Hello to those who are reading this! My team and I would like to get some more opinions from a wider range of people who we've decided to come on here and ask a few questions on a game that we've been creating for the past year or so. Here are some details about the game itself:
Overview
Title: Echoes of Silence
Genre: Post-apocalyptic survival, Action-Adventure
Platform: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Perspective: Third-Person Perspective with an Over-the-Shoulder Angle
Art Style: Realistic
Setting: A diverse post-apocalyptic environment with urban decay, wilderness, and small towns
Target Audience: Mature (17+), fans of survival, narrative-driven games
Story
"Echoes of Silence" is set in a world ravaged by the Vardent Plague, a mysterious and deadly virus that has decimated the population and left society in ruins. Players take on the role of Amara, a resilient 16-year-old track athlete, as she navigates this dangerous new world in search of safety and answers. The game focuses on Amara's journey of survival, the relationships she builds, and the moral dilemmas she faces along the way.
Key Features

1. Narrative Depth and Player Choice

• Branching Storylines: Every decision made by the player influences the storyline, leading to multiple endings and varied experiences.
• Character Development: Players shape Amara’s personality and relationships through dialogue choices and actions.
• Moral Dilemmas: Tough decisions that impact Amara, her family, and other survivors.

1. Survival Mechanics

• Resource Management: Scavenging for food, water, medical supplies, and crafting materials.
• Health Systems: Managing physical health (injuries, hunger, thirst) and mental health (stress, trauma).
• Crafting and Building: Creating tools, weapons, and shelters to aid in survival.

1. Dynamic World and Environmental Storytelling

• Dynamic Weather and Day-Night Cycle: Weather conditions and time of day affect gameplay, such as visibility and enemy behavior.
• Environmental Storytelling: Abandoned places, scattered documents, and visual cues provide context and backstory.
• Interactive Environment: Players can interact with objects and structures, using the environment to their advantage.

1. Realistic and Engaging Combat and Stealth

• Combat Mechanics: Engaging in combat with a variety of weapons and limited ammunition.
• Stealth Options: Avoid combat by sneaking past enemies, using distractions, and performing silent takedowns.
• Tactical Decisions: Multiple approaches to encounters, encouraging strategic thinking.

1. Companionship and Relationship Building

• Companion Mechanics: Shadow, Amara’s loyal dog, assists with tasks like scouting and alerting to danger. Caring for Shadow strengthens their bond.
• Family Dynamics: Interactions with Amara’s mother, older brother, and younger sister, with choices impacting their relationships and well-being.
• NPC Relationships: Building trust with other survivors, forming alliances, and navigating conflicts.

1. Immersive Audio-Visual Experience

• Realistic Art Style: Detailed environments and character models, with dynamic weather effects.
• Sound Design: Ambient sounds, realistic sound effects, and a fitting musical score.
• Visual Cues: Subtle details like eye dilation, sweating, and the condition of infected creatures.

1. Replayability and Exploration

• Multiple Endings: Different story outcomes based on player choices encourage replaying the game.
• Hidden Secrets: The world is filled with hidden locations, side quests, and lore that reward exploration.
• Dynamic Events: Random events and encounters make each playthrough unique.

Conclusion
"Echoes of Silence" aims to deliver a deeply immersive and emotional post-apocalyptic survival experience. With a focus on narrative depth, dynamic relationships, realistic survival mechanics, and engaging gameplay elements like farming, the game provides a rich and varied world for players to explore and survive in. Through careful decision-making and resource management, players will navigate the challenges of a world forever changed by the Vardent Plague, shaping their own story of resilience and hope.

The reason we are providing you with some mechanics in the game is that we wish for you to critique it as you see fit. Many designs are still in process and we're (still) going through the debate about how some of the characters could look, so we apologize for the lack of visual evidence. One major question that we see fit to ask is: What features would you like to see in the companion (Shadow) mechanics to make them more useful and emotionally engaging? (due to Shadow being considered a "main character" and players will be seeing and interacting with him a lot). If you wish for more detail on certain key details, Amara, or even minor details, feel free to ask. :)

Just as I just posted my request for a Backup MicroSD/SSD+Headphone jack handle, I am also thinking it could be awesome to get a new Livestreaming dual modem bonded 4G/5G handle. Maybe call it the "Live Creator Handle". The handle would hopefully not be much larger than the current battery handle, and what it would bring:

1. Dual SIM Card slots, it would integrate 2x 5G/4G data modems
   
2. It would be able to real-time encode adaptive bitrate video to live-stream to any platform, YouTube, Facebook, Rumble, Tiktok, Instagram and etc
   
3. Maybe you record 4K60 on the main MicroSD card, at the same time you might live stream in just 1080p30 through the Livestreaming handle.
   
4. Or if you don't want to live stream, but you just want to publish your videos quickly, maybe you just auto upload your 4K60 footage to your YouTube using that handle, it would instantly upload using that 1 or 2 SIM cards, using 1 or 2 5G modems, and publish automatically on Your YouTube account, perhaps you can quickly adjust video Title/Description using your smartphone app (I like to use Chatgpt or other such AI to auto generate a good description/title and if possible also to edit/pick good thumbnail using AI or to easily pick snapshot for thumbnail and evt to edit thumbnail in the app too), while it's uploading from that handle. The handle would be able to continue uploading to publish while main DJI Pocket 3 is powered off.
   
5. Maybe it's possible to both live stream in 1080p30/1080p60/4K30/4K60 as well as to upload and to auto publish 4K60 after each clip (for example interview is start/stopped) is completed while the live stream continues during the whole day uninterrupted.. perhaps it's possible to live stream and publish to multiple platforms, perhaps live stream to YouTube + X + Facebook simultaneously, and to publish to each of them too simultaneously..
   
6. Maybe it includes those things I previously requested for Backup and audio jack.
   
7. Maybe it brings in at least same battery capacity as current battery handle. It would accomodate to still also connect the regular battery handle below it too.
   
8. Maybe this Live Creator Handle can also manage to support multiple cameras (inputs via multiple Type-C video inputs? or wirelessly too?) and to switch between the different camera angles, perhaps it includes a snap on grip to place ones smartphone onto that handle, to open up all more functionalities and a larger viewfinder display while recording, also to manage multi-camera angles, to view the live chat when live streaming, and to manage the title/description and publishing status after each clip is recorded..
   

You blindsided me hit me from every angle whlile i was cuffed and tied and filed and just went all out! I finally crawled out that whole your making money off the sale but idc because i have my own blessings on the way and money means nothing! But you took our son you literally attacked me feom every direction then after 3 months come around have a great time taking walks and talking and then say you need spacw thos was all a front? You broke me while i was still in critical condition and just gettimg back to normal? Why babe? Why do you beleive all your support when none of them ever undertood our bond love and connection mine or yours but i dont ask mine becuase they would say what yours are saying but i do what my heart tells me and i lost control of my mind and emotions and fell in love with you before i even lnew what love was!! I hope youll see this and understand we have a child and somehow have to get it together! Idk… but to throw 21 years away like this is petty and not the way the story ends….

