The Birth of the Kendu Legend

It started with a whisper. Carried on the wind, barely audible. But for those who caught it, it was a signal, a great sign of a new dawn and a new legend. The alpha was undeniable. A mysterious connection to an ancient legend called Shytoshi who had promised enlightenment at the conclusion of the journey to the faithful.
There was something breathing in the shadows. A new hero was to emerge, Kendu Miazaki, shrouded in a cloak to obscure his true identity.
The wind carried that legend, the Messiah, across the landscape and those who heard him speak carried his words in their hands like the infant saviour. This legend created by Miazaki had the power to wrap itself around the hearts of those who believed in the great prophecy.
These hearts became warriors. Dedicated to cementing the folklore and ushering it into being. They put their fucking helmets on and tightened the straps. They were ready to go into battle.
At the foot of the hill, amongst his small following of PFP's with helmets, Martini in hand, Miazaki stood looking down upon the small gathering of faithfuls - "I am one man. I am no one special. I am replaceable. If you unearthed me you would be disappointed as I am just a man" The words sounded eerily familiar. Right?
Who was this new messiah among us? Where had he been for 2.5 years? What was his purpose? Why did he return? And was that the sweet scent of Jager bombs on his breath?
At the foot of the great mountain, loyalists assembled, they saw the clouds shimmering at the peaks. "One step at a time. You $KENDU it" said Miazaki. "The 1 billion market cap party will happen when we reach the summit". His voice shrouded in a thick Australian drawl which seemed at complete odds with this type of prophecy narrative.
As the army set forth on foot, their eyes on the peak of the mountain, their hearts cradling the great prophecy, they had one goal in mind. Moon this bitch. Hard.
The journey was arduous, each step a test of endurance and resolve. Through rugged terrain and treacherous paths, jeet dumps, accidental maestro accidents, wen boys and moon bois, Miazaki led his band of loyalists with unwavering determination. The wind carried their whispers, a symphony of hope and determination, as they pressed on toward the summit.
They battled fierce beasts that lurked in the shadows, scammers, dips, dumps, long consolidation periods, their roars echoing through the valleys. They weathered storms that threatened to tear them asunder, their spirits unbroken by the fury of nature.
Many shady figures emerged, posing as the faithful. Offering to lend their armies to the cause in return for a 1% supply of Kendu tokens.
But Miazaki stood strong and saw these people of perceived influence as they were, tricksters with synthetic armies without heart and conviction, who would run at the first sight of resistence. Some of the Kendu army questioned Miazaki, saw these people of influence as a viable and easy option to lessen their workload on the way to the summit.
Miazaki stood before his doubters. "Go back down the mountain to the Solana cesspool from wence you came. We do not need those with Jeet hearts and minds among us". Challenged by their lack of faith, these few jeets who lacked the Kendu Attitude fell to their knees, cucked each other, slipped and tumbled into the Solana Swamp or back at base camp, never to be seen again"
At a time of need, one great titan joined the journey, Mike O'Hearn, his ripped organic body shaming the fat ass keyboard warriors and giving them renewed faith. Those who saw this Demi God were secretly beguiled by him, even if they couldn't admit it to themselves.
Even a Crowned Prince joined the army, bowing before Miazaki and offering his unwavering loyalty.
The now large army came across a small whining gollum like creature, Larky Poos, who lived halfway up the mountain, scraping pots of gold from others who had tried to climb the great mountain before.
"I'm glad you ave joined us" bellowed Pete, a loyal Kendu warrior.
"Peeete! What the heck??" cried Larky Poos, as Pete placed an extremely large helmet on Larky Poos tiny little jeet skull.
Resistance was futile. The legend was already too great to deny. And soon little Larky Poos joined the crusade and for the first time, without a secret bag of gold for his efforts.
Throughout the journey, Miazaki remained steadfast, a beacon of courage and resilience for his followers. With each passing obstacle, his legend grew, his name whispered in awe and reverence by those who witnessed his deeds. And in turn his army grew, assembling to 5000 strong. But there was a storm or resistance brewing that made some falter.
Miazaki turned to his army. "One step at a time, one heart at a time. And so the prophecy shall be deemed infallible. For each heart beats as one. A sentient heart. An organic legend borne of your blood, sweat and tears. Beating so loud through the land, that is has awoken the ancient spirits".
One faltering loyalist cried out. "What's next???! We need...."
But before the words could fall from his mouth, Miazaki bellowed. "There is no one coming to save you Jeet!"
Miazaki looked at all his children...
"You are all jeets"
His eyes cast across them, landing in particular on Larky Poos.
"What the Heck??" blubbered Larky Poos.
"Everyone has their price, Larky Poos" Miazaki continued... "You will not all be here when we reach the peak. You are all replaceable. We shall see who carries the spirit of the five Inus once we reach the peak".
After some time, the arduous journey saw the weak crumble. Jeeting themselves back down to the valley of Dead spirits, Solana Valley. Others who could not take another step, joined the cuck circus on the mountainside. So much cucking that a case or two of Covid 19 broke out and threatened to strike Miazaki down. But those who cradled the prophecy and aspired to be part of the great legend, continued, one foot in front of the other towards their ultimate destiny, and carried Miazaki until his health returned.
At last, they reached the mid point of the great mountain, its peak obscured by clouds that danced like wraiths in the sky. With a final glance at his comrades, Miazaki raised his Martini high, a symbol of their unwavering determination.
"All of you still here are great Kendu Chads! And for that I will reward you with a equally great utility. You are about to have your little jeet minds blown" he declared, his voice ringing out with a newfound strength.
As they climbed higher and higher, the air grew thin and the winds howled with ferocious intensity. Yet still, they pressed on, fuelled by the belief that they were destined for greatness.
And then, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the summit, the clouds parting to reveal a breathtaking vista that stretched out before them. In that moment, they knew that they had achieved the impossible, that they had fulfilled the Kendu prophecy that had guided them from the very beginning.
With tears of joy streaming down their faces, Miazaki and his loyalists stood atop the mountain, their hearts filled with a sense of accomplishment that transcended words. For they knew that they had proven themselves worthy of the legend that had brought them together, and that they would forever be remembered as the heroes who had dared to defy fate itself.
A bright light emerged from the skies and Shytoshi himself descended from the clouds.
"Welcome to the promise land, Kendu Chads. I have been waiting for you"

