Warning: I will not message you first. If you were messaged by someone claiming to be me you are in the process of being scammed.

You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.
Desktop Users: Comment on this post and Click here to start a trade App Users, please include the following in your PM (Remember to comment on this post as well):

• Type of card(s) and amount of each.
• What payment method you accept.
• How you acquired the GC and why you're getting rid of it.

Crypto^4, Paypal^1, Apple Pay, Chime, Cashapp, Varo, Venmo, and Western Union
I only have Steam as a substitute for cash payments in gift card trades.

Want ↓	Cash or a Gift Card ↓	Crypto4 ↓
Apple	60%3	NA
Amazon.ca	50%	50%
Amazon.co.uk	50%	50%
Amazon.com	70%	55%
Amazon.de	50%	50%
Amazon.es	50%	50%
Amazon.fr	50%	50%
Amazon.it	50%	50%
Amazon.jp	30%	30%
Arrow Films	65%	60%
Barnes & Noble	50%	50%
Baskin Robbins	60%	60%
Best Buy	25%	25%
BJ's (not BJ's restaurant)3	60%	NA
Bloomingdales	50%	50%
Burger King4	60%	NA
Clothing Shops (Small Boutique)	contact me	contact me
Dell3	60%	NA
Delta gift cards3	65%	NA
Delta Sky Miles3	PM me	NA
Delta Vouchers3	65%	NA
Dicks Sporting Goods 3	PM me	NA
Disney Plus	PM me	PM me
Dunkin Donuts3	60%	NA
eBay	70%	70%
Fandango3	10%	NA
Five Guys3	60%	NA
Gamestop	60%	60%
Gas Station Cards3	PM me	NA
Gyft	70%	70%
Half Price Books	50%	50%
iTunes3	60%	NA
J crew	40%	40%
JCPenney	25%	25%
Jersey Mike Subs3	60%	NA
KFC3	60%	NA
Khols	30%	30%
Macys	35%	35%
Magazines.com	40%	40%
McDonald's 3	60%	NA
Microsoft3	60%	NA
Moe’s Southwestern Grill3	60%	NA
Nintendo Eshop3	70%	NA
Nordstrom	50%	50%
Panera bread3	60%	NA
PSN3	60	NA
PSN Plus 12 month3	NA	NA
Saks Fifth Avenue	50%	50%
Sears	50%	50%
Sephora	50%	50%
Speedway (must be able to use on fuel)3	80%	NA
Staples	50%	50%
Starbucks US only	55%	55%
Steam3	60%	NA
Subway 3	PM me	NA
Taco Bell	60%	NA
Target	50%	50%
Urban Outfitters	50%	50%
Vudu3	50%	NA
Walmart	60%	60%
Wendys3	60%	NA
Xbox (gift cards)3	60%	NA
Other Clothing Stores, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Restaurant, & Fast Food gift cards	PM me

¹ When paying via PayPal, I can only send payments via Goods and Services, thus you will be charged a fee. If you'd rather not face this fee there are plenty of alternatives. ² Larger denominated gift cards preferred. ³ PayPal is the only payment option. ⁴ All crypto payments come from Coinbase. Any fees associated with it are built into the price.

What I don’t buy:

• Amazon.au
• Bass Pro Shop
• buffalo wild wing
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Canadian tire
• Cold Stone
• Dairy Queen
• Fanatics
• Giant Foods
• Google Play
• Grub Hub
• Gymshark
• Hilton Honors
• Hot Topic
• Krispy Kreme
• old navy/gap/banana republic
• Patxi's pizza
• PSN Canada or UK
• publix
• Raceway
• Scheels
• Shell Gas Stations
• Spotify
• Starbucks Canada
• Tractor supply
• Xbox Canada or UK
• Xbox live gold

Any fees are built into the price.

Selling

I have:
Up to $1000 in Amazon.com (can be broken up into smaller denominations) and am selling at

• 85%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)
• 90%: LTC

Up to $500 in eBay (can be broken up into smaller denominations) and am selling at

• 90%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)

Up to $500 in Apple.com ($15 and $50 denomination) and am selling at

• 90%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)

Important: before you send your codes please make sure your account is secure (if your password is not uniqe it's best to assume your account has already been compromised. Scams where compromised accounts are used to leverage reputation to scam an unsuspecting user, used to steal codes during the middle of the trade, and steal unused gift cards the victim was saving for later are increasingly commonplace. If you have any concerns as to your account's security, please reset your password now and force logout of all sessions. Thanks

Warning: I will not message you first. If you were messaged by someone claiming to be me you are in the process of being scammed.

You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.
Desktop Users: Comment on this post and Click here to start a trade App Users, please include the following in your PM (Remember to comment on this post as well):

• Type of card(s) and amount of each.
• What payment method you accept.
• How you acquired the GC and why you're getting rid of it.

Crypto^4, Paypal^1, Apple Pay, Chime, Cashapp, Varo, Venmo, and Western Union
I only have Steam as a substitute for cash payments in gift card trades.

Want ↓	Cash or a Gift Card ↓	Crypto4 ↓
Apple	60%3	NA
Amazon.ca	50%	50%
Amazon.co.uk	50%	50%
Amazon.com	70%	55%
Amazon.de	50%	50%
Amazon.es	50%	50%
Amazon.fr	50%	50%
Amazon.it	50%	50%
Amazon.jp	30%	30%
Arrow Films	65%	60%
Barnes & Noble	50%	50%
Baskin Robbins	60%	60%
Best Buy	25%	25%
BJ's (not BJ's restaurant)3	60%	NA
Bloomingdales	50%	50%
Burger King4	60%	NA
Clothing Shops (Small Boutique)	contact me	contact me
Dell3	60%	NA
Delta gift cards3	65%	NA
Delta Sky Miles3	PM me	NA
Delta Vouchers3	65%	NA
Dicks Sporting Goods 3	PM me	NA
Disney Plus	PM me	PM me
Dunkin Donuts3	60%	NA
eBay	70%	70%
Fandango3	10%	NA
Five Guys3	60%	NA
Gamestop	60%	60%
Gas Station Cards3	PM me	NA
Gyft	70%	70%
Half Price Books	50%	50%
iTunes3	60%	NA
J crew	40%	40%
JCPenney	25%	25%
Jersey Mike Subs3	60%	NA
KFC3	60%	NA
Khols	30%	30%
Macys	35%	35%
Magazines.com	40%	40%
McDonald's 3	60%	NA
Microsoft3	60%	NA
Moe’s Southwestern Grill3	60%	NA
Nintendo Eshop3	70%	NA
Nordstrom	50%	50%
Panera bread3	60%	NA
PSN3	60	NA
PSN Plus 12 month3	NA	NA
Saks Fifth Avenue	50%	50%
Sears	50%	50%
Sephora	50%	50%
Speedway (must be able to use on fuel)3	80%	NA
Staples	50%	50%
Starbucks US only	55%	55%
Steam3	60%	NA
Subway 3	PM me	NA
Taco Bell	60%	NA
Target	50%	50%
Urban Outfitters	50%	50%
Vudu3	50%	NA
Walmart	60%	60%
Wendys3	60%	NA
Xbox (gift cards)3	60%	NA
Other Clothing Stores, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Restaurant, & Fast Food gift cards	PM me

¹ When paying via PayPal, I can only send payments via Goods and Services, thus you will be charged a fee. If you'd rather not face this fee there are plenty of alternatives. ² Larger denominated gift cards preferred. ³ PayPal is the only payment option. ⁴ All crypto payments come from Coinbase. Any fees associated with it are built into the price.

What I don’t buy:

• Amazon.au
• Bass Pro Shop
• buffalo wild wing
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Canadian tire
• Cold Stone
• Dairy Queen
• Fanatics
• Giant Foods
• Google Play
• Grub Hub
• Gymshark
• Hilton Honors
• Hot Topic
• Krispy Kreme
• old navy/gap/banana republic
• Patxi's pizza
• PSN Canada or UK
• publix
• Raceway
• Scheels
• Shell Gas Stations
• Spotify
• Starbucks Canada
• Tractor supply
• Xbox Canada or UK
• Xbox live gold

Any fees are built into the price.

Selling

I have:
Up to $1000 in Amazon.com (can be broken up into smaller denominations) and am selling at

• 85%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)
• 90%: LTC

Up to $500 in eBay (can be broken up into smaller denominations) and am selling at

• 90%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)

Up to $500 in Apple.com ($15 and $50 denomination) and am selling at

• 90%: WesternUnion, Wise, Airtm (You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.)

Important: before you send your codes please make sure your account is secure (if your password is not uniqe it's best to assume your account has already been compromised. Scams where compromised accounts are used to leverage reputation to scam an unsuspecting user, used to steal codes during the middle of the trade, and steal unused gift cards the victim was saving for later are increasingly commonplace. If you have any concerns as to your account's security, please reset your password now and force logout of all sessions. Thanks

The books explain that the reason why Visser 3 is the only Andalite controller is because every attempt at taking an Andalite alive ends with them committing suicides, rather than face capture and infestation.
Now, I know that becoming a prisoner in your own head and a tool of your people's enemy in a war is a terrible fate... but wouldn't at least some Andalites hesitate before a tail seppuku? Wouldn't at least some rather surrender than die on the spot?
Apparently not, which leaves me with a conclusion that the Andalites must have a weaker self-preservation instinct than humans do.

