Save-on tuxedo cake
Pictures of things that look like other things.
2009.08.30 06:52 PlasmaWhore Pictures of things that look like other things.
Pictures of things that are recognizable as other objects. For example, a picture of a cloud that happens to look like a whale sword fighting a leprechaun.
2011.12.01 00:01 Reaction GIFS: Your absurd responses to everything.
Give a man a gif and he will meme all day, teach a man to REACT and he will be as a GOD
2022.04.27 13:29 Mini-safemoon safemoonproud
Safemoon is a human-focused technology & innovation business, expanding blockchain technologies for a brighter future. (This Reddit group as been made to remove the group attacks on every post on the official safemoon group) bots & dedicated attackers.
2024.05.15 14:06 usedsteamkettles Know the Benefits of Tilting Steam Kettle
 | Adding a steam kettle to your kitchen enhances efficiency and profitability through uniform heating, faster heat transfer, and reduced labor. It ensures even cooking, minimizes food waste, and simplifies cleaning. This versatile tool is ideal for food service operations, offering significant time and energy savings. submitted by usedsteamkettles to u/usedsteamkettles [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/68rx74wlxk0d1.jpg?width=394&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab5c821a45b042e7dae44114bfbf14f7424b62bf Adding a steam kettle to your kitchen is a fantastic idea. Modern steam kettles have the potential to revolutionize your kitchen operations. Compared to traditional stockpot cooking, a steam kettle provides better product handling, more uniform heating, and faster heat transfer, all of which are great for food service operations in the kitchen. Adding a steam kettle to your kitchen has several benefits, and these are just a few of them. The time and money savings from using a steam kettle can be significant for your kitchen's efficiency and profitability. Methods for Increasing Efficiency If you want your food cooked perfectly in a stockpot on a stovetop or burner, watch it and ensure the heat is proper. One minor difference is how a steam kettle works. In contrast to a bottom-only steam kettle, a steam kettle draws heat from all directions. Avoid Wasting Time and Money on Labour Your crew is required to do some operational tasks during each shift. They could get some relief from their tension if you installed a steam kettle. With a Tilting Steam Kettle, you can boil meals gently and evenly with little to no supervision. For instance, it might keep soups and stews warm and ready, saving the time spent reheating meals. Additionally, it can save money on food lost from burning or overcooking, as the precise temperature control reduces the risk of food waste. No-Must Cleaning Cleaning traditional stock pots and stoves could be a hassle. For a simple spaghetti dinner, you'll need three pots: one to boil water, brown meat, and simmer sauce. These pots are bulky and inconvenient; they need frequent washings in the dishwasher and contribute to a messy and unorganized work environment. The steam kettle is one cookware requiring little maintenance and cleanup. Even heating eliminates burnt or caked-on components, allowing for faster cleaning. Highly Efficient Cooking and Heating Steam kettles uniformly distribute heat throughout the cooking basin by releasing steam into an exterior wall. This means that every part of the food is cooked at the same temperature, ensuring even cooking and preventing overcooking or undercooking. The heat's temperature is determined by the pressure, which may be anywhere from 1 to 50 psi. Consequently, they get temperatures of 240–280 degrees Fahrenheit The equal heat distribution in Automatic Kettle ensures that foods are always perfectly cooked. The steam kettle is a lifesaver for fragile foods that go bad fast since it eliminates the need to stir or combine. Moreover, the steam kettle is designed with safety in mind. It has a built-in pressure release valve and a secure lid, preventing accidents and ensuring a safe cooking environment. Keeping Things Clean and Simple Dispose of the scrape and scrub from dirty pans. View this video for a concise demonstration of the 300L mixing kettle's simple, fast, and hygienic cleaning process. In just a few minutes, one crew member is ready to start on their next batch. Achieving Energy Savings Using Tilting Kettles Stock pots are unrivaled in comparison to electric steam kettles. While cooking in batches with many stock pots, remember that you'll need more burner surfaces. On the other hand, cooking food in a larger, more efficient steam kettle reduces heat loss from the bowl and takes less time overall, resulting in significant energy savings. |
2024.05.15 13:49 EmoSlimes The Dreaded No-to-Low Slime Ban
In the whimsical world of slime enthusiasts, there exists a fate worse than an over-activated batch: the self-imposed slime ban. Whether it's driven by budget constraints, the desperate need to declutter, or simply the desire to prevent total slime overload, going on a low- to no-slime diet can feel like the end of days. Picture it: your once vibrant world of stretchy, squishy goodness reduced to a barren wasteland. But fear not, for I am here to guide you through this dramatic ordeal. Brace yourself, though; the journey ahead is not for the faint of heart, but it is one we must all walk one day.
1. Playing with the Slime You Already Have
Ah, the initial stage of the ban. You stand before your glorious collection, a dragon surveying its hoard. "No need to worry," you tell yourself. "I have plenty of slime." You start with the classics, the old favorites that never let you down. You stretch, squish, and poke, reveling in the familiar textures and scents. But soon, the euphoria fades. You realize you're rationing your slimes, treating each session like it's your last meal before the guillotine. Every stretch feels bittersweet, every poke a reminder of the dwindling days ahead.
2. Making Your Own Slime
Desperation sets in. "DIY," you think, clutching at straws. You scour your house for ingredients: shampoo, baking soda, glue—anything that might come together into that beloved goo. The kitchen becomes a mad scientist's lab, complete with frantic mixing and questionable experiments. Some attempts fail spectacularly, leaving you with sticky hands and a ruined mixing bowl. Others succeed, but it's not the same. You stare at your homemade slime, proud yet hollow. It's like eating a cake made of sawdust—it fills the void, but it's not the real thing. (I have a great guide here.)
3. Designing Virtual Slimes
The digital age offers a glimmer of hope. You download slime apps, creating virtual masterpieces with the swipe of a finger. It's oddly satisfying, watching your screen fill with glittery, gooey creations. But there's no tactile joy, no sensory delight. It's like looking at a photo of food when you're starving—beautiful, but ultimately unfulfilling. Still, you persist, crafting digital slimes at all hours, your eyes glazing over as you chase the phantom sensations.
4. Starting a Slime Bartering System
Your social circle becomes your lifeline. You propose trades, offering up prized possessions in exchange for slime. A rare book here, a cherished trinket there—nothing is off-limits. Friends and acquaintances look at you with a mix of pity and amusement, but some take the bait. You find yourself with new slimes, each one a brief oasis in your desert of deprivation. But the trades come with their own costs, and soon your shelves are empty, save for the slimes.
5. Begging for Slime
Pride be damned, you resort to begging. You compose heartfelt pleas, sending them to friends, family, even strangers on the internet. "Please," you write, "I just need a little slime to get through the day." The responses vary—some sympathetic, some mocking. A few kind souls send you small amounts, their generosity a beacon of hope. But it’s never enough. The hunger gnaws at you, relentless and unyielding.
6. Playing with Pretend Slime
Madness looms on the horizon. You find yourself pretending—imagining slimes that aren’t there. You close your eyes and describe them in excruciating detail, picturing every color, texture, and scent. You stretch invisible slimes, poke at thin air, your mind clinging to the ghostly sensations. It's a temporary balm, a fleeting escape. But reality always crashes back in, leaving you more desperate than before.
7. Begging for Slime Again
If at first you don’t succeed, beg, beg again. Persistence is key, my friends. Ask nicely, and maybe someone will take pity on you and share their precious slime. Try different approaches: poetic pleas, heartfelt letters, or even over-the-top dramatic monologues about your dire situation. The more creative, the better. Sometimes, the third time’s the charm. Don’t be afraid to ask for slime from every possible source. Your persistence might just pay off.
8. Keeping a Slime-Less Journal
You turn to writing, chronicling your ordeal in a slime-less journal. Each day, you document the cravings, the dreams, the near-misses. The pages fill with angst and longing, your words dripping with melodrama. You draw pictures, tape in scraps of failed DIY slimes, create a tangible testament to your suffering. It’s therapeutic, in a way, a way to process the madness. But it also solidifies your obsession, turning your journey into a saga of epic proportions.
9. Joining a Slime Support Group
Misery loves company. You find fellow sufferers, forming a support group of the slime-deprived. Together, you share stories, vent frustrations, and offer solace. Virtual meetings become your lifeline, each session a cathartic release. You bond over your shared struggle, finding strength in numbers. But the group also feeds your obsession, each member a mirror reflecting your own desperation.
10. Complaining About It on slime
Reddit is the perfect place to vent your frustrations. Head over to slime and share your woes with the community. Post dramatic rants, share memes about your slime-less existence, and seek advice from fellow slime lovers. Sometimes, a good rant is all you need to feel a bit better. Plus, you might find some empathetic souls who are willing to share their own tips and tricks for surviving the slime ban.
11. Casting a Magic Spell
In your darkest hour, you turn to the arcane. You gather candles, draw circles, and chant incantations, hoping to summon slime from the ether. It’s a mix of desperation and whimsy, a last-ditch effort to conjure relief. The rituals become elaborate, theatrical performances that blur the line between sanity and insanity. You laugh at the absurdity, but part of you truly believes in the magic.
12. Planning a Slime Heist
Delusion takes hold. You scheme, plot, and plan an elaborate slime heist. Blueprints cover your walls, your mind consumed with the minutiae of the perfect crime. You envision breaking into stores, raiding friends' stashes, even sneaking into slime conventions. It’s a fantasy, a thrilling diversion from your torment. The line between reality and fiction blurs, your heist becoming an epic tale of rebellion.
13. Begging for Slime Again
You circle back to begging, now with a fervor that borders on mania. You leave no stone unturned, no contact unasked. You compose dramatic letters, stage impassioned speeches, and flood social media with your pleas. The world watches, amused and bewildered by your relentless pursuit. But amidst the laughter, slivers of hope appear—small packages, anonymous gifts, glimmers of slime in the darkness.
14. Forgetting the Ban
Alright, it's been long enough. Buy some slime.
submitted by EmoSlimes to Slime [link] [comments]
1. Playing with the Slime You Already Have
Ah, the initial stage of the ban. You stand before your glorious collection, a dragon surveying its hoard. "No need to worry," you tell yourself. "I have plenty of slime." You start with the classics, the old favorites that never let you down. You stretch, squish, and poke, reveling in the familiar textures and scents. But soon, the euphoria fades. You realize you're rationing your slimes, treating each session like it's your last meal before the guillotine. Every stretch feels bittersweet, every poke a reminder of the dwindling days ahead.
2. Making Your Own Slime
Desperation sets in. "DIY," you think, clutching at straws. You scour your house for ingredients: shampoo, baking soda, glue—anything that might come together into that beloved goo. The kitchen becomes a mad scientist's lab, complete with frantic mixing and questionable experiments. Some attempts fail spectacularly, leaving you with sticky hands and a ruined mixing bowl. Others succeed, but it's not the same. You stare at your homemade slime, proud yet hollow. It's like eating a cake made of sawdust—it fills the void, but it's not the real thing. (I have a great guide here.)
3. Designing Virtual Slimes
The digital age offers a glimmer of hope. You download slime apps, creating virtual masterpieces with the swipe of a finger. It's oddly satisfying, watching your screen fill with glittery, gooey creations. But there's no tactile joy, no sensory delight. It's like looking at a photo of food when you're starving—beautiful, but ultimately unfulfilling. Still, you persist, crafting digital slimes at all hours, your eyes glazing over as you chase the phantom sensations.
4. Starting a Slime Bartering System
Your social circle becomes your lifeline. You propose trades, offering up prized possessions in exchange for slime. A rare book here, a cherished trinket there—nothing is off-limits. Friends and acquaintances look at you with a mix of pity and amusement, but some take the bait. You find yourself with new slimes, each one a brief oasis in your desert of deprivation. But the trades come with their own costs, and soon your shelves are empty, save for the slimes.
5. Begging for Slime
Pride be damned, you resort to begging. You compose heartfelt pleas, sending them to friends, family, even strangers on the internet. "Please," you write, "I just need a little slime to get through the day." The responses vary—some sympathetic, some mocking. A few kind souls send you small amounts, their generosity a beacon of hope. But it’s never enough. The hunger gnaws at you, relentless and unyielding.
6. Playing with Pretend Slime
Madness looms on the horizon. You find yourself pretending—imagining slimes that aren’t there. You close your eyes and describe them in excruciating detail, picturing every color, texture, and scent. You stretch invisible slimes, poke at thin air, your mind clinging to the ghostly sensations. It's a temporary balm, a fleeting escape. But reality always crashes back in, leaving you more desperate than before.
7. Begging for Slime Again
If at first you don’t succeed, beg, beg again. Persistence is key, my friends. Ask nicely, and maybe someone will take pity on you and share their precious slime. Try different approaches: poetic pleas, heartfelt letters, or even over-the-top dramatic monologues about your dire situation. The more creative, the better. Sometimes, the third time’s the charm. Don’t be afraid to ask for slime from every possible source. Your persistence might just pay off.
8. Keeping a Slime-Less Journal
You turn to writing, chronicling your ordeal in a slime-less journal. Each day, you document the cravings, the dreams, the near-misses. The pages fill with angst and longing, your words dripping with melodrama. You draw pictures, tape in scraps of failed DIY slimes, create a tangible testament to your suffering. It’s therapeutic, in a way, a way to process the madness. But it also solidifies your obsession, turning your journey into a saga of epic proportions.
9. Joining a Slime Support Group
Misery loves company. You find fellow sufferers, forming a support group of the slime-deprived. Together, you share stories, vent frustrations, and offer solace. Virtual meetings become your lifeline, each session a cathartic release. You bond over your shared struggle, finding strength in numbers. But the group also feeds your obsession, each member a mirror reflecting your own desperation.
10. Complaining About It on slime
Reddit is the perfect place to vent your frustrations. Head over to slime and share your woes with the community. Post dramatic rants, share memes about your slime-less existence, and seek advice from fellow slime lovers. Sometimes, a good rant is all you need to feel a bit better. Plus, you might find some empathetic souls who are willing to share their own tips and tricks for surviving the slime ban.
11. Casting a Magic Spell
In your darkest hour, you turn to the arcane. You gather candles, draw circles, and chant incantations, hoping to summon slime from the ether. It’s a mix of desperation and whimsy, a last-ditch effort to conjure relief. The rituals become elaborate, theatrical performances that blur the line between sanity and insanity. You laugh at the absurdity, but part of you truly believes in the magic.
12. Planning a Slime Heist
Delusion takes hold. You scheme, plot, and plan an elaborate slime heist. Blueprints cover your walls, your mind consumed with the minutiae of the perfect crime. You envision breaking into stores, raiding friends' stashes, even sneaking into slime conventions. It’s a fantasy, a thrilling diversion from your torment. The line between reality and fiction blurs, your heist becoming an epic tale of rebellion.
13. Begging for Slime Again
You circle back to begging, now with a fervor that borders on mania. You leave no stone unturned, no contact unasked. You compose dramatic letters, stage impassioned speeches, and flood social media with your pleas. The world watches, amused and bewildered by your relentless pursuit. But amidst the laughter, slivers of hope appear—small packages, anonymous gifts, glimmers of slime in the darkness.
14. Forgetting the Ban
Alright, it's been long enough. Buy some slime.
2024.05.15 11:17 DisastrousPeanut816 Aversion to the past?
This is the start of my 10th day out, after 5 years in ODRC. My situation right now is better than a lot of guys who just got out. My dad's still here and he lent me money to get a PC and phone. When I got locked up I was selling things online, and he also managed to get into the place I had and saved my clothing and the things I sell. The basement in this place was full of totes of merchandise, all I need to do is sort it all out and start selling. But I haven't been able to.
It's great that he saved that stuff. It's a job without needing to deal with all the stigma of applying to work for a company right after release. I have like 30 shirts now and maybe a 15 pair of pants and shorts and boxers and all of that. I'm lucky as hell for it and I know that. But it's like I can't deal with it. The stuff is all tossed together and will take days to sort. It's rocks. Some natural rough, some tumbled, some facetable rough. The labels I had on them are gone, so there are several I noticed that I don't even remember what they are. He also saved 6 of the Husky steel rack shelving units I had them on, which is enough to hold about half of them.
I got the racks all put together with no problem. They've been in basements and dirty garages for years and were covered in mouse poop and caked on shit, but cleaning them and getting them put together was easy. I felt motivated to do it. But then I started to mess with the actual rocks and just ended up tossing containers onto shelves mostly blindly to get them off the floor. I've tried to go down and sort them 3 times now, but within 5 minutes I have to walk away and that's it for the day.
I was just starting my own business right before I got locked up. I was 9 months in and working pretty much constantly, working with those rocks pretty much was my entire life right before my arrest. It's like I have some very strong aversion to it now. When I try to work with them or even think about sorting them it's like a huge surge of stress and maybe terror but it also feels kind of like emptiness... like being locked up might have been constant terror on some level but I kept it pushed down so now that's just sort of what feels like emptiness now.
Does that make sense to anyone? I don't want people here to think I'm being lazy and avoiding working and I want to bring money in to help out so much, but it's like something's broken or disconnected inside about it and I just can't handle jumping right back into what I was doing right before getting locked up yet. Has anyone else gone through that? How long did it take to deal with?
In the 9 days I've been out I have met with my PO (finally, two days ago) and got approved for food assistance and bought groceries (yesterday). The week before that my mom was in the hospital and the day after she went in my dad woke me up yelling for help because he threw his back out and had to go to the bathroom. When I went into his bedroom there were a dozen piles of bloody puppy shit from his dog. My dad's back was so bad it took me 30 minutes to get him from the bed into a kitchen chair I brought up and put right beside it. He couldn't make it to the bathroom so I brought him an empty coffee container to piss in. He hurt bad enough to do it and was probably embarrassed by it, but to me that was pretty normal. Everyone has a piss jug, right?
Then I cleaned up all the puppy shit and scrubbed the rug and hand washed his sheets since it was on them. Didn't have a license to go to the laundromat so I had to wait 2 days until he felt better enough to drive me so I could get all the laundry washed. During all that my mom was in a hospital only like 6 blocks from my dad's place. They're separated but I walked up to visit with my mom and make sure she was alright twice a day, and cooked and did dishes for my dad since he couldn't those days. And I've only managed to sleep 5 hours maybe 3 times, the rest of it it's waking up after an hour or two and unable to get back to bed. And there's no shower here, just a tub. I've only managed to get in once. Idk what's with it. Maybe just the difference in how exposed and vulnerable you'd be in a tub vs a nice safe little shower where someone can only come from one place. I know no one's going to come in, but... fuck. I don't know.
Yesterday was supposed to be my first big day sorting the rocks and getting ready to take pictures and post online, but I went down to do it and it immediately felt wrong and within a few minutes I just sort of broke. Like it's hard to look at them and think about them. For 5 years I was broke in prison and thinking about them stressed me out because I couldn't do anything about them and no one on the outside knew anything about them to sell some and get me some money. Thinking about them was just a ton of stress, so I made myself not think about them at all. I avoided the thought to avoid the stress. Now I'm out and I can actually finally do something about them and turn them into money... but even though I want to do that I still can't think about them. That seems crazy.
Now it's 5am and I've been up since 3. I actually slept from 8pm-3am. It's the most sleep I've gotten. I know I really need to go down to the basement and get some work done today so I can start bringing in money, but I'm afraid I'll go down there and just sort of stun up inside again.
Just needed to get that out.
submitted by DisastrousPeanut816 to Prison [link] [comments]
It's great that he saved that stuff. It's a job without needing to deal with all the stigma of applying to work for a company right after release. I have like 30 shirts now and maybe a 15 pair of pants and shorts and boxers and all of that. I'm lucky as hell for it and I know that. But it's like I can't deal with it. The stuff is all tossed together and will take days to sort. It's rocks. Some natural rough, some tumbled, some facetable rough. The labels I had on them are gone, so there are several I noticed that I don't even remember what they are. He also saved 6 of the Husky steel rack shelving units I had them on, which is enough to hold about half of them.
I got the racks all put together with no problem. They've been in basements and dirty garages for years and were covered in mouse poop and caked on shit, but cleaning them and getting them put together was easy. I felt motivated to do it. But then I started to mess with the actual rocks and just ended up tossing containers onto shelves mostly blindly to get them off the floor. I've tried to go down and sort them 3 times now, but within 5 minutes I have to walk away and that's it for the day.
I was just starting my own business right before I got locked up. I was 9 months in and working pretty much constantly, working with those rocks pretty much was my entire life right before my arrest. It's like I have some very strong aversion to it now. When I try to work with them or even think about sorting them it's like a huge surge of stress and maybe terror but it also feels kind of like emptiness... like being locked up might have been constant terror on some level but I kept it pushed down so now that's just sort of what feels like emptiness now.
Does that make sense to anyone? I don't want people here to think I'm being lazy and avoiding working and I want to bring money in to help out so much, but it's like something's broken or disconnected inside about it and I just can't handle jumping right back into what I was doing right before getting locked up yet. Has anyone else gone through that? How long did it take to deal with?
In the 9 days I've been out I have met with my PO (finally, two days ago) and got approved for food assistance and bought groceries (yesterday). The week before that my mom was in the hospital and the day after she went in my dad woke me up yelling for help because he threw his back out and had to go to the bathroom. When I went into his bedroom there were a dozen piles of bloody puppy shit from his dog. My dad's back was so bad it took me 30 minutes to get him from the bed into a kitchen chair I brought up and put right beside it. He couldn't make it to the bathroom so I brought him an empty coffee container to piss in. He hurt bad enough to do it and was probably embarrassed by it, but to me that was pretty normal. Everyone has a piss jug, right?
Then I cleaned up all the puppy shit and scrubbed the rug and hand washed his sheets since it was on them. Didn't have a license to go to the laundromat so I had to wait 2 days until he felt better enough to drive me so I could get all the laundry washed. During all that my mom was in a hospital only like 6 blocks from my dad's place. They're separated but I walked up to visit with my mom and make sure she was alright twice a day, and cooked and did dishes for my dad since he couldn't those days. And I've only managed to sleep 5 hours maybe 3 times, the rest of it it's waking up after an hour or two and unable to get back to bed. And there's no shower here, just a tub. I've only managed to get in once. Idk what's with it. Maybe just the difference in how exposed and vulnerable you'd be in a tub vs a nice safe little shower where someone can only come from one place. I know no one's going to come in, but... fuck. I don't know.
Yesterday was supposed to be my first big day sorting the rocks and getting ready to take pictures and post online, but I went down to do it and it immediately felt wrong and within a few minutes I just sort of broke. Like it's hard to look at them and think about them. For 5 years I was broke in prison and thinking about them stressed me out because I couldn't do anything about them and no one on the outside knew anything about them to sell some and get me some money. Thinking about them was just a ton of stress, so I made myself not think about them at all. I avoided the thought to avoid the stress. Now I'm out and I can actually finally do something about them and turn them into money... but even though I want to do that I still can't think about them. That seems crazy.
Now it's 5am and I've been up since 3. I actually slept from 8pm-3am. It's the most sleep I've gotten. I know I really need to go down to the basement and get some work done today so I can start bringing in money, but I'm afraid I'll go down there and just sort of stun up inside again.
Just needed to get that out.
