Everything from explosions to weapon effects to the background chatter sounds lovely.
UI is clunky as hell, I'm about six hours in and I'm still not friends with the camera and I can never orient myself quickly. Ships often feel like they're not responding to orders – I might be wrong, but I find myself going back to double-check that I definitely ordered those corvettes to guard that frigate etc. It feels much more micro-managey than previous installments.
Gameplay
Lots of features introduced in HW2 are gone: Fighters and corvettes no longer belong to squads, you’re back to each fighter being an individual unit. Modules are gone – you don’t build certain types of sensors or research modules or cloaks or fire control modules etc. I’ve not played around with carriers much yet but it seems they also come out of the construction bay completely finished, without any additions you can make, unlike in HW2 where you could specialize them. If there is an equivalent to the Research Module from HW1 or any other way to affect research speed or to give you more options the game hasn't introduced it yet (I'm on mission 8).
The number of units in the game also seems a little disappointing. I've unlocked three types of fighters, four types of frigates and at least one capital ship but only one type of corvette? Leads me to believe there only is one type, which would be very disappointing.
Minor detail but the ship design is for the most part really dull, too. Even quite closely zoomed in it's hard to distinguish one ship from another - their silhouettes just blend together.
In short, HW3 has less choices you can make and much more to keep you constantly busy. In 1998 this gameplay was fine (although far better executed) and in 2003 the sequel gave it a much-needed polish that honestly holds up OK to this day, imo. But HW3 has regressed back to what HW1 did in ’98 and then stripped off some of the polish so beware this plays like a very dated game.
Player agency
The game takes a lot of liberties with player agency: They've opted to remove the option to let you decide when you’re done with one level and proceed to the next. Unlike previous games (at least unlike HW1 and Cata) once you complete the last mission objective you enter a cutscene and the level ends. No time to gather resources or replace casualties taken.
One of the missions also takes a break for the Mothership to be repaired off-screen and when you are put back into control the game gives you a bunch of mine-laying corvettes, defense turrets and a carrier - units you've not researched, not built and that the game decided you should have for the next mission. The mission after that provides you with a small fleet of ships to conduct a raid – you have no hand in selecting these ships, they’re not taken from your own fleet, they’re just magicked into existence because the game decided you needed them for the story. Disappointing for a game series that used to let you build your own fleet more or less uninstructed and make it work (or not) on your own terms.
Furthermore this raid is set up to you as the player in the following way: Intel tells you to capture two disabled enemy ships - but doesn't explain why, just that he 'has a plan'. Later, during a cutscene, that plan is revealed: They are going to use these ships to sneak a strike force into the enemy camp and deliver a knock-out blow. The cutscene transitions to a cutscene where these two captured enemy ships hyperspace in, deliver said strike force and then hypserspace out. You as the player don't get to prepare for the plan, you don't get to experience sneaking in with your stolen ships, avoiding patrols or anything like that - you're not even told what the plan is until it's happening. The game tells you to do something without telling you why. Then you get to watch the plan you weren't told about begin to unfold in a cutscene and then you get to execute the plan with some resources the game created specifically for this mission. You are not a part of this plan until the very end.
Story
The story is a bit messy - though this isn't entirely its fault. HW2 already made a mess of the story of this world. The motivation for you being in control of *another* mothership and once again being given a mighty starting host of a Resource Collector and five scouts despite the Hiigarans by now being major galactic player is no more or less ham-fisted than it was in HW2. HW2 was the game who leaned fully into mysticism and Chosen One prophecies and muddled up the genre, can't really blame HW3 for not course-correcting.
However the game is *way* too in love with exposition dumping. One mission involves navigating the Mothership through an asteroid field and am not kidding when I say that playing through the mission only took marginally longer than the cutscene once I reached the end. It was five minutes if not more. The cutscenes are gorgeous and the voice acting great, but they end up becoming more distracting than rewarding. They also do not go at all for the classic Homeworld look, nor do they attempt for a twist on them like Deserts of Kharak; they’re just pre-rendered full-on cutscenes with people carrying out full conversations to advance the plot.
Honestly I half-expected for there to be a dialogue wheel after a while. The plot is fairly unsurprising so far. Everything is just very predictable and uninspired.
The story focuses on Imogen S'Jet, a descendant of Karan S'Jet. I didn't mind this switch in narrative to follow single individuals so clearly in Deserts of Kharak because that game felt so different overall (in a good way, I very much enjoyed DoK); a prequel not set in space exploring Kushan society rather than Hiigaran society like Cata did. But in a full-blown 'proper' Homeworld game I much prefer the inner workings of the ships to be a little more mysterious and up to the imagination, and for the story to follow the epic tale of *a people*, not of *persons*.
Conclusion
I backed this game on Fig years ago and I’m glad I did – if I’d paid €59 for it now and gotten it in the state it’s in I’d have felt cheated. I can’t comment on the Multiplayer or the War Mode – I only really play HW for the Singleplayer Campaigns.
Fans of Homeworld *might* enjoy it if they go in with low expectations. New players will probably find this game enjoyable enough, if a little basic and clunky to play. Neither should pay €59 for it, though.
Presentation - stunning. Gameplay – disappointing. Story - meh. 6/10

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/w6ftY8O
Uppers: https://imgur.com/a/e8B3uLE
Other items, including scope and serials: https://imgur.com/a/C5NTouP
Msr pics: https://imgur.com/a/UmW8lSp
I accept Paypal, Venmo, Cashapp, Zelle, Apple Pay.
Bundles > Dibs.

PM ME HERE: www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=ihategunz

Clone Correct URGI 10.3

Here i've got a clone correct URGI 10.3 in a smooth shade of DDC. All parts are unfired except for the CH and Upper receiver. Had this assembled and sitting in my closet for close to a year now, i love looking at it but it's time i sell some extras.
Parts List:
Surplus Colt 13629 Keyhole upper
Daniel Defense 10.3 Barrel NSN Marked w/ DD GB and Tube
Geissele 9.3" MK16 DDC
Geissele DDC ACH, NSN Marked (shade matches MK16)
Surefire 4 Prong, NSN Marked
Asking $999 shipped
Can add a c marked Colt BCG for extra

Sig 516 Complete Upper

SIG 516 OEM Upper, 14.5 P/W to 16" with SF3P Warcomp.
Catch and Release, not fired by me but swapped in Full Auto Cut BCG from a different 516, 200 rounds total.
$869 $839 shipped

WOA Barrel + Bolt + Tube

https://www.whiteoakarmament.com/3-gun-mk-1-9-223-5-56-18-1-8-twist-w-gas-tube.html
18" 1-8 twist WOA MK1.9 Barrel
WOA Matched Bolt
WOA gas tube
270 rounds
I paid $400ish + 3 months of wait.
Yours for $369 $299 shipped

Larue MBT2S

BNIB 1x curved 3x flat (not skeleton).
$105 each

Eotech VUDU 1-8 LPVO SFP HC3

Mild salt as seen in pics, comes with box and stickers and papers. Glass is clear and no scratches
$869 $809 shipped

Barrels n Muzzle and Blast Cans (all 556)

Sig 3 Prong: $29 each
1x Mini King Comp from Strike Industries: $49 shipped
16" Colt 13629 Marked Barrel with colt low profile gas block and BCM barrel nut. $199 $189 $179 shipped

BRN4 Parts from Forsaken Build

2x BNIB Operating Rods, $59 shipped each
1x Mounted unfired operating rod, $55 shipped
1x 14.5/16in Gas Blocks: $109 $99 shipped

Mounts

Weaver Extra High 34mm Rings: $79 $49 New
Aimpoint PRO Riser spacer:, $10 addon
Nightforce 30mm 20MOA ultramount 1.54": $249 $199
Aimpoint Micro OEM Mount: same as this one https://aimpoint.us/micro-standard-mount-for-h-1-h-2-kit/ very light salt, $69 $49 shipped
ADM 30mm Mounts, one is 1316, one is 1324 and has 3 in cant. Comes with quality McMaster high carbon content screws.
$169 $159 each
Aimpoint Pro low Mount: $49 shipped
Looks like this but with a picatinny mount https://aimpoint.us/aimpoint-30mm-top-ring-fits-qrp2-tnp-lrp-not-required-for-compm4-series/

Sig Stuff

Sig Brace: chunky mfer, SB15 is the model. $49 $39 $35, light salt
Sig Folding Knuckle, new, $79 $69 lshipped.
P365 grip: $25 $20, light salt
Sig MSR 1-6 with Mount, light salt on mount and one of the turrets, $239 shipped

Glock Stuff

Glock Sights: all takeoffs, $15 each. Tritium rear one is $30. $59 for all.

AK Stuff

JMAC: Non-Folding Stock/Brace Mount for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped
1913 Adapter for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped

NVG Stuff

Norotos Mount + Head Mount + J arm + Infrared tag for dog leash: $99 $89 $79 shipped

Random Shit

Magpul Sling Mount RSA: $24 shipped
Bushmaster Commercial Spec Stock: $29 shipped
Tenebraex M68-ARD, works with Aimpoint PRO: $30 light salted but no structural damage to honeycomb
Aimpoint P2 Cap OEM: free addon
Vortex Solo 10x25: like new, $69 shipped

Patches

Also patches if you would like some: https://www.reddit.com/GunAccessoriesForSale/s/NzKFRKbgjL

