Shyamalan - “Unbreakable”
Wachowskis - Head says “Cloud Atlas”, heart says “Speed Racer” (I’ll go with “Atlas”)
Crowe - “Almost Famous”
Cameron - “The Terminator”
Dreamworks Era Spielberg - “Lincoln”
Nolan - “Oppenheimer”
Bigelow - “Strange Days”
hollywood Verheoven - “RoboCop”
James Brooks - “Terms of Endearment”
Bird - Head says “Incredibles”, Heart says “Iron Giant” (I’ll say “Incredibles”)
Ang Lee - “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (“Brokeback” and “Ice Storm” are masterpieces as well)
Meyers - “The Parent Trap”
Burton - “Ed Wood”
Mann - Head says “Heat”, Heart says “Collateral” (Going with “Collateral”)
Miyazaki - “Nausicaa” (w/ “Mononoke” a close runner up)
Demme - “Silence of the Lambs” (“Melvin and Howard” and “Rachel Getting Married” are masterpieces as well)
George Miller - “Road Warrior”
Ephron - “You’ve Got Mail”
Gina Prince - “Beyond the Lights”
Zemeckis - “Cast Away”
MuskeClements - “Aladdin”
Elaine May - “The Heartbreak Kid”
Singleton - “Boyz n the Hood”
Carpenter - “The Thing”
Campion - “Bright Star”
Raimi - “Spider Man”
Fosse - “Cabaret”
Kubrick - Toss-up between “2001” and “Lyndon” but I’ll stick with “2001”
Selick - “Nightmare”
Boyle - “Sunshine”
Keaton - “The General”
Park - “Handmaiden”
Fincher - “Social Network” (“Zodiac”, “Gone Girl” and “Se7en” all in the mix though)
Streisand - “Yentl”
McTiernan - “Die Hard”
Kon - “Tokyo Godfathers” (with “Perfect Blue” a close second)

Welcome to The 100-91 Reveal for the NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 100-91 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for at the end of the 2023 season
Below you will see some write-ups from the community summarizing the players’ 2023 season and why they were among the best in 2023. Stats for each player are included below. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see

METHODOLOGY

Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology

• Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Conference Championship games
  
• Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 11 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2023
  
• Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2023 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.
  
• Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
  
• Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud, and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes
  
• Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!
  

And without further ado, here are the players ranked 100-91 in the NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season!

#100 - Stefon Diggs - Buffalo Bills - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
22	38	10	74	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/BlackTieClip
Following yet another offseason of cryptic tweets and drama, Stefon Diggs showed up from the onset of the 2023 season as red hot as the lasers he was catching off the arm of Josh Allen - making it clear he came to play and leave everything out on the field. However, 2023 was a tale of two Diggs’ - and that's not a reference to Stefon's brother, Trevon, who unfortunately was out for the season prior to their two teams facing off in week 15.
Through the first 6 games of the year, Stefon Diggs was averaging 8 catches, 104 Yards, and nearly a touchdown per game. During that time, the Bills passing offense funneled the ball through Diggs and relied on his ability to make plays all over the field to remain productive. Diggs answered the call and delivered the type of results we've come to expect of him, however just like the team itself, Diggs’ season would fall off pretty harshly following the team's week 6 match up against the Giants. In the 11 remaining games of the season, he failed to produce a single 100-yard outing and would only catch 3 more total touchdowns on the year. It's important to acknowledge that the Bills as a whole struggled offensively between weeks 5 and 10, directly leading to Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey's firing after Buffalo’s week 10, 24-22, loss to Denver - a game in which Diggs only caught 3 passes for a total of 34 yards.
Once Joe Brady stepped in as Interim Coordinator, the Bills offense began healing as a result of changes made to their strategy, changes which resulted in a more balanced attack that trusted the run game and prioritized spreading passes around to a wider selection of targets in the air. This shift meant Diggs was on the field less, in addition to receiving less targets when he was out there running routes. The impact of this change is most plainly obvious when comparing Diggs’ stats from weeks 1-8 to 9-16. While this adjustment ultimately worked out in Buffalo's favor (they would close out the last 7 games of the year with a 6-1 record), it did drive an unfortunate statistical drop for Diggs. Diggs would still flash his elite hands and skills often enough to finish the season respectively though, earning a spot in the pro-bowl as well as finishing #13 in total receiving yards and #7 in total receptions. Tragically, what he will probably be remembered most for this past year (at least in the minds of Bills Mafia) will be the ugly, game-altering drop he had late in the Divisional round matchup against Kansas City.
Throughout 2023 there were all manner of rumors on whether Diggs was playing through an undisclosed injury or experiencing a falling out with the organization, true or not, it would be foolish to claim that Diggs isn't still a premier pass catcher in the NFL. Now a Houston Texan, Stefon Diggs will serve as another weapon for C.J. Stroud to take advantage of in 2024. Assuming he doesn't destroy the culture in Houston by manifesting into some sort of target-hoovering diva-demon like all the tired sports media personalities predict, expect the former Bills Captain to be a key contributor for the Texans next year.

#99 - Lavonte David - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Off-Ball Linebacker

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
60	95	43	76	N/A	35	N/A	99	27	11	N/A​

Written by: u/Ronon_Dex
After flirting with retirement and leaving Tampa Bay last offseason, Lavonte David stuck around for another year as a Buccaneer - year 12 (and soon to be year 13). And it paid off, yet again, as David stayed the impactful, complete LB he has been for over a decade.
Playing 956 (98%) defensive snaps, David was impactful across the board, recording 99 tackles (134 combined per pfr) with a 5.7% missed tackle rate, 4.5 sacks with 19 total pressures on only 76 pass rush opportunities, 5 forced incompletions and 1.1 yards per cover snap, and a ridiculous 61 run stops and 17 TFLs. His coverage stats took a bit of a dip from the past, but he was still solid while being incredibly impactful against the run. He's smart - see here how he diagnoses quickly, and beats the blocker to the spot before sticking the TE for a loss. He's exceptional at slithering through OLs - see here and here how he uses his speed and awareness to split through holes in the line and finish the play before it can start. Despite being 33, he's still really fast - if you're late on rotating in pass protection, he's already past you and sacking the QB. And he's always had a nose for the football.
David has been one of my favorite players of the 2010s and it will be sad to see him go. Few LBs are as complete as Lavonte has been for his career - he can do everything you want from an offball LB. Given that he's likely to retire pretty soon, this might be the last time he appears on this list, so I'm gonna break the rules a bit. Lavonte has always stood out statistically in two ways, by forcing fumbles and TFLs. As for FFs, the only LB with more is Cornelius Bennett, who was somewhat of a hybrid rushbacke4-3 OLB. Which means that among true off ball LBs, nobody has forced more fumbles than Lavonte David (tbf only tracked reliably since 1993). Similarly, I've never seen a player as adept at slicing through blockers to make a TFL. He has 160 career TFLs, 9th all time. No other offball LB is in the top 20, and only 4 other LBs have even 100. We might as well start giving out the "Lavonte David award" to whoever leads LBs in TFLs.
Put him in the HOF, cowards.

#98 - Bradley Chubb - Miami Dolphins - EDGE Rusher

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/cnvas_home
One word has followed Chubb throughout his career: Dynamic. Coming into his second year in a Dolphins jersey off a five-year, $110 million contract extension (recently restructured in the wake of injury)—Chubb managed to arguably elevate to higher levels of said dynamic play than even in previous seasons that saw him earn Pro Bowl recognition.
In 16 games this season, Chubb managed to thrive in a defense that utilized its front 7 in unconventional manners. Of the 837 snaps Chubb played: 36% of snaps against the rush, 57% against the pass, and 7% in pass coverage (top 20 in EDGE coverage snaps…over a dozen in the slot). Amongst his position, Chubb posted a top 10 pass rush win rate per ESPN along with top 15 pass rush and top 5 coverage grades per PFF respectively. This showed with 11 sacks, 73 total tackles, 44 hurries, and 6 forced fumbles (t-1^st in NFL) over the season.
Chubb has an uphill battle going into the next season with a torn ACL acquired in Week 17 against the Ravens. Still in the prime of his career and a leader within the locker room, Chubb certainly seeks to return to this level of form as soon as possible. There's a lot of money on the table for him.

#97 - Kolton Miller - Las Vegas Raiders - Offensive Tackle

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/ExpirjTec
Offensive tackles have always been highly sought after for one important reason; to keep their franchise quarterback healthy. Miller had a slightly different objective; keep Jimmy Garoppolo handsome, it's fine if he misses the season since he was far from a franchise quarterback; but Miller excelled, allowing the least pressures (only 16 pressures per PFF, compared to 18 for Tyron Smith and Trent Williams) out of any premier tackle. While he missed a few games due to a shoulder injury, Miller put in enough work to prove he's a top 100 player in the league.
Always one of the more underappreciated OTs in the league, Miller's impact was best felt by his absence; in the first missed game of his career, Jets defenders got to Aidan O'Connell several times, and the rest of the offensive line just looked flimsy.
Combining agile, quick footwork with enough armpower to seal off some of the biggest men in the NFL, Miller quietly dominated opposing pass rushers, and #74 could even scale multiple levels on the run to help his team generate big plays. Even when it didn't seem like there was much worth fighting for, Miller never gave up hope.

#96 - Dion Dawkins - Buffalo Bills - Offensive Tackle

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/Man_0n_F1re
The shnowman cracks the top 100 this year after a dominating performance in the trenches all season long. While offensive line play can be hard to parse and judge, Dawkins ranked 4th in the league among OTs in pass rush win rate at 93% and only allowed 1 sack. The 30-year-old from New Jersey (famously the home of the Giants and Jets) also provided numerous rare O-line highlights, such as the absolute shnowplow of a block he delivered against the Cowboys’ Damone Clark. His arguably career-best season also saw him named to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.
The Bills shook up their skill positions on offense this off-season, but the core of the offensive line remains largely the same, and Dawkins will certainly be a leader of the unit. This off-season he signed a 3-year, $60.5 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league. He has played in at least 15 games each season of his career so far, and Buffalo is clearly banking on his production to continue as the rest of the offense takes a new shape.
This year, Dawkins was also Buffalo's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, due in large part to his foundation Dion's Dreamers, which provides mentoring services to troubled youth. Dawkins has become highly involved in the Buffalo community since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2017.

#95 - James Cook - Buffalo Bills - Running Back

Previous Ranks

2022
N/A​

Written by: u/packmanwiscy
Being a running back in Josh Allen’s offense is a bit tricky. Allen is virtually a one-man offense, willing to not only sling the rock deep but also bruise out some yards on the ground for himself. For most of Allen’s tenure in Buffalo, Bills running backs haven’t been the most productive, failing to produce a single season with more than 1,100 scrimmage yards. When Buffalo selected James Cook in the 2nd round of the draft last year, they sought to give Allen a workhorse back that could efficiently eat touches and take the load off of Allen just a bit. After a timeshare in the first year, the Bills let Devin Singletary walk and gave Cook the lead back role, and he did not disappoint.
James Cook is a true modern running back. His lightning quick acceleration allows him to hit holes hard and bounce outside if they’re plugged. He’s not the biggest or strongest back, but he can still shrug off arm tackles and churn for extra yards. Pass catching out of the backfield is a key part of his game as well, for a running back he’s very proficient at route running, catching the ball in stride, and running after the catch. He does everything you want out of a running back in the 2020’s NFL, and he rewarded the Bills with the 6th most scrimmage yards in the league. He’ll have to do quite a bit to pass his brother in career stats, but this season was a great start.

