Howdy,
I have some electronics I'm trying to sell for some cash before I leave for a road trip tomorrow night. I will be shipping out items this tomorrow afternoon and will then suspend the post because I will be away until 6/26. I know that it's a short window of time for availability, but still figured I would try.
All of the Nintendo and PS4 items I plan on shipping via USPS. The Valve Index I will ship via UPS. Prices include shipping and I'm open to offers.
I took pictures last night in a hurry, but will gladly provide more photos with an updated timestamp if requested.
Nintendo Items: (PICS)

• Nintendo Switch OLED w/128GB microSD- $200

The pre-installed screen protector and borders just past the display on the front shows minor wear, mainly due to the Switch dock.

• PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller - $45
• HORI Split Pad Compact - $22
• NYXI Wizard Wireless Controller - $40
• NYXI Carrying Case - $20
• Tomtoc Slim Switch OLED Case - $17
• 8-BitDo USB Wireless Adapter - $12

Nintendo Switch Games: (PICS)

• Dragon Quest Builders 2 - $25
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses - $25
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - $25
• Monster Hunter Rise - $20
• Pokemon Shield - $25

PS4 Games: (PICS)

• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Sealed) - $20
• Elden Ring (Sealed) - $20
• Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice (Sealed) - $15
• The Last of Us Remastered - $18
• The Last of Us Part 2 (Sealed) - $20
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (2 sealed copies) - $15/each
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope (2 copies, 1 sealed) - $15 (Sealed), $10 (Opened)

Valve Index:

• Full kit in original box - $350 (PICS)

I've had this boxed up for a while, but tested it 2 days ago and it still functions well. Lenses are clear and the tracking works as expected.
Feel free to message me with any questions you might have.

Howdy,
I have some electronics I'm trying to sell for some cash before I leave for a road trip tomorrow night. I will be shipping out items this tomorrow afternoon and will then suspend the post because I will be away until 6/26. I know that it's a short window of time for availability, but still figured I would try.
All of the Nintendo and PS4 items I plan on shipping via USPS. The Valve Index I will ship via UPS. Prices include shipping and I'm open to offers.
I took pictures last night in a hurry, but will gladly provide more photos with an updated timestamp if requested.
Nintendo Items: (PICS)

• Nintendo Switch OLED w/128GB microSD- $200

The pre-installed screen protector and borders just past the display on the front shows minor wear, mainly due to the Switch dock.

• PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller - $45
• HORI Split Pad Compact - $22
• NYXI Wizard Wireless Controller - $40
• NYXI Carrying Case - $20
• Tomtoc Slim Switch OLED Case - $17
• 8-BitDo USB Wireless Adapter - $12

Nintendo Switch Games: (PICS)

• Dragon Quest Builders 2 - $25
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses - $25
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - $25
• Monster Hunter Rise - $20
• Pokemon Shield - $25

PS4 Games: (PICS)

• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Sealed) - $20
• Elden Ring (Sealed) - $20
• Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice (Sealed) - $15
• The Last of Us Remastered - $18
• The Last of Us Part 2 (Sealed) - $20
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (2 sealed copies) - $15/each
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope (2 copies, 1 sealed) - $15 (Sealed), $10 (Opened)

Valve Index:

• Full kit in original box - $350 (PICS)

I've had this boxed up for a while, but tested it 2 days ago and it still functions well. Lenses are clear and the tracking works as expected.
Feel free to message me with any questions you might have.

I’m going to Jamaica soon and flying out of the airport by Montego Bay to go home and this online rum offered at the duty free looks absolutely awful when searching on there website. Where are all the Appleton estate exclusive products or Hampden products? Someone posted pictures maybe a year ish ago showing they had some vintages from 1993 and 2002 from AE but it’s nowhere to be found online in any capacity. It looks like the best rum they offer is Zacapa XO and Appleton estate 15. I can get these where I’m from and for much cheaper. Any advice on bringing bottles home from the trip? I’m potentially going on a AE rum distillery tour and wanted to know if I can purchase a bottle from the distillery that may be a distillery exclusive and bring home or if I’ll have problems doing that at the border. And if I’m limited to duty free. Anyone have any recent experience on flying out of the airport near Montego Bay and can offer advice as to what decent rum is being sold there. Thanks