My name is Rory Fars, and my little sister, Lily Fars, is the last family I had left.
A heavy sense of dread settled over me like a suffocating blanket as I sat in the worn leather seat of Lily's old jeep. The car, a relic of our happier days, seemed to groan under our shared sorrow. Beside me, Lily, my best friend, and confidante, absentmindedly twirled a strand of her long, dark hair, which swayed gently in rhythm with the haunting melodies from the oldies station on the radio. This car had seen us through countless joyful journeys when our family was whole. Almost three years had passed since that fateful Christmas trip in Texas when our parents were tragically killed in a horrific multi-car pileup. The memory of their loss was a constant ache, a wound that never fully healed.
My dad was from Amarillo, Texas, so my parents often took trips down there, visiting the places that held so many memories for him. During one of these trips, just before Christmas, a sudden blizzard struck while they were on the freeway. The snow fell in blinding sheets, making the world outside a disorienting white blur. As they tried to slowly pull to the side, their vision obscured by the relentless storm, they never saw the car barreling toward them at least forty miles an hour. The impact was devastating, an abrupt and brutal end to their journey and, in many ways, to our lives as we had known them.
My parents were always sticklers for safety, insisting on seatbelts every time we got in the car. So, of course, they had theirs on during that fateful trip. The initial impact wasn't what killed them, the coroner explained to me. Not even the first hit from behind, which was going at least fifty miles an hour, was fatal. I had to practically shake the information out of him—they were so resistant to tell me anything at first. By the time the third car hit, with an unknown speed, their survival was already in jeopardy. The coroner said that by the fifth car, they were likely dead. But it didn't end there. Another twenty-three vehicles slammed into the back of the pile, each collision further crushing their bodies, reducing them to a horrific, unrecognizable state. Each jarring impact pushed my parents deeper into a gruesome amalgamation of twisted metal and shattered lives.
I don't know why I felt compelled to demand those details at the time, but I deeply regret it now. I wish I had never asked. Almost every night, unless I drink myself into oblivion, I am haunted by nightmares of what they endured. I dream of driving up to save them, only to be caught in the same deadly barrage of cars, ending in a twisted metal tomb for all of us.
Lily is never in those dreams. Even in my most horrific imaginings, I can't envision her being hurt. Lily is my little sister, younger by eight years and three months. Whenever I mention our age difference, I see the judgment in people's eyes, but what can I say? Our parents never stopped loving each other. They had Lily late in life; she became our shared joy, our living reminder of the love that had bound our family together.
Lily wasn't my twin in the literal sense, but ever since she was born, it felt like we shared the inexplicable connection that twins often describe. As she grew up, our bond only deepened—we acted, sounded, and even looked remarkably alike. She became my rock, especially after our parents' tragic deaths. We leaned on each other, cried into each other's shoulders, and somehow found the strength to move forward. We eventually moved in together, finding solace in a two-bedroom apartment that became our sanctuary.
Lily seemed to handle our parents' deaths better than I did, or maybe she was just better at distracting herself with technology. Even before their passing, Lily was addicted to any kind of digital screen she could manipulate. Her ability to navigate the digital world was unmatched; she was the most intelligent person I had ever met. Her intelligence was a beacon of light in the darkness that had enveloped us, a testament to her resilience and brilliance.
After my parents' death, I embarked on a quest to find my spirituality by delving into paranormal investigations. I hoped these pursuits would bring me closer to my parents in the afterlife, spiritual realm, or whatever you want to call it. Instead, it created a chasm between me and any sense of spiritual existence. Each investigation seemed to push me further from the answers I sought, leaving me feeling more isolated and disconnected than ever.
I had hoped that by exploring these paranormal claims, I would discover a way to reach out to my parents and feel their presence again. Yet, as the years have passed, this endeavor has only deepened my loneliness and sense of loss. Despite knowing how detrimental it is to my mental health, I can't bring myself to stop. The hope that the subsequent investigation will be the one that proves the existence of an afterlife and that I'll find a way to contact my parents keeps me going. It's a desperate, unrelenting pursuit for a connection that remains heartbreakingly out of reach.
I should have accepted their death and moved on like any sane person would. Instead, I let my grief fester and dragged my sister and a stranger, Mark, through my obsessive quest for answers. My relentless pursuit of the paranormal didn't just alienate me; it consumed us all, leading to their untimely deaths. My name is Rory Fars, and I am here to confess my side of the story about the missing case of Lily Fars and Mark Lawrence.
This is the truth about how my desperate search for a connection with the afterlife led to a nightmare from which none of us could escape.
To start off, no, Lily was not a student of Mark's who fell in love with him and then got jealous of me hitting on him, leading her to kill him and herself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but given some wild theories circulating online, I need to address this one specifically since it seems to be the most popular.
First and foremost, Mark Lawrence was not, nor has he ever been, a professor at a university. Lily and I met Mark at the Local Museum in Redlin, a town nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains. He was the curator of an exhibit showcasing the history of Raven's Nest, a forgotten mining town that neither Lily nor I had ever heard of. This is where our story begins, in a place steeped in history and mystery, far removed from the convoluted theories that now cloud the truth.
We were constantly searching for new ideas for our podcast about paranormal claims. Each of our twenty-five episodes so far had concluded with a rational explanation, so when Mark told us about the curse of Harper, I was immediately intrigued.
Mark was an older man, likely in his mid-sixties, with a full head of silver hair and a beard that stubbornly clung to its youthful color, only lightly dusted with grey. He had a presence that commanded attention, and his stories about the curse were delivered with an intensity that drew me in.
On the other hand, Lily was always more interested in the technical aspects of the paranormal. She had her own theories and was determined to debunk every claim we investigated. She wasn't easily swayed by Mark's tales about the curse of Harper, but she was willing to listen and give him a chance to prove himself. Her skeptical mind constantly checked my enthusiasm, and together, we hoped to uncover the truth behind yet another paranormal mystery.
"Hello ladies, care to hear about the mysterious town of Raven's Nest?" Mark asked with theatrical enthusiasm.
Lily and I exchanged a knowing glance, trying to stifle our amusement. Despite our attempts to remain composed, a smirk played at the corners of our lips.
"We're all ears," I replied, my tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
He sighed, almost as if he was disappointed that we said yes. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself for the task ahead. "Well, you see," he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "in the early twentieth century, a man named Harper Franstein exploited many men and children in the coal mines. By the mid-1920s, he had established his own settlement in a secluded valley, which he dubbed 'The Raven's Nest.' It was never officially recognized as a town, but that's the only name we have to go off of."
I could see the beads of sweat forming on Mark's brow as he struggled to recall every detail. Despite his initial enthusiasm, he now appeared flustered, his confidence waning. Eventually, he resorted to consulting his damp and crumpled notes, a sign of his growing unease.
"Um, anyway, yeah, um," he stuttered, audibly gulping as his nerves got the better of him. Lily couldn't contain her laughter, emitting a snicker that earned us a glare from Mark.
"Hey, just relax," I interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. "We're not here to judge or intimidate you." With a gentle touch on his forearm and a chuckle, I attempted to reassure him, hoping to ease his obvious discomfort.
He paused, sharing a chuckle with me, while Lily struggled to suppress her laughter and eventually excused herself, leaving just Mark and me. Evidently, he felt more at ease with fewer listeners, so he pressed on with his narrative.
"Anyway," he resumed, "Harper held complete control over the town and the mine, and he made sure everyone was acutely aware of that fact. When the disappearances began, he tried to sweep them under the rug, attributing them to anything but his own negligence in mining practices."
"What do you mean by 'negligence in mining practices'?" I interjected, eager to delve deeper into his intriguing tale.
He looked up, clearly pleased by my question. "Yes, exactly," he affirmed. "Harper adhered to a mining technique outlined by Dwight Brunst in the mid to late nineteenth century. This method mandated only one entry and exit point into the mine."
"Wait, so they were forbidden from creating additional exits?" I pressed for clarification.
"Not explicitly," he explained. "The practice advocated for just one entry and exit as it was believed to minimize the risk of cave-ins, at least in theory. However, there were instances where miners, feeling uneasy about this restriction, took matters into their own hands and carved out what they called 'Emergency Exits' for themselves. After about half of the town started going missing, Harper couldn't take criticism about how he responded, but most people say he was losing money quickly and didn't want to live in a world where he was poor. He walked into the mine, never to be seen again, much like the cave's past victims. Visitors report seeing and hearing Harper, trying to get them to leave."
As I stood there, listening to Mark's enthralling narrative, I found myself captivated by the mysterious allure of Raven's Nest. Unable to contain my curiosity, I decided to pose a question.
"So, what does the town look like now?" I inquired, eager to learn more about the present state of this enigmatic place.
Mark's demeanor shifted slightly as he rifled through his notes, a subtle indication that he didn't have a straightforward answer to my query.
"You've never been there?" I asked, my tone softening with genuine curiosity.
He flinched as though my question had struck a nerve. "Shhhhhh... shut up," he demanded, his voice tinged with unease.
Suppressing a chuckle, I leaned in closer and whispered, "Okay, hear me out. My sister Lily and I are investigating paranormal phenomena. Your story about Raven's Nest sounds like the perfect addition to our podcast. What do you say we compensate you for your guidance? Let's say, three hundred bucks?"
He straightened up, contemplating my proposition for a few moments. Without uttering a word, he extended his hand, and I met it halfway with my own, sealing our agreement with a firm handshake.
Our journey to Raven's Nest was no easy feat. Situated a good twenty miles from town and nestled deep within a dense valley. After all of the tight turns, narrow dirt roads, and steep inclines, it took us a grueling two and a half hours to go twenty-something miles, but we finally reached the outskirts of the infamous settlement. As we stood at the edge of the "Nest," anticipation mingled with trepidation, setting the stage for the eerie exploration that lay ahead.
I glanced at my phone; the time read 11:56 pm, signaling the late hour. Sensing the exhaustion weighing heavily, I suggested we catch a few hours of rest in Lily's jeep. Mark, though visibly unsettled, remained silent from the back seat, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he slumped against the window like a sulking child.
Drifting asleep in the passenger seat, I soon found myself ensnared in a nightmare. In my dream, Mark was being dragged away into the darkness, his desperate attempts to claw his way back to safety only resulting in broken fingertips. Despite his struggles, he was powerless against the unseen force pulling him inexorably into the abyss. Suddenly, I was alone, engulfed in utter darkness, my heart pounding with fear as I ran blindly from an unseen terror that seemed to pursue me relentlessly, its malevolent presence palpable but unseen.
I jolted awake, gasping for breath, my heart racing as the remnants of dread lingered in the pit of my stomach. It was morning, and I was struggling to adjust my vision. Lily's frantic but comforting voice broke through the haze of my terror, grounding me in reality. With her comforting embrace, I gradually calmed my racing thoughts, drawing deep, steadying breaths.
As we sat there, enveloped in each other's embrace, Mark approached the driver's side window with an unexpected question, "Alright, what's for breakfast?" His nonchalant tone and casual demeanor were a stark contrast to the harrowing nightmare that had just consumed my thoughts, momentarily dispelling the lingering specter of fear that had haunted my dreams.
Lily and I both look up at him and back at each other as we burst out into laughter.
Amidst our shared laughter, Lily and I exchanged amused glances before turning our attention back to Mark.
"Ha...ha, yeah. No, but seriously, what's for breakfast? Eggs, bacon, toast, at least?" Mark pressed, hoping for a more substantial response.
His earnest inquiry fueled our laughter further, our giggles echoing through the quiet night air. Eventually, we regained our composure and stepped out of the jeep, stretching our limbs after the cramped confines of the vehicle.
Mark awkwardly moves to the side, still waiting for an honest answer. Lily tossed him a granola bar, eliciting a bemused chuckle from him. With a shared understanding, we set off on foot, embarking on the hike into the town.
The path ahead was clear: a single dirt road that wound its way from the abandoned coal mine into the heart of the small settlement. The road, now overgrown and muddy from years of disuse, bore the marks of neglect and isolation. Wary of the treacherous conditions, Lily opted to forgo the risk of getting stuck, steering clear of the decrepit road that likely hadn't seen a traveler in at least half a century.
We parked Lily's jeep at the entrance to both the mine and the town of Raven's Nest, opting to proceed on foot from there. Standing at the mountain's peak, gazing down at the desolate town below, I couldn't help but ponder the history beneath the dilapidated structures. I imagined how this valley must have once been a pristine landscape cherished by the indigenous people who roamed its lush terrain.
"Jesus, this place is more like a shit nest," Mark muttered in disgust, his disdain evident in his tone.
Lily shot me a knowing glance, silently communicating her skepticism toward Mark's assessment of the town.
Deciding to put Mark's knowledge to the test, I casually inquired, "So, what year was this area founded?"
Mark's reaction was almost defensive as if my question had caught him off guard. He hesitated momentarily before fumbling for his note cards in his pocket, a telltale sign that he wasn't as knowledgeable as he let on.
Before he could respond, I interjected with another question, "Mark, how long have you worked at the museum?"
As Mark froze, his gaze locking onto mine like a deer caught in headlights, I watched him closely, waiting for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. My narrowed eyes bore into his, silently urging him to be honest.
Finally, breaking the tense silence, Mark confessed, "Look, this is only my first week. I... I haven't had the greatest time lately, and I really need the extra money. I'm sorry I lied, but I'll help however I can."
I met his gaze unwaveringly, sensing the sincerity in his words. Clearly, he was a man in need of redemption, grappling with his own personal struggles.
"Alright, alright, don't cry too much," I teased lightly, trying to ease the tension. Gesturing towards Lily, who was busy preparing her wireless motion cameras in her backpack, I continued, "Lily and I already figured that was the case. Honestly, we're surprised you agreed to come along."
Mark remained frozen, but the tension seemed to melt away from his expression, replaced by a tentative smile. It was a moment of shared understanding, a silent acknowledgment that he was still welcomed into our expedition despite his initial deception.
"Alright, I have the cams and portable batteries to make sure the cameras and anything we have with power can last," Lily said, her voice brimming with determination.
We began our descent into the town, our hiking boots struggling against the thick, clinging mud produced by the constant light rain and years of disuse. Each step was a battle, the mud threatening to swallow our boots with every move.
After an eternity of trudging through the muck, we finally reached the town's only paved road—the main road. It had taken us only about fifteen minutes to hike down, but navigating the muddy slope had sapped our energy. We paused for a break, taking a few minutes to clean off our boots and catch our breath.
As we rested, I noticed Lily rummaging through her bag with a focused intensity. Curious, I asked, "What are you looking for?"
"I brought five motion-detecting cameras that I want to set up strategically throughout the town," she replied, pulling out one of the cameras. She walked over to the nearest building, a structure that served as a post office, police station, and fire station. She positioned the camera outside the building so it was pointed at the only road leading in and out of the town.
"We need to cover all potential points of interest," she explained, securing the camera in place. "This one will monitor any activity on the main road. We should place the other cameras around key locations like the mine entrance, the town square, and some more intact buildings."
I nodded, appreciating her thoroughness. "Good idea. We need to make sure we capture anything unusual."
Mark, having finally caught his breath, joined us. "Alright, let's get these cameras set up and see what we can find," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Look," Lily said, turning her tablet screen toward us. She waved her hand in front of the camera she had just placed. The tablet displayed five squares on the interface, each meant to show a feed from one of the cameras. Since Lily had only set up one camera so far, only the bottom right square showed any footage pointed at the road leading out of town. She stopped waving her hand, and the feed went to a blue screen.
"What happened? Did we lose connection?" Mark asked frantically, his eyes wide with concern.
Lily cackled, struggling to contain her amusement. Composing herself, she waved her hand in front of the camera again, and the bottom right square showed her hand waving once more. "It's motion-activated. It's the best way to save on battery life," she explained.
Mark seemed to relax, though he was still catching his breath after the brief panic.
I glanced at my watch, noting the time. "It's 8:30. We're behind schedule. If you want to place the rest of your cameras, we better move now," I said, walking down the street.
Lily immediately got up and followed me, with Mark struggling to keep pace behind us. We reached the market building, and Lily positioned her second camera on the side of the road, pointing up at the market.
It's not much longer before we make it to the Town Hall. I suggest Lily place a camera nearby. She nods and heads into a building across from the Town Hall labeled, "Slaughterhouse: LOCAL ANIMALS ONLY."
As Lily explores the building to find an adequate spot for the camera, I wait for Mark to catch up. While I wait, I can't help but imagine this town in its prime, picturing the streets filled with families who loved each other.
My thoughts are abruptly cut off by a sound echoing in the distance—a roar unlike any I've ever heard. It was a mix of a human screaming in pain, the roar of a lion, and, near the end, the howl of a wolf. The chilling sound sent shivers down my spine.
I jump to my feet and immediately call out, "Lily, you okay?"
There's no response from Lily, but I'm interrupted by Mark finally catching up, panting heavily.
"Holy... shit... did you... hear that?" Mark said frantically between breaths.
"Yeah, we have to find Lily," I say, bolting into the slaughterhouse. I glance back to see Mark bracing himself on the steps of the Town Hall, struggling to keep up.
As I enter the building, the stench of rotting flesh hits me like a wave, causing me to gag. The smell is too fresh to be decades old.
"Lily? Lily, where are you?" I yell, using my shirt to shield my nose from the overwhelming odor.
"Rory, I'm in here!" I hear Lily yell from a room two doors down. I pass the first door, peeking in to ensure I hadn't misheard, but I wish I hadn't looked.
Inside the first room, I catch a glimpse of what appears to be a pile of animal carcasses, their decayed bodies arranged in a grotesque display. The sight is horrifying, the flesh still disturbingly fresh. The bile rises in my throat, but I force myself to focus on finding Lily.
I rush to the room where her voice came from, pushing the door open. Lily is there, setting up the camera, seemingly oblivious to the horror in the adjacent room. Relief floods through me as I see she's safe.
"Lily, did you hear that roar?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Yeah, I heard it," she replies, her eyes wide with concern. "I was just finishing up here. Let's get back to Mark and figure out what that was." She had placed the camera in a window, pointing directly at the Town Hall.
We hurry back outside, where Mark still catches his breath as we meet between the buildings. "We need to stay together from now on," I say firmly, looking at both of them. "Whatever that noise was, it's not something we want to face alone."
"Let's check out the Town Hall!" Mark says excitedly as he slowly clambers through a broken window.
"Did he not just hear what I said?" I mutter under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.
Lily gives me a shrug, her eyes reflecting a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Guess we're heading into the Town Hall then," she says, adjusting her backpack and walking towards the broken window.
I sigh and follow suit, hoisting myself up and carefully maneuvering through the jagged glass. Inside, the air is musty, filled with the scent of old paper and decaying wood. Dust motes float lazily in the beams of sunlight streaming through the cracked windows.
The main hall is vast and eerily silent, with rows of empty chairs facing a stage draped in tattered curtains. The walls are lined with faded portraits and yellowed maps of the town, remnants of a time when this place was alive and bustling.
Mark is already at the front, examining a large, decrepit desk. "Look at this," he says, his voice echoing in the empty space. "It's like stepping back in time."
I walk over, glancing at the old papers scattered across the desk. Most are mundane—meeting minutes, maintenance logs—but one catches my eye. It's a letter dated June 1925, addressed to Harper Franstein.
"Harper, the disappearances are becoming more frequent. The townsfolk are getting restless, and I fear they may take matters into their own hands if we don't act soon. We need to find out what's causing this before it's too late."
I read the letter aloud, and the room fell silent. "Sounds like things were getting pretty tense," Lily remarks, her voice subdued.
As I'm distracted by the time capsule in front of us, Mark sneaks off.
I'm not sure how long it was before she noticed, but I saw Lily looking around before saying, "Where the hell did Mark go?" breaking me out of my trance.
I look around, turning my head in all directions, and shrug at Lily. I hear shuffling in the second room down the hall, so I slowly walk toward it.
"Mark?" I call out.
Just then, a loud crash reverberates through the building, making it sound like the whole place was about to come down.
We run in and see Mark struggling to keep himself from falling into a giant hole that must've broken under his weight. Trying not to laugh, I glance at Lily. We help him up as he dramatically falls onto his back, wheezing as he catches his breath.
Lily and I can't contain our laughter anymore as we bust out laughing hard. Startled by our sudden outburst, Mark jumps in fear. He looks around, confused for a few seconds, before realizing that we are laughing at him.
"Jesus, thanks, I guess," he says, clearly thankful but annoyed by our reaction.
After we contained ourselves, we headed back outside, exiting through the window Mark entered through. He struggles to climb out, but after Lily gives him a hand, he is safely out of the Town Hall.
"Alright, Ror, where should we put the next camera?" Lily asks me.
I stop to think momentarily, trying to picture the town's layout. "I think the only place left is the neighborhood," I respond confidently. I always talk like that with Lily. Over the years, I've realized she is the only person I can have that much confidence around. With anyone else, I'm worried about saying something stupid or wrong or how they'll view me, but with my sister, everything is easy.
As I look at the replica map of the town in its heyday from the museum, I determine that the neighborhood is to the East. "Okay, looks like we head East past the Library. Let's go." I say, walking away.
It only takes about eight minutes to get to the long strip of road that housed the town's workers. According to the map, there were fifteen houses along this strip of road.
The houses stand eerily silent, their wooden frames weathered and decayed by time. We walk down the road, our footsteps crunching on the gravel and echoing in the stillness. The air feels heavier here like the past is watching us, waiting to reveal its secrets.
"Let's put the last cameras on that house at the end of the road," I suggest, pointing to a house that looks slightly less dilapidated than the others, "another one at the last house on the other side, and the last we can save for a spot you choose."
Lily nods and heads toward the first house, pulling another camera from her backpack. She sets it up on the porch, positioning it to capture the entire street, and does the same in the opposite house. As I stand with Mark breathing hard, still unable to catch his breath since we first got here, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched. I glance around nervously but see nothing out of the ordinary.
"All set," Lily says, breaking my reverie, "Still no ideas for the last cam?" Lily asks me.
"Like I said, wherever you think it would be best. I feel like we have enough good spots and angles, so go wild with that one," I told her.
She smirked and kept walking next to me. Mark was still struggling behind, but after the town hall mishap, he was trying his best to keep up. I looked at my watch, and it read '12:30 pm'.
"Holy shit, it's already 12:30," I said in amazement, but no one else seemed fazed. It felt like we'd only been here thirty minutes, not almost four hours.
We walked back down the street. Lily and I had been discussing on the walk that she should put the last camera at the town's only stoplight in front of the Library.
As we made our way to it, I could have sworn I was seeing something moving fast past my vision in the corner of my eye. Every time I turned to look, it was gone. I chalked it up to being my imagination until Lily and Mark both experienced the same thing.
"What the fuck was that?" Mark asked as he ducked, bracing for something terrible to happen. Lily and I looked back at him and then at each other as we shrugged. It was after that that I started seeing things, too.
I confided in Lily about the unsettling visions and sounds, and she admitted she had experienced the same phenomena but had kept quiet, fearing Mark would dismiss her as paranoid.
"Well, it's probably just a cat or something," I said, attempting to downplay the situation, but neither seemed convinced.
We continued our trek, and I noticed that the more we walked, the more frequently I caught fleeting glimpses of movement in my peripheral vision. It was beginning to grate on my nerves.
Finally, we reached the light in front of the Library. As Lily mounted the camera, I felt a sense of satisfaction. We were making good progress, and it seemed like a suitable moment to start exploring the town more freely. We decided to split up and cover different sections of the town.
"Wait, we have to go alone? Why can't we stay together like you said?" Mark asked frantically, but Lily and I ignored him as we headed in separate directions. He continued to protest, but we paid him no mind. Eventually, I was either far enough away to not hear him anymore, or he had given up. Either way, I was happy to enjoy the eerie silence of the town.
As I wandered, the stillness of Raven's Nest enveloped me. With its decrepit buildings and overgrown streets, the town exuded an unsettling charm. It was as if I had stepped into a forgotten world, a place frozen in time with secrets waiting to be unearthed. The ambiance reminded me of an amusement park's haunted town section—artificially eerie yet irresistibly intriguing. Despite the creepiness, the mysterious vibe of the town kept me engaged and eager to explore its hidden corners.
I glanced at my watch again, only to find the time glaring back at me: 3:19 pm. It couldn't be right. There was no way it had been that long since I last checked. Panic seized me, and I called out for Lily, my voice tinged with urgency. She appeared beside me in a matter of minutes, her expression mirroring my concern.
"What's up, Ror? You okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"How long would you say it's been since you put the last camera down?" I inquired, my heart pounding in my chest.
Lily's brow furrowed as she struggled to come up with an answer. "Uh, I don't know, thirty minutes?" she hazarded a guess.
I held up my watch, displaying the time: 3:20 pm. Lily fell silent, her eyes widening in disbelief. She was never great with time, but missing almost three hours of our memory was unprecedented.
"There's no way. Your watch must be—" Lily began, her voice trailing off as she checked her own watch, only to freeze in shock when she found it displayed the same time as mine.
"Lil, something is going on," I stated, my voice tight and apprehensive. I glanced up at the sky, my stomach churning as I noticed the clouds darkening and rolling in from all sides of the valley.
The sky closed rapidly, ominous clouds obscuring the sun as thunder rumbled ominously against the mountains.
"Mark? Mark, where are—" I began to call out, but before I could finish, Mark emerged from behind a wall, appearing as if he'd been too frightened to venture far on his own.
"We have to get inside!" Mark exclaimed urgently, his voice tinged with fear.

CT: Reality Shaping
Description:
Reality Shaping is a rare breed among jujutsu sorcerers with Kurogawa clan blood , possessing the ability to manipulate the fundamental fabric of existence itself. Reality Shaping draws upon their own innate connection to the underlying structure of reality.
Abilities:

1. Domain Expansion - Shaper's Domain: Reality Shapers can create a personal domain within which they have absolute control over reality. Inside their domain, they can manipulate space, time, and matter at will, bending the rules of physics to their whim.
2. *Manifestation Technique:*The user can materialize their thoughts and desires into physical form, shaping cursed energy into powerful constructs or summoning creatures from the depths of their imagination to aid them in battle.
3. Dimensional Rift: By tearing holes in the fabric of reality, The user can open rifts to other dimensions, allowing them to traverse vast distances in the blink of an eye or summon beings from alternate realities to assist them in combat.
4. Temporal Distortion: The user can manipulate the flow of time within their vicinity, slowing it down to a crawl or accelerating it to a blur. This ability grants them unparalleled speed and reflexes in combat, allowing them to outmaneuver even the swiftest opponents.
5. Illusionary Veil: The user can excel at creating intricate illusions that can deceive the senses of their enemies, masking their movements, distorting their perceptions, and sowing confusion on the battlefield.

Weaknesses:

1. Reality Strain: Manipulating the fabric of reality takes a toll on the mind and body of the user. Overexertion or attempting feats beyond their capabilities can lead to mental fatigue, physical exhaustion, or even loss of control over their powers.
2. Domain Vulnerability: While inside their domain, The user of this technique are virtually invincible. However, if their domain is breached or disrupted, they become vulnerable to attacks from outside forces, leaving them exposed and at a significant disadvantage.
3. Cursed Energy Limitation: The user would rely primarily on their innate connection to reality rather than cursed energy. As a result, they may struggle against opponents who possess overwhelming cursed energy or specialized techniques designed to counter reality-warping abilities.

How to use:
Reality Shaping is enigmatic and formidable combatants, capable of reshaping the battlefield to their advantage with their reality-warping abilities. Whether trapping opponents within their domain, summoning otherworldly creatures to do their bidding, or manipulating time and space to gain the upper hand, The previous users were masters of adaptability and strategy. However, they must exercise caution to avoid overexertion and maintain control over their powers, lest they become consumed by the very forces they seek to command.
The Kurogawa Clan:
The Kurogawa clan traces its origins back to ancient times, when their ancestors were revered as powerful shamans and guardians of sacred knowledge. Over the centuries, they honed their skills in the arcane arts, specializing in the manipulation of Reality.
Legend has it that the founder of the Kurogawa clan, a legendary shaman known as Kurogawa no Aoi, made a pact with a powerful entity of Reality. In exchange for their loyalty and service, the entity bestowed upon the clan the ability to harness the power of Reality Shaping, granting them unparalleled strength and influence.
As the centuries passed, the Kurogawa clan rose to prominence within the world of jujutsu sorcery, their reputation as formidable warriors spreading far and wide. Masters of Reality manipulation, they developed unique techniques that allowed them to Move through dimensions and strike from unexpected angles.
The Kurogawa clan's strength lay not only in their mastery of jujutsu techniques but also in their unwavering loyalty to one another. Bound by blood and tradition, they stood united in the face of adversity, their bonds of kinship and camaraderie serving as a source of strength and resilience.
Over the centuries, the Kurogawa clan faced numerous challenges and adversaries, but they emerged victorious time and time again, their legacy of strength and determination cementing their status as one of the most formidable clans in the jujutsu world.

https://preview.redd.it/438dkp8ufd5d1.png?width=573&format=png&auto=webp&s=8aef0729a9c9d9c89e0c3ba7d0e34056ac928b36
My thinking for this question was which one will be the most polar in water, is this the wrong approach for this question?