#94 - Elgton Jenkins - Green Bay Packers - Offensive Guard

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019
N/A	N/A	77	N/A​

Key Stat:
Written by: u/Letsgomountaineers5
One of the most powerful and positionally versatile offensive linemen in the NFL, Elgton Jenkins’ value to, and dominance on, the Packers OL has more than earned him his place on this list. Elgton is the engine that makes the Packers' run game go. Whether it be trapping, wrapping, or pulling to lead, Elgton is the Packers’ most-pulled lineman and their best (and one of THE best in the league) elevator to the second level on inside zone and duo run plays. Finally able to hunker down and stay, more or less, in the same position for a full season, Elgton was the driving influence on the Packers finishing top 10 in yards per attempt and top half in overall rushing offense, even while being near the bottom of the NFL in called run plays. It has yet to be mentioned how great he was in pass protection this year, as well. With a younger QB who at times held the ball a bit too long, Elgton allowed 0 sacks and had one of the lowest pressure rates allowed in football.
As mentioned before, Elgton is a dominant player in the run game because of the power he executes his blocks. His main weakness throughout his career has been his feet and ability to play in space, but this year he was tasked with reaching, trapping, and pulling to lead more than ever before. And as demonstrated here, he excelled in that role. The Packers were at their best when Jenkins was tasked with doubling and elevating or climbing to the second level immediately. Here, he displaces the LOS, comes off the 3T, and gets to the backer to create a lane for the back to follow into the endzone. In this example, the player engaged with the LT does not cross the LT’s face, so he quickly climbs to backer and creates a cut back lane for the back to gain 6-7 yards. As you can see, much of what the Packers did in the run game centered around 74, and he delivered time and time again.
In the pass game, Elgton used his strong anchor and well-timed striking to shut down every interior defensive lineman he faced. 0 sacks allowed, an absurdly low 4.4% pressure rate allowed, and the sheer dominance he displayed on tape has led many experts to call him a top 3 pass protecting guard in all of football. This is probably his biggest area of growth once making it to the NFL, as he always had the power in his lower half, but has improved his base and hand placement to truly stonewall any bull rushes he faces. And if you try and get cute by swimming or, god forbid, knowing your beat and jumping to swat the ball. Well, you will probably end up on your ass. He rose to the highest levels of competition, repeatedly shutting down (three examples there) the likes of Aaron Donald on a game-by-game basis.
Overall, Elgton Jenkins continues to push the established elite at the guard position, and with continued technical improvement, he looks to rise even higher on this list next season.

#93 - Will Anderson Jr - Houston Texans - EDGE Rusher

Previous Ranks
N/A
Written by:u/ExpirjTec
Will Anderson. What a full grown manderson. Only a rookie, but already the most electric pass rusher we've had since JJ Watt. His early season stats didn't quite show it, but since week 1 he's performed at a high rate already producing one of the top pressure rates in the league and opening up opportunities for the rest of the banderson. In four months, people went from criticizing Demeco and Caserio for trading a supposedly massive draft haul to Arizona for Anderson to realizing the incredible positive impact that the trade had. All according to planderson.
In his first season, Anderson showcased great pass rush ability, always working his way into the pocket, stuffed the run effectively, and even blocked a field goal; WAJ Swat, amirite? In fact, Lil Jon is rumored to be working on a song called "Turn Down for Wanderson", Daniels music video and all. JJ Watt is one of the all-time greats, but are the Terminator-Megawatt comparisons valid? Can Area 51 stand on the same ground as the Milkman?
(Yes, those are all real nicknames.)
Anderson's rookie year compares nicely with JJ’s , both on stat sheets and the eye test, and both got even better as the year went on; WAJ also walked away with the DROY award (though he didn't have to compete with Von Miller and... Aldon Smith?) Will he follow the same trajectory as JJ? In fact, he doesn't need to. It's fine if he doesn't. We don't need the greatest defensive end of the century, because Will Anderson is already damn good, does his job, and is certain to improve even further. Maybe he'll end with a gold jacket in Canton, maybe he won't, but we don't need that. What expectations we do have of him, he's easily exceeding, and on his current trajectory -- whether JJ-like or not -- he'll continue to exceed them for a long, long, time.

#92 - Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019
N/A	10	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/scmsf49
Deebo Samuel's 2023 season saw him compile 1117 total yards and 12 total touchdowns in 15 games (though that 15 includes a weird injured decoy game with 0 targets, a game with 9 snaps, and a quarter in a meaningless week 18). The best metric to summarize the impact that he has on the team: the 49ers were 11-1 when Deebo played more than 33% of snaps in a game and 1-4 when he did not.
8.8 yards after the catch per reception ranked first among receivers, making this the fourth consecutive season that Deebo holds that distinction (and he was 2nd as a rookie). The ascension of Brandon Aiyuk and full season from offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey shrunk the role of one of the league's most exciting players, but he made the most of the opportunities he got, ranking 8th in yards per target among players with 1000 yards.
The most memorable game of the year for him is undeniably his hat trick against the Eagles amidst a tense race for the 1 seed, capped off by a 46 yard all-YAC touchdown. Contrary to popular belief, this is actually not how he gets all of his touches. His longest touchdown of the season, a 54 yarder against Seattle, and one of his back shoulder TDs (a new feature off the offense this year!) put the wide in wide back to remind fans (and a couple loud players) that Deebo is more than capable of killing you on traditional routes.
This was the final season for #19 in the Bay Area (because he's changing his jersey number to 1) and he once again left it all out there, putting together enough production to clinch a spot on this list despite a diminished role.

#91 - Justin Simmons - Denver Broncos - Safety

Previous Ranks

2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
69	59	55	24	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/BlindManBaldwin
Winners are remembered. The glory of sports comes from hoisting a trophy at the end, and everyone who touches it becomes immortal. To those who never touch it, they can still create a legacy through winning in other ways: big regular season games to get into the playoffs, and perhaps even winning a couple games in the tournament.
In this lens — losers have no space. Those who come up short get nothing. Sports are zero-sum. There are always winners and losers. Every immortality comes with a death.
Justin Simmons played 118 games with the Denver Broncos since 2016. In his rookie year, the team went 9-7 but missed the playoffs. In every subsequent season, the Broncos had a losing record. Despite his All-Pro play, Simmons never played in a meaningful football game in late December or January. In a team with a history of winning — Justin Simmons was a loser.
A ball on a memorial in 2021. Spending a weekend at charity events in the city months after getting cut. Maybe the problem is the binary. Pursuit of immortality driving everyone mad to the point of blindness. There is the trophy and that matters, but there are more things in life too. There are the connections. There are the emotions.
Justin Simmons never won a big game in Denver. He never played in one. But in 2023 — as he had done throughout his career — he proved himself worthy of immortality in the Ring high above.

Link to Positional Tracker Sheet

Link to Ranker Reveal Sheet

Link to Hub

Link to Previous Post (Honorable Mentions)

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Wrote this up today for a new Prisoner class play-through in preparation for the DLC! Tell me what you think. Any suggestions, embellishments, lore correction etc would be appreciated.
Guillaume Fitzmarais
Scum of the earth, lowest of the low. I was glad to be chained and bound, glad to have this metal mask forged to conceal my rotten visage. I was glad to be made prisoner and exiled from the Lands Between. I was already Tarnished before Marika issued the edict of exile, and sent us all away under the banner of her consort Godfrey. I was already smeared with the name “bastard” due to the covert cross-pollination of my mother and father’s respective Houses - Caria and Marais - as well as rumours of my father’s heretical devotions to forces outside the Erdtree’s golden glow, a devient umbra that has cast its shadow on to me by association. In this regard, father’s fanaticism superseded the primaeval, glintstone allure of his mistress, my mother. He desired something beyond even the stars. In the end, this detached fascination would spell the end of House Marais. In my dreams a salty mistral blows between the labyrinth of devotional statues father had made for the castle, cluttered and stacked atop one another in a jumble of limbs. The cool wind rustles the blighted ivy that crawls over my ancient home, but does not linger. No, not even the winds dare stay too long at the shaded castle of my youth.
I remember the day the artist arrived all the way from Leyndell and installed a large portrait in the great hall. I can’t have been much more than twelve. The painting was of Queen Marika’s demigod progeny - the fabled swordmistress Melania. It was a breathtaking piece of work, framed in gold and executed in delicate brush strokes. For father this stunning flame-haired valkyrie was an idol of “strength through suffering.” A hallmark of our House was a wasting sickness, perhaps produced from the poisonous bog that surrounds the keep. Courtly informants reported to House Melais that Melania had been afflicted by the Scarlet Rot from birth, resulting in the tragic amputation of an arm, and rumour had it, one of her legs was soon to follow. Thanks to the astounding artifice of her twin, Miquella, she now wielded her famous blade with a prosthesis of unalloyed gold. Perhaps in father’s twisted and sickly mind there was a certain valence between the condition of Melania and his own blighted House. If a demigod could fall under the sway of an Outer God, and yet resist its fatal blow, then so could he. The ego! And yet…so parochial. The occult machinations of deity are beyond the reach of a mere feudal House. Especially a House which had sired the likes of Guillaume Fitzmarais.
“Fitz” the guards used to call me at the old castle. This was a cruel pun, a dirty joke thought up over the reek of boiled prawn and ale in the barracks. I can remember the raucous laughter coming from within. “Fitz! Fitz! Fitz!” they all screamed as they noticed my small, frail form lingering in the doorway. Feigning seizure, they rolled their eyes and twitched on the floor, the foam of their foul drink dribbling down their chins, mixing heinously with their shell-fish breath. More laughter as I ran away, tears smarting my eyes. The soldiers thought themselves frightfully clever in the ellison of my bastardly origin and my disease induced spasms - another gift from my father’s line. “Fitz! Fitz! Fitz!” I vividly remember running to the westernmost wall of the castle, hiding behind some wooden crates and looking out from between the crenellations, watching the ashen pall of Mount Gelmer drift out to sea. Away, away and over the misty sea. Aaaaah! I didn’t know then, but I would get my wish. I would be Tarnished, and make that remote horizon my home. At night, in the Badlands of Godwyn, I look up now at those stars and I sense…something shift…something…blue. Azure, even. I reach out, and I am pulled like a loadstone, my mind is filled with thoughts of home. It is time. Time to journey across the fog, to the Lands Between. The fallen leaves tell a story, and it is one I must know. My father is still out there. And more besides. The Shattering has brought the gaze of many forces, and I think it high time I stared back with a glintstone fire in my eyes.
I am the progeny of two once-great Houses whose roots, both genealogical and spiritual, link to the golden bough itself. The labyrinth of the Erdtree’s gargantuan root system goes deep and not all its pathways are known, perhaps even to the goddess herself. Where the intertwined grip of the Carian and the Malais meet in me there is a flash of bright colour, red and blue. Rot and Crystal. The Carians were renowned for their sorceries and astrological foresight, and Malais were the great executioners and castellans of the Golden Order. This is my twinned-inheritance. Sword and staff. The golden plains of the Altus Plateau are a faint memory in me, time to let their glow warm me through again. The mists and fog and stars of my exile have brought many visions and nightmares, some feature a young woman at the centre of a scarlet forest grunting in pain, others a withered, blood-soaked arm reaching from a giant cocoon grasping my mine and pulling, pulling, pulling. What does this all mean? Who am I really? Under my putrid and peeling skin a richness deeper still is concealed. A quintessence, a seed. I will shed this mortal husk, the world owes me more. Marika has granted me the chance to shape these ancient lands into a new form, she beckons seductively to all Tarnished, but she may not like the answer I give.

