Examples of peoples cool bios on facebook

What I mean by that is … for example when my boyfriend goes in the bathroom I swear I can hear him talking on the other side , we have a box fan in our bedroom that we use and I can’t hear anything over it unless I turn it off… sometimes when it’s on I think I hear people arguing outside , I was paranoid yesterday and could’ve sworn I heard a baby cry outside of my apartment… I turn the fan off and it’s dead ass quiet , when my boyfriend goes to the bathroom I turn the fan off and it’s dead quiet.. it’s like, wait ah minute where did the voices go. I love using the fan as a white noise but sometimes it makes me hear voices. I know that sounds weird but it’s true 😫😭

Salvation is considered by most Western Christians to be the goal of Christian life. Views range from universalism, the view that all will be saved (usually after some period of redemptive suffering) to the view that there is no salvation outside of specific denominations.
But what of Christian Agnostics? Given the lack of unified doctrines, there really isn't one view of salvation that is dominant among Christian Agnostics. Usually, though, Christian Agnostic views on salvation are tied to attempts to solve or mitigate the problem of Hell.
In my experience, universalism is a fairly common view. Some subscribe to the view that Hell does not exist, others believe life on earth is the Hell that we face. Still others believe in a version of universalism that claims that all are saved after proportional periods of redemptive suffering.
Another common view is annihilationism. Annihilationism believes that the soul of the unrepentant does not suffer endlessly, but is annihilated upon death, totally destroyed. This is not the simple "ceasing to be" that is a dominant belief among atheists, as it is not considered to be devoid of suffering. Annihilationism is the oldest view of salvation in Christianity, and it is likely the view that the earliest Jewish Christians subscribed to.
All of the above views emphasize what comes after death as the goal of salvation, yet what about what comes before? This final view is what I will term the "moral" view, not because it is more or less moral than the others, but because it places a greater emphasis on living morally for the sake of living morally, not for the sake of eternal salvation. Here, what comes after death is rarely emphasized. Rather, the view is that one should live morally regardless of what may or may not happen after death. This view is associated not only with the beloved Rabbinic philosopher Maimonides, but also with common names on this subreddit like Immanuel Kant and Leo Tolstoy, both of whom believed deeply in the importance of a dutifully moral life regardless of what happens after death.
So, what is the problem of Hell that these views attempt to mitigate? The problem of Hell is related to the problem of evil, but it applies more specifically to Christianity and other religions that believe, traditionally at least, in everlasting suffering for the unrepentant. The problem is simple: how can an all-loving, all-powerful God be reconciled with the view that the unrepentant are punished with everlasting suffering? Author Thomas Talbott suggests that, if accepting of the traditional notion of Hell, one must accept either that God does not truly wish to save all beings, or that God does not have the power to save all beings.
Arminian theologians may be compelled towards the latter tine of Talbott's fork in an interesting manner. Arminian theology believes that grace is a free gift from God, given to all. However, through the gift of free will, one can reject this grace, and the love of God by extension, making eternal suffering their own choice. In this way, God does not will that people should be damned to Hell. Rather, it is the rejection of God that leads one to Hell. This view is also supported scripturally by what some term the "unforgivable sin," usually interpreted to be apostasy. All other sins, therefore, may still be forgiven, but the state of permanent apostasy and stubborn rejection of God leaves one committed to their own choice of separation from God.
Connected to theories of salvation in Christianity are theories of atonement through Christ's death and resurrection, a key difference in the soteriological views of Judaism and Christianity. Christians believe that Christ died for our sins, though the exact manner of how this happened has been debated for hundreds of years. For a Christian Agnostic, one may be drawn to certain theories of atonement, or not a single one in particular. There are a few theories that are compatible with each other, as examples. There are also theologians who emphasize that when it comes to atonement, what theories we have are models, not necessary truths, and by extension, a Christian Agnostic can be, well... agnostic about which atonement theories are correct, if any. This is not to say that it is appropriate to suggest that there is no atonement (indeed, Christ's atonement for our sins is as core a tenet of Christianity as Christ being the messiah) but to suggest that no current theories are satisfactory is not problematic, much in the same way that we believe we cannot know that God exists, yet at the same time, it is possible that God exists, and what rational justifications there are may not be sufficient to prove existence, but enough to approximate models pointing towards a creator.

I know I’ve seen a few negative comments/reviews about Imago but I’m hoping my experience might be helpful to someone.
So here we go 😁
I missed my First meeting with Zofia and with the negative post cycling around I thought oh here we go but to my surprise it was the opposite , she explained why my appointment was cancelled and how important it would have been if I had given her a heads up so someone’s would have been seen on that day. Which is understandable, fair and reasonable. I did explain it wasn’t intentional and offered to pay for my next appointment as it was my responsibility to show up at my appointment. Zofia and her staffs were very friendly and helpful. Got my next appointment which was free.
And to be honest I can understand the time difference can sometimes be a hassle for most people but it’s called an appointment for a reason for example when you set an appointment and you know remembering things isn’t your best suit like me lol set a reminder or something you like that helps you remember. Don’t get me wrong I don’t support nor condole the use of any form of abuse from anyone.
Getting all the blood test they needed was very easy for me and it wasn’t expensive (40 euros) and I took my blood to the hospital and got my results back on the same day.
Sent all of those in and got an appointment with the doctor who was absolutely amazing, professional yet friendly, he listened and allowed room for questions. He was very polite, respectful, reassuring and Listened and responded to all my questions in ways that I actually understood.
And according to Zofia they have recently finally hired more doctors, I am very relieved and proud to say, we now will be able to help a lot more people! So, no more staying low profile! :)
I am happy I joined IMAGO
https://www.imago.tg/

So the other day I was on Facebook (no idea why) and this girl I went to middle and high school with popped up in my “people you may know” feed. We didn’t talk a ton but we did have a handful of classes together and she was always super friendly to me when we did talk. I remember one time her complimenting me on how “down the earth” I was but I was too stupid at the time to make anything of it. Basically I’m trying to figure out if there’s any way for me to message her and it not be weird, or if it’s even worth it. We graduated back in 2018 so it’s been a while, but it’d be cool to catch up with her if there’s a way to message her without being weird. Any advice?

I’ve been worked at this place for at least 9-10 months.
The front end is cool sometimes, but they really piss me off… they seem to pick favorites and literally let people at the service desk treat others like trash.
Somehow I’m always to blame for EVERYTHING that goes on even though I have nothing to do with shit they’ve done. Most of the shit I had learned, I had to learn from associates that worked the registers, they barely trained me at all, I was just hopping on registers and then they get mad when I constantly need their help on things…
Most of the people I knew were cool, most of them were just micromanaging everything I’ve done.
Like for instance, when I get stuck at self checkout, there is always this one person who would micromanage everything I would do. Even when I couldn’t clean up much because I had to watch customers who come in groups or fill up the self checkout and make sure they didn’t steal anything and check their IDs for the alcohol they have, which they told me to be really strict on. She had scolded me to “clean these registers up!”
She should’ve did it herself since I was on lunch and she had a LOT of time to do so. She just didn’t do it. Yet IM always the fucking problem when it comes to the front. I was this close to snapping and cursing her out that night 👌
Then this one person gives me a mean look everytime I ask her for something, mind you, I didn’t do anything to her at all, I just say hi, ask if she had any spray to clean, and just focus on my work.
There was only a few people who actually understood how I was feeling, and with that, I’m grateful to have them in my life.
I feel like I’m unappreciated by everyone who works at the front anyways… they always make me the bad guy, they always pick their favorites to do the returns instead of covering breaks.. and most people just have a problem with me..
they even wait till the last minute to find someone to cover for me at self check to the point where I almost clocked out 9-10 minutes passed my shift.
It’s like I’m not appreciated enough for the shit I have to put up with… they don’t even show just BIT of respect for me at all… that’s why I hate this job so much..

What’s the best way to handle this situation. My wife and I got into an intense argument a few weeks ago. At the time my family was there. I left the house to cool off while my wife went and called her mom and sister and proceeded to bash me. She then spent an Hour or so yelling at my mom dad and sisters who were present but had nothing to do with the argument. She was basically telling them I wasn’t jack shit and I host of other things my family won’t repeat.
My family didn’t respond to her outbursts and honestly until that point they had a good relationship with her.
My mother has spent the last month with us helping with our newborn and she’s been awesome waking up at 6 every morning to help with the baby and not going to bed until 8 everyday.
My wife has refused to apologize saying that our argument was too traumatic and that she felt trapped because she was here by herself and my family was here. My family is traumatized and my sisters refuse to even come by and see their niece if she’s around. My mom is scared to get on her bad side and makes sure she does everything right so as to not upset her. It’s quite silly they’re all walking on egg shells around her, which to be honest many people do. I don’t think my family has ever given her the notion that they viewed her as an other. My mom and her actually work together.
Her inability to apologize in this situation and others has me really questioning her character because she knows what she said was hurtful and harmful but she still refuses to and says she needs time to apologize. I don’t get that if you know your actions hurt someone you apologize right away. I am seriously re considering the long term viability of the marriage at this point.
I am very close to my family and I don’t believe in that picking your spouse over your family nonsense. Especially when you have healthy family relationships and marriages end in 50% divorce. You can choose wrong and get another spouse you only have one family.