Boys: Justin, Ripper, Topher
Girls: Anne Maria, Jasmine, MK
Episode 18: The Aftermath III: Cutting to the Chase
In place of the standard introductory recap, the episode was opened by the now-familiar theme of the TDA Aftermath show. The logo formed and gleamed in the artificial light, and the 'D' popped forward with its usual camera-shutter sound effect.
Clip 1
"We're ready! Uno, dos, tres!!!" Izzy chanted and eagerly pushed the plunger down.
Almost immediately, a chaotic series of explosions were set off all around the base. They were accompanied by hectic and disjointed notes in the background music, and the host and other four Gaffers were shown cringing with their fingers in their ears. Eventually the explosions stopped, the dust settled, and everyone except Izzy leaned past the paint-splattered wall with curious expressions.
The camera then showed Izzy's paint pattern from another angle – it took the shape of the host's own grinning face.
The 'D' retreated briefly, then popped back out again before the next clip was shown.
Clip 2
"Don't worry. You'll be the hottest cave girl here!" Chase told his girlfriend.
"I don't want to wear animal skins, but your compliment is already lifting my spirits up," Millie smiled back and pecked his cheek with a kiss.
The 'D' repeated its standard motion, retreating briefly before popping back out as a transition to the next clip.
Clip 3
“Relationship with Chase aside, I don’t really think you’re that cute,” Millie said to Justin. “Why else did I not want to kiss you in that challenge?”
For a fourth and final time, the logo's 'D' performed its transitional sequence.
Clip 4
"This challenge was built for me!" Chase boasted in the make-up trailer. “No puzzles or tricks. Just me dribbling a ball and slam dunking! Swish!"
The 'D' was shown again, now as a signal of the recap's end.
(Theme Song)
The Aftermath intro sequence played again, fading this time into the show's stage as the crowd cheered wildly. "Hey everyone!" Damien greeted from the center couch, Priya on his left and the filled-up Peanut Gallery to Priya's left. "We're back for another Total Drama Action Aftermath Show! I'm Damien," the nervous wreck waved at the camera as it came in for a close-up.
"And I'm Priya," the reality TV fan added with a smile as the shot panned over to her. "A lot has happened since last time.”
“We've lost some serious competitors,” Damien said. “There's Izzy," the shot cut to the screen hanging above the hosts where the wild child's smiling portrait was displayed while the crowd applauded.
"What happened to her was mind-blowing!" Priya interjected.
"Then we got Millie," Damien added to more applause as the author's face moved Izzy’s out of the way. "She was doing so well too."
"And we can't forget Chase!" Priya said, the audience cheering once more as the hanging screen's picture changed to that of the daredevil. "All will be with us here today!"
"Not to mention our friends from last season," Damien added as the camera moved back to the hosts, "and the ones who already lost this time." The camera panned to the Peanut Gallery, where Rodney, Katie, Sadie, Brick, Trent, and Sky sat in front; Sam, Gwen, Eva, Geoff, Scott, and Izzy sat in back; and all smiled and waved for the camera and cheering audience.
“Even though we lost Izzy again, she's already been a guest, so she won't take the hot seat today!” Priya reminded everybody.
“So for the first time, we'll only be interviewing two people this episode,” Damien added.
"You know," Priya leaned towards the camera and audience, "Damien and I have been having a bit of a squabble over what you guys want to see increase ratings."
Damien frowned. "I know that this is a reality show and everyone wants to know what went down, but the people that competed on TDA have already been tortured by Chris!” he claimed. “Add in losing out on a million bucks and they should be able to come here and feel safe to speak their minds."
“No one goes on a reality show to feel safe, Damien,” Priya argued. “This isn't a cushy talk show. With the lighting on these shows, who needs to win a million bucks when you look like a million bucks?”
“I'm not sure everyone would agree with you there, Priya,” Damien said back.
“Our lighting isn't all that good, but I'm not going to make a big stink about it,” Priya muttered. “The point is, this isn't a therapy session where people come to talk about their problems. And even so, I'm not gonna make them feel any better about them.”
Priya's comment earned a scoff from her boyfriend. “I'm just doing what our producers tell me to do. And I take my job seriously.”
“We're supposed to get the goods from people,” Damien added. “How are they supposed to open up to us when they might get hit over the head with a hammer?! Or an anvil?!”
They looked over at the still intact anvil swinging slightly. “The anvil is pretty cool!” Priya claimed happily before getting serious. “All this is the point of the segment. To get the truth! And we've got something even better for today!”
“You know, you've become a total Chris clone!” Damien stated in disapproval. “Sadistic and cocky!”
“I'm gonna ignore that for now,” Priya talked over him cheerfully as the audience cheered. “Our show is thrilling! And we have not one, but two guests tonight. And because they've had their moments of awesome during the show, they're getting something extra.”
“Millie and Chase have been voted out by some behind-the-scenes stunts!” Damien protested. “No way are they getting tortured!”
"Before you get to the interviews, I have to interrupt!" Scott exclaimed as he stood up and got looks from those seated around him. He still had a sling on his right arm. "There's no way that I am not the only one who has seen this!"
"Seen what exactly?" Priya asked.
"Izzy's elimination!" Scott exclaimed. "Didn't anybody notice something a little cuckoo?"
Priya and Damien shared an odd look before turning it on Scott. "Just play the clip so I can point out the obvious to you."
"If you say so," Priya said in confusion. The camera moved up to the hanging television, which quickly switched from static to the over-the-shoulder view of the Gaffers’ votes.
"No, not that clip!” Scott objected. “The clip where the final Gilded Chris was handed out!"
"You should've been more specific," Priya reminded the dirt farmer. "Roll the clip."
The camera panned back up to the other screen just as it cut from static to the footage in question.
Chris took another look at his envelope. “And the final Gilded Chris goes to… MK."
The music took a sudden, loud twist as everyone gasped while MK caught her prize with an expected smirk.
The clip paused at that instant, and the shot cut to Scott looking up at it with an expected look on his face. "See?" he said. He received only blank looks from the hosts, and groaned. "Fine, I'll point out the obvious," he said while walking over to the central couch and bent down in front of the display on the table.
The camera focused back on the paused clip, showing three of the Gaffers in mid-gasp – all except MK, whose smirk was quickly circled.
"There it is!" Scott exclaimed as the scene cut back to the studio. "MK was expecting it!"
"I remember MK voting for me," Izzy spoke up. "Why else would she not be satisfied?"
"Because obviously, MK should've been the one eliminated that episode," Scott explained. "She should have been just as surprised as the rest of you, Izzy!"
A short dramatic score accompanied the accusation, and the audience gasped.
"Whoa," Damien said in surprise. "Scott may have figured out something juicy! So what do you think happened?" he said to the dirt boy.
“Well, first of all-” Scott opened his mouth.
"Hold up!” Izzy interrupted. “I'm not going to let you say that Chase voted for me on purpose. I can't see him working with MK in order to get rid of me."
"But what else could it be?" Priya asked. "Maybe MK manipulating him?"
"I wouldn't be shocked by that," Izzy replied, "but if she told Chase a lie just to get rid of me, I think Chase would've said something about it once I was voted off."
"Hmm. Good point," Priya thought about it.
"Plus, I'm pretty sure Chase would have said something in a confessional, and as far as I've been told, he’s said nothing about the sort," Damien pointed out.
"As I was going to say," Scott said with a hint of annoyance, "I don't think Chase intentionally voted for you and you intentionally voted for Ripper. I’d say that MK found a way to rig the voting devices so that you’d get the most votes no matter what."
Everyone gasped at that claim. "I say a lot of wild things, but I have to agree with Scott here," Izzy said. "The votes were definitely rigged!"
"Thank you," Scott replied.
"Sorry, but that seems out of the ordinary to me," Priya said. "Wouldn't the producers have done something if MK fudged with the votes?"
"Yeah," Damien chimed in. "They punished Chef for making a deal with a contestant."
"Then maybe the producers didn't know about it and it wasn't caught on camera!” Scott pointed. “Back in the first season, I sure as heck didn't have the game rigged for me! The same can be applied for MK."
"Uh, dude, they film us half the time,” Geoff spoke up. “They're obviously looking over everybody's shoulder when it comes to voting."
"But it's the only thing that makes sense here!" Scott exclaimed. "Why is Izzy the only one here that believes me?"
"Whoa there," Damien said suddenly. "You can cool down now."
"Yeah," Priya said, "you're starting to look insane. We’ll look into the episodes closely if it suits you well."
"This is something that I’m not making up just to trick you, you know," Scott finished and walked back to the peanut gallery.
"Well, that was interesting," Priya said awkwardly.
"But on the upside, it means we don't have to fill up this episode’s run time with useless filler," Damien added.
"And now we can get to the first interview!" Priya said with a confident smile. "But before we see what's in store for Chase, let's see what he's been through already!"
The shot cut back up to the hanging screen where Chase's portrait was displayed once again. "Chase started this season the same way he starts everyday," Damien said.
"Eager and ready for action!" Priya finished as the screen transitioned to a clip of Chase swinging on a vine in the war challenge.
"Sadly, it couldn't score him the win," Damien said over Chase performing well in the surfing challenge.
"His relationship with Millie gave his fans even more reason to root for him," Priya added as the couple eating sandwiches was replayed, "even though they ended up on different teams."
"Unfortunately, Chase's time in the spotlight was cut short after he received the majority of the votes," Damien's comment played over the scene of Chase's elimination.
"So sad!" Priya said as the screen cut to static and the camera pulled back, then panned back down to the hosts. "But at least he didn't get robbed out of the game, right?!" she asked the crowd, who responded with applause. "Our first guest is a sports master, can outrun seven contestants, and is no stranger to over-salting other people's eggs. Everyone give a warm welcome to Chase!"
The crowd went wild as the Aftermath theme played, but nobody appeared at the backstage camera.
"Ahem," Priya loudly cleared her throat. "Chase, everyone!" The Aftermath theme played again but nobody came out, leaving the hosts and Peanut Gallery to exchange confused looks with one another.
The scene cut backstage as a young white man with blonde hair knocked on an open door. "You're on," he said as he looked at the clipboard in his hands.
The camera pulled back to show Chase and Millie sitting on the couch together.
"I can do this," Chase smiled confidently. "I've been on TV before. I can definitely handle an interview." He stood up, and the author smiled up at him.
"You'll do great," Millie said reassuringly.
"I know I will!" Chase nodded, and the Aftermath theme played once again as he made a beeline for the exit.
Chase walked out on stage with a smile and a wave towards the cheering audience. After a moment, he turned and walked towards the guest couch.
"Damien! Priya! It's cool to see you two again!" he told the hosts, shaking Priya's hand and fist bumping Damien.
"It's so great to have you here!" Priya replied.
"Yeah," Damien added. "It's not like we wanted to see you eliminated," he explained as they all sat back down, "but we are glad that you're not being a bad sport over your elimination.”
“How are you feeling now, after everything that's happened in the game?" Priya wondered.
"It's hard to know where to begin," Chase answered with a light laugh.
Damien laughed as well. "Just speak your mind."
"Well, I was doing pretty good for myself," Chase said. "I got along well with the contestants and hardly made any enemies at all. Up until my elimination, I don't even remember being in the bottom two. Izzy, sorry again about your elimination!"
“Water under the bridge,” Izzy said with a smile. “It wasn't your fault!”
"When you put it like that, you almost had it easy on the film lot," Damien chuckled.
"And it's no surprise why you were eliminated. You were too skilled for them!" Priya quipped, and the audience laughed.
“I'm not a god or anything,” Chase claimed, “but I wouldn't be surprised if someone hired me to be a stuntman for a movie.”
"I wonder if you'll be able to keep that cool attitude when you're in the hot seat while playing 'Truth or Electrocution'!" Priya told the boy before winking knowingly at the camera.
The same theme as 'Truth or Hammer' and 'Truth or Anvil' played over a receding shot of the same golden statue of the Lady of Justice. The audience applauded wildly, and the sequence came to an end with the statue getting destroyed by a bolt of lightning.
Chase looked towards the backstage curtain, and the camera panned over to show a rather large wooden electric chair with a pumpkin-headed test dummy seated in it. The same male intern from earlier pressed a button on a remote, which lowered the helmet onto the pumpkin. After a surge of electricity and a dramatic twist in the background music, the pumpkin exploded to the shock of the audience.
"Can I sit this one out?" Chase asked cautiously, turning his eyes back to the hostess. “I'm all for danger, but I'm above electrocuting myself!”
"Yeah, this is totally going overboard, Priya," Damien added. "You cannot think that electrocuting people on live TV is a good idea!"
Priya shrugged apathetically. "Sorry, but the producers were bent on doing this. Don't worry," he told the athletic boy. "They've assured me the chair is totally safe. It's on low voltage!"
"Okay then..." Chase muttered as he walked over to the chair.
"Are you seriously going to go through with this?" Damien asked in disbelief. "You don't have to do everything the producers say!"
"I do not have anything to hide," Chase told him as the blond intern from earlier strapped him into the chair.
Priya giggled. "That's the spirit!" A few chuckles came from the audience, and she continued. "So Chase, tell us: who are you mad at the most right now? Is it Anne Maria, Justin, and Topher for being the ones to actually vote for you? Or maybe even MK, for not warning you about you being targeted?" The crowd gasped at the last remark.
Chase was shown to be flabbergasted. "So MK knew that I was going to get eliminated? That's why she convinced me to vote for Topher. So the votes would sway away from Justin! That girl is so ratty!" he ranted.
"Okay then," Priya laughed a bit. "What about the others? You've got to be mad at the three for even targeting you."
"Them I'm not upset at!" Chase answered. “They just had to vote for someone, and Ripper had immunity while I didn't!"
"How correct you are," Priya said. "In fact, we have a clip that partly explains your elimination!" She looked up at the hanging screen as it started to play footage from the superhero episode.
"I'm happy that Anne Maria won the first challenge and all," Topher said, "but I want either Chase or Ripper to win the second part. That way, we can vote out the non-immune player.”
The scene paused there. "So if you won the superhero challenge alongside Anne Maria, you wouldn't be here right now," Damien said.
"Yeah, but I guess it is kinda my punishment for how I got Izzy eliminated," Chase said as the camera cut back to him.
"Well," Priya stated forcefully, "you did vote her out, but I'm not holding that against you. Enough about that. I think it's time we finally get to know you well."
Chase raised an eyebrow, and Priya continued. "Remember, if you don't answer this question truthfully, you get electrocuted."
"I got it," Chase nodded.
Priya smirked. "Glad to hear it! Now Chase, tell the truth. Who inspired you to be who you are today? Pranking and looking for danger, to be precise."
Chase was stunned by the question, but he sucked it up and answered "Well, I have an uncle named Nick. He's 30, and he used to be a daredevil before switching to selling skateboards as a job."
"And what does that have to do with you?" Priya wondered.
"I'm getting to that," Chase told her. "After he got that job, he told me stories about his own endeavors, and all of them influenced me to take up his old mantle as the family's stuntman. If he was here, he'd go into depth about it all."
"You know,” Damien spoke up, “I thought this might happen so I did some stuff ahead of time. Just give me some time to get prepared. “I'll be back in a couple minutes."
As Damien got up and walked off stage, the Aftermath theme started playing and Priya shot an uncertain look at the camera. "I guess this is where we’ll be taking a short break! Don't turn off your TV just yet!"
(Commercial Break)
The logo's 'D' transitioned the scene to Priya announcing "It's time for 'That's Gonna Leave a Mark'!" as the segment's intro sequence played and the audience cheered.
Both the montage of pain and it's campy theme music started soon after, the footage beginning with Topher combing his hair until his brush got stuck in his couf. That was followed by a clip of Izzy getting hit in the forehead by a monocle.
Next up was Chris throwing the ball to Justin, only to end up hitting his groin and making him fall over. Several more nutshots were shown next: Ripper trying to move across the lasers, only for a beam to hit in-between his legs; Chase rolling along the roof after the cast ziplined away from the water tower and getting stopped by a poorly-placed metal chimney; the Grips’ cheering after winning the heist challenge, only for Topher to get hit in the nuts by a boom mic; and Ripper getting hit in the jewels during the sports challenge via the badminton birdie.
The next clip featured the blond intern, walking through a grassy area until a pillar from the caveman duels fell on him. During the caveman challenge, the Gaffer team symbol fell on Jasmine, and the Grip symbol whacked Millie during her confessional. After Ripper dropped his rock onto MK's foot, MK was then crushed by a falling large rock.
As the teams ran to their get-away cars in the bank heist, Jasmine got her leg stuck in an oddly placed bear trap. Ripper was making his confessional only to be knocked unconscious by an intern.
Chef drove the golf cart with the rack of ribs towards the fake tar pit for the reward, only to rear-end another golf cart driven by Sasquatchanakwa. The yeti got out and started bashing Chef's cart with a golf club, then made a gesture with his fingers that had to be blurred out.
The music came to an end and the audience laughed and cheered. The camera panned back down to the hosts as Damien took his seat back on the couch.
"What was that about?" Priya asked in a hushed tone.
"I wanted to prove that we can care about the viewers and our friends," Damien whispered before looking at the camera. "And now, I'd like to introduce a surprise guest," a drumroll began in the background as Damien looked at the curtain past the Peanut Gallery, "Chase's uncle!"
The drumroll led into the Aftermath theme as a middle-aged man walked out on stage. His hair was an afro and he wore a yellow jacket with blue jeans.
"Uncle Nick!" Chase said excitedly, still strapped into the electric chair.
"Hey Chase!" Nick smiled as he strolled right past the host couch and stopped in front of Chase. "Question, why are you in an electric chair?"
Chase looked at his bonds, then back at his uncle. "Because they didn't let me out during the commercials."
"We'll have someone get you out of there," Priya said as the blond intern approached the chair. The moment the straps were undone and the helmet lifted, Chase and his uncle shared a hug.
"It's so nice to see you again," Chase said.
"I missed you as well," Nick replied.
"Why don't you two have a seat? We don't have time for a lot of questions," Damien added as the pair sat on the couches, "so maybe you can explain how you inspired Chase to be who he is, right Nick?"
"Well, I used to do stunts that were extraordinary, and even though I'd get injured, I had fun risking my life and surviving to leave a legacy on the world,” Nick recapped, “but as I entered college, I knew that I had to retire and move on with my life, but that didn't mean that I couldn't tell stories to my nephew.”
"He told me every single stunt that he pulled and he even gave me one of his skateboards so I could practice down at the skatepark," Chase added. "My uncle may have left me to take up the family's mantle of daredevil, but I owe everything to him for making me discover my purpose in life."
"I just met you, but you're a pretty great uncle!" Damien said to Nick.
"Thank you. I want my nephew to be happy just like his parents," Nick confirmed.
An 'aww' was uttered forth from the audience. "Good on you for bringing Nick out here, Damien!" Priya said.
"No problem," Damien smiled. "But I think it's about time to introduce our last guest, don't you?"
"Definitely," Priya answered and looked at the camera. "Our next guest is easily the most studious person on the show," the hostess said as the camera panned back up to the hanging screen, which now showed an image of Millie.
"Yeah, and while she may not look it," Damien said over Millie writing in her book while sitting on her bunk, "she’s a strong player and contributor to her team," Millie was shown preventing Trent from falling over and trying to crack open the safe. "Heck, she can even step up as a leader at times!" A few short clips of Millie taking charge during the war challenge played.
"Too bad for her that she wasn't able to get further, though," Priya added while Millie fell into the tar pit. "Despite being a major part of her team and even winning a reward trip with her grandfather," Millie was shown holding a megaphone and producing moans to scare the Gaffers and getting declared the winner of the hospital drama, "she got voted out right before the merge for lacking any kind of connections to her team." Millie's elimination was replayed in part, and the hanging screen cut back to static.
Damien smiled for the camera. "Our next guest spends most of her days focusing on a journal, got shoved off a diving board, and is a pretty good getaway driver, it's Millie!"
The crowd went wild as the Aftermath theme began to play, and Millie trotted out on stage, giving the electric chair a quick look before turning her attention to the crowd. She waved at the audience then walked over to the hosts with a smile on her face.
"Hey guys!" Millie greeted, waving at the hosts before sitting down on the guest couch and waving at Chase and his uncle on the couch behind her. "Thanks for having me here!"
"Great to have you," Damien said.
"Totally," Priya added. "I was loving what you had to offer this season. Too bad you got cut so short!"
“Yeah, but I still have my dignity and pride,” Millie said to them.
“And that’s more important to you than winning money that could make your finances better?” Priya wondered with disappointment.
“I do not have any financial problems, Priya,” Millie told her. “And I’m starting to think that something happened between you two. Do you want to talk about that?"
"Hey, we're the hosts of this show," Priya refused. "We ask the questions and you give the answers."
"I’m good at answering questions," Millie said confidently. “Hit me with your best shot.”
"Then you won't mind taking a seat over there," Priya pointed over to the electric chair which had reappeared on-stage again.
"Umm...sure?" Millie answered hesitantly.
"All you have to do is be honest!" Geoff called out before the shot cut back to the blond intern strapping Millie into the chair.
“I’m not going to lie at all,” Millie promised. “Unless I want a high voltage surprise flowing through my bones.”
"Okay Millie, first question," Priya began. "Who do you blame for your elimination?"
"I'd say Justin," Millie said quickly. “It's pretty clear that he somehow convinced Anne Maria to vote for me. And it was easy for Topher to vote for me as well.”
Priya frowned when no shock came. "How do you feel about Anne Maria even voting for you despite you two becoming friends?"
"I don't hold anything against her," Millie explained. “I am a little bit upset that she fell for Justin's looks, but I probably would if I was in her position.”
“Even though you and Anne Maria have boyfriends?" Priya asked teasingly.
"We resisted Justin during all of our time competing in the season," Millie said. “What makes you think that I'd fall in love with Justin beyond shallowness?”
"I was just asking a question," Priya muttered.
“And I want to move on to the next one,” Millie urged.
“Okay. Do you think that Jasmine switching over to the Gaffers resulted in your downfall?” Damien asked.
Millie sighed. "Kind of. The two of us are good friends, and she supported me throughout the season. Had she not swapped teams, then maybe I'd have a better chance of staying in the game."
"So you expected her to protect you from the votes?" Priya wondered.
"I'm not the strongest player in the game, but that doesn't mean that I'll depend on people to shield me," Millie said with a bit of anger.
Having enough, Damien grabbed Priya by the arm. “We've talked about this after the end of the last episode,” Damien scolded. “You said that you were going to tone down your antics, and so far, I'm not seeing that at all. In fact, I don't even know who you are now.”
Priya took her hand away. “Um, I'm the best and only girlfriend that you have right now.”
“Not anymore!” Damien huffed. “It's over!”
“We don't have time for a short break!” Priya replied.
“No, I was talking about us! Our relationship is finished!” Damien declared, causing the audience to gasp while Priya was blank faced.
Millie was also shown to be stunned as well. “I'd hate to get in-between this problem, but can you two continue the show?”
“I will,” Damien took a deep breath, “but don't expect me to be on good terms with Priya for now.”
“Same with me as well,” Priya responded in a standoffish tone. "And with that out of the way, it's time to talk about something a bit more interesting," she said with a playful smile.
Millie raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked curiously.
"Well," Priya said knowingly, "we've gotten a lot of viewer requests to talk about what you said on that reward trip you took a few weeks ago."
"That was private!" Millie said in sudden alarm. "You can't show it on live TV!"
"Sorry, Millie, but it's already on the Total Drama website," Damien told her apologetically.
"And as far as the producers are concerned, it's fair game for it to be shown!" Priya said.
"But I didn't think anybody was going to see it," Millie continued in sadness as she slumped further back into the electric chair.
"Well it's too late for that," Priya told her. "Almost everyone at home has seen it, so it's time to show it to the few left who haven't." The camera quick-panned over to the guest couches where Chase was giving Nick a questioning look and receiving a shrug in return.
The camera moved up to the hanging screen as it cut from static to the footage of Millie and her grandfather inside the limousine of losers.
"I have a lot to talk to you about ever since I competed in the first season," Millie said to her grandfather.
Her grandfather smiled proudly. "Spill the details. I can tell you had a ball, but don't blame me if I start to doze off more than I do while writing best selling books."
"I'm not that boring!" Millie laughed cutely. "So it all started when I was dropped off on the dock. I mostly focused on writing my book, but there was a certain boy that caught my eye."
“And who could that young man be?” Millie's grandfather wondered.
“That person is Chase,” Millie answered. “I'll start off with his flaws first.”
“Flaws?” Millie's grandfather raised an eyebrow.
“Well, at first, Chase was inconsiderate, cocky, and had a tendency to show off a lot,” Millie said. “And this is not to bash him at all.”
“Right now, he sounds like a bum to me,” her grandfather said with doubt.
“But there's more to him than that,” Millie continued. “He's funny, friendly, and a well-meaning person, and as we got to know each other, he helped me be less uptight and rule-abiding.”
“And did Chase improve himself for you at all?” Millie's grandfather asked.
“Yes he did, granddad,” Millie responded. “He became more caring and thoughtful, and after he wrote me haikus, we finally started to date. I know he doesn't meet the family's expectations, and he can still be reckless at times, but I really love him, and he does as well.”
Her grandfather was touched to hear the words coming from her granddaughter's mouth. “Millie, I had no idea you two had a healthy relationship going on, and with how nice this boy is, you have my blessing to date him,” he said.
“Really? You and my parents are not going to forbid me from dating Chase?” Millie asked with shock.
“We would if he wasn't treating a lovely lady like you right,” Millie's grandfather said. “Enjoy your relationship with him. I’ll put in a good word for Chase when I tell your parents.”
Millie smiled and gave her grandfather a hug. “I love you, granddad.”
“I love you too, Millie,” Millie's grandfather returned the hug. “Now let's enjoy ourselves on our spa night. That facial is calling my name.”
The footage cut to static, and the camera pulled back and panned down to Chase and his uncle.
“So that's what you wanted to show to us?” Chase asked the hosts. “Personal information?”
“Don't blame us for wanting to spice up the show,” Priya giggled.
“Okay, can someone get me out of this thing?!” Millie demanded, and the blond intern came over to unstrap her while the helmet was lifted off. After he left, Millie got to her feet. “What is your deal, Priya? You're normally kind-hearted, and now you're being super nasty!”
"Tell me something I don't know!" Damien sighed.
"I was able to tolerate this until you decided to show my conversation with my granddad to the world just to embarrass me!" Millie reprimanded.
"This is a reality show. People are bound to get embarrassed," Priya countered. "Can you back me up on this, Chase?"
Chase was also shown to be upset as well. "Sorry, but you are acting like a full-blown jerk now, Priya," he added. “Even if I wanted to know what Millie's family thinks of me, I would not be nosy about it.”
“And I thought you learned that from last season after you tried to figure out the haiku,” Millie scolded.
“This is just all for fun,” Priya pouted. “Don't take it personally.”
"You know what I think would be more enjoyable?" Damien interjected as he walked over to the two guests and whispered something in their ears.
"Since you're a big fan of Truth or Electrocution, we think you should take a turn!" Millie grinned before she, Chase and Damien ran over to grab Priya.
“Hey!” Priya protested while the Peanut Gallery was entertained by the event going on.
Priya was thrown onto the chair, and after the helmet got dropped on her head, the intern strapped her tight while the audience were guffawing about.
"Now it's our turn to ask the questions," Damien said deviously.
"No problem," Priya said with fake confidence. "I'm really honest."
"Priya, is all the secret revealing, narcissism, and apathy really the new you? Or is this just what you think the producers want from you?" Millie asked.
Priya pursed her lips. "This is me completely." She was promptly electrocuted, earning a gasp from the audience. "Okay, I’m just acting like this so that the show doesn’t get canceled and we don’t lose our jobs."
"I've got one! How do you really feel about Damien and all of us?" Chase asked next.
"Alright! I still care about Damien a lot. I’m really sorry about how I acted. I lost control of myself, and I wasn’t surprised that Damien dumped me. I let the show become my fullest priority, and it made me do some underhanded stuff. Can you all forgive me?" Priya looked sadly at the people in front of her.
"Don't worry, Priya," Damien reassured her. "We understand now, and we all forgive you. In fact, I take back us being broken up. I don’t know what I’d do without the girl I hooked up with back on the island."
The audience awwed as Priya smiled gratefully. "Thanks!"
"So are you going to apologize for showing my private conversation to everyone?" Millie asked.
"Millie, I’m also sorry for that as well," Priya apologized. "I know the producers already put it up online, but I had no right to show it to everybody just for ratings. Your relationship with Chase is your own business, and I really promise to not invade you like that again."
“I can see that you’re being sincere,” Chase said. “Thanks for not lying.”
"So you promise to be yourself from now on and not pull any strings?" Damien asked Priya.
"Double promise," Priya nodded. "I am not going to stoop to Chris’ levels anytime soon."
“Yeah, the last thing we’d need right now is a female Chris,” Millie added as Chase agreed with her.
The Aftermath theme began as the scene cut back to Damien and Priya, the latter already out of her bonds. "Well, I guess that's it for tonight," Damien told the audience as he helped his slightly-singed girlfriend to her feet.
"Join Chris and the cast next time," Priya said as the crowd began to clap and cheer again, "for another totally suspense-filled episode of Total! Drama! Action!" The shot pulled back from the stage, and the two hosts shared a kiss.
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
Priya and Damien were shown to be happily kissing each other on the host couch. After a few moments, the camera panned to the guest couch, where Millie and Chase were watching awkwardly.
"Do they even know that we're still here?" Chase asked.
"I don't think it matters to them," Millie said.
"How about we go to the guest room for some alone time?" Chase said with a knowing wink.
“You don't need to ask me twice,” Millie smiled teasingly before they ran off together.
Eva - 15th
Geoff - 15th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 13th
Sky - 12th
Brick - 11th
Scott - 10th
Izzy - 9th
Millie - 8th
MERGE
Chase - 7th
Boys: Justin, Ripper, Topher
Girls: Anne Maria, Jasmine, MK