I like Neistat but you know, one gets the impression that somewhere inside him is a repetitive, foot-in-the-door "sales bro". When he's not actually creating great visual stuff, his main theme appears to be banal, hallmark-card motivational clichés... I mean, hard work is great, but come on, he keeps company with some shifty snake-oil salesman, bro-vitamin-pill-peddlers and spoilt, greedy YouTube hucksters who would sell fake crypto or sugar-soda to kids. There's an occasional tradition of aggressive sales / motivational speakers in America that as a Brit one is a bit cynical about though, so maybe it's me.
Still, another Neistat buddy, for example, is that irritating, buzzing-on-something "hustle" nutjub Gary Vee. Remember that Vee bloke? Well he's just another very loud sales bro, without a care for arts & culture. Rather like those New York property bros, Vee would happily get a theatre or a museum torn down for a profit deal.
Anyway, the funniest thing? I saw on an early vlog video that Neistat has a tattoo that says, "Always be closing". This is a phase essentially made famous by Alec Baldwin's salesman character "Blake" in the film "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992). What nobody seem to have told Neistat is that the film is savage imputation and merciless critique of sales culture. You're not supposed to admire Alec Baldwin's character in the film.
Baldwin sometimes complains that douchebag sales bros come up to him in real life and quote the phrase, having completely missed the point. Neistat? He gets it bloody tattooed on him.

Samples are listed in comments.
$10 minimum pls. Shipping is $5. $15 to Canada. I Live with a cat; he doesn't smoke and neither do I. surprise sniffies with every purchase! Hope you find something you love!
*I will hold items for 4hrs after initial comment. If you need more time, no worries just let me know :)
Happy to consider swaps especially for the following ISO FS
NAVA: Orchid Purple and Orchid Pink, Pink Sugar Patchouli Cotton Candy Sweater
BPAL: Grief Moth, Oil of Vision, The Naiads Hour Also looking for decants of Feed Me and Fill Me With Pleasure and Diamond Star
$10 Bottle Sale
 Possets Silver Cedar: possets famous silver accord and cedar.
Alkemia Arcanum Experiments #6: soft white florals, juicy pears, spring violets, clover honey, white patchouli
REGULARLY PRICED ITEMS
ALKEMIA
Tea Garden Alchemy: an elegant springtime tea party of green tea leaves, jasmine white tea, cascading cherry blossoms and delicate Japanese garden florals $15
BPAL
Pink Moon 2024: sugar-swirled strawberry milk with frothed marshmallow cream. $24
NAVA
Pyramid Cake: Vanilla Buttercream Frosting accord, Vanilla Bean liqueur cordial, Vanilla Cake Batter accord, Moonstone Vanilla Absolute, Madagascar Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla Absolute, Tonka Bean Absolute, White Cake accord, Creamed Vanilla Bean, crème fraiche accord, lemon extract, honey-vanilla crème and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla $24
Pyramid Hummingbird Cake: Pineapple essence Accord, Ripened Banana Accord, Banana Confit Accord, Pecan Crème Accord, Apple skin, Caramelized Brown Sugar, Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Bean essence, Studio Limited Moonstone Absolute, Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Accord, Cinnamon Rum Accord, Vanilla-Butter Accord, and Bastet’s Musk $24
Odeon, slightly below shoulder: Pistachio and Vanilla Custard accord, Vanilla Bean Extract, Cardamom Spice, White Amber, Styrax Benzoin, Red Storax, Limestone Amber accord, Languid Amber Cordial accord (rich PC Ozymandias amber absolute), Almond, Heliotrope, Honey essence accord (vegan), Moonstone (Studio Limited Original) and Grey Pine essence $18
NUI COBALT DESIGNS
Starlight and Spidersilk: Slender strands of cotton flower hung with trembling dewdrops, cold crystalline musk, and tiny black vanilla beans. $15

Everything has been tested and works properly except where noted! Additional pics/timestamps available on request. Forgive me if I'm slow to respond, I'll do my best to get back to any comments in a timely manner. The person with lower rep sends first. Willing to add/accept PayPal to fill in any gaps in value, especially for my higher priority wants.
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Switch

• Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (sealed, SEA variant)
• Monster Hunter Rise Pro Controller (w/ box only)
• VORI Black Foam Carrying Case
  • includes strap, case is better for stationary storage than transportation though

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Wii

• Black Nintendo Wii Box ONLY
  • Nintendo & American Heart Association Edition (link to page on ConsoleVariations)
  • overall fantastic condition, been in storage since the console was opened
  • comes with inserts and sleeves only, no console/cords/Wiimotes, manuals, or games included
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (disc and box)
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (CIB)
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (no manual)

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Nintendo 3/DS

• Super Mario 3D Land (CIB, Nintendo Selects)
• Super Smash Bros 3DS (loose)
• Pokemon Y (loose)
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (loose)

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GBC

• Pokemon Yellow (loose)
  • game was not working upon arrival: I had to connect a trace on the back of the PCB with a tiny amount of solder (see pics, the break in the connection was so small and close to the via that a jumper would have been too large)
  • new battery installed, game plays and saves without issue now
  • authentic shell and label, label shows moderate signs of wear

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PS2

• All games include their box unless noted, any that include a manual/inserts are noted. All stickers are on the outside of the box plastic, not on the cover art!
• Driver 3 (w/ manual)
• DT Racer (w/ manual, back of cover art punctured)
• Fight Night 2004 (w/ manual)
• Fight Night Round 2 (w/ manual)
• Fight Night Round 3 (w/ manual)
• God of War 2 (Greatest Hits, w/ manual, no bonus disc)
• Gran Turismo 4 (w/ manual and insert)
• Heroes of the Pacific (w/ manual)
• History Channel Civil War: A Nation Divided (w/ manual)
• Hitman: Blood Money (w/ manual and bonus disc)
• Knockout Kings 2002 (w/ manual)
• Madden 06 (w/ manual)
• MLB 2k5 (loose disc only)
• Mortal Kombat: Deception (loose disc only, many scratches)
• Nascar 06: Total Team Control (w/ manual)
• Nascar 07 (w/ manual)
• Nascar: Dirt to Daytona
• NBA Live 2005 (w/ manual)
• NFL Head Coach (w/ manual and insert)
• Pro Race Driver (w/ manual)
• Red Dead Revolver (Greatest Hits)
• Rock Band (no instruments)
• Scarface: The World is Yours (Collector's Edition, CIB)
• Short Track Racing: Trading Paint (Gamestop case)
• SOCOM US Navy Seals Combined Assault (w/ manual and insert)
• Spartan Total Warrior
• Sprint Cars: Road to Knoxville (w/ manual)
• Sprint Cars 2: Showdown at Eldora (w/ manual)
• Suzuki TT Superbikes (w/ manual)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (w/ manual)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 (Greatest Hits)
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (w/ manual and insert)
• UFC Sudden Impact (w/ manual)
• UFC Throwdown (w/ manual)
• World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions (w/ manual)
• World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9 (w/ manual)

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Other

• PC - Dungeon Siege 2: Deluxe Edition (w/ map and game keys)
• PC - Battle Realms (loose)

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Accessories/Merch

• Accessory - NYKO Xbox One Direct Console Charge Base w/ batteries
  • fits flush with Xbox One when plugged in, batteries are well used but still hold a decent charge
• Guide - Prima Games Official Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Scenario Guide (no poster, fair condition)
• Merch - 2007 Diamond & Pearl Box Tin - Holiday Empoleon
• Merch - 2016 Triple Power Tin - Shiny Gyarados
• Battery - 3x OEM GBA SP batteries
  • all tested and working, all have small bloat

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Free w/ Any Trade

• Wii - The Bigs (loose, heavily scratched)
• PS4 - Fallout 76 (PAL, CIB)
• PSP - Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (loose, no casing, untested)
• Headset - OEM PS4 Mono Headset (never used)
• Accessory - 2x Nintendo Switch Lite Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• Battery - Dead OEM GBA SP battery (tested & not working)

Wants

Higher Priority	Lower Priority
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (CIB or box w/ all inserts only)	Pokemon Let's Go Eevee (w/ box)
Pokemon SoulSilver CIB or Big Box only (great condition, few signs of damage)	Bayonetta 2 for Switch (sealed)
Pokewalker stuff: two foam slips for Pokewalkers, will consider Pokewalkers in good condition (lower priority than the foam slips)	Pokemon Stadium 2 Box w/ Inserts (any condition, little to no tears preferred)
Pokemon Black or White edition DSi console (loose or CIB)	Cases/boxes/inserts/games to complete my loose items listed
JFC Brand Grip for PS Vita 1000 (new/used)	PS2 game offers (Current specific wants: Bully, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Kingdom Hearts, Fullmetal Alchemist: Curse of the Crimson Elixir)
"New" 3DS OEM Faceplates (preference for Pokemon but feel free to offer me any)	BoxyPixel Unhinged Shell (Black or Purple preferred, open to offers on other colors)
GameBoy Micro OEM Faceplates (any except 20th Anniversary)	Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch Pro Controller (w/ box)
GameBoy Micro OEM Charger	Special Edition 2DS Consoles (slate model)
OEM PS2 Compatible Component cables (NOT composite cables)	Phat NDS (screens must be in great shape, very few/no scatches, no dead pixels)
Waterfield City Slicker Case for "New" 3DS	Pokemon GB/A with dead batteries
Pokemon Crystal (any condition)	Pokemon Merch (plushies, pins, etc, just show me what you got)
Broken/Non-working handhelds (GB, GBC, GBA, PSP, etc), Nintendo consoles (old to new), non-working GBC/GBA cartridges (namely Pokemon, Zelda, etc)	Black Joy Con wrist strap (only need one)
	Offers/Lists

​

 I never thought I would find myself needing to recount the events that transpired during my childhood. 

