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I tried talking to Cassie about what happened to Laundry Mom. (yes this is basically naming her and I’m changing the name but what if what the devil said means she’s going to come back and what if we can change her) Cassie’s response was “oh thank goodness” when I told her that she’s gone so I decided to end the conversation there and just bury my emotions inside.
Well, not entirely. I’ve been crying myself to sleep. I know I shouldn’t take this as hard as I am. If I think about it logically, it’s not like she cared about me or I cared about her, right? I was just a means to an end. I got rid of the flickering man for her. And I guess she thought I was able to get rid of the thing in the hallway too and that’s why she
dammit I’m crying again brb gonna go sob into my pillow like an idiot for a bit
Okay. Better. I think.
I couldn’t talk to Cassie about it. I was at a loss on who I could talk to… so I called my mom. And then, I don’t know, because I was feeling like someone else was gone and how I feel like it’s me, it’s all because of me, everyone that cares about me or that I care about is doomed to die.
I asked about dad.
If she thought that if he were still here and could do it all over again, knowing he could die out there in the fields, if he’d still do it to provide for his family. For us. Mom was silent for a long moment and then she told me, very quietly, that it wasn’t the money that kept him away from home. That was part of it, of course, but it wasn’t the main reason.
He needed distance from mom. After the affair he didn’t want to be around her because it hurt too much. But neither did he want to divorce her, because of us, so this was the compromise he found. He took a job that kept him away from home for months at a time and when he came home he was happy to see us, just us, the children, and he and mom tried to work on their issues. Like starting the relationship over. Small steps.
It wasn’t meant to be permanent. Either they’d find a way to move forward after what she did or they’d figure out how to separate without traumatizing the youngest of the children.
Instead, he died, and there was no reconciliation, there was no closure, there was nothing. Nothing but his absence.
I told mom I needed some time to work through what she just told me and then I hung up. I screamed. I threw things. Cassie finally intervened and very calmly said it was okay to be upset but Titanosaur was hiding in her closet and I needed to find a healthier way to cope with this. Cassie insisted that I put on gym clothes with her and we went running down the streets and sidewalks until I couldn’t breathe and then we ran some more.
It helped. I don’t want to ever do it again though. Then we sat down back at the apartment and I told her what my mom had said.
Cassie thinks that was a lot to dump on someone and that she shouldn’t have ruined the image I had of my dead father. I think my mom is tired of keeping secrets and thinks I should be able to make up my own mind on how I feel about our family.
I know what it’s like to carry secrets. I feel much better now that I’m sharing most everything with Cassie.
It’s kind of weird to realize your parents are just people too and are doing the best they can and they don’t have it all figured out either and they’re getting things wrong too.
I feel so numb right now. Maybe it doesn’t matter. We can’t go back and change things and we can’t get answers to the questions we have. That’s just how it is.
I wish I could say that things get better. For a short time, it seemed that they would. I focused on my classes and tried to ignore everything else. Rumors about the haunted English building were abundant and people were saying the right things, so at least it seemed unlikely that the thing in the hallway was going to claim another victim despite its increased activity. That felt like all I could do. The thing had killed Laundry Mom. Not even the flickering man had managed that. What could I possibly do against something like that? It felt like I would be trying to stop a force of nature, like squaring off against a tornado and thinking that I, frail flesh and brittle bones, could stop its path of destruction.
I remember how I felt when I looked at it. The despair and the hopelessness and just the utter loathing, like I was dissecting myself in my mind to uncover every flaw and fault inside. I don’t want to feel like that again.
So for the past few weeks I’ve just been keeping my head down and going to class and going to work.
Yeah I’m still working at the dining hall. Money. It’s a thing.
But my manager was getting worse. The incidents where he ate everything in the stockroom were getting more frequent, to the point where he started stocking food in the neighboring dorm’s dining hall and sending us over to fetch what we’d need every morning. That was working out… until it stopped working.
I had the opening shift. I hate being scheduled for mornings, but that’s what happens when you’re reliable I guess. You get tapped for responsibilities that require reliability. And sure I’m super fucking grumpy in the morning, but at least I’m present I guess.
I even show up when it’s raining. Because by now I know what a dangerous rain looks like and if it’s just a steady, normal rain, I grab an umbrella and hustle my ass over there.
So I showed up bright and annoyed with an umbrella still dripping rainwater onto the floor, reminding myself that this job was keeping me from surviving solely off ramen, and I found the kitchen silent and still. This was unusual. He got here before everyone and would start getting the oatmeal going at least before anyone else arrived.
Fearing the worst, I hurried to the stockroom. It was raining, after all, and I think coffee boss’s talk with him about remembering to use his damn umbrella hadn’t sunk in yet.
We didn’t have much in there, but he’d eaten it all. There wasn’t anything left. Nothing. He’d eaten all the boxes, the freezer door hung open and I could see the shelves were clear. There was something unsettling about the barren stockroom too, something that took me a moment to place.
It wasn’t just the food that was gone. Everything was gone. The extra pots and pans. The cleaning supplies. The only thing left were the shelves and from the way they glistened moistly in the dim light of the single overhead bulb, I think he’d even licked the dust off of them.
He stared at me from the middle of the room, his jaw slack and his tongue hanging out like a dog. It almost reached his belly button. One shoulder drooped lower than the other and his head was tilted in the opposite direction. His eyes were wide and hopeless and famished.
“I’m so hungry,” he whispered.
Drool dribbled down his cheek and fell to the ground in thick globs. He shuffled a step towards me and I clamped down hard on my urge to panic. I couldn’t freeze up. I couldn’t run. He needed help… and he needed to revert back to normal before any of the other employees showed up.
“Hey, I’m having trouble getting the oven to light,” I said casually, as if nothing was wrong. “Could you take a look?”
Another step closer. No response, other than a faint whisper, repeating that he was hungry. So hungry.
“I think Susan called out,” I said, trying something else. “Don’t we need to find someone else to come in so we’re not short-handed?”
Still nothing. This wasn’t working anymore. Normally he would have snapped out of it by now. I hurriedly backed away, feeling that mounting panic trying to worm its way up out of my gut and into my chest. I couldn’t let it. I couldn’t let it pour ice into my veins and send me into paralysis as my manager shuffled ever closer, whispering about food.
“How about we try the next dormitory over?” I said in desperation. “They’ve got food.”
He paused. His head tilted further in one direction as he considered. Then his gaze slid off me and towards the door. I gasped in relief. Okay. This was better. The only problem was, he was shuffling towards the exit that would take us downstairs and outside into the rain. I had my umbrella on me, but I couldn’t cover both of us with it. Given a choice I’d rather keep him out of the rain as much as possible, but I kind of don’t want to get myself in it either. And not only that, but I didn’t want to be close to him, just in case he lost control. I’d have to be right next to him to hold the umbrella. Even then, it’s not going to keep the rain completely off. It gets windy during storms. I wasn’t sure what that would do to him and I really didn’t want to find out.
“Let’s try the steam tunnels,” I suggested. “They connect directly to the next dorm over and we won’t go through the rain that way.”
The steam tunnels aren’t safe either. Given the options though, I felt it was best to at least look and see if they were passable or not. If not, I’d say we should risk the rain after all and try to keep him under an umbrella as much as possible. I was formulating plans A, B, and C.
Plan C was running away. Plan C is always running away.
He followed me down the stairs, swaying slightly back and forth with each step. His breathing was labored and his stomach gurgled incessantly, a sharp counterpoint to his rasping lungs. I hurried as much as I dared, afraid that if I went too fast he’d collapse and fall down the stairs and afraid if I went too slow he’d lose his inner battle for control and try to eat me right then and there. My heart pounded and my palms were sweaty from anxiety by the time we got to the steam tunnels. I hastily unlocked it with my copy of the master key and threw open the door.
I swore under my breath. Roots. They clogged the tunnel. Of course they did. It was raining and I always saw them when it was raining.
“Not that way,” I sighed, and I started to close the door.
There was a noise like stones grinding against each other. Like the side of a mountain cleaving in two and sliding apart. It was deafening. I shrieked and stumbled backwards, throwing my hands up to cover my ears. The ground wasn’t where I expected it to be. My ankle rolled sideways and I fell hard.
I caught myself with my elbow.
Not a great thing to do on cement, let me tell you.
I lay there, gasping, as pain shot all the way up my arm and through my shoulder. The ground continued to vibrate beneath my feet. Then I looked up and over, my thoughts moving sluggishly about how I needed to get help for myself now, that I’d hurt myself, that I was bleeding because I could see the blood dripping off the tip of my elbow, and also do something about my manager but there was just me here and -
But there wasn’t just me anymore.
I stared up at the legs of the groundskeeper. The floor of the basement had split in two, pulled apart by thick trunks of roots. They bunched together and then split apart in groups of five. Like fingers, I thought distantly. Like hands holding the ground apart.
And the groundskeeper, his skin like flint, had a hand wrapped around the neck of my manager. He didn’t struggle. He just hung there limply, staring off into the distance with agonized tears running down his cheeks.
“I’m so hungry,” he whispered.
Then the groundskeeper stepped into the crevasse and the roots slithered back after him, the fingers digging gouges into the cement as they dragged the floor back together after them.
I was alone in the basement.
I staggered upstairs, sobbing and dripping blood all over my shirt and jeans. The people at the front desk panicked briefly upon seeing me but one of them realized that it would just be faster to walk down the street to the medical center than to wait for an ambulance to be routed from the local hospital. So that’s what we did. They threw some paper towels at me to keep from dripping blood everywhere and then one of them escorted me there. I got an x-ray that confirmed nothing was broken (thank goodness) and was sent home with a sling and some painkillers.
I didn’t go straight home. (I desperately wanted to go home and take medicine and cry some more, but also I felt I had to do this) I went to the coffee shop first.
My former boss quickly ushered me into the office once an employee let her know that someone named Ashley was here to see her. She eyed the sling my arm was in with alarm.
(I’m doing fine now, I only wore it for like two days)
“It’s fine,” I quickly told her. “But he’s gone.”
And it took a while to tell her what happened, because I kept crying and once I started I couldn’t stop. It’s all too much. I feel like I’m drowning.
“Oh sweetie,” she sighed, coming around the desk so she could pat me on the back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to deal with that.”
“I shouldn’t have gone into the basement,” I blubbered.
“How were you supposed to know? The groundskeeper has never left the cemetery to my knowledge.”
I went very still and blinked away tears. I had to focus. She knew about the groundskeeper. Quietly, I asked her what, exactly, did she know about that thing?
It’s been here a long time, she said. She found out about it from the person that trained her as manager when she first started working here. It was just another one of those stories passed around campus except this one was mostly circulated among the staff. The groundskeeper didn’t like anyone affiliated with the university, they said. He’d tolerate their presence in the graveyard during visiting hours, but that was all.
But where did he come from, I asked. She shrugged and said the oral tradition didn’t care much about that. It was more interested in horrible, certain demise befalling staff members that strayed into the cemetery.
“But why did he go after my manager?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” she sighed. “You ask too many questions. That’s a bad habit around here.”
The flickering man wasn’t here to rip people’s tongues out anymore, but I didn’t know quite how to explain that to her.
“It’s rare, but we do lose staff on occasion,” she continued. “He’s certainly not the first and he won’t be the last. If the roots are spreading like you say they are, then perhaps there’s no reason other than he happened to be within reach.”
I have my own theory, but I stayed quiet. She clearly wasn’t interested in speculating. She just wanted to do her job, get paid, and stay alive. She wouldn’t care that I wondered if he was getting worse, if he was changing more and more frequently, and that attracted the groundskeeper’s attention. If the groundskeeper and the roots were hostile towards the university, then perhaps that hostility extended to the creatures it created. My poor manager wasn’t the only creature I’d seen them eliminate.
“Besides,” she continued. “Did you see him die?”
“He - the ground -”
“Did you see him die?”
No. I didn’t. He was pulled underground. I was about to bolt out of there and, I don’t know, start digging up graves in the graveyard in the hopes he was inside one, still alive, but the manager’s friendly pat on the back turned into a firm grip on the shoulder.
“Let me deal with this,” she said. “I’ve got friends in campus security. We’ll see if we can find him.”
I’m starting to wonder if my life would be better right now if I’d told my former boss everything that was going on as soon as I met her.
“Why do you stay?” I demanded. “This place isn’t worth it.”
She patted me on the shoulder.
“You’re close to graduation, you’ll get to find out what the job market is like first-hand soon enough.”
I had a horrible thought upon leaving her office. We’ve figured out that the rain changes people so other than putting it in the rules, I haven’t given it much thought since then. It was just another thing to worry about, but it was a distant problem. Not something that directly affects me.
But what if it is?
Those lapses in my memory? What if it’s because I’m changing? We’ve been so focused on the forgetter and Grayson that we’ve ignored the obvious explanation. The rain changed Maria and she didn’t remember what happened to her. So what if I’m changing too. What if I’m me but not-me and that’s why people have seen me around campus in places I normally wouldn’t go.
It’s a horrifying thought. But it makes sense. The rain does change people.
It could change me.
It could have changed Grayson.
Because. Well.
I think some of you are right about him.
I asked Professor Monotone if he had any photos of James. My heart wasn’t really into the investigation, not after what happened to Laundry Mom and my late boss. It was more like I was going through the motions and following up on the things I felt I should. Just wrapping up another loose end and putting a face to James just like we’d put a face to the steam ghost. Professor Monotone said he did have a photo. James was part of a group he’d taken on a summer trip one year and they’d taken some group photos at the site. He’d put them with the other. He had a whole folder full of them, going back from when he first started teaching here.
Which is kind of sweetly sentimental but also very helpful for my purposes. I followed him to his office and he rummaged through the folder for a while. It wasn’t organized in any way. Every now and then he’d toss a photo in my direction and ramble about what trip that was, where they went, what they did, and what the students involved did after graduation. It felt a lot like looking through someone’s family photo album.
“Here it is,” he triumphantly proclaimed, holding aloft a photo. “It wasn’t a big trip. Just went out to dig up some fossils for a week.”
He handed it to me.
“James is second from the right,” he said.
I took the photo. Then I quietly asked him to please confirm, second from the right, and that’s my right, correct? It was. There he was, a little shorter than the other students on the field trip, standing on tiptoes so that he could throw his arms around the shoulders of the two students standing to either side of him. He stared at the camera, his hair messy and maybe a little dirty from messing around in the dirt all day, squinting in the bright sunlight.
I finally knew what James looked like.
I stared at the photo for a long time, until Professor Monotone asked me if everything was okay. I burst into tears at the question and I sobbed so hard that I couldn’t even answer. The professor just waited patiently, mutely handing me the box of tissues, and when I finally calmed down I only shook my head, handed him the photo, and told him I couldn’t talk about it right now. That I needed some time.
Because the face that stared at me from the photo, smiling with his arms around his classmate’s shoulders, was Grayson.

Before we begin the chapter, I have to retcon something: The character I've up until now been calling the Astro Titan/Titan Astro is the same character as the Astro Mothership of the original series. This wouldn't be a problem, but I also have a ship called the Astro Mothership. So to erase any possible confusion, the Astro Titan will now be called the Astro Mothership, and the Astro Mothership will henceforth be known as the Astro Dreadnaught. 😅
Previous chapter: Skibidi Toilet Forever chapter X: Annihilation : skibiditoilet (reddit.com)
The TV Men placed lens caps on us and took us into either some kind of lab or infirmary, where they brought in spare limbs and parts - wherever they got them from - and laid us out on stretchers to attach them, resealing and greasing our pistons and soldering our wires back together. It was a far quicker process than the Cameramen lab, but at least they had the excuse of constantly repairing hundreds of units at a time. As we were reenergized and regained control of our limbs, we were allowed to remove our lens caps and were led back into the main roof of the HQ, where the right shoulder screen of Titan TV Man landed. The head TV scientist ran up to him and shouted.
“What in the world happened to you? Why is your body trying to destroy the Alliance HQ!?”
“The Astros… they developed a way to get around my anti-parasite countermeasures. I can’t feel any part of my main body, and they destroyed my main head.”
The scientist palmed his hand against his face and shook his head, “Set yourself into standby mode, we’ll get to work on a new body and try our best to unscramble your LIDAR readings into video footage so everybody can figure out what kind of device they used.”
The TV Men again began teleporting us away, and as they did so, a Large Cameraman asked, “Wait, that’s this for?”
“You’re heading to the Speakerman base; this place is confidential.” He said with a wink as the last of us - including me - were whisked away, the TV Men who brought us leaving as soon as they dropped us off. So this was the Speakerman HQ. The walls, floor, and ceilings were made of lacquered hardwood, with a red carpet running the length of the floor and rounded lamps on the ceiling. Paintings and portraits of various singers and engineers throughout the ages: Hero of Alexandria, Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Prince, everyone was listed along the walls.
In the center of the complex was a large indoor auditorium filled with bean bag chairs and energy drinks - although I’m not sure how Speakermen would drink them - along with a large couch with a huge television hung from the wall. About a dozen video game consoles were lined up beneath it. And of course, Depeche Mode was blasting over the surround sound. The Speakermen were gathered on and around the couch, watching the chaos taking place at the Alliance HQ, the Astro Citadel finally warping onto the scene. Half of its face was mangled and charred, but it didn’t seem to mind. Some kind of aura emanated from it as it locked its gaze on the last functioning camera. Then, the entire base began to lift into the air, at least a hundred feet, before in an instant, it was slammed back down to the ground, and the feed ended.
One of the Speakermen threw his red bull at the wall and ran out of the room, the rest simply stared at the blank screen in shock, as did the rest of us. A Cameraman beside me fell to his knees and covered his lens with his hands. I put my hand on his shoulder and stood still, trying to figure out what to do next. The Conclave could help us, right? But we don’t have anything left… the Alliance HQ - which was also the Cameramen HQ - was just obliterated in front of us, Titan TV Man is just a screen, Titan Speakerman is still being repaired, Titan Cameraman has been long gone, and the Binocularmen have completely turned coat. The only thing left we could do is…
No, the Skibidi Toilets have been our enemy for far too long, and after Moscow, they’d be far too weak to do anything to the Astros. And with G-Toilet kiIled, their only fighting chance was also gone. It was truly hopeless, there was nothing we could do. Maybe if we… surrendered? Would they spare us? Would they spare humanity?
“EVERYBODY!” Speakerwoman shouted out of nowhere, nearly frying my circuits, “Don’t give up yet! There is still hope! I don’t have the slightest clue what it is, but I know it’s out there; we just need to hold tight until it gets here!”
“And how long will that be!?” A Speakerman questioned, throwing off his gloves.
“I just said I don’t know!” She shot back. Suddenly, like clockwork, we got a notification on our tablets. It was an aerial view of the Speakerman HQ… could it be a Cameracopter? No, it was moving too fast, far too fast. And the outline of the screen was all too familiar- it can’t be! Titan Cameraman is gone, he gave his life for us at Alpha-Hills, this couldn’t be him! But as he landed outside and we felt the ground shake, I knew who it was. A scientist Speakerman moved close to Speakwoman and established a private link between them, but somehow, I could still hear them.
“May we have permission to open the atrium roof?”
“Go ahead. If it’s a phony, we can close it before he can do any damage.”
The scientist Speakerman ran back into a back room, and a few seconds later, the pistons and gears of the large, concrete door that made up the roof of the auditorium began to hiss, a crack of sunlight just barely shining through at first, before the sky started to show itself. And from over the ledge, the top of Titan Cameraman’s head began to poke through. It was impossible - I watched him get blown to pieces back then - but we were all looking at him. But as more and more of him showed, something was off…
Both his lens and core burned a bright yellow.
Chapter XII coming hopefully sooner than this one 😅