Selling my personal collection. Over 800 Games.
Sorry my bad english. Paypal ff.
Free Shipping over $100. More photos at request. Offers are welcome. Most of these Prices are based on Pricharting (and pricecharting price are inaccurate so sorry im lazy to put my prices for these 800 games) Offers are welcome Worst can say is no.There's a problem with letter T jumps to C in switch and vita to A. working on it. Also i have blaster master and shantae slipcovers. Want to sell them together with Slipcovers.
https://imgur.com/a/ntp4d6Q
Nintendo Switch
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim CIB+ 32.92
1971 Project Helios New 15.41
Boy and His Blob New 50.49
Little Golf Journey New 29.62
Robot Named Fight [Premium Edition] New 50.5
Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion New 25.68
AeternoBlade II New 35.5
Afterparty New 38
Aggelos New 38.22
AI: The Somnium Files CIB+ 60.5
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX New 18.98
Alwa's Collection New 25.62
American Hero New 40.49
Ancestors Legacy New 24.07
Annapurna Interactive [Deluxe Limited Edition Collection] New 230.00
Ape Out [Special Reserve] New 40.00
Ara Fell & Rise of the Third Power New 57.24
Arcade Spirits New 20
Archvale New 51.25
ARMS CIB+ 30.5
Ary and the Secret of Seasons New 12.52
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore New 55.00
Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection CIB+ 17.48
Astalon: Tears of the Earth New 50.63
Astral Chain New 48.99
Astronite New 19.48
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy New 55.00
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout CIB+ 49.5
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout New 60.1
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle New 65.00
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 New 48.5
Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack CIB+ 25.79
Balan Wonderworld New 11.77
Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Editions New 120.00
Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe CIB+ 32.61
Battle Princess Madelyn: Royal Edition New 52.88
Black Bird New 55.5
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition New 48.72
Blasphemous CIB+ 108.49
Blaster Master Zero New 44.14
Blaster Master Zero II New 40.49
Blaster Master Zero III New 34.5
Blazing Beaks New 30.02
Blazing Chrome CIB+ 65.92
Bloodrayne 1 & 2: Revamped Dual Pack w/ Slipcover New 100.47
BloodRayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites New 40.49
Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon 2 New 28.49
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night New 21.23
Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince New 46.48
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King CIB+ 150.47
Blue Fire CIB+ 28.49
Blue Reflection: Second Light New 59.83
Bomb Chicken CIB+ 38.14
BROFORCE [SWITCH RESERVE] New 40.00
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling New 55.93
Bugsnax CIB+ 30.77
Burnout Paradise Remastered CIB+ 14.98
BUTCHER New 36.9
Cannon Dancer: Osman New 54
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker CIB+ 30.49
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions New 26.09
Card Shark Collector's Edition New 40.00
Carrion: Special Reserve Edition New 40.00
Castlevania Anniversary Collection New 40.00
Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche New 40.97
Cat Quest + Cat Quest II: Pawsome Pack New 49.5
Cathedral New 66.91
Celeste New 62.39
Chicken Police - Paint it RED! CIB+ 13.25
Children of Morta CIB+ 22.09
Children of Zodiarcs New 44.77
Citizens Unite! Earth X Space New 29.49
Coffee Talk New 42.15
COGEN: Sword of Rewind & Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 Double Pack New 80.48
Collar X Malice New 30.49
Contra Anniversary Collection New 41.45
Contra Anniversary Collection New 41.45
Cooking Mama: Cookstar New 36.11
Corpse Killer: 25th Anniversary Edition New 42.7
Cosmo Dreamer & Like Dreamer: Double-D Collection New 25.00
Cris Tales New 13.99
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion CIB+ 25
Crossing Souls - Special Reserve New 40.00
Crystal Crisis New 31.52
Cthulhu Saves Christmas New 45.17
Cult of the Lamb [Special Reserve] New 72.48
Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition CIB+ 41.29
Dark Devotion New 45.49
Darksiders Genesis CIB+ 18
Darkwood CIB+ 108.46
DARQ: Complete Edition New 38.97
Dawn of the Monsters New 50.36
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Edition New 32.01
Dead or School New 52.03
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise CIB+ 16.77
Deadly Premonition Origins New 38.03
Death end re;Quest New 41.97
Death Road to Canada New 40
Death's Door [Special Reserve] New 33.03
Death's Gambit: Afterlife New 38.72
Demon Throttle [Reserve Edition] New 25.25
Demon Throttle [Reserve Edition] New 25.25
Demon Turf New 40.82
Demon's Tilt New 44.5
Deponia Collection New 83.14
Dex New 48.38
Digimon Survive New 20.95
Dimension Drive [Limited Edition] New 65.48
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories CIB+ 25.5
DISC ROOM [SWITCH RESERVE] New 30.00
Disgaea 5 Complete New 39.5
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King New 18.29
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival New 26.55
DISTRAINT Collection New 33.76
Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition New 180.49
Dodgeball Academia New 19.5
DoDonPachi Resurrection New 55.38
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! New 20.00
DOOM CIB+ 28.9
Doom 64 New 45.45
DOOM Eternal New 89
DOOM: The Classics Collection New 50.5
Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle New 52.83
Double Dragon IV New 33.97
Double Dragon: Neon New 50.49
Downwell [Special Reserve Edition] New 60.00
Double Switch: 25th Anniversary Edition New 55.89
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set Used 25.00
Dragon Quest Treasures New 29.53
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition New 40.00
Dragon Star Varnir New 45.49
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen CIB+ 24.74
Dragon's Lair Trilogy New 144.25
DRAINUS New 63.39
Dreamscaper New 44.72
Dusk New 44.49
Eastward CIB+ 20.3
Eldest Souls New 45.5
Elliot Quest New 28.48
Enclave HD New 52.67
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights New 55.00
Endling - Extinction is Forever New 25.76
Epic Chef New 15.57
Espgaluda II New 60.27
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force New 48.41
FAR: Lone Sails New 49.69
Fast RMX New 71.73
Fatal Twelve New 44.49
Fault Milestone One New 28.49
Fight'N Rage New 45.49
FINAL FANTASY VII & VIII REMASTERED TWIN PACK CIB+ 37.63
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age New 31.61
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes New 20.17
Flinthook New 45.49
Flipping Death CIB+ 28.39
Foretales New 19.29
Forgotton Anne CIB+ 35.49
Fran Bow New 111.48
Freedom Finger CIB+ 77.4
Freedom Planet New 57.39
Furi CIB+ 48.64
Gal Metal: World Tour Edition CIB+ 17.69
Gato Roboto [Special Reserve Edition] New 40.00
Ghost 1.0 + Unepic Collection: Standard Edition New 30.00
Ghost of a Tale New 66.61
Going Under New 37.47
Golf Story New 82.75
Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness New 45.35
Grandia HD Collection New 82.51
GrimGrimoire OnceMore [Deluxe Edition] New 42.33
GRIS [Limited Special Reserve] CIB+ 60.00
Gunbrick: Reloaded New 24.68
Gunlord X New 90.00
Guns, Gore & Cannoli 1 & 2 New 140.00
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX New 84.5
Gyakuten Saiban 123: Naruhodo Selection New 41.49
Hades New 39.19
Haven New 45.49
Heaven's Vault New 32.15
Hero Must Die. Again New 56.5
Heroland Knowble Edition New 18.63
Hollow Knight CIB+ 31.5
Horgihugh and Friends New 28.18
Hot Wheels Unleashed New 22.03
Hotline Miami Collection [Special Reserve] New 40.00
Ib New 55.46
Ikenfell New 42.56
Immortals Fenyx Rising New 15.22
In Sound Mind: Deluxe Edition New 21.81
Indivisible New 19.41
Infernax New 50.5
Inscryption [Special Reserve] New 200.00
Ion Fury New 35.35
ITTA CIB+ 35.00
ITTA [Steelbook Edition] New 50.00
Ittle Dew 2+ New 43.45
Jamestown+ New 50.98
Joe Dever's Lone Wolf New 65.54
Katamari Damacy REROLL New 23.45
Katanakami New 42.3
Kaze and the Wild Masks New 32.44
KeyWe New 25.49
Killer Queen Black New 16.13
King's Bounty II New 17.85
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory New 20.59
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning CIB+ 19.98
Knights and Bikes New 45.49
Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa New 19.45
KUNAI New 30.00
L.A. Noire CIB+ 29.99
Lair of the Clockwork God New 39.13
Layers of Fear: Legacy New 147.86
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga New 20.48
Little Nightmares II CIB+ 20.75
Lonely Mountains: Downhill SRG#46 New 86.79
Loop Hero CIB+ 25.00
Loop Hero [Collectors Edition] New 40.00
Love Esquire [Limited Edition] New 90.5
LoveKami Trilogy New 35.00
Lumines Remastered New 32.5
LUNARK New 49.52
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope CIB+ 15.42
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle CIB+ 12.5
Mario Party: Superstars CIB+ 39.5
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order CIB 30.00
Mary Skelter 2 New 40.00
Mary Skelter: Finale New 49.39
Mato Anomalies New 19.73
Mega Man 11 New 20.48
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection CIB+ 24.5
Megadimension Neptunia VII New 45.5
Mighty Gunvolt Burst New 44.45
Mighty Switch Force! Collection CIB+ 45.49
Ministry of Broadcast New 26.72
Minoria New 50.47
Miracle Snack Shop [Limited Edition] New 35.00
Moero Chronicle Hyper New 90.35
Moero Crystal H New 50.77
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight New 71.68
MONARK Deluxe Edition New 37
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate New 42.69
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin New 31.49
Monster Sanctuary New 58.46
Monstrum New 38.5
Mother Russia Bleeds [Special Reserve] New 45.00
Mother Russia Bleeds [Special Reserve] New 45.00
Ms. Splosion Man CIB+ 31.98
Mulaka New 60.00
Murder By Numbers Collectors Edition New 80.36
Mushihimesama New 60.7
My Friend Pedro [Special Reserve Edition] New 45.00
Narita Boy New 45.55
NEO: The World Ends With You CIB+ 20.5
NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 New 43.06
Neon Abyss New 42.38
Neversong & Pinstripe CIB+ 37.5
New Super Lucky's Tale New 33.59
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe New 39.5
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch New 26.5
NieR: Automata - The End of YoRHa Edition New 39.5
Night in the Woods New 59.92
Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition New 56.06
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection New 50.42
No Man's Sky CIB+ 26.25
No More Heroes CIB+ 40.5
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle CIB+ 35.92
No More Heroes III CIB+ 15.5
Ocean's Heart New 53.33
Octahedron New 45.43
Octopath Traveler New 52.43
Octopath Traveler II New 39.99
Oddworld - Collection New 36.25
à Œkami HD New 32.99
One Step From Eden New 34.15
Oniken + Odallus Collection New 36.51
Opus Collection CIB+ 22.49
Ori: The Collection New 28.97
Othercide New 32.45
Outlast: Bundle of Terror / Outlast 2 CIB+ 250.00
Overlord: Escape from Nazarick New 35.97
Owlboy CIB+ 16.48
Oxenfree New 99.53
Panzer Dragoon New 40.5
Panzer Paladin New 48.13
Pathway New 27.6
Phoenotopia: Awakening [Premium Edition] New 114.25
Pikmin 3 Deluxe CIB+ 35.00
Pikmin 4 New 42.79
Piofiore: Fated Memories New 27.95
PixelJunk Eden 2 New 25.49
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined New 25.49
Pokémon Legends: Arceus New 41.19
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX CIB+ 40.5
Pokémon Sword CIB+ 30.26
Pokémon Violet New 44.5
Postal Redux New 25.5
PowerSlave: Exhumed New 55.00
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 [Deluxe Edition] New 43.99
Prodeus New 40.67
Project Warlock New 67.14
Puyo Puyo Tetris New 17.5
Q.U.B.E. 2 New 51.32
Quake New 38.49
Radiant Silvergun New 58.09
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan New 23.82
Razion EX New 90.00
realMyst: Masterpiece Edition New 78.08
République: Anniversary Edition New 35.49
Return of the Obra Dinn New 58.18
Return to Monkey Island CIB+ 43.09
Return to Shironagasu Island CIB+ 28.5
Risk of Rain 2 New 14.7
River City Girls CIB+ 80.23
River City Girls 2 New 50.5
River City Girls [PAX Variant] New 142.6
River City Girls Zero New 44.49
River City: Rival Showdown New 30.49
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos CIB+ 30.00
Roki CIB+ 30.00
Rolling Sky Collection CIB+ 20.00
Root Film New 34.09
RUINER [SWITCH RESERVE] New 45.00
Rune Factory 3 Special New 23.41
Rune Factory 3 Special New 23.41
Rune Factory 4 Special [Archival Edition] New 90.00
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin New 27.5
Sally Face [Deluxe Edition] New 224.81
Sam & Max Save the World New 43.5
Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered New 44
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time New 70.48
Save me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition New 33.5
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition New 32.49
Sea Horizon [Limited Edition] New 42.49
Sea of Solitude: The Director's Cut New 20.00
Seabed New 40.42
SeaBed [Limited Edition] New 135.38
Senran Kagura Reflexions New 129.74
Senren * Banka New 70.00
SENSEs: Midnight [Limited Edition] New 47.43
Serious Sam Collection [Switch Reserve] New 50.00
Seven Pirates H New 30.00
Seven Pirates H New 30.00
Seven Pirates H New 30.00
Shadow Man Remastered New 48.39
Shadowgate New 62.5
Shadowrun Trilogy New 45.00
Shadows of Adam New 34.49
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle New 21.95
Shantae New 39.34
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse New 381.21
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Box 49.62
Shantae and the Seven Sirens New 50.2
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero [Ultimate Edition] New 38.2
Shantae: Risky's Revenge New 38.51
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn New 19.57
Shikhondo: Soul Eater New 34.44
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster New 25.5
Shin Megami Tensei V New 22.38
Shin Megami Tensei V New 22.38
Shining Resonance Refrain [Draconic Launch Edition] New 48.6
Sine Mora EX New 23.02
Skelattack New 45.00
Slime-san New 43.74
Smile For Me New 30.00
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy New 29.15
Sol Cresta: Dramatic Edition New 45.48
Sonic Colors Ultimate CIB+ 15.48
Sonic Frontiers CIB+ 21.62
Sonic Mania New 16.51
Spiritfarer New 28.95
Splatoon 2 CIB+ 19.67
Splatoon 3 New 43.99
Star Wars Pinball New 19.72
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic New 60.49
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords New 59.79
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords New 59.79
Star Wars: Republic Commando New 26.45
Steel Assault New 48
Streets of Rage 4 New 33.45
Strife: Veteran Edition New 30.00
Subnautica + Subnautica: Below Zero New 32.49
Super Blood Hockey New 60.96
Super Bomberman R New 20.42
Super Mario 3D All-Stars CIB+ 70.00
Super Mario Maker 2 CIB+ 30.48
Super Meat Boy New 38.5
Super Meat Boy Forever New 25.98
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania New 13.48
Supraland New 33.75
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido New 12.17
Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival New 15.5
Tails of Iron [Crimson Knight Edition] New 42.89
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition New 30.41
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows New 20.48
Terraria New 24.66
DioField Chronicle CIB+ 25.46
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim CIB+ 35.31
Falconeer: Warrior Edition New 18.88
Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa New 26.73
Great Ace Attorney Chronicles CIB+ 30.98
Knight Witch Deluxe Edition New 32.07
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - Extracurricular Edition CIB+ 31.77
Legend of Tianding New 45.00
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom New 47.46
Letter: A Horror Visual Novel [Limited Edition] New 73.75
The Messenger [Special Reserve Games Edition] New 280.00
Missing CIB+ 35.5
Mummy Demastered New 57.71
Red Lantern New 58.5
RED STRINGS CLUB [SWITCH RESERVE] New 38.5
Silver Case 2425 Deluxe Edition CIB 25.00
TakeOver New 47.41
Talos Principle New 40.00
Touryst New 60.00
Wonderful 101: Remastered New 23.5
World Ends with You: Final Remix New 53.95
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension New 53.51
Thumper New 45.45
Time on Frog Island CIB+ 17.43
Timespinner [Limited Run] CIB+ 77.28
Tiny Barbarian DX New 33.97
To The Moon New 67.98
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove! CIB+ 49.86
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore New 66.72
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore New 66.72
TowerFall New 45.5
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes CIB+ 24.99
Treasures Of The Aegean New 17.98
Trigger Witch New 34.59
Trigger Witch - Limited Edition New 57.66
Trover Saves the Universe New 37.76
Turok / Turok 2: Seeds of Evil New 167.4
Twin Blades of the Three Kingdoms New 30.00
Two Point Hospital New 26.5
UnderMine New 51.08
Unravel Two CIB+ 18.35
Unreal Life New 39.15
Unsighted New 47.2
Untitled Goose Game New 22.45
Valfaris New 39.64
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection New 70.61
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection II New 50.5
Valkyria Chronicles 4 New 66.81
Very Very Valet New 17.77
Wandersong CIB+ 33.99
Warborn New 16.6
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus CIB+ 21
WarioWare: Get it Together! CIB+ 24.55
West of Dead New 39.1
Wizard of Legend New 55.00
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap New 39.14
World Of Simulators New 45
Wreckfest New 25.5
Wulverblade New 68.83
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Loose 42.6
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country loose 45
Xtreme Sports New 50.5
Yoku's Island Express CIB+ 35.5
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair New 35.5
Young Souls New 34.49
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution CIB+ 17.69
Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition (Elite Edition) New 45.49
Yurukill: The Calumniation Games (Deluxe Edition) New 20.73
Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol New 40.09
PS2
Armored Core Nexus CIB105.33
PS4
88 Antarctica New 45.00
Antartica 88 [Variant Cover] New 185.5
Deadpool CIB+ 76.33
Death Park New 45
Death Park New 45
Death Park New 45
Death Park New 45
Digimon Survive New 16.55
Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition New 71
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! New 21.17
Helldivers [Super-Earth Ultimate Edition] CIB+ 45.00
Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series - The Complete Adventure CIB+ 58.41
Outriders: Worldslayer New 18.48
Revenge of The Bird King New 31.99
Saints Row: The Third Remastered New 15.1
Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal [At the Seams Edition] New 60.49
Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal [Tailor Made Edition] New 47.99
Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash (No Shirt, No Shoes, All Service Edition) New 71.5
Shadow Warrior 2 [Special Reserve Edition] New 235.52
Super Perils of Baking Special Edition [SEGA Outerbox] New 120.00
Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse [Special Reserve Edition] New 40.00
Tamashii New 450.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan CIB+ 40.00
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Steelbook Edition New 30.45
VITA
2064: Read Only Memories New 67.97
88 Heroes New 40.6
99Vidas New 125.97
Hole New World New 48.82
Rose in the Twilight New 192
Winter's Daydream [Limited Edition] New 64.1
Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault New 26.49
Akiba's Beat New 30.25
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed CIB+ 25.49
Alone With You New 38.5
Angry Birds Star Wars New 20.48
Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition New 40.49
Antiquia Lost New 34.75
Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender DX New 51.5
Army Corps of Hell New 23.99
Asdivine Hearts New 35.46
Astro Aqua Kitty [Limited Edition] New 64.7
Atari Flashback Classics New 60.61
Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky (Limited Edition) New 168.49
Awesome Pea Collection [Limited Edition] CIB+ 40.1
Axiom Verge Multiverse Edition New 56.56
Back in 1995 [Limited Edition] New 191.4
Bard's Gold New 33
Bastion New 64.16
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate CIB+ 23.67
Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien New 33.49
Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien New 33.49
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon New 118.23
Borderlands 2 CIB+ 23.49
Breach & Clear New 308.01
Broken Age New 33.77
Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the 7 Devils New 95
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified CIB+ 22.29
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified Loose 18.98
Chaos;Child New 45.61
Chasm CIB+ 60.49
Child of Light CIB+ 24.56
Claire: Extended Cut CIB+ 35.17
Code:Realize - Future Blessings Loose 14.9
Code:Realize - Guardian of Rebirth New 25.5
Code:Realize - Guardian of Rebirth Loose 14.2
Conga Master Go! [Limited Edition] New 51.83
Corpse Party: Blood Drive New 58.77
Cosmic Star Heroine CIB+ 43.25
Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors CIB+ 74.09
Criminal Girls: Invite Only CIB+ 54.49
Croixleur Sigma New 40.49
Cursed Castilla EX [Limited Edition] New 60.5
Curses 'N Chaos New 38.72
Damascus Gear: Operation Osaka New 40.51
Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo New 41
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Loose 19.41
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Loose 19.41
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls New 31.5
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony CIB+ 58.89
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc CIB+ 25.97
Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours New 47.38
Deadbolt New 42.44
Death Mark CIB+ 23.22
Death Tales [Limited Edition] New 40.4
Deemo: The Last Recital New 34.22
Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten New 37.86
Demon Gaze Loose 22.22
Demon Gaze CIB+ 25.81
Demon Gaze II New 74.66
Demon's Tier+ [Limited Edition] CIB+ 55.49
Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax CIB+ 25.5
Devious Dungeon - Limited Edition CIB+ 67.38
Devious Dungeon 2 [Limited Edition] New 84.5
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth CIB+ 65.9
Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited CIB+ 25.49
Dokuro New 52.94
Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice New 34.5
Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria New 40.49
Dragon Sinker: Descendants of Legend New 35.5
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal CIB+ 53
Dynasty Warriors: Next Loose 16.66
Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space New 28.19
EMMA: Lost in Memories [Limited Edition] New 52.49
Exile's End New 39.65
Exist Archive: The Other Side of The Sky Loose 18.48
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star Noble Phantasm Edition New 46.26
Fernz Gate New 30.69
Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster Loose 25.49
Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster New 61.19
Forma.8 New 32.5
Freedom Wars CIB+ 13.48
Furwind [Limited Edition] CIB+ 40.5
Futuridium EP Deluxe New 45.97
Gal*Gun: Double Peace CIB+ 32.34
Ghoulboy [Limited Edition] New 160.5
God of War Collection New 74.75
Grand Kingdom New 47.6
Gravity Rush CIB+ 44.5
Guard Duty [Limited Edition] CIB+ 47.38
Gundemoniums New 84.18
Gunhouse New 30.38
Habroxia New 129.94
Habroxia 2 [Limited Edition] New 65.5
Halloween Forever [Limited Edition] New 74.5
Home: A Unique Horror Adventure New 35.92
Horizon Chase Turbo [Limited Edition] New 76.81
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational New 26.19
HtoL#NiQ The Firefly Diary: Limited Edition New 59.25
Hue New 40.5
Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart CIB+ 35.5
Hyperdimension Neptunia PP: Producing Perfection CIB+ 35.97
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 CIB+ 47.01
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 CIB+ 47.01
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation CIB+ 60.49
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation CIB+ 60.49
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation CIB+ 55.95
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation CIB+ 55.95
Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed CIB+ 43.81
Iconoclasts New 96.5
Indigo 7 : Quest for Love New ?
Jak and Daxter Collection CIB+ 50.49
Jet Set Knights [Limited Edition] New 100.5
Jet Set Knights [Limited Edition] New 100.5
Just Ignore them + My Big Sister Collection New 60.49
Kawaii Deathu Desu New 45.5
Killzone: Mercenary Loose 24.49
Killzone: Mercenary CIB+ 32.68
Knightin' + [Limited Edition] New 60.45
Knytt Underground New 128.14
La-Mulana Ex New 38.03
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Loose 11.33
LEGO Jurassic World CIB+ 13.44
LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin Loose 17.12
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens New 28.75
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Loose 12.21
LEGO The Lord of the Rings Loose 10.49
Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut New 42.49
Luckslinger [Limited Edition] New 60.41
Lumines: Electronic Symphony New 18.61
Mary Skelter: Nightmares CIB+ 92.87
MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies New 37.58
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death CIB+ 25.39
Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition [Limited Edition] New 106.71
Metagal [Limited Edition] CIB+ 100.35
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection CIB+ 46.49
Metal Slug 3 New 115.48
Mind Zero CIB+ 20.48
Mooseman [Limited Edition] New 119.05
Mortal Kombat CIB+ 26.99
MotoGP 13 CIB+ 23.83
MUSYNX New 50.49
Muv-Luv New 53.36
Muv-Luv Alternative New 66.95
Muv-Luv Complete Set New 90.5
My Aunt is a Witch [Limited Edition] New 55.5
Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics New 27.94
Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game CIB+ 20.32
Neurovoider New 35.5
Nicole [Limited Edition] New 48.22
Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition New 58.99
Nova-111 New 28.67
Nurse Love Addiction New 59.18
Nurse Love Syndrome New 50.49
Nurse Love Syndrome Loose 15.49
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas New 52
Octodad: Dadliest Catch New 46.36
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty New 149.5
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD New 52.5
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD New 69.73
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir CIB+ 72.45
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir Loose 70.5
One More Dungeon CIB+ 60
Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy CIB+ 31.5
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines New 93
Papers, Please New 115.47
Pato Box [Limited Edition] New 73.23
Penny-Punching Princess New 45.41
Period: Cube - Shackles of Amadeus New 54.65
Persona 4 Golden Loose 25.37
Persona 4 Golden New 61.12
Persona 4: Dancing All Night - Disco Fever Edition New 145.5
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds New 53.5
Pix the Cat New 28.84
Plague Road New 43.4
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale New 31.74
Proteus New 36.49
Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk New 51.5
Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk New 51.5
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly CIB+ 33.57
Pushy and Pully in Block Land New 70.45
Rabi-Ribi New 93.59
Rainbow Moon New 44.89
Ray Gigant New 102.84
Rayman Legends Loose 17.37
Rayman Origins CIB+ 16.71
Retro City Rampage DX [Re-Release] New 35.00
Revenant Dogma New 35.36
Revenant Saga New 29.44
Reverie [Limited Edition] CIB+ 43.49
Riddled Corpses EX New 40.49
Risk of Rain New 38
Rock Boshers DX New 29.34
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution New 55.5
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken New 43.2
Root Double [Xtend Edition] New 53.5
Root Letter New 46.11
Salt and Sanctuary New 100.49
Salt and Sanctuary New 100.49
Saturday Morning RPG New 50.49
Sayonara Umihara Kawase++ New 67.33
ScourgeBringer [Limited Edition] New 59.97
ScourgeBringer [Limited Edition] New 59.97
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus: Let's Get Physical Edition New 115.5
Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit! New 150.44
Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit! Full Course - Collector's Edition New 185.13
Senran Kagura: Estival Versus Endless Summer Edition New 115.48
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story New 155.5
Severed [Limited Edition] New 100.81
Shakedown: Hawaii CIB+ 36.85
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero CIB+ 37.5
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen CIB+ 38.67
Shovel Knight New 96.49
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution 2+ CIB+ 76.26
Silent Hill: Book of Memories CIB+ 76.38
Sir Eatsalot [Limited Edition] CIB+ 53.08
Siralim New 50.5
Siralim 2 New 30.49
Skullgirls: 2nd Encore New 52.81
Sky Force Anniversary New 75.48
Slain: Back From Hell [Signature Edition] New 150.65
Sly Cooper Collection CIB+ 52.27
Smart as... CIB+ 9.67
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype New 44.12
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed CIB+ 23.56
Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God [Limited edition] New 80.5
Soul Sacrifice CIB+ 17.36
Soul Sacrifice Delta New 105.5
Spelunky New 70.5
Spy Hunter CIB+ 24.31
Stay [Limited Edition] New 130.5
Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark (Ultimate Edition) New 29.13
SteamWorld Dig New 55.72
SteamWorld Heist New 52.97
Steins;Gate CIB+ 30.58
Steins;Gate 0 CIB+ 29.49
Stranger of sword city limited edition New 63.57
Super Hydorah New 47.9
Super Meat Boy New 60.5
Super Mutant Alien Assault New 34.9
Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo New 42.35
SUPERBEAT: XONiC New 28.49
Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls New 58.5
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment New 65.48
Synergia [Limited Edition] New 110.49
Tachyon Project Limited Edition New 55.35
Takotan [Limited Edition] New 51.59
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack New 50.24
Tales of Hearts R CIB+ 69.48
Tales of Hearts R Loose 50.5
Task Force Kampas New 36.5
Tetris Ultimate New 70.47
Tetris Ultimate New 70.47
Amazing Spider-Man CIB+ 64.75
Amazing Spider-Man CIB+ 64.75
Bard's Tale: Remastered and Resnarkled New 50.49
Bit.Trip Limited Edition New 33.5
Count Lucanor [Signature Edition] New 144.47
House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition CIB+ 99.5
House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition M+B 40.1
King of Fighters '97: Global Match New 64.81
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel CIB+ 36.49
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (Lionheart Limited Edition) New 72.39
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II CIB+ 57.82
Longest Five Minutes New 32.5
Lost Child New 56.03
Lost Cube [Limited Edition] New 50.49
Ratchet and Clank Trilogy CIB+ 72.77
Swapper New 51.48
Swindle New 27.51
Walking Dead: Season Two - A Telltale Games Series New 22.61
Thomas Was Alone New 33.5
Tokyo Xanadu New 49.32
Touch My Katamari CIB+ 33.72
Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure [Limited Edition] CIB+ 47.09
Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 CIB+ 31.21
Uncharted: Golden Abyss CIB+ 27.23
Uncharted: Golden Abyss CIB+ 27.23
Undertale New 66.38
Unepic [Limited Edition] New 274.98
UnMetal New 163.32
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception New 72.27
Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth - Launch Edition New 36.5
Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth - Launch Edition New 36.5
VA-11 Hall-A New 79.91
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni CIB+ 66.81
Vasara Collection New 98.5
Velocity 2X: Critical Mass Edition New 63.05
Volume New 32.25
Windjammers New 35.83
Wipeout 2048 New 31.24
World of Final Fantasy New 33.99
Xeno Crisis [Limited Edition] New 100.5
Xeno Crisis [Limited Edition] New 100.5
Xeno Crisis [Limited Edition] New 100.5
Xenon Valkyrie+ New 68.11
Xeodrifter New 44.2
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows CIB+ 33.71
Yomawari: Night Alone / htol#NiQ: The Firefly Diary CIB+ 40.5
Ys Origin New 56.4
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA New 72.34
Ys: Memories of Celceta CIB+ 25.99
Yumeutsutsu Re:After [Limited Edition] New 82.97
Yumeutsutsu Re:Master [Limited Edition] New 75.48
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward CIB+ 15.5
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma New 33.17
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma Loose 24.51
3DS
Aliens: Infestation Loose 45.00
Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition New 34.72
New Nintendo 2DS XL White & Orange Loose $160.00
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson (Double D Edition) New 70.5
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson (Double D Edition) New 70.5
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse [Collector's Edition] New 89.39
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse [Collector's Edition] New 89.39