Hello, all: I am downsizing my accumulation (“collection” suggests something more deliberate). I have a sort of smorgasbord of pens, from a few nice-to-me pens to entry-level pens that might be good for penabling others.
Platinum 3776 Celluloid Koi: Pics here. I came across this at an estate sale several months ago. Grade: A2–I’ve dipped it twice (incl. once for this post). It does not appear to have been previously inked. It’s a beautiful pen. There has been nominal celluloid shrinkage (expected), but the barrel twists on and off with virtually no effort. It is an older model: note the scrollwork on the cap, nib size (F) written in Kanji, and how the barrel screws onto, and not into, the section. There is a patch of grey/white celluloid on the grip section that is a bit muddled, but this is typical of celluloid: $275 including shipping. Comes in original box with a converter and an ink cartridge.
Pilot Elite 95 (Japan): Pics here. Grade A2. Burgundy/creme. F nib. Purchased new last year; inked just a few times, which taught me that the nib’s side channels will ink your fingers if you occasionally hold the pen too low on the barrel (alas, no Carene or Targa in my future). Comes in original box; I will include a Con-40 converter: $80 plus shipping. SOLD
Waterman 3-V EF Flex nib: Pics here. Grade C/D+. Purchased last year when I made a brief foray into flex nibs. My knowledge of flex nibs is less-than-stellar; the nib flexes, but it takes more effort than I expected (probably user error). A new sac was installed when I purchased it. It’s a pretty pen, but it is small. Like, maybe 4mm longer than a capped Kaweco Sport-small. Lever filler works well, crisp imprints, smooth EF writer, but I graded it C/D+ grade because I don’t know the pen’s innards: $65 plus shipping. SOLD
Parker 51 Special: Pics here. Broad nib, and it writes smooth, broad, and wet. Grade: B. 14K nib, which Parker used when octanium/steel nibs were unavailable. Purchased from a reputable Parker restorer: $50 plus shipping. SOLD
Sheaffer Cadets: Pics here. Grades: B (green) /D (burgundy). F nibs. Cadets are overlooked because of their steel nibs, but IMO you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bettesmoother (yet with a hint of feedback) steel nib on a modern or vintage pen. I have two other Cadets with sentimental attachments that I am keeping. I purchased the green Cadet from Peyton Street Pens; it has crisp imprints, minimal micro scratching. The burgundy is a nice writer, but it has obvious micro scratching, light imprints, and brassing on the clip. $50 / $3O including shipping. BURGUNDY CADET SOLD
Esterbrook SJ: Pics here. Grade: B-/C+. Currently fitted with a smooth 2556 nib. I will also include a 955X nib (that could use a bit of smoothing): $35 plus shipping. SOLD
Eversharp Skyline Pen/Pencil Set: Pics here. Grades—Pen D / Pencil B. The pen has a smooth, wet M nib. See pic for defect in the derby behind/under the clip. Some micro scratching. The lever filler is a bit loose. Will lay flat, but not as tight as the Waterman or Esterbrook. The pencil is outstanding; fully stickered, filled with lead, and mechanically sound. Comes in original box: $55 including shipping.
Kaweco Sport Package: Pics here. Grades B / A2. I thought I would regret buying these pens. I was right. Pocket pens just aren’t my jam. Package is one Brass Sport, one Mint sport, one hexagonal clip, eight full packs of cartridges, and one pack (Royal Blue) sans one cartridge. I applied a layer of metal-friendly varnish to the Brass Sport grip section to minimize brass-smelling hands. Brass Sport has sardine tin-style package: $50 plus shipping. SOLD
Entry-Level/Penabling Pilot Package: Pics here and here (except Asvine V126, which has been sold). Two Pilot Metros F (lime green/black), one Pilot Prera CM/Stub (chocolate brown), one Pilot Kakuno EF. Grades: A2/A2/A2/A2. Cases included for the Metros (and maybe the Prera). I will include one Con-40 or one Con-20 converter (your choice). EF Asvine Black Matte Forest (inked once); EF Jinhao 82 (inked four times); EF Jinhao Dadao 9019 (inked twice). Grades: A2/A2/A2. Forest, 9019, and 82 include their converters: $35 including USPS Ground Advantage shipping. (I am serious about de-stashing my pens) SOLD
From China with Love Penabling Package: . EF Asvine V126 vac-filler (inked once); EF Asvine Black Matte Forest (same); EF Jinhao 82 (inked four times); EF Jinhao Dadao 9019 (inked twice). Grades: All A2. The V126 comes in its case/box. It’s a fantastic writer (I probably struggled most with selling this pen lol). It looks like there is a faint water ring at the top of the plunger from cleaning it after its one inking. 9019, 82, and Forest include their converters: $30 plus shipping. ASVINE SOLD I plan on combining the Pilot and FCWL (minus Asvine) packs into a single pack.
Note RE Shipping: I will send all pens CONUS via USPS Ground Advantage. I expect to charge $5 for mailing individual pens, $10 for mailing packages.
Please PM with any questions—thanks, all!

🪞 “It's much easier to get in that it is to get out,” Emilie Autumn used to say. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4.1 - Part 4.2
She was not wrong. Welcome back to the Asylum write-up!
In this installment, we're finally getting down to the nitty-gritty of the enmity between EA and her fans.
It's time for war. It's time for blood. It's time... for tea. 🎵

THE PRESENT DAY: “ASK ME ANYTHING (WELL, NOT QUITE)”

​

"Ask me anything" titles are catchy, and that’s why I’m using one. But, obviously, don’t ask me anything, by which I mean that, if you think I wouldn’t answer it, you’re probably right. Ask me something really good. I’d love to answer you. I’d love to have comments on these posts, in fact, so that I could answer questions there regularly and ask you things as well, but insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, or so Einstein is supposed to have said, and attempting to create yet another interactive online venue after every previous attempt has ended in heartbreak—forums, facebook groups, social media accounts—it would indeed be insanity to think that this time would be any different. So there are no comments. This too is heartbreaking in the sense that, and you may not realize this, but I desperately want to connect more completely with you—to be able to intelligently converse and share and exchange. We can do that in person, of course, because the wrong people never show up in person. Isn’t that funny… So, perhaps we’ll have to arrange that;). I’ll start you off with an example question I’d want to know if I were you (I can almost guarantee that you do not want to know this). Q. Hey EA, how do you keep your wireless bodypack transmitter secure when you are leaping about in skimpy costumes and doing frequent costume changes? Also, dye your roots. A. Fantastic question, EA, and I just dyed my roots thank you very much. ... (Deleted blog post followed by a year of radio silence, 2022 📝)

Sooo. For the past five-ish years, the vibe in the Asylum has been that of a protracted Christmas dinner where everyone is tensely moving their food around in their plate, bracing themselves for whatever will trigger the screaming match. Wondering what it's going to be this time. Weary old-timers make small talk about the food because no other topic feels safe. Every glance, every forced smile, is fraught with eons-old grudges and unspoken regrets; every nervous pleasantry sounds like a thinly-veiled accusation. Aunt Emilie always insists on hosting, but not-so-secretly hates having people over. Sooner or later, she finds a way to get all of these assholes out of her house. Most of the adult children are daydreaming about going no-contact.
Everyone ready for some dysfunctional family history?
CW for discussion of bullying, online harassment, mental illness stigma.

YE OLDEN DAYS: CUCKOOS OF A FEATHER NEST TOGETHER

In the beginning, it was beautiful.
EA had the excellent instinct to start banking on her online presence📝 long before MySpace was even a thing. She had a website, several online stores, an active LiveJournal and a ProBoards forum right from the turn of the millennium.
In 2004, she attached an official forum to her website; the earliest archive shows 74 registered users. By the time Opheliac came out in 2006, that number had grown tenfold. And it was, by most accounts, a pretty dope place to be! (I should specify that this write-up focuses on the anglophone side of the fandom: there were also thriving fan-run communities in at least German, French, and Spanish. Because EA doesn't speak any of those languages, the lucky bastards were mostly left alone.)
Forum users enjoyed interacting with some of EA's closest IRL friends and associates – and with the mistress of the house herself (user flair: PsychoFiddler), when she occasionally responded to comments under her own posts. But that wasn't even the main appeal for many. For a long time, on top of all EA-related topics, the official forum had very active “Off-Topic” subforums, with lively and friendly conversation on a variety of subjects. (There was even a “Filthy Libertines (18+)” sub for a while, which was closed due to preemptive concerns about minors.) Swear words (not slurs) were allowed and encouraged, and moderation was overall pretty loose beyond basic enforcement of civility. There was a lot of mutual support, creativity, and solid banter going around.

It wasn't just about Emilie on the forums. People could chat about almost anything with near free reign, making connections and lifelong friends. ... This community mattered SO MUCH to people. They felt included, accepted, and understood within the walls of the Asylum. People invested their time and creative energy into keeping the forums a vibrant, active community, and made sure that carried over into the real world. ... I've never seen anything like it in a fan space. I doubt I ever will again. (@Asylum_Oracle - “Fandom History” Instagram highlight 🔍📝, which contains most of the sources for this segment.)

And it did, indeed, carry over into the real world. There were numerous meet-ups – a few organized by EA, many more spontaneous. People who didn't know any other EA fans in real life, or were just excited to add new Plague Rats to their friend group, would regularly connect with other forum users from their area to meet up and hang out before EA shows. “Who else is dressing up??”
In 2008, for instance, EA held an afternoon meet-up at Lincoln Park in Chicago. 📺 The event was free to attend; it featured live acoustic music and a reading from EA's upcoming book, the intriguingly-titled Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls.
On the appointed day, EA rolled up in a fabulously tousled red wig, bedazzled white corset and steampunk-altered wedding dress. She had brought friends alongs. Sporting blue hair and a pink bustle and corset was her Chicago bestie, the main forum admin. Rocking a guitar and a top hat was EA's sound engineer, the soft-spoken wizard behind the Victoriandustrial sound, who was also a forum mod. The photographer from the original Opheliac cover art was there as well; he was formally introduced by EA and got his own round of applause.

People who would never normally be involved in an artist's fanbase were in EA's world. And not only were they known – they were respected and incredibly active with the fanbase. These people who managed an online message board were willing to engage in real-world meet-ups (with no security??) because of how tight-knit the community they had built was. People turned out to this event. People traveled to go to this event. It was a short reading of a book that hadn't been released yet, and wouldn't be for some time. Why? Because not only was it a chance to meet Emilie and listen to parts of the new book, but it was also a chance to hang out with their friends from the Asylum. ... The fandom really was a family for a lot of people. (@Asylum_Oracle)

“SERIOUSLY, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE.”