Y'all REALLY liked these posts last time Next Fest rolled around; figured I'd keep it up, especially since I don't have college anymore to get in the way. I'll definitely play more demos in the coming days; if you have any recommendations, leave them down below!
Billy Saves The World: This one didn't necessarily blow me away with the first impressions, but it turned out quite well by the end. Reminds me a lot of classic flash games from the 2000s, especially with the art style and writing. The exploration was reasonably fun, and there were some hints towards cool worldbuilding.
There were some issues though. The prologue really dragged and felt super generic and uninteresting. This wasn't really an issue past the prologue, thankfully, but it is something to be aware of. This game also gets the award for most egregious bug, an invisible wall that not only required me to alt+f4 multiple times, but also prevented me from completing the demo. This can probably be excused as demo version jank, but I pray that this is not an issue anywhere in the final version. This was definitely fun, and worth checking out, especially if you have nostalgia for old flash games.
Pinball Spire: I'm not really sure if this one qualifies as a Metroidvania. It did have a lot of abilities to unlock along the way, like time slow, but there wasn't really any backtracking (at least, not willingly). If anything, this is closer to a rage game, like Getting Over It or Jump King. The entire game is basically a dozen pinball machines stacked on top of each other, and falling from one down to the other will be a frequent event. Dropping multiple floors as you panic to regain control is infuriating, and I love it. I'd highly recommend you check out the game, if only for the novelty of it.
Before I Go: I have very little to say about this one. Before I Go was impressively bland and did very little to stand out in my mind. I ended up quitting after a particularly annoying death, and I have no regrets.
Ceplion: I picked up this game mostly for its beautiful pixel art. That was definitely the highlight for me, but certainly not the only perk of this game. The gameplay mostly feels great; running, jumping, attacking, and parrying are all fun. The one thing that really drags is the grappling hook, which I never felt comfortable using. The enemy roster, though limited, was still fun to work around, especially the boss fight. I also have to give Ceplion some credit for its use of non-hostile creatures. They really helped the world come alive, and I don't think I've ever seen a 2D Metroidvania do something like that.
My only serious complaint (apart from the grappling hook) is the demo's length. Maybe I missed something, but I was kinda expecting the demo to go on for longer than it did. I tried exploring everywhere after killing the tutorial boss, but every path I found either looped back to the start or was blocked off for the demo. This wasn't enough to kill the experience, and I still say this demo was good overall.
Lone Fungus 2: This game was nauseating. Like, literally. This game gave me simulation sickness and I had to stop playing. To be clear, I very rarely experience simulation sickness, so I have no idea why or how this happened, but I had to put the game down less than five minutes in. Maybe it was just me who had this problem, but I hope that I can actually play the final version, because I adored LF1, and the small section of gameplay I did experience was pretty good.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo: This is another game that has me questioning the "Metroidvania" tag. It's not usually possible to say with 100% certainty, since demos only really focus on small parts of games, but there wasn't really any sort of ability-based progression. That being said, this game kicks ass. The way the game uses the yoyo in attacks, and especially the way you can bounce it off of curved surfaces to hit enemies at cool angles is fantastic, and feels great to work around. But then, the game lets you fight one of the later bosses, and HE gets to mess with the level geometry too and it's fucking awesome. The art and music are both great, I like the character dynamics, and the whole this is held together with great level design that does a great job at teaching the player how the game works. Whether or not this is a Metroidvania, this is a game I fully recommend.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus: There is a LOT to like about this one. The art here is amazing, for one; it captures all of its folklore and mythology beautifully, and stands out even in a sea of beautiful games. The music is great, and so are the characters. I like the guy who immediately calls you weak and tells you to fuck off, and immediately changes his mind when he notices your holy drip. Amazing.
Bo also gets the award for BEST COMBAT OF NEXT FEST (so far). It combines a lot of elements from different games, like the extra jump on attacks from The Messenger and the bash from Ori (albeit heavily limited and nerfed), and combines it in a way the feels fucking amazing. All of the character's abilities are phenomenal and are regularly utilized by the level design in great ways. One of the highest games on my wishlist now.
Caravan SandWitch: DYSON SWARM DYSON SWARM TEN OUTTA FUCKING TEN-
Jokes aside, this was easily my favorite game I played today. Granted, I also think Laika: Aged Through Blood was the best game of 2023, so take my word on this for a grain of salt because I am clearly VERY biased towards this sort of game. The only 3D Metroidvania, this game mainly involves driving around in your van, breaking signal jammers, scrapping old electronics, and talking to people. This also makes Caravan SandWitch the only game here with zero combat. This may be a dealbreaker for a lot of people, but for me, the story and setting easily make up for it. The world of this game is genuinely beautiful, and the characters are all interesting and have great dialogue. There's an entire species of humanoid sentient frogs who are just kinda chill and also living with humans, which is really cool and a fun detail. This is the game that made me the most disappointed when the demo ended, and may honestly be a game I buy on release.
but also the sfx for contextual button prompt pop-ups is really loud and annoying devs if you're listening please change it i beg of you-

19(m) stuck in financial rut. Have had a fiancée for 4 years now. Back and forth between homes all my life. Recently it’s been my parents, my grandmother, my best friend and now back with the parents. I’ve worked 8 jobs been working since the day I turned 16 but I find it difficult to persist with work. The 8 jobs speaks for itself. I’ve worked fast food (3 different places), Walmart deli, concrete, elderly care, and house keeping. Made a bank account not to long ago. Recently got a running vehicle. My problems are this. I have no tags, registration, or insurance on my vehicle. I am stuck using my parents. Its tie rods are going out, it’s leaking oil, and today a tire popped. I currently am working at McDonald’s but have only received one paycheck. I called out today so I could do an oil change. Turns out the oil my step dad had wasn’t the right type. Then the tire isn’t patch-able and I just can’t afford to get it fixed. Work in the morning so I put a spare that is about two sizes to big. I have 150$. Got payed 300$ and foolishly spent half on this phone. My parents can’t help me because they lack money management skills. I got my vehicle via trading a 74 vw bug that my parents had bought me when I was around 14. It was supposed to run but did not. I basically just need to know how to make good money in a short amount of time with minimum wear and tear on the budget and the body.

My name is Jason, and I am majoring in electrical engineering at an engineering school in the United States.My major is a very interesting and challenging field.The more I study, the more I am exposed to new technologies and innovations every day, the more I admire the country of Korea.This is something that can only be experienced in a higher education institution called a university. Especially when I see students from Korea who are majoring in software beyond the mechanical and electrical fields I am studying, I admire their academic passion and achievements. They study with a study load that would be overwhelming for me, and when they play, they play well while having fun.
Witnessing engineering students from Korea get good jobs here in the U.S. after studying all three pillars of engineering together, or finding good jobs in Korea, has made me realize that while it may not be easy to study all three pillars of engineering, it is not just a fad, it is a necessity. It has been known for a long time that there are trends in academia, but in Korea, I realized that these trends are directly related to the real industry, which in turn leads to the competitiveness of the country.For a small country like Korea, with such a big position in the world and high level of statistics, it really sounds true and I think it is true that Korea is and will be a country built on human resources.
As a military enthusiast, I am very interested in various military equipment and strategies, even though I have not been in the military.I think this is a common interest among male students in engineering schools, and depending on the magnitude of the interest, it can become a hobby.Speaking of men, isn't everyone a natural military enthusiast? For some reason, when I started talking about military topics, most of my Korean friends would smile with a relaxed smile and tell me expert military stories.Naturally, my personality matches theirs, so I can say that I have the most friends from Israel and Korea.
One day, I invited my Korean friends and Israeli friends together for a party because I wanted to hear more about my Korean friends' reluctance to talk about the army in front of girls, because my Israeli friends are more confident to talk about the army in front of girls, and my Korean friends are a little bit reluctant to talk about the army.
So I made up a party where I told my Korean friends who were embarrassed to talk about their military stories that I would open up the floor to them so that they could talk about it, even if they had more questions. I remember talking about military stories all night long, and we had a party with a bunch of guys who had been in the military or liked the military. One difference between my Korean friends and my friends of other nationalities was that they were very proud of their country's military products, and more precisely, the atmosphere was a little different from that of my Israeli friends with military experience.
The first thing that came up was the Korean self-propelled howitzer Kaynak, which is recognized worldwide for its high mobility and powerful firepower. It has a range of more than 40 kilometers and is equipped with an automatic loading system that allows it to fire at a high rate of fire. I still can't believe that most men in Korea have been in the army and are used to using military products and military necessities, but these guys, who are living a normal college life, used to put camouflage cream on their faces, train in the dark, fly in the sky, and shoot artillery shells with incredible lethality.
We also talked about South Korea's electronic warfare equipment, the Hyunmoo missile, which is highly accurate and destructive, and plays an important role in further strengthening South Korea's military defense system.
Compared to its giant neighbor, China, South Korea is by no means technologically inferior in the army, and in fact, it has an overwhelming advantage in many areas, especially thanks to its advanced weapon systems such as missiles, self-propelled artillery, and tanks.
The K9 is considered to be one of the most capable self-propelled artillery pieces in the world, with a 52-caliber 155mm cannon and a range of over 40 kilometers. It can drop shells in very precise locations, and if it is spotted within 40 kilometers, it's game over. The K9 is also highly maneuverable and can move quickly across a variety of terrains, increasing the flexibility of the battlefield.Thanks to its automatic reloading system, the K9 is capable of firing at a high rate of six rounds per minute, which is an important advantage in combat situations.
Next, we learned more about South Korea's Hyunmoo missile series.The Hyunmoo missile comes in different versions, including the Hyunmoo 2 and Hyunmoo 3, which are divided into surface-to-surface and cruise missiles, respectively.The Hyunmoo 2 is a ballistic missile that boasts high accuracy and destructive power, with a maximum range of 800 kilometers, which gives it the ability to cover the entire Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas.The Hyunmoo 3 is a cruise missile with a maximum range of 1500 kilometers, allowing it to deliver precision strikes on key enemy targets.These missile systems further strengthen South Korea's defense capabilities.
The K2 Black Panther is also one of the most powerful tanks in the world.The K2 is equipped with a 120mm glide cannon, which provides a high rate of fire through an automatic reloading system.The tank is also equipped with an active defense system, which allows it to detect and intercept enemy anti-tank missiles.The turret and body of the K2 are protected by composite armor, providing high defense, while its powerful engine ensures excellent maneuverability.These characteristics make the K2 one of the most powerful tanks in the world.
These advanced weapon systems do more than just bolster our defense capabilities, they provide us with a tactical edge that ensures victory on the battlefield.South Korea's missiles, self-propelled artillery, and tanks, in particular, are no slouches when compared to China's, and in many areas, they are overwhelmingly superior.This is a result of South Korea's advanced technology and constant research and development, which is undoubtedly highly regarded in the global military market.
South Korea's military technology is constantly evolving, which contributes greatly to the country's position as an important military power in the international community.This technological advantage allows South Korea to play an important role in contributing to international peace and security beyond its own defense.
South Korea has even miniaturized its defense systems to shoot down missiles flying at tanks, and these technological advancements are further strengthening their defense capabilities.In recent years, South Korea has also been focusing on building fighter jets, and it's no secret that they are no match for the Chinese stealth fighter jets that were unveiled a few years ago.South Korea's fighter jets incorporate the latest technology to provide superior stealth and combat capabilities, and are highly regarded in the global market.
My Korean friends were very patriotic about their country and seemed to know that their country was strong, which was quite different from my Israeli friends, who were also very patriotic, but they didn't think their country was that strong, and they thought that they absolutely couldn't do without the help of the U.S. No country is perfect without the help of the U.S. militarily, but Korea's ability to perform independently is higher, so my Israeli friends were a little less confident.
When I heard about Korea, I realized that Korea is leading the world in various fields, not only in the military field, but also in various industries.When I learned about Korea's history, I realized that it is a very scientific and progressive country.It is unfortunate that Korea did not catch the industrial revolution that started in England, otherwise it would have been very advanced.
There was a sense of pride that Koreans are not afraid of great powers and that there are many areas where they think they can catch up, or have already caught up, and I thought that was great.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my Korean friends went to engineering schools in the United States, where they studied a lot, and while taking classes in mechanical or electrical engineering, they took additional software classes outside of their major field, or electrical engineers showed interest in mechanical engineering and took classes, so they were studying the three elements of engineering: mechanical, electrical, and software.
The mechanical part is the skeleton and muscles, the electrical part is the nerve bundles that make the muscles move, and the most important intelligence, which is the brain, is the software. Even if you make something as small as a drone, these three elements of engineering are essential, and nothing can be left out, which means that you need at least three majors to make a drone, but Korean friends are trying to combine knowledge in other fields, not just specialized knowledge in one field, and the advantage is that if you have enough knowledge in two or three fields, in any case, the understanding of the design is high, and all the design projects can be carried out quickly.
In the past, if you were good at one thing, you could get a job, but now there are more and more people who know how to handle both, so it is essential to strengthen competitiveness in the job market.The trend started with Korean friends.
This positive perception of Korea made me want to learn more about the country, hear real-life stories and look up information about Korea. I was curious about what drove Korea's development and how they were able to get to where they are today.
There are many factors, but if I look at Korea from an engineering student's point of view, first of all, Korea has been recognized worldwide for its IT industry. Large companies such as Samsung and LG have a great influence in the global market, and small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea are also attracting attention with their outstanding technology. I've never been to Korea, so I don't have first-hand experience with it, but it's said that Korea has a high-speed internet network that covers the entire country, so you can get fast and reliable internet anywhere you go.It makes sense, because I've been on family trips to off-the-beaten-path natural scenery, and I've had many experiences of being cut off from the outside world, and in the U.S., there are many cases of people going missing and dying while exploring the backcountry, and I think it's because of the lack of internet communication.
Some say this is due to the size of the country, but I think that's a misjudgment based on the economic rationality of not investing in unproductive areas. To put it another way, Korea has a lot of mountains, and there are a lot of things that can interfere with the radio waves, so we need more repeaters.We can come to the fact that Korea is not physically in a better position to lead the IT industry, but it is the result of Korea's determination and effort to foster the industry.
Korea is also a highly educated country, with students studying from an early age in fierce competition and boasting high academic achievement, which helps the country produce world-class talent in a wide range of fields.
Korean pop culture, such as K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty, is loved all over the world, which is an important factor in strengthening Korea's soft power.Korean culture is a blend of tradition and modernity, giving it a unique charm.I realized that Korea has so much to offer.Koreans also tell me interesting facts. When I was living in Korea, I had doubts about what was good about Korea, and I kept hearing people around me, especially adults, say that Korea is a good place to live, and that other countries are hard, but when they said that, I said, “Where is such a thing?” They said that a small country like Korea can't have anything special, but when I went abroad, even in the United States, the world's most powerful country, I realized how good Korea was. Even in the U.S., when they meet and talk to people of many nationalities and get to know each other's upbringing, they all realize in hindsight that Korea is a strong country in their minds and that they have nothing to lack.
Korea's politics and economy are stable, with a well-established democracy and a growing economy. Korea's economic power is now among the top 10 in the world, and it is the foundation for Korea to play an important role in the international community.
South Korea's military strength is also globally recognized, as it has the ability to develop and produce its own military equipment, enabling it to self-defend itself.South Korea's military technology is highly advanced, giving it the power to defend itself against external threats.
As such, South Korea is a world leader in many fields.South Koreans have a strong sense of pride in their country, which drives them to develop further.
I have to admit that there is a strange aura that emanates from the Koreans, a sense of pride that is unflinching in the face of so many powerful nations, especially Japan, which many people of various nationalities consider to be a country with overwhelming economic, military, and technological power, but to the Koreans, Japan is just a mere opponent.
If you dig deeper, it is said that Korea and Japan have a symbiotic relationship that is indispensable to each other. In order for Korean finished products to be released, they need to cooperate with each other in many areas such as Japanese components and precision industries.
Of course, I'm here to tell you more about it.Korea's manufacturing industry utilizes Japanese components and materials to produce finished products that are highly regarded in the global market.Japan has long been a supplier of high-quality components and materials, which have played an important role in Korea's electronics, automotive, shipbuilding, and other industries.For example, key materials from Japan, such as photoresist for semiconductor manufacturing and fluorine and polyimide for OLED displays, contribute to the high quality of Korea's high-tech products.
It is interesting to note, however, that Korea is utilizing these Japanese components and materials to create finished products with its own technology and innovation, and these finished products are achieving great success in the global market.Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are leading the world in smartphones, televisions, and home appliances, while Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are gaining a large share of the global market with their high-performance vehicles.
South Korea's finished products utilize high-quality components from Japan, but add their own technology, design, and innovation to achieve greater success in the global market.This is an important factor in South Korea's ability to outperform Japan in the global market by increasing the competitiveness of its finished products while relying on the supply of parts and materials.
And in the military arena, Korea's ability to compete with the established European brands of tanks and self-propelled artillery, and even the great American weapon systems, is awe-inspiring.
The possibility of South Korea surpassing the U.S. and European military technology capabilities in the future is worth considering for several reasons, and I will present some evidence to support it.
First, South Korea's rapid technological advancement and R&D investments.South Korea has experienced rapid growth in high-tech sectors over the past few decades.The country has world-class technology in semiconductors, IT, and electronics, and these technologies are also applied to military technology.For example, South Korea's self-propelled K-9 self-propelled artillery and Hyunmoo missile series have world-class performance and are actively exported.South Korea's defense industry continues to invest heavily in R&D, which is likely to result in more innovative military technologies in the future.
Second, South Korea's self-defense strategy and international cooperation.South Korea is striving to become self-sufficient in military technology with the goal of self-defense.The recent KF21 Boramae fighter jet development project is a prime example of South Korea's ability to develop its own fighter jets.This project signals the country's potential to become a global aerospace power.South Korea also has a strong alliance with the United States, which allows it to import advanced military technology and develop it into its own.
Third, South Korea's economic strength and industrial base.South Korea is one of the top 10 economies in the world, and with its economic strength, it can afford to develop large-scale military technologies.In addition, world-class companies such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai are involved in military technology development, so the convergence of civilian and military technologies is flourishing.
Last but not least, I would like to emphasize Korea's excellent human resources. Korea has a highly educated and talented workforce, which is a favorable environment for the development of advanced technologies. These talented individuals are making great contributions to military technology development and will continue to create innovative technologies in the future.
For these reasons, there is a good chance that Korea will surpass the U.S. and Europe in military technology in the future.Of course, there is a long way to go in some areas, such as fighter jets, which are just starting to develop, but it is not impossible given Korea's current development speed and efforts.I look forward to seeing how Korea's military technology will develop in the future.
I think Koreans are funny and amazing at the same time, and I would like to learn more about Korea and visit Korea one day to experience the culture firsthand.I would also like to take the time to examine whether all these ideas that I have gotten from meeting Korean friends are really true in Korea and whether they are wrong.
I am having a variety of experiences and expanding my thoughts here in college that I could not have had in high school, and being amongst proud Koreans has allowed my thoughts to grow.I am very grateful that a country as scary as Korea is a close ally of the United States.
And as one of the citizens of an ally, I also wish for the development of Korea.

We have been finding odd random spots on our sheets for months now and have been obsessively scouring for any signs of bugs.
We posted a picture a few months ago here and came to the conclusion it was likely a mold issue. There were a lot of small faded looking black dots all over the sheets. Since then we’ve had some continued issues with the smaller faded looking dots and some darker spots that look closer to the signature “inky” black bedbug spots.
We have scoured every inch of our mattress, frame and bedroom, including removing outlet covers, tearing apart the closet, and leaving duct tape around all legs of the bed on multiple areas.
We have no black spots on any of the mattress, mattress cover, pillows, duvet, or wooden slats of the bed frame. We’ve only found spots on the bottom sheet and pillow cases. No bugs found on any of the duct tape.
We have seen no bugs in the room during our search besides the occasional springtail (which we sometimes have a minor amount of in our basement) and the dead one I’ve posted a picture of. It seems close-ish in size for a nymph, but it seemed a little cylindrical and skinny/long compared to most of the pictures I could find (its body was more tubular than flat). We found it dead on the floor.
Neither of us have had bites.
We do have indoor-only cats which were checked for worms and all clear, who do lay in and on the bed.
My only other thoughts are maybe something we’re tracking into the bed or that’s getting blown out of the vents. The mold in the washing machine theory also seems plausible because we’ve noticed some clustered dots on other items of clothing (though plenty have been washed without getting spots) but that also could mean bugs got in them in the closet or floor, but of course we haven’t found evidence in those spots either.
We are at our wit’s end and appreciate any help or theories!

Platform - PC, I believe I played it on either Windows 95 or Windows XP. Genre - It's like a PvE FPS arcade game. Estimated Year - 90's or early 2000's. Graphic/art style - It was almost 3D, I'm sure the graphics was pixelated considering the era, but it was in a 3D format where you are free to roam and use the mouse like a traditional FPS. Notable Characters - You have 3 robots you can choose from to play the game, in which one of the notable characters to defeat was a witch. Other Details - When you pick your character, you first have to build one of your 3 robots, almost like legos but not quite. Each robot varies in difficulty to build. The easiest robot has the least amount of pieces. You have to build it from the foot piece of the robot all the way to the head. The easy robot doesn't require you to rotate pieces to build the robot. The second robot is a little more challenging in which you may have to rotate some of the pieces and the 3rd robot is the hardest with the most pieces to build it before you begin the actual FPS game. The easiest robot is black and light, the second robot is green-ish and the hardest robot is red.
After you build your robot, there is a small cutscene before you begin the game. The easiest robot being the lightest, showcases it's acrobatic ability by jumping across the open land and does a flip at the end. The medium difficulty robot is seen climbing a mountain and the hardest robot just walks across because it is heavy.
In the first level (I can't remember the consequent levels as I was never good enough to progress in this game), you would have to find a key to get into an elevator to get to the next level. You have a gun to use to defend yourself against bug/mosquito like creatures and ghosts that follow you around. The bugs will steal pieces of your armorobot so you have to kill them before they take too many pieces off you and you lose the game. The ghosts can phase through walls, but when you shoot them, they freeze for a period of time. There are also ammo and fuel scattered across the level as you make your way through the levels.
I've been dying to replay this game as an adult, so I'd be super appreciative if anyone can help me with this.