Feel free to stop by if you want a laid back chat. I’m 29. Work as an office grunt that spends way too much time messing around. I don’t have anything specific in mind. Short term? Cool. Long term? Also cool. I don’t mind if you get off of Reddit live your life and respond when you can.
We might have some hobby crossover if you like the regular redditor stuff. Gaming, tv, movies, sports, anime and all that (always willing to listen to recommendations especially anime). If you’re not into any of that tell me your hobbies! You might be able to sell me on one and teach me your ways.
I’d consider myself pretty laid back and an open book so don’t hesitate to ask any random questions. Happy to show my face too if you care about that. Thanks and hope everyone has a nice day!

Post here quite a bit and always meet some nice people. Feel free to stop by if you want a laid back chat. I’m 29. Work as an office grunt that spends way too much time messing around. I don’t have anything specific in mind. Short term? Cool. Long term? Also cool. I don’t mind if you get off of Reddit live your life and respond when you can.
We might have some hobby crossover if you like the regular redditor stuff. Gaming, tv, movies, sports, anime and all that (always willing to listen to recommendations especially anime). If you’re not into any of that tell me your hobbies! You might be able to sell me on one and teach me your ways.
I’d consider myself pretty laid back and an open book so don’t hesitate to ask any random questions. Happy to show my face too if you care about that. Thanks and hope everyone has a nice day!

Here is my situation and would like some second opinions before contacting the host.
I am about 10 days into a 40 day long stay in an upper floor apartment for school not travel. The listing said no AC, which I assumed would be no big deal because it’s May and the lows for the night where I am located would be 0-12 degrees C, with highs from 10-20C (maybe 25 near the end of the stay) during the day. Why would I need AC right??
First week or so I am here, it got below freezing at night, was very cloudy and rainy. I did not have any issue with the temperature, it stayed below 20 inside. However last few days I have woken up to it being sunny and my apartment being 25C and about 70% RH. Now here’s the kicker, it reached a low of 5C outside and at 8AM was 10C and I slept the entire night with the window open as much as it would open and a 6” fan (that I brought myself) blowing outside air into the room all night!! I have to close the window when I leave for school due to connected balconies and being in the hood, so when I get home at 430 is usually closer to 27C. I open the window trying to blow like 15C air into the room and it only is able to offset the heat generated by the shower, oven and fridge I am using. So the room temp doesn’t drop much until 8pm, then it is able to crawl down to about 22C by 1030 and does not go much lower. Only for it to start heating back up at 5am I am terrified this place will be actually hostile to my health if the temperatures get any hotter outside…. I theorize the reasons it can get so hot are a combination of:
-piss poor ventilation to my room through a central system (heat through is a manual radiant system fyi. It is most certainly off in my room and not playing a factor)
-being on the 6th floor to a poorly planned old building that probably used to be office space
-knee to ceiling windows across the whole apartment that face east with blinds that are very bad at stopping convection air flow at the tops and bottom
-very old inefficient fridge and stove that put out a lot of heat with no room dividing walls in the suite.
As for how the humidity gets so high, I have absolutely no idea. I think the tiny ventilation duct (there is only 1) is bringing hot humid air from the rest of the apartment building. I am on floor 6 out of 7. I am somewhat conflicted because I am aware the room said no AC when I booked. But I also believe it’s reasonable expectation that no AC means your apartment will be at most 1 maybe 2C hotter than the outside ambient air temp. And differences of up to 15C and 40% humidity is completely insane. Last few days have been barely tolerable and if my apartment temps continue to increase with the forecasted outside temperatures I would like the host to either issue a full refund so I can stay somewhere else or deliver a 10 000 BTU stand alone AC unit. Is that unreasonable?
Thanks for the help

So, I've read a lot of theories about this ending, including the director's opinion, etc. I think the best explanation is probably that it was all in Ray's head, but none of the theories I've read mention the theory I came up with while watching:
It's all real, except the end of the world, and Ray is the one behind it all.
Starting right off the bat we can extrapolate that they had no one other than each other that they cared enough about to keep safe. Truthfully I think the whole movie can be explained as a brainchild of one of those "So, if you're locked in a bunker and you can only take one person" types of questions, lol, and it's just ones guys defense of why he would take his best buddy, Mr. President, and how no, that doesn't make him gay.
In one of the very first scenes Billy is reading a book, stocked by Ray, that depicts a homoerotic encounter saucy enough that Billy confesses to having masturbated to it without realizing it was two guys. Ray had a limited number of books to stock for the end of the world, knowing he was going to be sharing this bunker with his best, male friend who is also straight. And he chose that book, and didn't tell Billy what he was reading and then he's like "Oh, would you like some help on that, it can be a little hard..." And the obvious homoeroticism just goes on, like an HP fanfic about Ron and Harry if one of them was a scientist instead of a wizard, they of course have to get started on the obligatory "I can hear you wanking" discussion right before they find the dead fish.
So there's tons of evidence that Ray was already harboring a secret romance for Billy, but what makes me think Ray is behind it all is the gaslighting. Whenever they discuss why this must be happening, specifically the sex change, Ray always turns around any suspicions that Billy has by implying Billy must have done something, even though if one of them had somehow turned the other one into a girl, the logical assumption would be science-bro, not politics-bro. But Billy is really insecure and believes that he's a total fuckup, so this immediately shuts him down and stops him from questioning anything, even though the most likely answer to the questions like "why is this happening to me and not you" is because Ray is making it happen.
So let's go a bit deeper, about how willing Ray is to use Billy's insecurity against him. He teases him about it from the beginning, when the audience doesn't really realize what he's doing. If Billy was the cause of the end of the world, Ray is handling it remarkably well, right? Except when it suits him to bring it up and make Billy feel insecure. He doesn't really appear to blame Billy, just to want to hold it over his head.
We have the background with Ray always "protecting" Billy, but also using his knowledge to control and have power over Billy.
So one line that really stuck out at me was after the storm, Billy was talking about how there might be other bunkers, other people might be pregnant, and Ray snaps at him to be realistic, but doesn't actually make any counter claims about the "storm" clearing up and it possibly being safe to go outside.
My theories are:
A. It is safe to go outside and always has been, and the "storm" is just tearing up whatever external layers Ray used to dark out the dome. Ray brought Billy in here letting him think it was the end of the world, and has been experimenting on him, more or less because Ray has always been in love with Billy but can't face that about himself, and so needs to change Billy.
B. It is safe to go outside, but Ray is upset about this because he knows what he's built with Billy is special and now it's going to be different. When they were the last two people on Earth and no one knew what was happening, sure, Billy was there for him. Now that there are going to be other people, will Ray still choose to be with a man, even a man with female parts? How will Billy feel about it? This theory comes from the question Billy has "what if there are other pregnant people", and Ray realizing there's no way in hell there are and that no one will accept Billy. Also Billy's own body image, his own discussions about how he still feels like a man, and their ongoing metaphorical discussion about which one of them is the top or bottom, man or woman in the relationship. So the final scene is Ray looking through the dome, seeing the sky clearing, and then seeing Billy, so happy and pregnant and miraculous, and Ray is crying because the "safety" is over.
Just, on another note, I found the scene where they discuss Billy getting his period as lame. I liked that he kept it private, but when he said it was "powerful", idk, it made me roll my eyes (as a cis woman). It's the kind of weird take you'd expect from someone who never had a period and was trying to figure out what it felt like, but doesn't really reflect the reality of the what menstruation feels like, and it disappointed me, idk, just fyi most of us don't get our periods and think like "Ah, yes, a surge in my power" it's just like... cramps and juices, dudes. You've had a hammy, just like. Picture a hammy all over your abs and thighs and back, and then you're just leaking blood. When people start glorifying periods it just feels fetishistic, like, glorifying taking a poop lmao. "How did that feel?" "Ah, so powerful, I really, really felt like a man when I birthed that 3lb turd straight into the toilet, what a magical experience."

I may have lost the love of my life. All I ask is for bible passages or book quotes to help me face this sad reality. Thank you

