Famous farewell songs

Gen X and older (I can't use the B word?) music is widely respect by all generations. They took it seriously when it was new, and kept listening to it all their lives. My generation usually saw it as the golden standard too (depending on the individual genre preference), and many would progress from liking "lame commercial versions" that came out around our time to learning about older bands. Even today those songs are widely played and regarded.
Yes the fans could be elitist and obnoxious and I think that behavior is finally being called out a bit, but overall it still has that status.
Gen Z/younger millennial music maybe isn't respected by older generations, but I can see they treat the artists seriously and it doesn't seem the fans outgrow things but stay committed to the artists they like.
The pattern I noticed with my generation (older millennial born in 87) is that not only did no one respect our music, we didn't either.
For fans of pop, our celebrities were either listened to ironically, listened to when we were pre teen kids then outgrown with shame then perhaps re-embraced in a goofy "this is dumb but I love it and it brings back memories way", or just consumed apatherically by those who didn't care much and just played hits. I mean Britney was the biggest pop star but I don't know a single actual Britney fan, especially who was a teenager. People knew her songs and listened to them and made fun of them, but an actual fan the way Taylor Swift or other modern pop stars have fans? No
I never heard our pop stars being referred to as talented which is the common chorus today even by those who criticize them. It was more like fun trash at best, total hatred for them at worst.
Even famous non pop musicians had to make a point by trashing them. Not to mention that we had no generational unity, we pretty much strongly despised our own popular music and had a huge genre divide, with the most musically passionate people generally preferring older bands
Moving to alternative music. The trajectory was always, you hear and like for a moment something like Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park etc just to instantly learn by all the serious fans of metal (or whatever genre) that this is total trash, and then evolving your taste back to older music and renouncing this as embarrassing, commercial, vapid etc.
Few bands did have a more lasting credibility like Offspring, Korn, Green Day and so on but with a few exceptions, they were already established bands and apparently all their older albums were better than the ones that got us into it.
Today, I don't hear most of millennial being played, used in movies and shows and so on. Maybe every now and then at some throwback party where everyone again likes it ironically/nostalgically. I doubt most millennial adults still regularly play their favorites from that time, most progressed to older music or just keep on listening to new hits, unlike let's say Gen X who will keep on listening to grunge or metal or Bs with their favorite rock.
It took me a while to get over the surprise that for a long time now people actually listen to music "intended for them" and respect their pop stars as at least musically talented.
Is this just my experience or was it the same where you grew up?
There are some exceptions of course, like Eminem. Interestingly part of his crazy appeal was trashing on popular music. I was actually shocked when he had a song with Rihanna later (I stopped actively listening to his new stuff after The Eminem Show) because that felt like a sell out, when really the mentality changed and people didn't cringe about their pop scene anymore

So with kinger's unexpected golden voice in a very special digital circus song I came up with a headcannon that kinger was a very famous vocalist before he ended up in the circus what do you think

Like, i know that the neighbourhod is easily the greatest band of our time, but the fact that they're on a hiatus is slowly causing the fanbase to die. What could we do to invite more people to listen to their songs? and not only the most famous songs, but also the most "unusual" ones like Greetings From Califournia and Female Robery too.

Any thoughts and theories about "Bink's Brew"? Here's the lyrics.
Going to deliver Binks' Sake! Following the sea breeze! Riding on the waves! Far across the salty depths! The merry evening sun! The birds sing as they draw circles in the sky! Farewell to the harbor, To my old hometown Lets all sing out with a Don! As the ship sets sail Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray As we all set sail to the ends of the sea Going to deliver Binks' Sake! We are pirates sailing through the Sea! The waves are our pillows, The ship our roost Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails Now comes a storm through the far-off sky Now the waves are dancing, Beat upon the drums you lose your nerve this breath could be your last But if you just hold on, The morning sun will rise Going to deliver Binks' Sake! Today, and tomorrow, our dreams through the night! Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again! But don't look so down, For tomorrow night the moon will also rise! Going to deliver Binks' Sake! Let's all sing it with a Don! A song of the waves Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!
My thoughts and questions:
What is Bink's Brew? Could it be referring to the One Piece? If the One Pice is sake Zoro will love it.
"As we set sailto the ends of the sea Going to deliver Binks' Sake". Does this mean they will have to go to the end of the world to fond where the One Piece is?
"We are pirates sailing through the Sea! The waves are our pillows, The ship our roost Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails". Can we assume they are the first pirates? Meaning Joyboy and his crew? And Binks' Sake is the treasure they took.
"Now the waves are dancing, Beat upon the drums you lose your nerve this breath could be your last But if you just hold on, The morning sun will rise". Is this part referring to Luffy in Gear5? He can make the waves rubber like they are dancing and the drums of liberation. And he is like the morning sun raising as Nika.
"Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!". That's just the whole story of One Piece
What are your thoughts?