They called us The Middleview Four.
Initially, it was just me and the mayor's son, Noah Prestley. We were the first two members. In the second grade, the two of us hated each other. He pulled my hair during naptime, and I scribbled on his drawings when he wasn't looking. When a dastardly crime hit our class, a milk thief, we reluctantly threw aside our differences and came together to catch the evil doer.
Spoiler alert, it was Jessica S.
After a nap time stakeout when we were supposed to be asleep, Noah and I caught her red handed– literally. Jessica's palms were still stained crimson from arts and crafts. Her plan was fool proof: Wait until we were all sleeping, and then drink all of our milk.
Noah and I were hailed heroes.
Well, no.
We actually got in trouble for not sleeping, but our teacher did quietly thank us for catching Jessica before her evil crimes could continue. After the milk incident, Noah Prestley didn't seem that bad anymore. I didn't have any friends.
Instead of playing with the other kids, I spent the entirety of recess examining the dirt on the playground for unusual footprints. Jessica S had been sternly reprimanded for stealing milk, but I had a feeling there were still criminals out there– and I would be the one to find and catch them. Mr Steven’s, the janitor, looked suspicious before lunch. I saw him crouched behind a dumpster with his head down. I thought he was pooping, until I saw the small bag in his hands.
Hiding behind a wall, I watched him open it up and stare at it for a while, before another teacher yelled his name.
I ran away before he could catch me, but I was sure the janitor had run across the playground. Studying the dirt in front of me, I was sure the footprint belonged to Mr Stevens. I had already checked his shoes. Mr Miller, our teacher, asked me to collect everyone's workbooks from the faculty room. I couldn't resist.
After an incident involving a faculty member trailing in animal poop from outside, all students and teachers had to take off their outdoor shoes and wear indoor ones. The janitor’s outdoor shoes were neatly placed under his desk. Before I could hesitate, I checked the bottom of them, memorising their pattern. Swirls and C’s.
Stabbing at the footprints in the dirt, I idly traced the exact same swirly pattern.
“What are you doing, weirdo?”
Noah Prestley knelt next to me, his curious eyes following my fingers that were digging into the dirt. I wanted to trace the footprints with my fingers. Mom told me to keep my dress clean, but it was already filthy, my cheeks smeared with dirt. I didn't look up from my clue. Noah was a good sidekick, admittedly. But he did eat all the snacks during our stake out– and he got distracted easily.
We were almost caught when he freaked out over a moth. “Investigating crime,” I said, grabbing a stick and tracing the shoe pattern for the hundredth time.
The footprint was too blurry, I could barely see any swirls.
Noah sighed, snatching the stick off of me. “You're doing it wrong,” he grumbled. Before I could speak, the boy jumped up, prodding the dirt with the stick. “You need to look at the patterns on the shoe, and then see if they match.”
“Whose shoe?” I said, coughing over my panicked tone. He was onto me. “That's what I've been doing!”
The boy’s lip curled into a smile. He was the mayor's son, so I was careful around him. Even when we worked together to catch the milk thief, I kept my distance. He folded his arms, giggling. “The janitor’s shoe. I saw you spying on him while he was eating white powder.”
I stepped back. “I wasn't spying.”
Noah followed me, mocking my backing away. Another step, and he was standing on my shoes. “You were too. I saw you hiding behind the wall before recess. You were spying on the janitor.”
Urgh. I stuck out my tongue. Boy cooties.
Leaning away from him, I pulled a face. “No I didn't, and you can't prove it.”
“Yes I caaaaan,” he sang. “I can also prove that you were playing with the janitor’s shoes during class time.”
I dropped the stick, stepping on it.
“You wouldn't.”
He danced back, laughing. “I would!”
Noah patted his jeans pocket where a phone was nestled inside. He was the only kid allowed a phone in class, due to him getting special treatment for being the mayor's son. The boy had two incriminating videos that would get me in trouble— maybe in even more trouble than the milk thief. The first one was a clear shot of me playing with the janitor’s shoes in the teachers lounge, and the second exposed me in perfect detail, on my tiptoes trying to peer behind the wall.
Immediately, I tried to grab the phone off of him, but Noah Prestley had an ulterior motive. “I want to help you,” he said, pocketing his phone. When I could only frown at him in confusion, he lowered himself into the dirt. “Old Man Critter is hiding something,” he murmured, tracing the dirt with his fingers. Noah lifted his head, peering at me through dark brown curls hanging in his eyes. His smile was mischievous– definitely not the type I was used to. The mayor's son was more interesting than I thought. “So, let's find out what it is.”
“Old Man Critter?” I questioned.
Noah shrugged. “He looks like a cockroach.”
The mystery white powder was cocaine.
Obviously.
However, to two seven year olds, this so-called white powder was a mind controlling substance, or maybe even something that could end the world.
After all, per Noah’s detective skills, he saw the woman in public, and she was acting a little strange. Noah and I uncovered our janitor's evil plan, after stalking him for weeks, writing our findings in crayon, and staking out his house when we were supposed to be playing in the park. I became a regular visitor to the Prestley household, and Noah’s father wasn't as bad as I thought.
He gave me cookies when I stayed over.
Look, we were seven years old, so our findings weren't exactly concrete.
But we still managed to uncover the clues leading to catching the janitor. There was a strange woman who met up with him outside the school gates at lunchtime. After some digging, we concluded she was buying the white powder from him. We managed to get a picture. Noah told the principal, presenting the evidence, and the janitor was fired for the possession of foreign substances. Noah and I were also reprimanded (again) for sticking our noses into business which wasn't ours.
The adults tried to tell us the white powder was not bad, and was in fact candy. My parents were called, and Noah’s father did not look happy to be there, sending Noah scary death-glares across the principal's desk.
My mother stood up and apologised for my behavior, blaming my imagination on the cartoons I was watching. In front of my Mom, I brought up the argument that a teacher wouldn't be selling candy to a woman. I received the look in return, but I didn't back down.
She shook her head stubbornly, refusing to believe we were onto something, gently grabbing my hand and pulling me into my seat. I was threatened with zero dessert for a week, and no cartoons, which did shut me up eventually.
There was no way I was missing Saturday morning Adventure Time. The adults seemed to have won this silent battle, and the principal began a speech which was basically, Children tend to have vivid imaginations, but will grow out of it…
That was until a bored looking Noah jumped out of his chair and grabbed the seized baggie of white powder, ripping it open, his mouth curling into a grin. “Well, if it's candy, I can eat it, right?”
Following a loud cacophony of, “No!” from the adults who really thought a seven year old was about to down half a pound of cocaine, and my mother almost fainting, our disgruntled parents finally agreed to take our claims seriously.
The principal searched the janitor’s locker, and sure enough, he pulled out multiple bags of white powder.
Old Man Critter had an audience of kids and faculty when he was being led away. Noah and I stood at the front. I remember him twisting around, teeth clenched in a manic snarl, saliva dripping down his chin. “I'll get you! You little brats! I'll fucking find you!”
That was the day we found our third member.
I opened my mouth to shout back at him, but my mother was quick to shut me up.
May Lee, who was standing between me and Noah, nudged me, and then elbowed him hard enough to get a hiss out of the boy. May was half Korean, a tiny girl with orange pigtails who knocked Johnny Summer’s out during reading time for poking her in the face.
May scared me. She scared Noah too, judging from the fearful look he shot me. I had a vague memory of her pigtails hitting me in the face during recess, and were somehow sharp enough to bruise my eye. May’s gaze trailed our school janitor being violently dragged outside. “Do you two even know how to catch bad guys?”
“Yes.” Noah mumbled under his breath. “Obviously.”
He let out another hiss when she hit him again.
“Ow!” Noah shoved her back. “Your elbows are pointy!”
“Well, you're not very good,” May teased, “I can help you catch bad guys.”
He snorted. “Oh, yeah? What makes you think you can help us?”
May proved herself a few weeks later when we were on our second official case. Who stole Mrs Johnson’s award winning carrots? I turned eight years old on the day May officially became part of our gang. We were supposed to be celebrating my birthday in the park, but of course we had work to do.
Mrs Johnson’s award-winning carrots were still missing, and we were determined to find them. After tracking down the missing vegetables to a seedy house at the end of my block, Noah had stupidly decided to check out the inside for himself, leaving me alone with zero help. This was the first time I felt genuine fear striking through me, the first time I wanted to run and crawl under my bed.
The carrot thief was in fact the crazy old woman who screamed at cheese in the store– the one Mom told me to stay away from. Using my dad’s ancient binoculars and my mediocre lip reading skills, I watched the crazy lady hold Noah hostage in her kitchen, armed with an old World War 2 grenade she swore she would detonate.
It's not like I could follow him, I was in danger of getting caught too. Hiding behind the wall in front of her house, I had a perfect view of her kitchen window, and my friend awkwardly sitting at her table eating cookies. Had he switched sides!? my attention flicked to the chocolate cookie in my friend’s hand, my hands growing clammy around the binoculars. Could those cookies be forcing Noah to join the side of evil?
When Noah pointed toward the window, right at me, I ducked, slamming my hand over my mouth, stifling a cry.
I was so close to proving my Mom right, that I was putting myself in danger with this investigative hobby, and calling for her help, when no other than May Lee stepped out of the crazy old woman's house, hand in hand with an embarrassed looking Noah. Immediately, I hugged him. Then I hit him.
“Why did you sell me out, stupid head?!” I yelled. “What did she do to you?”
The boy blinked at me through thick brown hair. “She gave me a cookie.”
“What? But it could be controlling you!”
Noah pushed me away when I tried to check his ears for mind control devices. “Stop hitting me, I was telling her I had a friend waiting for me outside,” he grumbled. The boy refused to look at his rescuer, hiding under his hood. “She wanted the carrots to feed her bunny.”
A proud looking May held up the stolen carrots with a grin. “I snuck in the back window.” she shoved Noah with a giggle, “Sorry, what did you say about not needing me, Mr Know It All?”
Noah groaned, his gaze glued to the ground. Noah Prestley was stubborn. “She was like a thousand years old and was feeding her bunny when you attacked her. She didn't even tie me up, and besides,” he stuck out his tongue. “I didn't even need rescuing. She made me cookies and I got to hold Sir Shrooms.”
“Sir Shrooms?”
Noah giggled. “Her bunny.”
May folded her arms. “Say thank you, dumb butt.”
“I already said thank you!” Noah’s cheeks were burning bright. “You need to clean your ears!”
“No you didn't, I would have heard you.”
“Thank you.” Noah muttered under his breath.
The girl snickered. “What did you say, Noah?”
“I said thank you!” The boy ducked his head and I couldn't resist a giggle. He still refused to acknowledge being rescued by a girl. “You're still stupid.”
Despite Noah making it clear he did not want another member joining our secret gang, we welcomed May into our group with our ritual, which was a chocolate cupcake and pushing her into the town lake. (I did the same to Noah, and the tradition kind of stuck). May wasn't just valuable to us for her fighting skills.
She could talk her way out of a situation too. Noah and I got stuck in the principal's private bathroom investigating a small case of a stolen phone from a classmate. Our prime suspect was the principal himself, who had been the last person with it. I was convinced he'd stuffed the phone in his bathroom trash, after accidentally breaking it. We found numbers for phone repairs on his laptop.
Noah and I were searching the trash when he came back from lunch early. If May wasn't there to interrogate him on his favorite video games, we would have been caught.
That year, we were rewarded a special Junior police award at the Christmas parade for solving the mystery behind the disappearing holiday decorations (a teenage girl, who wanted to ruin Christmas for everyone). I still remember Mom’s scowl in the crowd.
She really did not like my obsession with finding and bringing Middleview criminals to justice.
Starting fourth grade, we became a trio of wannabe detectives, and even earned a name for ourselves. The Middleview Three. Mom tried to keep me inside, but by the age of ten, we were getting tip offs from the sheriff's daughter. We found missing cats, tracked down stolen vegetables, and even found a baby.
When our names started to appear in the local gazette, Mom grounded me for two weeks, and Noah’s father threatened to send him to private school.
May’s mother was strangely supportive, often providing snacks for stake outs, and when Noah cut his knee chasing a run-away dog, stitching him back up, and not telling our parents. We were on our fifth or sixth case when a new kid joined our class halfway through the year.
I wasn't concentrating, already planning out our stakeout in my notebook. It was our first serious case. All of the third grade had gotten food poisoning the previous day, and I was already suspicious of the new lunch lady.
I swore she spat in my lunch, and May came down with the stomach flu after eating slimy looking hamburger helper.
The new kid didn't get my attention until he ignored our teacher’s prompt to tell us three interesting facts about himself, and proudly introduced himself as the fourth member of the Middleview Four.
Noah, who was sitting behind me, kicked my seat, and May threw her workbook at me. They had a habit of resorting to violence when I was daydreaming.
Lifting my head, I blinked at a private school kid standing in front of the class with far too much confidence, a grin stretched across his mouth. Rich, judging by his actual school uniform and the tinge of a British accent. The kid had dark blonde hair and freckles. “My name is Aris Caine,” he announced loudly, “And I want to join The Middleview Four.”
“Middleview Three.” Noah corrected with a scoff, when fifteen pairs of eyes turned to us. I turned in my chair to shoot him a warning look. His death glare was typical. “We don't need anyone else,” he said through a pencil lodged between his teeth. The Mayor’s son had grown fiercely protective of our little gang.
I could already sense his irritation that some random kid was trying to join us.
Our confused teacher ushered the new kid to a seat, but he kept talking. “I was the smartest student in my old school,” Aris folded his arms. “I want to help you with your current case.” the boy cocked his head when I feigned a confused expression. “The food poisoning case?”
He nodded at my notebook. “I'm not stupid, I know you're already working on it.” Aris strolled over to Noah’s desk and pulled out the boy’s notes from under his workbooks. Noah had been studying the footage we salvaged from the faculty lounge. “You're looking at the wrong piece of footage,” he announced. “If you let me join, I'll lead you to the culprit.” he stabbed at Noah’s notes. “Not bad. But you're missing something.”
Noah leaned back on his chair. “Like what, new kid?”
Aris knew he had an audience of intrigued eyes. I think that thrilled him.
“You've been searching in the place most likely to have clues,” he murmured, “Which is the scene of the crime.”
Aris was right.
We were going crazy trying to find anything incriminating in the cafeteria– but all we had found was old custard and a scary amount of recycled pasta. Aris prodded at Noah’s notes again. “Why not look in the place least likely to hold a clue? You might be surprised.”
Something in Noah’s expression lit up, his eyes widening. “The teachers lounge,” he said, just as the thought crossed my mind, May audibly gasping.
“Mr Caine,” Mrs Jacobs was red faced. She had already seized several of our phones, and some earphones Noah had been using to listen to a potential culprit on a missing cat case. “Please take your seat and stop talking about things that do not concern children.”
She put way too much emphasis on the latter word.
I felt like telling her we were ten years old, not six. But that counted as talking back– and my Mom would be informed. So, I kept my mouth shut.
Noah, however, suffered from the doesn't think before he speaks disease.
“Well, maybe if the cops actually did their jobs,” he spoke up, “a group of children wouldn't have to help them.”
“Mr Prestley–”
“You know I'm right, Mrs Jacobs,” he said, with that innocent and yet mocking tone. “We put our old janitor in jail when we were in the second grade,” he laughed, and the rest of the class joined in. “It's not our fault the sheriff is totally incompetitant at his job.”
The laughs grew louder, but this time the class were laughing at him, not with him.
Mrs Jacobs pursed her lips, her hands going to her hips. “I believe the word you are trying to say is incompetent, which makes sense because you are failing at basic English. Perhaps if you focus on actual school work and not your juvenile Scooby Doo fantasies, you might be able to speak basic words.” the teacher’s eyes were far too bright to be mocking a ten year old.
Twisting around in my chair, Noah’s gaze was burning into his desk. The teacher’s attention turned to Aris, who was frowning at Noah. Not with sympathy or pity. No, he was disappointed that a member of the famous Middleview Three, who were known to go against adults, had backed down to a teacher with no snarky remark.
“Aris Caine.” Mrs Jacobs raised her voice. “Sit down.”
Aris slumped into his seat and pretended to zip his lips, before leaning over my desk and dropping a memory drive into my pencil case. “Here is the real footage,” he murmured, shooting Noah a grin. “Thank me later.”
“We’re not going to thank you, because we don't know you,” Noah spat back.
However, the footage the new kid provided was just what we needed, the puzzle piece that put everything together. We were right. The new lunch lady had rushed into the office before lunch time, grabbed a vial of something from her bag, and disappeared back through the door. We had been too busy studying the camera footage from the kitchen, to realise our clue was in fact inside the teachers lounge.
When the four of us stepped into our principals office, he regarded us with a scowl. I wasn't a stranger to his office. I had even picked my own seat, the fluffy beanbag near the door. The Middleview Three were in his office every week.
Usually for breaking into classrooms and the time Noah tried to jump into the vent because he saw it on TV. Principal Maine was drinking something that definitely wasn't coffee or water. His desk was an avalanche of paper, and I swore I could already see steam coming out of his ears.
“You three.” The man leaned forward, raising his brow at Aris, who looked way too comfortable at a school he had just joined. “And you've dragged the new kid into your antics! I can't say I'm surprised when I've been on the phone with four separate reporters who want details on this Middleview Three garbage.”
Noah’s eyes lit up. “Wait, really? What did you tell them?”
Principal Maine’s eyebrows twitched. “I told them the truth,” he leaned back in his chair. This guy had some serious stress-lines. “You are three stubborn children with zero respect for authority, who have broken multiple rules and are very close to acquiring criminal records before reaching the age of eleven. Which, might I say, is a first! The youngest person in this town to get a criminal record was Ellie Daley, back in the 80’s. She was thirteen years old.”
“We haven't broken any rules,” May said, “We’ve been catching bad people.”
The man’s lip curled. “We have a full force of officers whose jobs are to find bad people,” he said. “Middleview does not need the protection of three children who are barely old enough to know right from wrong,” his eyes found Noah. He was always the punching bag for our teachers, and I never understood why.
Like there was this on-going joke between the adults to point fun at him.
“Or left from right for that matter! Mr Prestley has demonstrated that several times. Which is why you are in school, why you three should be learning, instead of playing Sherlock Holmes.”
He shook his head. “Get on with it. Why are you here this time?”
I hated our principal’s condescending tone. He was angry. But I didn't think he'd be this angry. “Go on!” he urged us. “What did you solve this time?”
Principal Maine inclined his head. “Let me guess,” he said. “You've found the Zodiac killer. Well, that's quite the achievement.”
Noah opened his mouth to speak, and the man’s expression darkened. “Choose your next words very carefully, Mr Prestley. Your father may be able to cover up your detective games but I will happily lose my job over suspending you from this school.”
Noah’s eyes widened. “But that's not–”
“One more word.” Maine said, emphasising his threat by picking up his phone, like he was about to make important phone calls. My mom did that too when I refused to shower, or didn't eat my broccoli. “Do not test me.”
The new kid surprised us by stepping forward, the flash drive clutched in his fist.
“It wasn't them, Principal Maine, it was me.” he placed the evidence on the desk. Aris was a good actor. He was playing the innocent kid pretty well, I almost believed him. Until he winked at us. “I went to the Middleview– I mean, to these three because I didn't want to come and see you alone because I'm scared she'll poison me too.” Aris dramatised a sob, and in the corner of my eye, Noah’s eyes rolled to the back of his head.
May, however, was entranced, her eyes wide. The performance was award worthy. The shaking hands, the slight stutter in his words that was subtle enough to be noticeable– but not enough to be faking it.
Aris Caine was already our fourth member, and all of us knew it.
Principal Maine took the flash drive, a frown creasing his expression. He inserted it into his laptop, and just from studying his expression as he watched the footage, widening eyes and slightly parted lips that were definitely stifling bad words— I knew we had him. Aris made sure to give a commentary, which wasn't necessary, but I did enjoy the look on our principal’s shell-shocked face.
“That's the new lunch lady,” Aris pointed out. He started to lean over to prod the screen, but seeing the visible veins pulsing in our principal's forehead, the three of us dragged him back. Aris stumbled, and we tightened our grip.
I was already smiling, and even Noah was trying to hide a grin. This kid was definitely a member of the Middleview Three. “I haven't met her. But as you can see, she is putting something into the third grader’s food.”
“Poison,” May nodded. “Or, according to the police report–”
Maine went deathly pale.
“Salmon Ella.” Noah finished with a smirk.
The man didn't react.
But he did shut his laptop and excuse himself, immediately calling the cops.
I was grounded again after the food poisoning case. Worse still, I got sick for two weeks and was bedridden, so I missed out on two cases involving stolen birthday decorations. Noah was insistent that the new kid was not joining us. I received a multitude of texts cramming up my Mom’s notifications. She ended up muting him.
Hes NOT joynjng
I don't cre now smart he is I don't like him and Im teknicly the first member
May is being stoopid we can talk when your better get well soon OK???
Two weeks later, I stepped into class, and Noah had taken the seat next to Aris, the two of them enveloped in the mountain of pokémon cars on Aris’s desk. May was trying to play, but apparently she needed Pokémon cards to join. When I questioned them, Noah looked up with a grin. “Aris is cool now!”
His announcement stapled our fourth member.
Entering teenagehood made me realise Middleview was not a good town–and its people had masks. Even the ones I thought I knew. At twelve years old, we hunted down a child killer, a sadistic man who turned his victims into angels.
It didn't take us long to realise the people we put away as little kids wanted revenge. And in their heads we were old enough to receive proper punishment. Mom told me we would regret our so-called fame as the town's junior detectives, and I thought she was wrong.
I had spent my childhood chasing bad guys, so I was sure I could catch the real bad ones too. I was fourteen when we ran into our first real criminal who specifically wanted us. Danny Budge was the reason why Noah started going to therapy at fourteen, and why Aris refused to go near the edge of town.
May had taken time off to go see her family abroad, and I was put under house arrest. Seven year old Maisie Eaton had disappeared from her yard, and after searching for her for two nights, alongside the police who had learned to tolerate us working with them, we found her tied up inside an old barn.
Sitting cross legged on a pile of hay, was Maisie.
Awake. I could see her eyes were wide.
But she wasn't moving or struggling, it didn't make sense to me.
“Wait,” I nudged May. “She's not moving.”
Aris rushed forward to untie the little girl, only to trip on a wire, which was connected to a Final Destination style contraption. Aris lifted his head, pointing above him. One more step, and he would have sent a sharpened spear directly through the little girl’s head.
“Fuck!” Aris hissed, already freaking out. He was frozen. “What do I do?!”
“Stay calm,” Noah said from my side, the rest of us hiding behind an old car. The mayor's son had become our unofficial leader. Ever since hitting puberty, he was now our brawn alongside May. Noah jumped forward, watching for trip wires. “I'll save the kid. May! You help Aris.” before I could get a word in, he was dragging me to my feet. “Marin, you're with me.”
I nodded, stumbling in the dark, keeping my flashlight beam on the ground.
“You know what this means, don't you?” Noah said in heavy breaths, his fingers wrapped around my arm. “Maisie was innocent. There was no motive. She was just a distraction.” Noah let out a hiss. “Or even a lure.”
I did. But I didn't want to say it out loud, because then my Mom would be right, and I was admitting that there were multiple people trying to kill us.
Luckily, we saved Maisie. Her kidnapper, Danny Budge turned himself in with no word or explanation.
Later, we would find out he was related to our elementary school janitor.
The little girl was taken back to her mother, and the four of us stayed behind, peering up at the murder contraption specifically made to butcher us. Aris nudged me, and I almost jumped out of my skin. “You should probably keep this… quiet,” he said in a breath, his gaze glued to the long rope expertly tied to the ceiling.
“From your mother,” May added softly. She squeezed my hand. “Your Mom will kill us before they do.”
“We’re going to fucking die,” Noah said in a sing-song. “And I'm not even sixteen.”
He was right.
One year later, our most gruesome and horrific case hit us like a wave of ice water, and I admitted we were just four kids completely out of our depth.
Three townspeople had been found murdered in piles of bloody string.
The photos from the scene made me sick, and I was still recovering from our old janitor’s measly attempt at punishing us for ruining his life. We were stupidly blindsided by the string murders, and thought we were following a clue. The next thing I knew, I was tied up back to back with Aris in my old janitor’s basement while he caressed my cheek with a knife. “Am I supposed to be here?” Aris whispered, struggling in his restraints. “Did he just call me Noah?”
I knocked my head against his. “Don't tell him that! Idiot. What if he kills you?”
Funnily enough, Aris was right. Old Man Critter had mistaken Aris for Noah. The two of them were sandy blonde and reddish brown, one built like a brick wall while the other more wiry. However, to an old man with debilitating sight, I guess I could see it. Maybe if I squinted. So, after an hour or two of empty threats and knife play, Noah and May came to our rescue, tailed by the police, and… my mother.
I think I would have rather been tied up with Old Man Critter than face her wrath.
I was supposed to be at the library studying.
I shot Noah a death glare, and he offered a pitiful, almost puppy-like frown: Sorry! he mouthed. She made us tell her!.
Fast forward to when the others really needed me to investigate the string murders, and I was stuck inside.
Mom had gone as far as taping up my windows to make sure I didn't sneak out. I think me being kind of kidnapped, but not really by Old Man Critter, really set her into panic mode. I did tell her that he didn't hurt us at all, and just wanted to scare us. But Mom was past angry. She was impossible to talk to. May texted me halfway into a horror movie I was forcing myself to watch that another body had been found. Turning on the local news, she was right. This time it was a kid.
May told me to get my ass out of the house.
I knew where Mom hid the door keys, so at midnight when I knew she was sleeping, I snuck out and rode my bike to the rendezvous we had agreed to meet.
May was already there, a flashlight in her mouth, fingers wrapped around her handlebars.
“The boys?” I whispered, joining her.
“They're already there,” she said through a mouthful of flashlight. “Let's go!”
Aris was 99.9% sure we would find a clue inside the old string factory, so that's where we headed. Noah and Aris were already waiting outside, armed with flashlights. The two of them were quieter than normal. They didn't greet me or tease my absence from the gang.
“Okay, so here's what we're going to do,” Noah announced. His voice swam in and out of my mind when I tipped my head back, drinking in the foreboding building in front of us. A shiver crept its way down my spine, and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach, like something had come apart in my mind. I stumbled back, but something pulled me forwards, my mouth filling with phantom bugs skittering on my tongue.
I really didn't want to go in there…
I could sense my body was moving, but I wasn't the one in control. Looking up, there was something there at the corner of my eye. It was above me and around me, everywhere, sliced in between everything. But I couldn't look.
I couldn't look.
I wasn't allowed to look.
“Marin?” Noah twisted around to me, and his face caught in the dull light of the moon. “Hey, are you coming?”
Blinking rapidly, I nodded, despite seeing it with Noah too.
I couldn't look.
I wasn't allowed.
“Dude, are you good?”
My vision was blurring, and a scream was clawing its way up my throat. I took a step back, my eyes following his every movement. “Noah.” I didn't realise his name was slipping from my lips, a rooted fear I didn't understand setting my body into fight or flight.
Why…
I choked back tears. Why do you look… like that?
I held out my own hands, hot tears filling my eyes.
I looked up into the sky, at criss-crosses that didn't make sense.
“Yeah, I'm coming!” my mouth moved for me, and I joined the others, pushing open the large wooden door. I didn't remember anything past the old wooden door we pushed through. Going back to that memory over and over again, all I remembered was pushing the door.
I was found three hours later, inconsolable, screaming on the side of the road, my fingers entangled with…string. It was everywhere. Mom said I blocked out a lot, but I strictly remember blood slicked string covering me, damp in my hands and tangled in my hair.
There was no sign of the others.
Mom put me into the back of her car, and I slept for a while. My mother drove us far away from Middleview. I asked about my friends, but Mom told me they weren't real, that Middleview was a fantasy I had dreamed up as a child. She told me I was in a traumatising incident as a child, and mixed up reality and fiction.
Cartoons and my own life.
But they were real.
No amount of private therapists spewing the same shit could erase my whole life. I was strictly told that I had a head injury, that I imagined The Middleview Four like my own personal fantasy. I didn't start believing it until I grew into an adult and was prescribed some pretty strong meds, so I began to wonder if they were in fact delusions.
Mom’s job was a mystery I couldn't solve, even as a twenty three year old.
So, I followed her one night, hopping into my car when she left our driveway.
Her job was behind a ten foot wall surrounded by barriers.
Security guards were checking a car in, so I took my chance, and slipped through on-foot. What I saw behind the barrier was Middleview. The town I thought I hallucinated. I was immediately blinded by flood lights illuminating the diner from my childhood. Middleview. I took a shaky step forward, my stomach twisting.
It was a TV set.
No, more of a stage.
Inside, bathed in the pretty colours I remembered from my childhood, were my friends sitting in our usual booth, frozen at fifteen years old. The Middleview Four, minus me, were exactly the same as when I left them.
They were even wearing the same clothes.
May. Her orange pigtails bobbed along with her head. Aris was hunched over like usual, picking at his fries and dipping them in his shake. Except how could I take any of this seriously when they were surrounded by cameras?
Noah slammed his hands down on the table with a triumphant grin. “We are so close to cracking this case!”
I noticed his lips weren't moving with his voice.
I started toward them slowly, even when the truth dangled above me, below me, everywhere. I stepped over it, blew it out of my face, reaching shaky hands forward to pull them aside.
Aris laughed, and something moved above him.
“We were kidnapped last week. We are not close. You're just painfully optimistic.”
May nudged him, giggling. “Let him have this. He thinks he's our leader.”
Noah punched the air, and there it was again. Movement. “I am our leader!”
Closer.
I found myself inches away from my best friend, and my blood ran so cold, so painful, poison in my veins. Noah stood up, and I could see the reality of him in front of me. The reality of want I wasn't allowed to see. His head wobbled slightly when he smiled, mouth opening and closing in jerking motions. If I looked closer, his lips had been split apart to perfectly replicate a smile. I forced myself to take all of him in. All of Aris, and May.
The back of Noah had been hollowed out, a startling red cavern where his spine was supposed to be, where flesh and bone was supposed to be. Now, I just saw… strings. Looking closer, I could finally see them. Strings tangled around his arms, his legs, puppeteering his every move as he danced from string to string.
I grabbed Noah’s hand, and it was ice cold, slimy flesh that was long dead. He didn't move, but his eyes somehow found me. Noah’s expression flickered with recognition, before his strings were tugged violently, and he screamed, his eyes going wide, lips twisting.
“Marin?” His artificial eyes blinked, and he slowly moved his head.
“You… left… us.”
Noah’s lips curled, a deep throated whine escaping his throat. “You… left us!”
He twisted around, his lip wobbling.
“Why?!” his frightened eyes flicked from me to his own hands. All those inside jokes our teachers had, I thought dizzily. Was this what it was for? Was Noah Prestley nothing but comedic relief?
“Why… am I… cold?” Noah mumbled.
“Cut!” someone yelled.
I staggered back, words tangled in my throat. Noah opened his mouth, but he was pulled back, this time violently, his strings above jerking, tangling together.
“Allison!” a man shouted from behind me. “Why is your daughter on the stage? Get her out of here!”
I was paralysed, still staring at the hollowed out puppet who had been my best friend, when my mother’s arms wrapped around me so tight, I lost the ability to breathe. I was still staring at the strings cross crossed above me, Noah’s strings pulling him back. Aris’s strings forcing him to laugh. May’s strings bobbing her head in a nodding gesture.
“Marin,” Mom whispered into my back. “You cannot be here.”
“They're here,” was all I managed to whisper.
Her sobs shook against me. I didn't realise my mother was crying until I felt her tears wet on my shoulder. The words were entangled on my tongue, but just like the string above me, they were knotted and contorted. They were here. All this time they were here, and you made me think I was crazy?!
What did you do to them?
What did you DO?
“No, sweetie. No, they're not.” Mom’s voice was breaking, her grip tightening around me. The world was spinning and I was barely aware of myself kicking and screaming while my Mom struggled to shout over me. “I was going to expose them to the world,” she hissed out, dragging me away from Noah– away from his jerking, puppet-like mouth.
I couldn't comprehend that he existed as that, as a conscious thing that had been carved of its insides. “You were the property of an evil and very powerful little girl who owns this town and everyone in it,” my Mom spat in my ear.
“They made me keep my mouth shut, so I begged them to save one of you. Just one. I had to cut one of you down before I went crazy.”
I was still screaming when she calmly dragged me to my car, slipping a shot into the flesh of my neck. I remember the rain pounding against the window, my mother’s pale face shining with tears, her stifled sobs into the wheel.
“And I chose you.”
I woke up the next morning with what was supposed to be a wiped memory.
But I wasn't lucky enough to forget.
I am terrified of her finding out I remember her exact words from the car-ride home. I'm scared she (or her work) will make me forget them for real.
Mom told me that I once had strings too.
Strings that cut through me, cruelly entangling around me, suffocating my mind and controlling my every move. Strings that would soon pierce through me and turn me into a little girl’s doll.
But she saved me, cutting me down, when I was still human.
And now I guess I am a real girl.

