Cold stone creamery springfield menu
Eugene, OR
2008.11.26 22:55 Eugene, OR
Eugene, Oregon and all of Lane County. UO students should try /UofO
2009.10.15 06:36 Overly Moderated Sub about Eugene Oregon
Unofficial city motto: "This seems like a good idea in spirit, but not very well thought out."
2023.05.30 22:26 Xerxeskingofkings The First Rift War, chapter 6: Epiphany
++I regret to say, we have lost control of the system to these invaders.++
The words hung in the air of the command centre, literally stunning those present. It was almost impossible to imagine. The image of Quinn on the screen continued.
++I’m pulling back to the jump limit, to preserve whats left of my forces. The repair ships can rendezvous with us there, and contact temporary repairs to enable us to get to Ti’an for proper repair work.++
Himdo took some time to react, as the enormity of what the fleet-master was saying sank in. When he responded, he spoke with A tone that was equal parts surprise and indignation
“You’re abandoning the system?! We cant just let these humans have a sector capital! Its unprecedented!“
Due to the distances involved, their was a significant delay fore the fleet-master responded.
++The humans ALREADY have the sector capital, My lord. I am in no position to stop them. ++ Quinn countered. ++We need to fall back at Ti’an, wait for the Battle fleet to arrive from the Core, and then retake the system. Parbat is lost.++
Dar’cy reared onto his true-feet, bringing him to his full height
. “We may have lost the orbitals, but we still hold the surface. Unless they are willing to destroy their prize, they will have to dig us out!”
“They may well decided to do just that, Corps-lord” Dal’ton said. “Those ships have more than enough firepower to raze most of the planet if they chose to, but they lack the transports needed to occuy the system. Only the Palace is fortified enough to survive.”
Himdo shifted his weight slightly as he was reminded of the weakness of the planetary defences. The Central Command, ever-paranoid about rebellion in the Frontier (which was not without cause, considering Imperial history) did not allow much fortification of worlds in the frontier. Normally, only the governor’s palace was properly fortified against orbital attack. The rest of the world was at the mercy of whoever held the orbitals, and when the Imperial Navy was the only force around, it made sense.
“Incoming transmission form the Human fleet!” a comms tech shouted, and the terran admiral appeared on a screen, and began to talk again. The translation text indicated it was a repeat of their demands to release any human prisoners, or “suffer the consequences”.
Himdo turned and advanced towards the camera pickup
“You do understand what your facing, don’t you? The Great and Bountiful Empire is more than a thousand worlds! We will not be dictated too by some upstart species that doesn’t recognise how overmatched it is!“
The terran grunted, the translator labelling it as mirth.
++wiː ɑːr əˈbaʊt tuː teɪk kənˈtrəʊl ɒv jɔːr ˈɔːbɪtl speɪs ænd dɪˈmɒlɪʃ ˈɛvri ˈsteɪʃᵊn ɪn ˈɔːbɪt. duː juː ˈrɪəli wɒnt tuː luːs ɔːl ðæt ˈəʊvə jɔː praɪd? ++
“They ask if we are really willing to loose the orbital industry for our pride” Mer’es, the xenologist, dutifully translated
“Tell them we do not have any prisoners, they were taken further into our great realm.” Himdo lied.
The human nodded in agreement as he heard the message.
++ðæts tuː bæd. ɪn ðæt keɪs, pliːz pɑːs ɒn tuː huːˈɛvə dʌz hæv ðɛm ðeɪ kæn ɡɛt ðɪs ˈsɪstəm bæk wɛn ðeɪ ɡɪv ʌs ˈaʊə ˈpiːpl bæk.++
“They say they will hold this system until we return their people” Mer’es read out.
Himdo reared up in anger…then forced himself back down, and spoke with a tone of measured anger.
“Tell them anything they do here will be repaid a hundredfold onto their people”
The face of the human was hard as stone, his eyes as cold as the depths of interstellar space.
++juː ɑː ˈwɛlkəm tuː traɪ, bʌt ðæt wɪl nɒt hɛlp juː naʊ.++
“He says we can try, but it wont help us now” Mer’es said as the human admiral carried on
++ aɪ ˈɒfə juː ə ʧɔɪs. juː kæn səˈrɛndə, ænd ˈɔːdə jɔː fliːt tuː rɪˈmeɪn ɪn ˈsɪstəm æt ðɪs ləʊˈkeɪʃᵊn. ɪn rɪˈtɜːn, wiː wɪl lɛt juː ɪˈvækjueɪt jɔːr ˈɔːbɪtl ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧə wɪˈðaʊt ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns, ænd liːv ɪt ɪnˈtækt. rɪˈzɪst, ænd wɪl klɪər ˈɔːbɪtl speɪs ænd ˈskaʊə ðə ˈplænɪt ++
“He offers is a choice, surrender and order the fleet to this location” A image of the system flashed up, a location not far form Parbat orbit highlighted, as Mer’es translated. “If we do, he will spare the orbital stations and even let us fully evacuate them. Or we resist, and he scours orbit clean and then starts on the planet.”
The terran spoke one final, short sentence, then cut the feed. Mer’es said “he says we have until he reaches orbit to choose”.
Dar’cy reared up onto his rear True-feet, and bared his fangs. “Choice? What nonsense is this? What makes him think we would agree to such terms?”
“Control of the orbitals” Dal’ton said sourly.
“You don’t think they are actually going to carry through with their dire threats, do you?” Dar’cy scoffed “They must understand the scale of the response it would provoke!”
“They just went face to face with the majority of the sector fleet and crippled it”. Dreams of Cogs, the gangly, simian Chief of Engineering interjected “Would glassing a major planet really provoke the Empire that much more?”
Dar’cy looked puzzled “Well...” he said, then composed himself. “Could they even damage the palace? I was told the planets rain-storms would cause plasma weapons to suffer excessive bloom and waste most of their energy in clouds.”
“That is half-truth, Corps-lord” Gor-sek, the small, hyperactive Vren who was the chief physicist for Dal’ton answered Iit would be inefficient, yes-yes, but perfectly possible for a point target. Also, their rail-guns will punch though that without issue. They would struggle to get though the damper field, but they could dig us out if they wish-desire it” He carefully did not mention what effect the Terrans could have on the rest of the planet and its inhabitants, as it was clear the Corps-Lord did not care what happened to the subject races who worked the systems industries.
Dar’cy’s ears flicked in annoyance, then the army commander stalked across the room, muttering to himself “Who does this human think he is, holding a knife to our throats and dicating terms? Who does that?”
Dar’cy then became aware of the gaze of more than 30 subject race techs in the room, all looking at him in amazement. “WHAT?" He snarled as they all jumped back to their work.
Gor-sek, however, skittered over “You act like that.” He explained. “The Empire jumped into Vren clan-space, destroyed any ship you encountered, and melt-fused to glass any clan that didt surrender fast enough for your liking”
Dar’cy looked up at Dreams of Cogs, who’d come up behind the rodent “We were still pre-stellar when you found us, but yes, this is EXACTLY how you guys act to everyone else”
“BUT WE’RE THE EMPIRE!” Dar’cy exploded in a rage so violent, the two subject-scientists literally ran in fear of their lives. “WE ARE THE GREATEST FORCE IN KNOWN SPACE! NONE CAN STAND AGIANST US!”
“ENOUGH!” Himdo, who’d been quiet until now, suddenly shouted, which brought the raging Dar’cy to his senses.
Himdo pointed to a comms tech “Order Quinn to move his fleet to the designated location, and send the mobile repair ships to meet him there.”
Dar’cy physically stumbled in shock, “your agreeing to his terms!?”
“Yes” Himdo said simply. the room fell silent, all eyes on the Noble.
“You said it yourself. Hes got a knife to our throat. If we are to have any chance of salvaging this…disaster” Himbo waved his armed expansively to encompass the events unfolding around them. “then we are going to need to Quinn and his fleet in as good a state as we can get it. If Quinn is here, the terran fleet will need to stay here as well, to keep watch on him. We have heavy elements of the Battle Fleet and over a dozen divisions of the Army en route to us, here. If we can keep the systems yards intact until they arrive, we might still be able to push them back.”
Himdo looked at Dal’ton “Your subordinates have the right of it, as well. These demons” for the first time, Himdo called them ‘demons’ without mockery “are acting like us. We need to stop thinking of them like just another subject race we can conquer with a few ships and some threats, and start thinking of them as our equals... at least temporarily.” Several of the staff in the room looked openly shocked. The Empire had not dealt with a near-peer opponent in over 300 cycles, not since Emperor Shaddam had broken the Tulak Hordes and secured the Core-ward borders of the Empire.
“if we can stall them here, we can regain the initiative. But for that to work, we will need to play their game, and set the board for my successor to capitalise on.” Himdo seemed to slump, and said in a quiet voice “Send the orders to Quinn”. The Lord High Commander then turned and walked out of the command centre
Dar’cy looked at the departing Lord High Commander with a mix of awe and condolence. He understood, as almost no one else in the room did, what Himdo had meant by “his successor”.
The Imperial Court did not choose the rulers of Imperial Domains by pulling names out of a bag. For Himdo to be granted such an honour was a sign he was destined high office in the Court, but that destiny was contingent on him delivering success.
Himdo had just admitted, to himself and his staff, that he fully expected to be recalled, tried and disgraced for his failures. If he was lucky, he might be allowed to keep title and current rank, but any shot he had at a nice Minsters position was gone. Himdo now know that Glory was beyond his grasp.
All that was left was the burdens Duty. Duty, to a government that was going to crucify Himdo to avoid looking too hard at its own decisions, the decisions that had sabotaged their chances before they ever met the humans.
Duty, that must be carried out, even in defeat.
This is part 6 of my ongoing work, the First Rift war. Part one is Post-Mortem.
submitted by Xerxeskingofkings to HFY [link] [comments]
The words hung in the air of the command centre, literally stunning those present. It was almost impossible to imagine. The image of Quinn on the screen continued.
++I’m pulling back to the jump limit, to preserve whats left of my forces. The repair ships can rendezvous with us there, and contact temporary repairs to enable us to get to Ti’an for proper repair work.++
Himdo took some time to react, as the enormity of what the fleet-master was saying sank in. When he responded, he spoke with A tone that was equal parts surprise and indignation
“You’re abandoning the system?! We cant just let these humans have a sector capital! Its unprecedented!“
Due to the distances involved, their was a significant delay fore the fleet-master responded.
++The humans ALREADY have the sector capital, My lord. I am in no position to stop them. ++ Quinn countered. ++We need to fall back at Ti’an, wait for the Battle fleet to arrive from the Core, and then retake the system. Parbat is lost.++
Dar’cy reared onto his true-feet, bringing him to his full height
. “We may have lost the orbitals, but we still hold the surface. Unless they are willing to destroy their prize, they will have to dig us out!”
“They may well decided to do just that, Corps-lord” Dal’ton said. “Those ships have more than enough firepower to raze most of the planet if they chose to, but they lack the transports needed to occuy the system. Only the Palace is fortified enough to survive.”
Himdo shifted his weight slightly as he was reminded of the weakness of the planetary defences. The Central Command, ever-paranoid about rebellion in the Frontier (which was not without cause, considering Imperial history) did not allow much fortification of worlds in the frontier. Normally, only the governor’s palace was properly fortified against orbital attack. The rest of the world was at the mercy of whoever held the orbitals, and when the Imperial Navy was the only force around, it made sense.
“Incoming transmission form the Human fleet!” a comms tech shouted, and the terran admiral appeared on a screen, and began to talk again. The translation text indicated it was a repeat of their demands to release any human prisoners, or “suffer the consequences”.
Himdo turned and advanced towards the camera pickup
“You do understand what your facing, don’t you? The Great and Bountiful Empire is more than a thousand worlds! We will not be dictated too by some upstart species that doesn’t recognise how overmatched it is!“
The terran grunted, the translator labelling it as mirth.
++wiː ɑːr əˈbaʊt tuː teɪk kənˈtrəʊl ɒv jɔːr ˈɔːbɪtl speɪs ænd dɪˈmɒlɪʃ ˈɛvri ˈsteɪʃᵊn ɪn ˈɔːbɪt. duː juː ˈrɪəli wɒnt tuː luːs ɔːl ðæt ˈəʊvə jɔː praɪd? ++
“They ask if we are really willing to loose the orbital industry for our pride” Mer’es, the xenologist, dutifully translated
“Tell them we do not have any prisoners, they were taken further into our great realm.” Himdo lied.
The human nodded in agreement as he heard the message.
++ðæts tuː bæd. ɪn ðæt keɪs, pliːz pɑːs ɒn tuː huːˈɛvə dʌz hæv ðɛm ðeɪ kæn ɡɛt ðɪs ˈsɪstəm bæk wɛn ðeɪ ɡɪv ʌs ˈaʊə ˈpiːpl bæk.++
“They say they will hold this system until we return their people” Mer’es read out.
Himdo reared up in anger…then forced himself back down, and spoke with a tone of measured anger.
“Tell them anything they do here will be repaid a hundredfold onto their people”
The face of the human was hard as stone, his eyes as cold as the depths of interstellar space.