WPA – A Completely Average Roadtrip
Disclaimer: Not canon, and I don’t use patreon so please don’t spoil me. Also, any opinion held by a character is that of the characters and not my own. Enjoy.
Town of Ljosalfington, local time 14:00, week 7
Emma Booker
“Again Illunor, I warned you before that this is a utility vehicle, not a party rated smart-limo. I am already compromising more than I should by allowing you to use the sample cooler as a minifridge, one which I can’t even use!” I said as I loaded the materials I had just purchased into the back of the high-G All terrain fusion-ethanol-electric hybrid 24th-century legacy pickup truck that I had printed out earlier this week, carefully avoiding the heavy ordinance hard point.
“That is hardly an excuse for that abysmally cramped leg space barely fit for cattle, never mind the bare minimum for standard decorum suitable for nobility. If this is what a car is like, then I don’t see why you care for your technology,” complained Illunor, who was sitting around idly with a malformed garish bowl of icecream that he had stashed away from lunch.
“If it bothers you so much, perhaps you could help next time with your ‘bigger-on-the-inside’ magic,” I retorted as I slid the last core sample into the back before covering it up with a tarp and strapping it down.
I had originally planned to visit Ljosalfington by myself to acquire much needed exo-materials to test various mana manipulator configurations as I worked to develop my first wand as not all of the materials I needed were procurable locally from Elaseer. I eventually yielded, much to my regret, to allowing Illunor to come with me as he insisted on wanting to deliver a letter personally in town after Thacea had pointed out the wisdom of not travelling alone.
We continued our back and forth for a bit yet as I finished securing my payload a voice called out to me from the direction of the town.
“Excuse me a moment, I couldn’t help but notice but are you from the academy?”
I turned to see an elf dressed in a plain brown buttoned up tunic matched by a slightly shabby pair of trousers with what appeared to be a lute upon his back and a plain and unenchanted longsword on his belt gesturing at our robes. Mine especially were new and unusual, tailored by the academy to go over my armour and allow access to the anchor points and allow me to exit my armour with minimal hassle. Illunor scoffed at what was evidently a commoner’s arrogance at approaching nobility and turned his head away in disgust. I glanced at Illunor and shook my head before turning to face the new man. I had time to spare, and any opportunity to engage in a hearts-and-minds dialogue with the locals outside the bounds of the managed environment of the academy was more than worth the time to chat. Especially as most of the other locals seemed to be content in ignoring me.
“Yes, we are currently studying at the Transgracian Academy. I am Cadet Emma Booker representing the United Nations of Earth and Luna from Earthream, and my aloof compatriot is Lord Illunor Rularia of the Vunerian courts. We were just about to head back but are in no rush. May I ask your name and what brings you by?” I asked with my hand outstretched in greeting.
“Ah yes, yes. My name is Edhel Redoehdelnif, a wandering bard by trade like my father and his father before him. My apologies, Cadet Emma Booker, I am unfamiliar with Earthrealm,” said Edhel as he grasped my hand with both of his and shook it tepidly yet vigorously. Or rather, tried to, as the motors on my suit resisted his efforts.
“News doesn’t seem to spread all that fast around here, so it makes sense you haven’t heard of us. We’re a new realm, and only just got here. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Edhel Redoehdelnif,” I replied.
“Absolutely fascinating! And a knight no less, or perhaps a squire? I’m sure you have many stories to tell of Earthrealm. Say, by chance are you about to head back to the academy? I have business in Elaseer and the usual coach has been absent as of late so I would rather not go it alone,” said Edhel.
I was hesitant to bring a stranger back in the car with me, even if Illunor was present. However, the opportunity that meeting a bard presented was too good to pass up from an intel perspective and to win the favour of the populace at large.
“That is a great idea. I think I have room for one more…” I paused before gesturing towards Illunor, “provided everyone is ok with it that is.”
Illunor gave a huff and turned his head away in silence.
“Very well, I will allow this. But he will not be joining me in your sorry excuse for a coach,” said Illunor dismissively.
Illunor approached the backseat expectantly and the door opened for him automatically, allowing the dlc kobold to gracefully enter and lounge across the length of the seats, once again ignoring the seatbelts. I sighed as I made my way to the driver’s seat, and Edhel entered from the passenger side as he marveled at the automatic doors and the interior.
“What a strange carriage this is! Although I must say, shouldn’t you be retrieving your horses? I didn’t see any harnesses or sense any artifices,” inquired Edhel as he attempted to make himself comfortable on the car seat, lute in front of him.
“Oh no, this thing doesn’t need horses or magic,” I said with a chuckle as EVI started the car. The elf raised his eyebrows at the sudden hum of the engine and made an expression of alarm when the car started driving itself without my input. “See, purrs like a kitten.”
“Earthrealm must have some large kittens if they purr like that,” noted Edhel, “but you must be concealing the enchantments somewhere. Such a thing as this with such strange yet precise craftsmanship is only possible in the crownlands.”
“Nope, no magic,” I said cheerfully.
“Then how?” Asked Edhel.
“It’s rather simple really. Are you familiar with the workings of a mill?” I asked, deciding to keep things surface level and elementary to avoid provoking the IDOV threshold.
“Somewhat, though I confess to not being familiar with their workings. Are you suggesting this is akin to a mill?” Asked Edhel perplexed.
“It’s the same principal. A mill works by taking a source of rotation such as a waterwheel or windmill, transferring that rotation along a series of rotating shafts and interlocking gears, and finally putting that energy to work by rotating a millstone,” I began as the car pulled out onto the smooth cobbled road in the direction of Elaseer. A notification popped up in the corner of my vision indicating my recon drone swarm had shifted from a holding formation to a convoy screening formation, and while the roads were clear I kept the speed at 60km/h to account for my passenger’s apparent distaste for seatbelts.
“Rotation…” muttered Edhel. He turned to face one of the wheels and EVI pinged an alert for a probable match for a detection spell, “fascinating.”
“Edhel, what are you doing?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, perhaps I should have asked first. Yes, I can see how it all fits together. But the source of this rotation? I see no mighty river or great wind to power this, so where does it come from?” Asked Edhel, not really apologizing. Elven arrogance, it seemed, was not limited by class.
The act reminded me of Sorecar when he inspected my gun, but where the armourer had been respectful with it, Edhel was more flippant. I considered the possibility that he was a spy sent by one of her peers or the crownlands, though this did not mesh with the methods I had seen so far. Edhel may have been just overly enthusiastic. In either case, I quickly decided to only reveal the antique design for the ethanol engine, and not that of the batteries or the emergency coupler to my suit’s fusion reactor.
“Right, well please ask first next time. As to your question, I won’t bore you with the details, but the rotation is generated by creating a periodic sequence of explosions inside of a machine – a manaless artifice – called a combustion engine, said Emma.
“So that’s what that sound is…” pondered Edhel, “are these artifices typical in Earthream?”
“You are awfully inquisitive for a commoner,” noted Illunor as he inspected his nails for dirt, “and rather accepting of something which should be impossible.”
“I wouldn’t be much of a bard if I wasn’t, my lord,” said Edhel shifting uncomfortably in his seat, “perhaps some music might set the mood better?”
“That would be preferable, bard. I have heard enough of the Earthrealmer’s Road Trip Playlist and would like to listen to some music of real culture,” said Illunor.
The bard agreed and proceeded to awkwardly play a ballad about an adventurer who slew a hydra in some frozen wasteland. Partway through, I politely interrupted the Edhel to point out the seat controls much to his fascination and Illunor’s grumbling at their common nature, and after some adjustment the bard went on playing and I half-heartedly listened while I paid attention to the road and my drone feed.
Particularly after EVI detected something unusual and alerted me to its presence.
”Attention Caded Booker. There is a disabled vehicle blocking the primary route to destination. Heat signatures in the woods are consistent with that of an ambush.”
“Damn it,” I muttered.
I glanced at the drone feed to see a broken cart strewn horizontally across a wooden bridge over a brook. On the surface it looked like a pair of civilians who required aid and assistance, but off in the woods were several heat signatures, several of which held weapons of varying levels of enchantments. Occasionally one of the pair on the bridge would talk with them, suggesting they were in cahoots rather than hostages. I recalled crossing that very bridge not a few hours earlier, so the blockade was very recent.
“EVI, did we pass that cart on the way here?” I asked.
”Negative,” replied EVI.
I grimaced. I had been trained to handle road-side ambushes, but it was only something that was a theoretical possibility. Something that should only occur in a warzone or a corrupt and unstable polity. I knew I had the capacity to handle such an encounter, even non-lethally, but that didn’t change the fact that these were civilians and as such were the responsibility of local law enforcement. Combined with the fact that I had passengers I was responsible for and engaging the ambush was a risky option.
“EVI, give me a list of alternative routes,” I commanded.
”Affirmative. Here is a list of routes in order of recommendation,” replied EVI.
I looked over the routes superimposed on a map of the region and quickly dismissed taking a shortcut through the forest and cutting through farmland. A detour caught my eye that extended the journey by roughly ten kilometers and I immediately sent a pair of drones to scout it out before committing to the detour.
“Are you alright, Cadet Emma Booker? You seem distracted,” asked Edhel, snapping me back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just focused on driving,” replied Emma.
“I suppose it must be quite taxing to command an artificed carriage of this complexity. Perhaps it might ease your mind if you were to regale me a tale of a hero of your realm?” Said Edhel, strumming a complex tune from his lute as he spoke as each and every pluck triggered a low-level spell.
“Well, that may be a problem. We don’t have any monsters to fight, and wars are a thing of the past,” I said while desperately tip-toeing the subject of aunt Ran, the subject of war, and our voyages through the cosmos, “though we are not without the adventurous spirit. We certainly have many stories of grand voyages. Some mythical and fictional such as The Odyssey as told by the Greek poet Homer and some historical such as the race to the south pole.”
“The south pole,” muttered the bard, “so you have explored all of Earthrealm then? I suppose that makes some sense, if you have artifices such as this then traversal of a globe would be quite manageable.”
“You are quite perceptive,” I said, not wishing to elaborate.
“A great performer knows his audience,” said Edhel with a charming, honest, almost human smile.
I felt a pang of homesickness as an intrusive thought reminded me that I could have gone to a real college surrounded by friendly faces my age, engaging in nightly holostreams and dreaming of adventures in the stars from the safety of a college dorm room. The sight of Illunor in the rear camera was the only thing that kept me grounded, as I almost felt like I was back at home on a road trip rather than returning to a fantasy feudal court, constantly evading death at every turn with the fate of humanity on the line. As such, and prompted by EVI, I barely had the wherewithal to take the planned detour.
A fact which did not pass by Edhel.
“I believe you may have taken a wrong turn, Emma,” he commented.
“Nah, I’m just taking the scenic route. I came from that direction on the way here, and you have inspired me to see the other road and I figure it should only add a few extra minutes to our travel time,” I said, gesturing at a paper map which I had referenced exactly once, “though on that subject, you seem to know these lands quite well. Do you have any recommendations on places to visit in the Nexus to scratch that itch?”
Illunor raised his eyebrow at the detour excuse, knowing full well this was not part of the plan. I worried that he might complain about the issue and but thankfully remained silent as he snacked on the contents of the misused sample storage unit. Edhel himself took on a more pensive posture.
“I’m happy to have been such an inspiration, Emma, though I am sure an explorer such as yourself has little need of such. I would normally suggest the skyward fountains of Verdellan or the cloud tides of Asturia, but that may be too casual for someone of your calibre. Perhaps the severed chasm or the fire marsh of Bhandahova may be more to your liking. Or perhaps…” Edhel leaned in, “I have heard rumours of a dragon in the glassy obsidian wastes of Vurcanar.”
I chuckled at that, knowing how I was fortunate enough to fish a dragon scale out of the nearby lake for the ECS. “The thought of going dragon hunting had certainly crossed my mind…” I mused aloud.
“Yet you sound hesitant. Perhaps it is too much for a newrealmer. Perhaps a slime or a dire rat might be more appropriate,” he said with a tease.
“No, it’s not like that! It’s” I stammered, before attempting to change course after realizing I had been goaded, “what I mean is, I was under the impression that dragons were an endangered species. Where I come from, hunting endangered animals is usually illegal, and big game hunting in general is frowned upon. We do make exceptions in the case of problem animals such as if a large predator starts hunting humans, but as a rule we prefer conservation and try to find ways of coexisting with wildlife such as the use of barrier fences and scaring away dangerous animals rather than being forced to cull their numbers. Having a species go extinct would prevent future generations from appreciating them and risks destabilizing the ecosystem they are a part of. Now if this dragon was actively razing villages and eating civilians and livestock, that would be one thing, but this does not look to be the case. I don’t imagine the Nexus has any settlements in this wasteland, and the dragon clearly wants to be left alone. Killing an innocent dragon would be murder.”
I grinned to myself after delivering a diatribe that would have made my tenth grade social and environmental studies teacher beam with pride, though by the expressions of my passengers my view did not appear to be shared. Edhel’s mouth was agape in shock and fascination, while the Venurian in the back seat merely huffed in disapproval.
“I assure you Newrealmer, there are no innocent dragons,” stated Illunor with a hint of terseness breaking through his otherwise regal demeanor.
“Illunor, I understand that Venurians have personal reasons for not liking dragons, but you can’t just extend that disdain to their descendants or those uninvolved just because they are the same species,” I said.
“If I may interject on your behalf, my lord, I believe I can address Cadet Emma Booker’s concerns,” said Edhel with a bow. Illunor nodded in approval.
“Very well, you may proceed,” he said.
“Thank you, my lord. My dear Emma, you must understand that dragons are not simple animals driven entirely off of instinct as it appears to be the case in Earthrealm. They are monsters. Intelligent, long-lived, violent, greedy, cruel, territorial, selfish flesh-eating monsters. They are evil by the very nature of their being, unable to change by their own accord, and unwilling to change when His Eternal Majesty offered them freedom from their nature. It isn’t that they want to be evil. As intelligent animals – intelligent monsters – dragons are capable of understanding morality, and many have tried to overcome their evil nature at great expense to themselves. A well intended and noble sentiment, yet a doomed one as like all animals, they all succumb to their nature in the end. Overcoming one’s nature is impossible,” said Edhel. His eyes took on a stoic, almost remorseful gaze as he spoke, and Illunor nodded with approval.
I was appalled by this claim, not by the contents so much as how blatantly false it was. As a representative of the human race, I was a living counterexample to his whole argument. We had remained physiologically unchanged as a species since the last Ice Age, and yet in spite of that, in spite of our many flaws, we had found peace and balance. If we could do it, anyone could do it.
“Will all due respect Edhel, that is nonsense. Monsters aren’t born, they are made. It is the mark of any intelligent species can adapt their behaviour to their environment for better or worse, and under the right care any so-called monster can grow to be a force for good,” I began, but while I searched for the right words Edhel shook his head.
“I appreciate your race is an empathetic one, Emma, your idealism is unfounded. As flesh eaters, a dragon must take the life of another animal or person to survive, or they will perish. As such, every dragon has taken a life. As long-lived creatures, they will have amassed a significant number of kills. As the land can only support so much animals, a dragon must be fiercely territorial and aggressive to remove competition, lest they starve. As such, even the most kind-hearted dragon alive must be violent and greedy, and their intelligence fuels this even more so if they know a bountiful land of morsels exists just outside their range.
Now perhaps a multitude of dragons may find a way to co-exist together in some settlement, but to support such a venture would require a large territory of prey, or a livestock animal. Perhaps they could support a large colony by farming grain for their livestock, but that would require effort on their behalf. As large animals, such efforts require a great deal of energy. Yet that size makes it easy for them to intimidate smaller races to do their labour for them, and to keep their client race in line dragons must be cruel. And even so, as their numbers grow so do their needs. As such, they must expand into the lands of their neighbours to survive until there is nothing left to devour, at which point they must turn against their own lest they starve. As such, it is the nature of dragons to conquer and devour. That is why there is no such thing as an innocent dragon,” finished Edhel.