SCIFI STORY:::Im hovering over two people with a demon they are in a tower a very high tower it looks futuristic as if its some other world or in the future. I see two people in bed looks as if they are laying down in a condo or apartment type setting but they are placed very high where I can see out their huge window which is placed behind the bed, I can see huge buildings and I can see the tops of some of these huge skyscraper buildings. Anyway I pan to some other setting where a man who looks like Jesus is fighting a demon in the window I dont know if this was Jesus or not but the person he would lay down with was an asian women. Anyway he is fighting this demon in the reflection of the window. Then I find myself in front of a maze, or a labyrinth the man who looks like Jesus is saying “ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” the man while saying this puts up a peace sign but his two fingers are connected I believe they call that symbol the “all above” hand gesture. He is saying this to a bunch of kids as if to prepare them for the maze. That was all it was an amazing dream sort of like a vision of some other world or of the future. I had a dream a second dream in the same type of futuristic setting. I remember the smell fo this dream it smelt like sweaty people that are packed in one area well this takes place at a pool and you can see the towering buildings from outside the pool. A man gets out fo the pool I like to call this man Bryon he is a red head with blue eyes he comes in my dreams a lot. Anyway Bryon gets out of the pool he is hairy and a little bit buff but has a dad bod a little bit. He starts talking about some shot that can help him lose weight but then forgets about it and walks off. there is another man in a smaller pool floating he looks to me as if he is jewish he is chubby and he is floating around in a floatie. All the sudden it seems as if there is an explosion of something moving the building the man in the floatie gets pushed out of the pool by a huge wave forming in the pool. That was the end of that dream, I dont know if this experience is showing me how Bryon dies or died in that technologically advanced world. All I know for sure is I have seen Bryon as a kid as well in my dreams it always seems to be a red head with blue eyes. I will talk some more about Bryon if you would like to hear more, he had a therapist as a kid he would talk about how he was molested as a kid by a priest and he became very chubby after that experience he is a troubled individual. I will tell more stories about Bryon who seems to come to me in my dreams his whole story plays out in my dreams sometimes like im seeing a story play out from a movie. I would like to think his profession is a spy and his partner is Charlotte. Charlotte is a spy as well she has blue eyes and brown curly hair. I think they time traveled to this era that im in right now or they are from another planet not for sure straight on their entire story I just gets bits and pieces in my dreams.
DEMON DREAMS: I dreamt I was tied down to the floor of hell and a demon was laughing at me. Ok next dream I dreamt there was a demon outside my window he was as tall as the trees with fiery horns, there was another demon with wings and he was ontop of a house that was abandoned. Next dream I dreamt I was in the basement I was in a labyrinth in the basement with some of my old classmates all the sudden a demon gets ontop of me he had very long skinny legs and arms he had multiple eyes that reached to the back of his head but somehow I get out of his clutch and float away. I had multiple dreams I was in a labyrinth but in my house I kept waking up in a labyrinth like house I literally thought it was the house but it was all distorted and weird anyway. One dream I was in the labyrinth in my house again trying to get away form whatever was behind us in the dark but we went slow not fast anyway. I dreamt it was Christmas and there were dogs puppies it all seemed dark and strange not cheerful my mom was drinking in the dining room like usual and my dad went outside to find work im floating around this time and I see my father walk next to a man being pulled by a glass horse the glass horse fills up with wine and then it shatters it seems as if everyone was watching my father like we were in limbo being watched. I had another dream I dreamt I was in hell and I was screaming telling God that the demons were coming to get me and that I needed his help that was the only dream where I was helpless I dont know if Jesus plucked me out fo that place or everything went dark. My next dream I dreamt I overthrew Doja Cat and the demon liked my pathetic song better because I was glowing light when I sang then sam smith comes out from hell and a huge fire goes up behind the demon. There was another dream I dreamt that hell almost dragged me down in the vent but I climbed on my bed and pulled myself up out of hell. I remember one night my mother slept next to me because she was scared for some reason anyway I dream I start glowing as a yellow light my mother comes up and faces me and says im a liar I say im not lying this is how I got dragged into the vent where I almost didn't get out of hell.
DREAMS OF GOD: OK lets start at the beginning I dreamt that God was in my room God, I mean Jesus was in my room and he showed me his hand saying he did this for me meaning not just me but everyones else in this world as well. Ok I will show you another time I dreamt Jesus layed out a table of food for me he plops a orange grape that tasted like a skittle in my mouth then people come and steal some of the food from the table. This next dream was very vivid it was a dream from God you know how humanity died in a flood in the Bible well in this dream humanity was dying from droughts and lands were turning into deserts. Ok this dream a man on a boat pulls down the anchor and he says "there is nothing" as if all the fish are gone and there is nothing but barren land the water is like sailing in sludge. Im laying next to seven seagulls a couple are white clean but they are struggling in the sludge there are a couple that are dirty but are standing on their own perfectly fine a gush of air disintegrates the dirty seagulls standing on their own, the ones thats were clean and struggling fly up to heaven and turn into doves. I remember one time I felt a light presence in my room one time this I when I was praying very hard and I was screaming but the light silenced my screams it was shocking to me when the light being was in my room or dream not sure if it was a dream or not but I have heard experiences of people who saw the light when they prayed intensely. I believe the light was Jesus in my room.
Well these were all my dreams thanks.

Intro

These are my very short experiences with the Next Fest demos I tried. I tried to keep the time short so I could try as many different games as possible. That means I usually didn’t experience everything the demo had to offer. I just got enough of a taste to see if I might want to play more.
If it seems like there are a lot of metroidvanias, top-down action/adventures, or souls-likes, that’s because these are my favorite genres so I’m playing a bunch of them. I’m also open to any requests or recommendations on any demos you think I should try.
I’m playing with a controller, so I usually drop any demos without native controller support. Unless otherwise noted, every game here was played with a controller, and the controller support worked fine.
Of course, these are my personal experiences and opinions, so you might enjoy something more or less than me.

Plan for the week:

• Day 1: 10-15 demos, 10-30 minutes each
• Day 2: 10-15 demos, 10-30 minutes each
• Day 3: 10-15 demos, 10-30 minutes each
• Day 4: 10-15 demos, 10-30 minutes each, some recommendations
• Day 5: 10-15 demos, 10-30 minutes each, mostly recommendations
• Day 6 (Saturday): remaining recommendations, and replay my favorites for longer
• Day 7 (Sunday): any final recommendations, and replay my favorites for longer

Here are the demos I tried before Next Fest started:

• Heaven Crawler
• Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse
• Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo
• Runa & the Chaikuru Legacy
• Desvelado
• Slime Heroes
• Bittersweet Birthday
• Just Crow Things
• CapitalismCraft
• Bella Wants Blood
• Quantum Cortex
• The Nightwatch
• Kitsune Tails
• Axona
• The Spell Brigade
• Last Moon

These are the demos I played on day 1 of the Next Fest:

• The Light of the Darkness Origins
• Blade Chimera
• Bo Path of the Teal Lotus
• Cat Quest III
• Ceplion
• Death Machine
• Demonschool
• Flintlock The Siege of Dawn
• Dungeons of Hinterberg
• Fields of MIstria

Pre-Next Fest

Heaven Crawler

• Demo Description: rogue-lite where you dungeon crawl your way through automatons in a tower
• Time played: 18m
• What I liked: I generally liked the enemy design and the combat. It was fun to run in and pummel the enemies with my robot arms, and then speed away before they could hit me
• Areas for improvement: The UI is very clunky and feels unpolished, and the font seems out of place. most of the controller bindings are very nonstandard (like using B for the inventory but not using the select/menu button). Getting hit in combat results in you ragdolling on the ground and then suddenly being fine/upright again. It feels jarring and unnatural. The light balance in the entire game is also somewhat off. The main menu is the biggest offender of this. It seems like the gamma or saturation or something is too high.

Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse

• Demo Description: Captain Toad-like with rhythm combat
• Time played: 15m
• What I liked: I like captain toad style games like this where there are a lot of tightly packed hidden collectibles. I liked the first two levels that I tried, and the rhythm combat seems fun too. I like the playful setting, and overall it seems pretty fun.
• Areas for improvement: There were no options. The game opened in a window, and there wasn’t an option to make it fullscreen, so that was frustrating.

Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo

• Demo Description: GBA-esque 2D zelda-like adventure where you use a yoyo to save your Auntie’s soul.
• Time played: 18m
• What I liked: I liked how the level designs in combat areas incentivize you to bounce the yoyo off walls to hit multiple enemies. I liked the puzzles with the batteries. I liked the look of the city area (which I didn’t get to experience because the demo ended). I liked that most of the tutorial tips were naturally placed in dialogue. Overall it feels pretty well polished, which is great.
• Areas for improvement: I wish I had known about the parry earlier so I could have tried it out. I didn’t notice it until I saw it in the menu at the safe house. I wish some of the enemies were a little more complex than slimes slowly jumping towards you, but maybe that’s just because this is the early part of the game. The mole/hammer enemies were nice.

Desvelado

• Demo Description: puzzle platformer where you are a vampire turning out the lights in your castle so you can sleep
• Time played: 16m
• What I liked: I like the art style and animations a lot; it’s really cute. The controls feel good which is definitely mandatory for a platformer like this. The concept is really cute and fun, and I liked the level design from what I saw. Overall it feels very well polished too and I had a lot of fun with it.
• Areas for improvement: It would be nice if there were more options in the menu settings (like graphics options, etc.). There was also one room that had white bars on the platforms that looked like a visual glitch.

Runa and the Chaikuru Legacy

• Demo Description: 3D platformer where you explore ruins, find artifacts, and beat up snakes
• Time played: 18m
• What I liked: I like the general art style, theme, and concept of the game.
• Areas for improvement: I had a lot of minor performance issues and frame drops / stuttering. I also had an issue where I tried to talk to an NPC and I was stuck for a minute without being able to do anything. The forced camera angle puts you into a lot of unnatural perspectives, where it would have made a lot more sense to have the camera from a different angle in certain cases (for example, going into the corner of an area makes the camera point from the wall towards you, rather than from the room towards the corner). I noticed a few spelling errors (mision instead of mission) and typesetting errors (where the text overflows the dialogue box). Movement feels okay, but the minor performance errors and bad camera angles make it frustrating at times. Combat did not feel good. It feels super generic and you’re forced to just hack and slash while taking damage, and then heal afterwards. With the bat enemies, sometimes the camera is directly above you so it looks like the bats are next to you, but really the bats are above you so you need to jump to hit them. Overall there are a ton of minor problems that all add up.

Slime Heroes

• Demo Description: action/adventure game with minor souls-like elements (except easier)
• Time played: 22m
• What I liked: This game feels a lot like something from the gamecube era. It also seems to draw some inspiration from souls-likes, even though it’s not really a souls-like itself. I like that there is a character customizer for your slime, and I like the intro story. The combat and movement also seem pretty good. I like the concept of being able to use enemy abilities and combine abilities. It’s also co-op too, which is great but I didn’t try.
• Areas for improvement: The sound balance is not very good. Some sounds are really hard to hear compared to others. For example, the mushroom guy seems to have fully voiced lines, but I almost didn’t notice because you can’t hear them at all unless you listen really carefully. I also took some damage a few times and I wasn’t sure where it was from. I’m not sure if this is a hitbox issue or something else.

Bittersweet Birthday

• Demo Description: top down action/adventure with a mysterious story
• Time played: 44m
• What I liked: I liked the combat a whole lot more than I was expecting. Movement also generally feels pretty good. The story seems pretty good, and it’s full of intrigue and mystery, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. Overall it felt very solid and left me wanting to play more.
• Areas for improvement: The dodge generally feels okay, but I wish it had a bit less lag at the end, so you could start moving again sooner. I also wish there was a map, but it’s possible that you get a map later on.

