Can i drink expired codeine cough syrup
Movie Cliches
2019.04.07 16:11 Movie Cliches
This is a list of the most annoying and common logic flaws and stereotypes found in movies. Comments, additions and suggestions welcome!
2024.05.19 19:46 Remarkable_Safe4923 Any tips on how to make milk Tea and brown sugar syrup taste like the one in shops?
I been trying to make brown sugar milk tea with and without the tea but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Is there an added ingredients that boba shops put into the drinks? My drinks don't be coming out as creamy or flavorful.
I read some add coffee creamer powder to the milk tea but can I get the same effect if I use liquid creamer? Or does it affect the texture and taste?
I have tried concentrated milk and evaporated milk but it didn't taste all that it made it sweeter but I don't know if I just didn't put enough.
When I try to make brown sugar syrup what kind of sugar are they using because I do the same thing with just brown sugar and water but it taste nothing like the one in shops I had to put granulated sugar and vanilla extract to get a better taste. I know that the more molasses in the brown sugar the better its souppse to taste is that the key? The only brown sugar I can find is (Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar) I seen some Japanese black sugar and India Tree Dark Muscovado Sugar that are rich in molasses on Amazon but it's pricey.
Where and how do boba shops get their supplies from? I tried looking for online shops but I can't really find anything...
submitted by Remarkable_Safe4923 to boba [link] [comments]
I read some add coffee creamer powder to the milk tea but can I get the same effect if I use liquid creamer? Or does it affect the texture and taste?
I have tried concentrated milk and evaporated milk but it didn't taste all that it made it sweeter but I don't know if I just didn't put enough.
When I try to make brown sugar syrup what kind of sugar are they using because I do the same thing with just brown sugar and water but it taste nothing like the one in shops I had to put granulated sugar and vanilla extract to get a better taste. I know that the more molasses in the brown sugar the better its souppse to taste is that the key? The only brown sugar I can find is (Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar) I seen some Japanese black sugar and India Tree Dark Muscovado Sugar that are rich in molasses on Amazon but it's pricey.
Where and how do boba shops get their supplies from? I tried looking for online shops but I can't really find anything...
2024.05.19 19:15 Sunny_the_bunny Pain in lower abdomin. seen a gp but no answers
27F. I have been experiencing pain in what I assume, is my ovaries.
The best way to describe the pain is that it varies from an ache to a stabbing pain, and I get it in both sides (not necessarily at the same time, but sometimes it is usually the right side is worse)
I've been to my gp and she said it is probably just the feeling of ovulation, but this pain has probably been on and off for a couple of years now, and has no link to my period at all in terms of monthly timing (also I've had my period for over 10 years now and this has definitely not gone on for even half that time). It sometimes comes consistently for a couple of weeks, days, months even, and also can disappear for weeks/months before I feel it again. Sometimes it's constant and regular, othertimes I feel it most when I lay down so at night time. When I do have the pain, coughing, sneezing, bearing down, even pushing a wee out is enough to cause major stabbing pain, to the point I'm scared to cough or sneeze because it can be agonising for seconds to minutes afterwards.
Only medication I'm on is implanon, and I don't smoke/rarely drink.
submitted by Sunny_the_bunny to AskDocs [link] [comments]
The best way to describe the pain is that it varies from an ache to a stabbing pain, and I get it in both sides (not necessarily at the same time, but sometimes it is usually the right side is worse)
I've been to my gp and she said it is probably just the feeling of ovulation, but this pain has probably been on and off for a couple of years now, and has no link to my period at all in terms of monthly timing (also I've had my period for over 10 years now and this has definitely not gone on for even half that time). It sometimes comes consistently for a couple of weeks, days, months even, and also can disappear for weeks/months before I feel it again. Sometimes it's constant and regular, othertimes I feel it most when I lay down so at night time. When I do have the pain, coughing, sneezing, bearing down, even pushing a wee out is enough to cause major stabbing pain, to the point I'm scared to cough or sneeze because it can be agonising for seconds to minutes afterwards.
Only medication I'm on is implanon, and I don't smoke/rarely drink.
2024.05.19 18:57 mongous00005 Cough/Exertion headaches?
Hello, 35M here. It started like a month or two ago. I was coughing for 2 weeks. Got checked and got diagnosed by ENT with bacterial sinusitis. At this point, coughing gives me headache. Then I also get headache when sitting down but relieved by lying down. ENT told me it's not CSF leak, and it's quite rare to get it.
Fast forward a week, headache gone. Back to normal life.
2 weeks ago, I got another cough, then my head hurts when I cough. This time, only when coughing or straining. Feels like pressure comes from my back, to nape, to back of head. The headache lasts like a few seconds - most of the time stops after coughing (or laughing too much). I don't get headache when I poop, but I feel it when I strain my stomach/belly.
I made a mistake of doing google - primary and secondary cough headaches. Secondary ofcourse points to possible brain tumor.
Anything else besides that?
I would also note that I sometimes don't drink too much water, but I don't feel dehydrated nor thirsty. I am under stress at work too for the past couple of days.
Any ideas?
PS:
I don't take pain killers - it's not really bothering my day-to-day activities. I can work, clean house, take out trash, watch tv, cook, etc. It's only usually when I cough or forcefully strain my belly (like when pooping hard) that the headaches happen. And again, feels like it's crawling (super fast) from back, to nape (back of neck) then onto my head. I have no vision problems, nor dizzyness.
submitted by mongous00005 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Fast forward a week, headache gone. Back to normal life.
2 weeks ago, I got another cough, then my head hurts when I cough. This time, only when coughing or straining. Feels like pressure comes from my back, to nape, to back of head. The headache lasts like a few seconds - most of the time stops after coughing (or laughing too much). I don't get headache when I poop, but I feel it when I strain my stomach/belly.
I made a mistake of doing google - primary and secondary cough headaches. Secondary ofcourse points to possible brain tumor.
Anything else besides that?
I would also note that I sometimes don't drink too much water, but I don't feel dehydrated nor thirsty. I am under stress at work too for the past couple of days.
Any ideas?
PS:
I don't take pain killers - it's not really bothering my day-to-day activities. I can work, clean house, take out trash, watch tv, cook, etc. It's only usually when I cough or forcefully strain my belly (like when pooping hard) that the headaches happen. And again, feels like it's crawling (super fast) from back, to nape (back of neck) then onto my head. I have no vision problems, nor dizzyness.
2024.05.19 17:40 QuietAdvance9603 Brother got 3rd OWI and rest of family doesn't know yet
This is not my main account because friends and family know of that. Also, I'm new to Al-anon. I have never written a post this long in my life and I just kept typing. Thank you to anyone who reads this or responds.
TLDR: Estranged brother got 3rd OWI, will be going to jail, and will have a felony in his record. My parents and other brother don't know about it yet but my husband and I do. I don't know what to do.
My younger brother (31), let's call Alex, and I (33f) used to not get along very well as kids - we have loving parents but they were emotionally immature (still are) and dealing with their own generational trauma. In our early 20s, we worked through a lot and became best friends. Fast forward a few years, he got an owi. He told everyone he was at a party, his drink got spiked and he didn't know what to do so drove home. Something about the story didn't sit well with me but I ignored it at the time.
About a year later, due to several reasons, I offered for him to move into my house - most notably it was supposed to be for about 6 months so he could save money as I wouldn't charge him rent. At first things seemed to be normal. He worked odd hours while I worked 8 to 5 so we didn't see each other a lot. It was clear he was depressed but he didn't want to talk about it and I didn't pry - I suggested therapy, we hung out together more, and I assured him that I was here for him any time, night or day. We started having friction when he kept coming home loudly on weeknights between 2 and 3am, waking me up. At first I asked him to be quieter and when that didn't work, we had a meeting and set some house rules - if coming home on a weeknight, park in the driveway and enter the house through the basement (my house has a walkout basement and he lived in the basement).
Things were okay for a while. Alex decided he wanted to wait another year before going to grad school. Since things were going better, I offered for him to stay with me until he figured out what he wanted to do.
Fast forward a year, Alex had no plans of leaving and I started seeing my now husband, let's call him Ryan. Ryan got along with Alex wonderfully as well as the rest of my family. Around this time, Alex kept forgetting to use the basement entrance. One night when I heard him coming home, I went downstairs (to the first floor) to talk to him. Alex was very, very drunk. I was furious and yelled at him asking him what he was doing driving drunk. I did not handle it well. He mumbled and gave excuses and said he never did this and it was just an odd circumstance. He opened up about some of his traumas and that he was going to get help. I believed him. The next morning he acted totally normal and claimed he didn't remember any of our conversation. This was followed by many more encounters exactly like that.
I went to my parents with my concerns about Alex. Their response was very much that I was exaggerating that Alex was coming home drunk or had any problem related to alcohol. They basically said that he was an adult and could make his own decisions. I went to my older brother who basically had the same response butadded he'd reach out to Alex and check in on him.
One night, I went out with Ryan to a bar, started getting a migraine and went home early. Ryan ended up coming back to my house several hours later. He woke me up and said he had run into Alex who was incredibly drunk. I texted Alex to see if he needed me to get him an Uber or come pick him up. Immediately he texted back as saying one of his friends who was sober was about to drive him back to the house and crash in the basement for the night. About an hour later I got a phone call from Alex. He was very upset and very drunk as he explained he got a flat tire and didn't know what to do. When I get there, there is no 'friend' and the flat tire wasn't a flat tire, the tire was sideways (parallel to the ground) on the rim. I put him into my car and drove him straight to my parents house while he babbled about how he hit a curb before changing the story to say it was his friend who hit the curb then Alex called an Uber for the friend so said friend wouldn't have to wait around while the car got sorted. We got to my parents, I explained the situation and that very clearly their son is drunk, drove drunk again, and that they can handle him. Dad and I sort out the car and he drove it back to his house. The next morning, I get a call from my parents explaining that Alex wasn't drunk last night but was dealing with shock from hitting the curb. In not my best move, I erupted which resulted in me going low contact with my parents.
Things continued going downhill between Alex and myself. I started to avoid my house and spent most of my non working hours at Ryan's house. It got to the point that we only interacted when the house was trashed with garbage and moldy dishes (he stopped cleaning up after himself) or I tried to talk to him about his drinking which resulted in empty promises.
At this point, Alex gets another OWI. I tell him he needs to move out, that I can't enable his behavior and that he needs help and it's not something I can fix or change, that he has to be the one who wants to change. I tell him I would do anything for him and I love him but until he is ready to make changes I can't there for him. He moved out.
Many things happen in the next two years, most notably I almost died (surgery and several extended hospital stays) and I got married to Ryan (quick courthouse ceremony). Not a word from Alex throughout all this time. Ryan and I decided to have a wedding reception. My parents brought up inviting Alex to our reception - Ryan and I talk about it and decided Alex could attend if (1) He doesn't drink any alcohol (2) he takes accountability for his actions. We give Alex 8 months to do (2). He didn't. My parents tried to manipulate the situation once the time expired (a couple weeks before the reception) but Ryan and I stood very firm on our boundaries. Two days before the reception I received awful texts from Alex about how I'm the worst, how could I do this to Mom and Dad, and if I cared about our family at all, we would allow him to come. Again, we held our boundaries which caused a lot of friction with my parents and older brother but it was absolutely the best decision for me.
Once again fast forward months to 2 days ago. I've had no contact with Alex. My mother and I were hanging out and she drops a bunch of information about Alex - he is apparently doing even better with promotions at work, seeing a therapist, and is in a happy relationship. I wanted to believe this with every fiber of my being. I don't exactly know why but I had a strong feeling which led me to looked up Alex on my state's online court system (public court document system, if you search by first and last name, any legal proceeding a person is/was involved with shows up). And that's how I found out he got a third OWI (and a driving with a suspended license) in April followed by a search warrant that was executed at his apartment a couple weeks after that. His court date is this coming week. For the third offense, he will be going to jail for at least 30 days and lose his license for years. The 3rd offense is a felony. My parents and older brother do not know what is going on, it's very clear based on how they're acting and the future plans they've been making.
I am profoundly sad. My husband and I have discussed it and we think we are not going to say anything to anyone. The truth is going to come out but after the last several years, I don't think it should come from. I don't know what to do. I feel guilty that I didn't do enough and that I'm at fault.
submitted by QuietAdvance9603 to AlAnon [link] [comments]
TLDR: Estranged brother got 3rd OWI, will be going to jail, and will have a felony in his record. My parents and other brother don't know about it yet but my husband and I do. I don't know what to do.
My younger brother (31), let's call Alex, and I (33f) used to not get along very well as kids - we have loving parents but they were emotionally immature (still are) and dealing with their own generational trauma. In our early 20s, we worked through a lot and became best friends. Fast forward a few years, he got an owi. He told everyone he was at a party, his drink got spiked and he didn't know what to do so drove home. Something about the story didn't sit well with me but I ignored it at the time.
About a year later, due to several reasons, I offered for him to move into my house - most notably it was supposed to be for about 6 months so he could save money as I wouldn't charge him rent. At first things seemed to be normal. He worked odd hours while I worked 8 to 5 so we didn't see each other a lot. It was clear he was depressed but he didn't want to talk about it and I didn't pry - I suggested therapy, we hung out together more, and I assured him that I was here for him any time, night or day. We started having friction when he kept coming home loudly on weeknights between 2 and 3am, waking me up. At first I asked him to be quieter and when that didn't work, we had a meeting and set some house rules - if coming home on a weeknight, park in the driveway and enter the house through the basement (my house has a walkout basement and he lived in the basement).
Things were okay for a while. Alex decided he wanted to wait another year before going to grad school. Since things were going better, I offered for him to stay with me until he figured out what he wanted to do.
Fast forward a year, Alex had no plans of leaving and I started seeing my now husband, let's call him Ryan. Ryan got along with Alex wonderfully as well as the rest of my family. Around this time, Alex kept forgetting to use the basement entrance. One night when I heard him coming home, I went downstairs (to the first floor) to talk to him. Alex was very, very drunk. I was furious and yelled at him asking him what he was doing driving drunk. I did not handle it well. He mumbled and gave excuses and said he never did this and it was just an odd circumstance. He opened up about some of his traumas and that he was going to get help. I believed him. The next morning he acted totally normal and claimed he didn't remember any of our conversation. This was followed by many more encounters exactly like that.
I went to my parents with my concerns about Alex. Their response was very much that I was exaggerating that Alex was coming home drunk or had any problem related to alcohol. They basically said that he was an adult and could make his own decisions. I went to my older brother who basically had the same response butadded he'd reach out to Alex and check in on him.
One night, I went out with Ryan to a bar, started getting a migraine and went home early. Ryan ended up coming back to my house several hours later. He woke me up and said he had run into Alex who was incredibly drunk. I texted Alex to see if he needed me to get him an Uber or come pick him up. Immediately he texted back as saying one of his friends who was sober was about to drive him back to the house and crash in the basement for the night. About an hour later I got a phone call from Alex. He was very upset and very drunk as he explained he got a flat tire and didn't know what to do. When I get there, there is no 'friend' and the flat tire wasn't a flat tire, the tire was sideways (parallel to the ground) on the rim. I put him into my car and drove him straight to my parents house while he babbled about how he hit a curb before changing the story to say it was his friend who hit the curb then Alex called an Uber for the friend so said friend wouldn't have to wait around while the car got sorted. We got to my parents, I explained the situation and that very clearly their son is drunk, drove drunk again, and that they can handle him. Dad and I sort out the car and he drove it back to his house. The next morning, I get a call from my parents explaining that Alex wasn't drunk last night but was dealing with shock from hitting the curb. In not my best move, I erupted which resulted in me going low contact with my parents.