Snom, the Ice/Bug-type Pokémon introduced in the eighth generation of the Pokémon series, presents an interesting case of nomenclature that ties cleverly into the broader tapestry of Pokémon lore. Its name, "Snom," when reversed, spells "mons," which is a common shorthand for "monsters" in the context of Pokémon (pocket monsters). This linguistic playfulness adds an intriguing layer of meaning and connection to the Pokémon universe, where names often carry deeper significance and associations. The Pokémon franchise, since its inception, has thrived on its creative naming conventions, where names frequently reflect characteristics, types, or even the origin stories of the creatures. Snom’s name is no different, yet it stands out due to its palindromic relationship with the word "mons." This playful reversal is not merely a coincidence but a deliberate choice that aligns Snom with the core concept of Pokémon as a collection of "pocket monsters." In the expansive world of Pokémon, names often serve as an introduction to a Pokémon’s identity, hinting at its nature, abilities, or type. For Snom, a small, caterpillar-like Pokémon with icy features, its name evokes an image of something small and cold. The "Sn" prefix suggests "snow," which aligns perfectly with its Ice-type attribute. However, the backward reading, "mons," ties it back to the overarching theme of Pokémon. This dual reference encapsulates both its individual characteristics and its place within the Pokémon world. Delving into the lore, Snom evolves into Frosmoth, a majestic Ice/Bug-type Pokémon, symbolizing transformation and growth. This evolution from a small, seemingly inconsequential creature to a powerful and elegant moth can be seen as a metaphor for the Pokémon journey itself. The reversal of "mons" in Snom’s name subtly hints at this journey, where even the most unassuming Pokémon can evolve into something remarkable. It reinforces the idea that every Pokémon, regardless of its initial appearance or strength, holds potential for greatness, a core message of the franchise. Moreover, Snom's design and behavior further tie into its name’s significance. Known for its slow movement and reliance on cold environments, Snom exemplifies the idea that every Pokémon is unique, with its own strengths and adaptations. The name "Snom" thus becomes a microcosm of the broader Pokémon ethos—celebrating diversity, potential, and the joy of discovery. In reversing "mons," the creators not only crafted a memorable and fitting name but also embedded a linguistic nod to the creature’s integral place in the Pokémon world. In addition, Snom’s palindromic connection to "mons" can be viewed as a reflection of the cyclical nature of the Pokémon universe. Just as Pokémon can evolve and grow, so too does the world of Pokémon continue to expand and evolve with each new generation. This continuous evolution keeps the franchise dynamic and engaging, much like the transformative journey from Snom to Frosmoth. In conclusion, Snom’s name is a testament to the thoughtful and intricate naming conventions within the Pokémon series. The reversal of "mons" in its name ties this seemingly simple Pokémon to the broader lore and thematic elements of the franchise. It highlights the importance of every creature within the Pokémon universe, celebrating the potential for growth, the joy of discovery, and the interconnectedness of all Pokémon. Through Snom, the creators encapsulate a profound message in a seemingly simple name, demonstrating the depth and creativity that has made Pokémon a beloved and enduring phenomenon.

Westbridge the same day Redlina arrived.
The Kestral brigades had returned and began settling in again after the seemingly failed expedition to Ork Mountain. The Praetorians had begun preparations to move much of their logistics to waycross. The Boat force licked their wounds and prepared to move out once more, but Westbridge itself was restless, the civilian population was hungry, only being kept in check by the overly oppressive number of guardsmen and Batherstons actions during the last riot but how long would that last? There had been the raid on the food warehouses the other night that had only just been foiled but adding fuel to the unrest was the fact the Valyrrans had intensified their 'questioning' after each incident and with Commissar Gardners death it appeared the abhumans wanted blood...
Valyrran Intelligence officers Valtin Redlina and Vilkes had been given the green light so to speak, they had been restrained for far too long in their opinion but Commissar Lion had finally approved for more drastic action even though Elzy, Oats and Fizzy's investigation continued into the 1066th's commissars death, the issue of the rest of the T'au operatives was unresolved and while brutal, the Valyrran officers had come to an agreement. Of the few hundred that had been dragged for questioning twenty-three had been unable to provide adequate alibis or cast enough doubt as to their loyalties to the xenos and as such twenty unlucky "rebels" today would find themselves being a bloody reminder to the others about what happens when individuals try to oppose Imperial rule and the remaining three whom Fizzy had been able to get more information out of would get another round of questioning.
People had noticed the abhumans acting strange at first, squads marching towards the main square outside city hall, the other Imperial officers had all been notified that there was going to be something happening at the town hall that might cause a reaction from the T'au operatives if they still had not been caught and to remain on high alert for any opportunistic sabotage attempts.
Redlina had marched out after her meeting with the other officers and had passed the prisoners being marched the other direction, she caught her son's eyes as she passed. He looked worried seeing her condition but to his credit quickly hid his emotions and continued on with his grim duty. Today the Valyrrans would execute the 20 collaborators in line with Imperial law as approved by a member of the commissariat. it was not pretty and it would not be popular but the abhumans demanded blood. To them a commissar represented the Emperor's will, to kill one of them was a shock to the system that could break the Valyrrans fighting spirit if not addressed.
The Valyrrans had been allowed to perform the execution but the deaths had to be quick. Something that anyone who had witnessed the executions at Deltapoint would understand was a mercy. The sentence was announced via loudspeaker and the execution would happen at 1900 hours sharp, the main square was lined with Valyrrans watching the crowd that would surely form to witness it, keeping anyone away from the prisoners at bayonet point.
Dex's squad had been called up from barracks and the motley group of Valyrran specialists and tag-along Minthelian now sat inside a crassus armoured transport with the ramp down, they were in reserve but in doing so had been placed rather close to the about to be executed prisoners. Darwin was sitting beside Hazel and blocked her view of the outside and sat with one large hand on her leg with the other holding the giant autocannon they both were responsible for. Sitting opposite Hazel was a Valyrran intelligence officer who was fiddling with his ornate powerclaw and humming a tune to himself, evidently looking forward to using said claw on someone shortly. Dex and the others sat looking uninterested, having any excuse to be out of the barracks was great but the Intelligence officer sitting opposite was not what anyone wanted to have to share a cramped space with ever.
////
15 minutes later Inside the hospital in relative privacy, Redlina sat stripped to the waist to allow Doctor Kellan to check her rather serious stab wound, the very literal Valyrran had scowled at her and advised the general that she should have had this injury treated a day ago and that if she had been a normal human she most likely would be dead. Redlina had ignored him and instead stared at Lion who was still at eye height even with Redlina sitting. it was just the three of them inside Kellan's cramped office away from prying eyes and ears.
"You wanted to discuss Major Zero commissar." Redlina stated after wincing as the doctor unwrapped her blood stained bandages.
"Yes, the... other regiments are pushing for a formal inquiry or court martial." he said with his hands clasped behind his back trying not to show his discomfort at seeing the general in this state of undress.
She raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression you had already made your decision Commissar?"
Lion tried his best to not show any annoyance. "Yes... but Colonels Arvin and Braithwaite have formally requested this go outside of the regiments internal disciplinary procedure, as you can surely understand, a guardsman is dead and its a Taronian one at that. Zero may have defended herself but she hardly does herself any favours with her conduct. That and the fact she is more than capable of overpowering two Taronians in the dark without killing one. If she hadnt killed anyone then this would not have developed into this at all... general we cannot ignore it or brush it aside without causing damage to relations, unnecessary damage at that. Both colonels are sensible people, we should find a way that eases both of their concerns and satisfies their request for action."
Redlina took a deep breath and in doing so got a grunt of disapproval from Kellan who was trying to clean her wound while this conversation was going on. "She is not being demoted, you and I were firmly in agreement with that before and my opinion has not changed, I wont pull my best armour officer off the line over one dead guardsman and grumbling from the other regiments."
Lion nodded. "True but even still, is this worth fighting both the Taronians and Praetorians over? if it comes to it I wont allow them to conduct a public inquiry involving officers as that will devolve into backing their side. A commissariat run inquiry perhaps will be better, its the most likely outcome that will not cause more issues and would be seen as neutral."
Redlina did not blink, her red eyes burning into Lions soul or so it felt like to him.
"You are the commissar for the 1st Valyrran, these matters fall to you. If you support an inquiry then I will not object. I will punish her as per our internal regimental policies for bringing the regiment into disrepute"
"You're not going to kill her are you?"
"No, nor will I demote her regardless of the outcome or recommendation of this commissariat hearing. Now unless there is anything else you are dismissed."
Lion saluted and left the room, he would notify the involved parties and begin preparations for the inquiry that would happen once fort Ko'Var was taken.
Kellan did not comment, he simply continued prodding around the wound completely distracted by his task.

/////

General Redlina to Colonels Arvin and Braithwaite.
In regards to your calls for an inquiry into Major Elaen's (Zero) conduct that resulted in the death of a Taronian guardsman. I believe myself & Commissar Lion have already made it clear. She will not be demoted nor removed from her position over this. In his eyes and therefore my own, the Major defended herself from an attack from two Taronian guardsmen that did not stand down nor identify themselves and the resulting death was purely an accident as affirmed in the majors report of the incident.
Regardless after consulting with Commissar Lion, he believes a commissariat led inquiry into the event should take place to show all parties that this incident is being taken seriously the inquiry can come to a decision as to whom is at fault and that will settle the matter.
Additionally unrelated to the inquiry or its findings Major Elaen will be subjected to public flogging after the fortress is taken. 500 Lashes. For failing in her duty as a senior officer of the 1st Valyrran and resulting in the requirement for this inquiry to even take place.
Zero will be informed of this decision at the commencment of the inquiry once the fortress is taken. I take the discipline of my Valyrrans very seriously but I also do not appreciate this public push for an inquiry by two of my commanders.
In his name.
General Victoria Redlina, 1st Valyrran. Northern Front Commander.
/////
Taskforce Liberation forward command post. North of Fort Ko'Var
Colonel Lilzton stood atop his command Salamander scout vehicle nestled into a well concealed observers position on a mountainside overlooking the fortress, around him troops moved anti thermal tarps and random pieces of foilage to further conceal their command post. he looked down to the near treeline and saw his Liberation troops running back and forth, they had been digging trenches and foxholes closer towards the clearing and the frankly suicidal stretch of open ground leading up to the northern road into the fortress itself. He was not going to order an infantry or armour charge until he was sure they had suppressed the T'au defenders, just as they had always planned.
His vox crackled to life suddenly making him snap out of his thoughts, his vox operator turned to him and held up a headset. "All batteries in position colonel, dug in and ready to begin on your order."
He was frankly astounded the 5 artillery Captains had somehow managed to get all 500 heavy guns into position, the amount of cannons Liberation had brought to bare was monumental, it had taken 30 years to gather them all and now all that hard work was paying off, some would say this many guns pointed at a single target was overkill but Liberation had to take this fort as the first of many strongpoints if it wanted to take back Gryllus so better to go overkill than play it safe. Especially with the large Imperial forces approaching the fort from the south too.
"Juno, Falcon, Thunder, Proton, Sword. Commence bombardment on your presighted marks. Observers will report effectiveness, dont let our rounds stray too far we must avoid hitting the far side once the southern forces get into position."
There was silence followed by five confirmations and then the mountains themselves shook. Liberation launched the first salvo of many and a deafening roar of hundreds of guns caused the forests themselves to shake. Darrah panned his magnoculars over to the fort and after a few moments of anticipation, great plumes of dirt and snow erupted all over the fortress outer wall, sending chunks of rock and permacrete flying. It was only the beginning, a wall of noise began to echo back across the open ground towards Liberations lines. He barked into the vox for spotters to remain on alert and anti air teams to watch for any drones that slipped through the outer lines.
"Hunter, Flash, prepare your units for the next phase, we wait for the signal from southern command." Just behind the infantry two hundred leman russ tanks sat in defilade, all of them pointed south towards the fort. When the signal was given they would begin an armoured charge in an effort to break through the outer wall and pave the way for the infantry riding in salamanders to flood in behind in what was hoped would be a shock assault that would crush through the defenders positions and break the siege quickly rather than force a prolonged and tedius war of attrition with the dug in defenders.
Now was the worst part... waiting. He wondered what Kaia was doing right now.
////
Major Toina 1st Valyrran, 12th Assault Company. On route to Fort Ko'Var from the south.
Another ambush up ahead had caused the slowly trundling convoy to screech to a halt, tailbacks the entire way through the forest all the way back to Waycross. Major Toina knew it was another ambush when she heard the explosions up ahead and the crackle of lasguns firing through the morning fog. After Major Baxton had been killed during the first ambush the convoy had continued and now Toina was again awoken from her restless sleep by explosions and reports of ambush up by the Taronian vanguard.
"More drones, only light resistance, one Trojan is immobilized, moving it off the road over." A Taronian reported from the front. It seemed that even now the T'au commander was using their drones to try and slow the advance but they must know by now it was hopeless.
An hour later and Toina's Crassus arrived at what had been selected as the mustering point just south of the fortress. She opened the hatch of her crassus and her augmented abhuman hearing meant she could hear the thundering artillery duel occuring to the north very clearly. A sign that Liberation had lived up to its end of the bargain and begun to shell the entire northern side of the fortress, the noise was relentless and she noticed that many Valyrrans had put on their helmets with the inbuilt mufflers to try and alleviate the noise.
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At Waycross, Major Zero was about to join the column of vehicles heading north, her 9 Macharius would be needed for the first attack supposedly and Major Minton had a plan for her. She saw a crassus from the 14th assault company just ahead of her towing a trailer filled with melta charges and another was being fitted with the specialised melta ram that Valyrran troops had developed to breach Ork fortifications back home, the fact they were bringing out such heavy equipment was a sign that this fort was not expected to fall easily. Minton should be joining Toina at the mustering point soon and more than likely a joint officers briefing would be called to finalise the plans for the first assault within the next day or so as the army got settled.
Zero sat exposed from the top of her macharius vanquisher and was glad that the snowstorm had blown over. Donly was staring at her from the back of his hydra. The large Valyrran was still angry from before apparently and had not been ordered to move until she was. She shook her head and ducked into the turret just so she could ignore him, closing the hatch behind her and ordering her driver to get moving.
////
In the snow south east of Westbridge far behind Imperial lines, a small group of Valyrrans wearing lighter gear and camouflaged cloaks had finished sweeping this latest gridsquare for potential sightings of that mystery T'au force. The storm had saved them from discovery thus far, grounding the Valyrran air cover and erasing the tracks of the fleeing T'au troops. But the Valyrrans were expert trackers and despite all the setbacks, had a rough idea of where the enemy might be hiding, especially as they had recieved some help from some nearby Rathian's that knew the area and had volunteered to assist. Vultures patrolled the snowy wastes flying high and relying on thermals. Once located the team would attempt an infiltration if they deemed the enemy position weak enough and if not they would resort to calling airstrikes and then move in to mop up.
(rolled a 13 on the hunt)

INTRODUCTION

Hello there. As you may know, for the past couple of years we've been hearing a lot of complaints about how Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach was ruined by the cuts. While I don't deny that a lot has been removed, I feel like there is a lot of misinterpretation when it comes to what FNaF: SB was really meant to be.
I'll be working with a lot of the information that's already known in the datamining community, but for those who are new to cut content, I will still try and highlight the crucial points.
The actual description of what Security Breach was supposedly meant to be is listed in the paragraph "SANDBOX CUT", but before that we have to take apart the elements that are falsely perceived as cut content. It's important to know what we are working with.