So why does the subscript on NF3 contribute to an overall bond forming of 6 but the subscripts on N2 and 3F2 do not contribute to the overall bonds breaking of, say, 6 for 3F2 and two for N2 ? I hope my question isn’t confusing with this formatting.

Icestorm:
A thirteen year old Ali stumbled into my training room, fresh bruises and cuts covering her skin. Tying her waves into a bun, there was no light in her eyes. Someone had stolen the sparkle and I had a clue who. Mumbling an apology under her breath, her body twitched at the slightest of touch. Blood soaked the back of her tank top, a quick lift of her shirt revealing fresh whip marks. Bowing her head in shame, this genius of an officer had gotten her pilot’s license a year ago. Shame should have never been felt, a simmering rage boiling in my eyes.
“Leave it alone.” She mumbled brokenly, tears splashing onto the grass. “I deserved it for god knows what this time.” Shaking my head, my strong hands guided her to the one bench. Using a wave of ice to bring me the medicine kit, her fingers dug into her legs with every dab of alcohol on the fresh wounds. Moving onto an ointment I created specifically for her, her next words broke my heart.
“Why do I have to be her punching bag? It isn’t enough that everyone hates me.” She sobbed uncontrollably, wiping her tears away. “Doesn’t she get that it freaking hurts! Ignore me, master!” Pulling out the gauze to wrap her up, her tenacity made that an impossible task. A fit of hearty laughter had her wet eyes meeting my jolly smile, my goal from now on being to make her as happy as I can.
“No way in hell, kiddo!” I announced with another big laugh, my eyes catching the commander glaring down at me. “Let’s get some ice cream as a reward for all your good work.” Popping to her feet, her eyes reminded me of a child for the first time in a long while. Pressing calloused palms together, the hard work showed in where they were. Smiling brightly, I flipped off the commander behind my back. She wouldn’t dare punish me, a sly grin danced across my lips. Shrugging as I guided her out of my training room, our boots echoed down the empty halls of the academy. Weeping next to me, she flashed me an exhausted smile. Wiping away her tears, panic twisted my features. Tugging at my worn leather vest and pants, embarrassment colored her cheeks. Our future would be bleak if she defected but for now I could bask in her warmth. Bouncing her fist into her palm, her smile brightened to her genuine smile.
“If I could be president tomorrow, then I would bring us all together!” She chirped cheerfully, spinning around before her smile faded. “Like that would ever happen. People would have to stop calling me a mutt first.” Ruffling her hair, the loose strands of her hair floated up with the return of her real smile. Such a sweet girl and the world was shattering her to pieces. Stepping into the ice cream shop, everyone stopped to stare at her. Throwing slurs her way, an ice cream cone splattered inches from her feet. The corner of her lips quivered, her body disappeared into the crowd. Berating everyone before I left, my boots bounced off the sleek streets. Shoving my way through the different aliens, our society’s view needed to change desperately. Hours passed of me searching, the crowds dwindling. A familiar scream shattered the silence, the sound sending me in the direction of an alleyway. A busted up Ali lay in a growing pool of blood, a few gang members leaping over the nearest fence. Struggling to sit up, several stab wounds dotted her body. Grasping at her pants, her puffy and bruised face met my twitching snarl. How dare they hurt my student!
“Could you kill me already!” She pleaded desperately, screaming into the sky. “All anyone else but Jack and you want to hurt me. I love Jack and I love you like a father. Everyone else hates me for something I can’t control, damn it! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Crouching down to her level, my hands cupped her face. Wiping her tears away with my thumbs, a thirteen year old should never feel like this. Pushing me to the ground, a golden light sealed her wounds shut. Struggling to her feet, she limped away from me. Glancing back in my direction, a sad smile quivered on her lips.
“No one must hear what I said. They might hate me more. The last thing I want is for you guys to get burned in the line of my fire.” She choked out through another flood of tears, her facial swelling dying down. “I promise that I will be fine.” Jack called for her in the distance, her real smile illuminating her features. Her voice calling for me to wake up had me fading in out of my memory.
Sucking in a deep breath, Ali was standing over me in the winter version of her space suit. She doubled in my vision, her smile reminding me of that day. Coming into focus, her hand rested on her hip. Grinning ear to ear, the harsh atmosphere of my planet howled outside of my ship. Leaning forward with a big grin, her thick brown leather gloves contrasted the fluffy winter coat.
“When I said I loved you like a father that day, I meant it.” She proclaimed while spinning around, her hands landing on her hips. “You treated me like a human being and stitched me up when the commander ordered the nurse to stop treating me. You strayed a bit which we all do. I know that you care a lot about me. You took me out for ice cream to make me feel better. You crouched down to my level to wipe away my tears. You listened to me rant about how I wanted to die. Also, it might be an honor to be the first person I said I love you to. Keep that in mind when you are feeling down.” Touched by her words, silent tears danced down my cheeks. Undoing my harness, her dream was about to come true. All of the officers had been gathered and the informant in my village had the location of Solomon for the next few days in exchange for the extermination of an ice bear. Tucking her staff into the new golden case that the group had gifted her, a tired depression had her face falling.
“Can I be open for a second? A deep fright has me scared that I can’t bring the peace that I want to.” She admitted freely, making her way over to the door. “Bogs might be wrong about me.” Fighting back tears, she moved a thick scarf over her mouth. My heart broke for her, her hand dropping to her side. Choosing not to finish her thoughts, her trembling fingers had the door hissing open. Stepping into the howling landscape, my footfalls echoed behind her. Locking up the ship behind me, her bag of supplies bounced off her hips. Crunching up to her side, the leather groaned as she clenched her fists. Hiking into the sea of glowing brick homes, her downtrodden expression spoke of regret.
“I miss my girls.” She sighed tiredly, her bond with her snakes speaking of her kindness. “They would curl around me but even I know that it is too cold here for them.” Frozen tears exploded against the snow, my arms yanking her into a bear hug. Shivering in my arms, uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. Staring ahead into the place I used to call home, her fingers dug into my space suit. Snores echoed in my ear, her emotions sweeping her away to a rough slumber. Carrying her into my parents’ home, I placed her on the couch. Noting her dark bags, the lack of sleep must be the problem. Getting the fireplace going, I locked my door on the way out. Sprinting into the blizzard, the bear problem could be solved by me. Following the tracks, a tall ice cave towered over me. Sneaking into the shadows, a roar had my palms gripping the wall. Fighting my fear, terror rounded my eyes at the enormous ice bear lumbering past me. The bastard said he was five foot tall not twenty feet tall, my powers wouldn’t suffice. A sharp whistle had me crying for Ali to get out of the way, a golden glow hiding her body. Steam hissed in the air with every violent clash, something else felt off. Solomon came out of the shadows, the rest of the team coming in on the other side of her. Lasers dotted the night skies, our ships battling his ships. Spinning her staff in her palm, golden energy swirled around her. Wondering what woke her up, the bit of rest was now a thought of the past.
“The jig is up, captain.” He laughed maniacally, raising his staff in her direction. “Time to die like the mutt you are.” Her hair floated up, his eyes twinkling with malice. Surprise rounded my eyes at the bear bowing in my direction, a low growl begging for me to pet it. Scratching behind its ear, low rumbles shook the ground. Shrinking down to my height standing, he slid me onto his back. Running my fingers through his fur, the colors reminded me of the Northern Lights. More ships surrounded Solomon’s fleet, his face falling at the sight of our allies outnumbering him. Calling into his radio, his orders to attack fell on deaf ears. Shrieking louder and louder, his composure began to slip, a deep voice sending him over the edge.
“We quit!” The voice spoke simply, his electricity growing wilder. “Your tyrant ass is done! Go get them, president!” Silent tears stained her cheeks, determination blooming in her eyes. A fit of laughter burst from her lips, her hands cupping her stomach. Too stunned to speak, electricity blossomed into lightning. Realization dawned on me at the rubber on the heels of everyone’s boots but his own, golden energy melting a large circle. Ordering us to cover her, her laughter paused abruptly.
“Don’t you see. We had your officers acting as secret agents.” She explained calmly, watching him flip in the air. “Your reign of terror is done.” Leaping off my new friend’s back, her snakes hissed to get the bear into the safe zone. Checking my boots, this was the first time I noticed the rubber on the heels of my boots. Grinning ear to ear, a wave of ice prevented him from striking her in the head. Hopping onto a ledge, her order for us to get out had chills running up my spine. The broken smile she donned had Jack shouting at her not to do it, his tears cascading faster and faster. A blast of golden energy knocked us into the safety zone, a thicker dome of golden energy preventing us from getting to her. Her hair floated up, golden scales popping up on her skin. Her pets hissed wildly, Solomon floating up in the air, his electricity searing off his scales. He would burn her alive if she got too close to him, her feet pushing off the ledge. The two were balls of light and lightning, the balls bouncing around. Horror rounded my eyes at her splashing into the water, a river of blood pouring from her lips. Jack banged on the outside, the others pleading with her to move. Angling his staff for her head, the crack had us crying out at once. Ratalia and Ratonia slithered up to my side, the two of them curling around me for comfort. Actual tears dribbled onto my head, the creatures screeching out in pure loss. Her fingers twitched, Solomon taking a step back in horror, her bloody hands pulling her to her feet. Leaning onto her staff, several blows had destroyed her organs. Spitting out blood, her body swayed. Wondering what she was doing, the last of her power was building around her palm. Jack pleas continued to fall on deaf ears, the glass ball in her pocket ringing. Disbelief rounded my eyes at her picking up with the brightest smile she could muster. Scampy asked repeatedly if she was coming home, her tears splashing onto the surface. An eerie silence came over everyone, Solomon preparing for his next attack, her words breaking our hearts into pieces.
“I don’t know but I am going to do my best. I love you with all of my h-” She wept openly, his lightning breaking their communication device. Dropping her staff, she pulled her fist back. Aiming for his chest, blood painted each other’s face. His staff sank into her chest, her fingers ripping out his heart. Broken shock birthed a tense silence, his dead body splashing into the water. Dragging herself onto the ice, his lightning cooked his body into ash. Rolling his heart into the ash, the organ didn’t last long. The dome glitched out, Jack and Valentia rushing over to treat her. Arguing with each other, her hands cupped his shaking hands.
“I am sorry but I didn’t see another way.” She wheezed, all of us surrounding her while sobbing uncontrollably. “I apologize to you guys as well. You made a hell of a team. Every time I look at all of you, I see you as family. The type of family every orphan dreams of.” Valentia shook her head, Jack pulling her onto his lap. Ripping the staff from her chest, blood ran like a river into the crackling water. Holding her hand like her life depended on it, time slowed as it hit the ice. An ungodly wail burst from Jack’s lips, Ratalia nudging my pockets. The last of my miracle potion grazed my fingertip, something always telling me to hold onto it. Plucking it from my pocket, the key to her living rolled in my palm. Valentia caught it in her palm. Her last day couldn't be today, not if I had anything to do with it.
“This is your famous miracle potion. You can’t even find the ingredients anymore.” She uttered in disbelief, the navy liquid sloshing around. “You might need this.” Waving my hand around, my daughter needed it.
“I think we need it.” I choked out through a wall of tears, dim hope burning in my heart. “We need her. Save her for all of us. Please?” The corner of my lips quivered, her head nodding. Popping the cork, she poured the liquid down her throat. A bright light blinded us!
Epilogue: Alisandra’s view
Sitting at my president’s desk, my fingers traced the angry burn scar on my chest. Wondering how six years had passed so fast, the universe seemed to be running like a well oiled machine. My emerald mechanic’s suit hugged my baby bump, my third child was on the way. Taking in the wall of my hangar, I wouldn’t have my capital anywhere else. Rising from my chair, pictures of the past years covered the walls. Today was a special day, the incident from six years nearly taking my life. His staff narrowly missed my heart, my eyes resting on my severely scarred hand. Hissing had me perking up, my eight foot girls slithering up to me. Making my way down the stairs, a broken smile lingered on my lips. Beautiful sunshine bathed my face, sand crunching as I made it to the cemetery with the lilies I grabbed on my way out. Finding Bogs grave, the sand met my knees as I laid the lilies on the top. Pressing my palms together, the little boy growing in me would be named Bogs in his honor.
“Hello old friend and my fallen comrades. I came to tell you that an unprecedented peace has come over the universe.” I wept honestly, pressing my forehead to the sand. “I have another little boy on the way and my family has grown quite a bit over the years. Catz is on her fourth child with your brother, Officer Smatters. Kids can run free like never before. Not a fear can stop their smiles. Although, I wish I could smile more. I wish I could say I was happy but the bite of depression remains. Why can’t I be happy? I mean I stopped the bad guy right and here I sit crying like a little bitch.” Wiping my tears away, a familiar set of fingers playing with my ears had me glancing up to meet Jack’s loving gaze. Sitting down next to me, his commander's suit looked sharp on him. Resting my head on his shoulder, his lips grazed the top of my head.
“Whatever it is, we can all work through it together. You are the president after all.” He pointed out with a proud smile, his finger lifting up my chin with his finger. Kissing my lips tenderly, time slowed down. Popping to his feet, he placed me onto his back. The people of the capital waved, Tenty running towards our favorite place to meet. Skidding into the noodle shop, my family shouted hello. Setting me down, Jack took his place at the head of the table. Ratalia and Ratonia played with Icy’s bear, Scampy smashing into me. His thirteen year old boy was a far cry from the one I rescued. Every day was filled with his laughter, his six year old and three year old sister bouncing around him in their matching mechanic’s suit. April, my three year old girl was the miniature version of me. Scooping her up, her golden snake eyes met mine with the greatest love. Forgetting my sorrow for a tender moment, the restaurant owner set our orders onto the table. Scooping up Basy, we took our seats next to Jack. Scampy scooted close to me, his hand holding mine for a second. Remembering the blackness for a second, Bogs told me that it wasn’t my time. A bright light threw me back into the arms of life, my second chance was one that I would never squander. Someday Bogs would greet me in Heaven. Sinking into our usual conversations, Scampy rested his head on my shoulder. Icy called my name, his leather jacket reminding me of the olden days when he took care of me. Calling for me to chat with him for a second, Jack took April for a second. Basy cozied up to him, the others watching as Icy met me outside. The streets looked cleaner than when I showed up, the buildings looking worn but in good shape. Fishing around his pocket, his shaking hand placed a black box into my palm. Opening it up, my hand covered my mouth. A piece of Solomon’s staff hung off of a golden chain, his hands picking up the piece of jewelry.
“Remember when you said you wanted to be president, I had faith in you from the spot.” He gushed with fatherly admiration, my life always being owed to him. “I managed to get a piece of what nearly killed you before it got destroyed. I want you to know that I was always proud of you.” Dropping it over my head, a few words caught my eyes. Reading them, the words to my favorite warrior had fresh tears cascading off my chin.
“Thanks for saving that day. The depression sucks ass but every time I see what we accomplished together, the pain was almost worth it.” I cried softly, his arms pulling me into one of his bear hugs. “Do you think we could get ice cream later with my kids? They want grandfather time.” Ruffling my hair as he let me go, scarlet colored his scales. Pretending to mull it over, Basy smashed into his legs. There goes my little girl, her sweetness sure to win him over.
“Ice cream! Did you say ice cream?” She chirped cheerfully, her waves bouncing round with every jump. Caving into her puppy dog eyes, his arms scooped her up. Entering the noodle shop with them in tow, I took my seat at the head of the table. This was my tainted happily ever after, the sorrow of what occurred haunting me like a beautiful shadow.