Soft Kisses and Warm Embraces: Ayanokoji and Horikita's Love Journey"
Today, everyone had no classes. Ayanokoji woke up at 7 a.m., took his phone from the bed, and checked the time. He got out of bed and went to his kitchen, wanting to make a coffee, but there was no coffee powder. So, he changed his clothes and went to the market. There, he saw Horikita sitting on a bench, reading a book. Ayanokoji walked towards her and said, "Good morning, Horikita." She replied, "Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun." Horikita asked, "What brings you here today?" Ayanokoji replied, "I went to the market and bought coffee powder." Horikita said, "Oh, I see. Then I'll make coffee for you." Ayanokoji said, "Really? Are you..." Horikita replied, "Yup, I will." They walked together, and Horikita stopped, looking at the sky, taking a deep breath, and saying, "It's a quiet atmosphere, right, Ayanokoji-kun?" Ayanokoji replied, "Yeah," with a hint of coldness in his tone. Horikita noticed but didn't say anything. They reached Suzune's room, and Ayanokoji sat down, talking about their next special exam, while Horikita made tea. They sat together, and after drinking the coffee, they became silent. Ayanokoji broke the silence, "Can I say something? This is important." Horikita replied, "What do you want to say?" Ayanokoji shared his past and the White Room experiences, his voice still cold, but Horikita saw a glimmer of emotion in his eyes. After hearing this, Suzune was shocked and didn't say anything, taking the tea cups from the table and washing them. Ayanokoji asked, "Why are you silent? Say something, Horikita." Horikita breathed out and said, "Why didn't you tell me before?" Ayanokoji replied, "Because I didn't trust anyone." Horikita asked, "Do you trust me or not?" Ayanokoji said, "Now, I trust you more than anyone. And you've changed me, Horikita. Thank you." His voice still cold, but his eyes showed a hint of warmth. Later, when Ayanokoji fell ill, Horikita took care of him, and he thought, "When I'm with her, my body always relaxes." But he didn't show it, maintaining his cold exterior. After recovering, he thanked her and said, "I'll repay you for taking care of me." Horikita smiled and said, "You don't need to repay me, Ayanokoji-kun."As they sat together, Ayanokoji thought, "She's beautiful, more than anyone. A radiant blend of intellect, independence, and loyalty, infused with a calm and strategic grace, and a hint of sarcastic sparkle. Manabu was right; if I didn't know more about her, I wouldn't see her like this." But he didn't express his thoughts, keeping them hidden behind his cold mask.When Horikita asked if she could ask something, Ayanokoji replied, "What is it?" with a hint of curiosity. Horikita said, "When I'm with you, my body feels soft and gentle. I don't know why. Is this what everyone calls love or something?" Ayanokoji's expression remained cold, but his eyes showed a glimmer of surprise. He replied, "I never thought you'd say this. You have changed a lot, Horikita." His tone still cold, but his words showed a hint of warmth.As they sat together, Ayanokoji asked, "May I hold your hands?" Horikita replied suddenly, "What did you say? You want to hold my hands? Are you mad or something?" Ayanokoji replied in a slightly loud voice, "Horikita, give me your hands." His cold exterior cracking for a moment, revealing a hint of desperation. Horikita showed her palms, and Ayanokoji held them, feeling a surge of warmth Ayanokoji's grip on her hands was firm, but gentle. He didn't say a word, but his eyes spoke volumes. Horikita felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked into his eyes, seeing a depth of emotion she had never seen before. After a few moments of silence, Ayanokoji finally spoke, his voice low and husky. "Horikita, I...I don't know what's happening to me. But I feel like I can trust you with my life." Horikita's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She had never seen Ayanokoji like this before, so vulnerable and open. "Ayanokoji-kun," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I trust you too. More than anyone." Ayanokoji's eyes flashed with emotion, and he pulled her hands closer, his fingers intertwining with hers. They sat there for a few more moments, hands touching, eyes locked. The tension between them was palpable, and Horikita could feel her heart racing with excitement. She knew that this was the start of something special, something that could change their relationship forever. Finally, Ayanokoji spoke up, his voice a little stronger now. "Horikita, can I...can I see you again tomorrow? Alone?" Horikita's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She knew that this was a turning point in their relationship, and she was eager to see where it would lead. "Y-yes, Ayanokoji-kun," she stuttered, trying to hide her excitement. "I'd like that." Ayanokoji's face broke into a small smile, and he nodded, his eyes still locked on hers. "Good," he said softly. "I'll come to your room tomorrow, at 7 am." Horikita nodded, her heart racing with anticipation. She knew that tomorrow would be a new beginning, a new chapter in their relationship. As they parted ways, Horikita couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. She knew that she was falling for Ayanokoji, hard. And she could see that he felt the same way. But what would tomorrow bring? Only time would tell. The next day, Ayanokoji arrived at Horikita's room promptly at 7 am. He was dressed in his usual attire, but there was a subtle change in his demeanor. He looked more relaxed, more at ease, and his eyes seemed to hold a newfound warmth. Horikita opened the door, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw Ayanokoji standing there, looking at her with an intensity that made her feel weak in the knees. "Good morning, Horikita," he said softly, his voice low and husky. "Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun," she replied, trying to sound calm despite the butterflies in her stomach. Ayanokoji walked in, and they sat down on the bed, facing each other. The tension between them was palpable, and Horikita could feel her heart racing with excitement. "So, Horikita," Ayanokoji said, his eyes locked on hers. "I wanted to talk to you about something." "What is it, Ayanokoji-kun?" Horikita asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Ayanokoji took a deep breath before speaking. "I know I've been cold and distant in the past, but...I can't help how I feel. And I feel something for you, Horikita. Something strong." Horikita's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She had been hoping for this moment, but she hadn't expected it to come so soon. "Ayanokoji-kun," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I feel the same way. I've been trying to deny it, but...I can't help how I feel either." Ayanokoji's face broke into a small smile, and he reached out, taking her hands in his. "Horikita," he said softly, his eyes locked on hers. "I think we have a chance at something special here. Something real."Horikita nodded, her heart racing with excitement. She knew that this was the start of something new, something beautiful. And she was eager to see where it would lead. Ayanokoji's grip on her hands was firm, but gentle. He looked into her eyes, and Horikita saw a depth of emotion she had never seen before. It was as if he was pouring his heart out to her, and she felt her own heart responding in kind. "Horikita," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to be with you. I want to hold you, to kiss you, to love you. I want to be the one you turn to when you need someone. I want to be your everything." Horikita's heart was racing now, and she felt her face growing hot. She had never heard Ayanokoji speak like this before, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. She knew that she felt the same way, but she was scared of getting hurt. "Ayanokoji-kun," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I...I feel the same way. But what if we get hurt? What if we can't make it work?" Ayanokoji's face was filled with determination, and he pulled her hands closer, his fingers intertwining with hers. "We'll face it together, Horikita," he said softly. "We'll make it work, no matter what. Because I can't imagine a future without you by my side." Horikita felt her heart melt at his words, and she knew that she was lost. She was in love with Ayanokoji, and she knew that she would do anything to make him happy."Ayanokoji-kun," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you." Ayanokoji's face lit up with a smile, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "I love you too, Horikita," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "More than anything."And with that, they sealed their fate their hearts bound together in a love that would last a lifetime as they held each other, Horikita felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew that she had found her soulmate in Ayanokoji, and that their love would conquer all. Ayanokoji pulled back slightly, his eyes locked on hers. "Horikita," he said softly, his voice filled with emotion. "I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you...will you be my girlfriend?" Horikita's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She had been hoping for this moment, and she knew that she couldn't say no. "Y-yes, Ayanokoji-kun," she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'd love to be your girlfriend." Ayanokoji's face lit up with a smile, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "I promise to always be there for you, Horikita," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "To always support you, to always love you." Horikita felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she heard his words. She knew that she had found her forever love in Ayanokoji, and that their bond would only grow stronger with time. As they held each other, Horikita knew that their love story was just beginning. And she couldn't wait to see what the future held for them. The scene faded to black, with the sound of their gentle whispers and the warmth of their embrace lingering in the air.

 THE END 

Since finding this sub about 6 months ago, I've probably read 40 books that fall into the Horror genre. Most haven't really bothered me. This book, however, genuinely creeped me out. I had a nightmare, which I haven't had because of a book since I read Swan Song about 20 years ago. To be clear, I don't have kids, and I don't even really like kids, so that's not why.
I think it was just the hopelessness of the world. The way the author took you through these characters' lives and thought through aspects of this type of event that I don't think most people would think of - I think it just got to me. I've read other dystopian-type books, books where something terrible happens and we really see in detail what people would do to survive. I don't know, I guess just the sheer desperation of these characters kind of freaked me out. Again, it wasn't the kids (no kid will ever replace that kid in the Book Eaters yelling "I'm hongray!" with his cute-ass accent).
However, THE DOG DOES DIE, and it sucks!
Seriously though, I don't say much on this sub because I usually take more than I give to this community. I basically open a post, make a list of books mentioned, and go on about my weird little life. This book though, I needed to tell someone, and no one else in my life will get it. Maybe my one friend who is a PA in Neurology, because she's a little crazy, but otherwise, no. If you want to get sucked into a hopeless situation, and when it's over you just look at the world around you, your family, friends, coworkers, and not NOT stab them in the face and run away thinking you made it one more day, just to then realize you don't live in the world of the book and you will probably now live in a padded cell for a while, well, this is the book for you.

I extended my eligibility period got 2nd permit, paid cancellation fee to prometric, now when I open the prometric website, shows ur Testing window: 1 March to 31 May, I extended it uptil 31 Aug, prometric doesn't shows eligibility extension not able to book exam beyond 31 May, what should I do, does anyone faced issue like this??