It all started with The End.
The End Records, that is! Quick refresher: in 2009, after three years or so with Trisol, EA split from the label over allegations that the owner was embezzling money from ticket sales. A few months later, she signed with The End Records. Understandably, EA still wanted to sell the album that had made her famous, and to which she had smartly retained the rights – which meant a brand new, “Deluxe” release of Opheliac. (Remember, from part 3? The one you could pre-order as a bundle with the book? Some projects are just cursed, I guess.)
At that point, Opheliac had been released three times already, as recently as the year before, with only slight variations in format and tracklist. (Yes, that is a theme in this story.) The End Records version would feature new cover art and a handful of new tracks, but overall, it was... you know... the same album.
(The following paragraphs are largely sourced from this excellent recap 🔍📝, which also provides potato screenshots for all quotes.)
One fateful day of August 2009, a user started a thread entitled “Opheliac US edition deluxe re-release??” in the “EA News” subforum. In the thread, some people were kind of balking at the re-do, pondering whether to buy the “new” Opheliac or sit this one out. Some expressed that after three years, they were jonesing for a new album. Others shared what B-sides or dream covers they would have liked to see included on the bonus disc. Just... fans being fans, in a fan discussion space.
And then EA jumped out from behind the curtains.

Fan: Okay. Before I start, I just want you to know that I think it's very good that EA is getting more popularity, and that she can release lots of albums, but - are 5 editions of the same album really needed? You may say now “ah, it's not the same, it has 2 bonus tracks” or whatever, but I mean: it's not new material. Now don't get me wrong. I'm happy for it, maybe I'll even buy it, but I'm just wondering if she shouldn't keep herself busy with other (maybe more important) stuff? * hides * EA: Nobody's forcing you to buy it. Thanks.

Record scratch.

Fan 1: is this Opheliac release version number 4? lol If she's recording NEW tracks, then surely they deserve to be sold by themselves, otherwise people are going to have to buy an album that they may have already bought twice (like me!). But... alas, I am a fool and adore everything this woman does... im buying it lol Fan 2: exactly – if it was just reissuing the last version of Opheliac to tap into new markets that would be fine (...) but if they start adding extra bits of material to albums people already have then the true muffins are going to feel obliged to buy new copies (...) EA: How exactly are you obliged to buy anything? Nobody is forcing you to spend a fucking penny, my dears. I suppose it would make more sense to you to simply not have my records available any more as the old label I just escaped from will no longer be distributing them? Forgive me for adding extra tracks. No obligation necessary.

...Okay, so I'm pretty sure that we can see both sides of the argument here. Fans are annoyed at the idea of spending money on barely-anything-new, because they love EA and buy every single CD she releases. EA is exasperated by fans acting like she's twisting their arm and somehow resenting the inclusion of new material, when she was just ensuring that her album would remain available for purchase and trying to keep things interesting.
But maybe we can also agree that those replies should have been screamed into a pillow rather than typed out on a keyboard.
EA was getting increasingly (and, I'll just say it: disproportionately) sarcastic and defensive in her replies. Enter poor FantineDormouse.
FantineDormouse meant well, I think. Maybe she thought, she's spiraling. Maybe she thought, friends don't let friends go down that road. Granted, FantineDormouse probably should have known better than to phrase it the way she did. Or to assume that EA perceived her as a friend.
Either way, at some point, FantineDormouse jumped in and posted the comment that finally made EA lose it. THE comment which, overnight, ended the honeymoon period of the Asylum, triggering a doomsday domino effect from which the fandom would never truly recover. Are you comfortably seated?

FantineDormouse: Uhm, Emilie, love, I don't mean to sound rude or anything... but maybe you should have a cup of tea and relax a little.

...
* sound of archduke getting shot *

EA: Excuse me? You can throw this onslaught of absolute cruel bullshit at me and those I work with in my own space that I own, and I can't say anything back? How fucking patronizing. Relax? Are you fucking kidding me? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? FD: I'm not trying to piss you off even more, Emilie. And trust me, I have to deal with it myself, and as much as I would really love to punch the cunts I have to deal with in the face, I don't. You're pissed off, I get it. You're bipolar, which makes it 10x worse, I get that. I'm just not the person to stand around and do nothing when a fight where I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of regret is going on.

Famous last words. Literally! Immediately after EA delivered her irate closing statement – which includes one of my all-time favorite EA zingers, bolded...

EA: I cannot believe this... You just don't stop, do you? So just because I've shared the personal information with you all that I happen to be bipolar, I can't get pissed off at all of you being perfectly awful in the very space that I pay fuckloads a month to have up (has it ever occurred to you all that I pay dearly for this space you play around in?) Why not just tell me that I must be upset because it's my time of the month? Seriously, get the fuck out of my house. You are unbelievable, and your level of patronization is almost criminal. Don't make me write another book. With muffins like you, who needs enemies? Nothing I say or feel is legitimate, not ever ever ever because I'm bipolar... discredited before I begin... unbelievable...

...FantineDormouse got permabanned.
Jaws dropped. After days of infighting between white knights, detractors, and crossfire negotiators, several mod resignations, and general mayhem surrounding the ban, EA made a post entitled “In Which: I Invite You to Make a Fucking Choice.” 📝 For brevity's sake (cue laugh track), I can't reproduce it in all of its righteous splendor, but it's quite a read. It runs the gamut from fair and articulate points about how mental illness shouldn't be used to discredit someone's legitimate anger... to histrionic commands that “deserters to the cause” should “turn in their weapons” if they can't handle her way of doing things.

To those of you who appear not to understand why said posts, most especially those of the banned party, were offensive to me, I give you the option to either educate yourselves on your own time and in your own space (because please never forget that this is my space that I share with all of you at my own expense, and in which I generally give you all the freedom I would wish for myself), or to resign your posts in the Asylum Army – this is not the place for you, and I humbly suggest that you turn your attention and support towards other artists of a more placid, non-controversial, and less opinionated nature; there are more than enough of them out there, and I’m sure they all have forums of their own.

Some fans did leave. Most stuck around, whiplashed. Soon, the storm quieted down, and business as usual resumed on the forum. But something had been damaged beyond repair. The FantineDormouse fiasco had erected walls and drawn lines in the sand, both around EA and among her fans; its sad specter would haunt every Asylum crisis that spiked up forever after. “Fucking Patronizing Fucking” or “FPF” 🔍 became memetic shorthand in the fandom for overreaction and self-righteousness. 🐀
...And now you understand why, in the following years, some fans were so delicate and diplomatic in voicing their very legitimate complaints about messed-up orders, unsigned books, and puzzling lies... while unofficial platforms like Tumblr flourished with pent-up resentment and snark. 🦠

A NOTE ON HARASSMENT: “MAD GIRL, CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO YOU?”

Wouldn't they stop When you asked them to leave you alone? (“Mad Girl”, 2008 🎵)

Now, let's be clear, because it should not be minimized: EA has also been the target of genuine online harassment. Based on the simple fact that she is a woman with a public presence on the internet, I have zero doubt that EA has received (and perhaps continues to receive) more than her share of truly vile, bigoted, creepy and threatening messages – and, knowing what I know about the darker recesses of the Asylum, a terrifying amount of emotional blackmail and obsessive projection from people who hold her to punitively high standards. I'm also inclined to believe that it started way before she ever did anything that warranted any backlash. And that fucking sucks. It's repulsive and inexcusable, and the people who harass her should crawl into a hole and live among the worms.
Notwithstanding. In my decade-plus of following EA drama, the public comments on EA's own platforms (where people knew she was likely to be reading) have been, for the most part... civil and nuanced, and relatively mindful of the human? Even very confrontational comments (some clearly written from a place of anger and desire to shame) rarely resorted to outright name-calling or cruelty. When abusive or bigoted language did crop up, it was often promptly shut down by other fans as gross and uncalled for. In short: I have, with mine own two eyes, in real time, read some of the comment sections that EA described as cesspools of blind rage and odious attacks, and... I just couldn't see it.
If anything, for a long time, a lot of the angry comments directed at EA during any given controversy read more like break-up letters to an ex-best friend: harsh, curt and targeted in a way that cuts deep.... but also kind of screams how much love you still have for this person, against your better judgement.
Not that it wouldn't mess a person up to get hundred of those in a matter of hours, even if they don't individually qualify as “abusive”.
It's worth noting that prior to becoming semi-famous and regretting it, EA was also (by her own account and among other forms of abuse) a victim of intense childhood bullying. It feels like the two situations are closely connected in her mind when her focus seamlessly transitions from one to the other. 📺 I don't think that tremor in her voice is put on.
Based on her writings, I get the feeling that over the years, EA has developed a very black-and-white view of two monolithic groups of people. There's (an idealized vision of) her “real audience”, well-dressed, well-read, kind-hearted, and Asylum-savvy, who she fully trusts to “get it” – and buy it, and love it, unquestioningly, whatever “it” may be at any given time – because that is the true measure of love and loyalty. These are the people she makes art and merch for, the people she writes heart-emoji-filled newsletters to, and desperately longs to see in person again.
And then there's the lynch mob, those who really don't “get it”: the trolls, the faceless creeps, the basement-dwelling mouthbreathers, the ones who stalk her every move obsessively, waiting for any chance to spam her with vicious abuse and slander and obscenities. The latter only exist online (they are manifested into arbitrary existence by the internet itself, not by anything EA said or did), and there is zero overlap between the two sets of people. That seems to be the official narrative.

The "public eye" isn't an [enviable] place to be, and the closer I've come to it, the more horrified I've been. Because, for starters, who is "the public?" Is "the public" my audience? Hell no. My audience is special. They are not the general public. If they were the general public I would be a lot wealthier. The "public eye" means getting stalked, harassed, viscously judged, and put in danger. If I do things in the future that gain notoriety, I will do them in spite of fame, not because of it. I am out for world domination, but not fame. (Interview for The Moaning Times, 2014 📝)

In real life (well, mostly online, but I mean: on this shared plane of existence), things play out slightly differently. The Venn diagram of “true blue fans” and “people who criticize EA" and "people who know way too much about EA” is a circle. The call is 100% coming from inside the Asylum, and I think EA rationally knows that. But here's the thing: no matter how many shows and meet-and-greets you've dressed up for, how many loving and supportive comments you've left, or how many family heirlooms you once pawned to purchase a copy of the not-for-sale 2003 DJ pressing of Enchant... the instant EA feels attacked, everyone is a saboteur and a bully until proven otherwise, and suspected treason is dealt with on the spot. One strike, you're out. Unfortunately for everyone involved, her threshold for bullying seems to be “any remotely thoughtless opinion from any stranger on the internet”.
It makes for outstanding human-interest entertainment... but it also sounds an awful lot like the unhealthy patterns of a person suffering from all sorts of PTSD. 🔍 So, please bear that in mind as you read through this write-up. It's easy to make EA out to be the sole villain, a paranoid and delusional drama queen, based on her extreme reactions to things that often “weren't that bad”. Anything can, in fact, be “that bad” when you're thrown back into the very worst moments of your existence every time your brain decides that the situation is even remotely similar.
PTSD takes over your rational mind and actively distorts your perception of reality. That can be how a person ends up impulse-reacting to “a few people expressing an unfavorable opinion” as if the entire internet had just ganged up on them with knives. Which makes their audience feel unjustly accused, which makes them hostile, which gives the person actual good reason to feel attacked... and so the cycle of hurt continues.