I find I agree with most of the crew's takes, at least with movies I've seen (being a little 'Jay-y' in that I haven't seen many classics), but there are some that they generally praise that I feel have issues that they don't bring up or aren't aware of, so I thought I might as well post them here to organize my thoughts, and see what others have to say.
The Thing
I really like this movie, but I feel it's harmed by the alien's powers, as presented, being too powerful, that it should have easily been able to infect everyone very quickly in dog form without ever being suspected. Maybe it's explained better or retconned in secondary media, but from what I gather having seen only the movie, the creature has at least human-level intelligence to be able to perfectly mimic a person, can modify its form and create appendages at will, and only needs to get a single cell into an animal body to assimilate it. When it is first brought in as a dog, it is given free reign of the facility. It should have had plenty of opportunities to spread its cells all over everyone. Even if saliva from licking (as a dog would do) isn't good enough, it could use it's demonstrated ability to generate a small needle appendage to prick everyone, or even a light nip wouldn't be seen as hostility from a dog.
The Matrix
It's not a plot hole, but I've always been really disappointed by this movie, as it has a cool premise, but I feel it says much less than everyone thinks it does. I love the concept of machines overthrowing humans, but instead of killing them, put them in a virtual world where they can still live out real-enough, fulfilling lives out of some strange sense of love or respect for their creators. Unfortunately, that's not what the movie is, despite some secondary media (comics, anime, etc.) pushing in that direction with added context of the machines' PoV. The first movie taken on its own (as most people ignore the other instalments anyway), the machines are black-and-white evil, who hate the humans and only keep them around for power, despite the presented system being among the worst ways to generate electricity imaginable.
SOMA
At the risk of inciting the Long Man's wrath, I felt that Soma fell short of what it could have been. Still, I would absolutely recommend anyone with any interest in sci-fi or existential horror to play it, as it does quite well in its exploration of what it means to be human. My first major issue is that the player character is as dense as tungsten, refusing to pick up on what he is seeing and being told. I get that this can be explained by the "flat" nature of his existence, and I suppose it adds tragedy to the situation, but it's still frustrating. Second, even if getting on the Ark worked like Simon expected, it still has horrifying implications that are never brought up; they are essentially trapping themselves in a cage that is doomed to fail sooner or later, when the earth is not dead, and in fact life under the ocean is shown to be thriving. No consideration is given to the thought that maybe, as the last human consciousnesses left, and now with effectively immortal bodies, there might be some desire or responsibility to fix the surface, shepherd ocean life, or at least deal with the WAU if it was left alive. Space is a notoriously unforgiving environment for electronics, and the Ark honestly would be safer on Earth, where Catherine and the Simons could protect and maintain it, and so it could actually be useful if they ever want to bring the inhabitants back out, instead of dooming them to oblivion in the depths of space. The final "exam" is meant to highlight the themes of existentialism, but I couldn't really get into it because of these loose ends. Still a good game, and certainly a horror game.

Me and my friends might be some of the only people to experience this glitch, it worked on their games as well and it was updated so it doesn't work anymore. I didn't have reddit and didn't get gameplay. It's a super specific glitch with some unpopular items at an unpopular time of BO4 so nobody found out about it (as far as I'm aware)
Here's how it worked:
On BO4 the Micro MG 9mm (The Gattling SMG) was added in the DLC pack with Tag der toten. This only worked if you PAPed it and had Bandolier Bandit. Both these brought the reserve ammo up to 1056. As long as you 1. Didn't use up the entire magazine, and 2. Had more than 1000 bullets in reserve after reload (so extended mags made this more difficult to manage). On reload the reserve ammo would show the new ammo count for half a second, then tick back up to the full 1056. So if you shot 40 bullets, you'd reload, the reserve ammo would say 1016, then go back to 1056. At first I thought it was a visual glitch, the counter and the actual ammo not syncing up, but no after purposely wasting ammo and not getting Ammo drops I burned through 3000 ammo in a few rounds and still had full reserve.
This was soon patched out after a few weeks, by just lowering the ammo count, to this day a PAPed Micro MG 9mm with Bandolier, doesn't have more than 1000 reserve. I don't know why this happened nor why it was patched out in this way, considering the Zwehander LMG has more than 1000 reserve ammo when packed.
Any info about why this might have happened, or any one else who remembers this or has gameplay would be cool to see.

I (F18) dated this girl (F16) for only about six months. ​We ​met each other during a school event and our friendship eventually turned into dating. She was a pretty sweet girl, she would spoil me with gifts and so did I. Most of the time, we wouldn't see each other because we had different schedules when it came to our classes​ but I tried my best to make time for her because I loved her a lot at the time. Everytime my classes would end before lunch time, I would run which classroom she was in so we could each lunch together in the cafeteria. During the times I would wait, some of her friends would see me.
Whenever her ​friends would see me, they would call my exgf and tease her, which I would just laugh off. I ended up getting to know them more along side my exgf. One day, one of her friends texted me about her behavior when I was somewhere close to them. She told me that my exgf would take pictures of me from afar like some stalker behavior (for context, I hated getting photographed in general) ​and that obviously freaked m​e out ​but i didn't know if her friend was telling the truth or was just saying it as a prank to get a reaction out of me (because they s sometimes say shit to me or about my exgf to get a reaction out of me or to test my loyalty as a gf.) I asked her "Oh yeah? Do you have proof? Send them to me then." And I wasn't surprised when they only a text, making an excuse saying it's "it's on her phone I don't have any but believe me it's true."
A few weeks passed (me and my exgf were only 2 months into the relationship) a​nd we had a school trip to go to a competition (the competition was in another school so we had to take a bus to go there) My exgf and I was in the same bus and she ​sat across me. I was growing tired so I took a nap in the bus and I saw her pointing her phone at me like she's taking pictures of me but I wasn't really sure, I didn't want to confront her with other people riding with us, especially teachers. A month passed and I haven't gotten a chance to confront her about it. I about confronting her about her behavior when we ate lunch but I never got the courage to do so.
On valentine's day, we had a school event and me and my club (the music club) had to perform a few songs so we could celebrate. During one of my breaks, I was sitting near the stage and saw my exgf taking photos of me. When I spotted her, she stopped and just smiled while waving her hand. Obviously, I wanted to confront her but I also ​didn't want to ruin our valentine's day date after school. Instead, I walked up to her and asked her politely to send me the photos (like it didn't bother me) and she said "Oh sure! I'll send you the old one's too."
I stood there wide eyed when i found out there we more. I said thanks and walked away because I had another set coming up. After my set, I hurriedly went to the bathroom to check the photos (I didn't want her to see my reaction because I was a little bit uncomfortable) I saw she had taken photos BEFORE we became friends and it was absolutely mortifying. There were so many photos, she sent me 30 photos and now knowing what she did there were probably more. I kept my cool and left the bathroom but AS SOON as I opened the door, she was there waiting outside. She asked if something happened and I just told her I was fine (I was not.)
I told my friends about what happened and they told me to leave her, but I never had a proper chance to do so. I didn't want to break up since it was Valentine's day and I also didn't want to break up during our lunch together. One of my friends suggested to break up with her through text but I didn't want to because I'm not a type of person to do that. I was more comfortable with talking about things with someone in person, so I had to talk to her ASAP.
To keep things short, a few months passed and we had been together for 5 months. During those 5 months, I waited for the right opportunity to talk to her. We had a field trip coming up so I decided to talk to her about it when we were alone. The trip went to different places but as a "reward" we went to an amusement park as our last destination before we head home (it's pr​etty common in school in my country to go on amusement parks as a last destination.) My exgf and I left our different friend groups to meet each other to ride the ferris wheel together. I took it as an opportunity to talk to her.
Because of me being a​ total idiot, i couldn't tell her or talk to her properly. She was being clingy and stuff towards me and she kept telling me she had bad day with her friends. When she told me that, I just comforted her because I didn't want to add to her having a hard time. When we got off the ferris wheel, we parted ways but friends saw me get down the ride together. they scolded me for still not breaking up with her (w​hich was and understandable​ outburst)
When we were approaching to be in a relationship for 6 months, she just stopped texting me for some reason. I kept bugging her and her friends but they wouldn't respond for some reason. I told myself they were probably busy with things school related. One day, I just got tired and didn't ask her to each lunch with me. I also didn't talk to her friends as well because they started to somewhat piss me off. While I was in the cafeteria to buy a snack, I saw my exgf and her friends giggling while she took photos. I wanted to yell at her so bad but I didn't want to have a sudden emotional outburst Infront of alot of people so I ignored them. I ​ignored them, their texts, their calls, everything. I would just leave their texts on read and never reply. One day, I saw a long text from my exgf asking me if what she did wrong (at this point i did​n't feel anything for her or her concern​) and I also left her on read. 2 weeks passed it was oddly quiet. I then get a message from her but it was her "mom". I honestly didn't believe that her mom used her phone to text me to break up with her so I took it as an opportunity to actually break up. I plainly said "alright, I'll break up with your daughter" and blocked her account on all platforms where we talked. I then went to school and my exgf and her friends confronted me but I just ignored them. One day, I finally had enough and snapped. I told them to their face that the things they did were uncalled for, she didn't have to pretend to be her mom to get a reaction out of me. She or any of them should've asked for boundaries and not keep bombarding me with texts asking what they did wrong knowing full well they were doing it and tolerating it.
After I said everything to them, I simply walked off and ignored them. I then kept ignoring them until the end of the school year. I Would hear them whispering time to time but with the little care I had, I didn't bother to listen. It was probably too much to block all of them but let me know. Was I the asshole?

Hello all. Firstly, I'll say I'm posting this for my son who's still learning to DM and mostly does so for his brother. There are brother dynamics. He asked me this question and I gave him my advice, but also thought we could ask here and he could learn the joys of reddit.
So an example from real life, he asked for a perception check because there's a trip wire and his brother questioned why. He also didn't want to do the check. My advice was to ask for the check and when he doesn't do it, treat it like a critical fail.
Do people have any other ideas on how to handle this?
They're 8 (the DM) and 10 (PC) so we're not going to kill anyone ..... just yet. Ideally we want the player to learn the hard way to care about the checks. Also, "I'm the DM, that's why!" won't necessarily work.
Thank you in advance!