One said: "Who are we and where have we come from?" And after decades of debating, we forgot to add one equally important question: "Where are we going?"
Since our independence from the Soviet Union, Georgia has become a dot on Western radars. By "Western," I primarily mean the USA, because the USA is the main ideological powerhouse of the so-called “global West.”
A former Soviet state in the Caucasus region with a troubled (and potentially more tense) relationship with Russia is an asset. Georgia became hard pro-West with Saakashvili in power (undoubtedly a hard pro-Western ruler, speculatively even a USA proxy). During this time, the USA didn’t take any vital steps to strengthen Georgia’s economy, sovereignty, and freedom. The USA gave $6 billion over 30 (!) years to Georgia (200 million a year), which is pocket change for them. In comparison, they gave $26 billion in just one payment to Israel to continue bombing Gaza civilians. It’s also important to mention that most of this money didn’t go to the government and people but to NGOs. But even if this money had been given to the government, it would hardly be anything to strengthen the economy. That’s just not how the economy works. No important infrastructural, defensive, or other partnership deals were made. Georgia went to Afghanistan) and Iraq to pledge their allegiance to the USA and even became the third largest contributor of troops. Georgia lost 38 soldiers in these missions, in wars we had nothing to do with. So having a couple of battalions in the Middle East for just $6 billion is a good deal for Uncle Sam.
The West didn’t even reconsider their relationship with Russia since their brutal invasion of Georgia in 2008. Our “friendly” nations held parades on Red Square, had new deals made, and their leaders ate burgers with Medvedev. As if August 2008 never happened.
There is a logical question: why?
Well, the answer is clear: because they didn’t have to. See, when you have “your bastard” in power of a certain country, propagandizing that all (economic, defensive, cultural) ties should be with the USA only, you don’t need any other investment in that country. In other words: why should we spoil our relationship with Russia if Georgia will be our guy anyway? And for many years that was true actually, there was no real alternative to the USA but now we have a different picture - there is a country, a promising country, a scary country.
Don’t consider this as an anti-Western rhetoric from me. Not in the slightest. Western values of freedom and liberty are most attractive and possibly the best. But being part of Western civilization is one thing, and real geopolitics is another. People often confuse them with each other. One might say: well, USA is our friend!
To that, I’ll answer:
There are no friends.
International politics, and mainly realism school of politics) (started by Machiavelli and now held by John Mearsheimer), is not a matter of family and friends. It’s a free-for-all battleground with no morals and no higher authority. Therefore, there are no relationships as we ordinary humans are used to: there is no friendship, love, or jealousy—there is only one thing: survival and everything that concerns that. There are no friends—only contemporary allies; there are no enemies—only contemporary adversaries. A state does everything in its power to survive, and if something threatens its security, it does everything in its power to eliminate it.
The USA is no friend of ours. No one is, no one was, and no one will ever be. You, the person reading this, will put your personal interests aside if your friend needs help. You’ll act altruistically and self-sacrificially because you love your friend, you have a personal relationship, and you’ve known that person for years. No state has ever done that and will ever do this (in the current system)
We are alone, always were alone, and always will be alone in pursuing our interests. Yes, we have allies and will have allies with whom we share our interests, but no more than that. It is our path to walk, and we should never, ever consider anything but the security and well-being of our people.
Considering what the actual hell is happening in the world right now.
Since the end of the Cold War (not 1991, but unofficially in the '80s when it was clear the Soviets lost), USA became the global hegemony. There was no other global power to threaten its dominance. USA reached its fourth phase , and as others before them (the British, Mongols, Romans, and so many more), it influenced every part of the known world. From the Middle East to South America, there was no country to challenge them, and even if one appeared (for one reason or another), the USA swiftly “dealt” with them. And as we unironically repeat the worn-out phrase “history repeats itself,” it indeed does. Like those before them, the USA is becoming a victim of its own system—in this instance, capitalism. In their golden era, capitalism pushed businesses to move their production lines to “cheap countries,” and the best of them was newly “half-decommunized,” poor and large China. Americans probably never would have thought that they were creating one who would challenge them in the future and possibly even end them. And so, for the first time in 50 years, we have a truly bipolar world. We have entered a new Cold War era.
In the blue corner, we have the reigning champion, devastator of the Middle East, Mr. Coup d'état himself—the mighty and powerful USA!
In the red corner, we have the title challenger from Asia, octopus of economies and surveillance, oppressor of Hong Kong and Taiwan, young and furious—PRC!
Bruce Buffer would have said this in some parallel world (though with the shit happening now, he might as well do it in this one).
We have a situation now where both sides rush to make “factions,” getting as many countries on their side as possible. It’s an unusual situation for the USA because, for many years, there was no alternative—you either were with the USA or were dead. To add fuel to the fire (in the White House), China’s foreign policy is much more attractive to third countries. Xi’s famous “One Belt, One Road” initiative is a clear example of that. On the other hand, the USA still has a lot (and I mean A LOT) of leverage left in other states. By forming BRICS, the global south challenged the USA and the most important and powerful weapon in their arsenal—the US dollar. China does everything slowly and methodically to dethrone the USA, and by the looks of it, everything plays into their hands.
Why does China do that?
When you grow to a certain size, you attract enemies of your size. The USA and China naturally became adversaries because when you grow big, your interests multiply, and so does the overlap between your interests and other big powers' interests. And as we said above, one only acts on behalf of their own interests.
China already has on their side: Russia, most of Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Iran, probably Turkey, a lot of African countries (predominantly in the sub-Saharan belt), Hungary, Brazil, India, South Africa, and a lot of countries that were traditionally allied with the West have hinted at jumping ship if they see the China option as winning and more beneficial (e.g., Saudi Arabia and, by extension, all Arab countries). It seems like a race to win Europe, and whoever gets Europe wins the race.
That’s where we come into play.
Unlike the US, whose soft power consists of installing regimes and propagandizing their ideology as the only way of achieving “American Dream™”, China acts differently. They build tight, mutually beneficial economic ties and economic deals only they can offer and that can’t be beaten. With that, they guarantee that certain third states will never misstep from their path—no one shoots a duck that lays golden eggs. So to have Europe, China needs strong, constant economic ties to Europeans. Meanwhile, the USA needs to isolate the EU as much as possible (*cough* Nord Stream 2). But it seems Europe is not keen on maintaining the status quo and also seeks ties with China, since their economy has been slowing down year by year, the workforce is declining, and migrants appear to be more of a problem than a solution. Europe needs more economic diversification (presumably with China), and for this, they will be willing to let go of multilateral peace guarantees between NATO countries.
NATO was beneficial to Europe for decades since they didn’t have to worry about defense and spend money on defense. First of all, when you are bordered by countries that are also NATO members, you have nothing to worry about, and secondly, the USA did all the heavy lifting. In return, the USA requested a unified foreign policy. “If I go to the Middle East, you shut up and go with me.” And it was mutually beneficial for a long time. But as Bob Dylan said, times they are a-changin.
After Russia engulfed Eastern Europe in fire, trade between the EU and China halted, and both of them started seeking new routes since Russia was unacceptable and unreliable for Europe and China was not keen on it either. So the "Middle Corridor" idea was revived, connecting China to the EU through four countries: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia/Turkey. This corridor not only priveded safe trading route but also the shortest one, shortening delivery time from 50 days to just 14. China building infrastructure in Georgia and in the aforementioned countries and also starting construction of a port in Anaklia even more solidified this theory. This route is essential for China, Europe, and most importantly (or as I said, the only one that matters) for Georgia. This route is not only a big economic gain but also a huge security and prosperity guarantee, since both the EU and China will be keen on maintaining peace in the region to not disrupt trade. This may come in different ways to Georgia.
(what I’ll describe below, of course, is the best way scenario, not the most likely one, but realistic nonetheless.)
From China, Georgia can get Abkhazia and Samachablo in one way or another. And no, as I said before, there are no friendships and gifts in geopolitics. This may happen not because China = good, China = kind,but because it just may be very beneficial to them also.. Since they most definitely will want security on their trade route, it’s in their own interests to have no separatist regions near major transport hubs (fortunately for us, the Anaklia port will be right beside the de facto border), and since China has major influence over Russia (especially after 2022), it won’t be hard for them to ask (demand/make a deal with) Russians to withdraw forces. Sounds unlikely ? well china already did this in Yemen (again, because it was in their interest ro have safe passage for their cargo on the Red Sea)
On the other hand, if this route goes through, the EU will most likely want to have more control over Georgia rather than having it act on its own. For that, they might give us EU membership. The other trend that also benefits Georgia in that matter is the gradual shift in power in the EU. As I stated multiple times, entities act only in their own interest. Therefore, EU enlargement happens only when it’s beneficial to the EU. One can be beneficial to the EU in two ways: politically and economically. With the right-sided shift in EU politics, political enlargement will become more and more frowned upon, and economic enlargement will become favored. This will accelerate 10x if China starts bringing some final assembly plants and factories to Georgia since it might as well be cheaper and more profitable for everyone.
But, there always is a “but.”
It can’t go this smoothly, can it? Of course, this project has enemies—quite big ones, actually.
First of all, it’s of course our old one—Russia. Our northern neighbors are losing touch in the Caucasus; they are even losing Armenia. Having a strong, sovereign Georgia right at the border won’t be their dream scenario. It’s also notable that if the “middle corridor” doesn’t go through, the second most likely option is to renew trading through Russia, meaning this project is costing them influence and revenue. But fortunately for us, Russia has become China’s lapdog—an aggressive, pit bull-like lapdog, but a lapdog nonetheless.
But even worse than that, our adversary is becoming (or has already become) the worst single country to have on your enemy list—the USA. This trade route is a big no-no for Uncle Sam, and they will do almost everything to disrupt this project. (Yes, including that.) A country that used psy-ops, bribery, and propaganda to stage coups in more than 60 countries will stop at nothing to halt this project. That is my biggest fear.
Ironically, the viral TikTok trend during the “Russian Law” demonstrations quoting, “Next time somebody tells you, ‘The government wouldn’t do that,’ oh yes, they would,” refers to the CIA pretending to be vampires to overtake the Philippines. No, sadly, I’m not kidding and yes they succeeded.
We must never let ourselves be dragged down by Russia, the USA, or any other country. Honestly, fuck Russia, fuck the USA, and fuck China if it benefits us.
We don’t owe anyone anything.
We must choose sides based on who offers us the most; that's who ends up having deals with us; that’s who ends up winning...
P.S.
Who is a Georgian?
What does it mean to be Georgian?
Is it blood?
Language?
Religion?
nah
For me Georgian is someone who prioritizes Georgia’s interests above all others, even if it goes against their internal beliefs.

If you would like to buy, please check my thread on /gamesale.
  Photos upon request.
 

Storage Solutions	Condition
Thin Jewel Case for CD/DVD/Blu-Ray	New. Clear front, black back
Standard Jewel Case for CD/DVD/Blu-Ray	New. Clear front and back
Genesis/Famicom Retro Protection	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
Super Famicom Cartridge Retro Protection	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
SNES Cartridge Retro Protection	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
NES Cartridge Retro Protection	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector

 

amiibo	Condition
Tears of the Kingdom Link	Loose
Ocarina of Time Link	Loose
Majora's Mask Link	Loose
Smash Bros. Link	Loose
Skyward Sword Link	Loose
Zelda & Loftwing	Loose
Wind Waker Link	Loose
Wind Waker Zelda	Loose
Twilight Princess Link	Loose
Wolf Link and Midna	Loose
Callie	Loose
Marie	Loose
Inkling Boy [Neon Green]	Loose
Inkling Girl [Neon Pink]	Loose
Inkling Squid [Neon Purple]	Loose
Splatoon 2 Pearl	Loose
Splatoon 2 Marina	Loose
Splatoon 3 Inkling [Yellow]	Loose
Splatoon 3 Octoling [Blue]	Loose
Splatoon 3 Small Fry	Loose
Zelda Loftwing	New In Box
Sanrio amiibo cards	Sealed Pack
Mario Cereal Box	Cereal Removed/Flattened
Isabelle Summer Outfit	Open Box
Cyrus/K.K./Reese	New In Box/Damaged box
Tom Nook	New In Box
Mabel	New In Box