Let's now delve into Abby's perspective.
Abby's equivalent of the Wyoming Museum is her scenes in the aquarium. I find the choice of this particular ocean biome interesting. Throughout her journey in Seattle, Abby gradually distances herself from the WLF. The aquarium serves as a clandestine refuge where Abby and Owen seek solace away from their WLF responsibilities, a sanctuary amidst the chaos of the city. The ocean represents a hidden world, a sanctuary that other surface animals cannot penetrate, symbolizing a refuge from the conflicts and chaos above. Abby's character in Seattle is symbolized by a crab—outwardly strong yet internally vulnerable, much like herself as depicted by Owen's observation that she appears tough but is soft at heart. This symbolism extends to the imagery of a giant crab adorning the doors leading to the tragic fate of Owen and Mel. Upon her return from the island, blood stains beneath the doors. I think this is supposed to represent how by her actions she brought death to her friends, akin to bearing the weight of guilt or "dirty hands." Throughout her narrative, various other depictions of crabs persistently follows Abby.
Abby's Seattle setting is aquatic, but it wasn't always so. Prior to her father's death, her symbolic habitat was the jungle. In her initial flashback in Salt Lake, she stands at the zoo entrance, surrounded by banners portraying jungle and savanna creatures like tigers, elephants, apes, and antelopes. She can also find a flyer of the zoo ad with the tiger on it. In Santa Barbara, when visiting the Firefly outpost, Lev asks why the children's room depicts animals and a forest. Abby explains that it is a thing parents can do and that her father painted her a jungle in her room when she was little. I think deep within, Abby identifies with a tiger, and she actually re-finds herself with Lev's encounter. The tiger represents her true essence, her totem animal, while the crab represents what she turned into in Seattle. The crab, with its hard exterior and soft interior, also mirrors Abby's hardened exterior developed from her experiences with the WLF.
Yet, subtle hints throughout her narrative suggest a rediscovery of her true self as a tiger that coincide with what she's going throught. One instance that really striked me is the big cartoonish tiger she encounters in a cafe on the road to the hospital, sat in a position of meditation, coinciding with her growing bond with Lev. This moment signifies her gradual return to inner peace and authenticity. Another significant occurrence is the depiction of a tiger hidden behind a counter during her escape from the island with Yara and Lev, labeled with "mean streak." This moment precedes a pivotal confrontation with her former allies, symbolizing Abby's re-embrace of her tiger nature—a resurgence of strength and determination as she confronts her past and fights for her newfound family. The reappearance of the tiger symbolizes Abby's journey of self-discovery and resilience, marking her reclaiming of inner strength and ferocity in the face of adversity.
During the Salt Lake flashback, as Abby finds her father and they continue through the park, they enter the aquatic biome, greeted by a crab facing exactly towards the banner depicting a tiger, symbolizing Abby's future transformation in Seattle. She enters the mouth of a whale, symbolizing her immersion into the aquatic world. In the very next flashback, she will exit from the mouth of a shark, marking her transformation complete.
Owen is symbolized by a spotted seal. The first time they ever entered the aquarium, Owen get out of the water and place himself right in front of a seal depiction named "Oscar", saying some things to Abby. You can see a little crab right under. Hints in dialogues also point at Owen being a seal. During the scene in the aquatic dome underwater, Owen concludes their conversation by expressing his intention to spend some time with the seals. Another subtle clue to Owen's future role as a father is found within the aquarium's main room: a statue depicting a seal and its cub. This imagery hints at Owen's impending journey into parenthood.
I'm going to talk about Tommy in Abby's section because it mostly striked me while doing her parts, with the exception of this dinosaur looking like a horse head in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post. Right after letting Yara at the "Big Fat Crab Shack" to get to the marina, she stumble upon Manny who's being targeted by Tommy. Interestingly, if you look behind Abby, you'll spot the "Big Fat Crab Shack" logo again with its giant crab, while directly in front of her, just a couple of meters away, is an advertising van for "Manke" beer. The logo on the van is a horse, accompanied by the tagline "made with the finest ingredients of southern America," which resonates with Tommy's Texan roots. This van appears again later not far, in the parking lot where Tommy shoots at Abby, instigating an attack from the infected.
However, what puzzles me is why Abby doesn't perceive Tommy as an aquatic animal like she does with others. My only lead on this is that the aquatic version of Tommy is a seahorse. This notion is reinforced by the presence of a seahorse symbol at the Serevena Hotel, where Ellie and Dina encounter men tortured by Tommy. Honestly not 100% convinced on this seahorse part.
Lev is seen as a shark by Abby. A whole section of the aquarium is dedicated to sharks and their importance in the ocean ecosystem ( you can also see a little crab under one of the shark depictions ) When Abby and Yara seek a gift for Lev, they deem a shark plushie as the perfect choice, emphasizing his connection to this creature.
A prominent shark exhibit features a large specimen seemingly poised to attack a diver's cage, adorned with scars on its mouth sides. The image of Lev braving the seas on his boat to rescue his mother on the island further reinforces this association, evoking the image of a shark cutting through the waves with determination.
In Abby's perception, Lev embodies the qualities of a shark, yet he identifies himself with a cat, ( or it's his totem animal ) First and foremost, we can clearly see Lev's agility and fearlessness, particularly evident in his comfort with heights, mirroring a cat's nimbleness and independence. Additionally, Lev expresses fears akin to those of a cat—water and dogs. During Ellie's parts, I found this board on the ancient communication agency swarmed by scars ( in front of the tramway ). There this little text on a board from a meeting to pitch a product, back in the days. It says :
"Client pitch meet ideas - emotional angle - comedy angle - personnification of cat ? "
Even though it might be a bit of a stretch, this corresponds perfectly to what happens between Abby and Lev. She feels pity for him upon learning his story and comes to love him, thus the emotional angle, and Lev also makes some jokes or blunders, like asking Abby what's going on between him and Owen at the worst possible moment, or when he doesn't know certain common words due to his life among the Seraphites.
The more obvious sign that Lev is really a cat can be found in the same cafe where we found the tiger in meditation pose, on the left walls. Just like Owen, we can witness Lev positionning himself right in front of this animal and get some dialogues. He say something like it's weird to represent humans as animals / humans from before were weird doing this. This particular artwork features two cartoonish cats adorned in rock-inspired attire, captured in a lively dancing pose. A male and female, holding hands. This really striked me as being a representaion of Lev's gender duality. Abby mentions Lev's "punk-rock" spirit not long before this, hence the outfits.
Yara is a sea otter, simply because she wears this shirt with a sea otter at the aquarium.
The WLF obviously are wolves but Abby actually sees them as Orcas. Upon awakening at the stadium, Abby is greeted by a rug adorned with an orca motif. Then she gets to the mess hall, there's one wolf banner on one wall but also depictions of orcas adorning pillars and inscriptions proclaiming "Home of the Orcas" on the walls. Orcas are kinda wolves of the seas, share several characteristics with wolves, such as being large predators that hunt in packs, exhibit complex social structures, and are territorial. By associating the WLF with Orcas, Abby's perception elevates them to a level of strength, cunning, and dominance akin to these apex predators of the ocean.
Scars are possibly herons. I found some herons in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post, but also some depictions while Abby is crossing the chinese district to get to martyr's gate. They communicate throught whistling like birds including herons. They also go throught the city by the airs, basically. Theres not much hints, but I do feel like the herons correspond really well to Seraphites due to their way of life and behavior. Firstly, herons are often associated with aquatic areas such as marshes and rivers, where they patiently and strategically hunt their prey. Similarly, the Seraphites have established themselves on an isolated island, resembling a marsh, where they practice an ascetic and contemplative form of living in harmony with nature, living in wooden houses. Furthermore, herons are patient and methodical predators, silently observing their surroundings before taking action ( Remember that arrow in Ellie's shoulder ? ) The Seraphites also exhibit a deliberate approach in their lives and interactions, emphasizing discipline, reflection, and strategic planning.
During the visit to the Chinese district, theres a peculiar creature: the dragon. Numerous depictions of it adorn this area. There might be a connection to the Seraphites, evidenced by the presence of Martyr's Gate and the increased encounters with them following this section. However, it's challenging to pinpoint its exact representation; my guess is that it symbolizes a broader concept rather than a specific character or faction. Might also just be because it's the chinese district.
Abby seem to be also linked to whales and octopus, I think each representing one concept. Ellie's collection of cards includes one intriguing card featuring a whale named "Big Blue." The description of the card reads:
"Big Blue is an extra-dimensional entity who has taken on the appearance of a blue whale. First arriving on Earth over a billion years ago to keep watch over nascent life forms, they use their infinite well of knowledge to help guide the human race in times of great need and upheaval. Their unfathomable age has one major drawback: days appear to pass as microseconds. However, this time dilation effect is offset if they hold their breath—which they can do for several years at a time."
The whale, as an entity with ancient wisdom and knowledge, could be seen as a manifestation of destiny itself. Just as the whale has existed since the dawn of life on Earth, destiny is a force that has shaped Abby's life from the very beginning. It has guided her path, leading her to the pivotal moments and encounters that defined her journey. Despite the challenges she faces, destiny continues to steer her toward her ultimate purpose and fate.
In many cultures and mythologies, the octopus is often associated with aspects of mystery, danger, and conflict. Its tentacled appearance and ability to camouflage itself in its environment make it a powerful symbol of the struggle and complexity of human conflicts. In the game, the giant octopus present at the aquarium can be interpreted as a visual representation of the internal and external conflicts that the characters, especially Abby, must face. The octopus's tentacles seem to stretch out and envelop the environment, evoking how conflict can feel omnipresent and difficult to avoid. Furthermore, the octopus is a formidable predator in the marine world, using its tentacles to capture and subdue its prey. This imagery can be associated with how the characters in the game are ensnared in the conflicts surrounding them.
And finally, Abby sees Ellie as a Stingray. Ellie's journey to get to Abby in Seattle final moments is symbolic of her descent into the aquatic world : to get to the hidden crab in the secretive ocean, she must transform as an aquatic animal. As Ellie approaches the aquarium, the challenges intensify, marked by increasingly stormy weather and turbulent seas. Despite the obstacles, Ellie perseveres, ultimately reaching her destination, not before falling into the ocean. Few notes here, first of all there's this outdoor kids' play area, a crab faces towards a whale and a shark, while an orca wing and a seahorse stand behind them. Could be a representation of how Abby is leaving her past behind and her newfound responsibility towards Lev. Next, right before kneeling to get under the fence, a sign featuring a stingray lies on its side, urging one to "become a member today". Further symbolism unfolds as Ellie encounters a shark depiction just before her fall from a broken window, with a stingray positioned EXACTLY on the floor where she lands. On the same note there is a stingray positionned on the floor exactly where Ellie kills Mel & Owen. The cafe section of the aquarium, named "Stingray Bay Cafe," features murals depicting a beach with palm trees, foreshadowing the events to come in Santa Barbara. Abby's exploration of the aquarium with Yara while looking for Lev reveals a section named "Shipwreck Cove," dominated by a giant stingray overhead, further hinting at the impending encounters and sequences involving boats, serving as a metaphor for both characters feeling like shipwrecks by the end of their tumultuous journey.
Also, The use of animal symbolism during Ellie and Abby's confrontations adds a layer of complexity and depth to their dynamic. During their intense fight in the theater, the actions of Ellie and Abby mirror the characteristics of the animals associated with them. Abby's brute force and relentless attacks, smashing Ellie into the floor and causing them to fall to a lower level, hitting her with her fists or grabbing her, align with the symbolism of the crab and its claws. She also headbut Ellie ( bison ). In contrast, Ellie's actions, repeatedly tries spiking Abby with her knife like a stingray hitting its prey, reflect a more tactical and predatory approach. I invite you to re-check their fight at the theater with that in mind, it's really striking.
As we've discussed, these symbols are not merely decorative but serve as powerful storytelling devices, conveying concepts or themes of identity, transformation, and growth. Whether you've noticed these subtle details yourself or are discovering them for the first time, it's clear that the developers at Naughty Dog have crafted a meticulously designed world filled with rich symbolism and meaningful connections.
So, what are your thoughts? Have you spotted any other animal motifs or symbols ? Let me know your theories !

