You are colossal squid eating games
Welcome to Fat People Stories.
2013.01.07 10:29 pork_celestial Welcome to Fat People Stories.
Trigger Warning: Hamplanets
2008.05.20 14:15 Zombies
/Zombies' raison de la mort is to host submissions regarding gatherings, movies, books, music, theater, speculative science, games, and more featuring the flesh (and/or brain) eating dead.
2014.10.10 19:39 Striker50450 17 Airborne Division Community
2024.06.02 06:37 RebornDeadeye I finished Hollow Knight...
A few years ago, I tried playing Hollow Knight for the first time. After about 30 minutes of playing, I decided it didn't click with me and so I moved on to other things. This is one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life.
About a week or two ago, I began seeing more things related to the game and wanted to give it another try. With encouragement from people on this subreddit, I dove back into Hollow Knight and gave it another try to see if it would click.
I want to preface this by saying that while I've tried some other metroidvanias before, none of them ever clicked with me. I found certain aspects of them to be really annoying and tedious and so walking into Hollow Knight again, I was admittedly a bit worried because I wanted to like this game. I was always drawn to the art style of this game specifically so I wanted to really get into the hang of it and enjoy the game. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened.
The best way I can describe playing this game for the first time is like that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats the dish and is transported to being a kid again. That's exactly like how I felt when I played this game because it brought out my inner kid, wanting to run around this enormous kingdom and explore to my heart's content.
One of my absolutely favorite things about this game was the movement. I never knew that a game's movement could feel so clean and smooth and just perfect, and yet this game exceeded those expectations. Starting off, I didn't have access to any movement abilities, but as I progressed and got better movement options, it felt like the entire game opened up to me and made me so excited to continue and see what I would get next.
This leads me to my other favorite aspect of this game which was the exploration. I would never have guessed that a $15 game made by 3 people would be this incredibly vast and have quite literally hundreds of hidden rooms and treasures for me to find and yet it did. I walked into this game expecting it to be a pretty average sized map, but I was just blown away by the scale of this game. I know for a fact that there is a boatload of stuff that I missed or wasn't able to find in my first playthrough, and I deliberately didn't go looking for some stuff or do certain things so I have stuff to look forward to in my next playthrough down the road.
As I said earlier, the art style was what originally got me interested in this game and it again delivered and exceeded my expectations. The different areas and regions were absolutely breathtaking and seeing all new creatures around every corner was so amazing. The art style is one that's so simple but yet has a lot of depth and impact and it resonated with me very well. Along with the art, the music was incredible too and I thought all of the scores felt very well done.
I'll admit that there were a lot of times where I got really mad or frustrated at a certain parkour section or boss, but one thing I love is that whenever I died, it was because of my fault and not the games. It never felt like I died because there was a glitch in the game or it was poorly made, but it just me making mistakes which is something that looking back on, I really love. It just goes again to show you how much time and dedication Team Cherry put into this game to make it perfect.
The last thing I want to mention was the story/lore and the NPCs, both of which I really enjoyed. It was admittedly a bit hard to follow the story at times while playing, but after I finished the game, I watched a video on the lore of Hollow Knight and realized that the story and lore presented were incredibly deep and there were so many things that started to click with me. All the NPCs made the game feel alive and really made it feel like there was this large piece of lore there for me to explore and unravel. My favorite NPCs are probably Hornet and Jiji.
I have a list of the top ten greatest games I've ever played, of which I've played hundreds, and I honestly thought nothing would be able to top the number 1 game on my list. However, Hollow Knight has managed to do what I deemed impossible and became my favorite game ever.
I could go on for ages about how much I love this game, but I'm sure whatever I say is what the large portion of you all feel as well. I'm so grateful everyone encouraged me to give it another try! This game is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Looking onward to Silksong, I've heard some bits about it and seen the trailers and it looks absolutely incredible. While it is a little later than we expected, I know that Team Cherry is hard at work with this sequel and I've no doubt it will be masterful as well. Let's all hope for some news in the coming few weeks at SGF and the Xbox Showcase!
Thank you all for reading if you got this far!
TL;DR: I liked it!
submitted by RebornDeadeye to HollowKnight [link] [comments]
About a week or two ago, I began seeing more things related to the game and wanted to give it another try. With encouragement from people on this subreddit, I dove back into Hollow Knight and gave it another try to see if it would click.
I want to preface this by saying that while I've tried some other metroidvanias before, none of them ever clicked with me. I found certain aspects of them to be really annoying and tedious and so walking into Hollow Knight again, I was admittedly a bit worried because I wanted to like this game. I was always drawn to the art style of this game specifically so I wanted to really get into the hang of it and enjoy the game. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened.
The best way I can describe playing this game for the first time is like that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats the dish and is transported to being a kid again. That's exactly like how I felt when I played this game because it brought out my inner kid, wanting to run around this enormous kingdom and explore to my heart's content.
One of my absolutely favorite things about this game was the movement. I never knew that a game's movement could feel so clean and smooth and just perfect, and yet this game exceeded those expectations. Starting off, I didn't have access to any movement abilities, but as I progressed and got better movement options, it felt like the entire game opened up to me and made me so excited to continue and see what I would get next.
This leads me to my other favorite aspect of this game which was the exploration. I would never have guessed that a $15 game made by 3 people would be this incredibly vast and have quite literally hundreds of hidden rooms and treasures for me to find and yet it did. I walked into this game expecting it to be a pretty average sized map, but I was just blown away by the scale of this game. I know for a fact that there is a boatload of stuff that I missed or wasn't able to find in my first playthrough, and I deliberately didn't go looking for some stuff or do certain things so I have stuff to look forward to in my next playthrough down the road.
As I said earlier, the art style was what originally got me interested in this game and it again delivered and exceeded my expectations. The different areas and regions were absolutely breathtaking and seeing all new creatures around every corner was so amazing. The art style is one that's so simple but yet has a lot of depth and impact and it resonated with me very well. Along with the art, the music was incredible too and I thought all of the scores felt very well done.
I'll admit that there were a lot of times where I got really mad or frustrated at a certain parkour section or boss, but one thing I love is that whenever I died, it was because of my fault and not the games. It never felt like I died because there was a glitch in the game or it was poorly made, but it just me making mistakes which is something that looking back on, I really love. It just goes again to show you how much time and dedication Team Cherry put into this game to make it perfect.
The last thing I want to mention was the story/lore and the NPCs, both of which I really enjoyed. It was admittedly a bit hard to follow the story at times while playing, but after I finished the game, I watched a video on the lore of Hollow Knight and realized that the story and lore presented were incredibly deep and there were so many things that started to click with me. All the NPCs made the game feel alive and really made it feel like there was this large piece of lore there for me to explore and unravel. My favorite NPCs are probably Hornet and Jiji.
I have a list of the top ten greatest games I've ever played, of which I've played hundreds, and I honestly thought nothing would be able to top the number 1 game on my list. However, Hollow Knight has managed to do what I deemed impossible and became my favorite game ever.
I could go on for ages about how much I love this game, but I'm sure whatever I say is what the large portion of you all feel as well. I'm so grateful everyone encouraged me to give it another try! This game is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Looking onward to Silksong, I've heard some bits about it and seen the trailers and it looks absolutely incredible. While it is a little later than we expected, I know that Team Cherry is hard at work with this sequel and I've no doubt it will be masterful as well. Let's all hope for some news in the coming few weeks at SGF and the Xbox Showcase!
Thank you all for reading if you got this far!
TL;DR: I liked it!
2024.06.02 06:23 Celethio [TOMT] [video game] [2010s(?)] fantasy RPG on DS with busty purple-haired alchemist girl as mc
I remember playing a certain fantasy RPG on my DS years ago but I forgot the name. It took place on an island and at the start of the game you could choose between multiple main characters with their own unique plot lines, similarly to Octopath Traveler. You would get two other main characters to travel with you in the beginning, and the other characters could be recruited eventually too.
The only main character I actually remember is a busty purple-haired alchemist girl. I remember her skirt being long with a large slit. Her hair covered one eye and looked a lot like Sucy's hairstyle from LWA. Her default weapon was a spear or lance. In the opening cutscene, she is in a tavern disguised as an old woman and two other main characters are eating there. That's all I remember. Thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help me.
submitted by Celethio to tipofmytongue [link] [comments]
The only main character I actually remember is a busty purple-haired alchemist girl. I remember her skirt being long with a large slit. Her hair covered one eye and looked a lot like Sucy's hairstyle from LWA. Her default weapon was a spear or lance. In the opening cutscene, she is in a tavern disguised as an old woman and two other main characters are eating there. That's all I remember. Thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help me.
2024.06.02 05:56 Legal-Ad-9586 25 [F4R] #Tennesee/Online — D&D DM, Writer, Artist, Gaming, and Tomfoolery
Hey all, I've finally mustered the courage to post on this sub, since the silliness is spreading to my lungs and made me delirious with slight confidence ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ . I'm 25, turning 26 soon, pansexual and non-binary (AFAB), although any pronouns are fine!
A little bit about myself, and by a little, I mean a novel. I couldn't write a short bio even if my life depended on it.
I have two partners currently, my nesting partner of 10 years, and my long distance partner of 2 and a half years. I've been practicing polyamory for around 7 years, with several dynamics. We all date separately, and I'm also open to just making some friends! While I’d heavily prefer to find someone in Tennessee or close by, if you're open to travelling or being online, that's also okay.
I'm heavily into writing, whether it's fanfictions, books I'm working on, my D&D campaign lore, or just some poetry. I just started a campaign with 4 players, but if you're local, would love to add people to it!
When it comes to gaming, I prefer horror-survival. Games like 7 Days to Die, Green Hell, Project Zomboid, and The Forest/Sons of the Forest. Point and click's RPG's, rhythm, VR, you name it I've probably played some of it. (Bonus points if you're into Undertale)
I'm a complete menace in the kitchen, so be ready to eat. I love cooking, grilling, baking, you name it. Always trying new recipes, making my own pasta, homemade bread, etc. I love hotpot, sweets, and anything chicken.
In terms of my appearance, I'm 5'9", and around 220lbs. A thicc girl, if you will. I've lost about 25lbs since the start of this year and want to continue improving my health, but I do like being a bit curvy. I've got long black hair, with a hime hairstyle. I fluctuate between slightly pale and very tan, since I'm half white, half Native American. I have a few tattoos, and a few piercings, but had to remove a lot of my facial ones due to one of my medical conditions.
Speaking of medical conditions; I am disabled, and am currently on SSDI. I have a few conditions that I won't completely list here, but the main factor is a type of seizure disorder and neurological disease that can give me flare-ups. These flares impair my ability to walk, speak, or use my arms/hands at times. While I'd be happy to disclose more in private, I feel it's necessary to be at least a little upfront beforehand. Not everyone wants to date someone who is disabled, and that's okay! I do have limitations in what I can do/where I can go during a flare up, and navigating a relationship with someone who is disabled can be different if you've never experienced it before, so no hard feelings. However, I don't let this stop me from still trying to enjoy myself and have a good time. I still try to stay active, go to the pool, and practice my hobbies!
What I'm looking for? Preferably someone local or close, but online works as well. A person who loves laughing at shit posts, dumb memes, playing videos games, D&D 5e, and is at a point in their life where they are comfortable emotionally. You'd be able to clearly communicate with me, your needs, boundaries, wants, desires, and of course your interests! For age, preferably between 25-40, but I don't have a big preference on appearance. I would love to meet someone taller than myself considering I've been taller than most of my past and current partners, but it's not super important haha. Gender does not matter to me, so shoot your shot!
All in all, I'd like someone I can laugh like an idiot with, game with, eat good food with, and maybe have deep discussions with while sitting around a bonfire, sipping on some drinks.
Thank you for coming to my hour long ted talk, and if you're interested, feel free to shoot me a DM!
submitted by Legal-Ad-9586 to polyamoryR4R [link] [comments]
A little bit about myself, and by a little, I mean a novel. I couldn't write a short bio even if my life depended on it.
I have two partners currently, my nesting partner of 10 years, and my long distance partner of 2 and a half years. I've been practicing polyamory for around 7 years, with several dynamics. We all date separately, and I'm also open to just making some friends! While I’d heavily prefer to find someone in Tennessee or close by, if you're open to travelling or being online, that's also okay.
I'm heavily into writing, whether it's fanfictions, books I'm working on, my D&D campaign lore, or just some poetry. I just started a campaign with 4 players, but if you're local, would love to add people to it!
When it comes to gaming, I prefer horror-survival. Games like 7 Days to Die, Green Hell, Project Zomboid, and The Forest/Sons of the Forest. Point and click's RPG's, rhythm, VR, you name it I've probably played some of it. (Bonus points if you're into Undertale)
I'm a complete menace in the kitchen, so be ready to eat. I love cooking, grilling, baking, you name it. Always trying new recipes, making my own pasta, homemade bread, etc. I love hotpot, sweets, and anything chicken.
In terms of my appearance, I'm 5'9", and around 220lbs. A thicc girl, if you will. I've lost about 25lbs since the start of this year and want to continue improving my health, but I do like being a bit curvy. I've got long black hair, with a hime hairstyle. I fluctuate between slightly pale and very tan, since I'm half white, half Native American. I have a few tattoos, and a few piercings, but had to remove a lot of my facial ones due to one of my medical conditions.
Speaking of medical conditions; I am disabled, and am currently on SSDI. I have a few conditions that I won't completely list here, but the main factor is a type of seizure disorder and neurological disease that can give me flare-ups. These flares impair my ability to walk, speak, or use my arms/hands at times. While I'd be happy to disclose more in private, I feel it's necessary to be at least a little upfront beforehand. Not everyone wants to date someone who is disabled, and that's okay! I do have limitations in what I can do/where I can go during a flare up, and navigating a relationship with someone who is disabled can be different if you've never experienced it before, so no hard feelings. However, I don't let this stop me from still trying to enjoy myself and have a good time. I still try to stay active, go to the pool, and practice my hobbies!
What I'm looking for? Preferably someone local or close, but online works as well. A person who loves laughing at shit posts, dumb memes, playing videos games, D&D 5e, and is at a point in their life where they are comfortable emotionally. You'd be able to clearly communicate with me, your needs, boundaries, wants, desires, and of course your interests! For age, preferably between 25-40, but I don't have a big preference on appearance. I would love to meet someone taller than myself considering I've been taller than most of my past and current partners, but it's not super important haha. Gender does not matter to me, so shoot your shot!
All in all, I'd like someone I can laugh like an idiot with, game with, eat good food with, and maybe have deep discussions with while sitting around a bonfire, sipping on some drinks.
Thank you for coming to my hour long ted talk, and if you're interested, feel free to shoot me a DM!
2024.06.02 05:54 a_modest_espeon [H] Lots of Games, Please Look [W] Games(See Below)/Offers, Wishlisted Items, and Paypal
I am currently taking paypal for games, you always go first and cover fees
For game trades, you always go first and message me, usually it takes me about 1-2 days to get back to you at the latest
My Rep Page has not been updated in about 5 years, but I have a lot of trades finished
Bolded items are just the ones I would like to consider keeping so don't feel as though you need to offer more for the game
Wants
Oneshot
Subnautica
Stellaris (and dlc)
Fallout 4
Wishlist Items
Have
A Plague Tale: Innocence
ADOM (ANCIENT DOMAINS OF MYSTERY)
Bridge Constructor Portal
Chivalry 2 - Epic Edition
Deep Rock Galactic
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Doom Eternal
Elite Dangerous
Endless Space 2 - Digital Deluxe Edition
Ghostrunner
Honey I Joined a Cult
Lost Ruins
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (temporarily unavailable)
MONSTER TRAIN (FIRST CLASS - COLLECTORS EDITION)
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
PATHFINDER: WRATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Rebel Inc: Escalation
REMNANT: FROM THE ASHES - COMPLETE EDITION
SCP:Secret Files
SHOTGUN KING: THE FINAL CHECKMATE
Songs of Conquest
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy
Surviving Mars
THE OUTER WORLDS: SPACER'S CHOICE EDITION
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
VALKYRIA CHRONICLES 4 COMPLETE EDITION
Yakuza 4 Remastered
20XX
7 Grand Steps
A Juggler's Tale
A Mortician's Tale
A New Beginning - Final Cut
Aaero
Aces and Adventures
AER Memories of Old (x2)
Age of Wonders III
Ageless
Agents of Mayhem
AI War: Fleet Command
Alien Spidy
Aliens:Fireteam Elite
Alina of the Arena
All You Can Eat
Aragami 2
Arcade Paradise
Army Men RTS
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (x2)
Assassin's Creed® Origins
Assault Android Cactus
Atom RPG Trudograd
Atomicrops
AUTONAUTS VS PIRATEBOTS
Backbone
Bad End Theater
Banner Saga Trilogy - Deluxe Pack
Banners of Ruin
Bastion (x2)
Batman Arkham Origins (x2)
Battle Chef Brigade
Beacon Pines
Beat Hazard Ultra
Bee Simulator
Before Your Eyes
BEHIND THE FRAME: THE FINEST SCENERY
Beholder
BENDY AND THE DARK REVIVAL
Beneath Oresa
Between the Stars
Beyond a Steel Sky
Binary Domain
Bioshock Remastered
BioShock: The Collection
Biped
Black Book
Blade Assault
Blasphemous
Blazing Beaks
Bleed 2
Bloodstained®︎: Ritual of the Night
Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
Boomerang Fu (x3)
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe
Boreal Blade
Boyfriend Dungeon
Broken Age (x2)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brutal Legend
BUILDER SIMULATOR
Burly Men At Sea (x2)
Bury Me, My Love
Celeste
Chasm
Chicken Police
Children of Silentown
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition (x2)
CivCity: Rome
Coffee Talk
COMMAND & CONQUER REMASTERED COLLECTION
Company of Heroes 2 + Company of Heroes 2 - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity Pattern Pack
Conan Chop Chop
CONTROL STANDARD EDITION (Steam or Epic Games)
COOK, SERVE, DELICIOUS! 3
Coromon
Crowntakers
Crusader Kings Complete
Cultist Simulator (x2)
Curious Expedition
CURSE OF THE DEAD GODS
Cyber Hook
DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: HOUSE OF ASHES
Darkside Detective
Darksiders Genesis
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition (x2)
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Dead In Bermuda
Deadly Days
Death Squared (x2)
Deathloop
Decieve Inc.
Deleveled
Desperados 3
Destroy All Humans!
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Disciples: Liberation
Distance
DISTRAINT 2 + Soundtrack
Distrust (x3)
Drawful 2
DUCATI - 90th Anniversary
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever Hail to the Icons
Duke Nukem Forever The Doctor Who Cloned Me
Dungeons 3 (x2)
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition
Dwarfs!?
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: Blood Storm + DLC
EarthNight
Eastside Hockey Manager
Elderborn
Eldest Souls
Elex
Ellipsis
Embr
Emily is Away <3
ENCASED: A SCI-FI POST-APOCALYPTIC RPG
Endless Space® - Collection (x2)
Epic Chef
Eternal Threads
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Europa Universalis IV
Evan's Remains
Evergarden
EVERSPACE™
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Fallout 1
Family Man
Farmer's Dynasty
Fibbage XL
Fights in Tight Spaces
Figment
Finding Paradise
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
Foretales
Fort Triumph
Founders' Fortune
Framed Collection
Framed Collection (x2)
Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell
Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch
Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove
Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness
Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries
Freedom Force
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
Friends Vs Friends
FTL
Full Metal Furies
Full Throttle Remastered (x2)
Fury Unleashed
Gas Station Simulator
Genesis Noir
Get In The Car, Loser!
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
God's Trigger
Golf Gang
Gonner
GRAV (Early Access)
Greedfall
GRID 2
Grime
Grow: Song of the Evertree
Growing Up
Guns of Icarus Online
Hacknet (x2) + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC (x1)
Haiku, the Robot
Hammerting
Hard Reset Redux
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Heaven's Vault
Heavenly Bodies (x2)
Hell Let Loose
Hell Pie
Hello Neighbor Hide and Seek
Hellpoint
Hero Siege Complete + Cyberpunk Samurai + Demon Slayer Bundle + Extra slots & stash space + ClassShield Lancer + Shaman + Plague Doctor + Marauder + Amazon+Avenger Paladin DLCs
Heroes of Hammerwatch
Hexcells Complete Pack
Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fire
Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack
Hidden Folks
HITMAN™: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (x2)
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hokko life
Hollow Knight
Hot Brass
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hotshot Racing
Hyper Light Drifter
I am not a Monster: First Contact
I'm not a Monster
If Found...
Impostor Factory
In Between
In Sound Mind
Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (x3)
INK Deluxe Edition
Iris and the Giant
Iron Harvest
Jack Move
JumpJet Rex
Jupiter Hell
Jurassic World Evolution - Deluxe Dinosaur Pack
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition
Kerbal Space Program
KeyWe
Kill it with Fire
KillSquad
Kingdom Classic
Kingdom Two Crowns
Kingdom: New Lands (x2)
Knights of Pen and Paper 2
Kraken Academy!!
Late Shift
Later Alligator
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Legend of Keepers
Legion TD2-MULTIPLAYER TOWER DEFENSE
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition
LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
LEGO® Batman 2 DC Super Heroes™
LEGO® Worlds
Let's Explore the Farm (Junior Field Trips)
Let's Explore the Jungle (Junior Field Trips)
Levelhead
Leviathan Warships
Life is Strange 2: Complete Season
Life is Strange: True Colors
Lone Fungus
Lords and Villeins
Lostwinds
Lovecraft's Untold Stories
Lumino City
Luna's Wandering Stars
Machinarium
Mad Max
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Magicka
Maid of Sker
Majesty 2
Majesty Gold HD
Marooners
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
Massive Chalice
Meeple Station
Merchany of the Skies
Metal Hellsinger
Metro Exodus
Midnight Protocol
Mind Scanners
Mini Metro
MINIT (x2)
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Loves You
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
Moonlighter
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
Morkredd
MOTHERGUNSHIP
Moving Out
Mr. Shifty
Mr.Prepper
Mushroom 11
My Memory of Us
My Time at Portia
Narita Boy
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers
NBA 2K20
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Necromunda: Hired Gun
Necronator: Dead Wrong (x2)
Neo Cab
Neon Abyss
Neon Drive (Steam)
Newt One
Niche (x3)
NICKELODEON ALL-STAR BRAWL
Nimbatus The Space Drone Constructor
Ninja Pizza Girl
No Time to Explain Remastered
No Time to Relax
Not For Broadcast
Not Tonight
Oaken
Offworld Trading Company + Jupiter's Forge Expansion Pack (x2)
Old Man's Journey
OlliOlli World - Rad edition
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
Omno
One Step From Eden
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
OPERATION: TANGO
Opus Magnum
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength (x2)
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You (x3)
Othercide
Otxo
Out of the Park Baseball 18
Overcooked! 2 - Surf 'n' Turf Pack
Overcooked! 2 - Too Many Cooks
Overgrowth
Overlord II
OZYMANDIAS: BRONZE AGE EMPIRE SIM
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Pajama Sam 2: Thunder And Lightning Aren't So Frightening
Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat From Your Head To Your Feet
Pajama Sam's Lost & Found
Pajama Sam's Sock Works
Pajama Sam: Games to Play on Any Day
Pale Echoes
Panzer Corps 2
Paper Fire Rookie
Paperbark
Paradigm (x2)
Paradise Killer
Party Hard (x2)
Patch Quest
PayDay 2
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Pesterquest
Pesterquest
PGA TOUR 2K21
Pikuniku
Pinstripe (x2)
Plague Inc: Evolved
Planet of the Eyes
Planet Zoo
PlateUp! (x2)
Plunge
Police Stories
Police Stories
Portal Knights
Primal Carnage: Extinction
Prodeus
Project Highrise (x2)
Project Winter
Psychonauts
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Dog on a Stick
Putt-Putt® Enters the Race
Putt-Putt® Goes to the Moon
Putt-Putt® Joins the Circus
Putt-Putt® Joins the Parade
Putt-Putt® Travels Through Time
Putt-Putt®: Pep's Birthday Surprise
Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent 2
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut
Quest of Dungeons
Quiplash
Railroad Corporation
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railroad Tycoon II Platinum
Rain World
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Rapture Rejects + Safari outfit
Realpolitiks
Rebel Cops
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
RED SOLSTICE 2: SURVIVORS
Regency Solitaire
Regions of Ruin
Regular Human Basketball (x3)
Relicta
Remnants of Isolation
Resident Evil 0 HD REMASTER
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil HD REMASTER
Resident Evil Revelations (X2)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition
Retimed
Retro Game Crunch
Retrowave
Revita
Rime
Rise and Shine
Rising Dusk
Rituals
Road 96
Road to Ballhalla
Roadwarden
Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™
Rocket Birds: Hardboiled Chicken
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS
Rogue Heroes:Ruins of Tasos
Roguebook
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Rustler
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RÖKI
S.W.I.N.E. HD REMASTER
Saints Row: The Third
Sam & Max: Season 1
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Shadow Complex Remastered (Epic Games)
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shutshimi
Sid Meier's Railroads!
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SimplePlanes
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Song of Horror
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SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM - REHYDRATED
Spy Fox 2 "Some Assembly Required"
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Spy Fox In: Hold the Mustard
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
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Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
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Streamline Early Access
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Suchart:Genius Artist Simulator
Sudden Strike 4
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Surgeon Simulator + Anniversary Ed. Content
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The Ball
The Battle of Polytopia
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The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos + Goodies + OST
The Dwarves
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The Forgotten City
The Gardens Between
The Henry Stickmin Collection
THE INVISIBLE HAND
The Journey Down: Chapter Three
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The Quarry Deluxe Edition
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The Stillness of the Wind
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead - 400 Days
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
The Walking Dead: Final Season
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
The Walking Dead: Season Two
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
The Wild Eight
The Witness (x2)
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Them and Us
There is No Light:Enhanced Edition
Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
This War of Mine
This War of Mine: Final Cut
Throne of Lies® The Online Game of Deceit (x3)
Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
Tin Can
Titan Quest Anniversary
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove (x2)
Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail (x2)
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator (x2)
Tower of Guns (x2)
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter + Town Scenery
Train Station Renovation
Tribes of Midgard
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Tropico 4
Turbo Gold Racing
Twin Mirror (x2)
Two Point Campus
Ultimate Chicken Horse (x3)
Undertale
Unmetal
Unpacking
Valfaris
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
Vane
Vault of the Void
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
Visage
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Volgarr the Viking
Wandersong
Wargroove
Waking Mars
WARHAMMER 40,000: CHAOS GATE - DAEMONHUNTERS
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Heart of the Forest
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Where the Water Tastes like Wine
WHO PRESSED MUTE ON UNCLE MARCUS
Wildfire
WINDJAMMERS 2
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Wizard of Legend (x3)
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
WORMS RUMBLE + LEGENDS PACK DLC
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WWE 2K Battlegrounds
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XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
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YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
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YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
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Ziggurat
Zombie Night Terror
Others GameMaker Studio Pro
Ashampoo BackUp Pro 14
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
Darkest Dungeon Shieldbreaker DLC
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
GWENT - Ultimate Starter Pack
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
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Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Music Maker EDM Edition
Music Maker: Hip Hop Edition
PAYDAY 2: Sydney Mega Mask
Starfinder: Pact Worlds Campaign Setting
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
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For game trades, you always go first and message me, usually it takes me about 1-2 days to get back to you at the latest
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Bolded items are just the ones I would like to consider keeping so don't feel as though you need to offer more for the game
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Elite Dangerous
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Honey I Joined a Cult
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition (temporarily unavailable)
MONSTER TRAIN (FIRST CLASS - COLLECTORS EDITION)
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
PATHFINDER: WRATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Rebel Inc: Escalation
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SCP:Secret Files
SHOTGUN KING: THE FINAL CHECKMATE
Songs of Conquest
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy
Surviving Mars
THE OUTER WORLDS: SPACER'S CHOICE EDITION
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VALKYRIA CHRONICLES 4 COMPLETE EDITION
Yakuza 4 Remastered
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A Juggler's Tale
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Age of Wonders III
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AI War: Fleet Command
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All You Can Eat
Aragami 2
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Army Men RTS
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Assassin's Creed® Origins
Assault Android Cactus
Atom RPG Trudograd
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AUTONAUTS VS PIRATEBOTS
Backbone
Bad End Theater
Banner Saga Trilogy - Deluxe Pack
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Bastion (x2)
Batman Arkham Origins (x2)
Battle Chef Brigade
Beacon Pines
Beat Hazard Ultra
Bee Simulator
Before Your Eyes
BEHIND THE FRAME: THE FINEST SCENERY
Beholder
BENDY AND THE DARK REVIVAL
Beneath Oresa
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Binary Domain
Bioshock Remastered
BioShock: The Collection
Biped
Black Book
Blade Assault
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Blazing Beaks
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Bloodstained®︎: Ritual of the Night
Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
Boomerang Fu (x3)
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe
Boreal Blade
Boyfriend Dungeon
Broken Age (x2)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brutal Legend
BUILDER SIMULATOR
Burly Men At Sea (x2)
Bury Me, My Love
Celeste
Chasm
Chicken Police
Children of Silentown
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition (x2)
CivCity: Rome
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COMMAND & CONQUER REMASTERED COLLECTION
Company of Heroes 2 + Company of Heroes 2 - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity Pattern Pack
Conan Chop Chop
CONTROL STANDARD EDITION (Steam or Epic Games)
COOK, SERVE, DELICIOUS! 3
Coromon
Crowntakers
Crusader Kings Complete
Cultist Simulator (x2)
Curious Expedition
CURSE OF THE DEAD GODS
Cyber Hook
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Darkside Detective
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Dead In Bermuda
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Destroy All Humans!
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
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DISTRAINT 2 + Soundtrack
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Duke Nukem Forever
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Dungeons 3 (x2)
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EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: Blood Storm + DLC
EarthNight
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Ellipsis
Embr
Emily is Away <3
ENCASED: A SCI-FI POST-APOCALYPTIC RPG
Endless Space® - Collection (x2)
Epic Chef
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Euro Truck Simulator 2
Europa Universalis IV
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EVERSPACE™
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Fallout 1
Family Man
Farmer's Dynasty
Fibbage XL
Fights in Tight Spaces
Figment
Finding Paradise
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Five Dates
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Framed Collection
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Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
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Freedom Force
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
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FTL
Full Metal Furies
Full Throttle Remastered (x2)
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Gas Station Simulator
Genesis Noir
Get In The Car, Loser!
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
God's Trigger
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GRAV (Early Access)
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GRID 2
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Grow: Song of the Evertree
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Guns of Icarus Online
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Haiku, the Robot
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Hero Siege Complete + Cyberpunk Samurai + Demon Slayer Bundle + Extra slots & stash space + ClassShield Lancer + Shaman + Plague Doctor + Marauder + Amazon+Avenger Paladin DLCs
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Shadow Complex Remastered (Epic Games)
SHADOW TACTICS: AIKO'S CHOICE
Shady Part of Me
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SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM - REHYDRATED
Spy Fox 2 "Some Assembly Required"
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Spy Fox In: Hold the Mustard
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
Staxel
Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
Stick Fight: The Game (x4)
Streamline Early Access
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Suchart:Genius Artist Simulator
Sudden Strike 4
Super Daryl Deluxe
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The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos + Goodies + OST
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The Forgotten City
The Gardens Between
The Henry Stickmin Collection
THE INVISIBLE HAND
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The Legend of Tianding
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Quarry Deluxe Edition
The Red Lantern
The Serpent Rogue
The Stillness of the Wind
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead - 400 Days
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The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
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The Witness (x2)
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Them and Us
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Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
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Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
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Titan Quest Anniversary
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
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Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail (x2)
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator (x2)
Tower of Guns (x2)
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter + Town Scenery
Train Station Renovation
Tribes of Midgard
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Tropico 4
Turbo Gold Racing
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Two Point Campus
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Undertale
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Unpacking
Valfaris
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
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Vault of the Void
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
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Visage
Void Bastards
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Wandersong
Wargroove
Waking Mars
WARHAMMER 40,000: CHAOS GATE - DAEMONHUNTERS
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Heart of the Forest
West of Dead
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Where the Water Tastes like Wine
WHO PRESSED MUTE ON UNCLE MARCUS
Wildfire
WINDJAMMERS 2
Windward
Wingspan
Wizard of Legend (x3)
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
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WWE 2K Battlegrounds
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XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
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Yes, Your Grace
Yooka-Laylee
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4: The Ride
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
Ziggurat
Zombie Night Terror
Others GameMaker Studio Pro
Ashampoo BackUp Pro 14
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
Darkest Dungeon Shieldbreaker DLC
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
GWENT - Ultimate Starter Pack
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 3 DLC
Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Music Maker EDM Edition
Music Maker: Hip Hop Edition
PAYDAY 2: Sydney Mega Mask
Starfinder: Pact Worlds Campaign Setting
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
2024.06.02 05:54 Animemann90 How many instances of bad behavior, lack of manners along with a blatant disregard for the rules (or laws) coming from tourists visiting France to the point the locals are getting angry?
I can only speak about Japan, it's getting bad in regards to over-tourism. For instance in Kyoto, there was a tourist acting like a some sort of papparazzi bothering the Geisha walking around, she was reprimanded by another tourist saying that it's rude (rightly so) as the Geisha was just trying her best to not interfere as she's working. You can't do that, as Geisha are humans like everybody else, they don't like to be bothered by unruly tourists up close.
[The thing with Kyoto is that it's a living exhibit, rather than the "typical" art museum vibe.] There are even cases of tourists harassing them, pulling their hair, putting out cigarette butts on their kimonos or tearing their attire, it's bad! (That's disrespectful, since they put a lot of effort on applying that make up and dressing themselves for what they do for a living!) To the point the local government in Kyoto restricted (but didn't ban) tourist presence within private roadways.
[Japanese news segment talking about trash (or food scraps) left on the floor by tourists after visiting Gion and Kyoto despite bins present in the area!] with some of them eating while walking, which is frowned upon in Japan. As a manager from one of the stores showed photos from the last time tourists were present, a 3 bins shown are full and clogged, thus giving tourists an incentive to litter.
Just recently, there are tourists caught trespassing on those private roads. (However the signage is working as a deterent for most, due to the fine imposed.) but like anywhere else there will be bad apples in the bunch who will of course, trespass on private property.