When the idea of typing this came about, I didn’t think I would even be able to find the words to describe them. However, maybe due to recent contact with the government, the memories I had long buried in the dusty recesses of my memory have dug themselves up and crawled back into the light of my mind’s eye in vivid detail. Now that I am free to speak, and now that I have summoned the courage to, my message to you, especially the parents among you is this, do not leave your children at Sunny Smiles Daycare.
I was about 4 when my parents divorced. It was a long, arduous process, full of broken promises and uncomfortable truths. My mother had left a year prior, off to Vegas to be with her lover who would fly over on weekends and destroy my parent’s of holy matrimony. It took quite a toll on my father. He was never very present in the going on of my life, and while he tried, an awkwardness had formed between us, a chasm that made it difficult to do much of anything. It was ever present, both of us trying to cope with the tender void left in the wake of my mother.
We tried to fill it with each other, but our relationship wasn’t strong enough to bear the weight of my mom’s departure. Adding on to this was that most of the day he was gone, working to keep the roof we had over our heads. He hired a slew of nannies to fill the empty days his job made, but I always complained about them. I felt like a stranger in my own life, with people I didn’t know making themselves at home in the house that felt foreign to me now. I really just wanted my mom and dad back, for them to come together, forgive each other in a heartfelt bout of passion, and make time for me in their lives again. But as a child, I quickly learned to stifle my hopes and stopped believing in such silly fairy tales.
My father felt guilty about the whole thing, I could see it in his eyes. Even back then I knew the look of someone trying their best and failing. It was the look my mother gave me every time she came home late on a Saturday night, a crestfallen look of disappointment in not me or my father, but herself. She had promised me that everything would be okay, that the fighting wasn’t anything but grown-up talk. “A family,” she said, “always stays together”. But soon, all I got was promises that didn’t lead anywhere. The two of them made so many promises that if they were worth anything, I’d have been the richest kid in the world.
But all I got was a trip to a daycare, a way for my father to remedy this guilt, to distance himself from the reminder of all the promises he had failed to keep.
According to his searches from the time, he stumbled upon Sunny Smiles Daycare in his search, seeing it was new, very close by. It had only been open for a month and had nothing but five star reviews, with no justification as to the rating under any of the comments. When looking at their website, it is described as a “government owned amenity here to serve families in need. We are expanding everyday, and with the help of certain patrons we have expanded to the national level”. According to the FBI, whom which I have spoken to at length about my experiences, no federal or state funds from any agency were allocated to construct a national daycare system. However, there is documentation from congressional records of a meeting of the Committee of Education and the Workforce passing an anonymous bill into Congress to be voted on. When interviewed, none of the members of the committee recalled voting on such a bill, and no record of whether the bill was ratified or not was found.
One night, my father called for me from the ground floor. I cautiously maneuvered down the long, spiral stairs, gripping tightly onto the railing so as not to tumble down the treacherous staircase, my fear of heights taking hold even at such a young age. As I rounded the stairs, I saw my father standing in the living room, hands on his hips, tapping his foot rapidly. He had come home in a gray suit, tailored to his filled out build, with neat, dark hair combed over to hide his large, reflective forehead. As I completed my descent, my father turned to me, a smile so wide that the strain was practically audible on his face. I didn’t think much of it then, if anything I was happy that my father finally showed me something other than his inner struggles.
“Hey buddy, guess what we are gonna do tomorrow?” he said, his smile practically bursting out of his face.
“What?” I asked, his excited expression acting as a pathogen of enthusiasm.
“Tomorrow, you're going to go to a new place. It’s called Sunny Smiles Daycare. It’s a place where you can make tons of new friends. Isn’t that exciting?” he led me on in the way that parents do. I was confused.
“Sunny Smiles Daycare,” I repeated hollowly, spitting the words out due to their funny taste in my mouth.
“Will you come with me?” I asked tentatively, bracing for disappointment.
“No buddy, they don’t let grown-ups like me in. It’s just for you kids. But hey, I bet you're gonna have so much fun that you’ll forget all about me. I bet you won’t even want to leave,” he promised, trying to redirect the impact of his answer. I had heard the same speech often. Every time he laid down some shiny new thing at my feet, hoping to placate me with sacrifices like I was some bloodthirsty deity, he tried to convince me that this time, the hole bored into my heart would finally be filled with this cheap, flashy toy. And for the most part, I went along with it, both to find salvation in something frivolous and to ease my father’s own guilty demons. And this was no different. In as excited a voice I could muster I replied “I can’t wait!” The smile he wore shrunk a bit, but in turn, it looked much less plastic, and more real, a warmth returning to his features.
“I’m glad little man. You hungry?” I nodded vigorously.
“Great, what do ya want?”
“Dino nuggets,” my favorite.
My father nodded, before rushing off to the kitchen in order to prepare a gourmet serving of dino nuggets. I followed, clumsily running to catch up to him, desperate for the warmth of his smile once more.
“How your day go?” I asked rather clumsily. I had learned the basic abcs and enough words to speak, but the construction of sentences was something I had struggled with. I rarely talked at all and didn’t get many chances to do so.
“It was great, bud! I talked to a lady at the daycare we are gonna go to tomorrow, and she said they have over 50 kids there! They’ve got coloring books and dollies and even a playground inside! They’ve got books and paint an-” I started to tune out. He was still trying to sell me on the whole daycare thing. That was all he talked about the rest of the night, describing every detail of the place to me. Looking back, even then, I felt a deep sense of restlessness each time he mentioned the name of the place. The feeling only grew more exacerbated the longer the night went on, chasing away sweet thoughts of sleep. Some of it was nerves, going from 1 stranger a day to 50 was certainly a big leap. But part of it was something I can’t explain in any other way than a premonition, a warning from a natural instinct that laid long dormant in me came screaming to the surface. I did not sleep well that night. The morning of, my father woke me up early, saying that he needed to get to work, but would drop me off at the daycare on the way. I obliged, changing out of my Lightning McQueen onesie into tiny jeans and a brown and white striped shirt with a large smiling monkey face on the front. Monkeys were my favorite animal, mainly because they liked bananas just as much as I did. I did my daily duties of brushing my teeth, and messing around with my hair until I was happy with the ratty mess I had made. I once again fearfully journeyed down the stairs. My dad was tapping his foot at the bottom of the stairs, annoyance instead of excitement being the cause.
“Come on bud, we gotta get going or I’m gonna be late,”. he says, as if his meaningless deadline would incentivize me to overcome my fear and move faster.
I reach the bottom step, where my dad promptly scoops me up in his arms, and with his briefcase and a backpack in hand, we speed out of the house. We fly down the stairs leading down from the large wooden porch, my father gripping onto the black metal railing so as not to slip on the cliff-like stairs. He snaked through the cobblestone pathway that led from our stairs to the driveway. Both were in rough condition. Crabgrass riddled the grooves in the path, and the asphalt had long, outstretched cracks that had formed due to the roots of a nearby sycamore tree undermining the pavement. The lawn was an unkempt jungle of overgrown grass, weeds, dandelions, and mushrooms. Dad used to mow it once a week in the summer, but the habit had fallen off in the past year.
Dad threw open the back door of the red minivan, and quickly strapped me into the ragged, stained car seat. He clumsily struggled with the seatbelt, his inexperience with morning procedures on full display. He finally resigned himself, tying the belt straps together into a tight knot that compressed harshly on my chest. I remember my breathing being shallow during the majority of the ride. With me secured, he threw the backpack over next to me, closed the door, and got in the front seat.
“Dad, I don’t go,” I said. “I don’t like,”
“Why buddy? We haven’t even gotten there yet,” Dad asked, his voice rising in pitch, as he started the ignition.
“I don’t like,” I repeated, louder and firmer this time.
“Why don’t you just give it a few days, just two or three days, and if you truly hate it, then we’ll find a different place okay sweetie?” He asked, forcing his voice to smooth out, as we turned out of our bumpy driveway and started off. There wasn’t much I could do after that. He did not respond well to temper tantrums, and I knew that it would not end well for either of us if I started yelling. He was too jumpy, and didn’t have the long fuse constructed over many long nights of staying awake with your kid.
Once, I dropped a glass of orange juice. The glass shattered in a loud crackle, like thunder mixed with pop rocks, and they scattered away from the initial blast, in fear of the storm that was barreling down the stairs.
“What happened?!” my father yelled as he stomped through the house. I realize now that his shouting was out of concern more than anger, but as a child, it’s hard to tell the difference when someone is screaming at you. I looked up at him, fat watery tears streaming down my face as I bawled loudly, practically shouting myself.
My dad grabbed a handful of paper towels, and started roughly padding my fuzzy blue shirt.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled again, voice wavering. This only made my cries louder, bordering on hysterical now as I continued to blubber.
My dad grunted in strained frustration. He combed his hair frantically, eyes darting around wildly, completely overwhelmed by the scene before him. Unable to take my wailing any longer he leaned down, grabbed me by the arm, and shook me violently.
“Are you hurt!” He screamed, shocking me into silence.
I stood stunned. My dad quickly removed his hands from me, purple bruises welding up along my arms like bad tattoos.
“I’m sorry bud, I thought you were hurt and you wouldn’t answer me and I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”. It was all he could say. I made sure not to scream or cry around him from then on.
We drove for about 10 minutes, before a large, pastel building of soft blues, yellows, and greens came into view. I knew about 5 minutes before it came into view where it was, my face retracting further into the car seat, as if bracing for a bomb to fall.
It was a massive building. The front looked normal enough, a box almost entirely made of windows aside from the wiry wooden frame separating them, and the large fluorescent red door surrounded by a black wooden outline. This was partially obscured by large red brick pillars that held up a concrete awning. Behind that, stood a massive dome, like an igloo made out of yellow snow. Sun patterns covered the dome-like orange polka dots.
The building unnerved me. Something about it wasn’t quite right, like my father’s own strained smile. It looked like it was trying too hard, trying to look like what all parents wanted to see when they dropped their kids off.
“See?” My father said from the front seat, fake excitement dripping from his voice.
“It looks so fun!” he said. He was fishing for an enthusiastic response, but all I could muster was quiet indifference.
We turned into the lot, navigating through the crowded rows of cars, parked haphazardly. Every spot was filled. A long line of cars slowly advanced next to the concrete curve, advancing toward the dropping-off points. Other cars, though, stopped where they were, and removed their kid from the car seat. Some didn’t even have them in car seats, and simply stopped while the kids got out themselves. The kids looked scared, sad, and hurt, the latter of which I could identify with. It was the look I often felt myself giving when I was being forgotten or I was alone. The former two, I would soon come to know quite well.
As soon as the door closed, the car would speed out from the line and out of the lot. Even strangers were kids who walked from the parking lot. These kids all had filth-splotched faces, torn-up rags for clothes, thin hair, and hollow eyes. They walked slowly, without regard for the honking cars and disapproving looks from parents who had almost hit them. They didn’t even look up as they filed into the daycare. My dad chimed in.
“Oh poor kids. How can a parent watch their child go out into the world like that? Is no one feeding them?” He muttered under his breath in an angry tone. He hated seeing the cries of those who were suffering go unanswered, especially children. It was why he became a doctor.
The cars slowly moved, dropping their kids off one by one, some making more of a ceremony of it than others. Stifled tears, verklempt looks, and the all too familiar fake smiles were all congregated at the entrance to the daycare. Guardian to said entrance stood two women, garbed in an all-white dress, apron, and gloves with silver hair and peculiar white hats. It looked like one of those paper hats kids made, but it was made of cloth and like her, stood at stiff attention and bore an opaque smiling face. They were surrounded by a flock of frantic parents, each desperately commanding their attention with little facts about their special angle. Allergies, snack preferences, and in the case of some, medication were all conveyed with deathly urgency. Dad stopped the car, turning to me and smiling. Not an insincere one, but one of sympathy and comfort.
“It’s gonna be okay sweetie. I know this has all been so much for you, so thank you for being so brave with me,” he promised. I smiled back in turn, meaning it this time.
He then exited the car, came around to the backseat, and untied me from the car seat. He grabbed the backpack and carried me over to the cement awning that shaded the walkway.
He carried me over to the two ladies, past the line of fellow downtrodden children, and dropped me a few feet away from the crowd of squawking parents.
“Hold on just a second now sweetie, I’ll be right back,” he said. I stood awkwardly, trying as much as I possibly could to fold into myself as the limp bodies of my peers stumbled past me, all light-looking to have long left their eyes. One was different though. A young girl in a pink and red polka-dotted dress with an accompanying bow in her soft ginger hair to match. She was holding a small, beaten-up brown patchwork teddy bear with its left eye missing. The back of it was torn open, stuffing flopping out of it. Around her neck was a collar of raspy, raw skin, like some wild animal had tried to tear out her jugular with its claws. She had pretty green eyes which continued to glance at me as she passed. Right before she went through the red door, she hesitated, turned around, and quickly waddled over to me. She placed her face incredibly close to me, and I recoiled out of shock. I could still make out her whispers though, “When they ask, don’t tell,”.She quickly turned away, glancing back at me with worried eyes. I looked after her, confused and more scared than before. As my eyes wandered, I looked up to one of the women answering parental questions, and she continued to do so. However, her eyes were transfixed to the polka-dot girl, and once she entered the daycare, they shifted to me. It was what I could only describe as a friendly stare, or at least, one that appeared to be. She looked like she was sizing me up. I held her gaze for only a second, and wished I hadn’t even done that. I commanded my eyes to look anywhere, anywhere but the woman’s shriveled, pit-like eyes that begged for my attention. My eyes traced out the outline of the red door, slowly taking in each groove and scratch that thick coats of paint weren’t able to cover. As I looked above the red gate, I was greeted with words scrawled at the top in shaky black letters. I didn’t know what I said then, but looking back I do now. They read “Welcome to Home”.
“Calvin, come here!” my dad said, snapping me out of my awkward stare. I shuffled over to my dad, reaching out and clinging to his arm. Both of the silver-haired women turned to look at me, moving through the crowd of parents with polite “excuse me’s” and “let us pass for a moment’s”, all while not taking their eyes off of me. They strode over to my dad, one addressing my dad and the other bending down to my level, still staring at me. She bent perfectly straight at the hips, but went down no further, her face mere millimeters from mine. I shrunk closer to my father, who was seemingly too preoccupied talking about my peanut allergy to notice the creepy woman staring at his kid.
“What is your name?” She asked. I pressed even further away from her due to her voice, which scratched at my ears like sandpaper. I remembered what the polka-dot girl said, and did everything in my power to not give her an answer, instead tugging on Dad’s pant leg, pleading for his attention.
“What is your name?” She probed again, this time her voice only a supple whisper. I almost couldn’t stop myself as my name rushed up my throat like hot vomit I needed to choke back. It was like she had reached her hand into my brain and was massaging it, hoping to coax out an answer. I knew she knew already, she had heard my dad call it only a few moments ago. But she wanted me to say it, to hear the word escape my lips. I was afraid to speak at all because if I did, I knew my name would come out. I didn’t even know what would happen, but the visceral fear I had of what might happen kept my lips sewn shut.
I tugged more and more desperately on my father’s leg, but he didn’t even look at me. He was still talking to the silver woman about who knows what. Who knows what he was telling her?
“What is your name?” the lady asked again, this time grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I tried to yank my hand away, but her grip was vice-like. She clamped down hard, I was sure a bruise would form. Looking back now, she likely knew that out of what she could do then, that would hurt the most. My eyes darted around, my brain overwhelmed by a gut-wrenching fear that poured into me from the woman’s touch. It was so cold I couldn’t feel my arm anymore, and the numbing sensation was spreading quickly. I looked for anyone, any adult who could see what was happening and put a stop to it, but everyone seemed to be conveniently occupied with something else. Time seemed to slow down and warp, leaving just me and the woman in our pocket of isolation. Voices faded out into warped chirping. I couldn’t tell you what they were saying, but with every passing moment, they got louder and louder. Numbing fear spread all throughout my body, reaching up and crawling into my mouth and swelling my tongue, pushing back the scream that was clawing its way up my throat. My eyes began to go numb, and the tears that welled up froze over my eyes blocking my vision. They were being squeezed like oranges being juiced. My arms and legs froze and turned weak, brittle enough that a gust of wind would shatter them. Slowly, I could sense my heartbeat getting slower and slower.
“You ready buddy?” My father’s coarse hand tapped my shoulder, and the glass bubble of nightmares that surrounded me and that woman shattered. Time came roaring back and all the pressure inflicted on my feeble body vanished, and the woman hastily stood up. Tears sprung free from their icy barrier as I turned to my father and looked up.
“Hey, woah, buddy what’s wrong? What’s going on?” he bent down to me, clumsily wiping away my tears. All I could do was shake my head vigorously, lips still quivering. I tried to speak but I knew the woman was still staring at me. I could feel her gaze honed in on the back of my head like a laser. As long as her eyes were fixed on me, I didn’t dare speak. Even now, I feel dizzy, my name on the tip of my tongue.
“We see this type of display daily. Children and caretakers alike are so rarely prepared to be separate. It’s an emotional moment, but we have found that adversity only ends in growth and prosperity for the pair” one of the women says, a sugary sweetness now oozing from her demeanor.
“Don’t worry buddy, your guardian will be back, and while he is attending to his duties, you will have the honor of being a part of our family,” the other silver-haired woman says, turning to me with a toothy grin. Most of her words were too big for me to understand. Though, I doubt I would need to hear her speak to understand. The stares they would give us were all we needed to know what they were saying, and yet they still put us through the torture of their scratchy speech.
“We are extremely excited to meet you!” the pair said in unison.
“You sure you're okay, bud?” Dad asked again, still not convinced. With both of them looking at me now, there was no way I was saying anything. I sent a pleading look to my dad, hoping that my covert correspondence wouldn’t go unnoticed. But apparently, my own father didn’t know me well enough to see how shaken I really was. He gave me a final look of sorry, before he bent down, gave me a tight hug, stood up, and handed me the backpack. Then he began to depart
“Listen buddy I’ll see you tonight. I put all your favorite stuff in that bag okay? I love you so much.” His voice wavered a bit, coughing a bit to try and regain composure. He looked at me, torn, between what he wanted to believe and what he could see. All I could do was stand there and watch my father throw his only son to the wolves. He walked back to the car, buckled in, and gave me a final look of a wide smile with conflicting, tear-soaked eyes, before exiting the line of cars and driving off.
An overwhelming wave of dread washed over me as I watched my lifeline drift away. Questions raced through my head, “When would he come back? Would he forget to come? How long can I not say my name for?”
I could feel them loom over me, like unwanted shadows creeping through the night.
“Come, it is time for you to enter,” the lady said, the sweetness now draining from her voice and face. A reproachful look now adorned her face. She stiffly pointed to the door, likely knowing that the meaning of her words was lost on me. I turned and made my way into the line of children still marching towards the gateway, dragging my feet. The gate itself seemed to pull me closer like death reaching its hand out from a coffin. The two ladies returned to their posts beside the door, dutifully tending to the needs of apprehensive parents. They made a last call, saying “All parents must deposit their offspring to the daycare. Activities are about to begin”.