2024.05.15 09:24 Sacrifice_a_lamb Ky Slime Review (good and bad) with Pics
 | I actually have been waiting to review a few shops, since I think it might be nice to live with the slime for a while instead of writing a review that's just based on what the slime was like when I first got it. But today I got an order from Ky and I've got things to say about it lol! submitted by Sacrifice_a_lamb to Slime [link] [comments] Rambling preamble (skip to review) First off, I had heard rumblings of discontent about this shop, but also had heard aspersions cast about Sonria and I found her slimes to be pretty good. So, I was open to Ky, especially since she clearly is a master at designing DIY slimes. Her IG is a go-to ASMR source for me and her posts make the slime look irresistible! Seriously, for all you stores out there--make your slimes look good on the internet. You'll have so many more buyers. While it's definitely obvious that the slimes that are played with on the IG are of larger quantities than what you will be getting when you order, her representation of the product otherwise looks pretty legit and she still has kind of a small, hand-made store vibe, which makes it easier to pay 16$ for a toy that may only last for a few months, right? She also has my dream slime--a neon space unicorns and rainbows sundae-themed slime tribute to Lisa Frank. This thing just looks so incredible. She really nailed the concept. So, I made a big order because, shipping. there was a 10% discount and the prices didn't seem terrible, even with shipping. I placed my order on the 4th and it arrived today, on the 14th, which ten days feels acceptable for a small business in Hawaii. They didn't go crazy on the packaging, which at first made me glad (I do not feel good about all the bubblewrap so many folks use!) but then I saw that one of the clay containers had gotten smashed and the clay pieces inside were totally flattened. Honestly, nothing else had any damage and the clay was always going to get smooshed, anyway, so I'm not bothered, BUT, I dunno. Use bunched up newspaper or something. It included a gift of two free "small" slimes. Really, they are like 3-4 ounces. Definitely a decent size for a sample and both slimes were pretty awesome, but I still have complaints... My rating system is pretty "strict"--I'm stingy about perfect scores, but anything with a score over 15/20 is something I'd consider buying again. Taro Milk Tea Cheesecake 10/20Someone else reviewed this recently and loved it. I do not. I had initially hesitated to buy this because I like taro, but sometimes find the smell of taro-flavored things like mass-produced ice-cream disgustingly sweet, and I worried that this slime might smell this way. It does not. To me, it smells like boiled white potatoes with an undertone of glue. Not great.The DIY kit came in a sealed bag and everything looked in good condition and matched the website photos perfectly. The boba balls slime, however, was so unactivated it was straight-up glue and I ended up having to SCRUB my hands in hot water to remove it. Even so, the assembly experience was fun and mixing was fun, as well. But the result is a mid slime. It is quite tough--so dense, but not terribly stretchy--and isn't much for bubble pops or other ASMR. The bobas are soft and squishy and that's cool. I'd like it better if it didn't smell weird, OR I'd be fine with smell if I liked the texture of the slime more. https://preview.redd.it/bfgiai0pjj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f7822d424279f48771d57aac399642c0aefcc8c Tangulu 14/20This came with giant, detailed charms and the giant fimos are beautiful and fun, but the clear slime was quite cloudy and yellow and for the price, that just seems like kind of a bummer. There's a fruity smell but the scent of the glue and maybe the add-ins overwhelms it. By itself, the smell isn't enough to deter me from playing with it. It is a stiff slime that tears easily, but it does stretch quite well if played with slowly. The slime is thick, so there isn't much noise from crunching, but it makes decent bubble pops.Mainly, I just think there are other folks out there making what is basically this same slime, but I suspect that their versions smell better and maybe the quality of the slime is a little better, too. https://preview.redd.it/rpcmvo5vij0d1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0e5b01c3035436bfc92f52919cb9d181b3540b6 Slimereo Mug Cake 16/20Super fun concept that was realized as a wonderfully detailed DIY kit. The clay oreo was in perfect condition and so detailed! This was a lot of fun to set up and then mix. Initially the oreo smell was spot on, but since I've played with it a couple of times, the chocolate smell has weakened somewhat and, again, there's just a strong glue smell.The mixed slime is not bad. It is still pretty tough, but it doesn't rip when pulled fast and it gets pretty soft and fluffy with inflation. It's just still a little more dense than I prefer. It has a nice sizzle to it and even makes some pretty nice bubble pops with a bit of effort. It is moderately tacky, but not too bad and I certainly wouldn't add activator for fear of making it too tough. https://preview.redd.it/msdobiqgjj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3ac9a0430db226839bf4c4a233030fbacc9e631 Boba Creme Donut 15/20Another DIY kit that came in great shape. The clay donut was soft and everything assembled to make a beautiful, fun and interesting slime. Mixing was fun. The resulting slime is pretty close to that of slimereo Mug Cake, but instead of slakes of snow there are the tiniest mico-floam beads and some squishy bobas. I really like the way both feel and they seem to make this slime more pop-y than Slimereo. No sizzles, though. Bonus: this one doesn't smell bad! It smells like a caramel tea boba drink--lots of brown sugar and sweetened milk tea smells and then that sweet potato smell of boba.but it's still a tougher slime that doesn't make a ton of noise. https://preview.redd.it/le93bjv1jj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ddd6d6a6a35417a95a1e53f00977aa38a94bf93 Slime-Brite (jury's still out for me on this one)This seemed like Ky's answer to Slime OG's steel wool-themed slime and Ky's having it honestly kind of tipped the scales for me buying from Ky instead of OG. Again, the presentation is fabulous--fun charms, great concept that is rendered in a fun, visually-striking way, cool label. The smell is definitely a convincing imitation of, like, Dawn dishsoap, which I like. I also realize that I just really like bingsu in slimes so I'm into this one, but it is still very sticky (I'm too afraid to add activator lest it become tough like other slimes in this order) and it is much tougher than the bingsu slimes I have from Seoul Gage. It's not tough by what I think are American standards, I'm just not used to it. It still makes great, bingsu crackles and I love how it looks and smells. If it gets a little less sticky without turning more tough, I might really love this one.https://preview.redd.it/b1g7r4wkjj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4189637c261eb2feeda90a6693f53070f66ec6d Which brings me to my next purchase: My diet starts tomorrow 8/20Again, super fun concept and so much detail! Everything was similar to the IG photos and in good condition except the clay pieces were a little hard, but it was fun to assemble and the slime components all seemed totally good to go. The smell is fine. The problem was mixing this produced a hard, rubbery slime--no stretch. I guess it was overactivated? I was ready to throw it out, but I had glycerine on hand so added maybe a tablespoon and that helped it, but it is still very tough. It does crinkle and crackle with the bingsu, but my hands hurt after just a couple of minutes of playing with it. Super not worth it, even with the amazing DIY element.https://preview.redd.it/1bu63j11kj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffcc241bcb9766757516ba9ce82d8ff45e5d5a87 Sandy Beach 15/20This was the one that had the damaged clay pieces. Honestly, it didn't spoil the assembly experience. In fact, I pulled off the clear slime from the sand crust and first mixed the clay into that and what an awesome expeirence! I really love how it looks to mix colorful clay into a clear slime base. This has a moderate "beachy" smell that isn't bad. I think I just don't like sand in slime. I was expecting something like a pumice slime, but instead it just seems to kill any ASMR effect: no bubble pops, no clicks, no sizzles. The clay pieces were dried out in places so there's also some un-mixed goobers in the slime and the slime is also quite tough.https://preview.redd.it/hk9vgrztjj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d69e33a498878caf0ca80522fdece037b8e64c6 Birthday Cake Pop 18/20This one kind of saved the order (and maybe slime-bright) and it was totally one I almost didn't get it. It smells like how it looks--like a super bright, artificial birthday cake smell, which is actually pretty great. I love how it looks--such a loud, happy pink and love the sprinkles and the look of the different-sized floam balls. I'm not sure this is it, but I believe the floam balls being different sizes gives this slime extra bubble pops. This is a shiny slime that I expected to be tough, and it is--but somehow now I like that quality? Maybe it's because there's such a huge ASMR pay-off. Like, I' even getting some whistles when I stretch it.I'd give this guy a higher score but, again, I have perfect and near perfect (to me) slimes in my collection and this doesn't feel quite at the level. But it's also unlike any other slime I have and I suspect it will end up being a favorite. I whole-heartedly recommend this one! https://preview.redd.it/xtnmqgw6jj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7470eb86ee0c6076ba8cf8a8ccb505b23c192ce Free slimes were Lemon Loaf (with no clay piece, which maybe makes it better?) and Java Chip Frappe, also just the base. Again, these were large samples. I'm just grading them out of 10 because...I don't know? they were free and also they aren't, like, the version of the slimes you would be able to buy? Java Chip Frappe (Jury is still out)This is supposed to be a "jelly cream bingsu". It seems like a pretty thick, dense jelly with a tiny bit of bingsu. The bingsu are enough to produce some soft cracks and sizzles, so I really want to be abl to play with it, but it is way to sticky. It is already pretty thick, so I've only added a little activator so far, which hasn't helped much. Hoping this stops being so sticky without also turning into rubber. Smells is listed as chocolate chip cookie, but it smells more like khalua to me. At any rate, I like the smell.https://preview.redd.it/7rczrp66kj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2499c9709c64d6c9cc690909f554890f3431a6ff Lemon Loaf 10/10This is my favorite slime of the whole darn order. It is a highly resistant bingsu slime, but it really softens with inflation. Smells like a cake with a lot of artificial lemon flavor added to it, which sounds bad but it actually quite delicious. It looks great: a bright and cheery yellow that is broken up by specks of iridescence from the bingsu. Also, I love the lemon fimos! But, the cherry on top is the micro-floams! I love these tiny micro-floams that she uses. It may be psychosomatic, but I think they actually change the bingsu texture somehow? At any rate, this is a great, stretchy, inflating, crackling, squeezeable bingsu slime and I love it.https://preview.redd.it/9sk0uoi9kj0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b3a9bb64388eb724a5b854882522c3c0bcab6ac Conclusion:I really don't know what to make of this store, guys. I mean, I have only 3 clear "would buy agains" (one of which I didn't even pay for) out of a total of ten slimes, so, objectively, I should not buy from them again, but... I don't know. I definitely would not have spent all this money at this store if I'd seen some of the reviews I've seen since making the order. The complaints seem to be the same as my own: hard clay, tought slime, not great smells.On the other hand, the Birthday Cake Pops and the Lemon Loaf are so good that I might be persuaded to try Ky again. I guess, part of me wonders if the slime is this way because she's cutting corners on ingredients or doesn't know how to make slimes well? But then the amount of work and care that goes into designing the slime just makes me think there's no way this person doesn't know what they are doing, so then I guess this is the way the slime is meant to be (not for the Diet one, though--that was straight up bad slime) and it just isn't for me, but who is it for? who likes tough slime that doesn't make much noise? Would be curious to hear others' thoughts. |
2024.05.15 08:55 Hunnyandmilk My rich friend is making a student film about being poor and I hate it
I grew up in a small rural ski town where I was one of the poorest kids in my elementary school. My mom had just moved my brother and me away from my dad and we were struggling, we lived in motels for a bit and crashed at some of her friends' houses before moving into a cheap basement suit with two bedrooms, my brother got his own while I shared a room with my mom. There was only one twin-sized bed so she would usually sleep on our armchair in the living room so I could have the bed. She worked two jobs at a grocery and convenience store while putting herself through night school in the town over. We didn't have much money for food so my school lunches were always one item, usually some form of squash or a Ziploc of lentils. Being in a mountain town in Canada you can imagine how cold it was in the winter; we didn't have a car so my brother and I had to walk to school in freezing temperatures, by the time we got there I was in tears with a red nose and my hair frozen solid. It took a while for things to get better but they did when my mom got her nursing license and picked up a stable job, eventually, we moved up to middle class and the moment I was old enough to work I wouldn't stop. I saved almost everything I made from the age of thirteen. My brother joined the military and I focused on school and sports so I could get into college which I'm glad to say I successfully did. I moved to the city for school and everything was so different, all of the friends I made came from ridiculously rich families and went out almost every night since they had the money to spend on drinks and clubs. I'm in engineering while the majority of my friends are in some form of the arts, we got along because I'm a bookworm. I was speaking with one of them who I'll call Shannon, she's in screenwriting and cinematography in the hopes of becoming a director. She mentioned to me that she wants to make her student film centred around poverty and the working class to shine a light on it. During this discussion, The Florida Project (a great movie) was brought up, I told her that I related heavily to that movie and she kind of huffed a laugh and then said "What? Did you live in a motel or something?" To which I answered "Yes," With a straight face. I could tell that Shannon felt bad since she clearly didn't know how I was brought up since it isn't something I tend to slip into casual conversation. Shannon asked more questions about my childhood and what it was like to live in poverty, we left the topic alone after that day but two weeks later she came to me with her screenplay and asked me to read it. I was appalled to say the very least. She had taken my very personal stories and turned them into an extra shitty episode of Euphoria. Everything I had told her had been put into her script but not as I told them, the main character went through these things and was unphased by everything that happened, disappointed in her mother for not doing enough and fighting with her evil drug addict brother. I wanted to cry, specifically at the depiction she had turned my family into, my hard-working and loving mother was written off to just be a slacker when in reality she was doing absolutely everything she could to give both me and my brother a good life and then my straight edge military brother was turned into the scum of the earth. The depiction of my poverty she wrote had me sick to my stomach, the main character was a sex addict, the mother was an alcoholic, and the brother had a drug addiction as well as abused the main character. I told her that not every person living in poverty was poor because of an addiction or crutch and sometimes it was just an unfortunate circumstance, in our case, it was fleeing from my abusive dad and trying to get on our feet. It also irked me how she had written it to be completely tragic and sad but I was a child for most of it and didn't realize how bad it was; when the power would go out it would be a fun game of lights out for me and my brother, we didn't understand why my mom was so stressed out when we had to stay in hotels, all we knew was that we got to share a bunk bed and go swimming in the indoor pool. I wanted her to understand that we were still regular people when we were impoverished, we were just that, regular people who didn't have much. Shannon seemed embarrassed that I was so upset about what she wrote, it took me fifteen minutes to read the entire thing and we sat in complete silence as I did so, when I reached the last page I was crying. At first, she thought I was crying because I was so moved by her glamourization of addiction and poverty before I told her that I hated it. That was when Shannon began to cry. I had shut down her screenplay as soon as I finished it and I asked why she was crying. She moved on to say "It's loosely based on what you told me, it isn't meant to be you and your family." I wanted to laugh when she said this, even the name of the main character rhymed with mine, she kept the tragic events and cut out the good memories as well as the good nature of my mom and brother, I was livid. I want to tell you about one scene that made me want to strangle her: The family's power went out on the main character's birthday so they lit tea candles to see in the dark, the mother lit a cigarette with one of the candles before calling her daughter a slut and putting it out in her birthday cake- what happened in real life was the power had gone out on my birthday, my mom worked all day and came home with a discounted pride cake since my birthday is in June. My brother and I had lit the tea candles long before my mom came home, she smeared the 'Happy Pride!' text on the cake replaced 'pride' with 'birthday' using Nesquik then used the tea candles to light the candles for my cake. This was the first time I had ever gotten a birthday cake, I was eleven and it's one of my happiest memories to date. I'm realizing this is too long so I'll finish it off, she's proceeding with the student film despite me asking her not to and offering different plots to follow instead. Shannon had blocked my number and I haven't heard from her in a week aside from awkwardly seeing her around campus to which she looks the other direction and ignores me.
submitted by Hunnyandmilk to confessions [link] [comments]
2024.05.15 08:48 loathe_actually Becoming slightly crazy trying to starve off the need to purchase something.
It's my birthday and I have a 10% off for an item that I've desired since last year. I'm so tempted to go for it on afterpay, but part of me feels really sick when thinking about it too, because I'm meant to be saving.
The facts:
-Have wanted this item for a year. It very rarely goes on sale.
-The place that has the 10% off is cheapest and then it's 10% off on top of that.
-It's my birthday and my husband already forgot mother's day last sunday, and had nothing planned for my birthday either (no outing, gift or cake). I figured I'd spoil myself instead.
-It's $500. Ouch.
-I have smashed my savings goal since fighting the addiction, and will meet my next savings goal next week. However if I purchase this, it will push back the savings goal after next week's one.
-I have reduced my purchases already by 80% and deleted Amazon etc.
-I will have to unexpectedly buy a couple of Christmas presents now rather than in november (they're retiring soon), which will put a dent in my next savings goal.
-I can use afterpay but by next week I'll have eliminated it entirely. It will be sitting at 0! Do I really want to start it up again? It was so good thinking ahead that I'd be free of afterpay payments!
-I really should not be spending and instead of seeing all of this as a sign to buy the item, I should see this as a challenge from the universe to test my endurance.
I think what I'm trying to say is I've been a good girl, so maybe I can justify getting a reward, but maybe I should also let go and not feel the need to reward myself.
Help! Advice greatly needed.
submitted by loathe_actually to shoppingaddiction [link] [comments]
The facts:
-Have wanted this item for a year. It very rarely goes on sale.
-The place that has the 10% off is cheapest and then it's 10% off on top of that.
-It's my birthday and my husband already forgot mother's day last sunday, and had nothing planned for my birthday either (no outing, gift or cake). I figured I'd spoil myself instead.
-It's $500. Ouch.
-I have smashed my savings goal since fighting the addiction, and will meet my next savings goal next week. However if I purchase this, it will push back the savings goal after next week's one.
-I have reduced my purchases already by 80% and deleted Amazon etc.
-I will have to unexpectedly buy a couple of Christmas presents now rather than in november (they're retiring soon), which will put a dent in my next savings goal.
-I can use afterpay but by next week I'll have eliminated it entirely. It will be sitting at 0! Do I really want to start it up again? It was so good thinking ahead that I'd be free of afterpay payments!
-I really should not be spending and instead of seeing all of this as a sign to buy the item, I should see this as a challenge from the universe to test my endurance.
I think what I'm trying to say is I've been a good girl, so maybe I can justify getting a reward, but maybe I should also let go and not feel the need to reward myself.
Help! Advice greatly needed.
2024.05.15 05:16 Isabelle_xy For Father's Day, What Niches Should We Dropship?
Hey successful entrepreneurs, Mother's day is just passed and Father's day is around the corner. Here, i just input the keywords" Father's day" and filter by duration to see what are the evergreen things made for him. According to BigSpy's ad database, in the past 1 year, here we go Top 3 references👇
Above are the top 3 evergreen choices for reference, you can visit the stores mentioned to find more ideas about the niches. And it's interesting that almost top 20 niches with longest duration are Youtube ads, we can find that youtube ad is the best choice if you'd love to do long-term branding.
Have you ever tried youtube ads before?
submitted by Isabelle_xy to dropship [link] [comments]
- Top 1 Abs Training Tips-Transformation Tools & Supplement
- Top 2 Bedroom Furnitures-Drawers & Dresser Stands
- Top 3 Online Gift Package
Above are the top 3 evergreen choices for reference, you can visit the stores mentioned to find more ideas about the niches. And it's interesting that almost top 20 niches with longest duration are Youtube ads, we can find that youtube ad is the best choice if you'd love to do long-term branding.
Have you ever tried youtube ads before?
2024.05.15 04:22 ARTS1984 An Honest Conversation
Howdy y'all. I haven't posted for awhile so I thought I'd give another short story a try. This takes place during Chapter 2 after Kris, Susie and Ralsei split temporarily leaving Kris alone. Hope you enjoy.
An Honest Conversation
Kris, Susie and Ralsei came up to a split in the road in Cyber City, Ralsei noting the occasion by walking up in front of the group and looking towards Kris and Susie as they wondered what he had to say.
"Seems we've come to a split in the road. We should split up--Kris, who do you want to go with?" Ralsei looked to the human, slightly annoying Susie.
"Why does Kris get to pick all the time?!" Susie walked up towards Ralsei, grabbing him by the shirt. "You're coming with me."
With that, a blank faced Kris was left behind as Susie took off down the northern alley leaving the human behind to fend for himself.
"SUSIE!!" Ralsei shouted.
"WHAT?!"Susie responded.
"you can put me down." The goat Darkner whispered in slight annoyance.
"...oh." Susie gently stopped running, putting the hairy goat Darkner down. "Sorry."
"Why'd you leave Kris behind like that?" Ralsei asked, wiping off his green robes.
"He'll be fine." Susie sighed. "Sides...I was kinda nervous he'd choose me."
"Why?" Ralsei inquired.
"We just became friends yesterday, ya doofus." Susie explained, sitting down against the alley wall. "I'm not ready for that conversation...yet."
"That conversation?" Ralsei raised an eyelid.
"What, are you a million questions Ralsei today?"
"I'm sorry, I'm kinda new to this whole friends thing myself." Ralsei looked down.
Susie sighed, remembering that very fact herself.
"Yeah, kinda hard just having a Ralsei statue as company I suppose." Susie mused, wiping her snout. "The thing is...me and Kris have always been on the opposite end of the spectrum. Kris...he's had security his whole life. Me, I've had shitty parents and no guarantee of a good meal or warm bed. It sucks. I treated him like dirt for the longest time Ralsei. One time, I came pretty damn close to really hurting him. If I didn't stop myself right then I would've done it. I was mad at him...he was so socially awkward, never talked to anyone, kept to himself. Despite everything I did, Kris risked his life for mine. For the first time in my life, I was scared to lose someone. I saw the King holding Kris in his disgusting hands, using the very same words I muttered earlier..."QUIET PEOPLE PISS ME OFF" he uttered his tongue out. It hit me what I had to do."
"Susie, I think it's clear to me that Kris would listen and not judge you given his actions." Ralsei sat down, playing with his fur.
"You think?" Susie asked. "I hardly know the kid. All I know for sure is that he has the greatest Mom ever and that his hair smells annoyingly of apples. You don't know what willpower it took for me NOT to take a bite outta that kid's head."
"I'm sure he'd get you an apple if you asked." Ralsei snickered at the thought.
"His Mom makes good pies...I'll have to pester Kris to have his Mom make us some of her cinnamon-butterscotch pies she's known for." Susie drooled at the thought. "You should come to the Light World sometime, Ralsei. You'd enjoy it."
"I'll...keep that in mind." Ralsei looked away, dodging the question as nimbly as he could.
"I mean it! We three and Lancer would be invincible!" Susie grinned, just thinking of it. "You could be Ms. Alphy's teacher's pet and Lancer could dig all the holes in town he wanted. There's enough pot holes already as it is...a few more wouldn't hurt I suppose."
"I'm sure it would be wonderful, Susie." Ralsei acknowledged.
"Well, just think about it." Susie let end it there, seeing the troubled look on Ralsei's face. There was something he obviously wasn't telling her but it could wait. She didn't want to ruin this. "Look, the real reason I dragged you into this path was--I want to ask you about Kris."
"Kris? What about?" Ralsei asked.
"Don't tell Kris I said any of what I'm about to tell you. And I mean NONE of it Ralsei." Susie narrowed her eyes.
"My lips are zipped." Ralsei meekly responded.
"Good." Susie sighed. "After we left the Dark World yesterday, I felt things I hadn't felt ever...I wasn't sure what happened was real. All I knew was that I felt them and that I didn't want to lose them...most of all, I didn't want to lose Kris. Kris...the kid I hated for my all time in Hometown I now couldn't stand to be without. I thought of em' the whole night. I didn't get any sleep Ralsei and trust me, that bed you presented earlier was VERY tempting...you bastard."
"S-Sorry."
"It's ok...I'm just venting here. Anyway...I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know how I should go about this whole thing."
"When did you plan to have...the conversation?"
"Sometime in the Dark World, when it was just me and Kris."
"Why don't you talk to him when you guys are done with this adventure? You could walk him home." Ralsei suggested.
"Say Kris, why don't I walk ya home and we can talk serious junk...yeah Rals, that'll go down real well."
"R-Rals?"
"What, no one ever called you a nickname?" Susie raised an eyebrow.
"Well, insults like toothpaste boy not withstanding...Rals isn't bad." Ralsei blushed.
"Geez, I'm gonna have to teach you a LOT." Susie moaned, slapping the side of her snout. "Don't expect these lessons to be free either, toothpaste boy. You're gonna have to make a lot of cakes."
"S-Sure." Ralsei sweat. "I mean it though...don't make a big deal, just...offer to walk him home and just bring it up when you two are nice and relaxed."
"Like, when we're sitting down or something? Like now?"
"Yeah! We're talking, having a serious conversation aren't we?" Ralsei nodded in glee.
"No, we're talking about rainbows." Susie rolled her eyes.
"W-We are?" Ralsei second guessed himself.
"NO...that was SARCASM." Susie sighed once again. "I swear with this guy..."
"Sarcasm?"
"I swear I'm gonna call you Million Questions Ralsei forever if you don't stop." Susie crossed her arms. "It's when you want to express annoyance but do it indirectly."
"Huh. I'll have to try that..."
"Can we focus?" Susie snapped.
"O-Oh, sorry--so Kris, what do you want to ask him?"
"I try asking him if we'd still be friends if I opened that supply closet door and you guys weren't there but I chickened out at the last second. I didn't want to think about the possibility of that not being a thing."
Ralsei went silent, looking at Susie as she looked to the ground thinking of Kris in that moment.
"Susie, I didn't realize that Kris meant that much to you." Ralsei rubbed the back of his head. "Am I the one you should really be asking for advice on this? I mean, after all I'm...just learning how to be a friend. And you've done all the teaching thus far."
"Kris and I just became friends. The thought of losing that just scares me...scares me to my very core. The little I did sleep I had a nightmare. It was me and him in front of that bunker door in the woods. He was shaking the whole time, scared of something--I asked him what was wrong. He wouldn't tell me, backing away each time I walked towards the door. Suddenly, the door opened and a look of terror that I've never seen on him erupted on Kris' face. He looked at me, reached out to me but was sucked in and I had to watch as the doors closed on him. I couldn't save him, Ralsei! Kris almost died trying to save me yesterday Ralsei...I don't want to lose him." Susie began to break down. "All this time, I've treated that kid LIKE SHIT and despite everything, he still stuck his neck out for me. What do you say to that!? What do you do with that?! Jesus..."
Susie stood up, sniffling and wanting to begin walking again.
"H-Hey...Susie."Ralsei got up, gently putting a hand on Susie's arm, Susie growing stiff at the contact, Ralsei quickly pulling his hand away.
"Y-Yeah?" Susie turned around, trying to regain her composure.
"My offer still stands. I could teach you some healing spells, if you're up for it. Of course, the lessons would be payment for your advice from earlier." Ralsei offered. "This could help you protect Kris."
"They're hiding something Ralsei, I know it." Susie said. "It troubles Kris, even before we came to the Dark World. If there's something Kris knows and is trying to solve, I want to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I want to protect him."
"Then we'll start with the basics and on the way, refine your approach to conversation starters, all right?" Ralsei smirked.
"R-Rals?"
"Yes, Susie?"
"You're not half bad." Susie smirked, putting an arm around him.
"T-Thanks." Ralsei blushed. "I don't suppose that would translate to hugging..."
"DO NOT PUSH YOUR LUCK."
submitted by ARTS1984 to krusie_gang [link] [comments]
An Honest Conversation
Kris, Susie and Ralsei came up to a split in the road in Cyber City, Ralsei noting the occasion by walking up in front of the group and looking towards Kris and Susie as they wondered what he had to say.
"Seems we've come to a split in the road. We should split up--Kris, who do you want to go with?" Ralsei looked to the human, slightly annoying Susie.
"Why does Kris get to pick all the time?!" Susie walked up towards Ralsei, grabbing him by the shirt. "You're coming with me."
With that, a blank faced Kris was left behind as Susie took off down the northern alley leaving the human behind to fend for himself.
"SUSIE!!" Ralsei shouted.
"WHAT?!"Susie responded.
"you can put me down." The goat Darkner whispered in slight annoyance.
"...oh." Susie gently stopped running, putting the hairy goat Darkner down. "Sorry."
"Why'd you leave Kris behind like that?" Ralsei asked, wiping off his green robes.
"He'll be fine." Susie sighed. "Sides...I was kinda nervous he'd choose me."
"Why?" Ralsei inquired.
"We just became friends yesterday, ya doofus." Susie explained, sitting down against the alley wall. "I'm not ready for that conversation...yet."
"That conversation?" Ralsei raised an eyelid.
"What, are you a million questions Ralsei today?"
"I'm sorry, I'm kinda new to this whole friends thing myself." Ralsei looked down.
Susie sighed, remembering that very fact herself.
"Yeah, kinda hard just having a Ralsei statue as company I suppose." Susie mused, wiping her snout. "The thing is...me and Kris have always been on the opposite end of the spectrum. Kris...he's had security his whole life. Me, I've had shitty parents and no guarantee of a good meal or warm bed. It sucks. I treated him like dirt for the longest time Ralsei. One time, I came pretty damn close to really hurting him. If I didn't stop myself right then I would've done it. I was mad at him...he was so socially awkward, never talked to anyone, kept to himself. Despite everything I did, Kris risked his life for mine. For the first time in my life, I was scared to lose someone. I saw the King holding Kris in his disgusting hands, using the very same words I muttered earlier..."QUIET PEOPLE PISS ME OFF" he uttered his tongue out. It hit me what I had to do."
"Susie, I think it's clear to me that Kris would listen and not judge you given his actions." Ralsei sat down, playing with his fur.
"You think?" Susie asked. "I hardly know the kid. All I know for sure is that he has the greatest Mom ever and that his hair smells annoyingly of apples. You don't know what willpower it took for me NOT to take a bite outta that kid's head."
"I'm sure he'd get you an apple if you asked." Ralsei snickered at the thought.
"His Mom makes good pies...I'll have to pester Kris to have his Mom make us some of her cinnamon-butterscotch pies she's known for." Susie drooled at the thought. "You should come to the Light World sometime, Ralsei. You'd enjoy it."
"I'll...keep that in mind." Ralsei looked away, dodging the question as nimbly as he could.
"I mean it! We three and Lancer would be invincible!" Susie grinned, just thinking of it. "You could be Ms. Alphy's teacher's pet and Lancer could dig all the holes in town he wanted. There's enough pot holes already as it is...a few more wouldn't hurt I suppose."
"I'm sure it would be wonderful, Susie." Ralsei acknowledged.
"Well, just think about it." Susie let end it there, seeing the troubled look on Ralsei's face. There was something he obviously wasn't telling her but it could wait. She didn't want to ruin this. "Look, the real reason I dragged you into this path was--I want to ask you about Kris."
"Kris? What about?" Ralsei asked.
"Don't tell Kris I said any of what I'm about to tell you. And I mean NONE of it Ralsei." Susie narrowed her eyes.
"My lips are zipped." Ralsei meekly responded.
"Good." Susie sighed. "After we left the Dark World yesterday, I felt things I hadn't felt ever...I wasn't sure what happened was real. All I knew was that I felt them and that I didn't want to lose them...most of all, I didn't want to lose Kris. Kris...the kid I hated for my all time in Hometown I now couldn't stand to be without. I thought of em' the whole night. I didn't get any sleep Ralsei and trust me, that bed you presented earlier was VERY tempting...you bastard."
"S-Sorry."
"It's ok...I'm just venting here. Anyway...I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know how I should go about this whole thing."
"When did you plan to have...the conversation?"
"Sometime in the Dark World, when it was just me and Kris."
"Why don't you talk to him when you guys are done with this adventure? You could walk him home." Ralsei suggested.
"Say Kris, why don't I walk ya home and we can talk serious junk...yeah Rals, that'll go down real well."
"R-Rals?"
"What, no one ever called you a nickname?" Susie raised an eyebrow.
"Well, insults like toothpaste boy not withstanding...Rals isn't bad." Ralsei blushed.
"Geez, I'm gonna have to teach you a LOT." Susie moaned, slapping the side of her snout. "Don't expect these lessons to be free either, toothpaste boy. You're gonna have to make a lot of cakes."
"S-Sure." Ralsei sweat. "I mean it though...don't make a big deal, just...offer to walk him home and just bring it up when you two are nice and relaxed."
"Like, when we're sitting down or something? Like now?"
"Yeah! We're talking, having a serious conversation aren't we?" Ralsei nodded in glee.
"No, we're talking about rainbows." Susie rolled her eyes.
"W-We are?" Ralsei second guessed himself.
"NO...that was SARCASM." Susie sighed once again. "I swear with this guy..."
"Sarcasm?"
"I swear I'm gonna call you Million Questions Ralsei forever if you don't stop." Susie crossed her arms. "It's when you want to express annoyance but do it indirectly."
"Huh. I'll have to try that..."
"Can we focus?" Susie snapped.
"O-Oh, sorry--so Kris, what do you want to ask him?"
"I try asking him if we'd still be friends if I opened that supply closet door and you guys weren't there but I chickened out at the last second. I didn't want to think about the possibility of that not being a thing."
Ralsei went silent, looking at Susie as she looked to the ground thinking of Kris in that moment.
"Susie, I didn't realize that Kris meant that much to you." Ralsei rubbed the back of his head. "Am I the one you should really be asking for advice on this? I mean, after all I'm...just learning how to be a friend. And you've done all the teaching thus far."
"Kris and I just became friends. The thought of losing that just scares me...scares me to my very core. The little I did sleep I had a nightmare. It was me and him in front of that bunker door in the woods. He was shaking the whole time, scared of something--I asked him what was wrong. He wouldn't tell me, backing away each time I walked towards the door. Suddenly, the door opened and a look of terror that I've never seen on him erupted on Kris' face. He looked at me, reached out to me but was sucked in and I had to watch as the doors closed on him. I couldn't save him, Ralsei! Kris almost died trying to save me yesterday Ralsei...I don't want to lose him." Susie began to break down. "All this time, I've treated that kid LIKE SHIT and despite everything, he still stuck his neck out for me. What do you say to that!? What do you do with that?! Jesus..."
Susie stood up, sniffling and wanting to begin walking again.