I posted about this game in a thread about upcoming games and someone said I should do a review when I'm done. Well I'm done now so I might as well. This game is $13, but was on sale for $2 on the Switch eShop when I bought it, and it still should be as of now. This really felt like an old janky ps2 game. It really stood out to me since I feel like a lot of indie games that try and copy older game console styles, you can usually just tell its made by an indie dev. but with this one it felt authentic enough. Also it's on steam with two reviews you can also check out.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1880200/Nine_Nights/
Nine Nights - The Wolf Killer sounds a lot better than "Martial Ci Lang Story". IDK why the Switch version is called that, maybe he thought having wolf killer in the title would make people mad and he changed it.
For gameplay, it feels like a VERY cheaply made Ninja Gaiden. It's almost like you asked an AI, :program me a Ninja Gaiden inspired game." I thought it controlled ok enough, but it felt pretty floaty. This was a mobile game originally, and I can kind of tell. It definitely feels like it was made with touch screens in mind. There's a vaguely stinger type move, and you can still maneuver around with the stick while in the attack animation, making it feel not very forceful. There's a few cool attacks, but I found myself never using them. Most of them need to be charged, and I don't feel like the enemies give you a lot of time to use it, so I just defaulted to the basic combo. There are some aerial attacks, but they feel super janky, I only used them for the giant Eagle riders, as it dealt with them better.
The enemies are fine, aside from the flying ones which I found annoying. You're basically just fighting against humanoid enemies, with a few animal ones. Some human ones do have some magical type attacks though, making them more unique. There were parts where I think the game got spammy with them, and often I would get attacked by one enemy, and with so many attacking at once, putting me into a stunlock and not being able to do anything. The camera can't take in the whole scene, so it's like you have to keep track of enemies off screen, which wasn't too fun.
Some of the bosses were fun to fight, Sword Maniac and the final boss being my favorites. Sword Maniac felt unclear when you're meant to attack. He basically blocks every one of your attacks, but some seemingly make it though, never being sure when he was open. Felt like I just got lucky and eventually took him down by chip damage. I still enjoyed it though. Not sure what the intended method is, as the only gameplay videos of it on youtube just cheese it and spam exploding knifes from a corner.
There's a story but it's kinda non-existent, and just there to be there. so I don't have much to say about it. Not a lot of cutscenes, and the ones they have are pretty short. I experienced some glitches, one being almost game ruining, but I chugged through it. It would respawn me under the map if I died on a certain room of enemies, forcing me to quit the game and load the save every time I died. Hopefully it gets patched, but I feel like it wont.
I think I enjoyed this game, but I paid $2 for it. I can't say I'd recommend it at it's normal price, being $13, but if you're REALLY craving an old ps2 hack and slash feeling game, $2 is a good price for the enjoyment I got out of it. It being made by pretty much one guy also make me less harsh on it. There isn't really any info on the developer, or its on the Chinese internet and hard to search, but I'd be interested if he made more stuff in the future, as there's potential in this. I could see him making something good, if he had a more solid feeling combat system.

I'm trying to get this out as far across the #Destiny community as I can because I've found a better workaround than #Bungie were able to do for the #NoAudio problem they knowingly introduced with the 8.0.0.1 patch update.
As detailed in the patch notes, some people will find themselves without sound after the update. This is apparently because someone at Bungie decided to disable audio altogether if Windows' #3DSpatialAudio is enabled. I don't know why because I can confirm that sound worked perfectly fine for me before the Monday downtime, literally seconds before the downtime.
The big problem is, Bungie's suggested "workaround" to disable 3D Spatial Audio DOES NOT WORK for a not insignificant number of users. For example, my Logitech Pro X wireless headphones simply no longer work in that game AND THAT GAME ALONE. I don't know if they somehow introduced some garbage code that completely breaks audio compatibility with some hardware or what, Bungie is absolutely radio silent when it comes to this "enhanced" audio problem.
But, as I said above, I have found a solution, at least for myself at this time. I was able to re-enable the Realtek onboard audio on my motherboard and miracle of miracles, I had sound again! Now, I don't have the skills, time, or money to compile a list of what is and isn't compatible with Destiny 2 any more but maybe this may help some of the possibly thousands who had no audio after the update.
You have to admit, unless you're deaf already, this bug utterly renders the game unplayable for people and Bungie just doesn't appear to care about that. I actually managed to get myself banned from both Bungie's "Help" forum and Steam's because I first got a little colourful on the "Help" forum while begging for help from someone at that unfeeling mess of a company. They then managed to get Steam to ban me from their forums as well. I now have no way to communicate this discovery with the many people who are still suffering while Bungie pats themselves on the back for a "successful" launch.
Funny thing is, I'm no longer angry with them, just very, very disappointed that they get away with this egregious customer support. However, there ARE a minority of people there who love their jobs, love the game they've produced over the past ten years and genuinely want to share that love with as many people as possible. The problem is that those people are not in charge and whomever is in charge either doesn't care or is too incompetent to get it right. They've had ten years to work on this and this might just go down as the technically worst product launch in the industry. After all it has now been four days and five hours since the launch and there are STILL a large number of people who can't enjoy the experience of the culmination of this amazing story and Bungie either doesn't care or hasn't got the skillful people needed to get the job right.
I'm not saying I'm any better than them, I was just lucky my troubleshooting skills were able to solve this problem for myself because Bungie was unwilling or unable to address this seemingly simple problem. After all, sound worked perfectly fine for me, literally seconds before the Monday downtime. I'm no coder, but surely SOMEONE in their crack coding staff kept notes on what exactly was changed between those two versions, or someone could probably run a code comparitor between those two versions and then snip that change alone. They could have even done that before the 8.0.0.2 "update". But again, they couldn't or wouldn't even do that. They could have solved a problem that affects possibly THOUSANDS of people.
But that's the end of my rant, have fun out there and Per Audacia Ad Astra :-)
PS: Please spread this around as much as possible. I posted a little rant like this on X but I just don't have enough followers to get traction. Thanks.

Although I've been keeping an eye on the advancements in DSLR cameras over the years, I've been using my old A99 since 2012 due to budget constraints. I prefer shooting wide landscapes, night scenes, star trails, and food. Hence, the SAL1635ZA lens I bought in 2008 has been doing a good job as a full time lens cap... until now.
Recent improvements in cameras have been significant, and I'm getting itchy to upgrade. Currently, my dissatisfaction with my camera includes the following points:

1. Frequent focus errors when photographing people, so I rarely shoot portraits.
2. Limited focus points. I find the number of focus points on the A99 limits me putting the object more or less centered to avoid point 1.
3. Poor ISO performance; ISO 800 is about the limit of what I can tolerate.
4. The lens's poor flare resistance; I feel the T* coating is virtually useless. Can anyone advice how the flare situation on the GM II improves or compares to the ZA?
5. Heavy weight.
6. Heavy weight.
7. Heavy weight.
8. The tilting screen only has three axes.

Given the above, I'm considering switching to the E-mount system with the A7R V and the FE 16-35mm GM II lens. After doing some research, I feel this combination should address the shortcomings mentioned above. However, I'd like to ask some experienced users on the forum if this setup might lose some of the advantages of the A99 with the SAL1635ZA lens.
For example, when shooting star trails, I usually take 700 shots with a 30-second shutter each time. The A99 with a vertical grip (three batteries) and a wired remote handle this well. The A7R V doesn't seem to have battery expansion options. Is there a wired remote available that allows me to lock the shutter? Also, does the GM lens outperform the ZA lens in terms of image quality? Does the image quality at F2.8 remain slightly soft like the ZA lens?
First time posting on this subreddit and hope to contribute in the near future. Thank you.

Age of Legends
Prologue(Death and birth of a dragon)

Rand was happy, there wasn’t much else he could say about how he felt right there at that specific moment. Lying there in bed wearing nothing but his small cloths and a silk shirt half buttoned. Beside him sleeping so peacefully was one of his beautiful wives, Elmindreada, though she hated that name and preferred Min. Thinking back on many long years of peace and growth, yes he was fated to break the world, and he had. Though the prophecies never mentioned the creation and growth he would also leave behind. The creation of the black tower and the worldwide acceptance of male Aes Sedai, his crown and epitome of success the cleansing of saiadin. That and the discovery of ancient knowledge to confirm anyone should be able to learn to touch at least a small part of the true source, at least most people could. Those two things alone would have vast and far-reaching consequences for the good. The covers beside him shifted as his wife turned over in her sleep showing him her short curly hair. Thoughts drifting again to convincing the Aeil and Tu’athan(the tinkers he thought fondly still) to make peace, them taking it a step further and settling in the two rivers. The tinkers, the wondering people and followers of the way of the leaf, coming to terms with the Aiel spear wielders and settling in one place, that one place being his boyhood homeland. Perrin was there, as well as all the Emond fielders, what’s more they set him up like some king and started calling the place Manetheren.
Mat even came back and settled down to retire with the remainder of his family after his wife the empress died. Rand frowned because that wasn’t a happy memory, her battle with some kind of internal growth that even the best healers couldn’t fix, it was slow and painful. She was tough and knew enough to put things in order so there wouldn’t be any war for succession, but after her death and with no children not adopted, Mat just had no pull to stay. He came back and Perrin gave him an estate where he spent the rest of his days carousing in taverns even if no one would play dice with him again. The rest of his days were not much however, less than two years after his wife Mattrim died of a heart attack. The same strange fox head medallion he wore around his neck that had saved him so many times from enemy power wielders, due to its powers of absorbing any of the one power used against the wearer, was strangely the main cause of his death as there had been an Aes Sedai capable of healing close by. Rand wondered what ever became of that medallion. Trying to shift his thoughts back to happier things he thought of Elayne another of his wives and queen of the region this new “kingdom” was growing. Or at least she was. Having not one but two kingdoms to run was taxing her, especially when one played that awful game of houses so much, as if it were breathing. She actually willingly gave that area to Perrin, that and more besides. “Having friends at your back, especially friends who know they owe you can only help.”, he remembered her saying when he asked her.
He laughed remembering how her cute golden-haired little face grew so stern while she rounded on him for not caring about his friends and shouldn’t they also get something for all the help they provided at the last battle. Of course, it also had nothing to do with being such close friends with Perrin’s wife Fail. Manetheren though, when asked Perrin just shrugged his huge shoulders saying one name is as good as any, and it was the one that everyone agreed on.
Min groaned softly beside him still wrapped in the silken bedding spread. His laugh seemed to have disturbed her, he quickly stifled it and glared at the lavish bedroom they slept in as if that were the fault for his mirth. Lying on top of the silken covers because he never quite got used to sleeping on feather mattresses. It really was a lavish bedroom, filled with rugs and wall coverings, paintings, not one but two large dressers with mirrors, a matching and equally large wardrobe, currently opened showing two other mirrors on the inside of the doors, smaller than the dresser mirrors, and a neat array of blouses and trousers with floral embroidery(Min’s things). Otherwise, there was also a washstand with another small mirror, a desk and one chair slightly askew and away from the desk. On the desk are several stacks of books, and an open notebook with a nearby quill and ink pot. There was a lone unlit lamp also on the desk gilded in gold, as well as several gold gilded wall lamps also unlit around the room.
Sighing softly as Min settled back to comfortable sleep, he stared back up at the bland whitewashed ceiling above him and thought about the schools he had patroned. So many new ideas and inventions were springing up and with traveling prevalent they all spread to the world almost as fast as the ideas can be thought up. This would hopefully lead to a golden age for the world, and his schools were even branching off on their own into new learning institutes. These alone seemed to keep the peace between all the nations. Rand couldn’t tell if he was trying to be modest or humble. Yes he patroned and started the first few schools, but it was not all him coming up with any of the ideas and inventions, many of which had become marvels in and of themselves. Transportation, communication, education These would be left behind and he would be known for that as well as the other.
Breaking the world to make it whole, and his victory with that world’s armies at the last battle. He fought the dark one while the armies of all the nations fought the shadowspawn and darkfriends and dreadlords. Despite everything against him, including it seemed sometimes even the creator, he not only won the battle, but he survived it, he survived it and had a nice long life. The world was at peace, headed to a golden age which he would get credit for, and so Rand was happy. His eyes closed and his thoughts grew that sort of muffled feeling they get just as they start turning into dreams.
PAIN! Rand knew pain, he was no stranger to hurts, especially from a half healed old wound in his side, but that was not the same thing right now. For some reason panic started rising up in him, this was something new, this was something worse. A sharp pain again, in his chest, his body wildly spasmed up kicking his sleeping wife awake.
“Ow you bloody tall buffoon, if you think you can kick me out of bed you have another thing …” Min trailed off as another spasm of pain racked through Rand. Her face contorting with fear as she watched him clutching his chest nearly double over with the pain spasm. He tried to tell her he would be alright, but all that came out was a groaning grunt. He tried lifting his hand to show her it would be alright, but he couldn’t get it to move. Suddenly a hand hit him in his face, it was his hand. He couldn’t feel his hand or his arm. Fear started creeping in as another spasm of pain caused him to let out another groan and clutch at his chest with this hand he couldn’t feel.
“Creator shine his light on me, of course you would choose to die when you’re with me.” Min started shouting hysterically. “For the love of light you bloody wool head, you hang on until I can get Aviendha to come heal you, she’s not far, just hold on damn you.”
Rand vaguely had an impression of Min running towards and out the door. Another spasm of pain, except somehow this was less. He knew it should hurt just as much, but it didn’t. He must have found the void so it wouldn’t hurt as much, that was it. Rand thought about his third and final wife Aviendha, how she would likely come in to find him as healthy as a bull and upset his stomachache disturbed her wise one’s practice. Stomachache? Wasn’t it his chest that was hurting him? Another very small spasm, yes its his chest, but he was also feeling decidedly nauseous too, and that was the greatest issue right? Sleep was all he needed, he would sleep, and everything would be fine in the morning, tomorrow he had to get up early to sheer the sheep.
The void completely surrounds and envelops Rand. As he fades away he hears a sinister voice in his head, “YOU WON THIS ROUND DRAGON REBORN BUT WE WILL COME FACE TO FACE AGAIN” The dark one, what, again? No, the dark one is dead, am I dead, wake up you light blinded fool. There was nothing but the void, not even the light of saiadin could be seen. Rand listened as hard as he could, he thought he heard something, something almost familiar. There it was again, soft but rhythmic, sounding not exactly far, but muffled as if listening through water. Thump Thump and it hit him, that’s the sound of a heartbeat, but who’s heartbeat his? Sleep, that’s what he needed, a really good nights sleep and he would feel better in the morning. Rand drifted off into a dreamless sleep listening to the heartbeat, Thump Thump.
Thus did the dragon reborn die after seeing the end of one age turned into the beginning of another. The people of the land wept at his passing, they swore they would remember him forever and always. Time however is not a kind mistress, when an age is gone it starts to fade from existence, times deeds even people change in the telling’s of the years and centuries. Eventually when the wheel goes round and gives birth to the age again all details have been forgotten, muffled, or contorted.