I was speechless, not because I believed Edhel had a point, but because I was horrified at how easy he found it to rationalize the extermination of an entire sapient species. If this was how the elves thought, then it wasn’t the dragons who were the monsters. I suppressed that dark thought. Edhel’s thought process was a product of his culture, not a feature of his elven heritage. If there was any hope of peace between our people, I needed to show him there was another way of being. I needed to prove that co-existence was possible, no matter one’s nature.
I took a deep breath to steady myself before replying.
“That- that is a callous way of seeing things,” I began, though the shock was still there in my voice, “you speak as though there is no natural equilibrium with a dragon, that their only state of being must be to be cruel, to devour, to conquer. But I see things differently. In fact, I might wonder if a fledgling civilization might see the presence of a dragon as a boon rather than a curse. Being intelligent, the locals may be able to come to some agreement with the dragon. Perhaps they might leave some land as a hunting ground or offer up a share of their cattle or guard the dragon as it sleeps. In exchange, the dragon might allow them to build a town outside its mountain and protect them in times of danger. An equitable exchange. A civilization might even create artificial lairs to attract dragons for this very reason. True, some dragons may behave tyrannical towards their town, but a well armed populace of a large city would be more than capable of fighting such a threat, and a rational dragon might reason that threatening their own populace would put their reliable source of food and shelter at risk. You see, it’s all a matter of perspective.”
“You certainly are an imaginative one, Emma, to wonder up a quixotic world where the hare and the fox live together in harmony as equals. Even so, you seem to have ignored one key detail to such a society. What would happen should the dragon not be fed for months on end?” Asked Edhel with his eyebrow raised.
“The same thing as stranded a dozen starving, stranded Elves!” I spat back.
[Alert: Vehicle speed above recommended limit for conditions. Recommendation: slow down. ]
“I am driving slow!” I seethed, not realizing I had sped up with manual control enabled.
“I grow tired of this common prattle,” interjected Illunor just in time to prevent an awkward silence, “bard, play us another song.” “As my lord wishes,” said Edhel with a bow before turning to me with another smile, “perhaps a more soothing melody would be in order? A love song perhaps, to honour Cadet Booker’s compassionate nature?”
I said nothing as Edhel began to strum his lute again to the tune of a love story of a pair of doomed lovers named Ramian and Junette, hating his cheeky knowing grin that only served to get under my skin further as I focused on calming down and slowing the car back to a more reasonable pace before investigating a priority alert which I had been blinded to moments prior.
[Alert: hostile roadblock is absent, location unknown.]
Shit.
“Illunor, we may have a problem,” I said.
“Shush, Newrealmer, have you no class? We are almost at the best part! I’m sure it can wait,” replied the contextually clueless lizard.
I had never wanted to throttle Illunor as much as I did now.
“Illunor, shield, now,” I said with a raised voice.
“I don’t see-“ he started, pausing mid-sentence as his ears perked up.
[Alert: Multiple manafield and spell signatures detected!]
I took evasive maneuvers as Illunor tried to piece together a shield spell, fumbling it twice as panic appeared to set in and providing me with a reminder that Illunor was a civilian, not a soldier. A hail of arrows pelted the exterior of the truck, piercing but not penetrating the composite armour. I was tempted to do nothing but just drive away from the arrow fire, but a foreboding premonition of danger filled me as I recalled Sorecar’s hunter-seeker arrows.
Seeking to avoid that fate, I triggered the active defenses.
The smoke screens deployed around the vehicle, obscuring the sight of any who depended on visible light to see me. A barrage of decoy flares equipped with wooden cores shot upward at angles and diffusing to the side like a pair of giant wings which when combined with the MFD, short for mana-field dampener, inside the vehicle meant that the pelting hail of arrowfire softened to a whirr as the arrows whiffed over the top of the truck, retargeted away from the soft flesh of my passengers and even invoking friendly fire amongst the ambushers.
In the chaos, EVI and my drone swarm fed me complete tactical information on the ambush. Of the 26 individuals at the first blockade, 20 were accounted for, and 3 had died from friendly fire. Ahead at the bridge, 5 more of them were at the bridge where a barrier had been hastily erected to cage me in as the river valley was too deep to cross.
“Illunor, we need a bridge,” I said, taking stock of the wellbeing of my passengers.
The bard was huddled down low and suppressing his manafield, but otherwise rather composed. Illunor, on the other hand, was cowering in the gap between the seats with his hands covering his eyes and his tail tucked in.
“A bridge is no small request, Ne- Cadet Emma Booker,” replied Illunor, “and your ‘Emeffdee’ has blinded me to the outside of this moving death trap.”
“If I drop it, can you at least make a ramp?” I asked as I circled the battlefield. Or tried to, at least, as earthen ramparts emerged from the ground from a yet unseen source to cut off other avenues of escape.
“A ramp? Surely you don’t mean-“ he stammered.
“Yes or no,” I said.
Illunor paused, before taking an unsteady breath.
“Yes. But not with that Emeffdee,” he replied.
“Good. Steady your nerves and prepare to make a ramp ahead of us on my signal,” I said, “in the meantime, get your seatbelt on. This is going to be hairy.”
As I circled around to make my approach on the bridge, the final combatant made his appearance on a nearby tree, revealing himself as an elven mage. An alert focused on the air around him indicating he was preparing an unknown high-tier spell, and I locked the predator drone on him indicating the elf as a high-priority target if our escape plan failed, and I was forced to use lethal force.
If I was forced to kill.
It was one thing to know you may have to kill in the line of duty, but it was much harder to reconcile that with reality. No number of simulations could match the real thing, and a part of me wanted to simply offload the responsibility to EVI to keep my hands clean, but to do that would be betraying my duty as a human being. I breathed in deep and tried not to think about it, instead hoping to rely on the ace I held in my sleeve instead.
“EVI, ready the spell jammer,” I said unevenly.
“Acknowledged, the prototype Exo-Radiation Wave-Field Distruptor is primed. High risk target identified and locked, permission to engage?” EVI asked, forcing me to address the dreaded question.
“Negative,” I replied, “hold your fire. If the ramp fails, then you have permission to engage,” I said.
“Affirmative, on your mark,” replied EVI.
I lined up the truck with the bridge and bolted through the smoke, keeping a careful eye on the mage as I went. His spellform took on a more concerning shape as I accelerated, and I realized I could not afford to let him finish his spell. I triggered the spelljammer.
A terrible roar erupted from an array of speakers printed from mana-resistant materials that would have made Godzilla herself beam with pride. The sound was decidedly unnatural, gnarly, dubstep drop composed of an electric eel, a whale, a mountain lion, and a tyrannosaurus rex all being simultaneously assaulted by a swarm of angry cybernetic murder hornets as an equally chaotic wave of mana blasted outwards from the exterior of the truck, with the interior thankfully sheltered by audio and mana dampening.
The ambushing assailants cowered and panicked, and it was enough to cause the Elven mage’s spell to backfire in his face as his form exploded into ashes, meeting a horrific fate which I had tried so desperately to help him avoid. With all the combatants momentarily incapacitated or dead, I lowered the dampener and turned off the smoke.
“Ramp!” I shouted, snapping the lizard back to reality.
The Venerian nodded and hastily formed an earthwork ahead of us right before the blockade, and the truck leapt off the ramp with a not insignificant amount of air beneath our wheels. I braced for impact, regretting skimping on the shocks in the name of preserving materials, but the impact never came.
[Alert: Friendly spell designated ‘Feather Fall’]
Illunor thankfully had enough wherewithal to gently land the steel brick, and I sped off into the distance away from the trap that had unfolded behind us, leaving the interior of the truck in an awkward silence as we each processed our brush with death in our own way. “How many are dead?” I asked EVI.
“6 hostiles confirmed dead,” replied EVI.
I drove on in silence. Those were six deaths I had tried to avoid, and I became lost in thought as I wondered what I should have done differently to avoid the confrontation entirely.
Edhel broke the silence with a bout of laughter.
“Terrific! Absolutely terrific! Why, I can conjure up many a tale from this encounter alone! I live for this kind of inspiration!” Exclaimed Edhel a little too chipperly considering the circumstance.
“I would rather not hear stories about how I bravely ran away,” I moaned in deadpan sarcasm.
“You think too little of yourself, Cadet Emma Booker. It is plain to me that you are no ordinary rabbit. Make no mistake, I see it as a privilege to bear witness to the roar of a vorpal hare!” Said Edhel as he supressed his laughter, “though I am afraid with all the excitement that I must finish my song some other time.”
“How about I play some of our music?” I offered after the elf revealed his thrill-seeking side.
“Splendid, I would like that. Perhaps something of your ‘Roadtrip playlist’ you speak of? It sounds like a collection of your voyages,” said Edhel.
“That would be an improvement on the truth,” said Illunor dismissively as he eased from his state of shock, “it is little more than noise under the pretense of music.”
“Illunor…” I muttered to myself before turning the mic on, “no, no it’s not like that. I have terabytes of pre-recorded songs from various artists back home which can be played by… an artifice called a speaker. A playlist is a set of songs which are grouped together, usually to listen to in specific situations such as studying, partying, or travelling. The latter collection is what Illunor is referring to.”
I very deliberately chose not to reveal my ‘Unfortunate Daughters’ playlist.
“An artifice which plays music, and a magicless one at that. I must say, Emma, I fear for the bards in your realm,” said Edhel with a laugh.
“Your fear is misplaced, Edhel. Entertainers live like kings where I come from,” I retorted with a smirk of my own, “well, the ones with talent at least.”
“Well, well, I suppose I have to hear my competition!” Said Edhel with a laugh.
“Do as you must, though let it be known that I warned you,” said Illunor as he watched a play on his sightseer.
I had EVI compile a list of songs that left out content offensive to Nexian sensibilities or violating OpSec and as it compiled I mused over what type of sample spread I wanted to show off. Then it struck me. What better way to show off our culture than with some good old blue jumpers and nova rock! Sadly, jumpers were unavailable to show but I still had a whole list of modern artists to choose from.
Moments later, the car speakers sprung to life to the tune of ‘Innocent Youth of Mine. Edhel’s eyes lit up like a child visiting a zero-g gravity park for the first time, seemingly star-struck by the antique electric guitar and the synthesizer-drums in particular.
“What… what is this? I have never heard anything like this!” Proclaimed Edhel.
“Dreadful, isn’t it?” said Illunor, doing what he did best and pretending to hate it.
“Oh there is a lot more where that came from,” I said with a cheeky grin of my own, “this one is called ‘Innocent Youth of Mine’ by ‘Cannons and Poppies’. It’s part of the Nova Rock genre.
“And those strange instruments?” Asked Edhel.
“Oh, you mean the electric guitar and the synthesizer. They are electronic instruments, taking advantage of channeled and modulated electricity to create near any sound we can imagine,” I replied.
“Channeled electricity… are you suggesting these sounds were made by some form of lightning?” Asked Edhel.
[Suggestion: Avoid topic of electricity due to OpSec risk]
I nodded at EVI’s warning, thankful that it caught me before I discussed the very thing that all of my equipment ran on.
“It’s not exactly lightning, but close enough,” I said.
“If I had not witnessed to your display of power earlier, I might have perhaps been more skeptical of such a claim, but I suppose a lady must keep her secrets.” said Edhel with a raised eyebrow and chuckle, “but I digress, this music is most interesting.”
“There is a lot more where that came from,” I said with a cheeky grin of my own.
“If I ever have a prisoner in need of torture, I will turn to you first,” replied Illunor, “if you are willing to subject your peers to this madness then I cannot imagine what you would force upon your enemies before dunking them in ice.”
“In your dreams,” I retorted.
I played a few other songs including Astrodesee’s ‘Meteor Struck’, the Martian classic ‘Hotel Cydonia’ and even ‘Switching to Warp’ before Elaseer emerged from the distance, and I pulled up outside the gate to drop Edhel off.
“Here already?” Asked Edhel.
“Well, yeah. I was just running a quick errand, I didn’t want to go too far,” I replied casually.
“That was a distance worth at least five days of walking by foot, and you call that a ‘quick errand’?” Asked Edhel. I shrugged, and he laughed.
“Well in any case, thank you for allowing me passage in your car. I must apologize for my lack of gift or payment…” said Edhel. “Don’t worry about it, it was on the way,” I replied.
“I see, how generous. Perhaps we might one day meet again?” Asked Edhel.
“Maybe, but I’m not sure how likely that is. The academy takes up most of my time,” I replied, “though you never know. I still have a lot of quest hours to complete.”
“Is that so? In that case, I hope we meet again! Goodbye Cadet Emma Booker and farewell Lord Illunor Rularia,” he said. “And good travels to you, bard,” said Illunor.
I waved off Edhel and drove back to the academy, Illunor still sulking in the back seat.
“Perhaps next time, you should steer us away from danger?” Suggested Illunor.
“I tried, but we were tracked,” I replied.
I groaned inwardly at the additional work needed to fix the truck. EVI compiled a list of upgrades for future engagements, batting away my idea for a ‘turbo mode’ and a ‘jump boost’. Though at the end of the day, meeting the bard wasn’t a complete loss. It felt good to talk to someone almost normal for once, and I hoped I met him again.
Edhel Redoehdelnif
I watched as Cadet Emma Booker’s vehicle went off into the distance, getting one last look at the Earthrealmer’s strange artifice before turning towards the gate. The voyage was an exotic experience, not unlike that of a fever dream or a peak into a world completely alien to my own. Indeed, it was a struggle to contain my excitement and enthusiasm and process the experience rationally as I made my way through the southern gates of Elaseer and turned the corner of an alley before entering an impossible structure that did not exist.
“You are earlier than expected,” said the shadowy figure of my handler as I made my way to the meeting hall.
“The Earthrealmer’s means of transportation proved far more expedient than anticipated, my lord” I spoke as I knelt before him, “even with her unexpected departure from the anticipated road and the ambush we traveled for scantly more than an hour.”
“Yes, I will require a full report from you. Perhaps you can shed some light on the ‘smoke dragon’ my men claim intervened on the Earthrealmer’s behalf,” said my handler.
“Smoke Dragon, my lord?” I asked.
My handler responded by activating his sight-seer, revealing how the ambush had appeared from the outside. The Earthrealmer’s uncanny artifice traversed down the road, a pair of manafields displaying proudly from within until the archers began their assault. The artifice then transformed as smoke billowed out from its pores and wings sprung forth above until it was the form of a mighty wrym with a pair of glowing eyes springing forth from its ever extending head where it then gave forth a terrible unholy roar which sent waves of mana outward. The mage working to seal the area and trap their mark vapourized in an instant as his spell backfired. It was apparent to Edhel that his exceptional experience in the carriage was merely a muted rendition of the events unfolding around them.
It would seem the hare had the shadow of a dragon.
“I do have some insight, though I must confess the Earthrealmer did very little in the way of direct action. I suspect she has some unseen means of commanding and scrying through her artifices,” I said, “one which does not utilize magic as we know it.”
“Such a statement is heresy,” said my handler, “but such special circumstances are your reason for being. I will require you submit your memories for verification. What is your appraisal of the new realmer?”
“The girl is far more dangerous than a surface appraisal would suggest, though she prefers to conceal that power rather than utilize it out of a misplaced sense of compassion. Her people appear to have a boundless creative drive through which such artifices are birthed, though again it is misdirected towards more common applications. I believe that if properly tamed, this human animal may provide us with great works of art,” I said with a bow.
“I see. Does the girl know you work for us?” Asked my handler.
“She may harbour some suspicions, though did not voice them outright beyond concealing her knowledge,” I said, “though nothing significant. Provided our next meet is under believable circumstances such as a festival she should view me as cordial.”
“She has indeed proven clever,” conceded my handler, “very well, I will make arrangements for your paths to cross again. Perhaps I will arrange for her to be a contestant at the next inter-academy tournament. In the mean time, prepare your report and don’t wander far. This is a priority assignment.”
“As you wish, my lord,” I said with a bow and a smile.
Emma Booker had proved to be an interesting animal indeed, and I hoped our paths crossed again.