++juː ɑː ˈwɛlkəm tuː traɪ, bʌt ðæt wɪl nɒt hɛlp juː naʊ.++
“He says we can try, but it wont help us now” Mer’es said as the human admiral carried on
++ aɪ ˈɒfə juː ə ʧɔɪs. juː kæn səˈrɛndə, ænd ˈɔːdə jɔː fliːt tuː rɪˈmeɪn ɪn ˈsɪstəm æt ðɪs ləʊˈkeɪʃᵊn. ɪn rɪˈtɜːn, wiː wɪl lɛt juː ɪˈvækjueɪt jɔːr ˈɔːbɪtl ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧə wɪˈðaʊt ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns, ænd liːv ɪt ɪnˈtækt. rɪˈzɪst, ænd wɪl klɪər ˈɔːbɪtl speɪs ænd ˈskaʊə ðə ˈplænɪt ++
“He offers is a choice, surrender and order the fleet to this location” A image of the system flashed up, a location not far form Parbat orbit highlighted, as Mer’es translated. “If we do, he will spare the orbital stations and even let us fully evacuate them. Or we resist, and he scours orbit clean and then starts on the planet.”
The terran spoke one final, short sentence, then cut the feed. Mer’es said “he says we have until he reaches orbit to choose”.
Dar’cy reared up onto his rear True-feet, and bared his fangs. “Choice? What nonsense is this? What makes him think we would agree to such terms?”
“Control of the orbitals” Dal’ton said sourly.
“You don’t think they are actually going to carry through with their dire threats, do you?” Dar’cy scoffed “They must understand the scale of the response it would provoke!”
“They just went face to face with the majority of the sector fleet and crippled it”. Dreams of Cogs, the gangly, simian Chief of Engineering interjected “Would glassing a major planet really provoke the Empire that much more?”
Dar’cy looked puzzled “Well...” he said, then composed himself. “Could they even damage the palace? I was told the planets rain-storms would cause plasma weapons to suffer excessive bloom and waste most of their energy in clouds.”
“That is half-truth, Corps-lord” Gor-sek, the small, hyperactive Vren who was the chief physicist for Dal’ton answered Iit would be inefficient, yes-yes, but perfectly possible for a point target. Also, their rail-guns will punch though that without issue. They would struggle to get though the damper field, but they could dig us out if they wish-desire it” He carefully did not mention what effect the Terrans could have on the rest of the planet and its inhabitants, as it was clear the Corps-Lord did not care what happened to the subject races who worked the systems industries.
Dar’cy’s ears flicked in annoyance, then the army commander stalked across the room, muttering to himself “Who does this human think he is, holding a knife to our throats and dicating terms? Who does that?”
Dar’cy then became aware of the gaze of more than 30 subject race techs in the room, all looking at him in amazement. “WHAT?" He snarled as they all jumped back to their work.
Gor-sek, however, skittered over “You act like that.” He explained. “The Empire jumped into Vren clan-space, destroyed any ship you encountered, and melt-fused to glass any clan that didt surrender fast enough for your liking”
Dar’cy looked up at Dreams of Cogs, who’d come up behind the rodent “We were still pre-stellar when you found us, but yes, this is EXACTLY how you guys act to everyone else”
“BUT WE’RE THE EMPIRE!” Dar’cy exploded in a rage so violent, the two subject-scientists literally ran in fear of their lives. “WE ARE THE GREATEST FORCE IN KNOWN SPACE! NONE CAN STAND AGIANST US!”
“ENOUGH!” Himdo, who’d been quiet until now, suddenly shouted, which brought the raging Dar’cy to his senses.
Himdo pointed to a comms tech “Order Quinn to move his fleet to the designated location, and send the mobile repair ships to meet him there.”
Dar’cy physically stumbled in shock, “your agreeing to his terms!?”
“Yes” Himdo said simply. the room fell silent, all eyes on the Noble.
“You said it yourself. Hes got a knife to our throat. If we are to have any chance of salvaging this…disaster” Himbo waved his armed expansively to encompass the events unfolding around them. “then we are going to need to Quinn and his fleet in as good a state as we can get it. If Quinn is here, the terran fleet will need to stay here as well, to keep watch on him. We have heavy elements of the Battle Fleet and over a dozen divisions of the Army en route to us, here. If we can keep the systems yards intact until they arrive, we might still be able to push them back.”
Himdo looked at Dal’ton “Your subordinates have the right of it, as well. These demons” for the first time, Himdo called them ‘demons’ without mockery “are acting like us. We need to stop thinking of them like just another subject race we can conquer with a few ships and some threats, and start thinking of them as our equals... at least temporarily.” Several of the staff in the room looked openly shocked. The Empire had not dealt with a near-peer opponent in over 300 cycles, not since Emperor Shaddam had broken the Tulak Hordes and secured the Core-ward borders of the Empire.
“if we can stall them here, we can regain the initiative. But for that to work, we will need to play their game, and set the board for my successor to capitalise on.” Himdo seemed to slump, and said in a quiet voice “Send the orders to Quinn”. The Lord High Commander then turned and walked out of the command centre
Dar’cy looked at the departing Lord High Commander with a mix of awe and condolence. He understood, as almost no one else in the room did, what Himdo had meant by “his successor”.
The Imperial Court did not choose the rulers of Imperial Domains by pulling names out of a bag. For Himdo to be granted such an honour was a sign he was destined high office in the Court, but that destiny was contingent on him delivering success.
Himdo had just admitted, to himself and his staff, that he fully expected to be recalled, tried and disgraced for his failures. If he was lucky, he might be allowed to keep title and current rank, but any shot he had at a nice Minsters position was gone. Himdo now know that Glory was beyond his grasp.
All that was left was the burdens Duty. Duty, to a government that was going to crucify Himdo to avoid looking too hard at its own decisions, the decisions that had sabotaged their chances before they ever met the humans.
Duty, that must be carried out, even in defeat.
2023.05.30 22:25 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.05.30 22:23 Huge_Lengthiness4752 Arcanemigration ch4 room to grow
Arcanemigration ch4 Room to grow
As I sit at the edge of a stream near the entrance of my cave i Cast my gaze upon the tranquil scenery, I realize that it holds a newfound significance for me. It has provided me with sustenance, a source of water, and now a temporary respite from the stress of constant work. The fish continue their rhythmic dance in the water.
I reach for my fishing spear, determined to catch a meal to replenish my strength. As I prepare to strike, I hear a faint rustling from the nearby bushes. Instinctively, I grip the spear tighter and scan the surroundings. The eyes of the goblins still haunt my thoughts, reminding me that danger lurks even in the most peaceful moments.
Instead of a goblin that emerges from the brush. It is a creature unlike any I have encountered before—a majestic white pearlescent stag with antlers that seem to reach towards the heavens. Its eyes are filled swirling waves of a blue wisdom and a green of serenity that I have rarely witnessed.
The stag approaches the stream, its graceful movements leaving me in awe. It drinks from the water with a glowing reflection shimmering in the gentle ripples. I watch in silence, a mix of reverence and curiosity stirring within me. Could this be a sign? A guiding presence in this harsh world?
The stag lifts its head, its gaze meeting mine. For a brief moment, time stands still. And then, as if acknowledging my presence, it takes a step closer, its hooves barely making a sound on the soft earth.
In that moment, a realization dawns upon me. The goblins, the battles, the struggle to survive—they are but a small part of a much greater tapestry of the journey to come. There are forces at play beyond my comprehension, and while they may not have taken notice of my deeds, they have sent me a message through this ethereal encounter.
I lower my spear, a newfound sense of purpose coursing through my veins. I will not only defend this sanctuary against the goblin hordes but also strive to understand the mysteries that surround me. I will seek knowledge, forge alliances, and uncover the truths that lie hidden within this world.
With renewed determination, I set my sights on fortifying the cave, transforming it into a stronghold that not only protects me but also serves as a beacon of resilience and defiance. The goblins may still pose a threat, but I am no longer just a survivor—I am a warrior with a purpose.
The stag watches me closely and thoughtfully As I prepare to embark on this new chapter, I offer my silent gratitude to the creature before it gracefully disappears into the depths of the forest.
The journey ahead will be arduous, and the trials I face will test my strength, both physical and spiritual. I may be alone but With the spirit of the stag guiding me, and the scars of my past battles etched into my flesh, I step forward, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
I am the defender of this sanctuary, the seeker of truths, and the embodiment of resilience. And as I move forward, I carry with me the wisdom of the stag and the unwavering determination to protect what is mine.
Inside the cave, I take stock of my resources. Though limited, they are enough to begin the task at hand. And get to work smoothing down the hard stone again until it is the right shape. Then heat up the rock in my fore and then drip cold water along the edge to shatter bits off to make a sharp edge. Then I find the largest bone in the bone pile seemingly a femur and with some work and supplies I bind them together. Lastly I char the bone to seal it.
{Crude woodcutting axe} Wood-damage : +50% Range:3 Bone: +1 durability Char: +1 longevity
Using this makeshift tool, I venture into the surrounding forest, seeking sturdy trees suitable for reinforcement. With each swing of the axe, I feel a sense of empowerment. It is not just the physical act of cutting wood but also the symbol of taking control over my environment. I am no longer at the mercy of nature; I am the one shaping my destiny.
The axe bites into the wood, and with each felled tree, I feel like it's getting easier. Then chopping the tree into logs and branches. I gather logs and branches, forming a stockpile near the cave entrance. I return multiple times, driven by a relentless determination to create a formidable barrier against any future onslaught. I also collect large rocks from the nearby riverbed, utilizing them to strengthen the cave's entrance.
Hours turn into days as I toil, the sweat mingling with the dirt on my brow. With each passing moment, the cave transforms into a sanctuary that reflects my resilience. The once-vulnerable entrance is now fortified with thick logs and sturdy rocks, creating a formidable barrier that would give even the most determined goblin pause.
As I stand back to survey my handiwork, a sense of accomplishment washes over me. The cave, once a mere shelter, has evolved into a stronghold—a testament to my will to survive and protect what is mine. The scars on my body are mirrored in the scars on the land, each a reminder of the battles fought and won.
With the physical defenses in place, I turn my attention to the interior of the cave. I make a simple stone chisel with a replaceable head and useing the same sharp stone, I shape smaller logs into makeshift furniture—a crude bed, a rough-hewn table, and even a shelf to store my meager belongings. I carve niches into the walls to hold torches, their flickering light banishing the shadows that once haunted this place.
As I sit on my newly crafted bed, a flicker of the white stag's presence dances in my mind. I realize that my soul has been blessed with a simple yet useful ability—a keen intuition that guides me in times of danger. It is as if the spirit of the white stag has bestowed upon me a heightened sense of awareness, allowing me to anticipate danger before it strikes.
(Blessing of the stag) Soul trait The user knows when immediate death is near.
With the cave fortified and made livable, I find a moment of respite. I lay on my rough bed, the scars on my body throbbing with both pain and pride. The journey has been grueling, and the battles have taken their toll, but I am ready to face whatever lies ahead. In that moment I notice some notifications I may have ignored or didn't see before.
{Shelter -> Home} Sufficient upgrades have been made do you accept the ownership of this new Home. YES : NO
It doesn't take long but I say yes after I do other pop-ups make themselves know.
HOME This designation partains to places meant for long term living not just survival and can have major improvements and is meant for months to years of living. Many improvements can be made, few expansions can be made tho and only minor differences can be erected. If major improvements are made until there are none left to make and all minor traps are established then it will automatically move into the [BASE] designation. This designation can trigger only minor events.
There now seems to be a few tabs available to me including (defenses),(furniture),(waist room),(pool room),(the pit),(main room)
[You have now made the first step to living in this world and have gained one new skill and 1 level]
Learned skill [ wood working] Rarity: uncommon The user can efficiently cut trees down and work them into anything from small art pieces and furniture to walls and defenses.
And I guess I need to now see what leveling up is like. It can't be that hard I'll also need to go through my windows and learn everything I can about this system.
STATS LV:6 CLASS:NONE NAME: WILLIAM RACE:HUMAN [WHITE] AGE: 23YEARS OLD WEIGHT: 250LB HEALTH :(LV6 * CON14)= 84 ARCANA :(LV6 * INT33) 198 -198=0 PHYSICAL : (LV6 *DEX10)= 60
STRENGTH : 15 DEXTERITY :10 CONSTITUTION :14 INTELLIGENCE :33 WISDOM :27 CHARISMA :-2 LUCK :10
STAT POINTS :5
I close my eyes, allowing the exhaustion to wash over me, knowing that tomorrow will bring new challenges. But with the wisdom of the stag etched into my soul and the strength of my defenses surrounding me, I find solace in the knowledge that I am prepared. And with 5 stat points I should be able to see a difference after using them.
The goblins may regroup and seek revenge, or another threat can raise it's ugly head but they will find a changed man awaiting them—a warrior with a fortified sanctuary, a soul.
submitted by Huge_Lengthiness4752 to u/Huge_Lengthiness4752 [link] [comments]
As I sit at the edge of a stream near the entrance of my cave i Cast my gaze upon the tranquil scenery, I realize that it holds a newfound significance for me. It has provided me with sustenance, a source of water, and now a temporary respite from the stress of constant work. The fish continue their rhythmic dance in the water.
I reach for my fishing spear, determined to catch a meal to replenish my strength. As I prepare to strike, I hear a faint rustling from the nearby bushes. Instinctively, I grip the spear tighter and scan the surroundings. The eyes of the goblins still haunt my thoughts, reminding me that danger lurks even in the most peaceful moments.
Instead of a goblin that emerges from the brush. It is a creature unlike any I have encountered before—a majestic white pearlescent stag with antlers that seem to reach towards the heavens. Its eyes are filled swirling waves of a blue wisdom and a green of serenity that I have rarely witnessed.
The stag approaches the stream, its graceful movements leaving me in awe. It drinks from the water with a glowing reflection shimmering in the gentle ripples. I watch in silence, a mix of reverence and curiosity stirring within me. Could this be a sign? A guiding presence in this harsh world?