You know the games I play And the words I say When I want my own way You know the lies I tell When you've gone through hell And I say I can't stay You know how hard it can be To keep believing in me When everything and everyone Becomes my enemy, and when There's nothing more you can do I'm gonna blame it on you – It's not the way I wanna be I only hope that in the end You will see: It's the Opheliac in me... (“Opheliac”, 2006 🎵)

And YES, it is extremely regrettable to have this as a trigger, when you're a public figure and you're bound to receive more negative feedback than the average citizen. “It's what she signed up for”, “it comes with the territory” and all that jazz. I really don't think EA was unaware of that fact when she decided to become a musician, share her personal life, and form an intense parasocial bond with her audience. But maybe she underestimated how hard it would be to process and recover from.
Just because you expect something unpleasant to happen, doesn't mean your psyche will be ready to handle it when it does – or that you'll pick the best and most effective strategy to deal with it.

A MADHOUSE UNDER MARTIAL LAW: MARCHING INTO THE FORUM WARS

There are two sides to every story... except for this one! (“If I Burn”, 2012 🎵)

You may have noted the military imagery in EA's “Make a Fucking Choice” response post – “resign your post in the Asylum Army”! What do psychiatry and the military have in common? They're both institutions of top-down social control. 🔍 EA's mixed metaphor may be a bit clunky, but it did foreshadow the evolution of the Asylum – in terms of aesthetics and power dynamics – in the years that followed the FantineDormouse incident and the release of The Book.
EA's next big release after the Asylum book came in 2012. It was a new album, an outline of the soon-to-be Asylum musical, called Fight Like a Girl (FLAG for short). As the name suggests, the main mood was bellicose. Incidentally, in the interim years, EA's communication style generally became noticeably more combative, incendiary, and (within her own spaces) controlling.📝 You remember those quirky word filters on the forum, that would change “fan” to “muffin” and “bra” to “teacup holder”? They kind of took on a Nineteen-Eighty-Four-burlesque flavor when you realized that one filter automatically changed “Fischkopf” to “Liddell” - and that circumventing the rule to address her totally real last name would get you banned, as would any discussion of her family. (“Wikipedia, random internet sites and heresay are not credible sources.” - Mod reminder of forum rules, 2010.)
Also, you try sustaining a serious, grown-up conversation among concerned fans about how Emilie Autumn should “take ratsponsibility for her mistakes out of ratspect for her muffins”. Thus, the official Asylum forum kept a tight grip on overt criticism of EA's claims and actions.

The Emilie Autumn forum is a dystopian hell. Truth be told, when I decided to leave you could not do anything but gush about Emilie. Otherwise all of her extremist arse kissing fans will be down your throat, ripping you apart in seconds, if you so much as questioned her behaviour. So much for freedom of opinion, let alone the idea of creating a harmonious community for ‘outcasts’. Hahaha. (2014 🐀)

The word filter thing really wasn't a big deal – I'm just pointing it out as one goofy expression of EA's need to control the narrative and rhetoric, which became especially noticeable in those post-book, pre-FLAG years. By that point, EA's fuse had been shortened by near on half a decade of non-stop touring / recording / writing / promoting / adjusting to the pressure and demands of an ever-growing fanbase, while also dealing with a horrorshow of personal turmoil and health issues behind the scenes. In other words: she was done taking any shit, in any form, or humoring anyone's ridiculous feedback regarding anything.
To be fair, it was never her forte to begin with. Will it come as a shock if I tell you that EA doesn't have the greatest track record for successful collaborative work? Let's do a quick-cut montage!
EA's very first corporate sponsor was her mother's “Enchant Clothing & Costume” online store 🔍; she went on to claim that her mother was dead. She sessioned for Billy Corgan, that went super well. 🎵 She liked Courtney Love for a minute, but that didn't work out because she felt that Courtney only valued her for her pee. 📝 (It probably didn't help that in early 2006, while EA was recording her post-break-up-tell-all album about Corgan, C-Love was recording her post-rehab-redemption album with Corgan. 🔍 Either way, EA didn't seem to like Courtney anymore after that. Courtney likes her, though! 📝) The one artist EA has ever approached for a duet (and by approached, I mean she recorded a demo and threw the CD on stage when he played Chicago in 2004) was, of all people, Morrissey. That never came to pass, thank mercy 🔍 – this fandom has suffered enough. In 2005, EA recorded some haunting vocals and violins for a potential collab with the frontman of Attrition. When, three years later, they were used on one track 🎵 of Attrition's All Mine Enemies Whisper, she alleged 📝 that the recordings had been obtained from her under the false pretense of a different project, then hideously altered to sound “out of tune”, and used without her permission. She enlisted her fans to boycott the album and the band, and threatened legal action. Meanwhile, on LiveJournal and Attrition's message boards, band associates were appalled: according to them, EA had been aware of the project's nature from the start... and had been completely unreachable, even through her label, during the months of its development. (Besides, Attrition is a semi-obscure English darkwave band from the 80s, whose micro-distributed albums don't even have their own Wikipedia pages... so I wonder what EA was hoping to get out of that theoretical lawsuit. These people own nothing but vintage gain pedals!) The song “Cold Hard Cash” 🎤 by Angelspit (who contributed a remix to one of her EPs in 2008) may or may not be an EA diss track. 🐀 Back when indie jewelry brand RockLove (which now has licensing deals with Disney, Marvel, and DC) was still someone's bedroom project, their first drop was an EA-inspired collection 🔍, which appears in many early Opheliac photoshoots. The partnership was terminated on bad terms, for unclear reasons; the RockLove owner shared in a statement that EA had “drunk the cool-aid” of Trisol Guy's shady business practices, and that the two of them had been spamming her with “crazed angry message[s]” for days.
Why am I talking about this? Because it was precisely one such ill-fated business partnership that triggered the Great Asylum Secession.
One fine day of spring 2010, the owner of vegan make-up brand Aromaleigh popped onto the Asylum forum to announce that they were cutting ties with EA, with damning receipts of copy-pasted emails (lost to time). Basically, the brand had been sponsoring her for half a decade, and while Aromaleigh had been actively promoting her music and tours, EA hadn't exactly been returning the favor. (Indeed, the extent of EA's sponcon seemed to have been a banner link to their website on her front page, and a single “random drunken endorsement” LiveJournal post that kind of reads like satire📝, from 2005.)
EA responded by banning the owner's account, deleting the thread, and posting this flippant statement a few days later:

Dearest Plague Rats, To be honest, I have no idea of what the hell happened with Aromaleigh, and I don't care to find out – the whole drama is a complete mystery to me, as I've been away for months touring and have not been in contact with anyone. All I know is that I've been promoting the company for ages and have not asked them for anything in years. (...) Please focus on more interesting things. I am. (“Save the Drama...” forum post, March 2010)

Posts questioning her good faith in the conflict were deleted from the forum. Shortly thereafter, citing how prolific and labor-intensive the Asylum forum had grown, EA shut down all non-EA related subforums – which, among many other topics, included a pretty active thread about Aromaleigh products.
So one Plague Rat decided to create a separate, members-only forum 📝, where users could recreate some of the now-defunct off-topic threads... and also freely voice their critical opinions of EA's behavior without fear of backlash from mods or rabid stans. Thus, “The Reform” was born. (Reform [n]: amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved.)
For a few weeks, the two-state solution seemed to work fine. And then word spread among forum mods and other diehard fans that there was this horrid other forum, where obsessive haters gathered to spew disgusting lies and vitriol about EA... and soon enough, it was bedlam in the Asylum.
Any explicit mention of the Reform was forbidden on the Asylum forum. Suspicion of participation in the Reform would get you banned. The party line was that The Reform was the enemy 🐀 – even though a number of people were active on both forums, because they liked freedom of expression almost as much as they liked EA. Double agents would lurk on the forum and report back with snark material; sycophants would infiltrate the Reform to identify traitors – much to the amusement of the “haters”, who mocked them and their ilk for “licking EA's pink sparkly boots”. There was no containing the seething, or the sass, among Asylum ranks.
Pretty soon, the insubordination spread to Tumblr. There was the “Ask the Reform” Q&A blog, where questioning fans could interact with “Rebel Rats”, get more details on past drama, and make up their own minds about the people EA called bullies.
And then, there were the “confession blogs”, which published anonymous submissions about EA, positive, negative or neutral, with little censorship. Finally, you didn't even have to pick a throw-away username on a private forum to voice your hottest / strangest / most controversial EA takes. Fans could vent, rant, lament, wonder, shitpost to their heart's content, anonymously. Obviously, given the context of frustration and censorship in the fandom, a lot of the first waves of confessions were EXTREMELY negative.
EA's acolyte Veronica managed to get the first one shut down. If memory serves, she misunderstood the confession blog format, and may have believed that all the posts on “Emilie Autumn Confessions” came from one or a small group of individuals. She was genuinely devastated, and wrote the blog admin to let them know that they were a terrible person who said terrible things. The admin was mortified, apologized profusely and deleted the blog of their own initiative. (Which goes to show that the concept did not come from cruel and malicious anti-fans, as detractors often claimed.)
But a new blog sprung up almost immediately, with a different mod team, and did not surrender. And much like in EA's own book, once the Plague Rats found out that they possessed the gift of speech... well, they really took to it.
Established in 2011 and passed on through generation after generation of mod teams to the present day, Wayward Victorian Confessions would turn out to be the longest-lived institution in the EA fandom. For over a decade now, through all the bleakest nights and dankest debacles of the Asylum, and despite its initial reputation as a troll den, WVC has acted as a kind of neutral ground and vox populi for the active fanbase and anti-fanbase. (The last nominally-active EA fansite to date, She Fights Like a Girl, is actually an offshoot of WVC: one of the old admins created it as a database to answer “frequently asked questions” about EA.)
Wayward Victorian Confessions has now outlived every other EA platform, official and unofficial. Were it not for the continued existence of the “troll den”, what little fan community survives in 2024 would be non-existent, plain and simple. To quote from late 20th century Canadian philosophy: isn't it ironic?