I’ve only heard bits and pieces but I recall the very intro to the song being something like “been, been, been, been” followed by a brief “uh huh” and then it repeats for a little.
I hear this a lot in clubs but my brain always blanks out the rest of the song. Any help?

I thought I would throw this out there because I thought it was pretty interesting. As background, I live in the United States and I grew up here. About two years ago I stumbled upon POTF on a YouTube channel I frequently watch that reviews music and does reactions. The initial song I heard was My Dark Disquiet. I wasn’t sure what to make of the song but I watched it several times and was intrigued
Fairly quickly I had gone through all of their back catalog (gotta love the world of instant gratification in that department, with Apple Music, Spotify etc). Real fast POTF had become one of my favorite bands and this year with Alan Wake 2 and The Old Gods of Asgard , well I’ve pretty much been down the rabbit hole of relistening to all of the older stuff and OGOA that I missed the first time around and my only wish is that there was more. If I haven’t mentioned this already, I’m constantly blown away by the fact that POTF are Finnish and I’m aware that their following is probably less here in the US as well as overall awareness that they exists (Alan Wake 2 definitely helping change that)
A few weeks ago, my YouTube feed kept showing a song called Hollywood Hills by a band called Sunrise Avenue. I listened to it and liked it and slowly but surely YouTube has been injecting songs by Sunrise Avenue into my daily mixes. I really liked a few I heard so I looked into them on Apple Music and the first thing I see is that they are from Helsinki. What the actual F…I guess the YouTube algorithm is in play here because I doubt I would have believed there’s another great band from Finland out there that I’ve never heard of and who’s music I really enjoy
Anyway - all this to say / ask, is Sunrise Ave a popular band in Europe? They seem to be based on concert attendance on videos I’ve watched. I understand they recently celebrated their 20th year and called it quits in 2023 with a farewell tour
If youve never heard them I urge you to check out songs like Fairytale Gone Bad, Only, Not Again, Forever Yours and I Don’t Dance. Different vibe from POTF but also a unique sound and a voice that doesn’t at all sound to me like it’s from a Finnish band