For example, in Japan: there was news coverage about tourists being careless on the roadway despite orange traffic cones and a barrier visible on the side of the road intended to dissuade them, tourists either halted incoming vehicles & traffic standing in the middle of the road (MEANT FOR CARS!) just to take a picture of Mt. Fuji. [It's reckless and dangerous if you ask me.]
Some tourists STAND or SIT on the barrier, which is just like, why? Japan has a habit on indirectly solving any problem rather than confronting it head on, so they would rather install a fence to deter tourists rather than closing the road entirely to redirect incoming traffic, like instead of improving the infrastructre Kawaguchiko near Fuji, they just want to barricade the view.
You're probably thinking "Why can't they just close the road and redirect the cars elsewhere? So the tourists can happy." It's because confrontation is frowned upon in Japan, in order to not tarnish their reputation, they instead come up with indirect and descrete approaches on providing solutions to the issue at hand i.e. such as over-tourism, it's nothing new.
For example, they would put signage in Kyoto to deter or convince tourists rather than actually confronting them. Due to Japan being a collectivist society where social harmony reigns, where you need an unanimous vote to rule in your favor without any objections from all parties in regards to decision making when talking about matters like this from a governmental or societal standpoint.
There's another spot where tourists now can take a picture of Fuji, it's some stairway of an overhead bridge, but people again cross the road (or jaywalk) just to reach it. Not long ago, a female tourist from Tunisia was run over by an incoming vehicle (due to her standing in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD) for the "instagrammable" picture of the mountain. [in Kawaguchiko this happened.]
Speaking of Kawaguchiko (which is not originally a tourist destination until now), the Lawsons there including Mt. Fuji are always featured on as the backdrop of every TikTok talking about tourism in Japan (alongside Kyoto) Yep, there were even 2 tourists caught jaywalking disregarding the ACTUAL pedestrian crossing. Some tourists are standing on the store's sign posts positioned nearby (that have running electricity and LEDs.) using that as a makeshift tripod for their iPhones!
In regards to Mt. Fuji, from TikTok there are so many "copy cat" itinerary submissions, even the thumbnails are basically the 'same' you can literally see the similarities [down below]. (hence why there are so many tourists flooding the area), like this:
These are just a few examples, but for the most part they are similar to one another the further you scroll down. They all want that \"instagrammability\" of that particular spot, in front of a Lawson. (It's ridiculous.)
Like what was happening in Kawaguchiko, the same is now happening in Fujiyoshida, at a pedestrian crossing, despite a security guard being present, people still disregarded rules about crossing the road, at around [3:00] from the video, the driver of an incoming vehicle had to honk at the tourist standing in the middle of the road so they can pass. (It's stupid.) Of course they were honked at by the driver (He's probably like: "What the hell is this idiot doing here standing in the middle of the road for cars!"), as you're not meant to loiter there halting traffic!
From this video, a complaint filed by a dental clinic within the area, stating that tourists are leaving trash or left over food scraps near their premises, loitering on the steps approaching their clinic (only patients are allowed to enter) the clinic. Here, there are even complaints from the clinic mentioning about tourists parking their bikes on bike racks only designated for patients entering their clinic, along with trespassing on their premises. Even the dentist himself took photos regarding tourists loitering outside the clinic, patients are having a hard time getting inside because of this.
Not forgetting that they are trespassing on the rooftop, to the point the dentist (or the staff) resorted to calling the police multiple times due to this! Again, tourists were told to move out of the way or move their belongings to let incoming vehicles pass to park their cars at a Lawson. (Even the driver of a incoming truck had to honk at them! so they can move.)
Just last year, Mt. Fuji itself was suffering from an over-tourism problem on its own since tourists are dying to climb to the summit, but some were ill equipped for the journey. (There was even girl caught wearing shorts and sandals upon the trip to the summit - not suitable for climbing!) Some climbers show up shirtless creating a makeshift bonfire.
In December 2023: In Tokyo, tourists where holding up incoming traffic on a pedestrian crossing, despite cops being present, most of them want a selfie with the Tokyo Tower but holding up traffic with vehicles is just bad, as the security guards / police are telling people to just cross, to keep the flow, not stall incoming cars & traffic (in a busy city - mind you), but tourists were just loitering there (or walking on the road meant for cars) until they were scolded for jaywalking.
There were a group of tourists caught shaking a sakura tree during cherry blossom season causing outrage, they're basically damaging the tree as the leaves were falling prematurely. The intended way the leaves are meant to fall is when they've matured, since the trees are considered part of public property, Japan deemed that as an act of vandalism and destruction of property.
Plus the trees are sacred to the Japanese (its even part of their cultural identity), as they believe it to represent a symbolism of life and death, those who tamper or mess with it are met with misfortune. Also, in the Daikoku Parking Area (in Yokohama) where it's a hangout for car enthusiasts, but the issue is that tourists trespass on the premises, such as climbing the fence breaking inside. (Despite signage forbidding pedestrians to enter, due to it being an area designed for vehicles.)
Earlier this year on January, there was an American livestreamer who was fined ¥200000 (1,171€) for blasting his music way TOO LOUD, as it was disturbing the peace inside a restaurant somewhere in Osaka, it shows that Western streamers (who act like this) have ZERO respect for the customs upon their visit, ruining the reputation of foreigners (and tourists alike) in Japan, which is already causing some Japanese people to hate them.
In hindsight:
submitted by Animemann90 to france [link] [comments]
(Plus Japan has strict privacy laws about posting a photo portrait someone's face up close without permission on social media, as you can get sued for breaching their right to privacy.)The thing is that Japan has unspoken rules (even for the slightest ones) including etiquette that may not cross over to Western culture, which is why Western tourists often fail to understand or completely disregard it, since they think "It's Asia, who cares!" but that kind of mentality is wrong! Thinking it's okay to do stuff Japan deems inappropriate or act like idiots is just crazy.
(A traveler has to be culturally aware of where they are in the world regardless of the country they are currently in, there are mannerisms that are acceptable in their home country but frowned upon in foreign land.)It's disgusting when tourists in Kyoto (especially in Gion or the Geisha district) are acting like paparazzi whenever they spot a Geisha or Maiko, constantly invading their space approaching right in their faces, that is so rude! pretending as if they are celebrities or actresses, they ask the question on "can I take photo of you" with the attitude of "I want your autograph!" Its ridiculous!
Apart from Westerners, tourists from both China and South Korea frequently travel to Japan, due to their geographical proximity to their home countries. However there are mannerisms from their own country that aren't tolerated in Japan. (i.e. spitting on the floor)
I swear, what attracts tourists is: video games, anime & pokemon! It's one of the biggest reasons why they end up bringing a empty suitcase to only fill it with nothing but snacks, games, QoL items from Japan.
[The thing with Kyoto is that it's a living exhibit, rather than the "typical" art museum vibe.] There are even cases of tourists harassing them, pulling their hair, putting out cigarette butts on their kimonos or tearing their attire, it's bad! (That's disrespectful, since they put a lot of effort on applying that make up and dressing themselves for what they do for a living!) To the point the local government in Kyoto restricted (but didn't ban) tourist presence within private roadways.
[Japanese news segment talking about trash (or food scraps) left on the floor by tourists after visiting Gion and Kyoto despite bins present in the area!] with some of them eating while walking, which is frowned upon in Japan. As a manager from one of the stores showed photos from the last time tourists were present, a 3 bins shown are full and clogged, thus giving tourists an incentive to litter.
Even in other parts of the city, tourists leave empty bottles of soju including other beverages out in the street and pavement! Not being bothered to clean up after themselves.They are now deterring tourists from entering private roads where Geisha's hang out with a penality of ¥10000 (59€) for trespassing, this applies to everyone - not just tourists. They should not be trespassing on private property, like at all!
Just recently, there are tourists caught trespassing on those private roads. (However the signage is working as a deterent for most, due to the fine imposed.) but like anywhere else there will be bad apples in the bunch who will of course, trespass on private property.
I mean, you can still go to Kyoto, but please... have some manners, that is what they are asking from visitors, as it's a living art museum that has been preserved for centuries to this day, which what makes Kyoto fascinating to visit in the first place.A tourist was caught on video ringing a bell at Yasaka Shrine (which is used for ceremonial purposes) not for playing around, they actually barred off the rope attached to the bell since that happened. (Just because Japan is not a "Christian" country, doesn't mean you get to disrespect their culture and relgion, it's gross!)
Even though there are public streets, some of the surrounding ones are deemed private property (which tourists are unaware of.) I also hate the misinformation from "Western" media regarding a "Tourist Ban" - it's not true, you can still go there, but just comply with the rules.
For example, in Japan: there was news coverage about tourists being careless on the roadway despite orange traffic cones and a barrier visible on the side of the road intended to dissuade them, tourists either halted incoming vehicles & traffic standing in the middle of the road (MEANT FOR CARS!) just to take a picture of Mt. Fuji. [It's reckless and dangerous if you ask me.]
Some tourists STAND or SIT on the barrier, which is just like, why? Japan has a habit on indirectly solving any problem rather than confronting it head on, so they would rather install a fence to deter tourists rather than closing the road entirely to redirect incoming traffic, like instead of improving the infrastructre Kawaguchiko near Fuji, they just want to barricade the view.
You're probably thinking "Why can't they just close the road and redirect the cars elsewhere? So the tourists can happy." It's because confrontation is frowned upon in Japan, in order to not tarnish their reputation, they instead come up with indirect and descrete approaches on providing solutions to the issue at hand i.e. such as over-tourism, it's nothing new.
For example, they would put signage in Kyoto to deter or convince tourists rather than actually confronting them. Due to Japan being a collectivist society where social harmony reigns, where you need an unanimous vote to rule in your favor without any objections from all parties in regards to decision making when talking about matters like this from a governmental or societal standpoint.
(As opposed to Europe & The West where individualism is valued, Japan is more of "We have to do this as a team" mentality rather than "I want to do this for myself only")There's more from that clip: (Mainly in Shizuoka)
- Tourists standing in the middle of the traffic lane divider to pose and snap pictures [Mind you - There's incoming vehicles while they are doing all of this!]
- Even the news reporter covering the story advised a tourist against taking a photo / selfie while standing on the road divider also treading on it.
- Tourists in Kawaguchiko were partially obstructing the road (not moving out of the way!) to let an INCOMING TRUCK pass, so the driver had to swerve to the right to avoid running them over.
- Tourists flooded another spot「夢の大橋」("Pont de rêve") for taking pictures of the mountain, walking up the stairway for the "instagrammable" picture.
- [4:41] They even caught tourists JAYWALKING in the middle of the roadway even though there's incoming traffic. (Despite the cones and barriers present.)
- There's a group of tourists who were standing on the side of the road divider with incoming traffic loitering there. (Even a van drove right past them, as it's a ROAD - NOT A SIDEWALK!)
- [6:33-6:52] A tourist was standing behind a vehicle then approached the driver. (You can't halt vehicles in the middle of the road and distract the driver! - It's insane!)
- [6:59] Tourists posing in the middle of the lane divider for their "instagram" pics. (You are not allowed to loiter in the road divider!)
- [8:30] A mother and daughter who were tourists TRESPASSED on private property, as there was a sign displaying「立入禁止」("INTERDICTION D'ENTRER!") treading on the premises.
- Of course, tourists litter and leave trash on the street, since Japan has no bins available at public places. (only at designated spots.)
- Even the locals in that area are starting to complain and getting fed up with tourists constantly populating the area - violating the rules, being a 迷惑 ("Nuisances")
There's another spot where tourists now can take a picture of Fuji, it's some stairway of an overhead bridge, but people again cross the road (or jaywalk) just to reach it. Not long ago, a female tourist from Tunisia was run over by an incoming vehicle (due to her standing in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD) for the "instagrammable" picture of the mountain. [in Kawaguchiko this happened.]
Speaking of Kawaguchiko (which is not originally a tourist destination until now), the Lawsons there including Mt. Fuji are always featured on as the backdrop of every TikTok talking about tourism in Japan (alongside Kyoto) Yep, there were even 2 tourists caught jaywalking disregarding the ACTUAL pedestrian crossing. Some tourists are standing on the store's sign posts positioned nearby (that have running electricity and LEDs.) using that as a makeshift tripod for their iPhones!
In regards to Mt. Fuji, from TikTok there are so many "copy cat" itinerary submissions, even the thumbnails are basically the 'same' you can literally see the similarities [down below]. (hence why there are so many tourists flooding the area), like this:
These are just a few examples, but for the most part they are similar to one another the further you scroll down. They all want that \"instagrammability\" of that particular spot, in front of a Lawson. (It's ridiculous.)
Like what was happening in Kawaguchiko, the same is now happening in Fujiyoshida, at a pedestrian crossing, despite a security guard being present, people still disregarded rules about crossing the road, at around [3:00] from the video, the driver of an incoming vehicle had to honk at the tourist standing in the middle of the road so they can pass. (It's stupid.) Of course they were honked at by the driver (He's probably like: "What the hell is this idiot doing here standing in the middle of the road for cars!"), as you're not meant to loiter there halting traffic!
- [0:29-0:40] In Kawaguchiko, a Lawson store employee scolded a tourist to step off a strangers vehicle. (As he was posing for a selfie for instagram.)
- [0:42-0:48] Groups of tourists jaywalk again, when it is ill-advised, even a car just drove past. Even some are stalling traffic!
- [2:49] There's a female tourist posing for a selfie in the middle of the road (while the main traffic light is green!) meaning that cars are still driving past, not the pedestrians turn to cross.
- [3:41] The news reporter even warned a Chinese tourist to not stand in the middle of the road, regardless he didn't listen until an incoming vehicle was about to approach them as the reporter warned him that it's dangerous to stand on the road!
- [4:05] A tourist again, standing in the middle of the pedestrian crossing! The vehicle in red had to honk since that tourist refused to move out of the way! (It's insane! How can you not simply just move so the car can pass!?)
- [5:30] Carvings of [who's here] or their [instagram account] are found etched on the stone walls of the tea plantation (at Obuchi Sasaba) insribed in many languages. (You can't be doing that! That's still vandalism, as it's still within the plantation grounds.)
From this video, a complaint filed by a dental clinic within the area, stating that tourists are leaving trash or left over food scraps near their premises, loitering on the steps approaching their clinic (only patients are allowed to enter) the clinic. Here, there are even complaints from the clinic mentioning about tourists parking their bikes on bike racks only designated for patients entering their clinic, along with trespassing on their premises. Even the dentist himself took photos regarding tourists loitering outside the clinic, patients are having a hard time getting inside because of this.
Not forgetting that they are trespassing on the rooftop, to the point the dentist (or the staff) resorted to calling the police multiple times due to this! Again, tourists were told to move out of the way or move their belongings to let incoming vehicles pass to park their cars at a Lawson. (Even the driver of a incoming truck had to honk at them! so they can move.)
Just last year, Mt. Fuji itself was suffering from an over-tourism problem on its own since tourists are dying to climb to the summit, but some were ill equipped for the journey. (There was even girl caught wearing shorts and sandals upon the trip to the summit - not suitable for climbing!) Some climbers show up shirtless creating a makeshift bonfire.
Public facilities are vandalized or damaged due to over-tourism, now they are enforcing an entry fee of ¥2000 (11,70€) to enter Mt. Fuji because of this! Tourists leave trash everywhere, crowds of them wanting to head to the summit in large gatherings, which causes problems such as overcapacity. (Some climbers even started arguing / causing a scene towards guides!)There was a female tourist who literally by passed the fence / yellow line (like the one you stand behind upon waiting for a incoming train) went on the tracks just to take a selfie with her boyfriend! (Disregarding that she's at the station in Kyoto were other commuters are present, a train is going to show up eventually.) Stupid, reckless and dangerous if you ask me, it's like as if she wants to be hit by an incoming train.
Don't get me wrong, tourists do show up with proper gear (i.e. spiked shoes, ice axes, etc.) and attire heading for the summit, but there are bad apples who literally show up with shorts or singlet, which is not advised on a place like this since it's cold up there! You're climbing up a mountain after all. (Heading to the top is their main objective, with stop overs.)
In December 2023: In Tokyo, tourists where holding up incoming traffic on a pedestrian crossing, despite cops being present, most of them want a selfie with the Tokyo Tower but holding up traffic with vehicles is just bad, as the security guards / police are telling people to just cross, to keep the flow, not stall incoming cars & traffic (in a busy city - mind you), but tourists were just loitering there (or walking on the road meant for cars) until they were scolded for jaywalking.
There were a group of tourists caught shaking a sakura tree during cherry blossom season causing outrage, they're basically damaging the tree as the leaves were falling prematurely. The intended way the leaves are meant to fall is when they've matured, since the trees are considered part of public property, Japan deemed that as an act of vandalism and destruction of property.
Plus the trees are sacred to the Japanese (its even part of their cultural identity), as they believe it to represent a symbolism of life and death, those who tamper or mess with it are met with misfortune. Also, in the Daikoku Parking Area (in Yokohama) where it's a hangout for car enthusiasts, but the issue is that tourists trespass on the premises, such as climbing the fence breaking inside. (Despite signage forbidding pedestrians to enter, due to it being an area designed for vehicles.)
Earlier this year on January, there was an American livestreamer who was fined ¥200000 (1,171€) for blasting his music way TOO LOUD, as it was disturbing the peace inside a restaurant somewhere in Osaka, it shows that Western streamers (who act like this) have ZERO respect for the customs upon their visit, ruining the reputation of foreigners (and tourists alike) in Japan, which is already causing some Japanese people to hate them.
In hindsight:
- Do you think social media is part of the blame as to why places like Paris or Lyon are suffering from overtourism? (As influencers are constantly posting it on Tiktok or Instagram, for example.)
- Ascending the French Alps: are the facilities reaching max capacity due to the influx of tourists? Also, how many show up ill-equipped? (as in not having adequate gear beforehand.)
- The French Alps: how many tourists show up wearing inappropriate clothing for this type of activity? such as skirts, shorts, sandals or singlets.)
- In terms of tourist attractions located in smaller towns: are there complaints from non-tourism related private businesses in regards to trespassing and bad behavior coming from tourists?
- Have there been cases within France, where tourists actually sustained injuries all because of their recklessness and disregarding the rules?
- Restaurants in Paris: How often are they crowded with tourists making it difficult for regular customers (locals) to dine there resulting in longer waiting times or queues?
- Have there been instances of tourists defacing historical monuments or religious sites (i.e. Churches / Parishes) vital to French culture that it's outright disrespectful?
- Are there times when tourists violated France's laws that they end up getting arrested or fined due to their actions and bad conduct?
- How common is it for tourists visiting France ending up leaving trash on the floor despite the country having bins available at public places & establishments?
- Are there tourists who ignore social etiquette & customs while visiting France along with displaying bad manners eventually upsetting the locals due to how rude these visitors are?
- In terms of social media, have you spotted the "same" posts (on TikTok & Instagram) featuring places like Paris or Lyon to the point all the thumbnails are the same?
- How many tourists ignore traffic laws in France when dealing with pedestrian crossings, as in jaywalking when the light is red with incoming vehicles driving on the road?
2024.06.02 05:53 a_modest_espeon [H] Lots of Games, Please Look [W] Games(See Below)/Offers, Wishlisted Items, and Paypal
I am currently taking paypal for games, you always go first and cover fees
For game trades, you always go first and message me, usually it takes me about 1-2 days to get back to you at the latest
My Rep Page has not been updated in about 5 years, but I have a lot of trades finished
Bolded items are just the ones I would like to consider keeping so don't feel as though you need to offer more for the game
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Oneshot
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Have
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Overgrowth
Overlord II
OZYMANDIAS: BRONZE AGE EMPIRE SIM
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Pajama Sam 2: Thunder And Lightning Aren't So Frightening
Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat From Your Head To Your Feet
Pajama Sam's Lost & Found
Pajama Sam's Sock Works
Pajama Sam: Games to Play on Any Day
Pale Echoes
Panzer Corps 2
Paper Fire Rookie
Paperbark
Paradigm (x2)
Paradise Killer
Party Hard (x2)
Patch Quest
PayDay 2
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Pesterquest
Pesterquest
PGA TOUR 2K21
Pikuniku
Pinstripe (x2)
Plague Inc: Evolved
Planet of the Eyes
Planet Zoo
PlateUp! (x2)
Plunge
Police Stories
Police Stories
Portal Knights
Primal Carnage: Extinction
Prodeus
Project Highrise (x2)
Project Winter
Psychonauts
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Dog on a Stick
Putt-Putt® Enters the Race
Putt-Putt® Goes to the Moon
Putt-Putt® Joins the Circus
Putt-Putt® Joins the Parade
Putt-Putt® Travels Through Time
Putt-Putt®: Pep's Birthday Surprise
Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent 2
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut
Quest of Dungeons
Quiplash
Railroad Corporation
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railroad Tycoon II Platinum
Rain World
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Rapture Rejects + Safari outfit
Realpolitiks
Rebel Cops
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
RED SOLSTICE 2: SURVIVORS
Regency Solitaire
Regions of Ruin
Regular Human Basketball (x3)
Relicta
Remnants of Isolation
Resident Evil 0 HD REMASTER
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil HD REMASTER
Resident Evil Revelations (X2)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition
Retimed
Retro Game Crunch
Retrowave
Revita
Rime
Rise and Shine
Rising Dusk
Rituals
Road 96
Road to Ballhalla
Roadwarden
Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™
Rocket Birds: Hardboiled Chicken
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS
Rogue Heroes:Ruins of Tasos
Roguebook
Rollerdrome
ROUNDS (x2)
Rustler
Rusty Lake Paradise
RÖKI
S.W.I.N.E. HD REMASTER
Saints Row: The Third
Sam & Max: Season 1
Sam & Max: Season 2
Satellite Reign (x2)
Scorn
Scourgebringer
Screencheat
Scribblenauts Unlimited (x2)
Secrets of Raetikon
Shadow Complex Remastered (Epic Games)
SHADOW TACTICS: AIKO'S CHOICE
Shady Part of Me
Shelter 2 (x3)
Shenmue I & II
shutshimi
Sid Meier's Railroads!
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War (x2)
SimplePlanes
SIMULACRA
Size Matters
Slipstream
Sniper Elite
Sniper Elite 3 (x2)
Sniper Elite V2
Snowtopia: Ski Resort Builder
Song of Horror
SOULCALIBUR VI
Souldiers
Speed Brawl
Spellcaster University
Spelunky
Spirit of the Island
Spirits
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM - REHYDRATED
Spy Fox 2 "Some Assembly Required"
Spy Fox 3 "Operation Ozone"
Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal"
Spy Fox In: Hold the Mustard
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
Staxel
Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
Stick Fight: The Game (x4)
Streamline Early Access
Streets of Rage
Stronghold Crusader 2
Subsurface Circular (x3)
Suchart:Genius Artist Simulator
Sudden Strike 4
Super Daryl Deluxe
Super Galaxy Squadron EX
Super Hexagon (x2)
Super House of Dead Ninjas: True Ninja Pack
Super House of the Dead Ninjas (x2)
Super Lesbian Animal RPG
Super Magbot
Super Time Force Ultra
SUPERHOT (x3)
Surgeon Simulator + Anniversary Ed. Content
Surviving the Aftermath
Swag and Sorcery
Sword Legacy Omen
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Tales from the Borderlands
Tales of Berseria™
Tales of the Neon Sea
Tangledeep + Soundtrack
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Team Indie
Teleglitch: Die More Edition
Telltale Texas Hold'em
TemTem
The Adventure Pals
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
The Ascent
The Ball
The Battle of Polytopia
The Blackout Club
THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE
THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: MAN OF MEDAN
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos + Goodies + OST
The Dwarves
The First Tree (x3)
The Forgotten City
The Gardens Between
The Henry Stickmin Collection
THE INVISIBLE HAND
The Journey Down: Chapter Three
The Legend of Tianding
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Quarry Deluxe Edition
The Red Lantern
The Serpent Rogue
The Stillness of the Wind
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead - 400 Days
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
The Walking Dead: Final Season
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
The Walking Dead: Season Two
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
The Wild Eight
The Witness (x2)
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Them and Us
There is No Light:Enhanced Edition
Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
This War of Mine
This War of Mine: Final Cut
Throne of Lies® The Online Game of Deceit (x3)
Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
Tin Can
Titan Quest Anniversary
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove (x2)
Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail (x2)
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator (x2)
Tower of Guns (x2)
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter + Town Scenery
Train Station Renovation
Tribes of Midgard
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Tropico 4
Turbo Gold Racing
Twin Mirror (x2)
Two Point Campus
Ultimate Chicken Horse (x3)
Undertale
Unmetal
Unpacking
Valfaris
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
Vane
Vault of the Void
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
Visage
Void Bastards
Volgarr the Viking
Wandersong
Wargroove
Waking Mars
WARHAMMER 40,000: CHAOS GATE - DAEMONHUNTERS
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Heart of the Forest
West of Dead
Westerado: Double Barreled
Where the Water Tastes like Wine
WHO PRESSED MUTE ON UNCLE MARCUS
Wildfire
WINDJAMMERS 2
Windward
Wingspan
Wizard of Legend (x3)
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
WORMS RUMBLE + LEGENDS PACK DLC
Wuppo (x2)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
WWE 2K Battlegrounds + Brawler Pass
WWE 2K23
XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
XCOM: ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Yes, Your Grace
Yooka-Laylee
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4: The Ride
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
Ziggurat
Zombie Night Terror
Others GameMaker Studio Pro
Ashampoo BackUp Pro 14
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
Darkest Dungeon Shieldbreaker DLC
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
GWENT - Ultimate Starter Pack
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 3 DLC
Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Music Maker EDM Edition
Music Maker: Hip Hop Edition
PAYDAY 2: Sydney Mega Mask
Starfinder: Pact Worlds Campaign Setting
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
submitted by a_modest_espeon to indiegameswap [link] [comments]
For game trades, you always go first and message me, usually it takes me about 1-2 days to get back to you at the latest
My Rep Page has not been updated in about 5 years, but I have a lot of trades finished
Bolded items are just the ones I would like to consider keeping so don't feel as though you need to offer more for the game
Wants
Oneshot
Subnautica
Stellaris (and dlc)
Fallout 4
Wishlist Items
Have
A Plague Tale: Innocence
ADOM (ANCIENT DOMAINS OF MYSTERY)
Bridge Constructor Portal
Chivalry 2 - Epic Edition
Deep Rock Galactic
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Doom Eternal
Elite Dangerous
Endless Space 2 - Digital Deluxe Edition
Ghostrunner
Honey I Joined a Cult
Lost Ruins
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (temporarily unavailable)
MONSTER TRAIN (FIRST CLASS - COLLECTORS EDITION)
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
PATHFINDER: WRATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Rebel Inc: Escalation
REMNANT: FROM THE ASHES - COMPLETE EDITION
SCP:Secret Files
SHOTGUN KING: THE FINAL CHECKMATE
Songs of Conquest
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy
Surviving Mars
THE OUTER WORLDS: SPACER'S CHOICE EDITION
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
VALKYRIA CHRONICLES 4 COMPLETE EDITION
Yakuza 4 Remastered
20XX
7 Grand Steps
A Good Snowman is Hard to Buildobserver (x3)
A Juggler's Tale
A Mortician's Tale
A New Beginning - Final Cut
Aaero
Aces and Adventures
AER Memories of Old (x2)
Age of Wonders III
Ageless
Agents of Mayhem
AI War: Fleet Command
Alien Spidy
Aliens:Fireteam Elite
Alina of the Arena
All You Can Eat
Aragami 2
Arcade Paradise
Army Men RTS
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (x2)
Assassin's Creed® Origins
Assault Android Cactus
Atom RPG Trudograd
Atomicrops
AUTONAUTS VS PIRATEBOTS
Backbone
Bad End Theater
Banner Saga Trilogy - Deluxe Pack
Banners of Ruin
Bastion (x2)
Batman Arkham Origins (x2)
Battle Chef Brigade
Beacon Pines
Beat Hazard Ultra
Bee Simulator
Before Your Eyes
BEHIND THE FRAME: THE FINEST SCENERY
Beholder
BENDY AND THE DARK REVIVAL
Beneath Oresa
Between the Stars
Beyond a Steel Sky
Binary Domain
Bioshock Remastered
BioShock: The Collection
Biped
Black Book
Blade Assault
Blasphemous
Blazing Beaks
Bleed 2
Bloodstained®︎: Ritual of the Night
Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
Boomerang Fu (x3)
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe
Boreal Blade
Boyfriend Dungeon
Broken Age (x2)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brutal Legend
BUILDER SIMULATOR
Burly Men At Sea (x2)
Bury Me, My Love
Celeste
Chasm
Chicken Police
Children of Silentown
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition (x2)
CivCity: Rome
Coffee Talk
COMMAND & CONQUER REMASTERED COLLECTION
Company of Heroes 2 + Company of Heroes 2 - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity Pattern Pack
Conan Chop Chop
CONTROL STANDARD EDITION (Steam or Epic Games)
COOK, SERVE, DELICIOUS! 3
Coromon
Crowntakers
Crusader Kings Complete
Cultist Simulator (x2)
Curious Expedition
CURSE OF THE DEAD GODS
Cyber Hook
DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: HOUSE OF ASHES
Darkside Detective
Darksiders Genesis
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition (x2)
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Dead In Bermuda
Deadly Days
Death Squared (x2)
Deathloop
Decieve Inc.
Deleveled
Desperados 3
Destroy All Humans!
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Disciples: Liberation
Distance
DISTRAINT 2 + Soundtrack
Distrust (x3)
Drawful 2
DUCATI - 90th Anniversary
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever Hail to the Icons
Duke Nukem Forever The Doctor Who Cloned Me
Dungeons 3 (x2)
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition
Dwarfs!?
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: Blood Storm + DLC
EarthNight
Eastside Hockey Manager
Elderborn
Eldest Souls
Elex
Ellipsis
Embr
Emily is Away <3
ENCASED: A SCI-FI POST-APOCALYPTIC RPG
Endless Space® - Collection (x2)
Epic Chef
Eternal Threads
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Europa Universalis IV
Evan's Remains
Evergarden
EVERSPACE™
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Fallout 1
Family Man
Farmer's Dynasty
Fibbage XL
Fights in Tight Spaces
Figment
Finding Paradise
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
Foretales
Fort Triumph
Founders' Fortune
Framed Collection
Framed Collection (x2)
Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell
Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch
Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove
Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness
Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries
Freedom Force
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
Friends Vs Friends
FTL
Full Metal Furies
Full Throttle Remastered (x2)
Fury Unleashed
Gas Station Simulator
Genesis Noir
Get In The Car, Loser!
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
God's Trigger
Golf Gang
Gonner
GRAV (Early Access)
Greedfall
GRID 2
Grime
Grow: Song of the Evertree
Growing Up
Guns of Icarus Online
Hacknet (x2) + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC (x1)
Haiku, the Robot
Hammerting
Hard Reset Redux
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Heaven's Vault
Heavenly Bodies (x2)
Hell Let Loose
Hell Pie
Hello Neighbor Hide and Seek
Hellpoint
Hero Siege Complete + Cyberpunk Samurai + Demon Slayer Bundle + Extra slots & stash space + ClassShield Lancer + Shaman + Plague Doctor + Marauder + Amazon+Avenger Paladin DLCs
Heroes of Hammerwatch
Hexcells Complete Pack
Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fire
Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack
Hidden Folks
HITMAN™: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (x2)
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hokko life
Hollow Knight
Hot Brass
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hotshot Racing
Hyper Light Drifter
I am not a Monster: First Contact
I'm not a Monster
If Found...
Impostor Factory
In Between
In Sound Mind
Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (x3)
INK Deluxe Edition
Iris and the Giant
Iron Harvest
Jack Move
JumpJet Rex
Jupiter Hell
Jurassic World Evolution - Deluxe Dinosaur Pack
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition
Kerbal Space Program
KeyWe
Kill it with Fire
KillSquad
Kingdom Classic
Kingdom Two Crowns
Kingdom: New Lands (x2)
Knights of Pen and Paper 2
Kraken Academy!!
Late Shift
Later Alligator
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Legend of Keepers
Legion TD2-MULTIPLAYER TOWER DEFENSE
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition
LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
LEGO® Batman 2 DC Super Heroes™
LEGO® Worlds
Let's Explore the Farm (Junior Field Trips)
Let's Explore the Jungle (Junior Field Trips)
Levelhead
Leviathan Warships
Life is Strange 2: Complete Season
Life is Strange: True Colors
Lone Fungus
Lords and Villeins
Lostwinds
Lovecraft's Untold Stories
Lumino City
Luna's Wandering Stars
Machinarium
Mad Max
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Magicka
Maid of Sker
Majesty 2
Majesty Gold HD
Marooners
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
Massive Chalice
Meeple Station
Merchany of the Skies
Metal Hellsinger
Metro Exodus
Midnight Protocol
Mind Scanners
Mini Metro
MINIT (x2)
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Loves You
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
Moonlighter
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
Morkredd
MOTHERGUNSHIP
Moving Out
Mr. Shifty
Mr.Prepper
Mushroom 11
My Memory of Us
My Time at Portia
Narita Boy
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers
NBA 2K20
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Necromunda: Hired Gun
Necronator: Dead Wrong (x2)
Neo Cab
Neon Abyss
Neon Drive (Steam)
Newt One
Niche (x3)
NICKELODEON ALL-STAR BRAWL
Nimbatus The Space Drone Constructor
Ninja Pizza Girl
No Time to Explain Remastered
No Time to Relax
Not For Broadcast
Not Tonight
Oaken
Offworld Trading Company + Jupiter's Forge Expansion Pack (x2)
Old Man's Journey
OlliOlli World - Rad edition
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
Omno
One Step From Eden
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
OPERATION: TANGO
Opus Magnum
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength (x2)
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You (x3)
Othercide
Otxo
Out of the Park Baseball 18
Overcooked! 2 - Surf 'n' Turf Pack
Overcooked! 2 - Too Many Cooks
Overgrowth
Overlord II
OZYMANDIAS: BRONZE AGE EMPIRE SIM
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Pajama Sam 2: Thunder And Lightning Aren't So Frightening
Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat From Your Head To Your Feet
Pajama Sam's Lost & Found
Pajama Sam's Sock Works
Pajama Sam: Games to Play on Any Day
Pale Echoes
Panzer Corps 2
Paper Fire Rookie
Paperbark
Paradigm (x2)
Paradise Killer
Party Hard (x2)
Patch Quest
PayDay 2
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Pesterquest
Pesterquest
PGA TOUR 2K21
Pikuniku
Pinstripe (x2)
Plague Inc: Evolved
Planet of the Eyes
Planet Zoo
PlateUp! (x2)
Plunge
Police Stories
Police Stories
Portal Knights
Primal Carnage: Extinction
Prodeus
Project Highrise (x2)
Project Winter
Psychonauts
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama
Putt-Putt® and Pep's Dog on a Stick
Putt-Putt® Enters the Race
Putt-Putt® Goes to the Moon
Putt-Putt® Joins the Circus
Putt-Putt® Joins the Parade
Putt-Putt® Travels Through Time
Putt-Putt®: Pep's Birthday Surprise
Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent 2
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut
Quest of Dungeons
Quiplash
Railroad Corporation
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railroad Tycoon II Platinum
Rain World
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Rapture Rejects + Safari outfit
Realpolitiks
Rebel Cops
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
RED SOLSTICE 2: SURVIVORS
Regency Solitaire
Regions of Ruin
Regular Human Basketball (x3)
Relicta
Remnants of Isolation
Resident Evil 0 HD REMASTER
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil HD REMASTER
Resident Evil Revelations (X2)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition
Retimed
Retro Game Crunch
Retrowave
Revita
Rime
Rise and Shine
Rising Dusk
Rituals
Road 96
Road to Ballhalla
Roadwarden
Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™
Rocket Birds: Hardboiled Chicken
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS
Rogue Heroes:Ruins of Tasos
Roguebook
Rollerdrome
ROUNDS (x2)
Rustler
Rusty Lake Paradise
RÖKI
S.W.I.N.E. HD REMASTER
Saints Row: The Third
Sam & Max: Season 1
Sam & Max: Season 2
Satellite Reign (x2)
Scorn
Scourgebringer
Screencheat
Scribblenauts Unlimited (x2)
Secrets of Raetikon
Shadow Complex Remastered (Epic Games)
SHADOW TACTICS: AIKO'S CHOICE
Shady Part of Me
Shelter 2 (x3)
Shenmue I & II
shutshimi
Sid Meier's Railroads!