Things continued going downhill between Alex and myself. I started to avoid my house and spent most of my non working hours at Ryan's house. It got to the point that we only interacted when the house was trashed with garbage and moldy dishes (he stopped cleaning up after himself) or I tried to talk to him about his drinking which resulted in empty promises.
At this point, Alex gets another OWI. I tell him he needs to move out, that I can't enable his behavior and that he needs help and it's not something I can fix or change, that he has to be the one who wants to change. I tell him I would do anything for him and I love him but until he is ready to make changes I can't there for him. He moved out.
Many things happen in the next two years, most notably I almost died (surgery and several extended hospital stays) and I got married to Ryan (quick courthouse ceremony). Not a word from Alex throughout all this time. Ryan and I decided to have a wedding reception. My parents brought up inviting Alex to our reception - Ryan and I talk about it and decided Alex could attend if (1) He doesn't drink any alcohol (2) he takes accountability for his actions. We give Alex 8 months to do (2). He didn't. My parents tried to manipulate the situation once the time expired (a couple weeks before the reception) but Ryan and I stood very firm on our boundaries. Two days before the reception I received awful texts from Alex about how I'm the worst, how could I do this to Mom and Dad, and if I cared about our family at all, we would allow him to come. Again, we held our boundaries which caused a lot of friction with my parents and older brother but it was absolutely the best decision for me.
Once again fast forward months to 2 days ago. I've had no contact with Alex. My mother and I were hanging out and she drops a bunch of information about Alex - he is apparently doing even better with promotions at work, seeing a therapist, and is in a happy relationship. I wanted to believe this with every fiber of my being. I don't exactly know why but I had a strong feeling which led me to looked up Alex on my state's online court system (public court document system, if you search by first and last name, any legal proceeding a person is/was involved with shows up). And that's how I found out he got a third OWI (and a driving with a suspended license) in April followed by a search warrant that was executed at his apartment a couple weeks after that. His court date is this coming week. For the third offense, he will be going to jail for at least 30 days and lose his license for years. The 3rd offense is a felony. My parents and older brother do not know what is going on, it's very clear based on how they're acting and the future plans they've been making.
I am profoundly sad. My husband and I have discussed it and we think we are not going to say anything to anyone. The truth is going to come out but after the last several years, I don't think it should come from. I don't know what to do. I feel guilty that I didn't do enough and that I'm at fault.
2024.05.19 14:12 No_Implement8694 Subletter Left My Apartment in a Mess: Can I Keep the Deposit?
Hey everyone,
I sublet my apartment in Munich for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) and we both signed an agreement that I made. I stated that the €300 deposit would be refunded within 1 week to her bank account if she left the room clean and without any damage. I also reminded her once again in our conversation to always keep the room clean.
Unfortunately, she left the room dirty and not in the same condition that I gave her. Here’s what happened:
She also said the fruits in the refrigerator were meant to leave a good smell, which is a practice in her country. But they were all expired and caused a bad odor.
Her response included: "I was hoping to leave a small gesture of thanks, following my country sweet traditions like leaving milk and bread when you arrive, to show my gratitude." If that was her intention, she should have left something unopened or new, not used. After reading her explanation, I am even more annoyed. It would have been more acceptable if she had admitted she was wrong and either lazy or didn’t have time to throw everything away, rather than claiming the used food and trash were her country sweet traditions meant for me.
After I replied, she gave more excuses, saying her friend who helped her move out didn’t clean properly. But she’s the one who pays the rent and deposit, so it’s HER responsibility to clean the room, not her friend's. She also said she was in a rush to leave because her father recently had an accident and she needed to return to her country. But when I checked our conversation, she told me she was going back to her country in the first week of her rent period. So she had MORE THAN ENOUGH time to clean, organize, and pack everything. I don’t want to say her father's accident is made up, but leveraging his situation doesn’t sit right with me.
What do you guys think? Can I keep any of the deposit, and if so, how much? Thanks!
submitted by No_Implement8694 to LegaladviceGerman [link] [comments]
I sublet my apartment in Munich for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) and we both signed an agreement that I made. I stated that the €300 deposit would be refunded within 1 week to her bank account if she left the room clean and without any damage. I also reminded her once again in our conversation to always keep the room clean.
Unfortunately, she left the room dirty and not in the same condition that I gave her. Here’s what happened:
- I gave her a clean room, with an empty and clean fridge.
- She left me with some of her belongings (sandals, organizer) and a lot of trash (empty bottles, dirty plastics, empty coffee cups, empty yogurt containers, empty boxes like shoe boxes, milk cartons, a hair dryer box, etc.).
- There were many items left in the refrigerator, including expired fruits, opened cream, and half a beer, which caused a bad odor.
- The floor wasn't cleaned, and the bathroom drain was clogged.
- Some of my kitchen tools were not cleaned properly; the pan is burned on the bottom, and my cutting board has turned yellow. She even left a dirty pot lid in the clean drying rack.
- The most troubling issue is the excessive ice buildup in the refrigerator, which has never happened in the nearly three years I’ve lived here. I can’t even put the refrigerator rack back because of the ice buildup.
She also said the fruits in the refrigerator were meant to leave a good smell, which is a practice in her country. But they were all expired and caused a bad odor.
Her response included: "I was hoping to leave a small gesture of thanks, following my country sweet traditions like leaving milk and bread when you arrive, to show my gratitude." If that was her intention, she should have left something unopened or new, not used. After reading her explanation, I am even more annoyed. It would have been more acceptable if she had admitted she was wrong and either lazy or didn’t have time to throw everything away, rather than claiming the used food and trash were her country sweet traditions meant for me.
After I replied, she gave more excuses, saying her friend who helped her move out didn’t clean properly. But she’s the one who pays the rent and deposit, so it’s HER responsibility to clean the room, not her friend's. She also said she was in a rush to leave because her father recently had an accident and she needed to return to her country. But when I checked our conversation, she told me she was going back to her country in the first week of her rent period. So she had MORE THAN ENOUGH time to clean, organize, and pack everything. I don’t want to say her father's accident is made up, but leveraging his situation doesn’t sit right with me.
What do you guys think? Can I keep any of the deposit, and if so, how much? Thanks!
2024.05.19 14:09 No_Implement8694 Germany: Subletter Left My Apartment in a Mess. Can I Keep the Deposit?
Hey everyone,
I sublet my apartment in Munich for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) and we both signed an agreement that I made. I stated that the €300 deposit would be refunded within 1 week to her bank account if she left the room clean and without any damage. I also reminded her once again in our conversation to always keep the room clean.
Unfortunately, she left the room dirty and not in the same condition that I gave her. Here’s what happened:
She also said the fruits in the refrigerator were meant to leave a good smell, which is a practice in her country. But they were all expired and caused a bad odor.
Her response included: "I was hoping to leave a small gesture of thanks, following my country sweet traditions like leaving milk and bread when you arrive, to show my gratitude." If that was her intention, she should have left something unopened or new, not used. After reading her explanation, I am even more annoyed. It would have been more acceptable if she had admitted she was wrong and either lazy or didn’t have time to throw everything away, rather than claiming the used food and trash were her country sweet traditions meant for me.
After I replied, she gave more excuses, saying her friend who helped her move out didn’t clean properly. But she’s the one who pays the rent and deposit, so it’s HER responsibility to clean the room, not her friend's. She also said she was in a rush to leave because her father recently had an accident and she needed to return to her country. But when I checked our conversation, she told me she was going back to her country in the first week of her rent period. So she had MORE THAN ENOUGH time to clean, organize, and pack everything. I don’t want to say her father's accident is made up, but leveraging his situation doesn’t sit right with me.
What do you guys think? Can I keep any of the deposit, and if so, how much? Thanks!
submitted by No_Implement8694 to LegalAdviceEurope [link] [comments]
I sublet my apartment in Munich for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) and we both signed an agreement that I made. I stated that the €300 deposit would be refunded within 1 week to her bank account if she left the room clean and without any damage. I also reminded her once again in our conversation to always keep the room clean.
Unfortunately, she left the room dirty and not in the same condition that I gave her. Here’s what happened:
- I gave her a clean room, with an empty and clean fridge.
- She left me with some of her belongings (sandals, organizer) and a lot of trash (empty bottles, dirty plastics, empty coffee cups, empty yogurt containers, empty boxes like shoe boxes, milk cartons, a hair dryer box, etc.).
- There were many items left in the refrigerator, including expired fruits, opened cream, and half a beer, which caused a bad odor.
- The floor wasn't cleaned, and the bathroom drain was clogged.
- Some of my kitchen tools were not cleaned properly; the pan is burned on the bottom, and my cutting board has turned yellow. She even left a dirty pot lid in the clean drying rack.
- The most troubling issue is the excessive ice buildup in the refrigerator, which has never happened in the nearly three years I’ve lived here. I can’t even put the refrigerator rack back because of the ice buildup.
She also said the fruits in the refrigerator were meant to leave a good smell, which is a practice in her country. But they were all expired and caused a bad odor.
Her response included: "I was hoping to leave a small gesture of thanks, following my country sweet traditions like leaving milk and bread when you arrive, to show my gratitude." If that was her intention, she should have left something unopened or new, not used. After reading her explanation, I am even more annoyed. It would have been more acceptable if she had admitted she was wrong and either lazy or didn’t have time to throw everything away, rather than claiming the used food and trash were her country sweet traditions meant for me.
After I replied, she gave more excuses, saying her friend who helped her move out didn’t clean properly. But she’s the one who pays the rent and deposit, so it’s HER responsibility to clean the room, not her friend's. She also said she was in a rush to leave because her father recently had an accident and she needed to return to her country. But when I checked our conversation, she told me she was going back to her country in the first week of her rent period. So she had MORE THAN ENOUGH time to clean, organize, and pack everything. I don’t want to say her father's accident is made up, but leveraging his situation doesn’t sit right with me.
What do you guys think? Can I keep any of the deposit, and if so, how much? Thanks!
2024.05.19 12:17 PossibleEffective504 Is there any hope? (m, 26)
I am in a pretty bad condition since i had a severe throat infection (probably covid) in august 2022.
I had severe productive cough for weeks , and after it finally got better, I constantly cough in the morning and have globus sensation and pain in my throat throughout the whole day.
Since then visited several doctors, had 3 endoscopies, pH Testing, and several more tests.
They saw some inflammations in my lower esophagus and 1 doctor saw that my sphincter isnt closing properly.
My ph Testing came back normal.
They put me on PPI for 3 months but all i got was stomach cramps, and it didnt help at all.
After half a year of pain i read some studies that pregabaline and xanax helps to reduce the nerve pain so i considered it worth a try especially since all the doctors didnt know anything else to try apart from PPI.
Surprisingly my symptoms got better on 3x150mg pregabaline and 3x0.5mg alprazolame daily so i stayed on them.
What also generally seemed to help is drinking less generally (went from 2 L of water a day to maybe 1 L) and also eating less and only 3 times per day.
Eating less and less is hard though bc i am already only 70kg on 6’1ft.
Unfortunately i always have a lot of ups and downs with my symptoms.
Sometimes i am good for weeks, even months - longest period without severe symptoms was around 4 months at the beginning of this year.
But the last 4 weeks have been horrible again.
Waking up with severe throat pain, coughing in the morning, then feeling the throat pain throughout the day.
I was also thinking it might have something to do with me using my voice too much. I used to work in a remote sales job and i had 3-4 hours of zoom meetings a day with me mostly talking.
But i switched my job and now it is maybe 1 hour of talking per day, sometimes less.
However i dont really feel better.
I know im hooked on the benzos and pregabaline but since they help atleast sometimes i dont wanna wean off of them and also i am not abusing them for getting high. I see them purely as medicine and dont take more than what im taking everyday.
I just feel hopeless because i always have these phases where i feel really bad.
Past 4 weeks have been horrible.
I dont even know what is causing those flare ups since i dont change my lifestyle.
Only issue i could think of is maybe mental stress.
I havent held a special diet - i lived very healthy all my life. No smoking, barely any processed food.
Mostly plain natural foods (rice, beans, beef, chicken, eggs, butter, green vegetables).
The worst part about it is that i feel like i cant even enjoy social activities when i have the flareups. I just feel like sleeping all day. Since talking a lot also seems to make it worse.
Anyone can relate?
Btw i find it interesting that barely anyone talks about the positive effects of pregabaline and lowdose benzos.
Without them i dont know where i would be today. They have brought me weeks and months witth barely any symptoms.
I think as long as there is no effective medicine against LPR yet, doctors should focus on pain reduction.
Benzos and pregabaline work 6/10, sometimes well sometimes not at all.
I wonder if opiates would do a better job but i am worried about a possible opiate addiction. I would definitely need any success stories before starting with them. Also considering the side effects.
submitted by PossibleEffective504 to GERD [link] [comments]
I had severe productive cough for weeks , and after it finally got better, I constantly cough in the morning and have globus sensation and pain in my throat throughout the whole day.
Since then visited several doctors, had 3 endoscopies, pH Testing, and several more tests.
They saw some inflammations in my lower esophagus and 1 doctor saw that my sphincter isnt closing properly.
My ph Testing came back normal.
They put me on PPI for 3 months but all i got was stomach cramps, and it didnt help at all.
After half a year of pain i read some studies that pregabaline and xanax helps to reduce the nerve pain so i considered it worth a try especially since all the doctors didnt know anything else to try apart from PPI.
Surprisingly my symptoms got better on 3x150mg pregabaline and 3x0.5mg alprazolame daily so i stayed on them.
What also generally seemed to help is drinking less generally (went from 2 L of water a day to maybe 1 L) and also eating less and only 3 times per day.
Eating less and less is hard though bc i am already only 70kg on 6’1ft.
Unfortunately i always have a lot of ups and downs with my symptoms.
Sometimes i am good for weeks, even months - longest period without severe symptoms was around 4 months at the beginning of this year.
But the last 4 weeks have been horrible again.
Waking up with severe throat pain, coughing in the morning, then feeling the throat pain throughout the day.
I was also thinking it might have something to do with me using my voice too much. I used to work in a remote sales job and i had 3-4 hours of zoom meetings a day with me mostly talking.
But i switched my job and now it is maybe 1 hour of talking per day, sometimes less.
However i dont really feel better.
I know im hooked on the benzos and pregabaline but since they help atleast sometimes i dont wanna wean off of them and also i am not abusing them for getting high. I see them purely as medicine and dont take more than what im taking everyday.
I just feel hopeless because i always have these phases where i feel really bad.
Past 4 weeks have been horrible.
I dont even know what is causing those flare ups since i dont change my lifestyle.
Only issue i could think of is maybe mental stress.
I havent held a special diet - i lived very healthy all my life. No smoking, barely any processed food.
Mostly plain natural foods (rice, beans, beef, chicken, eggs, butter, green vegetables).
The worst part about it is that i feel like i cant even enjoy social activities when i have the flareups. I just feel like sleeping all day. Since talking a lot also seems to make it worse.
Anyone can relate?
Btw i find it interesting that barely anyone talks about the positive effects of pregabaline and lowdose benzos.
Without them i dont know where i would be today. They have brought me weeks and months witth barely any symptoms.
I think as long as there is no effective medicine against LPR yet, doctors should focus on pain reduction.
Benzos and pregabaline work 6/10, sometimes well sometimes not at all.
I wonder if opiates would do a better job but i am worried about a possible opiate addiction. I would definitely need any success stories before starting with them. Also considering the side effects.