I’m talking about that song that you found on a video, movie or just randomly that it’s not famous but you just love it. Mine is “Cartier” by Nick Nayersina and Bankrol Hayden What is yours?

One of my favourite things to do is go through a group's entire discog. I'm a fast listener, and I read the lyrics as I listen to the songs, so I usually get through an entire discography in a matter of week. I do every single album, including Japanese releases and solo stuff, even OSTs, so it's usually a huge undertaking and it's one of my favourite things to do. It allows me to get a full view of the group and what their music is about and it's just so fun as someone who is very obsessive about music.
Unfortunately, I just realized that I've basically run out of groups to do this for. I have done every group that's under Hybe I've done all SM male Idols except Super Junior (because I f****** hate them), and I've done most semi-popular to extremely famous 4th generation groups by being there when they debuted and just listening to their music as it was released (Ive, NJ, LSRFM, ITZY, Aespa etc). I've also done Big Bang, BlackPink and 2ne1 from YG. I also loved Dreamcatcher's discog. So I'm asking you guys to recommend a group to listen to their discography. I'm looking for long discographies, so a minimum of 100 songs, I prefer if they're older as I think I'm quite familiar with the fourth generation, I don't care much for the genre of the music but if you know that when you're listening to the album you skip most of the songs, don't recommend them.