 

Digital Codes	Condition
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD-STANDARD EDITION-US	Switch Digital Code

 

Figures	Condition
Chrono Trigger Chrono (Crono)/Robo/Eira (Ayla) Formation Arts Figure	Loose figure, most limbs are detachable by design, no missing parts
Pit Figma Figure	First Edition, Open Box, Contains everything but AR cards
Lillie (Pokemon) Nendoroid	Sealed. US edition from the Pokemon Center
Pixel Pal Mega Man	Sealed, damaged box
Pixel Pal SMB3 Mario	Sealed
Pixel Pal SMB3 Luigi	Sealed
Tracer Nendoroid (730)	Sealed
Tracer (Blizzard Entertainment Cute But Deadly Series 2 Vinyl)	Loose figure

 

Switch	Condition
Adventure Acedamia	Sealed
Atelier Ryza 3	Complete in Box
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	Complete in Box
Ender Lilies	Sealed, Japan Import
Labyrinth of Refrain	Loose
Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom	Sealed
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	Sealed
The Mummy Demastered	Complete in Box
River City Girls	Complete in Box, US Copy, Best Buy Variant
Shadowverse Champion's Battle	Loose
Shantae	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge	Sealed
Shantae Collector's Edition	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	Sealed
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap	Complete in Box
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	Loose

 

Wii	Condition
Batallion Wars 2	Game and Case
Castle of Shikigami III	Complete in Box
Okami	Game and Case

 

WiiU Games	Condition
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition	Sealed
Disney Infinity 2.0	Sealed
Nintendoland	Complete in Box
Star Fox Guard	Complete in Box
Turbo Super Stunt Squad	Complete in Box, Art/Manual damage

 

DS	Condition
Animal Crossing Wild World	Game, Case, and inserts. No Manual
Chrono Trigger	Loose
Dragon Quest IV	Loose
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo's Dungeon DS+	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Izuna 2 The Unemployed Ninja Returns	Loose
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded	Complete in Box
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ	Cart and Case, no manual. Cartridge label is stained.
Super Scribblenauts	Loose

 

3DS	Condition
Kid Icarus Uprising (Japanese)	Game, Manual, and Case (No Big Box)
Kid Icarus Uprising	Complete in Box, Includes Big Box, Stand and AR cards
Senran Kagura Deep Crimson Double D Edition	Sealed

 

GBA	Condition
Car Battler Joe	Loose. Label imperfections
Chocobo Land A Game of Dice	Loose
Lady Sia	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	Loose. Label imperfections

 

GB	Condition
Alleyway	Loose
Kid Dracula	Loose

 

NES	Condition
Adventure Island II	Loose
Faria	Game and Box. Box has some wear
Kid Icarus	Game, Box, and Manual; Box shows wear; Protective case for box and manual included
Rainbow Islands	Loose
Super Mario Bros & Duck Hunt	Loose

 

SNES	Condition
Chrono Trigger	Loose, Bad Label Damage, damaged shell
Metal Marines	Loose
Secret of Mana	Loose
Super Punch-Out	Loose
Super Scope 6	Loose
Wild Guns	Loose, Bad Label Damage

 

Gamecube	Condition
Cubivore	Loose disc
Pikmin	Player's Choice, Complete In Box
Star Fox Assault	Loose disc
Resident Evil 0	Player's Choice, Case and Discs, no manual
Resident Evil	Player's Choice, Complete In Box
Resident Evil	Complete In Box
Resident Evil 4	Complete In Box, Disc 2 has label wrinkles
Super Mario Sunshine	Game and case, no manual

 

Sega Genesis	Condition
Jurrassic Park	Loose cartridge, Sharpie on Label
Phantasy Star IV	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Quackshot	Complete In Box
Rocket Knight Adventures	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Spider-Man	Loose cartridge, Label Damage

 

Sega Saturn	Condition
NiGHTS Into Dreams	Complete in Box, Not for Resale Edition
Night Warriors Darkstalkers' Revenge	Loose

 

Sega Dreamcast	Condition
Project Justice	Complete in Box, page 2 detached from manual.
Power Stone 2	Loose

 

PSP	Condition
Daxter	Loose, Greatest Hits, Not For Resale
Power Stone Collection	Loose
Silent Hill Origins	Game and Case

 

PS1	Condition
Castlevania Chronicles	Complete in Box
Chocobo Racing	Loose
Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Chocobo's Dungeon 2	Complete in Box, Manual is badly water damaged
Dark Stalkers	Loose slim case version
Dark Stalkers 3	Disc and Manual, no back art
Rival Schools	Complete in Box
Silent Hill	Loose disc, Greatest Hits
Valkyrie Profile	Discs and Case, no manual
World of Dragon Warrior Torneko The Last Hope	Loose
Xenogears	Complete in Box

 

PS2	Condition
Avatar The Last Airbender	Disc and Case
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Bully	Greatest Hits, game & artwork
Burnout 3 Takedown	Complete, Water Damage on back cover art
Burnout Dominator	Case and Disc, Disc has superficial scratches but still boots
Castlevania Curse of Darkness	Loose, Disc has light scratching
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Dragon Ball Z Budokai	Complete in Box
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Final Fantasy X	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Final Fantasy X-2	Complete; Greatest Hits
Haunting Ground	Complete in Box, Water Damage on art and manual
Killzone	Complete in Box
Grand Theft Auto Vice City	Disc, Case, Poster, No Manual
.Hack Quaratine	Discs and Case, no manual
Marvel vs Capcom 2	Cracked Disc, won't boot for me. Comes with case, no manual
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground 2	Complete in Box
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Resident Evil Dead Aim	Game and Case, No manual
Scarface	Complete; Greatest Hits
Simpsons Road Rage	Loose, Greatest Hits
Valkyrie Profile 2	Complete In Box, some wear on the artwork and manual
Tekken Tag Tournament	Disc and Case, Greatest Hits, Full side Movie Gallery sticker on DVD face

 

PS3	Condition
Sports Champions	Complete in Box

 

PS4	Condition
APEX Construct	Sealed
Gravity Rush Remastered	Loose
J-Stars Victory VS+	Loose
SteamWorld Dig 2	Sealed

 

PS5	Condition
Battlefield 2042	Complete in Box
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Deluxe Eiditon	Sealed

 

XBOX One	Condition
Watchdogs	Sealed

 

Consoles	Condition
Monster Hunter Rise Edition Switch	New in Box (No game code)
Oculus Quest 1	Complete in Box
Playstation 2 w/FreeMcBoot	Original PS2 "Fat" system. Won't read PS1 or blue PS2 discs. Laser could be ready to go bad, or just need re-alignment. Comes with a Yellow PS2 Memory Card that has FreeMcBoot on it. Free McBoot will allow you to to play games off of a hard drive if desired. No cords/controllers included.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet Edition OLED Switch	New In Box
SNES Jr.	Includes Deck, RF Coax Cable, Third Party AC Adapter, and Third Party Controller. Small crack on the corner.
Splatoon 3 Edition OLED Switch	New In Box

 

Controllers	Condition
FortniteWildcat Joy-Con Set	Comes from the Fortnite Edition Console, never used
Joy-Con Grip	Bagged/Unused - Came with console
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Left Controller	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Right Controller	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Platinum Gamecube Controller	Third Party, no nintendo logo, wired, good condition
Joy-Con (Left/Gray)	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Red)	Good, no drift, Factory refurbished
SNES Controller	Third Party, no nintendo logo
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	Black, Near Mint

 