2024.05.19 11:48 Royal-Employer5355 Help:’) (with jupiter)
 | Im kinda late to the game but hopefully someone will be able to answer my questions. Im assuming you can only make the second and third drink for him if you got 3 clouds on the first drink? Ive only received 2 clouds for every drink so thats my conclusion, lmk if im wrong about that. But also, if he likes EVERYTHING i put in the drink (matcha syrup not listed but thats the ingredient he asked for), then why did i only get 2 clouds? How can i get three if i only get 2 when he likes everything? Does that mean if i added something else he wouldve liked it more?? Im so confused. Thanks in advance for any advice!! submitted by Royal-Employer5355 to BobaStory [link] [comments] |
2024.05.19 11:01 pipted Universal Studios Japan day report, with kids aged 8 and 11
I thought I’d add a trip report for Universal Studios Japan as I found some of this detail was hard to find online (e.g. the opening time!) My husband and kids (aged 8 and 11) visited USJ on a weekday in mid April.
Tickets: All purchased through Klook without any problems. Printed at home to save the hassle of flicking through four passes on my phone every time. We bought the 7 Express Pass which was worth every cent. We also bought the Early Entry studio pass, designed to let us in 15 minutes early. That wasn’t entirely accurate, see paragraph below!
Entry times: We had read online that the park opens an hour before the posted time. Not today! The posted time was 9am, and we turned up at 8:15. The park opened at around 8:40. At this time, the regular lines and the Early Entry lines opened all at once. But it was still definitely worth buying the Early Entry pass, because the lines were much, MUCH shorter. If you’re using an Early Entry pass, just show the attendants when you turn up and they’ll direct you to the Early Entry lines.
Super Nintendo World: We had already reserved an entry time for Super Nintendo World at 10:50 through our express passes, but we didn’t want to wait. We checked the app as we walked in at 8:50, and we could get an entry time to SNW at 9:10. We went straight there, lined up, and they let us in 15 minutes early! We found the same for all of our express passes too: They would allow us in at least 10 minutes earlier. Perhaps it’s because it wasn’t a particularly crowded day (still crowded, but not a weekend or holiday). In brief, SNW is everything you’ve seen online, but so spectacular in person.
SNW power up bands: We bought these at the first kiosk, but should’ve followed the advice online and walked further into the area. There were power up band kiosks with no queues inside. We didn’t really get much value for money out of these: the kids had fun hitting the blocks and coins and interacting with them a little on the rides, but they couldn’t be bothered to wait in the long queues for the more elaborate games. There’s a big challenge which requires playing several games to collect keys to enter a boss level. It probably would have taken an extra hour or two, but we were ready to go on more rides.
Jaws: We went on this next, but there was no need for a fast pass as the queue was very short. It was entertaining enough despite being in Japanese. We would have preferred to ride the Hollywood roller coaster; our 7 express pass had that as an alternative to Jaws, but unfortunately it’s currently closed.
Minions Mayhem: This was the best 3D movie ride I had ever been on (until we went on Soaring at DisneySea!). Both are excellent. The intro videos have English subtitles; the main 3D movie ride didn’t, but there wasn’t much dialogue. Very fun, enjoyed by all. Walked past the other Minions ride, Freeze Ray Sliders, but looked like a version of spinning teacups, not worth the ever-lengthening queue times.
Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge: Probably our favourite ride for the day. It’s a combination ride / 3D movie / interactive experience with virtual goggles – worth every bit for the express pass, and worth the queue if you don’t have an express pass!
Yoshi’s Adventure: Very much a young kids’ ride and can be skipped! Even our kids looked bored. There are good views, but not much that you can’t see elsewhere. (As an aside, the two best views of the not-yet-opened Donkey Kong Country were found at the peak of the Flight of the Hippogriff rollercoaster, and on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel which we visited the day before.)
Flying Dinosaur: Our 11-year-old doesn’t like extreme roller coasters, but our 8-year-old was unsure as she has liked some bigger roller coasters before. We decided that my husband and I would ride it while the kids watched (and took videos, hilarious) and we could tell her afterwards if it was too scary. DEFINITELY too scary, haha. I love roller coasters, and I closed my eyes in parts. I’m so glad I did it, but it’s not for the faint-of-heart.
Jurassic Park meet and greet: We happened to walk past as the dinosaurs were coming out. Cute for the kids, but not worth structuring your day around. I wish the Jurassic Park log flume ride was open, but it’s currently still closed.
Waterworld: We queued for this 20 minutes before show time, but we needn’t have bothered, as the seating area was huge. They were still letting people in as the performance began, and none were having trouble finding seats. We could have chosen the front row, but we sat slightly behind the ‘splash zone’ so we wouldn’t get wet. Sitting higher up afforded a better view too, but views would have been good from anywhere. The plot was simple enough to follow without understanding Japanese – fun and good for a long rest for our already tired feet!
Hogsmeade: Utterly stunning, all of it: The shops, the food, the performances (singing frogs and magical beasts turned up regularly). We ate at the Three Broomsticks, which appeared crowded with a long queue, but with an app to order, it cleared quickly enough. There were plenty of empty tables out the back, with a view across the lake to Hogwarts! My kids had wanted to try butterbeer for so long, but it was sickly sweet, like bubbly maple syrup. It was quite difficult to find a place to dispose of the rest of the drink so we could take the souvenir cups home, but eventually we just dumped the contents in the bathroom sink.
Interactive wands: These were much better value for our kids, and they took part in five of the seven interactive spells before exhaustion hit at the end of the day. The first (wingardium leviosa!) was not being managed by staff, so it was hard to get it to work. It had about a 50% success rate. The later ones were all managed by very kind and patient staff (who also happened to speak excellent English) who allowed each guest to keep trying until it worked. It meant the queues were slow-moving, but most were short enough, and my kids were happy to wait while they watched others attempting the spells.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: We were so excited for this one, but it scared both my kids a bit! The 8-year-old because of the giant dementors (both on-screen and big animatronics), and the 11-year-old because the chair actually tipped a really long way back and forward. She was worried we would go right upside-down, but we didn’t. It was a lot more intense than we had expected. I really loved it, but be careful if you have sensitive kids.
Flight of the Hippogriff: This is a pretty tame roller coaster, and I’m not sure why people would queue two hours for it. The kids loved it, though. One warning: my six foot tall husband had to be moved to the front row as his legs didn’t fit!
Minions Mayhem again: We noticed on the app that there was only a 10 minute queue for Minions Mayhem, so my husband and 8-year-old had another go. A 10 minute queue means no queue at all, as it takes 10 minutes to walk through and watch the intro videos. We checked the app, and all the more popular rides still had huge queues, so decided to call it a day.
All up, we were there from opening to 6pm, and were utterly exhausted by the end of it. Plan a quieter day for afterwards, if you can! And we were very jealous of the people staying in the hotel right by the park – in hindsight it would have been worth the extra packing and unpacking to shift to that hotel for the night before and/or after.
submitted by pipted to JapanTravelTips [link] [comments]
Tickets: All purchased through Klook without any problems. Printed at home to save the hassle of flicking through four passes on my phone every time. We bought the 7 Express Pass which was worth every cent. We also bought the Early Entry studio pass, designed to let us in 15 minutes early. That wasn’t entirely accurate, see paragraph below!
Entry times: We had read online that the park opens an hour before the posted time. Not today! The posted time was 9am, and we turned up at 8:15. The park opened at around 8:40. At this time, the regular lines and the Early Entry lines opened all at once. But it was still definitely worth buying the Early Entry pass, because the lines were much, MUCH shorter. If you’re using an Early Entry pass, just show the attendants when you turn up and they’ll direct you to the Early Entry lines.
Super Nintendo World: We had already reserved an entry time for Super Nintendo World at 10:50 through our express passes, but we didn’t want to wait. We checked the app as we walked in at 8:50, and we could get an entry time to SNW at 9:10. We went straight there, lined up, and they let us in 15 minutes early! We found the same for all of our express passes too: They would allow us in at least 10 minutes earlier. Perhaps it’s because it wasn’t a particularly crowded day (still crowded, but not a weekend or holiday). In brief, SNW is everything you’ve seen online, but so spectacular in person.
SNW power up bands: We bought these at the first kiosk, but should’ve followed the advice online and walked further into the area. There were power up band kiosks with no queues inside. We didn’t really get much value for money out of these: the kids had fun hitting the blocks and coins and interacting with them a little on the rides, but they couldn’t be bothered to wait in the long queues for the more elaborate games. There’s a big challenge which requires playing several games to collect keys to enter a boss level. It probably would have taken an extra hour or two, but we were ready to go on more rides.
Jaws: We went on this next, but there was no need for a fast pass as the queue was very short. It was entertaining enough despite being in Japanese. We would have preferred to ride the Hollywood roller coaster; our 7 express pass had that as an alternative to Jaws, but unfortunately it’s currently closed.
Minions Mayhem: This was the best 3D movie ride I had ever been on (until we went on Soaring at DisneySea!). Both are excellent. The intro videos have English subtitles; the main 3D movie ride didn’t, but there wasn’t much dialogue. Very fun, enjoyed by all. Walked past the other Minions ride, Freeze Ray Sliders, but looked like a version of spinning teacups, not worth the ever-lengthening queue times.
Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge: Probably our favourite ride for the day. It’s a combination ride / 3D movie / interactive experience with virtual goggles – worth every bit for the express pass, and worth the queue if you don’t have an express pass!
Yoshi’s Adventure: Very much a young kids’ ride and can be skipped! Even our kids looked bored. There are good views, but not much that you can’t see elsewhere. (As an aside, the two best views of the not-yet-opened Donkey Kong Country were found at the peak of the Flight of the Hippogriff rollercoaster, and on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel which we visited the day before.)
Flying Dinosaur: Our 11-year-old doesn’t like extreme roller coasters, but our 8-year-old was unsure as she has liked some bigger roller coasters before. We decided that my husband and I would ride it while the kids watched (and took videos, hilarious) and we could tell her afterwards if it was too scary. DEFINITELY too scary, haha. I love roller coasters, and I closed my eyes in parts. I’m so glad I did it, but it’s not for the faint-of-heart.
Jurassic Park meet and greet: We happened to walk past as the dinosaurs were coming out. Cute for the kids, but not worth structuring your day around. I wish the Jurassic Park log flume ride was open, but it’s currently still closed.
Waterworld: We queued for this 20 minutes before show time, but we needn’t have bothered, as the seating area was huge. They were still letting people in as the performance began, and none were having trouble finding seats. We could have chosen the front row, but we sat slightly behind the ‘splash zone’ so we wouldn’t get wet. Sitting higher up afforded a better view too, but views would have been good from anywhere. The plot was simple enough to follow without understanding Japanese – fun and good for a long rest for our already tired feet!
Hogsmeade: Utterly stunning, all of it: The shops, the food, the performances (singing frogs and magical beasts turned up regularly). We ate at the Three Broomsticks, which appeared crowded with a long queue, but with an app to order, it cleared quickly enough. There were plenty of empty tables out the back, with a view across the lake to Hogwarts! My kids had wanted to try butterbeer for so long, but it was sickly sweet, like bubbly maple syrup. It was quite difficult to find a place to dispose of the rest of the drink so we could take the souvenir cups home, but eventually we just dumped the contents in the bathroom sink.
Interactive wands: These were much better value for our kids, and they took part in five of the seven interactive spells before exhaustion hit at the end of the day. The first (wingardium leviosa!) was not being managed by staff, so it was hard to get it to work. It had about a 50% success rate. The later ones were all managed by very kind and patient staff (who also happened to speak excellent English) who allowed each guest to keep trying until it worked. It meant the queues were slow-moving, but most were short enough, and my kids were happy to wait while they watched others attempting the spells.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: We were so excited for this one, but it scared both my kids a bit! The 8-year-old because of the giant dementors (both on-screen and big animatronics), and the 11-year-old because the chair actually tipped a really long way back and forward. She was worried we would go right upside-down, but we didn’t. It was a lot more intense than we had expected. I really loved it, but be careful if you have sensitive kids.
Flight of the Hippogriff: This is a pretty tame roller coaster, and I’m not sure why people would queue two hours for it. The kids loved it, though. One warning: my six foot tall husband had to be moved to the front row as his legs didn’t fit!
Minions Mayhem again: We noticed on the app that there was only a 10 minute queue for Minions Mayhem, so my husband and 8-year-old had another go. A 10 minute queue means no queue at all, as it takes 10 minutes to walk through and watch the intro videos. We checked the app, and all the more popular rides still had huge queues, so decided to call it a day.
All up, we were there from opening to 6pm, and were utterly exhausted by the end of it. Plan a quieter day for afterwards, if you can! And we were very jealous of the people staying in the hotel right by the park – in hindsight it would have been worth the extra packing and unpacking to shift to that hotel for the night before and/or after.
2024.05.19 10:26 reisej2011 Does anybody know where I can get the syrup version of Dr Pepper in the UK? (The one used for fountain drinks)
submitted by reisej2011 to DrPepper [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 09:44 Character_Industry83 parents make me insecure help :(
parents say I have bad breath, super insecure?
Help please!! my parents would complain here and there that I have bad breath, it’s mostly my dad now but they both say I should drink more water. I honestly feel like I do drink water, at least as much as an average person?
No one else has ever complained I think. My boyfriend hasn’t ever showed any signs that my breath stinks, kisses me and everything. And my friends don’t seem like they try to maintain their distance or sit farther away. If anything I feel like whenever I feel my mouth is dry i start to get super paranoid and insecure and try to isolate myself.
I try breathing into my hands, the lick test. And I don’t really smell anything?? and the lick test just smells like saliva, albeit sometimes stronger if I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. I brush twice a day and eat mints and brush my tongue and everything. It’s starting to affect my life i can’t stop walking around without being obsessed with trying to smell my breath. Is it really that bad??? What’s a foolproof way to check??
I did have a terrible acid reflux problem in the past but i haven’t had a flare up in a long while. Sometimes I cough up a tonsil stone and gross ik but I try smelling it but there’s no smell :’) what else can I do to really make sure i don’t have bad breath
submitted by Character_Industry83 to badbreath [link] [comments]
Help please!! my parents would complain here and there that I have bad breath, it’s mostly my dad now but they both say I should drink more water. I honestly feel like I do drink water, at least as much as an average person?
No one else has ever complained I think. My boyfriend hasn’t ever showed any signs that my breath stinks, kisses me and everything. And my friends don’t seem like they try to maintain their distance or sit farther away. If anything I feel like whenever I feel my mouth is dry i start to get super paranoid and insecure and try to isolate myself.
I try breathing into my hands, the lick test. And I don’t really smell anything?? and the lick test just smells like saliva, albeit sometimes stronger if I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. I brush twice a day and eat mints and brush my tongue and everything. It’s starting to affect my life i can’t stop walking around without being obsessed with trying to smell my breath. Is it really that bad??? What’s a foolproof way to check??
I did have a terrible acid reflux problem in the past but i haven’t had a flare up in a long while. Sometimes I cough up a tonsil stone and gross ik but I try smelling it but there’s no smell :’) what else can I do to really make sure i don’t have bad breath
2024.05.19 09:38 Character_Industry83 parents say I have bad breath, super insecure?
Help please!! my parents would complain here and there that I have bad breath, it’s mostly my dad now but they both say I should drink more water. I honestly feel like I do drink water, at least as much as an average person?
No one else has ever complained I think. My boyfriend hasn’t ever showed any signs that my breath stinks, kisses me and everything. And my friends don’t seem like they try to maintain their distance or sit farther away. If anything I feel like whenever I feel my mouth is dry i start to get super paranoid and insecure and try to isolate myself.
I try breathing into my hands, the lick test. And I don’t really smell anything?? and the lick test just smells like saliva, albeit sometimes stronger if I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. I brush twice a day and eat mints and brush my tongue and everything. It’s starting to affect my life i can’t stop walking around without being obsessed with trying to smell my breath. Is it really that bad??? What’s a foolproof way to check??