The stag lifts its head, its gaze meeting mine. For a brief moment, time stands still. And then, as if acknowledging my presence, it takes a step closer, its hooves barely making a sound on the soft earth.
In that moment, a realization dawns upon me. The goblins, the battles, the struggle to survive—they are but a small part of a much greater tapestry of the journey to come. There are forces at play beyond my comprehension, and while they may not have taken notice of my deeds, they have sent me a message through this ethereal encounter.
I lower my spear, a newfound sense of purpose coursing through my veins. I will not only defend this sanctuary against the goblin hordes but also strive to understand the mysteries that surround me. I will seek knowledge, forge alliances, and uncover the truths that lie hidden within this world.
With renewed determination, I set my sights on fortifying the cave, transforming it into a stronghold that not only protects me but also serves as a beacon of resilience and defiance. The goblins may still pose a threat, but I am no longer just a survivor—I am a warrior with a purpose.
The stag watches me closely and thoughtfully As I prepare to embark on this new chapter, I offer my silent gratitude to the creature before it gracefully disappears into the depths of the forest.
The journey ahead will be arduous, and the trials I face will test my strength, both physical and spiritual. I may be alone but With the spirit of the stag guiding me, and the scars of my past battles etched into my flesh, I step forward, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
I am the defender of this sanctuary, the seeker of truths, and the embodiment of resilience. And as I move forward, I carry with me the wisdom of the stag and the unwavering determination to protect what is mine.
Inside the cave, I take stock of my resources. Though limited, they are enough to begin the task at hand. And get to work smoothing down the hard stone again until it is the right shape. Then heat up the rock in my fore and then drip cold water along the edge to shatter bits off to make a sharp edge. Then I find the largest bone in the bone pile seemingly a femur and with some work and supplies I bind them together. Lastly I char the bone to seal it.
{Crude woodcutting axe} Wood-damage : +50% Range:3 Bone: +1 durability Char: +1 longevity
Using this makeshift tool, I venture into the surrounding forest, seeking sturdy trees suitable for reinforcement. With each swing of the axe, I feel a sense of empowerment. It is not just the physical act of cutting wood but also the symbol of taking control over my environment. I am no longer at the mercy of nature; I am the one shaping my destiny.
The axe bites into the wood, and with each felled tree, I feel like it's getting easier. Then chopping the tree into logs and branches. I gather logs and branches, forming a stockpile near the cave entrance. I return multiple times, driven by a relentless determination to create a formidable barrier against any future onslaught. I also collect large rocks from the nearby riverbed, utilizing them to strengthen the cave's entrance.
Hours turn into days as I toil, the sweat mingling with the dirt on my brow. With each passing moment, the cave transforms into a sanctuary that reflects my resilience. The once-vulnerable entrance is now fortified with thick logs and sturdy rocks, creating a formidable barrier that would give even the most determined goblin pause.
As I stand back to survey my handiwork, a sense of accomplishment washes over me. The cave, once a mere shelter, has evolved into a stronghold—a testament to my will to survive and protect what is mine. The scars on my body are mirrored in the scars on the land, each a reminder of the battles fought and won.
With the physical defenses in place, I turn my attention to the interior of the cave. I make a simple stone chisel with a replaceable head and useing the same sharp stone, I shape smaller logs into makeshift furniture—a crude bed, a rough-hewn table, and even a shelf to store my meager belongings. I carve niches into the walls to hold torches, their flickering light banishing the shadows that once haunted this place.
As I sit on my newly crafted bed, a flicker of the white stag's presence dances in my mind. I realize that my soul has been blessed with a simple yet useful ability—a keen intuition that guides me in times of danger. It is as if the spirit of the white stag has bestowed upon me a heightened sense of awareness, allowing me to anticipate danger before it strikes.
(Blessing of the stag) Soul trait The user knows when immediate death is near.
With the cave fortified and made livable, I find a moment of respite. I lay on my rough bed, the scars on my body throbbing with both pain and pride. The journey has been grueling, and the battles have taken their toll, but I am ready to face whatever lies ahead. In that moment I notice some notifications I may have ignored or didn't see before.
{Shelter -> Home} Sufficient upgrades have been made do you accept the ownership of this new Home. YES : NO
It doesn't take long but I say yes after I do other pop-ups make themselves know.
HOME This designation partains to places meant for long term living not just survival and can have major improvements and is meant for months to years of living. Many improvements can be made, few expansions can be made tho and only minor differences can be erected. If major improvements are made until there are none left to make and all minor traps are established then it will automatically move into the [BASE] designation. This designation can trigger only minor events.
There now seems to be a few tabs available to me including (defenses),(furniture),(waist room),(pool room),(the pit),(main room)
[You have now made the first step to living in this world and have gained one new skill and 1 level]
Learned skill [ wood working] Rarity: uncommon The user can efficiently cut trees down and work them into anything from small art pieces and furniture to walls and defenses.
And I guess I need to now see what leveling up is like. It can't be that hard I'll also need to go through my windows and learn everything I can about this system.
STATS LV:6 CLASS:NONE NAME: WILLIAM RACE:HUMAN [WHITE] AGE: 23YEARS OLD WEIGHT: 250LB HEALTH :(LV6 * CON14)= 84 ARCANA :(LV6 * INT33) 198 -198=0 PHYSICAL : (LV6 *DEX10)= 60
STRENGTH : 15 DEXTERITY :10 CONSTITUTION :14 INTELLIGENCE :33 WISDOM :27 CHARISMA :-2 LUCK :10
STAT POINTS :5
I close my eyes, allowing the exhaustion to wash over me, knowing that tomorrow will bring new challenges. But with the wisdom of the stag etched into my soul and the strength of my defenses surrounding me, I find solace in the knowledge that I am prepared. And with 5 stat points I should be able to see a difference after using them.
The goblins may regroup and seek revenge, or another threat can raise it's ugly head but they will find a changed man awaiting them—a warrior with a fortified sanctuary, a soul.
2023.05.30 22:16 nightsideof3den [Poem] John Keats - On a Dream
submitted by nightsideof3den to Poetry [link] [comments]
2023.05.30 22:13 SlinkyGuy What are the dumbest things you've done in videogames that didn't make any sense?
So I have two of them actually. And I wasn't even drunk or stoned both times, hell I was stone cold sober but here we are:
There's a mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 where you're supposed to fly a hot air balloon to the prison where John is being held captive
I was playing this mission and I was flying the hot air balloon a little too close to the ground, and I was coming up to a bridge.
So I thought to myself "I know, I can let the basket of the hot air balloon go under and through the tunnel while the balloon itself can go OVER the tunnel."
Well one millisecond before I failed the mission I realised this idea wouldn't work because I don't know how hot air balloons work apparently.
The second time was while playing Dragon's Dogma where the Duke offers to give you some gear after receiving his stolen ring. Problem is, the gear he gives you is SO far away from his location and he takes bloody forever to get there.
So, my solution was to just pick him up and carry him (because you can pick up any NPC in the game) and just simply get him there faster by doing so. Of course this made the guards come after me and throw me in jail. Stupid mistake on my part, but it made sense to me!
submitted by SlinkyGuy to TwoBestFriendsPlay [link] [comments]
There's a mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 where you're supposed to fly a hot air balloon to the prison where John is being held captive
I was playing this mission and I was flying the hot air balloon a little too close to the ground, and I was coming up to a bridge.
So I thought to myself "I know, I can let the basket of the hot air balloon go under and through the tunnel while the balloon itself can go OVER the tunnel."
Well one millisecond before I failed the mission I realised this idea wouldn't work because I don't know how hot air balloons work apparently.
The second time was while playing Dragon's Dogma where the Duke offers to give you some gear after receiving his stolen ring. Problem is, the gear he gives you is SO far away from his location and he takes bloody forever to get there.
So, my solution was to just pick him up and carry him (because you can pick up any NPC in the game) and just simply get him there faster by doing so. Of course this made the guards come after me and throw me in jail. Stupid mistake on my part, but it made sense to me!
2023.05.30 22:05 Dry-Manufacturer3143 The Streak Rebooked (+ additional non-streak matches)
WrestleMania 7 - Jake "The Snake" Roberts (1-0) WrestleMania 8 - The Ultimate Warrior (2-0) WrestleMania 9 - Hulk Hogan (3-0) WrestleMania 10 - Randy Savage (4-0) WrestleMania 11 - Ted DiBiase (5-0) WrestleMania 12 - Vader (6-0) WrestleMania 13 - Mankind (7-0) WrestleMania 14 - Kane (8-0) WrestleMania 15 - Big Show (9-0) WrestleMania 2000 - Stone Cold Steve Austin (10-0) WrestleMania X-7 - Triple H (11-0) WrestleMania X8 - Terry Funk (12-0) WrestleMania 19 - Goldberg (13-0) WrestleMania 20 - Kane (14-0) WrestleMania 21 - Randy Orton (15-0) WrestleMania 22 - Kurt Angle (16-0) WrestleMania 23 - Batista (17-0) WrestleMania 24 - Edge (18-0) WrestleMania 25 - Shawn Michaels (19-0) WrestleMania 26 - Shawn Michaels (20-0) WrestleMania 27 - Triple H (21-0) WrestleMania 28 - Triple H (22-0) WrestleMania 29 - Brock Lesnar (23-0) WrestleMania 30 - John Cena (24-0) WrestleMania 31 - Bray Wyatt (24-1)
WrestleMania 32-Sting WrestleMania 33-Shinsuke Nakamura WrestleMania 35-Aleister Black WrestleMania 36-AJ Styles WrestleMania 37-"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt
submitted by Dry-Manufacturer3143 to fantasybooking [link] [comments]
2023.05.30 21:57 andrew0479 (Selling) Creed 3 / Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen P1 / Three Thousand Years of Longing / Cocaine Bear / Magic Mike's Last Dance / May Universal /Babylon / Tar / Nope /The Fabelmans / Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind / Till (2023) / Gigi & Nate / Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul
PayPal Friends and Family please.