TL;DR I've pasted YouTube descriptions of 5 songs below, all by Chinese performers. Can anybody find a pinyin version of the lyrics for of any of them?
(I'm sorry for the long post!)
When I returned from my recent visit to China, I began looking for contemporary Chinese music. I found plenty. And, the performances are spectacular.
The following 5 songs represent the anthem that reflects the emotions that I experienced during and after my trip, and reflect my deep admiration for China, my Chinese family, my friends there, and others who I met during my visit.
Can anybody find a pinyin version of the lyrics for any of them?
From the list below, you will see that I have become an admirer of Yun Duo. However, my admiration is not limited to her. Her singing partners and bands are excellent in these songs. The descriptions come from YouTube.
刀郎、云朵师徒经典合唱《爱是你我》唱出万种风情，高音飙到刺破天际！[精选中文好歌] 中国音乐电视 Music TV
云朵 云飞《天籁之爱》阳江演唱会/Love of Heaven
云朵 云飞《离别草原》阳江演唱会/Farewell Grassland
单曲循环加1！云飞、乌兰图雅倾情献唱蒙古族歌曲《敖包相会》 第艺流「非常6+1」20161118
雲朵《我的楼兰》官方版MV/Yunduo - My LouLan

Loreen, the two times Eurovision winner (2012, 2023) is one of the most talented, gifted, unique and captivating artists I know. Her voice and presence are ethereal, her artistry is unmatched and she always knows how to grab the attention of the public.
Her two most famous songs, Euphoria and Tattoo are big in Europe and Tattoo became a semi-hit in some non-European countries too. Last year Loreen was the center of attention, Tattoo was gaining more traction and everything seemed perfect for her to re-launch her career since after her first win she didn't manage to achieve something more.
To my surprise, she remained inactive for the majority of summer. Apart from a few performances on tv and some magazine covers, the promotion was terrible. Her team did not even try to shoot a quick music video to boost the streams or keep the hype alive, they did not book her for any big festivals and they didn't try to promote her outside of Europe. And even though Loreen could have released a new song to ride the wave of Eurovision hype, her follow-up single, Is It Love arrived six months after her win when all of the momentum was gone.
I am very puzzled with Loreen's career. On the one hand, she seems modest with her achievements and she's not interested to become bigger but on the other hand, she has mentioned on several interviews that she wants to release more songs more often and change the way she used to work in the past. Right now I am witnessing her not taking advantage of the momentum when she can and it's really sad because I am truly rooting for her.

So I want to perform a dance depicting seven stages of love.
Ishq ke saat mukaam hote hain

1. Dilkashi (चाहत)
   
2. Unss (स्पंदन)
   
3. Mohabbat (अनुराग)
   
4. Aqeedat (श्रद्धा)
   
5. Ibaadat (उपासना)
   
6. Junoon (पागलपन)
   

-Aur abb hum aakhiri pe hai?-

1. Maut...

Can you please recommend some good songs for each respective stage?

To provide some context, Mook Animation is a Japanese studio who is responsible for arguably the four most iconic Scooby-Doo films of all time: Zombie Island, Witch’s Ghost, Alien Invaders, and Cyber Chase. These films focused more on horror / supernatural elements, with a key element of each being that they featured real monsters and gave more depth to the gang’s personalities than the classic cartoons. Mook’s involvement with the franchise ended after Cyber Chase in 2001, due to clashes with the execs at Warner Bros. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I would want from a 5th film in this style, and this is the idea I came up with.
It would be titled “The Curse of Atlantis” and be released in 2002, with the same voice cast returning from Cyber Chase (Scott Innes as Shaggy and BJ Ward as Velma). For this film, I would tweak the formula and go for more of an anime / steampunk vibe (the final act features the gang using mech suits to fight off an army of Atlantean spirits unleashed by the villain, while the villain and one of the other protagonists fight one on one). I would really like the film to be done in traditional cel animation like the first three Mook films, but almost certainly it would be done in digital animation, like Cyber Chase.
Aside from the gang, these would be the characters introduced in this movie:

• Naomi and Elliot Blackwell - an eccentric millionaire couple in their early-mid 30s who are passionate about finding Atlantis. Later revealed to be apparent villains, but they were actually in the dark about their friend’s true motivations, and ended up helping the gang defeat him. Naomi is revealed to be descended from Atlanteans.
  
• Oliver Harrison - a mythology professor in his late 30s, and a close friend of Naomi and Elliot, later revealed to be descended from Atlanteans, and later still, as the true villain.
  
• Duke, Aria, and Wilson - three crew members on the expedition who dressed up as Atlantean spirits in an attempt to scare the gang off. They ended up helping the gang after Oliver betrayed them.
  
• Zola - a kindhearted and idealistic Atlantean who give the gang a tour of the city and, unlike most of his kind, does not have a deep distrust of the outside world, and even believes Atlantis may be able to rejoin the world someday and share its technology for the greater cause of mankind. He befriends the gang and takes them to his home to meet his family, and later, helps them escape when Oliver turns on them.
  

The curse is connected to a magical stone tablet imbued with the power of the gods (which led the group to Atlantis) which is Oliver was able to unleash the spirits. The tablet is a holy relic which is traditionally held by kings and contains immense power, but if the tablet is damaged or destroyed, a curse is unleashed upon its holder. This is how the island of Atlantis was originally cursed by the gods, as the hubris of the Atlanteans caused the tablet to be damaged and lost as sea during battle, it’s also how Oliver is defeated.
The film would be more explicitly connected to the previous 4 films canon wise, as Eric from Cyber Chase would make an early appearance recommending the gang’s services in translating the tablet, while Crystal and Amber from Alien Invaders are also mentioned while the gang are on Atlantis, as Shaggy and Scooby are wondering if any of the advanced technology on Atlantis could be used to contact them. Maybe there could also be a Hex Girls poster in the mystery machine as an Easter egg.
The first act involves the story of the fall of Atlantis being told as a frame narrative, which is then revealed to be a lecture from Oliver, who is later revealed to be planning an expedition to Atlantis with his wealthy friends Naomi and Elliot, who are funding everything. The trio have been unable to find anyone who can translate the tablet, until Eric, who is a student at the same university, points them towards mystery Inc. Velma succeeds in translating the tablet and the gang are invited to join the expedition as thanks.
Shaggy and Scooby would be chased by Atlantean spirits on the ship, which raises some suspicion for the gang about what’s really going on. Later, the gang would spend a day on Atlantis getting up to their usual shenanigans, but the spirits would return to cause trouble again, and Fred would come up with a plan to trap them. That night, they would lure the spirits into the trap, with it actually working perfectly on the first try, and the spirits would be unmasked and revealed as the crew members trying to scare them off before they realize that the main trio are here to loot the city.
Suddenly, said trio would appear carting out priceless treasures, but once Oliver realizes the charade is over, he betrays everyone else and reveals that his true intentions are far worse, as he plans to use the might of Atlantis’ advanced weaponry to subjugate the world to his will, as his ancestors once sought to do until they lost the tablet (Oliver and Naomi are both descended from Atlanteans who escaped the island’s original fate and spread out across the world). Oliver would then use the tablet to unleash an army of real Atlantean spirits which capture the gang, but they make a getaway thanks to Zola, their tour guide from earlier. During this chase, an original song would play called “Atlantis Awakened”. This leads to the aforementioned final act.
Like Ben from Witch’s Ghost, Oliver ends up having a “fate worse than death” defeat, as the spirits turn against him when the tablet is destroyed, and prevent him from escaping as the island sinks back into the ocean. The implication is that he will face the wrath of the gods alone, while the other Atlanteans will be spared, and all we see is his pure terror as he vanishes beneath the waves along with Atlantis.
The film would deal with the theme of whether the outside world is ready to coexist with Atlantis, and if they can be trusted to use Atlantean technology for good, with the answer being left at “not yet”, as even Zola, who has always been optimistic on this, concedes in the end. Meanwhile, despite being passionate about this subject, and having the potential to become rich and famous beyond their wildest dreams, Naomi and Elliot decide it’s best to ditch any evidence of Atlantis and tell the world it’s just a myth after all. Throughout the film, I envision the score being very thoughtful and mysterious, yet also melancholy, as it’s an unknown frontier, similar to Alien Invaders. The final shot would be of the gang standing by the ocean and gazing out upon the calm waters at sunset, knowing they’ll be amongst the few to ever know the truth, before driving off towards home.
I actually have the entire plot synopsis written up for this idea, this is just a summary of the main points.