I did have a terrible acid reflux problem in the past but i haven’t had a flare up in a long while. Sometimes I cough up a tonsil stone and gross ik but I try smelling it but there’s no smell :’) what else can I do to really make sure i don’t have bad breath
submitted by Character_Industry83 to Advice [link] [comments]
No one else has ever complained I think. My boyfriend hasn’t ever showed any signs that my breath stinks, kisses me and everything. And my friends don’t seem like they try to maintain their distance or sit farther away. If anything I feel like whenever I feel my mouth is dry i start to get super paranoid and insecure and try to isolate myself.
I try breathing into my hands, the lick test. And I don’t really smell anything?? and the lick test just smells like saliva, albeit sometimes stronger if I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. I brush twice a day and eat mints and brush my tongue and everything. It’s starting to affect my life i can’t stop walking around without being obsessed with trying to smell my breath. Is it really that bad??? What’s a foolproof way to check??
I did have a terrible acid reflux problem in the past but i haven’t had a flare up in a long while. Sometimes I cough up a tonsil stone and gross ik but I try smelling it but there’s no smell :’) what else can I do to really make sure i don’t have bad breath
2024.05.19 07:29 Grand_Reanimation Chapter 4: Directions of Destiny
 | [Self-note: "///" means a change in the scene took place] …Suddenly an unknown person appears behind Veer. submitted by Grand_Reanimation to GoldenFeathers [link] [comments] "Yo! Mind if I sit with you guys for lunch." ... "Yes, we mind. Please fuck off." Said Veer with a playful sarcastic tone while not knowing who was standing behind him. "Bruhhhh," Abhi replied with a discouraged tone. Wait, it's him, we can get to know him right now. Veer better not ruin this opportunity. Dep and Kevin thought to themselves. "He is just goofin' around. Come sit with us." Kevin reassures him while displaying a forced smile. "What, why are we letting someone sit with us? Asked Veer without realizing who was behind him. "Turn around you freaking moron" Dep whispered to Veer. Ain't no way. It's him, it's Abhi. "Damn, almost got me ha-ha." Said Abhi with an awkward smile while standing behind Veer. " cough my bad cough I just can't help myself. Gotta do a little bit of trolling ya know..." Said Veer after realizing that the key to unlock the truth had walked towards them with its own two legs. "It's all right… If y'all forgot about me, I'm-". "Abhi! Your Abhi. We know you mate. Only one person had an intro we didn't immediately forget the next minute." Said Kevin. "Yeah, everyone was shocked. Are you really from Rakvill?" Veer asked nonchalantly. "Yes." Answered Abhi bluntly, in a second, he continued: "Also, it's been a few hours so I could have forgotten some of y'all names by now. Can I double-check because the last thing we want is not knowing each other's names for years to come right?". "Yeah, it's fine." Said Dep. The three of them were going to reintroduce themselves but Abhi started speaking before they even got a chance to. "Veer, the Orange-haired skinny dude who likes MMA." Said Abhi while pointing at Veer who was sitting next to him. "Damn! That's a description." Said Veer. "I'm sorry, that's just how I memorize things. It's a habit… actually more like an instinct." "Okie dokie." Said Veer. "Kevin, the big black buff dude. I mean, the dude with long black hair who likes going to the gym?" "I'll take that as a compliment ha-ha." Said Kevin. "And… Deep?" "Nuhuh, it's Dep. Also, why don't I get a Memory Description as well, huh?" Said Dep. "Oh sorry, I'll try next time." Replied Abhi. "Heh, so you are gonna forget my name again? So bad, at least you could have mentioned my pretty brown hair." Said Dep in a silly grumpy tone while pouting her lips. "Stop pulling his leg." Said Kevin. "Ha-ha, it's fine." Said Abhi. "By the way, Is Abhi like a shortened name? I go by Dep, shortened from Deepika, so is your real name Abhishek or Abhijit?" Asked Dep "No, it's just Abhi; which literally just means 'Now' Quite funny, isn't it." "Pretty cool yeah." Said Veer. "Nice, so when did you come to town?" Asked Kevin in an attempt to pry into the mystery behind Abhi. "Just a few months ago... I also have a part-time job after school." Said Abhi. "Oh, so did you leave Rakvill around the end of last year?" Asked Kevin. "Maybe…. I don't exactly remember." Answered Abhi. "Really? Wasn't that around the time the war had ended?" Said Veer. Kevin subtly looks at Veer, gazing at him with his piercing eyes. Expressing displeasure over Veer asking that question. "I don't know, by the way, my job gives me a house to live in as a bonus," Said Abhi, perhaps in an attempt to divert from the trio's questions. "Hey, that's pretty cool, I do hear about some hard jobs giving these types of facilities from my father." Said Dep with an energetic tone to Abhi. "Well, it's work at a steel factory, so it's as hard as it gets around here, no pun intended." Said Abhi while softly chuckling. The rest of the group also lets out a giggle which eases the atmosphere a bit. "Great, by the way, I wanted to ask if you know anything about incident 99 of Rakv-" Kevin gets interrupted while finishing his sentence. "Heyyy Abhi, wanna try some of Paneer Tikka?" Veer interrupted that question, giving Kevin the same piercing gaze he received from him just moments before. "Oh thanks, Veer but I'll have to pass, you don't have much food left." "Ay, don't worry 'bout it, I ate plenty. You can eat as much as you want. Well, I wouldn't mind sharing your food either, my parents don't want me to eat the Mid-day meal, and the food lady rats me out if I get some without my parent's permission, so I really would like to try some. Equivalent Exchange ya know." "Ha-ha, Alright then I'll appreciate your Paneer Tikka, my friend," Said Abhi in a light-hearted comical tone. "Ha-ha, go ahead, it's all yours." Veer slid his tiffin box towards Abhi, and then Abhi joined his hands and said a quick prayer. He takes a bite of the food and, for a second sits there silently staring at nothing. "Wow, it's amazing, Veer. Thank your mom for me please." Said Abhi while slowly chewing the bite in his mouth. "Sure, though my chef made the dish, not my mom." Said Veer. "Oh… Well, say thanks to your chef as well then." Said Abhi in a silly tone "Sure ha-ha." Veer chuckled back at Abhi. "I need to go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back" Said Abhi, then he slowly stood up and walked away. The group gazed at Abhi while he slowly walked towards the building, they did not speak a single word until he finally entered the school building. As soon as he was out of sight: "That was sudden." Said Dep while gazing at the entrance of the building where Abhi was last seen. "Kevin, you dummy, what if he left because of you." Said Veer with a stern irritated voice. "What did I do?" Said Kevin while creasing his eyebrows in confusion. "Weren't you piercing me with those gloomy eyes of yours when I was asking Abhi about the exact time he left Rakvill?" Said Veer "Yeah, asking that question was too personal, too quick. He could've become suspicious of why you were digging for information so hard." Replied Kevin. "So why did you go straight to asking about incident 99? Wouldn't it be even worse?" Said Veer. "..." Kevin knitted his eyebrows while he thought about Veer's words in silence. "Fair point, my bad. So how do we get this information from him without raising suspicion?" Said Kevin. "I agree, asking about the incident 99 might be a bit too personal for him. Then what if we…" Dep proposed a plan to 'naturally' get that information out of Abhi. "That works" Replied Kevin and Veer together. /// A few minutes later, Abhi walked out of the school building. He then walked towards the tree the group was sitting under and greeted them. "Hey, I'm back." Said Abhi, but to him, everyone seemed to be deep in a conversation and didn't notice him. He sits down silently on his own beside Veer. "Yeah, and do you think this has something to do with the incident 99… Oh hey didn't see you there Abhi." Said Veer turning to look at Abhi while acting as if he took a pause from a deep conversation. "Hey..." Said Abhi with an awkward smile. He starts to eat his mid-day meal again, alongside a little bit of the Paneer Tikka Veer kept aside for him. "Hey Veer, thanks for keeping a share of your food for me." Said Abhi. "No worries, enjoy." Replied Veer with a Gentle smile on his face. Veer, Dep, and Kevin all three look towards each other for a second, and in the next instance Dep who was sitting opposite Abhi speaks up. "What happened today was crazy right?" "You mean the stuff with the president?" Replied Abhi with a confused expression. "Yeah, we were just talking about that. Even after a few hours I still can't believe what happened." Said Kevin while looking straight at Abhi with his gloomy eye. "Yeah, a warning about a terrorist attack from the president of the country is a pretty wild thing to happen on the first day of the school." Said Abhi with a small chuckle. "Not just that he even gave the students a task isn't that just feral." Said Dep with her eyebrows flared up high, showcasing a shocked expression. A bit too shocked. "Yeah, he talked about the task of collecting information regarding the terrorist attacks and all that." Said Veer flamboyantly. A bit too flamboyantly… "Oh yeah, I was a bit scared when he talked about all dat. I also noticed something; the teacher said that the info video is extremely important for everyone yet she didn't take roll call to confirm everyone is present." Said Abhi. "Probably because only one specific person's life was supposed to be influenced by that message." Mumbled Veer softly while looking at the ground. "What did you say?" Asked Abhi in confusion. "It's nothing just… just forget about him, let's talk about you. So Abhi, you are from Rakvill yourself, right? So do you think today's video had something to do with the Incident 99?" Said Kevin in a subtle friendly tone with an unusual glint in his usually gloomy eyes and a bright smile on his face. Slightly too bright… All three of them subtly looked at Abhi's reaction with razor-sharp attention, they planned to get Abhi to talk about incident 99 on his own while partaking in a normal conversation they fabricated in order to avoid any suspicion. But the reaction they got was… unexpected. "I… I don't… I don't know… I don't know." Abhi stumbled upon his words, his posture was relaxed yet completely still with not a single ounce of movement. His eyes were… empty and pointed in the same direction, without a single blink. It seemed like he was thinking about something yet it also seemed like there was nothing but darkness behind those dark brown eyes. His pupils suddenly dilated, eclipsing most of his eyeballs. A full 10 seconds passed and all three of them looked at each other, concerned about Abhi's suspended state of silence. "Abhi... ABHI! Are you ok?" Veer held his shoulder and shook him out of his previous state. "I need to go today?... Oh wait… yeah, I'm fine. Just phased out I guess, happens sometimes." Replied Abhi while rubbing his eyes with his wrists. He was acting as if he just woke up from a deep lucid dream. For a second the three of them looked at each other with uncertainty. Could this be a sign of us pushing him too much for information? They thought, still subtly signaling each other to keep going forward. "No way bros just daydreaming that deep." Said Dep in a joking tone. "Haha, it do be like that sometimes yawns." Replied Abhi. "Here, have some water" Kevin extended his water bottle towards Abhi. "Thanks mate but I got some water with me, I'll be fine." Abhi politely declines Kavin. "Alright, though I've wanted to ask you something." Said Kevin while putting down his water bottle. "What is it?" Abhi asked with creased eyebrows. "Why did you reveal you are from Rakvill? You are aware that there are a lot of stigmas against the people of Rakvill right? Even if everyone assumed you came here legally, they might still treat you with indifference." Abhi didn't immediately reply as he was drinking out of his water bottle. "Yeah actually, you could've just kept it a secret right?" Veer said while collaborating with Kevin in his efforts to dig for information. As Abhi finished drinking his water and closed its lid Veer and Kevin subtly looked at each other as they were eagerly anticipating the result of their collaborated efforts. Abhi finally speaks: "Well, if I'm being honest… I just heard all of your colorful intros, with loads of hobbies and interesting backgrounds. But I just can't remember anything special about myself so in the moment, I just blurted out my own background in an attempt to make myself sound interesting." Answered Abhi with his head facing down towards the ground and his left hand fiddling with his hair with a shy demeanor. Kevin, Dep, and Veer looked at each other for a second and started laughing out loud. "Uhm! Is that really so funny?" Asked Abhi while looking mildly confused. "No, we just… still laughing... we just thought there would be a deeper reason behind revealing your homeland to the entire class ha-ha." Said Dep while laughing. "Well, that was all ha-ha," said Abhi while awkwardly smiling back. All of them had a few seconds of laughter together. As they calmed down, Dep realized that Abhi had his guard down while laughing, and used this opportunity to get more information. "Wait a second, I just realized another thing about your intro, you didn't say your last name while introducing yourself, is there a reason for that?" Asked Dep with a soft tone and a genuine smile. Abhi suddenly stopped moving again... "Cough Uhm burp Sorry guys I have to go to the…. I'm gonna have to leave right now, let's talk some other time." Abhi didn't answer Dep's question and instead packed his stuff and jogged towards the school building. ........ |
2024.05.19 06:32 Shapeshifter337 Should I seek Medical attention for Chest/Left-Arm Pain?
About 2 weeks ago I (Male 20) was walking in my home when I lost my breath and couldn't breathe for a few seconds until I coughed and managed to catch my breath again. Around the same time, I started experiencing chest pain that would come and go frequently. The pain relaxed for a few days but today the pain in my chest is returning for longer periods. Ive also been experiencing pain in my left shoulder and upper stomach as of today. I am concerned that I am experiencing the warning signs of a heart attack. Especially because I had a healthy brother pass away from a heart attack while doing physical exercise at school at only 9 years old. I'm not sure as to whether or not I should seek Medical attention since I dont have insurance. Is there any way I can rule out that this is a pending heart attack from home? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Ps: I think I should mention that last time I had a physical appointment my doctor told me that I had high cholesterol. In addition, Im also overweight (6" 250lbs"). I should also mention that I chugged a 200mg energy drink 1 day prior to experiencing these symtoms and felt strong chest pain right after finishing the drink as well. Drinking around 225mg of caffine daily was a routine for me prior to experiencing these symptoms.
submitted by Shapeshifter337 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Ps: I think I should mention that last time I had a physical appointment my doctor told me that I had high cholesterol. In addition, Im also overweight (6" 250lbs"). I should also mention that I chugged a 200mg energy drink 1 day prior to experiencing these symtoms and felt strong chest pain right after finishing the drink as well. Drinking around 225mg of caffine daily was a routine for me prior to experiencing these symptoms.
2024.05.19 06:09 Miss_Understood_wolf Our hospital is awful! (Rant)
So it's me again, back for another rant! Life is tough, and I don't have anyone I can talk to. I'm just so tired of the way things are!
EDIT TO ADD: Because there's an argument in the comments section I'd like to clear some things up. I'm 30f, 5ft 6in, 210lbs (not a lightweight in terms of alcohol consumption). We started drinking at 7pm and my incident didn't occur until 3am, so it's not like I was pounding them back. I was prescribed antibiotics but mentally couldn't handle taking them, I took 2 doses but because they cancel out my muscle relaxers I couldn't bring myself to torture myself with them. Also I never take my last dose of muscle relaxers if I'm going to be drinking, that's been standard practice for years. I do have medical anxiety thanks to our hospital... the amount of times I've been misdiagnosed by one doctor (he's since been fired) was traumatic, I've had 3 traumatic birth experiences in that hospital, our hospital just sucks. Whenever I have something wrong that's reasonably able to be ignored I've ignored it in the past, now that I have an actual doctor I will go see her instead of wasting my time at our hospital.
Last night me and my bestie decided to have a few drinks and just unwind, it was actually a lot of fun. We had some drinks and sang along to some music, it was overall just great. Unfortunately if everything went good, it wouldn't be much of a rant would it. The night was going fine, I had 3 cans of Mike's Hard Black cherry (super yummy and definitely recommend it) and I had 2 glasses of rum & coke, so nothing all that crazy for me compared to how much I have drank in the past. Around 3am I got hit with some mild chest pain...