Mariann Jo’sheen Sedai was old. She had a proper last name once if she could just remember. It had been so long ago since she had last thought of it, a life in the white tower could do that, and Sedai was as good a last name as could be for formality. Just saying Mariann was old was an understatement though, being a woman with a stronger channeling ability, and having sworn on all 8 Life Oath Rods, a prerequisite to becoming Amyrlin of the tower, that she even has any grey hair showing means she must be well past 800 years old, and to show the amount of age she did it must be closer to past 900 years. She was still sharp in mind mostly, at least anything from the last 100 years or so she could recall as sharp as if it happened yesterday. Had it really been longer than a hundred years since she last though of her family name, having long lasted past the last of her lineage, her family long gone or married into others.
She thought even harder surly she had been at her last relative’s funeral, when was it, it was a great aunt she remembered, and the surname was …, she thought really hard. She was in the Amyrlin’s bedchamber reserved for the current leader of the white tower. That said like most of the past Amyrlins before her she kept the bedroom nice and simple. The single window held a cooling fan with right below it a heater coil. The other wall held a closed door which led into her bathroom, the next wall holding another door leading out of the bedchamber into the office of her role. The last wall held the only other furniture besides the plain brown four poster bed she was laying on. A white nightstand with built in mirror and matching white clothed chair. The bathroom was large and would hold her wardrobe of clothes along with the indoor plumbing necessities.
Mariann thought back to each of the eight oaths she took on the life rods, trying to remember which one she had last taken when she attended her aunt’s funeral. Small cylindrical devices no longer than her arm, when you take an oath on one your life actually increases by a standard lifetime or roughly 100 years depending on the person, those stronger in the one power given slightly more. Really giving any oath at all would do for the increasing your life, the only requirement being you channel Saiadar while making your oath and someone else that can also channel does so to activate it. However each specific Ajah required you to take a specific oath, and the eighth oath rod was solely for those like her who have taken the Amyrlin seat after having have pledged on the other seven, again a specific oath.
“I will say no word that is untrue”. Eight oath rods, and eight times this is spoken to ensure you do not offer a false oath, as if anyone would think of lying so many truth seekers everywhere.
“I will faithfully serve as Amyrlin to all of my children for the rest of my days”. The Amyrlin seat was a lifelong position and would not open again until her death. Serve all her children, it was said that the ancient honorific Amyrlin meant something like mother to all, it means that she was a servant to everyone in the world, matter it not she was the leader of the white tower. That first part about serving faithfully as Amyrlin could leave some wiggle room depending on how one viewed the title of Amyrlin, the last however left no wiggle room for anything.
“I will treat everyone with fairness and justice as is prescribed by the dai’shan aiel of the grey tower and the Aes Sedai code of ethics”. Those were binding stronger than time itself. The grey tower first because only the dai’shan aiel more than anyone can decide what is fair and right, they were and are the original truth seekers among so much more. You would also have as much power to reach the moon as you would to get the Aes Sedai code of ethics changed. First it would take a proposal from either of the leaders from the white or black tower. Either the Amyrlin of the white tower or the Pope of the black tower has to make a suggested change, which then needs to go through each Ajah/Faction and receive 90% approval, then it gets sent to the other tower to make its way up through the chains until it finally ends with the other towers leader. If it passes all of that it gets sent to the grey tower for approval again 90% before finally appearing before the first servant leader of the grey tower for final approval, and at any stage it can be stopped if it doesn’t pass.
That wasn’t it though, no she was not Amyrlin at her aunt’s funeral. Before then was the Blue ajah, which was closer. But still too recent, what level was she? The sleeping shift she wore was one of the new fads called a one piece. It was literally one garment that covered both legs and torso. It had several convenient buttons for keeping it on or taking it off. It was grey cotton all one solid color, and it was bunching up at the knees. Mariann distractedly Jerked it back into position. Her thoughts drifted too far back to when she had her very first foretelling which was that she would one day become Amyrlin seat. She was a young girl of only 16 years, and she knew without a doubt. It came in bursts though and it was not something she could control.
This vision came on stronger than any she had ever encountered before. So strong it jerked her body stiff as a board and slammed her down thankfully into the bed she was already laying on. An Evil shadow of a man, a giant taller than mountains, and blacker than the darkest shadows on a moonless night, peering down at the world smiling, that smile turning your blood to jelly and freezing you in place with its ill intent. A great serpentine beast came flying from the other side of the world, Long and scales glimmering like diamonds with talons made of pure gold but sharper than the sharpest knife, fire trailing from its partially open moth off its gleaming sharp teeth. It was equally large as the malevolent shadow man and flew on giant tornado causing wings straight at the other. They fought a great battle against each other, but in doing so caused so many deaths as swaths of their destruction ravaged the world. A flash of light and Mariann was staring at the grey tower as if just a few hundred yards away. She started walking towards it only to watch in horror and bewilderment as the tower before her cracked and collapsed as if a mirror or glass shattered. Another flash of light and she saw a baby boy, but he aged so fast right before her eyes until he died as an old man. She couldn’t remember much, but she knew deep down that he was in some way related to the other visions and this man, for it was definitely a man, was likely the cause of them.
Opening her eyes to stare at the brown four poster cloth above her and remembering every detail about her vision she distractedly spoke to herself . “Goshin is my sur name and I last heard it at Aunt Maragel Goshin’s funeral while I was at the green level”. She shook her head, that wasn’t important anymore if it ever really was. She quickly sat up in her woolen one piece swinging her feet over the side of the bed and hurried to her nightstand. Sitting in the chair she reached in one drawer to get paper and another to get an ink pointer. Channeling a single small strand of fire into a swinging glass bulb above her bed brought light into the room. She hastily started scribbling down every detail from her vision, she was grateful she always kept ink and paper nearby to do so.

Mr. Telamon was a nervous wreck while sitting in the hospital waiting room. He somehow knew, sensed something was wrong with his wife’s delivery. Dai’shan aiel were everywhere; as were nurses, patients or close kin waiting, Every once in a while a doctor’s assistant would come out and call a name ushering someone to see a doctor. Really bad cases would be taken in through a separate entrance known only to the healers. It didn’t matter, and he got confirmation as those doors opened up and not the assistant, but the doctor who had taken his wife looked around the room first at the dai’shan, then at him. A group of three of the white clad figures started moving towards him even before the doctor did. They felt his grief or rather the grief he was going to feel, even before he himself felt it. That and they knew it would take three of them to calm him down. Tears were streaming from his eyes before the doctor even started speaking.
“There was a complication during the pregnancy, your son is ok, your wife however did not make it, I’m so sorry. She did manage to tell us a name before she passed. Lews, Lews Therin after her father. Is that what you would like on the birth certificate?”
Baby Lews’s father numbly nodded, and the doctor walked away as uncontrollable sobs started emanating from the man. The three dai’shan aiel circled around him arm in arm and started singing a song of comfort and peace and mourning.
***
Rand Al’thor was asleep soundly when something woke him up, but he couldn’t tell what or where, or even anything for that matter. It was like the void, nothingness, but a sound, not a feeling, a heartbeat. The heartbeat was much faster than it was and suddenly something pushed him hard in the head. Go away he thought I’m trying to sleep. However the push came back stronger than before, this time managing to flip him upside down, upside down?, he could tell direction in this floating nothingness. Really awake now Rand tried to remember, remember?, remember what? Again the push and he was being squeezed to death and suddenly he remembered something about the dark one. A voice, a word, a sentence, the dark one wanted him dead. Was this the dark one trying to kill him, again push, again very tight squeeze, this time a light as if from a tunnel. It wasn’t the only light though, Rand went to the real void, and he saw it, Saiadin. He reached out with all his might to grab it and it came like a flood. He couldn’t control it, he had no strength, and his memory was foggy, he just expelled it to get out the other light and away from the pushing and death squeeze.
As Saiadin left him so did more and more memories, he tried to shout that he killed the dark one, sealed the bore so it could never be open. All that came out of his mouth was a scream. No blood and fire no I did this already, I won, I’m done. And with that last thought Rand Al’thor fell deep deep asleep into the furthest recesses of the brain. Lews took a deep breath and let out another scream wanting his mother or anyone to come pick him up and sooth his little soul.