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War (x2)
SimplePlanes
SIMULACRA
Size Matters
Slipstream
Sniper Elite
Sniper Elite 3 (x2)
Sniper Elite V2
Snowtopia: Ski Resort Builder
Song of Horror
SOULCALIBUR VI
Souldiers
Speed Brawl
Spellcaster University
Spelunky
Spirit of the Island
Spirits
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM - REHYDRATED
Spy Fox 2 "Some Assembly Required"
Spy Fox 3 "Operation Ozone"
Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal"
Spy Fox In: Hold the Mustard
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
Staxel
Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
Stick Fight: The Game (x4)
Streamline Early Access
Streets of Rage
Stronghold Crusader 2
Subsurface Circular (x3)
Suchart:Genius Artist Simulator
Sudden Strike 4
Super Daryl Deluxe
Super Galaxy Squadron EX
Super Hexagon (x2)
Super House of Dead Ninjas: True Ninja Pack
Super House of the Dead Ninjas (x2)
Super Lesbian Animal RPG
Super Magbot
Super Time Force Ultra
SUPERHOT (x3)
Surgeon Simulator + Anniversary Ed. Content
Surviving the Aftermath
Swag and Sorcery
Sword Legacy Omen
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Tales from the Borderlands
Tales of Berseria™
Tales of the Neon Sea
Tangledeep + Soundtrack
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Team Indie
Teleglitch: Die More Edition
Telltale Texas Hold'em
TemTem
The Adventure Pals
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
The Ascent
The Ball
The Battle of Polytopia
The Blackout Club
THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE
THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: MAN OF MEDAN
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos + Goodies + OST
The Dwarves
The First Tree (x3)
The Forgotten City
The Gardens Between
The Henry Stickmin Collection
THE INVISIBLE HAND
The Journey Down: Chapter Three
The Legend of Tianding
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Quarry Deluxe Edition
The Red Lantern
The Serpent Rogue
The Stillness of the Wind
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead - 400 Days
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
The Walking Dead: Final Season
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
The Walking Dead: Season Two
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
The Wild Eight
The Witness (x2)
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Them and Us
There is No Light:Enhanced Edition
Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
This War of Mine
This War of Mine: Final Cut
Throne of Lies® The Online Game of Deceit (x3)
Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
Tin Can
Titan Quest Anniversary
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove (x2)
Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail (x2)
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator (x2)
Tower of Guns (x2)
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter + Town Scenery
Train Station Renovation
Tribes of Midgard
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Tropico 4
Turbo Gold Racing
Twin Mirror (x2)
Two Point Campus
Ultimate Chicken Horse (x3)
Undertale
Unmetal
Unpacking
Valfaris
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
Vane
Vault of the Void
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
Visage
Void Bastards
Volgarr the Viking
Wandersong
Wargroove
Waking Mars
WARHAMMER 40,000: CHAOS GATE - DAEMONHUNTERS
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Heart of the Forest
West of Dead
Westerado: Double Barreled
Where the Water Tastes like Wine
WHO PRESSED MUTE ON UNCLE MARCUS
Wildfire
WINDJAMMERS 2
Windward
Wingspan
Wizard of Legend (x3)
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
WORMS RUMBLE + LEGENDS PACK DLC
Wuppo (x2)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
WWE 2K Battlegrounds + Brawler Pass
WWE 2K23
XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
XCOM: ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Yes, Your Grace
Yooka-Laylee
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4: The Ride
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
Ziggurat
Zombie Night Terror
Others GameMaker Studio Pro
Ashampoo BackUp Pro 14
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
Darkest Dungeon Shieldbreaker DLC
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
GWENT - Ultimate Starter Pack
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 3 DLC
Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Music Maker EDM Edition
Music Maker: Hip Hop Edition
PAYDAY 2: Sydney Mega Mask
Starfinder: Pact Worlds Campaign Setting
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
2024.06.02 05:34 DiamondVoid149404 The Alphaverse Part 1
The Injustice Initiative and Megaverse Council did not grieve with their former leader for too long, due to the combined forces of Venessa and Velocity making swift progress in uniting dozens of Omniverses under their heroic banner. Velocity used her direct and demanding demeanor to influence the defenders of each Omniverse to join the Council and was brutally honest in her meetings with the current situation. She stressed that if they refuse to join then they will face extinction and the Council will not help them when they are attacked due to them only having priorities for attacking the demons head on. Venessa on the other hand focused her attention in strengthening the Injustice Initiative with rigorous training and firing incompetent people in leadership positions and swiftly replacing them with those that were far more competent and understood the severity of the situation. In the span of 16 days, the combined efforts of these two feminine leaders made great leaps in progress that equaled or surpassed Diamond's own work in the past three months.
While these two were on a mission together, The Researcher contacted them regarding a very important matter. When the two heroines arrived at the Council's headquarters The Researcher revealed to them two enormous discoveries. "We finally found them. The place where our foes call home, Omniverse 6,666,666. We do not know much of this Omniverse other than the Diamond from Omniverse 8 being aware of its potential and became paranoid of its existence leading him nearly wiping all traces of it from the Council's database. I happen to uncover the last fragments of his report that failed to be deleted. Furthermore, the Core of that Omniverse is deeply fractured, completely drained of all power. We can deduce with sound reasoning that the landscape of that Omniverse is something out of an apocalypse with everything that could have gone wrong, definitely went wrong. In addition, it is a very wide and vast Omniverse similar to the Main Omniverse. In fact, before its current miserable state, it was a near copy of the Main Omniverse. We are trying to scout and analyze the area as best as we can, but it is blocking all of our scanners. Our supernatural sensors can barely last four seconds before frying when they sense the amount of dark negative energy that shrouds that Omniverse." Velocity, "And the other news?" "We also found a very promising Omniverse that was elusive to our map, but just appeared and is surging with radiant energy from the Light." Venessa abruptly, "Light? Like The Light......... not just colorful lights?" "Correct. Would you care to guess what this Omniverse's number is?" "I would assume it would be the polar opposite of the other, so Omniverse 7,777,777?" "Bingo. Apparently, they have a hierarchy over there and their King requests your presence. His words not mine were King Alexander humbly requests the presence of Empress Venessa of the Main Omniverse and any companions she wishes to bring for a formal meeting in regards to the future protection of the Megaverse."
"Alright, message King Alexander and tell him I will adhere to his request. She accessed her communication com and ordered Tray and Cross to join her on the mission. She then turned to Velocity. I would have you join me on this mission, but I do not want to delay the progress you are making in convincing more Omniverses to join our cause." A short time passed as the three members arrived for their briefing with Venessa. After their meeting, they used their watches and traveled to Omniverse 7,777,777. Their eyes were blinded by the bright rays of the sun, before they could tell where they were at. At last, their eyes adjusted to their environment, which resulted in them being astonished at the shining city that was before them. They observed trains similar to bullet trains zipping back and forth through wind tubes and the residents there in very intricate clothing. The residents either had high collar jackets, dazzling shirts, and most importantly, Venessa could sense all of them having unusual levels of the Light inside of them. A loud voice could be heard behind them. "Are these the people who the King wishes to speak with?" The group turns around and sees two men standing a few feet behind them. One appears six foot and a few inches, he did not wear a shirt but was surrounded with gold and red armor, a long red cape, black pants, and long flowing blonde hair. The other was a little shorter around five feet and possibly 11 inches with black and purple hair, a black and purple cape, purple pants, and purple armor in the exact areas as the first man. The second one responded to his companion in a soft-spoken manner,"Yes, these are the three we were assigned to escort back to the castle." Venessa, "Hey, are you two like siblings or something? You two kind of look alike." The purple one, "That assumption is correct. I am Lucrest and this is my older obnoxious brother Leoped." Leoped, "We are two in a handful of select individuals, who serve the King by carrying out special assignments and investigations." Lucrest, "If you will please follow us, the King is eager to greet you."
The three heroes followed the two guards to the castle, during their walk Venessa teased her sibling, Tray. "It appears those two brothers have larger swords than you. I think they are far superior swordsmen if they can handle large blades like that. It fails to even compare your toothpick of a sword." "Shush! I don't want to hear it. I choose elegance and gracefulness over something flashy." The group finally reached the castle as several guards in colorful shining full body armor saluted the group as they stepped inside the large white crystal doors of the castle. Leoped and Lucrest led the trio right towards the throne room; no sooner than when the doors opened, King Alexander leaped from his throne and welcomed his guests. The King's outfit was composed of expensive black cloth with silver and blue crystals creating his unique armor with gold outlining around the edges and his crown. His hair was white as snow with a cape flowing from his waist with two metallic angelic wings attached to his back. He appeared as someone who was no older than their early 20's, much less muscular than Leoped, while possessing a staggering height of 6,7. "Greetings Empress Venessa, first adopted child of Diamond! A pleasure to finally meet you. Greetings to you Tray, second adopted child of Diamond! And a very warm welcome to Cross, the last member and headmaster of the Royal Guard!" Cross' attitude changed from being standoffish to one of utter shock. No one has addressed him as headmaster since the days of the Clone War. Tray whispered to Venessa, "Headmaster of the Royal Guard? I never knew that about Cross." "Yes, many years in Cross' realm he was headmaster of the Royal Guard, an elite group of warriors who protected his realm from malevolent threats under the orders of a man named the Keeper. This was brought to an end when.........Alastor manipulated him to massacre all of his fellow friends and the Keeper towards the end of the Clone War, mere days before order Kingdom Come was initiated."
King Alexander, "Empress Venessa please accept these gifts as a sign of good will. He signaled for four servants to step forward with bundles of technology and scrolls. The Alphaverse is more than ready to work closely alongside the Megaverse Council to defeat the fallen angels and corrupted souls of the Demonic Council! Please follow me to our war chambers." King Alexander led the heroes down several steps to a room that was protected by several guards. They were granted access and upon entering, the heroes were stunned to see holographic displays of plans and projects that were scattered as two male figures were debating with a female. The figures turned to the doors and quickly turned off the scattered plans and pulled up a file that said, "Propositions and explanation for the Megaverse Council." One unique hologram Venessa saw before it disappeared was a hologram of the Matrix of Eternity with a subject line under it labeled "Restore the Matrix to its former power?" As Venessa was deep in thought, King Alexander spoke to his guests who the other three figures were, "The lanky one with grey hair and a gas mask is our lead chemist, Lorenzo. The other one with him with the crimson operator hat, black and red hair, and basically black and red from his natural wings to his armor adored with many medals is our head of homeland security, Viciate. Last but not least is our lead scientist of technology, and weapons, whose brilliance I cannot put into words, Malissia." Malissia had medium length jet black hair that only left her left eye visible, yet it appeared she had unique facial marks that were long black lines leading up to her eyelids. She wore a long black coat that went just above her ankles with boots in the shape of heels. Nearly everything she wore was black except her shirt which was white with print that resembles computer chips. Malissia, "I prefer to go by M." Tray in a playful manner, "A little gothic in your appearance compared to everyone we've seen today!" "Simply a matter of taste and perception." Tray then noticed Malissia had white irises as the rest of her eyes were black, which created a sense of mystery behind them.
Lorenzo, "The disgraced Royal Guard is here......." King Alexander disappointingly, "Lorenzo......we talked about this." Venessa, "Hey what was that project regarding the Matrix of Eternity about? How would any of you be able to reload it?" King Alexander, "We have the source that originally fueled the Matrix. We were the ones who originally created it." Cross and Tray were shocked to hear such a revelation. Was the king bluffing or legitimately telling the truth? Malissia, "The reason you saw so many other projects scattered was due to these two knuckleheads trying to push these loose ideas my way, knowing full well we had a meeting today." Viciate, "Then Lorenzo and I should be going." Viciate and Lorenzo leave the room as King Alexander and Malissia start speaking with Venessa, Tray, and Cross. Lorenzo and Viciate journeyed far from the castle's boundaries and into the outskirts of the gorgeous city into a dark alleyway where a female was waiting for them. "Have you two finally reached a decision?" Lorenzo, "Yes, we have, Paradox." Paradox in a feminine form smiled while twirling their hair, with a snap of their fingers a contract appeared before Lorenzo and Viciate. "Both of you sign there. Viciate tried to sign with a pen, but Paradox stopped him. Nuh uh uh, in blood!" Viciate pulled a dagger and cut a piece of flesh off him and Lorenzo as they signed the contract that bonded them to Black Hat. See that wasn't so hard. Now I sense you have something to tell me?" Viciate, "The Empress, playboy, and ex-harbinger of darkness are here. They learned of the plans to restore the Matrix of Eternity." A sadistic smile appeared on Paradox's face, "Wonderful! Wonderful! Things could not be better! With your help we can kill those three now and you two will rule this Omniverse as the new kings only in service to Black Hat and the Council. Let them retrieve the remains of the Matrix, and we can either strike before or after they restore the Matrix, then steal it and place it within the treasury with the other dangerous objects that could pose a threat to our reign. Run along now and continue to play your parts like good little errand boys." Paradox gave them a wink. Lorenzo, "Freak! When it comes to your services, we work with you, not for you!" The two then leave as Paradox continues to smile in the shadows.
Back in the war chamber. Venessa, "Impressive. All that you are proposing will greatly benefit us. I can see your offers are sincere, but I must ask, why it took you this long to reveal yourselves?" King Alexander, "That is........simply because of an old law......that had been in effect for thousands of years. I wanted to honor my father and his father, but eventually my consciousness allowed me to overturn that old silly law." Loud footsteps could be running through the halls as a young teenage girl open the doors to the room with pieces of paper in her arms. She began to speak clearly out of breath, "I'm here sister. The documents you wanted." Mallisa, "A few minutes late like usual, Joan." "It's not my fault, military class went on longer than normal! Gosh, how many times do I have to tell you I hate it that mom and dad forced me to become a soldier!" "Everyone, this is my younger sister, Joan. Joan this is Empress Venessa and her two colleagues, Tray and Cross." Everyone exchanged friendly greetings except for Tray who stared at Joan. There was something about Joan that captivated him, it was either the childish way she speaks or the fact she had navy hair like he did. Instead of a handshake, he wrapped both his hands around hers and knelt down, "My fair lady, it is with great honor to meet you. I pray that you will accept my greeting as one of humbleness and may good health and prosperity follow you all the days of your life, my dearest madam." Everyone in the room stared dumbfounded at Tray's speech. Cross, "Where the crap did that come from Shakespeare?" Joan stood there blushing as she stuttered while addressing Tray, "Th....thank y...yo.....you." King Alexander, "Well this meeting is nearing its end, so why don't Tray and Joan spend some time with each other while the rest of us handle the closing logistics?" Mallisa, "WHAT THE?" "Alright it's settled then. Tray and Joan, you two are dismissed."
Joan and Tray stared at each other before she offered Tray some lunch, which he readily agreed to. Alexander turned back to Venessa, "Venessa, if you don't mind, I will like you and your party to stay here the next four days. The first two can be used to handle business regarding our technology and battle tactics as I introduce you to our greatest soldiers, warriors, and fighters. The last two days can be a sort of mini vacation." "Well..........I don't think such an offer will hurt. You have yourself a deal King Alexander!" At lunch Tray and Joan were deep in conversation. Tray, "You look much different than your sister. Your eyes are normal, you are much more cheerful, and just overall livelier." "My sister takes all the stress and responsibilities of the family upon her. That and her role in the kingdom just adds more stress to her. As for her eyes and facial markings, those came when she felt called to the Spring of Restoration." "What now?" "The Spring of Restoration grants those worthy unique properties or powers. Only a select few experience a change from the spring. It is not heavily protected because the spring prevents anyone unworthy from stepping foot in its waters." "Radical." "Mhm!" "So, I heard you fighting with your sister about you hating being trained as a soldier. Why is that?" "It freaking sucks! My parents do not want me to be an astronomer or engineer! They want me to become a Celestial Crusader. On top of that, I don't even get to choose what I want to do or what I want to eat a majority of the time! Eating lunch with you right now is a rare occurrence." "Have you brought your problems to the king?" "Yes, but I don't know if he is hearing my pleas or not. If he's not, I don't blame him, he has a lot on his mind and considering my parents are very influential in terms of politics, if the king makes a brash move, my parents will give him political turmoil." Tray abruptly received a message from Venessa stating their four day stay. He was excited and already made up his mind that he will spend these four days showing Joan the freedom she is missing out on.
The next two days, King Alexander did everything he said he would to Venessa and Cross. Among the strongest warriors and fighters were Ezekiel with his four angelic wings and star saber, Phonix with his ability to control time and fire, Ian with the ability to create things out of metal at will and his large sword in the shape of a key, Vivi with her ability of harnessing animal souls and acquiring their powers and abilities to her disposal, and with several other notable fighters. Yet, the group was slowly stalked by Lorenzo who reported all of their movements to Paradox. The next two days arrived where Venessa and Cross briefly parted ways in order to find some way to relax before returning to base. On the fourth day, Venessa contacted her adoptive mother, Selena, for a special request. She wanted Selena to travel to the Alphaverse with the Matrix of Eternity in order to restore it with wisdom capable of changing the tide of the war. As for Joan and Tray, the two traveled all across the kingdom from going to the beach, kayaking, visiting the aquarium, and art museum. Tray taught Joan how to properly duel and was deeply proud when she complimented him on his elegant sword. Unknown to them Viciate was also reporting their activities to Paradox. On one of their stops, Joan brought Tray to the Spring of Restoration just for them to sight see. Yet, she was startled when Tray stopped responding to her. His eyes were affixed at the spring as he slowly started to step towards it. Joan tried to stop him, but her petite body could not stop him.
Suddenly, he stopped on the edge of the spring and bent down scooping up the water as he started to drink it from his hands. Joan was confused at Tray's behavior, "Are you......alright?" Before Tray could turn around, he collapsed on the ground. "TRAY!" She ran to him, but when she arrived, his eyes opened wildly as his body started to glow with an unearthly light. Tray's body started to transform with his pupils becoming white similar to Mallisa but instead of the other part of his eye becoming black, it became a bright cyan color. His navy hair became white with a few streaks of cyan along with his olive skin changing to being white as quartz. His outfit even started to change around him with his clothes glowing with a clear like cyan substance with a hood gently resting on his hair. Gold embroidered his collar as a unique glowing cyan halo appearing over his head. "Joan.....please tell me I'm not dead." "I uhhhh you mmmmmmm I guess not? Here let me show you what you look like." Joan opened her camera and took a photo of him in order for Tray to see the photo. "Oh my gosh I became even more handsome." "Seriously, that's what you think about after looking like you just died on me!" "Hey, I'm sorry for zoning out on you like that. I just heard a soothing voice calling me from the Spring and I could not help but follow it." "The voice was more than soothing than mine?!" "Well yes...CRAP NO NOT LIKE THAT I SWEAR!" Joan started punching Tray as he let out a hearty laugh. From the shadows Viciate contacted Paradox on what happened and for Paradox to arrive swiftly to exterminate the couple.
The two continued on their walk after having their emotions die down. Yet, there was a sort of tension in the air between the two as one waited for the other to speak first. At last, Tray was the one to break the tension as he stopped Joan and decided to finally reveal to her the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind the past few days. "Joan, I don't know how to say this but, whenever I am around you, I just feel warm inside and what I could only describe as butterflies, erupt in my stomach." Joan blushed deeply before responding, "Oh Tray!" "Joan, if you do not want to enlist in the Celestial Crusaders, you don't have to. I'm offering you a choice. I see how much you care for your older sister and your eagerness for freedom. I encourage you to follow your heart and join me. I promise with every fiber in my being that my family and I will protect you and support you with whatever decision you make." Joan with tears in her eyes. "Oh Tray! Thank you! I want to briefly stay here so I can help my sister with any last assignments and join you on exploring the Megaverse and you taking me back to the Omniverse you call home! Thank you, thank you for being such a wonderful person to me these past four days. Truthfully, I can say I feel the same when I am around you. Your outgoing free-spirited nature is very cute and contagious." Tray extends his hand towards Joan, "Then what are we waiting for? Take my hand and I will show you all the wonderful places in my Omniverse! Obviously after you are done helping your sister of course." He gave her a big comforting smile as he waited for her to wipe the tears of gratitude off her face. However, just before she could place her hand in his, a gunshot went off as a singular bullet went through the right side of Joan's head and exited out of the left. Tray opened his eyes and was horrified at the pool of blood emerging from Joan's body as she lay lifeless on the ground. He was shaken as he heard a sickening laugh. He hastily turned his head to the direction of the laughter.
Tray's eyes widened in confusion as he saw Gadget Bandito emerge from the shadows. "What.....what are you doing here? How did you get here? Why have you done this after being a loyal member of the Initiative for many years?!" "Doesn't matter. Any last words kid?" Tray thought inwardly, "Wait......no......there is no way he is the real Gadget Bandito. The real one does not even know a lot of the Megaverse, much less keep up with any news from the Initiative." He finally spoke out loud. "My powers and senses are telling me you are Gadget Bandito. But my heart, mind, and soul tell me otherwise! WHO ARE YOU?" Paradox finally revealed himself to Tray as he morphed into his mechanical appearance. Tray finally spoke after being at a loss for words, "I know you. I know who you are. No, you are not even a person anymore. You have turned yourself into something unrecognizable. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! YOU ARE THE CREATURE WHO MURDERED MY FATHER'S PARENTS ON THE NIGHT OF HOLY THURSDAY!" Paradox had a twisted malicious grin on his mechanical face as he spoke, "Aren't you a smart one." Tray began to channel his new powers granted to him from the Spring of Restoration. "I WILL NOT ONLY AVENGE THE DEATH OF DIAMOND'S PARENTS! BUT FOR JOAN WHO YOU SHOT IN COLD BLOOD! DIE YOU BODY MORPHING BASTARD!"
Filled with pure rage, Tray could not control his powers as Paradox merely toyed with him before using Tray's disorientation to his advantage. Paradox was able to overpower the young hero, but briefly underestimated his new power buff when Tray's halo pierced itself into Paradox's chest. This comeback was shortly lived due to the intervention of Viciate who incapacitated Tray and tied him up. Elsewhere, Venessa felt a disturbance in her gut and thus gathered Cross and met with King Alexander to ask where Tray and Joan were at. The King did not know of their location much to the dismay of Venessa, but suddenly in the throne room a thick green mist entered the room which knocked the guards and the heroes unconscious. Lorenzo did his best to pick up the bodies of the heroes and tie them up, "Now we just wait for the Queen of Asteria to arrive and snatch the Matrix from her by ransoming these hostages."
Meanwhile Selena took care of Diamond and would not allow him out of her sight. If he had to leave her house, she would go with him wherever he went, due to the public opinion on him fiercely divided. There were some who believed the attacks were caused by him while others knew that he would never do such a thing and it had to be an imposter. She would fiercely criticize any bystander who booed or tried to assault Diamond. Diamond on the other hand did not like how Selena was being overprotective of him, and her reasoning was that his mental state was not in a good place. Truthfully, it felt like he was on house arrest. One day the two of them took a nap on Selena's couch, when Selena was notified to embark on the mission to Omniverse 7,777,777. She did not have Diamond know what mission it was, but said it was important. "Don't do anything stupid or silly while I'm gone. And do not go on any adventures either! If I find out you left the town, you won't hear the end of it!" "Alright sheesh I got it."
Selena traveled to Sanctuary and entered one of the passwords a few of the elite members possessed in order to gain access to the broken remains of the Matrix of Eternity. She grabbed the pieces and created a portal to the Alphaverse. Once Selena teleported off to her mission, Diamond took advantage of this opportunity and decided to venture into town. He grabbed his Bluetooth earbuds and walked outside to his favorite coffee shop. While walking, he played Have You Ever Seen The Rain, by Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of his father's favorite bands. He could not resist but sing along with the lyrics, "When it's over so they say it'll rain a sunny day, I know, shining down like water. I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day." During his stroll a handful of protestors spotted him and began to yell, "Murderer! Thief! Crook! Liar!" One such protestor threw a pot of hot water at him, which nearly resulted in Diamond retaliated, but he bore these wrongs patiently and continued on his way. He turned a corner into an alleyway and started to dance and jump in the puddles. On the other side were a set of stairs where he slowly danced his way down each step to the closing parts of the song still singing with raw emotion. "Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh I wanna know have you seen the rain? I wanna know have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day."
He turned off his music when he entered the doors of the small shop and waited patiently in line. After he finished placing his order and pulled out his wallet to pay, the cashier whispered to him, "It's on the house. You are still a hero to us who work here." "Are you sure ma'am?" "Yes. It'll be out shortly." He took a seat near a window and started reading the local newspaper in silence. Just then a little boy who was with his parents came to his side and started to speak with him. "Excuse me sir, but are you, Diamond?" Diamond chuckled to himself, "Well there is no use in hiding my identity. Yes, I am." "Can you tell me what it was like during the year I was born?" "Uh, odd request but yeah I can tell you, first I have to ask how old are you?" "I just turned four!" "Well happy birthday! Let's see four years ago was 2016.....wait no it was 2020. Gosh was 2020 four years ago? Man, all these adventures all start flowing together kid. So, around this time an old enemy of mine named......" Diamond abruptly stopped speaking as he felt a disturbance. "Named who, sir?" Diamond stood up and slowly walked to the doors as a giant explosion went off in the center of town. Everyone started screaming, running in all directions from the blast, as Diamond signaled his AI using his nanotech vision glasses. "HONEY what are we looking at? HONEY? Crap I never turned you back on." Diamond hastily had his nanotech grow on his left arm as he turned on the setting to activate HONEY. "I'm back! Are you ok boss, did you do anything brash when I was gone?" "We can catch up later HONEY, right now I need you to prevent traffic from entering this street and alert the local authorities." "Yes sir!"
While all of this was happening on Earth, Selena's portal finally brought her to the Alphaverse. She begins to mutter to herself, "Alright Venessa I'm here. Hopefully we can get this done quickly, because I don't trust Diamond being by himself." Selena was cautious of her surroundings, due to being greeted with an eerie vacant throne room. She suddenly heard a quiet "help me," this prompted her to locate the source of the voice which resulted in her finding Lorenzo lying next to a pillar. "Please help me." "Who did this to you, where are they now, and have you seen a young girl with pink and blue hair go by?" Selena used her powers to silently read the injured person's mind, but before her powers could alert her of it being a trap, she heard another voice which caused her pupils to shrink with fear. "Hello my precious doll." Selena turned to face the new voice and to her horror, she saw Paradox standing behind her, appearing the same way he looked the day before he died. The trauma from the mistreatment and terror she received from him overridden her senses and caused her to stand completely motionless. Behind her Lorenzo leaped and took off his mask expelling a strong toxin into her lungs causing her to faint and drop the pieces of the Matrix. Lorenzo, "Why did you change the plan to capture her instead of bargaining with her?" Paradox, "Because I want the last thing, they see is me holding the reloaded Matrix and handing it over to my masters." Paradox then switched back to his mechanical body and wrapped Selena in thick pairs of chains. He then took her body along with the rest of the heroes to the depths of the castle.
Simultaneously on Earth, Diamond slowly made his way to the source of the blast as he yelled at the pedestrians to head southbound. When he reached the center of the blast three figures emerged. A hulking lizard creature, a humanoid squid, and a tall figure wrapped in black cloth with piercing red goggles. "HEY! THIS TOWN IS CLOSED TO THUGS LIKE YOU TODAY!" The man in black cloth responded back, "We were wishing for a fight with Selena, but facing you is even better!" "I suggest you stand down before I rip a tentacle from your friend Squidward!" "Grok shut his mouth." The hulking creature lifted his axe from his back and started charging at Diamond. Diamond tapped his chest as his nanotech started to form around him as he created several large blasters from his back and fired at Grok. The blasts sent Grok flying backwards to his two other companions, but the man in black simply waved his hand to the right which sent Grok crashing into a local store. Diamond flew towards the humanoid squid and started punching him with unrelenting force that caused the squid to vomit quantities of ink. The man in black teleported behind Diamond and used his mystic powers to gain the upper hand by distorting the reality around them. The squid shaped his head into a spear and tried to pierce Diamond with his poison, but Diamond dodged it and sent him hurdling towards the man in black, breaking the reality illusion. He then had his suit create a sticky net which he shot to capture both the man in black and squid. Grok finally managed to get back up, but upon seeing his comrades captured, he clicked a button on his belt that resulted in him exploding creating a blast deadlier than the first. Diamond noticed there were a few people that were in the blast radius of this second explosion and flew towards them using his strength to hold the falling debris from the tall business building. The debris piled the streets with dust and papers, until the sound of sirens broke the silence. Law enforcement arrested the two other villains while Diamond was barely holding large portions of fallen walls, glass, and stone from crushing him and the civilians under him. The leading officer noticed Diamond struggling in the debris, but decided not to help him, he thought to himself, "Let's see if he can truly save others and be the hero the weak minded believe him to be." The crushing weight began to take a toll on Diamond as he slowly began to lose his footing until he was on his knees holding the debris up.
"I promise.....I will get all of you out alive!" Negative thoughts began to enter his mind as various voices began to call out. "You are not good enough. You couldn't save your own parents; how can you save these unfortunate souls? You are playing a fool's game. See how the law enforcement refuses to acknowledge your existence. Face it your story is over. Finished. You are nothing but a weak boy who thought he could have been a great hero." Diamond tried to block out these voices, but they began to take a toll on him, nearly causing him to give up, but then a quiet voice entered his mind. A voice smooth like honey but strong as thunder echoed in his mind. "You are something more. Look inside yourself, you are something far more than when you started all those years ago as a small-town hero. Do not listen to their empty words, listen to me. Do you renounce sin?" "I do." "Do you renounce the Devil, the sin whisperer, and all his empty promises?" "I do!" "Do you believe in the Faith of your fathers, the Resurrection, and life everlasting?" "I do!" "Arise my child." At that very moment Diamond felt the power of the Light course through him at greater quantities than before as his body began to glow with gold and white light. With a newfound access to the Light, Diamond felt it was only natural to change the wording when harnessing its power, "Through the power of Heaven's Light.......All things are possible!" Diamond effortlessly lifted the debris away from him as the civilians under his care ran to the rest of the crowd. The onlookers stared at Diamond's glowing gold and white body. They were baffled in amazement as a few murmured amongst themselves, "Truly this is the act of a selfless hero."
Diamond did not hear the crowd's cheers, whistles, and praises as he stood deep in contemplation. Deep within his soul, he was able to sense his family was in grave danger. With his connection to the Light restored, he made it his new mission to travel to the Omniverse where he sensed the disturbance. He quietly spoke to himself, "Oh yeah I'm ready to whip the person who is so bent on ruining my life! But first, I have to do it in style. He allowed his suit to create two large speakers; HONEY make sure the volume is on max. Time for us to go back into the Megaverse!"
To Be Continued In The Alphaverse Part 2
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While these two were on a mission together, The Researcher contacted them regarding a very important matter. When the two heroines arrived at the Council's headquarters The Researcher revealed to them two enormous discoveries. "We finally found them. The place where our foes call home, Omniverse 6,666,666. We do not know much of this Omniverse other than the Diamond from Omniverse 8 being aware of its potential and became paranoid of its existence leading him nearly wiping all traces of it from the Council's database. I happen to uncover the last fragments of his report that failed to be deleted. Furthermore, the Core of that Omniverse is deeply fractured, completely drained of all power. We can deduce with sound reasoning that the landscape of that Omniverse is something out of an apocalypse with everything that could have gone wrong, definitely went wrong. In addition, it is a very wide and vast Omniverse similar to the Main Omniverse. In fact, before its current miserable state, it was a near copy of the Main Omniverse. We are trying to scout and analyze the area as best as we can, but it is blocking all of our scanners. Our supernatural sensors can barely last four seconds before frying when they sense the amount of dark negative energy that shrouds that Omniverse." Velocity, "And the other news?" "We also found a very promising Omniverse that was elusive to our map, but just appeared and is surging with radiant energy from the Light." Venessa abruptly, "Light? Like The Light......... not just colorful lights?" "Correct. Would you care to guess what this Omniverse's number is?" "I would assume it would be the polar opposite of the other, so Omniverse 7,777,777?" "Bingo. Apparently, they have a hierarchy over there and their King requests your presence. His words not mine were King Alexander humbly requests the presence of Empress Venessa of the Main Omniverse and any companions she wishes to bring for a formal meeting in regards to the future protection of the Megaverse."