The chest pain turned into a really intense pressure through my chest that ended up radiating through my back, it was nothing like what I've felt before, I get stress chest pains and honestly this experience made them seem somehow diminished in comparison. As the pain got worse I noticed I was having trouble breathing, it got so bad that I started getting nervous. Within 20 minutes of the chest pains starting I got genuinely scared and asked my bestie to take me to the hospital, anyone who knows me knows that I will avoid it at all cost so she knew that it had to be serious enough. She went into panic mode and in spite of everything I managed to stay calm and take control of the situation. As we pulled into the hospital parking lot I started feeling an almost primal fear, the type of fear you get when you think you're truly about to die.
I got to the front desk and was immediately told to come in and take vitals, they couldn't get a BP despite having the cuff on my arm for about 10 minutes, she finally gave up and asked me the usual questions about pain and stuff. Weirdly enough my arms decided to shift between pain and numbness and I suddenly started slurring while trying to explain myself, that was when all "care" was off limits to me. Our hospital has a bad habit of sweeping people under the rug if they even remotely suspect alcohol use, but the thing is I was fine moments before going in... I was perfectly coherent and I actually felt completely sober thanks probably to adrenaline or fear. I was sent back to the waiting area and told to just wait my turn, and things went from bad to worse quickly.
I didn't know that I had passed out, my bestie filled in the blanks for me. Apparently while we sat there waiting I kept coughing roughly, my eyes rolled to the back of my head, and apparently I kept making weird movements with my tongue sticking out. She said the best way of describing it is "I was behaving like I'd been severely drugged and suddenly seemed to spiral quickly". When I came too I was still in the waiting room, freezing, in severe pain (I don't do well in cold environments and the hospital is always freezing), and feeling just beyond exhausted. When I asked her about if we were even checked on she confirmed my thoughts... we were left there, away from other patients, out of sight of anyone who could help if things got deadly.
After managing to stand up I looked at my bestie and said that I didn't want to be there anymore because no one cared about me, she agreed with me on the terms that if anything else happened we'd go back immediately. When I went back to triage to tell them I was leaving the nurse gave me a smug look and asked if I was feeling better or do I just want to leave, so I answered with "better isn't the word I'd use but dying at home seems like a better option". She ripped the IV plug out of my arm (which I frankly don't remember having one inserted), and told me to have a good day. I felt so angry! The experience triggered my PTSD from the last time I went to the hospital (long story short, I was kept isolated in a room soaking wet and freezing until the department I needed decided to take me in).
I could have died, and no one would've cared because they suspected I was drunk!!! What if no one came to check on me at all?! What if they only found out I died because my bestie couldn't wake me?! Would they have maybe cared than? Or would they have just said "oh well she drank"? It's infuriating to be treated like nothing just because there was a little bit of alcohol involved, like I said I wasn't drunk and actually felt sober! My condition deteriorated rapidly over the course of a 5 minute car ride. I spent the whole day just feeling rough!
After we left the hospital my body just doesn't feel right. My chest feels fuzzy/bubbly, I don't know how to better describe the feeling as well as feeling tight. My breathing still feels really labored like it's taking a lot of effort to just keep going, and small things are leaving me feeling winded. All day I couldn't shake this weird chronic fatigue, I'm just drained of all energy. And I've been noticing my arms go completely numb if I lean on them, which is super alarming. As long as nothing else happens in between I'm planning on following up with my doctor because at least she's taking me seriously, if something else does happen though were gonna take the 3+ hour drive to the next nearest hospital. The scary thing is, that weird primal fear still hasn't gone away and I'm nervous about that!
submitted by Miss_Understood_wolf to ChronicPain [link] [comments]
EDIT TO ADD: Because there's an argument in the comments section I'd like to clear some things up. I'm 30f, 5ft 6in, 210lbs (not a lightweight in terms of alcohol consumption). We started drinking at 7pm and my incident didn't occur until 3am, so it's not like I was pounding them back. I was prescribed antibiotics but mentally couldn't handle taking them, I took 2 doses but because they cancel out my muscle relaxers I couldn't bring myself to torture myself with them. Also I never take my last dose of muscle relaxers if I'm going to be drinking, that's been standard practice for years. I do have medical anxiety thanks to our hospital... the amount of times I've been misdiagnosed by one doctor (he's since been fired) was traumatic, I've had 3 traumatic birth experiences in that hospital, our hospital just sucks. Whenever I have something wrong that's reasonably able to be ignored I've ignored it in the past, now that I have an actual doctor I will go see her instead of wasting my time at our hospital.
Last night me and my bestie decided to have a few drinks and just unwind, it was actually a lot of fun. We had some drinks and sang along to some music, it was overall just great. Unfortunately if everything went good, it wouldn't be much of a rant would it. The night was going fine, I had 3 cans of Mike's Hard Black cherry (super yummy and definitely recommend it) and I had 2 glasses of rum & coke, so nothing all that crazy for me compared to how much I have drank in the past. Around 3am I got hit with some mild chest pain...
The chest pain turned into a really intense pressure through my chest that ended up radiating through my back, it was nothing like what I've felt before, I get stress chest pains and honestly this experience made them seem somehow diminished in comparison. As the pain got worse I noticed I was having trouble breathing, it got so bad that I started getting nervous. Within 20 minutes of the chest pains starting I got genuinely scared and asked my bestie to take me to the hospital, anyone who knows me knows that I will avoid it at all cost so she knew that it had to be serious enough. She went into panic mode and in spite of everything I managed to stay calm and take control of the situation. As we pulled into the hospital parking lot I started feeling an almost primal fear, the type of fear you get when you think you're truly about to die.
I got to the front desk and was immediately told to come in and take vitals, they couldn't get a BP despite having the cuff on my arm for about 10 minutes, she finally gave up and asked me the usual questions about pain and stuff. Weirdly enough my arms decided to shift between pain and numbness and I suddenly started slurring while trying to explain myself, that was when all "care" was off limits to me. Our hospital has a bad habit of sweeping people under the rug if they even remotely suspect alcohol use, but the thing is I was fine moments before going in... I was perfectly coherent and I actually felt completely sober thanks probably to adrenaline or fear. I was sent back to the waiting area and told to just wait my turn, and things went from bad to worse quickly.
I didn't know that I had passed out, my bestie filled in the blanks for me. Apparently while we sat there waiting I kept coughing roughly, my eyes rolled to the back of my head, and apparently I kept making weird movements with my tongue sticking out. She said the best way of describing it is "I was behaving like I'd been severely drugged and suddenly seemed to spiral quickly". When I came too I was still in the waiting room, freezing, in severe pain (I don't do well in cold environments and the hospital is always freezing), and feeling just beyond exhausted. When I asked her about if we were even checked on she confirmed my thoughts... we were left there, away from other patients, out of sight of anyone who could help if things got deadly.
After managing to stand up I looked at my bestie and said that I didn't want to be there anymore because no one cared about me, she agreed with me on the terms that if anything else happened we'd go back immediately. When I went back to triage to tell them I was leaving the nurse gave me a smug look and asked if I was feeling better or do I just want to leave, so I answered with "better isn't the word I'd use but dying at home seems like a better option". She ripped the IV plug out of my arm (which I frankly don't remember having one inserted), and told me to have a good day. I felt so angry! The experience triggered my PTSD from the last time I went to the hospital (long story short, I was kept isolated in a room soaking wet and freezing until the department I needed decided to take me in).
I could have died, and no one would've cared because they suspected I was drunk!!! What if no one came to check on me at all?! What if they only found out I died because my bestie couldn't wake me?! Would they have maybe cared than? Or would they have just said "oh well she drank"? It's infuriating to be treated like nothing just because there was a little bit of alcohol involved, like I said I wasn't drunk and actually felt sober! My condition deteriorated rapidly over the course of a 5 minute car ride. I spent the whole day just feeling rough!
After we left the hospital my body just doesn't feel right. My chest feels fuzzy/bubbly, I don't know how to better describe the feeling as well as feeling tight. My breathing still feels really labored like it's taking a lot of effort to just keep going, and small things are leaving me feeling winded. All day I couldn't shake this weird chronic fatigue, I'm just drained of all energy. And I've been noticing my arms go completely numb if I lean on them, which is super alarming. As long as nothing else happens in between I'm planning on following up with my doctor because at least she's taking me seriously, if something else does happen though were gonna take the 3+ hour drive to the next nearest hospital. The scary thing is, that weird primal fear still hasn't gone away and I'm nervous about that!
2024.05.19 01:34 Initial-Hurry8026 Thoughts on what an extraordinary achievement Helldivers 2 is, from a veteran live service game developer
Hail, fellow Helldivers!
I’m a game dev with over 20 years experience, half of that on live service games or MMOs, all of it on core combat for action games, on game teams ranging from 10 people to over 600.
I play a ton of hard co-op action games, and I was a huge fan of Helldivers 1. I’m honestly in awe of how good Helldivers 2 is, even after the hundreds of hours I’ve put into it, and how they’ve sustained the pace of updates for so long after launch.
Yes, this is a throwaway Reddit account, I wanted to share some of my thoughts without inviting death threats.
Development
This game must have been in development since shortly after Arrowhead’s last released game, Helldivers 1 (plus whatever DLC and maintenance), so, 8 years give or take (I sent Pilestedt a congratulatory email, but presumably he’s drowning in them, haha).
I ran into the devs at GDC 2019, shared a few drinks and we talked shop about our similar games. They were super cagey but very excited about what they were working on, even moreso when they found out I was a huge fan of HD1. They were clearly already deep in development of HD2 at that point.
This has been discussed elsewhere, but it adds to how impressive this game is: this is the same engine (Autodesk Stingray) as Helldivers 1, a top-down game with 2D gameplay and much lower visual fidelity. Stingray is no longer supported by Autodesk as of sometime after 2018, so most of the features HD2 required would have been built in-house by Arrowhead. To my knowledge there’s only one other studio actively using the engine, and that’s Fat Shark, the developers of (most recently) Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
The AH team has grown massively in size over the past 8 years. I don’t have the exact numbers, but it’s a 5x to 10x increase in size. Scaling up that fast and not ruining your company culture is super hard, and you can see plenty of other studios that have tried to grow so they can build bigger games and have fallen apart doing it.
Helldivers 2 easily has a AAA level of polish. I’ve gone back to HD1 recently, which at the time looked and played super well, and the improvements are night and day. HD2’s production values compare favorably to any random AAA game released in the last few years
Weapons
Building first or third person weapons to this level of quality is extremely expensive. A unique gun for a AAA first person shooter might take 4-6 weeks of artist time and the same (or more) of designer time to set up and tune the gameplay. For any completely new type of weapon, factor in around 6 months of animator time, and a few weeks for a variant that has a different reload animation or similar. E.g. all rifle-sized shotguns might use the same base shotgun animation set, but the continuous reload shotguns would have a different reload animation than the Breaker family. Then you need VFX and audio too.
Vehicles are even moreso, taking months for each, more if they can seat multiple players or have points that contact the ground (e.g. wheels).
Environments
Building environments that look this good is expensive even if you know what you want, having built a prototype version, you then have to iterate on it while you refine the gameplay and then build the final art. Building environments that look this good and are procedurally generated in as freeform a way as in HD2 is mind-boggling. Let alone doing that in a way that runs fast enough. Sure once it’s all up and running you have a ton of variety for relatively cheap, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the proc gen create a serious gameplay problem, and that indicates very clever design and thorough testing.
AI
AI that works as well as this is expensive to build, and typically computationally expensive at runtime too. In games like Call of Duty or whatever, you have a static environment, with maybe 10-20 active AI at a time, prebuilt navmesh (which is a hand-drawn or generated map that allows AI to move around the environment without having to calculate valid geometry constantly at runtime), and level or encounter designers have hand scripted a lot of what looks like emergent AI behavior. HD2 can’t do any of that; there can be hundreds of enemies active at once, the environments are procedurally generated, AND terrain can be deformed, buildings can be destroyed etc. The AI can’t be scripted to the same degree as on a static map, probably the devs have hints that are procedurally added to the world and not much more. It helps that all of the enemies we’ve seen so far are the “implacably advancing” kind, typically they don’t have any complex behaviors, and instead the design of the character themselves and their attacks carries the gameplay. Smart design. The Illuminate in HD1 were much sneakier, it’ll be interesting to see how that faction translates to a full 3D game with a lot more enemies active at once.
UI
This game has a lot of quality of life features that it’s easy to take for granted, but are hard to build, and hard to retrofit to an existing game, for example:
· A zoomable, pingable minimap (IMO this is a best-in-class minimap implementation)
· A ping system
· Battlepass implementation allowing for not expiring old battle passes.
And all of this is UI-heavy, where UI is one of the most expensive things to make in AAA games. Every project I’ve shipped, UI has been a bottleneck. It doesn’t help that every company basically builds a UI system from scratch, since engines rarely have something shippable built in, and Scaleform (the most prominent UI middleware) went away. And then it takes a ton of iteration to get to a point where a feature is powerful and intuitive to players.
Gamefeel
If you play much of the most highly-regarded AAA shooters, you might not like the feel of some of the weapons in Helldivers 2 by comparison. They often feel slow to use, hard to aim, and punishing of misses, bad timing or bad positioning. Some of this is a polish thing and probably isn’t intended, e.g. scopes that look janky in first person, misaligned reticles and similar stuff. Most of it though looks deliberate, and supports the gameplay they’re laser-focused on building. The weapons are largely useful in very specific situations, and are not power fantasy moments for the player. There are serious tradeoffs, including “if I’m caught by a melee enemy with a Recoilless Rifle out, I’m in trouble”, the most powerful support weapons preventing you from bringing a shield, the snappiest weapons typically only being useful against weak enemies, etc. Most mass-market shooters sacrifice this extreme level of tradeoff in service of making the game feel better to play, and can lack gameplay variety as a result.
Given all of the above, most of the content that Arrowhead has released post ship must have been built alongside the rest of the game. It’s unlikely that they’re able to turn around 3 new weapons, new giant enemies, new mission types etc every month for several months in a row building them from scratch since ship. And yet, the game at launch still felt complete. This is a hard balance to strike. I wonder how much near-shippable content they have in their war-chest, and whether they’ll be able to generate more quickly enough to satisfy the appetite of the community on an ongoing basis.
Balance
Typically on a live game, the same designers build gameplay, ship it, and then balance it in patches post-ship. Sometimes a studio will have a separate “live team”, either dedicated, or rotating members of the dev team through it, but this isn’t common and it doesn’t look like Arrowhead splits the team up like this.
In any case, players always ask why developers ever nerf anything, and it’s for three reasons:
· Typically only a small number of things (weapons, abilities, heroes) are dominant, and a very large number are OK or weak in the current meta – buffing everything else would be extremely expensive, and since it’s the same people doing this work and building new content, it’d reduce the amount of new content the team could make. So it’s much more efficient to tamp down the overpowered things as a priority, and buff some other options at the same time.
· “No nerf, only buff” results in player power creep over time, which makes the game easier, and eventually will require a correction either in the form of a large scale nerf pass or buffs to enemies – both of these are bad: players hate widespread nerfs, and buffing enemies can put the game in a degenerate state where lethality is skewed, or only the best players can compete because they have all the best gear, or you end up in an arms race between player design and enemy design as both teams try to react to player feedback or overall game difficulty.
· Having a small number of overpowered things is much more destructive to a varied meta than a small number of weak things. Say you have 100 abilities and 3 of them are overpowered. Well, now everyone’s only using 3% of the possible content. Say you have 100 abilities and 3 of them are too weak.The other 97% is viable. Overly simplistic, clearly there’s a gradient, but you get the idea.
BTW the pace at which Arrowhead has updated balance is extremely fast for a large PvE game. Some small PvP-only games can react this quickly to a developing meta, but on large-scale games it takes weeks or months of testing and platform certification to ship balance updates on consoles. And “hotfixes”, i.e. very quick responses to critical issues, have a high level of scrutiny on them, i.e. lots of justifiable red tape, and often require crunch.