Misc.	Condition
Chocobo White Mage Plush	Good
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon Everybuddy Pin	Thief costume
Chocobo's Dungeon Card Game Monsters Expansion Pack	Sealed
Black MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Yellow Nyko MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
The Art of Splatoon 2	Sealed
Mario Kart 8 Target Pre-Order Keychain	Sealed. Cut in the film.
Nintendo Switch AC Adapter	Gently used
Nintendo 64 Memory Jumper Pack	OEM/Authentic Regular Pack, not to be confused with the expansion
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pre-Order Coin	Sealed
Breath of the Wild Sheikah Coin	From BotW Special Edition, Good condition
Pokken Art Cel Pre-Order Bonus	Sealed
Blastoise New 3DS Plates	Plates are mint and unused
Nintendo 3DS Stand	OEM, Came with Kid Icarus Uprising
Kid Icarus Uprising Players Guide (Imported from Japan, no AR cards)	Shows a little wear
Kid Icarus AR Card Set (205/404)	Contains 249/402 different North American (AKDE) cards, no duplicates. An itemized list can be provided upon request.
Kid Icarus AR - Pit Rally Cry Sealed Pack	Sealed pack of cards that contains AKDE-403,014,086
Shantae Risky's Revenge 2 LP Soundtrack Vinyl	Sealed
Super Mario Wonder Framed Art Print	Comes from Best Buy, Sealed
Tears of the Kingdom Pin Set (The Legend of Zelda)	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Tears of the Kingdom Art Book (The Legend of Zelda)	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Tears of the Kingdom Poster (The Legend of Zelda)	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Portal 2 Wheatley LED Flashlight	Sealed

 

Cases/Boxes/Inserts	Condition
Chrono Trigger Manual	SNES, Slight Wear
Chrono Trigger Orange Border Map	Slight Water Damage, 2 Pin holes in the folds, frame optional
Chrono Trigger Green Border Map	Slight Water Damage
Disgaea 1 Rosen Queen Edition	Everything but the game
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	Greatest Hits Artwork
Shantae Slip Cover	Limited Run Nintendo Switch 5 Game Slip cover with protector
Burnout Revenge	PS2 case and manual
Doom Eternal Steelbook	PS4 Sealed, no game
Dot Hack (.HACK) Infection	PS2 case and manual
Dot Hack (.HACK) Mutation	Empty Case only
Dot Hack (.HACK) Outbreak	PS2 case and manual
Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	PS2 Greatest Hits Case Only, damaged clips but artwork is in good shape
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition	Includes everything but the game
Metroid Dread Special Edition	Box only, damaged from shipping
God of War Chains of Olympus	Case and Manual Only
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec	PS2 case only, 'Not For Sale' version
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Nintendo Switch ConsoleBox Only	Empty Box, good condition
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
Pokemon Dialga & Palkia Switch Lite Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
Rival Schools Front Artwork	Just the front artwork
Fortnite Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
The Witcher III Wild Hunt	Empty Case, good condition
Tears of the Kingdom Steelbook (The Legend of Zelda)	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Empty Case, Mint
Witch's Wish Box	Empty Box, good condition

 

Freebies	Condition
Playstation 2 IDE Connector	Upgraded my HD Adapter to SATA, these are the old/leftover connectors.
Nintendo Switch Cart Caddy	3D Printed. Holds 16 carts. Can connect to an OEM dock.
Yoshi Mario Kart Keychain	Good
Small Jotaro Kujo Figure	3D Printed. From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle-R
Large Jotaro Kujo Figure	3D Printed. From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle-R
2 Cartridge DS Travel Case	2 Cartridge DS Travel Case
4 Cartridge DS Travel Case	4 Cartridge DS Travel Case
Wonderswan Display Stand	3D Printed. Does not fit Wonderswan Crystal
Lavos Figure	3D printed in PLA Wood Filament. Not my model, found on thingiverse.

 

Wants	Console
Kid Icarus Uprising AR Cards: AKDE-025 AKDE-039 (Will consider others)	None
Asheron's Call Memorabilia	PC
Game & Watch Devices (Excluding 35th Mario & Zelda editions)	G&W
Trip World	GB
Classic NES Series: Excitebike	GBA
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario	GBA
Classic NES Series: Pac-Man	GBA
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble	GBA
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge	GBC
R.O.B. Accessories	NES
Yo Noid	NES
Pirates Of Dark Water	SNES
Chrono Trigger Box/Inserts	SNES
Marvel Super Heroes War of the Gems	SNES
Ribbit King	NGC
Mario Wonder Cards/Pins Pre-Order Bonuses	None
Metal Gear Acid	PSP
Racing Lagoon	PS1
Parasite Eve 2	PS1
Red Ninja (Art/Manual)	PS2
Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge (Case & Manual Only)	Saturn
Wonderswan Games	Wonderswan
DS Download Station 1-8,10,11,12,14,16,17,20	DS
Oni	PS2
Sega Master System Games	Master System
ROG Ally Extreme	PC

Prices are subjective, negotiable, and do not include shipping.   If you would like to trade, check out my thread on /gameswap.   Also accepting Cashapp and Venmo.   One Freebie per order.   Photos upon request.
 

Storage Solutions	Price	Condition
Thin Jewel Case for CD/DVD/Blu-Ray	1/per	New. Clear front, black back
Standard Jewel Case for CD/DVD/Blu-Ray	1/per	New. Clear front and back
Genesis/Famicom Retro Protection	1/per	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
Super Famicom Cartridge Retro Protection	1/per	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
SNES Cartridge Retro Protection	1/per	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector
NES Cartridge Retro Protection	1/per	New, PET acid-free plastic cartridge protector

 

amiibo	Price	Condition
Tears of the Kingdom Link	25	Loose
Ocarina of Time Link	25	Loose
Majora's Mask Link	30	Loose
Smash Bros. Link	20	Loose
Skyward Sword Link	20	Loose
Zelda & Loftwing	15	Loose
Wind Waker Link	20	Loose
Wind Waker Zelda	20	Loose
Twilight Princess Link	50	Loose
Wolf Link and Midna	25	Loose
Callie	20	Loose
Marie	20	Loose
Inkling Boy [Neon Green]	15	Loose
Inkling Girl [Neon Pink]	25	Loose
Inkling Squid [Neon Purple]	17	Loose
Splatoon 2 Pearl	20	Loose
Splatoon 2 Marina	20	Loose
Splatoon 3 Inkling [Yellow]	22	Loose
Splatoon 3 Octoling [Blue]	20	Loose
Splatoon 3 Small Fry	20	Loose
Zelda Loftwing	30	New In Box
Sanrio amiibo cards	12	Sealed Pack
Mario Cereal Box	15	Cereal Removed/Flattened
Isabelle Summer Outfit	40	Open Box
Cyrus/K.K./Reese	18	New In Box/Damaged box
Tom Nook	12	New In Box
Mabel	9	New In Box

 

Digital Codes	Price	Condition
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD-STANDARD EDITION-US	10	Switch Digital Code

 

Figures	Price	Condition
Chrono Trigger Chrono (Crono)/Robo/Eira (Ayla) Formation Arts Figure	100	Loose figure, most limbs are detachable by design, no missing parts
Pit Figma Figure	90	First Edition, Open Box, Contains everything but AR cards
Lillie (Pokemon) Nendoroid	300	Sealed. US edition from the Pokemon Center
Pixel Pal Mega Man	30	Sealed, damaged box
Pixel Pal SMB3 Mario	30	Sealed
Pixel Pal SMB3 Luigi	30	Sealed
Tracer Nendoroid (730)	30	Sealed
Tracer (Blizzard Entertainment Cute But Deadly Series 2 Vinyl)	8	Loose figure

 

Switch	Price	Condition
Adventure Acedamia	30	Sealed
Atelier Ryza 3	90	Complete in Box
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	40	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	30	Complete in Box
Ender Lilies	55	Sealed, Japan Import
Labyrinth of Refrain	65	Loose
Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom	60	Sealed
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	160	Sealed
The Mummy Demastered	55	Complete in Box
River City Girls	120	Complete in Box, US Copy, Best Buy Variant
Shadowverse Champion's Battle	15	Loose
Shantae	50	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge	50	Sealed
Shantae Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	30	Sealed
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap	40	Complete in Box
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	18	Loose

 

Wii	Price	Condition
Batallion Wars 2	11	Game and Case
Castle of Shikigami III	75	Complete in Box
Okami	10	Game and Case

 