May Universal Rewards
12 Monkeys 4K
Assault On Precinct 13 (2005)
The Black Dahlia (2006)
Being John Malkovich
Fifty Shades of Grey (Theatrical or Unrated) 4K
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Larry Crowne
Snow White and the Huntsman (Theatrical or Extended) 4K
This is 40 (Theatrical or Unrated)
Welcome to Marwen 4K
4K / HD iTunes
Agent Game (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Babylon (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $7.00
Clerks III (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Clifford: The Big Red Dog (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Detective Knight: Rogue - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Divergent (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Gigi & Nate (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Infinite (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Jurassic Park - The Lost World (1997) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $4.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
National Champions (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Scream (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Smile (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Star Trek (2009) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Bourne Legacy (2012) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Till (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Full TV Seasons
Game of Thrones - Season 4 - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Superman & Lois - The Complete Season 2 (2022) - Vudu - $7.00
Funimation
My Hero Academia Season 4 (2020) 25 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $7.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 1 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 2 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
4K / HD / SD movies
3:10 To Yuma (2007) - 4K - Vudu - $5.00
A Man Called Otto (2023) - SD - MA - $5.00
A Man Called Otto (2023) - HD - MA - $7.00
Alita - Battle Angel (2019) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Beast (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Broken City (2013) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Bullet Train (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Catwoman: Hunted (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Cocaine Bear (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $8.00
Creed 3 (2023) - HD - Vudu - $8.00
Death on the Nile (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days (2012) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Long Haul (2017) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Divergent (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Downton Abbey (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Elvis (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Fast & Furious: 8 Movie Collection (2020) - 1 code for all 8 - HD - MA - $20.00
Fast and the Furious 6 extended - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast and the Furious 6 - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast & Furious 6 (Extended Edition) (2013) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Fast & Furious 7 (Extended Edition) (2015) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Firestarter (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Heaven is for Real (2014) - HD - MA - $4.00
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Hot Seat (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Hunger Games (2012) - HD - Vudu Fandango - $4.00
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Infinite (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (unrated) (2014) - HD - MA - $5.00
Jurassic World: Dominion Theatrical & Extended Cut (2022) - 1 Code both versions - HD - MA - $6.00
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
King Kong (2005) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
King Richard (2022) - SD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023) - MA Vudu - $7.00
Marksman (2021) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Nope (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home & Spider-Man: Homecoming (1 code) - HD - MA - $8.00
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - HD - MA - $6.00
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022) - SD - MA - $5.00
Star Trek (2009) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Tar (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
The Bad Guys (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
The Fabelmans (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - GP - $4.00
The Lorax (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Matrix: Resurrection - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Menu (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
The Menu (2023) - HD - GP - $5.00
The Other Woman (2014) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
The Woman King (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) - HD - Vudu - $7.00
Thunderstruck (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Ticket To Paradise (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Trolls (2016) - HD - MA - $5.00
Uncharted (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Venom (2018) - HD - MA - $5.00
Vivo (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Wonder Woman (2017) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Zero's and One's (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Disney / 4K split
Avengers Endgame (2019) - iTunes 4K only (split) - $5.00
Captain American: Winter Soldier (2014) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Captain Marvel (2019) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 1 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Little Mermaid - 4K - iTunes only - $6.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - 4K - iTunes only - $5.00
Disney / HD split
101 Dalmatians (1961) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Ant-Man & the Wasp (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Avengers Endgame (2019) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Big Hero 6 (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cars 3 (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Coco (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - MA Vu (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Finding Dory (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lion King (1994) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Luca (2021) - HD - MA - $4.00
Luca (2021) - HD - GP - $4.00
Monsters University (2013) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
Mulan (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Planes (2013) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Planes Fire & Rescue (2014) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Solo - A Star Wars Story (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Last Jedi - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Incredibles 2 - HD - GP (split) - $65.00
The Santa Clause 1 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - iTunes MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Toy Story (1995) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
submitted by andrew0479 to DigitalCodeSELL [link] [comments]
May Universal Rewards
12 Monkeys 4K
Assault On Precinct 13 (2005)
The Black Dahlia (2006)
Being John Malkovich
Fifty Shades of Grey (Theatrical or Unrated) 4K
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Larry Crowne
Snow White and the Huntsman (Theatrical or Extended) 4K
This is 40 (Theatrical or Unrated)
Welcome to Marwen 4K
4K / HD iTunes
Agent Game (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Babylon (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $7.00
Clerks III (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Clifford: The Big Red Dog (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Detective Knight: Rogue - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Divergent (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Gigi & Nate (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Infinite (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Jurassic Park - The Lost World (1997) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $4.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
National Champions (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Scream (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Smile (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Star Trek (2009) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Bourne Legacy (2012) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Till (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Full TV Seasons
Game of Thrones - Season 4 - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Superman & Lois - The Complete Season 2 (2022) - Vudu - $7.00
Funimation
My Hero Academia Season 4 (2020) 25 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $7.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 1 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 2 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
4K / HD / SD movies
3:10 To Yuma (2007) - 4K - Vudu - $5.00
A Man Called Otto (2023) - SD - MA - $5.00
A Man Called Otto (2023) - HD - MA - $7.00
Alita - Battle Angel (2019) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Beast (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Broken City (2013) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Bullet Train (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Catwoman: Hunted (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Cocaine Bear (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $8.00
Creed 3 (2023) - HD - Vudu - $8.00
Death on the Nile (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days (2012) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Long Haul (2017) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Divergent (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Downton Abbey (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Elvis (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Fast & Furious: 8 Movie Collection (2020) - 1 code for all 8 - HD - MA - $20.00
Fast and the Furious 6 extended - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast and the Furious 6 - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast & Furious 6 (Extended Edition) (2013) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Fast & Furious 7 (Extended Edition) (2015) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Firestarter (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Heaven is for Real (2014) - HD - MA - $4.00
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Hot Seat (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Hunger Games (2012) - HD - Vudu Fandango - $4.00
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Infinite (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (unrated) (2014) - HD - MA - $5.00
Jurassic World: Dominion Theatrical & Extended Cut (2022) - 1 Code both versions - HD - MA - $6.00
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
King Kong (2005) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
King Richard (2022) - SD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023) - MA Vudu - $7.00
Marksman (2021) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Nope (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home & Spider-Man: Homecoming (1 code) - HD - MA - $8.00
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - HD - MA - $6.00
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022) - SD - MA - $5.00
Star Trek (2009) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Tar (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
The Bad Guys (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
The Fabelmans (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $7.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - GP - $4.00
The Lorax (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Matrix: Resurrection - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Menu (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
The Menu (2023) - HD - GP - $5.00
The Other Woman (2014) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
The Woman King (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) - HD - Vudu - $7.00
Thunderstruck (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Ticket To Paradise (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Trolls (2016) - HD - MA - $5.00
Uncharted (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Venom (2018) - HD - MA - $5.00
Vivo (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Wonder Woman (2017) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Zero's and One's (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Disney / 4K split
Avengers Endgame (2019) - iTunes 4K only (split) - $5.00
Captain American: Winter Soldier (2014) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Captain Marvel (2019) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 1 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Little Mermaid - 4K - iTunes only - $6.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - 4K - iTunes only - $5.00
Disney / HD split
101 Dalmatians (1961) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Ant-Man & the Wasp (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Avengers Endgame (2019) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Big Hero 6 (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cars 3 (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Coco (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - MA Vu (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Finding Dory (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lion King (1994) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Luca (2021) - HD - MA - $4.00
Luca (2021) - HD - GP - $4.00
Monsters University (2013) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
Mulan (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Planes (2013) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Planes Fire & Rescue (2014) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Solo - A Star Wars Story (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Last Jedi - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Incredibles 2 - HD - GP (split) - $65.00
The Santa Clause 1 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - iTunes MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Toy Story (1995) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
2023.05.30 21:46 kylexyz001 23 [M4F] [Relationship] Ohio/Worldwide- Let's Be Each Other's Everything (Longest post ever?)
Brace yourselves, this is gonna be a long one.
Table of Contents
1…… The Main Goal
2…… What I’m Seeking
3…… Personality
4…… Interests
5…… Physical Characteristics (with pics)
6…… Expectations of You
7…… Living Situation
8…… Deal Breakers
9…… Closing Remarks
(1)
The Main Goal:
Well if you’re browsing this subreddit then much like me, you were alone this weekend and I’m sure you’d like to change that as much as me. I won’t lie, I am going through a rough part of my life right now. It’s difficult for me to find the energy for anything at the moment and I’m just really seeking affection in general, anything that will give me a push. I don’t want to be that person who brings everyone down but I could really use someone to talk to right now. I’d really like to find someone who’s similar to me so much to the point that we do everything together and talk about everything while not having to pretend to be interested. I want someone with whom we can mutually spew our emotions onto and have those feelings reciprocated. Not an emotional punching bag, but an emotional teddy bear to hug and cuddle until everything feels better as many times as we need. There’s people who I’m sure have told you the same, they’ll be there no matter how many times you need the support, no matter how many times the insecurities and bad thoughts come back but they don’t mean it. I will be the exception, I’m not so ignorant to think some nice words and tales of relating to you will magically forever heal whatever ails you then get mad when you seek the same support again. Mental ailments are rarely temporary and I don’t care about someone because they’re perfect, caring about someone means being there no matter how many times they need you to be. It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t get old, and it never will.
(2)
(2.a)
What I'm Seeking:
I will upfront let you know if I’m clicking better with someone else or if you’re the one, I’m not here to tread the sea of fish or keep my options open, I’m here for one singular person.
(2.b)
Relationship:
A relationship is difficult for me right now, it’s been nearly half a year since I got out of my last relationship and the reasons for it ending are partially responsible for how I’ve been feeling and why it’s so hard for me to seek the comfort I so desperately crave. I will tell you about it but for the sake of not treating the entirety of the internet as my therapist, it’ll be in private. I really need the comfort of intimacy and the warmth of someone who cares. I'm not going to feel better if I just sulk and don’t move on. This is my attempt to get better, I’ll admit I’m not great right now and I don’t expect you to be either. If we can help each other heal, then I’d be more than happy :) A relationship isn’t just being there for when someone’s at their best. Even if a relationship is hard at the moment, I do want a life partner and I don’t want to be alone. Things aren’t going to get easier without you so I don’t want to hesitate. I view my other as an equal, I don’t like categorizing us into specific roles. We take care of each other and treat each other how we like to be treated, whatever that is, it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're "successful" or not, living simple lives with our days filled with love is the ultimate measure of success to me.
(3)
Personality:
(3.a)
On the Surface:
As you can tell I can be rather… stoic but that’s largely due to my current stressors, I truthfully am goofy and fun loving but I just can’t find it in me right now. I want to return to that but without someone to light up my world it’s been difficult to just have fun and enjoy stuff. I’m definitely more introverted, you won’t catch me at any parties or really outside at all. I definitely prefer being home though the occasional outing is not out of the question and one day I’d like to travel to other countries because I think that kind of perspective is important.
(3.b)
The Core of My Being:
I like being a spectator to it all and if we bear witness to humanity burning or its miraculous recovery, I want to watch it with you. I enjoy watching humanity advance, less so when it devolves but I want to watch it to the end nonetheless. I’m both a realist and someone who lives with my head in the clouds dreaming of scenarios or worlds that don’t exist. I’m saying that I enjoy a good narrative and can suspend my disbelief to enjoy something but you won’t catch me refusing vaccines or ignoring blatant facts for the sake of some pseudo science or witch doctor’s remedy. I’m an atheist but I do not rule out existence after death, not because I’m agnostic but because due to the nature of potentially infinite time at some point after how many googol years with a googol amount of 0s after that, something’s bound to replicate your consciousness perfectly at some point. It’s actually a really fascinating topic I like talking about. If infinite time and infinite possibilities exist, does non existence exist? Though that’s an awfully existentially dreadful thought process considering the ramifications of infinite existence and infinite possibilities during said infinite existence. I would say I’m confidently left leaning and I don’t think I could truly get along with anyone right leaning, at least America’s definition of right leaning. Left and right seems to have just become; do people deserve to suffer or do they deserve to live good lives? Being political is not something I expected to become but how can you not be when crimes against human rights are being passed on a daily basis and at the end of the day, everything’s political. Oftentimes I imagine the perfect moment as relaxing with my significant other playing games or cuddling in a cold room under blankets.
I value that special someone above all of the existential thoughts, the bad of the world, the good of the world, they practically become my world. So many worries wash away when I’m with them. I don’t know if that’s the defense mechanism my brain created to not feel bad 24/7 but if it is, I’m currently without it.
(3.c)
Insecurities:
I talk of philosophy and politics here but really I spend most of my time just playing games, watching stuff, and trying to not be sleep deprived. I’m also nowhere near as well spoken, heck sometimes I feel like my speech is broken. I won’t claim to be something I’m not, I sit at home while I complain about the world doing nothing about it wishing I had someone here with me. I’m not noble nor do I really want to be, I have morals I uphold but much like most other hypocrites I acknowledge that my comfortable life is built on the suffering of others without doing anything about it. Why? My sleep problems? Am I depressed? Is that why I have no energy to do anything? Do I just think nothing I could do could help? I can’t nail it down myself, maybe it’s a mix of everything, maybe I’m just a bad person. I have always told myself that if I had wealth I would help people but if I get that kind of wealth will I just become a wealth hoarder who tries to justify my riches as something I earned rather than something given to me through incredibly lucky circumstances? If I do help people is it because I’m a good person or out of guilt? Will I die alone? I feel like I drive everyone away with my clinginess, I get paranoid often and need reassurance often. It’s something I want to work on, something I’ve been trying to work on. Hearing that someone cares about me just never gets old. I value self awareness even if it’s painful.
(3.d)
Socializing:
I’m definitely a socially anxious/awkward mess, especially around strangers. I do feel a large amount of anxiety in public, people can’t tell by looking at my face since I kind of go stone faced in an attempt to block everything out but yeah you’ll notice that if we go out in public. Growing up my pediatrician said I was probably autistic, never got a formal diagnosis so that’s just great. But yeah that explains why I can’t make eye contact with people, I kinda just stare at the ground and avoid their gaze at all costs. A lot of these social struggles go away to a great degree once I know you for a bit but yeah I apologize for how terrible I am at socializing at first. Don’t let my social struggles fool you though, I love cuddling and being close with my person.
(3.e)
Sexuality:
I am a heterosexual male, though I’m not very masculine like at all. I may even be a bit feminine sometimes. Not that I believe any activity or manner of acting belongs to a gender but I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m definitely super affectionate and love it when my partner is too. I am open to dating demi people but I do have a libido so I don't think asexual would work out.
(4)
Interests:
(4.a)
Video Games:
As stated before, I do spend a lot of my time playing video games. It’s been hard lately with me having no energy but I really do want to play more games and have a good time playing them with you! I primarily play on PC though I do have a switch. I’m primarily into platform fighters, roguelikes, open world, survival, and sandbox games. As for single player story games, I enjoy watching them through twitch or youtube but for the most part I don’t play them myself. I’d watch you play them though!
Here’s a list of games we can play:
-Minecraft (Java)
-Risk of Rain 2
-Gunfire Reborn
-Roboquest
-7 Days to Die
-Phasmophobia
-Rust
-Unturned
-Bloons TD 6
-Platform fighters: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Slap City, Multiversus, Flash Party, Fraymakers
Whatever you want to play I’ll give it a shot! I will say that League bores me to death but I’ll play it for you :) I try to avoid MMOs, not because I don’t like them but because of how addicted I can get to them. I enjoy learning games in-depth so MMOs can be a fast track to addiction.
I recently got Kerbal Space Program 2 and ehhh not really worth it right now but hopefully later it will be? I’m super excited for Tears of the Kingdom! In the far off future I’m excited for Rivals of Aether 2 which is a platform fighter releasing in 2024, let me know of your most anticipated releases and I’ll see if I could play them with you!
Also I never got into FPS games but I could totally see myself playing like CoD with you or Escape From Tarkov. Any FPS really, I’m down.
I am a fan of Pokemon but with how things have been lately I don’t know how long that will last. Pixelmon is a common Pokemon mod I play for Minecraft if you want to play that! Also if I say I want to play something with you I mean it but there are often times when no matter how much I want to I'm just drained and can do little more than lay in bed so please don't think I'm making an excuse.
(4.b)
Science:
I really enjoy keeping up with the latest advances in pretty much everything, it could be biology, technology, astronomy, anything! I love seeing progression and I love talking about it! Really I could go on and on about what I’m obsessing about that day. I particularly love technology, ask me for my laptop specs I dare you. When I was little I always wanted to be a scientist of any kind but then insomnia and fear of college stuff hit me like a truck aaaand that’s the end of that dream.
(4.c)
Anime:
You got me, I like anime but I’d like to think my tastes are benign.
Here’s some of my favorites I can list from the top of my head:
- To Your Eternity
- Vinland Saga
- Spice and Wolf
- Re:Zero
- Mob Psycho
- Dr. Stone
- Attack on Titan
- Spy x Family
- My Hero Academia
- Ranking of Kings
- Demon Slayer
Okay I can go on and on but I will say I don’t like pointless fan service and the spamming of cliche anime moments. I mostly enjoy action and anything well animated if it doesn’t have a potato story. Heck Demon Slayer could be my top 3 out of season 2’s animation alone. I don’t watch slice of life often or romance but I would with you!