Just Crow Things

• Demo Description: fly around and do crow things while terrorizing humans
• Time played: 15m
• What I liked: I love it all. The controls feel fluid and great overall. The quests, map, settings, and everything else that I saw all looked great.
• Areas for improvement: The only thing I noticed is that your crow isn’t customized in the cutscene. It reverts back to the orange scarf with no hat during the cutscene.

CapitalismCraft

• Demo Description: Clicker game where you run a business and exploit workers under capitalism
• Time played: 8m
• What I liked: Everything seemed to work well enough. The art also generally looks pretty nice.
• Areas for improvement: One of the first tasks is to get 10 desk workers, but I could only keep 4 or 5 busy at a time, so it seems like maybe 10 is too many without the manager. Even after I got the manager, they could only keep 3-4 of the desk workers busy, so it felt like even 10 desk workers was still too many at that point. I guess my point is that it might be better to optimize the tasks so that they make more sense in the context of what the player is capable of at that given moment. Even though the art generally looks good, the backgrounds or animations could use some work too.

Bella Wants Blood

• Demo Description: tower defense rogue-lite where you choose the path, with a creepy setting
• Time played: 17m
• What I liked: I really enjoyed the creepy theme, along with the way Bella says “Stanley” when you fight him. I really like the menu format and also the way Bella makes you say pretty please when you want to quit the game. Minor details like that go a long way. Overall I really enjoyed it even though I don’t normally like tower defense games that much.
• Areas for improvement: After obtaining a memento, it didn’t seem like there was any way for me to view them with a controller. I tried pressing the start button, but that only let me view the details for the first memento and there didn’t seem to be a way to view the others. It would also be nice if there was a bestiary or something like that where I could see information/stats about the different monstrosities that I’ve fought. As it was, I didn’t know the difference so I just judged the difficulty based on the total number.

Quantum Cortex

• No controller support

The Nightwatch

• Demo Description: vampire-survivors like where you are an archer
• Time played: 10m
• What I liked: I liked that there was an option for manual aiming instead of automatic aiming. That seems like a good option for people who want to make the game harder.
• Areas for improvement: The darkness/fog-of-wavignette seems unnecessary and doesn’t seem to do much aside from preventing the game from using the entire screen space. The only character is an archer, and there doesn’t seem to be any different types of attacks other than an arrow, unlike most other survivors-likes. All of the level upgrades just give stat increases or minor changes and didn’t seem to do much to vary the gameplay. There doesn’t seem to be any AOE attacks, which makes it very hard to deal with the hordes of enemies. The only multi-enemy attacks I saw were the occasional upgrade that lets your arrow pierce/reflect through one additional enemy, which doesn’t help much against 100-200 enemies. When making a game like this in an already saturated market, it’s important to have at least one or two fun things that set your game apart and make it unique within the genre (i.e. what does this game have that would incentivize me to buy it instead of vampire survivors or one of the other countless other vampire-survivors-likes?). Maybe this game has something, but I didn’t see anything like that in my short time with the demo. The controller support worked for the most part, but it didn’t work for the “Thanks for playing the demo” screen, nor did it work for the exit game yes/no menu. Regarding the talent/skill trees, if it’s possible for the player to use more than one skill tree per run, then it would be good to be able to access the skill trees from each other rather than going back up one menu every time. (for example, open the physical tree, then press RB or RT or something to go to the magic skill tree)

Kitsune Tails

• Demo Description: mario-clone, but maybe with a real story
• Time played: 10m
• What I liked: The colors and art are nice.
• Areas for improvement: no option for fullscreen or graphics options other than the CRT filter. Movement feels very slippery/slidey, like an ice level in mario. It doesn’t have the kind of responsiveness that you would typically want from a precision platformer like this.
• Other thoughts: I’m undecided on the story. People are going to buy the game for the gameplay, so it’s important that the story doesn’t prevent people from playing the game (as an extreme example, if the player is stuck in cutscenes and dialogue for 20 minutes for every 5 minutes of gameplay, it’s going to get tiring very quickly). Maybe the story is just a little heavier at the beginning and it opens up more later.

Axona

• Demo Description: puzzle game where you rotate a cube to line up shapes and colors
• Time played: 17m
• What I liked: I like the concept of the puzzles. They were fun and I enjoyed it.
• Areas for improvement: 1. There needs to be a proper tutorial or “how to play” or something that says “The purpose of the game is to rotate the cube and line up the X with the X block and the square with the square block, and then move the cube to the goal” or something like that. 2. It would be nice to be able to seamlessly switch between zen mode and challenge mode while on a single level, rather than going back to the main menu. 3. It would be nice if the undo button would work more than once and could undo each move one by one all the way back to the beginning (baba is you is an example of a game that does this).

The Spell Brigade

• Demo Description: 2.5D vampire-survivors-like
• Time played: 22m
• What I liked: I like the visuals. I liked that the environment was bounded and had some obstacles. I liked the meme in the controls setting (but you might want to be careful with memes that contain copyrighted material). I like the concept of using goals/objectives (closing the rifts, killing enemies in the circle, etc) rather than just survival.
• Areas for improvement: The sound balance is a little bit off. It seems like the music is too loud compared to the sound effects. The playable characters and environments are all colorful, but the enemies are all just shades of gray or muted green. It would be nice if they were colorful too. It would also help with identifying them at a glance. I wish the spell upgrades were visible somewhere so I could keep track of them (for example, if my spell is level 7, I want to be able to see that my upgrades for that spell consist of 20% cooldown reduction, 15% increased damage, 10% range, 5% increased duration, etc). All of the objectives I saw, including surviving, were pretty easy and doable because I could keep moving. The exception to this was closing the rifts, where you have to stand in the circle for a certain amount of time. This one was really really difficult compared to the other objectives because enemies flood towards you and force you out of the circle, and then your progress goes down while you’re outside of the circle. I think it would be better if the circle progress did not decrease, and for balance maybe increase the time required in the circle. For example, right now, assuming the circle requires you to spend 10s, you could stand there for 5s several times and never complete it. It might be better to just require 15 or 20seconds instead and not lower the progress when outside of the circle, so you can do 5s three or four times to complete it. I also would have liked to see better balancing of the abilities. The boomerang spell was painfully weak compared to the other spells I tried. It might be worth making it bigger or longer range until you find a good dps balance compared to the other spells. Also, of course all of the placeholder text needs to be filled out.

Last Moon

• Demo Description: top down 2D zelda-like with dark souls inspired combat (but easier)
• Time played: 22m
• What I liked: I really like the art, the genre, and the clear inspirations from zelda and dark souls. Combat and movement both felt pretty good.
• Areas for improvement: I was having vsync problems but there’s not a vsync option. There’s a spot where it says “Hold B to canalize” but we’re breaking a crystal so canalize is definitely not the right word. There are some other weird word choices throughout. I’m not sure if the author is trying to sound sophisticated by using words they don’t know, or if it’s a weird translation thing. When I fought the titan boss, I got hit by it during the cutscene while I couldn’t move, and I took damage. At least give me the chance to dodge/block instead of forcing me into taking unavoidable damage. The map looks okay, but I wish I could zoom in/out and hopefully there will be more to it later, such as map markers or something so you can keep track of where you want to come back to later.

Day 1

The Light of the Darkness Origins

• Demo Description: Metroidvania where you are an angel/demon guy with wings
• Time played: 13m
• What I liked: I like the general theme and some of the art. I like the concept of the map to be able to zoom out from the gameplay and see the full map.
• Areas for improvement: When the narrator speaks, you have to press A to progress the monologue. A is also the jump button so you have no choice but to keep jumping to progress the monologue. Movement and combat both feel really stiff and clunky. The sword swing stops you in place for too long, and the movements are sluggish and unresponsive. Several of the enemies I encountered are tiny bugs that are hard to see unless you’re zoomed in all the way, so I started taking damage without realizing why several times until I zoomed in. The environments are a little ambiguous sometimes because there are spikes on a lot of the floors and walls that you can just walk through, but there are other spikes that you can’t walk through. The tutorial popups always occurred at the wrong times. The double jump tutorial came up way before I was able to double jump, and the gliding tutorial only came up after I fell in the area where I needed to glide.

Blade Chimera
No controller support
Bo Path of the Teal Lotus

• Demo Description: metroidvania where you are a magic fox in the forest
• Time played: 30m
• What I liked: I like the art style. The tutorial area was very well done too. I like the NPCs and the level design. I liked the map and inventory/menus. The movement and combat both felt pretty good. I really liked the abilities like the bat, daruma, and double jumping from attacks.
• Areas for improvement: I was getting a weird whining sound in the background until I turned on vsync. I really wish there was some kind of dash/dodge, but maybe that’s something that you unlock later.

Cat Quest III

• Demo Description: another cat quest game, but with pirates and treasure.
• Time played: 12m
• What I liked: Not much to say about this one. It’s another cat quest game, so if you liked the first two, you’ll probably like this one. There’s also naval exploration/combat that feels pretty good. I also noticed that the enemies generally telegraph their moves less (e.g. no more red circles) so maybe this one will be a little more difficult than the previous cat quest games. Overall it feels very well polished and everything seemed to work well. The game also says it doesn’t have controller support, but my controller worked fine.

Ceplion

• Demo Description: metroidvania
• Time played: 11m
• Areas for improvement: There is a lot of wasted space in the skill tree art. It would be nice if the images were bigger. The text is also super small and hard to read. The controller mapping is weird. The back button (typically B) for menus is select, which is hard to get used to. Also, the button to interact with NPCs is up on the dpad, which is very non-standard. A scroll popped up that says “Not available yet” and there was no way to hide/close it, so I had to restart the game. The very first area makes you wall jump, but there is no tutorial to suggest that you can do so. There are also no sound effects for jumping or attacking (for you or for the human enemy), and the background music is very faint. The only sound effect I noticed is when you pick up items (update: attacking bugs and crystals in the cave also has quiet sound effects). All of the tutorial windows that pop up later have mouse/keyboard inputs instead of controller inputs. The enemy AI is weird so combat ended up being “attack once, dodge, then repeat until it’s dead” without any variety. The shop icons also have a lot of wasted space. Each shop item icon only uses maybe 30% of the total space for each box. It would be better to more efficiently use the space to provide largeclearer images.

Death Machine

• Demo Description: side perspective, maybe a metroidvania?
• Time played: 5m
• What I liked: The art and animations look amazing. The movement and actions both feel pretty good.
• Areas for improvement: This game was very clearly not designed with controllers in mind at all. There is a grappling hook that you throw with X, but you have to aim it with the right stick, which is impossible to do with one thumb (so you either have to use the claw or use both hands). It’s also set up so that by default, your character is just barely off screen at all times. This made it nearly impossible to see where I’m standing, to see the tutorial tips that pop up next to my character, or even just to play the game in general. I gave up pretty quickly because of this. The controller buttons also didn’t work in the main menu (starting a new game and selecting the save slot) so I had to use a mouse for those.

Demonschool

• Demo Description: RPG where you hunt demons and go to school
• Time played: 15m
• What I liked: The grid-based combat is unique. Each character can act multiple times depending on how much AP you have, but each subsequent action from a single character costs more AP. The art looks pretty good, and it seems like it’s going for kind of a Persona vibe with the school life events. I liked the fishing too, and the fish are all fictional so it was interesting to see what crazy creature I would catch next.
• Areas for improvement: I got 4 minutes in and I ran into a gamebreaking bug. I was about to start the first combat, so I was in the combat prep menu, and then the menu disappeared but I was still selecting stuff in the menu, so I could hear the sound effects as my cursor moved around the menu, and I was able to unselect my party members, but not reselect them or start the battle. I had to close and reopen the game to get it working. I also ran into a visual glitch in the first dialogue. All of the party members were crowded around the teacher, and one of them (the sprite) was stuttering and jiggling while they were supposed to be standing still.

Flintlock The Siege of Dawn

• Demo Description: 3D Action-adventure
• Time played: 29
• What I liked: There are tons of graphics options which is great. The game looks and feels great. Combat is decent enough, even though it feels more like an ubisoft game than a proper souls-like (in a bad way).
• Areas for improvement: When I opened the game, it automatically opened SteamVR with it, so that was strange. The gamma adjustment was strange. I couldn’t see the light image unless it was below 20, but I couldn’t see the darker image unless it was above 50. I couldn’t skip the opening cutscene but I could skip the second one, which was strange. The map doesn’t let you zoom very far in or out, so you can’t look at the entire world or look closely at anything. Another similarity to an ubisoft game is that there is always a quest objective pointer telling you exactly where to go.

Dungeons of Hinterberg

• Demo Description: snowboarding adventure where you fight goblins for loot
• Time played: 15m
• What I liked: I really like the magic snowboard. Movement and combat is also generally pretty good. I’m not sure what you do with all the loot, but I picked up a bunch of stuff. Even though this game has a lot of action, it feels like a cozy game that would be very relaxing.
• Areas for improvement: the platforming is lacking mostly due to the lack of a jump button. Climbing feels pretty stiff and could use some better animations.

Fields of MIstria

• Demo Description: Stardew Valley but cuter and slightly better combat
• Time played: 17m
• What I liked: The art and menus look great and feel very nostalgic. The character creator has a lot of options, which is great. Overall it seems to play very similarly to stardew valley (which is fine) and combat is slightly better than stardew (but not by much). I also like the art and character styles better than the art in Stardew valley.
• Areas for improvement: There are a lot of things that seem to be directly copied from stardew, (like the mines being several floors with elevators every five levels, with occasional monsters that you have to fight, where the ladder to the next floor is buried under a random rock somewhere). It’s fine to be similar, but there are several aspects of this game that feel way too similar. I wish they had expanded/improved on what Stardew Valley did instead of just copying it. I feel the same way about the combat. Stardew Valley combat was terrible, and this game’s combat is slightly better but still bad.

It’s coming up 2 weeks post my second chemical treatment, I have no other ones scheduled but just a few questions!

• how long to expect “signs” after second treatment. Haven’t seen any other bugs but did get some blood stains on sheet at day 9.
• when to start vacuuming/cleaning the floor again? My pest control person said at least 2 weeks, but since I got a newer sign should I leave the chemical down longer?
• how long to wait to take things out of the plastic bags? Again he said 2-3 weeks but I did not think to clarify if that was after treatment day or weeks without signs

Thanks in advance! I had a very small (have?) problem and have only ever seen 2 bugs one baby (first) and one bigger (second). Haven’t seen a physical bug since May 24th before the second spray

Its painfully obvious this doesn’t work. I posted this in another thread over the weekend so that’s where I’d start. It’s edited some.
Would love to hear what moves you guys would try and make and why!
For me I think Temi, Hull and Katie Lou are the only ones who are safe besides CC. I think they fit Clark's game exceptionally well. Katie Lou next year, a full season removed from having her child will be a much more effective player.
I was pro Wheeler as a backup until tonight. Fuck no, she’s a complete disaster on offense.
NaLyssa is the first trade I'd make. There will probably be contenders that will want her scoring/rebounding off the bench. Would the Aces/Liberty/Lynx/Storm be willing to part with a young piece to have her scoring off the bench come playoff time? I think someone like Dorka Juhasz from Minnesota would flourish with Clark. She's gotta get a bit more efficient but she's got great size and is a presence defensively. Could you get her and draft capital?
Once you make that move, the actual biggest decision we have to make is about Boston. I'm probably fine letting the season play out and seeing where she is at the end of the season but I also would not be against moving her while her perceived value is still there. Someone will take a shot on her "potential". I frankly don't see it. She doesn't run the floor well, is a horrendous defender, lacks toughness IMO and most of all, doesn't really fit with Clark's game. CC needs a rim runner who can set good screens and roll to the basket. That's not Boston's game, she's a traditional low post player. I'm calling the Sparks tomorrow and seeing about a Boston for Rickea Jackson deal. Even if you need to throw in more than Aliyah. LA can play Brink at the 4 which is a better fit for her and have Boston inside and you get CC her Klay Thompson. That lets you move Kelsey Mitchell to the bench next year as your super sub 6th woman.
The starting 3 spot is where it gets tricky, I’m not sure who you can sign or acquire yet, but its gotta be a stellar defender.
Draft wise, unless you’re picking high enough to get Kiki I would probably trade back and get more picks/veteran assets to build around 22.
From there you make moves centered around defense and adding another shooter or 2.