THE FALSE PERCEPTION

Online, you can find a lot of videos about the version of SB's story that we never got to experience. Was Freddy meant to betray you? Did Vanny have a bigger impact on the story? A lot of it mainly comes from the trailers. And that's an important point to explore.
1. The Teaser Trailer
Altered or not, most of the areas in the teaser trailer are still in the game. But it's Vanny's dialogue that has caught everyone's attention.
More lines of hers can be heard in the NVIDIA RTX Demo as well. Minus "I See You". That one was confirmed to not be hers.
This version of Vanny was voiced by the actress Stacey Young. And during the casting Vanny was labeled as the Metal Femme Fatale. Hence the robotic undertones and alluring motif of her voice.
But the most important part is that Vanny's dialogue was never as extensive as Gregory's, Freddy's or even Vanessa's. As confirmed by Stacey Young herself, the script never exceeded a page. All the dialogue we hear in the trailers might as well be everything that Vanny has ever had.
https://preview.redd.it/im5dzbtfy13d1.png?width=735&format=png&auto=webp&s=a87bff97986c5dcd791d7e7aa9a9078925a14b78
With that in mind, "Gregory, your friends are worried about you" — the one line that has caused a lot of discussion — may not have much significance at all, as it is akin to the lines other characters say in the game — "I bet your family is worried about you", "Let me take you to your parents". When neither of these statements are true. And just exist to lure Gregory out.
But what about the children's roles on Voices.com? (For the record, Voices.com is the website Scott uses to hire actors.) Well, perhaps we should consider that it may not be a bunch of kids, but just one. Gregory.
Each name you see on Voices.com isn't a character, but a role title. And just because someone appears on the review board doesn't mean they were indeed casted or meant to stay. Take Vanny for instance. She had two different roles with different direction and casting. The "Reluctant Follower" by Jessica Tang who then became the "Metal Femme Fatale" by Stacey Young.
The children seem to be one and the same. Kid in the Box, which may be referring to Gregory in the stomach hatch. What a Sweet Kid, No Evil Intentions, who is described to be a little boy calling out to his friend. I've seen interpretations of this kid being Gregory's lost friend or Vanny trying to lure him away. But perhaps the truth is more simple. Calling out for his friend is what Gregory does the entire game — Freddy, are you there? Freddy, I'm trapped! Freddy, this. And Freddy that.
There is also "Kid on the Run! This is a bad situation", who certainly resembles Gregory with the title alone. But the important detail here is that there were not one, but two castings for Kid on the Run — Male and Female. Similar both in the title and the amount of dialogue. Bear in mind, Male and Female doesn't indicate a gender of the character, but the actor. It appears Scott couldn't find the proper match for the role, hence the amount child actors who were attempting to fill in the spot.
The idea that there were many kids was born as a combination of these roles as well as Vanny's statement in the trailer. But given that Vanny's dialogue was a one-liner with no further elaboration, like the ones other enemies have, this concept may be a misunderstanding, especially considering that the flow of the game was already set in stone.
In the trailer, we can note a few things. For one, the map was mostly complete. At the very least, structurally. And the key points of the game were already in works. You can see the compactor reserved for Chica's Boss Fight, Fazer Blast arena used in the minigame as well as the Winner's Lounge where you get the blaster. The catwalk and the stairwell of Vanny's Hideout are also included, which are a part of the Vanny Ending. Plus we are shown the Loading Dock and the Lobby Entrance, meaning the gameplay was always focused on looking for the exit.
https://preview.redd.it/l7qhcqekz13d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=c268ad86b36438580e149e6539ba763da4fa57a6
We will explore the building structure and how it ties into the gameplay further down. But to lock the discussion of the teaser trailer, I have to mention a few elements that were solely designed for the trailer.
• Vanny in the Loading Dock. The shadow you see in the Loading Dock scene isn't a part of the gameplay. It has been added for the trailer, as it is listed in the data for the cinematic camera. (Which produces a planning shot seen in the trailer.)
https://preview.redd.it/g4pmbpwqz13d1.png?width=209&format=png&auto=webp&s=a88dcff323153bb363dc8bd9734570d4bea48018
• Moon in the Kitchen. This one is easy to disprove, as this animation is literally in the files and is labeled "Marketing", implying it was only for the teaser. But did you know that this scene was initially supposed to tease Monty, with him walking past the kitchen?
https://preview.redd.it/kqcgg4bsz13d1.png?width=676&format=png&auto=webp&s=86033756652a8a9a5d017c3b9eeddc623aab188e

1. The Gameplay Trailer

Now we got to the more interesting part, but I guess I don't need to write an essay about its implications. You have Vanessa helping you, you have Burntrap's dialogue and many different cutscenes. So what's the debate here?
The important detail is this — the trailer was not made by Steel Wool. As confirmed by one of the workers, it was Scott who scripted it. The dialogue you hear may have never been in the game. It's certainly not in the files or any of the cut subtitles.
And the reason I'm highlighting the fact that it's made by Scott is because we've seen him add dialogue that never appears in the game and is just used as a teaser.
"You don't know what we've been through" and "Don't hold it against us" are the ones everyone has heard of. But did you know that Scott also planned the second Sister Location trailer that included a dialogue, which was never intended to be in the game, despite being crucial for the story? That's right, initially the cutscene with Afton's interview was just for the trailer. The only reason Scott put it in the game instead is because he thought it was too spoiler-heavy.
Even the trailer for RUIN has Gregory's monologue that never ever occurs in the actual game. Nor was it supposed to, seeing how the game has barely anything cut.
The trailer is also said to include cinematics, not just gameplay. And that's where we start dissecting the footage.
Specifically, the scene of Vanessa in the Prize Counter, leaning on the elevator. And what I am going to tell you is this scene could never occur in the game. It only existed to showcase Vanessa.
https://preview.redd.it/o9vpmggc023d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=fd020dc58597a92acf86c7bc8ccfdad56575a8ea
It's a bold statement. How do we know that? It is all in the movement of the elevator. Note where it's going, or rather from where. It goes past the Prize Counter, which would never be possible, given there was no fourth floor. Technically, there still isn't, despite what the current map and fakelevators try to convince you. There are no volumes, no lighting, nothing to imply there was anything physical above Prize Counter.
The point is that the elevator comes out of nowhere, going past the Prize Counter, indicating that it isn't a real in-game footage. In the next part we will cover more concerning Vanessa's status in the game.
Peepaw, you know you aren't allowed upstairs.
And let me bring up another scene that highlights how the trailer was never supposed to perfectly reflect the gameplay. That would be the scene of Burntrap in the West Arcade. Some may argue that perhaps his boss fight was meant to happen there, but no. From the concept stage, the Sinkhole has always existed at Roxy Raceway. Even in the trailer itself you can see that the Raceway has been damaged, just like in the final game.

1. Vanessa the Ally and Freddy the Traitor

The theme of many videos, explaining the story that has been lost. However, I would suggest to dive deeper and actually analyze the content in the trailers and in the files.
Starting with Vanessa, we hear her helping Gregory and trying to get him out of the Pizzaplex. But there are already inconsistencies present, including the scene right at the beginning of the game, with Gregory hiding from Vanessa. The same scene seen in the trailer.
The unedited maps and the location files dating as far back as 2020 suggest that the intro was the same. It is your main tutorial. And it sets up Vanessa as your enemy, despite her just doing the job of a security guard. She was never an ally to you.
https://preview.redd.it/82lgjxh8123d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=091610d3ac59a80ff06d7db774375b1c89b20799
But what about the dialogue in the files? She sounds kind, as if caring for your well-being. That is true, but I encourage you to read it, then you may realize something that doesn't add up — none of her friendly voice lines add up into a coherent conversation. She is just luring you out! "Gregory, I can keep you safe" and "Please come out, I am trying to help you." Unlike Freddy, she isn't directly speaking with you. She is hunting you down, just like everyone else.
As for the element that's never considered in these discussions, a lot of the gameplay is location-based. And Lost & Found exists both in the digital maps and older lighting scenarios. Vanessa was always meant to catch you and lock you up in the Lobby, where you'd face Vanny for the first time.
Other discussions include whether Vanessa was a playable character at some point. Once again, based on the dialogue. But it all comes to the same issue. None of these are real conversations. They are scripted and recorded in one take, meaning nobody is seen replying to Vanessa. Rather, it is something you eavesdrop on while she is in a different room.

──────────────────────────

While there is more undeniable evidence for Freddy, the circumstances are unclear. Yes, Freddy is heard hunting you down and being evil, but people have different opinions as to when and where it happens.
The popular interpretation suggests Freddy was meant to betray you in the Vanny Ending. However, the other cut dialogue may contradict it, as Freddy is the one talking to you about using the console to defeat Vanny.
In actuality, Freddy's "betrayal" wasn't even cut. Thing is, it wasn't a betrayal at all. We see Freddy turning evil in the Burntrap Ending. And that's where the voice lines fit perfectly. The thing that sets it in stone are Evil Freddy's animations. Mainly the one where he searches under the tables. Remind you, the Vanny Ending doesn't have any tables at all. But the Burntrap one does.
https://reddit.com/link/1d277rq/video/3flrzaxy223d1/player

1. The Cut Maps Don't Matter

It's not like they don't at all, but we have to set the record straight. None of the cut areas are significant. That's why they were cut.
Most of them are just plain shortcuts or parts of extended challenges. Would being able to use a random corridor to go from the Lobby to Fazcade suddenly fix the game? Don't think so. And neither would getting the Faz-Cam by fixing a boiler in the Daycare basement.
But we can use older maps to see what did and didn't change in the progression through areas. And most of it is just the same things, only extended. The map didn't receive an overhaul, all the events are the same. Loading Dock and Kitchen, Prize Counter and East Arcade, the Backstage Office and Showtime, Parts & Service and the Endo Warehouse.
As we have addressed earlier, the game's story was never majorly altered. All down to Roxy Raceway being affected by the Sinkhole was planned from the concept stage.
https://preview.redd.it/u522e0ce323d1.png?width=1902&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e13a5e9c5881c0d338acd293533b2c8ae0bcf15

THE SANDBOX CUT

So what am I attempting to convey with the paragraph above? It sounds awfully like there was no oldebetter version of SB. Is that the point of the post?
Well, yes and no. The story and missions were practically the same, only with more steps at times. But most of the cut content breakdowns focus on the wrong thing, attempting to locate more events and scripted scenes that would expand on the story. But perhaps we should do the exact opposite.
What if I told you that the current version of SB is far more storydriven than anything that came prior?
So what is the Sandbox SB? Well, it's just a nickname for what appears to be the older version of Security Breach that had even more focus on gameplay than story. And its main distinction is lack of scripted progression. The Six Hour Countdown.
For the first time, it appeared in the gameplay trailer. You can see the Faz-Watch doing something that we never see in the final game — it's actually counting time. And not the scripted timestamps, but every single minute.
https://preview.redd.it/cgokc1qw423d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=81858d46d7277b1a1f57e914be02677db58fd42b
But wait, there is more. We have the Intercom's voice lines, recorded back in June, 2020. Months before we got our first trailer. And there you find the following announcements:

• Attention all personnel. This is your last opportunity to leave the building before the scheduled maintenance lockdown begins.
• I repeat. This is your last opportunity to leave the building before the scheduled maintenance lockdown begins.
• Lockdown complete. All animatronics, please remain at your recharge terminals until recharge cycle is complete.
• Recharge cycle complete. Building maintenance and other custodial activities may commence.
• Recharge cycle complete. Building maintenance and other custodial activities may resume.
• It is now fifteen minutes until the hour. All animatronics, please return to your recharge terminals.
• It is now ten minutes until the hour. All animatronics, please return to your recharge terminals.
• It is now five minutes until the hour. All animatronics, please return to your recharge terminals.
• All animatronics should now be at their recharge terminals.

At the start of the game you also see an instruction card with a piece of outdated information. Telling you that Freddy can't be used again if he's out of power and you can only charge him at the end of the hour.
https://preview.redd.it/a7o4r1ff523d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=502cfa1ff39c68069bc15e39ceabf3d18cd422e5
Which, obviously, is not true. Why would the tutorial teach you that? You can charge him anytime despite it practically colliding with the lore. Since we're told the recharge stations are specifically being powered at the end of the hour.
The game always reminded you about the time that's actively passing. This little detail — the active time flow — opens our Pandora's box of possibilities. It means that you could do virtually nothing and just wait for the gates to open.
But Steel Wool have thought of that, too. Not only do you need to pass the Daycare and meet Freddy not to fall victim to Moon, but you also have something else to care about, known as the Vanny Meter.
Well, some may recall Ray saying it was meant for Survival Mode. And he wouldn't be wrong, as it's the last place where it existed. But that's not the full truth, as the Vanny Meter is hardwired into the Story Mode as well. Ever seen Vanessa run away to the Atrium for no reason? That's the Vanny Meter in action.
https://preview.redd.it/8ffzwqed523d1.png?width=1507&format=png&auto=webp&s=701f7861d6c9229d5026d8ef85f56e73691f462b
Now, to those who don't know, Vanny Meter is a special feature that reacts to your movement. The more you idle, the more it fills up. If you stand still for a while, Vanessa gets triggered. She runs towards a large bathroom and there she becomes Vanny. For one, it implies Vanessa must have patrolled the map since at least 1 AM. For two, the main purpose of the Vanny Meter is to make sure you don't leave the game running in the background while you are gone doing chores. No cheating allowed. You survive 6 Hours fair and square.
There are a few more things linked to the timer besides the Vanny Meter. Some of you may know about the Night Mode. The dark red lighting that appears to be the early version of the starry filter Moon has. These are the emergency lights. Just as Freddy said, at the end of the hour all the power goes to recharge stations. But do you know what happens if you activate Night Mode at 12 AM? Time starts going. Not in the Survival Mode, but in the plain Story Mode. Activating on its own.
https://preview.redd.it/ikmkj9hp523d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=8e8bc1c79d4bb3e6775a4812b6c241b1242857d7
One more thing that caused a lot of commotion was the Plan A pop-up if you died at 6 AM. If someone still wonders what it is, the answer is right there in the files. And right here below.
Plan A [Mission]

The main doors open at 6AM

• Try to survive the night until the main doors open at 6AM

The doors are open!

• The main doors are now open! Head to the main entrance quickly!

Plan C [Mission]

Find the prize counter security office on the 3rd floor

• The Prize counter is on the third level above the main entrance. You should be able to escape there.

Find the door to the Security Office

• Look for the door with a security badge symbol on it.

Find another way into the Security Office
Take the security badge from the Security Office
Survive until Freddy shuts down the alarm
Find the VIP room at the back of the Prize Counter

• That security bot wont let you pass unless you are a VIP member. If you collect enough prizes he may let you in.

Plan B...
Well, it doesn't have an official mission breakdown, but it's pretty obviously linked to Loading Dock. Plus the trigger for it is signed accordingly.
https://preview.redd.it/14nnl3a3823d1.png?width=809&format=png&auto=webp&s=8cdd51df3231058daea31ab3129ac7e3ddf86c25
Now. What makes these missions so special is the fact that they are no longer special at all. The idea of three plans implies you could follow one while neglecting the other, which is obviously impossible in the current game, since you are forced to follow Plan A in both cases. And nor can you decide to follow Plan A without collecting the badges for the Loading Dock Ending.
But what if it wasn't meant to be this way?
What if you could find a different exit before the 6 Hour mark? I believe this is the exact reason why these extra exits exist in the first place. If you are skilled enough, you could finish the game way sooner.
It wasn't a step-by-step story, like RUIN. It was a gigantic mall simulator where you are the moving force of the plot. This is the reason why everything feels so forced and unmotivated.

• Why do I have to go into the building if I can just wait for 6 hours?
• Why do I have to destroy the Glamrocks if that was never the plan?
• Why can't I just hide and wait?
• Why do I have to put myself in danger?