WiiU Games	Price	Condition
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition	40	Sealed
Disney Infinity 2.0	15	Sealed
Nintendoland	10	Complete in Box
Star Fox Guard	10	Complete in Box
Turbo Super Stunt Squad	200	Complete in Box, Art/Manual damage

 

DS	Price	Condition
Animal Crossing Wild World	35	Game, Case, and inserts. No Manual
Chrono Trigger	80	Loose
Dragon Quest IV	70	Loose
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo's Dungeon DS+	25	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Izuna 2 The Unemployed Ninja Returns	70	Loose
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded	25	Complete in Box
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ	120	Cart and Case, no manual. Cartridge label is stained.
Super Scribblenauts	5	Loose

 

3DS	Price	Condition
Kid Icarus Uprising (Japanese)	40	Game, Manual, and Case (No Big Box)
Kid Icarus Uprising	120	Complete in Box, Includes Big Box, Stand and AR cards
Senran Kagura Deep Crimson Double D Edition	75	Sealed

 

GBA	Price	Condition
Car Battler Joe	180	Loose. Label imperfections
Chocobo Land A Game of Dice	15	Loose
Lady Sia	30	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	50	Loose. Label imperfections

 

GB	Price	Condition
Alleyway	5	Loose
Kid Dracula	240	Loose

 

NES	Price	Condition
Adventure Island II	25	Loose
Faria	200	Game and Box. Box has some wear
Kid Icarus	180	Game, Box, and Manual; Box shows wear; Protective case for box and manual included
Rainbow Islands	35	Loose
Super Mario Bros & Duck Hunt	10	Loose

 

SNES	Price	Condition
Chrono Trigger	190	Loose, Bad Label Damage, damaged shell
Metal Marines	90	Loose
Secret of Mana	55	Loose
Super Punch-Out	25	Loose
Super Scope 6	22	Loose
Wild Guns	270	Loose, Bad Label Damage

 

Gamecube	Price	Condition
Cubivore	350	Loose disc
Pikmin	50	Player's Choice, Complete In Box
Star Fox Assault	30	Loose disc
Resident Evil 0	15	Player's Choice, Case and Discs, no manual
Resident Evil	25	Player's Choice, Complete In Box
Resident Evil	27	Complete In Box
Resident Evil 4	30	Complete In Box, Disc 2 has label wrinkles
Super Mario Sunshine	40	Game and case, no manual

 

Sega Genesis	Price	Condition
Jurrassic Park	10	Loose cartridge, Sharpie on Label
Phantasy Star IV	70	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Quackshot	40	Complete In Box
Rocket Knight Adventures	37	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Spider-Man	12	Loose cartridge, Label Damage

 

Sega Saturn	Price	Condition
NiGHTS Into Dreams	40	Complete in Box, Not for Resale Edition
Night Warriors Darkstalkers' Revenge	50	Loose

 

Sega Dreamcast	Price	Condition
Project Justice	225	Complete in Box, page 2 detached from manual.
Power Stone 2	90	Loose

 

PSP	Price	Condition
Daxter	10	Loose, Greatest Hits, Not For Resale
Power Stone Collection	30	Loose
Silent Hill Origins	50	Game and Case

 

PS1	Price	Condition
Castlevania Chronicles	165	Complete in Box
Chocobo Racing	55	Loose
Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon	20	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Chocobo's Dungeon 2	70	Complete in Box, Manual is badly water damaged
Dark Stalkers	70	Loose slim case version
Dark Stalkers 3	50	Disc and Manual, no back art
Rival Schools	130	Complete in Box
Silent Hill	105	Loose disc, Greatest Hits
Valkyrie Profile	325	Discs and Case, no manual
World of Dragon Warrior Torneko The Last Hope	90	Loose
Xenogears	150	Complete in Box

 

PS2	Price	Condition
Avatar The Last Airbender	10	Disc and Case
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance	17	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Bully	15	Greatest Hits, game & artwork
Burnout 3 Takedown	11	Complete, Water Damage on back cover art
Burnout Dominator	9	Case and Disc, Disc has superficial scratches but still boots
Castlevania Curse of Darkness	60	Loose, Disc has light scratching
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Dragon Ball Z Budokai	11	Complete in Box
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	15	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Final Fantasy X	6	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Final Fantasy X-2	6	Complete; Greatest Hits
Haunting Ground	300	Complete in Box, Water Damage on art and manual
Killzone	15	Complete in Box
Grand Theft Auto Vice City	10	Disc, Case, Poster, No Manual
.Hack Quaratine	300	Discs and Case, no manual
Marvel vs Capcom 2	60	Cracked Disc, won't boot for me. Comes with case, no manual
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	10	Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground 2	24	Complete in Box
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Resident Evil Dead Aim	50	Game and Case, No manual
Scarface	40	Complete; Greatest Hits
Simpsons Road Rage	15	Loose, Greatest Hits
Valkyrie Profile 2	40	Complete In Box, some wear on the artwork and manual
Tekken Tag Tournament	10	Disc and Case, Greatest Hits, Full side Movie Gallery sticker on DVD face

 

PS3	Price	Condition
Sports Champions	10	Complete in Box

 

PS4	Price	Condition
APEX Construct	15	Sealed
Gravity Rush Remastered	60	Loose
J-Stars Victory VS+	30	Loose
SteamWorld Dig 2	20	Sealed

 

PS5	Price	Condition
Battlefield 2042	20	Complete in Box
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Deluxe Eiditon	150	Sealed

 

XBOX One	Price	Condition
Watchdogs	15	Sealed

 

Consoles	Price	Condition
Monster Hunter Rise Edition Switch	420	New in Box (No game code)
Oculus Quest 1	180	Complete in Box
Playstation 2 w/FreeMcBoot	80	Original PS2 "Fat" system. Won't read PS1 or blue PS2 discs. Laser could be ready to go bad, or just need re-alignment. Comes with a Yellow PS2 Memory Card that has FreeMcBoot on it. Free McBoot will allow you to to play games off of a hard drive if desired. No cords/controllers included.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet Edition OLED Switch	400	New In Box
SNES Jr.	120	Includes Deck, RF Coax Cable, Third Party AC Adapter, and Third Party Controller. Small crack on the corner.
Splatoon 3 Edition OLED Switch	400	New In Box

 

Controllers	Price	Condition
FortniteWildcat Joy-Con Set	120	Comes from the Fortnite Edition Console, never used
Joy-Con Grip	8	Bagged/Unused - Came with console
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Left Controller	115	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Right Controller	115	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Platinum Gamecube Controller	20	Third Party, no nintendo logo, wired, good condition
Joy-Con (Left/Gray)	35	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Red)	35	Good, no drift, Factory refurbished
SNES Controller	10	Third Party, no nintendo logo
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	25	Black, Near Mint

 

Misc.	Price	Condition
Chocobo White Mage Plush	20	Good
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon Everybuddy Pin	5	Thief costume
Chocobo's Dungeon Card Game Monsters Expansion Pack	25	Sealed
Black MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	20	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Yellow Nyko MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	20	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
The Art of Splatoon 2	300	Sealed
Mario Kart 8 Target Pre-Order Keychain	10	Sealed. Cut in the film.
Nintendo Switch AC Adapter	20	Gently used
Nintendo 64 Memory Jumper Pack	20	OEM/Authentic Regular Pack, not to be confused with the expansion
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pre-Order Coin	15	Sealed
Breath of the Wild Sheikah Coin	25	From BotW Special Edition, Good condition
Pokken Art Cel Pre-Order Bonus	7	Sealed
Blastoise New 3DS Plates	200	Plates are mint and unused
Nintendo 3DS Stand	30	OEM, Came with Kid Icarus Uprising
Kid Icarus Uprising Players Guide (Imported from Japan, no AR cards)	30	Shows a little wear
Kid Icarus AR Card Set (205/404)	600	Contains 249/402 different North American (AKDE) cards, no duplicates. An itemized list can be provided upon request.
Kid Icarus AR - Pit Rally Cry Sealed Pack	20	Sealed pack of cards that contains AKDE-403,014,086
Shantae Risky's Revenge 2 LP Soundtrack Vinyl	55	Sealed
Super Mario Wonder Framed Art Print	25	Comes from Best Buy, Sealed
Tears of the Kingdom Pin Set (The Legend of Zelda)	20	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Tears of the Kingdom Art Book (The Legend of Zelda)	65	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Tears of the Kingdom Poster (The Legend of Zelda)	20	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Mint
Portal 2 Wheatley LED Flashlight	120	Sealed