So some of you may remember me from my post about the horrible “purging” from my Tret and clindamycin combo that I was prescribed. After less than 2 weeks, I had a horrible reaction that left my entire face red, bumpy, and filled with white heads. I went from smooth skin with maybe a couple of pimples and acne marks to severe acne.
Even though this is an ongoing issue, it’s still a long read! I’m so sorry in advance!
About two months ago, I quit spirono due to a bad reaction I had (I wrote an essay in my history if anyone is interested) and haven’t had too much of a problem with acne returning.
My skincare routine was originally spirono (before I quit it), azealic acid and retinol, but my dermatologist said they won’t renew my prescription unless I visit them. I didn’t want to spend the money to visit them because my dermatologist is really expensive ($170 per visit) with really limited availability and always just talks about accutane despite me saying I wasn’t interested, so I decided not to book with them and to instead just go with telehealth to get my prescription renewed. This was such a mistake!
When I talked with the nurse on GoodRx care, she suggested I go on doxycycline and spironolactone- which were both medications I wrote in the notes that I couldn’t go on. I explained again that I couldn’t go on it , so she gave me a list of prescriptions to “choose” from, which I thought was a little strange but I figured that it was normal since I never used telehealth for dermatologist before. I told her I would be willing to try an antibiotic and tretinoin. She prescribed me clindamycin and tretinoin, and told me to read the instructions on how and when to use them. Thinking back at it, it’s strange that she prescribed me such a higher dosage of both (1% clindamycin and 0.05% tretinoin) but I just “trusted the process.”
I explained my routine in the original post if anyone is interested, but it was fairly simple. After just a few days though, my entire face erupted in giant bumps (not cysts, but they looked very similar. They were red inflamed legions with no pus), pimples, and whiteheads. I posted some pictures of the before vs after if anyone is interested, but just know it got so much worse after that.
After visiting my original prescriber, the doctor supervising her (this was all on GoodRx care, so the chat was accessible to everyone) told me to immediately go to urgent care (she never saw pictures of my acne post-treatment, I only described what happened. This is because you can’t send additional pictures via good rx care). I called urgent care and they said they could help with the itching or any pain, but they can’t do much besides that. My face was itchy, constantly inflamed, and in so much pain. I went back to nurse that gave me the routine. The original prescriber told me that she was considering adding me on to an oral antibiotic to help and I agreed, only for her to never send the prescription to the pharmacy. I went back to the chat and asked about the prescription only for the PCA to respond that I needed to pay for another appointment if I wanted another prescription.
So I made another appointment and explained what happened, only for a new nurse to respond and tell me to see a doctor because my acne was too severe and that I already used the treatments that they had available. She said she was unwilling to prescribe anything else due to my reaction to their prescriptions.
At this point, I spent so much money on appointments and medications and I just felt very tired and frustrated. I made an appointment with a primary care physician and explained what happened. He said the reaction was likely due to the 1% clindamycin and to stop using it immediately. I also thought that might be the case because a few days before seeing him I patch tested clindamycin on my chest and noticed that my chest felt itchy the next day, and that I had some red marks on it.
I talked with him about how I believed that I was having a reaction and not normal acne, and after discussion we settled on a steroid course for 10 days and an antibiotic for 30 days. The steroid (a corticosteroid) treats the inflammation and the antibiotic will treat the bacterial aspect. This is all in addition to maintaining the tretinoin in my routine.
Thank you to everyone that gave me advice on that post! Especially to the person that told me to understand the difference between irritation and purging. My case was NOT purging. This was clear because I had acne in areas I’ve never broken out before. I’ve also had acne for years, so I knew the itchy redness was unusual. I kept trying to convince myself that I was overreacting, but after talking to you all, my friends, and that doctor, now I realize that I should be much more careful and observant with my health.
Also, be careful with telehealth, it’s hard to get the same quality of care as an actual doctor. I deeply regret trying to be cheap and fast with my skin. I’m now, quite literally, paying for it (financially and emotionally lol). Also, don’t stay stuck in an echo chamber! I love all the support I got from you all, but it’s important to realize that the answer isn’t always “just be patient and stick with it,” if you think something is up, then talk with a professional!
I just wanted to share this update in case it helps anyone. Again, thank you so so much for all the kindness I received from my last post!

The app is an audio storytelling app where you can respond to prompts or questions with your phone and voice and the responses becomes an of audio book(ish) experience. It's meant to be a gift BUT...
I've always thought it could be a new kind of communication tool for conflict resolution. Basically, you could be alone and express whatever you need without being attacked, talked over etc, and then share it with someone, so your feelings could be heard. It could have a "burn after reading/listening" effect so that it can't be used against you in the future like an email, text could. Also, text has a lack of emotion and tone that is mostly misunderstood in arguments etc. Real time talks face to face can be hard for ... about 1000 other reasons.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is that a stupid idea? I don't have this problem currently, but I know a ton of people that do have it. I'm curious if anyone would even use it in that way.

Trigger warning - religious differences
I always bragged about how awesome my extended family was. NO family is perfect, but I heard horror stories and always counted my blessings that I had strong ties with my Aunt and uncles since I was raised an only child. That was until a few months ago when my last living Aunt, whom I considered a second mom, shattered me.
Ok, some backstory here. My aunt is a Jehovah’s Witness. Now before you get all judgy, I have always loved her, my uncle and her son with all of my heart. I still do. I respect that they have found faith and live by this code on the daily. I have met many people from their congregation and loved them all (ok, a couple of exceptions). I also appreciate the community they have and love they all show each other. If it weren’t for the religion itself, I would have converted.
I, however, am pagan and have always been since I was about 5 (even the first book I signed out from the school’s library was about witchcraft). Not raised that way, but always found spiritual comfort in nature and the natural world. I have a very strong connection and dedication to my Powers That Be and work every day to help the world be a better place. My Aunt did not know my religion until about 7 years ago. That being said, she and I would have very philosophical conversations when we hung out together. Even at the age of 8, I would listen to her preach to me and ask questions to which she never had answers. I remember her telling me how only 144,000 people would be allowed in heaven and didn’t I think that would be wonderful knowing that our whole family could be together again after we died. We’d all be in heaven if we were all Jehova;s witnesses. I had gone with her many times to do field service (door to door) and asked her why they do that if there’s only a certain number of people allowed. Didn’t that lessen her chances of getting in because I’m sure there were many people more deserving than myself. How did she know for sure she’d be one of the ones to get in and was that fair to keep bringing people into the religion when all the spaces were probably already filled up?
At 8 years old, I had many questions and was just trying to figure these things out. Since she was an adult, I figured she had the answers. My questions were not with malice, just for a want of better understanding. When she didn’t have the answers, I'd ask my mother and grandmother. While they were extremely amused, they said they never understood either. They never said anything bad about her or her attempts to get them to convert, just allowed me to explore religion and spirituality as I wished so I could make my own decision of what was right for me.
Once I was an adult, I avoided talking to her about religion, but found that if I didn’t ask questions and just let her talk, it made her happy. I know she’s a good person at heart and that’s all that matters. After my Mom passed, my aunt and I talked almost every week. I loved talking to her and she became even more like a mom to me. She gave me encouragement and we supported each other through health and emotional crises. I’d make it a point to try and visit at least once a year for a few days so she could visit with my daughter and I. We’d always do lunch with her friends and I loved it. I fell in love with some of the people in her congregation and wished we could live closer to hang out more. I, however, never wavered on my spiritual beliefs, but I have never cared about the religion, race, or sexuality of anyone. If we got along, we were friends and that was that.
My aunt and I had come to an understanding that I would not convert and that we would love and respect each other regardless. Religious talk was off the table for the most part until both of my uncles (my aunt’s two brothers) passed and she had a very hard time dealing with it. She was the last surviving sibling and she was sinking into a depression. I’d talk to her at length and listen to her as she mourned the fact that she would never have contact with them (and my mom) in heaven because they never converted. When she asked me what I believed, I told her that I believed that the soul lived on after the body died and that I believed in reincarnation. I explained my beliefs were closer to hindu and buddhism than christianity (so she had context). We had very long talks and she expressed that she respected my views and actually found comfort in talking with me.
That was until my daughter and I opened our store about 3 years ago. It’s a metaphysical shop and we have crystals, teas, gifts, jewelry, candles and more (about 10% strict;y pagan). My aunt was happy for us until it dawned on her that we might sell pagan stuff. I told her what we sold and she asked me if I was a witch. I replied that I suppose that was one way to describe me, but, again, I considered myself spiritual and that I followed a path closer to buddhism, hinduism, native american. I sent a couple of pictures of the jewelry that we made and she said when we came down, we should bring the jewelry making.
We did, I brought down our best crystals to wrap and bracelet materials and my daughter and I made her a necklace with a very expensive stone (A $200 piece). She brought her friends over and they picked out crystals that they wanted, made bracelets and such. We had fun and I was happy to do it, though I wasn’t expecting people that I had never met before. Still, we had fun. My daughter and I also brought her a basket with local items from our hometown, (Raw honey, handmade stoneware mugs, cutting board, herbal tea and some other items made by us as well) She was thrilled. My aunt and uncle had taken a couple of bad falls a few months before and so my daughter and I made them hand carved cedar walking sticks as well because we knew they went for regular walks and thought it would help their balance. It felt amazing to lavish expensive and heartfelt gifts on them as I has struggled so long with money. I was finally in a place that I could do it. To say the gifts probably totalled in excess of 1K is on the low side, but I was still happy to do it.
Besides the fact that they tried converting my daughter when I wasn’t around, it was a lovely visit. The only problem I had was with a new person my aunt introduced us to. This woman, we’ll call her Dee, ignored me and only talked to my daughter. She was my age if not older, but conversed with my daughter, 17, like I wasn’t there. They traded contact info and Dee insisted that they keep in touch while my daughter was in college. Dee said she was going to keep an eye on her. I thought that was odd, but I did enjoy the feeling of having an extended family sort of since I actually had no family besides my Aunt.
Let’s jump forward to the following year and we were struggling financially. Not horrible, but unable to lavish the gifts that we did the year before. Instead, I created a beautiful aromatherapy candle, some delicious herbal teas and we found a couple of very rare antique tea cups that had amazing value to them (about $100 a piece). We made a basket for her and I decided we would cook for them. (gluten free, soy free, dairy free etc). Our visit went so well, it was great to see them. We just enjoyed hanging out with them and talking. They loved the meal we made for them and the dairy free organic chocolate I made. Everything was great until the day we were leaving. Dee showed up and again ignored me, talked to my daughter and chastised her for getting a pet snake as that was an animal associated with the devil. My daughter is one to push the envelope a bit and said how she wanted to get a tattoo as well, one of a snake. Both my aunt and Dee were shocked and said she should never get a tattoo.. Again related to the devil, I went to the bathroom as I was not involved in the conversation and knew my daughter could hold her own. Little do they know that my daughter is also trans. I told her not to say anything to them just yet. I came back to them talking about how college was going and I thought my aunt and Dee would faint when she said her college roommate was male. She quickly explained that it was fine because he was gay and how awesome he was (he is btw). She quickly realized what I meant when she saw their reaction to him being gay. It wasn’t that she was living with a boy, it was that he was gay and “why did he choose to be gay.” I tried redirecting the conversation a couple of times, but they ignored me.
They finally let it go, but just after Dee left, we were getting ready to depart as well. My aunt returned the basket I made for her (minus the expensive tea cups). She said she could not accept them as they were touched by the devil. Shocked, I asked what she meant. She said that because they came from my store, they carried Satan's influence and she could not have them in our home. Truthfully, I explained that I made those items for her and that the only things that came from the store were the teacups. She was confused why I had gotten upset. When I explained that I gave her a gift and if she didn’t want it, she could regift it or throw it away. That gift came from my heart with all the love I have for her and that I didn't need to know her opinions about the gifts because It insinuated I, myself, was evil and it was extremely hurtful. She basically continued on insisting that I was just not aware of how much Satan had a hold of me. All I could do was tell her how much I loved her and leave.
I didn’t take her calls and cried about this for over a month. I finally felt strong enough to talk to her and again she insisted that because those items touched my hands, they were influenced by satan and she wished I could understand how they just can’t have that influence in their home. Frustrated, I asked how she could shop at grocery stores or buy anything from department stores because she can’t guarantee that those items didn’t touch hands that were influenced by satan. Also , I asked her how they could have eaten the food I prepared for them and why did they even invite me into their home to begin with if that’s the way she felt about me. She suddenly needed to go.
We talked a few times since then but it always came back to religion. At one point I asked her again why she would even invite us to her home if she felt that way. Her response was to save my daughter. The pain and heartache she has inflicted is immense, but I cannot bring myself to argue the point because I’m afraid if I make my point to her, it will break her. She’s in her 80’s and I believe has the beginnings of dementia. Her religion brings her comfort and I don’t want to say anything that might make her doubt her religion at her advanced age.
I’ve decided it is probably best for both of our mental health to stop all contact with her( with the exception of sending cards telling them how much I love them) even though I’ve always seen her as a second mom. AITA for making this decision and not trying to work things out with her or allow her to believe that I still might convert?
*** Please understand this is not a bash on any religion. Everyone has the right to believe in whatever religion they wish. That includes me, so if you feel the need to bash them or me for our spiritual choices, you can move along ***
I have never felt like I needed to hide any part of me from my friends, family, and the public in general. Not until now. Buckle up, this is a bumpy ride.
I've always been kind hearted, almost to a flaw. I took care of my grandmother, my step-dad, my mom and helped with a family friend during long term and terminal illnesses. I had my daughter and, without her father's help, raised her on my own with very little to no support. I helped friends with their farm who left me homeless in the end because I want interested in an extramarital affair. I lost my home and all that I loved including my husband because he lied to me and never paid it mortgage while I was recovering from an illness. In short, I have had a tough life, but it has never made me turn my back on anyone who needed help or in difficult family when they were ignored by the others. That's just some background before I tell you this situation.
Three years ago, after a bout of covid, my daughter was suicidal. She had been in the top three of her HS class and yet at that point almost failed her junior year. Not knowing if she would have the emotional strength to face college and adulting in general, I set up a plan B for her. I started a store in her name and that way she'd have something at least to fall back on if she was unable to function in the m-f 9 to 5 world. We started slow by doing craft fairs, seeking crystals, candles, jewelry, and gifts. We were kicked out of one because the person running it assumed we were witches. She was not wrong exactly as we identified as pagan, but we lived our life closest to the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, not traditional wicca. These were people who knew us for years and were considered acquaintances if not friends.
Our business flourished and we ended up opening our brick and mortar that fall after remodeling our garage/ barn and turning it into a store front. Even though I run it for my daughter, it is hers and we work together to keep it going.
In the past few years I've lost my mom, and two uncles. I have no family besides my mother's sister and her husband which we were pretty close. My aunt knew that I was pagan and had tried recruiting me into her religion since I was 5. Even at that tender age her religion never made sense and I would ask her questions to which she never had answers. I accepted her and respected her and her religion even though I didn't agree. I loved the people she introduced me to that were in her church and I always got along with them. That is until we visited the year after we started our store. My aunt was thrilled about us bringing crystals down and making jewelry with her. We met a new friend of hers (middle aged woman) who ignored me completely and oozed affection on my daughter. She got my daughter's contact info and contacted her frequently. Trying to convert and ”save” her. My daughter wasn't having it as even though she was in a delicate state, she is very level headed and strong willed.
This year we visited and we brought herbal tea, candies, and rare vintage tea cups for my aunt. The day we were leaving, she handed back everything but the vintage tea cups and told me she couldn't accept them because they were touched by Satan (aka made by my hands). To say I was devastated is an understatement. This woman was always like a second mom to me and we had grown closer after my mom passed away. It was a 20 hour drive home and I cried most of the way. I cried for weeks after a well. Thinking of it now still brings me tears. As she was telling me that Satan had a hold on me and that she was trying to save me, all I did was remind her how much I loved her and my uncle. Every time since then that we have talked, she says the same thing, but now she told me I was a lost cause. I feel like trying to stay in touch is detrimental to her mental health ( and my own). I don't want to give up or abandon the last of my family, but I can't talk to her and endure the endless insinuations that I'm evil because I don't believe in her religion. She took a bad fall and broke her arm. The last time we spoke, she talked as if it was my fault for bringing the devil into her home.
While I could usually brush this off as delusional ranting, it hits hard because the same day she fell, my dad died. I know the Powers That Be only give as much as we can handle, I just wish they didn't have so much faith in me.
They are in their 80s. I know in all the pieces of my broken heart that they'll never be able to accept my daughter and I unless we change religions and it has crossed my mind just to say we have to put her at ease, but I can't lie like that to them and we cannot betray ourselves like that either. By