Part Two
Apollo entered interspace and saw Aquas and Nash at the door. “Are you ready to lose, Aquas?” Helios gloated. “Your arrogance will be your downfall, Helios. I fight for a cause greater than personal glory. You are an obstacle in its way.” Aquas nobly retorted. The two brawlers entered the arena. It was a swampy marsh and fans were screaming wildly. “If you haven’t noticed, my beasts prefer the scenery. Well fight 3v3. Since I challenged, I’ll start us.” He said as he took his blazer off. His chains gleamed in the sunlight. He put an ornate Aquos gauntlet on his wrist. The crowd screamed Nash’s name. Apollo was in a red sleeveless shirt, he wore black jeans with white red and black Jordan 1s and a belt with his clips on. He tapped his glasses and the mask formed around his face. The entire crowd was screaming their names. “Head on, Helios.” Apollo said. “Time to slay this Dragon, Nash.” Aquas said.
“Welcome, Sir. Synchronizing Battle Data. Battle ready, Good Luck.” His AI said to him.
“Bakugan fieeeeeeld Open!” The announcer said
“Gauntlet Power Strike!” The two brawlers each had their Gauntlets glow blue and purple.
“I’ll start!” Nash said “Gate Card Set! Bakugan Brawl! Bakugan Stand! Go Aquos Krakenoid!” Krakenoid rose from the depths and roared. “Bakugan Brawl! Bakugan Stand! Go Pyrus Plitheon!” “Time for a fish fry!” He cackled “Ability Activate! Stash Raider! I now choose seven cards from Krakenoids ability pool to remove from the match. He removed Hydro Tyrant, Abyss Blade, Abyss Rising, Marine Mauler, Tidal Barrier, Screw Serpent, and Tentacular Destroyer Nash laughed as his Gauntlet, a peculiar but extremely ornate take on a Vestal Bakumeter, shined blue. “Ability Activate, Deep Charger! Your Plitheon can’t do stuff like that anymore!” Krakenoids tentacles wrapped around Plitheon and he siphoned his power with blue electricity. “Double Ability Activate! Fly Destroyer plus Fly Blazer!” Plitheon flew at Krakenoid in a flaming tornado and slashed him with his claws, burning him to 500 Gs. “Take that, Squidward!” He cackled. Apollo formed Nukix Gear. “Oh yeah, it’s time. I haven’t worn one of these in forever!” “Ready, Nukix.” His Gauntlet Said “Battle Gear Boost!” Plitheons wingspan doubled in size and four smaller wings formed on top of Nukix main wings as a tower of weapons, each side had missiles and laser guns. “Oh yeah! Sushi time!” He cackled at Krakenoid “Ability Activate! Blitz scoundrel! I can shatter your Gate Card, giving Plitheon a power level with one of my own!” “Give me that, HAH!” Plitheon formed a blazing chain as he threw it into the Gate Card, and slid one of Apollos in. “Re Rigged boss!” “Now Gate Card Open! Pyrus Reactor… My Gate Card!” “So hasty! Consecutive Ability activate! Metal Ripper plus Shark Drake Veiss Plus Wise Deluge Plus Hydro Cannon!” Krakenoid roared with energy and grew double his original size. He let a wave of Aquos light ripple from his body and Plitheon couldn’t respond to abilities. His body became slowly covered in metal as he ripped Nukix from Plitheons body. Then Krakenoid pulsed with energy as he formed a gigantic water ball of energy and fired a torrent of water surrounding a blast of white lance of energy in the similar shape of a stingray at Plitheon, shattering the Gate Card. Neither Brawler had one, and now both players life gauges had 75%. Both Plitheon and Krakenoid were at a power level of two. Plitheon got up, with only 20 Gs remaining. “Boss, I need help.” He pleaded. “Ability Activate! Cunning Inferno!” Plitheon smiled and his eyes turned to flames, he then charged a huge fireball in his chest Diamond and released the energy, Giving Apollo a three turn stall. Krakenoid roared in disapproval and Nash was sarcastically chuckling “You’re stalling, Sayer. You’re actually stalling I must have you on the ropes, heh.” Nash formed Jamsaber on his Gauntlet. “Bakunano Jamsaber! Destroy!” Krakenoids Bakunano appeared and he slashed Plitheon, who now had no Gear, with its shuriken blades. The three turns limit slashed Plitheon each turn to 5 Gs “Now finish him Krakenoid!! Fusion Ability Activate! Shark Drake Leviathan!” Krakenoid quadruples in size and exploded in Aquos power, he was the size of a Skyscraper, as he roared and filled the entire arena with water, electrifying it with powerful energy, and engulfing Plitheon in a gigantic tsunami. His Bakunano and half metal body from metal ripper pulsed with rings of red chaotic Aquos energy as Krakenoid roared in triumph, it was so loud it sounded like a volcano was erupting. Plitheon returned to Ball form, Apollos life gauge went down to 25% and the crowd chanted Nash’s name. Plitheon was steaming. “Boss, im taking a long nap. I got washed..” he said as he returned to ball form “Not so tough, are you now!” He scoffed. Apollo was down, Nash’s lead was extremely large. “We’ll see, fool!” He said “Im done playing! Gate Card set! Bakugan Br…SHIT!” He reached for Pyrus Reptak, but he wasn’t there. Apollo had Twenty Five percent on his life gauge and only Helios left. Nash had all three Bakugan. “Hah! You’re actually missing a Bakugan! I thought this would be challenging!” He sneered. “You have seen nothing yet, Nash. Bakugan BRAWL! Bakugan Stand! End this! Pyrus Infinity Helios!” Helios roared in triumph “You will Burn!” Nash was just as angered “I’ve seen enough, rookie!! Bakugan Brawl Bakugan Stand! Come forth Aquos Krakenoid!” Krakenoid roared, sitting at a power level of two. “Ability Activate! Clamor Quasar!” Helios charged a blast of bolting red energy and shot it at Krakenoid, Burning him for 500 Gs. “There’s the fire! Wise Torrent! I choose to bring in another Aquos Bakugan! Come forth Aquos Frosch!” Krakenoid wriggled his arms and the field turns into water, he dragged The Legendary Aquos soldier Frosch out of the depths and onto the field. Frosch croaked with recognition. “Two on one, what happened to playing fair, hah? Helios! Bolting Breaker plus Battle Warrior!” Apollo pointed at Frosch and Krakenoid. “Time to fry! Aquos foolsl Helios roared and gained 400 gs, then formed a red ball of burning energy and electrocuted each of his opponents. “If you think fighting a legendary soldier will be easy, you’re sorely mistaken! Now Frosch! Consecutive Ability! Swap Frog Plus Neptune Stream plus Elemental Ocean!” Nash was now visibly pressured. The arena then pulsed with water and both players stood on top of a raging ocean. Frosch croaked loudly and Plitheon flew out of Apollos used pile. Froschs G-Power then changed to Plitheons base. “Swap frog allows Frosch to change Gs with a defeated Bakugan:Your Plitheon!” Frosch then opened his mouth and clapped his webbed hands, shooting a gigantic stream of water at Helios. “Reinforce Krakenoid! Dwellers Gaze!” Krakenoid roared in recognition and stared onto the Gate Card, pyrus reactor was forced open and all Bakugan got the same G Bonus. “Now Helios! We can end him!” Helios growled “With Pleasure!”. “You fell into my trap! Strontium Railstar!” Apollo laughed with determination as Helios charged a blast of energy and fired a white hot, straight red laser blast through Krakenoid and into the card. “He just shattered his own Gate Card!” Aquas was confused, but Krakenoid wailed in agony and returned to ball form and Nash’s life gauge went down 25 Percent. “Not only did I just shatter my own Gate Card, but your Krakenoid is now removed from the battle, and we can take Frosch easier! Counter Helios! Darkflare Alloy Plus Deep Fire-Block A!” A purple and red field of energy surrounded Helios as he changed to dual type Pyrus and Darkus, then he spun his back turbine and a constant volley of red and purple energy bullets rained down on the Legendary Soldier. “Deep Fire Block A will also take 300 Gs from Frosch each turn!” Apollo chuckled. “You should be eating your words Neathian! Because we both know that’s what you are!” Helios gloated at Nash. “Well Save proper introductions for later! Double Ability Activate! Dark Growth and Aquos Cyclone!” Frosch croaked and changed to dual type Darkus/Aquos and then the clear watery field turned into a gigantic whirlpool. “Hold on Helios!” Apollo yelled trying to weather the hurricane. “Ability Activate! Ghost Quasar!” Helios formed a spinning white ball of fire that crackled with red lightning and shot it at Frosch. “Choke on this, overrated Frog!” Helios cackled at Frosch as the legendary warrior returned to Ball form, the two brawlers were now at even life gauges. “We’re even now, those words taste any different?” Apollo laughed at Nash. “If you think that’s all I had to offer, you’re stupider than I ever expected.” Nash chuckled as he threw Saint Aquas into the air. “Ready Aquas?” Nash said. “For the ark, partner!” Nash threw his Gate Card “Gate Card Set! Bakugan Brawl!” Saint Aquas rolled onto the card and opened, his wings hadn’t opened yet, signifying some kind of form change. “Bakugan Stand! Come forth, Defender of the Ark! AQUOS SAINT AQUAS!” A dragon with shielded wings and brilliant, shining sapphire scales that reflected sunlight off of them appeared onto the field. “I will defend the Honor of the Kastle Legacy until my last breath!” He roared in triumph, standing at 1000 Gs. “Bakugan Brawl! Bakugan Stand! Finish him Pyrus Infinity Helios!” Helios was standing at a Power Level of 3. “No rain could douse the flames that burn within me!” He roared. “You will find this soon enough, Aquas!” Helios was filled with rage. “Let’s test that, brigand!” Aquas growled. “Aquas!Ability Activate! Deep Beyond!” Nash said as the field turned back into an ocean of blue water. “Only Cowards Stall, Nash!” Helios roared with anger. “You’re on the ropes now, clown! Frenzy Blaster Plus Battle Warrior!” Apollo was also visibly annoyed at the one turn stall. Helios fired a flurry of Pyrus shots from his turbine and then roared as he released a shockwave of flames all over the field. “Counter Aquas! Virtue Stream!” Aquas roared and charged a rainbow energy blast, one eerily similar to the perfect core, and fired a torrent of rainbow energized water at Helios. “Double ability activate! Burner Visor plus Precipice Blades!” Helios charged a high intensity X shaped vortex of fire and released it in an explosion, nullifying Aquas’ ability. He then extended two red energized blades and slashed aquas twice for Krakenoid and Frosch. “Take that!” He roared. “You spoke too soon, Helios! Consecutive Ability Activate! Aqua Reverse, plus Barian Bolster, Plus Crystal Stream, Plus Delta Blue” Nash commanded. Aquas roared as his eyes and symbol on his chest, which is the same Symbol on Nash’s pendant, glowed red as he fired a shining shot of Crystal energy and knocked Helios to the floor and he reversed the effects of Precipice Blades.” Aquas roared as the fans yelled: “Nash! Nash! Nash!”. “Ready Bombaplode.” Apollos gauntlet formed Bombaplode and he threw it into battle. “Bakunano Bombaplode, Destroy!” Helios gained his back blasters, but didn’t get a bonus. “You’re wondering where your boost is? Delta blue took it from you! Meaning your bombaplode starts at zero Gs!” Nash laughed, but Apollo was done playing. “You’re really getting on my nerves now! Consecutive Ability Activate! Infinity Heliopause, Plus Solaris Cannon, Plus Warfire!” Helios let a threatening roar out and an energized pyrus shockwave shook the arena. Nash’s consecutive ability was deleted. “What!!” He said, enraged. “You underestimate the power of Helios! Destroy him! Warfire plus Solaris Cannon!” He then blew a gigantic blast of fire at Aquas, halving his g power and preventing him from countering. Then, Helios chest cannon opened and he charged a huge artificial sun-shaped ball of Pyrus energy and fired it into the air, scorching Aquas. “Choke on this, Aquas!” He was now at 8000 Gs. But Apollo looked at him with a crazed look. “Now! Vexos Infinity! I take your Krakenoid as my own and activate his Fusion Ability to DOUBLE Helios G Power: Abyss Megalo!” Helios roared and the water turned into scalding hot lava as he burned Aquas and drew him closer into a Lava vortex, now at a ridiculous . “Four New Ability Cards Unlocked. Power level over 10,000” his mask said as four new cards appeared in his deck. “Neathian, Legendary Warrior or not, I will destroy all who stand in my way! Including you, Aquas!” He roared as he burned him down past zero. Helios was roaring with victory as Aquas was at certain defeat. But then the smoke cleared. Aquas’ eyes glowed rainbow, and Nash suddenly threw him back into the battle. “Reincarnation! Unveil Mail, Come Forth Saint Aquas!” The crowd roared. But Nash was now no longer human. The ability card he had activated had revealed his Neathian form, and he did not even look neathian. He was purple skinned, adorned with gold and a red cape, his sigil was on his chest. “You are a beast filled with hatred! An agent of chaos and evil! That is why your brawler wears his mask, because it lives in the both of you! I am noble and true and I fight for the prime of life!” Aquas roared, standing at Double his base power. “He resurrected himself!” One of the fans shouted. “Now Ghotic Cosmo, Plus Flood Cry!” Aquas roared and released a white rainbow colored shockwave of watery energy from his chest as he shot a torrent of water into the air, making a huge storm above the field. He prevented Helios from defending himself. “Helios! Mach Blitz!” Helios countered and blasted him with an energy shot that shut his defenses down. But as sense of dread filled the field. Aquas was not fazed. His body was pulsing with heavenly energy, and a gigantic white megastructure appeared over his head, shaped like a cradle and the storm began to send red and rainbow colored lightning bolts down on Helios. “ULTIMATE COMBINATION ACTIVATE! SILENT HONOR ARK, PLUS SILENT HONOR DARK!” Aquas was levitating with power as Nash held the card into the air and he spread his wings at the same time, he grew gigantic in size and pulsed all six attribute colors, despite only triple changing to Darkus and Aurelus, and charged an immense singularity of light and energy. He was now breaking a 40,000 power ceiling. “YOU WILL PERISH HELIOS!” He roared as he opened his wings and released it down into the battlefield, Helios was obliterated by the blast and returned to ball form, Apollo was on his knees, he had been absolutely embarrassed. Helios singed with energy, so much had been released that he was hot to the touch. The worst had happened: Nash had stolen his top three spot. Then, Nash returned to human form, and offered Apollo to stand but he slapped his hand away and got up on his own. “You fought well, but not well enough.” He said cryptically. “Heres some advice. You are a kite dancing in a hurricane Apollo, stop while you’re ahead. You wont be able to withstand this coming storm.” Nash walked away. Apollo was enraged. He would not rest until he beat Nash.
Rankings June 10 2024 Mike Dawn Nash Kastle Apollo Sayer Max Howlet Lucas Alito Blaine
Brawl Log: Nash Vs Apollo Result: Nash W Apollo L Difference: Nash Extreme Diff
Apollo: Plitheon X Infinity Helios(Took two down but fell to Saint Aquas) Nash: Krakenoid X, Frosch X, Saint Aquas
Krakenoid 1200 Gs Plitheon 900

• Deep Charger: Subtract 300 gs from each opponent. If activated after you rolled first, your opponent cannot activate abilities on their roll.
  
• Stash Raider: Plitheon can choose 7 cards belonging to the opponent to delete from the brawl upon roll. This ability cannot be nullified except by a pure Pyrus Ability.
  

Plitheon 600 Krakenoid 1200

• Fly Destroyer: Subtracts 400 Gs from the opponent.
• Fly Blazer: Subtracts 300 Gs from each opponent and adds 300 Gs to Plitheon.

Krakenoid 500 Plitheon 900 + 120 Nukix= 1020

• Blitz Scoundrel: Adds 500 Gs to Plitheon and shatters the opponents gate card. Replace it with an unused Gate. If there is no gate on the field one of your unused Gate Cards will be set at Random.

Shattered Mine Ghost Replaced with Pyrus Reactor Opened Card Shattered by Shark Drake Veiss Plitheon 1720 Krakenoid 500

• Shark Drake Veiss: Transfer 1000 Gs to Krakenoid and shatter the opponents gate card
• Wise Deluge: All Bakugan cannot target Aquos Gate cards with nullification.
• Hydro Cannon: Transfer 700 Gs From the opponent to Krakenoid and Nullify their Ability.

Plitheon 20, Krakenoid 2300 + 300 Jamsaber 2600

• Cunning Inferno: Activate when your opponent would open/nullify a Gate Card or Nullify your ability. Cease activation and skip their turn. After calculation, Plitheon is unaffected by your opponent’s ability and Gate Cards for the next three turns, but has his abilities halved in strength, unless he is Battle Gear level 2.

Plitheon 5, Krakenoid 5600

• Shark Drake Leviathan: Add 3000 Gs to Krakenoid, subtract 3000 Gs from the opponent and clear their board of all Gate Cards support pieces and Bakugan. Fuse with Shark Drake Veiss and Shark Drake to combine effects and triple the amount of power.

-2995 Plitheon, Krakenoid 5600
Helios 1250 Krakenoid Level 2 1200 * Clamor Quasar: Transfer 500 Gs from your opponent to Infinity Helios and bring them back to Base Power and G-Power Levels. Krakenoid 700 L1, Helios 1750 * Wise Torrent: Choose to reuse any 5 Aquos abilities three times or add another Bakugan to the battle Chose Option 2 Krakenoid 700 L1, Helios 1750, Frosch 800 * Bolting Breaker: Transfer 600 gs from each opponent to Infinity Helios. * Battle Warrior: Add 400Gs to Infinity Helios. Infinity Helios 2750 Frosch 200 Krakenoid 100 Frosch: * Swap Frog: If Frosch’s G-Power is Lower than His Opponent, Swap his current G-Power with either any Bakugan in your Unused or Used Pile, or any Bakugan in your Opponents Used or unused Pile. * Neptune Stream: Subtract 600 Gs from the opponent * Elemental Ocean: Adds 500 Gs to Frosch. Krakenoid * Dweller’s Gaze: Add 200gs To Krakenoid and nullify their ability. Then force their Gate Card open and activate it at your command. Apply its effect to all Bakugan presently battling. Frosch (swaps with Plitheon) 200 + 900 Base=1100 Gs, Helios 2750(Nullified)1750-600= 1150, Krakenoid 300 Gs Gate Card Opened by Krakenoid * Pyrus Reactor: Add 500 Gs to a pyrus bakugan Krakenoid 800, Helios 1650, Frosch 1600 * Strontium Railstar: Activate when your opponent opens a gate card. Subtract 900 Gs from the opponent and shatter their Gate Card. Set another Gate Card under both Bakugan, without re rolling, before the ability resolves and prevent its Nullification. Krakenoid Negative 100 X, Infinity Helios 2650, Frosch -900= 700 Set Aquos Spotting Out underneath * Darkfluid Alloy: Change the attribute of Infinity Helios to dual type Darkus and Pyrus. All abilities now apply damage as if they were both Darkus and Pyrus. * Deep Fire - Block A: Negates all of your opponent’s active Support Pieces for 2 turns, and all abilities active presently are nullified. Transfer 300Gs from an opponent of choice to Infinity Helios every half a turn. Helios(Dual Type) +300 1950, Frosch 700-300=400 * Dark Growth: Change Frosch’s Attribute to Dual type Aquos/Darkus and add 400 Gs * Aquos Cyclone: Subtracts 600 Gs from each opponent and adds 600 Gs to Frosch. Helios (Dual) 1350-600= 750+300 = 950 Frosch (Dual Type) 800-300 500 * Ghost Quasar: All opponents lose double the last G-Power addition. Helios(Dual) 950 Frosch (Dual) 500-800-300=-600
Nash Sets Helios 1250 Gs Power Level 3, Rolls Saint Aquas 1000 * Deep Beyond: Add 600 Gs to Hydraxon, and he cannot be targeted by abilities, except those activated by Aquos Bakugan for one turn. Aquas 1600 Helios L3 1250 * Frenzy Blaster: Add 600 Gs to Infinity Helios. * Battle Warrior: Add 400Gs to Infinity Helios. Helios 2250 Aquas 1600 * Virtue Stream: Transfer 600 Gs from each opponent to each ally. Double the transfer to Aquas. Helios 1150 Aquas 2800 * Burner Visor: Nullifies all of the opponent's abilities. * Precipice Blades: Subtract 200 gs from each opponent up to 3 times for each Bakugan Helios has defeated. Aquas 1600-200-200=1200 Helios 2250 * Aqua Reverse: Reflect your Opponent’s Ability at double the Strength if it is Defensive, and if it is offensive, apply the effect to Hydraxon at Double the Strength. * Delta Blue: Prevent the opponent from gaining a support piece bonus. * Barian Bolster: Double Aquas G-Power and halve all offensive abilities that target him for the next two turns. * Crystal Stream: Subtract 400 Gs from the opponent Aquas 1200+200+200 = 1600*2=3600 Helios 2250+ Bombaplode * Infinity Heliopause: Nullify the last consecutive ability your opponent used and return them to that point in the battle. * Warfire: Halve each opponent’s G-Power and add the total amount taken to Infinity Helios. Your opponent cannot activate abilities or gate cards in response to this ability if Helios has any support pieces presently attached to him. * Vexos Infinity: Play after you win a battle with Infinity Helios. Enslave the defeated Bakugan, add half its G-Power to Infinity Helios, and copy three of its abilities as Pyrus abilities. * Solaris Cannon: Helios gains 1000 Gs. Then, Helios gains G-power equal to a bonus the opponent's Bakugan has received during this battle. Aquas 1200/2=600 Helios 2250+1000+3600+600+600= 8000 (Gains new ability Cards from power increase, and Enslaves Krakenoid. Nash must win to get him back, copies abyss megalo, wise wave, and wise deluge.) * (Copy Fusion Ability)Abyss Megalo: Double (Helios)Krakenoids G-Power, Double all Aquos Gate Card effects and add them to (Helios)Krakenoid, and subtract 1000 Gs from the opponent. Helios 16000 Aquas Neg 400(Gains more new abilities) Round resumes, Aquas Resurrected 2400 Helios 16000 * Reincarnate Unveil Mail: Saint Aquas can be revived at double the G-Power if defeated. Aquas Changes his wings to open in his ball form. Aquas 2400 Helios 16000 * Ghotic Cosmo: Call an attribute. That Attribute cannot attack Aquas without losing the Same amount of G-Power on the next activated Ability Card. * Flood Cry: all of your Aquos Bakugan are unaffected by abilities during your opponent’s next turn. Saint Aquas 2400 Helios 16000(Chose Pyrus) * Mach Blitz: Prevents the activation of Defensive abilities by your opponent for the rest of the match. Saint Aquas 2400 Helios 16000 * (Ultimate Ability) Silent Honor Ark: (Fuse with two Aquos Abilities) Activate if Aquas is your only Bakugan remaining, your opponent has more than one Bakugan on the field, all of them are at least 800 Gs stronger than your Aquas at the time of his resurrection, and if Aquas has been resurrected at any time in the battle, but no more than five turns after his resurrection. Double Saint Aquas Base G Power and change him to dual type Aurelus. Then, add each Opponent’s present G-Power to his power level. If you have only Aquos Bakugan in your used pile, Transfer 10,000 Gs from each opponent to Saint Aquas. Cannot Be Nullified reflected absorbed or prevented. (sacred orb) * (Fusion Ability)Silent Honor DArk: Quadruple the effects of Silent Honor Ark if consecutively activated and change him to triple type Aurelus Darkus and Aquos. Saint Aquas cannot be defeated in battle(Ability Cards that defeat Bakugan do not count in this ability). (Sacred Orb) Saint Aquas 47,000, Helios -Negative 26,000 Nash Victory, Krakenoid returned Apollo Defeat
New Abilities added through Helios’ over 10,000 increase of power * Ragnarok Quasar: Subtract 800 Gs from the opponent and Prevent the Activation of abilities. * Mauser Slash: Adds 800 Gs to Infinity Helios. * Infinity Pulsar: Transfers 800 Gs from the opponent to Helios, Return them to Base Power Level and prevents the activation of Abilities. Cannot be nullified. * Destroy Quasar: Return the opponent to Base Power Level and add the lost power to Helios * Inferno Superior: Double Helios G Power and prevent the nullification of your abilities for two turns. * Exploder Dragonwing: Transfers 1000 Gs from the opponent to Helios and prevent the opponent from activating abilities or opening Gate Cards. Return the opponent to Base Power Level and add the difference to Helios and all Allies. Also, skip your opponent’s next turn.

Something that has bugged me is how Junko seems to be fearless but I have a theory on what her greatest fear is and how if it had been revealed, her plans would have failed and her reputation would have been ruined. Here's my theory and spoiler warning for DR0 so if you haven't read the novel, don't read this post.
In DR0, we know how Ryoko Otonashi/Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba killed Isshiki Madarai and his seven identical brothers and how Junko killed Yasuke Matsuda, her childhood friend and former lover, what would happen if that info had been made public after she brainwashed Class 77-B and how would that have affected future events like The Tragedy and The Killing School Life in DR1?
My theory is that Junko's greatest fear is being outed as the selfish, arrogant, cowardly and childish person she truly is along with the knowledge that she killed Yasuke Matsuda, the only man who ever did love her romantically especially since I go by the belief that Ryoko Otonashi is her real identity not a fake one along with the possibility that she and Mukuro both share the same last name but Mukuro changed it to Ikusaba and that Ryoko changed hers to Junko Enoshima so Ryoko wouldn't exist or be considered dead alongside Yasuke and this is because Mukuro says that the way they lived was like a war zone but this is her describing how she lived when she worked for Fenrir and with Junko, it is the opposite, we see that she is rich, she drinks sparkling water or vodka and she has a limo which means she has money so she's gotten a very cushy lifestyle at some point either by stealing or by her modeling career plus the first thing she does before she is shown in DR3 is to blow up a taxi with an exploding wallet so she's not afraid of blowing things up in broad daylight so that is a part of her whole fearless facade or the belief that she won't be jailed due to her looks.
If this info had gotten out around the time DR3 happened, Junko and Mukuro would probably fail and if Class 77-B had found that out during their time as The Remnants Of Despair since they saw Junko as a Goddess Of Despair which she hated but it did feed her ego, they might have turned on Junko and adding Izuru into the mix, Junko wouldn't have a chance in Hell of winning since in the anime, we see that Izuru is able to overpower Mukuro with a single slap and pin Junko to the floor with his shoe and when Chiaki's death happens, he cries as Hajime is showing through so if it had been made public or if Izuru found out about Junko's real identity and what she did to the only man who ever loved her and who she loved back, she'd be a dead woman.
That's my theory and it does have evidence to back it up as Junko gets VERY defensive over her own and Mukuro's real names when asked about it in DR1 and she avoids the question since that is her greatest fear. Being revealed to be a selfish and petty child who hurt people for no good reason other then a love for Despair, being seen as having genuine human emotions and the ability to express something outside of a love for Despair like her love for Yasuke which is still there as she never forgave herself for what she did to him.