Well, you don't. And that's the true meaning of the Sandbox SB. The idea of surviving the night your way, while it's your curiosity, greed or bloodlust that push Gregory to survive, collect and fight.
It's a big sandbox puzzle where you look for anything that could aid in your motives, whether you just want to live till dawn or play detective and uncover all the secrets of the Pizzaplex.
Another important element of the Sandbox is the way enemies act. As you may have noticed, SB did something to the bots that changed them forever. Their pathing was limited. They can't walk away, even though that's their design. The natural state for the animatronics and Vanessa is to freely circulate around the map without obstacles.
Couldn't get a shot, but Chica is sometimes seen getting stuck in this corner. She wants to go outside. Through a phantom door.
That's why sometimes you can notice Chica get stuck at Customer Service locker room. She attempts to go off the rail and go through a shortcut that no longer exists. That's why Vanessa runs into a wall and disappears, as she can't reach the Daycare bathroom to become Vanny. That's the reason why the map is flooded with Security Bots, as the Glamrocks could walk to the far end of the building.
And that's why the map had so many various corridors, airlocks and passages. No elevators, no loading screens. Only the steady circulation of animatronics and Vanessa around the premises. The enemies could pick shortcuts and circle in on you. Or instead you could use a different exit and not end up in a dead end. That's why the large and interconnected web of Utility Tunnels used to exist. It was a reward. As you upgraded Freddy and opened more gates, you could then unlock more underground ways to reach your destination without the need to face the Glamrocks patrolling all the areas upstairs. Just like Freddy tells you at the start of the game: Utility Tunnels are the safest path. And they were intended to get you anywhere you want.
https://preview.redd.it/63gvpfata23d1.png?width=2500&format=png&auto=webp&s=452983eaf0a430358b5f3261a2e0bf4d0796fc34
https://preview.redd.it/43cfthuta23d1.png?width=2500&format=png&auto=webp&s=49b9796e2dc4161d17d1c79961a89bb1aa85ecab

RAY'S INTERFERENCE

So what exactly happened with this version of the game for it to just cease to exist? Well, if it wasn't obvious enough, it didn't run. Maybe it did without lighting and with the high end hardware Steel Wool tested it on, but once the last gen consoles and computers rolled into the picture, everything started crumbling. Though even the last gen appears to have a bit of a hard time with the game.
Steel Wool put all their eggs into one basket, so the handle snapped. And all they were left with was an omelet. The game was unable to seamlessly load the areas without stuttering, which led to the creation of the elevators and map division. Their most prized mechanic has fallen. The enemies and the player could no longer freely roam the building without being stopped. It's not like they didn't try to keep the map's integrity though. In the files, you can still find the special gates that you needed to push (E) to go through them and load the next area.
There's also high probability of other errors linked to the concept. Like what if the hour ends while you are in the Boss Fight? Besides it's very likely that a lot of the missions, dialogues and areas still weren't finalized. Time was scarce. And Steel Wool needed to do something fast. Perhaps that's where Ray McCaffrey comes in.
I don't consider myself a conspiracy theorist, but how strange is that that Steel Wool gets a new producer in June, and that's exactly when the game gets labeled a Pre-Alpha as opposed to V1.0 that it was called just at the end of last month, May. There are two possibilities.
May 20th 2021 - The game is Version 1.0.
August 19th 2021 - The game reverted to Pre-Alpha. What happened in those couple months?
A) They came to realization that the game was raw and unworthy of being called V1.0.
B) Or the version I consider more interesting. It changed, because this is no longer the same game. The game that was 1.0 is no more.
The Sandbox SB has been cancelled, be it by Ray McCaffrey, Jason Topolski, Andrew Dayton or the whole team. What was now born is The Scripted Security Breach. The linear gameplay formula with scripted events. Sandbox SB was in development for years, so it was a Version 1.0. Scripted SB was just born, so it became a Pre-Alpha.
Believe it or not, Ray may have saved SB from either being delayed again or being cancelled. For instance, he was the one to call and hire Marta Svetek (Gregory, Roxy, Vanny VA), whom Ray knew from previous work experience. But the development still wasn't in a good place, as the dialogue was being recorded even after the release date announcement. Not to mention that there was no public casting call for Gregory, Marta was asked to fill in this spot, despite not being interested in child roles. She still managed to pull it through and now nobody imagines these characters without her. But it is clear something is not right when you, without arranging the usual casting calls, get an actor to do three characters at once, left alone a character they didn't even want to voice.
https://preview.redd.it/bodcw5kxd23d1.png?width=4115&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a48191a120e0dd1e275c491f8b49f660b4c8827
Even then, Steel Wool never gave up on Sandbox SB. To some extent. They attempted to salvage what they had and revive it in what we now know as Survival Mode. Survival Mode isn't just a random feature. It is the remnants of what Security Breach was attempting to do, minus the story bits. The 6 Hour Sandbox mechanics were presented in a more simple mission to collect gifts scattered around the map. But even that has proven too much to handle. And thus, the tale of The Sandbox Cut ends here. The epic tale of love, hate, bloodshed and overambition.
Well, it had a bit of a continuation. Steel Wool wanted to include a Survival Mode in RUIN, but never went through with it. Whether it is for better or for worse is unclear, but only time will tell.

THE AFTERMATH

The Security Breach we have now feels incomplete not only because of the cut missions and mechanics, but because it's one game impersonating another. Trying to be something that it isn't.
While I do believe this old route of progression would've made the game feel more complete, I still wish for the series to focus more on the story and its underlying themes. Come on now, we have a series of amazing books and short stories with thought out characters and unraveling mysteries, while the games get only a fraction of that in a form of scavenger hunt. I feel like RUIN was a step in the right direction. Surely, it has a lot of kinks to work out, but if the trend continues, eventually we'll get something truly special.
I would like to thank everyone for reading. I would also like to mention the Technical FNaF Discussion, which is full of talented people who helped to build the steps to this possible solution to the biggest mystery of Security Breach. And thanks to Pizza Gamer for some of the illustrative content seen in this post. Much obliged. See you next time. Toodles.

My friend (35M) asked if he could come visit me (34F) and stay in my apartment on my couch. I said that would be fine, stupidly, before I knew how long he was coming for. I then learned he was planning on 9 days! I had already agreed so I (again stupidly) let it be.
He arrives and it’s not too bad at first. I am feeling depleted as he is around all the time but we are making do. However, it very soon becomes apparent that he expects me to drive him around everywhere, feed him when we are at my apartment, and hang out with him at all times while we are at my apartment.
When he first came, we went to the grocery store and picked up some groceries. I made sure to ask him what he wanted during his trip. In hindsight, I should have told him to buy himself some snacks. Instead, he kept saying “I don’t know” and vaguely suggesting a pasta dinner dish. Okay, fine. I got some stuff. When it came time to pay, because a lot of the stuff was me replenishing my pantry, I just paid for it. No biggie.
However, sometimes when we weren’t out doing an activity and got home, I would rest in my room to get some time alone. The first day or so, I hung out with him but after a couple days, I just got so worn out. He was left to his own devices. Every time I left my room during the evenings we were home, he would make comments and/or stare at me like I am being rude for not being in the living room with him and making food with him. Clearly ordering UBEReats was not something that crossed his mind. And clearly time spent apart is bothering him.
Finally he confronts me and tells me to sit down in the living room so we can talk (thanks for the invitation to my own living room). He asks me if I am ignoring him. I get upset at this situation and say no. I tell him that I am introverted and need time to myself.
The next day, we move on. However, tomorrow and the next day, I have to work. I remind him of this and tell him that he should be prepared to also get dinner for himself. He says “don’t worry, it was pretty clear from the beginning that you weren’t going to make meals” in a passive aggressive tone. Then I get very upset. I confronted him and told him that I didn’t agree to be his bed and breakfast.
During this trip he has paid for 3 things. One, a tank of gas. Two, he paid for a $5 ticket for me for one of the many museums. And three, he paid for a $5 parking pass for a state reservation park. I paid for the food we’ve been eating at my place (and the 2nd tank of gas). We each paid for our own everything else.
He is unwilling to take an uber places by himself. Either I am ferrying him around, or he is sat in my living room. He also is expecting me to drive him to and from the city on the days I work.
It really feels like he is expecting me to wait on and entertain him and I don’t understand when I ever agreed to that. I know I could’ve done a better job communicating my rules and expectations but I seriously didn’t think it was going to be an issue.

$SKI ? Why Memecoins? Why Base chain?
The Chinese original viral golden retriever with a gritty ski mask aura.
First non-derivative real dog CTO (community take over - dev sold all his tokens and community takes over the project if the meme is good, in this case the DouYin native viral meme was too good and too gritty to let this sh*t tier dev ruin it) on base means dev’s can’t rug nor a single player can take down a project while also being a symbol of f*ck you to the bad actor dev who rugged both SOL and BASE contracts on the SAME day.
The dawg house consists of:
Main chat (regular banter, shoot the shits, meme, vibe, vc sessions - we had Ace_da_Book, a core contributor to Aerodrome, join us in our first to discuss Aero incentives - etc.)
ski_memes: use /memes in our TG chat and you can view the archive of 1000+ memes created + gets added on everyday.. every hour.
ski_dao: larger wallet collabland chat where we discuss all based building happening and technical questions/discussions.
ski_mods: 10+ mods including the cto leads who continue to make the dawg house a PA talk free and judgement free zone.
ski_creatives: 8+ individuals working together on memes + content.
& many frens we made along the way to make this a more robust space for web3 and adoption to be friendly.
Memecoins are becoming an unstoppable force, overshadowing various investments.
They're simpler, more sustainable, and offer greater liquidity than other options.
There's a lesson in their rise, as they're perceived as safer and offer better odds than traditional avenues like lottery or sports betting.
ETH’s long time vision of being a B2B settlement layer is finally coming to fruition with base’s first cycle and the buildathons kick starting through BASE summer pushed by companies at the realms of & - UI/UX legends.
http://Smart-wallet.xyz alpha from beta will portray the start of an onchain revolution that will unlock the potential of the token economy to its fullest by integrating dex assets with real world use.
When the underlying asset of these said memecoins heat up, whats going to happen when the ETH maxi's have ammo to play with on BASE? They will go into the strongest communities and ones where distribution of the token supply is so good that it wont allow for one single person to cause the project to fail - similar to WIF & DOGE. Memecoins on base will be the greatest beta to ETH. ETH is at 3k and can go to 9k+ (only a 3x), but the sky is the limit for coins like SKI - 5m mkt cap - newest and only real dog meme coin on BASE, no paid influencers to dump their bags on you or a bad actor, we're all simply to prove a point to the institutions and be a part of a wider cultural movement - Check camila_cabellos profile on instagram, that is our communitites meme, also her dog tarzan's ig page and also the alt account she created cxoxo - promoting more skimask culture, and also WIF - a similar story on the Solana blockchain, but SKI will be the first mover on BASE with such cultural impact from the people who support the mask movement from celebrities, to crypto native people on twitter such as Nate_Rivers, Kmoney_69, sibel_eth, etc.
Remember Silicon Valley’s UI/UX taking over the entire world and how we’re all literally using devices designed by them?
This is why base >
Ease of use and realistic adoption use cases.
1 pizza = 1 USDC
1 tap & no middleman fees.
Let’s build more for the people and betterment of the world. All love
Remember, there's a lesson in memecoins remarkable ascent..
Feel free to come drop by the dawg house anytime and ask or come build for a more entertaining future with other frens, dawgs, ladies, and gentlehands.
ski6mafia
https://t.me/skionbase_cto
https://skimaskdog.com
1738
MASK ON
SKIYEE

As Caladuil and Durin journeyed through the rugged wilderness, Durin shared tales of his home beneath the mountains – a place of ancient halls and storied history, where the echoes of the past whispered secrets long forgotten by the outside world.
Amongst these tales was one that spoke of mysterious writings etched upon the walls of Durin's ancestral home, hidden deep within the heart of the mountain. Legends told of a time when the dwarves of old had carved runes of power and wisdom, recording the history and lore of their people for generations to come.
Intrigued by the prospect of uncovering these ancient secrets, Caladuil eagerly accepted Durin's invitation to accompany him to his home beneath the mountains. Together, they ventured into the depths of the earth, their footsteps echoing off the walls of the darkened tunnels as they made their way deeper into the heart of the mountain.
Finally, they arrived at the entrance to Durin's ancestral hall – a vast chamber hewn from solid rock, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and symbols of dwarven craftsmanship. As they stepped into the dimly lit chamber, Caladuil felt a sense of awe wash over him, as if he had stepped back in time to an era long forgotten.
Guided by Durin's knowledge of the ancient runes, they made their way through the labyrinthine corridors of the dwarven halls, deciphering the cryptic inscriptions that adorned the walls. Each rune told a story – of battles fought and won, of treasures lost and found, of the enduring spirit of the dwarven people.
But amidst the tales of glory and triumph, they also discovered darker truths – of feuds and betrayals, of greed and ambition, of the shadows that lurked in the depths of the earth. And as they delved ever deeper into the secrets of Durin's home, Caladuil realized that the past held not only the key to understanding the present, but also the promise of shaping the future.
With each step, he felt a sense of kinship with Durin and his people, a shared bond that transcended the differences between them. And as they emerged from the depths of the mountain, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, Caladuil knew that their journey together had only just begun, and that the mysteries of the past would continue to guide them on their path to destiny.

I have noticed that I dread three day weekends. It always seems to end with multiple meltdowns. It is either plans were made that she ends up tanking, not making enough plans, spending time together that turns into something wrong with me that I am supposed to be working on, doing separate things that mean I don't love her and I am ignoring her.
I guess these are the usual issues but it feels guaranteed to happen on three day weekends and I wasn't sure if anyone else experiences this.
I really just noticed it this weekend that I was dreading going into it. I often find the toughest part of all this is dealing with the dread that is instilled in me and keeping grounded enough that it doesn't create my own self fulfilling prophecies.
I am just having a really difficult time right now. I usually have my family to call but nobody is picking up at the moment and I needed to try and get some of this out.

Replay code: FM8VM0, 38DDYE
Battletag / in-game username: Sobriquet (I had streamer mode on, not sure if my user name is displayed differently in the replay).
Hero(es) played: D.Va
Skill tier / rank: Silver 3
Map: Watchpoint: Gibraltar, New Queen Street
PC or console: PC
Description of the match / things you want reviewed: I've been suffering many more losses than wins after the mid-season update. I don't feel I play differently, but clearly something is not working lately. These are two examples of matches where I was blamed for the loss and even accused of throwing.
I am a D.Va main and often do best with her on these maps, and I did not feel the need to switch in these cases (other heroes I play often are Orisa, Ram and sometimes Zarya). On Gibraltar, I usually try to take high ground frequently but ended up staying often on low ground to counter their tank. Speaking of which, I would appreciate some general positioning advice and when to contest or leave high ground. On defense especially, I made some bad dives. I also struggle with defending the initial spawn area, so any pointers there would be appreciated.
On New Queen Street, I got distracted for a while going after the enemy backline and came late to defend against their initial push onto our side of the map, which might have been a mistake. I feel I made up for it later when we pushed on to their side, but it wasn't enough. Did this cost us the game? I wonder how I should have handled this better.