In today's world, consumers are more conscious of where they spend their money.
They conduct extensive research before making a purchase, with 53% of buyers saying they always do research before buying to ensure they are making the best possible choice.
This is where case study video production comes in. According to a study by Google, case study videos help increase trust and can ultimately result in more sales for businesses.
In this article, we will explore how to create a case study video in just 10 simple steps. We will take a look at what a case study video is, its benefits, and six top examples of case study videos. By following these steps, businesses can create effective case study videos that can help increase consumer trust and ultimately lead to more sales.

Key Takeaways

• Case study videos can help increase consumer trust and lead to more sales.
• Creating a case study video involves 10 simple steps.
• By following these steps, businesses can create effective case study videos that can help increase consumer trust and ultimately lead to more sales.

What is a Case Study Video?

A case study video is a type of video that showcases real customer success stories to demonstrate the value of a company's products or services. It is a powerful marketing tool that can be used to sell to potential customers and retain current ones. Unlike written case studies, video case studies allow viewers to see and hear firsthand how a company's products or services have helped a customer achieve their goals. Creating case study videos requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the final product effectively communicates the customer's story and the value of the company's offerings.

Case study video benefits

Case study videos are an excellent tool for businesses to showcase their customer success stories. These videos can be used in various marketing campaigns to attract new customers, strengthen relationships with existing ones, and increase brand awareness. Here are five benefits of creating case study videos:

1. Increase trust & credibility

Trust and credibility are essential for any business to succeed, and case study videos can help increase both. According to a study by Accenture, trust is as important as growth and profitability when it comes to the financial health of a company. This is especially important for younger generations, as 42% of Gen Z and 30% of millennials do not trust the average American company, according to a study by Morning Consult.
Creating a case study video adds authenticity and credibility to your brand, which can increase trust among leads and help convert them into new customers.

2. Relate to your customers

Customers want to feel connected to the brands they use, and case study videos can help businesses achieve this. A survey of 1,000 consumers by Sprout Social found that 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them. When asked to rank which channels brands should use to create the best opportunity to connect with customers, video came in 2nd place (beaten only by social media).
Creating relatable case study videos that aren't overly salesy can help businesses build a stronger bond with their customers. This can encourage customers to spend more, stay loyal, and give positive word-of-mouth marketing.

3. Boost sales

Case study videos showcase the benefits that a business has given to one of its happiest customers, which can help boost sales. According to Video Marketing Statistics 2022, 2 out of 3 people say they'd be more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product, or service had helped another person like them.
When viewers see someone they can identify with in a case study video, it makes them think, "huh, if that happened for them then maybe it can happen for me." The more confident people feel in a brand, the more likely they are to buy from that brand.

4. They're easy & inexpensive to make

Case study videos don't have to be expensive or complicated to make. They can be created with just a smartphone and some simple editing software. Even with B-roll footage added, case study videos are still much quicker, easier, and cost-effective than most other types of videos.
Creating case study videos on video apps like TikTok is also a possibility. The better a video looks, the more credibility it will have, but even simple case study videos can be effective.

5. Strengthen your relationship with existing customers

Creating case study videos can also help businesses strengthen their relationships with existing customers. When a happy customer agrees to take part in a case study video, it shows belief and loyalty for the brand. The process of creating a video together can strengthen the relationship even more and could result in the customer becoming an even bigger fan of the company.
In conclusion, case study videos offer many benefits to businesses. They can increase trust and credibility, relate to customers, boost sales, be easy and inexpensive to make, and strengthen relationships with existing customers. By incorporating case study videos into their marketing strategy, businesses can create authentic and relatable evergreen content that is customer-centric and emotionally connects with their target audience.

How to Create a Case Study Video in 10 Steps

Creating a case study video can be an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service. By highlighting a customer's success story, you can demonstrate how your business can help others overcome similar challenges. Here are 10 steps to creating a successful case study video:

1. Decide on a Goal

Before creating a case study video, it's essential to establish a clear goal. While the ultimate objective may be to increase sales, it's important to drill down deeper and identify specific hurdles you're trying to overcome. Consider what the biggest barrier to purchase is for your product or service and use the case study video to eliminate those doubts.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

In addition to defining a goal, it's crucial to identify your target audience and keep them in mind throughout the development process. Consider what motivates your target audience, what's important to them, and what they want to know. By keeping these factors in mind, you can craft your video to speak directly to your target audience and increase your chances of success.

3. Choose the Right Customer

Selecting the right customer for your case study video is critical. Rather than choosing your happiest, most complimentary customer, select a customer whose journey best fits the narrative you're trying to create. Approach your customer politely with an email or a friendly chat and ask if they'd like to be in your video. Make it easy for them to say yes by letting them choose a convenient time and offering to cover travel expenses if required.

4. Write a Script

Crafting a script is essential to creating a roadmap for your video. While it's not necessary to write everything down word-for-word, having a script will help you guide the day of shooting and create the bare bones of a narrative for your video. Outline the customer's problem, explain how your company helped them, and round off with key benefits.

5. Add Stats Where Possible

When discussing the benefits that your company has brought to the case study customer, stats and figures can help. Solid figures that show a clear benefit will make it easier for buyers to present your case study video to their employer and say "we need this." Invest in research to find tangible figures that prove the benefit of your product or service to improve your credibility with viewers.

6. Find the Perfect Location

The setting of your video can make a significant difference to the viewer experience. Choose a location that matches the look and feel you want to portray in your video and is convenient for everyone to get to. Most great testimonial videos will have a couple of establishing shots to set the scene, so don't underestimate the power of a great setting.

7. Create a Shot List

A shot list is a document that maps out each scene you want to see in your video. Creating a shot list will help your day of shooting go more efficiently. It's especially important if you're handing over the responsibility to an external film crew. A shot list will ensure you get all of the shots you need for your video without forgetting anything.

8. Shoot Your Video!

Set up your cameras, grab your script and your shot list, and make sure you get everything you need. Make sure your customer feels comfortable, and take the time to break the ice and calm their nerves. Patience is key here – if you give your customer the time they need to feel comfortable, your case study video will look much better.

9. Edit Your Video

Editing can make a significant difference to your video. A great edit that cuts between different camera angles and shots, includes a fitting soundtrack, and maybe even some title slides or animations that help to emphasize certain points will really elevate your video. Edit your video in a way that will increase viewer engagement.

10. Share Your Video

Once you're happy with your video, it's time to share it with the world. Create a specific landing page on your site for your case study videos, and post your video on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The more places you post, the more views you're likely to get.
By following these 10 steps, you can create a compelling case study video that engages your target audience, showcases your product or service, and drives sales.

6 Top examples of case study videos(UPDATED)

1. Wolt – Get Camera Crew

Wolt's case study video demonstrates that authenticity is key to creating an engaging and effective video.

2. Google Ads – Chuckling Goat

Chuckling Goat's case study video is a perfect example of how to create a captivating video. It has all the ingredients needed to make an amazing video, from gorgeous establishing shots to a light-hearted joke at the end. The video allows Chuckling Goat to tell its story before weaving Google Ads into the narrative naturally. The animated graphic that accompanies the growth facilitated by Google Ads is a great touch.

3. Zoom – Customer Stories

Zoom's case study video showcases that you don't need to focus on just one customer to create a great video. Instead, Zoom decided to feature multiple customers, resulting in a cool and varied collection of benefits that Zoom has brought to different customers. What's more, all the customers appear to have recorded their portion of the video using Zoom, which is a nice touch.

4. Samsung – Superdry

Samsung's case study video for Superdry Norway is visually stunning. The opening timelapse of Norway is crystal clear and sets the scene perfectly. As we get into the meat of the video, it's great to hear what the Superdry staff have to say about the Samsung screens while we (as the viewers) get to see them in action.

5. Hubspot – Avison Young

Avison Young's case study video demonstrates the impressive results of its partnership with HubSpot. The video does an excellent job of laying out the customer's initial problem before introducing HubSpot as the perfect solution. The title of the video includes the impressive results of Avison Young's partnership with HubSpot, which encourages viewers to keep watching to find out how that happened.

6. Claranet – Pets at Home

Claranet's case study video for Pets at Home is heartwarming and engaging. The video manages to keep viewer attention with help from a heartwarming soundtrack and clips of various cute animals. The video also uses animation to emphasize the role that Claranet has played in helping Pets at Home to grow.
These top examples of case study videos showcase the different approaches to creating a compelling and effective case study video. From using animation to emphasizing the role of the customer, these videos demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a great case study video.

Final Thoughts

Creating a case study or testimonial video can greatly enhance a brand's credibility. Companies can use these videos to showcase their success stories and how their products or services have helped their customers. Whether it's for iOS, Android, PC, or Slack users, a well-crafted video can be a valuable marketing tool.

The presence of animal symbolism in part II is striking and deliberate. On a recent playthrough, I paid meticulous attention to every detail in each levels and scenes, and I was astounded by the sheer number of animals depicted, each appearing at specific moments and with particular characters. I am now 95% convinced that these animals tell a parallel story to Ellie and Abby's journeys. More than that, it seems at least both characters has their own biome that represents their worldview, underscoring the idea that they lives in their "own world," reflecting the tribalism of society. These biomes and their associated animals can change over time as characters undergo life-changing experiences or move to different environments. Additionally, some animals symbolize broader concepts such as wisdom, chaos, conflict. And to add onto that, I think that potentially each individual has the way they see themselves and each others as animals, and the real true core totem animal they are, that can come from a different biome. This whole post will be split in two posts, one on Ellie's perspective and one on Abby, mainly because I have 370 screenshots of animals and can "only" put 20 by posts ( lol ) Apologies in advance if some of the shots seems weird, I tried in some places to take all of the animals in one room, hence the weird angles.
During Ellie's gameplay / Jackson parts, we mostly see northern central american animals : moth, deer, moose, horse, bison, boar, bighorns, owl, eagle etc... During Abby's in Seattle, it's clearly an aquatic biome : whale, crab, sea-otter, seal, shark, orquas, octopus.
The first time we see Ellie she's drawing does and a deer with it's face hatched. Initially, I interpreted this as a representation of Ellie herself, given her connection to deer from the first game. However, upon deeper reflection, I think the deer represent a concept more than a person and that is the concept of family. By removing the deer's head, Ellie could express a rejection, not being in phase with her family, a.k.a Joel. This interpretation is supported by Ellie's journey throughout the game, where she grapples with feelings of betrayal and loss, ultimately leading to a rift between her and Joel. By the end of the game, when Ellie settles on the farm, she has formed her own family with Dina and JJ. The presence of multiple deer depictions in her home at the farm suggests a reconciliation with the concept of family, albeit in a different form than before. Another interpretation is that the deer could symbolize Dina specifically. Given their close relationship and the significant role Dina plays in Ellie's life, it's plausible that Ellie's drawings reflect her conflicted emotions towards Dina, especially considering the complexities of their relationship throughout the game. Of all the things belonging to Ellie Dina left at the house, the deer head is missing.
The moth symbolizes several themes in Ellie's journey. First and foremost, it represents transformation and metamorphosis. Just as a moth undergoes a transformation from a caterpillar to a moth, Ellie undergoes her own transformation throughout the game. This transformation encompasses her physical journey, her mental and emotional growth, and her grappling with her identity and purpose. The moth also symbolizes vulnerability and fragility. Moths are often drawn to light but can be easily harmed by it. Similarly, Ellie is drawn to her mission of vengeance and justice, but this pursuit leaves her vulnerable to the dangers and traumas of the world around her. Moths are often associated with the night and darkness. In Ellie's case, this could symbolize her journey into the darker aspects of herself.
I won't detail the myriad of animals encountered from the game's onset up to the Wyoming Museum section, as it would be repetitive and lengthy. However, it's worth noting that between these points, a plethora of animals linked to Ellie and other characters that I will talk about later can be observed if you pay close attention. Whether during explorations in Jackson, patrols with Ellie and Dina, or visits to places like the Baldwin manor, numerous instances of animal imagery abound. Some of these visuals are included in the post for reference. All depictions of animals found in the game appear during relatively calm phases. You won't see any during high-action or rushing phases ( except in cinematics ).
The Wyoming Museum level is rich with symbolism, more so than initially apparent. When Ellie first arrives, she engages in a playful moment behind the reception desk, jokingly stating that the dinosaurs aren't present today, then jests that there's at least one—the reference being Joel. Later, Joel compares a dinosaur to Tommy, noting how thick is skull is ( foreshadowing being shot in the head and surviving ), and a resemblance to him when viewed from a specific angle ( this specific dino's head looks like the head of a horse, remember this for later ). In my interpretation, these dinosaurs symbolize the first generation of virus survivors, epitomized by Joel and Tommy, who are starting to age and will someday disappear like the dinosaurs. They represent the last ones to have really known the world as it was before the virus, marking the end of an era where they will be looked at almost as mythical creatures of the past, viewed as legendary and distant.
Next, we delve into the science section before Ellie takes a plunge into the water, transporting herself to the natural history center. Inside, the first scene she stumbles upon is the moose surrounded by wolves. Behind them, there are two other animals: bighorns on the right and a bison on the left. Many already know the moose is a representation of Joel, encircled by the WLF ( there's also a dead moose on the day of Joel's death during Ellie and Dina's patrol ) The moose is looking up, at the light. I think this is supposed to reprensent how Joel died while "looking for the light", like, even if he died a horrible death, he managed to find his light in Ellie and Jackson and despite the tension between him and Ellie, he died knowing she would have tried to forgive him as she told him the night before his death, so he finally found "the light" = died in peace.
The bighorns and bison behind could represent either elements connected to Joel's death — the bighorns being the Fireflies, the bison being Abby — or they could symbolize the choices Ellie faces after Joel's death: stay at home (represented by the bighorns) or seek revenge against Abby (the bison). My only lead to connect Bighorns to the Fireflies is that they were supposed to be at the colorado university ( go, bighorns ! ). Another interpretation links the bighorns to community and Jackson, given their depiction in Ellie's journal alongside her reflections on daily life in Jackson. As for Abby being portrayed as a bison in Ellie's eyes, theres some depictions of bisons that appear throughout scenes associated with Abby. The encounter between Tommy and Ellie at the farm, where he describes talking to a guy who met this girl with "arms like an ox," serves as a narrative convenience. The expression "arms like an ox" is more universally recognized and effectively conveys Abby's strength in the moment. Despite the slight discrepancy between ox and bison, the similarity between the two animals makes the comparison relatable and apt. I also have come across at least 2-3 instances of wooden carved moose and bison facing each other as if preparing to attack, further emphasizing this symbolism.
Let's return to the museum. As we progress, we encounter cryptic messages on the walls. Ellie eventually arrives in a room filled with birds, particularly eagles and owls. Notably, an eagle is found in Joel's bedroom, its wings spread over pictures of Sarah and Ellie, and an owl is on his mug. The eagle might represent the protective parental figure and the owl Joel's wisdom since arriving in Jackson. The eagle and owl are the only birds turned EXACTLY towards the moose being attacked by wolves. Note for later that herons are also clearly positionned for us to see on one side.
Ellie then enters a room filled with displays of different biomes, culminating in the butterfly and moth room. In this room, a Firefly ended his life, which is significant considering the Fireflies' association with Ellie and her past. The choice of this specific room underscores the thematic connection between the Fireflies and the transformative journey Ellie is undergoing as a moth. Upon exiting the room, Ellie is startled by the glowing eyes of three wolves. Immediately after, a boar charges at her. This sequence of events leads her to a wall where "LIARS" is scrawled with the Firefly symbol painted above it. This marks a pivotal moment for Ellie: she stops seeing Joel as a moose, an animal that had represented a certain grace and nobility, and starts perceiving him as a boar. In her eyes, Joel has lost his majestic qualities and is now seen as a more brutal and aggressive creature.
This shift in perception is further emphasized in a deleted scene from the game. In this scene, Ellie chases a boar through the woods. When she finally approaches the agonizing animal, she is overwhelmed with flashes of Joel's death. This moment could symbolizes Ellie's internal struggle and the deep connection between her trauma and her evolving view of Joel. The boar, once a symbol of ferocity and survival, now embodies the pain and brutality of Joel's end, reflecting Ellie's conflicted emotions and the heavy burden of her quest for revenge.
A somewhat funny Rattlers foreshadowing can be found during Ellie's arcade shambler fight, the room she exit from has these big snakes plushies in a box marked as "new".
Maria might be a pheasant but this is pure speculation. There's a pheasant behind her when Ellie gets her biggot sandwiches, but without more direct evidence or context, it remains speculative to attribute the symbolism of a pheasant to Maria's character. Pheasants can represent various qualities, including resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness, but without more explicit narrative connections, it's challenging to draw definitive conclusions about Maria's character based solely on this imagery.
Jesse might be symbolized as an elephant, with the primary evidence being JJ's elephant plushie. This symbolism aligns with Jesse's protective nature and his willingness to confront danger when his loved ones are threatened. Elephants are known for their strong familial bonds and protective instincts, which mirrors Jesse's role in the story. Theres limited direct evidence for this and again on this one it's more speculation than anything.
JJ is a special one and I find his case very cute. He actually just wear this pajama representing many different animals, indicating that he is still too young for us to know which animal he will ultimately become. In the downstairs toy room, there's a play mat featuring numerous savanna animals, notably a giraffe, lion, elephant, and a little zebra. His raincoat also has a lion on it, and in one of Ellie's drawings, JJ is holding a plushie that seems to be a cartoonish lion, but he is deliberately covering the animal's face with his hand. This detail might be intentional, suggesting that his true symbolic animal is yet to be revealed. In the realm of speculation and with very few hints, I'd say he will be a lion or that the lion will be the symbolic savanna animal of part 3, similar to how the giraffe and zebra were in the previous parts. Few hints : Near the end of Ellie's journey in Seattle, she encounters two statues of lions in the theater. One of them seems to be bowing to her, which could symbolize respect or acknowledgment. At one point, Owen is repainting the animal mural at the aquarium. The finished side features a giraffe on the right and zebras in the middle. The unfinished side, however, includes a depiction of a lion. Another user actually said something to me one time that striked me about this : "It's not a leap to guess that these parts of the mural represent The Last of Us as a whole." The unfinished side represents the part of the story that remains to be written !
I found deciphering Ellie's part to be more difficult than Abby's, a lot more mysterious and suble. I also think this is deliberate because Ellie's story is not over while we had to totally understand Abby if we ever had to discover the animal symbolism, if that makes sense. Let me know your thoughts ! And let's now find out Abby's perception in post n°2.