 

Cases/Boxes/Inserts	Price	Condition
Chrono Trigger Manual	100	SNES, Slight Wear
Chrono Trigger Orange Border Map	80	Slight Water Damage, 2 Pin holes in the folds, frame optional
Chrono Trigger Green Border Map	80	Slight Water Damage
Disgaea 1 Rosen Queen Edition	150	Everything but the game
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	5	Greatest Hits Artwork
Shantae Slip Cover	100	Limited Run Nintendo Switch 5 Game Slip cover with protector
Burnout Revenge	5	PS2 case and manual
Doom Eternal Steelbook	15	PS4 Sealed, no game
Dot Hack (.HACK) Infection	20	PS2 case and manual
Dot Hack (.HACK) Mutation	20	Empty Case only
Dot Hack (.HACK) Outbreak	30	PS2 case and manual
Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	10	PS2 Greatest Hits Case Only, damaged clips but artwork is in good shape
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition	100	Includes everything but the game
Metroid Dread Special Edition	5	Box only, damaged from shipping
God of War Chains of Olympus	15	Case and Manual Only
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec	5	PS2 case only, 'Not For Sale' version
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Nintendo Switch ConsoleBox Only	90	Empty Box, good condition
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	20	Empty Box, good condition
Pokemon Dialga & Palkia Switch Lite Box Only	30	Empty Box, good condition
Rival Schools Front Artwork	25	Just the front artwork
Fortnite Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	20	Empty Box, good condition
The Witcher III Wild Hunt	20	Empty Case, good condition
Tears of the Kingdom Steelbook (The Legend of Zelda)	30	From the TotK Collector's Edition. Empty Case, Mint
Witch's Wish Box	50	Empty Box, good condition

 

Freebies	Price	Condition
Playstation 2 IDE Connector	Free with purchase	Upgraded my HD Adapter to SATA, these are the old/leftover connectors.
Nintendo Switch Cart Caddy	Free with purchase	3D Printed. Holds 16 carts. Can connect to an OEM dock.
Yoshi Mario Kart Keychain	Free with purchase	Good
Small Jotaro Kujo Figure	Free with purchase	3D Printed. From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle-R
Large Jotaro Kujo Figure	Free with purchase	3D Printed. From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle-R
2 Cartridge DS Travel Case	Free with purchase	2 Cartridge DS Travel Case
4 Cartridge DS Travel Case	Free with purchase	4 Cartridge DS Travel Case
Wonderswan Display Stand	Free with purchase	3D Printed. Does not fit Wonderswan Crystal
Lavos Figure	Free with purchase	3D printed in PLA Wood Filament. Not my model, found on thingiverse.

 

Hey dad's, kind of struggling a bit here with my recent diagnosis and all the free time being a stay at home dad entails. I do work but I'm a ride share worker so my schedule is extremely flexible. Also stopped smoking pot because it was making my anxiety worse. I have heard having a lot of free time is bad for people with BP or border line personality disorder. It can it make me anxious having a bunch of freetime. My boy starts pre k in the fall but that seems so far away right now. I'm looking for advice from BP dad's or borderline personality dad's how they manage their freetime. I've never been good at making schedules. Thanks in advance.