I feel like [WVC] is the only place I feel any of that old Asylum community kind of feeling I felt before EA got so focused on the book. It sucks that it’s so full of unhappiness, and I wish she hadn’t poisoned the sanctuary she claimed to have built. It’s just kind of fallen apart, like a crumbling building. (🐀 2016)

CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

Like ACR in the Sims 2 but for all interactions not just romance.
I want my Sims or [insert life sim character] to do things that surprise me. I know some players like to micro manage everything in their game but it just makes the characters feel static to me.
My laptop is too crap to run the Sims 3 efficiently (which is my favourite sims game even though I grew up on the Sims 2, just wish the character models were better), so I'm just sticking with the Sims 2 and I love it when my characters commit random actions that make or break a relationship. Like when I had Sim A flirt with Sim C, causing them to have a crush on one another, even though I initially intended Sim A to be with Sim B, who I designed to be their perfect match (And this was pre ACR). That can ruin the gameplay for some but it entirely enhances it for me by adding twists in the story line.
I have an auto-break up mod by midgethetree (which seems to be broken in my game currently) and I remember when I made a test couple who were married to try out a neighbourhood I was making. As soon as I moved them in they started arguing, became furious with one another, then the wife decided to break up with the husband. It was hilarious to me, and made my game feel like it had life, especially since it happened so quickly.
I'd love a simulation game where you not only had the option to turn free will on and off but had different levels of it, where high free will allows your sim to spontaneously make life decisions (try for a baby, quit their job, end a friendship, propose etc.) of course affected by their personality.
I'd also like relationships to be more dynamic, where even though two sims should get along on paper they can't seem to stand each other no matter how many interactions you spam—
Siblings that don't like each other because one gets more attention than the other—jealousy that's not just with romantic relationships.
(I know the Sims 4 added features like this to the game; sentiments, family dynamics etc. but I don't know whether it actually affects or not, maybe some Sims 4 players can weigh in).
I'd also like detailed family trees like in the Sims 3 because I love making really big, dysfunctional ones 😂

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/LnNMiHK
Uppers: https://imgur.com/a/e8B3uLE
Other items, including scope and serials: https://imgur.com/a/C5NTouP
Msr pics: https://imgur.com/a/UmW8lSp
I accept Paypal, Venmo, Cashapp, Zelle, Apple Pay.
Bundles > Dibs.

PM ME HERE: www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=ihategunz

Clone Correct URGI 10.3

Here i've got a clone correct URGI 10.3 in a smooth shade of DDC. All parts are unfired except for the CH and Upper receiver. Had this assembled and sitting in my closet for close to a year now, i love looking at it but it's time i sell some extras.
Parts List:
Surplus Colt 13629 Keyhole upper
Daniel Defense 10.3 Barrel NSN Marked w/ DD GB and Tube
Geissele 9.3" MK16 DDC
Geissele DDC ACH, NSN Marked (shade matches MK16)
Surefire 4 Prong, NSN Marked
Asking $999 shipped
Can add a c marked Colt BCG for extra

Sig 516 Complete Upper

SIG 516 OEM Upper, 14.5 P/W to 16" with SF3P Warcomp.
Catch and Release, not fired by me but swapped in Full Auto Cut BCG from a different 516, 200 rounds total.
$869 $839 shipped

WOA Barrel + Bolt + Tube

https://www.whiteoakarmament.com/3-gun-mk-1-9-223-5-56-18-1-8-twist-w-gas-tube.html
18" 1-8 twist WOA MK1.9 Barrel
WOA Matched Bolt
WOA gas tube
270 rounds
I paid $400ish + 3 months of wait.
Yours for $369 $299 shipped

Larue MBT2S

BNIB 1x curved 4x flat (not skeleton).
$105 each

Eotech VUDU 1-8 LPVO SFP HC3

Mild salt as seen in pics, comes with box and stickers and papers. Glass is clear and no scratches
$869 $809 shipped

Barrels n Muzzle and Blast Cans (all 556)

Sig 3 Prong: $29 each
1x Mini King Comp from Strike Industries: $49 shipped
16" Colt 13629 Marked Barrel with colt low profile gas block and BCM barrel nut. $199 $189 $179 shipped

BRN4 Parts from Forsaken Build

2x BNIB Operating Rods, $59 shipped each
1x Mounted unfired operating rod, $55 shipped
1x 14.5/16in Gas Blocks: $109 $99 shipped

Mounts

Weaver Extra High 34mm Rings: $79 $49 New
Aimpoint PRO Riser spacer:, $10 addon
Nightforce 30mm 20MOA ultramount 1.54": $249 $199
Aimpoint Micro OEM Mount: same as this one https://aimpoint.us/micro-standard-mount-for-h-1-h-2-kit/ very light salt, $69 $49 shipped
ADM 30mm Mounts, one is 1316, one is 1324 and has 3 in cant. Comes with quality McMaster high carbon content screws.
$169 $159 each
Aimpoint Pro low Mount: $49 shipped
Looks like this but with a picatinny mount https://aimpoint.us/aimpoint-30mm-top-ring-fits-qrp2-tnp-lrp-not-required-for-compm4-series/

Sig Stuff

Sig Brace: chunky mfer, SB15 is the model. $49 $39 $35, light salt
Sig Folding Knuckle, new, $79 $69 lshipped.
P365 grip: $25 $20, light salt
Sig MSR 1-6 with Mount, light salt on mount and one of the turrets, $249 shipped

Glock Stuff

Glock Sights: all takeoffs, $15 each. Tritium rear one is $30. $69 for all.

AK Stuff

JMAC: Non-Folding Stock/Brace Mount for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped
1913 Adapter for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped
MOE K2 AK Grip: FDE BNIB, $15

NVG Stuff

Norotos Mount + Head Mount + J arm + Infrared tag for dog leash: $99 $89 $79 shipped

Random Shit

Magpul Sling Mount RSA: $24 shipped
Bushmaster Commercial Spec Stock: $29 shipped
Tenebraex M68-ARD, works with Aimpoint PRO: $35 light salted but no structural damage to honeycomb
Aimpoint P2 Cap OEM: free addon
Vortex Solo 10x25: like new, $69 shipped

Patches

Also patches if you would like some: https://www.reddit.com/GunAccessoriesForSale/s/NzKFRKbgjL

Yesterday, I commented to you. I did that attempting to apologize, show some form of comradery, and show that I was trying to listen.
My sister believes she IS taylor swift, and uses this to slurp mojo while watching me masturbate.
That's why I'm avoiding sexual and romantic contacts right now. My mother and sister are stealing it for themselves, and using it for their own horrible purposes.
Watch Wednesday the TV show. Wednesday is my mother and the hand is myself. That's how my family sees me, as a thing they employ for whatever they want.
Making sexual or romantic contact strengthens that connection, so I've set both aside for now. They also lead me to believe that women don't want me. They also lead me to believe my orgasmic mojo is 'too much' for 'ordinary' women (which means every woman in creation except them).
I didn't mean to lead anyone on, these two hags have some skin walking ability, and are very determined, and hit me in my sleep every single day.
My own family is sexually exploiting me, and using other women's faces to accomplish it.
If I orgasm to anyone except someone of their choosing, they get people to attack me in different ways.
This is what my family is really like. They have me trapped here, with no choice but to stay here or become homeless.
They witchcraft me all day and night using their flying monkeys, and are incredibly violent to me.
I need your help. As a group of people who have used me and claim to love me, I need help from you. Real, practical help I can use to free myself from these awful women.
I seem hateful, and I'm not (I'm not doing that today, the knots thing). I'm surrounded by feral hags and a swarm of micro spells.
I need freedom from these women. For life. Zero contact possible. No infor.ation must ever reach them.
Why these half-graduates are allowed to raise men is beyond understanding. This isn't misogyny. I don't hate women.
I didn't twist my words here.
My sister pretends to be taylor if and when I've expressed sexual or romantic interest.
I haven't orgasmed in many days because the hags are so fucking gross about it, and confused to an extreme.
My sister actually thinks i want sexual contact with her. That's the only reason I'm here, and not free. If I display control or awareness or ability, she swoops in, fucks my head up, and says 'he doesn't really understand'.
They genuinely believe, simultaneously, that my orgasms can hurt cam girls because I'm 'too much', and that the color purple can't be good.
Yall, what the goddamn fuck? This is so batshit crazy its insane.