(4.d)
Misc:
I’m not going to go on and on about the tiniest little things when the main ones are covered but I’ll watch pretty much any show with you and anything really. I like random youtube videos that explain some kind of lore or mystery, sometimes mini documentaries too.
As for food I looove sushi and I’m a sucker for fast food. Okay and candy, definitely candy.
I used to play tennis but haven’t really had the opportunity nor friends to play it with and I’m way too socially anxious to seek it out. Also I will say that when we move to something like discord I type waaaay more casually. I’m not going to expect long paragraphs back and forth like we’re writing English papers for each other, I do enjoy long conversations but seriously don’t worry about having to put the utmost effort into every response, I just like making good first impressions I guess.
(5)
(5.a)
My Physical Characteristics:
I’m 5’8 (172cm), 128 pounds (58kg), with curly brown hair and blue eyes. I like keeping my hair long in the winter and cutting it in the summer. I’m pretty slim in general so if you’re looking for someone large, that’s not me. I don’t work out but my work is pretty physical so at least I’m not totally inactive. I don’t have the urge to work out or gain muscle but I do want to maintain my slim figure so if I start losing control of that I’ll work out. I like to keep my face shaved because I don’t think I look good with a beard/mustache so if you’re into those I apologize. I have an average amount of body hair? I’d prefer to be completely shaved but it’s easy to lose motivation with that battle, if you prefer shaved then I’d have no problem complying. Anyways here’s what I look like: https://imgur.com/a/MZZgf2t
(5.b)
My Physical Preferences:
Having physical preferences makes me feel shallow, if I could make myself not have them I would but unfortunately that’s now how that works. I don’t care if you’re shorter or taller than me and I don’t care if you weigh more or less than me. All I ask is that you’re slim-average weight. I would never ask for someone to be something I’m not. I don’t care about tattoos or piercings.**(6)Expectations of You (Relationship Only):**I am not looking for someone “exciting” or someone to “keep me on my toes” I’m not looking for someone to cater to my every whim or anything like that. I don’t care if you’re “boring” or if you aren’t “successful”. I know it’s a common thing for people to not want a “boring” relationship and to seek something argumentative or something with constant challenges but I just want to be with you. During the exciting times, the boring times, and everything in-between, all of it will be great with you! Maybe we do argue sometimes or maybe there will be challenges but that will never be something I purposefully seek out and I don’t want that to be something you seek out either. I will not play tricks on you and I will not play mind games, I expect the same from you. We all have personal measures of success we may or may not have lived up to but what I care about most is our commitment to each other. If we have each other we can get through tough times, near the ends of our lives I want us to look back and feel that this life together was worth more than anything. That’s not saying I want us to be haphazard, I don’t want us to make poor decisions for the sake of yolo and I want us to always be rational, especially with each other. I want you to be someone I can trust to make decisions and weigh the options with a level head, I’ll try my best to live up to the same for you. Most of all I want empathy, understanding, someone to feel the utmost comfort and trust in.
(7)
Living Situation:
Currently my life is pretty relaxed, I work 3 times a week as a night shift stocker. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate but we’re looking to move into someplace larger by the end of the year if everything works out. The internet is weirdly great for Ohio too like I have fiber and later this year we’re supposed to be getting dedicated fiber so that’s neat. I’m not attached to Ohio so the ultimate goal living location wise is probably moving to a country that won’t send you into a lifetime of dealing with the repercussions from one medical emergency.
(8)
Deal Breakers:
Might as well make this simple and make it a list.
- Anti-vaxxers
- Unironically believing astrology
- Right wingers
- Hard drugs (occasional 420 and alcohol is fine, may even join you)
- Wanting children, there was a time when I was younger when I wanted children but with the state of the word that’s a definite no and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I’d love a stress free life with as much time with you as possible.
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Racist
- Super Religious
- Don’t be a bigot and don’t deny facts.
(9)
Closing Remarks:
Well you made it, I was thinking that finding someone I’d be willing to put a lifetime of effort into at least required this much effort. If I think of anything more I’ll update the post. Also about timezones, it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I don’t have a sleep schedule and I have most of the week off from work so it really doesn’t matter.
I request that in your response you do put effort into it, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as long as this but at least enough so I know that you read this and enough about you so I know why you saw potential compatibility. I will seriously read all of it and respond the best I can. I do also request a pic included in your response (sfw please) or one soon after we start talking to prove identity, I’ll send identity proving pics too. As long as this post is up, you can send a reply!
submitted by kylexyz001 to MeetPeople [link] [comments]
Table of Contents
1…… The Main Goal
2…… What I’m Seeking
3…… Personality
4…… Interests
5…… Physical Characteristics (with pics)
6…… Expectations of You
7…… Living Situation
8…… Deal Breakers
9…… Closing Remarks
(1)
The Main Goal:
Well if you’re browsing this subreddit then much like me, you were alone this weekend and I’m sure you’d like to change that as much as me. I won’t lie, I am going through a rough part of my life right now. It’s difficult for me to find the energy for anything at the moment and I’m just really seeking affection in general, anything that will give me a push. I don’t want to be that person who brings everyone down but I could really use someone to talk to right now. I’d really like to find someone who’s similar to me so much to the point that we do everything together and talk about everything while not having to pretend to be interested. I want someone with whom we can mutually spew our emotions onto and have those feelings reciprocated. Not an emotional punching bag, but an emotional teddy bear to hug and cuddle until everything feels better as many times as we need. There’s people who I’m sure have told you the same, they’ll be there no matter how many times you need the support, no matter how many times the insecurities and bad thoughts come back but they don’t mean it. I will be the exception, I’m not so ignorant to think some nice words and tales of relating to you will magically forever heal whatever ails you then get mad when you seek the same support again. Mental ailments are rarely temporary and I don’t care about someone because they’re perfect, caring about someone means being there no matter how many times they need you to be. It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t get old, and it never will.
(2)
(2.a)
What I'm Seeking:
I will upfront let you know if I’m clicking better with someone else or if you’re the one, I’m not here to tread the sea of fish or keep my options open, I’m here for one singular person.
(2.b)
Relationship:
A relationship is difficult for me right now, it’s been nearly half a year since I got out of my last relationship and the reasons for it ending are partially responsible for how I’ve been feeling and why it’s so hard for me to seek the comfort I so desperately crave. I will tell you about it but for the sake of not treating the entirety of the internet as my therapist, it’ll be in private. I really need the comfort of intimacy and the warmth of someone who cares. I'm not going to feel better if I just sulk and don’t move on. This is my attempt to get better, I’ll admit I’m not great right now and I don’t expect you to be either. If we can help each other heal, then I’d be more than happy :) A relationship isn’t just being there for when someone’s at their best. Even if a relationship is hard at the moment, I do want a life partner and I don’t want to be alone. Things aren’t going to get easier without you so I don’t want to hesitate. I view my other as an equal, I don’t like categorizing us into specific roles. We take care of each other and treat each other how we like to be treated, whatever that is, it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're "successful" or not, living simple lives with our days filled with love is the ultimate measure of success to me.
(3)
Personality:
(3.a)
On the Surface:
As you can tell I can be rather… stoic but that’s largely due to my current stressors, I truthfully am goofy and fun loving but I just can’t find it in me right now. I want to return to that but without someone to light up my world it’s been difficult to just have fun and enjoy stuff. I’m definitely more introverted, you won’t catch me at any parties or really outside at all. I definitely prefer being home though the occasional outing is not out of the question and one day I’d like to travel to other countries because I think that kind of perspective is important.
(3.b)
The Core of My Being:
I like being a spectator to it all and if we bear witness to humanity burning or its miraculous recovery, I want to watch it with you. I enjoy watching humanity advance, less so when it devolves but I want to watch it to the end nonetheless. I’m both a realist and someone who lives with my head in the clouds dreaming of scenarios or worlds that don’t exist. I’m saying that I enjoy a good narrative and can suspend my disbelief to enjoy something but you won’t catch me refusing vaccines or ignoring blatant facts for the sake of some pseudo science or witch doctor’s remedy. I’m an atheist but I do not rule out existence after death, not because I’m agnostic but because due to the nature of potentially infinite time at some point after how many googol years with a googol amount of 0s after that, something’s bound to replicate your consciousness perfectly at some point. It’s actually a really fascinating topic I like talking about. If infinite time and infinite possibilities exist, does non existence exist? Though that’s an awfully existentially dreadful thought process considering the ramifications of infinite existence and infinite possibilities during said infinite existence. I would say I’m confidently left leaning and I don’t think I could truly get along with anyone right leaning, at least America’s definition of right leaning. Left and right seems to have just become; do people deserve to suffer or do they deserve to live good lives? Being political is not something I expected to become but how can you not be when crimes against human rights are being passed on a daily basis and at the end of the day, everything’s political. Oftentimes I imagine the perfect moment as relaxing with my significant other playing games or cuddling in a cold room under blankets.
I value that special someone above all of the existential thoughts, the bad of the world, the good of the world, they practically become my world. So many worries wash away when I’m with them. I don’t know if that’s the defense mechanism my brain created to not feel bad 24/7 but if it is, I’m currently without it.
(3.c)
Insecurities:
I talk of philosophy and politics here but really I spend most of my time just playing games, watching stuff, and trying to not be sleep deprived. I’m also nowhere near as well spoken, heck sometimes I feel like my speech is broken. I won’t claim to be something I’m not, I sit at home while I complain about the world doing nothing about it wishing I had someone here with me. I’m not noble nor do I really want to be, I have morals I uphold but much like most other hypocrites I acknowledge that my comfortable life is built on the suffering of others without doing anything about it. Why? My sleep problems? Am I depressed? Is that why I have no energy to do anything? Do I just think nothing I could do could help? I can’t nail it down myself, maybe it’s a mix of everything, maybe I’m just a bad person. I have always told myself that if I had wealth I would help people but if I get that kind of wealth will I just become a wealth hoarder who tries to justify my riches as something I earned rather than something given to me through incredibly lucky circumstances? If I do help people is it because I’m a good person or out of guilt? Will I die alone? I feel like I drive everyone away with my clinginess, I get paranoid often and need reassurance often. It’s something I want to work on, something I’ve been trying to work on. Hearing that someone cares about me just never gets old. I value self awareness even if it’s painful.
(3.d)
Socializing:
I’m definitely a socially anxious/awkward mess, especially around strangers. I do feel a large amount of anxiety in public, people can’t tell by looking at my face since I kind of go stone faced in an attempt to block everything out but yeah you’ll notice that if we go out in public. Growing up my pediatrician said I was probably autistic, never got a formal diagnosis so that’s just great. But yeah that explains why I can’t make eye contact with people, I kinda just stare at the ground and avoid their gaze at all costs. A lot of these social struggles go away to a great degree once I know you for a bit but yeah I apologize for how terrible I am at socializing at first. Don’t let my social struggles fool you though, I love cuddling and being close with my person.
(3.e)
Sexuality:
I am a heterosexual male, though I’m not very masculine like at all. I may even be a bit feminine sometimes. Not that I believe any activity or manner of acting belongs to a gender but I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m definitely super affectionate and love it when my partner is too. I am open to dating demi people but I do have a libido so I don't think asexual would work out.
(4)
Interests:
(4.a)
Video Games:
As stated before, I do spend a lot of my time playing video games. It’s been hard lately with me having no energy but I really do want to play more games and have a good time playing them with you! I primarily play on PC though I do have a switch. I’m primarily into platform fighters, roguelikes, open world, survival, and sandbox games. As for single player story games, I enjoy watching them through twitch or youtube but for the most part I don’t play them myself. I’d watch you play them though!
Here’s a list of games we can play:
-Minecraft (Java)
-Risk of Rain 2
-Gunfire Reborn
-Roboquest
-7 Days to Die
-Phasmophobia
-Rust
-Unturned
-Bloons TD 6
-Platform fighters: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Slap City, Multiversus, Flash Party, Fraymakers
Whatever you want to play I’ll give it a shot! I will say that League bores me to death but I’ll play it for you :) I try to avoid MMOs, not because I don’t like them but because of how addicted I can get to them. I enjoy learning games in-depth so MMOs can be a fast track to addiction.
I recently got Kerbal Space Program 2 and ehhh not really worth it right now but hopefully later it will be? I’m super excited for Tears of the Kingdom! In the far off future I’m excited for Rivals of Aether 2 which is a platform fighter releasing in 2024, let me know of your most anticipated releases and I’ll see if I could play them with you!
Also I never got into FPS games but I could totally see myself playing like CoD with you or Escape From Tarkov. Any FPS really, I’m down.
I am a fan of Pokemon but with how things have been lately I don’t know how long that will last. Pixelmon is a common Pokemon mod I play for Minecraft if you want to play that! Also if I say I want to play something with you I mean it but there are often times when no matter how much I want to I'm just drained and can do little more than lay in bed so please don't think I'm making an excuse.
(4.b)
Science:
I really enjoy keeping up with the latest advances in pretty much everything, it could be biology, technology, astronomy, anything! I love seeing progression and I love talking about it! Really I could go on and on about what I’m obsessing about that day. I particularly love technology, ask me for my laptop specs I dare you. When I was little I always wanted to be a scientist of any kind but then insomnia and fear of college stuff hit me like a truck aaaand that’s the end of that dream.
(4.c)
Anime:
You got me, I like anime but I’d like to think my tastes are benign.