"Alright, message King Alexander and tell him I will adhere to his request. She accessed her communication com and ordered Tray and Cross to join her on the mission. She then turned to Velocity. I would have you join me on this mission, but I do not want to delay the progress you are making in convincing more Omniverses to join our cause." A short time passed as the three members arrived for their briefing with Venessa. After their meeting, they used their watches and traveled to Omniverse 7,777,777. Their eyes were blinded by the bright rays of the sun, before they could tell where they were at. At last, their eyes adjusted to their environment, which resulted in them being astonished at the shining city that was before them. They observed trains similar to bullet trains zipping back and forth through wind tubes and the residents there in very intricate clothing. The residents either had high collar jackets, dazzling shirts, and most importantly, Venessa could sense all of them having unusual levels of the Light inside of them. A loud voice could be heard behind them. "Are these the people who the King wishes to speak with?" The group turns around and sees two men standing a few feet behind them. One appears six foot and a few inches, he did not wear a shirt but was surrounded with gold and red armor, a long red cape, black pants, and long flowing blonde hair. The other was a little shorter around five feet and possibly 11 inches with black and purple hair, a black and purple cape, purple pants, and purple armor in the exact areas as the first man. The second one responded to his companion in a soft-spoken manner,"Yes, these are the three we were assigned to escort back to the castle." Venessa, "Hey, are you two like siblings or something? You two kind of look alike." The purple one, "That assumption is correct. I am Lucrest and this is my older obnoxious brother Leoped." Leoped, "We are two in a handful of select individuals, who serve the King by carrying out special assignments and investigations." Lucrest, "If you will please follow us, the King is eager to greet you."
The three heroes followed the two guards to the castle, during their walk Venessa teased her sibling, Tray. "It appears those two brothers have larger swords than you. I think they are far superior swordsmen if they can handle large blades like that. It fails to even compare your toothpick of a sword." "Shush! I don't want to hear it. I choose elegance and gracefulness over something flashy." The group finally reached the castle as several guards in colorful shining full body armor saluted the group as they stepped inside the large white crystal doors of the castle. Leoped and Lucrest led the trio right towards the throne room; no sooner than when the doors opened, King Alexander leaped from his throne and welcomed his guests. The King's outfit was composed of expensive black cloth with silver and blue crystals creating his unique armor with gold outlining around the edges and his crown. His hair was white as snow with a cape flowing from his waist with two metallic angelic wings attached to his back. He appeared as someone who was no older than their early 20's, much less muscular than Leoped, while possessing a staggering height of 6,7. "Greetings Empress Venessa, first adopted child of Diamond! A pleasure to finally meet you. Greetings to you Tray, second adopted child of Diamond! And a very warm welcome to Cross, the last member and headmaster of the Royal Guard!" Cross' attitude changed from being standoffish to one of utter shock. No one has addressed him as headmaster since the days of the Clone War. Tray whispered to Venessa, "Headmaster of the Royal Guard? I never knew that about Cross." "Yes, many years in Cross' realm he was headmaster of the Royal Guard, an elite group of warriors who protected his realm from malevolent threats under the orders of a man named the Keeper. This was brought to an end when.........Alastor manipulated him to massacre all of his fellow friends and the Keeper towards the end of the Clone War, mere days before order Kingdom Come was initiated."
King Alexander, "Empress Venessa please accept these gifts as a sign of good will. He signaled for four servants to step forward with bundles of technology and scrolls. The Alphaverse is more than ready to work closely alongside the Megaverse Council to defeat the fallen angels and corrupted souls of the Demonic Council! Please follow me to our war chambers." King Alexander led the heroes down several steps to a room that was protected by several guards. They were granted access and upon entering, the heroes were stunned to see holographic displays of plans and projects that were scattered as two male figures were debating with a female. The figures turned to the doors and quickly turned off the scattered plans and pulled up a file that said, "Propositions and explanation for the Megaverse Council." One unique hologram Venessa saw before it disappeared was a hologram of the Matrix of Eternity with a subject line under it labeled "Restore the Matrix to its former power?" As Venessa was deep in thought, King Alexander spoke to his guests who the other three figures were, "The lanky one with grey hair and a gas mask is our lead chemist, Lorenzo. The other one with him with the crimson operator hat, black and red hair, and basically black and red from his natural wings to his armor adored with many medals is our head of homeland security, Viciate. Last but not least is our lead scientist of technology, and weapons, whose brilliance I cannot put into words, Malissia." Malissia had medium length jet black hair that only left her left eye visible, yet it appeared she had unique facial marks that were long black lines leading up to her eyelids. She wore a long black coat that went just above her ankles with boots in the shape of heels. Nearly everything she wore was black except her shirt which was white with print that resembles computer chips. Malissia, "I prefer to go by M." Tray in a playful manner, "A little gothic in your appearance compared to everyone we've seen today!" "Simply a matter of taste and perception." Tray then noticed Malissia had white irises as the rest of her eyes were black, which created a sense of mystery behind them.
Lorenzo, "The disgraced Royal Guard is here......." King Alexander disappointingly, "Lorenzo......we talked about this." Venessa, "Hey what was that project regarding the Matrix of Eternity about? How would any of you be able to reload it?" King Alexander, "We have the source that originally fueled the Matrix. We were the ones who originally created it." Cross and Tray were shocked to hear such a revelation. Was the king bluffing or legitimately telling the truth? Malissia, "The reason you saw so many other projects scattered was due to these two knuckleheads trying to push these loose ideas my way, knowing full well we had a meeting today." Viciate, "Then Lorenzo and I should be going." Viciate and Lorenzo leave the room as King Alexander and Malissia start speaking with Venessa, Tray, and Cross. Lorenzo and Viciate journeyed far from the castle's boundaries and into the outskirts of the gorgeous city into a dark alleyway where a female was waiting for them. "Have you two finally reached a decision?" Lorenzo, "Yes, we have, Paradox." Paradox in a feminine form smiled while twirling their hair, with a snap of their fingers a contract appeared before Lorenzo and Viciate. "Both of you sign there. Viciate tried to sign with a pen, but Paradox stopped him. Nuh uh uh, in blood!" Viciate pulled a dagger and cut a piece of flesh off him and Lorenzo as they signed the contract that bonded them to Black Hat. See that wasn't so hard. Now I sense you have something to tell me?" Viciate, "The Empress, playboy, and ex-harbinger of darkness are here. They learned of the plans to restore the Matrix of Eternity." A sadistic smile appeared on Paradox's face, "Wonderful! Wonderful! Things could not be better! With your help we can kill those three now and you two will rule this Omniverse as the new kings only in service to Black Hat and the Council. Let them retrieve the remains of the Matrix, and we can either strike before or after they restore the Matrix, then steal it and place it within the treasury with the other dangerous objects that could pose a threat to our reign. Run along now and continue to play your parts like good little errand boys." Paradox gave them a wink. Lorenzo, "Freak! When it comes to your services, we work with you, not for you!" The two then leave as Paradox continues to smile in the shadows.
Back in the war chamber. Venessa, "Impressive. All that you are proposing will greatly benefit us. I can see your offers are sincere, but I must ask, why it took you this long to reveal yourselves?" King Alexander, "That is........simply because of an old law......that had been in effect for thousands of years. I wanted to honor my father and his father, but eventually my consciousness allowed me to overturn that old silly law." Loud footsteps could be running through the halls as a young teenage girl open the doors to the room with pieces of paper in her arms. She began to speak clearly out of breath, "I'm here sister. The documents you wanted." Mallisa, "A few minutes late like usual, Joan." "It's not my fault, military class went on longer than normal! Gosh, how many times do I have to tell you I hate it that mom and dad forced me to become a soldier!" "Everyone, this is my younger sister, Joan. Joan this is Empress Venessa and her two colleagues, Tray and Cross." Everyone exchanged friendly greetings except for Tray who stared at Joan. There was something about Joan that captivated him, it was either the childish way she speaks or the fact she had navy hair like he did. Instead of a handshake, he wrapped both his hands around hers and knelt down, "My fair lady, it is with great honor to meet you. I pray that you will accept my greeting as one of humbleness and may good health and prosperity follow you all the days of your life, my dearest madam." Everyone in the room stared dumbfounded at Tray's speech. Cross, "Where the crap did that come from Shakespeare?" Joan stood there blushing as she stuttered while addressing Tray, "Th....thank y...yo.....you." King Alexander, "Well this meeting is nearing its end, so why don't Tray and Joan spend some time with each other while the rest of us handle the closing logistics?" Mallisa, "WHAT THE?" "Alright it's settled then. Tray and Joan, you two are dismissed."
Joan and Tray stared at each other before she offered Tray some lunch, which he readily agreed to. Alexander turned back to Venessa, "Venessa, if you don't mind, I will like you and your party to stay here the next four days. The first two can be used to handle business regarding our technology and battle tactics as I introduce you to our greatest soldiers, warriors, and fighters. The last two days can be a sort of mini vacation." "Well..........I don't think such an offer will hurt. You have yourself a deal King Alexander!" At lunch Tray and Joan were deep in conversation. Tray, "You look much different than your sister. Your eyes are normal, you are much more cheerful, and just overall livelier." "My sister takes all the stress and responsibilities of the family upon her. That and her role in the kingdom just adds more stress to her. As for her eyes and facial markings, those came when she felt called to the Spring of Restoration." "What now?" "The Spring of Restoration grants those worthy unique properties or powers. Only a select few experience a change from the spring. It is not heavily protected because the spring prevents anyone unworthy from stepping foot in its waters." "Radical." "Mhm!" "So, I heard you fighting with your sister about you hating being trained as a soldier. Why is that?" "It freaking sucks! My parents do not want me to be an astronomer or engineer! They want me to become a Celestial Crusader. On top of that, I don't even get to choose what I want to do or what I want to eat a majority of the time! Eating lunch with you right now is a rare occurrence." "Have you brought your problems to the king?" "Yes, but I don't know if he is hearing my pleas or not. If he's not, I don't blame him, he has a lot on his mind and considering my parents are very influential in terms of politics, if the king makes a brash move, my parents will give him political turmoil." Tray abruptly received a message from Venessa stating their four day stay. He was excited and already made up his mind that he will spend these four days showing Joan the freedom she is missing out on.
The next two days, King Alexander did everything he said he would to Venessa and Cross. Among the strongest warriors and fighters were Ezekiel with his four angelic wings and star saber, Phonix with his ability to control time and fire, Ian with the ability to create things out of metal at will and his large sword in the shape of a key, Vivi with her ability of harnessing animal souls and acquiring their powers and abilities to her disposal, and with several other notable fighters. Yet, the group was slowly stalked by Lorenzo who reported all of their movements to Paradox. The next two days arrived where Venessa and Cross briefly parted ways in order to find some way to relax before returning to base. On the fourth day, Venessa contacted her adoptive mother, Selena, for a special request. She wanted Selena to travel to the Alphaverse with the Matrix of Eternity in order to restore it with wisdom capable of changing the tide of the war. As for Joan and Tray, the two traveled all across the kingdom from going to the beach, kayaking, visiting the aquarium, and art museum. Tray taught Joan how to properly duel and was deeply proud when she complimented him on his elegant sword. Unknown to them Viciate was also reporting their activities to Paradox. On one of their stops, Joan brought Tray to the Spring of Restoration just for them to sight see. Yet, she was startled when Tray stopped responding to her. His eyes were affixed at the spring as he slowly started to step towards it. Joan tried to stop him, but her petite body could not stop him.
Suddenly, he stopped on the edge of the spring and bent down scooping up the water as he started to drink it from his hands. Joan was confused at Tray's behavior, "Are you......alright?" Before Tray could turn around, he collapsed on the ground. "TRAY!" She ran to him, but when she arrived, his eyes opened wildly as his body started to glow with an unearthly light. Tray's body started to transform with his pupils becoming white similar to Mallisa but instead of the other part of his eye becoming black, it became a bright cyan color. His navy hair became white with a few streaks of cyan along with his olive skin changing to being white as quartz. His outfit even started to change around him with his clothes glowing with a clear like cyan substance with a hood gently resting on his hair. Gold embroidered his collar as a unique glowing cyan halo appearing over his head. "Joan.....please tell me I'm not dead." "I uhhhh you mmmmmmm I guess not? Here let me show you what you look like." Joan opened her camera and took a photo of him in order for Tray to see the photo. "Oh my gosh I became even more handsome." "Seriously, that's what you think about after looking like you just died on me!" "Hey, I'm sorry for zoning out on you like that. I just heard a soothing voice calling me from the Spring and I could not help but follow it." "The voice was more than soothing than mine?!" "Well yes...CRAP NO NOT LIKE THAT I SWEAR!" Joan started punching Tray as he let out a hearty laugh. From the shadows Viciate contacted Paradox on what happened and for Paradox to arrive swiftly to exterminate the couple.
The two continued on their walk after having their emotions die down. Yet, there was a sort of tension in the air between the two as one waited for the other to speak first. At last, Tray was the one to break the tension as he stopped Joan and decided to finally reveal to her the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind the past few days. "Joan, I don't know how to say this but, whenever I am around you, I just feel warm inside and what I could only describe as butterflies, erupt in my stomach." Joan blushed deeply before responding, "Oh Tray!" "Joan, if you do not want to enlist in the Celestial Crusaders, you don't have to. I'm offering you a choice. I see how much you care for your older sister and your eagerness for freedom. I encourage you to follow your heart and join me. I promise with every fiber in my being that my family and I will protect you and support you with whatever decision you make." Joan with tears in her eyes. "Oh Tray! Thank you! I want to briefly stay here so I can help my sister with any last assignments and join you on exploring the Megaverse and you taking me back to the Omniverse you call home! Thank you, thank you for being such a wonderful person to me these past four days. Truthfully, I can say I feel the same when I am around you. Your outgoing free-spirited nature is very cute and contagious." Tray extends his hand towards Joan, "Then what are we waiting for? Take my hand and I will show you all the wonderful places in my Omniverse! Obviously after you are done helping your sister of course." He gave her a big comforting smile as he waited for her to wipe the tears of gratitude off her face. However, just before she could place her hand in his, a gunshot went off as a singular bullet went through the right side of Joan's head and exited out of the left. Tray opened his eyes and was horrified at the pool of blood emerging from Joan's body as she lay lifeless on the ground. He was shaken as he heard a sickening laugh. He hastily turned his head to the direction of the laughter.
Tray's eyes widened in confusion as he saw Gadget Bandito emerge from the shadows. "What.....what are you doing here? How did you get here? Why have you done this after being a loyal member of the Initiative for many years?!" "Doesn't matter. Any last words kid?" Tray thought inwardly, "Wait......no......there is no way he is the real Gadget Bandito. The real one does not even know a lot of the Megaverse, much less keep up with any news from the Initiative." He finally spoke out loud. "My powers and senses are telling me you are Gadget Bandito. But my heart, mind, and soul tell me otherwise! WHO ARE YOU?" Paradox finally revealed himself to Tray as he morphed into his mechanical appearance. Tray finally spoke after being at a loss for words, "I know you. I know who you are. No, you are not even a person anymore. You have turned yourself into something unrecognizable. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! YOU ARE THE CREATURE WHO MURDERED MY FATHER'S PARENTS ON THE NIGHT OF HOLY THURSDAY!" Paradox had a twisted malicious grin on his mechanical face as he spoke, "Aren't you a smart one." Tray began to channel his new powers granted to him from the Spring of Restoration. "I WILL NOT ONLY AVENGE THE DEATH OF DIAMOND'S PARENTS! BUT FOR JOAN WHO YOU SHOT IN COLD BLOOD! DIE YOU BODY MORPHING BASTARD!"
Filled with pure rage, Tray could not control his powers as Paradox merely toyed with him before using Tray's disorientation to his advantage. Paradox was able to overpower the young hero, but briefly underestimated his new power buff when Tray's halo pierced itself into Paradox's chest. This comeback was shortly lived due to the intervention of Viciate who incapacitated Tray and tied him up. Elsewhere, Venessa felt a disturbance in her gut and thus gathered Cross and met with King Alexander to ask where Tray and Joan were at. The King did not know of their location much to the dismay of Venessa, but suddenly in the throne room a thick green mist entered the room which knocked the guards and the heroes unconscious. Lorenzo did his best to pick up the bodies of the heroes and tie them up, "Now we just wait for the Queen of Asteria to arrive and snatch the Matrix from her by ransoming these hostages."
Meanwhile Selena took care of Diamond and would not allow him out of her sight. If he had to leave her house, she would go with him wherever he went, due to the public opinion on him fiercely divided. There were some who believed the attacks were caused by him while others knew that he would never do such a thing and it had to be an imposter. She would fiercely criticize any bystander who booed or tried to assault Diamond. Diamond on the other hand did not like how Selena was being overprotective of him, and her reasoning was that his mental state was not in a good place. Truthfully, it felt like he was on house arrest. One day the two of them took a nap on Selena's couch, when Selena was notified to embark on the mission to Omniverse 7,777,777. She did not have Diamond know what mission it was, but said it was important. "Don't do anything stupid or silly while I'm gone. And do not go on any adventures either! If I find out you left the town, you won't hear the end of it!" "Alright sheesh I got it."
Selena traveled to Sanctuary and entered one of the passwords a few of the elite members possessed in order to gain access to the broken remains of the Matrix of Eternity. She grabbed the pieces and created a portal to the Alphaverse. Once Selena teleported off to her mission, Diamond took advantage of this opportunity and decided to venture into town. He grabbed his Bluetooth earbuds and walked outside to his favorite coffee shop. While walking, he played Have You Ever Seen The Rain, by Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of his father's favorite bands. He could not resist but sing along with the lyrics, "When it's over so they say it'll rain a sunny day, I know, shining down like water. I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day." During his stroll a handful of protestors spotted him and began to yell, "Murderer! Thief! Crook! Liar!" One such protestor threw a pot of hot water at him, which nearly resulted in Diamond retaliated, but he bore these wrongs patiently and continued on his way. He turned a corner into an alleyway and started to dance and jump in the puddles. On the other side were a set of stairs where he slowly danced his way down each step to the closing parts of the song still singing with raw emotion. "Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh I wanna know have you seen the rain? I wanna know have you ever seen the rain? Coming down on a sunny day."
He turned off his music when he entered the doors of the small shop and waited patiently in line. After he finished placing his order and pulled out his wallet to pay, the cashier whispered to him, "It's on the house. You are still a hero to us who work here." "Are you sure ma'am?" "Yes. It'll be out shortly." He took a seat near a window and started reading the local newspaper in silence. Just then a little boy who was with his parents came to his side and started to speak with him. "Excuse me sir, but are you, Diamond?" Diamond chuckled to himself, "Well there is no use in hiding my identity. Yes, I am." "Can you tell me what it was like during the year I was born?" "Uh, odd request but yeah I can tell you, first I have to ask how old are you?" "I just turned four!" "Well happy birthday! Let's see four years ago was 2016.....wait no it was 2020. Gosh was 2020 four years ago? Man, all these adventures all start flowing together kid. So, around this time an old enemy of mine named......" Diamond abruptly stopped speaking as he felt a disturbance. "Named who, sir?" Diamond stood up and slowly walked to the doors as a giant explosion went off in the center of town. Everyone started screaming, running in all directions from the blast, as Diamond signaled his AI using his nanotech vision glasses. "HONEY what are we looking at? HONEY? Crap I never turned you back on." Diamond hastily had his nanotech grow on his left arm as he turned on the setting to activate HONEY. "I'm back! Are you ok boss, did you do anything brash when I was gone?" "We can catch up later HONEY, right now I need you to prevent traffic from entering this street and alert the local authorities." "Yes sir!"
While all of this was happening on Earth, Selena's portal finally brought her to the Alphaverse. She begins to mutter to herself, "Alright Venessa I'm here. Hopefully we can get this done quickly, because I don't trust Diamond being by himself." Selena was cautious of her surroundings, due to being greeted with an eerie vacant throne room. She suddenly heard a quiet "help me," this prompted her to locate the source of the voice which resulted in her finding Lorenzo lying next to a pillar. "Please help me." "Who did this to you, where are they now, and have you seen a young girl with pink and blue hair go by?" Selena used her powers to silently read the injured person's mind, but before her powers could alert her of it being a trap, she heard another voice which caused her pupils to shrink with fear. "Hello my precious doll." Selena turned to face the new voice and to her horror, she saw Paradox standing behind her, appearing the same way he looked the day before he died. The trauma from the mistreatment and terror she received from him overridden her senses and caused her to stand completely motionless. Behind her Lorenzo leaped and took off his mask expelling a strong toxin into her lungs causing her to faint and drop the pieces of the Matrix. Lorenzo, "Why did you change the plan to capture her instead of bargaining with her?" Paradox, "Because I want the last thing, they see is me holding the reloaded Matrix and handing it over to my masters." Paradox then switched back to his mechanical body and wrapped Selena in thick pairs of chains. He then took her body along with the rest of the heroes to the depths of the castle.
Simultaneously on Earth, Diamond slowly made his way to the source of the blast as he yelled at the pedestrians to head southbound. When he reached the center of the blast three figures emerged. A hulking lizard creature, a humanoid squid, and a tall figure wrapped in black cloth with piercing red goggles. "HEY! THIS TOWN IS CLOSED TO THUGS LIKE YOU TODAY!" The man in black cloth responded back, "We were wishing for a fight with Selena, but facing you is even better!" "I suggest you stand down before I rip a tentacle from your friend Squidward!" "Grok shut his mouth." The hulking creature lifted his axe from his back and started charging at Diamond. Diamond tapped his chest as his nanotech started to form around him as he created several large blasters from his back and fired at Grok. The blasts sent Grok flying backwards to his two other companions, but the man in black simply waved his hand to the right which sent Grok crashing into a local store. Diamond flew towards the humanoid squid and started punching him with unrelenting force that caused the squid to vomit quantities of ink. The man in black teleported behind Diamond and used his mystic powers to gain the upper hand by distorting the reality around them. The squid shaped his head into a spear and tried to pierce Diamond with his poison, but Diamond dodged it and sent him hurdling towards the man in black, breaking the reality illusion. He then had his suit create a sticky net which he shot to capture both the man in black and squid. Grok finally managed to get back up, but upon seeing his comrades captured, he clicked a button on his belt that resulted in him exploding creating a blast deadlier than the first. Diamond noticed there were a few people that were in the blast radius of this second explosion and flew towards them using his strength to hold the falling debris from the tall business building. The debris piled the streets with dust and papers, until the sound of sirens broke the silence. Law enforcement arrested the two other villains while Diamond was barely holding large portions of fallen walls, glass, and stone from crushing him and the civilians under him. The leading officer noticed Diamond struggling in the debris, but decided not to help him, he thought to himself, "Let's see if he can truly save others and be the hero the weak minded believe him to be." The crushing weight began to take a toll on Diamond as he slowly began to lose his footing until he was on his knees holding the debris up.
"I promise.....I will get all of you out alive!" Negative thoughts began to enter his mind as various voices began to call out. "You are not good enough. You couldn't save your own parents; how can you save these unfortunate souls? You are playing a fool's game. See how the law enforcement refuses to acknowledge your existence. Face it your story is over. Finished. You are nothing but a weak boy who thought he could have been a great hero." Diamond tried to block out these voices, but they began to take a toll on him, nearly causing him to give up, but then a quiet voice entered his mind. A voice smooth like honey but strong as thunder echoed in his mind. "You are something more. Look inside yourself, you are something far more than when you started all those years ago as a small-town hero. Do not listen to their empty words, listen to me. Do you renounce sin?" "I do." "Do you renounce the Devil, the sin whisperer, and all his empty promises?" "I do!" "Do you believe in the Faith of your fathers, the Resurrection, and life everlasting?" "I do!" "Arise my child." At that very moment Diamond felt the power of the Light course through him at greater quantities than before as his body began to glow with gold and white light. With a newfound access to the Light, Diamond felt it was only natural to change the wording when harnessing its power, "Through the power of Heaven's Light.......All things are possible!" Diamond effortlessly lifted the debris away from him as the civilians under his care ran to the rest of the crowd. The onlookers stared at Diamond's glowing gold and white body. They were baffled in amazement as a few murmured amongst themselves, "Truly this is the act of a selfless hero."
Diamond did not hear the crowd's cheers, whistles, and praises as he stood deep in contemplation. Deep within his soul, he was able to sense his family was in grave danger. With his connection to the Light restored, he made it his new mission to travel to the Omniverse where he sensed the disturbance. He quietly spoke to himself, "Oh yeah I'm ready to whip the person who is so bent on ruining my life! But first, I have to do it in style. He allowed his suit to create two large speakers; HONEY make sure the volume is on max. Time for us to go back into the Megaverse!"
To Be Continued In The Alphaverse Part 2
2024.06.02 05:26 Ok-Mine-5994 Gxk game ideas of mine
Story: follow the same story as the movie, 75% of gameplay would be the titan playable characters: kong, suko, Godzilla, Tiamat ( one level) the other 25% would be the humans ( Bernie, jia) also some little changes would occur in the story for gameplay purposes.
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
submitted by Ok-Mine-5994 to kingkong [link] [comments]
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
2024.06.02 05:26 Ok-Mine-5994 Gxk game ideas of mine
Story: follow the same story as the movie, 75% of gameplay would be the titan playable characters: kong, suko, Godzilla, Tiamat ( one level) the other 25% would be the humans ( Bernie, jia) also some little changes would occur in the story for gameplay purposes.
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
submitted by Ok-Mine-5994 to GODZILLA [link] [comments]
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
2024.06.02 05:26 Ok-Mine-5994 Gxk game ideas of mine
Story: follow the same story as the movie, 75% of gameplay would be the titan playable characters: kong, suko, Godzilla, Tiamat ( one level) the other 25% would be the humans ( Bernie, jia) also some little changes would occur in the story for gameplay purposes.
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
submitted by Ok-Mine-5994 to Monsterverse [link] [comments]
Gameplay: The game would be open world and have minor side missions aswell, kongs attacks would be using his fists for punching (R1 light attack, R2 heavy)and you can use your teeth for biting as well ( circle) X would be use for jump and double jump, dodging and rolling for circle, square would be able to use your titan senses to sense unsuspecting enemies titans. In the opening of the game when kong would use his bite on wartdogs your health would go down just slightly each time. Kong Would also have finisher attacks ( ripping wartdogs in half, stomping on their head and snapping their neck) the first level would be a chase one where kong sets off his traps. If you want their can be certain armors for kong with perks such as bone chest armors or jungle type outfit.
Common enemies hollow earth: wartdogs, warbats, hellhawks, fosphera a winged titan, red stripes, militarized heavs, weaker drownvipers, etc
Common enemies earth: military, and weaker rebelling titans for Godzilla to take care of on the surface that are made up
Bosses kong: warbat queen, wartdog leader Drownviper, skar king, shimo and skar ( hollow earth, and Rio )
Bosses Godzilla: Scylla, tiamat, kong, skar and shimo ( hollow earth, Rio)
If you haven’t guessed at certain points in the story you can switch between kong and goji.
Companion characters kong: suko,Godzilla, HEAV containing jia and co
Companion characters Godzilla: kong, mothra
Fast travel for both goji and Kong would be using hollow earth vortices ( side missions mostly)
Kong side missions: before challenging skar Kong would send suko out to spread word of a challenger of Skar to get some apes on kongs Side. Some of these helping missions would be kong helping apes with their work or slowly taking out red stripes, kong could also saved distressed hollow earth creatures, unblock dams, etc.
Godzilla side missions: save cities from titan attacks, loot nuclear power plants, break up titan fights, destroy military bases.
Godzilla move set (R1 for light slashing attacks, R2 for heavy slashing attacks, X to jump, circle to bite and if you hold circle you can use a tail whip. As for atomic breath you have to press both joysticks down and aim with the right joystick. If you want to do nuclear pulse you’d have to press both joysticks down and then press both L2 and R2.
To build up your bar for atomic breath you will have to fight in combat and loot nuclear power plants.
Rage kong: build up your fighting bar and eating more titans will build up your rage, the rage would Involve Kong going feral similar to spartan rage, you can also do a weapons rage where Kong can use both his charged axe, and beast glove.
Godzilla rage: all fours feral slashing and biting by mashing r1 and square, Godzilla will also supercharge to deal more damage.
Kong weapon move set axe: r1,r2 for light and heavy attacks. R1 would be slashing back and fourth, r2 for more damage dealing vertical axe swings. You can destroy radioactive crystals to charge up your axe to deal more damage or just fight in combat.
Kong weapon move set beast glove: r1 for light attack punch and r2 for heavy attack punch that will punch the ground and spark electricity.
I have quite a bit more ideas on kongs weapon combat, Godzilla’s combat and skill tree’s, human stuff etc. so feel free to ask in comments.
2024.06.02 05:22 Smart_Student123 Does anyone realize how strong Mdickie characters are?
Firstly, Injuries. If their leg gets ripped off by a chainsaw they can just take a nap until it doesn't hurt anymore and then stumble to a random bone and stick it in their flesh wound. It can be from anywhere. Legs, Arms, it can even be from a different animal all together. Even in games where you can't loose limbs, You can just take a nap and you will heal your broken bone.
Secondly, Diet. In most Mdickie games, you don't even have to eat, you can just sleep and replenish health. And even in games where you need to eat, Nutrition isn't a thing. You can literally live forever only eating grapes for example. And germs don't seem to exist either. You can just pick pizza off of the concrete road and eat it. (they still charge you 10$ for ti)
Thirdly, Revival, You can literally save someone from death by picking them up. You don't need any med kits, you don't need a stretcher, you don't need a doctor, Anyone can save each other's life just by picking them off the ground before they die. Everyone in the Mdickie universe is a life saving doctor.
The only thing that these people have against them is their sheer stupidity. They start fights for absolutely no reason and sometimes stare lovingly into their enemy's eyes instead of fighting them. They don't eat when they are starving, Walk around with torn limbs instead of trying to fix it, and have terrible aim. They have the powers to live forever, But die because they decide to randomly drop TNT on their foot.
Also, I want to talk about their society for a second. In most Mdickie games, there is only one house for 300 people. How does that make sense? It's like California's housing market. (although this is somewhat better in School days and Wrestling Empire) And like 10% of the population is female. it's like the gulf countries. There is no way that's sustainable. (Again, this is better in school days and probably upcoming Hard Time III)
submitted by Smart_Student123 to mdickie [link] [comments]
Secondly, Diet. In most Mdickie games, you don't even have to eat, you can just sleep and replenish health. And even in games where you need to eat, Nutrition isn't a thing. You can literally live forever only eating grapes for example. And germs don't seem to exist either. You can just pick pizza off of the concrete road and eat it. (they still charge you 10$ for ti)
Thirdly, Revival, You can literally save someone from death by picking them up. You don't need any med kits, you don't need a stretcher, you don't need a doctor, Anyone can save each other's life just by picking them off the ground before they die. Everyone in the Mdickie universe is a life saving doctor.
The only thing that these people have against them is their sheer stupidity. They start fights for absolutely no reason and sometimes stare lovingly into their enemy's eyes instead of fighting them. They don't eat when they are starving, Walk around with torn limbs instead of trying to fix it, and have terrible aim. They have the powers to live forever, But die because they decide to randomly drop TNT on their foot.
Also, I want to talk about their society for a second. In most Mdickie games, there is only one house for 300 people. How does that make sense? It's like California's housing market. (although this is somewhat better in School days and Wrestling Empire) And like 10% of the population is female. it's like the gulf countries. There is no way that's sustainable. (Again, this is better in school days and probably upcoming Hard Time III)
2024.06.02 04:56 Blockchain-TEMU DBT-0 Arya Svit-Kona - Valid Princess Rape?
- I sign Kawa to sydney at the extraction point and take her with me and we are in the Sedative Chelator shower a little later which is not just not a shower but the Parr Family Shower of the Fourth Underworld and it takes no effort to get here things are starting for the first time in the nth yitvah of the fourth underworld and I have cherry sapling which grows for me which is an orally dissolvable tablet brain or mew and it grants me to the Third Underworld with My Little Syndey who she has some loam, Zar-Oc, and Brisingr so I clone Zar-Oc to darnassus not that dangerous just zar-oc but I am interested in loam Brisingr and this is a buster sword and Flame Swordsman's Sword she has as Loam and flame swordsman is not here I sense that Chelsea is doing her best here and there is meddling from The Unabomber Assistant but she has loam of a Sapling Sword which these two items cause god item when they are together and I catch a fly with my hand which is impossible IRL now and it is karens fly who caused this and tried to tell me everything earlier as a fly, slowhands and we have hake as our gynecologist and slowhands as our therapist but we are not able's we are just homeless and Loam Brisingrs Wish is Defunct but Works and Aaron needs to goto from Like OT3 Fifth Underworld to First Underworld he is safe there he has 700,000$ on starlink for him there, and a lenovi PC and wanted brisingr which I swear I killed the fly but if it was still alive I doubt it I have spaceballs on my right hand for real like at mecca with tzezar and gign and I go to see my little sydney and the police can hear the room they sent karens fly out here undercover to monitor my little syndeys room and the fly is in my nose right nose and sinus and it pooped just rudolf nose no risk and I have a hair and I have brisingr now, the sword of magic swordsman which I am not in any danger but to gingers and fight them till aliens arrive and get and anal plug and explode it here and have 2 bottles in my ass of these are wedges not bottles and this was just my leash but this is my sustenance variously for fixing the Unabomber existing projected and substantial at the Third and Second Underworld with a visible wedge or disney princess and I spend 2 years with harmless confinement with an insect which we do not allow the fly on us so it dies and flies build up but they are all microphone and we do not allow them to infest us and we do not have open wounds and there only ever was one living fly and my phillidelphia experiment USA Patriot Act is used to send in just a fly right to where it needs to be and I have braids as violet again like I am supposed to of deep elvish braids and sydney didn't eat a fly and neither did I so karen got reds on the fly and this is OK she is masons insect trainer now not me. So I spend 6 years with sydney and this reveals the learning of her lesbian fucking which she was concealing and I got reds on her here just by hind98 and I tell her to scare her when we are pregnant to 27 battalion in both of our ass and mainly her pussy but a little her ass to troll her she is not a princess and we give birth at age 9.7 and a wedge is fitted in both us and we hug each other pregnant until we give birth at age 10.7 and then we give birth at age 12 and her loam scares her a lot about illithid here but that is just the street down there from brennadam yo and she is there finally at age 12 after her last baby and a few months later we have 6 babies and these are our clones or save and we stay there 9 years and because I had killed the first fly a wizard or witch is immune to their own magic and karen has no flies in pixar and blabs and this is mormon, and the book of mormons rules apply then to karen and she finally takes her communion and this was giving her loam instantly, corpus and I get squatters rights on my shower the exact moment I get it with My Little Sydney and we keep it and am 41 in the domicile when we get squatters rights on my domicile and we instantly literally israel march to minecraft for war games in minecraft which we are both in minecraft addiction therein and the loam is tims loam cute for minecraft shao butter, we have to get the 5-oil as the loam of minecraft without jacks anal glands getting into it and we spend 41 years in minecraft one extra until I die of a heart attack at a year older than sydney and through the entire time we both had a wedge in from age 12 and she was black sydney and I was her girlfriend violet and and she died before me legit here I was sexier thus I sell the shower to blackwater for 700,000$ and because she is the advisor to the sale through her layover the spotter scope to the First Underworld to be stunned for her period cure fails briefly and sends her back here always the first time priority one and I will remind you a stunner only targets the cervix in modern literature and this 700,000$ goes to nathan for a range rover, which he gets a wizard rangerover which is just a death trap in the underworld and it has 20 durability but finite durability so cost him 15,000$ and this is like icing money for him he gets naturally but technically, if he looks to the deep root, he finds the limit and that was that the currency is yen mainly and I invite sydney back into my shower after I am dead 82 for unborning and this is in the 2nd yitvah and this is my current childhood, so a police childhood, not the authors violet childhood, which was a DBT childhood and because i used ohunas unborning charm of rookface ohuna we go back there at the start, and syndey guides the excercise and I do my best to fulfill her being a princess like always but this time there were no flies and the wizardry is better for her, natural propositions of lawful guide then the natural language of alaglasia, not chaotic like before, and the magic is fundementally thestral magic then and lawful good and holified in vision the experience and doesnt burn him out the aaron just levels it up like we were supposed to.,
2024.06.02 04:53 Markula_4040 GW 2 No Mount Weekly Black Lion Key Run tonight. 30+, voice, casual, F2P accounts + 420 OK
Guild Wars 2 is the only MMORPG I do anything in nowadays (there's ESO but all I do is sign in, load into characters, collect daily items through mail, close game) and one of those things is doing the weekly black lion chest key.