Community Interaction
It’s extremely rare for developers from large studios at any level to talk directly to the community, mostly because the gaming community burned those bridges long ago, by doxing devs they don’t agree with, sending them death threats, or just generally abusing them publicly and anonymously. No way in hell would I be public facing, and no one at any studio should be required to unless it’s explicitly part of their job. And even then, I feel for community managers. Direct communication from devs is a precious thing, and not one that should be taken for granted or used as an avenue for abuse.
*Salutes* to Arrowhead
Huge, huge kudos to Arrowhead. This game is an absolute triumph. To go from a small team making top-down games, to a medium-sized AAA team that shipped a game that catapulted right to the top of the most-played charts and game of the year lists and has stayed there is a massive accomplishment. I hope you’re all seeing a big payday from this success!
submitted by Initial-Hurry8026 to Helldivers [link] [comments]
I’m a game dev with over 20 years experience, half of that on live service games or MMOs, all of it on core combat for action games, on game teams ranging from 10 people to over 600.
I play a ton of hard co-op action games, and I was a huge fan of Helldivers 1. I’m honestly in awe of how good Helldivers 2 is, even after the hundreds of hours I’ve put into it, and how they’ve sustained the pace of updates for so long after launch.
Yes, this is a throwaway Reddit account, I wanted to share some of my thoughts without inviting death threats.
Development
This game must have been in development since shortly after Arrowhead’s last released game, Helldivers 1 (plus whatever DLC and maintenance), so, 8 years give or take (I sent Pilestedt a congratulatory email, but presumably he’s drowning in them, haha).
I ran into the devs at GDC 2019, shared a few drinks and we talked shop about our similar games. They were super cagey but very excited about what they were working on, even moreso when they found out I was a huge fan of HD1. They were clearly already deep in development of HD2 at that point.
This has been discussed elsewhere, but it adds to how impressive this game is: this is the same engine (Autodesk Stingray) as Helldivers 1, a top-down game with 2D gameplay and much lower visual fidelity. Stingray is no longer supported by Autodesk as of sometime after 2018, so most of the features HD2 required would have been built in-house by Arrowhead. To my knowledge there’s only one other studio actively using the engine, and that’s Fat Shark, the developers of (most recently) Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
The AH team has grown massively in size over the past 8 years. I don’t have the exact numbers, but it’s a 5x to 10x increase in size. Scaling up that fast and not ruining your company culture is super hard, and you can see plenty of other studios that have tried to grow so they can build bigger games and have fallen apart doing it.
Helldivers 2 easily has a AAA level of polish. I’ve gone back to HD1 recently, which at the time looked and played super well, and the improvements are night and day. HD2’s production values compare favorably to any random AAA game released in the last few years
Weapons
Building first or third person weapons to this level of quality is extremely expensive. A unique gun for a AAA first person shooter might take 4-6 weeks of artist time and the same (or more) of designer time to set up and tune the gameplay. For any completely new type of weapon, factor in around 6 months of animator time, and a few weeks for a variant that has a different reload animation or similar. E.g. all rifle-sized shotguns might use the same base shotgun animation set, but the continuous reload shotguns would have a different reload animation than the Breaker family. Then you need VFX and audio too.
Vehicles are even moreso, taking months for each, more if they can seat multiple players or have points that contact the ground (e.g. wheels).
Environments
Building environments that look this good is expensive even if you know what you want, having built a prototype version, you then have to iterate on it while you refine the gameplay and then build the final art. Building environments that look this good and are procedurally generated in as freeform a way as in HD2 is mind-boggling. Let alone doing that in a way that runs fast enough. Sure once it’s all up and running you have a ton of variety for relatively cheap, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the proc gen create a serious gameplay problem, and that indicates very clever design and thorough testing.
AI
AI that works as well as this is expensive to build, and typically computationally expensive at runtime too. In games like Call of Duty or whatever, you have a static environment, with maybe 10-20 active AI at a time, prebuilt navmesh (which is a hand-drawn or generated map that allows AI to move around the environment without having to calculate valid geometry constantly at runtime), and level or encounter designers have hand scripted a lot of what looks like emergent AI behavior. HD2 can’t do any of that; there can be hundreds of enemies active at once, the environments are procedurally generated, AND terrain can be deformed, buildings can be destroyed etc. The AI can’t be scripted to the same degree as on a static map, probably the devs have hints that are procedurally added to the world and not much more. It helps that all of the enemies we’ve seen so far are the “implacably advancing” kind, typically they don’t have any complex behaviors, and instead the design of the character themselves and their attacks carries the gameplay. Smart design. The Illuminate in HD1 were much sneakier, it’ll be interesting to see how that faction translates to a full 3D game with a lot more enemies active at once.
UI
This game has a lot of quality of life features that it’s easy to take for granted, but are hard to build, and hard to retrofit to an existing game, for example:
· A zoomable, pingable minimap (IMO this is a best-in-class minimap implementation)
· A ping system
· Battlepass implementation allowing for not expiring old battle passes.
And all of this is UI-heavy, where UI is one of the most expensive things to make in AAA games. Every project I’ve shipped, UI has been a bottleneck. It doesn’t help that every company basically builds a UI system from scratch, since engines rarely have something shippable built in, and Scaleform (the most prominent UI middleware) went away. And then it takes a ton of iteration to get to a point where a feature is powerful and intuitive to players.
Gamefeel
If you play much of the most highly-regarded AAA shooters, you might not like the feel of some of the weapons in Helldivers 2 by comparison. They often feel slow to use, hard to aim, and punishing of misses, bad timing or bad positioning. Some of this is a polish thing and probably isn’t intended, e.g. scopes that look janky in first person, misaligned reticles and similar stuff. Most of it though looks deliberate, and supports the gameplay they’re laser-focused on building. The weapons are largely useful in very specific situations, and are not power fantasy moments for the player. There are serious tradeoffs, including “if I’m caught by a melee enemy with a Recoilless Rifle out, I’m in trouble”, the most powerful support weapons preventing you from bringing a shield, the snappiest weapons typically only being useful against weak enemies, etc. Most mass-market shooters sacrifice this extreme level of tradeoff in service of making the game feel better to play, and can lack gameplay variety as a result.
Given all of the above, most of the content that Arrowhead has released post ship must have been built alongside the rest of the game. It’s unlikely that they’re able to turn around 3 new weapons, new giant enemies, new mission types etc every month for several months in a row building them from scratch since ship. And yet, the game at launch still felt complete. This is a hard balance to strike. I wonder how much near-shippable content they have in their war-chest, and whether they’ll be able to generate more quickly enough to satisfy the appetite of the community on an ongoing basis.
Balance
Typically on a live game, the same designers build gameplay, ship it, and then balance it in patches post-ship. Sometimes a studio will have a separate “live team”, either dedicated, or rotating members of the dev team through it, but this isn’t common and it doesn’t look like Arrowhead splits the team up like this.
In any case, players always ask why developers ever nerf anything, and it’s for three reasons:
· Typically only a small number of things (weapons, abilities, heroes) are dominant, and a very large number are OK or weak in the current meta – buffing everything else would be extremely expensive, and since it’s the same people doing this work and building new content, it’d reduce the amount of new content the team could make. So it’s much more efficient to tamp down the overpowered things as a priority, and buff some other options at the same time.
· “No nerf, only buff” results in player power creep over time, which makes the game easier, and eventually will require a correction either in the form of a large scale nerf pass or buffs to enemies – both of these are bad: players hate widespread nerfs, and buffing enemies can put the game in a degenerate state where lethality is skewed, or only the best players can compete because they have all the best gear, or you end up in an arms race between player design and enemy design as both teams try to react to player feedback or overall game difficulty.
· Having a small number of overpowered things is much more destructive to a varied meta than a small number of weak things. Say you have 100 abilities and 3 of them are overpowered. Well, now everyone’s only using 3% of the possible content. Say you have 100 abilities and 3 of them are too weak.The other 97% is viable. Overly simplistic, clearly there’s a gradient, but you get the idea.
BTW the pace at which Arrowhead has updated balance is extremely fast for a large PvE game. Some small PvP-only games can react this quickly to a developing meta, but on large-scale games it takes weeks or months of testing and platform certification to ship balance updates on consoles. And “hotfixes”, i.e. very quick responses to critical issues, have a high level of scrutiny on them, i.e. lots of justifiable red tape, and often require crunch.
Community Interaction
It’s extremely rare for developers from large studios at any level to talk directly to the community, mostly because the gaming community burned those bridges long ago, by doxing devs they don’t agree with, sending them death threats, or just generally abusing them publicly and anonymously. No way in hell would I be public facing, and no one at any studio should be required to unless it’s explicitly part of their job. And even then, I feel for community managers. Direct communication from devs is a precious thing, and not one that should be taken for granted or used as an avenue for abuse.
*Salutes* to Arrowhead
Huge, huge kudos to Arrowhead. This game is an absolute triumph. To go from a small team making top-down games, to a medium-sized AAA team that shipped a game that catapulted right to the top of the most-played charts and game of the year lists and has stayed there is a massive accomplishment. I hope you’re all seeing a big payday from this success!
2024.05.19 01:06 Stivannnn Bronchitis
Hi All, i was wondering if i can get a professional opinion about my situation.
I am dealing with bronchitis as diagnosed by my gp, i feel like there is more to this than bronchitis so i just wanted to ask here. At least twice a year i get sick, with constant coughing for at least 2 months, there is phlegm, and i also get random temperatures from time to time as my lungs or lung area is inflamed. I get tired and exhausted from coughing and the inflammation in my chest. My doctor prescribed a puffer to deal with this problem and i feel like it wont get healed permanently.
This been going on for years now as i've done tests and scans and they couldn't find anything. Im not sure if im dealing with bronchitis or its more serious chronic condition.
My history with this is, when i was 1 y/o i've spent at least a week in a hospital because apparently my larynx was inflamed from a room i was nurtured that contained mould. Fast forward to 19 y/o moved to Australia and problems pop up again from air condition in car with coughing and pretty much similar symptoms. Currently i am living in a apartment that the bathroom contains mould. This mostly happens during fall or winter period but last time it happened it was during a trip in Europe in summer and that was last august and lasted for 2 months.
Sex: Male
Weight: 62kg
Height: 168cm
Age: 27 y/o
Drink: Socially
Medication: Zempreon CFC free puffer
Drugs: No
Smoke: No
Allergies: Pollen
Thank you to all who take time to read and respond!
submitted by Stivannnn to AskDocs [link] [comments]
I am dealing with bronchitis as diagnosed by my gp, i feel like there is more to this than bronchitis so i just wanted to ask here. At least twice a year i get sick, with constant coughing for at least 2 months, there is phlegm, and i also get random temperatures from time to time as my lungs or lung area is inflamed. I get tired and exhausted from coughing and the inflammation in my chest. My doctor prescribed a puffer to deal with this problem and i feel like it wont get healed permanently.
This been going on for years now as i've done tests and scans and they couldn't find anything. Im not sure if im dealing with bronchitis or its more serious chronic condition.
My history with this is, when i was 1 y/o i've spent at least a week in a hospital because apparently my larynx was inflamed from a room i was nurtured that contained mould. Fast forward to 19 y/o moved to Australia and problems pop up again from air condition in car with coughing and pretty much similar symptoms. Currently i am living in a apartment that the bathroom contains mould. This mostly happens during fall or winter period but last time it happened it was during a trip in Europe in summer and that was last august and lasted for 2 months.
Sex: Male
Weight: 62kg
Height: 168cm
Age: 27 y/o
Drink: Socially
Medication: Zempreon CFC free puffer
Drugs: No
Smoke: No
Allergies: Pollen
Thank you to all who take time to read and respond!
2024.05.19 00:50 DuckDuckPegasus My personal margarita recipe, after many years of trial and error
https://preview.redd.it/xmo3rbryk91d1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ddd6ceeadcf68d2ac1891ecb649fb6aefad9e30
Couple sips taken in this pic, imagine a full glass.
Background on me, young 30s, been making margaritas religiously since I was “old enough.” My family is a margarita family, simply put. I alone have made thousands for myself, my family, and parties of people. We don’t skimp, but we also keep it simple. These booze and ingredients can be found basically anywhere.
Recipe as follows:
Half of one navel orange
One lime
Two ounces Casamigos reposado
One ounce Cointreau
One teaspoon agave syrup (I eyeball it, a quick pulse-like squeeze)
Shake furiously, like take out some childhood aggression on that thing, it’s how you get the foam at the top.
Pour over ice.
Drink responsibly.
submitted by DuckDuckPegasus to margaritas [link] [comments]
Couple sips taken in this pic, imagine a full glass.
Background on me, young 30s, been making margaritas religiously since I was “old enough.” My family is a margarita family, simply put. I alone have made thousands for myself, my family, and parties of people. We don’t skimp, but we also keep it simple. These booze and ingredients can be found basically anywhere.
Recipe as follows:
Half of one navel orange
One lime
Two ounces Casamigos reposado
One ounce Cointreau
One teaspoon agave syrup (I eyeball it, a quick pulse-like squeeze)
Shake furiously, like take out some childhood aggression on that thing, it’s how you get the foam at the top.
Pour over ice.
Drink responsibly.
2024.05.19 00:35 Merm_aid8000 What can I do for wisdom tooth pain long term?
I’m a 23 female, 5’3 and roughly 114pounds. I smoke roughly 3 smokes a day broken up out of my bong. Also known as a popper. I don’t smoke weed, drink or take any other meds or vitamins regularly. I have no known diagnoses or illnesses.
What can I take everyday until I get my wisdoms teeth pulled? I have neck pain and a headache all along the right side of my head and a stiff clicky jaw. I normally never get headaches but have had them every night around 8pm for the past 2 weeks.
I’ve been taking one naproxen 200mg every night for the past 4-5 days. Can I continue this long term as the med works good with me? I don’t get upset stomach from it. I have asprin 81 whatever that is. Would this help? How much can I take if it?
I took expired alive last night instead of naproxen and it made me sick. I wasn’t aware it was expired until I started feeling funny. I was dizzy and tingly and I’m a bit scared to take it again even if it’s not expired
I’m on a waiting list to get them surgically removed but not sure when I’ll be able to get them out. The waiting list is up to a year long and I don’t have the option of the dentist removing them. I could be on whatever u suggest for long term, possibly a few months.
submitted by Merm_aid8000 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
What can I take everyday until I get my wisdoms teeth pulled? I have neck pain and a headache all along the right side of my head and a stiff clicky jaw. I normally never get headaches but have had them every night around 8pm for the past 2 weeks.
I’ve been taking one naproxen 200mg every night for the past 4-5 days. Can I continue this long term as the med works good with me? I don’t get upset stomach from it. I have asprin 81 whatever that is. Would this help? How much can I take if it?
I took expired alive last night instead of naproxen and it made me sick. I wasn’t aware it was expired until I started feeling funny. I was dizzy and tingly and I’m a bit scared to take it again even if it’s not expired
I’m on a waiting list to get them surgically removed but not sure when I’ll be able to get them out. The waiting list is up to a year long and I don’t have the option of the dentist removing them. I could be on whatever u suggest for long term, possibly a few months.
2024.05.18 23:52 RoutineMysterious559 Took cough med (dextromethorphan) and am nervous to take my lex dose tonight- any advice?
Felt really stupid afterwards when I realized I hadn’t looked at the interactions and warnings. I’m on 10mg of Lexapro (for 1.5 years now) and just took 20ml of Robitussin MD maximum strength.
Panicking now, as I’m taking lexapro for anxiety. Tried to vomit after but don’t think any of it came out. I normally take my daily dose around 8pm. I took the cough syrup around 5pm. Can’t decide if I’m better off skipping my dose tonight to lower serotonin syndrome risk? Any advice?