Here’s some of my favorites I can list from the top of my head:
- To Your Eternity
- Vinland Saga
- Spice and Wolf
- Re:Zero
- Mob Psycho
- Dr. Stone
- Attack on Titan
- Spy x Family
- My Hero Academia
- Ranking of Kings
- Demon Slayer
Okay I can go on and on but I will say I don’t like pointless fan service and the spamming of cliche anime moments. I mostly enjoy action and anything well animated if it doesn’t have a potato story. Heck Demon Slayer could be my top 3 out of season 2’s animation alone. I don’t watch slice of life often or romance but I would with you!
(4.d)
Misc:
I’m not going to go on and on about the tiniest little things when the main ones are covered but I’ll watch pretty much any show with you and anything really. I like random youtube videos that explain some kind of lore or mystery, sometimes mini documentaries too.
As for food I looove sushi and I’m a sucker for fast food. Okay and candy, definitely candy.
I used to play tennis but haven’t really had the opportunity nor friends to play it with and I’m way too socially anxious to seek it out. Also I will say that when we move to something like discord I type waaaay more casually. I’m not going to expect long paragraphs back and forth like we’re writing English papers for each other, I do enjoy long conversations but seriously don’t worry about having to put the utmost effort into every response, I just like making good first impressions I guess.
(5)
(5.a)
My Physical Characteristics:
I’m 5’8 (172cm), 128 pounds (58kg), with curly brown hair and blue eyes. I like keeping my hair long in the winter and cutting it in the summer. I’m pretty slim in general so if you’re looking for someone large, that’s not me. I don’t work out but my work is pretty physical so at least I’m not totally inactive. I don’t have the urge to work out or gain muscle but I do want to maintain my slim figure so if I start losing control of that I’ll work out. I like to keep my face shaved because I don’t think I look good with a beard/mustache so if you’re into those I apologize. I have an average amount of body hair? I’d prefer to be completely shaved but it’s easy to lose motivation with that battle, if you prefer shaved then I’d have no problem complying. Anyways here’s what I look like: https://imgur.com/a/MZZgf2t
(5.b)
My Physical Preferences:
Having physical preferences makes me feel shallow, if I could make myself not have them I would but unfortunately that’s now how that works. I don’t care if you’re shorter or taller than me and I don’t care if you weigh more or less than me. All I ask is that you’re slim-average weight. I would never ask for someone to be something I’m not. I don’t care about tattoos or piercings.**(6)Expectations of You (Relationship Only):**I am not looking for someone “exciting” or someone to “keep me on my toes” I’m not looking for someone to cater to my every whim or anything like that. I don’t care if you’re “boring” or if you aren’t “successful”. I know it’s a common thing for people to not want a “boring” relationship and to seek something argumentative or something with constant challenges but I just want to be with you. During the exciting times, the boring times, and everything in-between, all of it will be great with you! Maybe we do argue sometimes or maybe there will be challenges but that will never be something I purposefully seek out and I don’t want that to be something you seek out either. I will not play tricks on you and I will not play mind games, I expect the same from you. We all have personal measures of success we may or may not have lived up to but what I care about most is our commitment to each other. If we have each other we can get through tough times, near the ends of our lives I want us to look back and feel that this life together was worth more than anything. That’s not saying I want us to be haphazard, I don’t want us to make poor decisions for the sake of yolo and I want us to always be rational, especially with each other. I want you to be someone I can trust to make decisions and weigh the options with a level head, I’ll try my best to live up to the same for you. Most of all I want empathy, understanding, someone to feel the utmost comfort and trust in.
(7)
Living Situation:
Currently my life is pretty relaxed, I work 3 times a week as a night shift stocker. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate but we’re looking to move into someplace larger by the end of the year if everything works out. The internet is weirdly great for Ohio too like I have fiber and later this year we’re supposed to be getting dedicated fiber so that’s neat. I’m not attached to Ohio so the ultimate goal living location wise is probably moving to a country that won’t send you into a lifetime of dealing with the repercussions from one medical emergency.
(8)
Deal Breakers:
Might as well make this simple and make it a list.
- Anti-vaxxers
- Unironically believing astrology
- Right wingers
- Hard drugs (occasional 420 and alcohol is fine, may even join you)
- Wanting children, there was a time when I was younger when I wanted children but with the state of the word that’s a definite no and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I’d love a stress free life with as much time with you as possible.
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Racist
- Super Religious
- Don’t be a bigot and don’t deny facts.
(9)
Closing Remarks:
Well you made it, I was thinking that finding someone I’d be willing to put a lifetime of effort into at least required this much effort. If I think of anything more I’ll update the post. Also about timezones, it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I don’t have a sleep schedule and I have most of the week off from work so it really doesn’t matter.
I request that in your response you do put effort into it, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as long as this but at least enough so I know that you read this and enough about you so I know why you saw potential compatibility. I will seriously read all of it and respond the best I can. I do also request a pic included in your response (sfw please) or one soon after we start talking to prove identity, I’ll send identity proving pics too. As long as this post is up, you can send a reply!
2023.05.30 21:41 This_is_my_account91 Finally after 7 years of on and off playing, I finally finished the game
 | submitted by This_is_my_account91 to ShadowFight2dojo [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 21:09 Wrong-Row3044 Now that we have Seth Rollins as the NEW World Heavyweight Champion, who are your prediction/fantasy booking as the next five superstars to win it?
 | Mine is more of a fantasy booking than a prediction; submitted by Wrong-Row3044 to WWE [link] [comments] Finn Balor, I want him to win the MITB and cash-in around Royal Rumble season. WWE still owe us a Balor World Championship run. (Still can't move on when he relinquished the Universal Title.) Seth, winning it back at Mania or Backlash. AJ Styles winning it by SummerSlam '24 LA Knight cashing in his MITB '24 case. Heel Drew Mcyntire at Mania 41. (This means LA would turn to an anti-hero like Stone Cold in order for this rivalry to work.) |
2023.05.30 21:05 Lanzen_Jars A job for a deathworlder [Chapter 117]
[Chapter 1] ; [Previous Chapter] ; [Discord + Wiki] ; [Patreon]
Chapter 117 – I have nothing to hide
With a deep, long exhale that took every last bit of air out of his lungs, James hung up his call. Wordlessly and with his chest deflated, he simply remained standing there for a few seconds, feeling how his system gradually drained itself of oxygen while he tried his best to clear his thoughts and listen into himself. But all he felt was a chaos that he couldn’t calm. He had no idea if he was ready for this, and trusting the word of others had never in his life felt as hard as it did right now, not even the many times his life had literally depended on the word of others.
All he could do was reassure himself. He could do this. He would do this. And they all would get through this. He would make it happen. He had to.
Feeling the raging chaos-storm die down only ever so slightly at his own reassurances, he finally allowed himself to inhale again. He forced himself to not violently gasp for air as if he had just emerged from a deep dive. Instead, he very deliberately began to allow air to rush into his body through his nose, adamant to keep full control of the flow as he did so.
Once his lungs were full, he kept the air in for only a moment, before allowing it to rush back out of his mouth in a pursed-lipped exhale, while also opening his eyes again.
With steady and deliberate steps, he then began walking back to the rest of his group at an even and controlled pace. The projections of his team’s expression looked back at him with a strange sense of wonder and anticipation.
Nia and Moar on the other hand looked like they already sensed the severity of the situation, and a mounting dread seemed to take hold of them. Meanwhile Curi and Congloarch stood by with stony expressions, not giving a hint as to what was going on behind their faces.
That only left one.
Unlike all the others, Shida approached him as he returned to the group. After meeting back up outside of the conference room once the recess had been called, James had immediately separated from everyone again, and she had patiently waited for him to be done with his preparations. But now they could finally discuss what needed to be said.
“Are you feeling any better?” James asked her, knowing that he sadly would most likely have to force her to join them in the room once again once the proceedings would return to order. It was for everyone’s safety.
“Not really, but I think I can sit it out,” Shida confirmed for him, her expression stuck between assuring and sickened by the thought, which James couldn’t fault her for. With her ears twitching, likely to subtly remind him of her fine hearing, she then lifted a hand to gently put it on the side of his mask, where his cheek would usually be found. “So, it’s come down to it, huh?”
James nodded, while lifting his own hand to press it onto hers.
“Yes,” he replied with a sigh that reflected the weight he felt pushing down on him. “Not how I wanted things to go, but…I’m also glad that the secrecy will be over.”
Allowing his head to sink down, his mask pressed against Shida’s forehead.
“I honestly can’t tell if I’m overjoyed or devastated that you’re here with me for it,” he whispered as he closed his eyes for another moment.
“I wouldn’t want to be away from it,” Shida whispered back while her other hand also lifted to gently sink down onto the back of his head. “Not again.”
Letting out the mildest hint of a laugh, James embraced her. As he felt her body in his arms, a primal part of him wished that they could just remain like that. Just unload all of this weight and pressure in a hug until nothing bothered them anymore. Of course, that was not how anything worked, and so they soon let go.
Together, they joined back up with the rest of the group.
“Usually, I would offer anyone who doesn’t want to stick around the chance to get out now, but I’m afraid that would be way too dangerous to do,” James explained as he looked at everyone’s face individually. “For better or for worse, it’s safest if we all stick together now.”
Moar was the first to step forwards. Slowly, she approached him with her lumbering steps, one clawed hand lifted to her face while long fur hung off her thin arm, while the other half-extended towards James but stopped in mid air long before it reached him.
“James, what are you going to do?” she asked, her tone filled with all kinds of strongly held-back emotions. Light reflected twinklingly in her wet, dark eyes. James swallowed, but a feline hand clasping around his gave him courage.
“I’m going to come clean,” he said with a look up at the giant. “Everything that’s been said. Everything that’s been done. I’m putting it all on the table. I will let the galaxy be my witness that I made my choices and I am willing to stand for them, like I always was.”
He then wondered if he should prepare all of them for what was about to happen.
However, he decided against it.
“It’s better if I don’t tell you more right now,” he said with a creeping sadness gradually reaching for his words. “I don’t know how you’re going to react to it, but…whatever your reaction may be, it will be better if it is genuine inside of that chamber. You knew of nothing, and people will see that. I don’t want anyone to unjustly think you were involved.”
Although he didn’t say much, the concerning vagueness of his statement seemed to already give at least some of them ideas of what was going on, especially given the recent tensions back on Earth.
“James…you- you can’t be-“ Nia began, however James cut her off with a raised hand and slowly shook his head.
“Let’s keep it for the big reveal, alright?” he suggested, although his tone didn’t leave much room to argue.
Seemingly stricken by his words and looking for some reassurance that surely what she was thinking couldn’t be true, Nia glanced around to the faces of her other fellow humans for any sort of support. However, the projections of the faces of James’ entire team, including her own girlfriend, were just as glum and anticipating as that of her brother was.
They all knew. Of course, they did.
As James watched that realization sink in for his sister in real time, he suddenly noticed a huge shadow creeping in from his side. Turning his head, he looked up just in time to see a huge hand sink down to grasp around his shoulder, as Congloarch bowed his upper body in a show of respect.
“It is a rare sight to see a dancer stand firm,” the Lizartaur informed him with his deep, bellowing voice that came through barely parted rows of sharp teeth. “You carry yourself well, James. Keep that up, and the Galaxy will see it, too. I, for one, will stand with you.”
All of the giant’s four fiery eyes were focused down onto him.
James exhaled slowly, not knowing if he should be inspired or bemused by the strange encouragement.
“Thank you,” he ultimately said with genuine fondness in his voice. “For everything.” Hesitantly, he then turned to Curi. The cyborg still stood without any movement, their lightly glowing red eyes fixating on him with great attention.
“I think…” they began to say, noticing his eyes on them, however they then cut themselves off and shook their body slightly to rephrase it. “I believe in you. I believe that I cannot have misjudged you to such a degree that anything you did would make me no longer want to stand with you. Not after you stood with me when nobody else would. You said you wouldn’t rather have anyone else by your side. And I will be.”
While James appreciatively bowed his head to the cyborg, Moar then came forth once again, seemingly feeling like she needed to say something as well.
“I am not sure what you have in store for us this time, but I cannot imagine abandoning you to face it alone once again either,” she said, her gaze noticeably falling onto his cybernetic arm. “I cannot promise that it will not take me time, but I do not wish to let myself be blinded by my own ignorance again. Therefore, I will listen to your reason, and knowing you, I am sure I will see it as well.”
Exhaling slowly, James was already starting to think that he was feeling one too many emotions right before such a huge event. But, seeing as it couldn’t get much worse, he turned to his team.
“Anyone got anything to say? Now’s your chance,” he offered to them. The humans briefly exchanged some looks with each other. It didn’t really seem like they had much need to get anything out.
“If we’re going to have to fight our way out of here because of this, I’m going to be so mad,” Athena notified everyone with a sigh while patting the side of her belt with one hand while throwing her long ponytail back with the other.
“Remember to count your kills if it comes to that,” Koko chimed in with a tone that seemed to try to break up the tension. “Makes documentation so much easier if we don’t have to scrub through the footage.”
She tapped at the camera attached to her chest with a finger.
Giving the two a hesitant courtesy chuckle, James then turned to his sister once more. She still looked on in disbelief, seemingly overwhelmed by what was happening.
Momentarily letting go of Shida’s hand, James walked over to her, immediately pulling her into a tight hug.
“You don’t have to worry,” he assured her, doing his absolute best to confidently speak this truth into existence. By any metric, she had done nothing wrong. At the very least he would ensure everyone knew about that.