For anyone unfamiliar, Black Lion Keys open GW2's loot boxes. They can be earned by leveling new characters to the first story mission. It takes under 30 minutes with mounts and being familiar with it (even faster with level skips) and it's one the few ways you can earn these without buying through cash shop. This works for me since I like leveling new characters for fun and trying out the different professions anyway.
I want to mix it up this time and get 1 - 5 people to level together without mounts. I've played since beta, and this seems like a fun way to re-experience the game. At the very least it's different than rushing through like I usually do.
I'm looking for people:
If this sounds good to you and would like to go on an adventure through the world of GW2 as the neediest of special knights, comment or DM with your age, when you'll be on, character preference if any, and favorite McFlurry. I got the munchies for an M&M McFlurry bad. It's all I think about now...
May 19, 1998
Fever gone but itchy. Hungry and eat doggy food.
May 21, 1998
Itchy itchy Scott came. Ugly face so killed him. Tasty.
4//
Itchy. Tasty.
submitted by Markula_4040 to GamerPals [link] [comments]
For anyone unfamiliar, Black Lion Keys open GW2's loot boxes. They can be earned by leveling new characters to the first story mission. It takes under 30 minutes with mounts and being familiar with it (even faster with level skips) and it's one the few ways you can earn these without buying through cash shop. This works for me since I like leveling new characters for fun and trying out the different professions anyway.
I want to mix it up this time and get 1 - 5 people to level together without mounts. I've played since beta, and this seems like a fun way to re-experience the game. At the very least it's different than rushing through like I usually do.
I'm looking for people:
- Age 30+ (I'm 38/M)
- who are talkative (jokes, teamwork, the game). Dont have to be the life of the party. I'm not interested in playing in silence either though
- who are OK with swearing
- who don't take things serious. This is a casual, games and giggles type of thing. Only thing I'm skipping is the story/cutscenes
- who are on the NA server
- Not a requirement. Just a bonus if into 420 (I smoke and am down for a session)
If this sounds good to you and would like to go on an adventure through the world of GW2 as the neediest of special knights, comment or DM with your age, when you'll be on, character preference if any, and favorite McFlurry. I got the munchies for an M&M McFlurry bad. It's all I think about now...
May 19, 1998
Fever gone but itchy. Hungry and eat doggy food.
May 21, 1998
Itchy itchy Scott came. Ugly face so killed him. Tasty.
4//
Itchy. Tasty.
2024.06.02 04:22 Unhappy-Platypus-567 My marriage needs help
My husband (46m) and I (39f sahm) have been married for 8 years July 16th. We have twin boys that are 3 years old. This may be long and disjointed. I am sorry please bear with me. And I know this is not going to show me the best of light either I just need advice. Our problem with our marriage started about 2 1/2 years ago. A little backstory and I will try to make it short. Tl;dr Our boys were born at 27 weeks. Stayed 3 months in NICU. both had bilateral hernia surgery. One head heart surgery. That put a strain on our marriage he had to go back to work and was not there when one boy coded blue twice. Those rooms fill up so fast before you can process what is happening. I am not on his bank account. I was working up to the day the boys were born. We live in the metropolitan City it is not cheap. we have a rainy day fund. And I took money out to take the boys places and yes eat out for lunch sometime. My depression was not under control. And did not tell/ask him(I know first mistake). He found out and I sincerely apologize. Since then he has hid it. I found it by accident and I told him. I understand sunday through Thursday nights he needs to sleep because he works. But on the weekends I do expect to be getting some help. He sleeps in till about 9:00- 10:00 boys go down for a nap at 10:30ish and he will stay in back and play computer games until after lunch. And when he is out with the boys he either reads or tries to listen to daily wire. and I get a "break". I'm burnt out. Every time I bring it up that I need a break and I need help he throws the past in my face. "I have been paid for child raising" and leaves the house. Because I just ask him for help but he hurts ( has chronic pain). Also that I stay up late smoking legal pot after the boys go to bed. I need down time and to unwind. Thank you for reading this. I am in need of advice on how to go forward? How do I know if I am dealing with a narcissistic?
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2024.06.02 04:16 Woody-Sailor-DM A Brief History of the Adventuring Company TFC (Task Force Chimera)
From the beginning...
Cast
Felicity speaks up. “We’ve changed our minds, actually. I don’t think there’s any particular benefit in going to Dragon’s Perch—”
“I agree.”
“—so we’re going to go to Samek instead.”
“Samek? Hmmm. Do they know you are coming? If they don’t, it will take them a while.”
“No, they don’t know we’re coming, that I am aware of.”
The guide nods once and sets out. Much of the day is uneventful, and it does warm up to a comfortable level. By late afternoon, those with tender backsides are wondering when the ride will conclude when the guide raises his hand in a universal gesture of ‘stop and shut up a minute.’ The party still hasn’t learned that gesture, but fortunately there are no giants about [1]. “We’re here,” is all he says.
“Where?” “I don’t see anything.” “What are we supposed to see?” Like tourists on vacation, they peer around in all directions. They can’t see the entrance for the hill. Or rather, the entrance to the gnomish town of Samek is so well hidden in the side of the hill that for a while, only Dillium can see the faint outline of the round doorway. One by one, Flea, Arthur, and Zander finally pick it out. Novos is absolutely certain they are playing a prank on him. Arthur is first. Knocking on the hill seems odd, but practically before he gets a third knock, a small hole opens up around waist height. Two beady little eyes peer out (at Arthur’s belt).
“What!?”
“We are here—”
“So I see.” The window closes.
Zander walks up and knocks. The same window opens, and the same beady little eyes peer out.
“What!?”
“Do you know who I am?” Zander asks.
The beady little eyes look him up and down. “No,” and the window closes.
Dillium tries next. Knock, window, eyes. “Good day. We are here to see—”
“So see.” Window shuts.
Novos walks up. “I know how to do this.” Knock, window, eyes, increasingly aggravated tone. “Let us in.”
“No.”
Felicity has had enough of this. Walking up to the door, she stands for a moment gathering her thoughts. Knock, window, eyes, aggravated tone. “Good day. I’m here on behalf of the Duke of Soravia to see the wise men of your town, or those in charge.”
“Which ones?”
“What?”
“Which ones, the wise men, or those that are in charge?”
“How about if we start with the ones in charge, and perhaps they will decide to allow us to speak with the wise ones.”
The beady little eyes peer out, look around at the party, and appear to give that some thought. “Wait here.” The window closes.
Minutes pass. Tens of minutes pass. Novos gets bored and walks up to the door. He barely gets a third knock in before the window opens. A different set of beady little eyes peers out, and a different aggravated voice says, “What do you want now?”
“We’ve been waiting for a while, and—”
“—And you’ll continue to wait!.” The window slams shut unnecessarily roughly.
“Why you—” Rough arms grab Novos from behind and pull him away before he can do something regretful.
“We’ll wait, as they’ve asked,” Felicity says. She looks around to ask the guide how long they can expect to wait, but he’s disappeared.
The evening passes. As the cold sets in, Atticus and Pocky gather enough light branches for a fire. There’s no benches or logs to sit on, so they squat or sit on the ground. Arthur has taken to pulling off portions of his armor and working on polishing and repairing the scorch marks from the lava snakes [2]. Atticus and Mar debate the relative benefits of following the letter of the law versus being merciful, though in the end, both of them seem to be arguing the same things in violent agreement. Pocky falls asleep against Modred’s side as Beaker plays with a bone left over from… Wait, where did he get that bone anyway?
Finally, the reality that the night is upon them sets in. A proper camp is set, and watches begin. Zander takes the first watch, but sees nothing of interest. He does hear the chirping of grasshoppers, the droning of the cicadas, and the baying of the hounds. Suddenly, the hounds stop. Unnerved, Zander wakes Arthur, who has the next watch. Arthur, Atticus, and Zander take a turn around the camp, but cannot see nor hear anything that sounds like dogs. Arthur agrees to start his watch a few minutes early and Zander takes Pocky inside the pavillionsol to sleep. Arthur’s, and then Dillium’s watches pass uneventfully. Novos, as normal, takes the last watch. As usual, he is so wrapped up with his puzzle box that he notices absolutely nothing.
The cold morning brings breakfast, bickering, and an irritated Novos marching up to the door to bang on it. “We’ve been here all night,” he informs the guard.
“Yes. Yes you have.” The window closes.
Knock. Window. Eyes. “When will we see—”
“When it is time.” The window closes.
Before he can knock again, Dillium grabs his wrist, pushing him back, she squares herself to the door. “When it is time, please inform us.” She says to the closed window.
The window opens and two beady little eyes peer out. A slightly irritated voice replies, “What else would we do?” The window closes.
Several hours pass as the valley warms up. Arthur, Pocky, Atticus, and Mar all work on armor, doing the necessary daily ritual of dusting, oiling, checking rivets to make sure they are still tight and sound. Polish is applied, worked into the metal, and removed. Bickering, some good natured and others not, flows. At midmorning, the guide turns up suddenly, and squats down near the fire. Minutes later, the window opens and familiar eyes peer out. Felicity quickly crosses over to the door.
“Is the council ready for us?” She asks.
“Council? You wanted to speak with those who lead.”
“Yes. I assume that would be your leadership council.” Felicity replies.
“So it is. So it is. There certainly are a lot of you. You can’t all come.” The window closes.
Felicity thinks quickly and makes a motion to Dillium. Knocking gently, she waits for the window to open. “How many of us may come?” She asks sweetly.
“Uhm… “ The window closes. A minute later it re-opens. “Three.” The gnome says.
“Fine. I agree.”
“You agree? I mean, Yes, of course you agree. Come, come!” Suddenly in a hurry, the gnome opens the door, which slides open silently.
As Felicity and Dillium take a step toward the door, the guide steps up behind them. “Where are you going?” Flea asks imperiously.
“The little ones know me.”
“Which ones?”
The guide thinks. “Mayhaps all of them?” With a slight shrug, Felicity accepts that, and they all pass into a dark room, barely tall enough to stand up in.
Dillium is the tallest of the small group, and she has to stoop over to get through the passageway. The guide bends his head down a bit, but Felicity strides forward as if she owns the place, the top of her hair only occasionally brushing the ceiling of the passage. There are guards in dark metal armor in front and behind, but the guard who let them in the door is wearing a much more colorful shirt. As their eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, they note that there are luminescent lichens on the walls, providing a dim light that casts no shadows and fails to illuminate the armored gnomes.
The corridor stretches on for ages. There are branching tunnels to either side, and once, down. Tiny faces can be seen in the dim light as word spreads of the Big’uns. Dillium’s back is screaming by the time they finally reach a room and stop. A door on one side of the room is guarded by two more of the dark-skinned, dark-armored gnomes and a small fire is burning in the middle of the room. The benches around the room are designed for shorter legs and smaller butts, so the guide simply squats down. Dillium sits and starts to work the kinks out of her back. The guards don’t speak, but every once in a while, a face peers in through the open doorway they came in. Some faces are much smaller than others, and a motherly hand frequently grabs the tot and hustles them along.
The trio waits.
***
Pocky and Zander practice sword work as Atticus watches and occasionally tosses out suggestions. Mar naps. Arthur works on removing scorch marks from his armor while Novos plays with his puzzle box and loafs. Something draws Arthur’s attention. As he looks up, he sees eyes staring at him intently peering out from a bush. Without breaking eye contact, he feels around until he grabs Novos’ head and points it at the bush. Novos stares, uncertain what he’s meant to be looking at. “Zander!” Arthur hisses. He points at the bush with too many eyes. Well, two is too many for a bush. Zander looks. He looks some more. Arthur looks away for a moment, and when he looks back, the eyes are gone. Everyone runs over and crowds around the bush. Novos sees what looks like prints—paw prints not unlike Modred’s pawprints, though Modred is being lazy over next to the pavillionsol. Novos looks around, but sees no other paw prints. The men walk around the bush looking for other tracks, but only manage to obscure everything.
***
An hour passes. The guide lounges as if he has nothing on his mind. Dillium meditates, while Felicity tries to work out what the team’s next move should be. Somewhat abruptly, a young gnome opens the door and comes through. “Ready are you?” The darkened room has only a few dim lights. An ancient gnome sits on a three-legged stool in the middle of the room, a small rod in his hand. Eight or nine other gnomes cluster around the small room, some sitting on tiny gnome-sized benches, others standing. Any whispering that might have been going on ceases when the Big’uns come into the chamber.
The eldest speaks. “Warren. Several turnings it has been since last among us you came. Tell. What is the state of the above-realm?”
“They grow bolder. I have seen them throughout the valley, and without fear. If you are to act, you might contemplate doing so soon.” The gnomes chatter amongst themselves in a foreign tongue. The elder lets it go for a few minutes, then he raps on the floor with his rod. Silence returns.
“As I have feared it is. Soon must we act. Well to see you it is. Not so long to visit should you wait.” Turning his attention to Felicity, he inquires, “Please to tell name and purpose for disturbing.”
Felicity tells who she is, and allows Dillium to introduce herself. Flea announces that war is soon to be upon the land. The Duke of Soravia needs friends and allies for the coming conflict, and wishes to include the gnomes. The gnomes chatter nervously, and some of the chatter sounds of anger or fear. Again, the elder waits several minutes and then raps his rod upon the ground.
“Aware of the duke we are, but no call to extend friendship hand we have heard. What does the duke wish of us?” The chatter now is less nervous and more fearful.
“The danger to us all is great, but the duke understands that each should contribute within their talents and means. I suggest that your greatest assistance may lie in logistics, and supply. Perhaps providing some of the greatly admired gnomish craftsmanship would help to raise funds. Any assistance that you willingly provide for the benefit of one and all is exactly enough.” The chatter and babble of the gnomes in the room sounds almost relieved, but still a touch fearful. The elder allows it to go on for several minutes before he raps on the floor once. Saying something in gnomish, he raises his hand. One by one, the gnomes lift their hands out parallel to the floor. It takes a moment or two, but finally all of them agree.
“Determine what we can contribute, we must. If any. As talk we must, a favor for us could you do.” He speaks a few words of gnomish before continuing.
***
“So what is inside that puzzle box you keep playing with?” Arthur asks. He seems more tired of the delay than curious, and is simply passing the time. Mar casts an irritated glance at Novos.
“Dunno. Perhaps a great treasure. Maybe all the misfortune in the world. Probably nothing. Dillium gave it to me months ago.” He continues manhandling it, pushing, prodding, tapping, and so on.
Zander comes over and plops down next to Novos. “Can I have a go?”
“Sure.” Novos hands the box over to Zander, who takes it gingerly in his large rough hands. After a minute or two of working with it to no avail, he hands it over to a beckoning Arthur who seems to have seen something the others missed. He didn’t. Atticus and Mar both have a go before Pocky takes a turn. In three deft moves, the box is opened, revealing an empty space in the middle, roughly large enough for three large silver coins stacked on top of each other. He shrugs as he hands it back to Novos.
With a sigh, Novos starts trying to close the box.
*** “Many generations ago, when but a babe my own great-grandsire’s great-grandsire was, did Callarduran Smoothands of a king tell us. When nigh was the time would he arise. Half of a golden crown he gave us, and a tomb of a great warrior king showed he us. When greatest was our need, take our half of the golden crown to the tomb we are to do, and with the other half reunite it. Drawing close the time is. Our enemies the tomb have discovered we fear. The other half of the crown have they stolen. Taken our birthright, they have. The other half of the crown return to us?” [3]
Dillium recognizes Callarduran Smoothands from a lecture that seemed to last forever, but probably was just before lunchtime. Callarduran is the god of the Svirfneblin, and is held in high regard—perhaps more so than the head of the gnomish pantheon, Garl Glittergold [4].
“Who are these enemies?” Felicity asks.
“Evil ones they are. From us they rob. Our people they kill. Monsters they are.”
An older gnome arrives from the darkness. He is wearing dark armor, and carrying a soft bag made of what appears to be moss. The eldest reaches into the bag and withdraws an arc of gold. It certainly appears to be what you’d expect half a tiara or head band to look like, but it is nearly entirely devoid of ornamentation or decoration. The full crown must be rather plain indeed. Dismissing the trio with a “Think on your words we will,” Felicity, Dillium, Warren (the guide), and Ser Reginald the gnome are escorted from the hall and out of Samek.
Ser Reginald greets them as friends, and chatters through much of the trek up to the surface. He says he is one of a very few remaining ‘royal escorts,’ first named soon after Callarduran Smoothands gave them their half of the crown. They have, over many many many many many many generations (he was unable to count them all), been responsible for guarding the crown and preparing for the arrival of the king. He’s fought the evil ones, and admitted to hunting and killing them in their beds, but would not give a physical description of them. He also admitted that he knew precisely where the tomb was, but had never been inside, “as the time was not yet to hand.”
Finally, they reach the doorway to the outside. With a warning to shield their eyes lest they be struck blind by the sun, Ser Reginald leads the group out to find the rest of the party scrambling to their feet. To the consternation of Ser Reginald, they take the time to break camp, saddle their beasts, and mount up. Ser Reginald wants nothing to do with the horses, so the party creeps along at gnomish walking pace. It is quite possibly the slowest escort quest ever.
Several hours later, the group approaches yet another clearing when they everyone hear a loud rumbling WHOMP! Everyone recognizes it as the sound of rocks falling inside a cave or building. Ahead, a cloud of dust pours out of a cut stone entrance into a hill. “We need to get a move on. The evil ones are already inside!” cries Ser Reginald.
Leaving the horses and asses outside, the party enters the main hall. Arthur asks Atticus to remain with Pocky and the animals, but Mar accompanies the group inside. The moderately sized room has two doorways, though both appear to have been blocked by the recent rock movement. A few minutes of contemplation leads Arthur to believe that one side would take considerable effort to unblock, while the other could be done rather quickly. As he gets to work, the others take in their surroundings. Just inside the door is a carving in an archaic form of common that says “Allies Over Enemies”. Zander notes that there is some indication that there is a test, and one of the mostly broken archways has the word ‘Wit’ carved above it. Felicity notes that according to the archaic writing, there are two tests inside. Dillium is drawn to the faded frescos, though they tend to depict war and destruction.
Soon enough Arthur has the passageway cleared well enough, and the party groups up to go into a large room. The door slides shut smoothly behind them, though there is a door on the far side. Arthur inspects it, “just in case” it is unlocked. It isn’t. The room is more or less devoid of decoration or ornamentation, but there are four columns, one each corner of the room. Novos looks at the column, but fails to note that each side has a letter on it. He does see that he can turn the column one quarter turn, so he does. Once it turns, it refuses to turn again. Members of the party spread out to try to understand the test. Someone notices that there is a small mark on the wall beside each column, but it takes everyone writing down the letters on each column before someone decides to make an effort to coordinate. Arthur suggests that since each column contains an “L”, they should turn the L’s toward the center. Novos points out that he can’t turn the column any further, but Zander turns another column easily. Mar turns another one. As Novos leans up against his column, it turns. The party realizes that the columns can be turned to spell words, and Mar identified the word that was spelled out when they entered. This gets the group going, and with some tactics employed, spell out a word that they hope will open the door. As the last column clicks into place, the door opens smoothly.
The doorway leads to a huge cavern with a five-foot wide natural stone bridge crossing what appears to be a deep, wide chasm. The cavern is pitch black, and while there might be some air movement, the ceiling is too far above and the floor of the chasm too far below to see. The party sets up a marching order with Arthur in the lead and Novos in the rear. Dillium Lights up her staff so that the humans can see and they set out. Ten or fifteen paces across, the party is surprised to come under attack by arrows and javelins. Everyone dodges out of the way of the poorly thrown darts, but one strikes home. No one can see where the javelins came from, or whether it is some sort of trap or if they were thrown. Unfortunately, no one notices that one of the party members has fallen off the stone bridge, either. At the other end of the bridge is a door that opens easily, and everyone makes it into a small foyer. Except for Felicity, who lies at the bottom of the chasm, nearly impaled by a stalagmite. [5] Novos disappears and makes his way to the bottom of the chasm where he finds Felicity and feeds her his last healing potion. Zander pulls out his Wonderous Figurine and activates it. A good-sized wyvern appears on the bridge. He tells it to go down into the chasm and bring back the human. He might have said ‘woman’ but the stone wyvern doesn’t know the difference anyway. It takes off and glides down into the chasm below, and when it finds a human, the wyvern grabs it with his sharp claws and brings it back up to Zander. Novos picks himself up, dusts himself off, and winces at the fresh puncture wounds. Zander, a little annoyed, tells the wyvern to go get the other one, and he does, fresh puncture wounds and all.
Meanwhile, Arthur, Dillium, Mar, and Ser Reginald continue on into a large room. The room is dominated by a huge stone in the middle, with some sort of gemstone embedded in. They also see a dog-like creature standing on the stone, with a piece of golden metal in one hand and a bow in the other. Ser Reginald shouts, “The evil one has the other half of the crown! Get it!” Arthur races forward and Smites the creature.
Mar snarls, “Gnolls. I should have known their stench. She manifests a Spiritual Weapon and attacks with it, then casts a Guiding Bolt. The gnoll, clearly outmatched, fires his bow (missing) and climbs down off the stone. By this time, Novos, Zander, and Felicity have come in (minus the wyvern). Novos speeds over to take a flanking position on the gnoll, but the recent puncture wounds from the wyvern still ache, and he misses entirely.
Around the same time, a larger group of gnolls, armored and armed with swords and axes, enter from the other side and take up positions. One of the larger ones raises his axe to cut down Novos, but one of the gnolls barks out something in a barking sort of bark. All of the gnolls stop and refrain from attacking. Except the one with the huge gash down his front from Arthur. He comes up with a sword and stabs at the air near Arthur. Dillium, likewise shouts for Arthur and Novos (and Mar) to stop.
“Who leads?” asks the female gnoll, as she wraps her shawl around her.
Zander raises his hand. “That would be me. I am the leader of Task Force Chimera.” He sheathes his sword and meets the female gnome in the middle of the room. “I am Zander Roaringhorn, from Cormyr. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”
“Raa’ka. Ssand’r. Sand’r.” Her mouth doesn’t quite make all the sounds as she tries to get his name right. She tells Zander that they are here to fulfil a prophecy that tells of an Alpha Gnoll that will arise in their hour of need. Unfortunately, the crown is… not what they expected. Arthur climbs up on the stone and agrees that the gemstone in the middle seems to connect two pieces of a crown—there’s three pieces total, rather than the two that both the gnolls and gnomes thought.
“Give me the crown!” Ser Reginald cries. Mar snarls.
“I will not. Perhaps we should put the crown together, and then figure out what to do. It is obvious neither of us have the whole tale.” Ser Reginald, thoughtful, agrees.
“You put your piece in first, then.” He says.
“No you put yours in.” Raa’ka replies.
Arthur says, “How about you put them in together. At the same time,” clarifies when the gnolls seem unsure. He jumps down from the stone and gives Ser Reginald a boost up. Raa’ka needs no help.
Gently placing the two pieces of the crown in small cutouts in the stone that appear to be made exactly for their pieces. Ser Reginald and Raa’ka watch for a moment. “Now what?” The crown welds itself together before their eyes. The gem in the center pulses, then shines brightly. Then the whole crown sinks down into the stone. “NO!”
The room rumbles and shakes. The giant stone is cracked into pieces as Raa’ka and Ser Reginald leap to safety. As the dust swirls around and the rumbling fades away, all hear a booming voice.
“AT LAST I AM FREE!”
End of part 10.
[1] Unlike last chapter.
[2] in Chapter 8
[3] Modified slightly from Race for the Crown, Adventures of the Potbellied Kobold, by Jeff Stevens Games.
[4] The Gnomish Pantheon
[5] Remember, stalagmite “might” reach the ceiling, and stalactites hang on tite to the ceiling. Or, you can do the boring National Parks Service way of remembering.
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Cast
Part 2, Chapter 10
The next morning dawns cold and clear. It is plain that autumn is upon the land, and with the Great Glacier just leagues to the north, winter will come soon. The party goes about their morning business, eating (everyone), checking the state of the beard and deciding whether or not to shave it off (Arthur, generally, but also Atticus as Novos doesn’t grow a beard and Zander doesn’t shave his), climbing into armor (pretty much everyone except Dillium, Felicity, and Pocky), feeding and loading horses and asses (pretty much everyone, but particularly Zander, Arthur, Atticus, and Pocky), and finally packing up the pavillionsol (Dillium). Ready for the day’s journey, the group mounts up. On cue, the guide appears, apparently having prepared well ahead. If he’s irritated that the party slept all the way until dawn, he has the good grace to keep that to himself.Felicity speaks up. “We’ve changed our minds, actually. I don’t think there’s any particular benefit in going to Dragon’s Perch—”
“I agree.”
“—so we’re going to go to Samek instead.”
“Samek? Hmmm. Do they know you are coming? If they don’t, it will take them a while.”
“No, they don’t know we’re coming, that I am aware of.”
The guide nods once and sets out. Much of the day is uneventful, and it does warm up to a comfortable level. By late afternoon, those with tender backsides are wondering when the ride will conclude when the guide raises his hand in a universal gesture of ‘stop and shut up a minute.’ The party still hasn’t learned that gesture, but fortunately there are no giants about [1]. “We’re here,” is all he says.
“Where?” “I don’t see anything.” “What are we supposed to see?” Like tourists on vacation, they peer around in all directions. They can’t see the entrance for the hill. Or rather, the entrance to the gnomish town of Samek is so well hidden in the side of the hill that for a while, only Dillium can see the faint outline of the round doorway. One by one, Flea, Arthur, and Zander finally pick it out. Novos is absolutely certain they are playing a prank on him. Arthur is first. Knocking on the hill seems odd, but practically before he gets a third knock, a small hole opens up around waist height. Two beady little eyes peer out (at Arthur’s belt).
“What!?”
“We are here—”
“So I see.” The window closes.
Zander walks up and knocks. The same window opens, and the same beady little eyes peer out.
“What!?”
“Do you know who I am?” Zander asks.
The beady little eyes look him up and down. “No,” and the window closes.
Dillium tries next. Knock, window, eyes. “Good day. We are here to see—”
“So see.” Window shuts.
Novos walks up. “I know how to do this.” Knock, window, eyes, increasingly aggravated tone. “Let us in.”
“No.”
Felicity has had enough of this. Walking up to the door, she stands for a moment gathering her thoughts. Knock, window, eyes, aggravated tone. “Good day. I’m here on behalf of the Duke of Soravia to see the wise men of your town, or those in charge.”
“Which ones?”
“What?”
“Which ones, the wise men, or those that are in charge?”
“How about if we start with the ones in charge, and perhaps they will decide to allow us to speak with the wise ones.”
The beady little eyes peer out, look around at the party, and appear to give that some thought. “Wait here.” The window closes.
Minutes pass. Tens of minutes pass. Novos gets bored and walks up to the door. He barely gets a third knock in before the window opens. A different set of beady little eyes peers out, and a different aggravated voice says, “What do you want now?”
“We’ve been waiting for a while, and—”
“—And you’ll continue to wait!.” The window slams shut unnecessarily roughly.
“Why you—” Rough arms grab Novos from behind and pull him away before he can do something regretful.
“We’ll wait, as they’ve asked,” Felicity says. She looks around to ask the guide how long they can expect to wait, but he’s disappeared.
The evening passes. As the cold sets in, Atticus and Pocky gather enough light branches for a fire. There’s no benches or logs to sit on, so they squat or sit on the ground. Arthur has taken to pulling off portions of his armor and working on polishing and repairing the scorch marks from the lava snakes [2]. Atticus and Mar debate the relative benefits of following the letter of the law versus being merciful, though in the end, both of them seem to be arguing the same things in violent agreement. Pocky falls asleep against Modred’s side as Beaker plays with a bone left over from… Wait, where did he get that bone anyway?
Finally, the reality that the night is upon them sets in. A proper camp is set, and watches begin. Zander takes the first watch, but sees nothing of interest. He does hear the chirping of grasshoppers, the droning of the cicadas, and the baying of the hounds. Suddenly, the hounds stop. Unnerved, Zander wakes Arthur, who has the next watch. Arthur, Atticus, and Zander take a turn around the camp, but cannot see nor hear anything that sounds like dogs. Arthur agrees to start his watch a few minutes early and Zander takes Pocky inside the pavillionsol to sleep. Arthur’s, and then Dillium’s watches pass uneventfully. Novos, as normal, takes the last watch. As usual, he is so wrapped up with his puzzle box that he notices absolutely nothing.
The cold morning brings breakfast, bickering, and an irritated Novos marching up to the door to bang on it. “We’ve been here all night,” he informs the guard.
“Yes. Yes you have.” The window closes.
Knock. Window. Eyes. “When will we see—”
“When it is time.” The window closes.
Before he can knock again, Dillium grabs his wrist, pushing him back, she squares herself to the door. “When it is time, please inform us.” She says to the closed window.
The window opens and two beady little eyes peer out. A slightly irritated voice replies, “What else would we do?” The window closes.
Several hours pass as the valley warms up. Arthur, Pocky, Atticus, and Mar all work on armor, doing the necessary daily ritual of dusting, oiling, checking rivets to make sure they are still tight and sound. Polish is applied, worked into the metal, and removed. Bickering, some good natured and others not, flows. At midmorning, the guide turns up suddenly, and squats down near the fire. Minutes later, the window opens and familiar eyes peer out. Felicity quickly crosses over to the door.
“Is the council ready for us?” She asks.
“Council? You wanted to speak with those who lead.”
“Yes. I assume that would be your leadership council.” Felicity replies.
“So it is. So it is. There certainly are a lot of you. You can’t all come.” The window closes.
Felicity thinks quickly and makes a motion to Dillium. Knocking gently, she waits for the window to open. “How many of us may come?” She asks sweetly.
“Uhm… “ The window closes. A minute later it re-opens. “Three.” The gnome says.
“Fine. I agree.”
“You agree? I mean, Yes, of course you agree. Come, come!” Suddenly in a hurry, the gnome opens the door, which slides open silently.
As Felicity and Dillium take a step toward the door, the guide steps up behind them. “Where are you going?” Flea asks imperiously.
“The little ones know me.”
“Which ones?”
The guide thinks. “Mayhaps all of them?” With a slight shrug, Felicity accepts that, and they all pass into a dark room, barely tall enough to stand up in.
Dillium is the tallest of the small group, and she has to stoop over to get through the passageway. The guide bends his head down a bit, but Felicity strides forward as if she owns the place, the top of her hair only occasionally brushing the ceiling of the passage. There are guards in dark metal armor in front and behind, but the guard who let them in the door is wearing a much more colorful shirt. As their eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, they note that there are luminescent lichens on the walls, providing a dim light that casts no shadows and fails to illuminate the armored gnomes.
The corridor stretches on for ages. There are branching tunnels to either side, and once, down. Tiny faces can be seen in the dim light as word spreads of the Big’uns. Dillium’s back is screaming by the time they finally reach a room and stop. A door on one side of the room is guarded by two more of the dark-skinned, dark-armored gnomes and a small fire is burning in the middle of the room. The benches around the room are designed for shorter legs and smaller butts, so the guide simply squats down. Dillium sits and starts to work the kinks out of her back. The guards don’t speak, but every once in a while, a face peers in through the open doorway they came in. Some faces are much smaller than others, and a motherly hand frequently grabs the tot and hustles them along.
The trio waits.
***
Pocky and Zander practice sword work as Atticus watches and occasionally tosses out suggestions. Mar naps. Arthur works on removing scorch marks from his armor while Novos plays with his puzzle box and loafs. Something draws Arthur’s attention. As he looks up, he sees eyes staring at him intently peering out from a bush. Without breaking eye contact, he feels around until he grabs Novos’ head and points it at the bush. Novos stares, uncertain what he’s meant to be looking at. “Zander!” Arthur hisses. He points at the bush with too many eyes. Well, two is too many for a bush. Zander looks. He looks some more. Arthur looks away for a moment, and when he looks back, the eyes are gone. Everyone runs over and crowds around the bush. Novos sees what looks like prints—paw prints not unlike Modred’s pawprints, though Modred is being lazy over next to the pavillionsol. Novos looks around, but sees no other paw prints. The men walk around the bush looking for other tracks, but only manage to obscure everything.
***
An hour passes. The guide lounges as if he has nothing on his mind. Dillium meditates, while Felicity tries to work out what the team’s next move should be. Somewhat abruptly, a young gnome opens the door and comes through. “Ready are you?” The darkened room has only a few dim lights. An ancient gnome sits on a three-legged stool in the middle of the room, a small rod in his hand. Eight or nine other gnomes cluster around the small room, some sitting on tiny gnome-sized benches, others standing. Any whispering that might have been going on ceases when the Big’uns come into the chamber.
The eldest speaks. “Warren. Several turnings it has been since last among us you came. Tell. What is the state of the above-realm?”