The dragon is born!

Chapter 1
16 years later
The wheel of time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the fifth age by some and the first by others. An age yet to come, an age long past, a dark icy wind arose from about as far north as you can get. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. But it was a beginning.
A steam vent in an icy mountain let out a puff of sulfur like particles riding the wind. High and fast the dark tainted wind rode across the Nym fields, high enough to escape the notice of the Nym, ever vigilant in their desire to protect the world. Over the borderlands of mankind, given graciously by the Nym when mankind needs more space to grow. Still high in the sky the dark wind blew through wild wilderness where only the Nym, the Ogier, the dai’shan aiel, and the Aes Sedai were allowed to travel if at some risk. The wind started descending as it traveled into the warmer southern air. Up ahead in the distance was a magnificently large tower made of stone black like obsidian, but much stronger. Along the northern wall of this Black tower were several windows, most open hoping to catch some of the cool breeze which it did nicely.
It was into one of these windows the dark wind blew, a classroom, though filled only with boys. The tainted breeze flew around several students, all dressed in black school uniforms and sitting at wooden desks on little rickety stool like chairs with just the barest of backrest. The flow of air flew so close to the face of one student he gave a start, finally going up the next nearby student’s nose just as he took in a deep breath.
Lews gave such a start at the intrusion, and he stood up sneezing loudly, the rancid smell still strong in his nose. Taller than most of his peers he certainly stood over everyone’s head while they were all sitting down.
“What are you doing, you look like a dork, hurry and sit down before anyone notices.” His best friend [Ishamael]() tried to warn him. However, it was already too late for that, most of the class was now looking at him which made him self conscious even if the women all said he looked like a dream. Worse, the teacher at the front of the class in a very similar black colored uniform was looking at him expectedly.
“Yes Lews, do you think you know the answer?” To Lews’s horror he realized he had been spending most of the class in a daydream about being the most powerful weaver ever. It was important that distinction, woman channel men weave. Saiadar and Saiadin, two halves of the same whole, both apart of the one power the true source. Everyone could learn to use it, or at least almost everyone. The dai’shan don’t channel or weave for all the power of their songs, not one of them it’s a law to join among other things. Other people might be so weak in the power it should be they don’t have it at all, there are objects which can amplify or temporarily give someone use of the one power, those with so little power that resort to using these transcognative devices were often socially outcast. Transmogs they were called when someone was being nice.
That didn’t help him now, he was in history class, and definitely not studying Transmogs. Lews desperately wracked his brain trying to remember what they were discussing. The teacher’s slight smile was starting to droop to a slight frown. Nym’s that was what they were discussing, what about Nym’s? Desperately looking around for some hope, he finally remembered. It was a question about the first Nym, what was his name?
“Goak him jim knee?” Lews answered with a rightfully apologetic look on his face. Sighing the teacher said “close, Oakhimgimee. At least he was close!” The teacher got progressively louder while giving the rest of the class an evil eye. The laughter that had started quickly quieted. Just at that particular moment a loud bell decided to ring calling an end to that class period.
As the other students started standing up, talking, and starting to head for the door, the teacher weaved a small weave that produced a louder voice reminding the class they had the test coming up at the end of the week.
Lews slowly grabbed his bag and followed the steady stream of students leaving the class.

While I was diving deep into the databank and reading more about the weapons, I noticed a pretty cool detail about the how the colors of weapons and their ammunition correspond to their origins. I think there are 4 types:
Yellow (ASTRA/Earth origin): Sidearm SD-M8
Green (Bio-weapon created from creatures on Atropos): Spitmaw Blaster, Rotgland Lobber, Coilspine Shredder
Red (Sentient technology or retrofitted from Automatons): Tachyomatic Carbine, Thermogenic Launcher, Pyroshell Caster, Electopylon Driver, Atropian Blade
Purple (Unknown origin/different world or dimension?): Hollowseeker, Dreadbound
Just wanted to share my observations and the attention to detail in this amazing game. Would be awesome to know where the purple weapons come from...

Hello everyone :) I know this particular request probably gets made a lot and believe me i have read a lot of posts and looked through a lot of suggestions but I still have a really hard time finding music I really love listening to when I’m high. I wouldn’t say my taste is peculiar but maybe a little different. I love songs that have great beats that I can just vibe too, sometimes I like songs that have great beat and are chill but occasionally I want it to just sound great and drop the bass too. The genre I’m looking for specifically would have to be alternative, or maybe anything that sounds psychedelic (I’m a fan of classic rock but I’m looking for more modern day songs) but I will try anything if it has a really good beat though.
Ps, sorry I didn’t put any links in I am not big on posting and don’t even know how to do that 😅 But if you have any good recs or maybe know other good songs or bands like these please let me know thanks!
Some examples or bands/ songs I like are :
Beach weather- Sex,Drugs,Etc. Foster the people-Sit next to me, imagination Tame Impala- The less I know the better Gorillaz- Saturnz Bars Blokhead- The music scene Glass Animals- Heat Waves Rec Hall- Paranoia Kid Bloom- A different state of mind Dennis Loyd- Alien (Topic remix) Borns- Past Lives, American Money Jungle- Heavy California