Background
The Dunmer population of Windhelm is composed primarily of refugees (or born of refugees) who escaped Vvardenfel’s disastrous living conditions after the eruption of the Red Mountain in 4E 5, known as the Red Year. The migration of most of these refugees likely took place in the years following the disaster. In the roughly 200 years since, they’ve built a sizable community within Windhelm’s ghetto, formerly known as the Snow Quarter. The squalor they live in during the present time (4E 201) is indicative of their long struggle to integrate with the Nord majority. Now, why has there been such a struggle?
According to a variety of non-Dunmer NPC dialogue, the common sentiment is that the Dunmer keep to themselves, they do not try to integrate, they do not work hard, and they do not get involved with the war effort. The in-game book Scourge of the Gray Quarter by Frilgeth Horse-Breaker makes many complaints on the Dunmer’s existence in Windhelm, reiterating such sentiments and claiming they do not contribute to the city. That the book makes reference to Ulfric as jarl, it can be assumed that these are at the very least the sentiments of the present time.
The Struggle
The book notably compares the Dunmer of Windhelm to the Dunmer of Riften, claiming the Dunmer of Riften are able to integrate because they are more hard working and engage in honest labor. In this explanation the writer (quite obviously) shows their bias in they neglect the crucial detail of describing the cities themselves. The people of Riften do not have the same level of xenophobia that those in Windhelm do. They do not have a jarl whose actions encourage the separation of multiple “outsider” groups and Nords. The people of Riften engage with the Dunmer like they would anyone else, contrasted with Windhelm where a Dunmer is more often than not labeled as an “outsider”.
The treatment of Dunmer refugees in Riften also differ in that they were not relegated to a ghetto. This is not to say that Windhelm explicitly forbids Dunmer from buying homes outside of the Gray Quarter (although dialogue of Aval Atheron might suggest so), but rather they are not afforded social mobility as a whole. According to Malthyr Elenil ‘s dialogue, the Quarter “wasn't always so bad”. Judging by the architecture relative to the rest of the city, I’d argue that this Quarter was a slum prior to the Dunmer arrival. In essence, it was a slum before they got there and it remains a slum today (if not worse), but is it the fault of the Dunmer? According to the dialogue of Scouts-Many-Marshes, an Argonian living on the Windhelm docks, it is implied that an Argonian working in Windhelm makes 8 septims per day plus lodging, presumably a tenth the wage of a “proper Nord worker”. Whether or not this “tenth” is an exaggeration or not, Scouts refers to this level of pay as akin to slave labor. Comparing the squalor of the Argonians and the Dunmer, and taking into account the kind of jobs available to them in this city, it can be fairly assumed that the Dunmer do not make much more money than the Argonians when working for the Windhelm Nords. Contrasted again with Riften, where no such race based pay gap seems to exist. How can the Dunmer be expected then, to adequately maintain their neighborhoods on a pay that is a mere fraction of a Nords?
Trying to make a comparison of “work ethic” between the Dunmer of Riften and Windhelm is inherently unfair when you ignore the near diametric social conditions of the two cities. This is also indicative of the Windhelm Nord’s refusal to acknowledge the roots of Dunmer issues. The old jarls of Windhelm may have accepted the refugees, but the Nord citizens have clearly endeavored to keep them at an arm’s length, leading to the segregation of the Windhelm Dunmer we see today.
The “Good Ones” and the Model Minority
Many might look upon Beylyn Hlaalu as proof that any Dunmer can work their way out of poverty. He is the only Dunmer land owner in Windhelm, a proud man who credits his success to his hard work and resents the poorer Dunmer for complaining. But what many fail to consider is that he is a descendent of House Hlaalu, a former Great House of Morrowind. Although House Hlaalu at this point has lost all major political power, they’re still a family of considerable wealth and influence in Raven Rock, albeit under a fake name. I find it rather likely then, in a culture who so values clanship, that Beylyn Hlaalu has had monetary support from his wealthy relatives in order to at the very least kickstart his farm. And although there are no explicit pieces of lore that support this, one must wonder if it is truly coincidence that the shining example of Dunmer success is one born from a not too distantly historically powerful family.
The successes of the Altmer residents in Windhelm are also cited as proof of Dunmer failings. They are Nurelion, Niranye, Ulundil, and his wife Arivanya. Niranye is presumably the newest Altmer migrant to the city, saying she's only just arrived from the Summerset Isles. She is the only one of the Altmer to make references to mistreatment by Nords, claiming that it was difficult at first but she'd eventually proved her usefulness. Clearly she has been able to integrate with Nord society, and once again it is credited as her own hard work. But is that completely true? There are three factors for her ease of integration that are being ignored here: Unlike the Dunmer, the Altmer arrived as business minded merchants and not as refugees, There were already well established and respected Altmer living in the city prior to her arrival, and her business is unfairly propped up by her dealings with crime guilds. Her business directly competes with that of Ravyn Sadri, a Dunmer general goods merchant. By acquiring her goods through her criminal connections and selling at absurdly low prices, she is able to quite easily undercut Ravyn’s business, who operates honestly.
Referencing Scourge of the Gray Quarter again, the writing finishes by claiming that Windhelm Argonians should be the model for Dunmer behavior and acceptance. They write that the Argonian “has learned how to best contribute to their new home…toiling with utmost efficiency and bright smiles”. Once again this text omits crucial details. The Argonians are forbidden, by decree of Ulfric Stormcloak, from entering the city. And make no mistake, this segregation is not because of the racial tensions between Dunmer and Argonian. According to dialogue from Brunwulf Free-Winter it was primarily due to Ulfric’s distrust of foreigners and Nord stubbornness. They are only permitted to reside on the docks and, as stated before, make a mere fraction of the pay of a Nord worker because of the explicit reason of not being a Nord. This is the proposed model for acceptance? Exploitation, racial hierarchy, and wage slavery? Who reads Scourge of the Gray Quarter, looks at the Argonians, and genuinely thinks they’ve successfully integrated?
When holding these so-called examples of Dunmer failures to light, it’s clear to see that they hold little water. The successes of the “good ones” are not wholly the result of pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, but likely by benefitting from pre existing privileges that gave them an advantage over the Dunmer as a whole. And the proposed solution for those without such privileges? Becoming servile and catering to the Nords at the Dunmer’s own expense. In the face of mistreatment and mistrust by the majority group, an administration that refuses to listen to them, racially biased pay gaps, a competition that cheats them, and wage slavery: how rational is it to say all they need to do is “work harder”?
Another Man’s War
A common criticism of the Windhelm Dunmer is that they refuse to join Ulfric Stormcloak’s war effort. Many claim that it is their duty as residents of Windhelm, that they owe a debt to the city for taking them in as refugees 200 years ago. But I ask you this, why should they fight on behalf of a system that harms them? It should first be said that the Stormcloak Rebellion’s primary function is to release Skyrim from the rule of the Empire, so that Skyrim’s people may solely be governed by those who live in Skyrim (Ignoring for a moment that Ulfric’s rebellion was set in motion by the Thalmor to weaken the Empire, according to the Thalmor Dossier). An admirable sentiment, but it has manifested itself as highly xenophobic and oftentimes hostile (most commonly verbally) to those who are not Nords. In the case of the Windhelm Dunmer, it has led to the local Nords being more distrustful than ever before. More dialogue from Brunwulf indicates the escalation of racial tension in the city is primarily the result of Ulfric’s “Skyrim for the Nords” rhetoric. This paired with Ulfric’s complete apathy towards the issues faced by non-Nords in his hold communicates a hatred towards them and systematically harms them.
Many players are under the impression that the Dunmer received free housing and live tax free due to what is written in the Decree of Monument."untithed to any thane or hold, and self-governed, with free worship, with no compensation to Skyrim or the Empire”. I’d argue the text is referring to taxes rather than housing, and no other in-game source makes reference to the housing situation either. But does that mean it is true that the Dunmer don’t pay taxes? One of the outcomes of Revyn Sadri’s quest results in him having to pay “increased taxes” to the city of Windhelm, implying that yes, the Dunmer are currently paying taxes. I do not think it is likely that only Revyn or only some Dunmer are paying taxes. It can be fairly assumed then that at some point between 4E 20 (when the monument was placed) and the present time of 4E 201, the Dunmer were made to pay taxes like any other citizen. As for housing, I find it unlikely the Dunmer received the Gray Quarter for free. As stated earlier, it was likely a slum to begin with, meaning it would’ve been considerably cheap to move in. Perhaps offered to them at a reduced price. It is important to note that the Dunmer being refugees at the beginning does not automatically mean they were penniless upon arrival, likely poor, but it would be unrealistic to assume all of them had nothing at all. Realizing now that the Dunmer of Windhelm are tax paying citizens who are continually ignored and othered by their ruler, it surely must be understandable then why they would refuse to fight on behalf of a system that at this point only takes from them. They owe the Nordic administration no loyalty
Conclusion
With a ruling majority that will more often than not shun, insult, or exploit them, It is no wonder then how the Dunmer of Windhelm as a whole have not been able to integrate, that they “keep to themselves”, that they “don’t contribute to the city”. For how can one integrate with those who refuse to ever fully accept them? If you wonder why they do not leave, with what funds could they start anew? If you wonder why they dont help the Nords in their war, why would they fight for a cause that harms them? The system is as the system does, and that system is racism.
Author’s Note
Idk what I wrote all this for lmao. Ive been playing skyrim for over a decade so I guess I thought it would be interesting to engage with the game in another way that's new to me. It was only recently that I got more interested in actually talking to NPCs, learning more about the game world, not just in it for the cool fights and jiggle physics mods (tho i do love em). There's a good degree of guess work here, which I suppose is to be expected with what few pieces that are available we can put together. But I tried to cite as much from official lore as I can. Was def fun trying to take a more nuanced lens to this fantastical game world.
But what do you think? Do you think my analysis is accurate? I'd love to see your opinions on the topic!
SOURCES
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Year
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Scourge_of_the_Gray_Quarter
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Malthyr_Elenil
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Aval_Atheron
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Scouts-Many-Marshes
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Belyn_Hlaalu#Conversations
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/House_Hlaalu#Fourth_Era
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Vendil_Severin
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Niranye
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Revyn_Sadri
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Brunwulf_Free-Winter
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Thalmor_Dossier:_Ulfric_Stormcloak
https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Decree_of_Monument