While her parents were setting up the dining table, Adina gazed at the ticking clock in her room. Adina smiled to herself as she heard the gift-wrapping noise in her ears. She pondered what the surprise could be. Tonight, she would turn sixteen and she thought about how she was in the sweetest stage of her life. She tightly gripped her hands to her fluffy pink pillow and gave a squeaky squeal. Thankfully, Adina’s sister Mahi would be arriving soon with Aisha to bring her a gift. Also, Adina hoped her best friend Emma would be able to be there too.
When the doorbell rang, Adina’s eyes were glued to her cell- phone screen. Adina’s parents told her that she was not allowed to leave her room or else the surprise would be spoiled. Her fingers scrolled through each social media post one by one. She noticed Emma’s post with thirty likes. Emma wrote how thrilled she was for tonight. A comment underneath it said, “Adina is no fun.” Another comment below it said, “Why waste your time?” There were five thumbs up for each of these comments. Shocked, Adina kept on scrolling, seeing if there was anything else being said about her. Who were these people that she was friends with and why were they talking about her behind her back?
She heaved a sigh, tossing and turning on her bed with the blue light glowing on her face. There is no reason that Emma cannot be there. She promised her that she would come.
She should give Emma a call to see what she is up to and if she can make it. Adina dialed Emma’s number on her cellphone. The phone rang, but there was no answer. It went straight to voicemail. She called again. Still, no answer.
Adina dropped her phone beside her. She felt like someone stepped on her chest. Emma is no cheater. She cannot be. It was like these people wanted to ruin her life. For this reason, Adina just could not understand. She squinted hard at her phone. How could they write something like that the day of her birthday? And Emma’s post was written at eight in the morning. Her party is supposed to start at twelve. Right now, it is eleven thirty. Emma always comes earlier than that. Is she on her way?
In a few minutes, she began to sniff on her pillow.
“No, no,” She muttered under her breath. She pushed her tears away. She did not want to cry. Not on her birthday. She was assuming Emma would listen to these haters and end up bashing her party. She would not just trust people that easily.
Adina straightened out her pink midi dress that was embroidered with golden glittered flowers at the bottom and a ribbon on the waistline. She had been waiting to wear this for months, and she saved it exclusively for today. She felt breathtaking.
Adina had to find a way to keep a smile on her face. Her parents were devising a lot for her, and it was no doubt that she was thankful for that. She dwelled on the time when her parents bought her first bike for a surprise. She was only six years old.
“I am scared, Baba. I do not want to ride without you,” she whined.
“You have been doing well. Now it is time to see your balance,” he reassured her.
Her dad pushed her gently to let her be free. As she moved the pedals, she went faster and finally caught her balance. She was hesitant at first, but she was finally able to glide through the wheels of the bike.
However, the social media post kept getting in the way of these memories, provoking Adina slightly. She was now filled with mixed emotions; she was enthusiastic about her family’s surprise for her and worried about Emma not calling her back. Adina did not know how to react. She loved her family dearly and was usually someone who was overjoyed by the littlest things. So, Emma not showing up should have been only a slight problem. It was easier said than done though because she has been close friends with Emma since preschool.
Emma was born in Italy while Mahi was born in Bangladesh. Emma loved trying new things, especially different flavors of food. This is what Adina loved about her. Emma was always into Mahi and her family’s recipes.
As Adina put on her light pink lip gloss, her curled black hair shined in front of the oval shaped mirror. She was blooming to adolescence with her full lips and youthful cheekbones. Her deep brown eyes were defined in golden eyeliner. Her hair bounced as she shook it to the side to apply some more foundation. Just a little bit of makeup since it is her birthday, not too much. She wanted it natural.
Adina wondered if it was Emma when the doorbell rang earlier. Or was it her sister? She knew her sister would make it without a doubt like she always does, but Emma really wasn’t coming.
Startled, she heard her father knock on her door.
“Adina, your sister, and her friend Aisha are home! You can come out now.” He spoke.
Sister and her friend? How about Emma?
She brushed her fingers on her dress and elegantly opened the door, until she caught her lovely family singing and clapping to the happy birthday song. It was done in the most animated expression, and it was so sincere. But something was not right. Someone was missing at her special birthday party.
As her parents looked at her with overwhelming love, they embraced her. “Oh, honey! You look beautiful, just like a princess!” They told her.
Her mother stroked her cheek. “Is anything wrong?”
Adina tried to soothe herself in their arms and her heart melted there. “I am fine. Of course, I am. You both planned all of this for me.”
Adina looked all around her in awe. A happy birthday sticker was on the wall, with pink balloons everywhere. There were pink cherry blossom flowers in little vases on every table inside the home. There was birthday music playing in the background and cupcakes stacked in tall plates. Pink roses were sitting on the window. It looked insanely beautiful, and she could not help but smile for real this time. The pink lights were matched with the confetti cake that was waiting for her on the table. Her eyes widened at the sight of rainbow flames blasting out of these candles and the smell of sweet buttercream with whipped cream together all in one. How special.
Adina muttered “wow” under her breath and shook her head. Everything looked so ornate.
Adina’s sister Mahi, who was two years older than her, was also wearing a tiara over her hair. The tiara was silver with exquisite white pearls and diamonds.
Suddenly, Adina’s heart dropped. She was staring at Mahi’s crown in shock. It was twice as large as Adina’s crown that she was wearing. It looked like it was Mahi’s birthday, but it was not.
Wearing a crown is not a custom in the family, but since it was Adina’s special birthday, she wanted to wear one. She didn’t know her big sister would be wearing one either.
Adina thought to herself how her older sister is Miss Perfect at everything with her looks, intelligence, creativity, and charisma. Adina had looked up to her for her whole life.
Mahi sheathed herself in a silky bright pink dress, with a birthday tag on it. Her hair was also curled. Mahi, the girl with all the friends in the world. She is the most popular girl in school, and everyone stops when they see her to take time to appreciate her.
Adina quivered a little bit. “W-wait. What? Is this a joke?” She asked Mahi.
“Adinaaa. I am just joking,” Mahi said. Aisha elbowed Mahi with a side glare.
“That’s not funny!” Adina whined.
“Girls~,~ stop. Enough is enough! This is her birthday. Mahi, you should not have done that to her, and Adina, focus on yourself,” Her father strictly advised them.
Mahi and Aisha suddenly kept quiet and nodded, and Adina looked at her father in relief.
Mahi took care of Adina when she was a child. From dressing her up when her mother was busy cooking to braiding her hair and holding her hand and taking her to the bus stop. She knew how to look after her. Although she knew how to get on her nerves, it was done in a sisterly way. However, Adina did not expect her to go this far on the day of her birthday. Something seemed off about Mahi, and she noticed it.
As Mahi handed out her purple, pink striped gift bag, she gave Adina’s shoulder a tight squeeze. “Happy birthday, sweet sister,” she said with a diva expression. Mahi’s heels clunked on the floor as she walked away with her coffee latte and her best friend.
“Thanks,” Adina responded as her tears welled up. Adina was not someone to envy someone so easily, this was her sister. Adina tried comforting herself with positive reaffirmations. She tried to focus on the cake, but a wave of emotions stormed inside her slowly and all of a sudden. Everything began to look blurry. She tried to hold her tears back, but instead bawled her eyes out.
“Honey do not cry. Look at me!” Her mother cheered Adina on. “Okay, hurry up and blow the candles!”
Adina tried reading her mother’s eyes to see if she understood. Her mother’s eyes always spoke the truth that everything would be okay. This was her reassurance. She knew her parents told Mahi to make her birthday extra special for her. Her parents also knew about Emma not showing up. Besides, Adina’s parents wanted her to be happy for her birthday, and she owed it to them.
Adina smiled and let her breath burn off each shining candle. Everyone immediately clapped and cheered her on for her new chapter just to begin. Adina’s mother sliced a piece of cake, starting with Adina and then with everyone else. Tonight, they were having biryani, potato chops, and grilled chicken for dinner.
Everyone smiled at the sweet frosting of the cake on their plates. They knew they would enjoy it so much that they would all end up with no more pieces of cake left.
"Absolutely delicious," Aisha said trying the food.
Mahi patiently held onto the plate and served others extra food if they wanted more.
“Would you like some latte with that?” She joked when she served Adina. Adina laughed and shook her head a little. Oh, Mahi. But at least everyone was quite gratified and in good company. Adina’s parents were smiling and asking the girls about their future dreams and careers. Adina could see her family’s efforts in putting their heart and soul into this special birthday party for her.
When it was time to open the presents, Adina paused a little. She thought about how her friend bought her a friendship lucky charm every year. This year, there would not be any. She took another deep breath again.
Just move on, Adina. Her voice told her inside her head. But Adina could not listen to it. She fought it back by giving in to the thought that it could just be too early to move on that quickly. She reminded herself that she would overthink this later.
Adina was getting ready to open her first present. There was a tag on the gift bag that said “to: Adina, from: your sister.” The gift bag was small and light. She shook the bag, trying to guess what it was. It seemed it could be a little journal, perhaps? Every year, Mahi bought Adina something that Adina was obsessed with. This year, Adina really liked zebras.
Adina did not want to wait. She fiddled with the tissue paper and tore out the wrapping paper from the box. Inside was a silver necklace with a lucky zebra charm.
“Wow, Mahi. It is beautiful!” Adina was awakened by the brilliance of the jewelry dangling in her gentle hands. She cried tears of joy and attempted to put the necklace around her neck. She hassled to get the grip and the hook inside the hole. For a few minutes, Adina just forgot about all those problems that were revolving around her head. She was too focused and in the moment.
“Well, duh! That is why I bought it. Here, let me put it on for you, love,” Mahi said while looking at Adina compassionately.
Mahi gently locked in the key to her necklace. “Thank you so much, Mahi. You have no idea how much this means to me!” Adina responded excitedly.
“Oh, stop. Of course! You gotta love me!” Mahi said posing with her tiara.
Adina paused, looking at Mahi in admiration. Then she said, “You know what Mahi? It is your birthday too,” and gave Mahi a big hug.
“That’s my girls!” Adina’s mother said.
“There you go,” Adina’s father said.
“Lucky me. Now it is my turn. Open mine and tell me what you think,” Adina’s mother added.
“Don’t forget mine too, princess.” Adina’s father prodded her.
“I won’t, Baba and Ma,” Adina said while looking at the gifts and her parents with love, admiration, and respect.
Adina was excited. On a big box, wrapped in cupcake-pink gift-wrapping paper, she saw on it scribbled “Mama Bear.” She traced the letters with her fingertips before opening it.
Inside the box, she unwrapped a beautiful pair of pink sneakers. There were gems on the side, and they were perfect. It would match her long, silky pink skirt. Adina loved wearing sneakers with dresses and skirts, and this was something that she always wanted. She ran up to her mother and gave her a hug and kiss on the side of her cheek.
“Thank you so much, Ma!” She beamed with her hands clasped together to her heart.
Her hand went to her dad’s gift bag next. She slid her hand inside the bag, feeling soft cotton. She threw the tissue papers in the air and opened her mouth wide as she pulled out a pink sweater with the word LOVE in the middle. It was a Barbie pink color with a very feminine look, dazzling her eyes. Adina had been playing with Barbie dolls since she was a toddler, and this only brought her memories. Memories of when each doll would dance in her fingertips with little heels and long hair. She could style each one as she wished; often, they reminded her of her older sister who had always been so perfect. Adina’s eyes lit up at the look of the sweater that smelled like strawberry. She could not wait for it to be sitting on her skin.
Adina loved her parents so much. They always knew just how to make her smile. This sweater would now be a perfect match for her new pink sneakers.
While triggers kept lurking beneath her smile, especially of the comments she saw earlier on Facebook about her, she knew that if her parents were here, she would be all right. As she ran to her father’s belly to give him a hug, she knew she was safe and protected there.
“Thank you, Baba! Thank you, Ma! Thank you everyone!” She hugged her father and everyone else again.
Although Adina knew her parents would always be there for her, she remembered how her father would be leaving for a new job soon and her mother would be working all day and night. Adina was used to her parents always being home and didn’t know what would happen. Her sister would be the only one home then to look after her. She could not imagine how it would be.
Although she and her sister are close, Mahi and Aisha are now officially best friends. Would Mahi still have time to take care of Adina? Adina knows she often gets bored easily and does not know what to do with her time.
Mahi just started her first year of college, and Adina just started high school. Adina thought to herself how she should be living her life, not staring at the wall. So, she thought about trying to text Emma again to see if she would answer. Something may have happened that she didn’t know of? That was her hope here, though what she saw on Facebook hurt her. Words can have power, either for better or worse.
All Adina hoped for then was that Emma didn’t choose to respond to those comments supporting them.
When Adina and Emma were in kindergarten, Emma was the first person to share her crayons. They both colored on the same page. As both giggled, they drew monkeys, zebras, koala bears, and all the animals they learned about. When they were in second grade, they would chase each other in the playground. One time, Emma fell running backwards into the playground and Adina helped her up, taking her to the nurse’s office. They held hands on their way back to the classroom as Emma drank the water from the Ziploc bag full of ice cubes. Munching on the ice, Adina told her to keep it on her knee before it melted away completely. There was only a big bruise on Emma’s right knee, which now is healed.
There were so many more memories that Adina could think of until her birthday party ended, but Adina decided she would leave that for tomorrow. Today, she was going to finish the rest of her birthday with her family and savor each moment.
Everyone chit-chatted about their favorite memory with Adina and as she listened, she shook her head in amazement. What a miracle!
“Oh, Adina has a wonderful heart. All the heroic things Adina did, she did not realize how much of an affect she had made at an early age.”
“Like what, ma?” Adina asked.
“Well, you saved a kitten when you were five and bought it home,” her mother said.
“Really? I cannot believe that!” Adina responded, sounding surprised.
“What a hero!” Mahi laughed while rolling her eyes.
Adina tried putting the first puzzle pieces together. She could not remember saving a kitten when she was five and wished she could. That is probably because she was young.
“Where did the kitten go? Why don’t we still have it, Ma?” Adina asked while munching on the rice and savoring chicken in her mouth.
As her mother swallowed her food, she said, “We gave her up for adoption to our neighbor. She wanted to care for it since we were too busy to look after it. You and Mahi were only children.
“Ew! Animals in the house?” Mahi asked while scrunching her nose. “It would smell here!”
Adina responded, “But it is easy to take care of kittens! And they are clean. Right, Baba?”
“That is true,” Adina’s father said.
“So, can we get another one?” Adina asked.
“We will see. Once you finish your final exam we will think about it. How does that sound?” Her father pointed to the air. Adina’s father looked at her mother, who nodded in return. They both shared a similar reaction. A reaction full of patience and understanding.
“But how about now?” Adina asked.
“Not now, Adina,” her mother advised.
“Fine.” Adina crossed her arms to her chest, looking sideways.
Aisha fiddled around with her straight black hair and scanned the living room with her introspective eyes.
“I do not know about that. She will make this whole place a zoo!” Aisha laughed while tapping her foot slowly.
“Zoo?” Mahi asked, dumbfounded.
“What do you mean?” Adina asked Aisha, annoyed.
“How about we take you girls to the zoo for Adina’s birthday? It is her special day!” the mother suggested.
“And don’t say no,” the father warned them.
“What! Of course it is a yes. I want to go!” Adina immediately said after she took a breath in surprise. Now her day will be officially complete. With all the chaos, Adina is ready for some fresh breath of air. The gifts, dinner, cake, and hugs were the support she needed today. As a teenager, every girl wants their sweet sixteen to be special, and Adina can say that it was a mixed birthday full of emotions. It was a rollercoaster ride, for sure.
"C'mon ladies, let's go!" Adina's father said.
He opened the door, waiting for them all to exit. Once they were all outside, he unlocked the door, and they followed him to the car. Everyone buckled their seatbelts, and Adina's father prepared himself to drive.
"Everyone is good?" Adina's father asked. They all responded that they were.
It was a one-hour drive to the zoo. Adina’s heart raced when she thought of all the animals that she would see. Zebras, lions, tigers, monkeys, bears, reptiles, gorillas, giraffes, birds, cheetahs, and wolves were all waiting for Adina there.
Adina's father lowered his left window after slowing down his car. Then he stopped. On a man’s shoulder, red and blue parrots stood and greeted them hello. They were entering the gate. This man with an orange beard grinned at everyone who was with Adina and behind her.
“Hello. Welcome to Wild and Free Park. Tickets will need to be paid over there!” He pointed behind him, straight to the right.
Adina, her family, and her sister’s best friend all scurried over to buy tickets. After her parents were done paying for them all, they were anticipating the adventure to come. Mahi scratched her arm and waved a fly away in the air. Aisha nudged her shoulder with her elbow. They were all wearing caps because it was a summer day, so hot that if they took them off, their heads would burn. Adina stood there with a light in her eyes.
By the time they were inside the gate, Adina wanted to be friends with this whole entire zoo. The stripes on the zebras, beards on the lions, fluffy hair on the bears, and beautiful wings of the birds made her understand why she was in love with animals in the first place. She always wished that she could run as fast as a cheetah and be as tall as a giraffe. She wondered what it would be like to even fly like these birds. She was breath taken by these God given creatures.
“Wow. Mom. Dad. Look!” She pointed at the tigers and lions. They were crouching down inside a cage, looking fierce and wild. These animals were isolated from their homes, with no free place to wander about. They were restless and fatigued, but they seemed strong enough to leap. Adina was confounded to wonder why animals had to live in zoos just for the show of it. They deserved to be living on their own land. At least she got to go to the zoo today and see these animals closer than she ever had.
Adina whistled to the lions, hoping they would come near so she could stroke their head. The lions were lying down on their bellies, waiting for the hours of boredom to pass.
“Adina, stop! What are you doing!?” Mahi asked her with eyes as feisty as the tigers.
“Mahi, I want to see them closer. They look a bit thirsty. Don’t they? They need water,” she said.
“Yes, thirsty. Thirsty to bite! Keep your distance, sweet sister,” Mahi said.
Aisha laughed, “Watch me roar!”
Mahi kept staring at Adina. Then she let go, walked away, and continued exploring the zoo. Adina had not left the last animal yet. She did not want to listen to Mahi’s words. Adina’s parents were giving the girls time to look around and enjoy the birthday party.
“Hey, pssst!” Adina whispered to the lions.
“What is it?” the lion answered.
Adina jumped at the deep voice of the lion. Did the lion just speak? Adina’s heart was thumping inside her chest.
“You…. you can talk?” Adina asked him.
“Yes. I can. Finally, someone understands,” the lion said.
Adina stood there, lost in her thoughts. Was she hearing voices? They sounded muffled and a ringing occurred in her right year, after she heard this deep voice. She didnt~’~ expect this. From the distance, someone would probably think she's a crazy teenager talking to an animal.
“Talk to me. Please, help me.” The deep voice kept repeating and repeating. She felt like she was drowning in an ocean of voices.
Adina held both hands to her ears, clasping them tightly. She bent down her on knees, urging them to stop, but she couldn’t.
“Adina! What’s wrong? Come here. You are falling behind.” Adina’s father shouted.
Startled, Adina noticed her father’s alert expression. Oh, snap! She thought. She wished she could have communicated with the lion for a little longer. Was the lion really talking to her? Or was she simply crazy? She could hear voices. Did her father hear the lion speaking to her too?
“I’ll be back, Mr. Lion!” Adina said.
“Who were you talking to?” Adina’s father asked her quietly when she walked by his side.
“To the lion,” Adina said.
“Lions can’t talk, Adina,” her father said. “Be careful. They’re animals.”
“He won’t do me no harm baba!” She insisted.
“You cannot pet them without their permission. They said on the signs to not touch the animals unless allowed. What if they bite? They could be hungry or thirsty,” he warned her.
“But it’s my birthday, Baba,” Adina said as she swallowed a gulp of air.
“Me and your mother bought you here for your birthday, yes. We want you to enjoy it, but please try to be careful. You are just like when you were five, always running to animals and petting them. That is good, but not at the zoo unless you are working here.”
As Adina and her father walked under the shining sun, they stopped when they noticed a black and white striped-looking horse. The zebra gestured towards their direction from the cage and nodded majestically.
Adina smiled. “Baba, look! They are posing just like the necklace that Mahi got me,” Adina said.
“Yes, and you are wearing it. Let us take a picture,” he chuckled. “Smile.”
Adina smiled again at her father’s phone. She held a peace sign up in the air for her birthday. Her zebra charm was sparkling in the sunlight, illuminating the day and matching the zebra itself.

Im hovering over two people with a demon they are in a tower a very high tower it looks futuristic as if its some other world or in the future. I see two people in bed looks as if they are laying down in a condo or apartment type setting but they are placed very high where I can see out their huge window which is placed behind the bed, I can see huge buildings and I can see the tops of some of these huge skyscraper buildings. Anyway I pan to some other setting where a man who looks like Jesus is fighting a demon in the window I dont know if this was Jesus or not but the person he would lay down with was an asian women. Anyway he is fighting this demon in the reflection of the window. Then I find myself in front of a maze, or a labyrinth the man who looks like Jesus is saying “ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” the man while saying this puts up a peace sign but his two fingers are connected I believe they call that symbol the “all above” hand gesture. He is saying this to a bunch of kids as if to prepare them for the maze. That was all it was an amazing dream sort of like a vision of some other world or of the future. I had a dream a second dream in the same type of futuristic setting. I remember the smell fo this dream it smelt like sweaty people that are packed in one area well this takes place at a pool and you can see the towering buildings from outside the pool. A man gets out fo the pool I like to call this man Bryon he is a red head with blue eyes he comes in my dreams a lot. Anyway Bryon gets out of the pool he is hairy and a little bit buff but has a dad bod a little bit. He starts talking about some shot that can help him lose weight but then forgets about it and walks off. there is another man in a smaller pool floating he looks to me as if he is jewish he is chubby and he is floating around in a floatie. All the sudden it seems as if there is an explosion of something moving the building the man in the floatie gets pushed out of the pool by a huge wave forming in the pool. That was the end of that dream, I dont know if this experience is showing me how Bryon dies or died in that technologically advanced world. All I know for sure is I have seen Bryon as a kid as well in my dreams it always seems to be a red head with blue eyes. I will talk some more about Bryon if you would like to hear more, he had a therapist as a kid he would talk about how he was molested as a kid by a priest and he became very chubby after that experience he is a troubled individual. I will tell more stories about Bryon who seems to come to me in my dreams his whole story plays out in my dreams sometimes like im seeing a story play out from a movie. I would like to think his profession is a spy and his partner is Charlotte. Charlotte is a spy as well she has blue eyes and brown curly hair. I think they time traveled to this era that im in right now or they are from another planet not for sure straight on their entire story I just gets bits and pieces in my dreams.