Thank you in advance 🥺
submitted by RoutineMysterious559 to lexapro [link] [comments]
Panicking now, as I’m taking lexapro for anxiety. Tried to vomit after but don’t think any of it came out. I normally take my daily dose around 8pm. I took the cough syrup around 5pm. Can’t decide if I’m better off skipping my dose tonight to lower serotonin syndrome risk? Any advice?
Thank you in advance 🥺
2024.05.18 23:32 brinnjl Questions about 95 year old grandmother
My grandmother has been on hospice for over a year. She was put on it and given 2 weeks to live at the beginning of last year, but she pulled through and came to live with me and my family. She came with bed sores but that was basically the only thing wrong with her.. she wasn’t even on any medications.
At the end of April, she started having a cough and they’re pretty sure it progressed into pneumonia so she was on two rounds of antibiotics which completely killed her appetite. She would still drink plenty but you could tell the thought of food made her sick. Besides having very minimal appetite since then, she had been alert and awake until this week. For the past two days, she’s slept almost constantly. She will still drink her normal drinks that she likes. She’s been on oxygen 24/7 and her oxygen isn’t terrible I guess but it’s in the low to mid 90s. She’s less alert but can answer questions and it’s clear that she knows what I’m saying whenever I speak to her. She’s not hard to wake yet. She just seems weak and I know she’s lost quite a bit of weight. She was already very small to begin with.
I have a feeling this is the beginning of the end with how little she’s eaten these past weeks, but I guess I’m just seeing if anyone has similar experiences or can offer any advice on what to look for. She will have a nurse coming to see her soon and I’m sure she’ll be getting more visits. This is hard for me as we’ve been close all of my life 😢
submitted by brinnjl to hospice [link] [comments]
At the end of April, she started having a cough and they’re pretty sure it progressed into pneumonia so she was on two rounds of antibiotics which completely killed her appetite. She would still drink plenty but you could tell the thought of food made her sick. Besides having very minimal appetite since then, she had been alert and awake until this week. For the past two days, she’s slept almost constantly. She will still drink her normal drinks that she likes. She’s been on oxygen 24/7 and her oxygen isn’t terrible I guess but it’s in the low to mid 90s. She’s less alert but can answer questions and it’s clear that she knows what I’m saying whenever I speak to her. She’s not hard to wake yet. She just seems weak and I know she’s lost quite a bit of weight. She was already very small to begin with.
I have a feeling this is the beginning of the end with how little she’s eaten these past weeks, but I guess I’m just seeing if anyone has similar experiences or can offer any advice on what to look for. She will have a nurse coming to see her soon and I’m sure she’ll be getting more visits. This is hard for me as we’ve been close all of my life 😢
2024.05.18 23:29 The-Mr-E Walk Me Home: Dating a Monster Girl - Part 13 - Eyescraper
SYNOPSIS: Walking your OP monster girlfriend home is easy. No one messes with you. Getting back to your house on your own? That's the tricky part.
What's worse than an eldritch building? How 'bout a bigger one?
First Previous (See NEXT>> in comments)
Chapter Cover Art (From Mood Writing Sample)
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Norman took one look at the towering building to his left. Then he took off.
.
.
The new hunting cry boomed through his body. It was much louder than the first building’s, albeit shorter, like a tap on the shoulder from a titan proclaiming its presence to the world.
Of course, the tap of a titan could flatten a man.
Norman fell. His legs had simply stopped working. Jaws clenched, he forced his will into wobbly muscles. His palms slammed into the waterlogged street, stopping the fall. With a sharp push, he sprang back to his feet and ran on.
Norman yanked out the remaining two flash grenades on the go, strung them together, armed and drew back for a throw.
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That quick boom pounded through him. His fingers faltered. The flash grenades slipped from his grip and fell. He was still recovering from the sound when they went off at his feet. The nightsight filtered the flash, so he didn’t go blind. He’d gutted the flash grenade’s speakers, so he didn’t go deaf. The peeping building could deafen him all on its own … no, this wasn’t a peeping building. He’d slew a peeping building. They were small fries by comparison.
This was an eyescraper.
Tentacles the width of busses unsheathed from its sides. Even if he’d managed to launch the grenades and bathe it in smitelight, he suspected that wouldn’t be enough.
Norman sliced at its eyes with a focused beam. It barely flinched. Maybe if it got close enough, he could affect it a bit. By then, it would be too late.
Throbbing chuffs thundered from the monster. It sounded like a laugh.
Norman shot it a defiant glare. He bolted. Not fast enough. He could feel the giant closing in. So, he moved faster. Then faster, and still faster. His muscles blared their warnings. Rain lashed his face. He felt the air begin to resist his movements as he reached a speed at which it mattered. It was in his way, so he pushed through it too. No one was there to tell him he was moving far faster than any human known to history. All he cared about was hearing that thing fall behind him, and so it did. The tremours of its tremendous movements grew fainter.
At the end of the street, an apartment building came into view. Norman threw himself against it, climbing with the reckless abandon of a madman. He was halfway to the top.
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His grip went limp. He fell. Struck the ground. His head bounced. The world grew fu...z z y.
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W
h
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w
a
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h
e
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r
u
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a
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“̸̼͔̖̜̫͍͚̊́̽͆̓̂̋̋͐̕Ģ̴̢͕͉̯̺̗̖͔͙̪͓̻̯̫̭̙̱͕̠̭̩̌M̸̨̧̘̟̹̖̻̲͍̭͓͉̰͙̦̣̜͉̻̎̅͗̇̈́̈̏͌̓̾̀̈̈́͜M̵̢̢̖̯̦͍͕̝̯̥̹̪̠̥̰̝̖̊͛̀̇͜!̵̢̡̡͚͕̘̟͕̥̦̪͆̈́̿͆!̴̛̹͈̜̥͔̬͎̪̩͚̦̯̟̘̩̰̳̍̑̂́̌͌̎́̒͋̽̿̑͌͝͝!̴̛̥͕̪͂̂̂̈̓͆͗̇̄̈́̌̅̎͂̕̚̕͝͠”̷̧̧̛̠̝̰̞̘͙̥̖͎̭̞̜̳̟̓͆̌̊̃̔́͒͋̇̈́͘̚͠͝ͅ
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Oh, right. There was a skyscraper running him down. To think he lived in a world where that made any sense. He rubbed his throbbing head. It was hard to think, though.
In two twos he jumped onto the side of the building and kept going up and up without breaking the momentum of the leap. Adrenaline had challenged gravity. Gravity lost. There was no pause to assess handholds. There was no rain stinging his face. In his mind, there was only ‘CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB!’ Crest the rooftop. ‘RUN, RUN, RUN!’ Descend the other side ‘JUMP!’ Gravity greedily reclaimed Norman, dragging him 4 storeys down at breakneck speed. He hit the ground in a parkour roll. Bruised a bone. Nearly fractured a shoulder. Wrenched his spine. Joints, muscle, ligaments almost popped. They didn’t.
He was running again.
Norman had never heard a building shred like paper. He’d never thought to wonder what it sounded like.
*( ( BMMM! ) ) ( ( BMM! ) ) ( ( BOOM! ) ) \*
Those booms … was it the eyescraper’s tentacles breaking the sound barrier, or punching holes through the apartment building? Maybe both. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was tearing the building in two with the ease of one parting curtains. Buildings were not designed to be parted. Two became legions as the sundered building collapsed.
Norman rushed for an abandoned truck, slid beneath the trailer. Not quite fast enough. Most of the rubble didn’t reach him directly, but upon hitting the ground? It pulverised into a blast of cloud like a sandstorm. Hissing beneath the trailer, the dust stung at his ankles. He ignored it, racing for the truck’s cabin at the front. Perched on the step beneath the door, he braced as the dust raced beneath, around and above him. The cabin was his shield. He flinched to a duck when its windows shattered as the dust cloud blasted straight through them. The truck rocked and slid slightly, bombarded by wind and dust. It lurched as a chunk of debris finally reached it, crumpling the trailer like cheap foil.
Time to move.
Particles prickled Norman’s eyes, finding their way through the nightsight. He took a fresh glimpse of the path ahead before clouds of grey engulfed it all.
Memorised.
He dashed on. A split second later, the cabin was levelled under a larger slab of concrete. More sporadically thundered down around him. His eyes were squeezed shut, denying entry to any more particles. He scrambled through the street, dodging obstacles from memory. As for the concrete rainfall that couldn’t be seen? He had some prayers about that, but it probably came out like half-baked gibberish.
Norman chanced opening his eyes. They watered like crazy. At least most of the dust was gone. Behind him, the eyescraper’s menacing silhouette was picking through the rubble. Finally, an unblocked street was in sight. He rounded the corner.
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“̵̨̢̮͕̻̲̺́͠G̵̣̒́̓̽̅̊͘͝Ọ̷̝̣͓͙͔̀ͅͅǪ̷̜̺͚̲̯̭̈́̍͂͑̋̋̅͂̅́M̷̨̤̭͈̯̤͋̾̏̈̅̉̀̏͘M̵̡̢̙̱͌̊̓͒́͌Ḿ̸̳͗̀̀͐͒͗́͠ͅ!̷͍͉̣̪̫͙̳̲̤̎̀̾̅̈́̔̎̑͘͜͝͝!̴̨͈͖̘̖̅͛̋̽͠!̸͎̩͓̫̥̼̫̊”̵̫̗̞̣̝̃̅̕͘͜͜͝ͅ
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Another peeping building, rumbling in from the new street. Alright. Straight it was.
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“̷̢̧̻̹͚͔̾G̵̳̭̾̃̎̍̌̂̈́̂͛͘M̶̧̠͇͔͚͉̮͈̰͒͊́̏̔̄̾̊͐̒͂͜M̸̳͓̋͋̔͑̔̔̕͝Ő̷͓̟̱̮͓̍̂̾̽̇͘͠Ô̸̧̫͉̮͚̥̥̯̈̾͋̅͂͘̚M̶̢̫̥̰̮̪͙̬̙̗̺̽͒͐͌̋̈̄͆͝M̴̢̧̧̛̗͔͓̫̭̳̱͑̉!̵̡̛̛͍̲̓̅̑̈́̿̏͘̕͠!̸̧̖͔̣̩̏́͋̀͛͂̏̀̇̑͐!̴̧͕̝̮̤̱͈̬͋”̸͓̉̈́̑̎͊̌
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Maybe not. A third building emerged from the rainfall ahead. All streets blocked. He glanced about. All alleys still blocked. This really was a hunting net, but this much energy for a tiny human? Predators weren’t usually like this.
He ran for the nearest building that wasn’t occupied by eldritch calamari.
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Norman came to. Rain poured against his face as he lay on his back. How long was he out? Why was it so cold? The atmosphere didn’t quite feel right. It didn’t look right either. Something about the colours, or subtle lack thereof. Everything seemed a bit desaturated. Norman sat up and coughed his lungs out, evicting a mix of dust and rain water collected in his slackly gaping mouth. Buildings towered above him on every side, a bit too close for comfort.
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Oh, right, those weren’t just buildings.
Norman raised a finger, gesturing to wait. “Could you *kaff!* quit subwoofin’ at me for, like, ten seconds!”
“Plucky.̵͚͐͝ for all seasons I .̵̦̺͐̅see,” came a skin-crawling voice from behind him.
Norman swung back his smitelight. It barely moved half a foot, then it stopped. Rather, something stopped it. That ‘something’ was cold. So cold. His wrist felt the chill without even touching it.
Norman turned, slowly, so as not to trigger further attacks. He found himself looking up.
Eight feet tall. Dark grey skin. A grin that went a little too wide. Dagger teeth. An open-chested jacket, revealing sinewy muscles with luminous markings like tattoos. His ebony eyes bore penetrating white pupils. Of all his traits, the dreadlocks stood out most. They belonged in a nightmare, dancing through the air with a life of their own. Somehow, they looked blacker than black, absorbing every ray of light or heat that came their way. That icy chill in the air shifted with the movements of his dreadlocks. They seemed to drink life from the air itself. Norman almost found it hard to breathe. One dreadlock clutched Norman’s smitelight, only by the tip, but its grip was iron.
Norman stared the tall man down.
The nyctal’s grin grew by a smidgeon.
Taking a calculated risk, Norman released the smitelight. Perhaps a peace offering would do good.
“Good.̷̧͋͌̎̿ boy,” the tall man nodded, admiring the smitelight as the dreadlock rotated it. “Clever.̴̧̤̩͈͓̖͂ͅ toy.”
Norman noted an understated Jamaican accent in his voice.
More dreadlocks slithered across the smitelight, as if tasting its every nook and cranny.
Norman did his best to look casual as he scanned for an escape route. The eyescraper’s tentacles had wrapped around the street, fencing him in.
“Your fanbase has peculiar tastes,” purred the tall man.
Norman’s suspicious gaze flicked between the nyctal and the weapon. Finally, he reached out and took hold of the smitelight.
It crumbled in his fingers like ice-cold ashes. If not for the insulation gloves, he might have gotten frostbite.
The nyctal laughed.
Norman didn’t find it particularly amusing.
The tall man sauntered towards the eyescraper. Beyond it was a darkness even the nightsight had difficulty piercing. He beckoned Norman as if it were an afterthought.
“Please come in, .̵̭̻͌̓̂Norman.̶̲͕͇̅̑̚,” the nyctal instructed.
Norman stared stubbornly, hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels. He felt for his smartphone. It wasn’t there. When had he lost it?
Without looking back, the nyctal held up Norman’s phone. It disintegrated between his fingers as he rubbed them together.
Norman glared. At least the guy hadn’t pickpocketed deeply enough to find other things.
“Hey. To whom do I owe the … pleasure?” Norman almost had to push the last word through his teeth.
The nyctal stopped in the eyescraper’s doorframe. Shrouded in shadow, little could be seen of him, save the piercing white pupils peering out. Then the glint of his Cheshire grin.
“.̴̜͓̭̻̤̍̈́̆͑͑John Crow.̸̻̮̓̈́̏̓͘,” he answered, before receding into the darkness.
The eyescraper’s tentacles dragged in across the street, corralling Norman towards the building. With an exasperated groan, he trudged towards the main entrance.
“I want my bed,” grumbled Norman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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submitted by The-Mr-E to HFY [link] [comments]
What's worse than an eldritch building? How 'bout a bigger one?
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Chapter Cover Art (From Mood Writing Sample)
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Norman took one look at the towering building to his left. Then he took off.
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“̷̵̵̷̶̷̶̶̸̶̶̸̴̡̛̮͉̹̪̼̙̤̲̤͔̗̮̥̣̜͓̟̞̃̔̈́̑̈̍͌̂̂̐̋͛̉̓G̵̶̸̷̴̸̵̵̴̶̸̷̸̴̶̨̢̧̞͈̠̜̳̪͎̬̜̱̫͚̝̩̑̒͐́͆̃̿̉̆̉̃̓̀̎̐͂̎̒̕̕͘͝͝Ǵ̷̷̷̴̸̸̷̷̷̷̵̨̢̞̥͓̰͖͙̰̝͖̩̺͍͎͉͌̽̂́͐̓̀͒̐͗́M̴̷̶̵̴̷̵̶̵̴̷̷̢̡̧̢̛̫̲͕͇̗̯͚̥͙͓͓̀̒͑͒̂̊̅̐͛̂̄͌̈̚͝M̴̷̶̵̴̷̷̶̷̬̼̭̗͍̺̳̩̱͍̂̄̾͂̔̽̇̀͝͝͝͠M̶̯̙̥͕̞̰̗̗͐̔!̸̞̞̬̼̖̩̈́̇͊͐̾͑͋̉!̷̧͈̘̬̆͑͝!̶̤̜̔̓̆̅̔͆͘͝”̸̨̧̼̭̫̒͜
.The new hunting cry boomed through his body. It was much louder than the first building’s, albeit shorter, like a tap on the shoulder from a titan proclaiming its presence to the world.