"H-Hey...Susie."Ralsei got up, gently putting a hand on Susie's arm, Susie growing stiff at the contact, Ralsei quickly pulling his hand away.
"Y-Yeah?" Susie turned around, trying to regain her composure.
"My offer still stands. I could teach you some healing spells, if you're up for it. Of course, the lessons would be payment for your advice from earlier." Ralsei offered. "This could help you protect Kris."
"They're hiding something Ralsei, I know it." Susie said. "It troubles Kris, even before we came to the Dark World. If there's something Kris knows and is trying to solve, I want to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I want to protect him."
"Then we'll start with the basics and on the way, refine your approach to conversation starters, all right?" Ralsei smirked.
"R-Rals?"
"Yes, Susie?"
"You're not half bad." Susie smirked, putting an arm around him.
"T-Thanks." Ralsei blushed. "I don't suppose that would translate to hugging..."
"DO NOT PUSH YOUR LUCK."
2024.05.15 03:59 AcanthaceaeFancy3887 The truth about this show and so many others like it...
So I made this comment to another person's post recently about her feeling annoyed at the teachestudent relationship in Maxton Hall and that it wasn't being properly addressed as toxic. I agree. But that's hardly my only issue with the show. Because a lot of really young people are into these genres, I feel the need to address these points as someone who's actually lived the Ruby/James storyline, different ways and multiple times. A veteran, one might say. You can take my statements as a grain of salt, or whatever you like, but may those who have ears listen:
Spoilers throughout if someone hasn't finished the season:
This is the thing...I actually find the lead actors cute and super talented even despite this being a genre that I find deplorably predictable and drab. I actually only got invested to improve my German, sadly now I'm actually invested in the characters at this point despite me seeing everything that's going to happen a mile away, because a lot of these writers who may actually be creative but stifle it for the sake of hashing out another "proven to make money" storyline that has been recreated time and time again. Yes, the teachestudent situation is problematic not because they're both consenting individuals who or of age, but because apparently they knew each long before which hints that she would've most likely have been a minor when the relationship took form. Maybe people who have read the books can shed better light on the matter.
Beyond that, my biggest issue with these common bad boy meets good girl trope shows beyond how oversaturated the romance world is with these stories (damn, not even a reversal like good boy meets bad girl), is the very negative expectations they put on real girls out there. These stories fuel the idea that they "can fix him" and even those overly toxic traits he possesses should be downplayed in some way, and even the slightest redeemable qualities he shows should be made out as holy. This is one of the large reasons I hate this genre. For example, despite James's slight transition in S1 (and yes, I'm fully aware that he will most likely continue to change for the better in some ways), to say I think Ruby deserves better is an understatement. Women/girls keep fawning over the swimming pool scene where he saves Ruby, but I was honestly pissed at him for this whole catastrophic scenario and how it unfolded. Firstly, he invited her to this godforsaken hive of scum and villainy of a party despite him knowing full well this is not normally her scene, ignores Ruby's actualized fears of pupils teasing hedisliking her for being with James, and gives her an invitation into the lion's den thinking she'll come out unscathed? For someone who hints at himself having an impressive GPA, I'm not impressed by his lack of logical deduction. When viewed from this perspective, the blame of Ruby getting pushed into the pool and being triggered into a panic attack that nearly got her drowned largely rests on James's shoulders, especially as one of the sole people at that party claiming to "care" about her. Despite this, no open moment from James of reflection of responsibility for what took place there and nothing even remotely resembling an apology not even the following morning of the incident, but rather even gave off the impression that it wasn't even that big of a deal. He sent a text asking if she was doing better (not even the first text the following morning, mind you), and that was the end of that. Not a question or care more before a slew of flirting between the two. Of course, at that point Ruby is already infatuated with him, so it makes little difference. But to someone from the outside looking in, the selfishness and ambivalence is glaringly obvious.
It's an ongoing theme in S1 that apparently getting apologies out of James is like pulling teeth (another highly toxic masculinity trait that we need to stop treating with humor or something "enduring" when interest is involved). I believe I counted him saying it only twice in the last episodes and it was always backed by some sort of excuse "but I did it because I was embarrassed by my parents...sorry, but I can't...my father...etc." In reality he's been needing to give proper apologies since the show began, but the moment he finally formulates the words, it's always accompanied by some excuse? Immaturity. What was the topper on the cake for me and an ultimate red flag (yes, yes...it's fantasy, a show...but in real life, run for the hills), he continues to take decisions that should normally involve both of them, into his own hands and gravely gauging her whims wrongly in these situations. First with the poster of them, then again ending the relationship in order to "protect" her. He's very creative at finding solutions when it's getting back at Ruby for things in the beginning, but now he's just willing to throw in the towel anytime he has to fight for their relationship? Again questioning his logical capabilities and even his intentions at this point. Perhaps it's actually just rooted in him being afraid of commitment after a life of whoring himself out to hush people up or a slew of one night stands which has left him detached? If not, as I suspect it isn't, a form of self-sabotage due to his father's hold on him. I know it's most likely the latter, and as relatable and sad as that may be, this is catastrophic and needs therapy to get resolved. Rose-tinted romance isn't going to fix that (trust me, speaking from experience, girlies). And to make matters worse, I can read the handwriting on the wall from the last episode ending, that James is liable to take matters into his own hands again and hurt Ruby because he keeps trying to decide what HE thinks is best for HER life. I'm not a teen or in my early twenties watching this show, so I tend to view these from a mother hen type of perspective. If you see a guy like James Beaufort, it might be entertaining on TV or film, but in REAL life, run for the hills unless you have written proof he's attending therapy and counselling for his issues and start seeing a difference. My interest in the show is starting to wane after already guessing (like most things in this show and others of its genre) what's coming next season...such as James getting cold feet, taking executive control of their relationship again and bailing...very sure. I don't even need to read the books for that. I've lived this, girlies.
Hopefully, the writers exceed my expectations and do something unexpected. As I said in another post, it wouldn't be the most drastic of plot twists, but make the chauffeur the old flame James's mother was alluded to and have James secretly be his kid, which would give light on why he acts like a father figure (or at least the closest positive one James has) and his passionate defense of James. That would maybe keep me invested and one my toes knowing there are actually all these secrets being unraveled. Okay, anyway, that's my rant on this. That was waaay too long. Bye.
submitted by AcanthaceaeFancy3887 to MaxtonHall [link] [comments]
Spoilers throughout if someone hasn't finished the season:
This is the thing...I actually find the lead actors cute and super talented even despite this being a genre that I find deplorably predictable and drab. I actually only got invested to improve my German, sadly now I'm actually invested in the characters at this point despite me seeing everything that's going to happen a mile away, because a lot of these writers who may actually be creative but stifle it for the sake of hashing out another "proven to make money" storyline that has been recreated time and time again. Yes, the teachestudent situation is problematic not because they're both consenting individuals who or of age, but because apparently they knew each long before which hints that she would've most likely have been a minor when the relationship took form. Maybe people who have read the books can shed better light on the matter.
Beyond that, my biggest issue with these common bad boy meets good girl trope shows beyond how oversaturated the romance world is with these stories (damn, not even a reversal like good boy meets bad girl), is the very negative expectations they put on real girls out there. These stories fuel the idea that they "can fix him" and even those overly toxic traits he possesses should be downplayed in some way, and even the slightest redeemable qualities he shows should be made out as holy. This is one of the large reasons I hate this genre. For example, despite James's slight transition in S1 (and yes, I'm fully aware that he will most likely continue to change for the better in some ways), to say I think Ruby deserves better is an understatement. Women/girls keep fawning over the swimming pool scene where he saves Ruby, but I was honestly pissed at him for this whole catastrophic scenario and how it unfolded. Firstly, he invited her to this godforsaken hive of scum and villainy of a party despite him knowing full well this is not normally her scene, ignores Ruby's actualized fears of pupils teasing hedisliking her for being with James, and gives her an invitation into the lion's den thinking she'll come out unscathed? For someone who hints at himself having an impressive GPA, I'm not impressed by his lack of logical deduction. When viewed from this perspective, the blame of Ruby getting pushed into the pool and being triggered into a panic attack that nearly got her drowned largely rests on James's shoulders, especially as one of the sole people at that party claiming to "care" about her. Despite this, no open moment from James of reflection of responsibility for what took place there and nothing even remotely resembling an apology not even the following morning of the incident, but rather even gave off the impression that it wasn't even that big of a deal. He sent a text asking if she was doing better (not even the first text the following morning, mind you), and that was the end of that. Not a question or care more before a slew of flirting between the two. Of course, at that point Ruby is already infatuated with him, so it makes little difference. But to someone from the outside looking in, the selfishness and ambivalence is glaringly obvious.
It's an ongoing theme in S1 that apparently getting apologies out of James is like pulling teeth (another highly toxic masculinity trait that we need to stop treating with humor or something "enduring" when interest is involved). I believe I counted him saying it only twice in the last episodes and it was always backed by some sort of excuse "but I did it because I was embarrassed by my parents...sorry, but I can't...my father...etc." In reality he's been needing to give proper apologies since the show began, but the moment he finally formulates the words, it's always accompanied by some excuse? Immaturity. What was the topper on the cake for me and an ultimate red flag (yes, yes...it's fantasy, a show...but in real life, run for the hills), he continues to take decisions that should normally involve both of them, into his own hands and gravely gauging her whims wrongly in these situations. First with the poster of them, then again ending the relationship in order to "protect" her. He's very creative at finding solutions when it's getting back at Ruby for things in the beginning, but now he's just willing to throw in the towel anytime he has to fight for their relationship? Again questioning his logical capabilities and even his intentions at this point. Perhaps it's actually just rooted in him being afraid of commitment after a life of whoring himself out to hush people up or a slew of one night stands which has left him detached? If not, as I suspect it isn't, a form of self-sabotage due to his father's hold on him. I know it's most likely the latter, and as relatable and sad as that may be, this is catastrophic and needs therapy to get resolved. Rose-tinted romance isn't going to fix that (trust me, speaking from experience, girlies). And to make matters worse, I can read the handwriting on the wall from the last episode ending, that James is liable to take matters into his own hands again and hurt Ruby because he keeps trying to decide what HE thinks is best for HER life. I'm not a teen or in my early twenties watching this show, so I tend to view these from a mother hen type of perspective. If you see a guy like James Beaufort, it might be entertaining on TV or film, but in REAL life, run for the hills unless you have written proof he's attending therapy and counselling for his issues and start seeing a difference. My interest in the show is starting to wane after already guessing (like most things in this show and others of its genre) what's coming next season...such as James getting cold feet, taking executive control of their relationship again and bailing...very sure. I don't even need to read the books for that. I've lived this, girlies.
Hopefully, the writers exceed my expectations and do something unexpected. As I said in another post, it wouldn't be the most drastic of plot twists, but make the chauffeur the old flame James's mother was alluded to and have James secretly be his kid, which would give light on why he acts like a father figure (or at least the closest positive one James has) and his passionate defense of James. That would maybe keep me invested and one my toes knowing there are actually all these secrets being unraveled. Okay, anyway, that's my rant on this. That was waaay too long. Bye.
2024.05.15 03:27 Murder_Giraffe Another review if you feel like reading! From a HW art fanatic
Hey there, here is my review for who cares to read it. I am gonna keep it simple as most people have launched a lot of good and bad points! Just another nobody dropping my opinion!
Fair notice HW is more about the art sound and story to me then it is the game mechanics so I wont touch most of that.
Soundtrack: Seriously how amazing is this. If anything the soundtrack takes this home. It is just incredible to hear and mix with the older entries. Really try mixing it on a playlist it just fits so well, it screams and sounds homeworld! I use all of the HW soundtracks for my creative endeavors and this one is anther godsend. Im not sure it wa 100% made solely by Paul Ruskay, but I can not stress enough just how divine the sound track is to let me immerse fully into that mysterious far away feel so peculiar of HW.
Ambience: Ive paused this game to death so I could look at every single little detail that might be hidden. Might be a bit biased here but I love homeworld for the feeling of wonder. The backgrounds and colors now mixed with new hazy environments make me feel like I am in some mythical dream space. I wish I could express my words better but it will definitely make me wanna draw lots of new things. The megaliths might feel a bit to claustrophobic at times but holy jesus they are and look amazing. Some levels look like a piece of art, really its that beautiful and it left me mouth open.
Combat: Combat was never what I looked for in this game franchise so my opinion is a bit mute here. I do feel sometimes it goes to fast for my liking and some units might not respond so well but I think time will fix this. I do miss watching my slow lumbering ships get ready for action tough and I wish I could have some places with more distance.
Ship designs: Fellas I am a HW1 diehard fan. No ships will ever look better then the Taiidan Ships from HW1 to me :D. Now putting that aside all of the new ships look great! I loved pausing and zooming in on them.
We definitely can see that Higaaran designs have jumped technologically even if the weapon systems don't always make sense, I do think a more streamlined fleet makes a lot of sense. The fighters looks suspiciously a bit Taiidan to me and I like that we might be going full circle there..
The incarnate ships could have had a bit more divergence to them but they are growing on me already. The destroyers look like angry space fish that don't take no for an answer and I'm digging that a lot. Loved all the other little ships you see in the tutorial and campaign start. Kalaan ships were great also! Probably my favorite! I low key love the mega freighter and im happy we rammed it.
Wargames: Played just a couple. Seemed ok to me but I hope we get new fleets (id kill for a Taiidan fleet haha) Please devs?
Lore/Story: Here is where I might be a bit more negative. It starts great. It was amazing to launch from Higaara itself. SERIOUSLY people, how cool was that small part. I almost felt in DOK again and I lost some time here also. It was nice to see Higaara. I loved the Kalaan raiders and a fact that these Taiidan vassals still hate us, for me curiously this was the the cherry on the cake and I loved this little lore detail. The Kalaan captain for the little screen time he had was a great small villian and I wished I had seen him more.
What can I say. I love this franchise to death but I would lie if I wouldn't say that after this point I feel it went down hill there is no denying it. It was not what I was expecting and our main villain was really off putting, I have memed her to death (pigeon on discord, zoom call meme) but I have made my peace with it. I have seen people criticizing about Imogen and Isaac (which is your right if you feel so) but I really feel they worked well in general! It was nice to see a more inexperienced person in command and In general I think Isaac grew on me over time.
Again the Incarnate Queen leaves much to be desired and I firmly believe if we had a more ''serious'' villain in terms of being able to keep his cool and composure this would have been a nice addition to the greater hw story. I guess we got so used to the 1 liner stoic villians from before that this just clashed to much. IQ could have been vocal as she was but I wished there was more maturity. The rest of the campain was ok. Also missed the mini enemies factions that were a HW staple of the series, but i absolutely loved the Kalaan raiders and the little lore we got with them. I could go on a deep dive about the fgreater HW lore that I felt was missing but that's it there is no point for me to debate this more :D
Also I miss the animatics from the old ones. Even In DOK I missed the old style animatics but I guess that makes the older ones so much more special to me now. Didn't care much for the whole dance of personalities going on. That new CGI could have been used to showcase more wonderfull HW places :P!
My conclusion: Take a seat here because this might be a tad emotional. I love Homeworld. No seriously I know you love it also but I love it. No other game has manged to pull me so deep and I still don't know why. It was there when my life went to sh*t and it was there when it got back on track. Homeworld for me will forever be the trip I did from Kharak to Higaara. Nothing will beat 1999 child me listening to the soundtrack for the first time. My main character will always be Banana ship 1 with Karan onboard and all the colonist trays I manged to save. My vilian will always be the Taiidan Emperor and the many little battles I made to get ''home'' (and junkyard dog lol). I will forever try to save as many ships possible and every time Elson hyperspaces above to save me it still makes me fuzzy inside.
And you see I think that is my problem. Somebody else had said here that the OG HW was lightning in a bottle and It will never happen again and I believe it. For some cataclysm was the high point and while I agree its amazing I still prefer og HW. The Vaygr and Makaan felt like imposters to me, I defeated the Taiidan and retook Higaara, surely bathtub jesus wont stop me. Over time he grew on me and I made my peace with HW2 and it changes and now I do really like it. The scene with the Keeper is just engraved in me and I hum the tune from time to time without noticing. As flawed as I think hW3 story was I am happy to be back in the homeworld universe. I'm happy I finally got to see the megaliths and I wish we could have seen even more! I wasen't initially sure of it but now I am.
To finish while a lot of the criticism is fair I feel a lot of it is reaching points of nitpicking at this point. While story wise it wasent what maybe most of us wanted It looks beautiful and I would still recommend people to get it. I wish and hope that we get all the fleets (like remastered did) together for the the wargames and skirmish! And hopefully ill see another homeworld in the future.
Thank you for reading trough my poorly constructed mess of a review. Expect new homeworld drawings to come soon!
submitted by Murder_Giraffe to homeworld [link] [comments]
Fair notice HW is more about the art sound and story to me then it is the game mechanics so I wont touch most of that.
Soundtrack: Seriously how amazing is this. If anything the soundtrack takes this home. It is just incredible to hear and mix with the older entries. Really try mixing it on a playlist it just fits so well, it screams and sounds homeworld! I use all of the HW soundtracks for my creative endeavors and this one is anther godsend. Im not sure it wa 100% made solely by Paul Ruskay, but I can not stress enough just how divine the sound track is to let me immerse fully into that mysterious far away feel so peculiar of HW.
Ambience: Ive paused this game to death so I could look at every single little detail that might be hidden. Might be a bit biased here but I love homeworld for the feeling of wonder. The backgrounds and colors now mixed with new hazy environments make me feel like I am in some mythical dream space. I wish I could express my words better but it will definitely make me wanna draw lots of new things. The megaliths might feel a bit to claustrophobic at times but holy jesus they are and look amazing. Some levels look like a piece of art, really its that beautiful and it left me mouth open.
Combat: Combat was never what I looked for in this game franchise so my opinion is a bit mute here. I do feel sometimes it goes to fast for my liking and some units might not respond so well but I think time will fix this. I do miss watching my slow lumbering ships get ready for action tough and I wish I could have some places with more distance.
Ship designs: Fellas I am a HW1 diehard fan. No ships will ever look better then the Taiidan Ships from HW1 to me :D. Now putting that aside all of the new ships look great! I loved pausing and zooming in on them.
We definitely can see that Higaaran designs have jumped technologically even if the weapon systems don't always make sense, I do think a more streamlined fleet makes a lot of sense. The fighters looks suspiciously a bit Taiidan to me and I like that we might be going full circle there..
The incarnate ships could have had a bit more divergence to them but they are growing on me already. The destroyers look like angry space fish that don't take no for an answer and I'm digging that a lot. Loved all the other little ships you see in the tutorial and campaign start. Kalaan ships were great also! Probably my favorite! I low key love the mega freighter and im happy we rammed it.
Wargames: Played just a couple. Seemed ok to me but I hope we get new fleets (id kill for a Taiidan fleet haha) Please devs?
Lore/Story: Here is where I might be a bit more negative. It starts great. It was amazing to launch from Higaara itself. SERIOUSLY people, how cool was that small part. I almost felt in DOK again and I lost some time here also. It was nice to see Higaara. I loved the Kalaan raiders and a fact that these Taiidan vassals still hate us, for me curiously this was the the cherry on the cake and I loved this little lore detail. The Kalaan captain for the little screen time he had was a great small villian and I wished I had seen him more.
What can I say. I love this franchise to death but I would lie if I wouldn't say that after this point I feel it went down hill there is no denying it. It was not what I was expecting and our main villain was really off putting, I have memed her to death (pigeon on discord, zoom call meme) but I have made my peace with it. I have seen people criticizing about Imogen and Isaac (which is your right if you feel so) but I really feel they worked well in general! It was nice to see a more inexperienced person in command and In general I think Isaac grew on me over time.
Again the Incarnate Queen leaves much to be desired and I firmly believe if we had a more ''serious'' villain in terms of being able to keep his cool and composure this would have been a nice addition to the greater hw story. I guess we got so used to the 1 liner stoic villians from before that this just clashed to much. IQ could have been vocal as she was but I wished there was more maturity. The rest of the campain was ok. Also missed the mini enemies factions that were a HW staple of the series, but i absolutely loved the Kalaan raiders and the little lore we got with them. I could go on a deep dive about the fgreater HW lore that I felt was missing but that's it there is no point for me to debate this more :D
Also I miss the animatics from the old ones. Even In DOK I missed the old style animatics but I guess that makes the older ones so much more special to me now. Didn't care much for the whole dance of personalities going on. That new CGI could have been used to showcase more wonderfull HW places :P!
My conclusion: Take a seat here because this might be a tad emotional. I love Homeworld. No seriously I know you love it also but I love it. No other game has manged to pull me so deep and I still don't know why. It was there when my life went to sh*t and it was there when it got back on track. Homeworld for me will forever be the trip I did from Kharak to Higaara. Nothing will beat 1999 child me listening to the soundtrack for the first time. My main character will always be Banana ship 1 with Karan onboard and all the colonist trays I manged to save. My vilian will always be the Taiidan Emperor and the many little battles I made to get ''home'' (and junkyard dog lol). I will forever try to save as many ships possible and every time Elson hyperspaces above to save me it still makes me fuzzy inside.
And you see I think that is my problem. Somebody else had said here that the OG HW was lightning in a bottle and It will never happen again and I believe it. For some cataclysm was the high point and while I agree its amazing I still prefer og HW. The Vaygr and Makaan felt like imposters to me, I defeated the Taiidan and retook Higaara, surely bathtub jesus wont stop me. Over time he grew on me and I made my peace with HW2 and it changes and now I do really like it. The scene with the Keeper is just engraved in me and I hum the tune from time to time without noticing. As flawed as I think hW3 story was I am happy to be back in the homeworld universe. I'm happy I finally got to see the megaliths and I wish we could have seen even more! I wasen't initially sure of it but now I am.
To finish while a lot of the criticism is fair I feel a lot of it is reaching points of nitpicking at this point. While story wise it wasent what maybe most of us wanted It looks beautiful and I would still recommend people to get it. I wish and hope that we get all the fleets (like remastered did) together for the the wargames and skirmish! And hopefully ill see another homeworld in the future.
Thank you for reading trough my poorly constructed mess of a review. Expect new homeworld drawings to come soon!
2024.05.15 03:23 LyrePlayerTwo The Body in the Library (Part 1/2)
OOC: co-written with NotTooSunny
It was an ordinary day at the New York City Library. People wandered in and out of the building, unaware of the monster that lurked among them.
The only people who seemed to know the danger these mortals were in were Harper and Amon, who entered the building with glowing bronze swords at their hips. The bulky weapons seemed to have escaped the notice of the other library patrons, which was a good thing. The job description had made it clear that they were meant to remain inconspicuous in completing their task.
Harper had traded her usual bright orange camp shirt for a more discrete cropped black t-shirt and pleated pants. She had been insistent on coming up with a persona for them on the train ride from Montauk Station into New York City. They were meant to act as high school students researching for a World History paper on Ancient Greece. Now that they were inside the library, she had stopped her incessant rambling to peruse a riddle book, in what she had insisted was preparation for their job.
As they wandered through the bookshelves, she remained absorbed in the dog-eared children’s book, thumbing through the pages to find a riddle that would be fitting of a sphinx.
“Here’s one, Amon,” she said, narrowly avoiding a collision with another library patron as she read, “What is something that runs but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?”
The dark-haired son of Apollo glanced over from a shelf of dusty atlases, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “That is an easy one,” he replied simply. "River. Try me with something more challenging next time around." He adjusted the collar of his striped button down, which he had layered with a navy blue sweater in preparation for the chill of the air-conditioned interior.
“The real riddle is where we can find this sphinx,” Amon glanced around the spacious reading area, eyeing the dark wooden staircase with its ornate railings. “The boyfriend and girlfriend who tried this last time, they found her by a bookcase.”
“A bookcase,” Harper repeated derisively, closing her book to theatrically scan their surroundings. “That narrows it down.”
Ignoring Harper’s mockery, the son of Apollo paused suddenly, his dark eyes glazing over with concentration. His hearing dulled, the surrounding footsteps and rustling pages fading into the background as if muffled by a thick curtain. Amon searched for the energy signature of the monster he knew lurked among the mortals. It was a subtle shift, like trying to discern a whisper in a crowded room, but he felt a faint, abnormal energy hanging somewhere up above.
“I say we try the second floor,” he said as he snapped out of the tracking trance, offering no other explanation to Harper.
“We could do that, sure,” Harper said, words laced with blatant doubt at his sudden certainty. “I say we try asking the Visitor’s Center. I know she's supposed to be disguised by the Mist, but the librarians have to have noticed something.”
“You can go ahead and do that.” The small smirk from earlier was now spreading across his face. “But you can’t be upset if I find the sphinx and solve her riddle before you even get there.”
Harper rolled her eyes, but she made no attempt to stop Amon from walking towards the staircase. After a moment she set off after him, footsteps even against the wooden steps.
Up on the second floor, Amon moved quietly, his dark eyes scanning the hallway for anything out of the ordinary.
I know you’re up here.
He stopped at every heavy-looking mahogany door, peering through each muted glass insert. He felt the air grow thicker with ominous energy at every step, so he knew the monster must be near.
One of the doors was slightly ajar, a suspiciously open invitation. Or a trap. The dark-haired boy caught sight of a cat-shaped figure on the other side before ducking down and motioning sharply for Harper’s attention. He unsheathed his kopis from his belt, bracing himself for confrontation.
Harper crouched against the wall, hand on the hilt of her sword as she tried to peek through the frosted glass pane. She held her breath, ready to move at Amon’s signal. He held out three fingers and then put them down one by one. When he hit zero, they stood in unison, flinging the door open together.
When Amon and Harper stepped inside, the body of the sphinx lay motionless on the floor.
The rest of the room was in disarray, littered with disheveled chairs and broken bits of chalk. A window on the other side of the room had been forced open, the curtain fluttering in the wind.
“No way,” Harper said. The door clicked shut behind her as she pushed past Amon into the room and kneeled to study the monster’s limp figure.
The sphinx had the large body of a lion and the eerily human face of a middle-aged woman, hair tied back in a severe bun and foundation caked onto her high cheekbones. Fangs jutted out of her red-painted lips, and eagle wings sprouted out of the space between her shoulder blades, folded tight against her back.
“Monsters dissolve into dust when they die,” Amon remarked, keeping his distance as he watched the subtle rise and fall of the monster’s ribs. “She must have been knocked unconscious.”
“Right,” Harper agreed, “The real question is who. And why.”
She hovered a hand over the cat's shoulder, set on rousing her. Before she made contact, the sphinx's eyes snapped open, round irises surrounded by shocking yellow sclera.
"Slain!" she wailed. Harper staggered backwards. Amon’s arms instinctively reached out to catch her, but she didn’t stumble near enough to make contact. "I am slain!"
With feline grace, the sphinx rose to her feet. A white tape outline marked the placement of her previously prone body on the floor. The muscles in her legs rippled as she paced in front of Harper and Amon, massive velvet paws silent against the carpet.
"And you, my dear heroes," she roared, eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare, "were too late to save me!"
The sphinx sniffed, composing herself. She leapt onto a wooden table. The table legs creaked underneath her weight. "Fear not," she tutted, "Fear not. For you can still avenge me. If you are able to determine the murderer and their weapon, then I will obtain justice, and all will be right with the world.”
“Your riddle is a murder mystery,” Harper said, confusion written across her face. Amon raised an eyebrow. The sphinx chuffed, a low rumbling sound reminiscent of laughter.
“You sought that hackneyed question about man? The Sphinx that the storytellers remember is far less adaptive than I am. I am not interested in your ability to regurgitate the information you have read. Nor am I interested in taking advantage of the nonsensical rules of your English language.”
“I am here to satisfy my own curiosity: does modern mankind still possess the ability to engage in deductive reasoning, or do they only seek to make themselves appear intelligent? Do not speak,” the sphinx said, a pointed look at Harper, who had opened her mouth to interject, “You will answer my questions when you play my game.”
“The potential murder weapons are scattered throughout this room,” she continued, leaping off the table. “And the suspects have already provided their testimonies for your review. Rest assured, I have made certain that their statements contain no lies.”
A shimmering, translucent energy began to swirl around Harper and Amon’s feet, beginning to take shape as holograms with a flickering, ephemeral quality.
A projection of Cerberus materialized first, his three massive heads snarling and snapping in unison. A ribbon of text appeared by his paws to translate his growling: "I was guarding the entrance, my duty unbroken."
Next came the Minotaur, his towering form pacing within the labyrinth on Crete. He snorted and pawed at the ground, the holographic maze shifting behind him in the background. The translation text appeared: "Confined within these walls, no escape for me."