To start, I've worked at this Big Burger Spot for over 2yrs and have seen countless employees in and out as well as management which is always a bad sign but today we will discuss the cleanliness, sanitation, food preparation and just the outright lies the company promises any and every customer that walks through that door. Well to start off with the cleanliness. Well...there isnt a true procedure for it or rather no one is given set task to complete by the end of their shifts. Not even the managers take initiative to fix these issues. Before i start this list , the cleanliness and sanitation alone should have this places closed. To start from the top. The ice dispenser has mold up in it and around the rim. If you're not careful a chunck of mold can fall into your drink. The mat where the fountain drinks are is never cleaned properly or often ( never seen it sanitized ). Dishes arent cleaned or sanitized properly. You'll have dishes still greasy or wet. Some not sanitized properly either due to the sanitizer not being check for poetency with the test strips or the dispenser not pumping out enough or if any sanitizer. Also, the soap and rinse sink are never changed often or filled correctly. The temps never touch 110°f as required by the fda for both rinse and soap sinks. The pipes for said sinks are leaking as well, which if someone forget to dump the bucket catching the water or forgets entirely then thats standing water which is a big no no. Speaking of standing water, the station where we build the burgers ( holds all the produce and condiments ) doesn't work properly and condensation builds up inside resulting in the cooler sweating from the inside out. Literally a puddle of water. Milkshake machine is as old as the business and is housing mold while dripping profusely from the nozzle and is caught in this "catch pan" that smells like sour milk. Yes it leaking throught the night too. All the sink drains are disgusting and has never been properly cleaned. Mop sink is disgusting with stuff just slung there. No floor especially the back of house has EVER seen degreaser. All they do is sanitize it. That like only using sanitizer the rest of your life and never washing the oil and grit from your fingers. Granted they do sweep but only on a good night is when they'll mop. No person even with NON SLIP SHOES could walk back there without slipping or gliding. Not safe PERIOD and especially in a kitchen. The whole kitchen is never cleaned properly every night but granted if it was they'd be there all night. If you go in to get food look at the hood range, is it drips in the front of it. Is it brownish black along the sides and underneath. Are the cooks making your food currently stepping in food they've dropped throught the day? Still hungry? Well the fryer is only filtered with NEW oil once a week and filtered twice a week if you're lucky( NOT ACCEPTABLE ) with no fryer cover for closing, soo any little insects you see flying around (which is also a red flag) may of well ended up falling right in the cooled down oil thats gonna be ready to go for you in the morning. Fun fact if the oil makes smoke its not fresh oil. The fryer alone is a fire hazard. Theres soo much grease caked up along the sides of it and inside and behind it. It has a hard time keeping temp and staying ignited too. Every so often you'll hear a "WOOOOOFF" like you had the propane on this whole time on the grill and you spark it, scary stuff. Ahhh now to the flat top grill. IF YOU ARE ANYTHING BUT A CARNIVORE, DONT EAT HERE. Everything is cross contaminated. Bacon is cooked on the flat top in the mornings, then it is not cleaned after so next will be your buns of any kind except gluten-free ( i'll get to that ), raw turkey burgers go on there, ive seen tuna, black beans, impossibles, really everything except beef burgers ironically. The bacon you get added to order is more than likely bacon from yesterday or this morning. If you're lucky you'll get today's bacon that isnt covered or held a hot holding temps of 135°f. During rush time you might get fresh bacon if they ran out. Now on the topic of bacon, the boiler that holds the bacon bits, melted cheddar cheese, and chilli is a big breeding ground for bacteria. The bacon bits are used over and over again and to top it off, no pun intended, some bacon strips from yesterday (that sit out at room temp over night) are choped up and put in the bacon bits container. The cheese and chilli are never hot and isnt tossed out every night. They both are cold in the morings the maybe hot towards mid-late afternoon then during close, wrap in ceram wrap and stored in tbe walk in while still hot. What happens when you cover a sauce or chilli thats hot then cool it quickly, not gradually. It spoils. Crispy onions are supposed to be thrown out throught the day but are used all day. The staff isn't properly trained in food safety or preperation. Gloves are hardly changed and you'll see the cook use his raw burger hands to touch the fryer timer, spatuala, cajin shaker, salt and peper mix and seasoning for turkery burger. That same raw burger meat infested salt and pepper will get sprinkled right on your hot chips. The grill grates are suppose to be silver but these have never been. The cover that use to melt cheese on beef burgers are used for tuna, impossibles, black beans and turkey burgers; on top of that its utterly disgusting. Meat thermometer has never been cleaned. Condiment containers are never changed and are caked up around the screw on part where mold is likeky to build. If the Ketchup is half full, they'll just keep topping it off. The walk in fridge has products not dated properly and is truly nasty. Never seen the walk in cleaned fully. I could go on and on about this place and why that 97 sanitation rating was paid for and a bold face lie to all the customers and spend money expecting quality food. Dont blame the employees. They don't get paid enough and no incentives like insurance, 401k, benefits etc. You dont even get free food as an employee. No raises, no acknowledgment, no care. If i say anything else about this place, its to SHUT IT DOWN. This stuff is out in thr open for everyone to see for the most part, you guys just have to be more aware, vigilant and conscious about what you're putting in your bodies. (Pictures taken a month ago)

I'm writing for the first time. I'm thinking of a story about a man reincarnated in another world with the ability to access music, film, TV, and basically Youtube from Earth. I have the first two chapters written out and am hoping for some advice. I'm thinking of the story being about the MC bringing music and entertainment to the fantasy world.
I'm leaning towards building community through entertainment. The MC was granted a boon of music due to a mistake by a goddess allowing him to rebirth without clearing his memory. The boon of music encompassed all recorded music, therefore films and TV that have musical soundtracks were included, including openers for TV shows, and even social media videos that had any type of music. I'm thinking of making the MC a mage with the power to create illusions, therefore allowing him to share what he sees.
I haven't yet settled on a name. I'm hoping it will come to me as I go along. In addition, I'm not much of a planner. I feel like I'd enjoy it more just following the character along. As expressed above I have some general direction, but nothing concrete. Any advice would be great!
Chapter 1
A sensation of pain jolted through my body, centered in my chest and heart. But then it stopped suddenly, giving way to a warm and wet feeling all over. I struggled to move, but something was pressing against me, squeezing me tightly. Finally, I’m released and opened my eyes to see a large woman looking down at me with a satisfied smile. It must be a dream, I told myself as I closed and re-opened my eyes, only to find her still there.
She handed me off to another woman who was pale and sweating from exhaustion. The lady was light-skinned with blond hair and beautiful clear blue eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was pretty or not because her face was too big, and I wasn’t in a good position to judge. She started speaking, but I couldn’t understand her. My mouth felt strange and heavy as I tried to talk, my voice high-pitched. The woman smiled with tears in her eyes as a man's face appeared next to hers. He had light skin and chestnut hair and they both start talking, but their words were unintelligible to me.
I tried to look around, but moving my head was difficult, as if I had no muscles in my neck. To my right, I saw the foot of a bed with some women walking around. Someone began rubbing my head, but their hands felt rough, and my head was sensitive to their touch. It all seemed so real… Realization dawned on me. I was a baby.
But how? Did I die? The pain! I must’ve had a heart attack. I know I wasn’t the healthiest person in the world, but… As the weight of my death settled upon me, it felt as though my heart was squeezed in a vice. My thoughts turned towards my friends and family. My breath quickened, my heart raced, and in a sudden rush the depths of despair and loss swallowed me, and I saw nothing but darkness.
A light appeared in the far distance. I watched as the light approached me, growing larger and brighter as it neared. Before long, the light was close enough to me that I saw a figure in it. The figure was made of pure light, bright and warm. When the figure was about 10 feet from me, it shifted into the form of a beautiful woman in a pure white dress.
“Hello, stray one.” she said. Her voice was soft and gentle, like a lullaby sung in the sweetest of tones. Each word she spoke was like a delicate note in an enchanting melody, soothing and calming to the ears.
“I am the light of souls. My duty is to lead souls through the cycle of death. Unfortunately, I missed you and you returned to life without going through the cycle correctly.” She continued, sadness filling her beautiful eyes.
“Due to this failure, you have retained your memories and therefore suffer from the loss. To aid you through your grief, I will bless you, such that the pain will not burn so hot. In addition, I grant upon you the boon of music. With it, the songs of your past world will be accessible to you. May it provide your heart comfort.” She finished; her beautiful smile tinged with regret.
I awoke to find myself nestled in the arms of my new young mother, her pallor much improved. She looked down upon me with a warm gaze full of love. My heart ached at the loss of my previous mother, the memory of her surfacing. I’m sorry I left first. Please live a happy life without me.
Then I heard it. A piano, soft, aching, mournful, and beautiful played. The music lulled me into darkness once again. I know this piece. I’ve heard it before. Chopin.
Suddenly I was watching a young man playing the piano. When the pianist finished, the last notes of the piece drifted into silence. I felt the weight on my heart lift, as if the sadness of the music took my grief with it. I wondered what the name of the piece was. I looked at my hands and noticed I was holding a piece of paper. On the paper was written:
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 4 in E Minor
By Frederic Chopin
I opened my eyes and found myself wrapped in a blanket. Curious, I tried looking around and found that it was easier to move my head. It was daytime, as the sunlight brightening the room indicated, and I was in a wooden crib on soft cushions. I was unable to see anything outside the crib because the walls were solid wood. I wonder if I’m tall enough to look outside the crib.
I struggled against the blanket, eventually freeing myself after some grunts and a lot of effort. I looked at my hands and found they were quite chunky. It must have been some time since my birth. I tried to sit up, but found I was incapable of it. My body feels so heavy! Okay, let’s try crawling.
I turned my body to the side and onto my stomach. With all my strength I pushed myself onto my hands and knees. YES! Ignoring the fact that my arms were a little wobbly, I was successful. I tried moving around, but eventually grew tired and collapsed onto my stomach. Whew, that is tough.
I heard a woman talking and moving closer to me. “EEH,” I cried out. I was picked up and came face to face with my new mother. She smiled and then started talking. I have no idea what she was saying, it wasn’t a language I knew. “Hello,” I said. This caused my mother to laugh, her face brightening. She excitedly started talking more in a sweet coo. I smiled at her.
Chapter 2
A week had passed since I heard the song. It turned out that I had been reborn in a medieval world, or at least an older age than the one I came from. The house we lived in was nice, but I’d only seen the second floor. There was no running water so the maids, I assumed they were maids, kept having to bring up buckets of water to us. There were two maids, an older gray-haired lady and a young red-hair lady. I guessed that they were related because they looked alike, other than the hair.
The floor of the house I was on was very comfortable. It had several rooms, but I’d only been in my parents’ room, the living room, and the kitchen, the last of which I had to whine to get to go see. Every now and then, mom would bring me to the window to look at the street below us. It was filled with all sorts of people. These last few days were interesting as I tried to get an understanding of my environment. Seeing all the old-fashioned tools and processes was fascinating.
There were many tribulations as well though. I was a full-grown man in the body of a baby; defecating on myself is not enjoyable. At first, I tried to hold it and communicate to them that I had to go, but sadly no one understood. They just laughed and thought I was playing, eventually I gave up and let my bladder go. My dignity…The other trying experience was feeding. As an infant I still needed breast milk. Why couldn’t I have become cognizant way later?
One thing I had learned at last was my name, Rowan. It seemed to be the one of the only consistent words they directed at me, so I assumed that’s what it was. There was a possibility it was also the word for baby, but since there weren’t any other babies, I had no point of reference. I also picked up “hello” and “goodbye”. The language, while not like a language I’d heard before, was very tonal.
This day, however, was very difficult. The main issue was that my mother wasn’t around. Thanks to the constant attention of my mother, I had learned a lot and was at least somewhat entertained; without her I couldn’t do anything. My crib had been moved to the living room by the maids so they could watch me and perform their duties, but they didn’t have time to play with me, only coming to check in on me occasionally.
I tried sleeping as much as possible, but eventually, I wasn’t even tired anymore. I sat in the crib wishing I had something to do; a book to read, a phone to watch movies, music to listen to… Suddenly I remembered that the light lady told me that she had given me access to music. I tried various things to get the music to play; no words, prayers, or physical movements did the trick.
Frustrated, I closed my eyes, hoping that I could fall asleep again. With my eyes closed I mulled over how to use the musical boon when a screen appeared in the darkness. Hah! Finally! The screen had five options: Music, Movies, TV, Concerts, and MISC. I was elated. Movies and TV! I wonder why I have those?
I focused on Movies and a list of movies displayed on the screen. There were so many movies, most of which I had never seen. The collection seemed to have been comprised of every movie made, regardless of my previous viewership. Excited I looked for a movie series that I loved. Thinking of the films caused the screen to display only the films I was hoping for. I shuddered at seeing the films, filled with grief and joy, like finding a long-lost family member.
I scrolled through the options and clicked on the first movie in the series, The Fellowship of the Ring. As it began to load, a strange screen appeared asking for a time conversion value. It listed intervals ranging from 10x to 1x. Perplexed, I searched for some explanation, but then another popup appeared, explaining that the selected conversion would affect the passage of time while watching the movie. 10x meant that for every ten minutes I watched, only one minute would pass in real life. I selected 10x and settled in to watch the film.

I am a new watcher to the Dragon Ball series and couldn’t help but notice this. Tbh it’s one of the reasons why I can’t stand Gohan anymore (don’t get me started on the Buu saga.)
From season 2 of dbz kai (cause that’s the one I watched) all the way through Super, any Gohan scene or general storyline seems like straight from a fan fiction piece. He starts at a new high school, the superhero story, training Videl, then once they have Pan the fanfic vibes really kick in! Does anyone else feel this way or notice this? Or am I just ruined from 2014 Tumblr…?

Note: For info on monetization and that sort of thing: An Introduction To The Book That Is Me : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
Note: For my library: Masterlist for edgiscript : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
Note: A departure from my usual stuff. Jackie was real. And yes, he actually did love to have his belly rubbed. Not only that, but his brother, Eddie, initially didn't, but witnessed Jackie enjoying it and began to request it himself. Not kidding and not exaggerating. This is for all of my pets that have died over the years. More than any other piece of mine, this one felt like therapy.
TITLE: THE AMAZING JACKIE
(Door opens and closes, but Speaker begins talking before the door closes like she’s excited.)
Speaker: Hey, buddy, I’m here. You ready? I am soooo pumped for today. I’ve got the tickets to the theme park, I’ve got some sunscreen since I’m going to be outside all day, and I threw a couple of snacks in my pouch… but as I’m thinking about it now, I’m pretty sure they won’t be necessary. I mean, come on, you know we’re going to want funnel cakes and corn dogs until we’re sick. (Laughs.) This is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to get there.
I assume you’re getting ready in there. I’m going to apply some sunscreen and gear up out here while you finish up, so take your time.
Jackie, where are you? Where’s my good boy? I brought you some cat treats? (Brief pause.) Jackie?
Oh well. Must be sleeping somewhere. Or maybe he’s in the bedroom too. Ok, no big. We’ll just wait on those treats.
Man oh man, I’m telling you, I have been looking forward to this for a week. Work has been so crazy lately. There’s been so much stress with all of the changes. We lost 4 people in one week. Yeah, I know 2 of them are coming back, but right now we’re swamped. Tom had shoulder surgery and is recuperating for a month, and Mike lost his mom unexpectedly.
(Compassionately.) Poor Mike. He’s really going to miss her. They were pretty tight. I know I already told you that she just went in her sleep. She was getting older, but this was still a surprise, you know? And what makes it even worse is that his wife’s mom died just 5 months prior, so his kids lost both their grandmothers in half a year. Hey, do them a favor and keep them all in your prayers, ok?
But Lisa accepted that promotion at corporate, and Zach switched departments, so those 2 are gone permanently. It’s going to be a while before we get back to a place where we can keep our heads above water. It’s been nothing but rush, rush, rush. We’ve been leaning extra heavily on the temps this week. Nothing is being completed on time and everybody we report to thinks they’re the highest priority we should have. It’s so stressful right now. I gotta tell ya, I am so thankful for this day where we can just act like kids again. I may intentionally eat so much I risk throwing up on a ride just to lose control.
Well, I’m ready to go. You all set?
(Pause.)
Hey, you here? Oh, great. You didn’t forget about our day at the park, did you and go somewhere? No, that can’t be. You can’t have gone anywhere. Your car is still here.
Hey, buddy? Come on. Did you forget and sleep in?
(Knocks on bedroom door.)
I’m coming in. You dressed?
(Door opens.)
You ready to go?
Hmm. Your bed’s empty and it’s dark in here. So where…
Oh, there you are. You look dressed and ready. So come on. If we get out of here now, we can beat the rush and…
(Concern.) Hey. Hey, what’s wrong? You’ve been crying. What happened? Why are you sitting in here by yourself with the lights off and crying? Are you ok? Are you sick? Does something hurt?
(Pause.)
No, no. It’s ok. Take your time. You’re not in pain, right?
Ok, that’s good. But something is clearly upsetting you. Was it that blind date you went on the other night? You texted me that it went well. Did something happen afterwards?
(Pause.)
(Compassion in the realization.) Ohhhhh. Oh, no. Hey, come here. No, no, no. You go ahead and cry. I’ve got you. Yeah. Come here. Lean into me. I’m so sorry, honey. When did it happen?
(Pause.)
Yesterday afternoon? Oh, sweetie, why didn’t you call me?
(Pause.)
Ohhhh, honey. Yes, I have been looking forward to this day, but you aren’t going to disappoint me. I know how difficult it is to lose a pet, and you’ve had Jackie since you were 10.
(Pause.)
Yes, I know. He was special. A lot of cats are lovable and love to snuggle and purr, but I swear, until Jackie, I had never known a cat that wanted his belly rubbed. Every other cat will bite your hand off if you try to do that, but he would actually ask for it. My coworkers all thought I was lying when I would tell them that. He was a wonderful cat and a good friend.
Come here. Come with me.
(Pause.)
No, we’re not going to the amusement park. I’m going to take you into the living room so I can sit with you on the sofa. This chair is too small to fit me too. Come on. Come with me.
(Brief pause.)
There. Now, have a seat. I’ll just sit beside you here. You go ahead and lean on my shoulder. I’ll just stroke your hair and hold onto you for a bit. You can wrap your arms around me if you want, or just hold your own face in your hands while you cry. Whatever makes you feel better.
(Pause.)
No, no. Don’t think about the tickets or the park or anything else. You’re my friend and you need me right now just like this. We can go to the park any other day when you’re feeling better. For right now, just let it out.
(Pause.)
Hey, now. Stop talking like that. This isn’t embarrassing or wrong or anything like that. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. You need to experience this. You need to cry right now. It’s good. Jackie was your pet and your friend and you miss him. He was a good kitty, and I miss him too.
(Pause.)
You’re right. It’s not what Mike is going through, but that doesn’t matter. This meant something to you. Don’t compare your loss to someone else’s. And don’t say he was only a cat so you shouldn’t be feeling like this. You have a reason to grieve, so grieve. I’ve got you. I’m here for you.
(Pause.)
Yeah, he was pretty special. I remember when you got him as a kitten. We both went to the vet down the street because they had a new litter of kittens they were adopting out.
We sat in a small room with 4 kittens, 2 black and 2 tuxedo with little white mittens. And one of the black ones kept zooming around the room like he was on fire. He would jump up onto a wall, push off that wall onto the adjacent wall before landing on the floor and racing to the opposite corner to do it again. We were laughing our heads off. You knew right then and there that he was the one for you. That’s why you named him Jackie. It was after Jackie Chan because you said he did all of his own stunts. (Soft laugh through tears.)
(Pause.)
And remember the time we were watching the basketball game and Jackie kept jumping at the screen because he saw the little ball jumping around.
(Pause.)
Yeah, he never did it again. We were wondering if he was smart enough to figure out that he couldn’t catch the ball, or if he just didn’t care anymore.
(Pause.)
Oh, baby. It’s ok. No, don’t feel guilty about having to put him down. You know as well as I do, he was 17 years old. And he’d been losing weight and hurting. You did everything you could for him for months. You got him that special high calorie food for older pets who are losing weight. You took him to the vet to see if there was anything wrong months ago. He was just old. This happens.
I understand how you’re feeling. You know I’ve had to put down 2 pets. You loved Jackie, and now you’re thinking there’s something else you should have done. I felt the same way. But it doesn’t work like that. Everything dies someday. You had 17 wonderful years with Jackie. Hang on to that.
(Pause.)
Tell you what. Why don’t we pull out one of your old systems and play Mario Cart or something we used to play as kids while Jackie would lay on one of our laps, and remember all of the fun or adorable times with him? And then… maybe… if you want to, no pressure, we could… go to the rescue league or go online and look to see if there’s another precocious rowdy little bundle of fluff that might steal your heart away again.
(Pause.)
Ok. Today is yours. We’ll do whatever you want. For now, I’ll just hold you here until you’re ready to get up. You go ahead and take your time.
(Pause.)
Yeah. Jackie was amazing.