I don't know I don't know what's wrong with you girls I feel like y'all don't need love You need somebody who can micro-manage you You know what I'm sayin'? Tell you right from wrong Who's smart from who's a fool Which utensil to use for which food, like I got a schedule to attend to though I can't really 6ix
You bitches really get carried away Makin' mistakes, then you beg me to stay Got me wiggin' on you like I'm Arrogant Tae You got my mind in a terrible place Whipped and chained you, like American slaves Act like you not used to Sheraton stays I met the nigga you thought could replace How were there even comparisons made? This next time, I swear on my grandmother grave I'm slimin' you for them kid choices you made Slimin' you out, slimin' you out, slimin' you out
Ayy This ain't the littest I could get on you bitches Sent wires on wires on wires, like Idris Lucky that I don't take back what was given I could have you on payment plan 'til you're hundred and fifty And my slime right here, she got some bars for y'all niggas So I'ma fall back and let SZA talk her shit for a minute
Slimin' you out, slimin' you out, slime
Damn, these niggas got me so twisted How the fuck you so real, but play bitch on my line? I can feel what you spinnin' Got too much pride to let no burnt nigga slime me out Pull up, go write about, my night, got time Let's discuss all those lies about Frontin' out here, like you diggin' me out And I ain't even cummin', I'm in and out And you ain't 'bout the shit you rappin' about And I can spin the ho', I'm airin' it out I'm goin' off like it's sawed-off You tellin' these hoes you ain't cuddlin' But with me you know, you doin' all that shit You tellin' these hoes you ain't trickin' off But with me you know, I'm gon' get it all How you niggas get so carried away? Trippin' when that dick is barely third place Fucked out of pity, it's cute that you lame Dip 'cause it's mid, I can't fake like it's hangin' Slimin' you out, I'm slimin' you out, I'm slimin' you out Oh-whoa oh, whoa
Yeah January, you pretend to see life clearly, yearly February is the time that you put the evil eye and the pride aside For the fantasy of gettin' married, very scary March got you already second guessin' titles April, Spring is here, and just like a spring you start to spiral May brings some warmer days Poolside gettin' very tan June have you movin' ice cold, goin' back and forth with a married man July, that's when I found out you lied August, it was "Baby this", "Baby that", like you had your tubes tied September, we fallin' off, but I'm still the man you tryna win over October is all about me, 'cause your turn should've been over November, got you moodboardin' for next year and you're single December the gift givin' month, and now you wanna rekindle, I
Tryna build trust, showin' me your DM's, how they tryna bag you Ironic how the news I got about you ended up bein' bad news Get a nigga hit for fifty racks, girl, the beef cost, like it's Wagyu Get a nigga hit, I'll make his ass see the light, like a half-moon Shout to QC, pretty sure I made P M's, like it's past noon All I really know is W's and M's, life lookin' like a bathroom All I really know is M bags, like I drove through in with a fast food Sayin' that I'm too guarded with my feelings, who the fuck even asked you? Seven bodyguards, just in case somebody really wanna try and crash through Don't know why I listen to you when I hear you talkin' to me, it's some half-truths If I don't pay your rent, it end up like a old hairstyle, girl, it's past due If I don't
Ah, ah, that's as far as I got

This is taken from and is copyright protected by globalsoup.net, a website that promotes flash Fiction with annual writing contests.
I am reprinting these Flash Fiction Prompts because they are outstanding ways to freewrite and offer plenty to work with for those who want to learn how to write Flash Fiction.
So check out these prompts and the article and work some of them into your journal! Post the best responses!
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts - Plus Bonus Prompts!
We’ve put together 100 flash fiction prompts, each one designed for a very short story. These prompts will probably be best suited to a story of between 300-1,000 words. If you want to write a longer story using these prompts, you can easily expand these ideas to fit a story of any length.
What is flash fiction?
Flash Fiction is defined as a very short story that can be anywhere from just a couple of words to about a thousand in length. The beauty (and difficulty) of writing flash fiction lies in trying to tell a complete story in so few words. Great flash fiction is succinct, emotive, thought-provoking, and impactful.
What’s the difference between flash fiction and a short story?
The only difference between flash fiction and a typical short story is the word count. However, this scarcity of words means that writing flash fiction can feel like a completely new skill. Just like the short story is a different animal to the novel or novella; flash fiction is kind of unique.
When writing flash, you’ll need to use fewer characters, a simpler plot, and you’ll have to make each word count. This is why editing is so important. You have to be brutal. Cut out everything superfluous and really make sure each and every word is performing an important function in the story. If you’re interested in writing very short fiction, why not check out drabbles? Drabbles are stories of exactly 100 words in length, and they can be a great way to practice keeping your stories very, very short.
How to plot a flash fiction story
When you sit down to write flash fiction, you must begin by choosing an appropriate plot. You cannot simply use a short story plot and tell it using fewer words. A typical flash fiction plot is like looking at one part of a story under a microscope.
For example, let’s look at prompt #21 in our list of 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat. If you were writing a novel about a sinking ship, you’d probably want the actual sinking to be the climax of the story. Of course, there are infinite ways to write a novel about a sinking ship, but this would structurally be the most obvious. You’d use the first part of the novel to introduce your characters and describe the voyage leading up to the sinking and the sinking of the ship would be the dramatic climax, leaving the last part of the book as the resolution.

The golden rule of writing short stories is to begin as close to end as you can. So, to turn the same story from novel to short story, you’d probably want to begin with the ship sinking. You haven’t got time to introduce the characters before the action begins, so you’d need to feed in exposition and backstory here and there during the events.
All stories need a good climax. So, you would find the most dramatic moment in the story and build up to it. Perhaps your climax would be the two main characters having to decide who will take the remaining seat on the last lifeboat.
Finally, you need a resolution. In a longer short story you do have time to bring in some kind of satisfying resolution at the end.
But, if you’re writing flash fiction and your story is only a few hundred words, you really need to zoom in on one tiny moment in that story.
You don’t have time to tell the entire story of a sinking ship, but you can turn one moment into a story.
We’ve chosen the lifeboat situation as the key moment in this hypothetical story. Two characters must decide which one of them will take the last seat on the last lifeboat. This is an appropriate plot for flash fiction because it’s simple, high-stakes, dramatic, and thought provoking.
Not all flash fiction will have a plot quite this dramatic, but all great flash fiction will have a plot that can be expressed in just one or two sentences.
If you have a plot in mind, but it seems more suitable for a longer story, you can sometimes find several flash fiction plots hidden within it. Just look for little stories within the story, like the lifeboat moment in our hypothetical tale of the sinking ship.
This brings us to our top tip for coming up with ideas for flash fiction stories:
if you’re ever stuck for ideas, you can find little stories within the story in books, movies, and TV shows. A full length feature film might have as many as 20 little incidents in it that could easily be flash fiction.
Don’t directly write a story based on the film, though. Just carefully pick out those little moments, write down what’s happening as a one or two sentence plot, and then use it to inspire your own, completely original flash fiction story.
One of our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts was actually taken from the movie Pulp Fiction!
How to write very short flash fiction
There are several reasons writers might start writing flash fiction. Of course, it could be that they just love and enjoy the form, but sometimes they’ll be a more strategic and practical reason at play.
Perhaps they want to practise the process of writing stories within the confines of a certain word limit. Maybe they are trying to develop a daily writing routine and they don’t have a lot of free time. It could be that they’re trying to break a habit of not finishing writing projects, or perhaps they are entering a flash fiction competition.
Whatever the reason, very often when we sit down to write flash, we must work under an imposed or self-imposed word restraint. We’ve set ourselves (or been set) the task of keeping the story under a particular number of words.
So, how do you plot a flash fiction story when you have to keep your story very, very short.
We’re not going to discuss stories of 100 words or fewer here. Technically, those stories are still flash, however, we prefer to categorise 100 word stories as drabbles and anything under 100 words as micro fiction.
But what if you have to keep your flash fiction story under, let’s say, 300 words? How do you write a flash fiction story that short?
The answer is: get your microscope out again. Remember earlier when we said writing flash fiction is like looking at part of a story under a microscope? If you have to write very short flash fiction, you’ll need to zoom in even further.
Let’s look at a couple of examples from our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to the story, you could have time to tell the story of the entire fight. With only 300 words, it might be better to zoom in on the very moment when the boxer must choose whether or not to go down.
In a longer flash fiction story you might have time to go into detail about why he’s in this situation and why he’s so conflicted. In a 300 word story, you might only devote one or two sentences to his gambling debt and the large sum of money waiting for him if he goes down in the third round, as instructed.