Chapter 17
Location: On the way back to Kurald Galain
POV: Feren
Ville asks if Raskan ever spoke of family. Rint says he only ever talked about House Dracons and he does not want to return there just to deliver a headless corpse. Galak disagrees. Rint says he wasn't a Bordersword, 'I have a newborn child and would see it.’ They had already diverged from the route they took to the Azathanai lands. If they wanted to return to House Dracons they would have to add time to their journey. Rint says they can build a cairn in the hills ahead. They can observe all the rituals and if necessary send word to House Dracons the location. Ville says that would be an insult and how can they not hold to courtesy. Rint says he is past courtesy and if they want, they can return the body, but he's returning home. Galak asks Feren her opinion. She says the witch took his soul, it matters not where they leave the rest. Mother Dark will never receive his soul. Ville insists the rituals are for the living. Feren says she sees no salve in empty gestures.
Feren hates the open sky and endless grassland now. She knew when they made camp and a fire that she would think of Olar Ethil and hear her screams and feel shame. She felt like she lost the strong woman she was and now felt only weakness. She had not said goodbye to Arathan and that had also shamed her. Ville spoke up and agreed to the cairn. He was also homesick. Feren knew that chasms were forming between them and soon they wouldn't be able to cross them. She tells Ville and Galak thanks and that her and her brother are broken. Ville is shocked at her words and Galak thanks Feren for them. At this Rint begins weeping.
They stop to make camp and Feren helps her brother dismount and then holds him. He tells her he hates him. She asks who?. He tells her 'Draconus for what he's done to us. For this cursed journey!' She says that's all behind them now and they return home. Rint responds, ‘It’s not enough, Feren. He will return. He will take his place at Mother Dark’s side. This user of children, this abuser of love. Evil is at its boldest when it walks an unerring path.’ He says he will argue against the neutrality of the Borderswords. He says ask Raskan what he thinks of his lord. Feren questions this. Rint says their neutrality is being abused by Draconus. He argues that neutrality makes them cowards. He asks for her support. He says she is visible proof of Draconus's abuse. ‘Take his coin and surrender your body – that is how Draconus sees it!'. She says no. She was the one that wanted to get pregnant. He asks why he drove her away then. She says to protect Arathan from her. She says, when Draconus separated them, he saved them both. She knows Rint wants to strike out and hurt him, but she says her wars are over. She says she just wants her brother back. To this he crumples and covers his face with his hands. Ville tells them to stop and they will vote on it when they get back. Galak says they have a long way to go and when they return he will go to Ivis and tell him where Raskan's body is.
POV: Rint
Rint is still enraged. When he imagines the face of his wife and newborn he sees strangers. He didn't regret hurting Olar Ethil, but when he thought about it, he knew he had set fire to himself as well. He knew nothing but violence now and was therefore a stranger to everyone. He knew Urusander could bring peace to the realm, but he doubted the only casualties would be the guilty. His thoughts rail against Draconus and the stupidity of all people. He laments the loss of game, but also understands the lust to hunt it down to the last. He thinks. 'Give me war, then. I have walked from complex truth to simple lie, and I cannot go back.' Galak tells them that dinner is ready. Feren doesn't move. Ville announces that they have company.
Five Jheleck approach. Rint tells Ville to sheath his sword, they are at peace. Ville counters that they are four borderswords alone on the plain. Rint says if they wanted to kill us, they would have rushed in. The Jheleck semble. Rint recalls that an individual Jheleck is more formidable than a Forulkan. They approach and drop a antelope carcass on the ground and say 'Meat for your fire'. Some posturing later, Rint asks if they will join them. The leader introduces himself as Rusk, blood kin to Sagral of the Derrog Clan and says yes they will join. Rint introduces them all and then Rusk asks if they can use Feren tonight. Rint says no. Rusk says what will you offer in return for the meat then. Rint says, ‘Something in return, Rusk, at some other time. If that is not acceptable, then take back your gift and with it the word itself, for gift it is not.’ Rusk says fine and to just tell the borderswords of his generosity.
He tells them of the hostages the Jhelarkan gave. He says if harm comes to them, they will kill every Tiste. Rint tells him no harm will come to them. Rusk talks to him about the Tiste killing all the animals in Jheleck lands. They will all go hungry. 'What you own you must nurture. But you Tiste do not understand that. All that you own you use, until it is used up, and then you cast your vision past your borders, and scheme to take again, this time from others.’ Rusk tells Rint that he saw a large bordersword hunting party recently and also other armies close by. He says the Tiste civil war is underway. Tiste killing Tiste pleases him. They leave the fire saying the company is bitter. The borderswords wonder if he was lying about the armies, but they agree to ride hard tomorrow.
Location: Riven Keep (Borderswords)
POV: Risp
Riven Keep would be difficult to assault if they knew the assault was coming, but Risp and the Legion were using deceit to accomplish their goal. Her Sergeant tells her that it doesn't sit well with some of them. Risp thinks again that she will have to kill him and his old guard. She argues that a commander must take advantage of surprise or miscalculation of the enemy. The Sergeant asks what enemy. That these people are unaware that they are anyone's enemy. He asks if that is the miscalculation she is relying on. She says one of them. The sergeant tells her that the fighting force is not in the keep right now. They could neutralize the borderswords by just occupying the town and holding their families. She says that would require a force to be left behind. He says they are neutral and what they do now will make them rethink their neutrality. He tells her he doesn't understand. She says, he doesn't need to, he just needs to follow orders. She was also uneasy about what they were doing. If the plan had fallen apart at some other place, this would be considered a war crime.
The sergeant asks if they will be moving on House Dracons next. They had camped close to it and the Houseblades had sent out a force. Esthala had sent one rider to tell them they had no ill will towards Draconus's lands. She says no. They only wanted to leave a column trail back to his estate. Risp looks over and sees House Dracons banners being raised in the Legion vanguard. The sergeant finally understands now. The command to begin is given and Risp thinks this will be her first battle. She will spill blood for the first time.
POV: Krissen
Krissen had traveled to far lands and collected stories and songs from Jhelarkan, Jaghut, and Thel Akai. She searched for the truths in these stories. She understood the first age now. At least the broad strokes. The Azathanai walked the worlds as mortals, but were in fact gods. They created. They destroyed. They had plans driven by curiosity which often waned leaving their creations to their own fates. 'They displayed perverse impulses; they viewed one another with indifference or suspicion, yet upon meeting often displayed extraordinary empathy. They held to unwritten laws on sanctity, territorial interests and liberty, and they played with power as would a child a toy.' She wasn't sure, but thinks that one created the Jaghut, then another responded with the Tiste. The Forulkan, Thel Akai, and maybe even Dog-Runners were all created by the will of an Azathanai. Created like game pieces that no one knew the rules too. Finally after a long time the Azathanai began to feel the effects of their manipulations. The Jaghut had created the Jhelarkan elaborating on the Azathanai gift of Soletaken. Among the Dog-Runners there were now Bonecasters who could challenge the Azathanai. Gods were rising from the created peoples and the Azathanai could not control them. Their collective grip was weakening. Krissen saw before them now the beginning of a new age, one in which all the created peoples could define their own rules.'
Hearing something like thunder, she looks out the window and sees hundreds of riders converging on the town below. Then she saw the beginning of the slaughter. She wasn't good at putting her thoughts on paper and she feared her discoveries would be lost as the first soldiers came up to the gate of the keep. She thought about the new age upon them and about her discoveries.
POV: Risp
Risp was all instinct now. A boy had darted out from an alley and without thinking she had impaled him with her lance. She looked at the boy with horror. She had to release the lance. Ahead of her she saw a pregnant woman and two children run down an alley. Risp drew her longsword and rode after them. As she approached the woman yelled at her children to run. She turned and leapt into the path of Risp's horse. Her horse collapsed and Risp rolled away. She saw her sergeant ride past her and cut down the two children. Risp gets up and sees the handle of a knife sticking out of her horse's chest. She shouts at the woman that she killed her horse. The woman spat at Risp and Risp hacked at the woman with her sword repeatedly.
Risp's sergeant looked like he was about to shout something, but then a figure jumped on him from the rooftop and dragged him from the saddle. Blood sprayed. The figure glares at Risp. She looks to be about 16. She pulls a long-bladed knife out of the ribcage of the sergeant and advances on Risp. Risp backs away. The girl calls her a murderer and tells her not to run away. Another soldier comes up behind Risp and tells her he will take care of the pup. He was one of the sergeant's friends and told the girl that he would make this hurt for Darav. The girl laughs and tells him to come at her. He charges. Somehow she gets on his shield, weighs it down, and then stabs him in the neck. The point came out the other side. She laughed at him as he fell. She advanced on Risp once again. Risp threw her sword at her and ran. She grabbed the dead man's horse and tried to keep it between her and the girl. She thought she would have a few moments, but the girl jumped off the wall and onto the horses back. She slashed Risp's arm. Risp looks down and sees her hand is gone. She's confused. She pleads with the girl. She says, 'Don't'. The girl says, ‘Don’t? Don’t what? I’m a Bordersword. You attacked us. What is it you don’t want me to do?’ Risp says she was following orders. The girl says, ‘Draconus just kicked the wrong nest,’ Risp tries to bargain and says she'll explain everything if she doesn't kill her. She'll tell her commander who they are. The girl says right now she's in command. Risp says, 'I'll explain--', but before she can finish the girl stabs her in the neck.
POV: Silann
A soldier tells Captain Silann that he thinks this woman fell down the stairs. Silann says she is the renowned scholar Krissen. The soldier shrugs and says life is full of accidents. He says they need to fire the keep and leave. Silann asks if there was anything at the top of the keep. The soldier says no. They meet up with his wife and she tells him 7 soldiers died. They can't find the girl. He says it's good there's a witness. He was delighted by Risp's death. She was the one calling for his execution and she had been the one to bring back the head that Gripp had mutilated. He was terrified of Gripp. He tells the soldier he wants to see Risp's body to 'pay my respects'.
POV: Sagander
Sagander is in the company of Captain Hallyd Bahann who he did not like. He was awed by Captain Tathe Lorat who chose to share Bahann's bed. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She had had a daughter with her now dead husband and had offered her daughter's body to Sagander. He is shocked by this. He had given them intel on the secret ways into the monastery which had helped them slaughter the monks. They had taken heavy casualties, but not nearly as bad as they would have without Sagander. Tathe Lorat wanted to reward him. Bahann suggests that maybe he prefers boys. Sagander denies this. He asks if any surrendered. Tathe asks why he would care about Deniers. He doesn't. Tathe asks if he doesn't find her daughter attractive. He said she rivals her mother. Ominously Tathe responds, ‘I am well aware of that.’ Bahann is tired of this and says make a decision. He says she's not a child and that they do not allow their soldiers to take children to bed. Sagander accepts their gift.
He makes his way to his tent where she waits. He is disgusted by the soldiers who he equates to bullies. He longs for a civilization where they can get rid of them. He has shame. a hundred or more lives were taken tonight and it was because of him. His thoughts of vengeance settle him though and give him resolve. He enters his tent and cannot make eye contact with Tathe's daughter. He asks for forgiveness. She says what for. He tells her he is old and since he lost his leg he is able to do nothing. She asks why he would accept her as his reward then. He tells her that her mother sees her as a rival and would use her and break her. She must get free of her. She says her mother cannot break her and she will win because she is young and her mother is old. He says some of the men must be cruel, but she tells him none would dare and that she must simply out-wait her mother. He says, ‘If you ever need my help, Sheltatha Lore, I am yours.’ She says be careful what you promise and asks if he would like to spend the night in her arms.
POV: Narad
Narad remembers the words said to him on that day, '‘This one to finish her! She’s a beauty, Waft, and she’s all yours!’ with every step he takes. He tells himself that she was beyond hurt at that point and that he was trying to shield her from the laughs and jeers of the soldiers. He told himself that he never felt part of the killing and that he didn't imagine himself belonging to this company. He doesn't understand how he could have joined with them. He remembers being a boy and knowing the simplicity of good and evil. He was good, but now he looked back and only saw blood. They were moving North and would finally rendezvous with Captain Scara Bandaris soon. Narad thought about the steps necessary to do what they had done. They had dehumanized their enemies. Once that was done it was easy to violate their bodies. He told himself he wasn't like the other people here. He is filled with regret. They are not. Redemption should not be an option for them. He wants to make it all right again. He knows there was someone that loved her and that he now hunted Narad. But he would never find him. He considers this a favor for the man as killing Narad will offer him no release or peace. 'Instead, and this I vow, I will find something right to fight for, and set my life into the path of every murderer, every rapist, until I am finally cut down.' He cringes and knows that he was the face of war, the rapist and every promise he makes is a lie.
Location: On the way back to Riven Keep
POV: Rint
The borderswords have just finished building a cairn for Raskan. Rint says some harsh words in remembrance and Galak urges him to use softer words. Rint says he's under stone and feels the weight of that, if you want to speak then go ahead. Galak says he was a child of Mother Dark. Rint says his soul was abandoned to a foreign fate. Galak continues, 'He served his lord--' Rint cuts in again, ‘To be made a plaything for his lord’s old lover.’ Galak protests. Rint relents and says he will say some soft words. He doesn't. It's more anger and regret. He leaves to mount his horse. His sister tells him, ‘Regret, brother, is gristle you can chew for ever. Spit it out.’ He says okay and tells her he looks forward to seeing her as a mother again. Galak tells him that all he does is cut these days. Rint says, ‘No, all I do is bleed.’
They now ride the last leg of their journey home. Ville asks, if that's smoke. They all quickened their paces. Rint thought about how his life would be new now. He would look at his wife with greater appreciation and he would look at his child as precious. I have sworn vengeance against Draconus. But I will join my sister and put away my sword. I, too, am done with this.' He vowed to change so his wife wouldn't fear his anger anymore. Ville shouts that there are riders on their left. Rint says it must be the hunting party. He realizes that the keep and the village were unguarded. He thinks about the last argument he had with his wife that had pushed him to take the contract with Draconus. He had run again. Ville shouted, '‘Traj! What has happened?’ Traj responded, ‘Lahanis found us – she escaped the slaughter – the villagers, Ville – they’re all dead!’ Ville asks who attacked us suggesting the legion. Traj says Lahanis saw Draconus's banners. They ride there. The borderswords are at war. Rint is in shock. He can't remember his wife's face and he can't find his house. He vows to never speak of his family again and ride to war.