Boys: Justin, Ripper, Topher
Girls: Anne Maria, Jasmine, MK
Episode 19: The Princess Pride
"Last time, on Total Drama Action! Just when the cast thought they were safe, I swung in to surprise – I mean, antagonize them."
"The cast were forced to use their creative sides while showing off their back sides. As they made superhero costumes out of spandex. And...some other junk. Nice tights!"
"Of course, they were foiled by the diabolical Pythonicus, evil alter-ego of the villainous Chef!"
"In a fight against evil, the cast proved they could be heroes. And also, loooseerrss!"
"In the end, the most diabolical of them all was MK, who twisted things in order to get Chase eliminated."
The recap footage ended, and the scene flashed to the control tent where Chris was waiting with a smile. "Will the Gaffer alliance recover from Chase being gone? Will Anne Maria and Topher keep going out?" he pressed a button on the keyboard to his side, causing a picture of the couple to appear on one of the screens behind him.
"Maybe you'll find out right now?" he shrugged impishly as the scene changed again and he walked towards the cast trailers. "Maybe you won't? On another, totally dramatic episode of," he stopped in his tracks and the camera zoomed out with each further word, "Total! Drama! Action!"
(Theme Song)
The episode began with, of all things, a close-up of some brown and beany mush plopping onto a plate. The camera panned up to reveal its source as burrito beans in the hands of Jasmine being put together. Shots of Ripper, MK, and Justin also showed them making burritos as well.
The camera zoomed out to show the four constructing burritos on the table next to the tent's entrance while Topher and Anne Maria were at the other table, the former overseeing the quartet as he stood on the table and the latter simply applying lipstick to her lips.
“Ten more seconds, guys! The biggest burrito wins!” Topher declared and looked at Anne Maria. “Do you think I'd make a good reality show host?”
Anne Maria put her lipstick away. “Can you excuse me? I'm working on my facial features,” she said.
“But you already worked on yourself in the morning,” Topher said.
“You'd do the same if your hair was lookin’ messy,” Anne Maria retorted.
“Touché,” Topher pulled back.
“And time is up, folks!” MK informed everybody with her watch.
"Ripper, what do you got?” Topher asked the burly boy.
“Allow me to demonstrate my beefcake burrito!” Ripper held up his plate - his burrito has no wrapping and simply consisted of beef shaped into a cake. “I actually managed to make a cake out of beef.”
“How interesting,” Topher observed after getting off the table. “Jasmine, how about you?”
“These are my twin burritos!” Jasmine said with a plate that had two burritos tied together with an elastic rubber band.
“You actually wrapped your burritos?” Topher inspected heavily.
“Of course I did,” Jasmine nodded. “Twins are sometimes inseparable, and it's a good thing that these burritos aren't Siamese, otherwise they would have tried to eat one another.”
Topher laughed at her quip. “Points for that quip,” he said and made his way over to MK. “MK, how did you manage to make your burrito?”
“I am proud to present the MK Whopper!” MK took her burrito out from under the table and presented it - the burrito was shaped to look like MK with the beans as the body, wrap pieces as the hat and clothes, a sliced piece of tomato as the mouth, and pieces of beef as the eyes.
“The burrito is self-serving, but quality effort regardless,” Jasmine commented.
“Quality? Check out the guns on these beans,” Justin objected as his leitmotif played and he whipped out his burrito shaped to look like a flexing bicep. He even flexed his own bicep and moved his eyebrow in order to impress the contestants, but they were unfazed. “Nothing. You feel nothing?”
“Nope,” Jasmine shook her head.
“I was never once into you, Justin,” MK added as well.
“Man, this scratched schnoz has destroyed my looks and my life!” Justin moped. “Why?”
“MK, your self-art and ego is unsurprising, but you did make the biggest and best burrito, so you win,” Topher told her.
“This isn't right,” Justin protested and was now out of his seat. “I demand a second neutral opinion.”
“I'm no doctor or anything, but we all have reality-show-itis, and it's making us turn things into a challenge,” Anne Maria spoke up.
“I'm not sure if that's a thing, but I can't help myself when this day is bland and boring,” Topher said.
Confessional: Justin
“When my good looks went, so did my winning edge,” Justin told the viewers. “But some people are still managing to kick butt, and they're not nearly as good looking as I am!” He paused to think about what he said. “Okay, as I was.”
Confessional Ends
Justin was now sitting next to Anne Maria. “You know, you're the only one taking the game seriously. I just wish I knew how you did it all. It's so inspirational.”
“I'm just playing the game the best I know how,” Anne Maria said. “And it's not by sabotage like Scott did to me.”
“Scott also sabotaged my chances in the game as well,” Justin continued. “Hey, we have something in common.”
“Yeah we do, now go away,” Anne Maria ordered. “I don't know if they'll be a challenge, and I'd like to relax in peace.”
A few off-camera footsteps gave everyone pause, and they looked towards the room's entrance as the shot moved to a side-view of the room. Chef Hatchet had entered wearing a faded purple Medieval-styled costume, complete with a simple horn bearing a flag marked with a simple black-and-purple shield.
He blew a few awkward notes, then the camera moved in for a close-up as he made an announcement. "Hear ye, and rise! For Sir Chris!"
"Sir?!" Jasmine repeated with disbelief. "This Bruce's ego is fussing me to heaps!"
The shot moved back out to show Chris McLean riding atop the same decrepit-looking horse that had been used for a much earlier episode. He was wearing a knight's helmet and holding what looked to be a boot made of glass, and dismounted once Chef laid out a small rug for him to stand on.
"Hold on," Topher said slowly. "Glass slipper. Medieval stuff. This must be a Fairy Tale theme!"
"Topher," Chris said with stern annoyance, "if you ever steal my intro again, I'll have to personally boot you off the show."
"Hey, you can't do that!" Topher protested. "You brought me onto this show!"
"This boot," Chris said happily, "will determine the Princess for today's Fairy Tale movie challenge! The rest of you," he added as the camera panned across the tent from right to left, "compete for the honor of rescuing the fair Princess."
Anne Maria immediately raised her hand eagerly. "I wanna be the Princess!"
"I said the fair Princess," Chris repeated. "And what we think is fair is that the candidates be the ladies who haven't had a win since the merge: MK," he looked at the unamused techno, "and Jasmine." The focus moved to the Outback girl, who merely raised an eyebrow.
Confessional: Jasmine
"Okay, I am not Princess material," Jasmine said in the make-up confessional. "Not only am I too tall to fit the role, but I'm not really interested in fairy tales."
Confessional Ends
A short drumroll preceded an even shorter chanted note as MK and Jasmine approached the end of the table closest to the tent entrance.
"Yeah, there's no way that I'm gonna be some Princess, McLean!" MK barked at the host who was standing nearby with the glass boot still in his hand. "And don't even try to jam that boot on my foot."
"Okay," Chris said slowly, "that's a no for MK. Jasmine, you're up."
"Well, I'm not fond of fairy tales," Jasmine said, "but I might as well."
"Hold on there, Thunder from Down Under," Chris told her. "You have to put the boot on first. Make sure you're actually Princess material."
Jasmine frowned. "Okay then." She sat on the end of the table, slipped off one of her shoes, and tried to force it on.
The host and other castmates watched as she grunted and began to sweat, trying to get the boot onto her foot. Eventually, she let out a disappointed breath and held the boot back up. "It's no use," Jasmine told the host. "I can't get it on, and even then, it would shatter to pieces."
"Well," Chris said blankly, "guess that's both candidates out, unless MK changes her mind."
MK just glared at him. "Not a chance."
Anne Maria immediately grinned. "Yo Chris!"
"Looks like we have to do another selection method," Chris grabbed the glass boot and began to turn, only for Anne Maria to dart forward and snatch the footwear away from him.
Anne Maria swiftly tossed aside one of her heels and replaced it with the glass boot. "There," she said with a smile, raising her leg to show the boot glimmering on the end of it, "I always knew that I was meant to be royalty!"
"Fine, Anne Maria can be the Princess," Chris said heavily. "Let's just get this over with. Chef?" he looked back over his shoulder, and the shot pulled back to show the hulking man arriving back on the scene. He had changed into a pale blue ballerina's outfit, and had strapped a pair of fake wings to his back that, along with the glittering 'wand' in his hand, gave him the appearance of a fairy godmother.
"I dub thee, Princess Anne Maria," Chef said shortly as a touching song played, waving the wand above the grinning girl's head and releasing a cloud of sparkling dust that nearly choked Topher, Ripper, and Justin.
Confessional: MK
"Anne Maria as the Princess?" MK told the confessional camera with a snort and a laugh. "I wouldn't want to be in that Fairy Tale. Along with any others out there."
Confessional Ends
A harp played in the background as an image of Chris' head and a large hardcover book appeared on screen in front of a yellowish stock background. "It's story time, with uncle Chris," the host's disembodied head said before the scene flashed to him seated in a large purple armchair with the same book in hand. His left hand was on a joystick built into the arm of the chair, and he seemed to be slowly rolling through the set.
"Once upon a time," he began slowly, the camera pulling back to show the host rolling up to the contestants minus Anne Maria on a wheeled platform, his chair joined by a matching footstool, pedestal side table, and even a fireplace. "Five brave knights went on a quest to rescue a Princess from her ivory tower." He pulled back on the joystick, and the platform came to a stop. "But, it wasn't gonna be easy! First," he looked at the staircase behind him, "the knights had to get past my very good friend," the shot quick-panned up and left to Chef, now dressed in a tattered vest and trousers with a long moss-green wig and beard, "the Terrible Toothless Troll!" The shot zoomed in on Chef as he quickly blackened a few of his front teeth with a sharpie. "And, his Bad Breaks Bridge!"
The camera zoomed out even further as a few ominous chants played in the background, showing a large mountainous set featuring a rickety rope bridge over a treacherous and craggy fake waterfall. The contestants gulped.
"To get past the Terrible Toothless Troll," Chris read on, "the knights had to wear disguises! There was the Frog Prince," he grabbed a vaguely frog-like great helm from behind his chair and tossed it to Justin, "and the Ugly Stepsister," he tossed a large wig of wavy red hair in a tall bun to MK. "Snow White," he tossed a pink sleep mask to Jasmine, "and one of her Seven Dwarves," he followed that up by throwing a tall wizard's hat patterned with stars, moons, and lightning bolts to Topher. "Aaand," the host finished by pulling out a bright red hooded cape, "Little Red Riding Hood."
He tossed it to Ripper, who raised an eyebrow as he caught it. "Seriously? Can't I just be Riding Red?"
"No dice dude. That's what it says in the script," Chris told him as an unseen intern delivered a plate of milk and cookies to the host's side table. He turned and grabbed one, saying "Good work, kid," before continuing his monologue. "And so, the Ugly approached the Terrible Troll."
"I can't see in this thing!" MK said.
"Oh yeah," Chris said to a dramatic rise in the background music, "for this challenge, each knight is blind." The five teens immediately began to protest, causing the host to snap at them. "Nowhere in this story does it say 'the cowardly knights complained'!" he told the cast with a brief glance at his book. "So get it together, steppy, and get crossing!"
The footage skipped ahead to show MK slowly inching her way across the bridge while holding on to one of the rope rails. "This ain't too bad," she said to herself. She was hit by several red apples in rapid succession, causing her to yelp in pain.
"Oh, also," Chris said as the shot cut back to him, "those are Wicked Witch's apples, so, they're poisonous and rotten. You might wanna watch..."
He stopped talking as the shot cut back to MK slipping on one of the apples and fell off the bridge to the rocky set below. The camera followed as she fell and bounced off of several outcroppings before landing onto the hard ground. The shot cut briefly to the other contestants as they winced in pain before cutting back to the techno girl lying awkwardly on the ground with an apple in her mouth.
"Well, looks like MK isn't fairy tale hero material," Chris commented, dunking one of his cookies into his glass of milk. The short girl writhed in pain.
Confessional: MK
MK had on a neck brace and bandages around her head and torso, "I'm having trouble remembering what happened after the fall. Does that mean I have a concussion?"
Confessional Ends
A harp was played as the footage cut back to the other contestants standing at the start of the bridge. "Next, the eighth dwarf," Chris said as he moved his platform around towards the far staircase. "He grabbed a fistful of courage and headed across the bridge."
Topher glanced over at Chef. The man had hunched over, and was slapping a cat o' nine tails against his hand with a wild grin. He took a deep breath, put on the wizard’s hat over his eyes, and charged forward with a battle cry. Chef raised his eyebrows and rushed out to stop him, but he jumped onto a rope rail and ran through it until he was past Chef.
"Did I make it?" Topher asked, having reached the other side.
Confessional: Topher
"Poise classes have taught me to always be aware of my surroundings, whether I’m blindfolded or not," Topher grinned. "And with Anne Maria as the Princess, I’m not botching this one."
Confessional Ends
The footage skipped ahead to Jasmine's attempt, the sleeping mask already over her eyes and her hands firmly on the ropes of the bridge as she walked forward at a steady pace. Chef squeezed a mother goose, launching a golden egg out of its rear like a bullet. It shot past the girl's shoulder. "What was that?" Jasmine asked as she moved her head to track it. A second egg hit her square in the chest, knocking her back a step and putting a grin on Chef's face.
Jasmine frowned for a moment, then took a cautious step that was apparently at the bridge's weak point. The camera zoomed in on the bridge as it rippled, knocking loose every plank all the way to Chef. With a gasp and a scream, the troll and his goose fell, and the scene cut to him as he grabbed something behind his back. "They don't pay me enough for this!" Chef yelled, pulling the cord of a hidden parachute and floating down safely.
Jasmine was unaware of the danger and took one more step, expectedly screaming and falling. The camera cut to Chris as he followed the Amazon girl's fall and winced at the sound of an impact. "Awesome!" he cheered. "You’re up, froggy." The scene cut to the start of the bridge where Justin stood. "Then Captain Hood after that."
Justin put on his helmet. "At least my face will be protected from further indignity," he said as he slowly moved towards the bridge. He walked right shoulder into one of the posts holding up the bridge.
Ripper laughed. "Tough break, pretty boy," he jeered. "Go a little to the right." The eye candy followed the advice and walked into the other pole, causing Ripper to laugh. "Sorry man!" the bully called before laughing again.
Chef was shown running past the center of the bridge with an ax raised and ready to strike, while Justin stayed at the bridge completely oblivious. Ripper laughed once more and pushed the model into the cook. "Let me give you a hand," he said as he did so. Chef brought his ax down and hit the hot boy's helmet, causing the eyes to spin comically and Ripper to laugh once more.
Confessional: Justin
“There I was, down dirty, and deafened,” Justin recapped his failure. “And I thought "W.W.A.M.D.": What would Anne Maria do? And then it came to me! She'd use her head.”
Confessional Ends
With a battle cry, Justin rushed the cook with his helmet and ran him over, safely making it to the other side. "Justin's still got it!" Chris said as the camera cut to him. "All right, the final knight attempting to enter Fairy Tale Land is," the shot cut to Ripper as he tied a blindfold over his eyes and faced away from the camera, "Riding Red! We're over this way!"
"My seeing is good," Ripper said as he turned around. The camera cut to his perspective to show that he could actually see Chef putting on a blonde pigtailed wig. "I'm able to see Chef as a female troll! Hilarious!"
"Rapunzel dude, let down your hair!" Chris called, and Chef lengthened one of the pigtails and began swinging it around. He cracked it like a whip at the bully, who dodged it.
The camera cut to Justin watching Ripper avoid every attack. "Hey! He can see!" he cried.
"How?" Chris asked sarcastically. "With his X-ray vision? That'd be cool."
Chef attacked one last time, but Ripper grabbed onto the pigtail and swung across to safety with a whoop.
The footage skipped ahead to a close-up of Chris's book as he began to narrate once again. "And so, the Terrible Toothless Troll knocked off two losers," the shot pulled back to show Jasmine, wearing a leg cast and her right arm in a sling, and MK sitting on the ground nearby. "But," the camera panned over to Justin, Ripper, and Topher on the right, "three semi-brave knights made it to the other side and continued on their noble quest. Whereupon I, in my wisdom, inspired them with a vision of Princess Anne Maria."