My family has always been of great minds. I hated it. Growing up and having to study day and night to try and live up to them was extremely exhausting when I couldn't care how things worked as long as I was happy. I gave up but somehow everything kept turning out to be true.
Over my lifetime I have become the Gorden Ramsey of the science world. Known for my temper and also for huge things like curing world hunger using play-doe and cancer with baby powder I got in a back street ally while drunk.
To get my family off my back I started making random ideas so they could see me as a failure and leave me alone but...they keep working. And soon people started to praise me. Fame has left me with nothing but more and more attention. So today I plan to make sure that everyone can just think I'm insane and leave me alone and not some king.
I chuckled like a kid who was opening a Christmas present as I heard the crowd of people chatting and talking loudly as I hid behind my stage in a grey tight suit that my sister had picked out. I sighed and was ready to walk out and make a fool out of myself but my brother stopped me.
" Jack... I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Dad would have loved to see you right now. "
I thought it was ironic because last night while chilling on the couch watching TV and eating chips I made this theory up. He dusted off my shoulders held them tight and looked me in the eyes taking in the moment.
" go give them hell man. "
He had a goofy smile just like Dad but spoke with confidence.
" you got it, man. "
I heard my name being called onto the stage and the uproar startled me for a second but I collected myself and headed out after giving him a nod just to entertain him.
The lights were blinding as I grabbed the mic and looked at the table in front of me with a small box with the ingredients I needed and a chalkboard behind me.
After I stood still for a minute the crowd died down. I had not told anyone what I was presenting so the whole world was watching without a clue of what I was doing this time.
"Hello everyone. Today I believe I have my most important presentation yet..."
The crowd grew silent and hung on every word. And I heard my voice around the room through the speakers.
" Today I have with me a box...and inside is spaghetti I had for breakfast. "
The crowd laughed thinking it was a joke
" shut up "
The crowd grew silent once more
"Behind me is a chalkboard and I will now present my new findings to all of you...I have found out how to make portals to other worlds. "
A man in the far back of the audience yelled bullshit in a heavy Indian accent but he was so far it was a faint sound for me. I smiled at that thinking I had finally found something that would make me lose my title and I could go ahead and live a life without people making me feel like an evil man for not helping others.
I opened the box got a handful of the noodles and threw them at the chalkboard. I then grabbed a paper towel on standby to clean myself.
The noodles hit the board and slowly moved and rested on a spot on the board. I made eye contact with my brother backstage and he had a look on his face showing he believed in me.
I spun the board dropping the noodles to the ground I then grabbed the chalk and drew around the sauce and noodles that stuck to the board then drew my attention to the others that had fallen on the floor and drew an outline of that.
After it finished I threw the chalk in the crowd violently hitting an old lady in the face.
" Quickly I want a show of hands who thinks I'm a crazy guy "
Everyone raised their hands and I laughed to myself
I then went behind the board and laid it horizontally. I grabbed a small knife in my pocket and poked my finger with it. The crimson blood fell and hit the chalk and then as more and more blood hit the chalk it started glowing.
" you have got to be joking. "
I said out loud as it started to spark an orange glow and it slowly grew color to the rest of the chalk in orange sparks.
Once the symbol was fully sparking with orange the sauce began to swell and move around in a counterclockwise manner. I stepped away from it in shock as small parts of the blood in my finger began to float to the parts where it fell on the floor I drew my outlines on and started sparking those as well.
It started to smoke and hiss as if lightning could whisper and the orange began to take shape and the sauce made a doorway. The parts that were not on the board began to grow ice around them and started to make designs on the floor circling me and the board. Suddenly it grew in size and a large booming voice was heard through the portal as I felt panic of people start to set in.
A huge claw came out and scrapped the sides of my table trying to crawl out from the world it had been trapped in. Cold winds hit me as they cut my skin and threw around my clothes. As I saw the table was now melting from its touch.
A slimy green claw with mucus like a face-hugger egg from the movie Alien carved through the floor and pulled the rest of its body out slowly. A beast stood at 12 feet tall adjusting to our world as goop grew and shaped its body as people screamed, ran, and stood frozen in fear.
As it looked around it locked its spider-like eyes and swerled around coming out from the portal and twisting and turning around the body as it made its way to its head finding a place to rest. It then locked its eyes with me and its jaw twisted slowly from an ant-like maw to mine and slowly shrunk and it soon took the shape of me and knelt on the floor and spoke to me.
" master. "
I stood in shock as everyone seemed to calm down and watched to see what I would do.
"...umm "My family has always been of great minds. I hated it. Growing up and having to study day and night to try and live up to them was extremely exhausting when I couldn't care how things worked as long as I was happy. I gave up but somehow everything kept turning out to be true.
Over my lifetime I have become the Gorden Ramsey of the science world. Known for my temper and also for huge things like curing world hunger using play-doe and cancer with baby powder I got in a back street ally while drunk.
To get my family off my back I started making random ideas so they could see me as a failure and leave me alone but...they keep working. And soon people started to praise me. Fame has left me with nothing but more and more attention. So today I plan to make sure that everyone can just think I'm insane and leave me alone and not some king.
I chuckled like a kid who was opening a Christmas present as I heard the crowd of people chatting and talking loudly as I hid behind my stage in a grey tight suit that my sister had picked out. I sighed and was ready to walk out and make a fool out of myself but my brother stopped me.
" Jack... I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Dad would have loved to see you right now. "
I thought it was ironic because last night while chilling on the couch watching TV and eating chips I made this theory up. He dusted off my shoulders held them tight and looked me in the eyes taking in the moment.
" go give them hell man. "
He had a goofy smile just like Dad but spoke with confidence.
" you got it, man. "
I heard my name being called onto the stage and the uproar startled me for a second but I collected myself and headed out after giving him a nod just to entertain him.
The lights were blinding as I grabbed the mic and looked at the table in front of me with a small box with the ingredients I needed and a chalkboard behind me.
After I stood still for a minute the crowd died down. I had not told anyone what I was presenting so the whole world was watching without a clue of what I was doing this time.
"Hello everyone. Today I believe I have my most important presentation yet..."
The crowd grew silent and hung on every word. And I heard my voice around the room through the speakers.
" Today I have with me a box...and inside is spaghetti I had breakfast. "
The crowd laughed thinking it was a joke
" shut up "
The crowd grew silent once more
"Behind me is a chalkboard and I will now present my new findings to all of you...I have found out how to make portals to other worlds. "
A man in the far back of the audience yelled bullshit in a heavy Indian accent but he was so far it was a faint sound for me. I smiled at that thinking I had finally found something that would make me lose my title and I could go ahead and live a life without people making me feel like an evil man for not helping others.
I opened the box got a handful of the noodles and threw them at the chalkboard. I then grabbed a paper towel on standby to clean myself.
The noodles hit the board and slowly moved and rested on a spot on the board. I made eye contact with my brother backstage and he had a look on his face showing he believed in me.
I spun the board dropping the noodles to the ground I then grabbed the chalk and drew around the sauce and noodles that stuck to the board then drew my attention to the others that had fallen on the floor and drew an outline of that.
After it finished I threw the chalk in the crowd violently hitting an old lady in the face.
" Quickly I want a show of hands who thinks I'm a crazy guy "
Everyone raised their hands and I laughed to myself
I then went behind the board and laid it horizontally. I grabbed a small knife in my pocket and poked my finger with it. The crimson blood fell and hit the chalk and then as more and more blood hit the chalk it started glowing.
" you have got to be joking. "
I said out loud as it started to spark an orange glow and it slowly grew color to the rest of the chalk in orange sparks.
Once the symbol was fully sparking with orange the sauce began to swell and move around in a counterclockwise manner. I stepped away from it in shock as small parts of the blood in my finger began to float to the parts where it fell on the floor I drew my outlines on and started sparking those as well.
It started to smoke and hiss as if lightning could whisper and the orange began to take shape and the sauce made a doorway. The parts that were not on the board began to grow ice around them and started to make designs on the floor circling me and the board. Suddenly it grew in size and a large booming voice was heard through the portal as I felt panic of people start to set in.
A huge claw came out and scrapped the sides of my table trying to crawl out from the world it had been trapped in. Cold winds hit me as they cut my skin and threw around my clothes. As I saw the table was now melting from its touch.
A slimy green claw with mucus like a face-hugger egg from the movie Alien carved through the floor and pulled the rest of its body out slowly. A beast stood at 12 feet tall adjusting to our world as goop grew and shaped its body as people screamed, ran, and stood frozen in fear.
As it looked around it locked its spider-like eyes and swerled around coming out from the portal and twisting and turning around the body as it made its way to its head finding a place to rest. It then locked its eyes with me and its jaw twisted slowly from an ant-like maw to mine and slowly shrunk and it soon took the shape of me and knelt on the floor and spoke to me.
" master. "
I stood in shock as everyone seemed to calm down and watched to see what I would do.

"...umm "

Part two of the noodle demon.
Now that this creature knelt before me I realized that the room I was in was so terrible quietly you could hear everyone's ass get tight in anticipation of what would happen next.
" ...what...are you. "
I spoke carefully to the being that had taken the shape of myself. It still took my breath away and my throat was dry.
The beast was a deep green. The color mixed with shades of grey streaming from it. The longer I looked at it I could see it getting closer to what I looked like shaping itself.
From small flowing green tendrils to an arm they grew as they twisted and made bone then muscle and finally skin.
It locked eyes with me and it smiled deeply at me. As it formed the face finally.
" Your vassle. "
My eyes had not moved to the crowd at all but even though the lights hit the stage so hard it was enveloped in smoke.
The creature's eyes glowed as it answered brightly, not figuratively. This thing's eyes were glowing.
"To serve you, We are bound by blood magic. I am a reflection of your desires, Master, " it said, its voice now a whisper in my mind.
It began to stand up as my grey suit began to form on it and by the time it stood fully up it had copied what I looked like.
" let me explain everything. "
My body frozen in fear woke up with adrenaline as I blinked and a flash of green smoke covered my vision as he teleported right to me face to face.
Its body turned to smoke and went into the slits of my eyes. I felt visions follow me in my peripheral vision but surprisingly no pain followed power filled me and it felt like one hell of a drug.
My body and mind altered.
I was now in a very dark place with no walls or light except my reflection on the floor which waved like water.
I took a step back looking around and back to the reflection of me on the ground.
Soon the water rippled and my reflection fell through the floor like gravity was inverted. he flew upright and water fell off of him as he looked at me as he now stood straight ahead of me. He was just reflecting in the water but now eyed me down.
Collecting my nerves.
I begin to speak.
" what do you want..."
He was still in my form and stood perfectly straight. Now with water dripping from his...my hair.
Slight stubble with hair that hung down and my hazel eyes were not present within him but I was greeted with a swelling acidic green that doubled the size of my pupil.
" to serve you. "
He made no other movement than putting his hands behind his back like a soldier at ease.
I could not tell if it was lying or not.
" ...is that it? "
" I am the embodiment of your fear desires and brilliance. You have shaped me. Your desire for solitude birthed me. I will aid you in shaping the world how you see fit. Your reality becomes mine. "
There was a slight echo in the room as he spoke.
" wait...where are we "
I questioned haphazardly
" your mind. "
An awkward silence was in the air until I spoke
" so...am I just standing on the stage not making a sound? "
He gave me a concerned look.
" no...time has frozen outside for you. You may sleep here without having to in the real world so to others you look as if you never rest and you may think and plan what to do in battle here. For them, it will be about two seconds...Do...do you not have any knowledge of what I am? "
Suddenly I felt bad like I had encountered someone famous and I had no idea who they were. A slap in the face like a popular kid meeting someone who had never heard of them. Ego shattered.
" ok sorry no. I...don't go around reading about...monsters?"
I felt like was I saying the n-word of the demon realm not knowing if that word was offensive.
He folded his arms a little upset.
"Are you not a warrior? "
" well...no I...just watch TV and cook here and there- "
The demon cut me off
" weak. "
" excuse me? "
" look. I am an immortal being and after a while you get bored. So I'm sorry if I may be a little upset after being bonded with some nobody. "
I got quiet and I was a little annoyed that I was being roasted by some demon that I just met.
Its form wavers and eyes begin to open on its skin. Cheeks forhead etc.
"After being a god for so long it's fun to play with limitations. Makes things extremely exciting. "
" what do you mean by that? "
" look. You can only be so entertained by the same things. Life gets boring and now...you are going to help me with this. I get to have pure entertainment while you get every wish you could ever want. A mutual bond no? "
He then closed his eyes annoyed and the other eyes meshed back to his skin.
" though... the TV is not that interesting...life is what gets the blood pumping"
I felt the need to quickly change the topic
"Are there others like you? "
The room began to take shape very slowly as the water floor turned to wood and walls went around us.
" of course. You may meet them one day "
Confused and curious I pressed.
"Meet them? "
" yes. Summoning one of us is considered a threat to them. "
He spoke while opening and closing his newly found hand except backward.
" hm...no that don't look right "
I quickly responded
" Wait! How is doing that a threat! "
"Well, one doesn't just accidentally Summon one of us to suddenly get powers beyond human control. "
I thought back to how I summoned him by accident with some food I made.
" well...funny story but I summoned you using my breakfast..."
I had never regretted speaking so much as in that moment.
" What... "
Acid dripped from his words. Literally. His pupils split in half and his bottom jaw ripped open like an ant and curved giving sharpness to the bone.
"Please don't kill me. "
The room began to look like a cozy cabin with a fireplace and he slowly went back to normal.
" I would if I could. I've never felt so disrespected. We are bonded by your blood. If you die...I die. "
Suddenly I felt at ease by this new information.
Then a thought came to my mind
" ...God's can die? "
" you did hear me, right? "
The SAS from this guy was unneeded and I was starting to miss him being on his knees as weird as that sounds.
" so...all that power gone.... in an instant... "
" well...no actually God's powers don't just disappear they transfer to whoever killed them...wait...hold up."
He suddenly had an epiphany.
A smile grew on his face and he grabbed my shoulders
" you! You are going to help me kill the other gods! "
He sounded proud but I let him down.
" ha! No. "
" oh come on! Don't be like that. "
He did a pout.
"Look, man. I'm not killing gods for you. Just because you are bored. "
" hey...they might send people to kill you because you bonded with me. "
"What did I ever do to them? "
"They have a system to this stuff. They like to build and watch things play out. You're a problem. That can mess it up. So...they kill ya...to be honest, I don't know any other way to explain it, man. You know people normally just use my power to kill people and become a king and know this already. "
"This is outrageous. "
" bro. Look if you do this I will be able to get their powers and you will be able to do so much more than what I offer "
I tilted my head
" what can you do? Know what never mind. I will just talk to them and figure things out. "
He groaned and his form melted down sagging and it shot back up reforming
"Is there not anything that you want? Anything in the world? Gods don't put themselves in physical forms. They give people power and can make beings to hunt you. And if they care enough to come down themself. Ha, good luck."
I stopped and thought about it trying to weigh the options of pissing off higher beings.
Suddenly. I found something.
"Can you bring back the dead..."
He stopped confused.
" well...no "
" then I don't want anything "
" wait! "
He threw his arms out pleading
"I don't...but another God does..."
He crosses his arms smiling. He had left the question hanging letting me reconsider his offer.
I stopped and thought for a while before looking back up to him.
I let out a sigh and looked him in the eyes
" ok...you are going to help me get my father back. "
The demon smirked.

Hey yall I hope your all doing ok. Lately I have been just so down. I have so many triggers that remind me of when my bf was a PA. It was a year of him constantly watching porn behind my back and him lusting constantly after other women in any way you can imagine. Hes been clean since December of 2023 and has been a complete different person. He is so in love with me now and constantly shows it. Hes actually empathetic towards me now which has helped me heal.. but I still have the idea in the back of my head that he could relapse again. It was so hard for him to become clean once and I cant handle going through another year of being with a porn addict.
Me and him are a great match in every way (not the addiction part though 🥲) and I know hes the man I will marry. This still doesnt fix all the hurt or heal my triggers. Some triggers I have are social media, women wearing anything tight or revealing, pools, sunny days, cooking pizza (i know its super specific but there was one night where i was making pizza and whilst I was doing so he was jerking off to porn), making bracelets (a old hobby i loved but i used it to distract me from my emotions during that time, walks around the neighborhood for the same reason as the last trigger, pretty girls, JEANS (he once openly said other women in jeans were sexy and sounded so… like he was drooling over them), my old comfort movies, wearing tank tops, etc… some of them are so stupid and I know they are but I can’t escape it. I lost over 10 pounds within five months and am now on the edge of being underweight because if the things he said about my body.
I was never heavy (and I want to say there is nothing wrong with being heavy! Like who gives a flying shit?? We deserve to eat what we want without worrying about our weight constantly!) so hearing all those awful things he thought about my body hurt even more because I couldnt really lose more weight and remain healthy. I just need to know how to move on or how to heal. Please do not tell me to leave him I will not do that. I know there are ways to heal from betrayal trauma I just dont really know how. Sorry if this is wordy or some parts made no sense I am just writing my thoughts out as Im thinking them. Thank you.

In the heart of his journey, Caladuil stumbled upon an ancient elven ruin nestled deep within the wilderness. Overgrown with ivy and moss, its weathered stones whispered tales of a forgotten era, secrets waiting to be unearthed.
Driven by curiosity, Caladuil ventured into the crumbling ruins, his senses alert to the mysteries that lay hidden within its shadowed halls. As he delved deeper, he uncovered cryptic inscriptions and faded tapestries that spoke of a time long past, of battles fought and victories won, of love lost and sacrifices made.
But amidst the whispers of the past, Caladuil sensed something else – a presence lingering in the shadows, watching, waiting. With each step, he felt the weight of unseen eyes upon him, a silent warning of danger lurking just beyond the edge of his perception.
Undeterred, Caladuil pressed onward, determined to unravel the secrets that lay hidden within the ancient ruins. And as he ventured deeper into the heart of the crumbling citadel, he discovered a chamber bathed in ethereal light, its walls adorned with symbols of power and wisdom.
It was there, amidst the ancient glyphs and faded murals, that Caladuil uncovered the truth – a truth that would forever change the course of his journey and reshape the destiny of his people. And as the echoes of his discovery reverberated through the silent halls of the elven ruin, Caladuil knew that his quest was far from over, and that the greatest challenges still lay ahead.