Lamia's projection flickered into view, her serpentine lower half coiled around her as she wept in her cave. She glanced mournfully at the holographic images of her lost children: "My grief consumes me, innocent of this crime."
A shimmering Hydra emerged next, its nine heads snapping at invisible foes. Each one moved independently, showcasing its ability to act on its own. The translation for the hissing head at the center read: "Engaged in battle, I could not have killed."
Typhon materialized with a thunderous roar, his colossal form fighting against restraints under Mount Etna. His immense size and power were palpable, even in scaled down holographic form: "Bound by chains of the earth, I could not have roamed free."
Echidna’s hologram appeared last, her form a mix of human and serpent, lounging in a dimly lit cave. She looked directly at the viewers, her expression both defiant and amused. The translation text by her side read: “I dwell in my lair, uninvolved in such petty affairs.”
The sphinx swiped at the last projection as it faded, deeming her handiwork satisfactory. “There is not enough information to deduce the killer using evidence alone. Because I am fair, I will provide you with three hints before your final guess. Be forewarned: if you fail to provide a correct answer, you will both perish. Is this understood?”
Harper spoke. “If we answer correctly, you will leave this library for good.”
“If you answer correctly, I will permanently relocate. It is a preferable option in comparison to another death. Now, do you agree to the terms and conditions?” the sphinx said primly, regarding Harper and Amon with casual disdain. The pair nodded. “Very well.”
The sphinx dropped onto the floor and let her head loll back, pretending to be dead once more.
Hint #1
Soon after the Sphinx had laid back down, Harper and Amon began to scour the room. A small pile of prospective murder weapons formed on a nearby table.
“We can easily eliminate the siren song,” Amon rushed to speak over Harper, eyeing the small glass vial of swirling gray matter that they had found nestled behind a row of books on metalworking. “It is a luring mechanism, not a murder weapon.”
“We could rule out Cerberus’ fang too,” he pointed at the enormous yellowing tooth, about the size of the small baseball bat Amon used to have when he played in the little league. “If we take the hologram as ground truth, all of his teeth were intact there.”
Harper used her kopis to prod at the stained tunic that had been hidden in a desk drawer, being careful not to touch it with bare skin. “The Shirt of Nessus is a viable option. It would be easy for any of the suspects to lay it down and wait for the hydra venom to kick in.”
“I am not ready to rule out the bronze sword either,” Amon noted. “Monsters have access to heroes and the weapons they leave behind.”
“Most of these monsters don’t even have opposable thumbs,” Harper argued, running a hand over the sword they had found by a power outlet. ”They don’t have the dexterity to wield a sword.”
“I do not imagine that the technicality would be that granular.”
Harper laughed. “Oh, the number of teeth in the Cerberus hologram tell all, but we’re drawing the line at opposable thumbs.”
“I suppose that that logic would also rule out the harpy talon and the encyclopedia easily as well,” Amon admitted. “Which would be too easy.”
“I’m just that good at logical deduction.” Harper said proudly. “If my assumption is correct, then the poisoned shirt is the only one that makes sense.”
Amon scoffed, folding his arms across his chest as his dark eyes bored into Harper. “It would not necessarily matter what our first guess would be anyway.”
“Can you provide an argument for any other weapon? Or are you intent on purposely making an illogical guess?” she countered cooly.
“Fine,” Amon acquiesced. “Since you are so adamant about the shirt, we can guess the shirt, and be incorrect. It does not matter. What about the suspects themselves?” He clasped his hands behind his back, his steps measured as he started to pace across the plush red carpet of the room.
Harper smiled, smugly accepting her victory. She strode towards a chalkboard at the side of the study room, inscribing the list of weapons and suspects with a fresh piece of white chalk.
“All of them have alibis,“ she began. “I think that-”
“Some make more sense than others,” Amon spoke over Harper, irritated by her minor triumph. “Cerberus, for example, is under the service of Hades. He says he did not leave his post, and he could not have done so without permission or dire consequences on the process of the dead.”
Harper silently seethed as Amon spoke, meeting his rationale with reluctant acceptance before starting again in a louder, exaggerated tone. “I think that the ones with the shakiest alibis are Lamia, the Minotaur, Typhon, and Echidna. No witnesses can confirm their locations. In fact, Lamia provides no location at all.” Harper circled those names. She looked at Amon with a forced smile, allowing him a moment to provide more commentary.
“Lamia? Well,” there was a hint of mockery in the sneer that tugged on the corner of Amon’s lips. “I would imagine her emotions rendered her… Too fragile and unstable to carry out such an act.”
“You’re kidding,” Harper scoffed, searching Amon's face for the slightest hint that he was joking. “Her grief is what moved her to kill children in the first place. I doubt it would suddenly be incapacitating. She’s just appealing to your sense of superiority, and I can’t believe that you’re falling for it.”
"It is not about superiority. It is about logic," Amon retorted, bristling in defense. “You cannot deny that emotions cloud judgment. Maybe the sphinx wants us to leverage our knowledge about her past crimes to reason that she was not thinking clearly in this case either.” Amon had no other evidence that pointed towards Lamia as the top suspect, but he had dug deep enough where he was now ready to stand firm in his reasoning.
“Murder,” Harper countered, eyes narrowed in a venomous stare, “-does not require you to think clearly. Haven’t you heard of a crime of passion? If anyone’s judgment is clouded right now, Amon, it’s yours.”
The son of Apollo squared his shoulders, his expression hardening. "I understand the concept of crimes of passion, thank you.” His dark-eyed stare returned Harper's gaze, unflinching at the intensity. “But our investigation must be rooted in facts, not assumptions based on emotions. And the facts are,” he resumed his pacing once more, “that Lamia cannot be the culprit, as she is the only suspect that openly admits to being innocent of this crime.”
Amon had considered this from the very start, but provoking Harper like this had proved to be far more amusing.
Harper crossed Lamia’s name off of the board. She swallowed down her anger, fighting the urge to continue pressing the issue in favor of returning to their list of suspects. She pointed her piece of chalk at the next names on the list. “The Minotaur and Typhon are trapped, or so they say. How could they have done anything?”
“Their alibis revolve around their inability to escape,” Amon pointed out. “Not that they were unable to commit murder. The Labyrinth, in fact,” he raised a dramatic finger, “has several moving passages that could have permitted the Minotaur to move and commit murder without an official escape.”
Harper considered his words for a long moment, trying to find the flaw in his reasoning. Seeing none, she placed a dot next to the Minotaurs's name.
“Typhon escaped his prison in the Second Titanomachy. He could do it again,” Harper said thoughtfully. “Though I don’t understand why he would do something like this. He’s the Sphinx's father. The same goes for Echidna.”
Amon, who had been nodding at Harper’s assessment of Typhon’s abilities, pursed his lips at her observation of parentage. “I do not see how this could possibly be relevant to the logical puzzle at hand.”
Harper spoke slowly, as if the answer was obvious. “What motive would they have to kill their own daughter?”
“Harper,” Amon began curtly, folding his arms across his chest. “Half of the Greek myths revolve around immortals killing their own children.”
“Then we should pick one of them,” Harper declared, pivoting her argument instead of admitting her logical blunder. “They would have more of a motive than the rest of the suspects, if anything.”
“The Minotaur can escape much more easily than Typhon can. Motive aside, it is the most logical guess,” Amon concluded, adjusting his collar haughtily. “I will remind you that we picked your choice of weapon. It is only fair that I select the monster.”
“Fine.” Harper agreed, her gaze stormy as she turned back towards the sphinx. “We accuse the Minotaur of killing the sphinx with the Shirt of Nessus.”
The sphinx opened one eye. “None of these are correct!”
Hint #2
“Two more hints left.” Harper announced, crossing off the Minotaur’s name and the poisoned shirt on the chalkboard with a flourish. It was not ideal that her initial logical deductions had been incorrect, but at least Amon had also been wrong. She couldn't resist a snide comment. “I knew it wasn’t the Minotaur.”
“So you still think it’s Typhon.” Choosing to ignore Harper’s taunting, Amon rested his hand on a nearby desk, studying the lists on the chalkboard before him. He had taken the Minotaur error as a personal failure, and was determined to get the suspect right this time.
“I do.”
“Why not Echidna?”
“She’s too emotional to kill someone, obviously.” Harper said sarcastically. “Her frail female arms are probably too weak to even hold a weapon.”
The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Objectively,” he began, ignoring her quip once more, “Typhon could not have lied about his inability to roam free. A natural disaster freed him from Mount Etna during the Second Titanomachy, but he could not recreate those conditions on his own.” Though his tone remained aloof, it was clear that Amon was relishing in the opportunity to flaunt his mythology knowledge.
“Maybe,” Harper argued, stubborn. “But Echidna’s statement was less ambiguous than his. Typhon just explains his predicament; he doesn't provide a real claim. Echidna explicitly says she was not involved.” She thought for a few more moments, rolling the piece of chalk in her hands. “Echidna could have released him? They would be accomplices.”
Amon shook his head. “There was a single murderer. Not two. The sphinx would not lie about the premise of the game.”
Harper stared at him coldly, but could offer no rebuttal. She turned her attention to the board. “Typhon is a giant. He’s capable of using the sword.”
“But the specificity of Echidna’s denial is still incredibly suspicious. ‘Petty affairs’ is a strange way to phrase a murder. But,” Amon added reluctantly, “I understand the logic behind Typhon. I suppose it is your turn to choose the monster, and we will still have another guess to work with.”
“As for the weapon,” he continued, “I still think the sword is the most viable option, given that the siren song and the fang can be ruled out and the shirt with the venom was, well,” Amon pursed his lips, fighting the urge to smile, “incorrect.”
Before Harper could interject, Amon turned towards the sphinx at the front of the room. “We accuse Typhon of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
“One of these is correct!”
Hint #3
“Aha!” Amon raised a triumphant finger before pointing it at Harper. “I told you,” he gloated, “Typhon had no escape route.”
“You were right,” Harper admitted, staring down at the carpet so that she would not have to look at his smug expression.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered, and turned back towards the lioness with crossed arms. “We accuse Echidna of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword”
“One of these is correct,” the sphinx announced. Her mouth twisted in amusement, fangs bared in a menacing smile.
READ PART 2 HERE
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The only people who seemed to know the danger these mortals were in were Harper and Amon, who entered the building with glowing bronze swords at their hips. The bulky weapons seemed to have escaped the notice of the other library patrons, which was a good thing. The job description had made it clear that they were meant to remain inconspicuous in completing their task.
Harper had traded her usual bright orange camp shirt for a more discrete cropped black t-shirt and pleated pants. She had been insistent on coming up with a persona for them on the train ride from Montauk Station into New York City. They were meant to act as high school students researching for a World History paper on Ancient Greece. Now that they were inside the library, she had stopped her incessant rambling to peruse a riddle book, in what she had insisted was preparation for their job.
As they wandered through the bookshelves, she remained absorbed in the dog-eared children’s book, thumbing through the pages to find a riddle that would be fitting of a sphinx.
“Here’s one, Amon,” she said, narrowly avoiding a collision with another library patron as she read, “What is something that runs but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?”
The dark-haired son of Apollo glanced over from a shelf of dusty atlases, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “That is an easy one,” he replied simply. "River. Try me with something more challenging next time around." He adjusted the collar of his striped button down, which he had layered with a navy blue sweater in preparation for the chill of the air-conditioned interior.
“The real riddle is where we can find this sphinx,” Amon glanced around the spacious reading area, eyeing the dark wooden staircase with its ornate railings. “The boyfriend and girlfriend who tried this last time, they found her by a bookcase.”
“A bookcase,” Harper repeated derisively, closing her book to theatrically scan their surroundings. “That narrows it down.”
Ignoring Harper’s mockery, the son of Apollo paused suddenly, his dark eyes glazing over with concentration. His hearing dulled, the surrounding footsteps and rustling pages fading into the background as if muffled by a thick curtain. Amon searched for the energy signature of the monster he knew lurked among the mortals. It was a subtle shift, like trying to discern a whisper in a crowded room, but he felt a faint, abnormal energy hanging somewhere up above.
“I say we try the second floor,” he said as he snapped out of the tracking trance, offering no other explanation to Harper.
“We could do that, sure,” Harper said, words laced with blatant doubt at his sudden certainty. “I say we try asking the Visitor’s Center. I know she's supposed to be disguised by the Mist, but the librarians have to have noticed something.”
“You can go ahead and do that.” The small smirk from earlier was now spreading across his face. “But you can’t be upset if I find the sphinx and solve her riddle before you even get there.”
Harper rolled her eyes, but she made no attempt to stop Amon from walking towards the staircase. After a moment she set off after him, footsteps even against the wooden steps.
Up on the second floor, Amon moved quietly, his dark eyes scanning the hallway for anything out of the ordinary.
I know you’re up here.
He stopped at every heavy-looking mahogany door, peering through each muted glass insert. He felt the air grow thicker with ominous energy at every step, so he knew the monster must be near.
One of the doors was slightly ajar, a suspiciously open invitation. Or a trap. The dark-haired boy caught sight of a cat-shaped figure on the other side before ducking down and motioning sharply for Harper’s attention. He unsheathed his kopis from his belt, bracing himself for confrontation.
Harper crouched against the wall, hand on the hilt of her sword as she tried to peek through the frosted glass pane. She held her breath, ready to move at Amon’s signal. He held out three fingers and then put them down one by one. When he hit zero, they stood in unison, flinging the door open together.
When Amon and Harper stepped inside, the body of the sphinx lay motionless on the floor.
“No way,” Harper said. The door clicked shut behind her as she pushed past Amon into the room and kneeled to study the monster’s limp figure.
The sphinx had the large body of a lion and the eerily human face of a middle-aged woman, hair tied back in a severe bun and foundation caked onto her high cheekbones. Fangs jutted out of her red-painted lips, and eagle wings sprouted out of the space between her shoulder blades, folded tight against her back.
“Monsters dissolve into dust when they die,” Amon remarked, keeping his distance as he watched the subtle rise and fall of the monster’s ribs. “She must have been knocked unconscious.”
“Right,” Harper agreed, “The real question is who. And why.”
She hovered a hand over the cat's shoulder, set on rousing her. Before she made contact, the sphinx's eyes snapped open, round irises surrounded by shocking yellow sclera.
"Slain!" she wailed. Harper staggered backwards. Amon’s arms instinctively reached out to catch her, but she didn’t stumble near enough to make contact. "I am slain!"
With feline grace, the sphinx rose to her feet. A white tape outline marked the placement of her previously prone body on the floor. The muscles in her legs rippled as she paced in front of Harper and Amon, massive velvet paws silent against the carpet.
"And you, my dear heroes," she roared, eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare, "were too late to save me!"
The sphinx sniffed, composing herself. She leapt onto a wooden table. The table legs creaked underneath her weight. "Fear not," she tutted, "Fear not. For you can still avenge me. If you are able to determine the murderer and their weapon, then I will obtain justice, and all will be right with the world.”
“Your riddle is a murder mystery,” Harper said, confusion written across her face. Amon raised an eyebrow. The sphinx chuffed, a low rumbling sound reminiscent of laughter.
“You sought that hackneyed question about man? The Sphinx that the storytellers remember is far less adaptive than I am. I am not interested in your ability to regurgitate the information you have read. Nor am I interested in taking advantage of the nonsensical rules of your English language.”
“I am here to satisfy my own curiosity: does modern mankind still possess the ability to engage in deductive reasoning, or do they only seek to make themselves appear intelligent? Do not speak,” the sphinx said, a pointed look at Harper, who had opened her mouth to interject, “You will answer my questions when you play my game.”
“The potential murder weapons are scattered throughout this room,” she continued, leaping off the table. “And the suspects have already provided their testimonies for your review. Rest assured, I have made certain that their statements contain no lies.”
A shimmering, translucent energy began to swirl around Harper and Amon’s feet, beginning to take shape as holograms with a flickering, ephemeral quality.
A projection of Cerberus materialized first, his three massive heads snarling and snapping in unison. A ribbon of text appeared by his paws to translate his growling: "I was guarding the entrance, my duty unbroken."
Next came the Minotaur, his towering form pacing within the labyrinth on Crete. He snorted and pawed at the ground, the holographic maze shifting behind him in the background. The translation text appeared: "Confined within these walls, no escape for me."
Lamia's projection flickered into view, her serpentine lower half coiled around her as she wept in her cave. She glanced mournfully at the holographic images of her lost children: "My grief consumes me, innocent of this crime."
A shimmering Hydra emerged next, its nine heads snapping at invisible foes. Each one moved independently, showcasing its ability to act on its own. The translation for the hissing head at the center read: "Engaged in battle, I could not have killed."
Typhon materialized with a thunderous roar, his colossal form fighting against restraints under Mount Etna. His immense size and power were palpable, even in scaled down holographic form: "Bound by chains of the earth, I could not have roamed free."
Echidna’s hologram appeared last, her form a mix of human and serpent, lounging in a dimly lit cave. She looked directly at the viewers, her expression both defiant and amused. The translation text by her side read: “I dwell in my lair, uninvolved in such petty affairs.”
The sphinx swiped at the last projection as it faded, deeming her handiwork satisfactory. “There is not enough information to deduce the killer using evidence alone. Because I am fair, I will provide you with three hints before your final guess. Be forewarned: if you fail to provide a correct answer, you will both perish. Is this understood?”
Harper spoke. “If we answer correctly, you will leave this library for good.”
“If you answer correctly, I will permanently relocate. It is a preferable option in comparison to another death. Now, do you agree to the terms and conditions?” the sphinx said primly, regarding Harper and Amon with casual disdain. The pair nodded. “Very well.”
The sphinx dropped onto the floor and let her head loll back, pretending to be dead once more.
| Suspects | Weapons |
|---|---|
| Cerberus | The Shirt of Nessus |
| The Minotaur | Siren Song |
| Lamia | Harpy Talon |
| The Hydra | Celestial Bronze Sword |
| Typhon | A-C Encyclopedia |
| Echidna | Cerberus Fang |
“We can easily eliminate the siren song,” Amon rushed to speak over Harper, eyeing the small glass vial of swirling gray matter that they had found nestled behind a row of books on metalworking. “It is a luring mechanism, not a murder weapon.”
“We could rule out Cerberus’ fang too,” he pointed at the enormous yellowing tooth, about the size of the small baseball bat Amon used to have when he played in the little league. “If we take the hologram as ground truth, all of his teeth were intact there.”
Harper used her kopis to prod at the stained tunic that had been hidden in a desk drawer, being careful not to touch it with bare skin. “The Shirt of Nessus is a viable option. It would be easy for any of the suspects to lay it down and wait for the hydra venom to kick in.”
“I am not ready to rule out the bronze sword either,” Amon noted. “Monsters have access to heroes and the weapons they leave behind.”
“Most of these monsters don’t even have opposable thumbs,” Harper argued, running a hand over the sword they had found by a power outlet. ”They don’t have the dexterity to wield a sword.”
“I do not imagine that the technicality would be that granular.”
Harper laughed. “Oh, the number of teeth in the Cerberus hologram tell all, but we’re drawing the line at opposable thumbs.”
“I suppose that that logic would also rule out the harpy talon and the encyclopedia easily as well,” Amon admitted. “Which would be too easy.”
“I’m just that good at logical deduction.” Harper said proudly. “If my assumption is correct, then the poisoned shirt is the only one that makes sense.”
Amon scoffed, folding his arms across his chest as his dark eyes bored into Harper. “It would not necessarily matter what our first guess would be anyway.”
“Can you provide an argument for any other weapon? Or are you intent on purposely making an illogical guess?” she countered cooly.
“Fine,” Amon acquiesced. “Since you are so adamant about the shirt, we can guess the shirt, and be incorrect. It does not matter. What about the suspects themselves?” He clasped his hands behind his back, his steps measured as he started to pace across the plush red carpet of the room.
Harper smiled, smugly accepting her victory. She strode towards a chalkboard at the side of the study room, inscribing the list of weapons and suspects with a fresh piece of white chalk.
“All of them have alibis,“ she began. “I think that-”
“Some make more sense than others,” Amon spoke over Harper, irritated by her minor triumph. “Cerberus, for example, is under the service of Hades. He says he did not leave his post, and he could not have done so without permission or dire consequences on the process of the dead.”
Harper silently seethed as Amon spoke, meeting his rationale with reluctant acceptance before starting again in a louder, exaggerated tone. “I think that the ones with the shakiest alibis are Lamia, the Minotaur, Typhon, and Echidna. No witnesses can confirm their locations. In fact, Lamia provides no location at all.” Harper circled those names. She looked at Amon with a forced smile, allowing him a moment to provide more commentary.
“Lamia? Well,” there was a hint of mockery in the sneer that tugged on the corner of Amon’s lips. “I would imagine her emotions rendered her… Too fragile and unstable to carry out such an act.”
“You’re kidding,” Harper scoffed, searching Amon's face for the slightest hint that he was joking. “Her grief is what moved her to kill children in the first place. I doubt it would suddenly be incapacitating. She’s just appealing to your sense of superiority, and I can’t believe that you’re falling for it.”
"It is not about superiority. It is about logic," Amon retorted, bristling in defense. “You cannot deny that emotions cloud judgment. Maybe the sphinx wants us to leverage our knowledge about her past crimes to reason that she was not thinking clearly in this case either.” Amon had no other evidence that pointed towards Lamia as the top suspect, but he had dug deep enough where he was now ready to stand firm in his reasoning.
“Murder,” Harper countered, eyes narrowed in a venomous stare, “-does not require you to think clearly. Haven’t you heard of a crime of passion? If anyone’s judgment is clouded right now, Amon, it’s yours.”
The son of Apollo squared his shoulders, his expression hardening. "I understand the concept of crimes of passion, thank you.” His dark-eyed stare returned Harper's gaze, unflinching at the intensity. “But our investigation must be rooted in facts, not assumptions based on emotions. And the facts are,” he resumed his pacing once more, “that Lamia cannot be the culprit, as she is the only suspect that openly admits to being innocent of this crime.”
Amon had considered this from the very start, but provoking Harper like this had proved to be far more amusing.
Harper crossed Lamia’s name off of the board. She swallowed down her anger, fighting the urge to continue pressing the issue in favor of returning to their list of suspects. She pointed her piece of chalk at the next names on the list. “The Minotaur and Typhon are trapped, or so they say. How could they have done anything?”
“Their alibis revolve around their inability to escape,” Amon pointed out. “Not that they were unable to commit murder. The Labyrinth, in fact,” he raised a dramatic finger, “has several moving passages that could have permitted the Minotaur to move and commit murder without an official escape.”
Harper considered his words for a long moment, trying to find the flaw in his reasoning. Seeing none, she placed a dot next to the Minotaurs's name.
“Typhon escaped his prison in the Second Titanomachy. He could do it again,” Harper said thoughtfully. “Though I don’t understand why he would do something like this. He’s the Sphinx's father. The same goes for Echidna.”
Amon, who had been nodding at Harper’s assessment of Typhon’s abilities, pursed his lips at her observation of parentage. “I do not see how this could possibly be relevant to the logical puzzle at hand.”
Harper spoke slowly, as if the answer was obvious. “What motive would they have to kill their own daughter?”
“Harper,” Amon began curtly, folding his arms across his chest. “Half of the Greek myths revolve around immortals killing their own children.”
“Then we should pick one of them,” Harper declared, pivoting her argument instead of admitting her logical blunder. “They would have more of a motive than the rest of the suspects, if anything.”
“The Minotaur can escape much more easily than Typhon can. Motive aside, it is the most logical guess,” Amon concluded, adjusting his collar haughtily. “I will remind you that we picked your choice of weapon. It is only fair that I select the monster.”
“Fine.” Harper agreed, her gaze stormy as she turned back towards the sphinx. “We accuse the Minotaur of killing the sphinx with the Shirt of Nessus.”
The sphinx opened one eye. “None of these are correct!”
| Suspects | Weapons |
|---|---|
| Harpy Talon | |
| Celestial Bronze Sword | |
| Typhon | A-C Encyclopedia |
| Echidna |
“So you still think it’s Typhon.” Choosing to ignore Harper’s taunting, Amon rested his hand on a nearby desk, studying the lists on the chalkboard before him. He had taken the Minotaur error as a personal failure, and was determined to get the suspect right this time.
“I do.”
“Why not Echidna?”
“She’s too emotional to kill someone, obviously.” Harper said sarcastically. “Her frail female arms are probably too weak to even hold a weapon.”
The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Objectively,” he began, ignoring her quip once more, “Typhon could not have lied about his inability to roam free. A natural disaster freed him from Mount Etna during the Second Titanomachy, but he could not recreate those conditions on his own.” Though his tone remained aloof, it was clear that Amon was relishing in the opportunity to flaunt his mythology knowledge.
“Maybe,” Harper argued, stubborn. “But Echidna’s statement was less ambiguous than his. Typhon just explains his predicament; he doesn't provide a real claim. Echidna explicitly says she was not involved.” She thought for a few more moments, rolling the piece of chalk in her hands. “Echidna could have released him? They would be accomplices.”
Amon shook his head. “There was a single murderer. Not two. The sphinx would not lie about the premise of the game.”
Harper stared at him coldly, but could offer no rebuttal. She turned her attention to the board. “Typhon is a giant. He’s capable of using the sword.”
“But the specificity of Echidna’s denial is still incredibly suspicious. ‘Petty affairs’ is a strange way to phrase a murder. But,” Amon added reluctantly, “I understand the logic behind Typhon. I suppose it is your turn to choose the monster, and we will still have another guess to work with.”
“As for the weapon,” he continued, “I still think the sword is the most viable option, given that the siren song and the fang can be ruled out and the shirt with the venom was, well,” Amon pursed his lips, fighting the urge to smile, “incorrect.”
Before Harper could interject, Amon turned towards the sphinx at the front of the room. “We accuse Typhon of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
“One of these is correct!”
| Suspects | Weapons |
|---|---|
| Celestial Bronze Sword | |
| Echidna |
“You were right,” Harper admitted, staring down at the carpet so that she would not have to look at his smug expression.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered, and turned back towards the lioness with crossed arms. “We accuse Echidna of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword”
“One of these is correct,” the sphinx announced. Her mouth twisted in amusement, fangs bared in a menacing smile.
2024.05.15 02:55 TongueofMyth Let us eat cake, Let them eat shit- something you may don't know about Scrooge McCaul
When you're disappointed with the water usage restriction, think about the words "LET THEM EAT CAKE". Though the sentence from Marie Antoinette may result from the ignorance while McCaul is conscious of what he did.
In 2017, Michael McCaul, one of the richest members of congress, used more than 1.4 million gallons of water at his home. At the same time, the average usage of Austin resident is 20,000 gallons.
That happened in Austin, which has been going through the severe drought for decades. According to the data from Texas State Climatologist, by the middle of September, nearly 68% area of the state was in drought or severe drought. Despite Austin had already entered Stage 2 of Drought Contingency, the water-consumption went increasing.
The reason? When most of the residents are adhering to the policy for saving water, someone is squandering the precious water resources and trying to cover the fact.
Multi-family water consumption accounts for the main consumption, while in that part, the rich take the top. Data from the Austin Water shows that West Rim(Postal code 78746), a high-end community where McCaul lives, consumed nearly 900 million gallons water in August,2023( 4206 gallons per person), in contrast to the average 3930 gallon of citizen consumption. To confront the situation, the top consumption water-user will be exposed to the public for enhancing the supervision, when McCaul was listed on it twice in 2011 and 2018. Then there came the HB872 act In 2023, which requests to hide these data in the name of 'protecting users' privacy'. Since then, the relevant data hasn't been open anymore.
The money and water are similar, they flow underground and down to the "low".
submitted by TongueofMyth to Austin [link] [comments]
In 2017, Michael McCaul, one of the richest members of congress, used more than 1.4 million gallons of water at his home. At the same time, the average usage of Austin resident is 20,000 gallons.
That happened in Austin, which has been going through the severe drought for decades. According to the data from Texas State Climatologist, by the middle of September, nearly 68% area of the state was in drought or severe drought. Despite Austin had already entered Stage 2 of Drought Contingency, the water-consumption went increasing.
The reason? When most of the residents are adhering to the policy for saving water, someone is squandering the precious water resources and trying to cover the fact.
Multi-family water consumption accounts for the main consumption, while in that part, the rich take the top. Data from the Austin Water shows that West Rim(Postal code 78746), a high-end community where McCaul lives, consumed nearly 900 million gallons water in August,2023( 4206 gallons per person), in contrast to the average 3930 gallon of citizen consumption. To confront the situation, the top consumption water-user will be exposed to the public for enhancing the supervision, when McCaul was listed on it twice in 2011 and 2018. Then there came the HB872 act In 2023, which requests to hide these data in the name of 'protecting users' privacy'. Since then, the relevant data hasn't been open anymore.