The shot pulled back even further, revealing that the group had assembled in front of a small stage with a pink-tinted backdrop depicting a large white castle off in distant hillsides. A slow piano melody began to play as Anne Maria, now dressed in a regal-looking pink gown and tiara, was lowered onto the stage by a few wires.
"When I was a little girl, I'd dream of my first kiss," Anne Maria began to sing in a rather mediocre voice the moment she hit the stage and the wired harness was reeled back up. "It would come from my perfect prince!" A number of tiny birds and chipmunks gathered around her, the birds even landing on her hands. "And in my dream, it went like this!"
The scene immediately cut to the three remaining knights as they watched the performance. Justin and Topher were both stunned by her display, while Ripper couldn't care less.
“She's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Justin said.
Definitely,” Topher chimed in.
“I must've been so busy seeing her as a potential alliance member and extra vote that I didn't see her outer beauty. Wow,” Justin continued in amazement. “We'll be the best looking couple in the kingdom!”
The music came to a halt as Topher and Ripper were surprised by what just came out of Justin's mouth.
“Excuse me, but I am still dating her!” Topher objected heavily.
“And there's no way she'll ever be into you,” Ripper told Justin.
“I saw you cheat, Ripper,” Justin let him know. “You don't deserve to be anybody's prince.”
“And who died and made you the rule master?” Ripper faced the handsome boy threateningly.
"Guys, guys!" Chris said, stepping forward and getting between the boys. "No need to fight! At least not until after this break," he declared happily. "Will Ripper inflict any deformities on Justin? Or will Justin's ripped physique bring two tons of hurt down on Topher's head? Find out when we come back!"
(Commercial Break)
The footage came back to a distance shot of the stage Anne Maria was still singing on, her music resuming as the shot cut closer.
"My prince will be tall and handsome," she sang, the camera panning down to catch Justin standing straight and proud. "My prince will be tough as nails," Ripper flexed his biceps and then lifted a startled Topher over his head.
"My prince will have lots of money," Anne Maria continued, the camera moving back on her as she showered the stage with a wad of cash. "My prince will tame wild whales!" She flexed her own arms, Chris nodded to the beat, and the shot cut to Topher looking at a small and rather disoriented baleen whale on the floor in confusion.
The shot panned down to Jasmine and MK who were watching the performance with boredom on their faces.
"How are you feeling about the whole Fairy Tale thing?" Jasmine asked MK.
"Couldn't care less," MK answered bluntly. "I just don't know why we have to keep watching though."
A close-up was shown of Anne Maria reaching for a wary-eyed frog in a small crown, the Jersey girl pulling it closer to her as she finished her song. "When we kiss~, my prince will be you~!" As the music ended, she held up the frog and kissed it on the lips, but broke almost immediately in a fit of revulsion.
Anne Maria threw the frog away from her, and it landed on Justin's face. "Warts! Get it off!" he cried out as he ran around trying to get the frog out.
"Wasn't that song brilliant?" Chris asked as the focus moved back to him, Jasmine, and MK. "It was so brilliant, I know everyone wishes they could hear it over, and over, and over again! And now they can." He snapped his fingers, and a CD case bearing Princess Anne Maria's picture on the cover was placed in his waiting hand.
"Relive the magic of Anne Maria for only $12.99," he told the camera as a deep and theatrical tune began to play. "Call 555-SELLOUT to get your authentic Princess Anne Maria CD," he added as the camera zoomed in on the case, "before everyone else downloads it illegally!"
"I'll take one!" Topher quickly begged, earning him a CD. "This will be worth spending thirteen dollars of my money."
Confessional: Topher
"My prince will buy me lots of hot dogs! My prince will love ponies too!" Topher was listening to the CD through headphones as his confessional began. "Her singing isn't the best, but I do want to support her," he told the camera.
Confessional Ends
"After risking my life for you, I have come to realize this!" Justin said as he approached the stage. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And the smartest. What are the odds?"
He offered his hand to Anne Maria, but she didn't take it. "Thanks for telling me what I already know!"
"Uhh, aren't you going to compliment me on my bravery?" Justin asked.
"Nah! Princesses are supposed to be complimented in my world,” Anne Maria said, to Justin's disappointment. “It's not their job to give them out to anyone, but for me, I'll make an exception for Topher, the handsomest knight around!”
The camera moved to Ripper rolling her eyes and Topher smiling. “And you are the most beautiful princess around!” Topher complimented back before a sound caught the attention of both. They turned their heads at once and the scene followed their gaze over to Chef, still in his troll costume but now riding the same fly-ridden horse from earlier in the episode.
"How has that horse not died yet?" MK commented. "It can't be in good condition after all their time being used on this show."
"Just because it's a little old, doesn't mean it's not fighting for their life," Jasmine told her.
Anne Maria hopped onto the horse's back while Ripper and Topher came over. “Are we supposed to catch him?" Topher asked.
"No, it's a classic princess abduction," Chris explained calmly. "As the villain makes a whirlwind getaway on a swift steed."
Chef kicked the horse with his feet, but it didn't react. "Guess ol' Betsy here didn't read the script," he said gruffly.
"Kick harder," Chris commanded, and Chef promptly complied. A stronger kick caused the horse to kick backwards, hitting Justin – who had been standing closest - right in the face.
"That did it," Chef said as Justin was shown to have a few teeth knocked out and a bruised right eye.
"So, that's how the three knight dudes lost the Princess," Chris narrated, "But fate, aka me, wasn't finished with them." Chef and Anne Maria rode off behind him. "They followed the troll all the way to a fight to the death, because that's how I like my princesses saved."
"Sir Topher!" Anne Maria called out playfully as she was slowly abducted. "You better be the one who rescues me!"
"These two haven't even got a chance!" Topher replied arrogantly.
"As good luck, I'll give you my favor to carry into the battle!" Anne Maria tossed the glass boot, but it unintentionally hit Justin in the face.
Confessional: Justin
Justin was having his bruises covered up by make-up brushes from two unknown people while the glass boot was on the table.
“Falling for Anne Maria has been hard on the face. I think we'll have a no glass shoes policy if we start dating soon,” Justin informed and put the boot away. “I have no idea what Chase and Millie's policies are, but they're probably less dignified.”
Confessional Ends
The footage cut forward to a close-up of the old horse chewing on some hay before the camera panned over to a small castle archway propped up against a tower of some sort. "Sir Justin, Sir Topher, and Sir Ripper reached the ivory tower in which the troll had stuck the super tanned princess," Chris read as the three remaining competitors walked into the scene and he followed on his rolling platform. The shot panned up the towers, where several other pieces of crenelated wall had been attached here and there, and at the very top there was a pinkish spire and balcony where Princess Anne Maria waited.
"But there was only one way to rescue her," the host continued with a grin on his face and tense music building in the background. "One of the brave knights had to slay the dragon!"
"Dragon?!" Jasmine asked in alarm. "Tell me you didn't get a real dragon for this!"
"Seeing as dragons don't exist," MK told her, "I find that highly unlikely."
"She's right," Chris said as the music switched to something more ominously lurking. "We're reusing the alien monster guy."
Seconds later, a few tremendous mechanical footsteps were heard. MK and Jasmine looked to stage right and the camera pulled back, showing off the animatronic monster in all its glory. Chef was wearing the motion capture suit that controlled it, and it had been given a hood with horns, a scraggly 'beard', and two tiny wings in order to make it look more draconic. Chef raised his arms menacingly, and the monster echoed the pose and growled.
"Let the dragon slaying begin!" Chris announced, pulling out a trio of wooden swords and throwing them to the knights. Ripper caught the shortest, Topher the most slender, and Justin the broadest, and the three turned to face the tower and dragon.
"I'm counting on you, Sir Topher!" Anne Maria called from above, smiling at the fanboy and blowing him a kiss. He accepted it with a grin, and Anne Maria turned her attention to the other two knights and frowned. "As for you two, you'll need all the luck you can get."
"Yeah, cause I'll be the one who's going to slay today!" Topher boasted before turning and charging at the dragon.
"Not so fast," Justin charged at Topher and the two clashed their swords into each other's, only breaking when they noticed a foot-shaped shadow fall upon them. They rolled out of the way before the monster stomped them, and the camera panned over to Justin landing next to Ripper.
“You want Topher to win?” Justin faced Ripper.
“Like I care which one of you wins,” Ripper scoffed.
“Then help me take him down and I'll let you win,” Justin offered.
Ripper thought about it, and the viewpoint moved over to Chef guiding the monster in stomping and snapping at Topher. He was able to strike the dragon's head with his sword. “You are not going to stop me from rescuing Anne Maria!” the fanboy told the dragon.
“Just get them both chasing you,” Ripper suggested.
“And why?” Justin asked.
“Do you want to stop that monster or not?” Ripper glared. “Just do it!”
Justin sighed but complied, and both Topher and the Chef-controlled monster made moves to chase after him while Ripper watched from the sidelines.
“Are you going to fight me or run away from me?!” Topher asked with a taunt.
“Justin, you're going to stop running in 3…2…1!” Ripper ordered, and Justin paused his dash.
Topher also stopped chasing him as well, and the dragon, who was still trying to chase the others, caught its foot on Topher and somehow tripped. It flailed its arms humorously before crashing to the ground.
"A job well done," Ripper said as he ran over to the large red button on the side of the beast's neck. “Now to claim my second immunity win in a row!” he said as he readied his sword to finish it off, but Justin came up to push him off the dragon and onto the floor.
"Sorry Ripper," Justin told him. "If Izzy was the prize, I'm sure you'd do the same thing." He plunged his sword into the dragon's neck, causing it to fizzle and short out. "Anne Maria," he dramatically called out, "your prince is coming."
"Some prince," Ripper mocked.
The camera panned to the right to show Chris' moving platform as he arrived with Jasmine and MK in tow.
"Wanna rescue Princess Anne Maria too?" he asked the camera. "Now you can, for only $79.95!" he pulled out a pink-and-yellow striped box and held it up for the camera, a vaguely Anne Maria-shaped doll barely visible inside. "Order your very own Princess Anne Maria Limited Edition Glass Boot Doll! Playing with the Anne Maria doll is more fun and less dangerous than playing with the real Anne Maria. Guaranteed!" He finished with a cheesy grin.
The scene cut to the top of the ivory tower as Justin climbed up to the balcony where Anne Maria waited. "I have arrived!" Justin announced.
"Not the guy I was expecting, but a reward is a reward," Anne Maria grumbled and the two moved in for a kiss.
"Wait, wait, there's no kissing!" Chris interrupted the two from his chair.
“What?” Justin felt confused.
“Oh yeah!” Topher cheered from under the dragon.
"It says here that Prince Justin and Princess Anne Maria must sword fight to determine the true winner!" Chris explained while reading off his book.
"Which means I still have a chance at winning immunity?" Anne Maria asked quickly.
"You're much smarter than most princesses," Chris replied.
"Usually, most fairy tales end with a kiss," Jasmine said.
"Well, this is a modern tale," Chris explained. "Gals have to fight for themselves."
“You can say that again,” MK agreed.
“If that's how it has to be-” Anne Maria said.
“No,” Justin cut her off, now kneeling on one leg. “I am a noble gentleman. A brave knight. A handsome prince. I would never hurt a lady.”
“But you would hurt a guy working with you,” Ripper interjected after getting up on his feet.
“I said I was sorry, Ripper,” Justin told him with annoyance and focused back on Anne Maria. “I refuse to raise a sword to Anne Maria.” Anne Maria took the sword from him. “I give up any chance at immunity to spare her. And now…”
Justin puckered his lips and moved close, only for his eyes to widen. The camera pulled back to show the hilt of the sword buried in his crotch.
“Not sorry! I'm already taken!" Anne Maria declared before pushing Justin off.
Justin fell with a scream until he hit one of the 'towers' on his cheek. He kept on hitting one tower after another until he hit the ground on his back in severe pain. “I'm okay!”
The camera panned over to Chris and the other losers. "Anne Maria wins immunity! Again!" the host announced.
"Yes!" Anne Maria cheered.
The opening sequence of the Gilded Chris Ceremony came and went, leaving the scene focused on the tux-wearing host at his podium. "So," Chris began with an award already in his hand, "with immunity, Anne Maria is the first to win a Gilded Chris." He tossed the statuette to the girl, sitting on the left side of the bleachers, and she caught it with a smug grin.
"Immunity and my own dolls? How much better can this day get?" Anne Maria said.
"Well, it's not like you're getting the profits from the Princess Anne Maria line," Chris said plainly.
Anne Maria's eyes popped open in shock. "Uh, what?!" she said in outrage. “It's my line!”
“I’m saying that you're not going to get the profits because they’ll be sent over to your family for safekeeping, along with a Princess Anne Maria doll,” Chris explained. “I don't want any of my interns or producers to take what's rightfully yours. Lawsuits and all.”
“Oh!” Anne Maria said in relief. “I'm relieved, but I'm also upset that you made me act like an idiot!”
"Then you should have let me finish! Also still in the competish," Chris announced with another two awards in his hand, "MK and Jasmine." The former caught her prize in her lap with a confident grin, and the latter with a happy smile.
"And also Ripper," the host continued, the camera panning to the bully who smiled as he caught his award.
Spotlights were put on Justin and Topher, the former in a body cast. "Who will live happily ever after, and who will die penniless," Chris said as the music built dramatically. "And the last Gilded Chris goes to… Justin!"
"What?!" Anne Maria stood up. "You have to be joking! Justin should be going home!"
"Yeah, you're right. I was just kidding," Chris said. "Justin's actually the one who's been eliminated."
Topher caught his award. “I knew I would be safe.”
Confessional: Topher
“I told everybody to vote off Justin,” Topher confirmed. “He tried to move in on my girlfriend, and him getting booted would serve him right. The best part is, everybody was on board with it and I didn’t even have to try and convince them.”
Confessional Ends
Justin got up and started to head to the red carpet, but stopped to look at the contestants. “So is no one even going to miss me?”
“I never liked you,” MK shrugged.
“See ya,” Ripper said apathetically. “Get better soon, or sometime.”
“Okay, stop already! I'm going! But you'll regret it,” Justin told them and walked to the red carpet. Before getting into the limousine, he gave one last look to the remaining players. “With me gone, this competition just got eighty percent less handsome.” The eye candy turned around, only to hit his head on the roof. “All right, seventy-nine!” he groaned.
The footage paused there, and the camera pulled back to show it on one of the monitors in the control tent. Chris was sitting in his chair playing with a couple of Princess Anne Maria dolls, a few more scattered on the nearby desk.
"I know what I told Anne Maria, but marketing says that our target audience is too old for dolls," Chris told the camera as the footage on the monitor cut to static. "They're just not selling!" He looked to the side, and the camera panned to follow and show Chef playing with a group of Princess Anne Maria dolls dressed up as soldiers.
"Princesses, attack!" he said with a dark grin, lighting a miniature cannon with a match as the deeper and more dramatic ending theme began to play. The cannon fired with a puff, blowing the heads off two of the dolls.
Chris gave him an odd look, then turned back to the camera. "Hey target audience! Make sure you don't miss the next kiss-filled episode of Total! Drama! Action!" As soon as he finished saying the title, he mashed the mouths of the two dolls he was holding together and made kissing sounds. "Now you see, Chef," he told his companion, "that's how you play with dolls."
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
The scene opened to Justin sitting on the back seat of the limousine with the glass boot in hand. “What I've learned? Well, maybe that good looks won't take you everywhere you want to go,” he said wisely. “I mean, what have I ended up with? A wounded face, a bruised ego, and a shoe that I can't even wear. Maybe if I stopped modeling and threw all my energy into getting smarter, more girls could fall in love with me,” he thought. “But modeling pays. And Jesús, my booker, says that even with my severe facial wounds, he can get me a bunch of leg modeling and some celebrity kid's birthday party. So, love schmove.” He threw the glass boot out the window, and a shattering sound indicated that the boot was destroyed.
Eva - 15th
Geoff - 15th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 13th
Sky - 12th
Brick - 11th
Scott - 10th
Izzy - 9th
Millie - 8th
MERGE
Chase - 7th
Justin - 6th
Boys: Ripper, Topher
Girls: Anne Maria, Jasmine, MK