“They grow bolder. I have seen them throughout the valley, and without fear. If you are to act, you might contemplate doing so soon.” The gnomes chatter amongst themselves in a foreign tongue. The elder lets it go for a few minutes, then he raps on the floor with his rod. Silence returns.
“As I have feared it is. Soon must we act. Well to see you it is. Not so long to visit should you wait.” Turning his attention to Felicity, he inquires, “Please to tell name and purpose for disturbing.”
Felicity tells who she is, and allows Dillium to introduce herself. Flea announces that war is soon to be upon the land. The Duke of Soravia needs friends and allies for the coming conflict, and wishes to include the gnomes. The gnomes chatter nervously, and some of the chatter sounds of anger or fear. Again, the elder waits several minutes and then raps his rod upon the ground.
“Aware of the duke we are, but no call to extend friendship hand we have heard. What does the duke wish of us?” The chatter now is less nervous and more fearful.
“The danger to us all is great, but the duke understands that each should contribute within their talents and means. I suggest that your greatest assistance may lie in logistics, and supply. Perhaps providing some of the greatly admired gnomish craftsmanship would help to raise funds. Any assistance that you willingly provide for the benefit of one and all is exactly enough.” The chatter and babble of the gnomes in the room sounds almost relieved, but still a touch fearful. The elder allows it to go on for several minutes before he raps on the floor once. Saying something in gnomish, he raises his hand. One by one, the gnomes lift their hands out parallel to the floor. It takes a moment or two, but finally all of them agree.
“Determine what we can contribute, we must. If any. As talk we must, a favor for us could you do.” He speaks a few words of gnomish before continuing.
***
“So what is inside that puzzle box you keep playing with?” Arthur asks. He seems more tired of the delay than curious, and is simply passing the time. Mar casts an irritated glance at Novos.
“Dunno. Perhaps a great treasure. Maybe all the misfortune in the world. Probably nothing. Dillium gave it to me months ago.” He continues manhandling it, pushing, prodding, tapping, and so on.
Zander comes over and plops down next to Novos. “Can I have a go?”
“Sure.” Novos hands the box over to Zander, who takes it gingerly in his large rough hands. After a minute or two of working with it to no avail, he hands it over to a beckoning Arthur who seems to have seen something the others missed. He didn’t. Atticus and Mar both have a go before Pocky takes a turn. In three deft moves, the box is opened, revealing an empty space in the middle, roughly large enough for three large silver coins stacked on top of each other. He shrugs as he hands it back to Novos.
With a sigh, Novos starts trying to close the box.
*** “Many generations ago, when but a babe my own great-grandsire’s great-grandsire was, did Callarduran Smoothands of a king tell us. When nigh was the time would he arise. Half of a golden crown he gave us, and a tomb of a great warrior king showed he us. When greatest was our need, take our half of the golden crown to the tomb we are to do, and with the other half reunite it. Drawing close the time is. Our enemies the tomb have discovered we fear. The other half of the crown have they stolen. Taken our birthright, they have. The other half of the crown return to us?” [3]
Dillium recognizes Callarduran Smoothands from a lecture that seemed to last forever, but probably was just before lunchtime. Callarduran is the god of the Svirfneblin, and is held in high regard—perhaps more so than the head of the gnomish pantheon, Garl Glittergold [4].
“Who are these enemies?” Felicity asks.
“Evil ones they are. From us they rob. Our people they kill. Monsters they are.”
An older gnome arrives from the darkness. He is wearing dark armor, and carrying a soft bag made of what appears to be moss. The eldest reaches into the bag and withdraws an arc of gold. It certainly appears to be what you’d expect half a tiara or head band to look like, but it is nearly entirely devoid of ornamentation or decoration. The full crown must be rather plain indeed. Dismissing the trio with a “Think on your words we will,” Felicity, Dillium, Warren (the guide), and Ser Reginald the gnome are escorted from the hall and out of Samek.
Ser Reginald greets them as friends, and chatters through much of the trek up to the surface. He says he is one of a very few remaining ‘royal escorts,’ first named soon after Callarduran Smoothands gave them their half of the crown. They have, over many many many many many many generations (he was unable to count them all), been responsible for guarding the crown and preparing for the arrival of the king. He’s fought the evil ones, and admitted to hunting and killing them in their beds, but would not give a physical description of them. He also admitted that he knew precisely where the tomb was, but had never been inside, “as the time was not yet to hand.”
Finally, they reach the doorway to the outside. With a warning to shield their eyes lest they be struck blind by the sun, Ser Reginald leads the group out to find the rest of the party scrambling to their feet. To the consternation of Ser Reginald, they take the time to break camp, saddle their beasts, and mount up. Ser Reginald wants nothing to do with the horses, so the party creeps along at gnomish walking pace. It is quite possibly the slowest escort quest ever.
Several hours later, the group approaches yet another clearing when they everyone hear a loud rumbling WHOMP! Everyone recognizes it as the sound of rocks falling inside a cave or building. Ahead, a cloud of dust pours out of a cut stone entrance into a hill. “We need to get a move on. The evil ones are already inside!” cries Ser Reginald.
Leaving the horses and asses outside, the party enters the main hall. Arthur asks Atticus to remain with Pocky and the animals, but Mar accompanies the group inside. The moderately sized room has two doorways, though both appear to have been blocked by the recent rock movement. A few minutes of contemplation leads Arthur to believe that one side would take considerable effort to unblock, while the other could be done rather quickly. As he gets to work, the others take in their surroundings. Just inside the door is a carving in an archaic form of common that says “Allies Over Enemies”. Zander notes that there is some indication that there is a test, and one of the mostly broken archways has the word ‘Wit’ carved above it. Felicity notes that according to the archaic writing, there are two tests inside. Dillium is drawn to the faded frescos, though they tend to depict war and destruction.
Soon enough Arthur has the passageway cleared well enough, and the party groups up to go into a large room. The door slides shut smoothly behind them, though there is a door on the far side. Arthur inspects it, “just in case” it is unlocked. It isn’t. The room is more or less devoid of decoration or ornamentation, but there are four columns, one each corner of the room. Novos looks at the column, but fails to note that each side has a letter on it. He does see that he can turn the column one quarter turn, so he does. Once it turns, it refuses to turn again. Members of the party spread out to try to understand the test. Someone notices that there is a small mark on the wall beside each column, but it takes everyone writing down the letters on each column before someone decides to make an effort to coordinate. Arthur suggests that since each column contains an “L”, they should turn the L’s toward the center. Novos points out that he can’t turn the column any further, but Zander turns another column easily. Mar turns another one. As Novos leans up against his column, it turns. The party realizes that the columns can be turned to spell words, and Mar identified the word that was spelled out when they entered. This gets the group going, and with some tactics employed, spell out a word that they hope will open the door. As the last column clicks into place, the door opens smoothly.
The doorway leads to a huge cavern with a five-foot wide natural stone bridge crossing what appears to be a deep, wide chasm. The cavern is pitch black, and while there might be some air movement, the ceiling is too far above and the floor of the chasm too far below to see. The party sets up a marching order with Arthur in the lead and Novos in the rear. Dillium Lights up her staff so that the humans can see and they set out. Ten or fifteen paces across, the party is surprised to come under attack by arrows and javelins. Everyone dodges out of the way of the poorly thrown darts, but one strikes home. No one can see where the javelins came from, or whether it is some sort of trap or if they were thrown. Unfortunately, no one notices that one of the party members has fallen off the stone bridge, either. At the other end of the bridge is a door that opens easily, and everyone makes it into a small foyer. Except for Felicity, who lies at the bottom of the chasm, nearly impaled by a stalagmite. [5] Novos disappears and makes his way to the bottom of the chasm where he finds Felicity and feeds her his last healing potion. Zander pulls out his Wonderous Figurine and activates it. A good-sized wyvern appears on the bridge. He tells it to go down into the chasm and bring back the human. He might have said ‘woman’ but the stone wyvern doesn’t know the difference anyway. It takes off and glides down into the chasm below, and when it finds a human, the wyvern grabs it with his sharp claws and brings it back up to Zander. Novos picks himself up, dusts himself off, and winces at the fresh puncture wounds. Zander, a little annoyed, tells the wyvern to go get the other one, and he does, fresh puncture wounds and all.
Meanwhile, Arthur, Dillium, Mar, and Ser Reginald continue on into a large room. The room is dominated by a huge stone in the middle, with some sort of gemstone embedded in. They also see a dog-like creature standing on the stone, with a piece of golden metal in one hand and a bow in the other. Ser Reginald shouts, “The evil one has the other half of the crown! Get it!” Arthur races forward and Smites the creature.
Mar snarls, “Gnolls. I should have known their stench. She manifests a Spiritual Weapon and attacks with it, then casts a Guiding Bolt. The gnoll, clearly outmatched, fires his bow (missing) and climbs down off the stone. By this time, Novos, Zander, and Felicity have come in (minus the wyvern). Novos speeds over to take a flanking position on the gnoll, but the recent puncture wounds from the wyvern still ache, and he misses entirely.
Around the same time, a larger group of gnolls, armored and armed with swords and axes, enter from the other side and take up positions. One of the larger ones raises his axe to cut down Novos, but one of the gnolls barks out something in a barking sort of bark. All of the gnolls stop and refrain from attacking. Except the one with the huge gash down his front from Arthur. He comes up with a sword and stabs at the air near Arthur. Dillium, likewise shouts for Arthur and Novos (and Mar) to stop.
“Who leads?” asks the female gnoll, as she wraps her shawl around her.
Zander raises his hand. “That would be me. I am the leader of Task Force Chimera.” He sheathes his sword and meets the female gnome in the middle of the room. “I am Zander Roaringhorn, from Cormyr. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”
“Raa’ka. Ssand’r. Sand’r.” Her mouth doesn’t quite make all the sounds as she tries to get his name right. She tells Zander that they are here to fulfil a prophecy that tells of an Alpha Gnoll that will arise in their hour of need. Unfortunately, the crown is… not what they expected. Arthur climbs up on the stone and agrees that the gemstone in the middle seems to connect two pieces of a crown—there’s three pieces total, rather than the two that both the gnolls and gnomes thought.
“Give me the crown!” Ser Reginald cries. Mar snarls.
“I will not. Perhaps we should put the crown together, and then figure out what to do. It is obvious neither of us have the whole tale.” Ser Reginald, thoughtful, agrees.
“You put your piece in first, then.” He says.
“No you put yours in.” Raa’ka replies.
Arthur says, “How about you put them in together. At the same time,” clarifies when the gnolls seem unsure. He jumps down from the stone and gives Ser Reginald a boost up. Raa’ka needs no help.
Gently placing the two pieces of the crown in small cutouts in the stone that appear to be made exactly for their pieces. Ser Reginald and Raa’ka watch for a moment. “Now what?” The crown welds itself together before their eyes. The gem in the center pulses, then shines brightly. Then the whole crown sinks down into the stone. “NO!”
The room rumbles and shakes. The giant stone is cracked into pieces as Raa’ka and Ser Reginald leap to safety. As the dust swirls around and the rumbling fades away, all hear a booming voice.
“AT LAST I AM FREE!”
End of part 10.
[1] Unlike last chapter.
[2] in Chapter 8
[3] Modified slightly from Race for the Crown, Adventures of the Potbellied Kobold, by Jeff Stevens Games.
[4] The Gnomish Pantheon
[5] Remember, stalagmite “might” reach the ceiling, and stalactites hang on tite to the ceiling. Or, you can do the boring National Parks Service way of remembering.
2024.06.02 04:13 DreamsOverDiapers M4F - Hoping to find Love
Hi, I am 29M, living in Bangalore, looking for a CF woman (between 24 to 34) for a serious long-term relationship anywhere across India. I am a Software engineer, 5 ft 5 in, speaks Hindi, Telugu and English fluently. I am a simple, no fuss, no drama kinda guy, finding beauty in clarity and strength in simplicity. I've chosen to stay childfree for various reasons like, financial stability, better mental health, better relationship with partner, freedom to explore the world etc.
A brief about me: A rationalist, apolitical, ambitious, ambivert, open minded, curious, creative, financially stable, smart spender and a long term investor. I am a music enthusiast and a movie buff who appreciates cinema for the quality of story telling rather than the stories themselves. I love motorcycles, mountains, morning rides, cool winters and hot coffees. I enjoy outdoor activities, exploring city and its outskirts mostly during winters. I got other hobbies which I keep switching between, such as reading books (mostly fiction), playing video games (single player and RPG stuff), video editing, audiophilia. Nowadays, I am trying to learn how to play music. I wish to travel and open to explore new hobbies that satisfy my curiosity towards art, adventure and literature. I don't drink or smoke or have any other addictions. Also a non vegetarian who likes to cook and likes to try new foods and try to eat healthy. I keep myself fit by running, jogging as a part of my morning routine. Whenever I feel lonely, I engage in various activities to distract myself and stay busy, however, I realised that what I truly crave for is love and companionship. I feel like I have so much to share and so much love to give, I just wish there is someone out there who would treasure it and reciprocate.
Belief drives behaviour - I prefer a partner who is either atheistic or agnostic or rational in their beliefs. Other preferences - Non smoker, non drinker or occasional drinker, financially independent, emotionally available.
Please hit me up if you are interested. We can discuss more and see where it goes. Anyone from Bangalore who would like to hangout sometime, go on a ride, grab a biryani, checkout new places etc, I am open for that too. Thanks for reading. Peace!
submitted by DreamsOverDiapers to ChildfreeIndia [link] [comments]
A brief about me: A rationalist, apolitical, ambitious, ambivert, open minded, curious, creative, financially stable, smart spender and a long term investor. I am a music enthusiast and a movie buff who appreciates cinema for the quality of story telling rather than the stories themselves. I love motorcycles, mountains, morning rides, cool winters and hot coffees. I enjoy outdoor activities, exploring city and its outskirts mostly during winters. I got other hobbies which I keep switching between, such as reading books (mostly fiction), playing video games (single player and RPG stuff), video editing, audiophilia. Nowadays, I am trying to learn how to play music. I wish to travel and open to explore new hobbies that satisfy my curiosity towards art, adventure and literature. I don't drink or smoke or have any other addictions. Also a non vegetarian who likes to cook and likes to try new foods and try to eat healthy. I keep myself fit by running, jogging as a part of my morning routine. Whenever I feel lonely, I engage in various activities to distract myself and stay busy, however, I realised that what I truly crave for is love and companionship. I feel like I have so much to share and so much love to give, I just wish there is someone out there who would treasure it and reciprocate.
Belief drives behaviour - I prefer a partner who is either atheistic or agnostic or rational in their beliefs. Other preferences - Non smoker, non drinker or occasional drinker, financially independent, emotionally available.
Please hit me up if you are interested. We can discuss more and see where it goes. Anyone from Bangalore who would like to hangout sometime, go on a ride, grab a biryani, checkout new places etc, I am open for that too. Thanks for reading. Peace!
2024.06.02 03:58 Celestia_50 Power struggles with SS8
For the first time in my 4 year relationship, I've taken the next step to watch my kids and future SS when my fiance is working (I WFH) over the summer. He and I both share 50/50 custody of our kids and our 'on weeks' occur at the same cadence. Before, we always make sure to do activities with all of us together (fiance included), so now that it's only me with the kids, I know I will experience challenging behaviors from SS, and I would like advice.
Please note: My SO and I have had many many discussions and he's on board and recognizes these things. We do communicate and work together on them as they arise, but I also would like outside perspectives.
SS is a very sensitive boy, and he is used to being babied, so to speak. I feel that since he's getting older, his bio parents should give him counseling to help manage his strong emotions, stop allowing him to sleep in their bed. Side note: SS only does it when we aren't there (on occasion, not every night) so I know he can refrain from asking my SO. Bio parents and his Nana could also stop allowing him to control all the planning when he is with them. When his Nana is around and SS interrupts a conversation that I am having with SO, Nana will yell at my SO, saying 'SS is talking to you!' as if we are ignoring SS when he interrupted in the first place. We don't ignore him either, just don't want to encourage him interrupting all the time.
The times that I've watched all the kids by myself, it's clear that this kid has some boundary issues. Do I blame him? No, absolutely not. However, I know it's going to be a challenge to teach him how to share his time when he is with us, but also in a way that doesn't make him feel uncomfortable in his own home. I definitely don't want to turn into the evil stepmom scene, I just want to cultivate a safe environment where he respects my role in his life.
Side note: Aside from that, please keep in mind this kid is has another side where he's very kind, helpful, Loving and accepting of me and my kids, so please don't interpret this as if he's completely out of control. He respects me to a certain point, I'm just hoping to break certain habits that he's learned.
Boundary issues/power struggles that I have encountered:
After this I asked my boys not to use his bathroom if the other one is not being used. I also told them not to go into his room unless they are invited in when we are there. It seems like this has helped.
Situation 2 Me "I'm going to take all 3 of you to a movie tonight after dinner (it was during Christmas break)." After cooking food that I know SS likes but it was not cooked like Mommy does it SS goes "I'm not hungry. My tummy hurts" (as he's handing me his full plate) Me "Oh, that's too bad. I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. It's not a good idea to go see a movie if you aren't feeling well, I will let the boys know." SS "I'm starting to feel better. " (Proceeds to eat dinner.)
Situation 3 Playing a board game, there are struggles with who goes first. I make them rock, paper, scissors for it. He cries if he loses it.
Situation 4 When planning anything, I can't ask the boys for their input. He takes over and then gets angry when I work out compromises to make everyone happy. It's like, if my boys are around, he can't handle when he doesn't get his way 100% of the time.
There are so many more instances like that when it's just me and the 3 boys. Anybody deal with something similar where you are trying to balance what everyone wants, but you run into so many power struggles?
Thank you for reading if you made it this far!!
submitted by Celestia_50 to enmeshedfamilies [link] [comments]
Please note: My SO and I have had many many discussions and he's on board and recognizes these things. We do communicate and work together on them as they arise, but I also would like outside perspectives.
SS is a very sensitive boy, and he is used to being babied, so to speak. I feel that since he's getting older, his bio parents should give him counseling to help manage his strong emotions, stop allowing him to sleep in their bed. Side note: SS only does it when we aren't there (on occasion, not every night) so I know he can refrain from asking my SO. Bio parents and his Nana could also stop allowing him to control all the planning when he is with them. When his Nana is around and SS interrupts a conversation that I am having with SO, Nana will yell at my SO, saying 'SS is talking to you!' as if we are ignoring SS when he interrupted in the first place. We don't ignore him either, just don't want to encourage him interrupting all the time.
The times that I've watched all the kids by myself, it's clear that this kid has some boundary issues. Do I blame him? No, absolutely not. However, I know it's going to be a challenge to teach him how to share his time when he is with us, but also in a way that doesn't make him feel uncomfortable in his own home. I definitely don't want to turn into the evil stepmom scene, I just want to cultivate a safe environment where he respects my role in his life.
Side note: Aside from that, please keep in mind this kid is has another side where he's very kind, helpful, Loving and accepting of me and my kids, so please don't interpret this as if he's completely out of control. He respects me to a certain point, I'm just hoping to break certain habits that he's learned.
Boundary issues/power struggles that I have encountered:
- On my WFH days, when my fiance is off work but doing chores, SS will interrupt me, when I'm in a meeting with a client, to show me a stuffie, a game, etc. He just really wants my attention no matter how many times we explain to him this is not acceptable unless there is an emergency. His Nana watches him time to time since his bio mom/dad work odd retail hours and she's a few houses down the road from my fiance. She always says that when she's WFH and watching him, that he never does this, so I think he is just missing me and catching up. When I'm alone with the 3 kids and WFH, this will be much more challenging.
- He will ask where his dad is at all the time, even after repeatedly telling him that he's at work OR he will ask how much longer until he's coming home. I know this bc I have watched him for a couple of hours before when his dad was running errands. Also, his Nana will sometimes bring him over to his dad's to play a game or shoot basketball while I'm WFH on an off week, leave him there while she mows, and he will ask me how much longer it's going to take her. She never asks, she just does it :/
- He talks about missing his mom. I understand this feeling so so much (I lost my mom to cancer and before that my parents divorced so I can relate). I keep reassuring him that I understand, I give him a hug, and I never pressure him into calling me a mom or anything. The only problem I do have with this is his BM, herself. She still has feelings for my fiance and tries to insert herself or exclude me in events for the sake of SS (even though he doesn't have a problem with my presence). I realize this is a me problem, not an SS problem, but if there is any advice for anyway that I can help take the focus away from him missing his mom. I'm doing everything I can do that I know to do, but I'm not going to try to do everything as BM would to satisfy him. I would rather he appreciate me for me, just another adult who loves him.
- He tells on my boys about every little thing they are doing, so then my boys take on that behavior when they don't normally do that. For example, he gets upset if one of my boys doesn't want to watch a certain movie, play a certain game. If they don't clean up in the exact way that he wants something done (they aren't doing a horrible job, SS is just a little neater so I don't get onto them for that). I do set rules specific to my boys so they aren't encroaching on his space, but I can't oblige everything to cater to SS.
- Examples of power struggles that he has with me:
After this I asked my boys not to use his bathroom if the other one is not being used. I also told them not to go into his room unless they are invited in when we are there. It seems like this has helped.
Situation 2 Me "I'm going to take all 3 of you to a movie tonight after dinner (it was during Christmas break)." After cooking food that I know SS likes but it was not cooked like Mommy does it SS goes "I'm not hungry. My tummy hurts" (as he's handing me his full plate) Me "Oh, that's too bad. I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. It's not a good idea to go see a movie if you aren't feeling well, I will let the boys know." SS "I'm starting to feel better. " (Proceeds to eat dinner.)
Situation 3 Playing a board game, there are struggles with who goes first. I make them rock, paper, scissors for it. He cries if he loses it.
Situation 4 When planning anything, I can't ask the boys for their input. He takes over and then gets angry when I work out compromises to make everyone happy. It's like, if my boys are around, he can't handle when he doesn't get his way 100% of the time.
There are so many more instances like that when it's just me and the 3 boys. Anybody deal with something similar where you are trying to balance what everyone wants, but you run into so many power struggles?
Thank you for reading if you made it this far!!
2024.06.02 03:57 Mental-Salary1428 Am I abusive?
I'm going to try to lay it out as simply as I can: Me- Cptsd that has resulted in lashing out, anxiety, neediness, lack of emotional regulation, defensiveness
As stated above, I am quite clingy. I would text and them after a few hours I'd call and spam. Sometimes just texting a lot right away. Nothing inherently bad (I think, you tell me that's why I'm here) I'd spam "I miss you" "I'm eating ___" "I did this __" "I love you so much" and then it'll spiral into "greetings, I'd like attention" "wyd" "wya" "5 hours :c" "I am waiting for you" and then call.
Getting into the anger part and lack of emotional regulation. When I feel accused, not being listened to, saying I'm lying, misunderstood, I end up saying "don't call me a liar" or "I have proof I know what happened" or "listen to me" but ANGRILY and I'd be spamming the same thing like "no it was ___ and ___" for example. I'd spam my point over and over as if I'm fighting to be heard when I already am.
The situation- -Was accused of cheating, lying a lot -had tracker on phone, was constantly getting phone checked, asked a lot of questions -I'd get left alone mid convo/argument. Either by them driving off, leaving, locking the door, going on the game, then returning hours later -I'd be told that wasn't what I was thinking, intending, doing, what happened, how it happened
These are the type of situations that triggered me
How I triggered them.. -Easily defensive -Saying I'm not lying -Can't tell the difference between a convo or argument -Can interpret asking questions as a form of disbelief or interrogation -Dragging out convo when they're trying to sleep Basically huge misunderstanding and negative assumptions and lack of consideration
Now I've reached out to a lot of hotlines and have been told this: I have harmful behavior, but I'm reacting to abuse. But I just.. don't believe it. Just because hypothetically I am getting abused, that's no excuse for me to be that emotional or angry or defensive or attacking. Aka, no excuse for me to be abusive. My emotions and clinginess can be a lot for anyone. We're all human with a battery and fluctuating emotions that can only handle someone else so much. He said I was manipulative and I don't doubt it. Come on, spamming and lashing out to get a point across? I'm not a toddler.
I used to be the person that was true to myself and identity, saw things clearly, wouldn't change myself for others (besides improving as a person). I used to be level headed, calm, bubbly, optimistic, social, and new what was up before others picked up on it and tried to be around good hearted people. I just don't know what the hell happened to me. I quit my job, lost 45lbs, quit martial arts after 14 years, quit leaving the house because I don't wanna make them jealous, I'm growing my hair out, I'm girlier. These are things that are qualities of a person and never imagined to give up for someone else. I just don't get it. I'm confused. I don't know if I'm the person who's getting hurt or hurting others. I constantly feel guilty and like a monster. I constantly beg and try to change to be wanted. My confidence and sense of self is gone. Yet I still feel like I'm at fault for destroying everything because of my lack of mental stability.
Mind you, I'll stress again that I'd often get extremely emotional: crying, screaming, not listening, panic attacks, crazy spamming, obsessiveness and clinginess.
Can anyone relate, understand, or give me any insight on what the hell is happening to me?
submitted by Mental-Salary1428 to Advice [link] [comments]
As stated above, I am quite clingy. I would text and them after a few hours I'd call and spam. Sometimes just texting a lot right away. Nothing inherently bad (I think, you tell me that's why I'm here) I'd spam "I miss you" "I'm eating ___" "I did this __" "I love you so much" and then it'll spiral into "greetings, I'd like attention" "wyd" "wya" "5 hours :c" "I am waiting for you" and then call.
Getting into the anger part and lack of emotional regulation. When I feel accused, not being listened to, saying I'm lying, misunderstood, I end up saying "don't call me a liar" or "I have proof I know what happened" or "listen to me" but ANGRILY and I'd be spamming the same thing like "no it was ___ and ___" for example. I'd spam my point over and over as if I'm fighting to be heard when I already am.
The situation- -Was accused of cheating, lying a lot -had tracker on phone, was constantly getting phone checked, asked a lot of questions -I'd get left alone mid convo/argument. Either by them driving off, leaving, locking the door, going on the game, then returning hours later -I'd be told that wasn't what I was thinking, intending, doing, what happened, how it happened
These are the type of situations that triggered me
How I triggered them.. -Easily defensive -Saying I'm not lying -Can't tell the difference between a convo or argument -Can interpret asking questions as a form of disbelief or interrogation -Dragging out convo when they're trying to sleep Basically huge misunderstanding and negative assumptions and lack of consideration
Now I've reached out to a lot of hotlines and have been told this: I have harmful behavior, but I'm reacting to abuse. But I just.. don't believe it. Just because hypothetically I am getting abused, that's no excuse for me to be that emotional or angry or defensive or attacking. Aka, no excuse for me to be abusive. My emotions and clinginess can be a lot for anyone. We're all human with a battery and fluctuating emotions that can only handle someone else so much. He said I was manipulative and I don't doubt it. Come on, spamming and lashing out to get a point across? I'm not a toddler.
I used to be the person that was true to myself and identity, saw things clearly, wouldn't change myself for others (besides improving as a person). I used to be level headed, calm, bubbly, optimistic, social, and new what was up before others picked up on it and tried to be around good hearted people. I just don't know what the hell happened to me. I quit my job, lost 45lbs, quit martial arts after 14 years, quit leaving the house because I don't wanna make them jealous, I'm growing my hair out, I'm girlier. These are things that are qualities of a person and never imagined to give up for someone else. I just don't get it. I'm confused. I don't know if I'm the person who's getting hurt or hurting others. I constantly feel guilty and like a monster. I constantly beg and try to change to be wanted. My confidence and sense of self is gone. Yet I still feel like I'm at fault for destroying everything because of my lack of mental stability.
Mind you, I'll stress again that I'd often get extremely emotional: crying, screaming, not listening, panic attacks, crazy spamming, obsessiveness and clinginess.
Can anyone relate, understand, or give me any insight on what the hell is happening to me?
2024.06.02 03:47 Dovahkiira How I got Fallout NV working on Windows 11 in 2024
No new features! No balance tweaks! Let me just play the game as close to vanilla as I can dammit!
Hi all. This post is 1000% the result of many, many hours trying to get this game to just WORK and I'm dead inside! So I wanted to make this guide, maybe it'll help you. Here's an in-depth guide to how I got the game to run GREAT on a modern Win 11 machine in 2024.
I have an AMD Ryzen 7800X3D 8-core processor, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics card. Game version is GOG v1.4.0.525 ultimate edition w/ all DLC. Tested on a brand new certified fresh copy of Win 11. Support for Ultrawide/other display support included at the end of the post.
---
---GAME INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS---
I will assume you already have a copy of NV and a mod manager such as Vortex. I only used Vortex while playing, so that's the mm I will be talking about in this post. Go get them if you don't.
---VORTEX AND MOD INSTRUCTIONS---
Tbh, if you're willing to cough up the couple bucks, it might be worth it to get Nexus premium to uncap the download speeds if you have fast internet, but it's not necessary at all. Open up Vortex make sure you're logged in all that good stuff. Set to New Vegas obvi. Head over to Nexus Mods.
I would follow the order I list these pretty close because there are some dependencies on each other involved. Most are okay with just the mm/Vortex download option, though some do require manual install. I'll try to list out all instructions.
-ABSOLUTELY 100% NECESSARY MOD LIST:-
-"Not 100% necessary, but.....recommended" mod list:-
Here I'll get into the mods I have that aren't *necessary*, but sure do help make this game look pretty nice. Install if ya want! Note: some of these mods conflict with one another! I recommend following Vortex's recommendations and then using the aforementioned LOOT in order to help with load order.
Okayyyyy so maybe I did do a couple QOL tweaks after all. Here's the rest of the mods I have. Install if ya want x2!
Grabbed from this Steam discussion post, restated here. My monitor is 3440x1440, op's is 2560x1080. Refer to the original post for more detail!
That is every single mod I have and changes that I made (that are relevant to this list, lol). I sincerely hope that this guide is helpful and serves its purpose as an updated masterpost for making NV accessible to those who want to play it in 2024. Please let me know if I forgot any details(I probably did), I will edit the post if I notice any. I'm actually not super duper computer savvy but I will try to help where I can.
ENJOY!!!!!! GO GET SHOT IN THE HEAD!!!! <3
~I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle jangle)~
submitted by Dovahkiira to falloutnewvegas [link] [comments]
Hi all. This post is 1000% the result of many, many hours trying to get this game to just WORK and I'm dead inside! So I wanted to make this guide, maybe it'll help you. Here's an in-depth guide to how I got the game to run GREAT on a modern Win 11 machine in 2024.
I have an AMD Ryzen 7800X3D 8-core processor, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics card. Game version is GOG v1.4.0.525 ultimate edition w/ all DLC. Tested on a brand new certified fresh copy of Win 11. Support for Ultrawide/other display support included at the end of the post.
---
---GAME INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS---
I will assume you already have a copy of NV and a mod manager such as Vortex. I only used Vortex while playing, so that's the mm I will be talking about in this post. Go get them if you don't.
- INSTALL THE GAME IN WINDOWS 7 COMPATIBILITY MODE (if you've already installed the game, completely uninstall it!). Right click setup application file>properties>compatibility tab>check Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows 7>apply. Then run setup and follow the installer. DO NOT UPDATE DIRECTX OR INSTALL ANY C++ REDISTS OR .NET FRAMEWORK THRU THE INSTALLER. This is how to avoid the 404 file not found problem. Finish install as normal.
- Now go grab that stuff we ignored in step 1. DirectX here, you need C++ Redist x86 from here, and .NET 4 framework here. Just in case you don't have em. This should prevent any missing .dll file errors from happening once you try to run the game.
- Launch the game and make sure it can run at all lol. The launcher should pop up, go ahead and click Options and let it detect your hardware (it will probably be a little or a lot wrong just since it's an old game, a little more on that later). Then press Play. Even if it looks like total poop and crashes pretty quick, it's fine for now. Close game.
---VORTEX AND MOD INSTRUCTIONS---
Tbh, if you're willing to cough up the couple bucks, it might be worth it to get Nexus premium to uncap the download speeds if you have fast internet, but it's not necessary at all. Open up Vortex make sure you're logged in all that good stuff. Set to New Vegas obvi. Head over to Nexus Mods.
I would follow the order I list these pretty close because there are some dependencies on each other involved. Most are okay with just the mm/Vortex download option, though some do require manual install. I'll try to list out all instructions.
-ABSOLUTELY 100% NECESSARY MOD LIST:-
- NVSE - New Vegas Script Extender: Absolutely the first thing you should get no matter what, so many mods require this!!! Will generate nvse_loader.exe in the game root folder, run this app and not the default one when starting the game from now on!!
- 4GB Patcher: Necessary so that the game can use 4GB of RAM instead of the default 2. Follow install instructions on mod page (place .exe in the FNV game folder>right click it and Run as administrator). After it does it's thing I'd recommend launching the game normally again just to check on it. This is a good practice to do after installing mods anyways so you can catch mistakes or problems early, and because other mods are dependent on this fix. Close game.
- NVAC - New Vegas Anti Crash: Now apparently this one is a little controversial due to it being a hair outdated for new machines. If you experience a lot of crashes it may be worth it to get rid of this mod, but I have a high-end PC and no problems so far. See if it works for you.
- NVTF - New Vegas Tick Fix: THE REPLACEMENT FOR NEW VEGAS STUTTER REMOVER ON WIN 11! (Other guides will tell you to get NVSR, DO NOT!! If you have NVSR my recommendation is to get rid of it completely, it may be the reason your game isn't working). You will most likely need to edit the .ini file for this mod to work!! Right click on NVTF in Vortex>Open in File Manager>NVSE>Plugins>NVTF.ini (should open with Notepad by default). ctrl+f and make the following edits: bModifyDirectXBehavior = 1, iTweakRCSafeGuard = 2. SAVE and close.
- CASM_NV: Replaces the autosave system and adds a quicksave hotkey. Autosaves every 5 mins by default, but lots of customizability. The vanilla system can lead to crashes mid-/late-game once save files get big, so this prevents that. Be sure to disable autosaves within the in-game options menu itself.
- JIP LN NVSE Plugin: NVSE extension, required for some mods. Also fixes many engine bugs and lets you restore broken features. I didn't personally edit the .ini file for this mod, but the mod page has an extensive list of instructions if you want to!
- JohnnyGuitar NVSE: Another NVSE extension that's required for some mods. Once again I didn't really mess with this one.
- Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus: More game fixes>???>profit
- New Vegas Heap Replacer: Another mod that will help with performance, stutter, and crashes. Install manually by extracting or copying the contents of the zipped folder into the root NV folder. If a windows terminal pops up when you launch the game, it's working!
- YUP: Unofficial patch for NV and all DLC (doesn't require any DLC tho, there are individual files for those who don't have Ultimate Edition). Beeeeg bug fixer and enabler of broken features. Make sure YUP is at the top of the load order (in Plugins tab, YUP.esm goes after all game & DLC .esms and before all other .esms, and same thing for YUP.esp) LOOT/Vortex should sort it correctly, but double check if you encounter problems.
- LOOT: Separate app that sorts mods for ya, checks for compatibility issues, etc. Install as normal. I ran LOOT after I installed & enabled all mods in Vortex, then launched the game.
-"Not 100% necessary, but.....recommended" mod list:-
Here I'll get into the mods I have that aren't *necessary*, but sure do help make this game look pretty nice. Install if ya want! Note: some of these mods conflict with one another! I recommend following Vortex's recommendations and then using the aforementioned LOOT in order to help with load order.
- NMCs Texture Pack for New Vegas: Replaces most textures in-game, except for DLC. Small has only 1 file, Medium has 2, and Large has 3. I use the Large version with no trouble, but obviously get the one your PC can handle best.
- EVE - Essential Visual Enhancements: Has a main file and lots of optional files if you want em (I only use the main file). Should detect all installed DLC and install the appropriate mod file automatically - make sure all DLC are enabled in Vortex before downloading EVE to get the right version!
- Wasteland Flora and Terrain Overhaul: Adds a bunch of new tree & plant types. Doesn't make the Mojave green by any means, just adds a nice variety of new textures & hand-placed models. Some locations are "greener" than vanilla (like near water, for example), but I think it adds to it. Doesn't mess with any harvestables as far as I know.
- ELECTRO-CITY - Relighting the Wasteland: Does what it sounds like! Adds lots of new light fixtures and some engineers here and there. Optional plugin to add streetlights along highways & byways, enable/disable in the Plugins section of Vortex. There are lots more lighting overhauls out there, but I only use this one.
Okayyyyy so maybe I did do a couple QOL tweaks after all. Here's the rest of the mods I have. Install if ya want x2!
- Bottle That Water: Allows you to mass bottle water from any source if you have empty water bottles in your inventory, without a cumbersome menu. Just sneak and drink!
- Convenient Fast Travel Markers: Adds markers to basically every building in the Strip so you don't have to hike through several gates, and a couple more elsewhere as well. If you couldn't already tell, I'm lazy! (and this game is a lil repetitive sometimes...)
- Increased Run Speed: This is mainly because I'm used to sprinting in other games, and I feel that the top speed is the tiiiiiiniest bit too slow for me. This mod increases run speed from the default value of 4 to 6...which is actually too fast for my taste. So, I changed it in GECK! GECK is a tool that should be already included in your game root folder. To change run speed yourself: run GECK>File>Data...>uncheck all but Increasedspeed.esp>Set as Active File>wait for it to complete...might take a min>Gameplay>Settings...>Filter by fMoveRunMult>select and change value. I changed it from 6 to 5, just one value above vanilla. OK and SAVE. Close GECK. (Source for GECK fix: zefferia's comment on mod discussion page) Note: Vortex will detect a file change on next mod deployment, make sure to use newer file to apply your changes.
- Universal Air Tank: Once you get the rebreather, you get water breathing with any airtight helmet & armor. Includes optional files, read the mod description for further details.
- Stealth Suit MK II Mod: Modifies when the stealth suit auto-uses Stimpaks and Med-X (so she doesn't eat all your chems in one battle), and re-adds the broken speed multiplier when sneaking. 2 other optional versions as well.
Grabbed from this Steam discussion post, restated here. My monitor is 3440x1440, op's is 2560x1080. Refer to the original post for more detail!
- Launch the...launcher. FalloutNVLauncher.exe in root folder>Options>set resolution to 16:9 version of your 21:9 monitor (ie. for my monitor it is 2560x1440, for op's it is 1920x1080)>make all other graphics changes you want>OK>Exit launcher.
- Documents>My Games>FalloutNV>FalloutPrefs.ini (should open with Notepad by default)
- ctrl+f and make the following edits (using my specs for simplicity): iSize W=3440, iSize H=1440, fDefaultFOV=95, fRenderedTerminalZoom=75, fRenderedTerminalFOV=.25 (If terminal zoom is really messed up in-game, change fRenderedTerminalZoom from 75 to 40).
- SAVE and close. Note: you will have to do much of this process again if you ever switch to windowed mode. I recommend keeping a master modified copy of FalloutPrefs.ini somewhere like your Desktop so you can just copy+paste the file into Documents instead of editing manually every time.
- (EDIT TO ADD - HOW COULD I FORGET THE INFAMOUS SPOTIFY FIX???) Is stuttering audio driving you crazy?? Before launching the game, pull up your favorite music player and play some tunes. Then launch the game (you can pause the music at any time atp). This is the only surefire way to fix audio stuttering in my experience.
- Be sure you have followed all game install instructions first and foremost. Not installing the game in compatibility mode will most likely cause issues, and the game as well as certain mods need DirectX and the others.
- Run the game with the nvse_loader.exe, NOT default application! Make a shortcut or pin to taskbar for ease of use. You do not need to use the launcher every time you play.
- Check to make sure the game launches after each new mod installation. This will allow you to catch problems early on!
- Check the actual Nexus mod pages for special instructions with mods. Make sure all mods are installed following the mod author's instructions. Discussion posts are very helpful for troubleshooting.
- If at any point you experience insta-crashes or other problems loading save files, try New Game>loading the save once you are able to.
- I experience crashes 99.9% of the time when executing cheats via the in-game terminal (~). I have no idea if this is due to a mod or just the game freaking out. I only ever use in-game cheats to fix the game (ie. fixing the bug where House/Caesar don't give back the platinum chip when they should...), so not a huge deal for me, but just fyi.
That is every single mod I have and changes that I made (that are relevant to this list, lol). I sincerely hope that this guide is helpful and serves its purpose as an updated masterpost for making NV accessible to those who want to play it in 2024. Please let me know if I forgot any details
ENJOY!!!!!! GO GET SHOT IN THE HEAD!!!! <3
~I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle jangle)~
2024.06.02 03:41 Trash_Tia I was part of a junior detective gang in a small town with no monsters. So, we decided to make our own.
When I was ten, I formed a junior detective squad.
Mom bought me the entire box set of What's New Scooby Doo, and I was inspired to start my very own detective gang. I held auditions outside the gymnasium at recess (serious enquiries only) after a number of kids tried to apply for the role of Scooby Doo despite me reiterating I was not interested in playing make believe.
When I was laughed at in class, I made posters strictly asking for SERIOUS wannabe detectives, even going as far as using my Mom’s printer to make flyers, sticking them all over the school.
Auditions were simple. I asked them to solve a simple riddle.
Whoever impressed me got to sign their name down, and I’d get back to them.
I spent three days sifting through kids who definitely had charm, but they lacked the intelligence of a junior detective. Most kids were only auditioning to make fun of me, anyway.
Still, though, I didn't give up.
My flyers had five requirements:
1). You had to be smart.
2). You were not allowed to be a scaredy cat.
3). You had to accept your inevitable death at the hands of our town’s evil villains.
4). You had to have a fully registered driving licence (I quickly changed this to a bike).
5). You cannot have a criminal record.
(I later scribbled this one out, writing over it. *“You cannot have any tardies.”
Narrowing the applicants down to three kids, all of whom failed to share my enthusiasm for solving cases. The kids I picked didn't even know how to make plans, and when I invited them to my house, they stole my Mom’s necklace.
I didn't even need to solve the mystery of who stole Mom’s necklace. The girl was wearing it at school. I punched her in the face, and was immediately sent to the principal’s office. When I was being given the mother all lectures, the door quietly opened, a head peeking through.
It was Ben Callows, a freckly kid with overgrown brown hair hanging in his eyes. Ben really needed a haircut.
He was always wearing the exact same baseball cap, and I found myself wondering if it was permanently glued to his head, stuck on top of unruly brown curls practically matted to his forehead.
In class, Ben was also known as Bloody Ben. In the second grade, the boy had a nosebleed in the middle of a spelling test, bleeding all over his paper.
It's not like he didn't try and detach himself from the name.
Ben brought in Digimon cards, so kids would call him Digimon Ben instead.
Then he “accidentally” spilled yoghurt down his shirt in hopes we would call him Yoghurt Ben. But no. The kids in our class were relentless in reminding him of his name. No matter what he did, he was still Bloody Ben, and when anything related to blood came up in class, fifteen pairs of eyes would swivel to him, like he had invented the concept of bleeding.
I feared the nickname would follow him to junior high.
Ben didn't wait to be let in. He didn't even knock, striding in with his arms folded. Over the years, Bloody Ben, had definitely soured his personality.
He smiled rarely, and when he did smile, someone was falling over or hurting themselves.
Which definitely strengthened the claims of him being a sociopath.
The rumor mill was churning, with the latest claiming Bloody Ben killed his cat. That wasn't true. Ben’s cat was seventeen with cancer, and that was why he was sobbing all the way through reading time.
According to Ellie Daly, however, Ben had killed and dissected his kitty, and buried her in his Mom’s flowers.
Now, my principal did not like being interrupted, especially when she was in the middle of screaming at me.
Principal Marrow was old old (like, thirty, in my ten year old mind) stick thin like a pencil, and always wore the same stained sweater.
She used to be pretty, but I was convinced she had kissed a frog and been cursed. After our old principal suffered a stroke, she stepped in as a temporary replacement, and since becoming principal, had banned my favorite book series, colored shoe laces, and hamburger helper, even officiating a uniform.
(vomit green shorts and a tee, and plain white sneakers).
Kids were convinced she was a witch, and I kind of believed it.
Principal Marrow’s whole existence was built on sucking the fun out of school.
I was already reprimanded for my mystery gang flyers.
Her office smelled of peppermint and she was definitely sneaking sips of whisky in her coffee cup. I could see the bottle sticking out of the trash.
She straightened up, folding her arms across her chest, squinty eyes narrowing at the boy. I had spent the whole time she was lecturing me trying not to cry, my fists bunched in my lap.
I took the distraction as the perfect opportunity to swipe at my eyes, allowing myself to breathe.
Ben Callows was her victim now.
I was right. The woman's voice was like a thunderclap in my ears.
“You better have a good reason for not knocking, young man.”
Ben wasn't fazed by her tone. “You took my Switch two weeks ago,” he said, “I want it back, or I’m telling my Mom.”
At first, I thought I'd misheard him.
No, I was pretty sure he'd threatened our principal.
I swore I heard all of the breath sucked from the room.
“I'm sorry,” Principal Marrow cleared her throat. Her soft tone was dangerous.
She wasn't being nice. The lady was about to explode.
I could see visible veins straining in her temples, her right eye twitching.
It was straight out of a cartoon.
“Did you forget something, Ben?”
Ben sighed, like she was inconveniencing him.
He held out his hand. “Please can I have my Switch back? It counts as stolen property. Give it back, or I'm telling my Mom.”
The kid put so much emphasis on the word please, I couldn't resist a smile.
I think our principal was too shocked to get angry.
“Get out.” She said, firmly. “I don't have your gaming device.”
“It's in your drawer.” Ben nodded to her desk, “Under your divorce papers and the restraining order ordered by Jake Willow, the seventeen year old boy you've been having math ‘tutoring sessions’ with.” He quoted the air, his gaze lazily rolling to me. “Tutoring”
Principal Marrow went deathly pale, her eyes darkening.
“Benjamin Callows–”
“The school already knows about the restraining order, but your uncle is the head of the Board of Education, so all you get is a slap on the wrist and a warning to leave the boy alone."
Ben continued, and I found myself mesmerised by his words. He was a natural, his expression stoic, mouth curved with satisfaction that wasn't quite a smile. “However.” He held up his phone, pulling it away at the exact moment the teacher attempted to grab it. “You were outside Jake Willow’s house at 6:12am, drunk, and trying to climb through his window, which, I think violates the restraining order, does it not?”
Ben pretended to think real hard, his gaze flicking to the ceiling.
“I mean, I'm just a kid, right?” His mouth curled into the hint of a smirk
“What do I know, huh?”
Principal Marrow’s expression twisted, her lip wobbling.
“Mr Callows, remove yourself from my office, or I am calling your father.”
Leaning comfortably against the door, Ben’s lip twitched.
“Why? Are you planning on telling my Dad about your relations with a teenage boy, or will I have to tell him instead?”
I was enthralled, and fully disgusted, making a move to inch away from the woman.
“But it doesn't end there.” Ben continued. He straightened up, taking slow, intimidating steps towards the woman's desk. “You don't even want Jake, do you? Because, once upon a time, you were in love with his father. Jason Willow. You despised him for rejecting you, so you decided to defile his son.” Ben leaned over the principal’s desk, slipping his hand into the drawer, and pulling out his switch.
Painfully slowly.
She stood there, speechless, her shoulders trembling.
Ben smiled, and I found myself liking it.
“Thank you!” He said, waving the console in her face. Ben mimed locking his mouth and throwing away the key.
“My lips are sealed.”
Ben’s half lidded eyes found mine. “Are ya coming, Panda?”
I forgot my own nickname.
Panda.
I wore my Mom’s eyeliner because I thought it looked cool.
It did not.
Finding my breath, I snapped out of it.
Jumping up, I followed him out of the office, and when the two of us were safely on the hallway, I burst into hysterical giggles. “How did you know all of that?!” I whisper- shrieked.
Ben surprised me with a splutter. “Wait. You believed me?”
Something very cold trickled down my spine.
I stopped walking. “You lied?”
He shrugged. “I had a dig around her office before she caught me a few days ago,” Ben swung his arms, a smile curling on his mouth. “There's no restraining order, but there is prescription anti-psychosis medicine, and an extremely detailed story on her laptop about a teachestudent romance, which I presume is a self insert.”
Ben shot me a sickly grin. “The school refused to make her condition public.”
He prodded at his own cotton shirt embroidered with the school emblem.
“Why do you think she's made all these dumb rules? The woman is a certified Looney Tune.”
I nodded slowly. “Wait. What about Jake and his dad?”
“I made them up.”
I choked out a laugh. “And… the video?”
Ben walked faster, pulling out his phone and shoving it in my face. The video was real. Principal Marrow was walking around in circles, draped in her nightgown. “It's her own house,” he explained. “She locked herself out.”
Nodding slowly, I was in awe. Bloody Ben was kind of fucking amazing.
“But the restraining order isn't real.”
Ben raised a brow, coming to an abrupt halt. It was his smile that cemented his place in my gang. His lack of empathy for a woman he had gaslit into being a disgusting human being. Ben Callows wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but he fascinated me. Maybe for the wrong reasons. “Her filing cabinets are filled with tinned cat food, Panda,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, “I’m not psychic, but I thiiiiink we’ll be okay.”
I turned to him, unable to stop myself jumping up and down with excitement.
“Will you be my first?!”
Ben inclined his head. “Will I be your what?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. I mean, will you join my mystery gang?”
The boy’s eyes lit up, and I shoved him playfully.
“To solve real cases,” I corrected myself. “Not make them up.”
Ben wore a real, proper smile. But there was something in his eyes, a darkness that was so hollow and polluted and wrong, I pretended not to see it for the sake of his smarts and intellect. “Well, if you insist, sure!” Ben held out his hand, and I shook it. I'll be your first.”
We found our second member, who was, ironically, looking for her glasses under the table in class. Lucy Prescott, the quiet girl, was born to be with us.
The class eraser went missing, and she found it in the blink of an eye.
When questioned, Lucy’s face turned as red as her hair. “I asked everyone in the class and followed the clues to the last person who had it,” she pointed to Chase Simpson. “Which was Chase, who was throwing it at Marcus Calvin.”
Twisting around in my chair, I aimed to get Ben’s attention. But he was already looking at me, chin resting on his fist, eyes ignited with excitement.
The two of us cornered Lucy after class, and when she motioned for us to get back, I dragged Ben (who was a little too excited) to my side.
Lucy looked mildly horrified when I said, dangerous cases, though her expression pricked with intrigue.
She agreed, her gaze lingering on Ben, cheeks smouldering.
Our last two members were a surprise.
Violet Evergreen was what you would call popular on the middle school hierarchy. Not just because her mother was the mayor, but because Violet could get away with murder. The girl refused to wear the school uniform, coloring a single purple streak in her hair to cement herself as the it girl.
She was also one of the girls who started the Bloody Ben rumor.
Ben, Lucy, and I were sitting on the grass during recess, trying to come up with a name for our detective service, when Violet came storming over, hands planted on her hips. She was copying how her mother held herself during town meetings.
“What are you doing?” Violet demanded.
Lucy opened her mouth to answer, Ben nudging her to shut up.
“Making a mystery gang.” I told her. “Why?”
Violet inclined her head. “Oh.” She folded her arms. “Well, can I join?”
Ben stood up, stepping in front of the girl. Violet didn't move, stubbornly standing her ground. “Sure.” Ben flashed a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. He stepped closer to her, his smile widening. “If you can pass the test.”
Violet’s lip curled. She took a single step back. “What kind of test?”
Ben nodded to me. “Meet us at the swimming pool at 8pm.”
To my surprise, Violet nodded. “Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope!”
8pm. The four of us met outside the local swimming pool.
Violet was already on the other side of the fence, waving.
“Hey guys!”
I noticed Ben’s expression, his eyes darkening, lip curling.
Still though, he maintained positivity, vaulting over the fence.
“You made it!”
I followed him, helping Lucy, who was immediately freaking out. I didn't blame her. The pool looked cold and dark, a hollow oblivion carved into the ground.
Ben and Violet stood on the edge, the two of them shoulder to shoulder.
Violet Evergreen was braver than I thought.
Standing with her arms at her sides, Violet's hands clenched into fists.
“What's the test?” Violet said, her gaze glued to bleeding black depths.
“I don't know,” Ben murmured, his voice teetering on a giggle. He leaned forwards, arms spread out. “I didn't think you'd actually come meet us.”
Violet hummed, stretching out her leg, teasing it across the surface. “Was that the test?”
The boy leaned back. I caught the glint of a grin under the floodlights. “Nah.”
Before I knew what was happening, he shoved Violet into the pool. The girl didn't scream or shriek, she just hit the surface, sinking into pitch dark nothing.
“Sink or swim,” Ben said in a low murmur, when Violet’s head bobbed under water. I could see her shadow under the surface, imagining the freezing cold depths pulling her down.
“Drown, and you can't join us.”
It was so quiet, suddenly. The three of us staring into rippling water.
A minute passed, and my tummy started to twist.
“Fuck.” Ben’s expression stayed stoic. I wasn't expecting him to say a bad word.
He cocked his head. “I thought she could swim.”
I hit him, holding in a cry. “You need to get our parents!”
But he didn't listen to me, taking a single step, and dropping into the pool.
I fell to my knees, scanning the water.
Lucy was crying. “Are they dead?!” she shrieked.
“Shhh!” I was watching two shadows lingering under the water.
Violet broke through. I expected her to be crying, but her expression was unwavering. She was silent. I thought the splashing underneath her was her legs trying and struggling to tread water, before Lucy shoved me. Hard.
“Panda! What do we do?!”
Looking closer, Violet was perfectly still, her gaze on the sky.
While she shoved Ben under the water, drowning him.
Violet’s eyes sparkled, and somehow, I knew she belonged in my gang.
Her gaze found mine, glinting with that darkness, that poisonous streak I found myself drawn to. It was a starving, insatiable need to understand a fractured mind. Know your enemy.
“Do you want to see if Ben’s a witch?” Violet asked me, her tone something else entirely. This girl did not make sense, using barely her finger to drown Ben Callows. I knew she was wrong.
I knew there was something loose, something unlocked and unbridled and drowning inside her mind and heart.
But I wanted more of her. I wanted Violet Evergreen in my detective gang.
I think that is why I stood there, frozen.
When the thrashing stopped, Ben broke through.
He wasn't coughing or spluttering, his head inclined. “You didn't drown.”
Violet climbed out of the pool, offering her hand. “And you're not a witch.”
He declined her hand, taking the steps instead.
I asked Violet in a shaky voice. I was trembling with terror, but I was excited.
Exhilarated.
“Violet, will you join my gang?”
She didn't answer me until we were sharing hot cocoa in my house.
I told Mom we fell in the pool, and she believed me. I should have told her that my friends were sociopaths, and I was kind of maybe in love. Violet sipped her cocoa, nodding with a smile I didn't recognise. Violet never smiled at school.
Well, she did. But it was always the prick of a cruel smirk.
I don't think her smile was genuine, but she was definitely enjoying herself.
Our last member came to us, instead of finding him.
Jules Howell, a straggly brunette pushed his way in front of me in the lunch line. I didn't really know the kid.
He sat at the back of the classroom and slept through most of class. I did like his accent though.
Jules had moved from Melbourne in the second grade. He didn't talk much.
When he did, I found myself enveloped in his voice, which sounded like water to me, a bleeding cadence to his tone.
Jules piled his plate with fries, smiling widely at the lunch ladies.
“I saw you last night.” He murmured through that perfectly moulded grin.
“Saw me where?”
“At the pool,” Jules said. “You, Bloody Ben, Violet Evergreen, and that Lucy girl. You were doing a suiciding pact.”
“That's not what we were doing.” I said, “What's a suiciding pact?”
“When you kill yourself together.” Jules said. “I saw it in a scary movie my Mom was watching.”
I grabbed a fork. “We weren't doing that.”
His eyes were strange when I took the time to notice them. The excited gleam had fizzled out. Jules’s hands tightened around his tray. “Then what were you doing?”
I didn't reply, making my way over to our usual table. Ben was already waving me over, Violet and Lucy holding up the flyers we were making.
THE REDBLOOD DETECTIVES.”
Do YOU need our help? We can find/solve anything! Contact us on the number below. (We take donations!)
When I bothered turning around, Jules was lost in the crowd of kids.
We were on our first official case, searching for Mrs Lake’s missing mail, when Jules appeared seemingly out of nowhere. And with him, a golden retriever puppy he introduced as Arlo.
It took a dog jumping up at them for Violet and Ben to find their real smiles, their real selves slowly seeping through these facades they had built around themselves. Ben dropped to a crouch, ruffling the dog's ears, his smile faint.
“Who's a good boy?” He chuckled.
Arlo didn't move, tail wagging, eyes bright.
Ben motioned the dog towards him, but Arlo stayed put.
Jules joined us…quietly.
I don't remember asking him, or even him asking me.
He just became part of us, side by side with Arlo.
We soon came to quickly realize that our town was boring.
There were no monsters or thieves, or soul sucking demons. No criminals or serial killers. Not even one missing person. We did, however, get calls about missing cats. I turned eleven years old, patiently waiting for a murder or a kid going missing. But there was nothing.
All we did was chase cats, and the occasional dog. Maybe a budgie if we were lucky. Twelve years old, our detective club became a joke.
The five of us (and Arlo hiding under the table) were trying to pinpoint Mrs Tracy's lost hamster, when three girls came over, dumping their soda all over us.
We watched crime shows for inspiration on catching killers.
Ben’s favorite crime was one that happened in the 80’s in our town.
2 girls murdered.
Their intestines stuffed into envelopes and mailed to family members.
“That's what we should be solving,” he told me one night, “Not missing cats.”
Thirteen years old, we lay in Violet’s backyard under the cruel glare of the summer sun. We called it working and didn't like to admit it was hanging out, or that we were even friends. However.
That didn't stop us growing closer.
Even if it wasn't quite the way I’d expected.
I proposed a plan, standing up, wobbling a little off balance.
“I've got it.” I said, my voice kinda slurry from Violet’s special summer cocktail, which was just random alcoholic beverages we found, thrown into a blender, and diluted with water.
The town wasn't taking us seriously.
So, we were going to make our own mysteries.
I ordered a full-scale assault on our small town. One that they could not ignore. Ben stamped on Mrs Mason’s flowers, and Lucy threw mud pies at people's cars. Jules trashed the high school gym, and Violet and I spray painted threats and warnings on every store window. Now, this did cause panic, but also an official curfew.
Thirty minutes before curfew, we met in our usual spot, deep in the forest near the lake. Ben yelled at me when I was three minutes late. He was real passionate about finding a real mystery.
“You're late.” Ben was sitting on a rock waving a stick in Arlo’s face.
The dog still wasn't going near him, whining softly.
I took my place, muttering an apology. “I had to lie to my Mom.”
Violet, sitting with her legs crossed, idly digging her manicure into the dirt, suggested we buy mannequins and masquerade them as dead bodies, hanging them from the school rafters.
Lucy, who had slowly grown out of her shell, becoming a lot more outspoken, nudged her. “That's a stupid idea.”
The girl groaned, leaning into her. “Urgh. You're right.”
Jules was the only energetic one, standing on the tireswing.
He jumped down, definitely twisting his ankle.
But his smile only widened, kind of like he enjoyed being in pain.
“Why don't we pretend to be kidnapped?” He said, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over blondish curls growing out. Jules did a dramatic spin, his eyes shining. “We can ‘go missing’ for like a week, and then when our parents are really scared, we can turn up, and tell them we escaped a kidnapping.” His lips split into a grin.
“And then we solve our own kidnapping!”
Ben awkwardly patted Arlos head, only for the dog to pull away with a snort.
“I like it,” he murmured. “I'm in.”
Jules’s idea was stupid.
But.
It was worth a shot.
The five of us agreed to meet the morning after with enough food and supplies for a week. Then we were going to hike to the next town, and hide out for a week. It was an almost perfect plan, using ourselves as victims of our own mystery.
Packing as much as I could, I kissed my mother goodbye (I told her my pack was for a picnic) and set off to the rendezvous we agreed on.
When I arrived, I was the first one there. I checked and re-checked my pack.
I waited ten minutes, unable to contain my excitement.
Then 20 minutes.
It was getting kind of cold.
One hour.
I sat on a rock for enough time to watch the sky change color.
When the clouds were orange, I stood up and stumbled back home. They had gone without me. Mom lectured me when I got home, and I stuck to the plan of pretending my friends had gone missing, even if I they had betrayed me.
Ben said he'd text me when he arrived at the redervous. I at least expected him to text an explanation, but there was nothing. I was in the dark, and after three days of nothing, our town finally began to take us seriously.
“Our children have been kidnapped!” The adults were screaming.
Mom was crying in the kitchen, praying to a god I knew she didn't believe in that I wasn't taken next. I was interviewed and stuck with the exact same story I came up with when I was with the others. Our plan was to return after a week, claiming to be locked up in a dark room with a masked man.
I told my Mother and the other parents that I didn't know where my friends were, repeating the same thing over and over again until I was tongue tied.
“I saw them the day before they went missing, and… yes, everything seemed okay.” I slowly sipped my glass of milk provided, looking the sheriff directly in the eyes.
“No, I didn't notice anything suspicious, sheriff. Yes, I'm sure, sir. No, they didn't tell me anything.”
It was Ben’s mother who shattered my mask.
“Did I know about… what?” I whispered.
Something warm filled the back of my mouth, foul tasting milk erupting up my throat. I leaned forward, trying to look Mrs Callows in the eye. “No, I… I didn't know about Ben’s…condition.”
Mrs Callows was screaming at me about her son’s troubled past when I barfed all over myself, my eyes burning.
In the privacy of my own room, I sobbed until I couldn't breathe.
I tried to tell Mom, but we had come so close.
One more day, and the others would be back.
But that day came. I sat cross legged at our usual spot, which was now covered in police tape. I waited for their thudding footsteps, their laughter congratulating each other for coming up with a great plan. I waited, my face buried in my knees, for my friends.
It was dark when my phone vibrated, and I'd fallen asleep.
I wasn't scared, forcing myself to my feet.
“Where are you?” Mom yelled down the phone.
“Coming home now.” I muttered.
“Sorry.” I paused, holding my breath against a cry. “Mom.” I broke down, forcing my fist into my mouth to hide my squeak. “Mommy, did they come back?”
Mom didn't reply for a moment.
“I'm so sorry, baby.” She whispered, ending the call.
I took my time walking home that night.
There were no stars in the sky.
When a hand clamped over my mouth, I could smell him.
When he dragged me back, stabbing a kitchen knife into my throat, I stared at the sky and looked for stars. His arms were warm around me, violently pulling me into the back of a pickup truck. The pickup truck he'd said he was bringing.
It was his grandfather's, and he could just about drive it.
Hitting the backseat, my body was numb, my thoughts in a whirlwind.
The pickup flew forwards, and I remembered how to move.
I rolled off the seat, my hands pinned behind my back.
Twisting around, blinking in the dim, I could feel something warm, something seeping across upholstery seats. Blood.
It was everywhere, sticky on my hands and wet on my face when I struggled to get up. I was lying in someone's blood.
A scream clawed its way out of my throat.
The pickup flew over a pothole, and something dropped off the seat.
Arlo’s leash.
I screamed again, this time his name gritted between my teeth.
I didn't stop screaming until the jerking movement stopped. The doors opened, pale light hitting me in the face.
Flashlight. Warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me from the car, and then, pulling me by my hair, into our old tree house. It was always our secret place, our saving grace on the edge of town.
The flickering candlelight caught me off guard, illuminating my surroundings.
Two bodies slumped over each other, lying in stemming red.
I felt suffocated, like I was going to die. I screamed, and that warm hand cradled my mouth again, gagging my cries.
Violet and Jules.
There was something wrong with them. And it was only when I forced myself to look closer, when I realized their insides had been carved out, heart, stomach, everything, pulled out.
There was paper on the floor.
No, not paper. Envelopes.
Envelopes stuffed with gore, bright red leaking through white.
Shuffling back, my brain was too slow to react, while my body was trying to vault to my feet, only to be violently pulled back by my ponytail.
I felt his fingers twining around my hair, revelling in my screams.
With another tug, my head was forced forwards.
Orange candlelight felt almost homely, this time lighting up a third body.
Lying on their back, curled up, pooling scarlet dried into the floorboards, their wrists restricted with duct-tape.
I could feel blood underneath me, sticky, a congealing paste.
“Do you know what happened on October 3rd, 1987, in our town?”
Lucy Prescott stood over me, her arms folded across her chest.
I managed to shake my head, when she grabbed Ben’s legs, dragging him under the candlelight. I dazedly watched her stroke the blade of a carving knife, the teeth already stained scarlet. “The intestine murders.” Lucy hummed, tracing the knife down the floorboards.
“A man murdered two high school girls, carving out their insides and sending their pieces to their loved ones.”
Lucy's eyes found mine, ignited in a familiar gleam. I saw it in Principal Marrow’s office. Then the swimming pool. The cafeteria. “It was the sheriff's only murder case, Panda. Ever since then, our town has been boring. There's no mysteries to solve. Nothing to find.”
The girl jumped to her feet, retrieving a blood stained envelope.
She held it up, a smile curved on her lips. The girl turned around, and I heard a horrific squelching sound. Lucy held up a bright red sausage, ripped into it, and slipped it into the white paper.
“But I can change that.” she said, in a giggle.
“I can create a real serial killer, who we can hunt down together.”
Lucy stabbed the blade into the floor, laughing.
“Or! I can bring a fan-favorite back! I can bring the intestine killer back from the dead!”
Her gaze flicked to the others. “There are casualties, of course. The story is, I was kidnapped with Ben, Violet, and Jules. The scary intestine killer killed them, and I managed to get away.”
Lucy shuffled over to me, her eyes wide. “Then! He came back and struck again!”
With those words, she shoved me onto my back.
“First he took Violet,” Lucy hummed, tracing the blade down my shirt.
“Then… Jules.” I squeezed my eyes shut, pulling at the restraints around my wrists. “Then Ben.” her breath tickled my cheek. “And finally… Panda.”
Lucy lifted the knife, and I accepted my death.
Until a low rumble in my ears.
Shouting.
Thundering footsteps, followed by the pitter-patter of paws.
“Lucy!” The sheriff was screaming, and the girl stumbled to her feet, the knife slipping from her fingers. Lucy stumbled, tripping over Ben’s body.
“He got away!” she shrieked. “He…he killed them! Oh, god, please help me!”
I don't think Lucy even realised the traces she'd left behind.
The blood slick on her fingers, her manic, grinning smile full of mania.
I was looking for stars when an officer crouched over me.
I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Her voice was white noise.
“Rachel? Hey, try and sit up, honey. You Mom is on her way.”
Instead of listening to her, I curled into myself.
My gaze found Arlo sticking his nose in Ben’s hair, trying to nudge the boy awake.
I didn't fully register the next few days.
They went by in a confusing blur.
Part of me tried to eat, and spent hours with my head pressed against the toilet seat.
I could still see the slithering, scarlet remains of my friends every time I closed my eyes. There was so much red, soaked in that hunting orange light.
Blood that I could still see, a starless sky that stretched on forever.
Weeks went by.
Then months.
I think I turned 14. I wasn't sure. I didn't feel alive anymore.
I stood at my friend’s funerals with a single rose I dropped into their casket.
Violet’s mother was quick to cover the whole thing up.
Lucy's plan didn't work after all.
Our town’s murder cases stayed stagnant at one.
It's been four years since my friends were murdered by our ’Velma’.
Now, at seventeen, Mom asked if I wanted to visit Lucy in juvie.
I'm not even upset or angry anymore.
I want to know why.
Ben picked me up. Arlo was at his side, wagging his tail.
Ben was…different. He'd dumped his baseball cap and gotten a haircut, swapping his old wardrobe of drab colors for an attempt at changing style.
That day, he looked awkward in a short sleeved tee and shorts.
At school, Ben is no longer Bloody Ben.
Now, he is Survivor Ben.
I’m still Panda.
Every time I was with him, I felt like my soul was being sucked out.
Guilt so deep, so fucking painful, I lost my breath.
I live knowing that I immediately assumed it was him that day.
Ben was barely alive when I found him. Lucy had started to carve into him before remembering she needed me.
After admitting it to him, his lips formed a small smile.
“Can I tell you a secret?” He said to me, at sixteen.
"Yeah?"
Whatever he was going to say, Ben never told me.
Presently, I nodded at the dog’s new collar.
“Peppa Pig themed?”
The boy shrugged, ruffling Arlo’s ears. “FYI, he chose it.”
“It's cute.” I said. “Very… chic.”
We didn't speak the whole ride, but Ben did entangle his hand in mine.
We spent half an hour outside the detention centre. I was panicking, and Ben was trying to hide that he was panicking. In the end, we joined hands, and strode through the doors together.