Made this for fun. Contains spoiler for the following: The Understudy, Cold Comfort, Séance Time, The Bill, Death Be Not Proud, Simon Says, How Do You Plead?, Last Night of the Proms, A Random Act of Kindness, 3 by 3, and The Last Weekend. Good luck!
Question 1: What was the name of Rebecca and Carl's sister in Sardines?
Question 2: Which classical composer is played at the beginning of A Quiet Night In?
Question 3: In Tom & Gerri, what is the new title of Gerri's acting gig?
Question 4: In Last Gasp, Sally's favourite memory of her job was a little girl who wanted to be a ____?
Question 5: In The Understudy, what was in Tony's juice that intoxicated him?
Question 6: In The Harrowing, Andras can only live on two things. These being:
Question 7: In La Couchette, where does the train stop?
Question 8: What did Christine's school boyfriend die from in The 12 Days of Christine?
Question 9: What is Elizabeth Gadge's middle name?
Question 10: In Cold Comfort, what was the name of the old lady's dead cat?
Question 11: What did Pat put in the ice in Nana's Party?
Question 12: In Séance Time, what was Terry dressed up as in the famous clip?
Question 13: What programme did Dennis Fulcher have a meeting about directing but failed in The Devil of Christmas?
Question 14: In The Bill, what name does Malcolm accidentally mention?
Question 15: What play was the gun a prop for in The Riddle of the Sphinx?
Question 16: In Empty Orchestra, where does Roger's brother live?
Question 17: What is Sally's friend Gertrude reading in Diddle Diddle Dumpling?
Question 18: In Private View, what is Jean's job?
Question 19: Where is the ring hidden in Zanzibar?
Question 20: In Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room, what show did Cheese and Crackers fail to guest?
Question 21: What is the name of the removal company in Once Removed?
Question 22: In To Have and To Hold, how long did Adrian have the darkroom?
Question 23: Who did Rupert bump into in And The Winner Is...?
Question 24: In Tempting Fate, what does Keith's son Charlie have?
Question 25: What animal is Mitch supposed to be in The Referee's A W***er?
Question 26: In Death Be Not Proud, what is the name of David's baby?
Question 27: What is the game the Mowbury family plays in Love's Great Adventure?
Question 28: In Misdirection, what word does Gabriel write on a notepad?
Question 29: What is Nadia's porn name in Thinking Out Loud?
Question 30: In The Stakeout, what does PC Thompson bring into the car?
Question 31: Who would have a wank to the concept in Wuthering Heist?
Question 32: In Simon Says, how long was the Ninth Circle originally going to run for?
Question 33: What does Brenda love eating in Lip Service?
Question 34: In Hurry Up and Wait, what is the name of Adrian Dunbar's detective character?
Question 35: What does Urban call the devil in How Do You Plead?
Question 36: In Last Night of the Proms, what does Ralph use to stab Yusuf?
Question 37: Donna thinks someone will be on the. boat in Merrily, Merrily. Who?
Question 38: In Mr King, Ceri boils these animals in the kettle while making tea for Alan. Which animal?
Question 39: What cereal does Katrina pour vodka in in Nine Lives Kat?
Question 40: In Kid/Nap, what are Shane and Clifford's code names?
Question 41: What is Helen diagnosed with in A Random Act of Kindness?
Question 42: In Wise Owl, what is Wise Owl's catchphrase?
Question 43: What does Pierce's beer prayer end with in The Bones of St. Nicholas?
Question 44: In Mother's Ruin, what show does Frances go catch up on?
Question 45: What song plays at the end of Paraskevidekatriaphobia?
Question 46: In Love Is A Stranger, what is Edgar's favourite Simply Red album?
Question 47: According to Gavin in 3 by 3, who voiced Donkey in Shrek?
Question 48: In The Last Weekend, what is the name of Joe's form of revenge?

N.B.: I'm mainly looking for the games listed in the title and at the bottom of the thread. Feel free to post other offers, but if I haven't responded to your comment(s) by my next posting, I likely wasn't able to find a trade that interested me.
​
For sale (for Steam Gift Cards or gifted Steam Wallet balance):
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• Dark Souls™: Prepare To Die™ Edition (removed from Steam Store; $350 $400 or best offer)
• Fall Guys (removed from Steam Store)
• Fall Guys - Dragon Hugger Pack (removed from Steam Store)
• Fall Guys - Icy Adventure Pack (removed from Steam Store)
• Marvel's Avengers - The Definitive Edition (removed from Steam Store)
• Spec Ops: The Line (removed from Steam Store)

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• Humble Hunie Sakura Bundle (can also trade for a full "charity" bundle (Australia Fire Relief Bundle or similar))
• Humble Sekai Project Bundle (can also trade for a full "charity" bundle (Stand with Ukraine Bundle or similar))

​
For trade:
*signifies that a game is tentatively up for trade, assuming I buy the bundle
​

• Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition
• Soulstice
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – Ultimate Edition

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• A Little to the Left
• Black Book

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• Superliminal
• The Talos Principle Gold Edition
• The Witness

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• Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Scorn
• There Is No Light: Enhanced Edition

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• Hellpoint
• Remnant: From the Ashes
• Tails of Iron

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• Hell Pie
• OTXO
• The Red Lantern
• Twin Mirror

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• Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace
• Blood Rage: Digital Edition
• Gloomhaven - Solo Scenarios: Mercenary Challenges
• Small World
• Small World - A Spider's Web
• Small World - Be not Afraid...
• Small World - Cursed!
• Small World - Grand Dames
• Small World - Royal Bonus
• Splendor
• Splendor - The Cities
• Splendor - The Strongholds
• Splendor - The Trading Posts
• Terraforming Mars

​

• A Short Hike(?)
• A Story Beside(?)
• Aces & Adventures(?)
• Arcade Spirits(?)
• Battlestar Galactica Deadlock(?)
• Beyond Blue(?)
• Cat Quest(?)
• Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!(?)
• EARTHLOCK(?)
• Harmony's Odyssey(?)
• Homeworld Remastered Collection(?)
• Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure(?)
• Minecraft: Java Edition - MCC Island Jingle Jam Rewards Pack(?)
• Monster Prom(?)
• Sifu Deluxe Cosmetic Pack(?)
• Spirit of the Island(?)
• SUPERHOT(?)
• Tinytopia(?)
• Toodee and Topdee(?)
• Train Valley 2(?)
• Turbo Golf Racing(?)
• Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story(?)
• Xenonauts(?)

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• Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs

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• Dark Deity
• Edge Of Eternity
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

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• CRYPTARK
• Dead Estate
• Paint the Town Red

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• Lost Castle
• My Time At Portia

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• Toodee and Topdee

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• WWE 2K23

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• Chivalry 2
• Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
• The Forgotten City
• GRIME
• Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition

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• Back 4 Blood
• Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition
• Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition
• Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition
• Batman™: Arkham Origins
• Injustice 2 Legendary Edition
• Mad Max
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition
• Mortal Kombat 11
• Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Add-On Bundle
• Mortal Kombat XL

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• Alan Wake Collector's Edition
• Bendy and the Dark Revival
• Pathologic 2

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• CODE VEIN
• .hack//G.U. Last Recode
• Katamari Damacy REROLL
• TEKKEN 7

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• A Juggler's Tale
• Spirit of the Island

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• Boomerang Fu
• PlateUp!
• ROUNDS
• Stick Fight: The Game
• Ultimate Chicken Horse

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• Fae Tactics
• Flynn: Son of Crimson
• Ikenfell
• Ring of Pain
• Void Bastards

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• After the Fall® - Deluxe Edition
• Zero Caliber VR

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• Patch Quest

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• Five Dates
• Late Shift

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• Demon Turf
• Pumpkin Jack

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• Trover Saves the Universe

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• Coromon
• The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
• Jack Move

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• Road 96
• SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator

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• A Short Hike

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• Cloudpunk
• Ghostrunner
• Severed Steel

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• Eternal Threads
• Turbo Golf Racing

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• Lethal League Blaze
• OlliOlli World
• WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS

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• Dragon Fist: VR Kung Fu
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

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• Celeste

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• Blasphemous
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Hollow Knight

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• Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

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• Bionic Commando: Rearmed
• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
• Lost Planet 3 - Complete
• Mega Man Legacy Collection
• STRIDER™ / ストライダー飛竜®

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• Aground
• Calico
• Evan's Remains
• StarCrossed
• Teacup

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• Into the Radius VR

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• Aliens: Fireteam Elite
• Founders' Fortune
• Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp

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• Nomad Survival
• Scarlet Tower

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• The Citadel
• Viscerafest
• WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

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• The Blackout Club

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• BIOMUTANT
• Edge Of Eternity
• Golden Light

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• Call of the Sea
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

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• 112 Operator
• 911 Operator
• The Amazing American Circus
• Armello
• Backbone
• Calico
• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• Farming Simulator 17
• Ghostrunner
• Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
• Lust from Beyond: M Edition
• Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
• Orbital Racer
• Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition
• PAYDAY 2
• Pilgrims
• Soulblight
• Space Crew: Legendary Edition
• Starfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo key) and Starfinder Adventure: Junker's Delight (Paizo key)
• Strange Brigade
• Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
• System Shock 2
• System Shock: Enhanced Edition
• Ticket to Ride
• XCOM® 2
• X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack