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Switch	Condition
Adventure Acedamia	Sealed
Atelier Ryza 3	Complete in Box
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	Complete in Box
Cruel King and the Great Hero Storybook Edition	Complete in Box
Ender Lilies	Sealed, Japan Import
Grim Fandango Remastered	Complete in Box, no slip cover
Labyrinth of Refrain	Loose
Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom	Sealed
Metroid Dread Collector's Edition	Sealed, a few dings associated with shipping
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	Sealed
The Mummy Demastered	Complete in Box
River City Girls	Complete in Box, US Copy, Best Buy Variant
Shadowverse Champion's Battle	Loose
Shantae	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge	Sealed
Shantae Collector's Edition	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	Sealed
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap	Complete in Box
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	Loose

 

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

 

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

 

DS	Condition
Animal Crossing Wild World	Game, Case, and inserts. No Manual
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo's Dungeon DS+	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Izuna 2 The Unemployed Ninja Returns	Loose
Super Scribblenauts	Loose

 

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

 

GBA	Condition
Car Battler Joe	Loose. Label imperfections
Chocobo Land A Game of Dice	Loose
Lady Sia	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	Loose. Label imperfections
Super Mario Advance	No label

 

GB	Condition
Alleyway	Loose
Kid Dracula	Loose

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

PS3	Condition
Sports Champions	Complete in Box

 

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

 

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

 

XBOX One	Condition
Watchdogs	Sealed

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Switch	Price	Condition
Adventure Acedamia	30	Sealed
Atelier Ryza 3	90	Complete in Box
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	40	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	30	Complete in Box
Cruel King and the Great Hero Storybook Edition	60	Complete in Box
Ender Lilies	55	Sealed, Japan Import
Grim Fandango Remastered	45	Complete in Box, no slip cover
Labyrinth of Refrain	65	Loose
Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom	60	Sealed
Metroid Dread Collector's Edition	110	Sealed, a few dings associated with shipping
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	160	Sealed
The Mummy Demastered	55	Complete in Box
River City Girls	120	Complete in Box, US Copy, Best Buy Variant
Shadowverse Champion's Battle	15	Loose
Shantae	50	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge	50	Sealed
Shantae Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	30	Sealed
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap	40	Complete in Box
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	18	Loose

 

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

 

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

 

DS	Price	Condition
Animal Crossing Wild World	35	Game, Case, and inserts. No Manual
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo's Dungeon DS+	25	Complete in Box, Japanese Import
Izuna 2 The Unemployed Ninja Returns	70	Loose
Super Scribblenauts	5	Loose

 

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

 

GBA	Price	Condition
Car Battler Joe	180	Loose. Label imperfections
Chocobo Land A Game of Dice	15	Loose
Lady Sia	30	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	50	Loose. Label imperfections
Super Mario Advance	13	No label

 