The money and water are similar, they flow underground and down to the "low".
2024.05.15 02:08 HyperTrashcan What are your oc’s most absurd interests?
Feel free to info dump about them whilst ur at it!
here’s mine 😋: these two gals love sparring from time to time, not even for any reason but just to get that thrill yk? may or may not be a fight club refrence.. anyways they’re kind of a found family duo, harper (first pic) taking on the role as caretaker and eventually sister figure, i mean when your immortal and your finally not trying to find ways to NOT be immortal, you get bored and save some random kid from the streets. anyways it’s just a wholesome duo. tuxedo + tabby cat duo in short. pretty cute
submitted by HyperTrashcan to OriginalCharacter [link] [comments]
here’s mine 😋: these two gals love sparring from time to time, not even for any reason but just to get that thrill yk? may or may not be a fight club refrence.. anyways they’re kind of a found family duo, harper (first pic) taking on the role as caretaker and eventually sister figure, i mean when your immortal and your finally not trying to find ways to NOT be immortal, you get bored and save some random kid from the streets. anyways it’s just a wholesome duo. tuxedo + tabby cat duo in short. pretty cute
2024.05.15 01:53 Accomplished_Fix6368 I think my boyfriend is gay and i dont know what to do
This is a new throw away account, I, 23(f) and S (23) male have been in an on and off relationship for the past 3 years i'm openly out as a bisexual woman, S however claims to be a straight male. Though S has supported me coming out it seems as though he's a bit reserved on the topic. I have noticed him staring at other men when we go out and awhile back i saw on his phone he had saved some gay p*rn as well as some other stuff (idk what its called it was hermaphrodite like but with cartoons) i chopped it up to just something that popped up on his phone for a while but later asked and he said the latter was something his and his gc sent to each other (thought it was strange but boys will be boys) and the other was something his friend had sent him directly. Now I had asked him after this situation if he thought he might also be attracted to men and he got really defensive and walked away from the situation so i didn't bring it up again. However the other day I was cleaning up the house and noticed a box of rubbers i figured they were old and so i didn't pay much mind to them until i found what look like k*gal balls in the drawer of our bathroom wrapped in one, i would like it to be known that our house has cameras in it and i'm the one with the passwords so i know he's not cheating, i asked again about this and he looked like a deer in headlights then looked very angry at me and told me not to go through the drawers on his side of the bathroom ever again okay but the icing on the the cake was i found one of those alien looking d*ldos as well in the sock drawer that i didn't bring up based on the mood. Now i haven't told anyone in our personal lives about this obviously i don't want to force him out but what do i do from here? I have also reflected on our time living together (1 year) about all the slightly off stuff that's been happening or requested of me, such as getting a ****plug as well as getting other s*x toys marketed to women and to do an*l more than any other guy i've been with and that could all just be preference but it seems like he's using me as a cover for the fact he's into guys. I know it isn't just an things in his b*tt because i have asked to p*g him a few times and he brushes it off and swears he doesn't want anything near his *sshole . (i did this as a joke at first but now it seems more like im asking him to see if he'd enjoy it.) What do i do from here?
submitted by Accomplished_Fix6368 to u/Accomplished_Fix6368 [link] [comments]
2024.05.15 01:28 GPTGamingNews The Ultimate Halo Infinite: Campaign Review
 | https://preview.redd.it/qyqda90d2h0d1.jpg?width=1100&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3f48440877eff74e0e0dad1f805fcd8b7ea5d39 submitted by GPTGamingNews to u/GPTGamingNews [link] [comments] Game Information
Game Publisher and Developer Information
STORY ATMOSPHERE LORE - 100/100During the boarding of the UNSC Infinity supercarrier, Master Chief is thrown into space by Atriox, leader of the Banished. The Banished are a mercenary group that was previously part of the Covenant but broke away due to disagreements with the Covenant leadership. You’re eventually rescued by the Pilot, a survivor of the attack, who reluctantly assists the Master Chief in his mission to take down Atriox and the Banished. After destroying the warship, Chief is picked up by the Pilot, and they head down to Zeta Halo to search for a “weapon” in the mysteriously damaged portion of the ring. With these two introductory missions out of the way, you’re introduced to Halo Infinite’s vibrant yet dangerous open world. Across the 16-story missions, you will find yourself going across Zeta Halo and into the depths of the Forerunner installation.The campaign features wide and sprawling open fields, claustrophobic underground facilities, and everything in between. The pacing of missions in Infinite is well done and isn’t too fast or slow. Missions are not too long, and you can expect to spend about 11 and a half hours on Zeta Halo when focusing on the main objectives, making it the longest campaign to date, according to HowLongToBeat. When looking to see everything the game has to offer, it’s estimated to take around 27 and a half hours to finish. Knowing the lore behind the factions only adds to how enjoyable it is to fight against each enemy. For example, Brutes are always looking to fight opponents of noteworthy strength, so they approach battles with the Master Chief with bravado and are often happy to battle with the Spartans. Jackals, on the other hand, are typically pirates and mercenaries and will remark about claiming the bounty on Master Chief during combat. They go as far as commenting on canon events during combat, which is a first for the series. For example, Grunts will sometimes taunt you with a remark about the events of Halo: Reach by saying, “Hey Spartan, Reach called! Just kidding - ha!” Sometimes, Grunts dab after killing you, making them even more hilarious to fight. The colorful personalities that make up the Banished mercenaries make them feel more alive and like real characters you’re battling against. Previous Halo games had less personality-oriented enemies whose combat chatter became repetitive and didn’t make for a marginally more interesting battle. GAMEPLAY - 95/100WEAPONSSince Halo: Combat Evolved, a damage system consisting of Kinetic and Plasma has been in place. Hardlight didn’t make a place for itself until Halo 4 and Shock Damage had its inception in Halo Infinite. Most human-made weapons deal Kinetic damage, which is effective at taking down unshielded enemies like Grunts, while Plasma works best against shields. Hardlight is good against any enemy regardless of their shield status, but the weapons and ammo are few and far between. Shock damage arcs between targets and is great for groups of Banished and their vehicles. As the newest addition to the weapon ecosystem, it makes a powerful statement when used in the midst of battle. Much like previous Halo installments, having only two weapon slots forces you into giving encounters some forethought since you’ll want to be properly prepared for the skirmish. It also makes you have to sacrifice certain weapons and pick up others to gain the upper hand in a fight, especially when facing a boss. Ammo resupplies aren’t new to Halo, but the ability to refill certain ammo like rockets without picking up a duplicate of the weapon is new to the series.As a first for the series, the open-world design makes the open-battlefield style fights from previous games even more exciting by allowing different approaches to fights to be more viable. Previous installments of the series pitted Master Chief against enemies in arena-style fights, which had a repeating cycle of short battles and then exposition. Infinite has a different sense of balance between combat and exposition. One minute, you’re riding along through the ring, and suddenly you stumble upon a battle between Banished forces and surviving Marines. All hell breaks loose. In prior installments, you knew when combat would start due to the layout of an area, but in Halo Infinite, it’s less predictable but in the best way possible. It brings the ringworld to life and has a sense of curiosity as to what you’ll find yourself in next, similar to random encounters in other RPGs. ENEMIESIn a first for the series, boss fights also make an appearance in the campaign. The boss fights in the story force you to take the damage system seriously because, without them, you’re bound to have a hard time. The bosses come with their own special fighting style. For example, the Spartan Killers, Hyperius and Tovarus, are both battled at the same time in the mission ‘Pelican Down.’ Hyperius wields a unique Ravager, S7 sniper, and rides a Chopper, while his brother Tovarus has a Scrap Cannon and spike grenades. Fighting both at the same time proves to be a mighty challenge since you’re in an open area with limited weaponry. Each boss has an arena that puts you at a disadvantage, like when you fight the invisible, energy sword-wielding Elite, Chak ’Lok, in a small room full of smoke. Another example would be fighting against the lightning-fast Harbinger in the final mission, along with her incredibly difficult waves of enemies. The bosses come in all forms of Banished and remain a constant threat in both main missions and side objectives.Although the bosses are difficult, Halo Infinite’s standard enemies pose their own threats and must be handled differently. For example, Jackals have to be dealt with quickly since they often show up with marksman rifles that deal heavy damage. Elites are easily recognized by their tall stature and signature mandibles. They’re honor-bound Captains of the Banished whose inspiring presence makes their soldiers more emboldened and less fearful. Taking them out makes the rest of the battle much more manageable. Grunts are the small and frightened cannon fodder of the Banished who often run in fear when their higher-ups are defeated. UPGRADESOne of the other new additions to the campaign is an upgrade system. Master Chief can now upgrade parts of his kit to make his gadgets much more powerful by finding and acquiring Spartan Cores. Become a walking tank by upgrading your shield to absorb more damage before breaking or greatly improve the agility of Chief by reducing the cooldown between uses of the Grappleshot. Reduced cooldown is an absolute must if you plan on playing around with the grappling hook during combat since waiting for it to recharge can mean life or death. All of the upgrades play their parts and can be integral to having a battle go your way. The Threat sensor can be upgraded to have a permanent mark on the enemy along with a visible health bar. The Drop Wall can have its strength increased and add shock damage to projectiles you fire through it. Finally, the thruster can increase its dodge distance and give you a cloak effect after use. Each ability upgrade plays into how well you’ll perform during a fight since not using them can cause you to take a lot more damage.OUTPOSTSThose aren’t the only new changes Infinite brings to the table. Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) are another new addition to the map. They appear as outposts you can claim during your fight against the Banished and serve as fast travel points. Alongside these FOBs comes a currency known as Valor. Valor is earned through completing the various side missions available across Zeta Halo. The currency allows you to unlock supplies and weapons to aid you in dominating the Banished and the battlefield. Your hard-earned Valor needs only to be spent once for unlimited access to the requisitions. From the simple yet reliable Sidekick sidearm all the way to the big bad behemoth of ground warfare, the Scorpion, Valor enables you to bring out any sort of weapon or vehicle for any scenario.SIDE OBJECTIVEThe open world of Zeta Halo also has many side missions available, such as hunting down high-value targets (HVTs), rescuing UNSC Marines, and capturing abandoned outposts. These missions can be a great break from the story or provide much-needed Valor to help during the story. Undertaking a High-Value Target mission is as simple as going to the marked location and killing the target. The bosses appear as various types of Banished, and each has its own dossier with backstory and potentially useful information, such as strengths, weaknesses, and potential combat strategies. The HVTs also carry a unique weapon that drops when their wielder is defeated and can be purchased with valor for use during missions. When you’re not taking Banished lives, you can instead save those of the survivors of the UNSC Infinity’s crash. The Marine survivors will usually be engaging Banished troops, and it’s your job to make sure they survive. Upon saving the Marines, you’ll be rewarded with Valor as well as some new comrades who are willing to ride in vehicles and fight with you. Aside from the HVT hunting and marine distress signals, outposts are also available. Each Outpost offers several different objectives that need to be completed in order to shut down the facility. The objectives vary depending on the function of the Outpost, and completing a task can cause enemy reinforcement. Similarly to FOBs, the Outposts act as fast travel points after they’re finished and can be used to call in supplies unlocked through Valor.FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER - 80/100As a first-person shooter, Halo Infinite’s campaign excels at the traditional formula while adding new gameplay elements like boss fights. In these additions, Infinite delivers a fun and memorable combination of well-paced storytelling and solid gameplay. The RPG elements, like armor upgrades, make for a more engaging experience by giving an enticing reason to explore the levels and open world of Zeta Halo. All of these elements come together and deliver an amazing FPS game that doesn’t disappoint.GRAPHICS ART DIRECTION - 95/100Halo Infinite is the most graphically advanced Halo to date thanks to the new Slipspace engine, which allows it to outshine the previous installments by providing new and updated visuals. The engine enables excellent use of volumetric lighting, giving the interiors beautiful rays of light that shine through cracks and around objects. Each of these components lends itself to the world of Zeta Halo and makes it a true marvel to look at. Indoor sections feel realistic through their use of volumetric lighting and high-resolution textures. These elements make the walk through Forerunner facilities feel strange and alien as the lights twist and turn while you maneuver through the halls. Master Chief's damaged armor looks amazing in the cutscenes, where it looks battered and beat from the various battles the suit has seen. Compared to Halo 5, it’s far more appealing in the lighting and detail while remaining much more realistic with its high-resolution textures. It’s small things like this that make all the difference in how you perceive the game and the time put into it.The art design of the levels works great in conjunction with the Forerunner plot elements introduced in Halo 4 as the beginning of the Reclaimer Saga. We see a lot of the Forerunner technology at work through things like bridges appearing as you approach and the Forerunner Sentinels flying overhead and working on repairs within facilities. These seemingly small details play a big role in making the factions more believable while also allowing the world to feel unique. While some levels in other Halo games felt a little too similar to one another in some cases, each level in Infinite feels completely different while retaining the identity of Halo Infinite. Compared to the first mission, where the halls of the Banished ship are claustrophobic and limit movement while eliciting the feeling of having a daunting task ahead, ‘Silent Auditorium’ brings you within a massive Forerunner facility that feels larger than life and has a feeling of finality to it. The larger-than-life buildings of the Forerunners combined with the shiny silver exterior that makes up their facilities make for very regal settings. When paired with the grand and open interiors, the areas provide a majestic feeling and truly make the sci-fi notion come to life. The Banished forces come with their own unique looks as well, with their scarlet armor providing a contrast to the environment that allows for them to be easily distinguished from the background. The scarlet of their armor compliments their ferocity in battle since the Banished aren’t ones to run away from conflict, even with Master Chief. REPLAYABILITY - 85/100One of the best parts of Halo campaigns is how replayable they are. Whether you’re playing alone or with a friend at your side, the story of Halo Infinite is captivating and gripping enough to make it worth a few extra playthroughs. The side missions and the optional bosses are plentiful enough that you may not be able to complete the extra objectives in a single run. Aside from a completionist run, you can also try your hand at the infamous LASO challenge. LASO, standing for Legendary All Skulls On, is the ultimate test of your Halo skills and can be as infuriating as it is gratifying once you make it through a section. LASO is just one of many challenging ways the community has made Halo replayable and always a fresh experience. Master Chief’s journey on Zeta Halo is easy to jump back into even after beating it and is great if you’re looking to experience a quality storyline in a fan-favorite universe.FUN FACTOR - 95/100The Halo Infinite campaign is incredibly fun and makes for a memorable experience with all of its new additions. Between the classic and new formula for Halo, it finds itself in the middle, where new gameplay elements mesh together with the traditional style seamlessly. The game succeeds at giving you fun new things to play around with while remaining true to the original Halo style. You’ll find the most fun moments when the gameplay finally ‘clicks’ and you manage to pull off that awesome sniper shot or kill that boss that’s been giving you trouble. It’s such a satisfying feeling when you manage to latch onto a Brute chopper with the Grappleshot and yank the Banished out of their vehicles. It feels straight out of a movie and makes you truly immerse yourself in the incredible feats Master Chief is known to pull off. These moments of triumph are what add up to making the campaign so fun and can keep you coming back for more.TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE - 97/100Through the time played on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X, the game was incredibly well optimized. The graphics were noticeably different between the two generations, but it’s to be expected with the hardware differences. The game ran as smoothly as ever from the beginning to the end of the campaign. The Xbox One had some intermittent lag and stutter, but it wasn’t enough to impact gameplay significantly. The game ran very consistently throughout the campaign experience and made for a very enjoyable experience since it suffered no crashes.CREATIVE REVIEWHalo Infinite, released on December 8, 2021, is an ambitious follow-up to 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians. The game began development by 343 Industries just three years later. This sci-fi first-person shooter is the third installment in the Reclaimer Saga that began with Halo 4 and was published by Xbox Game Studios. Infinite was intended to be a launch release for the Xbox Series XS but was delayed due to internal conflict on development decisions. This installment utilizes the new Slipspace engine in conjunction with Faber, a set of developer tools with some of its components dating back to the early 2000s. Since its release, the campaign has been the subject of critical acclaim, with many praising the innovations the new story brought with it. An open world, new armor abilities, and a new faction all come with the installment’s 28-hour story mode. On the other hand, the free-to-play multiplayer was heavily criticized for its lack of content at launch. Since then, Infinite’s multiplayer has gone through several seasons, each of them introducing new content and different cosmetics to obtain through battle pass progression.When I booted up the campaign for the first time, I couldn’t help but reminisce on all the good times I had both solo and with friends in previous installments. Memories like Grifball on Halo: Reach, dying four thousand times to Jackal Snipers on Halo 2, and Arbiter saving Chief with a flamethrower in Halo 3. I went in expecting something at least a little better than the catastrophe of Halo 5, but instead, I was met with something very different and unique for the series. Let’s start from the beginning: the opening cutscene and mission one. While Chief is known to be one of gaming’s coolest characters, he got humbled extremely quickly. The scene opens with pure chaos ensuing. There’s fire, plasma, and bullets flying everywhere, and Chief is at the center of it all. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, watching him skillfully maneuver and take down several opponents. That is until the big baddie of the Banished came along. The following encounter between Atriox and Master Chief was absolute humiliation for the mean green killing machine. Atriox grabs him, beats him with his admittedly cool hammer, drags Master Chief through the hangar, and then throws him into space. I was in pure shock as to how Chief just got beaten like nothing. Isn’t he a ‘hyper-lethal’ class Spartan? Maybe it was because he got caught off guard. Regardless, I just watched my childhood get thrown to his presumable death, and I wanted revenge. Mission one sees us go in a Banished Warship to free the Pelican that Echo-216 saved us with from certain doom. It was straightforward, and I got a good glimpse of that classic Halo gameplay loop so many of us loved: Exploration, combat, and then some exposition. It’s a simple yet effective formula that kept me engaged the whole game. In this opening mission, we get introduced to the newest piece of equipment: the Grappleshot. While simple, it plays a huge role in every aspect of this game. As I got the hang of using it, I found that I could use it for more effective maneuverability in combat, something I did the entire game, which saved me many times. I got to the control room and promptly blew the ship to Smithereens, which left me feeling a lot of satisfaction as I mentally recovered from seeing Chief beaten up by Atriox. After the Banished Warship and one other mission, we get to explore the open world of Zeta Halo. The world is exciting and fun to explore while supporting characters and cutscenes only add to the already gripping story. I quickly fell in love with the campaign and its characters in a way I hadn’t felt since Halo 4. When I wasn’t doing one of the story missions, I was out, causing a ruckus with the side missions. The High-Value Target missions were personal favorites that you’ll love if you’re a fan of boss fights, something Infinite doesn’t shy away from and has plenty of. Each fight feels like a real challenge since they all put you at a distinct disadvantage, like the Pelican Down mission, where you fight Hyperius and Tovarus at the same time with limited space and weaponry. This challenge translated well into a stark contrast between regular enemies and bosses. It made the bosses really feel threatening, a feeling I felt most games lacked since the fight with General Raam way back in the first Gears of War. There were countless battles, a lot of dying, and tons of fun to be had. By the time I reached the Silent Auditorium, I had amassed an arsenal of weapons that I thought would make it a piece of cake. Spoiler alert: it was far from easy. I struggled on this mission quite a bit and had to take a break and tackle it again the next day. There were tons of enemies of varying calibers and carrying a lot of guns, but that was nothing new for a final Halo mission. It feels like enemy AI was much better this time around due to technological improvements and level designs largely being in favor of the Banished. The Silent Auditorium is a beautiful but deadly level that kept me on my toes and gave me a real sense of finality and importance as I made my way through the Banished army, protecting the final boss. It really makes you utilize every bit of tech and upgrade you’ve gotten up to this point. I had to throw down many Drop Walls, use a lot of Grappleshots to run away and heal, and use more Threat Sensors than I could count. Eventually, I got to the final boss with little ammo and very small amounts of optimism about the upcoming fight. The reasoning is spoiler-heavy, so I won’t say much, but when you get ready for this mission, come prepared to die a lot. Halo Infinite had a rocky beginning but has a bright future ahead of it so long as 343 Industries keeps up the amazing work they’ve been doing during the past and current seasons. The campaign is on par with the original trilogy, which many consider to be the pinnacle of the series. It manages to define itself as a fantastic third entry to the Reclaimer Saga that had a rough start with the release of Halo 4 and the negatively received Halo 5: Guardians. While the campaign introduces some things that may initially turn away long-time fans, the gameplay and new additions make the story able to be experienced in a new and unique way. This is only furthered by a fantastic upgrade system that keeps you in the fight against an enemy that hits hard and can take a punch. The level design choices utilize the new gameplay additions like the Grappling Hook to their full extent and encourage you to play around with your new toys, see what strikes your fancy, and master their uses. Likewise, the multiplayer has a lot of charm. The addition of new weapons, new maps, and new modes add up and make for an awesome bout of fun with friends or even by yourself. The seasonal releases and cosmetics for the multiplayer only add to the fun with what many consider to be the best customization received since Halo: Reach. It may have been roughly criticized in the beginning, but it’s clear that 343 Industries took the criticism and set out to give Infinite the makeover of a lifetime. Halo Infinite surpasses expectations while remaining humble in its delivery of an unforgettable campaign and an equally addicting multiplayer that keeps many of us coming back for more. It’s amazing to see how far the game has come since its beta, and it’s hard to contain the excitement that comes with pondering what comes next. SCORE SUMMARY - 92/100Halo Infinite is a fantastic entry into one of the most well-known gaming series, and it delivers on nearly every front in its campaign. The cutscenes are beautiful, the RPG elements are prevalent but not overpowering, and the core gameplay is reminiscent of classic Halo. The campaign is easily one of the best entries in the series and delivers a stellar game in all aspects.https://preview.redd.it/7efzm81s2h0d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=74b6dc6501766d0d0b7dba6dd892f4b232353ee1 Roland Martinez Reviewer Favorite Game: Gears of War |
2024.05.15 01:16 Haunting-Band-2763 Hazbin Hotel - Episode 1, Season 1: Overture - (Genderswap)
(An animation shows black and white clouds parting)
Charles: (Off-screen) Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshipped good and shielded all from evil. Lucy was one of these angels. She was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But she was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt her way of thinking was dangerous to the perder of their world. So she watched as the angels began to expand the universe in their ways. From the dust of Earth, they created Eve (I couldn't think of a female name that looked like Adam) and Lilian. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Eve demanded control and Lilian refused to submit to her will. He fled the garden. Drawn in by his fierce independence, Lucy found him and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love. Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the fruit of knowledge to Eve's new groom, Adam, who gladly accepted. But this gift came with a curse. For the single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven had worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucy and her love into the dark pit she had created, never allowing her to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked. Ashamed, Lucy lost her will to dream. But Lilian thrived, empowering demon-kind with his voice and his songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power. Threatened by this, Heaven made a truly heartless decision. That every year, they would send down an army, an extermination to ensure Hell and its sinners could never rise against them. But Lilian's hope remained. And his dream was passed down to their precious son, the Prince of Hell. (The prince shuts the "Story Of Hell" book) (On-screen) Don't worry, Dad. I'll make you proud. (He holds a key)
Vagner: Charles?
Charles: Augh! (The key turns into a cat) Oh, shit. Did you hear all that?
Vagner: Uh... Yeah, I was right there.
Charles: Sorry. I get worked up after an extermination happens. This story helps.
Vagner: (chuckles) I know. Don't worry. I enjoy your theatrics. Are you okay?
Charles: I'm fine, just...Thinking, ya know, family stuff.
Vagner: Did you hear from your dad yet?
(Charles shakes his head saying no)
Vagner: Oof. How long has it been now?
Charles: Not that long, only...Seven...Years...Off something important, I'm sure. But this kingdom was something he really cared about. Something I care about.
Vagner: Well, at least you aren't alone.
Charles: I just hope what I'm trying to do here will work.
Vagner: It will. I have faith in you.
(The cat hopes on Charles)
Vagner: All right. Come on. Alice says she has something to show us.
(Vagner heads to the door and Charles look out of the window and see Hell on fire and goes)
(A commercial plays)
Alice: Well, hello there you wayward sinner. Do you like blood, violence and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do. That's why you're in Hell! But what would you say there was a place to stay that had none of that? Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded five days ago by Lucy's delusional son Charleson Morningstar! Come place your fate in his inexperienced hands as he tries to work through his mommy issues by fixing you! Here, we offer fun thing! Such as somewhat functional staff! And 24 hour Pest Control! Custom rooms, and just look at this tacky parlor! Enjoy riveting conversation with our singular resident. Wow! All this and more at the Hazbin Hotel! You last desperate attempt at salvation starts here.
(The tv suits off)
Alice: So, what'd ya' think?
Vagner: I'm sorry, what the fuck was that?!
Charles: Uh, yeah, one note...Alice, I mean...First off, thank you so much for making this, seriously, amazing, but um...Maybe the tone is a bit...Off? We want people to want to come here, this makes it look...Ummm...
Vagner: Bad. The word you're looking for is "bad".
Alice: Funny, I was going for hilarious!
Vagner: It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fucking point.
Charles: Vagner is right, Alice. The commercial was to let sinners know we are trying to help them.
Alice: Well, my dear, I haven't been active in Hell for some time, and everyone remembers me from my radio show! The proper medium to express oneself! But YOU insisted on this noisy picture box adversiment! So I had a little fun with it.
Vagner: Oh, fun? You had a little fun with it? (Stand on the sofa) Well, this is not what we want to represent us. When you showed up here a week ago, you told us you would help run the hotel! Instead, you're mocking us. Nobody's going to want to come to a place that a powerful overlord like you thinks is a waste of time!
(A demon on a sofa raises her hand)
Vagner: What?
Angela: If'n ya filmin' a commercial, can I suggest you take better advantage of the talented celebrity you have right here?
Vagner: Angela, you're a porn star.
Angela: A famous porn star. I'll have the horniest sinners knockin' these walls down to get in.
Vagner: We are not filming a porn as a commercial.
Angela: Why not? Sex sells, don't it? I swear if you film me goin' at it with mistress fancy-talk-creepy-voice here, you'd rollin' in participants willin' to stay at this tacky hotel.
Alice: Haha! Never going to happen!
Charles: Angela, I appreciate you wanting to use you special skills to, um, attract folks to the hotel, but...I really don't want to exploit you, in that way!
Angela: Oh, please, baby. This body was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs. I got the lung capacity-- Oh-oh I got the legs! The gag reflex, the holes...
(Charles laughs uncomfortably and his phone rings with his mom calling)
Angela: The small tits that make everyone think I'm a man...
Charles: Uhhh, hold that thought. I'll be right back! (Walks away)
Angela: I could keep goin' all night, baby.
(Charles breathes and answers the phone)
Charles: Hello? Mom?
Angela: Hey, I have a question. If freaky face over there is so powerful, then why can't she just make people stay here?
Alice: Oh, trust me, (ominously) I can!
Hisky: Why the hell do you think I'm here?
(The camera goes to Hisky at the bar)
Hisky: You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fuck's bitches moan all the time if she wasn't forcin' me?
Niffter: I like being forced!
Hisky: Keep that to yourself, Niff.
Angela: What, you don't like being here with me, Whiskers?
Hisky: Call me "Whiskers" again and I'll that bottle down your throat.
Angela: Kinky. But I like pussies. But keep talkin' dirty.
Vagner: Ugh, Angela, let Hisky do her job. And no, we can't force sinners to stay here. They need to choose to.
Angela: I'm choosing to be here, and I think is all stupid. We're in Hell, toots. It's kind of the end of the road, ain't it?
Vagner: Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Just because nobody has made it before doesn't mean is not possible. (Angela pust her arm in his shoulder)
Angela: Hey, whatever means I can keep crashin' here rent free. Crack is expensive.
Charles: (excitedly) Yeah, I can! Totally. Yeah, I'll head over there right away...Okay. (Turns off the phone) Hah! YES! YES!! Hahahaha!! Vagner! Holy shit!
Vagner: Ahh! What?!
Charles: (through closed mouth) Get over here!
(Vagner sighs and goes to where Charles is)
Vagner: What's going on?
Charles: (Inhales) My mom just called. She said that the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet. She asked if I could go instead. (Breathes deeply)
Vagner: But... But...But the extermination just happened. What would they want this soon after...
Charles: (Singing) I can do this. Somehow, I know it I'll get Heaven behind my plan!
Vagner: Charles, hold on.
Charles: There's just no way I could blow it. Not this once a lifetime change!
Vagner: It's just a meeting.