“Cadet: Verity Eliminated!”
Elsie’s frustration at the sound of Maurine being eliminated was somewhat offset by the ‘death’ of her killer.
She had no idea how that had happened. And she couldn’t ask either as both Tala and Maurine were still connected to each other.
The situation wasn’t helped by the rest of the first years slipping the noose.
Though not without losses of their own, she thought as she glanced at the downed form of… team seven’s dark elf if she didn’t miss her mark.
The dark elf was a bit stockier.
“You ok?” she asked, head on a swivel, as she cautiously moved up to Cherie’s crouched form.
“Fine,” the girl grunted irritably as she visibly resisted the urge to rub her eyes through her helmet.
Two simultaneous flashbang spells to the face couldn’t have been fun. Hell, she’d probably have been killed if hadn’t thought to immediately respond in kind.
…And been equipped with a pretty ideal weapon for that kind of close-range fight.
The volley-bow might not have had the longevity of a regular bolt-bow where ammo capacity to concern, but the ability to unleash a veritable barrage of shots at a moments notice was not to be underestimated.
Well, that combined with the fact that Cherie being the only member of their team who wasn’t the scion of some noble house.
She was just that talented.
As evidenced by the ‘dead’ first year sprawled out – and probably glaring at them – nearby. Casually, Elsie stepped over to rifle through the girl’s – the dark elf’s – pockets in search of fresh clips.
For just a moment, she considered the girl’s downed… wax-bolt, before dismissing the thought.
Curious as she might have been about the weapon, mid-match wasn’t the time to start playing with new equipment. For one thing, she had no idea how the thing even fired, given that she couldn’t see any kind of aether-tank on the long barrelled weapon.
Standing up, she hustled back over to Cherie. “Well, it’s just two left now.”
The high elf and Ashfield himself, Elsie thought as she and Cherie crouched practically back to back behind a pile of lumber.
Tapping her helmet again, she was relieved as the orb-channel came to life this time. “Tala, you ok?”
“Fine,” the girl in question grunted with what sounded like audible discomfort.
It seemed whatever had happened had left her feeling a little worse for wear, though good luck getting their leader to admit that. She also knew better than to ask what happened to Maurine – mostly how the girl had managed to die to a first-year orc in a two on one matchup.
There was a time and a place for that kind of discussion though and this wasn’t it. “We’ve downed their dark but the last two are in the wind.”
“Wha- How?” The girl practically wheezed. “Actually, never mind, what direction did they head in?”
“East flank. The tower should be between you and them.”
“Alright,” Tala grunted, clearly creating a mental map. “You’ve got permission to pursue, but don’t get cocky. Standing orders regarding the new weapon remain. Stay low and close to cover. I’ll loop back towards our starting location and we’ll pincer them.”
“Understood,” Elsie said, closing the comms and turning to Cherie. “We’re going after them. Stay low.”
The other girl scoffed behind her helmet as she stood up. “Obviously.”
In moments the two were moving, darting around rubble with quick bursts of aether as they kept their eyes peeled. Still, it was somewhat inevitable that, unless their foe was still in flight, they’d see the third years before the opposite was true.
The first warning was a burst of bolts that clattered across Elsie’s armor, though none managed to find purchase in her soft undersuit.
“Contact,” she shouted, catching sight of a distant figure even as she darted into cover. “Bearing Eleven.”
“Confirmed,” Cherie called back as she too slid to a stop behind cover.
It seemed the first years were sticking to their strategy of hugging the outer walls of the arena. Though given that they were clearly out of ‘wax’ rounds that was likely a decision borne of strategic inertia rather than proper reasoning.
With that said, there wasn’t really a ‘right’ option at this point. Outclassed and outnumbered, with their special munitions clearly depleted, this match was all-but over.
With that said, Elsie wasn’t so foolish as to let her guard down as she popped up to exchange fire with the distant cadet. Across from her, Cherie used the opportunity to advance before laying down her own barrage of shots.
They didn’t need to communicate for this bit. It was as rote as could be as they alternately moved to flank the first year’s last holdout. Two separate plumes of aether rang out from the pile the first-years were hiding behind as they fired with frankly horrific accuracy towards both her and Cherie.
Definitely freaked and running on instinct, Elsie thought absently.
Though what did they expect after challenging a team with two years of experience over them?
Clearly, they’d been banking on their new wonder weapon to carry them through.
…Like idiots.
“Final two are cornered Tala,” Elsie reported as she slid to a stop just short of the first-years final refuge. “Possible they’re having ammo trouble. Second has stopped firing.”
“Make no assumptions. Hold position, I’m coming up behind you now.” Sure enough, Elsie heard the telltale burst of aether accompanied by the low thud of something hitting dirt as Tala slid to a stop behind her.
“Cherie, you move on three. We’ll move on four,” the girl reported, hand to her ear suggesting she’d switched orbs to speak to Cherie. “Sequential flashes as soon as you break cover. Cherie. Elsie. Me. Cherie. Care for crossfire once we turn the corner.”
Elsie nodded, the last thing they needed to do was blind or shoot each other.
“One.” Cherie fired off a few rounds.
“Two.” Then Elsie.
“Three.” There was a burst of aether as the team’s most heavily armored surviving member rocketed out of cover, the tail end of a spell on her lips.
Which Elsie didn’t hear, nor did she see as she glanced away just as a retina burning flash erupted from her teammate’s position along with a earth shaking boom - instead she focused on chanting under her breath.
“Four!” Tala grunted just as she and Elsie erupted from their own cover.
The two jetted across the intervening space as they swept wide of the first-years position, Elsie’s voice roaring. “-invoke the power of our covenant. Light and Noise. Flashbang!”
Light blasted forth along with an ungodly noise as they sought to deafen and blind the first-years.
…And that was when something slammed into her back, splattering upwards to strike the back of her helmet.
“Wha-” she grunted as the unexpected blow forced her flight trajectory down towards the dirt – and given that she’d been skimming but a few inches from it before – that was all it took to send her skidding across it in an ungainly heap.
It was not graceful – and the only thing that saved it from being worse was the fast reactions of Tala that kept her from flying directly into her. Instead, the girl overshot with a sudden flare of aether.
“Cadet: Cherie eliminated. Cadet: Elsie eliminated.”
And sure enough, as Elsie glanced up she saw that Cherie was likewise sprawled out, an orange stain blasted across her back.
But how!? She thought as she twisted, only to see a single figure silhouetted against the ceiling lights as they stood atop the watchtower, long barrelled rifle aimed and ready.
But… there was only two…
And glancing over, she saw it, as the boy – Ashfield! – rose from behind the pile with a bolt-bow in each arm!
He’d tricked them. There’d never been a second shooter behind the pile. Instead she’d made her way toward the tower… which was why he’d positioned himself against the wall!
It put their backs to the tower!
That was… such bullshit! Tala should have seen the girl on the way past – unless she’d timed her climb to start the moment their team leader went past.
It was a short window to claim a firing position, but doable with a quick burst of aether and a full tank!
Even if it was absurdly lucky!
Hell, the reason they hadn’t heard Cherie go down – even with the delay between how fast a wax-bow could fire – was because the noise had been drowned out by the fucking flashbangs!
All those thoughts went through her mind in a moment, as she turned towards her leader.
A leader who’d seen her go down - and was now torn between trying to evade the target to her rear and eliminating the one right in front of her.
And that momentary hesitation cost her as both the Ashfield and the highelf fired at once, rounds slamming into Tala from both sides – though not before she got off a shot of her own.
Silence rang out across the arena as their team leader dropped like a stone.
“…Cadet: Tala eliminated. Cadet: William eliminated.” The voice sounded almost as stunned as Elsie felt.
Silence reigned across the arena.
“Team Seven-One… win.”
\--------------------------------------------------

Olzenya felt her body go limp as she practically collapsed, nerveless fingers barely managing to hold onto the spell-bolt she’d just used to… wipe out three members of the enemy team.
She couldn’t believe it. Actually, could not believe it.
She’d thought they were done when Marline went down. Hell, she’d thought they were done when she and Bonnlyn had missed their targets in the opening moments of the match.
Losing Marline to a fluke shot had just sealed it in her mind.
She’d wanted to be the bait when William told her his new plan.
Truly.
Anything to avoid the pressure of being the ‘shooter’. After all, William was the much better shot.
Only he couldn’t do that, because he’d instead chosen to try and perform a miracle before the match even started.
“Told you that you could do it,” an irritatingly smug voice slurred into her ear. “Like shooting fish in a barrel.”
Though how much of that was down to the harpy venom running through William’s veins and how much was down to the… peculiar invention he’d created she didn’t know.
She knew for a fact his words were horseshit.
“That’s my tutoring coming in strong,” Marline grunted, only slightly surly about her fluke downing, but mostly just proud.
“Well done Oz,” Verity whispered. “I, um, I’m sorry I left you guys in a lurch.”
“Yeah, yeah. She did great. William had an insane plan that somehow worked. Marline’s tutoring is very helpful. Verity should learn to double tap. That’s great,” Bonnlyn slurred. “How long do you think it’ll be until the refs get out here with anti-venom? Because I’ve got a spur poking right into my left ass cheek. Like, right in there.”
“Right ass cheek?” Willaim scoffed. “I’d take that any day. I’m practically doing the splits here.”
“…That doesn’t sound so bad?” Verity said.
“It is if you’ve got a pair of testicles,” Marline muttered.
It was all Olzenya could do not to laugh as her team slurred, whined and cheered into her ears. As if they hadn’t just performed the impossible.
Or as if they weren’t speaking to each other from across an impossible distance, As with little to mar their voice beyond a middling crackle.
Were they all going mad? Had they joined William in his insanity?
One of the most important magical innovations in recent memory – and they were using it to complain about how they’d fallen uncomfortably in a fight against a team of third years that they’d also impossibly beaten.
How it worked, she didn’t know. William had just said electromagnetism and vibrations as he practically jammed the small metal bead into her ear.
Into all their ears.
An almost hysterical chuckle tried to slip from her throat.
Instantaneous communication between five people. With little more than a few spell charges and some metal.
Sure, William claimed it’d be lucky if the enchantment lasted an hour, but that was just… typical of him.
Do the impossible and then act like it was nothing.
And, as much as she hated to admit it, he’d needed to perform the impossible.
Disrupting Tala’s ambush so Verity could get the drop on her other attacker? Only possible because she’d been able to communicate that need for aid to William.
Their simultaneous three pronged assault on... the armored girl? Even if Marline had gotten unlucky, that breakout had only been possible because they’d been able to move as one.
And finally, her climbing of the tower to get an open shot on their backs? Only possible because William had told her the moment Tala was focused on him. She’d certainly not been able to make that judgment from where she’d been hiding. Aether bursts weren’t that loud.
Finally, timing her shots so they’d not be heard? Only possible because he’d been relaying the timing of their chanting.
Without that… well, she might have gotten one, but the other two would have scattered and then it would be a two on two against superior opponents with William practically out of ammo and Olzenya herself completely bereft of a bolt-bow and down to a single wax round.
No, they’d not have won that.
Perhaps if he’d had Marline or Verity at his back it might have been possible.
Not her though.
…Or perhaps not?
Some part of her wanted to gloat. To preen. To claim her accomplishment as her own and hers alone.
But that was a small part. One that more and more she found she wanted to leave behind.
For just a moment, she wondered if her sister was watching? If she was afraid?
She hoped so, but it was a distant thing.
Because right now all she wanted to focus on was this feeling.
This sense of triumph. Of camaraderie.
Like she could take on the world.
…Like she belonged.
And that feeling only grew as the crowds around them finally started to cheer. Some because Team Seven had been the underdog. Some because they were abolitionists. Some just because they’d wanted to see House Blackstone be humbled.
Olzenya didn’t care why they were cheering. They didn’t matter. Not really.
Only the people cheering, bickering or just plain being smug in her ear counted.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Speaking of awkward positions,” she muttered as she watched members of staff making their way into the field. “Could, uh, one of you direct someone to come and… retrieve me?”
For some reason her legs just refused to cooperate. It wasn’t the result of harpy venom or anything like that.
They just… seemed to be done for the day.
A sentiment she could well get behind.
The next time William needed three-fifths of a third-year team wiping out, he could damn well do it himself.
She was done. For the rest of the year at least.
“Our conquering hero everyone,” Bonnlyn laughed. “About to be carried down from her lofty perch in a bucket.”
Ha, Olzenya didn’t care.
She’d wiped out three-fifths of a third year team in her first semester. She had nothing left to prove to anyone.
Not a damn thing.
“Perhaps being insane isn’t too bad?” she murmured as she plucked the metal bead from her ear.
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The dull roar of the crowd was only slightly muted by the small alcove they’d been tucked into prior to the start of the match. Rather than starting at disparate ‘duty’ stations as they would be in a regular match, the team was instead all grouped together.
Assumedly to replicate the idea of us landing nearby a downed airship, he thought.
Glancing back, he watched as Verity finished putting on the last of her kit as Marline helped with some of the straps.
“All good?” he asked.
The orc nodded. “Everything’s as it should be, except for the…”
She trailed off as her fingers brushed over the bandolier across her chest, careful not to brush against any of the orange tipped bolts it contained.
William nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about it. They’re not what we practiced with, but the change shouldn’t make any tangible difference on the field.”
Indeed, in some ways the wax rounds were an improvement over his original rubber design.
For one thing, they’d been enchanted. According to the dour looking Palace Guardswoman who’d handed them off to him and the rest of his team, the wax had been toughened so it wouldn’t melt or split when fired - but would do so on impact, leaving a visible mark on the foe.
Which was an improvement over his own design, which would have required the match’s many observers to call out a hit if it wasn’t self-evident.
Still, he thought. Fifty shots. Overnight.
That wasn’t cheap. Indeed, it equaled the entire spellcasting capacity of a mage for seventeen days.
…Or a night’s work for seventeen mages.
Menial mages to be certain, but mages all the same. Using spells that now wouldn’t be used creating weapons, healing people, growing crops or contributing to the nation’s stockpile of enchanted munitions.
There was a reason he hadn’t thought of enchanted wax himself. He didn’t have the time.
…Nor did he have the time or knowledge on how to make a conventional alternative, even if he knew such a thing existed.
Not with so many other projects that required his attention.
Still, he couldn’t help but be reluctantly impressed by his nation’s monarch. For he could think of no one else that had the kind of pull to have fifty disposable objects enchanted in a single evening.
Not because of said power, but because of the decisiveness required to make that decision and start implementing it mere minutes after hearing of his plan.
She’ll be one to watch out for, going forward, he thought.
Though it was only a moment later he was shaking his head, his attention turning toward the rest of his team. Thoughts of what would come after this match should be kept for after the match.
Lest they all become moot.
Here and now, he needed to focus on here and now. With that in mind, he spared one final glance at the arena ahead, gathering what details he could from what he’d memorized of the layout, before turning back to his team.
“Alright, gather up,” he said, prompting the girls to gather round. “I imagine Tala thinks she’s pulled a fast one on us by throwing us into an unexpected scenario, but I think we can make it work in our favour.”
To that end, he pulled out a dagger and started chanting.
“Mage-Smith: Clay. Steel. Fingers.”
“William, what the fuck!” Olzenya shouted. “We’re about to get into a fight here!”
And he’d just ‘wasted’ one of his three spell slots.
“Quiet please,” he said as he slowly started to move and shape the steel of the dagger with his bare fingers, the rigid material shifting under his ministrations as easily as clay.
He ignored the looming start of the match. He ignored the crowds. He ignored the upset and puzzled expressions of his team. He ignored… how much more upset they’d be when burned another spell charge in a few seconds. And a third not long after.
Though even as he rolled the steel in his hands into a long stick, he couldn’t help one final thought that flitted across his consciousness.
So much for getting to finally use my spell-bolt, he lamented. Still, needs must when the devil drives
\------------------------------
“Activate the crystal network,” Tala said without preamble as her team finished kitting up.
“For this?” Sala – a name clearly chosen to curry favour with House Blackstone – grumbled.
“Yes.” She snapped, in no mood for backtalk. “For this.”
She intended to leave nothing to chance. Not in something as important as this.
Even if it was ridiculous that she was pulling out one of her team’s trump cards against a bunch of first years.
Normally they avoided using the Crystal network if they could. It was far from obvious, but there was always a chance of someone catching onto the idea that her team was more… cohesive than they should be.
And they’d wonder why and how.
…And if they figured that out, they’d be well on the way to replicating the feat.
To that end, Tala’s instructions were only to use it on ‘important’ matches. Ones that would boost the prestige of House Blackstone over their political rivals and make the politically undecided reconsider their allegiances in the brewing civil conflict to come.
Tapping the side of her helmet as discreetly as she could, she felt the tiny spike of ethereal aether that jetted from her fingertip be absorbed through the grill positioned there. A low hum filled her ear as the orb next to it came to life.
Once the size of a watermelon, the orb in her helmet had been painstakingly shaved down until it was barely larger than a fingernail. A move that made it useless for conveying any kind of image visually, but still perfectly sized to transmit sound.
This, she thought. This is why House Blackstone will reign supreme in the end.
Where elves were content to stagnate and wither with the passage of time, humans only continued to change and adapt.
House Blackstone exemplified that.
The Shard Carrier they were constructing near the capital might have been the largest and most obvious example of that philosophy - but it was simply one amongst many.
Focusing her intent on her nearest teammate, she felt the connection form between their two micro-orbs.
“Cherie?” she asked.
“I hear you,” the other girl confirmed – though her voice echoed unpleasantly as Tala heard it both transmit from her orb and in real life.
Though that was a small price to pay for the ability to instantly communicate with any member of her team at will.
“Excellent.”
Though, it wasn’t perfect, given that she needed to manually cut the connection with her teammate before turning to the next. A move that took precious seconds – and wouldn’t be possible at all if the orb she was trying to connect to was already communicating with another.
The other downside was that every member of her team was now down a spell charge.
Fortunately, that’s less of an issue on the floats, she thought as she connected with her other teammates one by one to confirm their orbs were functioning.
The loss of an extra use of stone-skin or a… flashbang was well worth the use of near instant communications.
An advantage that would only grow in the relatively unfamiliar tangle of prefab structures and rubble that was the arena in front of them.
Having turned off her orb, she turned to her team. “Elsie, you’ll swing right at the start. Try to find a good firing angle, but hold back from fully engaging until I orb you to move. Maurine, you’ll do the same on the left flank. Sala and Cherie, we’ll be going up the middle to try and seize that spire.”
She gestured to the large jutting watchtower that had been reshaped slightly to look like an airship’s crow’s nest. One that had ‘fallen’ just slightly wonky. Reasonably well armoured, well positioned and with a commanding view of the battlefield, it was a perfect spot from which to snipe and direct the engagement.
Sure, one could achieve the same feat by simply flying up on a burst of aether, but a marine-knight couldn’t remain in the air indefinitely. And unless they remained moving they’d be an easy target for bolt fire, while simultaneously being poorly positioned to fire back.
Levitating in mid-air not being particularly conducive to forming a stable firing platform.
There was a reason marine-knights tended to perform strafing runs when firing from mid-air – the momentum of the act both acted to help evade return fire while also offsetting the recoil created by the bolt-bows firing gasses.
“Understood,” her team said as one.
And then there was no more time for talk as the ‘start’ bell rang out across the arena.
All five of them moved with practiced efficiency as they shot forth, Maurine and Elsie mere inches from the ground as they expertly used their thrusters to skim at breakneck speeds across the ground.
For her part, Tala waited but a half second after Cherie and Sala rocketed up into the air on a parabolic arc towards the spire. Doing so ensured the two girls would be the first to draw fire, allowing her to more effectively get a read on their enemies positions and relay that information.
Where her team’s two flankers normally acted as saboteurs, and were thus equipped with medium armour, the two she was sending up the centre were normally sentinels – on those occasions where the team wasn’t making use of Shards.
To that end, the pair’s plate armour was more than up to the task of deflecting any kind of incoming bolt fire at these initial ranges. And their close range volley-bows would make short work of any first years hoping to also seize the-
A salvo of cracks rang out from across the arena and Tala made out the dull thud of something striking the armoured plating of at least one of her vanguard.
How peculiar? That was unlike any kind of bolt-bow she’d ever heard-
“Cadet: Sala. Eliminated,” rang out across the arena.
What!?
Her mind roiled, but hundreds of hours of ingrained instinct had her orbing Cherie, even as indignant squawks erupted from Sala’s figure.
“Evade!” she shouted.
Ahead of her, the other girl twitched mid flight. “Tala? They-”
“Evade!” Tala shouted, putting her own words to action, flaring a burst of aether from her elbow and palm so that she darted to the side just as a second round of cracks rang out.
Four of them, she made sure to count, a quick glancing making out five distant figures barely a step beyond their starting position.
Ahead of her, Cherie had clearly heeded her words despite her confusion, dipping low in order to avoid the salvo. To the girl’s right, Sala was still cursing up a confused storm, but nonetheless had her hands high over her head as she slowly floated to the ground.
Zipping past her on the way toward the cover promised by the crow’s nest, Tala noted a distinct orange stain splattered across the girl’s plate armour.
Wax, her mind supplied near instantly, recalling the once confusing words of the match’s instructor.
Then she was past her ‘dead’ teammate, slamming into the rim of the crow’s nest with bruising force right next to her teammate.
One hand gripping the rim of the nest while the other held her rifle, she struggled to maintain her grip as the weight of gravity left her dangling for just a moment as the aether blasting from her feet and elbow that had maintained her forward momentum cut out in favor of flowing into the tank on her back.
In moments, the lighter than air gas filled the tank once more and the strain on her hand diminished as she became lighter. Though it was with long practice that she cut the flow enough to keep her buoyancy at that just below a fraction of her actual weight, lest she end up floating up over the rim of the nest.
Another salvo of crackles rang out, but it was more staggered than before as Tala also heard the distant ‘puff-puff’ of bolt-bows firing.
Maurine and Cherie had clearly come up slightly short of their intended flanking positions in favor of laying down long-range suppressing fire on the relatively clumped first years. The pair would have to be incredibly lucky to score any kind of telling blow at that range, but the risk of it would force the first years heads down and prevent them from easily moving to get a better angle on Cherie and herself.
“What the fuck was that?” Cherie shouted as the pair clambered into the crows nest itself, careful to keep as low as possible as they surmounted the lip of the ‘basket’. “Why’s Sala out?”
Tala scowled as she peaked over the rim of the basket to get a better view of the unfolding firefight below.
“Wax rounds,” she said simply. “Apparently the first years have something that can go through plate and they’re using wax rounds to signify it.”
And as much as she wanted to cry bullshit on that front, she didn’t doubt that if the Academy was simulating it on a match as televised as this, the capability did exist.
The Crown wasn’t stupid enough for it not to. Not with this many people watching, and the number of stakes that were riding on this match.
Of course, they’d need to prove it afterwards with some sort of demonstration, but for the moment it could be reasonably taken on faith that this weapon existed and the match was ‘legitimate’.
To that end, this was likely some secret weapon of the Crown they’d presented to William to curry favour. All the better to get their claws into the man who likely had the means to kill a kraken while simultaneously indebting them to him…
Unless this new capability was William’s, in that this weapon was what he’d used to kill the Kraken?
A human was a far cry from a kraken, but if the capability was scaled up?
She shook her head.
It wasn’t important right now. Later, but not now. For now, she needed to operate around this new… paradigm.
What did she know? The weapon was loud. It outranged her own weapon. It had a reasonably slow rate of fire relative to a bolt-bow as far as she could tell – or perhaps it had limited ammunition? Armor was useless against it, but given the limitations of its simulation, or perhaps the realities of the weapon itself, cover was still proof against it.
“We need to close range while staying close to the ground,” she decided. “Keep it close quarters.”
That would nullify the enemy range advantage while only making her own weapons more effective.
…She also needed an opening to get down from the watchtower as its shortcomings now outweighed its advantages.
“Through plate!? That’s such-” Cherie was still shouting over the occasional crack of the new weapon and the puffing of bolt-bows, but Tala cut her off.
“Quiet! I need to contact Maurine and Elsie. Vent your tank and get ready to drop fast on my order.”
\---------------------------------