We're setting up our telescopes, binoculars, and cameras to share with everyone. We'll be hunting down some famous Messier Objects and Double Stars! No planets, meteor showers, or Moon tonight, but that only means galaxies will shine a little brighter. Join us—it's free!
Location: Birch Bay Activity Center
We'll be in the field to the north of the facility starting at 10 PM. There will be a Porta Potty available. I'm planning to stay out with guests until we all get too tired or the sunrise starts to mess things up.
Space!

Hello, everyone! I've loved Hatsune Miku since I was in middle or high school, and even back then, I thought "What of there was a Hatsune Miku movie?" By movie, yup, I'm talking about a full length theatrical film! I just wanted to have a discussion with you all on what you would do to make a Miku movie, or if a Miku movie would even work. Here's what I would do:

• The movie would be animated. Duh! Pretty much no choice there, and that's good. It would be CGI, but the characters would of course keep their anime styles. I was thinking something like Peni Parker, but with even better graphics.
  
• The plot would be about how Miku lives her everyday life as Japan's most famous pop star. She tries to live a normal and happy life with her new career, but she becomes more and more stressed throughout the movie by crazed fans, the media and other celebrities becoming jealous of her fame that she never even asked for. After all, Miku is still just a 16 year old kid.
  
• The movie will be shot in a documentary/mocumentary type style, just like the film Surfs Up. This would really make the movie stand out and make it so much more fun to watch.
  
• This might be controversial to some, but I'd actually rather not depict Miku as a hologram/program. I want her to be in her own universe, where she has a family, and the other vocaloids become her friends/rivals. I actually thought about making Miku's parents both music enthusiasts. Also, her father would be Japanese and her mother would be Finnish.
  
• Now here's a really hard part: I'm not sure if the characters will sing through their voice actors, or through the vocaloid software. If they sing through the software, we might potentially be wasting some good singing talent from the voice actors. I honestly don't know what to do here.
  
• And finally, here is the roster for the movie! Since the characters don't usually have canon personalities, I gave them my own:
  

Hatsune Miku: The 16 year old music star who is the most famous and loved in all of Japan. She's a sweet, honest, humble girl who only wants to make music to express herself. But when the folly of fame comes to her, it becomes more than she can take. Can she overcome it?
Kagamine Rin: A cheeky and funny girl who loves Miku but teases her a lot.
Kagamine Len: A kind and nervous boy who loves and respects Miku, and gets bossed around by Rin.
Kaito: The sweet and wise adult of the group.
Megurine Luka: Another adult of the group, but actually went to school with Miku for only one year.
Kasane Teto: A silly, yet brash idol who thinks that Miku is trying to make her irrelevant. She and Miku have a rivalry until the end of the story, where she becomes her friend. She is a 31 year old cimera who believes she is 15. (This version of Teto is more based on her Utau design and characterization.)
There may also be fun and cheeky cameos and references to other vocaloids!
So that's all I would do. How would YOU make a Hatsune Miku movie? Do you think one should be made at all?

Hi I'm George 23 from England south west near Bristol looking for new friends and people to chat to on a regular basis :)
I love being outdoors as much as possible just done a solo camping trip last weekend! Looking to go again soon. Really enjoy walking miles and miles without a goal and getting lost! I live in the countryside too which is a bonus, love having fires and watching the sunsets and the moon/stars. Really wanna try wishing this summer tho have no idea what I'm doing haha
Listening to music too of course whilst I'm doing it listen to anything really. Eminem, Metallic, Billy Idol literally anything goes!
Big into tattoos and piercings my first couple tattoos were rubbish so planned and got some I really like and keep expanding on them as well. Got my nose, eyebrow and my ears pierced too! Love to see other people's tattoos too. I got a ps5 and gaming laptop but don't enjoy them anymore really, kinda depressed right now so trying to just go walking more :)
Feel free to message be cool if your local to Bristol could meet up and do things this summer 🌞