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• Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
• Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
• Othercide
• Shady Part of Me

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• The Last Campfire

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• Sakura Swim Club

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• Summer in Mara
• Townscaper

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• The Long Dark: Survival Edition

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• Stranded Sails - Explorers of the Cursed Islands

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• Conan Chop Chop
• Grow: Song of the Evertree

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• Styx: Shards of Darkness

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• Hard West
• John Wick Hex
• Phantom Doctrine
• Red Solstice 2: Survivors

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• Arizona Sunshine

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• Backbone
• Blade Assault
• First Class Trouble
• Super Magbot

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• Golf Gang
• Maid of Sker

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• Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
• Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Heart of the Forest

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• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

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• Crown Trick

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• Guts and Glory
• Hello Neighbor

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• Day of the Tentacle Remastered
• Grim Fandango Remastered
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• STAR WARS®: Knights of the Old Republic™ II

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• Duke Nukem Forever
• PGA TOUR 2K21
• WWE 2K Battlegrounds

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• In Sound Mind

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• Little Big Workshop
• Not Tonight

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• Brigador Deluxe Edition
• Verdun

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• Resident Evil 0
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil

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• EVERSPACE™

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• Cultist Simulator
• GWENT: The Witcher Card Game - Ultimate Starter Pack (GOG key)

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• The LEGO® NINJAGO® Movie Video Game

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• Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager
• Legion TD 2 - Multiplayer Tower Defense

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• STAR WARS™: Squadrons (Origin key)(?)

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• Bionic Commando
• Street Fighter V

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• As Far As The Eye
• Impulsion

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• Orcs Must Die! 2 - Complete Pack

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• Bartlow's Dread Machine

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• Blaston

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• White Day: A Labyrinth Named School

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• The Walking Dead

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• Total Tank Simulator

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• Archangel: Hellfire - Fully Loaded

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• XCOM® 2

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• Black The Fall
• Goetia

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• Among the Sleep - Enhanced Edition

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• Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
• This War of Mine

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• Tom Clancy's The Division™ (Uplay key)
• Tom Clancy's The Division™ - Survival (Uplay key)

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• Highway Blossoms
• HunieCam Studio
• KARAKARA
• Sunrider Academy
• Sunrider: Liberation Day - Captain's Edition

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• A Kiss For the Petals - Remembering How We Met

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• Hacknet
• Satellite Reign

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• The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut

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• The Elder Scrolls: Legends: 2 Card Packs (Skyrim) 1 Event Ticket 100 Gold 100 Souls
• ESO Vanity Pet: Bristlegut Piglet and 15 Days of ESO Plus

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• Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal-
• KARAKARA
• Memory's Dogma CODE:01
• Narcissu 10th Anniversary Anthology Project
• Narcissu 10th Anniversary Anthology Project - Season Pass

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• A Kiss For the Petals - Remembering How We Met
• Sakura Angels
• Beach Bounce
• Beach Bounce - Soundtrack
• Blue Rose

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• Lionessy Story
• My Personal Angel
• Natural - Beyond Nature -
• Postmen Of Horizon (removed from Steam Store)

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• The Reject Demon: Toko Chapter 0 — Prelude

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• Koi-Koi Japan [Hanafuda playing cards]
• Mahjong Pretty Girls Battle
• Mahjong Pretty Girls Battle : School Girls Edition
• Poker Pretty Girls Battle: Texas Hold'em
• Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire

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• Guns of Icarus Alliance
• Guns of Icarus Online
• Impossible Creatures Steam Edition
• Lethal League
• Tempest: Pirate Action RPG
• Tempest - Treasure Lands
• Tempest - Original Soundtrack
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf
• Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

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• Tenta Shooter
• Gun Gun Pixies
• DUSK
• For The King
• Book of Demons
• PlateUp!
• Kingdom Two Crowns
• White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
• Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War
• Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
• Steel Rats™
• Hue
• Sifu Deluxe Edition Upgrade Bundle (Epic key)
• Gal*Gun: Double Peace
• The Invisible Hours
• Synergia
• ROCKETRON
• Project Nimbus: Complete Edition
• Dead Age
• Spirit Hunter: NG
• Slain: Back from Hell(?)
• Cook, Serve, Delicious!
• Tower of Time
• Danger Scavenger
• Survive the Nights
• Valfaris
• Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition
• This War of Mine

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• Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition
• Knights of Pen and Paper 2 - Here Be Dragons

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• 112 Operator
• 911 Operator
• Book of Demons
• Broken Age
• Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons
• Crying Suns
• Crying Suns
• Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
• Driftland: The Magic Revival
• Liberated (GOG key)
• Moon Hunters
• Out of Reach: Treasure Royale
• Wanderlust: Travel Stories (GOG key)
• WARSAW
• X-Morph: Defense + European Assault, Survival of the Fittest, and Last Bastion DLC (I believe this redeems as the linked Complete Pack, minus the soundtrack)
• ΔV: Rings of Saturn(?)

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• Arcade Paradise
• Calico
• Say No! More
• Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
• Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
• Phoenix Point: Year One Edition
• Deliver Us The Moon
• Morkredd
• Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos
• Spirit Hunter: NG
• Survivalist: Invisible Strain
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2
• ENDLESS™ Space 2
• Surviving the Aftermath
• The Long Dark

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• Duck Game
• SCP: Secret Files
• WWE 2K23
• The Jackbox Party Pack
• Outward (redeems as the base game only, not the linked Definitive Edition)
• Outward - The Soroboreans
• Outward Soundtrack
• Blade Assault
• Founders' Fortune
• Hokko Life
• Monster Crown
• Othercide
• Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition
• ScourgeBringer
• Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
• HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
• Sonic CD (removed from Steam Store)
• LEGO® Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO® Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• STRIDER™ / ストライダー飛竜®
• Bionic Commando
• Full Metal Furies
• Ultra Street Fighter® IV
• Starbound
• Mafia III: Sign of the Times
• BioShock 2
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
• Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
• The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare
• Crusaders of the Lost Idols Legendary Starter Pack
• Project CARS (removed from Steam Store)

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WANT:
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• 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel
• Astebreed: Definitive Edition
• Avernum: Escape from the Pit
• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
• CrossCode
• Dead Rising 4
• Dungreed
• Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2
• Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
• Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition
• Myst (2021)
• NBA 2K23
• NECROPOLIS: BRUTAL EDITION
• Omensight: Definitive Edition
• OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition
• OPUS: Rocket of Whispers
• OPUS: The Day We Found Earth
• Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
• RAGE
• Resident Evil Village
• The Jackbox Party Pack 5
• The Jackbox Party Pack 6
• The Jackbox Party Pack 7
• Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap
• Zombie Army 4: Dead War

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• any extra copies of WWE 2K23

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IGS Rep Page: https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ti26nz/mizznos_igs_rep_page/

So, I looked up the lyrics for "There's always a Twist at the End" and something really stuck out for me. The lyrics are *really* random. They just don't seem to make much sense. For example, a big section of all of the chorus is just a list of phrases that rhymes with "end". For example: descend, press send, Land's End, Make do and mend. None of them really have anything to do with a plot twist or dancing. "Press Send" might refer to sending a message. "Land's End" is a place in Cornwall, famous as the most southerly/westerly point in England. "Make do and mend" is a WW2 propaganda slogan encouraging people to recycle clothes. I can't quite work out why all these words have been put in the song, outside they rhyme with "end".
However, there was one phrase that stuck out to me after seeing Boom. It is part of the bridge and comes towards the end of the song, just before the final chorus.
Sing along if you’ve got a twist, Sing along if you kiss the mist, There’s a special little dance you’ll run the risk There’s always, always, always a twist…
These words don't really mean anything on their own. What does "kiss the mist" actually mean? When I googled it, a lot of romance novels called "Kiss in the Mist" got thrown up. But then it made me think...
The fog in Boom was a very prominent feature of the episode, andThe Doctor and Ruby also did a "special little dance" when Ruby was passing the Doctor the tube with Vater's body in it, during which they were arguably running the risk. Vater's "Kiss Kiss" message was arguably also the "twist" in the episode that ultimately saved the day. Could this therefore be a reference to the events of Boom? And if it is, does it mean there are other events from later in the series in the song? Although the next episode appears to be set in Wales, the cliffs we saw in the next time trailer are very reminiscent of Land's End. Are there any other subtle references in the song?