Charles: To change their minds. And touch their hearts. Or whatever angels have.
Vagner: This could be bad.
Charles: Cheer up, Vagner. This could be swell. Something tells that today will be a happy day in Hell!
Vagner: Okay, but just don't... sing to them.
Angela: That motherfucker is halfway down the street.
Vagner: Is he...
Angela: Oh, he's dancin'.
Vagner: Ugh, no.
Charles: There's a warm fuzzy feeling that wafts through the air! Every street so revealing it's hard not to stare. It's a realm so appealing it beats anywhere! If you don't mind the smell! It's a happy day in Hell! Hi, miss!
Demon: Go fuck yourself!
Dead Sinner #1: There's a endless trash fire that's burnig my soul!
Charles: Hello!
Imp: There's a lot of barbed wire to shove in her holes!
Charles: Uh, excuse me...
Executioner: Doing what is required we all have a role!
Dead Sinner #2: I'm not doing well!
Ensemble: Another shitty day in Hell!
Charles: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed, that any soul can change!
Vagner: Those angels minds are hard to change!
Charles: Then they know that everyone can be redeemed from the evil to the strange!
Vagner: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!
Charles: I can hear all their stories, the lost and the displaced! And I know that they're of an acquired taste! But if I open the door and give them a place at my Hazbin Hotel it'll be a happy day in Hell! (Jumps in the back of a truck) From the porn studio where the cinephiles go to watch award winning demon bukkake shows to the Cannibal Town where they don't wear a frown 'cause...Holy shit, ew, my gosh, why?! And I don't give a crow that her brains got in my eye! Cause I know I can spare them from Heaven's genocide! I can do this...
Dead Sinner #1: There's an endless trash fire...
Charles: I just know it! Dead Sinner #1: That's burning my soul!
Chorus: Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Charles: I'll get Heaven behind my plans! There's just no way I could blow it!
Demon Sinner #3: I kinda like the barbed wire that's shoved in my hole!
Charles: Not this once in a lifetime chance! To change their minds!
Trenchcoat Demon: And touch my parts!
Charles: Oh...No, thank you. I'm just gonna...Fullfill my destiny!
Trenchcoat Demon: Your loss fucker!
Charles: I can already tell! Today is gonna be a fucking happy day in Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell! (Charles enters at the lobby) Hello? (echoes) Hello? Creepy...(He goes to the reception, rings the bell in the table and a paper and a feather pen appear in front of him) Oh, okay! Also creepy. (Signs the paper)
(Elevator doors open, Charles goes to them and enters in a dark room)
Charles: Hello? Is anyone here?
(The lights turn on)
Eve: 'Sup?
Charles: Holy shit! (Falls in the floor and gets up) Hi, I'm Charles. My mom asked if I could meet you.
Eve: Yeah, I know.
Charles: Okay, well, it's nice to meet you. (Stands his hand)
Eve: Totally. Nice to meet you, too. (Stands her hand)
(Charles hand passes through Eve's hand)
Charles: Ahh!
Eve: Ha! I fucking got you! Did you fuckin' see that?
(Luther shaves his head in yes)
Eve: Good shit!
Charles: Uh, so wait, you aren't here?
Eve: No, you think I'd come down there? (Laughs) No. I mean, I love the vibe, totally, I love your tunes. Pretty fuckin' hardcore, don't get me wrong. But, it's such a bummer, man. Everything down there's just so "eugh" ya know? (Chuckles) Ew.
Charles: Right. So I'm happy we got this opportunity to meet. There's a project I've been working on that I really want to talk to you about...(Eve puts her finger in his mouth)
Eve: Hey, hey, hey, slow down. We got time. How about we get to know each other, mm? How about some lunch? You hungry? I got you! (Shows a plate with ribs) Here's my personal favourite. You'll love it.
Charles: Uh, thanks! (His arms passes through the plate of ribs)
Eve: (Laughing) I got you again, fucker! Haha fuckin' hilarious! Haha!
(Back at the Hazbin Hotel, everyone is at the lobby)
Vagner: Okay, so Charles is dealing with something very important, so while he's gone, we are making a new commercial. One that representants his vision and what we're doing here. So we need a camera. Alice?
(Alice snaps her fingers and an old camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: A video camera.
Alice: Hmmm. (Snaps her fingers)
(A video camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: All right, let's do this!
(Vagner films Angela sitting at the bar)
Vagner: And...Action!
Hisky: "Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, can I help you with anything?"
Angela: "I've been a bad girl. And I need a big strong mommy to put me in my place...On the path to redemption!"
Hisky: Ugh! "Well, you come..."
Angela: "Oh yes!"
Hisky: (boredly) "To the right place!"
Vagner: Cut! Okay, Angela, I need you to be less horny, if possible. And Hisky, can you maybe not have a script in front of your face?
Hisky: (Angrily) I ain't no actress, I can't memorize this shit!
Angela: Well, we could improve this shit, baby cakes! (Purrs seductively and Hisky push her out of the counter) Ahh!
Hisky: Whoops. (Drink a bottle)
Vagner: Hisky, come on!
(Meanwhile, Charles is bored)
Eve: So I was playing this gig, and for some fucking reason this virtue boy was digging on the drummer, and it's like, do you know who I am? I'm fucking Eve. I'm the original pussy! All pussies descend from me. You think you like a drummer pussy? No way, I'm the Pussy-fucking master! (Eats sloppily) So anyway, then we fucked, and it was awesome. What'd you do this weekend?
Charles: Wait, your name is Eve? Like the first woman? That means you...Ohhh...(Enlightened) That explains so much.
Eve: I know. I fucking rock.
Charles: Well, Eve, ma'am. Mrs. Eve, ma'am.
Eve: Call me Pussymaster.
Charles: Eve, you seem like a smart...well, stand up girl.
Eve: (With the finger in her teeth) Uh-huh.
Charles: And I know you are the leader of the angels. And you are a bigger revolutionary, a...A genius!
Eve: I maen, your words, babe.
Charles: Who would really her name on something.
Eve: Fucking love putting my name on shit! Shit's the best!
Charles: It's a solution to our biggest problem!
Eve: Oh, herpes. Yeah, that's a bitch.
Charles: No! Our other biggest problem.
Eve: Oh, uh...Ugly people? (Looks at the camera) Math? Global warming? Nah, wait that's Earth's problem. Umm...
(At the hotel, a bug walks in the floor and a needle tries to stab it saverel times)
Niffter: Hehehe. Stab. Stab. Stab.
Vagner: Alright Niffter. Niffter? Niffter! (Stops him) Your line is "We have the cleanest rooms". Okay?
Niffter: Got it. I'm ready.
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) Action!
(Niffter looks at the camera with his pupil constricted and Angela and Vagner look at him confused and he keeps staring weirdly)
Vagner: Uhh...Cut. (Turns off the camera)
(Niffter smiles again)
Niffter: (Giggles) How was that?
Vagner: Well, Niffter, you actually have to say the line. So let's roll again.
Niffter: Okay!
Vagner: Action. (Turns on the camera)
(Niffter stares deeply at the camera)
Angela: You're doing great, Vagina!
Vagner: Cut! Alright, um, maybe wr can try to fix it in the post.
Angela: Do you even know what that means?
Vagner: (Angrily) I'll figure it out!
(In the lobby, Vagner is watching the video with the camera connected to the tv)
Hisky: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.
(Vagner groans, covers his eyes and Alice appears in his side)
Alice: Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, hm?
Vagner: Ugh, esta pendeja...Why are you even here?
Alice: For the entertainment! I came here because I love seeing wasteful souls struggle to accomplish something meaningful and fail spectacularly. Like you are doing now! Good job!
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) And here is Alice, the egocentric piece of shit that...
(Alice gets static on the camera and it starts to spark and Vagner screams and knocks the camera down)
Alice: I wouldn't try that, my darling. (Sinisterly) This face was made for radio.
Vagner: (Gets angry) That's it! I don't care who or what you are! If you are staying here you are going to make this work! Beause it won't be so "entertaining" to watch an empty hotel will it, shit ass?! (Turns around and walks away)
Alice: Fair enough. I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal.
Vagner: Pft! You think I'm that stupid? Making a deal with a demon like you.
Alice: Not for your soul, just a simple deal. I do this for you, and you never ask me to engage with this frivolous television technology ever again. Or...Charles can come back to absolutely nothing! Your choice.
Vagner: (Sighs) Fine. (Gets the video camera and raises in Alice's hand and green ghosted skulls fly around it)
Alice: Now then! (Makes the camera disappear and snaps her fingers)
(Angela, Hisky and Niffter, a lot of filming materials and a ghost recording team appear in the lobby and everyone gets tailor clothes)
Vagner: Alright, everyone! Let's make a fucking commercial.
(Meanwhile)
Eve:...When you take him out for the fifth time and he still expects you to pay the check, but you're like, (In deep voice) "Hey I thought you wanted equality"!
Charles: (Frustrated) No! Our shared problem of overpopulation in Hell!
Eve: (Normal) Oh! Well, that's not a problem! We got that covered! Luther, how many demons did you kill this year?
Luther: Got a good 275 this year, ma'am.
Eve: 275? Whoa, badass! Awesome job, danger dick! Pound it. (Punch fists with Luther)
Charles: Uh, no, not awesome. Those are my people, you know that, right?
Eve: Ohhh, yeah...That must suck for you. Pft...Hahahaha! Charles: But these are souls. Human souls, just the same as the ones you have in Heaven.
Luther: They're not the same. They had their chance and they earned damnation.
Charles: You're wrong. Sinners made mistakes, sure, but everyone makes mistakes.
Luther: Angels don't make mistakes.
Charles: You really think that?
Luther: I know that.
Eve: Yeah, I've never made a mistake in my fucking life.
Luther: The only reason you're still here is because Mommy gave you and your Hellborn-kind a pardon from an exorcist blade. How does that feel? To know how little you matter.
(Charles shrinks back)
Eve: Oops, almost out of time. Guess we should get into it...
Charles: Oh! Fuck!...(Get up from the chair) Okay. I've a lot to get through and not a lot of time and I feel like you weren't really hearing before, so here goes. (Clears throat) (Singing) I know Hell's population is out of control. It's a bad situation, it's taking a toll. If we rehabe these sinners and cleanse all their souls at my Hazbin Hotel! (Normal) Wait I'm getting ahead of myself! Right! Extermination! (Singing) I know you guys fly down just to kill once a year. And it must be annoying to schlep all the way here. If they join you in Heaven that trip disappears! You can wave that chore farewell! (Deep breath) It'll be a happy day in...
Eve: (Singing) Let me stop you right there, save us all precious time!
Charles: (Normal) Okay?
Eve: If what you're suggesting is letting them climb! Up the ladder. Oh they rather cross the Pearly Gates? Sorry, sweetie, but there's no defying in their fates! 'Cause Hell is forever wheter you like it or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot! 'Cause the rules are black and white there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again!
Charles: Okay, but...
Eve: Just try to chillax, babe, you're wasting your breath!
Charles: (Nervously) Hehe...
Eve: Did I hear you imply that they deserve death? Are they winners? Are they sinners? 'Cause it's cut and dry!
Charles: Actually, if you take a look...
Eve: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye! And when all's said and done! (Said and done) There's the question of fun! (Fun) And for those of us with divine ordainment, extermination is entertainment! (Imitates guitar) Guitar solo, fuck yeah! (Imitates guitar) Hell is forever whether you like or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot!
Charles: Where all these people come from?
Eve: 'Cause the rules are black and white, there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again! (materializes a guitar and play it) Fucking Hell is forever and it's meant to suck a lot! So give up your dumb endeavor 'cause you don't have a shot!
(Charles groans, his paper gets on fire and his hair moves in the air and horns appear in his head)
Eve: Long as I've got your attention, I guess In should probably mention that we made a determination (Shows a contract) To move up the next extermination!
Charles: What?!
Eve: Can't wait a whole year to slaughter those little cunts! (Holds Charles' wrist) I know is just been a week, but we'll be back in six months! (Spins Charles out of the room and plays her guitar)
Charles: Um, wait, didn't you...(Goes at the door, but it closes) Awh, shit! (Punches the door)
(Charles returns sad to the Hazbin Hotel)
Vagner: Charles! (Hugs him) How did it go? Did they listen?
Charles: Oh, uh...They sure did...hear it! But, um...
Vagner: Oh! Come here. We have something exciting to show you! (Holds Charles to the living room) Alice pulled some strings, and it's about to air.
Alice: I pulled a few limbs too! Hahaha!
Charles: Wait? The commercial? You all made a new one?
Angela: Yeah, one of my better performances, if I do can say so myself.
Charles: That's...That's amazing.
Angela: Shh! It's starting!
Vagner: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hot...
(The TV changes to the 666 News channel and everyone complains)
Kallie: (On TV) Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next extermination is happening sooner than ever before! Do you know what that means, Tomita?
Tomita: No. What does that means, Kallie?
Kallie: It means we are all royally fucked!
(The clock in an hourglass changes to 176 with everyone screaming)
Angela: Wait...What? Why?!
(A drone laser scans a headless body of an angel laying in Hell and Eve and Luther see then from the ship)
Luther: We found the body, ma'am. They've never managed to kill one of us before. We should just go down there now and destroy them!
Eve: No, no. We can't risk them catching on. But don't worry, when we come back, there won't be a demon left to pull a stunt like this again. (Breaks the projector and her eyes and mouth glow in the dark)
(The end credits start playing)
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Charles: (Off-screen) Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshipped good and shielded all from evil. Lucy was one of these angels. She was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But she was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt her way of thinking was dangerous to the perder of their world. So she watched as the angels began to expand the universe in their ways. From the dust of Earth, they created Eve (I couldn't think of a female name that looked like Adam) and Lilian. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Eve demanded control and Lilian refused to submit to her will. He fled the garden. Drawn in by his fierce independence, Lucy found him and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love. Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the fruit of knowledge to Eve's new groom, Adam, who gladly accepted. But this gift came with a curse. For the single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven had worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucy and her love into the dark pit she had created, never allowing her to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked. Ashamed, Lucy lost her will to dream. But Lilian thrived, empowering demon-kind with his voice and his songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power. Threatened by this, Heaven made a truly heartless decision. That every year, they would send down an army, an extermination to ensure Hell and its sinners could never rise against them. But Lilian's hope remained. And his dream was passed down to their precious son, the Prince of Hell. (The prince shuts the "Story Of Hell" book) (On-screen) Don't worry, Dad. I'll make you proud. (He holds a key)
Vagner: Charles?
Charles: Augh! (The key turns into a cat) Oh, shit. Did you hear all that?
Vagner: Uh... Yeah, I was right there.
Charles: Sorry. I get worked up after an extermination happens. This story helps.
Vagner: (chuckles) I know. Don't worry. I enjoy your theatrics. Are you okay?
Charles: I'm fine, just...Thinking, ya know, family stuff.
Vagner: Did you hear from your dad yet?
(Charles shakes his head saying no)
Vagner: Oof. How long has it been now?
Charles: Not that long, only...Seven...Years...Off something important, I'm sure. But this kingdom was something he really cared about. Something I care about.
Vagner: Well, at least you aren't alone.
Charles: I just hope what I'm trying to do here will work.
Vagner: It will. I have faith in you.
(The cat hopes on Charles)
Vagner: All right. Come on. Alice says she has something to show us.
(Vagner heads to the door and Charles look out of the window and see Hell on fire and goes)
(A commercial plays)
Alice: Well, hello there you wayward sinner. Do you like blood, violence and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do. That's why you're in Hell! But what would you say there was a place to stay that had none of that? Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded five days ago by Lucy's delusional son Charleson Morningstar! Come place your fate in his inexperienced hands as he tries to work through his mommy issues by fixing you! Here, we offer fun thing! Such as somewhat functional staff! And 24 hour Pest Control! Custom rooms, and just look at this tacky parlor! Enjoy riveting conversation with our singular resident. Wow! All this and more at the Hazbin Hotel! You last desperate attempt at salvation starts here.
(The tv suits off)
Alice: So, what'd ya' think?
Vagner: I'm sorry, what the fuck was that?!
Charles: Uh, yeah, one note...Alice, I mean...First off, thank you so much for making this, seriously, amazing, but um...Maybe the tone is a bit...Off? We want people to want to come here, this makes it look...Ummm...
Vagner: Bad. The word you're looking for is "bad".
Alice: Funny, I was going for hilarious!
Vagner: It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fucking point.
Charles: Vagner is right, Alice. The commercial was to let sinners know we are trying to help them.
Alice: Well, my dear, I haven't been active in Hell for some time, and everyone remembers me from my radio show! The proper medium to express oneself! But YOU insisted on this noisy picture box adversiment! So I had a little fun with it.
Vagner: Oh, fun? You had a little fun with it? (Stand on the sofa) Well, this is not what we want to represent us. When you showed up here a week ago, you told us you would help run the hotel! Instead, you're mocking us. Nobody's going to want to come to a place that a powerful overlord like you thinks is a waste of time!
(A demon on a sofa raises her hand)
Vagner: What?
Angela: If'n ya filmin' a commercial, can I suggest you take better advantage of the talented celebrity you have right here?
Vagner: Angela, you're a porn star.
Angela: A famous porn star. I'll have the horniest sinners knockin' these walls down to get in.
Vagner: We are not filming a porn as a commercial.
Angela: Why not? Sex sells, don't it? I swear if you film me goin' at it with mistress fancy-talk-creepy-voice here, you'd rollin' in participants willin' to stay at this tacky hotel.
Alice: Haha! Never going to happen!
Charles: Angela, I appreciate you wanting to use you special skills to, um, attract folks to the hotel, but...I really don't want to exploit you, in that way!
Angela: Oh, please, baby. This body was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs. I got the lung capacity-- Oh-oh I got the legs! The gag reflex, the holes...
(Charles laughs uncomfortably and his phone rings with his mom calling)
Angela: The small tits that make everyone think I'm a man...
Charles: Uhhh, hold that thought. I'll be right back! (Walks away)
Angela: I could keep goin' all night, baby.
(Charles breathes and answers the phone)
Charles: Hello? Mom?
Angela: Hey, I have a question. If freaky face over there is so powerful, then why can't she just make people stay here?
Alice: Oh, trust me, (ominously) I can!
Hisky: Why the hell do you think I'm here?
(The camera goes to Hisky at the bar)
Hisky: You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fuck's bitches moan all the time if she wasn't forcin' me?
Niffter: I like being forced!
Hisky: Keep that to yourself, Niff.
Angela: What, you don't like being here with me, Whiskers?
Hisky: Call me "Whiskers" again and I'll that bottle down your throat.
Angela: Kinky. But I like pussies. But keep talkin' dirty.
Vagner: Ugh, Angela, let Hisky do her job. And no, we can't force sinners to stay here. They need to choose to.
Angela: I'm choosing to be here, and I think is all stupid. We're in Hell, toots. It's kind of the end of the road, ain't it?
Vagner: Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Just because nobody has made it before doesn't mean is not possible. (Angela pust her arm in his shoulder)
Angela: Hey, whatever means I can keep crashin' here rent free. Crack is expensive.
Charles: (excitedly) Yeah, I can! Totally. Yeah, I'll head over there right away...Okay. (Turns off the phone) Hah! YES! YES!! Hahahaha!! Vagner! Holy shit!
Vagner: Ahh! What?!
Charles: (through closed mouth) Get over here!
(Vagner sighs and goes to where Charles is)
Vagner: What's going on?
Charles: (Inhales) My mom just called. She said that the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet. She asked if I could go instead. (Breathes deeply)
Vagner: But... But...But the extermination just happened. What would they want this soon after...
Charles: (Singing) I can do this. Somehow, I know it I'll get Heaven behind my plan!
Vagner: Charles, hold on.
Charles: There's just no way I could blow it. Not this once a lifetime change!
Vagner: It's just a meeting.
Charles: To change their minds. And touch their hearts. Or whatever angels have.
Vagner: This could be bad.
Charles: Cheer up, Vagner. This could be swell. Something tells that today will be a happy day in Hell!
Vagner: Okay, but just don't... sing to them.
Angela: That motherfucker is halfway down the street.
Vagner: Is he...
Angela: Oh, he's dancin'.
Vagner: Ugh, no.
Charles: There's a warm fuzzy feeling that wafts through the air! Every street so revealing it's hard not to stare. It's a realm so appealing it beats anywhere! If you don't mind the smell! It's a happy day in Hell! Hi, miss!
Demon: Go fuck yourself!
Dead Sinner #1: There's a endless trash fire that's burnig my soul!
Charles: Hello!
Imp: There's a lot of barbed wire to shove in her holes!
Charles: Uh, excuse me...
Executioner: Doing what is required we all have a role!
Dead Sinner #2: I'm not doing well!
Ensemble: Another shitty day in Hell!
Charles: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed, that any soul can change!
Vagner: Those angels minds are hard to change!
Charles: Then they know that everyone can be redeemed from the evil to the strange!
Vagner: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!
Charles: I can hear all their stories, the lost and the displaced! And I know that they're of an acquired taste! But if I open the door and give them a place at my Hazbin Hotel it'll be a happy day in Hell! (Jumps in the back of a truck) From the porn studio where the cinephiles go to watch award winning demon bukkake shows to the Cannibal Town where they don't wear a frown 'cause...Holy shit, ew, my gosh, why?! And I don't give a crow that her brains got in my eye! Cause I know I can spare them from Heaven's genocide! I can do this...
Dead Sinner #1: There's an endless trash fire...
Charles: I just know it! Dead Sinner #1: That's burning my soul!
Chorus: Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Charles: I'll get Heaven behind my plans! There's just no way I could blow it!
Demon Sinner #3: I kinda like the barbed wire that's shoved in my hole!
Charles: Not this once in a lifetime chance! To change their minds!
Trenchcoat Demon: And touch my parts!
Charles: Oh...No, thank you. I'm just gonna...Fullfill my destiny!
Trenchcoat Demon: Your loss fucker!
Charles: I can already tell! Today is gonna be a fucking happy day in Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell! (Charles enters at the lobby) Hello? (echoes) Hello? Creepy...(He goes to the reception, rings the bell in the table and a paper and a feather pen appear in front of him) Oh, okay! Also creepy. (Signs the paper)
(Elevator doors open, Charles goes to them and enters in a dark room)
Charles: Hello? Is anyone here?
(The lights turn on)
Eve: 'Sup?
Charles: Holy shit! (Falls in the floor and gets up) Hi, I'm Charles. My mom asked if I could meet you.
Eve: Yeah, I know.
Charles: Okay, well, it's nice to meet you. (Stands his hand)
Eve: Totally. Nice to meet you, too. (Stands her hand)
(Charles hand passes through Eve's hand)
Charles: Ahh!
Eve: Ha! I fucking got you! Did you fuckin' see that?
(Luther shaves his head in yes)
Eve: Good shit!
Charles: Uh, so wait, you aren't here?
Eve: No, you think I'd come down there? (Laughs) No. I mean, I love the vibe, totally, I love your tunes. Pretty fuckin' hardcore, don't get me wrong. But, it's such a bummer, man. Everything down there's just so "eugh" ya know? (Chuckles) Ew.
Charles: Right. So I'm happy we got this opportunity to meet. There's a project I've been working on that I really want to talk to you about...(Eve puts her finger in his mouth)
Eve: Hey, hey, hey, slow down. We got time. How about we get to know each other, mm? How about some lunch? You hungry? I got you! (Shows a plate with ribs) Here's my personal favourite. You'll love it.
Charles: Uh, thanks! (His arms passes through the plate of ribs)
Eve: (Laughing) I got you again, fucker! Haha fuckin' hilarious! Haha!
(Back at the Hazbin Hotel, everyone is at the lobby)
Vagner: Okay, so Charles is dealing with something very important, so while he's gone, we are making a new commercial. One that representants his vision and what we're doing here. So we need a camera. Alice?
(Alice snaps her fingers and an old camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: A video camera.
Alice: Hmmm. (Snaps her fingers)
(A video camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: All right, let's do this!
(Vagner films Angela sitting at the bar)
Vagner: And...Action!
Hisky: "Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, can I help you with anything?"
Angela: "I've been a bad girl. And I need a big strong mommy to put me in my place...On the path to redemption!"
Hisky: Ugh! "Well, you come..."
Angela: "Oh yes!"
Hisky: (boredly) "To the right place!"
Vagner: Cut! Okay, Angela, I need you to be less horny, if possible. And Hisky, can you maybe not have a script in front of your face?
Hisky: (Angrily) I ain't no actress, I can't memorize this shit!
Angela: Well, we could improve this shit, baby cakes! (Purrs seductively and Hisky push her out of the counter) Ahh!
Hisky: Whoops. (Drink a bottle)
Vagner: Hisky, come on!
(Meanwhile, Charles is bored)
Eve: So I was playing this gig, and for some fucking reason this virtue boy was digging on the drummer, and it's like, do you know who I am? I'm fucking Eve. I'm the original pussy! All pussies descend from me. You think you like a drummer pussy? No way, I'm the Pussy-fucking master! (Eats sloppily) So anyway, then we fucked, and it was awesome. What'd you do this weekend?
Charles: Wait, your name is Eve? Like the first woman? That means you...Ohhh...(Enlightened) That explains so much.
Eve: I know. I fucking rock.
Charles: Well, Eve, ma'am. Mrs. Eve, ma'am.
Eve: Call me Pussymaster.
Charles: Eve, you seem like a smart...well, stand up girl.
Eve: (With the finger in her teeth) Uh-huh.
Charles: And I know you are the leader of the angels. And you are a bigger revolutionary, a...A genius!
Eve: I maen, your words, babe.
Charles: Who would really her name on something.
Eve: Fucking love putting my name on shit! Shit's the best!
Charles: It's a solution to our biggest problem!
Eve: Oh, herpes. Yeah, that's a bitch.
Charles: No! Our other biggest problem.
Eve: Oh, uh...Ugly people? (Looks at the camera) Math? Global warming? Nah, wait that's Earth's problem. Umm...
(At the hotel, a bug walks in the floor and a needle tries to stab it saverel times)
Niffter: Hehehe. Stab. Stab. Stab.
Vagner: Alright Niffter. Niffter? Niffter! (Stops him) Your line is "We have the cleanest rooms". Okay?
Niffter: Got it. I'm ready.
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) Action!
(Niffter looks at the camera with his pupil constricted and Angela and Vagner look at him confused and he keeps staring weirdly)
Vagner: Uhh...Cut. (Turns off the camera)
(Niffter smiles again)
Niffter: (Giggles) How was that?
Vagner: Well, Niffter, you actually have to say the line. So let's roll again.
Niffter: Okay!
Vagner: Action. (Turns on the camera)
(Niffter stares deeply at the camera)
Angela: You're doing great, Vagina!
Vagner: Cut! Alright, um, maybe wr can try to fix it in the post.
Angela: Do you even know what that means?
Vagner: (Angrily) I'll figure it out!
(In the lobby, Vagner is watching the video with the camera connected to the tv)
Hisky: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.
(Vagner groans, covers his eyes and Alice appears in his side)
Alice: Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, hm?
Vagner: Ugh, esta pendeja...Why are you even here?
Alice: For the entertainment! I came here because I love seeing wasteful souls struggle to accomplish something meaningful and fail spectacularly. Like you are doing now! Good job!
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) And here is Alice, the egocentric piece of shit that...
(Alice gets static on the camera and it starts to spark and Vagner screams and knocks the camera down)
Alice: I wouldn't try that, my darling. (Sinisterly) This face was made for radio.
Vagner: (Gets angry) That's it! I don't care who or what you are! If you are staying here you are going to make this work! Beause it won't be so "entertaining" to watch an empty hotel will it, shit ass?! (Turns around and walks away)
Alice: Fair enough. I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal.
Vagner: Pft! You think I'm that stupid? Making a deal with a demon like you.
Alice: Not for your soul, just a simple deal. I do this for you, and you never ask me to engage with this frivolous television technology ever again. Or...Charles can come back to absolutely nothing! Your choice.
Vagner: (Sighs) Fine. (Gets the video camera and raises in Alice's hand and green ghosted skulls fly around it)
Alice: Now then! (Makes the camera disappear and snaps her fingers)
(Angela, Hisky and Niffter, a lot of filming materials and a ghost recording team appear in the lobby and everyone gets tailor clothes)
Vagner: Alright, everyone! Let's make a fucking commercial.
(Meanwhile)
Eve:...When you take him out for the fifth time and he still expects you to pay the check, but you're like, (In deep voice) "Hey I thought you wanted equality"!
Charles: (Frustrated) No! Our shared problem of overpopulation in Hell!