Of course, the tap of a titan could flatten a man.
Norman fell. His legs had simply stopped working. Jaws clenched, he forced his will into wobbly muscles. His palms slammed into the waterlogged street, stopping the fall. With a sharp push, he sprang back to his feet and ran on.
Norman yanked out the remaining two flash grenades on the go, strung them together, armed and drew back for a throw.
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“̷̬̳̙̍̎̆G̴̥͇̥͔͕̫̈̀M̵̛͇̜͙͇̫͔̭̩̝̜̓̈̏̓̓̀͛̚͜͝͝M̷̩͈͉̘͙̿͌̃̽͂̃̏̏̓̾̈́͌̈́̉̅̄̉͘!̷̢̧̢̤͓̭̖̝̏̏̄̓̾̉̆͋͘͝!̵͍̱̼̮̯̺̲͙̖̮̗͓̻̓̊͂̒̔͐̎͘͘̚!̵̙͍̟̌͒̃͂̎͠”̶̡̛̠̱̭̞̹̟͉̒̎̎̂͂̐̈́̓̄̚̕
..
That quick boom pounded through him. His fingers faltered. The flash grenades slipped from his grip and fell. He was still recovering from the sound when they went off at his feet. The nightsight filtered the flash, so he didn’t go blind. He’d gutted the flash grenade’s speakers, so he didn’t go deaf. The peeping building could deafen him all on its own … no, this wasn’t a peeping building. He’d slew a peeping building. They were small fries by comparison.
This was an eyescraper.
Tentacles the width of busses unsheathed from its sides. Even if he’d managed to launch the grenades and bathe it in smitelight, he suspected that wouldn’t be enough.
Norman sliced at its eyes with a focused beam. It barely flinched. Maybe if it got close enough, he could affect it a bit. By then, it would be too late.
Throbbing chuffs thundered from the monster. It sounded like a laugh.
Norman shot it a defiant glare. He bolted. Not fast enough. He could feel the giant closing in. So, he moved faster. Then faster, and still faster. His muscles blared their warnings. Rain lashed his face. He felt the air begin to resist his movements as he reached a speed at which it mattered. It was in his way, so he pushed through it too. No one was there to tell him he was moving far faster than any human known to history. All he cared about was hearing that thing fall behind him, and so it did. The tremours of its tremendous movements grew fainter.
At the end of the street, an apartment building came into view. Norman threw himself against it, climbing with the reckless abandon of a madman. He was halfway to the top.
.
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“̷̧̨̭̹̘̥̮͖̤̻̥̬̌̀͒̔͌̊̀̚͜͜͠Ǧ̶̨̨̧̺̘̰̗̘̥̝̗̦̩͖͎͋̈͑͐̒̽̉̔͛̾̒́̕ͅM̴̨̉́̾̉͂͆̔̿̀̃̇̎̍͆̂̽͗̔͘͠ͅM̷̝̻̱̆̍͜!̴̮̬̯̮̦̖́͂̆͋̿̇̎̄̄̅̂͑̎̀̕͘͝͝͝!̸̲͎̲̼̠̮̱͖̥̭̤̩͓̘̜͈̟̖̮̰̦͖̀̂͗͂̽̈́̋͌͂̐̓̈̕!̸̜̆̿̋̔̽̕”̷̢̦̜̰̼̳̝͓̆͗̈́̆̆̑̃̾͑̀͗͒͆́͐͒̈́̿̽̕̕͜
..
His grip went limp. He fell. Struck the ground. His head bounced. The world grew fu...z z y.
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W
h
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w
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h
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r
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a
g
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_CHAT
- LEMMY.OUTA.HERE: (Stupse) Well, he ded.
- BAJANETTE11: ARN74, JUST GO AND FIND HIM!!!
- ARN74: HE DIDN’T SEND ME DE PIN! DIS BAAARE STRESS! NORMAN, YOU PUNK! YOU EMOTIONALLY INVESTED ME IN THIS CHANNEL! IF YOU DIE NOW I’M GONNA KILL YOU!
_CHAT
- ARN74: YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE AMY!!
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“̸̼͔̖̜̫͍͚̊́̽͆̓̂̋̋͐̕Ģ̴̢͕͉̯̺̗̖͔͙̪͓̻̯̫̭̙̱͕̠̭̩̌M̸̨̧̘̟̹̖̻̲͍̭͓͉̰͙̦̣̜͉̻̎̅͗̇̈́̈̏͌̓̾̀̈̈́͜M̵̢̢̖̯̦͍͕̝̯̥̹̪̠̥̰̝̖̊͛̀̇͜!̵̢̡̡͚͕̘̟͕̥̦̪͆̈́̿͆!̴̛̹͈̜̥͔̬͎̪̩͚̦̯̟̘̩̰̳̍̑̂́̌͌̎́̒͋̽̿̑͌͝͝!̴̛̥͕̪͂̂̂̈̓͆͗̇̄̈́̌̅̎͂̕̚̕͝͠”̷̧̧̛̠̝̰̞̘͙̥̖͎̭̞̜̳̟̓͆̌̊̃̔́͒͋̇̈́͘̚͠͝ͅ
.
.
Oh, right. There was a skyscraper running him down. To think he lived in a world where that made any sense. He rubbed his throbbing head. It was hard to think, though.
_CHAT
- ARN74: TRY AN CLIMB DE TING OPPA!
In two twos he jumped onto the side of the building and kept going up and up without breaking the momentum of the leap. Adrenaline had challenged gravity. Gravity lost. There was no pause to assess handholds. There was no rain stinging his face. In his mind, there was only ‘CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB!’ Crest the rooftop. ‘RUN, RUN, RUN!’ Descend the other side ‘JUMP!’ Gravity greedily reclaimed Norman, dragging him 4 storeys down at breakneck speed. He hit the ground in a parkour roll. Bruised a bone. Nearly fractured a shoulder. Wrenched his spine. Joints, muscle, ligaments almost popped. They didn’t.
He was running again.
Norman had never heard a building shred like paper. He’d never thought to wonder what it sounded like.
*( ( BMMM! ) ) ( ( BMM! ) ) ( ( BOOM! ) ) \*
SHHHHHRRRRRRMMMM!
Now he knew.Those booms … was it the eyescraper’s tentacles breaking the sound barrier, or punching holes through the apartment building? Maybe both. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was tearing the building in two with the ease of one parting curtains. Buildings were not designed to be parted. Two became legions as the sundered building collapsed.
Norman rushed for an abandoned truck, slid beneath the trailer. Not quite fast enough. Most of the rubble didn’t reach him directly, but upon hitting the ground? It pulverised into a blast of cloud like a sandstorm. Hissing beneath the trailer, the dust stung at his ankles. He ignored it, racing for the truck’s cabin at the front. Perched on the step beneath the door, he braced as the dust raced beneath, around and above him. The cabin was his shield. He flinched to a duck when its windows shattered as the dust cloud blasted straight through them. The truck rocked and slid slightly, bombarded by wind and dust. It lurched as a chunk of debris finally reached it, crumpling the trailer like cheap foil.
Time to move.
Particles prickled Norman’s eyes, finding their way through the nightsight. He took a fresh glimpse of the path ahead before clouds of grey engulfed it all.
Memorised.
He dashed on. A split second later, the cabin was levelled under a larger slab of concrete. More sporadically thundered down around him. His eyes were squeezed shut, denying entry to any more particles. He scrambled through the street, dodging obstacles from memory. As for the concrete rainfall that couldn’t be seen? He had some prayers about that, but it probably came out like half-baked gibberish.
Norman chanced opening his eyes. They watered like crazy. At least most of the dust was gone. Behind him, the eyescraper’s menacing silhouette was picking through the rubble. Finally, an unblocked street was in sight. He rounded the corner.
.
“̵̨̢̮͕̻̲̺́͠G̵̣̒́̓̽̅̊͘͝Ọ̷̝̣͓͙͔̀ͅͅǪ̷̜̺͚̲̯̭̈́̍͂͑̋̋̅͂̅́M̷̨̤̭͈̯̤͋̾̏̈̅̉̀̏͘M̵̡̢̙̱͌̊̓͒́͌Ḿ̸̳͗̀̀͐͒͗́͠ͅ!̷͍͉̣̪̫͙̳̲̤̎̀̾̅̈́̔̎̑͘͜͝͝!̴̨͈͖̘̖̅͛̋̽͠!̸͎̩͓̫̥̼̫̊”̵̫̗̞̣̝̃̅̕͘͜͜͝ͅ
.
Another peeping building, rumbling in from the new street. Alright. Straight it was.
.
“̷̢̧̻̹͚͔̾G̵̳̭̾̃̎̍̌̂̈́̂͛͘M̶̧̠͇͔͚͉̮͈̰͒͊́̏̔̄̾̊͐̒͂͜M̸̳͓̋͋̔͑̔̔̕͝Ő̷͓̟̱̮͓̍̂̾̽̇͘͠Ô̸̧̫͉̮͚̥̥̯̈̾͋̅͂͘̚M̶̢̫̥̰̮̪͙̬̙̗̺̽͒͐͌̋̈̄͆͝M̴̢̧̧̛̗͔͓̫̭̳̱͑̉!̵̡̛̛͍̲̓̅̑̈́̿̏͘̕͠!̸̧̖͔̣̩̏́͋̀͛͂̏̀̇̑͐!̴̧͕̝̮̤̱͈̬͋”̸͓̉̈́̑̎͊̌
.
Maybe not. A third building emerged from the rainfall ahead. All streets blocked. He glanced about. All alleys still blocked. This really was a hunting net, but this much energy for a tiny human? Predators weren’t usually like this.
He ran for the nearest building that wasn’t occupied by eldritch calamari.
( ( BOOMM! ) )
The eyescraper’s tentacle crossed his path. Its supersonic shockwave sent him flying..
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Norman came to. Rain poured against his face as he lay on his back. How long was he out? Why was it so cold? The atmosphere didn’t quite feel right. It didn’t look right either. Something about the colours, or subtle lack thereof. Everything seemed a bit desaturated. Norman sat up and coughed his lungs out, evicting a mix of dust and rain water collected in his slackly gaping mouth. Buildings towered above him on every side, a bit too close for comfort.
.
“̸̮̼͍̻̯̲̹͓̬̻̓̍G̷̛̖̙̰̰̟̓Ḿ̸̧̨͊̊̔͒͌̆͆͘͠͝M̷̧̺̏̿̆͑͆͋̅͌̕͝G̵̰̺͇̺̯̲͇̠͖͂͜M̸̡̨͕̹̗̥̎͑́̾!̸͇͙͚̝̩͕̙̒!̵͙̬̮̪̏̍!̶͔̪͉̙̘̃̐̄͝”̶̡̡̥̫̻̝̜̫͙̩͛ͅ
.Oh, right, those weren’t just buildings.
Norman raised a finger, gesturing to wait. “Could you *kaff!* quit subwoofin’ at me for, like, ten seconds!”
“Plucky.̵͚͐͝ for all seasons I .̵̦̺͐̅see,” came a skin-crawling voice from behind him.
Norman swung back his smitelight. It barely moved half a foot, then it stopped. Rather, something stopped it. That ‘something’ was cold. So cold. His wrist felt the chill without even touching it.
Norman turned, slowly, so as not to trigger further attacks. He found himself looking up.
Eight feet tall. Dark grey skin. A grin that went a little too wide. Dagger teeth. An open-chested jacket, revealing sinewy muscles with luminous markings like tattoos. His ebony eyes bore penetrating white pupils. Of all his traits, the dreadlocks stood out most. They belonged in a nightmare, dancing through the air with a life of their own. Somehow, they looked blacker than black, absorbing every ray of light or heat that came their way. That icy chill in the air shifted with the movements of his dreadlocks. They seemed to drink life from the air itself. Norman almost found it hard to breathe. One dreadlock clutched Norman’s smitelight, only by the tip, but its grip was iron.
Norman stared the tall man down.
The nyctal’s grin grew by a smidgeon.
Taking a calculated risk, Norman released the smitelight. Perhaps a peace offering would do good.
“Good.̷̧͋͌̎̿ boy,” the tall man nodded, admiring the smitelight as the dreadlock rotated it. “Clever.̴̧̤̩͈͓̖͂ͅ toy.”
Norman noted an understated Jamaican accent in his voice.
More dreadlocks slithered across the smitelight, as if tasting its every nook and cranny.
Norman did his best to look casual as he scanned for an escape route. The eyescraper’s tentacles had wrapped around the street, fencing him in.
_CHAT
- BAJANETTE11: 😳
- DARCIE222: okay, i’m back
- HARD-BACK-M8N: who you is again?
- DARCIE222: i left after the twilight angel sleep paralysis
- LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: And you’re back for more?
- DARCIE222: wonna know it impossible to stay away from a channel like dis
_CHAT
- DARCIE222: 😲 WHO IS THAT?!? AND WHY IS HE KIND OF …??? 😍
- MUNSTER-VERSER: I KNOW!!!
- BAJANETTE11: HE LIKE A VAMPIRE RASTA MAN! ❤❤❤
- ENTO_MOLLY: MOVE OVER MIGUEL O’HARA!! 😍🥰😘
- BAJANETTE11: NORMAN ASK FOR HE NUMBER!!!
- NORMAN: I HERE ABOUT TO DIE AND WONNA WANT HE PHONE NUMBER!?!
“Your fanbase has peculiar tastes,” purred the tall man.
_CHAT
- ENTO_MOLLY: 😳 Is … he talking about us? HE CAN SEE THE CHAT???
- DARCIE222: THE WAY HE SAID IT!!!
- DARCIE222: HBVJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJKL;K''
- LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: Did she just pass out on the keyboard?
- LIKKLE-BOY: lol!
- ARN74: you’re simping. Norman’s about to die, and you’re simping
Norman’s suspicious gaze flicked between the nyctal and the weapon. Finally, he reached out and took hold of the smitelight.
It crumbled in his fingers like ice-cold ashes. If not for the insulation gloves, he might have gotten frostbite.
The nyctal laughed.
Norman didn’t find it particularly amusing.
The tall man sauntered towards the eyescraper. Beyond it was a darkness even the nightsight had difficulty piercing. He beckoned Norman as if it were an afterthought.
“Please come in, .̵̭̻͌̓̂Norman.̶̲͕͇̅̑̚,” the nyctal instructed.
Norman stared stubbornly, hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels. He felt for his smartphone. It wasn’t there. When had he lost it?
Without looking back, the nyctal held up Norman’s phone. It disintegrated between his fingers as he rubbed them together.
Norman glared. At least the guy hadn’t pickpocketed deeply enough to find other things.
“Hey. To whom do I owe the … pleasure?” Norman almost had to push the last word through his teeth.
The nyctal stopped in the eyescraper’s doorframe. Shrouded in shadow, little could be seen of him, save the piercing white pupils peering out. Then the glint of his Cheshire grin.
“.̴̜͓̭̻̤̍̈́̆͑͑John Crow.̸̻̮̓̈́̏̓͘,” he answered, before receding into the darkness.
The eyescraper’s tentacles dragged in across the street, corralling Norman towards the building. With an exasperated groan, he trudged towards the main entrance.
“I want my bed,” grumbled Norman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become a free member on Patreon to read Part 14, 'Sleeping Giant', early! It will be released there today or tomorrow. For the visual 'mood writing' version (previously called 'artitext') and more Caribbean sci-fi, become a paid member for only $3! See links in comments.
First Previous (See NEXT>> in comments)