Hey
If anyone is willing to read this, what type would you say I am?
INFO
• What kinds of activities do you prefer? Do you like, and are you good at sports? Do you enjoy any other outdoor or indoor activities?
DnD, Magic the Gathering(Blue my favorite color to play and represents my personality in my opinion) Gaming mainly Rpgs. This has always been my hobby. I like to read and write(horror, Sci fi, fantasy). Like to watch and discuss movies.
As for sports I Used to? I used to Skateboard a lot. I did it into my late 20s. I was put into sports(baseball,track) at a young age by my parents but didn't care for it.
I do weightlift/workout 6 days a week and I love to do that. I like to hike.
• Would you enjoy taking on a leadership position? Do you think you would be good at it? What would your leadership style be?
No, I dont like being bothered by people. The only leadership I want is leading myself.
• Are you coordinated?
Yes
• Are you artistic? If yes, describe your art? If you are not particular artistic but can appreciate art please likewise describe what forums of art you enjoy. Please explain your answer.
I appreciate art but I'm not great at it. I play bass and I like to write.
• How do you act when others request your help to do something (anything)? If you would decide to help them, why would you do so?
I don't like being bothered. If it's someone I consider close though I'll help.
• Do you need logical consistency in your life?
Yes.
• How important is efficiency and productivity to you?
• Do you control others, even if indirectly? How and why do you do that?
• How good are you at strategizing? Do you easily break up projects into manageable tasks? Or do you have a tendency to wing projects and improvise as you go?
• What are your aspirations in life, professionally and personally?
Write a book
Have a job I don't hate and make money that can support my wife, kids, and myself.
• What are your fears? What makes you uncomfortable? What do you hate? Why?
Being controlled
• How attached are you to reality? Do you daydream often, or do you pay attention to what's around you? If you do daydream, are you aware of your surroundings while you do so?
I'm in my head a lot. Absent minded professor
• How long do you take to make an important decision? And do you change your mind once you've made it?
If its an important decision I'll take all tbe time I think is necessary.
• How long do you take to process your emotions? How important are emotions in your life?
I suck dealing with them
• Do you ever catch yourself agreeing with others just to appease them and keep the conversation going? How often? Why?
No. I'm very Blunt and don't beat around the bush
• I'm logical and analytical
• When It comes to making decisions I try to go with what is most logical and makes the most sense
• I try to see multiple viewpoints as to understand more and also play Devils advocate
• I'm Impatient and get irritated easily
• Competitive
• Determined
• Open minded
• I will plan things but I am adaptable
• I'm more talkative and im naturally goofy and like joking around around those I'm close with. ( My wife, my kids, immediate family and close friends)
• I'm interested in the concept of the status quo for instance and more so how to break the status quo/question/ change it. I don't just follow things but I'm okay with following authority figures (bosses, leaders, etc) provided they are legit in their earning of said authority. I don’t follow blindly simply because they’re labeled an “authority figure” I follow because I believe they deserve and earned their titles of authority through actual work and logic.
• I ask "why" a lot
• I overanalyze
• I'm a massive nerd and I weightlift almost every day. I read and watch a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and Horror. I write stories. I collect Star Trek and fantasy collectibles. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons lore.(There's more these are just some). You wouldn't know any of this just based off how I look though. I'm told I come off intimidating atleast until you get to me if I let you in.
• I'm opionated and frequently speak up at work for example when people aren't being fair or they are being hypocritical.
• I do believe in rules and regulations if they make sense especially safety ones
• Confident
• Practical
• Objective
• I'm relentless/Determined when i need to be
• Im not tradtional in the generic sense, I have my own tradtions ive made up for my family
• Atheist
• Always looking for inconsistencies
• I want to be the one in who decides if I'm going to have a schedule or not. I don't like when people set plans and routines for me.
• As I've gotten older I usually work first before relaxing. So I'll get everything out of the way as soon as I can so I'm free to do what I want
• Consider myself Introverted
• If there's something I need to fix or a puzzle that captures my attention I get tunnel vision and must complete it
• I like to read and learn trivia about movies. Watch how there made. Find meanings if there are any
• Listen to a lot metal/goth music. Heavily in that scene along with the tattoo scene
• Knowledge is important and I believe everyone should have opportunities to learn
• Pragmatic
• I'm not super rebellious(I can be when I need to be)
• I tend to be a talker and a listener
• I can be picky with some things. I can be OCD about certain things.
• If I have a particular type of “day” in mind, I don’t usually like straying from it. But it depends on what things happen. If the deviation is suddenly going to a Halloween store(I love Halloween time and horror movies) then I’m sure I'll enjoy it
• I can be easy going or “go with the flow” provided that “the flow” is going in a direction I'm happy with

Come talk if you’re male, female or anything in between but I am a guy if that’s an issue 😅
I’m from England and I’m just a big nerd for like football and Star Wars 😅 I sound like a big kid but I also really enjoy Lego; it helps with my anxiety and is just fun. Uhm… I’m not really sure what to say other than I’m happy to talk about anything and everything, I don’t judge. I’m also getting into the gym so yay! 🥳
I also got a new tattoo on Saturday and eventually want sleeves 😅😎

Hi, this story was deleted because I was told it was incomplete. I would love any help on how to fix that. This is a part to a series. Also, any other thoughts would be great as well.
Trigger Warning - >! child abuse !<
I present these journals to you as a warning. There are churches that are indistinguishable from your Christian churches. Well, until you get to the inner circle. They pray to neither Yahweh nor Jesus even though they say they do. They pray to someone whose name I can never write. A god who loves to make himself known but because of forces even beyond him it is quite difficult for him to do so. A god who can give those he loves whatever he wants but only those he loves.
This isn’t a conspiracy of how elites secretly serve him or how he sits in the background dictating every move. This is an account of how he’s ruined my life.
Forgive my arrogance in the following journal entries; pride before the fall and all that.
Welcome, losers.
Today’s a big day for me and you. For you, this is the start of how you get everything you want in life by reading my memoirs. And for me, this is the day I start my first and hopefully last romantic relationship with a certain beautiful girl named Kay McKenzie. I won’t go into too much detail about her because I’m sure you’ve heard of her because I’m sure by the time you read this I’ll be famous and so will she ( she’ll be married to me, duh).
Anyway, here’s the most important thing for you to know about the universe. This will change your life and make my memoir sell out. Read this slowly. Come close. I’ll whisper this to you. The first commandment is the most overlooked; you shall have no other gods before me. It implies there are other gods and oh, boy does he love proving he’s real. I’m not a fan of Him, for reasons you’ll learn later, but you might be. There are two ways we know with one hundred percent certainty he’s real.
So, this one’s more like a party trick. If we try to say our god's name on camera something will happen and the name is never heard. This can be as simple as the camera losing audio for one second or a deer wailing like it’s been stabbed in the background to cover up the sound. I’ve heard both. If we try to write it we get similar effects; laptops shut down, ink spills, or the pencil lead splits and leaps right into the eye of the writer. I’ve seen it all.
Now, here’s what he does that’s beyond a party trick. He’s what I ( to the anger of my friends) call a coupon honoring god. That means if you believe Yahweh or whoever did a miracle -any miracle- and go into one of my god’s temples and tell him you have faith that Yahweh did it and state that you have faith that he can do the same, he’ll do it just like that. You can be healed from cancer, legs growing back, and people being raised from the dead. I’ve seen it all.
Where are these churches you ask? Everywhere really. You wouldn’t spot a difference on the outside or inside on an average Sunday service. Only once you reach the inner circle is the true nature of the church revealed to you. There are some megachurches, mid-sized churches, and struggling small churches. The small churches believe they are small because they teach the true Word and thus attract fewer people and they disdain the bigger churches. The big churches don’t think about the small churches until they need to give them money because they’re dying. I’ll let you decide who’s the better church. I know many of you are asking why would a church ever be poor if you could simply ask god for whatever you want. Well, we’ll get to that later.
I’ll give you a list of churches in the back of this book and you can either attend them and ask god for whatever or start a new holy war. Not my problem. I don’t care either way as long as you paid for this book which pays for my retirement.
Now let me tell you about my god and my girl because they’re intertwined in this religion of mine.
When I was thirteen, about four years ago, we had a special ceremony with our youth group. All of our youth group were driven by van to one of the temples. The churches are easy to find but the temples -where the real power is- they’re hard to find. This one was out in a cornfield, isolated and alone. It was not a grand thing and was closer in appearance to a shack in the woods than a grand cathedral.
We exited the bus to go to the temple in a silent single file line; talking without permission was an offense that resulted in physical punishment. We shivered in the rough wind and the cold drizzle of rain. Most of us kept our heads down to avoid the gaze of the high cornstalks. Silence was demanded but fear was allowed so our single-file scurried and shook all the way to the temple.
“Be seated,” Sharon our youth group leader told us and went away to who knows where. We did as we were commanded. She did not tell us to be silent but we understood.
The wind beat on the tinted windows as if it was demanding to come in. It shook the whole poorly made temple. The red carpet that lined the auditorium danced in front of my eyes. If we looked at it too long we would swear it was not solid, but a thick liquid, too thick for blood. The wooden pews groaned at any movement we would dare make. Many a kid has been beaten because their bench groaned too loud.
So we sat in corpse-like silence and forced stillness that made my heart race around my chest until Sharon finally returned.
Sharon came from the back of the sanctuary and held the hand of some kid a couple of years younger than us, maybe nine. I did not like Sharon. Everything about her screamed fake and uptight. Her static platinum hair and pink nails were too fake. Her clothes were tight and even as a child, I wondered why she dressed like that to teach youth group. I’ve seen the average youth group leader you guys have for church and no she did not look like that. I’m not sure why she wanted to be a youth group leader. I don’t even think she liked kids. Oh, well maybe that’s why. You’ll see what I mean.
Anyway, Sharon escorted the small child between the two pews where we sat. As she walked in, the benches quieted their groans and the wind eased its assault against the door to more of a polite and creepy knock. The carpet still looked swimmable.
“Today, we get to feed god,” Sharon said and smiled with a perky demeanor foreign to her. We all shifted in our seats and tried not to appear afraid. We forgot food. How could we feed our god without food? We forgot to bring food and this would make god mad, our parents mad, and Sharon mad. Most of us weren’t stupid, so we knew not to admit our flaws. Instead, we spoke to each other in hand signals and concerned looks to determine if anyone brought any food we could split. No one was stupid enough to admit we forgot to bring food.
Except this one girl in the front row who audibly yelped. We all turned to her.
“Mrs. Sharon,” the girl said. “Sorry, I mean Ms.” the girl corrected mid-stutter. She was shivering maybe out of nerves and maybe out of fear or maybe she was still recovering from the elements outside.
Ms. Sharon’s smile was as hard as stone. She hated being reminded she was unmarried.
Honestly, I think the girl was too oblivious to realize it. She went on stammering all the way through. Her hands moved up and down as she spoke like the most frazzled symphony conductor ever. “I’m sorry I forgot to bring food. I will do better next time. I always write stuff like this in my planner and I must have forgotten this time. I don’t normally do this. You know I’m a good student.”
“Ms. McKenzie,” Sharon said, stone-smile unbent. “I didn’t tell you to bring food because I have it.”
A great fire leaped from the altar at the end of the hall. The altar of our god stood about nine feet tall. He had the head of a bull, the sculpted arms of an Olympian, and a furnace that served as a stomach and that furnace roared now. We all sat in our seats and our eyes avoided the fire. You’ve probably never been in the presence of real supernatural power.
You feel the need to hide from it and are haunted by an evil insignificance. Maybe you’ve felt insignificant looking at stars. It dawns on you that you are small compared to the universe but I bet you embraced that, I bet it made you want to see all there was of life. I bet you took risks. I bet you traveled.
Well, I call this evil insignificance because it does the opposite. This power made me want to end life’s search. There was too much power and too many things that were beyond me. I wanted to stay in this seat hidden and scared and never have to face the uncertainty of life again. My heart fled, my head danced, and my mouth went dry. We were supposed to be silent but I heard myself panting.
Sharon did not mind it. She walked forward. Her heels did not clack against the carpet but instead made a sploshing sound as if she walked on a puddle. She dragged the kid behind her.
“Oh no, no, no,” I thought but didn’t dare say. The kid was the food. I know the kid was drugged. He had to be. Anyone with any survival instincts would have ran from her. She strode forward with confidence. Perhaps, this is why she wanted to work with kids. Perhaps this was her reward. She got to feel all of our god’s presence and not want to shrivel away like we wanted to.
All I could think was, ‘No, no, no,’ the closer they got. I didn’t want to watch this but I didn’t want to be next. So, I had to sit there and I was supposed to keep my eyes open but I couldn’t manage that.
I’m sorry I’m a coward but I covered my eyes. It didn’t feel right to see. That wasn’t enough though. My eyes couldn’t close tight enough, bright orange light crept in them. I squeezed with every muscle in my body and they couldn’t go tighter. Pain swarmed in the middle of my head because of the effort. Then came his screams once he was in the fire.
He was so confused. I heard a ‘what’ in there and so many cries for help. I opened my eyes to see if she would. She kicked him with her heel and he was pushed back into the flames. Then she laughed. Then they all laughed. And I felt sick because I didn’t know what was funny.
I didn’t know the kid which meant he wasn’t part of the inner circle of the church. So, we were told not to care about him or his safety. And that hurt me, for the past few months, I was having physical aches of pain at what I witnessed we did to unbelievers. It created a deep numbness within me for all things except me. How could I love my god or my people who would do such a thing?
The other kids did not feel this way. I can’t blame them I guess, it worked out for them. They laughed and laughed and made fun of how he wiggled in the flames. They marveled at how you could see his skeleton. They mocked how loud he got and they mocked his eventual silence.
And then the flame went out. And there was quiet.
Except for one person’s sniffles. Sniffles that soon grew into tears. Something that was frowned upon. Why should we pity something that was our god’s will?
The nervous girl from the front cried. She viciously wiped away tears from her face because she knew her tears were heinous, her empathy evil. She understood her own punishment would be coming. The other kids stared at her. That’s what I hated the most. They didn’t have the shame to turn away from her. No, they stared because they genuinely could not understand why she was crying. Or they had the sick desire to enjoy her upcoming punishment.
The girl could have saved herself from this punishment she maybe could have avoided it if she pretended that her tears were about anything else. But she kept saying; “I’m sorry. I don’t mean… it’s just they were so young.”
As Sharon walked now the world felt the weight of her steps. I felt it again. Again, I had to be a hopeless, spectator to an ugly-stomach turning spectacle. Sharon’s heels clacked against the ground resolute to deliver a punishment.
That girl was Kay McKenzie and that’s the moment I knew I loved her. I grew numb because of this world we lived in. She didn’t. I fell in love with the girl because she cared even when she wasn’t supposed to.
Sharon delivered her punishment with malice. A swift smack to the face. You all hide your punishments on parts of the body that could be hidden. Our leaders punish us on our faces so we can be shamed. Sharon's mission was not to stop until Kay’s face was swollen and purple and Kay’s tears ceased.
Now I had never done this and I don’t think I could do it again but I made myself cry to get Sharon’s attention off of Kay. A loud wail. So, Sharon had to click-clack her heels to me, smack me once, and then go back to Kay and keep going. Which to me is funny in a way. If you don’t laugh you cry right? Eventually, Sharon grew too tired and none of our faces became purple, just red.
Every strike from Sharon was worth it because Kay and I became friends after. She is a small girl and her two front teeth are big, like mine. And she talks too much ( in the opinion of everyone but me) and they say the same about me. And she gets depressed sometimes but won’t tell anybody because (like me) that’s not her role in life. We’re here to make people laugh and we would never burden anyone else with what makes us sad.
Like me she has a hard time expressing herself to people she’s not close to. Which is the saddest of tragedies for them and my saving grace because if she did they’d be hopelessly in love with her like me.
That is the wonderful heart of Kay McKenzie. The girl I will start dating tomorrow and then marry within the year. That’s her that’s the girl I’d go to Hell for. We will leave this god together and I’ll give her a life of peace where her empathy won’t be punished.