So I posted a few months ago about my product and it turns out it may be a winner.
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Hello! Looking for my forever person! Someone who shares my feelings and desire to want to be in a relationship. I'm a 6' 1'' American. I am very kind and understanding to others. I tend to be a good empathizer and listener when it comes to other people having issues and helping them overcome issues. I really strive to make people happy. I am very fun loving and deeply enjoy showing people a good time! Work related stuff I sort of feel like sharing is that I have my associates degree in I.T. as well as a Bachelor's in Cyber Security and currently work an office job that has pretty good pay. This was especially true when I got promoted a couple of times in the past two years. I've been rewarded many time and recognized for good work frequently.
The reason for my preference towards Indians is because at my previous university in Northern Virginia I was able to join it's Indian Student Association when they had a booth at a club rush event I stumbled upon one night before my statistics class. They said they took anyone so I joined wanting to see and enjoy a new culture. I really enjoyed doing stuff there and made great friends and almost got an internship thanks to one of my friends I made there...... then I got news that I would be moving again with my parents which made me sad, that is a story for anyone who wants to hear it another time.
For hobbies I enjoy playing PC games, (such as Helldivers 2, Paladins, Cyberpunk 2077, RTS games, etc.. and always willing to try new games) board games, cooking, and trying new foods (especially Indian food since I love spicy foods). One thing to note with my eating, I am not vegetarian, though I do not mind vegetarians and am willing to do that sort of thing around family if need be, though I have mushroom and peanut allergies. I have been learning Hindi on Duolingo. In my free time I like to take pictures and am highly interested in photography. I do not smoke/or vape and I drink socially and mix cocktails. I like walking, hiking, window shopping, traveling and snuggling. While I have no issues with someone who is Hindu and such, however unless your family is okay with someone who is Catholic like me I would prefer if someone is either Christian or Catholic. Just to avoid potential family disagreements and drama.
As for what I know about Indian culture, I only saw a couple of Bollywood films Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Jab We Met. I am really interested in watching more Bollywood films and learning trivia about the actresses and actors. I am aware of Salman Khan’s crazy antics for example. Another Bollywood film I would want to watch is RRR and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. I would love to watch it with someone and learn more about it. I do get to see some stuff about it on twitter from some accounts I follow but I don’t really understand it much. Many of the actors and actresses I hear come up are Rajinikanth, Sri Devi, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Keerthi Suresh. Again I am willing to learn more about all the interesting details about Bollywood and such. I am familiar with some parts of Indian history like the Kargil War, the recent farmers protest and the horrific Goan Inquisition. I would like to start out slow as a casual acquaintance and test the waters with someone. I’m not comfortable rushing headfirst into a relationship and I understand that neither would you, so being friends first is a must. I really want to get to know someone so that we can both be compatible. I am somewhat open to long distance relationships so whether you are from India, UK, etc don't be discouraged to hmu. But I would prefer someone already in the U.S. Lastly I don't want someone who'll waste my time. I don't like being led on and dumped out out the blue. Please be serious and committed.
I can talk on reddit though I like talking off reddit. Contact me anytime if you are feeling the same way about finding a life long partner and feel free to ask me any questions. :)