1. A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to this story, you might be able to write about the whole process of choosing what to take and what to leave behind. You might be able to mention many different choices and have the whole family participate in the story. You’d be able to go into some details about certain choices and the stories behind individual objects or mementos, as well as the implications of choosing certain things over others.
With only 300 words, it would be advisable to zoom in on one member of the family and to focus on one profound and important choice.
How to write a flash fiction story
Now you have your mini plot, you still need to make sure your flash fiction feels like a complete story. It should still have a beginning, middle, and an end.
Just like a short story, you may need to bring in a little exposition here and there to give texture, context, backstory, and to bring some depth to the characters. But, unlike a short story, you won’t necessarily need to end with a full, detailed resolution. It’s quite common for a flash fiction story to end with a quick twist or plenty of ambiguity.
Flash Fiction is much more about eliciting emotions and provoking thought, than setting up and resolving a complex story.
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts
A young ballet dancer chooses not to tell the other dancers in her troop about a loose paving stone outside their dance studio.
Two sisters realise they’ve both been on a perfect first date … with the same man.
On the car journey home, two parents realise they’ve left their child’s favourite teddy on a park bench several hours away.
A writer suffering from writers’ block looks for inspiration in a strange place.
Set 200 years in the future, a young man realises he’s too emotionally dependent on his robot assistant.
A young woman discovers she’s taken the wrong suitcase home from the airport. The contents of the case make her question her own life choices.
A murderer realises he has only 10 minutes to dispose of a body.
A child decides to walk home by themselves after their parent forgets to pick them up from school … again.
Your protagonist manages to talk the grim reaper out of collecting their soul.
Your protagonist suddenly realises they’ve been living in a simulation.
A young couple has chosen to spend the night in a haunted house to fix their marriage. Your story starts just as things get very weird.
Your protagonist finds a letter they wrote to themselves when they were a teenager.
Your protagonist must decide whether or not to drink from a fountain that erases all painful memories from the mind.
Your protagonist comes across a street called ‘Memory Lane’. They quickly realise the name is eerily apt.
A bride finds out something startling about her future husband an hour before the wedding.
Your protagonist finds an advertisement for a company that promises everlasting youth.
A youngest sibling shows up at a family reunion they weren’t actually invited to.
Your protagonist finds a piece of paper with a spell on it. If they say the words out loud they aren't sure if something terrible or wonderful will happen.
Your protagonist is watching a jazz band play when they realise they know the drummer from somewhere — but where? It takes a whole song for them to figure it out.
Your protagonist must meet their ex for lunch to tell them they’re now engaged. It’s been just a few weeks since they split up.
Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat.
During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.
Your protagonist must pack their belongings before moving to a new colony on mars.
A pilot realises they have lost control of their aircraft.
Your protagonist doesn’t want to attend their 100th birthday party — and for good reason!
Your protagonist gets stuck in a lift with their ex … 5 minutes after breaking up with them.
A child says goodbye to the fairies in his garden before moving to a new home.
Your protagonist saves someone’s life … and then wishes they hadn’t.
Your protagonist arrives at a blind date. They’ve been set up with someone they actually know a little too well.
Set in a dystopian future in which public displays of affection are banned, your protagonist faces an agonising choice.
An agoraphobic must face their fear in order to save something important.
Your protagonist must make her partner fall out of love with them. Both their lives depend on it.
Your protagonist is hiking with her small children, they come face to face with a grizzly bear and her cubs.
Cinderella and Prince Charming realise they got married too quickly.
A message written in graffiti on a bathroom wall has serious implications for your protagonist.
Your protagonist finds a bag, looks inside, and realises the owner might just be their soulmate.
Your protagonist has been seeing the same stranger everywhere they go for months. They finally decide to confront them.
A couple realise their relationship is over during the trip of a lifetime. They’ve been saving up for the trip for years.
A public debate sees two previously married people letting their private grievances come into their arguments.
Your protagonist plans their escape from a retirement home.
A couple realise their fundamental beliefs are at odds with each other.
An artist develops an obsession with drawing a next-door neighbour.
Your protagonist finds themselves trapped in a cabin with a group of hikers during a heavy snowfall.
An ice skater must face going back on the ice after a dangerous fall.
A couple must decide their plan for New Year’ Eve. They both have secret reasons for their choice.
A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.
Your protagonist is waiting for someone important at the airport. They begin to think that person isn’t going to show up … and then they realise why.
Your protagonist must find their way through a maze. What they find in the middle of the maze is the last thing they were expecting.
An actor waiting in the wings has forgotten his first line.
Your protagonist is wrongly identified as a hero. Do they come clean?
Your protagonist realises their past is catching up with them.
Your protagonist overhears something that has serious implications for them while trying on clothes in a changing room.
Your protagonist is in a costume shop trying to decide what to dress up as for Halloween.
Your protagonist realises they’ve slipped into an alternate dimension.
A surgeon must make an impossible choice on the operating table.
A pregnant journalist interviews the mother of a missing child.
Your protagonist must ask his girlfriend’s father for his blessing, only to discover the father knows his deepest secret.
Your protagonist sees something on social media that will change their life forever.
Two work colleagues realise they’ve been dreaming the same dreams for weeks.
A reluctant daughter comes to terms with having to carry on the family business.
Your protagonist realises she must go on the run.
Two bank robbers disagree on their plan to rob a bank. This leads to a disastrous consequence.
A strange case of deja vous leaves your protagonist convinced of supernatural interference.
A sceptic begins to question their beliefs during a psychic reading.
Your protagonist uncovers a scandal at their workplace.
A hapless cook tries to recreate her late father’s favourite recipes in an effort to feel connected to him.
Your protagonist has a premonition that makes them certain they can’t visit their mother-in-law for Christmas. Now he must convince his husband.
A young backpacker discovers something unexpected in a cave.
An impulsive character and an indecisive character are brought together by chance. They must make an important choice.
Two characters cleaning up after a party discover an object that sheds light on something strange that happened earlier.
Two strangers are trapped together during a blackout.
Your protagonist must take a leap of faith in order to save something important to them.
Your protagonist discovers a huge part of their life has been a lie.
Your protagonist has set up an elaborate way to propose. Inexplicably, everything goes wrong.
Your protagonist must buy a dress for her mother’s funeral.
Your protagonist goes back to her favourite city in the world, only to find it has completely changed.
While stargazing, your protagonist realises the stars are forming secret messages in the sky.
Your protagonist hears a news story on the radio that will mean the world changes forever. However, she seems to be the only person who heard it.
Your protagonist is crossing a frozen lake. They see something under the ice that definitely shouldn’t be there.
A workaholic must come to terms with retirement.
An Olympic athlete must decide whether or not to report their teammate for doping.
A young mother feels isolated from her childless friends.
Your protagonist is about to realise their greatest ambition. Will it be everything they were hoping for?
Onboard a spaceship, a couple prepare to go into stasis for hundreds of years.
Your protagonist has an obsession with thinking about the past.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, your protagonist meets an unlikely love interest.
Your protagonist visits a place from their childhood and realises their memories of that time might not be accurate at all.
A small child has decided to run away from home. Her parents watch on with amusement as she decides what to put in her backpack.
On a whim, a bus driver decides to radically change his route, much to the chagrin of his passengers.
Dystopian. A couple in love are only allowed to spend time with each other one day a year.
A shapeshifter begins to realise their powers are fading. They must decide what form will be the last one they take before they cannot change again.
The devil visits your protagonist with an offer on her soul.
Your protagonist suddenly has the ability to read minds. There’s only one place they want to go now!
Your very wealthy protagonist has designed a simple test to see who will inherit her estate.
An archaeologist discovers something that will change how we see the history of the world. It could be dangerous. Does he keep it to himself?
Your protagonist must clear out their late mother’s house. She discovers an incredible family secret.
Your protagonist is meeting his brother. They haven’t seen each other for 20 years.
Your protagonist develops the ability to see the world literally through someone else’s eyes.
Your protagonist starts to believe their partner might be a spy.
Your protagonist discovers a hidden camera in their living room.
Looking for a flash fiction competition? Check out our ‘Big List of International Writing Competitions!’ Looking for inspiration? Why not check out our list of the 20 Greatest Short Story Writers of All Time! Just received another short story rejection? Here’s our post about ‘How to Deal With Story Rejections’ Bonus Prompts! Two characters waiting by the side of the road realise they are both meeting the same person.
A woman loses her young niece in a busy shopping mall.
Three strangers must solve a riddle in order to gain entry to a secret club.
A poor woman must borrow ingredients from her neighbours to bake her husband a birthday cake.
A waiter finally finds out why an old man has been coming to the restaurant where he works every day at exactly the same time.
Two work colleagues must decide which of them is to take the blame for a terrible mistake at work.
Your disgruntled protagonist goes to confront the couple next door about the strange noises they’ve been hearing at night.
A family dinner party sees three characters make three very surprising announcements.
Two women argue over who should get to buy the last dress available in a store. How do they decide who should get it?
A young couple find out they knew (and disliked) each other vehemently as children.
Love writing stories? Register now for our free 7 Day Story Writing Challenges. Write a short story in a week, get extensive feedback on your entry, and compete for a prize of £500 in each round of the challenge. Register today!
Mastered the art of flash fiction? Now you can try submitting your stories to literary magazines! We’ve compiled a list of the best literary magazines that don’t charge a reading fee! Check out our Big List of No-Fee Literary Magazines.

One of the most common questions asked by First Time Buyers who have found a property that they love is “What percentage below the asking price should I offer?”
This question gets asked time and time again by prospective buyers, yet its answer remains as elusive as ever. Why, you ask? For a number of complex reason, so let's delve into most common of these factors together.
Seller's Circumstances:
Even if you are told the seller’s reasons for selling, it’s likely that you won’t entirely know all of their motivations for the sale. For example, it could be partly driven by wanting to downsize, or wanting a bigger home, but often that is only the property-related reasons that they feel comfortable telling you. You are not likely to know what their financial situation is. Whether they’re buying elsewhere that is comfortably within their budget or if they're stretching themselves to the max, hoping the equity from the sale of their current home will bridge the gap between what mortgage they can get and the home they want to buy. There are an infinite number of little secret reasons why the seller might be holding out for a higher offer and hasn’t accepted yours, even if you’ve offered the asking price.
Estate Agent Dynamics:
Then, there's the matter of estate agents. Many engage in a practice known as "Valuing for the Listing," where they inflate the potential sale price to lure in sellers, only to manage expectations downwards later. This habit can leave you uncertain about whether the asking price reflects fair market value or wishful thinking.
Furthermore, remember that estate agents represent the seller, not you. It's in their interest to secure the highest price possible, often by stoking the flames of competition among potential buyers. And if they sense the possibility of a bidding war, they may advise the seller to hold off on accepting your offer, regardless of its merit.
Location Matters:
Let's not forget about location, either. The UK property market isn't a single dimension; it's a multi-faceted number of micro-markets, each with its own quirks and nuances. In sought-after areas, competition can drive offers closer to the asking price, while less popular locations may offer more room for negotiation.
So, what's the magic number, then? In truth, there isn't one. Each transaction is a unique exchange between buyer and seller, shaped by a myriad of known and unknown factors. The key is to arm yourself with knowledge, understand the seller’s situation and local market dynamics, and plan your negotiations in advance so that you can do so with confidence.
Remember, its far easier to negotiate upwards than downwards. So, don't be afraid to make an offer that reflects your understanding of the market and your perceived value of the property. With the right knowledge about motivations, you'll navigate the twists and turns of the property market and master your offer with ease.