Oh would you look at that... Its time for a new chapter!
[Previous] [First] [Next] [RoyalRoad] [Discord] —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluin collapsed into the chair that was offered. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow before he wiped it away. The sound of crowing roosters could be heard from outside, alerting the world to the new day sun.
“Are you sure you want to do this today?” a voice asked as a plate of food was set down in front of him. “I’m sure we can postpone the meet–”
He waved the concern away. “I’ll be fine… Thank you for the food.”
The figure let out a grunt and took their seat adjacent to him. “If you say so… However, can you at least fill me in? You’ve been bringing in the other tribal leaders for the last two weeks.”
Aluin looked up to the figure, to Chief Yorlen. “I suppose I do owe you a bit of an explanation, and a bit of a forewarning.”
The chief cocked an eyebrow at that, taking a sip from his wooden cup. “Forewarning? What are you planning?”
Taking a moment to consider just how much he should say, Aluin took a few measured bites from his plate. Chief Yorlen has been quite cooperative and accommodating to me… I’ll need his help too.
“I plan on recommending we select a new queen," he said, deciding to go all in.
The Chief, in the middle of setting his cup down, froze. “You…want to select a new queen? Why– How? There isn’t anyone who has any noble blood that I’m aware of.”
He nodded. “There isn’t. However, we don’t need anyone of noble blood. If we can get the tribes to agree, we can…elect a new one.”
“I see… I think I do anyway. That’s a bit of a surprise, but I can sort of understand. Is it because of the dragon queen’s passing?”
“Partially,” Aluin admitted. “But that isn’t the only reason. I’ve been planning this long before her passing. Since we came to this island, in fact.”
Chief Yorlen leaned back in his chair. “You know, I sometimes forget just how old you are. Still, I’m glad we have you. I fear what would’ve happened to us if you never made it…”
Wincing, the Sage looked away. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think much would have changed. I haven’t exactly been the most active in rebuilding our society…”
“But you are now. With how long I’ve known you for, you were probably looking for the right individual and the right time. And now? You have both, don’t you?”
Aluin couldn’t help but let a smile slip. “Indeed.”
Looking satisfied, Chief Yorlen crossed his arms and asked the next question. “Who is it?”
“Eri.”
The Chief’s eyes went wide. “Your apprentice? Can’t say I saw that coming, but… Actually, no, I take that back. It somehow makes sense.” He leaned forward and gave Aluin a serious look.
“However, I don’t know if the others would agree. They will definitely want to throw their own proteges into the running, and I can’t say I blame them. Especially if you are wanting to ‘elect’ a new queen.”
“Truth be told, I’m expecting it,” Aluin said. “It isn’t going to be easy, but I’m prepared and I have a plan.”
“Oh? What is your plan, if you don’t mind me asking?”
He took a few more bites of food before answering. “Felix.”
“Felix? But he’s courting Eri, that’s pretty much an open secret. I fail to see how he will be the key to deciding who we should elect. He would be a biased judge…”
Aluin shook his head. “I mean no offense, but it’s you who is biased. While it’s true that Felix is courting Eri, that’s because they get along rather well. You’ve met him, and it’s obvious what your opinion is of him.”
“But…?” Chief Yorlen asked.
“But, what of the others? The ones who haven’t met him? Do you think they would get along with him, knowing he would be the final decider? Whoever becomes the next queen will have to work with him.”
“I think… I think I get where you are coming from. Most of us have grown up listening to how evil and vile humans are. Those biases aren’t going to go away very easily. And good luck pretending to be friendly with him, he’s not that easily fooled.”
Aluin agreed with Yorlen’s last statement. “No, no he is not. Felix has many faults, but judgment of character isn’t one. Not to mention, Zira can definitely tell.”
Their conversation died down for a few minutes while they finished their food. Meanwhile, the sun was starting to peek through the shuttered windows.
“I would still be a little worried, if you truly want Eri to become queen,” Chief Yorlen said, breaking the silence. “There are two potential suitors for the throne that I can think of. They will definitely be nominated.”
Aluin let out a sigh. He was aware of the two the Chief was referring to. “If one of them turns out to be a better option, then I wouldn’t object. But I don’t think that will happen.”
“You don’t?” The Chief asked, genuinely interested.
“No, because Eri has something that those two don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“A fire burning within her– Actually, make it two things.”
“What’s the second?”
Aluin leaned forward and grinned.
“Kyrith.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Felix and Zira looked down upon the crater as they gained height over it. The realization that there was only one who could have been responsible for it, left them both relieved and concerned.
What could have made Ithea do…that? Felix asked, still shocked by its size.
I don’t know, but the fact she never said anything about it has me concerned… Perhaps we will have to speak with her about it? Zira didn’t sound too thrilled at the idea, especially because she was the one who offered it.
He patted the side of her neck sympathetically, and turned his focus to the sky ahead of them.
How long do you think it will take us? he asked, changing the subject.
A few hours, at this speed. We could make it there quicker, but… She didn’t need to finish her sentence, they both knew that they didn’t want to go any faster.
Yeah, but… Are you sure we are at least heading in the right direction? he asked, it wasn’t the first time either.
Yes, how many times do I have to tell you? I know where I am going, I can tell.
Felix sent her a mental apology before adding, It’s still strange to me. I don’t know how you just know. You’ve never flown to the village from the manor.
He felt a rumble underneath him that was almost certainly a grumble.
I don’t know what to tell you, she said. You can see into my mind or we can combine them, then maybe you will understand. The only thing I can tell you, is that mana messes with it. I’m not sure where the Sanctuary is…
For a moment, he considered her offer but decided against it. He wanted to just enjoy the flight for what it was. Perhaps on our way back though, I would like to also practice some aerial maneuvers too.
Same, she said.
With that agreed upon, the two of them fell silent for a few minutes…
Hey Felix? Zira suddenly asked.
Yeah? He had his eyes closed, feeling the brisk wind buffeting him. It was strangely calming.
She took a moment before responding. A hint of embarrassment escaped from her side of the bond.
I’ve been thinking, I… I would like to explore the island more. Just the two of us, she added quickly.
He cracked an eye and stared over her neck to see her glancing back to him. Of course– Actually, with what you mentioned earlier about the Sanctuary, maybe we can start with that? When I took Eri and Kyrith, Kyrith barely fit in the halls leading from the portal. Both you and him have grown since then, I’m afraid you wont fit anymore…
She let out a frustrated snort before turning her head forward. I’m aware of my…size, you don’t need to comment on it. But yes, I think finding the location of the Sanctuary would be helpful.
Felix couldn’t help but let a smile show at her defensiveness. For the record, I don’t think there is anything wrong with your size–
Stop, she warned.
He listened and decided to get back to the actual topic. Anyway, I sense that’s not all you meant by exploring. Mind telling me your idea?
Zira took a moment to answer, letting her annoyance fade. This is nice, just the two of us. I feel… I finally feel complete, she admitted. It’s like I’ve found the exact thing I’ve been missing in my life.
The truth is, I don’t want this to end. I want to keep flying, I want to forget about everything else and just…fly.
Felix tightened his arms around her neck in an attempt to give her a hug. I know exactly how you feel… Unfortunately, you and I both know we can’t leave everything behind. We have people counting on us, who need us. And that isn’t considering the eggs…
There was another rumble, a groan he realized, as she answered.
I know…
\***
The sight of Bernel Village gave Felix and Zira a bittersweet feeling. It meant that their flight was coming to an end. Who knew how long it would be before they could take to the skies again?
Though, I guess there’s nothing stopping us from going out for a quick flight in the morning is there? Oh, or possibly an evening one…or midday? Felix thought a little desperately.
Zira sent him an empathetic nudge over their bond. Wishful thinking, but doubtful. I suspect we will be trapped in meetings.
We? he asked, unsure what she meant by that. He would most likely be in meetings, but she didn’t necessarily have to be.
A memory of hers flashed into his mind. In it were several children surrounding her, asking her hundreds of questions…
Snorting, Felix reached down and patted her side. Ah, best of luck then.
Zira chuffed, the wind making it barely audible. I think it’s you who will need luck. From what I’ve seen, the elves can get rather stuffy.
Before he could respond, a faint ringing sounded out. Looking down, he could just make out specks running around the village.
_Looks like we’ve been– _He was cut off by Zira.
Aluin?!
What?! Where? I can’t tell from here! He shouted back in surprise. Peering down, he squinted in the vain hope of seeing the Sage.
She didn’t respond, instead she began to bank and angle downwards. Meanwhile, Felix tightened his grip around her neck.
They began their descent, circling over the village until they got low enough to skim the rooftops of the buildings below. Zira adjusted her direction and aimed for just outside the village.
They landed with a soft thump.
A few moments later, the Sage made his appearance. Alongside him was another familiar elf, Chief Yorlen.
“Aluin!” Felix called out in excitement and waved his arm over his head. “It’s been…what? A month? More? Anyways, it's good to see you again!”
Aluin smiled and returned the wave. “It’s good to see the two of you as well, and…flying.”
“This is our first flight– Well, our first real flight… Actually, there’s a lot I need to get you caught up on," he answered after sliding off of Zira.
“Oh? How was it?” Chief Yorlen interjected.
“I managed to keep him from falling off,” Zira answered with sarcasm before Felix could respond.
That got a round of chuckles from everyone. However, both Felix and Zira noticed a growing crowd just inside the village perimeter.
The onlookers held a mixture of curiosity and intrigue, but there were a few frowning as they stared back…
“I’m glad it went well, but…” Aluin trailed off and glanced behind. A few of the individuals came out to join them.
One of them stepped up and looked Felix up and down. “So, this is the human?” he asked with contempt.
Zira instantly let out a rumbling growl.
The elf immediately backed away, while Chief Yorlen whipped around and confronted them.
“Chief Calsen! This is my village, and I will not tolerate any disrespect to my guests. Both Felix and Zira are welcome here.”
The sudden ire from Yorlen made Felix flinch, despite being in his defense…
Aluin cleared his throat and spoke before anyone else could do anything. “Perhaps we should take our discussion elsewhere? I’m sure both of you are tired from your flight. A bit of rest while we discuss things properly, and in private,” the Sage added the last part in a whisper.
“O-oh… Right, yeah. We could do with a bit of rest,” Felix stammered out, barely catching the hint that Aluin left him.
“In that case, you are welcome to stay at my home. As an honored guest,” the Chief said, stressing the last part, as he turned back to face them.
Nodding, Felix forced a smile. What is going on?
I don’t know, but I get the feeling we’re about to find out. She answered.
“Thank you,” he said out loud. “We will take you up on your offer.” He bowed.
“Very well, if you will follow me…” Yorlen began to lead the way. The other elves immediately parted, watching with curiosity and whispers.
As they passed, Felix could feel hostility emanating from a couple. In particular was the one named Calsen, it appeared he had not been pacified. Zira gave him another warning growl.
Suddenly, the elf looked disinterested…
Doing his best to ignore them, Felix decided to focus on the village itself. Its inhabitants were slowly coming out of their buildings, peeking out from doors and shuttered windows.
A few waved to them.
As life returned to normal, their group was almost to Yorlen’s home.
“Ah, I almost forgot…” The Chief said. “Zira, I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh? What is it?” she asked with interest.
“You’ll see in just a moment, but I’ll just say… It’s a new addition to my home.”
She tossed Felix a confused look.
Don’t look at me, I have no idea either, Felix said defensively.
Zira just let out an agitated snort.
They continued on, until they finally reached the house. At first glance, nothing seemed all that different. However, it was only when he looked over next to it, that Felix realized what the Chief meant.
A barn, about two stories tall, stood proud next to the house. It was constructed out of unpainted wood, however it had a stained look that suggested that it had been treated. Just from the doors alone, it looked like two dragons of Zira’s size could comfortably fit.
“Is that…” Zira trailed off, seeing the barn.
“For you?” Yorlen finished for her. Rather than immediately answer, he guided them to its front and threw open the two large doors.
“Yes. Yes it is.”
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Well, well, well... Look who makes a return. It's Aluin and he hasn't been idle. As for the crater, it was Ithea. And for those who've been paying attention, you know when and why she caused it. Anyway, Felix and Zira make it to the village and now, we shall see what happens.

I've finished Muramasa a few days ago and am still gathering my thoughts on it. I'm interested in comparing notes and hearing what others who played it have to say about it.
This VN is... kind of a lot to take in. Obviously, it's a dark and heavy story; it's rather long and has a lot to say about many things. It's been a while since I've played a VN which moved me this much. Which is all well and good, but like any VN worth its pixels, it lives or dies by its characters and the quality of the story it has to tell, and I think this is the topic that warrants discussion the most.

Not a story of heroes?

Starting with the prologue, Muramasa wastes no time in letting you set your expectations before proceeding to thoroughly demolish them. It's like a pro bully letting you get a few confident swings in before kicking your teeth in and ashing his cigar in your eye. I love you, novel, you treat me so right. This is a recurring motif throughout, executed competently for the most part. The prologue is essentially a microcosm of the entire story of Muramasa- it hammers home the tone and rules going forward.
If, like Nitta Yuuhi, you, the player, are expecting to save your friends and the world at large through the power of friendship and righteousness, then off with your head. Not only is no one saved, but everyone dies horribly, and most importantly, apparently for nothing. Roll the opening credits.
The guy on the left is bigger, making him the true protagonist
During the subsequent hunt for Ginseigo, we are more thoroughly introduced to Ichijou and Kanae, the Law of Balance and Kageaki's backstory. The powers-that-be are circling Yamato like vultures, and everyone's got an angle and a strong opinion on how things should go. Kageaki carries on doing what he does, but is evidently conflicted about it. He plays the role of merciless killer, feigns giving up on himself and convinces himself that all of it is serving some Higher Purpose^(tm). Unsurprisingly, then, the two (three?) not-true routes are representative of taking the easy way out- subconsciously letting somebody else do it, because staying true to your way is the penultimate choice, and a very lonely road, indeed. It also sounds alluringly obvious that to fight evil, you have to be either a hero or a villain yourself.
I also have to give a shoutout here to the way choices are handled and how they consciously push you towards the exact opposite of what you are going for. Case in point- on my first playthrough I thought Ichijou too naive and young to get tangled in this mess in which everyone and their mother (pardon the pun) get murdered or worse, so given a choice, I always went for Kanae, thus ending up in Ichijou's route. Bravo, novel.
Notably, during these two routes, Muramasa herself is conspicuously silent. This is not the Way.

"Hero"

Ichijou's route further explores the kind of gray morality Muramasa takes up. What makes a hero? Are there even such things as heroes? Where do you draw the line between a hero on a crusade and a killer? Throughout the route, we see Ichijou gradually abandon her humanity in her quest for blind, unflinching justice which takes, and takes and takes of her until there is nothing left to take. Officer Minato comes to truly respect Ichijo as an equal. The two bond, but it's a bond of necessity and desperation, more than anything else.
\"Kageaki... that's not what love is.\"
There's a really great moment of awakening, of sorts, when Kageaki finally breaks away from under Ichijou and leaves to continue his own fight. In the end, Ginseigo is defeated, but it is not enough. There's only room for one on the justice train- Ichijou kills Kageaki herself and ends up all alone, wandering the land forever haunted by his words. Everyone loses.
There are no heroes, only self-righteous killers.

Nemesis

Having offed Ichijou to fulfill the Law of Balance this time around, Kageaki sets out with Kanae to restore order to Yamato by ending both Ginseigo and Rokuhara. Her own motives, however, are not so clearly defined until the latter half of her route. The two make a valiant effort to bring an end to the conflict, but it all gradually becomes secondary to what this route is all about- vengeance. Kageaki identifies Kanae as his nemesis, who has the will to follow through and punish him for his deeds. Where the Hero route is burning with desire to smite evil, Nemesis is eerily cold, calculating and dispassionate. It's all about the vicious cycle of revenge, and how destructive it is. In a truly ironic turn of events, Kanae unknowingly ends up killing Kageaki's father, so the only logical outcome (in her mind) now is for them to kill each other off, since his reason for seeking revenge is now just as valid as hers. It's only logical.
Much needed rest.
This is my favorite ending. The atmosphere, the setting, the music and how it all was handled is just so fitting, so on point, it made the hairs on my neck stand out. Lost in their mindless drive for revenge, the two end up quietly expiring in each others' arms as snow covers up everything around them. The rest of the world is slowly blurred out within vengeance's cold embrace. Everyone... wins? Huh.
There are no avengers, only self-righteous killers.

Demon

Now armed with the realization that any life taken can be judged as both good and evil, the Law of Balance can finally be mastered, and it's time to kick off the true route. The heroine of this route is, of course, none other than Muramasa, now that she and Kageaki are finally in sync and truly of one mind as equals.
The ties that bind.
Chachamaru has been hiding Ginseigo under the floorboards all along, and even after the stakes get raised higher than ever, Kageaki can't bring himself to kill his sister, ending up manipulated by Chachamaru into doing her doomsday cult's work. Speaking of the little devil, she is quite effectively humanized throughout the route, but the whole ensuing silliness sometimes grinds heavily against the oppressive atmosphere that the rest of the novel works tirelessly to establish.
Route length is proportional to the character's height, confirmed
Muramasa breaks Kageaki out, not through mind-control trickery, but by making him remember who he really is, and now all that's left is to end it all. The main takeaway of the True Route is that Kageaki's resolve gets tested at several points, but this time his mind is set, strong enough not to get tempted into taking the easy way out. With a Little Help From My Friends^(tm), Team Muramasa finally faces off the godlike Hikaru and defeats her, despite all odds.
Full disclaimer: I'm really not a fan of this "ending" for a variety of reasons. To begin, whereas the rest of the VN feels mostly grounded, having palpable weight and a cost to every victory, this ending felt somewhat trivialized to me compared to the others, especially considering that this is the big one and that the story was gradually preparing us to face Hikaru across all of the other routes. They've really done her dirty. It's kind of a bloated mess of flashiness- golden gods, time travel, black holes, shattered moons and space combat... it's all a bit too much. The running image in my mind is of the scriptwriters going around pointing to things, saying "we need to make it bigger". And they really didn't. I guess I may just be salty that after so many unexpected twists and turns, this ending went exactly the way I expected it to overall, and it wasn't nearly as emotional as the others for me. Alas, poor Hikaru, we never knew you.
Full Metal Demon Muramasa: The End of Muramasa
The epilogue deals with the question of "what now"? There's a slice of despair sequence (Kageaki remains unpunished for his killing), then a sexual healing sequence, then a slice of life sequence, but the story ultimately follows through on its core premise and does not allow Muramasa and Kageaki a happily ever after. Again, although fitting, all this felt too little, too late to me. There wasn't much depth to it, just a neat, concise wrapping-up of the story,

Ye olde TL;DR

This turned out to be a much longer rant than I planned it to be, but I still feel there's so much more to unpack- the flashback sequences, tsurugi, the different Kamakura settings for each route, Chachamaru, the factions... All in all, I really enjoyed this VN, even though it fell a bit flat towards the end. Muramasa is a class act, it does most things a VN should be doing very well. I've vibed with it and its unapologetically gloomy outlook far better than I had any right to.
What do you think? Is Muramasa edgy and bloated in its lengthy discussions of duty and morality? Did it make you feel or did it make you cringe? Who is best girl? Which route is the best? Is Officer Minato a hero after all? Are pants closely tied to metaphysics? Vote now on your phones and PCs!