As always, thank you to for the wonderful universe that is NoP! Thank you to for proof reading and helping me make this chapter as good as it can be, you're the man! Honestly LoM wouldn't have gone very far without him! If you haven't you should absolutely go read Foundations of Humanity! It's very good! :D
A big thanks to for helping with proofreading! He writes Out of Our Elements which is a very good one! If you like a good fic in the wilderness and a pair of cute 'friends' ;) you'll love OOE!
Also thank you to ! For this wonderful fanart of Taisa. And this one! She's so cute I'm gonna die
And thank you to ! For this adorable fanart of Chris and Renkel! Dear god help he's adorable I love him so much
Thank you , or AsciiSquid on Discord, for makin' Vengineer Taisa Gamin'. She's absolutely adorable, I love her lil' workers apron. She looks so excited to get to work!
Thank you ! For this astounding Pixel Art of Taisa after a few range day dates with Chris! Her little hat and gunbelt are absolutely astounding!
Thank you ! For this Artwork of Taisa and Chris as characters from One Piece! I've never seen or read it before but it's incredibly cute!
Thank you to for their wonderful work of several LoM fanfics!
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Memory Transcription Subject: Taikel, Venlil Farmer, Venlil-Human Exchange Host
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 20th, 2136
Stars above a paw with good news would be appreciated.
The Warren was silent but for the click-clack of Renkel’s claws on my pad as I sat at the island, staring down at my now cold bowl of crispy brown vegetables. Rensa had fallen further over the last paw, sinking well past where she had been after her accident. I think hope, fear and Renkel were the only things keeping me from stumbling into the night beside her.
My attention tracked across the living room as I swiveled the stool around to focus on the window she was sat in front of, with all I could see being the thread of a shadow slowly bringing the glass to her mouth; the only sign to tell me she was still there at all. I’d thought about replacing the gin with something gentler this waking, it had worked for a glass, keeping her marginally more lucid before she’d decided to refill it herself. Then before too long she was back to the same torpid drift she’d lost herself in these last few paws.
The clink of my skewer against the side of the bowl in front of me split the solemn, cold air of the kitchen as I let out a sigh, turning to look at the beads tic-tacing against each other in front of the open window beside the hearth. My eyes hung on the open thread waiting, almost eagerly, to be filled, for the news of our loss so that sordid black bead could find its new home.
My heart sank at the thought of receiving that message.
Of being informed that they really were gone.
Of having to confront the reality of our loss.
Having to explain to Renkel that his sister was never coming home, that Chris would never share his stories with him again.
That two of his best friends in the world had been taken from him.
Rensa falling even further, spiraling well beyond anything I could ever truly help her recover from.
The image of their stars drifting on the basin brought pooling tears to the corners of my eyes, pulling at the threads binding my heart like Night’s whipping winds.
I could feel them threatening to fall as I wrenched my eyes from Kalthet hanging in the window, squeezing them shut to push the horror away, to do anything and everything I could for my family.
For Rensa, for Renkel.
For them.
Come on, gray coat, do it for the-
The familiar chime of my pad drifted from Renkel on the couch, perking my ears to the distinct tune as he mewled curiously, locked onto the pad just as I was.
Was that Tais-
“PAPA!” My son squealed, leaping from the couch to fill the Warren with the rapid pitter-patter of his paws on hardwood followed along with a rapid beat of chime after chime from the pad he all but threw at me.
My heart swayed for a moment, a growing sprout of hope blooming as I gently plucked the pad from his paws, my tail slipping around him, pulling him close as I stared down at the noisy pad. The wheels in my mind spun on slick ground as panic, elation and worry filled my thoughts, my breath hitched, trying to push me onward to read even the first message as they came rushing in like a fresh harvest. Before long they stopped, messages about them going up to a peak to watch, the food Darlene had made, how much she hoped she’d see us again, terror at the Arxur’s arrival, jubilation that the federation had been driven away.
And then they turned to a tide of growing worry as her messages asked where we were, what was going on and how the town was holding up. Questions asking if we were getting the messages flooded in next, creeping closer and closer together before one finally broke the chain with an >Embarassed.< tail sign emote. A heavy sigh of relief tumbled from my mouth as I pulled Renkel a little closer, reading the message aloud to the pup with high ears and a blooming warmth in my chest.
“Hey Papa, looks like relays have been down for… a while. I’m ok, Chris is… mostly ok. I don’t know when you will get this, but whenever you do, I want you to know we’re coming home soon. I love you.”
My attention swung back to the window and the shadow hanging on the curtains between us as Renkel’s paws flew into the air, the pitter-patter of his feet on the hardwood racing around the living room, scooping up his book and bolting upstairs with an elated squeal. My tail fell into an excited wag before I looked back to the pad, the biting worry for Rensa gnawing a little harder at my gut dulled by the fact that they were alive! My daughter and Chris were, seemingly, safe. As worried as I was about reports of the Arxur on Earth, I couldn’t help but be elated at the news. Which certainly didn’t stay my claws from typing out a field of questions of my own as they sprouted to mind.
Taikel:
Oh thank the stars you’re ok, Oil-Spot!
What happened with the ship crash, the U.N. said it started a giant fire???
Are you two safe?
What are the Arxur doing there?
Where are the Arxur?
Where are you?
Her chat-flower bloomed after a few agonizingly long moments, setting the coiled tension in my heart loose as joyful tears slipped free into my wool. I hadn’t thought that little purple flower opening and closing could simultaneously elicit so many emotions.
Taisa:
Papa! Stars above I was worried something had happened.
Venlil ship rammed a fed light cruiser, lit the forest and mountainsides on fire real bad. We spent the last two paws doing our best to help put that out. Its contained and almost gone now so we’re getting shifted.We’re safe, mostly. We’ve got a worrying shipment with a few aid crews for the next paw or two but we’ve been approved to return to Heartwood after that is done.
They helped push the feds back and now they’re helping >Disbelief.< with the rebuilding efforts. Neither of us are particularly pleased with that.
Not sure about all of them but at least three of them are going to be on Polani. >Anger. Worry.<
We’re at Chris’ families, getting Polani ready to go get started with our ‘aid teams’.
How’re Mama and Renkel?
My heart stuck in my throat as I looked up at the window again, peering at Rensa’s shadow as the sound of Renkel excitedly foraging in his room met my ears, searching for the best words to say. I settled on the truth.
Taikel:
Renkel is currently running about the house like he’s had a cup of Chris’ ‘coffee’ again squealing happy. Your Mama is… not doing great right now but hopefully this news helps!
Any idea when you two will be home?
Taisa:
As soon as we can, not sure of exactly how many paws but I promise I’ll keep you updated.
Please let Mama know we’ll be home as soon as we can be.
Taikel:
I will, stay safe for me, Oil-Spot.
Taisa:
We’ll do our best, Papa. Love you.
Taikel:
Love you too.
I set the pad down and found myself staring at the Kalthet again, focusing on the empty space, ecstatic that another black spot wouldn’t yet truly fill our lives.
But it has filled the lives of others. Those people in the shelters… How many have lost family they know they’ll never see again?
>Enough.< A small nod bobbed my chin as I turned, padding up stairs to find Renkel. We’d been cooped up in the Warren long enough; it was harvest-time for all of us to get out and start helping. Besides, stars and I know that if that boy was good at anything other than foraging for new facts it was being a beacon of light in the world.
[Advance Transcript by Time Unit: 1.5 Hours]
Renkel let out an excited giggle, bouncing on his feet as I poured another glass for Rensa, splashing a claw of gin before diluting it with water and fire-fruit oil. Hard stopping hadn’t worked last time and it wouldn’t this time either, not without her howling in pain for paws on end… I couldn’t put her through that for another minute, let alone a few paws. But if I eased her down then it’d be better, it’d be tolerable for her and I was sure that Taisa and Chris’ return would snap her out of her stupor and break the fire just as fast as it’d started.
Or at least I hoped as hard as I could that it would.
Renkel bounds to the door, still jumping in place as his tail lashes about behind him excitedly, barely containing his squeaks as I open the door and wave him on outside. The cool twilight air flows into my wool as the beautiful golden rays dance in my eyes, casting the sky in a beautiful tapestry of colors. I’d seen it a thousand times, every waking of my life and yet, right now, it felt like the first time in forever.
Renkel doesn’t slow, bolting to the truck and calling out an upbeat whistle to Rensa as I stoop at her side, gently extracting the now-empty glass from her paws and replacing it with the new one before nuzzling her crown with an excited, hopeful mewl. “Taisa’s alright darling, they’ll be home in a few paws! Renkel and I are going to the shelter to try and help… do you want to come?”
A noncommittal, foggy grunt of acknowledgment was all I received alongside a weak return of my affections. The knot of pain in my chest tightened down again at the sight of my love, steeping in the fog hanging in her mind. It hurt to see her like this again, especially with the knowledge that the fear and anguish, the very cause of her pain, wasn’t true. Aside from patience and doing my best to gently lift her from the pit she’d dug to hide herself there was little I could do to truly help her.
So patience and a steady paw was what I would provide.
I gave her crown a small lick before I rose, gently easing her back down into her seat with the strongest purr I could manage. “We’ll be back soon, love. Get some rest, things will get better from here, I promise.”
The crunch of gravel beneath bolting paws reached my ears as I turned toward the truck, the excited squeaks, chirps and whistles erupting from Renkel faltered as he slowed to a stop at my side. His voice was a whisper as I turned him to pad to the truck, concern in his voice mirrored in how tight he clutched his book to his chest. “I-Is Mama coming with us?”
“No, Rekan, Mama’s still tired so she’s gonna stay home this time.” I whispered back, my paw squeezing his shoulder as my tail wrapped around his wrist. “But she wants us to go have all the fun we can at the shelter!
“Ok!” The pup’s ears perk, his tail wagging enthusiastically with the answer, tiny claws prodding me onward to the truck before tossing his head over his shoulder to shout to Rensa. “Lets go! Love you Mama! I’ll tell you all about it when we get home!”
A placid >You too.< was all he received.
That didn’t steal the shine from his field though, the joyful sound of his whistling accompanying the rapid prodding of his claws as he pushed me onward to the truck. The passenger door gives its usual whining squeal as it swings open, reminding me once again to call Parnel…
Later. Right now we help.