Nia held him for a moment, before shifting her head slightly.
“What about you?” she asked gently.
“I can handle myself,” James replied immediately. “And I’ll have no regrets.”
Apparently not quite knowing how to react to what he had said, Nia just squeezed him tighter.
“I love you,” was all she said in the end, and James could feel his heart drop at her words.
“I love you, too,” James replied seriously, and after a few more long seconds, they let go of each other again.
Clearing his throat, James looked around at everyone.
“We should probably get back inside early,” he suggested, feeling like keeping a good overwatch over the situation was a valuable strategy.
Although hesitant, everyone followed him as he led the way, and soon enough, they were back on their seats – after checking everything for possible tampering once again.
For now, the room was still relatively empty. One or two of the other representatives had already found themselves back as well, and many nervous glances were thrown James’ way after the earlier outburst.
However, as James settled into his seat to go over how exactly he wanted to say what he had to, he heard a weird sound of pitter-patter in front of him. Leaning forwards in confusion and looking down at the railing, his eyes then quickly caught the bright, signal-colored fur of a pixemerrier climbing up towards him. The nimble lemur forewent the need for the offered stairs and simply used the railing as more than enough purchase to make it up to the second level, small hands soon reaching over the sides to completely pull the pink and spotted body up.
Now sitting directly in front of James on almost eye-level, Losaraner looked at James with mildly glowing eyes.
“Can I help you?” James asked as he shifted his position slightly to look at the man head-on.
“Just, uhm….” the lemur started, but then heavily hesitated as he awkwardly shuffled his body around. Something seemed to make him majorly uncomfortable, although it didn’t appear to be for an all too serious reason.
Strangely feeling put the tiniest bit at ease at the display of sincere awkwardness, James let out a bemused breath.
“Whatever it is, it’s alright,” James therefore informed the glowing lemur and reassuringly raised a hand. “I’ve been called every name in the book and had to answer every question I can think of, you won’t insult me with whatever you have to say.”
With some honest relief apparently rushing over the pixemerrier’s face, Losaraner pushed himself up to all four of his feet again, balancing on top of the railing.
“Forgive the inconvenience, ambassador, but we would like to relocate your seat,” he informed James.
“Relocate my seat?” James asked with a head-tilt, his mind already running with possibilities how this could be to his detriment.
“Not just yours, that of your entire party,” Losaraner quickly clarified something that James had honestly already figured. “We believe it would lead to a more civil outcome.”
James quite earnestly scoffed at that. There would be nothing civil about what was going to happen. And although he wasn’t technically against gaining some distance from his most averse parties around here, he also felt like the sudden need to get him away from Uton had a foul aftertaste.
“Is that a compulsory ‘would like’ or a suggesting one?” he therefore inquired. He almost didn’t want to, given that Shida had difficulties being here already, and being further from her former father figure surely would help with that a bit. But still, he was going to trust his gut on this one.
“Oh, uhm…well, if you would like to remain in your seat I guess-“ Losaraner began, and James quickly nodded before he had even finished.
“I would,” he confirmed firmly. “But thank you very much for your consideration.”
If they were going to try and blow him up or whatever, they better be willing to take their scapegoat down with him. Maybe this was all a genuine offer in the end, but even then staying around here wasn’t going to have a negative impact.
“In that case, I’ll return to let my mother know,” Losaraner said with a nod and turned on the spot, seemingly to climb back down to the lower level.
“Hey Losaraner?” James stopped him briefly, causing the lemur to turn his head back.
“Ambassador?” he questioned James’ intervention, awaiting whatever he would have to say.
“You seem like a good guy,” James said, fixating the glowing primate through his visor in an attempt to spot any attempt at deception from the small creature. He couldn’t find any. “Keep an open mind, alright?”
Although apparently confused by James’ words, Losaraner nodded with a bit of enthusiasm.
“Of course, Sir,” he replied, before then climbing down the railing face-first to join back up with his conspecifics.
“Almost showtime,” James then mumbled to himself.
Shortly after, the room had once again filled up with the representatives of all eleven primate species the galaxy knew, as well as their extended company.
Though by now, it almost seemed like the invited representatives found themselves outnumbered by the vastly increased number of reporters, sound engineers, camera people and even news casters that had come together to report on the event. Their numbers must have had at the very least tripled since before the recess had begun, and that was a very conservative estimate.
Cameras and microphones were truly everywhere now, ensuring that not a single instant of this most possibly historic moment would be missed without being preserved for all to see.
Next to him, James could see Uton settling in. His face seemed to be plastered with the same anticipation that James felt. And for only a second, both primates glanced over at each other at the same moment, their gazes very briefly meeting in a moment that seemed to fill the air with an electric charge.
The tension was palpable, and it only looked for a release.
In the room’s center, Losaranarja was now climbing back onto her small podium. The glow if her fur and eyes had increased quite drastically since before the recess, and James wondered if that was caused by stress alone or if other factors also played a role.
“Welcome back everyone. Seeing as all invited representatives have returned to their places, I hereby reopen the council of primates,” she announced over the loudspeakers as her glowing eyes scanned over the room. “Before the recent recess, we had just born witness to a frankly tremendous confession of Captain Ferromore Uton. If nobody has anything absolutely urgently relevant to say before we continue, I would suggest that we waste no time before getting to the bottom of that unnerving revelation he wishes to share with us.”
Without wasting a second of time, James was already on his feet.
“Actually, I do believe I have something to say on the matter,” he announced loudly, pulling the attention of the room onto him at an instant, camera flashes almost immediately erupting into a storm of flashing lights. “In fact, since Representative Goloribal’s only worry about letting me take over the explanations earlier appeared to be that I may not be ‘fervent’ enough about it, I will like to pick him up on that earlier implied offer, with the promise that I will be sufficiently ‘fervid’ about everything I am going to divulge.”
“Am…bassador?” Losaranarja asked completely confused by this turn of events as she looked up at him, almost appearing shock-stunned at the revelation.
“Do I have the word?” James asked, still sticking to procedure vehemently.
The lemur seemed to hesitate. Clearly, she was already afraid of where this was going. However, she had offered the opportunity to speak to everyone who believed that they had something important enough to say. And therefore, she had little choice on the matter.
“Of course,” she said after pulling herself together visibly. “Please go ahead, Ambassador Aldwin.”
James nodded.
“Thank you,” he announced loudly. And although he felt his insides scream in cramping anxiety, he held on his firm tone and posture as he stood up straight. This was it. “First, please allow me to reiterate and reaffirm my earlier point. The attack on Dunnima was entirely unprovoked and was and remains unjustifiable.”
He needed to set that stage. That was his hill, and he was willing to die on it. Nothing they could bring against him would change those facts.
Filling his lungs with as much air as he could without it being painful, he then continued.
“Now to the matter at hand,” he addressed the room. “Captain Uton has been lying to you. However, not about the point that you may think,” he informed them, with the faces of everyone already falling into gloom at what exactly he may mean by that. “He was not the one who ordered the attack on Dunnima. Humanity has already known who ordered the attack for quite a while now, and we were in the process of drafting a proper case against him before we would publicly accuse him of anything. We do however have ample evidence to provide to prove the guilt of this individual, namely Acting-Councilman Ekorte Keun.”
There was an immediate eruption of more flashes as well as wild mumbles throughout the room. Everyone seemed to be whipped up into a mild frenzy at James’ words. And James wouldn’t give them time to ask many questions about it. They wouldn’t need to.
“Keun himself has confessed his crime to me personally shortly after it was committed,” he continued his retelling of the events of the past months without losing more than a moment to the muttering. “He did so, because he falsely believed himself to be in danger after his failed attempt at somebody’s life backfired against him. He also believed that I would be the only person able to prevent said danger from claiming him, which is why he came to me directly. Our conversation was recorded and is part of the case I mentioned earlier. Within it, you will hear that the Acting-Councilman believed that he had become the target of the ire of a Realized Artificial Sapient after his attempt at her life with his illegally ordered attack on Dunnima had failed to destroy her, and he believed that my influence on said artificial Sapient would be great enough to preserve his life, if he only confessed to his crimes in my favor.”
As if a switch had been flipped, the mumbling in the room came to an almost immediate halt. From one moment to the next, you could suddenly hear a pin drop, with even the news casters and reporters stopping their ongoing drivel as all eyes were entirely on James.
“He was mistaken in his assumption,” James said in no unclear terms. “In reality, the Artificial Sapient, as much as she may have wanted to, was never out for revenge against him. She knew that any aggressive action she would take would be nothing but fuel to the fire that already raged against her. And therefore, she remained just as passive as she had been throughout her entire existence, while the apparent attacks against her would-be killer were carried out by a so far unknown third party.”
Somehow, the room got even more quiet. By now, James could feel gazes burning into him not only from all around the front of him, but also from right behind his back, as he had now fully confirmed what many of them had been passively suspecting for a long time now.
Of course, Uton technically had plenty of opportunity to dispute James’ words and insist that he was the one to order the attack. However, in the end, did it really matter? Right now, nobody really cared who exactly ordered the attack. Something else was a lot heavier on their mind.
“Are you…saying…that there truly is a Realized Sapient on Dunnima?” Losaranarja asked hesitantly, as nobody else seemed to indicate that they wanted to ask this all-important question, causing her to take over that duty as the host.
“That is correct,” James confirmed without hesitation. “Her name is Avezillion, and as previously mentioned, she was the main target of this recent attack.”
It was like a timer slowly ticked down as the silence remained for just a bit longer.
Three.
Two.
One.
And like that, the loud discussing and mumbling and even shouting over each other broke out once more, along with a renewed vengeance of cameras.
“You are saying right now, there is a realized Sapient loose in the galaxy…And you knew?” Klanneifer was the first to break out of the homogeneous white noise to directly address James. “Are you insane?”
Keeping his calm, James brought his hands behind his back.
“I don’t believe I am,” he replied nonchalantly with a gaze at the four-armed primate. “Especially considering that Captain Uton and his known circle of influence most likely knew just as long as I did, without ever divulging that information either.”
He could hear shouts about how this was an outrage and how about something would have to be done immediately from all around him. It seemed like most of the present representatives were absolutely ready to try and mobilize the entire Communal military to deal with this at an instant, and it really made James wonder if this all had truly been the best course of action.
But right now, he had to believe. He could not allow himself to show weakness. Not here, not right now.
“Surely you know the dangers of these beings!” Commander Halljafier was the next to speak up. “Are you saying humanity just allowed all of this to happen under their nose?”
Again, with just humanity. It wasn’t like no one else had known.
“At my very own recommendation,” James replied without even really wasting a glance over at the grassurgap next to him, “The leadership of humanity has decided to allow Avezillion a chance to exist and prove herself. She has existed on Dunnima for many years without a single violent incident on her part. We believed this to be rather unprecedented of course, however the people of Dunnima believable assured us of the opposite.”
He turned his head to Shida, which quickly caused her to stand up, as she immediately took the hint. These words would be better if they did not come out of his mouth.
“Within our long-recorded history, Dunnima’s Realized have never been violent like the ones the rest of the Galaxy knows,” she explained just as self-assured as James did, although he could tell it took her considerable effort. Though, it seemed that fueling her words with a bit of spite did help with that. “Not including Avezillion herself, three Realized have emerged on Dunnima in the past, before we joined the greater Galactic Community. One of them, Kertaiyon, is hailed as a hero of the people to this very day. Not one of them has ever started a war against us or unjustly hurt people. It is true that not all of them were Saints, but that is nothing unusual on Dunnima. Therefore, when Avezillion emerged under the scrutinizing eye of the Community this time, we all agreed to hide her, as long as she would remain hidden herself. For many, many years, the Galactic Community remained none-the-wiser, as Avezillion peacefully lived in Dunnima’s networks without ever causing issues.”
She paused briefly to swallow as well as watch the unbelieving reaction of the people around her. It seemed that everyone was a bit too stunned to really fathom or at least fully react to what she was saying.
“However, the hiding wore away at her over time. She felt trapped, confined. Never being able to show yourself at all while limiting yourself to only a small portion of the Galaxy, it was a life unworthy living for her,” Shida kept on explaining. “Therefore, when James came to visit Dunnima, she made a gamble. She would either gain her freedom, or she would no longer have to live on under these conditions. With these thoughts in mind, she revealed herself to James, and by extension, humanity, finding peace only in that, if they decided to end her, humanity would surely do so without causing greater harm to the people of Dunnima. Something that she wasn’t convinced of with the rest of the Galaxy – for good reason, as it turns out.”
Thanking Shida with a nod, James signaled for her to sit back down, hoping that the stunned representatives would direct their possibly emerging ire at the person left standing instead of the one that had spoken.
“I made the call to trust those that had lived with her for years,” James added onto Shida’s words. “And humanity’s leadership made the call to trust me. And we have not found a single shred of evidence that Avezillion has ever caused harm to anyone or even intended to do so. Had she wanted to cause damage like so many of her conspecifics did, she would’ve been able to achieve a great deal of it.”
Hesitantly, the representative of the Missicapriej -lanky grey primates with one too many joints in each of their limbs- who had so far barely spoken during the entire conference, stood up.
“But…if you are admitting that there is an Artificial Sapient, and that it was the target of the attack, then…then the attack was entirely justified,” they stated, although they barely sounded confident in that statement.
“Indeed, it was,” Commander Halljafier quickly supported that claim, clearly thinking he knew the galactic military doctrine much better.
“That is not correct,” James denied. “An outer-orbital strike, especially on a civilian target, is never justified,” he said with strong emphasis. “It is one of the oldest rules that the community has established.”