Eve: (Normal) Oh! Well, that's not a problem! We got that covered! Luther, how many demons did you kill this year?
Luther: Got a good 275 this year, ma'am.
Eve: 275? Whoa, badass! Awesome job, danger dick! Pound it. (Punch fists with Luther)
Charles: Uh, no, not awesome. Those are my people, you know that, right?
Eve: Ohhh, yeah...That must suck for you. Pft...Hahahaha! Charles: But these are souls. Human souls, just the same as the ones you have in Heaven.
Luther: They're not the same. They had their chance and they earned damnation.
Charles: You're wrong. Sinners made mistakes, sure, but everyone makes mistakes.
Luther: Angels don't make mistakes.
Charles: You really think that?
Luther: I know that.
Eve: Yeah, I've never made a mistake in my fucking life.
Luther: The only reason you're still here is because Mommy gave you and your Hellborn-kind a pardon from an exorcist blade. How does that feel? To know how little you matter.
(Charles shrinks back)
Eve: Oops, almost out of time. Guess we should get into it...
Charles: Oh! Fuck!...(Get up from the chair) Okay. I've a lot to get through and not a lot of time and I feel like you weren't really hearing before, so here goes. (Clears throat) (Singing) I know Hell's population is out of control. It's a bad situation, it's taking a toll. If we rehabe these sinners and cleanse all their souls at my Hazbin Hotel! (Normal) Wait I'm getting ahead of myself! Right! Extermination! (Singing) I know you guys fly down just to kill once a year. And it must be annoying to schlep all the way here. If they join you in Heaven that trip disappears! You can wave that chore farewell! (Deep breath) It'll be a happy day in...
Eve: (Singing) Let me stop you right there, save us all precious time!
Charles: (Normal) Okay?
Eve: If what you're suggesting is letting them climb! Up the ladder. Oh they rather cross the Pearly Gates? Sorry, sweetie, but there's no defying in their fates! 'Cause Hell is forever wheter you like it or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot! 'Cause the rules are black and white there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again!
Charles: Okay, but...
Eve: Just try to chillax, babe, you're wasting your breath!
Charles: (Nervously) Hehe...
Eve: Did I hear you imply that they deserve death? Are they winners? Are they sinners? 'Cause it's cut and dry!
Charles: Actually, if you take a look...
Eve: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye! And when all's said and done! (Said and done) There's the question of fun! (Fun) And for those of us with divine ordainment, extermination is entertainment! (Imitates guitar) Guitar solo, fuck yeah! (Imitates guitar) Hell is forever whether you like or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot!
Charles: Where all these people come from?
Eve: 'Cause the rules are black and white, there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again! (materializes a guitar and play it) Fucking Hell is forever and it's meant to suck a lot! So give up your dumb endeavor 'cause you don't have a shot!
(Charles groans, his paper gets on fire and his hair moves in the air and horns appear in his head)
Eve: Long as I've got your attention, I guess In should probably mention that we made a determination (Shows a contract) To move up the next extermination!
Charles: What?!
Eve: Can't wait a whole year to slaughter those little cunts! (Holds Charles' wrist) I know is just been a week, but we'll be back in six months! (Spins Charles out of the room and plays her guitar)
Charles: Um, wait, didn't you...(Goes at the door, but it closes) Awh, shit! (Punches the door)
(Charles returns sad to the Hazbin Hotel)
Vagner: Charles! (Hugs him) How did it go? Did they listen?
Charles: Oh, uh...They sure did...hear it! But, um...
Vagner: Oh! Come here. We have something exciting to show you! (Holds Charles to the living room) Alice pulled some strings, and it's about to air.
Alice: I pulled a few limbs too! Hahaha!
Charles: Wait? The commercial? You all made a new one?
Angela: Yeah, one of my better performances, if I do can say so myself.
Charles: That's...That's amazing.
Angela: Shh! It's starting!
Vagner: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hot...
(The TV changes to the 666 News channel and everyone complains)
Kallie: (On TV) Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next extermination is happening sooner than ever before! Do you know what that means, Tomita?
Tomita: No. What does that means, Kallie?
Kallie: It means we are all royally fucked!
(The clock in an hourglass changes to 176 with everyone screaming)
Angela: Wait...What? Why?!
(A drone laser scans a headless body of an angel laying in Hell and Eve and Luther see then from the ship)
Luther: We found the body, ma'am. They've never managed to kill one of us before. We should just go down there now and destroy them!
Eve: No, no. We can't risk them catching on. But don't worry, when we come back, there won't be a demon left to pull a stunt like this again. (Breaks the projector and her eyes and mouth glow in the dark)
(The end credits start playing)
2024.05.15 01:13 vrhelmutt My thoughts on pizzagate
Conspiracy theories involving “elite” pedophile rings have recently been dominating social media in a disorienting frenzy. They have been around for some time but in this century rose back to popularity during the 2016 Election cycle. This crop, at least, took root with what became known as “Pizzagate.”
Promoters of that conspiracy theory in 2016 used social media platforms to make unfounded but viral allegations that Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats were running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria even though that restaurant had no basement, or any ties to known politicians other than the typical flesh pressing (Phrasing I know) moments fit for a picture hung on the wall.
Since then, the dark theme of Pizzagate has found new life with permutations forming part of the #Qanon conspiracy theory, incorporated under the umbrella term “pedogate.” The gist of the #pedogate conspiracy theory is that global elites (politicians, celebrities, and wealthy businesspersons) are covertly involved in a far-reaching ring that uses young children for sexual purposes.
“What most of these conspiracy theories involve in one way or another is laying accusations of pedophilia or involvement in pedophile rings at the feet of people that they despise or hate, and during the 16’ election cycle, Democrats were a wide target for an opposing political movement that had hijacked the rival Republican party. Pizzagate originated with the “alt right” and “alt lite,” far right extremists who range from outright white supremacists to those who publicly shun racists but otherwise fall in step with their belief systems.
Pizzagate jumped from the fringes to the mainstream because as it denigrated Hillary Clinton, it sucked in supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump.
After the election all mention of pedogate seemed to be put on a simmer while other National outrages boiled over (#Covid #RussiaGate #BLM) and just like clockwork (heading into our next election cycle has been turned back up.
The pedogate conspiracy and all associated stories employ a centuries-old tactic: playing on deep-seated human anxieties by conjuring images of imperiled children, the purest and defenseless victim of any manner of injustice.
An example in the modern era of weaponized conspiracy was the satanic panic of the 1980s, in which a wave of hysteria over alleged child molestation at daycare centers swept the nation. But while that phenomenon was a moral panic attributable, at least in part, to social anxiety over white middle class women entering the work force en masse for the first time and entrusting their children to others, the current conspiracy theories about pedophile rings equate to similar propaganda. They carry a danger for stirring up violence.
If you want to elicit violent action the way to do it is through hate and fear. Once you target and label a population as pedophiles, you can do anything you like to that population with full excuse being given to the myth you’ve wrapped around it.
That’s not to say fears of child abuse or sex trafficking are unfounded. There are many as pedophilia has ancient roots and in many cases was encourage by many world cultures and religions a lot later into Civilization than we’d like to admit. The International Labor Organization reports that 25 percent of the world’s 40.3 million victims of human trafficking are children.
The most vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, are migrants, runaways, the homeless, and youngsters who have been victims of violence. Despite their obsession over the topic, conspiracy followers aren’t worked up about those children who are in true harm’s way.
In the world of propaganda, it’s never about real children. Instead, it’s about what children represent. The children imperiled by conspiracy theories, in other words, are only metaphors.
Children carry a vast amount of weight in any society, but especially modern ones when they’re expected to survive past the age of five. It wasn’t as intense before the 18th century when child mortality rates were really high. They represent the future, and all that is beautiful and decent and honest in a society, because they are innocent.
For most people also, the meaning of their existence is rooted in their children. Children are eschatological, they represent death for us, and what is coming behind us after we are gone. They also represent the threat of loss, if they disappear, if they die, that is the death of society. That’s why they became so crucial and central to Cold War propaganda. The real terror of the nuclear holocaust would be the death of the children, because that’s the death of everyone.
A recent example of this is in a recent police investigation into conspiracy claims of PizzaGate style accusation of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts. Detectives attempted to contact the person accusing Voodoo Doughnuts on social media of running a pedophile ring. The accuser did not cooperate with investigators and it’s been documented in other coverage online that they had become agitated and accused the Police with complicity when tracked down in person, even though they were attempting to investigate.
The pendulum of conspiracy theories about systematic child abuse has swung back and forth for centuries. Examples such as blood libel, when Jewish communities were attacked over false allegations of murdering and consuming Christian children in the Middle Ages.
In Europe, During the Thirty Years War, entire villages were put to the sword because it was believed they were abusing children of the other religions.
One characteristic that helps Pizzagate-style conspiracy theories gain popularity is that they function like a puzzle game and give its audience a large level of involvement through social media.
A lot of conspiracy theories are oracular, where the information comes from one source an oracle. Then there are others where there are a few people who promote the notions, almost like gurus or a conspiracy priesthood.
With Pizzagate, it’s more of what one would call a participatory conspiracy theory. Participatory conspiracy theories lay out a scenario or situation and then they ask their audience, ‘what more can you find out about this, what more can you add?’ It turns the audience into willing participants, some knowing they are creating a destructive madlib and other (potential real victims) caking on mystical distraction to issues that have been unreported or scars that have not bee properly treated.
The thing about participatory conspiracy theories is it can really create a devoted following because it gives people something to do, it makes them feel they can solve the whole thing or uncover new aspects to it. Once you get that energy going it’s almost self-sustaining. Followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, call themselves “bakers” because their protagonist “Q” pops up on Internet message boards and leaves “crumbs” (i.e., clues), and they are tasked with picking up the crumbs in order to solve the puzzle. (“Q” is supposed to reference the character’s government security clearance level).
*#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones.
The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.
According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking.* ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you )
The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room.
I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected.
The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this.
There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible.
Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems.
The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor.
It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not.
In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate.
Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)?
When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse.
Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”.
One thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults.
All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within.
Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable.
A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1.
As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2.
A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3.
When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight.
For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child.
Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example?
How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now?
If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.
submitted by vrhelmutt to conspiracy [link] [comments]
Promoters of that conspiracy theory in 2016 used social media platforms to make unfounded but viral allegations that Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats were running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria even though that restaurant had no basement, or any ties to known politicians other than the typical flesh pressing (Phrasing I know) moments fit for a picture hung on the wall.
Since then, the dark theme of Pizzagate has found new life with permutations forming part of the #Qanon conspiracy theory, incorporated under the umbrella term “pedogate.” The gist of the #pedogate conspiracy theory is that global elites (politicians, celebrities, and wealthy businesspersons) are covertly involved in a far-reaching ring that uses young children for sexual purposes.
“What most of these conspiracy theories involve in one way or another is laying accusations of pedophilia or involvement in pedophile rings at the feet of people that they despise or hate, and during the 16’ election cycle, Democrats were a wide target for an opposing political movement that had hijacked the rival Republican party. Pizzagate originated with the “alt right” and “alt lite,” far right extremists who range from outright white supremacists to those who publicly shun racists but otherwise fall in step with their belief systems.
Pizzagate jumped from the fringes to the mainstream because as it denigrated Hillary Clinton, it sucked in supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump.
After the election all mention of pedogate seemed to be put on a simmer while other National outrages boiled over (#Covid #RussiaGate #BLM) and just like clockwork (heading into our next election cycle has been turned back up.
The pedogate conspiracy and all associated stories employ a centuries-old tactic: playing on deep-seated human anxieties by conjuring images of imperiled children, the purest and defenseless victim of any manner of injustice.
An example in the modern era of weaponized conspiracy was the satanic panic of the 1980s, in which a wave of hysteria over alleged child molestation at daycare centers swept the nation. But while that phenomenon was a moral panic attributable, at least in part, to social anxiety over white middle class women entering the work force en masse for the first time and entrusting their children to others, the current conspiracy theories about pedophile rings equate to similar propaganda. They carry a danger for stirring up violence.
If you want to elicit violent action the way to do it is through hate and fear. Once you target and label a population as pedophiles, you can do anything you like to that population with full excuse being given to the myth you’ve wrapped around it.
That’s not to say fears of child abuse or sex trafficking are unfounded. There are many as pedophilia has ancient roots and in many cases was encourage by many world cultures and religions a lot later into Civilization than we’d like to admit. The International Labor Organization reports that 25 percent of the world’s 40.3 million victims of human trafficking are children.
The most vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, are migrants, runaways, the homeless, and youngsters who have been victims of violence. Despite their obsession over the topic, conspiracy followers aren’t worked up about those children who are in true harm’s way.
In the world of propaganda, it’s never about real children. Instead, it’s about what children represent. The children imperiled by conspiracy theories, in other words, are only metaphors.
Children carry a vast amount of weight in any society, but especially modern ones when they’re expected to survive past the age of five. It wasn’t as intense before the 18th century when child mortality rates were really high. They represent the future, and all that is beautiful and decent and honest in a society, because they are innocent.
For most people also, the meaning of their existence is rooted in their children. Children are eschatological, they represent death for us, and what is coming behind us after we are gone. They also represent the threat of loss, if they disappear, if they die, that is the death of society. That’s why they became so crucial and central to Cold War propaganda. The real terror of the nuclear holocaust would be the death of the children, because that’s the death of everyone.
A recent example of this is in a recent police investigation into conspiracy claims of PizzaGate style accusation of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts. Detectives attempted to contact the person accusing Voodoo Doughnuts on social media of running a pedophile ring. The accuser did not cooperate with investigators and it’s been documented in other coverage online that they had become agitated and accused the Police with complicity when tracked down in person, even though they were attempting to investigate.
The pendulum of conspiracy theories about systematic child abuse has swung back and forth for centuries. Examples such as blood libel, when Jewish communities were attacked over false allegations of murdering and consuming Christian children in the Middle Ages.
In Europe, During the Thirty Years War, entire villages were put to the sword because it was believed they were abusing children of the other religions.
One characteristic that helps Pizzagate-style conspiracy theories gain popularity is that they function like a puzzle game and give its audience a large level of involvement through social media.
A lot of conspiracy theories are oracular, where the information comes from one source an oracle. Then there are others where there are a few people who promote the notions, almost like gurus or a conspiracy priesthood.
With Pizzagate, it’s more of what one would call a participatory conspiracy theory. Participatory conspiracy theories lay out a scenario or situation and then they ask their audience, ‘what more can you find out about this, what more can you add?’ It turns the audience into willing participants, some knowing they are creating a destructive madlib and other (potential real victims) caking on mystical distraction to issues that have been unreported or scars that have not bee properly treated.
The thing about participatory conspiracy theories is it can really create a devoted following because it gives people something to do, it makes them feel they can solve the whole thing or uncover new aspects to it. Once you get that energy going it’s almost self-sustaining. Followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, call themselves “bakers” because their protagonist “Q” pops up on Internet message boards and leaves “crumbs” (i.e., clues), and they are tasked with picking up the crumbs in order to solve the puzzle. (“Q” is supposed to reference the character’s government security clearance level).
*#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones.
The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.
According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking.* ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you )
The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room.
I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected.
The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this.
There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible.
Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems.
The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor.
It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not.
In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate.
Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)?
When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse.
Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”.
One thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults.
All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within.
Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable.
A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1.
As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2.
A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3.
When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight.
For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child.
Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example?
How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now?
If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.
2024.05.15 00:10 Les_Habitants912 Stremio vs Kodi: Real Debrid Performance
Hi everyone,
I know this question has been asked before, but I am hoping to get some feedback for my specific situation. I have read online that both of these apps work great with real debrid. I have used both and am leaning a bit towards Stremio due to simplicity and cloud storage for my library. I know I can use back up add-on to save my setting on Kodi when I do a clean install but if I am setting up a new device, I'd have to start from scratch (I don't know how to save back up and restore from a network). I am hoping to get some feedback on the performance of both apps and which you guys prefer. I should also mention I am using a Firstick 4k Max for streaming connected to my LG S80QR system.
I know Stremio is recommended for the fact that it works out of the box. I see that Kodi is recommended due to the ability to customize and trakt integration. I am hoping to get some feedback on the points below as these are a priority for myself when deciding which app to use.
All feedback is greatly appreciated.
submitted by Les_Habitants912 to RealDebrid [link] [comments]
I know this question has been asked before, but I am hoping to get some feedback for my specific situation. I have read online that both of these apps work great with real debrid. I have used both and am leaning a bit towards Stremio due to simplicity and cloud storage for my library. I know I can use back up add-on to save my setting on Kodi when I do a clean install but if I am setting up a new device, I'd have to start from scratch (I don't know how to save back up and restore from a network). I am hoping to get some feedback on the performance of both apps and which you guys prefer. I should also mention I am using a Firstick 4k Max for streaming connected to my LG S80QR system.
I know Stremio is recommended for the fact that it works out of the box. I see that Kodi is recommended due to the ability to customize and trakt integration. I am hoping to get some feedback on the points below as these are a priority for myself when deciding which app to use.
- Reliability - cocoscrapers seems to provide a great amount of links in 4K and 1080p. Torrention also provides a sufficient amount of links. From your experiences, which one has been more reliable? Which one will be more reliable in the future? Kodi has been around for years and addon support is great whereas Stremio and Torrentionare relatively new; can we expect ongoing support for these?
- Performance - how has your experience been with video and audio playback on Stremio vs Kodi? Has anyone had any AV sync issues? What about use with surround sound system? Any issues with quality of 4k stream? I have a 5.1.3 system and would hope I can put my system to good use.
- Customizations - clearly Kodi takes the cake here but what specific customizations are essential to you on Kodi? I like the options available for video and audio but are these necessary on Stremio or are adjustments automatically made on Stremio depending on the devices you are using? E.g. downmixing from 7.1 to 5.1.
- Parental controls - Kodi has some options for parental controls, Stremio has nothing. Will there ever be any options for this in the future?
All feedback is greatly appreciated.
2024.05.14 22:37 AFoxNamedFelicity My BF [25M] and I [25F] came to an agreement on a serious situation, and now he’s saying he doesn’t remember agreeing with me. What should I do?
Over the past few weeks, my boyfriend and I have been making plans to move. Our plan to move is based on the fact that he would support me until I was stable ( working full time and have a consistent schedule). He will get to transfer and keep his job, and I would have to look for a new job. We agreed this would be fine as long as I worked two jobs now to save up and help with the bills when I’m jobless. This is just for context not the issue.
Recently (like 2-3 weeks ago) I was able to find a second job, and now I am working about 70-75 hours a week, and I still make sure to do our home chores (wash, cook(when it’s my turn), and clean). However it has been hard for me since I’m working more now. A lot of my days are 12 hours days (6a-6p or 5a-5pm(I’m a dispatcher)), and his days are also 12hr days but he always gets the weekend off(pest control).
This is where the issue starts; Last week I asked him to do the dishes and to dust the AC unit, and I would handle everything else in the house. He said it was fine he would do it, but we are now in a new week and I have mold growing in the kitchen sink because the dishes are not done, and I’m having really bad allergies because the ac unit is still caked in dust. He says he will do it on his own time and that he hasn’t done it yet because he’s been tired.
This morning I decided to throw all the dishes in the sink away because at this point everything was covered in mold, and the sink was super stinky and nasty. I decided to call him and let him know what I had done, and I also express how I feel about him not doing as I asked. His response to me was that it’s been a busy week for him and that he has to work out in the sun so when he gets home he’s tired. I did criticize him as a response, because I do feel like he had more than enough time last week to get it done. There were days he didn’t work 12hrs, also when he gets home he sits in his truck for an hour watching TikTok’s or scrolling facebook(I’ve caught him doing this multiple times).
Out of frustration; I said “maybe I should stop asking you to things, or can you at least just tell me you don’t want to do something that way I will do it myself”
His response “yes, you should stop asking me to do things for you. You can do them if you want them to get done.”
At that point I was in shock because I wasn’t expecting that response since we have been operating like a team since we got together. So to double check what he said. I asked him again is that what he wanted for me to stop asking him for help and relying on him for support. He said yes and then we got off the phone. I was upset at his response but I got over it because he is entitled to his opinion and if he doesn’t want to help/support me that’s his choice. So seeing as I wouldn’t get anymore help I decided that it was best we didn’t move in with each other.
It’s been a few hours since we had this convo and he reached out to me asking about some tires he wanted to buy. I told him that was fine and I would help him get the tires, and I also told him wasn’t moving in with him. I said due to our earlier conversation I wouldn’t feel safe moving in with him. I would move on my own and handling things by myself and he should handle everything by himself. HE SWEARS up and down he never agreed to stop helping/supporting me. When I reminded him of what he said, his response was “oh, I wasn’t even focused on our conversation earlier. I didn’t realize I said that but I didn’t mean it.”
So my question now is what should I do? I’ve been emotional disrupted by my partner and he says he doesn’t remember. He has taken accountability for his actions, but tbh it’s not enough for me. I’m honestly at the point where the relationship isn’t worth the headache.
submitted by AFoxNamedFelicity to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
Recently (like 2-3 weeks ago) I was able to find a second job, and now I am working about 70-75 hours a week, and I still make sure to do our home chores (wash, cook(when it’s my turn), and clean). However it has been hard for me since I’m working more now. A lot of my days are 12 hours days (6a-6p or 5a-5pm(I’m a dispatcher)), and his days are also 12hr days but he always gets the weekend off(pest control).
This is where the issue starts; Last week I asked him to do the dishes and to dust the AC unit, and I would handle everything else in the house. He said it was fine he would do it, but we are now in a new week and I have mold growing in the kitchen sink because the dishes are not done, and I’m having really bad allergies because the ac unit is still caked in dust. He says he will do it on his own time and that he hasn’t done it yet because he’s been tired.
This morning I decided to throw all the dishes in the sink away because at this point everything was covered in mold, and the sink was super stinky and nasty. I decided to call him and let him know what I had done, and I also express how I feel about him not doing as I asked. His response to me was that it’s been a busy week for him and that he has to work out in the sun so when he gets home he’s tired. I did criticize him as a response, because I do feel like he had more than enough time last week to get it done. There were days he didn’t work 12hrs, also when he gets home he sits in his truck for an hour watching TikTok’s or scrolling facebook(I’ve caught him doing this multiple times).
Out of frustration; I said “maybe I should stop asking you to things, or can you at least just tell me you don’t want to do something that way I will do it myself”
His response “yes, you should stop asking me to do things for you. You can do them if you want them to get done.”
At that point I was in shock because I wasn’t expecting that response since we have been operating like a team since we got together. So to double check what he said. I asked him again is that what he wanted for me to stop asking him for help and relying on him for support. He said yes and then we got off the phone. I was upset at his response but I got over it because he is entitled to his opinion and if he doesn’t want to help/support me that’s his choice. So seeing as I wouldn’t get anymore help I decided that it was best we didn’t move in with each other.
It’s been a few hours since we had this convo and he reached out to me asking about some tires he wanted to buy. I told him that was fine and I would help him get the tires, and I also told him wasn’t moving in with him. I said due to our earlier conversation I wouldn’t feel safe moving in with him. I would move on my own and handling things by myself and he should handle everything by himself. HE SWEARS up and down he never agreed to stop helping/supporting me. When I reminded him of what he said, his response was “oh, I wasn’t even focused on our conversation earlier. I didn’t realize I said that but I didn’t mean it.”
So my question now is what should I do? I’ve been emotional disrupted by my partner and he says he doesn’t remember. He has taken accountability for his actions, but tbh it’s not enough for me. I’m honestly at the point where the relationship isn’t worth the headache.
2024.05.14 22:17 throwawaybrithdaydra AITAH for throwing my niece a Birthday party even know I knew her parents were against it.
My older brother and his wife are big into saving everything, they have money but horde it all. Like they never eat out, go on vacations, once all their bills are paid everything goes into retirement, savings, and investments.
Tbh idc that is on them, my concern is my niece who is six has never had a Birthday party or even a cake. I recently moved to be closer to our family, use to live in DC. I found out the gifts I or anyone would send would get thrown out.
So my mother and I got family together, and since my mom knew the girls my niece would have play dates with she also invited them.
We hosted the party at my house, and our mom said she just wanted to have grandma and granddaughter time. Free baby sitting so of course they said yes.
Let's say of course my niece said she had a party when she got home and that is fine. My brother and his wife are pissed and now they have threatened to prevent our mom from seeing her granddaughter.
I told my brother he is being dumb, they have no reason to be against the party. They did not pay for anything, but he told me what if she expects such celebrations now.
I told him first they have the money to do so, they are choosing to live this way. That aside I told them I will pay for every celebration or event. She deserves to be a child.
Even threaten to call the cops next time, I just laughed and said what you going to do call them cops and tell them your mother and brother kidnapped your kid to throw them a party?
Outside that it has caused kind of a rift in our family and our mother is really feeling it. She was extremely hurt when my brother said she could not see her granddaughter anymore.
I know my brother if I apologize and promise to never do such a thing again they will walk back on what they said to our mom. Free baby sitting after all.
Should I apologize and agree for the sake of our mom?
Sorry about the spelling errors and stuff on mobile probably a lot errors when I get home I will correct what I see.
submitted by throwawaybrithdaydra to AITAH [link] [comments]
Tbh idc that is on them, my concern is my niece who is six has never had a Birthday party or even a cake. I recently moved to be closer to our family, use to live in DC. I found out the gifts I or anyone would send would get thrown out.
So my mother and I got family together, and since my mom knew the girls my niece would have play dates with she also invited them.
We hosted the party at my house, and our mom said she just wanted to have grandma and granddaughter time. Free baby sitting so of course they said yes.
Let's say of course my niece said she had a party when she got home and that is fine. My brother and his wife are pissed and now they have threatened to prevent our mom from seeing her granddaughter.
I told my brother he is being dumb, they have no reason to be against the party. They did not pay for anything, but he told me what if she expects such celebrations now.
I told him first they have the money to do so, they are choosing to live this way. That aside I told them I will pay for every celebration or event. She deserves to be a child.
Even threaten to call the cops next time, I just laughed and said what you going to do call them cops and tell them your mother and brother kidnapped your kid to throw them a party?
Outside that it has caused kind of a rift in our family and our mother is really feeling it. She was extremely hurt when my brother said she could not see her granddaughter anymore.
I know my brother if I apologize and promise to never do such a thing again they will walk back on what they said to our mom. Free baby sitting after all.
Should I apologize and agree for the sake of our mom?
Sorry about the spelling errors and stuff on mobile probably a lot errors when I get home I will correct what I see.
2024.05.14 22:02 Schlangenbob BFME 2.22 - Hard Campaign Recap
Hello people,
I am currently playing a second time through the campaign on hard difficulty and since for my first go I got very frustrated from times to times and shared some (I think Helms Deep and Minas Tirith) in this sub and got questions I couldn't really answer since it was too long ago, I thought I recollect my impressions from my second playthrough as some things have changed (at least it feels like). In general: It got easier.
Moria: Very straight forward. Seperated hobbits and actual heroes into 2 groups and started clearing out goblins and skipping level ups. Once an actual hero got to lvl 2 I picked up a level-up getting them to lvl 3. Fittingly there are 5 hidden level ups and 5 actual heroes. So by the end of the level everyone who matters was lvl 3. Yes I hate the hobbits go sue me.
Lorien: Cloak the hobbits, proceed with heroes. Kill the Lumber mill in the bottom left corner, bring the hobbits. Enter Lorien and build 2 Archery Ranges. The hobbits are send to collect the treasure while everyone else is gathering at the north-western bridge. The hobbits naturally arrive at the norther bridge where they will cross and kill the lumber mill. Constantly produce elven archers and keep an eye on gimli, aragorn and boromir as they tend to get themselves isolated at the front without archer support. just get them back and heal if nessesary. between waves the hobbits go and kill the third lumber mill in the north and then run from chasing lumber jacks and orcs. Either kite them to your archers (go back around, don't try to get past a wave) or just enaugh so you can cloak them. once cloaked/save cloak them and forget about them. Southern bridge will be attacked next, so reposition to the south, after which reposition to the north. Freewin.
Rohan:
Your priorities should be: +Command, +Special, +Resources. Use the early missions, which are very easy, to max out on Rohirrim and get all upgrades asap. You should be able to train new units after every mission (as you get +command) which lets you recruit rohirrim archers and sell them at the main building to level your stables to get shields. At around Fangorn the missions will get more tricky as the enemy will have large numbers of spears with improved weapons. Don't charge them if possible. Kite them to a base with towers or just outrun them. You are usually not in a hurry. You are in a hurry tho in 2 missions where "Isengard will arrive in X minutes" - you don't want that. The army that arrives is strong and has wargs and spears which will decimate your Rohirrim. You want your Rohirrim to level from mission to mission as lvl 2 Rohirrim will not be sufficient.