Lucy greeted us with a wide smile. Just as psychotic.
The orange jumpsuit suited her, though I had zero idea why.
“Hey Arlo!” she giggled at the dog, and Ben pulled the pup onto his lap.
“Ben.” She sighed. “I wish I got to finish you. I would have loved to solve the mystery of your gutted corpse.”
Ben’s smile was wry. “Nice to see you too.”
Behind a glass screen, I asked Lucy one simple question.
“Why?”
Lucy didn't reply. Or she did, but it was just nonsensical bullshit.
But there was one thing she said has stuck with me, chilling me to the core.
I am fucking terrified of Lucy. Of what's she's done, and what she's capable of doing.
It was a throwaway line, and I don't even think Ben noticed.
Or he did, and was in denial.
Lucy's smile was wide, her eyes empty pools of nothing.
The exact same glint in Ben’s eyes.
Jules’s eyes.
Violet’s eyes.
Like something was gnawing away at their psyche, twisting and contorting it, filling them with darkness, poison, that was so vast, so endless, I had craved it as a child. I still don't know what it is.
But I'm going to find it.
Lucy's laugh was shrill, and next to me, Ben didn't move a muscle.
But he did smile.
Yes, my gang were psychos.
But I kind of maybe loved it.
“I don't even wear glasses!”
submitted by Trash_Tia to TheCrypticCompendium [link] [comments]
Mom bought me the entire box set of What's New Scooby Doo, and I was inspired to start my very own detective gang. I held auditions outside the gymnasium at recess (serious enquiries only) after a number of kids tried to apply for the role of Scooby Doo despite me reiterating I was not interested in playing make believe.
When I was laughed at in class, I made posters strictly asking for SERIOUS wannabe detectives, even going as far as using my Mom’s printer to make flyers, sticking them all over the school.
Auditions were simple. I asked them to solve a simple riddle.
Whoever impressed me got to sign their name down, and I’d get back to them.
I spent three days sifting through kids who definitely had charm, but they lacked the intelligence of a junior detective. Most kids were only auditioning to make fun of me, anyway.
Still, though, I didn't give up.
My flyers had five requirements:
1). You had to be smart.
2). You were not allowed to be a scaredy cat.
3). You had to accept your inevitable death at the hands of our town’s evil villains.
4). You had to have a fully registered driving licence (I quickly changed this to a bike).
5). You cannot have a criminal record.
(I later scribbled this one out, writing over it. *“You cannot have any tardies.”
Narrowing the applicants down to three kids, all of whom failed to share my enthusiasm for solving cases. The kids I picked didn't even know how to make plans, and when I invited them to my house, they stole my Mom’s necklace.
I didn't even need to solve the mystery of who stole Mom’s necklace. The girl was wearing it at school. I punched her in the face, and was immediately sent to the principal’s office. When I was being given the mother all lectures, the door quietly opened, a head peeking through.
It was Ben Callows, a freckly kid with overgrown brown hair hanging in his eyes. Ben really needed a haircut.
He was always wearing the exact same baseball cap, and I found myself wondering if it was permanently glued to his head, stuck on top of unruly brown curls practically matted to his forehead.
In class, Ben was also known as Bloody Ben. In the second grade, the boy had a nosebleed in the middle of a spelling test, bleeding all over his paper.
It's not like he didn't try and detach himself from the name.
Ben brought in Digimon cards, so kids would call him Digimon Ben instead.
Then he “accidentally” spilled yoghurt down his shirt in hopes we would call him Yoghurt Ben. But no. The kids in our class were relentless in reminding him of his name. No matter what he did, he was still Bloody Ben, and when anything related to blood came up in class, fifteen pairs of eyes would swivel to him, like he had invented the concept of bleeding.
I feared the nickname would follow him to junior high.
Ben didn't wait to be let in. He didn't even knock, striding in with his arms folded. Over the years, Bloody Ben, had definitely soured his personality.
He smiled rarely, and when he did smile, someone was falling over or hurting themselves.
Which definitely strengthened the claims of him being a sociopath.
The rumor mill was churning, with the latest claiming Bloody Ben killed his cat. That wasn't true. Ben’s cat was seventeen with cancer, and that was why he was sobbing all the way through reading time.
According to Ellie Daly, however, Ben had killed and dissected his kitty, and buried her in his Mom’s flowers.
Now, my principal did not like being interrupted, especially when she was in the middle of screaming at me.
Principal Marrow was old old (like, thirty, in my ten year old mind) stick thin like a pencil, and always wore the same stained sweater.
She used to be pretty, but I was convinced she had kissed a frog and been cursed. After our old principal suffered a stroke, she stepped in as a temporary replacement, and since becoming principal, had banned my favorite book series, colored shoe laces, and hamburger helper, even officiating a uniform.
(vomit green shorts and a tee, and plain white sneakers).
Kids were convinced she was a witch, and I kind of believed it.
Principal Marrow’s whole existence was built on sucking the fun out of school.
I was already reprimanded for my mystery gang flyers.
Her office smelled of peppermint and she was definitely sneaking sips of whisky in her coffee cup. I could see the bottle sticking out of the trash.
She straightened up, folding her arms across her chest, squinty eyes narrowing at the boy. I had spent the whole time she was lecturing me trying not to cry, my fists bunched in my lap.
I took the distraction as the perfect opportunity to swipe at my eyes, allowing myself to breathe.
Ben Callows was her victim now.
I was right. The woman's voice was like a thunderclap in my ears.
“You better have a good reason for not knocking, young man.”
Ben wasn't fazed by her tone. “You took my Switch two weeks ago,” he said, “I want it back, or I’m telling my Mom.”
At first, I thought I'd misheard him.
No, I was pretty sure he'd threatened our principal.
I swore I heard all of the breath sucked from the room.
“I'm sorry,” Principal Marrow cleared her throat. Her soft tone was dangerous.
She wasn't being nice. The lady was about to explode.
I could see visible veins straining in her temples, her right eye twitching.
It was straight out of a cartoon.
“Did you forget something, Ben?”
Ben sighed, like she was inconveniencing him.
He held out his hand. “Please can I have my Switch back? It counts as stolen property. Give it back, or I'm telling my Mom.”
The kid put so much emphasis on the word please, I couldn't resist a smile.
I think our principal was too shocked to get angry.
“Get out.” She said, firmly. “I don't have your gaming device.”
“It's in your drawer.” Ben nodded to her desk, “Under your divorce papers and the restraining order ordered by Jake Willow, the seventeen year old boy you've been having math ‘tutoring sessions’ with.” He quoted the air, his gaze lazily rolling to me. “Tutoring”
Principal Marrow went deathly pale, her eyes darkening.
“Benjamin Callows–”
“The school already knows about the restraining order, but your uncle is the head of the Board of Education, so all you get is a slap on the wrist and a warning to leave the boy alone."
Ben continued, and I found myself mesmerised by his words. He was a natural, his expression stoic, mouth curved with satisfaction that wasn't quite a smile. “However.” He held up his phone, pulling it away at the exact moment the teacher attempted to grab it. “You were outside Jake Willow’s house at 6:12am, drunk, and trying to climb through his window, which, I think violates the restraining order, does it not?”
Ben pretended to think real hard, his gaze flicking to the ceiling.
“I mean, I'm just a kid, right?” His mouth curled into the hint of a smirk
“What do I know, huh?”
Principal Marrow’s expression twisted, her lip wobbling.
“Mr Callows, remove yourself from my office, or I am calling your father.”
Leaning comfortably against the door, Ben’s lip twitched.
“Why? Are you planning on telling my Dad about your relations with a teenage boy, or will I have to tell him instead?”
I was enthralled, and fully disgusted, making a move to inch away from the woman.
“But it doesn't end there.” Ben continued. He straightened up, taking slow, intimidating steps towards the woman's desk. “You don't even want Jake, do you? Because, once upon a time, you were in love with his father. Jason Willow. You despised him for rejecting you, so you decided to defile his son.” Ben leaned over the principal’s desk, slipping his hand into the drawer, and pulling out his switch.
Painfully slowly.
She stood there, speechless, her shoulders trembling.
Ben smiled, and I found myself liking it.
“Thank you!” He said, waving the console in her face. Ben mimed locking his mouth and throwing away the key.
“My lips are sealed.”
Ben’s half lidded eyes found mine. “Are ya coming, Panda?”
I forgot my own nickname.
Panda.
I wore my Mom’s eyeliner because I thought it looked cool.
It did not.
Finding my breath, I snapped out of it.
Jumping up, I followed him out of the office, and when the two of us were safely on the hallway, I burst into hysterical giggles. “How did you know all of that?!” I whisper- shrieked.
Ben surprised me with a splutter. “Wait. You believed me?”
Something very cold trickled down my spine.
I stopped walking. “You lied?”
He shrugged. “I had a dig around her office before she caught me a few days ago,” Ben swung his arms, a smile curling on his mouth. “There's no restraining order, but there is prescription anti-psychosis medicine, and an extremely detailed story on her laptop about a teachestudent romance, which I presume is a self insert.”
Ben shot me a sickly grin. “The school refused to make her condition public.”
He prodded at his own cotton shirt embroidered with the school emblem.
“Why do you think she's made all these dumb rules? The woman is a certified Looney Tune.”
I nodded slowly. “Wait. What about Jake and his dad?”
“I made them up.”
I choked out a laugh. “And… the video?”
Ben walked faster, pulling out his phone and shoving it in my face. The video was real. Principal Marrow was walking around in circles, draped in her nightgown. “It's her own house,” he explained. “She locked herself out.”
Nodding slowly, I was in awe. Bloody Ben was kind of fucking amazing.
“But the restraining order isn't real.”
Ben raised a brow, coming to an abrupt halt. It was his smile that cemented his place in my gang. His lack of empathy for a woman he had gaslit into being a disgusting human being. Ben Callows wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but he fascinated me. Maybe for the wrong reasons. “Her filing cabinets are filled with tinned cat food, Panda,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, “I’m not psychic, but I thiiiiink we’ll be okay.”
I turned to him, unable to stop myself jumping up and down with excitement.
“Will you be my first?!”
Ben inclined his head. “Will I be your what?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. I mean, will you join my mystery gang?”
The boy’s eyes lit up, and I shoved him playfully.
“To solve real cases,” I corrected myself. “Not make them up.”
Ben wore a real, proper smile. But there was something in his eyes, a darkness that was so hollow and polluted and wrong, I pretended not to see it for the sake of his smarts and intellect. “Well, if you insist, sure!” Ben held out his hand, and I shook it. I'll be your first.”
We found our second member, who was, ironically, looking for her glasses under the table in class. Lucy Prescott, the quiet girl, was born to be with us.
The class eraser went missing, and she found it in the blink of an eye.
When questioned, Lucy’s face turned as red as her hair. “I asked everyone in the class and followed the clues to the last person who had it,” she pointed to Chase Simpson. “Which was Chase, who was throwing it at Marcus Calvin.”
Twisting around in my chair, I aimed to get Ben’s attention. But he was already looking at me, chin resting on his fist, eyes ignited with excitement.
The two of us cornered Lucy after class, and when she motioned for us to get back, I dragged Ben (who was a little too excited) to my side.
Lucy looked mildly horrified when I said, dangerous cases, though her expression pricked with intrigue.
She agreed, her gaze lingering on Ben, cheeks smouldering.
Our last two members were a surprise.
Violet Evergreen was what you would call popular on the middle school hierarchy. Not just because her mother was the mayor, but because Violet could get away with murder. The girl refused to wear the school uniform, coloring a single purple streak in her hair to cement herself as the it girl.
She was also one of the girls who started the Bloody Ben rumor.
Ben, Lucy, and I were sitting on the grass during recess, trying to come up with a name for our detective service, when Violet came storming over, hands planted on her hips. She was copying how her mother held herself during town meetings.
“What are you doing?” Violet demanded.
Lucy opened her mouth to answer, Ben nudging her to shut up.
“Making a mystery gang.” I told her. “Why?”
Violet inclined her head. “Oh.” She folded her arms. “Well, can I join?”
Ben stood up, stepping in front of the girl. Violet didn't move, stubbornly standing her ground. “Sure.” Ben flashed a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. He stepped closer to her, his smile widening. “If you can pass the test.”
Violet’s lip curled. She took a single step back. “What kind of test?”
Ben nodded to me. “Meet us at the swimming pool at 8pm.”
To my surprise, Violet nodded. “Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope!”
8pm. The four of us met outside the local swimming pool.
Violet was already on the other side of the fence, waving.
“Hey guys!”
I noticed Ben’s expression, his eyes darkening, lip curling.
Still though, he maintained positivity, vaulting over the fence.
“You made it!”
I followed him, helping Lucy, who was immediately freaking out. I didn't blame her. The pool looked cold and dark, a hollow oblivion carved into the ground.
Ben and Violet stood on the edge, the two of them shoulder to shoulder.
Violet Evergreen was braver than I thought.
Standing with her arms at her sides, Violet's hands clenched into fists.
“What's the test?” Violet said, her gaze glued to bleeding black depths.
“I don't know,” Ben murmured, his voice teetering on a giggle. He leaned forwards, arms spread out. “I didn't think you'd actually come meet us.”
Violet hummed, stretching out her leg, teasing it across the surface. “Was that the test?”
The boy leaned back. I caught the glint of a grin under the floodlights. “Nah.”
Before I knew what was happening, he shoved Violet into the pool. The girl didn't scream or shriek, she just hit the surface, sinking into pitch dark nothing.
“Sink or swim,” Ben said in a low murmur, when Violet’s head bobbed under water. I could see her shadow under the surface, imagining the freezing cold depths pulling her down.
“Drown, and you can't join us.”
It was so quiet, suddenly. The three of us staring into rippling water.
A minute passed, and my tummy started to twist.
“Fuck.” Ben’s expression stayed stoic. I wasn't expecting him to say a bad word.
He cocked his head. “I thought she could swim.”
I hit him, holding in a cry. “You need to get our parents!”
But he didn't listen to me, taking a single step, and dropping into the pool.
I fell to my knees, scanning the water.
Lucy was crying. “Are they dead?!” she shrieked.
“Shhh!” I was watching two shadows lingering under the water.
Violet broke through. I expected her to be crying, but her expression was unwavering. She was silent. I thought the splashing underneath her was her legs trying and struggling to tread water, before Lucy shoved me. Hard.
“Panda! What do we do?!”
Looking closer, Violet was perfectly still, her gaze on the sky.
While she shoved Ben under the water, drowning him.
Violet’s eyes sparkled, and somehow, I knew she belonged in my gang.
Her gaze found mine, glinting with that darkness, that poisonous streak I found myself drawn to. It was a starving, insatiable need to understand a fractured mind. Know your enemy.
“Do you want to see if Ben’s a witch?” Violet asked me, her tone something else entirely. This girl did not make sense, using barely her finger to drown Ben Callows. I knew she was wrong.
I knew there was something loose, something unlocked and unbridled and drowning inside her mind and heart.
But I wanted more of her. I wanted Violet Evergreen in my detective gang.
I think that is why I stood there, frozen.
When the thrashing stopped, Ben broke through.
He wasn't coughing or spluttering, his head inclined. “You didn't drown.”
Violet climbed out of the pool, offering her hand. “And you're not a witch.”
He declined her hand, taking the steps instead.
I asked Violet in a shaky voice. I was trembling with terror, but I was excited.
Exhilarated.
“Violet, will you join my gang?”
She didn't answer me until we were sharing hot cocoa in my house.
I told Mom we fell in the pool, and she believed me. I should have told her that my friends were sociopaths, and I was kind of maybe in love. Violet sipped her cocoa, nodding with a smile I didn't recognise. Violet never smiled at school.
Well, she did. But it was always the prick of a cruel smirk.
I don't think her smile was genuine, but she was definitely enjoying herself.
Our last member came to us, instead of finding him.
Jules Howell, a straggly brunette pushed his way in front of me in the lunch line. I didn't really know the kid.
He sat at the back of the classroom and slept through most of class. I did like his accent though.
Jules had moved from Melbourne in the second grade. He didn't talk much.
When he did, I found myself enveloped in his voice, which sounded like water to me, a bleeding cadence to his tone.
Jules piled his plate with fries, smiling widely at the lunch ladies.
“I saw you last night.” He murmured through that perfectly moulded grin.
“Saw me where?”
“At the pool,” Jules said. “You, Bloody Ben, Violet Evergreen, and that Lucy girl. You were doing a suiciding pact.”
“That's not what we were doing.” I said, “What's a suiciding pact?”
“When you kill yourself together.” Jules said. “I saw it in a scary movie my Mom was watching.”
I grabbed a fork. “We weren't doing that.”
His eyes were strange when I took the time to notice them. The excited gleam had fizzled out. Jules’s hands tightened around his tray. “Then what were you doing?”
I didn't reply, making my way over to our usual table. Ben was already waving me over, Violet and Lucy holding up the flyers we were making.
THE REDBLOOD DETECTIVES.”
Do YOU need our help? We can find/solve anything! Contact us on the number below. (We take donations!)
When I bothered turning around, Jules was lost in the crowd of kids.
We were on our first official case, searching for Mrs Lake’s missing mail, when Jules appeared seemingly out of nowhere. And with him, a golden retriever puppy he introduced as Arlo.
It took a dog jumping up at them for Violet and Ben to find their real smiles, their real selves slowly seeping through these facades they had built around themselves. Ben dropped to a crouch, ruffling the dog's ears, his smile faint.
“Who's a good boy?” He chuckled.
Arlo didn't move, tail wagging, eyes bright.
Ben motioned the dog towards him, but Arlo stayed put.
Jules joined us…quietly.
I don't remember asking him, or even him asking me.
He just became part of us, side by side with Arlo.
We soon came to quickly realize that our town was boring.
There were no monsters or thieves, or soul sucking demons. No criminals or serial killers. Not even one missing person. We did, however, get calls about missing cats. I turned eleven years old, patiently waiting for a murder or a kid going missing. But there was nothing.
All we did was chase cats, and the occasional dog. Maybe a budgie if we were lucky. Twelve years old, our detective club became a joke.
The five of us (and Arlo hiding under the table) were trying to pinpoint Mrs Tracy's lost hamster, when three girls came over, dumping their soda all over us.
We watched crime shows for inspiration on catching killers.
Ben’s favorite crime was one that happened in the 80’s in our town.
2 girls murdered.
Their intestines stuffed into envelopes and mailed to family members.
“That's what we should be solving,” he told me one night, “Not missing cats.”
Thirteen years old, we lay in Violet’s backyard under the cruel glare of the summer sun. We called it working and didn't like to admit it was hanging out, or that we were even friends. However.
That didn't stop us growing closer.
Even if it wasn't quite the way I’d expected.
I proposed a plan, standing up, wobbling a little off balance.
“I've got it.” I said, my voice kinda slurry from Violet’s special summer cocktail, which was just random alcoholic beverages we found, thrown into a blender, and diluted with water.
The town wasn't taking us seriously.
So, we were going to make our own mysteries.
I ordered a full-scale assault on our small town. One that they could not ignore. Ben stamped on Mrs Mason’s flowers, and Lucy threw mud pies at people's cars. Jules trashed the high school gym, and Violet and I spray painted threats and warnings on every store window. Now, this did cause panic, but also an official curfew.
Thirty minutes before curfew, we met in our usual spot, deep in the forest near the lake. Ben yelled at me when I was three minutes late. He was real passionate about finding a real mystery.
“You're late.” Ben was sitting on a rock waving a stick in Arlo’s face.
The dog still wasn't going near him, whining softly.
I took my place, muttering an apology. “I had to lie to my Mom.”
Violet, sitting with her legs crossed, idly digging her manicure into the dirt, suggested we buy mannequins and masquerade them as dead bodies, hanging them from the school rafters.
Lucy, who had slowly grown out of her shell, becoming a lot more outspoken, nudged her. “That's a stupid idea.”
The girl groaned, leaning into her. “Urgh. You're right.”
Jules was the only energetic one, standing on the tireswing.
He jumped down, definitely twisting his ankle.
But his smile only widened, kind of like he enjoyed being in pain.
“Why don't we pretend to be kidnapped?” He said, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over blondish curls growing out. Jules did a dramatic spin, his eyes shining. “We can ‘go missing’ for like a week, and then when our parents are really scared, we can turn up, and tell them we escaped a kidnapping.” His lips split into a grin.
“And then we solve our own kidnapping!”
Ben awkwardly patted Arlos head, only for the dog to pull away with a snort.
“I like it,” he murmured. “I'm in.”
Jules’s idea was stupid.
But.
It was worth a shot.
The five of us agreed to meet the morning after with enough food and supplies for a week. Then we were going to hike to the next town, and hide out for a week. It was an almost perfect plan, using ourselves as victims of our own mystery.
Packing as much as I could, I kissed my mother goodbye (I told her my pack was for a picnic) and set off to the rendezvous we agreed on.
When I arrived, I was the first one there. I checked and re-checked my pack.
I waited ten minutes, unable to contain my excitement.
Then 20 minutes.
It was getting kind of cold.
One hour.
I sat on a rock for enough time to watch the sky change color.
When the clouds were orange, I stood up and stumbled back home. They had gone without me. Mom lectured me when I got home, and I stuck to the plan of pretending my friends had gone missing, even if I they had betrayed me.
Ben said he'd text me when he arrived at the redervous. I at least expected him to text an explanation, but there was nothing. I was in the dark, and after three days of nothing, our town finally began to take us seriously.
“Our children have been kidnapped!” The adults were screaming.
Mom was crying in the kitchen, praying to a god I knew she didn't believe in that I wasn't taken next. I was interviewed and stuck with the exact same story I came up with when I was with the others. Our plan was to return after a week, claiming to be locked up in a dark room with a masked man.
I told my Mother and the other parents that I didn't know where my friends were, repeating the same thing over and over again until I was tongue tied.
“I saw them the day before they went missing, and… yes, everything seemed okay.” I slowly sipped my glass of milk provided, looking the sheriff directly in the eyes.
“No, I didn't notice anything suspicious, sheriff. Yes, I'm sure, sir. No, they didn't tell me anything.”
It was Ben’s mother who shattered my mask.
“Did I know about… what?” I whispered.
Something warm filled the back of my mouth, foul tasting milk erupting up my throat. I leaned forward, trying to look Mrs Callows in the eye. “No, I… I didn't know about Ben’s…condition.”
Mrs Callows was screaming at me about her son’s troubled past when I barfed all over myself, my eyes burning.
In the privacy of my own room, I sobbed until I couldn't breathe.
I tried to tell Mom, but we had come so close.
One more day, and the others would be back.
But that day came. I sat cross legged at our usual spot, which was now covered in police tape. I waited for their thudding footsteps, their laughter congratulating each other for coming up with a great plan. I waited, my face buried in my knees, for my friends.
It was dark when my phone vibrated, and I'd fallen asleep.
I wasn't scared, forcing myself to my feet.
“Where are you?” Mom yelled down the phone.
“Coming home now.” I muttered.
“Sorry.” I paused, holding my breath against a cry. “Mom.” I broke down, forcing my fist into my mouth to hide my squeak. “Mommy, did they come back?”
Mom didn't reply for a moment.
“I'm so sorry, baby.” She whispered, ending the call.
I took my time walking home that night.
There were no stars in the sky.
When a hand clamped over my mouth, I could smell him.
When he dragged me back, stabbing a kitchen knife into my throat, I stared at the sky and looked for stars. His arms were warm around me, violently pulling me into the back of a pickup truck. The pickup truck he'd said he was bringing.
It was his grandfather's, and he could just about drive it.
Hitting the backseat, my body was numb, my thoughts in a whirlwind.
The pickup flew forwards, and I remembered how to move.
I rolled off the seat, my hands pinned behind my back.
Twisting around, blinking in the dim, I could feel something warm, something seeping across upholstery seats. Blood.
It was everywhere, sticky on my hands and wet on my face when I struggled to get up. I was lying in someone's blood.
A scream clawed its way out of my throat.
The pickup flew over a pothole, and something dropped off the seat.
Arlo’s leash.
I screamed again, this time his name gritted between my teeth.
I didn't stop screaming until the jerking movement stopped. The doors opened, pale light hitting me in the face.
Flashlight. Warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me from the car, and then, pulling me by my hair, into our old tree house. It was always our secret place, our saving grace on the edge of town.
The flickering candlelight caught me off guard, illuminating my surroundings.
Two bodies slumped over each other, lying in stemming red.
I felt suffocated, like I was going to die. I screamed, and that warm hand cradled my mouth again, gagging my cries.
Violet and Jules.
There was something wrong with them. And it was only when I forced myself to look closer, when I realized their insides had been carved out, heart, stomach, everything, pulled out.
There was paper on the floor.
No, not paper. Envelopes.
Envelopes stuffed with gore, bright red leaking through white.
Shuffling back, my brain was too slow to react, while my body was trying to vault to my feet, only to be violently pulled back by my ponytail.
I felt his fingers twining around my hair, revelling in my screams.
With another tug, my head was forced forwards.
Orange candlelight felt almost homely, this time lighting up a third body.
Lying on their back, curled up, pooling scarlet dried into the floorboards, their wrists restricted with duct-tape.
I could feel blood underneath me, sticky, a congealing paste.
“Do you know what happened on October 3rd, 1987, in our town?”
Lucy Prescott stood over me, her arms folded across her chest.
I managed to shake my head, when she grabbed Ben’s legs, dragging him under the candlelight. I dazedly watched her stroke the blade of a carving knife, the teeth already stained scarlet. “The intestine murders.” Lucy hummed, tracing the knife down the floorboards.
“A man murdered two high school girls, carving out their insides and sending their pieces to their loved ones.”
Lucy's eyes found mine, ignited in a familiar gleam. I saw it in Principal Marrow’s office. Then the swimming pool. The cafeteria. “It was the sheriff's only murder case, Panda. Ever since then, our town has been boring. There's no mysteries to solve. Nothing to find.”
The girl jumped to her feet, retrieving a blood stained envelope.
She held it up, a smile curved on her lips. The girl turned around, and I heard a horrific squelching sound. Lucy held up a bright red sausage, ripped into it, and slipped it into the white paper.
“But I can change that.” she said, in a giggle.
“I can create a real serial killer, who we can hunt down together.”
Lucy stabbed the blade into the floor, laughing.
“Or! I can bring a fan-favorite back! I can bring the intestine killer back from the dead!”
Her gaze flicked to the others. “There are casualties, of course. The story is, I was kidnapped with Ben, Violet, and Jules. The scary intestine killer killed them, and I managed to get away.”
Lucy shuffled over to me, her eyes wide. “Then! He came back and struck again!”
With those words, she shoved me onto my back.
“First he took Violet,” Lucy hummed, tracing the blade down my shirt.
“Then… Jules.” I squeezed my eyes shut, pulling at the restraints around my wrists. “Then Ben.” her breath tickled my cheek. “And finally… Panda.”
Lucy lifted the knife, and I accepted my death.
Until a low rumble in my ears.
Shouting.
Thundering footsteps, followed by the pitter-patter of paws.
“Lucy!” The sheriff was screaming, and the girl stumbled to her feet, the knife slipping from her fingers. Lucy stumbled, tripping over Ben’s body.
“He got away!” she shrieked. “He…he killed them! Oh, god, please help me!”
I don't think Lucy even realised the traces she'd left behind.
The blood slick on her fingers, her manic, grinning smile full of mania.
I was looking for stars when an officer crouched over me.
I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Her voice was white noise.
“Rachel? Hey, try and sit up, honey. You Mom is on her way.”
Instead of listening to her, I curled into myself.
My gaze found Arlo sticking his nose in Ben’s hair, trying to nudge the boy awake.
I didn't fully register the next few days.
They went by in a confusing blur.
Part of me tried to eat, and spent hours with my head pressed against the toilet seat.
I could still see the slithering, scarlet remains of my friends every time I closed my eyes. There was so much red, soaked in that hunting orange light.
Blood that I could still see, a starless sky that stretched on forever.
Weeks went by.
Then months.
I think I turned 14. I wasn't sure. I didn't feel alive anymore.
I stood at my friend’s funerals with a single rose I dropped into their casket.
Violet’s mother was quick to cover the whole thing up.
Lucy's plan didn't work after all.
Our town’s murder cases stayed stagnant at one.
It's been four years since my friends were murdered by our ’Velma’.
Now, at seventeen, Mom asked if I wanted to visit Lucy in juvie.
I'm not even upset or angry anymore.
I want to know why.
Ben picked me up. Arlo was at his side, wagging his tail.
Ben was…different. He'd dumped his baseball cap and gotten a haircut, swapping his old wardrobe of drab colors for an attempt at changing style.
That day, he looked awkward in a short sleeved tee and shorts.
At school, Ben is no longer Bloody Ben.
Now, he is Survivor Ben.
I’m still Panda.
Every time I was with him, I felt like my soul was being sucked out.
Guilt so deep, so fucking painful, I lost my breath.
I live knowing that I immediately assumed it was him that day.
Ben was barely alive when I found him. Lucy had started to carve into him before remembering she needed me.
After admitting it to him, his lips formed a small smile.
“Can I tell you a secret?” He said to me, at sixteen.
"Yeah?"
Whatever he was going to say, Ben never told me.
Presently, I nodded at the dog’s new collar.
“Peppa Pig themed?”
The boy shrugged, ruffling Arlo’s ears. “FYI, he chose it.”
“It's cute.” I said. “Very… chic.”
We didn't speak the whole ride, but Ben did entangle his hand in mine.
We spent half an hour outside the detention centre. I was panicking, and Ben was trying to hide that he was panicking. In the end, we joined hands, and strode through the doors together.
Lucy greeted us with a wide smile. Just as psychotic.
The orange jumpsuit suited her, though I had zero idea why.
“Hey Arlo!” she giggled at the dog, and Ben pulled the pup onto his lap.
“Ben.” She sighed. “I wish I got to finish you. I would have loved to solve the mystery of your gutted corpse.”
Ben’s smile was wry. “Nice to see you too.”
Behind a glass screen, I asked Lucy one simple question.
“Why?”
Lucy didn't reply. Or she did, but it was just nonsensical bullshit.
But there was one thing she said has stuck with me, chilling me to the core.
I am fucking terrified of Lucy. Of what's she's done, and what she's capable of doing.
It was a throwaway line, and I don't even think Ben noticed.
Or he did, and was in denial.
Lucy's smile was wide, her eyes empty pools of nothing.
The exact same glint in Ben’s eyes.
Jules’s eyes.
Violet’s eyes.
Like something was gnawing away at their psyche, twisting and contorting it, filling them with darkness, poison, that was so vast, so endless, I had craved it as a child. I still don't know what it is.
But I'm going to find it.
Lucy's laugh was shrill, and next to me, Ben didn't move a muscle.
But he did smile.
Yes, my gang were psychos.
But I kind of maybe loved it.
“I don't even wear glasses!”
2024.06.02 03:37 GJWon What You Need To Know To Visit Dookki Tteokbokki
 | The ‘Amazing Two Meals!, Unlimited Rest Area Snack Time’ promotion is underway at Dukki, an unlimited refill buffet restaurant called Tteokbokki franchise. submitted by GJWon to KoreaSeoul [link] [comments] In addition to tteokbokki, a mini hot bar, sotteok and sotteok, chrysanthemum manju, coin fish fillet, and one-bite fried squid are provided as representative snacks at highway rest areas in the two meals. Tteokbokki is not something that only students enjoy. It's a food that you eat with your friends. Meanwhile, you can eat it alone in two meals. You can see person who come and eat alone. If you eat alone, you can eat whatever you want. It's good. [the price of Dookki] Generic born before 2005 - KRW 10,900 Students born in 2006-2017 - KRW 9,900 Post-birth since 2018 - 5,900 won Less than 36 months - free When you go into the Dookki restaurant first, every table has a basic setting. If you visit for the first time, you can ask for each bowl's different purpose.
2. Feel free to fill in the ingredients you want to eat and go to the section where the sauce is ready. A variety of sauces are available. Recommended sauce recipes are provided, so you can try following them. Please note that all sauces should be based on the trilingualism to be the right amount of sauce.
|
2024.06.02 03:26 JustStopItDamn You Are Checkable...So Let Me Check You
You are rotten to the core and your soul is laced in depravity. You lack the ability to function as a decent human being, by sheer laziness and pure stupidity. You suffer from grandiose delusions, filled with copycat attributes. Your very existence is a charade of characters, none of which suits your ability to carry them out. From the crown of your head, to the soles of your feet, spells struggle and strife. You attempt to convince others of your worth, when your reflection dictates to you...ugliness and savagery. You cannot get out of the dysfunction that you are in because you are the creator of your confusion and you bask in your negligence. You are horrible to your body...you eat unhealthy, you smoke like a chimney, you drink like a sailor, you speak like an unintelligent know it all, and somehow you are proud and convinced that this shit works for you. Yes, you are a con artist that preys upon the weak and kind hearted, but as you can tell, nothing ever pans out for you. You think by manipulating and getting somewhat of your way for the moment, that you have scored some sort of victory...but it has always resulted in backwards blessings. Look at the dynamics of your family, your kids that are old enough to have escaped your devices, have fled from your torturous grip. Your younger kids are forced to live in a cramped up room, or the back seat of an illegal vehicle, placing their lives in jeopardy. Your kids don't have structure or the proper guidance, they only have on the fly, as you go, conflict and chaos. Your baby daddy is simply an empty vessel that provides a physical, count for nothing, space in your shattered life. Your baby daddy's brother, is a casualty of the war that you are in, and a prisoner in the current rat hole that you are residing in, but don't get too comfortable, it is a temporary hiding out spot, that will crumble around you, as you are a nuisance in that poor lady's life. You were brought there to help her and you are as much help to her as someone who is drug out to sea, and they don't know how to swim. The games that you play with such serious issues are going to be your ultimate undoing, and when God finishes chastising you for the malice in your cold heart, you think that you've been through hard times, well goofy you ain't seen struggle yet! You will have exhausted every avenue of pity and support and the dues you have failed to pay thus far, will net you ZERO! Remember these words...I know your day is coming and I want you to think back on all the times, people tried to genuinely help your simple ass. But for now, keep thinking that you're smarter than everyone, that this path that you are on doesn't have and end zone...I'm here to tell you that it does, and when it happens,don't you dare she'd a tear, or blame the government, trolls, your mother, your siblings, your kids, Chris or your social media, so called family...look in the mirror and man up! You despicable waste of a human being!
You have been officially CHECKED!
submitted by JustStopItDamn to PorshiaFurlowScammer [link] [comments]
You have been officially CHECKED!