Dreamcast

• Dead or Alive 2 disc only
  
• Nightmare Creatures 2 disc only
  
• Phantasy Star Online cib
  
• NBA 2k2 cib
  
• Railroad Tycoon 2 cib
  
• Tennis 2k2 cib
  
• World Series baseball 2k1 cib
  
• NBA 2k cib
  
• Pelican stinger jolt light blaster
  

PC

• Sonic R cib

Ps2

• Spy hunter greatest hits brand new sealed
  
• Dark cloud greatest hits cib
  
• Robotech battlecry cib
  
• Pes 2012 no manual
  
• Pes 2013 no manual
  
• Yugioh the duelist of the roses with manual no promo cards
  
• Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 gh cib
  
• Need for speed underground 2 gh cib
  
• Shadow the hedgehog gh no manual
  

Ps3

• Black Dualshock Controller oem
  
• Modnation racers cib
  
• Infamous cib
  
• Infamous 2 disk only
  
• Prince of persia cib
  

Xbox One

• Scuff Controller

Xbox 360

• Halo 4 Forerunner clear blue oem controller
  
• Black oem controller
  
• White oem controller
  
• Gun brand new sealed
  
• Tony hawks proving ground brand new sealed
  
• Forza 4 cib
  
• Marvel vs Capcom 3 cib
  

Xbox

• Xbox madcatz mini wireless controller with receiver
  
• Murakumo Renegade Mech Pursuit brand new sealed
  
• Turok cib
  
• Wolverines revenge no manual
  
• SSX Tricky no manual
  
• Halo ce cib
  
• Turok cib
  

Ps1

• Gray oem memory card
  
• Black oem memory card
  
• Clear light blue oem memory card
  
• Spongebob supersponge cib
  
• Cool boarders 3 cib
  
• Walt Disney World Magical Racing tour cib
  
• Perfect Weapon cib
  
• Black dawn cib
  
• Final Fantasy Tactics gh cib
  
• Disney Tiger honey hunt cib
  
• The little mermaid 2 cib
  
• Knockout kings cib
  
• Boxing cib
  

Wii

• Wii sports resort & Wii sports 2 in 1 disc only
  
• Wii sports resort cib
  
• Zelda Twilight princess cib
  
• Zelda Skyward sword cib
  
• Animal Crossing city folk cib
  
• Resident Evil 4 no manual
  
• Star Wars the force unleashed 2 cib
  
• Lego Star Wars the complete saga cib
  

Wii U

• Pokémon tournament cib
  
• Lego Batman Beyond Gotham cib
  

Gamecube

• Spider-Man 2 cib
  
• Indigo purple oem controller
  

Snes carts only

• Tetris attack
  
• Monopoly
  
• FIFA International Soccer
  

Nintendo ds

• Mega Man Starforce Leo cib
  
• Mario party case & manual only
  

Gameboy advance

• OEM Gameboy Advance SP charger x3

Totaku GameStop Figures

• Sonic
  
• Knuckles
  
• Tails
  
• Ryu
  
• Coco
  
• Heihachi
  
• Jin
  
• Lara croft
  

Misc

• Micro Machines Transformers 8 pack new
  
• Digimon Fusion Shoutmon + Ballistamon new
  
• 2000 Birdhouse Tech Deck 6 Pack KB Toys new
  
• 1999 Tony Hawk Pro Skater Falcon Tech Deck new
  
• Pokémon 90s fingerboard
  
• Flick tricks khe bomber bikes purple green orange
  
• DC shoes fingerboards
  
• Lot of 39 beanz toys
  
• WWE & WCW dvds
  
• Heroclix fast forces 6 figure sets new
  

Wanted

• Alundra 2 ps1
  
• Marvel vs street fighter ps1
  
• Twisted Metal 2 ps1
  
• Donkey Kong Country 3 snes
  
• Star Wars Racer dc
  
• Powerstone dc
  
• Vigilante 8 2nd offense dc
  
• Psp 3000
  
• Consoles
  
• GBA Games
  
• Gamecube Games
  
• Switch Games
  
• Offers
  

Hello guys! I need some advice on what kind of braids I should get for my field work trip. I’m gonna post this between a couple subs so sorry if you keep seeing it!
I am going on a field work internship this summer where I’m going to be camping for 10 days outside, and I’ll be away from home for about a month and a half. Of course, I need to have braids for something like this but I want to know what kind would be best to have in while still trying something new and keeping it cute. I’ve always had box braids and I really want to try something new.
I was thinking about -senegalese twists -soft locs -passion twists -bohemian knotless
I need something that is gonna last the same amount of time as box braids (i usually wear mine for a 2 and a 1/2 to 3 months) I’ve never been camping with braids but I assume I need something of low maintenance, so if any of these require lots of upkeep please let me know.
idk if this matters, but I have thick 4c hair
thank you!

Hello guys! I need some advice on what kind of braids I should get for my field work trip. I’m gonna post this between a couple subs so sorry if you keep seeing it!
I am going on a field work internship this summer where I’m going to be camping for 10 days outside, and I’ll be away from home for about a month and a half. Of course, I need to have braids for something like this but I want to know what kind would be best to have in while still trying something new and keeping it cute. I’ve always had box braids and I really want to try something new.
I was thinking about -senegalese twists -soft locs -passion twists -bohemian knotless
I need something that is gonna last the same amount of time as box braids (i usually wear mine for a 2 and a 1/2 to 3 months) I’ve never been camping with braids but I assume I need something of low maintenance, so if any of these require lots of upkeep please let me know.
idk if this matters, but I have thick 4c hair
thank you!

Hello guys! I need some advice on what kind of braids I should get for my field work trip. I’m gonna post this between a couple subs so sorry if you keep seeing it!
I am going on a field work internship this summer where I’m going to be camping for 10 days outside, and I’ll be away from home for about a month and a half. Of course, I need to have braids for something like this but I want to know what kind would be best to have in while still trying something new and keeping it cute. I’ve always had box braids and I really want to try something new.
I was thinking about -senegalese twists -soft locs -passion twists -bohemian knotless
I need something that is gonna last the same amount of time as box braids (i usually wear mine for a 2 and a 1/2 to 3 months) I’ve never been camping with braids but I assume I need something of low maintenance, so if any of these require lots of upkeep please let me know.
idk if this matters, but I have thick 4c hair
thank you!

No, they are real life, unless they were made by AI. I don't understand why I get this told so often, and I'm sure many of you have heard the old adagio, oftentimes twisting it, "but you see, the people who post those stories and photos are secretly miserable!"
No, they are not. I'm sure there will be a few out there who do suffer mentally, to uphold an online micro-celebrity status, just to keep the appearance up. But, I cannot help but wonder, doesn't everyone has their own struggles to deal with? The IG girl with a doll-like face who takes pictures travelling the world can suffer from OCD and ADHD; the charismatic, perfect-smile, casanova guy can suffer from depression; the cute couple who posts pictures of themselves all the time, whether at home or abroad, can have a terrible, toxic relationship. But they have those moments.
They are moments of light even amidst the storm that their lives may be. Maybe I'm disconnected from reality, but I don't hear every micro-celebrity killing themselves that often (link me some). They do have those especial moments, howbeit small or "fake". It's not only the relationships, the love, the sex, the hookups. It's the entirety of the package. They have, whereas we have not.
Seriously, I do not understand why people turn into this spiel of "social media is not real life", when we are clearly seeing signs of it being real. Does every person on the planet gets to be a super hot Instagram model? No. Does everyone get to travel around the globe more than five times a year to luxurious places? No. But then again, they have something going on for them, and they show that through pictures or videos of themselves in those places.
I cannot help but compare myself to them. The haves and have-nots. And I am tired. I am tired because at least they have a sliver of joy, something to keep them afloat. What do I have? I have autism. I have depression. I have an unattractive face and body. I am financially struggling. I haven't gone to any trip, or visited any country. I'll have a rather useless degree. I have an clean, unbroken record of lovelessness and sexlessness.
That is what I have.
Social media is real life inasmuch it shows you that there are people who have something. You don't have to compare yourself to the most outgoing, richest gal and guy. Your average Joe and Jane have, at least, something going on for them.
I hate my life.

...So I thought I'd write some micro-reviews of each game.
Whitewater Wipeout - Not a big fan of balancing games, which this basically is.
Casual Birder - Loved it. Loved the idea of using the crank to focus the camera.
Crankin's Time Travel Adventure - I really enjoyed it, but I feel the ramp-up in difficulty is too quick. Level nine, man...
Boogie Loops - I can't say anything others haven't already said. Bleh.
Lost Your Marbles - I don't love the gameplay, but the art is really cute.
Pick Pack Pup - My favorite game here. Wish the crank had more purpose.
Flipper Lifter - Nice in theory, lacking in practice.
Echoic Memory - Enjoyed it more than I expected. Which isn't much, but still.
Omaze - Tricky but fun. Well-crafted and well-made.
Demon Quest '85 - Ehhh... I never felt motivation to play this one much.
Hyper Meteor - Fun, but I liked the voiceover person more than the game. "LEVEL TWO."
Zipper - Easily one of my top picks. Addictive and unfair, but fantastic.
Questy Chess - I don't really get the appeal of this one. Found it irritating.
Executive Golf DX - Great concept, needs more.
Saturday Edition - Expected to hate it, but was amazing. First game I managed to complete.
Star Sled - Love it. This is the best space-based game in the season. Love the use of the crank.
Spellcorked - Was hoping to enjoy it, but didn't. I needed a better reason to keep playing, not just doing the same tasks with no real progression.
Inventory Hero - Liked it, but it needs more. I feel very "that was fun, but so what?" about it.
Snak - It's snake with jumping. Cute, but doesn't keep my attention long after opening.
Sasquatchers - I found it okay. I like the photo aspect most.
Forrest Byrnes: Up In Smoke - The only platformer in the season, and not a very good one. I didn't think it was responsive at times. Maybe it's just me.
Battleship Godios - This one I was frustrated by. I'm glad it wasn't in the early weeks.
B360 - Unlike Snak, I liked the twist on an old classic. Excellent use of the crank.
Ratcheteer - Gave me old-school Legend of Zelda vibes in the best possible way.

I'm not very familiar with "micro dramas," this was my first. It was originally 20 10-minute episodes, but I watched it on Viki, where they smushed them together into 7 episodes. It was so short and I felt it was definitely hurt by the short format, because certain important character backstory moments would be revealed and then just.... poof.. onto the next thing. Honestly, I DESPERATELY want a longer form of the same story because I loved the main characters, and I actually loved some of the twists and reveals (they just needed more breathing room). The acting from some side characters and 'comic relief' stuff was annoying but I didn't care, I was invested.
I initially found the show from MangoTV Costume on Youtube.... they had the English subbed version cut into 2 long videos of an hour 30 each, and it was very confusingly titled so I thought it was a movie at first. Everyone in the comments on there was comparing the character Su Cheng Xi to Wen Kexing, and, well, he does act similaaaarrr, and carry a fan... and call himself "Philanthropist Su," and pester Sui Han Bai to buy things for him....he's very different at the same time, though. There are other things that reminded me of Word of Honor. I'm sure the author of the novel could have been inspired by it, but there are also some majorrr differences like the I'm supposed to kill you and I'm trying to distance myself to save you thing.
P.S. Is it a common plot point in C-dramas that someone can expertly disguise themselves with a rubber mask?
I really want to read the novel it's based on, Jiang Hu Shao Nian Jue (江湖少年诀) by Zi Mo Jian (自磨剑). I'm afraid it is not translated into English. I imagine reading it would give a lot more context to the things that were rushed in the show.
Also..... is the novel danmei? The drama feels a little "bromance"-y. It was very tame, but the YEARNING and the LOOKS were there, plus a few little jokes like Sui Han Bai and Su Cheng Xi hiding crammed in a coffin together... also that bathtub scene. I would be happy with the novel regardless, I'm just sayin the vibes were there..