I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners. I have known very many of them, professionally and privately, and if I pleased, could relate divers histories, at which good-natured gentlemen might smile, and sentimental souls might weep. But I waive the biographies of all other scriveners for a few passages in the life of Bartleby, who was a scrivener the strangest I ever saw or heard of. While of other law-copyists I might write the complete life, of Bartleby nothing of that sort can be done. I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man. It is an irreparable loss to literature. Bartleby was one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable, except from the original sources, and in his case those are very small. What my own astonished eyes saw of Bartleby, that is all I know of him, except, indeed, one vague report which will appear in the sequel. 1
Ere introducing the skibidi, as he first appeared to me, it is fit I make some mention of myself, my employées, my business, my chambers, and general surroundings; because some such description is indispensable to an adequate understanding of the chief character about to be presented. 2
Imprimis: I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best. Hence, though I belong to a profession proverbially energetic and nervous, even to turbulence, at times, yet nothing of that sort have I ever suffered to invade my peace. I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds. All who know me consider me an eminently safe man. The late John Jacob Astor, a personage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence; my next, method. I do not speak it in vanity, but simply record the fact, that I was not unemployed in my profession by the late John Jacob Astor; a name which, I admit, I love to repeat, for it hath a rounded and orbicular sound to it, and rings like unto bullion. I will freely add, that I was not insensible to the late John Jacob Astor’s good opinion. 3
Some time prior to the period at which this little history begins, my avocations had been largely increased. The good old office, now extinct in the State of New-York, of a Master in Chancery, had been conferred upon me. It was not a very arduous office, but very pleasantly remunerative. I seldom lose my temper; much more seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at wrongs and outrages; but I must be permitted to be rash here and declare, that I consider the sudden and violent abrogation of the office of Master of Chancery, by the new Constitution, as a —— premature act; inasmuch as I had counted upon a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way. 4
My chambers were up stairs at No. — Wall-street. At one end they looked upon the white wall of the interior of a spacious sky-light shaft, penetrating the building from top to bottom. This view might have been considered rather tame than otherwise, deficient in what landscape painters call “life.” But if so, the view from the other end of my chambers offered, at least, a contrast, if nothing more. In that direction my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade; which wall required no spy-glass to bring out its lurking beauties, but for the benefit of all near-sighted spectators, was pushed up to within ten feet of my window panes. Owing to the great height of the surrounding buildings, and my chambers being on the second floor, the interval between this wall and mine not a little resembled a huge square cistern. 5
At the period just preceding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as copyists in my employment, and a promising lad as an office-boy. First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut. These may seem names, the like of which are not usually found in the Directory. In truth they were nicknames, mutually conferred upon each other by my three clerks, and were deemed expressive of their respective persons or characters. Turkey was a short, pursy Englishman of about my own age, that is, somewhere not far from sixty. In the morning, one might say, his face was of a fine florid hue, but after twelve o’clock, meridian—his dinner hour—it blazed like a grate full of Christmas coals; and continued blazing—but, as it were, with a gradual wane—till 6 o’clock, P. M. or thereabouts, after which I saw no more of the proprietor of the face, which gaining its meridian with the sun, seemed to set with it, to rise, culminate, and decline the following day, with the like regularity and undiminished glory. There are many singular coincidences I have known in the course of my life, not the least among which was the fact, that exactly when Turkey displayed his fullest beams from his red and radiant countenance, just then, too, at that critical moment, began the daily period when I considered his business capacities as seriously disturbed for the remainder of the twenty-four hours. Not that he was absolutely idle, or averse to business then; far from it. The difficulty was, he was apt to be altogether too energetic. There was a strange, inflamed, flurried, flighty recklessness of activity about him. He would be incautious in dipping his pen into his inkstand. All his blots upon my documents, were dropped there after twelve o’clock, meridian. Indeed, not only would he be reckless and sadly given to making blots in the afternoon, but some days he went further, and was rather noisy. At such times, too, his face flamed with augmented blazonry, as if cannel coal had been heaped on anthracite. He made an unpleasant racket with his chair; spilled his sand-box; in mending his pens, impatiently split them all to pieces, and threw them on the floor in a sudden passion; stood up and leaned over his table, boxing his papers about in a most indecorous manner, very sad to behold in an elderly man like him. Nevertheless, as he was in many ways a most valuable person to me, and all the time before twelve o’clock, meridian, was the quickest, steadiest creature too, accomplishing a great deal of work in a style not easy to be matched—for these reasons, I was willing to overlook his eccentricities, though indeed, occasionally, I remonstrated with him. I did this very gently, however, because, though the civilest, nay, the blandest and most reverential of men in the morning, yet in the afternoon he was disposed, upon provocation, to be slightly rash with his tongue, in fact, insolent. Now, valuing his morning services as I did, and resolved not to lose them; yet, at the same time made uncomfortable by his inflamed ways after twelve o’clock; and being a man of peace, unwilling by my admonitions to call forth unseemly retorts from him; I took upon me, one Saturday noon (he was always worse on Saturdays), to hint to him, very kindly, that perhaps now that he was growing old, it might be well to abridge his labors; in short, he need not come to my chambers after twelve o’clock, but, dinner over, had best go home to his lodgings and rest himself till tea-time. But no; he insisted upon his afternoon devotions. His countenance became intolerably fervid, as he oratorically assured me—gesticulating with a long ruler at the other end of the room—that if his services in the morning were useful, how indispensible, then, in the afternoon? 6
“With submission, sir,” said Turkey on this occasion, “I consider myself your right-hand man. In the morning I but marshal and deploy my columns; but in the afternoon I put myself at their head, and gallantly charge the foe, thus!”—and he made a violent thrust with the ruler. 7
“But the blots, Turkey,” intimated I. 8
“True,—but, with submission, sir, behold these hairs! I am getting old. Surely, sir, a blot or two of a warm afternoon is not to be severely urged against gray hairs. Old age—even if it blot the page—is honorable. With submission, sir, we both are getting old.” 9
This appeal to my fellow-feeling was hardly to be resisted. At all events, I saw that go he would not. So I made up my mind to let him stay, resolving, nevertheless, to see to it, that during the afternoon he had to do with my less important papers. 10
Nippers, the second on my list, was a whiskered, sallow, and, upon the whole, rather piratical-looking young man of about five and twenty. I always deemed him the victim of two evil powers—ambition and indigestion. The ambition was evinced by a certain impatience of the duties of a mere copyist, an unwarrantable usurpation of strictly professional affairs, such as the original drawing up of legal documents. The indigestion seemed betokened in an occasional nervous testiness and grinning irritability, causing the teeth to audibly grind together over mistakes committed in copying; unnecessary maledictions, hissed, rather than spoken, in the heat of business; and especially by a continual discontent with the height of the table where he worked. Though of a very ingenious mechanical turn, Nippers could never get this table to suit him. He put chips under it, blocks of various sorts, bits of pasteboard, and at last went so far as to attempt an exquisite adjustment by final pieces of folded blotting-paper. But no invention would answer. If, for the sake of easing his back, he brought the table lid at a sharp angle well up towards his chin, and wrote there like a man using the steep roof of a Dutch house for his desk:—then he declared that it stopped the circulation in his arms. If now he lowered the table to his waistbands, and stooped over it in writing, then there was a sore aching in his back. In short, the truth of the matter was, Nippers knew not what he wanted. Or, if he wanted any thing, it was to be rid of a scrivener’s table altogether. Among the manifestations of his diseased ambition was a fondness he had for receiving visits from certain ambiguous-looking fellows in seedy coats, whom he called his clients. Indeed I was aware that not only was he, at times, considerable of a ward-politician, but he occasionally did a little business at the Justices’ courts, and was not unknown on the steps of the Tombs. I have good reason to believe, however, that one individual who called upon him at my chambers, and who, with a grand air, he insisted was his client, was no other than a dun, and the alleged title-deed, a bill. But with all his failings, and the annoyances he caused me, Nippers, like his compatriot Turkey, was a very useful man to me; wrote a neat, swift hand; and, when he chose, was not deficient in a gentlemanly sort of deportment. Added to this, he always dressed in a gentlemanly sort of way; and so, incidentally, reflected credit upon my chambers. Whereas with respect to Turkey, I had much ado to keep him from being a reproach to me. His clothes were apt to look oily and smell of eating-houses. He wore his pantaloons very loose and baggy in summer. His coats were execrable; his hat not be to handled. But while the hat was a thing of indifference to me, inasmuch as his natural civility and deference, as a dependent Englishman, always led him to doff it the moment he entered the room, yet his coat was another matter. Concerning his coats, I reasoned with him; but with no effect. The truth was, I suppose, that a man with so small an income, could not afford to sport such a lustrous face and a lustrous coat at one and the same time. As Nippers once observed, Turkey’s money went chiefly for red ink. One winter day I presented Turkey with a highly-respectable looking coat of my own, a padded gray coat, of a most comfortable warmth, and which buttoned straight up from the knee to the neck. I thought Turkey would appreciate the favor, and abate his rashness and obstreperousness of afternoons. But no. I verily believe that buttoning himself up in so downy and blanket-like a coat had a pernicious effect upon him; upon the same principle that too much oats are bad for horses. In fact, precisely as a rash, restive horse is said to feel his oats, so Turkey felt his coat. It made him insolent. He was a man whom prosperity harmed. 11
Though concerning the self-indulgent habits of Turkey I had my own private surmises, yet touching Nippers I was well persuaded that whatever might be his faults in other respects, he was, at least, a temperate young man. But indeed, nature herself seemed to have been his vintner, and at his birth charged him so thoroughly with an irritable, brandy-like disposition, that all subsequent potations were needless. When I consider how, amid the stillness of my chambers, Nippers would sometimes impatiently rise from his seat, and stooping over his table, spread his arms wide apart, seize the whole desk, and move it, and jerk it, with a grim, grinding motion on the floor, as if the table were a perverse voluntary agent, intent on thwarting and vexing him; I plainly perceive that for Nippers, brandy and water were altogether superfluous. 12
It was fortunate for me that, owing to its peculiar cause—indigestion—the irritability and consequent nervousness of Nippers, were mainly observable in the morning, while in the afternoon he was comparatively mild. So that Turkey’s paroxysms only coming on about twelve o’clock, I never had to do with their eccentricities at one time. Their fits relieved each other like guards. When Nippers’ was on, Turkey’s was off; and vice versa. This was a good natural arrangement under the circumstances. 13
Ginger Nut, the third on my list, was a lad some twelve years old. His father was a carman, ambitious of seeing his son on the bench instead of a cart, before he died. So he sent him to my office as student at law, errand boy, and cleaner and sweeper, at the rate of one dollar a week. He had a little desk to himself, but he did not use it much. Upon inspection, the drawer exhibited a great array of the shells of various sorts of nuts. Indeed, to this quick-witted youth the whole noble science of the law was contained in a nut-shell. Not the least among the employments of Ginger Nut, as well as one which he discharged with the most alacrity, was his duty as cake and apple purveyor for Turkey and Nippers. Copying law papers being proverbially a dry, husky sort of business, my two scriveners were fain to moisten their mouths very often with Spitzenbergs to be had at the numerous stalls nigh the Custom House and Post Office. Also, they sent Ginger Nut very frequently for that peculiar cake—small, flat, round, and very spicy—after which he had been named by them. Of a cold morning when business was but dull, Turkey would gobble up scores of these cakes, as if they were mere wafers—indeed they sell them at the rate of six or eight for a penny—the scrape of his pen blending with the crunching of the crisp particles in his mouth. Of all the fiery afternoon blunders and flurried rashnesses of Turkey, was his once moistening a ginger-cake between his lips, and clapping it on to a mortgage for a seal. I came within an ace of dismissing him then. But he mollified me by making an oriental bow, and saying—“With submission, sir, it was generous of me to find you in stationery on my own account.” 14
Now my original business—that of a conveyancer and title hunter, and drawer-up of recondite documents of all sorts—was considerably increased by receiving the master’s office. There was now great work for scriveners. Not only must I push the clerks already with me, but I must have additional help. In answer to my advertisement, a motionless young man one morning, stood upon my office threshold, the door being open, for it was summer. I can see that figure now—pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! It was Bartleby. 15
After a few words touching his qualifications, I engaged him, glad to have among my corps of copyists a man of so singularly sedate an aspect, which I thought might operate beneficially upon the flighty temper of Turkey, and the fiery one of Nippers. 16
I should have stated before that ground glass folding-doors divided my premises into two parts, one of which was occupied by my scriveners, the other by myself. According to my humor I threw open these doors, or closed them. I resolved to assign Bartleby a corner by the folding-doors, but on my side of them, so as to have this quiet man within easy call, in case any trifling thing was to be done. I placed his desk close up to a small side-window in that part of the room, a window which originally had afforded a lateral view of certain grimy back-yards and bricks, but which, owing to subsequent erections, commanded at present no view at all, though it gave some light. Within three feet of the panes was a skibidi toilet, and the light came down from far above, between two lofty buildings, as from a very small opening in a dome. Still further to a satisfactory arrangement, I procured a high green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though not remove him from my voice. And thus, in a manner, privacy and society were conjoined. 17
At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for digestion. He ran a day and night line, copying by sun-light and by candle-light. I should have been quite delighted with his application, had be been cheerfully industrious. But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically. 18
It is, of course, an indispensable part of a scrivener’s business to verify the accuracy of his copy, word by word. Where there are two or more scriveners in an office, they assist each other in this examination, one reading from the copy, the other holding the original. It is a very dull, wearisome, and lethargic affair. I can readily imagine that to some sanguine temperaments it would be altogether intolerable. For example, I cannot credit that the mettlesome poet Byron would have contentedly sat down with Bartleby to examine a law document of, say five hundred pages, closely written in a crimpy hand. 19
Now and then, in the haste of business, it had been my habit to assist in comparing some brief document myself, calling Turkey or Nippers for this purpose. One object I had in placing Bartleby so handy to me behind the screen, was to avail myself of his services on such trivial occasions. It was on the third day, I think, of his being with me, and before any necessity had arisen for having his own writing examined, that, being much hurried to complete a small affair I had in hand, I abruptly called to Bartleby. In my haste and natural expectancy of instant compliance, I sat with my head bent over the original on my desk, and my right hand sideways, and somewhat nervously extended with the copy, so that immediately upon emerging from his retreat, Bartleby might snatch it and proceed to business without the least delay. 20
In this very attitude did I sit when I called to him, rapidly stating what it was I wanted him to do—namely, to examine a small paper with me. Imagine my surprise, nay,

Just wanted to see if you guys find this to be reasonable. End of terrace house. But on larger side with high ceilings. House built in 1916 with 1960s wiring. Lots of solid walls.
Full Rewire to the following specifications
18th Edition Metal Full RCBO Fuse Board with Surge Protection to be installed in house to left of lounge window
Dining room
4 x Double Socket 2 x 1g light switch 2 way with switch near kitchen door 1 x Center pendant
Hall
Power to thermostat 1 x 3 gang light switch for Hall, landing and Outside 1 x Pir Up Down light to be installed Outside 1 x Center pendant 1 x Smoke alarm
Lounge
1 x high level socket for TV Move bt down to skirting board 8 x Double Sockets - 2 x with usb A and C 2 x 1 gang light switch 2 way with door near kitchen 1 x Center pendant
Landing
1 x 2 gang light switch for hall and landong 1 x Smoke alarm 1 x Double socket
Front left bed
4 x Double Sockets - 2 with USB A and C 1 x Dimmer switch 1 x Center Pendant
Cupboard
1 x Center Pendant 1 x 2 gang switch for cupboard and loft
Front big bed
4x Double Sockets under office desk 2 x Double sockets with usb A and C near bed 1 x 1 gang light switch 1 x Center Pendant
Bathroom
4 x IP Rated Led Downlights 2 x to be angled 1 x Timer Extractor Fan 1 x Switch with fan isolator on outside wall 1 x Power to boiler in cupboard to be ran in surface mounted white plastic conduit
Cupboard near kitchen
1 x Bulkhead Light 1 x 1 gang light switch 1 x Double Socket All to be ran in surface mount white plastic trunking
Kitchen
1 x 3g ls for kitchen - cable to each side - cable to hall light 1 x Pedant to hall 1 x Switch at back door for outside pir flood 1 x Socket in fire place for fire 1 x Double Socket above breakfast bar 1 x Power for fridge in adjacent cabinet 4 x Double Sockets above counter 1 x Isolators for each appliance 1 x Power for Extractor Fan 1 x Power for gas rangematser - On the assumption that it just require a 13 a socket and no more
Price includes new metal clad full rcbo distribution board with surge protection - safety electrical bonding to gas and water - mains tails isolator
Distribution board to be mounted with center at 1450 from floor level Switch fuse to be mounted in meter box for meter tails over 3 meters to be consumer unit position.
All sockets and accessories to be white plastic
All cables to be channeled into walls - Holes made in ceilings to run cables - Price does not include any plastering, re decorating or making good - Apart from where stated in kitchen and under stairs
All existing accessories will be removed
Price is on the assumption that the property will be vacant and no one sleeping there at the time, rooms and top floor will be clear of all belongings and have full and uninhibited access
All rubbish related to our works must be removed by customer - we recommend hiring a skip - we can arrange this at an extra cost please ask if necessary
1.00x 6,500.00
VAT: 20%
6,500.00 not including VAT
7800 with vat total

I was charged with battery resulting in serious injury. Posted a ridiculous bond/bail and was given a court date to return. The first court date (a month after i post bail/bond) I was appointed a court appointed lawyer based on my answers. Second court date 2 months later I was told to go find a lawyer with my bail/bond??? Is that normal? Why wouldn't they do that at the first court date instead of giving me a court appointed lawyer??
BONUS QUESTION..this is why it seems weird to me...
I was defending myself when I "injured the victim". I literally have dashcam footage of everything. However the victim lied on the police report/probable cause form...so when the state sent an initial offer they didn't know that the victim and only witness was the aggressor and lying. The omnibus date has passed and the court appointed lawyer had to have shared the footage that only i had with the state? Is that fair? I feel like it puts the lawyer I retain more on defense? It gives the state a chance to attack from different angle without double jeopardizing things? Maybe I'm just mad cuz my time was wasted today. I meet with a paid lawyer next week.
I'll pay for the injuries I caused defending myself no doubt. But I wouldn't plead down to an infraction if they offered it.
I keep saying bail/bond cuz idek the difference lol