Maurine nodded as Tala’s voice cut out.
That was fine, she’d conveyed everything she needed to.
Mostly not to get shot by whatever was making that ‘cracking’ sound.
To that end, the plan was shock and awe. The moment their leader peered over the parapet of the crow’s nest and started laying down fire, both Maurine and Elsie were to advance low to the ground at speed while contributing their own suppression.
Under such circumstances, they weren’t expecting to hit anything, but it would give them the best odds of closing the distance, while also giving Cherie an opportunity to drop from the crows nest and advance herself.
With three dangerous targets advancing from three different directions at once, the first years stood a decent chance of being overwhelmed with targets and failing to focus down any of them.
…Assuming they were even experienced enough to recognize the inaccuracy of the incoming fire and continue shooting rather than duck down in the face of incoming suppressive fire.
A thought that sounded dismissive, but was really just sensible in Maurine’s estimation.
After all, it was an easy enough mistake to make in the heat of combat and a decent part of the reason why their instructors emphasized keeping a cool head. More often than not being able to do so was less about being able to make good decisions and more about being calm enough to be aware of the factors involved to actually make those decisions.
Instead of simply letting everything get reduced to noise and immediate threats.
No, being able to observe, think and then act was what made a decent marine-knight. Which was why neither she nor Elsie had hesitated to deviate from their earlier orders to draw up short and lay down covering fire when Sala ‘died’.
Yes, now they had to cover more ground than they might if they kept advancing, but there was every chance the match would now be a two on five rather than a four on five.
Three.
Two.
One.
On cue, she caught a glimpse of Tala popping up with bolt-bow in hand before Maurine jetted out of her cover on a burst of blue-green aether. Shooting across the arena she held down the trigger of her bolt-bow in the vague direction of one of the shorter first year’s positions.
The girl – the dwarf – flinched back as bolts clattered against the wood around her and Maurine grinned.
A talented first year was still just a first year after all – and some instincts could only come with experience.
Though that smile dimmed some as a loud crack rang out, something shooting past Maurine’s ear as another figure – the orc – poked her new wonder weapon out, utterly uncaring of the distant shots coming from Marline as most missed and the others simply clattered off her armour.
Still, even as Maurine darted into a nearby bit of cover, she knew she’d accomplished her task. The first years were clumped together and now she – and hopefully Elsie – had perfect flanking shots on the collection of debris the first years were using for cover.
They’d be exposed, and Maurine was close enough for her weapon to be reliable enough at finding chinks in armour.
She slid another magazine into place before poking out, just in time to catch the dwarf trying to reposition.
Only she’d defaulted to using her legs rather than a few bursts of aether.
Amateur mistake, the human girl thought clinically as she fired off a burst.
The dwarf dropped, her wonder-weapon abandoned where she’d dropped it in favour of trying to unlimber her bolt-bow.
A move she barely got halfway through before she’d fallen, dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
Grinning, she ducked back behind cover just as another crack rang out from the orc – who had actually managed to reposition while Maurine was reloading.
That was fine.
Tapping her ear, she spoke. “Dwarf is down. Pinned down by the orc. Any help?”
God, the crystal network kicked ass.
“I see her. Don’t have a good shot from here. Cherie and Elsie will keep the others covered. I’ll be descending to help post haste. We’ll finish her and then roll up the rest of the team.”
\--------------------------------------

Tala smiled as she touched down into cover behind where she’d last seen the orc.
Oh, the first years had tried to shoot at her as she’d descended from the crow’s nest, but Elsie’s continued encroachment on their flank had forced the first years to switch targets lest the other girl get an easy shot on them.
Such was the advantage of the crystal network. Tala had been able to time her descent just as Elsie and Cherie started to move.
Indeed, things were going well after the upset in the opening moments of the match. For one thing, it seemed she’d been right about the first years’ new wonder weapon having limited uses.
From Cherie’s last report, two of the three she could see trying to hold off her and her two teammates were down to using their bolt-bows. Being attacked from two angles, the three remaining first years were perfectly pinned in place, giving her ample time to hunt down the one member who’d managed to break out of the ‘encirclement’.
Truth be told, she couldn’t even fault William for his approach to the match. Faced with the tangled maze that was the arena, and up against a team with more experience than his own, it made some sense to hunker down and force them to come to him by making use of his new weapons.
The alternative was venturing out to be split up, cut off and destroyed piecemeal.
At least by sticking to his starting location he could keep track of his people and use the backwall of the arena to protect his rear.
And it might have worked if it weren’t for his opening salvo failing to down more than one of her people and the crystal network allowing Tala to coordinate her people even as they attacked from multiple angles.
Admittedly, she’d have been capable of the latter even without the crystal network if she’d used Academy hand signals from her position in the crows nest, but that would have both kept her there and allowed her opponent to read her intentions as she conveyed them.
Certainly, Cherie wouldn’t have been able to make her initial descent if William had the time to command his people to focus her down even with Elsie and Maurine moving up the flanks.
Tapping her ear, she came to a stop as she caught sight of Maurine flitting between cover a few meters ahead.
Theoretically, that meant the dark elf was somewhere between them.
“Eyes on?” she asked, ducking back as a few shots from the first-years near the entrance struck the cover around her.
“Ahead of me. See that upturned shard wing?”
She did, though there were a few obstacles keeping her from seeing the base of it.
“Her back should be right to you. I think she saw you coming down, but I’ve got her pinned.”
“Alright. She’s probably watching for me, so we’ll move together on three. I’ll poke out just enough to flashbang her and you move up to finish her while she’s mindlessly spraying in my direction.”
Though it was tempting to float up and over the obstacles between them to get a shot, the last attempt proved that ran the risk of her being shot by the rest of the first-years who were still exchanging fire with the rest of her team. Indeed, those shots were likely an attempt to keep her off their teammate who would be utterly ignorant of her approaching ‘death’.
As she got ready to move, she couldn’t but think that it was a shame the first years didn’t have a crystal network of their-
A crack rang out and Tala flitted back just as she was about to turn the corner. The timing of it couldn’t have been worse though as Maurine had started to dash forward.
“Wait, Maur-”
Her words were cut off by a loud boom and as Tala turned around the corner she watched her teammate be blasted off her feet by… some kind of - some kind of multi-barrel volley-bow variant.
One that made use of the first-year’s new armour piercing technology.
Wax or not, the thing had enough power to visibly blow Tala’s teammate off her feet in a deluge of orange wax.
Tala didn’t wait to hear the girl’s ‘death’ proclamation before she started to bring her own bow up.
But the orc was already moving. As if she’d been expecting Tala just as she’d clearly been expecting Maurine.
The ingrate had the audacity to throw her weapon at Tala, bolts pinging off it as it acted as a moving barrier between the greenskin and Tala’s shots – right up until it smacked straight into the human’s chest.
And it was not soft.
Still, Tala was hardly a small girl herself while clad in armour and shrugged it off to keep firing at the advancing orc.
Instead of dodging, the savage ran straight at her like a bull, shots bouncing off her heavy armor. Seconds felt like a lifetime as Tala emptied half a clip into the massive beast, blasting aether from her feet to backpedal as she did.
“Oh no you don’t,” the thing grunted as she grabbed Tala’s ankle, grip like iron as she used it as a fulcrum to bodily slam the Blackstone heir into the floor.
“Ugh!” Tala grunted, stars dancing across her vision as her helmeted head smashed into the concrete.
The air was driven from her lungs and she could only blink blearily as the monster lifted her once more, only to slam her down again – the human’s aether tank making her light enough for the beast to physically swing around.
Blearily, the human tried to use a burst of aether to escape or… do something, but the orc’s grip would not relent. Fortunately, that did at least drain her aether tank enough that she quickly became heavy enough that the orc could no longer fling her about one handed.
Though not before she was slammed into the ground with bruising force a few times more.
With that in mind, it was hardly much of a surprise at all when she found herself able to do little more than lie there and wheeze as her badly bruised body protested the last few seconds.
“There, that’s… oh shit, you aren’t dead are you?” She vaguely heard the orc say. “I, uh, didn’t mean to hurt-hurt you.”
Tala didn’t respond.
She wasn’t dead.
In either sense of the word.
The Floats had specific rules around people being eliminated, and beating someone into submission was not counted amongst them. Even if it would have worked ‘practically’.
“Cadet: Marline eliminated!”
“Aw fuck, really.” The orc said, momentarily distracted as she stood up. “How?”
Which was all Tala needed as she rolled over.
Because beaten or not, it’d be a cold day in the void when that was enough to make a Blackstone drop her weapon.

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Another three chapters are also available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bluefishcake
We also have a (surprisingly) active Discord where and I and a few other authors like to hang out: https://discord.gg/RctHFucHaq

As Akira, Tharros, and Lyra's pack continued their journey, they came across a young boy named Kael, cowering in the corner of a ruined temple. His eyes were sunken, his skin pale, and his spirit broken. The air around him seemed to vibrate with fear and pain.
Akira's heart went out to the boy, and she knew she had to help him. She approached him slowly, speaking softly to calm his fears. Tharros and Lyra's pack stood guard, their presence a comforting reassurance.
Kael's story was one of tragedy and loss. He had witnessed the destruction of his village, the death of his family, and had been left to fend for himself in a harsh and unforgiving world. The trauma had left him scarred, and he struggled to trust anyone or anything.
Akira's healing powers were put to the test as she worked to mend Kael's emotional wounds. She held his hands, and her touch sparked a warmth that spread through his body, soothing his pain and calming his fears. Tharros and Lyra's pack surrounded them, their presence a symbol of protection and safety.
As the days passed, Kael began to open up, sharing his story and his fears with Akira. She listened with compassion and understanding, and he found solace in her words and her presence. Tharros and Lyra's pack became his new family, and he began to see the world in a different light.
Akira knew that Kael's journey was far from over, but she also knew that he was strong enough to face his demons. She invited him to join them on their travels, and he accepted, eager to find purpose and belonging.
Together, the four of them – Akira, Tharros, Lyra's pack, and Kael – roamed the realm, bringing peace and harmony to the troubled lands. Kael learned to harness his own inner strength, and his presence became a beacon of hope for those they encountered.
As they journeyed, Akira realized that her powers were not just a gift, but a tool to help others heal and find their own path to peace. And with Kael by her side, she knew that she had found a true companion, one who understood the depth of her powers and the weight of her responsibilities.
Their travels took them to distant lands, where they encountered new challenges and made new friends. And through it all, Akira, Tharros, Lyra's pack, and Kael remained a symbol of hope and healing, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always a way forward, always a chance for peace and harmony to prevail.

I'd love to get the Lore Communitys input on naming my Adeptus Custodes custom Shield Host, especially with your insight into the lore at large.
I have built my army themed as the Shield Host that travels with Guilliman at the head of the Indomitus Crusade. With the blessing or the Emperor, making him Lord Regent of the Imperium, the Shield Host is charged with Protecting the Lord Regent, aiding the goals of the Crusade, and destroying any threat to Terra, the Emperor, or his will that may arise, the Regent himself if he ever turned on the Emperor as some of his brothers did before.
I have gone so far as to design a symbol for the Host, having made capes for every infantry unit in my army, a blue cape with a version of the Custodes logo on it, but instead of the Eagle in the I, it's the Ultramarine U.
For the last year and a half, I have just called them the Guard of Guilliman, but I feel like I can do better.
Some names I've been considering is; The Indomitus Contingency, and; Dues Ex Indomitus. But I am definitely open to other ideas, and I thought this community might give me the best chance of finding the most interesting names.
If you have questions ask away, and I have a plethora of pictures of the army, and the photoshopped logo to share if anyone's interested.