GB	Price	Condition
Alleyway	5	Loose
Kid Dracula	240	Loose

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

PS2	Price	Condition
Avatar The Last Airbender	10	Disc and Case
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance	17	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Bully	15	Greatest Hits, game & artwork
Burnout 3 Takedown	11	Complete, Water Damage on back cover art
Burnout Dominator	9	Case and Disc, Disc has superficial scratches but still boots
Castlevania Curse of Darkness	60	Loose, Disc has light scratching
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Dragon Ball Z Budokai	11	Complete in Box
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	15	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Final Fantasy X	6	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Final Fantasy X-2	6	Complete; Greatest Hits
Haunting Ground	300	Complete in Box, Water Damage on art and manual
Killzone	15	Complete in Box
Grand Theft Auto Vice City	10	Disc, Case, Poster, No Manual
.Hack Infection	20	Complete in Box, Includes Anime DVD
.Hack Mutation	45	Complete in Box, Includes Anime DVD
.Hack Outbreak	65	Complete in Box, Includes Anime DVD
.Hack Quaratine	300	Discs and Case, no manual
Marvel vs Capcom 2	60	Cracked Disc, won't boot for me. Comes with case, no manual
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	10	Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground 2	24	Complete in Box
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Resident Evil Dead Aim	50	Game and Case, No manual
Scarface	40	Complete; Greatest Hits
Simpsons Road Rage	15	Loose, Greatest Hits
Valkyrie Profile 2	40	Complete In Box, some wear on the artwork and manual
Tekken Tag Tournament	10	Disc and Case, Greatest Hits, Full side Movie Gallery sticker on DVD face

 

PS3	Price	Condition
Sports Champions	10	Complete in Box

 

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

 

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

 

XBOX One	Price	Condition
Watchdogs	15	Sealed

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

What is Dark Magic?
That's the question, I'm sure, if not every single one, but the majority of readers asked themselves at least once. Dark Magic in general is described as magic malicious in nature, one that's used to cause harm. It doesn't really make sense: a good applied Incendio is just as well to kill you as a swift Killing Curse, even more painfully, in fact. Or why Imperius is Unforgivable, but love potions are totally fine and legal and not considered Dark? And I'm sure people here are painfully familiar with many such arguments.
Did you know that "Petrificus Totalus" spell Hermione used on Neville at the end of the first book is a dark charm? Apparently, according to "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" from Pottermore, jinxes, hexes and curses (though the last one is obvious) are all dark spells. And that includes such things as Ron's Slug-Vomiting Curse, Ginny's signature Bat-Bogey Hex, even Leg-Locking Curse that Draco used to bully Neville in first year. All because their purpose is to cause a negative effect.
So, some Dark Magic is bad, but other is used regularly in schoolyard fights, and no one bats an eye. Where's the line and who sets it?
Alright, Dark Magic in canon doesn't make sense. That means, that a lot of fic writers take it upon themselves to fill the gaps in logic and give their own definitions of what magic constitutes as dark. From the top of my head, I can remember a few, let me know if you recognize them:

• Dark magic is magic that's powered by emotions. Everyone knows that to properly use Killing or Cruciatus Curse, you have to fully desire to cause death and pain, so that fits. Also, by this definition, Patronus Charm is dark because it's powered by happiness. Why not, quite a good irony.
• Dark magic is powered by external source, while "light" magic is internal. I don't remember the details, but it was something to the effect that external makes it more powerful, and power corrupts, so it's feared. A bit strange but has a nice message behind it. Also, why I'm on the topic, a friendly reminder to those who are too deep in fanon and mix things up with canon. There's no such thing as "light" magic, just like there was no "Light" side in the war. There's Dark and there's everything else.
• Dark magic is one that is secret familial magic. People develop or discover new spells and for whatever reason decide not to share them, but to hoard them in their family grimoire, so other people don't know such a powerful spell or countermeasures against it. Usually this is followed by some heavy pureblood Houses politics, Lordships and such. Also, I've seen fics where bloodline gifts such as Tonks' metamorphmagus ability were considered Dark Magic for whatever reason (Bashed Dumbledore's propaganda to suppress pureblood Houses, more likely).
• Dark magic is the one that's forbidden by government. This is my personal favorite, as I prefer harder magical systems. In this case, it means that there's nothing inherently wrong in this magic, it's not different in nature from any other magic, just one that's seen as too dangerous. Of course, it also invites a heavy abuse by government to declare anything they don't want to as dangerous Dark Magic that's to be prosecuted for, but that's another story.

I like these theories, I like when people try to come up with their own interpretations or their ways to fill the holes in lore and logic. Not all of them I agree with, but it hardly matters.
What peeves me, however, is when authors use this fact, that there's no clear definition of Dark Magic or Dark Arts, as an excuse to basically do whatever they want. A character (more likely, main one) does or practices something that people don't like, so they just accuse them with an empty argument "it's bad, it's Dark Magic!". And no one can argue, because no one understands what Dark Magic even is! They don't have a box list of criteria to disprove. "I don't know what you're doing, I don't understand it - it's Dark Magic, it's bad."
It's one of the favorite arguments in Hermione or Order bashing stories when MC does something they do not approve of. Dumbledore bashing uses a bit different arguments, but this one can also be included.
It's just such a... I don't want to call it a bashing tool, because I can't say if every such story involves a heavy bashing, but it has potential to be, at least. I'd call it a bludgeoning tool. Just a blunt method to make characters do whatever they want without the need for any finer details: it's so much easier to just use the brand "Dark Magic" and get over it, why give any explanations.
Although, to be completely fair, canon does it as well to some extent.

“Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?” Seamus whispered.
“Can’t have,” Hagrid said, his voice shaking. “Can’t nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand.”

Non-Dark magic can't do something like that? What is Dark about taking control of a broom anyway? Though, admittedly it's Hagrid, no matter his virtues, not the most reliable or knowledgeable of sources on this topic.

“Ask him,” shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.
“No second year could have done this,” said Dumbledore firmly. “It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced — ”

Again, I don't understand what the heck it is, so it must be Dark Magic. But, it is Dumbledore and highly knowledgeable wizard, plus it's clearly a harmful effect, so it's more assumption based on those, plus experience.

“Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. “If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing — ”

“But, Professor,” piped up Parvati Patil, “you’d probably have to use Dark Magic to open it — ”
The Chamber of Secrets can't be kept a secret without resorting to Dark Magic? If no one found it, so it must be something truly obscure and terrible, so it's Dark. But, I mean, she's a second year girl...

Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn’t use Dark Magic?”
But Hermione surely disappoints here. Apparently, non-Dark countermeasures are all accounted for, so if they failed he must have used some Dark stuff.
It's very sad picture, which says about either ignorance on the matter, which is excusable for children but pity that it's not taught, or arrogance in the assumption that you know every bit of non-Dark magic there is and can be.
Anyway, we came back to the canon and it's understanding of Dark Magic. I spent some time thinking about it, what J.K.Rowling meant by it, without resorting to any headcanons.
No one can argue that Harry Potter series is filled with symbolism as any good fiction tends to be. It's a story for children, at least started as, and young adults, so besides a good adventure it also contains a moral message and more than one. The story of Boy-Who-Lived is about love and redemption, first and foremost. "Love is the most powerful thing in the world" is not just a preaching of a senile old man, but the most central point of the whole book series.
So, based on this, I believe that in canon Dark Magic at its basics is the magic that corrupts the soul. What it means is open to interpretation, as it often is when the topic of a human soul is involved. It's all based on the same moral messages between the lines: when you do bad things to others, it slowly but surely corrupts your soul, and if you fall into temptation, only love and compassion can heal the harm done to yourself. Harry vs Voldemort is basically the fight between Love and Hate, Soul and Soulless. That's why Patronus is basically an epitome of defense. And that's why Horcruxes are considered to be The Darkest of Magic, when it literally tears the soul apart. And that's why the cold blooded murder is even involved in the process of making one - metaphorical tear becomes literal.
To be completely honest, I find myself a bit resentful of the message, no matter how nice and beautiful it sounds. It somehow implies that soul is only about love, compassion, friendship and so on, that any negative feelings do not and must not have a part in it. But, I guess, it's a bit too much of a philosophical, ethical and psychological question to dive into in here.

I 26F gave my 32F sister "Bethy" some candies and a spa treatment for Mother's Day because I see her as the godmother of my children (1f twins). I did the same thing for my twin brother, 26M "Jace," and he was ecstatic and asked if we could do it together, for old time's sake.
Bethy got angry at me. As mentioned in previous posts, Bethy and I are both SAHMs, although my husband is a master plumber (Micheal 30M) and hers is an elementary school teacher (Jackson 35M). She yelled at me for gifting her something she couldn't afford on her own and how would she do it during the summer when her eldest is on summer break and she doesn't have daycare for her younger kids. When I told her I would happily watch them or take them to the park or a movie, she began to yell. Calling my gift tacky and telling me I could "Shove it up my crooked ass". This was hurtful as I have a spinal cord injury and am an ambulatory wheelchair user.
She slammed the door in my face, taking the gift with her, and I left in tears. After I got home and put my girls to bed, my husband and I watched a movie together, ordered my favorite takeout and he rubbed my back for a little, it helps with the pain. I told him what happened and he suggested that if she didn't want to go, that I should cancel it, especially after the insult.
I ended up canceling her spa treatments and bought one and scheduled the appointment on the same day as Jace's appointment for myself so I can spend time with him. My sister called me this morning and confronted me about canceling her spa treatment, she tried to book an appointment and her certificate was declined. I explained that I canceled it and booked one for myself because it seemed like she didn't want it. She freaked out and told me I was a spoiled little asshole and I should try living her life in her shoes and how she needed the spa treatment more than I did.
I'm a people pleaser and was always taught I had to respect her. I have a hard time not giving her what she wants. AITA?