Helms Deep:
There is no use in defending the lower Wall. I sell everything, archers and peasants in the main building and build Elves exclusively (unlucked once the elves arrive). Station them on the third ring at the very top. Leave all gates open, don't close them. Gather as much resources as possible while upgrading your elves with standards and fire arrows. Ignore improved weapons. Use the Rohirrim and Theoden and Eowyn to safe the peasents, let them gather the treasure and sell them. Defend the right gate on the 3rd wall with gimli, aragorn and boromir. Keep them close so they always have archer support.
The enemy will attack soon and flood the first wall (the one you're supposed to protect) but some of them will be diverted to the open gate. Your elves will kill a constant but slow stream of enemies as they trickle through. Close the lower gate from time to time to waste the enemies time as they will walk towards the ladders to climb them. Just open the gate again when rams arrive. The rams will walk through the opened gate and kill the farmsteads on the lower leve. Your archers will take care of them.
At some point ladders will gather up infront of the game unable to pass through. At that point keep the gate open at all times as ballistas will appear. They wont be able to get past the ladders and get stuck. Like this your losses are kept to a minum. From here on out it's basically just holding out. Once Eomer is ready to be called wait. Another wave will trigger shortly after. Once that has passed/reached your first gate call Eomer. Mount Gandalf and charge the first base with Eomers "For the King" ability. your losses will be minimal. After that turn around and charge whatever is left inside the keep and reunite with Theoden. Heal up on a well, maybe wait out another wave and then ride out. Eomers and Theodens abilities make your riders very tanky so you can charge the second base. After that's done retreat into the keep. No more waves will be spawned. Use your heroes to clear up the map like this you can level them up some more.
Isengard:
Became irrelevant, total cake walk. Before fire arrows where a real issue as they just DELETED ents so you had to cheese the Mission. But now, you are so strong no cheese needed. Defend the first attack, clear the goblins and the troll cave, build up ents. Walk around the base and bombard the urukhai pits and any fire-archer troops you can find while 2-3 ents defend while standing in the puddle outside the gate. Then just go in and kill everything. manouver burning ents into puddles and use heal at your own disgretion. Keep Treebeard alive and mount the Hobbits or cloak them.
Ithilien: Build only rangers and equip them with fire arrows. Try to keep everyone alive, you don't want to lose entire battalions. In the south there are a few rangers and a catapult. You can clear a big deal of the enemy camp on the middle plateau with that catapult. Aswell as the Oliphaunt in the top right corner. It will try to attack your catapult but the invisible wall makes it impossible. You can reach the Oliphaunt with your catapult from a cliff spot on the right side of the walkable map. Just area bombard where the oliphaunt stands it will return after charging you after each hit. Once that is done and the middle plateau is cleared position in front of the ramp and use the Terrain ability (that green circle where your units get boni) as close to the top right base as possible. This will trigger the orcs and trolls to attack you. Then proceed to bombard the bottom right base with your catapult and take it down with your rangers. Just take them to the topright base you cleared already and raze it to the ground. this should work ideally before mordor arrives so you can save most of your rangers.
After that you can pick missions again, and again: Command->Special->Resource.
Be careful in Dunharg, there are a lot of spears on that map and it is rather small. Striking fast is the key to victory although I lost some riders.
Osgiliath:
Then the defence of Osgiliath. This mission got a lot easier but is still tricky.
Right at the start move 2 catapults south aswell as the tower guard. Retreat with your rangers so they don't die to the attacking catapult (your otwer guard in the south will most likely be dead already). Build up the base in the south and kill the catapult with towerguard and your own catapults. Focus on Smithies only, build a well in the southern base. Man the towers with rangers and keep towerguard in defensive formation as a meatshield. Don't advance over the bridges. Maybe I got lucky but the Ai ignored the southern bridge from there on and only send waves down the middle and north. The north can easily be defended with 3 Ranger battalions and 1 towerguard.
From there on build your army up: A few tower guard are enaugh (I guess 6-8 batallions) rest Rangers. Get all upgrades from all buildings. Once your army is maxed call faramir, not earlier. You'll need the additional firepower. I used that time to upgrade the ithilien rangers that haven't been upgraded yet and leveled Faramir on the middle bridge to 5 for the +50% armor leadership bonus. I attacked the catapults one by one luring them into death while I also started building all towers in the southern base. Then I gathered everything except for 2 Ranger battalions and 1 Towerguard which stayed north and crossed the river. This will trigger nazgul to attack. Kill them asap. Establish a footholt on the other side and start taking down the base right across the river. Mount Faramir so he can dispatch any catapults quickly. Once that base is fully destroyed a large and very powerful (lvl 4+ Trolls, Oliphaunts and Orcs) will spawn. This is true for every base the enemy has. Therefor I gather all of my troops around the center of the base, once it's cleared I build a base of my own. the entrance will be to the southwest where I will build Towers at the entrance and on each spot while building a statue and a well in the back. The towers in the front will be cleared almost instantly, just rebuild them that gives your rangers till to kill anything that moves. Expect some heavy losses. Rebuild your army and kill everything but one small tower in the bottom right base. then go topside and do the same for the north base. Kill the manned towers with your catapults. Then kill both bases simultaneously and the mordor army will not spawn for base 2 and 3.
Kankra's Lair: Just walk around with Sam and kill all spiders. Don't free any soldiers. In the top left there is a troll which is too strong for Sam. So you let him throw rocks at it, until he is one hit away from death. use heal and wait until his health drops below half (after his health turns yellow one more hit) then activate the light. Once the troll flees just cloak. Wait for Sam to heal up and heal come off cooldown. Repeat this once and on your third fight with the troll sam should win. Proceed to clear everything with sam until you can only move south-east. Go and free all soldiers. Proceed with sam, kill spiders and free soldiers with soldiers. In the south there is a large arena. Gather all soldiers and tank Kankra with Sam. You will need to heal here so Sam doesn't die. Kankra runs and small spiders swarm. Your soldiers will take care of them. Kankra returns and who she focuses is random afaik so try to kite soldiers she targets away so your losses are not too big. After kankra is defeated clear the rest of the caves, gather treasure and free soldiers and gather at the exit. There is a small base in the bottom right corner guarded by some orcs. Kill them. Build the base and build 3 Smithies and a Farmstead where the Lumber Mill stood. Wait until your smithies reach Lvl 2 then research all upgrades. After the upgrades went through demolish 2 Smithies. Build an archery range and a barracks. Recruit 3 swordsmen battalions from the baracks so it reaches lvl 2. Take them and the rescued soldiers and let them die at the enemy base. They're all worthless. Recruit 12 batallions of Tower guard and 12 batallions of Archers. Fully upgrade them. Delete the archery range and build another Smithy. Throw your army against the enemy base. Once you breach the walls mordor will send a strong army so your first army is most likely lost. I managed to kill a lot by positioning towerguard wisely but in the end it wasn't enaugh. The army wont cross the bridge tho so you can just save up and build 12 Tower guard. Demolish the barracks and build an Archery Range. Build 12 Archer Battallions, full upgrade everyone. This force should be enaugh to overwhelm the defenders.
After that is Minas Tirith. That's where I am right now and I will update in the coming days once I complete it.
General: So far I feel like my troops survive more easily, the enemy armies aren't as punishing as before but I had to resort to cheesy strategies in Helms Deep and expect to cheese Minas Tirith aswell. This playthrough is therefor less challenging and usually I prefer more challenging games even or especiall when it frustrates me. But the changes just made me cheese less and restart less because I accidentally wiped 8 batallions of Rohirrim on a single urukhai spear batallion.
Mistakes I made so far: I didn't really level Gandalf in Fangorn or Helms Deep so I wont have access to lvl 10 in minas tirith. Wihch might be an issue.
I lost some Rohirrim in Dunharg which I couldn't really replenish.
(Maybe) bought the Rohirrim special power and am at 11 Special points with Anduril and Army of the dead missing.
Speaking of which: Special abilities, which I took and why:
Heal: Best ability in the game.
Bonus dmg for heroes: Worth the 1 point.
Gandalf the White: Grey is just useless.
Green-Land-Thingy: Handy in some missions.
Rohirrim: Helped me out at some later missions as fodder to throw into dangerous troops like spears and keep them occupied.
Anduril (not bought yet): Stronger Aragorn is always good, but it is a prereq for Army of the Dead.
Army of the Dead: Is good.
Eagles and Ents are not worth the points you can't use them in most missions. Elves were always underwhelming for me, they deal little to no damage, their range is kinda meh and their melee capabilities suck as in those missions you can use them the enemy has leveled and upgraded orcs/urukhai which delete the elves. Upgraded Peasents: The same reason I don't level Hobits. Sure you can take your time to do so but what's the point?
submitted by Schlangenbob to bfme [link] [comments]
I am currently playing a second time through the campaign on hard difficulty and since for my first go I got very frustrated from times to times and shared some (I think Helms Deep and Minas Tirith) in this sub and got questions I couldn't really answer since it was too long ago, I thought I recollect my impressions from my second playthrough as some things have changed (at least it feels like). In general: It got easier.
Moria: Very straight forward. Seperated hobbits and actual heroes into 2 groups and started clearing out goblins and skipping level ups. Once an actual hero got to lvl 2 I picked up a level-up getting them to lvl 3. Fittingly there are 5 hidden level ups and 5 actual heroes. So by the end of the level everyone who matters was lvl 3. Yes I hate the hobbits go sue me.
Lorien: Cloak the hobbits, proceed with heroes. Kill the Lumber mill in the bottom left corner, bring the hobbits. Enter Lorien and build 2 Archery Ranges. The hobbits are send to collect the treasure while everyone else is gathering at the north-western bridge. The hobbits naturally arrive at the norther bridge where they will cross and kill the lumber mill. Constantly produce elven archers and keep an eye on gimli, aragorn and boromir as they tend to get themselves isolated at the front without archer support. just get them back and heal if nessesary. between waves the hobbits go and kill the third lumber mill in the north and then run from chasing lumber jacks and orcs. Either kite them to your archers (go back around, don't try to get past a wave) or just enaugh so you can cloak them. once cloaked/save cloak them and forget about them. Southern bridge will be attacked next, so reposition to the south, after which reposition to the north. Freewin.
Rohan:
Your priorities should be: +Command, +Special, +Resources. Use the early missions, which are very easy, to max out on Rohirrim and get all upgrades asap. You should be able to train new units after every mission (as you get +command) which lets you recruit rohirrim archers and sell them at the main building to level your stables to get shields. At around Fangorn the missions will get more tricky as the enemy will have large numbers of spears with improved weapons. Don't charge them if possible. Kite them to a base with towers or just outrun them. You are usually not in a hurry. You are in a hurry tho in 2 missions where "Isengard will arrive in X minutes" - you don't want that. The army that arrives is strong and has wargs and spears which will decimate your Rohirrim. You want your Rohirrim to level from mission to mission as lvl 2 Rohirrim will not be sufficient.
Helms Deep:
There is no use in defending the lower Wall. I sell everything, archers and peasants in the main building and build Elves exclusively (unlucked once the elves arrive). Station them on the third ring at the very top. Leave all gates open, don't close them. Gather as much resources as possible while upgrading your elves with standards and fire arrows. Ignore improved weapons. Use the Rohirrim and Theoden and Eowyn to safe the peasents, let them gather the treasure and sell them. Defend the right gate on the 3rd wall with gimli, aragorn and boromir. Keep them close so they always have archer support.
The enemy will attack soon and flood the first wall (the one you're supposed to protect) but some of them will be diverted to the open gate. Your elves will kill a constant but slow stream of enemies as they trickle through. Close the lower gate from time to time to waste the enemies time as they will walk towards the ladders to climb them. Just open the gate again when rams arrive. The rams will walk through the opened gate and kill the farmsteads on the lower leve. Your archers will take care of them.
At some point ladders will gather up infront of the game unable to pass through. At that point keep the gate open at all times as ballistas will appear. They wont be able to get past the ladders and get stuck. Like this your losses are kept to a minum. From here on out it's basically just holding out. Once Eomer is ready to be called wait. Another wave will trigger shortly after. Once that has passed/reached your first gate call Eomer. Mount Gandalf and charge the first base with Eomers "For the King" ability. your losses will be minimal. After that turn around and charge whatever is left inside the keep and reunite with Theoden. Heal up on a well, maybe wait out another wave and then ride out. Eomers and Theodens abilities make your riders very tanky so you can charge the second base. After that's done retreat into the keep. No more waves will be spawned. Use your heroes to clear up the map like this you can level them up some more.
Isengard:
Became irrelevant, total cake walk. Before fire arrows where a real issue as they just DELETED ents so you had to cheese the Mission. But now, you are so strong no cheese needed. Defend the first attack, clear the goblins and the troll cave, build up ents. Walk around the base and bombard the urukhai pits and any fire-archer troops you can find while 2-3 ents defend while standing in the puddle outside the gate. Then just go in and kill everything. manouver burning ents into puddles and use heal at your own disgretion. Keep Treebeard alive and mount the Hobbits or cloak them.
Ithilien: Build only rangers and equip them with fire arrows. Try to keep everyone alive, you don't want to lose entire battalions. In the south there are a few rangers and a catapult. You can clear a big deal of the enemy camp on the middle plateau with that catapult. Aswell as the Oliphaunt in the top right corner. It will try to attack your catapult but the invisible wall makes it impossible. You can reach the Oliphaunt with your catapult from a cliff spot on the right side of the walkable map. Just area bombard where the oliphaunt stands it will return after charging you after each hit. Once that is done and the middle plateau is cleared position in front of the ramp and use the Terrain ability (that green circle where your units get boni) as close to the top right base as possible. This will trigger the orcs and trolls to attack you. Then proceed to bombard the bottom right base with your catapult and take it down with your rangers. Just take them to the topright base you cleared already and raze it to the ground. this should work ideally before mordor arrives so you can save most of your rangers.
After that you can pick missions again, and again: Command->Special->Resource.
Be careful in Dunharg, there are a lot of spears on that map and it is rather small. Striking fast is the key to victory although I lost some riders.
Osgiliath:
Then the defence of Osgiliath. This mission got a lot easier but is still tricky.
Right at the start move 2 catapults south aswell as the tower guard. Retreat with your rangers so they don't die to the attacking catapult (your otwer guard in the south will most likely be dead already). Build up the base in the south and kill the catapult with towerguard and your own catapults. Focus on Smithies only, build a well in the southern base. Man the towers with rangers and keep towerguard in defensive formation as a meatshield. Don't advance over the bridges. Maybe I got lucky but the Ai ignored the southern bridge from there on and only send waves down the middle and north. The north can easily be defended with 3 Ranger battalions and 1 towerguard.
From there on build your army up: A few tower guard are enaugh (I guess 6-8 batallions) rest Rangers. Get all upgrades from all buildings. Once your army is maxed call faramir, not earlier. You'll need the additional firepower. I used that time to upgrade the ithilien rangers that haven't been upgraded yet and leveled Faramir on the middle bridge to 5 for the +50% armor leadership bonus. I attacked the catapults one by one luring them into death while I also started building all towers in the southern base. Then I gathered everything except for 2 Ranger battalions and 1 Towerguard which stayed north and crossed the river. This will trigger nazgul to attack. Kill them asap. Establish a footholt on the other side and start taking down the base right across the river. Mount Faramir so he can dispatch any catapults quickly. Once that base is fully destroyed a large and very powerful (lvl 4+ Trolls, Oliphaunts and Orcs) will spawn. This is true for every base the enemy has. Therefor I gather all of my troops around the center of the base, once it's cleared I build a base of my own. the entrance will be to the southwest where I will build Towers at the entrance and on each spot while building a statue and a well in the back. The towers in the front will be cleared almost instantly, just rebuild them that gives your rangers till to kill anything that moves. Expect some heavy losses. Rebuild your army and kill everything but one small tower in the bottom right base. then go topside and do the same for the north base. Kill the manned towers with your catapults. Then kill both bases simultaneously and the mordor army will not spawn for base 2 and 3.
Kankra's Lair: Just walk around with Sam and kill all spiders. Don't free any soldiers. In the top left there is a troll which is too strong for Sam. So you let him throw rocks at it, until he is one hit away from death. use heal and wait until his health drops below half (after his health turns yellow one more hit) then activate the light. Once the troll flees just cloak. Wait for Sam to heal up and heal come off cooldown. Repeat this once and on your third fight with the troll sam should win. Proceed to clear everything with sam until you can only move south-east. Go and free all soldiers. Proceed with sam, kill spiders and free soldiers with soldiers. In the south there is a large arena. Gather all soldiers and tank Kankra with Sam. You will need to heal here so Sam doesn't die. Kankra runs and small spiders swarm. Your soldiers will take care of them. Kankra returns and who she focuses is random afaik so try to kite soldiers she targets away so your losses are not too big. After kankra is defeated clear the rest of the caves, gather treasure and free soldiers and gather at the exit. There is a small base in the bottom right corner guarded by some orcs. Kill them. Build the base and build 3 Smithies and a Farmstead where the Lumber Mill stood. Wait until your smithies reach Lvl 2 then research all upgrades. After the upgrades went through demolish 2 Smithies. Build an archery range and a barracks. Recruit 3 swordsmen battalions from the baracks so it reaches lvl 2. Take them and the rescued soldiers and let them die at the enemy base. They're all worthless. Recruit 12 batallions of Tower guard and 12 batallions of Archers. Fully upgrade them. Delete the archery range and build another Smithy. Throw your army against the enemy base. Once you breach the walls mordor will send a strong army so your first army is most likely lost. I managed to kill a lot by positioning towerguard wisely but in the end it wasn't enaugh. The army wont cross the bridge tho so you can just save up and build 12 Tower guard. Demolish the barracks and build an Archery Range. Build 12 Archer Battallions, full upgrade everyone. This force should be enaugh to overwhelm the defenders.
After that is Minas Tirith. That's where I am right now and I will update in the coming days once I complete it.
General: So far I feel like my troops survive more easily, the enemy armies aren't as punishing as before but I had to resort to cheesy strategies in Helms Deep and expect to cheese Minas Tirith aswell. This playthrough is therefor less challenging and usually I prefer more challenging games even or especiall when it frustrates me. But the changes just made me cheese less and restart less because I accidentally wiped 8 batallions of Rohirrim on a single urukhai spear batallion.
Mistakes I made so far: I didn't really level Gandalf in Fangorn or Helms Deep so I wont have access to lvl 10 in minas tirith. Wihch might be an issue.
I lost some Rohirrim in Dunharg which I couldn't really replenish.
(Maybe) bought the Rohirrim special power and am at 11 Special points with Anduril and Army of the dead missing.
Speaking of which: Special abilities, which I took and why:
Heal: Best ability in the game.
Bonus dmg for heroes: Worth the 1 point.
Gandalf the White: Grey is just useless.
Green-Land-Thingy: Handy in some missions.
Rohirrim: Helped me out at some later missions as fodder to throw into dangerous troops like spears and keep them occupied.
Anduril (not bought yet): Stronger Aragorn is always good, but it is a prereq for Army of the Dead.
Army of the Dead: Is good.
Eagles and Ents are not worth the points you can't use them in most missions. Elves were always underwhelming for me, they deal little to no damage, their range is kinda meh and their melee capabilities suck as in those missions you can use them the enemy has leveled and upgraded orcs/urukhai which delete the elves. Upgraded Peasents: The same reason I don't level Hobits. Sure you can take your time to do so but what's the point?
2024.05.14 22:00 BrookieCookieCon19 Reposted to fix errors in format and add poctures
 | My wedding was a dumpster fire... literally... submitted by BrookieCookieCon19 to CharlotteDobreYouTube [link] [comments] I saw your wedding horror story videos and have one of my own I think a lot of people would get a kick out of. Yes, this entire story is 100% true with no real hyperbole, tall tales, etc. This all actually happened and I have witnesses that will attest to this if asked. I'd been with my husband for about 2 years, engaged for 1, when we found out I was pregnant. Obvi, we decided to rush the wedding after we had a talk about the surprise and what we wanted to do. Flash forward a little and my original Maid of Honor and I had a falling out because the last time we had been together and gone to the church the wedding was being hosted, she had gotten disrespectful with the elders and asked questions she thought were funny, but were really just rude. The swearing really didn't help matters either. I asked her if she would be able to try to be more respectful of my beliefs and be gentle with the others that would be there. This lead to a fight and the beginning of the end of a 7 year relationship (when we tried to rekindle our relationship later, she said she hoped my son would get unalived by a cop because he is white and no one cared about it. Thank God I cut ties when I did). This was also the beginning of a new friendship between myself and the best man's fiancé (we are still bffs today) when I asked her to take over. Crisis 1 averted. For the sake of setting some scenes, I worked at a hotel in a podunk town, right off the highway and met with a make up artist that came in for a makeup party gig with housekeeping. We talked and she agreed to work with me and MOH for the wedding. Here comes the beginning of everything going down hill, on fire, in a rickety buggy. The night before, after the rehearsal dinner, at 11pm the makeup artist gets ahold of me saying she has to cancel because her husband got into a water bottle accident (water bottle is oilfield speak for the giant water trucks they have on site) and was in the hospital. We understood and told her to do what she has to, we can handle things ourselves. Meanwhile, my husband's uncle was cooking the pig for the reception dinner as it doubled as his wedding gift to us (which we are extremely thankful for btw). It caught on fire. In the parking lot. Of the hotel I was working at, and everyone was staying. Luckily he was able to save it, but I got to hear about it when I got back to work. They printed the security camera image and everything. It was great. Now it's the morning of the wedding. I realize that I am missing makeup that I need and, living in a map dot myself, needed to drive half an hour away in order to get what we were missing. Thank God for my dad needed to go out that way anyway. He got us breakfast, took us to the store, and we grabbed what we needed and started to take off. The shirt I was wearing, without my knowledge, had popped the button right over my boobs showing God and everybody my goodies and I hadn't realized it until we were on our way to grab the cupcakes and "smash" cake (it was a cheap alternative to a traditional wedding cake and actually save us a TON of money for the "event"[ note for brides on a budget, say event and not wedding to save some extra $]). We get home and nerves take over, coupled with my already awful morning sickness, leading me to be stuck in the bathroom for a while. I finish up, brush my teeth again for the third time and decide to start getting things around and just get ready at the church. I made a Playlist in order, and wrote down the order for my brother to be able to just press play and not worry about ads or anything. I literally went as far as saying song a-c for while you wait, d for the procession, and e for my enterance with the song titles. This will become a problem apparently. As MOH and I are getting ready, I start to freak out because the makeup I got is streaky and I can barely get anything to blend how I want it to, so my mom had my dad grab her makeup and bring it down and takes over for us. Her friend, who offered to do pictures for us along with my SIL (and I paid them both for) told my mom to give me fake lashes because it'd make the pictures prettier. I told them I wasn't comfortable with it because it was new and I didn't know if I could handle the glue smell and the glue she uses hurts my eyes as is. Mom basically said to hush and let her do it. One thing lead to another, and my mother glued my eyes shut. 10 minutes before my wedding was due to start. Even though I had asked for no fake lashes. Hormones kicked in and I started to cry. After about 5 minutes, we are able to get my eyes opened, but still had bits of glue in my lashes that ended up scratching my eyes throughout the wedding. I included a picture where you can see even through the editing how chunky the glue made my lashes and where chunks were pulled out with the glue. My dad came down asking what was taking so long, and my mom snapped at him and told him to go upstairs and wait a second, which made me start to cry again. I calm myself down rather quickly and get dressed (the dress ended up being too big because the morning sickness had made me lose weight without me realizing it) and we all head upstairs only about 5 minutes or so late. At the doors, I can hear the music playing. It's the wrong songs. My dad, in his usual joking fashion, said "It's not too late to run". I told him I just wanted to get this dumpster fire over with. Speed up a bit and during the ceremony, the pastor skipped over the marriage cross ceremony (where the newly weds put a cross together as a symbol of our faith in our marriage), and called my husband Durk. Miraculously, we make it through with those being the only things amiss, besides my husband being tired and looking grumpy the entire time (I guess he and Best Man stayed up half the night BSing with his uncle and dad, my FIL, and having a couple drinks). Now the ceremony is over and we have people heading to the hotel to set up for the reception. Pictures were a cluster, there was yelling, I started to cry again because I just wanted things to be done quickly, and my mom wanted her photographer she had come in take pictures that she promised to pay for. We still haven't gotten any of them from said photographer. After my parents were done with their part, they took off for the hotel and someone accidentally set some of the mac and cheese on fire, setting off the smoke alarms for the hotel. Can't say I cared too much because it wasn't the recipe I'd given my mom to make that she asked me to send her because I'm a picky eater as it is with my "touch of the tism" coupled with pregnancy making things worse. Eventually we get there, and things had gotten flip-flopped as to what was going on and when because Mom wanted it to go her way, MIL was trying to stick to the schedule I had made... It was great. Thank God for hubby's "Aunti B" that was able to take charge and be my voice and fix things where as my mom looked at MIL and Aunti B and said "I don't care, she's you're problem now". Honestly wasn't surprising from my mom. So we wait for every one to file in to the room we were supposed to start in, and I have to teach my brother how to press play on my phone for music. 🤦🏽♀️ Awesome. We get the Mother Son dance and the Father Daughter dance, and by then my husband was done with everything so we just had the food blessed and proceeded to the dining area. No newlywed dance for us. Still pretty upset about that. At this point I'm too upset to eat, but manage to nibble here and there. As things start to come down, Mom's friend (yes eyelash woman) comes up to me upset because I didn't warn her that the hotel had a pool so she didn't bring suits for her girls to swim in while everyone else was prepared. I informed her (and showed her) that on the event page for the wedding I wrote where everything was taking place and that the hotel had a pool they were free to enjoy. The same information everyone else had used before coming. Embarrassed, she left and just had her daughters swim in their underwear and diaper. At that point, everyone had eaten, we did the cake cutting, cake smash "competition" (hubby and I each had a jar people woukd put money into as a bid to who will get the cake to the face. Hubby lost, but we ended up turning it into a little game anyway. Pictures included) and a lot of the ceremonial stuff was over so I started cleaning up (condition of being able to use the hotel for free for the event as an employee) and everyone started pitching in. The ceremony was at 3pm, reception around 4pm. We had everything cleaned up by 6:30pm, 7pm at the latest. Everyone that was staying in the hotel hung out for a bit, and my MIL and SIL (bless them) attempted to get the rest of the eyelash glue out of my eyes and managed to get a bit out with only one piece left before I had to stop. I got chewed out about how things went and how bad my parents looked with everything by my mom (OFC) and I decided to say screw it, packed up, and left for home with hubby, MOH and BM. If you thought that was the end of it, you're mistaken. The next day, after my amazing MOH got the last of the glue out of my eye, we saw everyone off, and we were to take off for our honeymoon (a Civil War town because there was quite a bit of fun there when I went, and Hubby hadn't been, and it was cheap). I convinced my dad to let us take the SUV because I had a bad feeling about my car. Thank God I did because despite the "new" engine, the car died on the highway not even 10 miles from home when I took it to work later on. Anyway, we make it to the hotel that had amazing reviews online to discover stains everywhere on the bed and stuff (ew), the pool was atrocious, and the water in the shower smelled like chemicals and started to burn my husband's face. So we checked out saying we had an emergency back home and had to leave. I called a nearby hotel in my brand I worked for and managed to get a room that is usually about $170 a night or so, for $60 a night. Thank God for them. The rest of the honeymoon went on well with almost no morning sickness, and no other issues. The only bout of morning sickness (which reiterates my desire to know why it's called that when it can happen anytime of day) happened when my husband was being sweet and shared some of his food with me he knew I generally liked. The baby decided "I don't like that", sending me to hug a trash can a little while after lunch. In the middle of the section of (Civil War Town). By the (civil war history specific) house. In the middle of afternoon traffic. The family ahead of us glared and started saying something about drunk people in the day 🙄 and my husband started laughing at the irony of it all. He took off to find me napkins to clean up and a good Samaritan stopped to ask if I was ok. I told him "I'm fine, just pregnant" and they chuckled then left. I managed to get cleaned up when hubby came back with the napkins and we continued on our way. For those wondering, we now have 2 healthy boys, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and have been happily married for 5 years in August. We still laugh about my eyes getting glued shut on our anniversary with our friends and how my wedding was a prime example of Murphy's Law. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. |