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

🔥Welcome to Modern Anarchy🔥 - A Dedicated Community of Anarchy Enthusiasts!
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org
👾Anarchy at Its Finest with a Dedicated Community:
• Hack like a pro, build empires, survive the chaos.
• No bans ever - only mutes for hate speech, hard slurs, or chat spam.
️🕹️ Forge Your Path in a Pure Vanilla World:
• Experience the true essence of Minecraft with no vanilla altering plugins or meddling admins.
• Reach your potential in this survival wasteland with no resets ever.
🌍 World Exploration Extravaganza:
• Discover a vast 3x3 million block world border.
• Respawn within 500 blocks of 0 0, allowing you to redefine your survival journey.
• Explore and exploit the nether roof.
🔒No Teleports, No Shortcuts: Authentic Vanilla Anarchy
• Hard Difficulty, No Compromises: Test your survival skills in the toughest conditions.
• Uncover the mysteries below spawn - good luck!
💬 Shape the Future with Direct Input: Join our Discord and engage with the community.
• Server owner, Vorlice, is available for technical queries.
️• Launched in July 2023, always synced with the latest version (1.20.4).
• Powered by robust hardware in New York for a lag-free experience.
💎 Support the Chaos:
Vote or donate to color your name in chat and stand out in the vibrant community.
🌐 Server IP: modern-anarchy.org

If you'd like more pics of anything, just let me know! Prices only include shipping to CONUS, though I am willing to figure up shipping for AK/HI. No international shipping at this time, sorry. Willing to hear offers on multiple items, only accepting PayPal F&F/Venmo, only paying F&F/Venmo to users with decent rep. If you have no/very little rep I will pay with G&S. Thanks in advance for your understanding!
I also have a trade/swap thread you can look through over here in case that's something you're interested in.
I am looking to purchase broken and/or non-working Nintendo handheld consoles from GameBoy to Switch and everything in between. Potentially also interested in broken home consoles, mostly N64 and Gamecube, but I'm open to seeing what you've got!
If you've got any non-working GB/A games, feel free to offer those up as well! Especially interested in Pokemon games, but I'm open to checking out anything from the GBC and GBA.
I am also looking to purchase an OEM battery for the 3DS XL or New 3DS XL system (battery model SPR-003). The battery must be for those consoles, not for the New 3DS or the 2DS systems. Preferably looking for someone who snagged one off of the Nintendo website before they were sold out, but I will also consider a battery pulled from a console so long as it is working.
​
Games

• Pokemon Yellow - $55 shipped
  • 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
• PC - Dungeon Siege II: Deluxe Edition and Battle Realms - $11 shipped for both
  • Dungeon Siege 2 includes all discs as well as the map and game keys. Box has seen better days but the discs all work great. Game keys not pictured but I can add a pic of them covered for proof. Battle Realms is a loose disc only.

​

• PS2 - All games include their box unless noted, any that include a manual/inserts are noted. If just the game is listed, it's box and game only. All stickers are on the outside of the box plastic, not on the cover art! As always please let me know if you have any questions or would like any additional pictures!
• For free shipping on PS2 games, total purchase amount must be $15 or more. Otherwise, shipping will be an additional $3.
  • Driver 3 (w/ manual) - $9
  • DT Racer (w/ manual, back of cover art punctured) - $5
  • Fight Night 2004 (w/ manual) - $8
  • Fight Night Round 2 (w/ manual) - $8
  • Fight Night Round 3 (w/ manual) - $8
  • God of War 2 (Greatest Hits, w/ manual, no bonus disc) - $11
  • Gran Turismo 4 (w/ manual and insert) - $12
  • Heroes of the Pacific (w/ manual) - $6
  • History Channel Civil War: A Nation Divided (w/ manual) - $8
  • Hitman: Blood Money (w/ manual and bonus disc) - $9
  • Knockout Kings 2002 (w/ manual) - $7
  • Madden 06 (w/ manual) - $6
  • MLB 2k5 (loose disc only) - $2
  • Mortal Kombat: Deception (loose disc only, many scratches) - $9
  • Nascar 06: Total Team Control (w/ manual) - $7
  • Nascar 07 (w/ manual) - $6
  • Nascar: Dirt to Daytona - $13
  • NBA Live 2005 (w/ manual) - $7
  • NFL Head Coach (w/ manual and insert) - $5
  • Pro Race Driver (w/ manual) - $6
  • Red Dead Revolver (Greatest Hits) - $13
  • Rock Band (no instruments) - $4
  • Scarface: The World is Yours (Collector's Edition, CIB) - $65 shipped
  • Short Track Racing: Trading Paint (Gamestop case) - $4
  • SOCOM US Navy Seals Combined Assault (w/ manual and insert) - $7
  • Spartan Total Warrior (small dent in back of cover art) - $13
  • Sprint Cars: Road to Knoxville (w/ manual) - $5
  • Sprint Cars 2: Showdown at Eldora (w/ manual) - $6
  • Suzuki TT Superbikes (w/ manual) - $5
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (w/ manual) - $4
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 (Greatest Hits, w/ manual) - $6
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - $4
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (w/ manual and insert) - $7
  • UFC Sudden Impact (w/ manual) - $6
  • UFC Throwdown (w/ manual) - $7
  • World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions (w/ manual) - $3
  • World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9 (w/ manual) - $10

​

• Bundle all 37 PS2 games listed above for $170 shipped.

​
Accessories

• NYKO Xbox One Direct Console Charge Base w/ batteries - $14 shipped
  • fits flush with Xbox One when plugged in, batteries are well used but still hold a decent charge
• VORI Black Foam Carrying Case - $14 shipped
  • for Nintendo Switch, includes strap, case is better for stationary storage than transportation though
• OEM GBA SP batteries - $10 shipped each
  • three working OEM GBA SP batteries, battery only
  • all have small bloat
  • will include a tested dead OEM battery for free if interested

​
Empty Pokemon TCG Tins

• 2007 Diamond & Pearl Box Tin - Holiday Empoleon - $10 shipped
• 2016 Triple Power Tin - Shiny Gyarados - $10 shipped

Bundle both tins - $16 shipped
​
Free w/ Any Sale (or $5 shipped each, add $2 for each additional item)

• 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 - Nintendo Switch Lite Tempered Glass Screen Protector (x2)
• Battery - Dead OEM GBA SP battery (tested, not working)

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.
​
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

​
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)

​
Nintendo 3/DS

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

​
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

​
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)

​
Other

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

​
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

​
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”.