Hi Horror fans! I am back with a few more reviews. I normally try to mix up the new and the old the classic and the atypical when I can. My success varies depending on which books call to me. Let me know what you think!
Lowest reviewed to highest.
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Premise- A new rabies virus is running rampant in Massachusetts and Nats is running out of time. Almost ready to give birth and exposed to the rapidly advancing virus she needs help before the baby arrives or she succumbs…
Thoughts- This book almost broke my DNF record. It has been a long time since I gave up on a book and this was close. If it wasn’t a relatively short book (around 300 pages) I don’t think I would have powered through. I disliked one of the main characters throughout (Nats) finding her grating and her attempts at humour embarrassing. It also employs just about every cliché ever put into the apocalyptic or outbreak genre and then makes it worse by being self referential about the cliches. Then towards the end the other main character who I didn’t mind as much becomes so selfish (I understand she’s trying to help her friend but come on) that she willingly endangers a busload of people just for her own ends. All of this is without delving into the awkward and awful kid “slang” Tremblay employs for about 50 pages in the middle of the book. My wife really enjoyed the audiobook for his A Head Full of Ghosts so I will probably try that before writing him off as an author who is not for me but he has a really difficult hill to climb after this. A final thing to note much of this book even when action was occurring felt plodding and slow somehow which I can’t even wrap my head around because rabies infected people chasing down our main characters should be exciting but I could barely keep my eyes open.
Rating- 2/5. Not a 1 because I finished it. Do not recommend. Read any other apocalyptic or outbreak book The Stand or Swan Song comes to mind.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Premise- The Black Death ravages the French countryside and evil lurks behind every corner. A former knight turned brigand encounters a young girl who is more than she seems. Can he find redemption? Does he deserve it?
Thoughts- This is another horrorlit darling. I actually picked up Buehlman’s fantasy novel The Blacktongue Thief first in anticipation of this this novel because it was the only novel of his available at my book store. I enjoyed that and appreciated the author’s humour and dark side. This novel came with a lot of hype as it has to be one of the most recommended books in this sub. The premise of a medieval horror which features demons and devils was incredibly appealing and my wife and I decided to read through it at the same time (her on audio). We both found it pretty underwhelming which I know might be controversial. It’s strange because its well written, I enjoy the characters and the setting but somehow it did not gel with me. The best way I can describe it is it felt almost like a horror show with say 22 episodes. Like most shows with 22 episodes a lot of them are filler or freak of the week episodes and that is how a lot of the middle of the book felt to me. We would travel along with Thomas and Delphine, they would encounter something strange and remarkable (occasionally horrifying) and move on to another area where another strange or remarkable thing would happen. It felt oddly disconnected. Now I need to talk about the ending which didn’t redeem my feelings about a large portion of the book but it was my favourite thing about this novel for sure. It ends in a fantastic way and encapsulates what I think the author was going for throughout the book but didn’t land for me until the end with themes concerning sin, redemption and second chances. This might be the definition of a book I appreciate and can see what others love about it but didn’t register with me for large portions. That ending though, so good.
Rating-3.5/5 stars. An interesting setting for a modern horror novel let down by some meandering adventures which caused it to lose me somewhat before ending on a high note.
Little Heaven by Nick Cutter
Premise- Three hardened mercenaries team up for what seems like an easy job, rescue a woman’s nephew from a cult down south. What it turns into is a fight for their lives which will haunt them down through the years and will make them wonder if they ever really escaped Little Heaven?
Thoughts- My second foray into the work of horrorlit darling Nick Cutter. I enjoyed The Troop and found it suitably disgusting and chilling to earn the reputation it has in the wider horror fan annals. I actually think I prefer Little Heaven overall. One of my biggest gripes with The Troop was its lack of meaningful characters and many of them felt like stereotypes and while some of the characters in Little Heaven fall a little into that category (the Reverand in particular is just a straight black heart) the main group were all well realized in my opinion and despite their obvious shortcomings I came to root for them. Cutter per usual is a master with description, creeping the reader out with every mention of things slimy, crawly or looming. In this book he has included some pages of art which further the atmosphere and really burn some of the images into your mind (one rather tall character in particular). I enjoyed the back and forth between the two timelines, one during the initial trip to Little Heaven in the 60’s and the ugly return in the 80’s. It had almost an It like feeling of needing to overcome your fear when you know what is awaiting you but finding the courage decades later to face it regardless. Similarly to The Troop, Cutter doesn’t give us the Hollywood happy ending either which I enjoy, you get your elements and take what you can from such an evil place. Without going into spoilers there were things about the ultimate confrontation which I disliked (mostly the reveal of what is within the black rock itself) and things which I enjoyed a lot (the ultimate fate of one of the main characters). I think that I have now read what I would consider his two most applauded books I can move onto the one which splits horror audiences in half, The Deep. Overall though Cutter writes horror that really is a page turner and I will continue to read him until he proves otherwise.
Rating-4/5 stars. Another fast-paced creepy jaunt evoking elements of Heart of Darkness (and modern horror takes like Children of Chaos) and the two timeline split involving children obsessed evil like King’s It, Mr. Cutter continues to impress and make it his own.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Premise- The sun has gone dark and the great empire of Elidaen is at war. Not with their neighbouring countries but the great unholy horde of undying monsters that make up the vampiric kingdoms. Gabriel De Leon will learn what it means to survive and battle against these creatures on his journey to becoming a member of the Silversaints, the great brotherhood of warriors who try to keep the darkness at bay.
Thoughts- Let me start by saying that putting this into my horror reviews is a little of a stretch. This is really more of a dark fantasy book with horror trappings. If you just want straight horror and are not into fantasy as a genre maybe give this one a pass, but if you do enjoy fantasy even a little please check this out. It is epic in scale with fantastic characters and really fun dialogue. If I am being reductive it is like 70% Witcher, 20% Blade and 10% Interview with a Vampire. I happen to enjoy all three of those things quite a bit so I loved this book. The story bounces between three time frames, the framing story in the “present” where Gabriel is imprisoned and telling his life story to his vampire jailor, his origin story taking place when he is around 16 telling of his upbringing and becoming a Silversaint and finally him as a 32 year old on a quest for the holy grail. Kristoff does a really good job at least early on keeping the reader engaged on each story as they bounce back and forth and I never felt too much like I needed to go back to the other time line even though I was always interested in what would happen next. There was one sequence which dragged a little for me (basically the sequence going to and time in Redwatch) but it is a minor gripe in a hell of a book. I am very excited for the sequel which should be out in first half of 2024. This book looks from the title and cover a little juvenile but it is very adult (many brutal murders, battles, amusing and creative cursing and a fair bit of the sexy stuff) so do not be scared off by appearance alone. A definite recommend from me. I could see some people finding the dynamics and themes well trodden from other recent media as mentioned Witcher and things like The Last of Us, but the world and characters Kristoff creates makes it work despite the familiarity.
Rating-4.5/5 stars. A brilliant start to what I hope will be the and amazing vampire series.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patick Suskind
Premise- Jean-Baptise Grenouille is born with a unique ability, the most extraordinary nose of all time. He can remember, store and create any scent he wishes. To that end he “collects” as many as possible and aims to create the greatest perfume known to mankind. Unfortunately, the best scents that he wishes to capture for his perfume comes from virginal teenage girls and he will take their odour no matter the cost….
Thoughts- I prepared myself for this book based on comments from fellow readers by expecting it to fall into the more distinguished “literature” side of the horror genre. It did but it still surprised me with the directions that it went in. I was expecting more focus lets say on the murders themselves and Suskind does such an amazing job detailing the inner workings of Grenouille’s mind that when we finally get to that part of the book we absolutely understand why they are not really the focus of the novel but merely a means to an end. The descriptions of odours are amazing and a few times I felt myself almost gagging at some of the images Suskind conjures with his prose. I am not a prose person but he does a wonderful job detailing scents in a way you would never think of. The journey Grenouille goes on is utterly unexpected and fascinating. You truly get a strange insight into this broken creature and why he is doing what he is doing and how ultimately the murders mean nothing to him but a way to capture or collect his perfume which is his ambition. The last few pages erupt into a madhouse of defied expectations just when I thought we would have a fairly basic ending Suskind pulls the rug out once again. It also really underlines how animal humanity can be and what we can be reduced to based on our senses.
Rating-5/5 stars. A truly unique novel which defied all expectations. Very different and easy to recommend to horror readers who want something out of the ordinary.
THANKS FOR READING!
If you want to read my previous horror reviews I will post the links here:
Devil in the White City, The Troop, The Damnation Game, Swan Song, The Fisherman and Something Wicked This Way Comes
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/15a7jvq/review_sixpack/
Playground, Ghost Story, Red Dragon, The Exorcist, Children of Chaos
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/17a3s9t/halloween_season_reviews/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters, Mongrels, Strange Weather, Let the Right One in, The Final Girl Support Group
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/18282lx/fall_horror_reviews_feat_graham_jones_hill/
Potential Options Upcoming books:
Owned- Old Country by Query, The Fireman by Hill and Carrion Comfort by Simmons (started this one got about 1/3 through and put it down wasn’t clicking despite me loving his Sci-Fi).
Wishlist- The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by Barron, Boy’s Life by McCammon.