Renkel’s voice danced with enthusiasm as I hefted him up off his feet and into the seat beside mine, strapping him in as he sang and whistled Taisa’s chime. Before long I found myself joining him as I stepped back, gently swinging the door shut before padding to the drivers side, the hopeful tune dancing in the air around me as I climbed in alongside my son, gently pulling him close for a moment and earning a surprised mewl in return.
“You all ready, Rekan?”
>Yes!<
The truck’s engine shudders to life as Renkel props his book up on his lap, happily reading aloud to me about a new ‘fishy’ the ‘Blue Whale’. The rumble thrums through the truck as I slip it into gear, the familiar sound accompanied by the crunch of gravel under tread before it fades into the whispering hum of slow tires on asphalt. I turned my eyes for a moment, harvesting another look at Rensa lounging beside the Warren’s door.
And that little bloom of hope grew just a bit larger at the thought of them home, of her whole again. Of us whole again. I could handle this, in a paw or two she’d be lucid enough again. Then she’d be happy again.
And stars above that’s all I ever wanted.
Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Ship Captain, Crystal Star Shipping Co-Owner
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 20th, 2136
They’re late.
The heft of my loading suit felt like little more than a heavy coat as I stood at the top of Polani’s ramp, alone. Taisa was still up in the helm, likewise suited and strapped as we waited for the grays to arrive, along with their U.N. Handlers. Neither of us was particularly excited about any of this but we still had to do it. Still had to bend the knee every time the U.N. called us up.
We’d done everything they’d wanted us to do, hauled a few thousand souls off the Cradle, more’n that off Earth in the last few days, a quarter of which from places that just weren’t anymore…
And I still didn’t know if Anna was alright. They couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me a definitive answer about what happened to her or the museum’s bunker, and it was eating me. Ma’n Pa’d told me I should wait, do my best to keep a level head, keep myself on track and I’d tried. Tried to keep everything straight in my head, to focus on helping people where I could and… and I still couldn’t stop the knife in my gut twisting at losing my little sister.
Patience… Anna’s always been lucky, she’ll be alright. She will.
My eyes turned skyward, looking up at the drifting plume of smoke and ash that still hung in the northern sky. The ash, dust, debris and dreams of a few hundred million people stained the sky that awful gray-brown that stretched for hundreds of miles. Each crater that’d once been a city had looked like over-eager paint smudges from orbit. Looking down at them and biting my lip was about all I could do to keep from crying my eyes out at the idea of what was left of Anna drifting along with… everyone else.
“Still don’t see them, Love!” Taisa whistled through our suit’s comms channel, the upbeat, hopeful lilt dancing in her voice, pulling me from the darkening rapids in my mind. I could practically hear her wagging tail as I shifted to look both ways across the Tarmac, spotting a quartet of white vans and a few loaded cargo trucks.
Damn shame. Would’ve rather just gone home to help Ma an’ Pa rather’n taxi some fuckin’ ‘gators around.
“Hate to rain on our parade here, Darlin’, but I don’t think we’re gettin’ out of it that easy… Fuckin’ half hour late or not.”
Her voice deflated as I heard her sigh filter through the suit’s speakers, a note of fear replacing the hope that’d sung just a moment before. “Ah Speh… and we were so close.”
“Another half hour and I’d’ve called it.” I grumbled back, the heavy clunk of my suit’s boots against the ramp echoing through the cavernous hold as I walked down to the tarmac below. “Stay up in the helm, I’ll get the aid workers, and the fuckin’ ‘gators, settled fast as I can manage.”
“Ok, Love.” Was the only response I received, the fear in her voice building to the point that all I wanted to do was slam the hold shut and comfort her rather than play host to the U.N.’s next great idea for our lives.
Unfortunately that wasn’t an actual option.
The quartet of vans slowed to a stop a hundred yards away, followed by the cargo trucks shuddering to a stop on either side of them, sliding open to reveal the first two were entirely filled with Peacekeepers, Human and Zurulian aid workers and a handful of bags, equipment and medicine, the other pair were packed to the gills with Peacekeepers and Arxur. Suddenly everything felt awful familiar as the horde of scaled bastards slunk from their trucks, their attention bouncing all around the space-port before finally settling on Polani and me.
Some of them bickered back and forth in that grating, growling language as it gutting the air just outside my translator's range and set my nerves alight as they pointed up at the star on Polani’s flank. I could feel the tension in my shoulders growing as they approached, following a few yards behind the first Peacekeeper in the bunch and the pair of shaking Zurulians practically beneath her feet. At least they were a few familiar faces amongst the gray tide rising toward me.
“Captain Dewey! Good to see you again! Was worried about you.” Colonel Connolly called to me, Kelfen and Metek’s scared eyes snapping to me, the pair seeming to relax at least a little.
“Colonel, it's good to see you’re alright as well, I hope things have been better for you than us. Kelfen, Metek, good to see you as well.” I replied with a wary voice, my eyes not leaving the horde lingering behind them.
“That’s a word for it.” Metek grumbled, his ears darting about as he shot worried glances behind him, nervously fiddling with his backpack’s straps. “C-Can we still use the room we were using before? We need to set up which teams a-are going where.”
“Certainly, I presume you know the way?”
>Yes.<
“Hop to it then.” I stated, inviting them past me as Kelfen shouted over her shoulder, calling the other aid workers and a handful of peacekeepers to follow them before they padded upstairs, followed closely by a myriad of Humans, Zurulians, Yotul, Venlil and, surprisingly, a few annoyed looking Arxur.
“Now, onto the cargo.” Connolly stated, stepping up beside me to look out at the gathered trucks. “ORF-SP’s got a few cargo-shovers on the way over we’re good to use for the transfers today. Them and the load should be sub-size for your hold so we’ll still have space for our new friends to stay downstairs with a few of my Peacekeepers. We’ll have you loaded up and on our way in a few minutes at the most.”
“Good.” I stated, not taking my eyes off of the grays as I heard the throaty hum of cargo-shovers rolling around Polani’s bow to take up station behind the cargo trucks, slipping their loads free of the trailers with ease. “Faster this is done the faster I can get Tai somewhere that neither of us are on the edge of a breakdown.”
“Agreed.” She stated, leaning to whisper in, what she assumed, was the suit’s ear. “I’m not exactly a fan of the lizards either, Cap’ but… if they’re willing to help haul people out of the rubble, and behave, then I’m willing to take the help.”
I nodded, letting out a long sigh as I stepped aside to let the first cargo-shover crawl up the ramp with its load, cresting into the hold before settling down with a sharp hiss from its pneumatics. “Neither are we. If any of them fuck’s with me or Taisa…”
“They’ll have to go through me and my Peacekeepers, Cap’; trust me I won’t let that happen if I can help it. Besides, once you’ve dropped us off you’re off the hook for any more Arxur loads, just aid moving for a few days. Old Moose says he’s trying to limit his crews to one Arxur flight each. About how long will it take to get to NYC?”
“‘Bout an hour or so.” I replied, a small smile crossing my face at the mention of the Mercy’s giant of a Captain. It wasn’t often I met someone bigger than me but God and Stars above if that man didn’t make me feel small. “Well I’ll have to thank him for that, next I see him. Still owe him and Charlie a drink; need to sort that out.”
“I’m sure the both of them would be happy with whatever you bring along at this point. Anyhow, you’ve got a ship to fly and I’ve got a bunch of idiots and lizards to wrangle.” She replied, waving the Peacekeepers and Arxur aboard with a shout as the last of the cargo-shovers crawled to a stop and settled down to the decking. “ALRIGHT, NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING YOU AREN’T ASKED, OR TOLD, TO! HANSEN, AKSEL, ANTOINE, GET YOUR SECTIONS TOGETHER AND REA-”
I shook my head with a small laugh at the familiar display, turning to walk upstairs to Taisa and the Helm. The sooner this was done and all the ‘gators were off our ship the sooner either of us would feel safe again. The hall to the helm was nearly empty as I crested the stairs, finding only a handful of figures standing around Kelfen and Metek as the pair organized the rescue and aid parties around a few other qualified medics. From how they were talking I figured the pair would be doing much the same on the ground, a small swell of pride filled my chest as Metek looked up, meeting the woman at his side’s eyes as she asked a question, hardly stuttering as he answered.
Though my mood was quickly soured as I noticed a mass of gray scales and scars that’d ‘strayed’ away from the group towards the helm. Even in my suit it was still taller than me by a full head while hunched over staring down at the angular pad in its grip.
And I didn’t much care.
“Back to your group.” I grumbled, the thumping clang of my suit boots on the decking punctuating my words as I passed. “Wouldn’t want you missin’ anyone down there.”
A low, rolling growl tumbled from its throat as it turned its head, looking down to meet my eyes before the sound shifted into a throaty chuckle that sounded far more like an actual ‘gator than I cared for. “I assure you, Captain, I’ve reviewed the documents as thoroughly as should be expected.”
“I hope so, Arxur.” I replied, turning back to the helm and forcing myself forward.
“You know, Human, I was surprised to learn that the very ship that would deliver me to aid this world was the very one I’d tried to drop a building on.” The Arxur purred, stopping me in my tracks as their voice rolled through the air like a saw through a cedar. “Odd that my second went missing shortly after she’d decided to board it.”
“Hmph.” I grunted in return, shifting to look over my shoulder and past them to the light pink stain on the bulkhead. “That’s what’s left of her, if’n you wanna pay your respects.”
The Arxur followed my eyeline, studying the stain and the small indent the shell had left behind before letting out a grating chuff of laughter. “She was overconfident and underskilled as a hunter. I’ve no respects to pay to weaklings such as her. You have done me a favor in ridding me of her.”
“Well I’d rather not have to do any more favors for you. Keep yourself, and your men, out of trouble and away from my helm.”
The Arxur narrowed its eyes, staring at me for a long moment before nodding, a horridly jagged smile splitting its lips. “It is good to finally meet a Human with a spine. I will keep my hunters out of their way and away from your pre- friends.”
“Good.” I stated, turning on my heel to trudge into the helm, the auto-door hissing and clacking shut behind me as I stepped out of sight and inside to join Taisa. She was all but curled up in her seat; clad in her suit she looked more like an over-sized armadillo than a Venlil. Her Tail fell stiff as I stepped in, her eyes whipping around to stare at me before her ears perked, a sigh of relief flooding the comms as she relaxed back into the seat.
“Thank Polani! You’re ok. Are we ready to fly, Love?”
“Yea, we’re ready. Let’s get this shit over with.” I grumbled before powering down the suit and sliding myself free of its confines. My pilot’s seat welcomed me as I slid behind the helm, running through Polani’s starting sequence before turning to meet her eyes again. “I’m feelin’ like we need a fuckin’ dog, Darlin’.”
>Agreed.<
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