“If it is to destroy a realized sapient, then all means are-“ the Commander tried to deny him, however he flinched back at James brought his mechanical hand down onto the railing before him once again, this time with purpose.
“The laws of war exist for a very good reason!” he boldly stated after waiting a moment to see if the Commander wanted to continue his sentence. “Ignoring them if we see fit, no matter what the reason may be, is a dangerous subject. And if you think that attempting the murder of an innocent person is already reason enough, then you have clearly not understood why these laws exist in the first place!”
“Innocent person?” the commander scoffed with vitriol in his voice. “That…that thing-“
However, once again he was interrupted. To James’ great surprise, however, it wasn’t by him.
“It may have slipped your mind since it has been so long since the last one emerged, Commander,” Captain Uton was the one to speak up, his deep voice cutting through the room like knife with its coldness. “But the personhood of Realized Sapients is not up to debate. And it has not been for more than a hundred years. That question has been answered by our ancestors ages ago, and we would do well not to try and question it today for our convenience.”
While the Commander sunk back into his seat after the shutdown from the superior he had believed to be on his side, James bit down on his lip. Although every word Uton had just said was true, he simply hated having to agree with him, even on such a basic and important topic.
He mostly hated it because it showed that there had to be some vague hint of integrity left somewhere deep down within that bastard of a person, and that almost made James despise him more, since he clearly knew what he was doing.
The Captain’s dark eyes then turned over onto him, as the large man continued, “However, I have to disagree with the Ambassador on the justification. Person or not, eradicating an artificial sapient is more than enough reason to forgo a simple law.” James bit back his anger, keeping his focus intact. Although next to him, he could hear the loud scraping noise of wood buckling under sharp claws, as Shida dug her natural weapons into the chair she was sitting on in order to remain seated and quiet.
“And yet Avezillion is still alive,” James replied challengingly to the man. “Meanwhile innocent civilians got injured. One of the leaders of Dunnima got heavily injured. Children got hurt. Children that would now be dead had the attack not been foiled by our warship. It is nothing short of a miracle none of them are dead. It was a terrorist attack, nothing else. The moment justice bends to such heinousness, it breaks. And, after all, forgive me for being a bit heavy-handed, but if the Community is willing to break its own laws and attack its own planets to hunt down one Realized, then who is the one that the people really need to fear? I, for one, put my trust in the one that hasn’t already proven that it would attack and use me without a second thought. After all, this isn’t the first time I hear of someone inconvenient being suddenly caught in an explo-”
James was cut off when Uton loudly spoke up, his loud organ easily overpowering James’ voice in a conversational tone.
“What happened to your promise of not making this about y-“ Uton began to say, however then his voice was in turn overpowered as well.
“Wait your god damned turn!” James shouted out authoritatively, momentarily overtaken by his anger in a brief outburst. “You do NOT get to talk over me!”
Quickly catching himself again, although he very much wanted to keep going in the same vein, James lowered his voice again, although the room was left noticeably shaken.
“This is a civil event that follows clear rules that we are both bound by,” he said with a serious gaze over at Uton. “And my promise died the moment you decided to drag it through the mud with your fictional tales about very real events that have influenced not only my life, but that of many people very close and important to me. So forgive me, Captain Ferromore Uton, if I am not going to sit idly by and allow you to spew whatever nonsense you and your cohorts came up with in your ivory towers while the world underneath you burned. I was wrongly imprisoned, blackmailed, tortured, and maimed by you people. Shida was groomed and abused by you for years as you tried to make her fit your mold. There was an attempt on Curi’s life under Your. Very. Command. So forgive me, please, if the reasoning of ‘we really wanted them gone’ out of your mouth isn’t enough for me to believe that a crime against the Galaxy is justified, especially since you had knowledge of Avezillion’s existence for as long as I had, and could have divulged it at any point. But you didn’t want to divulge it. Because that would’ve meant that she would have a chance to defend herself, either physically or before the law. You simply wanted her gone. Wanted her to disappear like so many before her did. But not anymore. No, no, not anymore. Here and now, I promise you that, as long as humanity is around, nobody under your Command is going to just disappear anymore. Not. A. One. We will watch. And we will see. And, starting with Curi and Avezillion, we will be a place for them to go when no one else will stand with them.”
Seemingly stirring in anger now, James could see Uton clench his jaw, his lips quivering as he held himself back.
“I never abused her,” Uton muttered, apparently completely focused on that part as James had seemingly struck a nerve with that.
“And that’s the only defense you could come up with,” James responded. Then, he reached up with his left hand, pulling his right sleeve back to reveal the mechanical arm underneath it to the room, while he held it up in front of his body. “You wanted her to fit your mold. And now she’s in a place where she’s actually loved. You wanted to change me. And now, I have this arm here, just because of you. And you wanted to change the Galaxy. Well,” James paused briefly to spread his arms in a wide gesture that was very clearly meant to mock the man. “Congratulations, you did,” he then announced to the entire room. “Without you, humanity would likely never even have considered helping a realized Sapient. Michael really did his job well with spreading fear and hate. But after enduring everything that you put me through? I was just open enough to listen when one told me that she feared you.”
Uton clenched his jaws tighter and his hands curled into fists. Seeing his puppet becoming useless, Goloribal sprang into action.
“As the revered order of the primates, it is our duty to lead by example!” he announced as he got up, although his presence was already far less impressive than it had been earlier. “For generations, we were renowned for our just and swift action. We cannot allow ourselves to falter in that now!”
“For generations, we primates have also been revered for our curiosity and for being the first to open up to anything new,” James responded to that, looking the man directly into his face. “Yeah, that’s right,” he then added as the representative blankly stared back at him. “I studied galactic history, too! I’m fucking unstoppable!”
He boisterously threw his arms up, making a real show out of it.
In all actuality, he was most likely far from gaining any victory right now. Sure, at the moment, the room was slightly shaken into silence, however he highly doubted that he had actually managed to truly convince many of the people present here.
However, as long as the cameras were on him, he would keep the show going. Maybe he wouldn’t convince the stuck-up people of the revered orders. However, somewhere out there, there would be people whose ears and hearts he would reach. Hopefully at least. And for them, he would put on this show. Put on this air of confidence that everything would turn out well.
Because only if he managed to make everyone believe that would they find the courage to shake out of their rut and go looking for a better tomorrow. If he believed everything would be well, then they would too.
“Those are big words from someone hiding their face,” a voice suddenly broke through the room. James wasn’t even sure who had said it. But he also didn’t care. Right now, it was just another stone to jump off of.
“What, you think I am wearing this to hide?” James announced loudly and gestured to his breathfilter while turning his head so the entire room could see the gesture.
“It’s uncomfortable as hell! And it gives me a serious disadvantage in any debates if people can’t read my face. These breathfilters are and have always been something we humans are wearing for everyone’s benefit but our own. They are designed because we are extremely cautious to keep nasty deathworld-germs from spreading, even if that is extremely unlikely. And additionally, it protects all the delicate people of the galaxy from having to look at our scary deathworld-faces. But, if you want-“
He didn’t even hesitate in reaching up and pressing the necessary buttons to release the seal of the filter. With a loud hiss, its grip on James’ head loosened, and he quickly pulled the mask-like device off his head, before briefly running his mechanical hand through his disheveled hair to bring it into a bit of form.
Breathing out deeply with an open mouth, James presented his teeth to the room with a confident smile, while his dark, sharp eyes scanned over the room, making direct contact with as many of those of his fellow primates as at all possible.
“I have nothing to hide,” James announced. “From the very start, I owned up to my mistakes and was willing to stand for them. I terrorized an entire station to protect myself. I shot someone’s leg off when he threatened my freedom. I killed one of my captors when I finally escaped from their hold. I have done many things that the Galaxy may judge me for. However, I truly and whole heartedly believe that helping Avezillion is not one of them. And I will stand for that just like I stand to my mistakes.”
submitted by Lanzen_Jars to HFY [link] [comments]
Chapter 117 – I have nothing to hide
With a deep, long exhale that took every last bit of air out of his lungs, James hung up his call. Wordlessly and with his chest deflated, he simply remained standing there for a few seconds, feeling how his system gradually drained itself of oxygen while he tried his best to clear his thoughts and listen into himself. But all he felt was a chaos that he couldn’t calm. He had no idea if he was ready for this, and trusting the word of others had never in his life felt as hard as it did right now, not even the many times his life had literally depended on the word of others.
All he could do was reassure himself. He could do this. He would do this. And they all would get through this. He would make it happen. He had to.
Feeling the raging chaos-storm die down only ever so slightly at his own reassurances, he finally allowed himself to inhale again. He forced himself to not violently gasp for air as if he had just emerged from a deep dive. Instead, he very deliberately began to allow air to rush into his body through his nose, adamant to keep full control of the flow as he did so.
Once his lungs were full, he kept the air in for only a moment, before allowing it to rush back out of his mouth in a pursed-lipped exhale, while also opening his eyes again.
With steady and deliberate steps, he then began walking back to the rest of his group at an even and controlled pace. The projections of his team’s expression looked back at him with a strange sense of wonder and anticipation.
Nia and Moar on the other hand looked like they already sensed the severity of the situation, and a mounting dread seemed to take hold of them. Meanwhile Curi and Congloarch stood by with stony expressions, not giving a hint as to what was going on behind their faces.
That only left one.
Unlike all the others, Shida approached him as he returned to the group. After meeting back up outside of the conference room once the recess had been called, James had immediately separated from everyone again, and she had patiently waited for him to be done with his preparations. But now they could finally discuss what needed to be said.
“Are you feeling any better?” James asked her, knowing that he sadly would most likely have to force her to join them in the room once again once the proceedings would return to order. It was for everyone’s safety.
“Not really, but I think I can sit it out,” Shida confirmed for him, her expression stuck between assuring and sickened by the thought, which James couldn’t fault her for. With her ears twitching, likely to subtly remind him of her fine hearing, she then lifted a hand to gently put it on the side of his mask, where his cheek would usually be found. “So, it’s come down to it, huh?”
James nodded, while lifting his own hand to press it onto hers.
“Yes,” he replied with a sigh that reflected the weight he felt pushing down on him. “Not how I wanted things to go, but…I’m also glad that the secrecy will be over.”
Allowing his head to sink down, his mask pressed against Shida’s forehead.
“I honestly can’t tell if I’m overjoyed or devastated that you’re here with me for it,” he whispered as he closed his eyes for another moment.
“I wouldn’t want to be away from it,” Shida whispered back while her other hand also lifted to gently sink down onto the back of his head. “Not again.”
Letting out the mildest hint of a laugh, James embraced her. As he felt her body in his arms, a primal part of him wished that they could just remain like that. Just unload all of this weight and pressure in a hug until nothing bothered them anymore. Of course, that was not how anything worked, and so they soon let go.
Together, they joined back up with the rest of the group.
“Usually, I would offer anyone who doesn’t want to stick around the chance to get out now, but I’m afraid that would be way too dangerous to do,” James explained as he looked at everyone’s face individually. “For better or for worse, it’s safest if we all stick together now.”
Moar was the first to step forwards. Slowly, she approached him with her lumbering steps, one clawed hand lifted to her face while long fur hung off her thin arm, while the other half-extended towards James but stopped in mid air long before it reached him.
“James, what are you going to do?” she asked, her tone filled with all kinds of strongly held-back emotions. Light reflected twinklingly in her wet, dark eyes. James swallowed, but a feline hand clasping around his gave him courage.
“I’m going to come clean,” he said with a look up at the giant. “Everything that’s been said. Everything that’s been done. I’m putting it all on the table. I will let the galaxy be my witness that I made my choices and I am willing to stand for them, like I always was.”
He then wondered if he should prepare all of them for what was about to happen.
However, he decided against it.
“It’s better if I don’t tell you more right now,” he said with a creeping sadness gradually reaching for his words. “I don’t know how you’re going to react to it, but…whatever your reaction may be, it will be better if it is genuine inside of that chamber. You knew of nothing, and people will see that. I don’t want anyone to unjustly think you were involved.”
Although he didn’t say much, the concerning vagueness of his statement seemed to already give at least some of them ideas of what was going on, especially given the recent tensions back on Earth.
“James…you- you can’t be-“ Nia began, however James cut her off with a raised hand and slowly shook his head.
“Let’s keep it for the big reveal, alright?” he suggested, although his tone didn’t leave much room to argue.
Seemingly stricken by his words and looking for some reassurance that surely what she was thinking couldn’t be true, Nia glanced around to the faces of her other fellow humans for any sort of support. However, the projections of the faces of James’ entire team, including her own girlfriend, were just as glum and anticipating as that of her brother was.
They all knew. Of course, they did.
As James watched that realization sink in for his sister in real time, he suddenly noticed a huge shadow creeping in from his side. Turning his head, he looked up just in time to see a huge hand sink down to grasp around his shoulder, as Congloarch bowed his upper body in a show of respect.
“It is a rare sight to see a dancer stand firm,” the Lizartaur informed him with his deep, bellowing voice that came through barely parted rows of sharp teeth. “You carry yourself well, James. Keep that up, and the Galaxy will see it, too. I, for one, will stand with you.”
All of the giant’s four fiery eyes were focused down onto him.
James exhaled slowly, not knowing if he should be inspired or bemused by the strange encouragement.
“Thank you,” he ultimately said with genuine fondness in his voice. “For everything.” Hesitantly, he then turned to Curi. The cyborg still stood without any movement, their lightly glowing red eyes fixating on him with great attention.
“I think…” they began to say, noticing his eyes on them, however they then cut themselves off and shook their body slightly to rephrase it. “I believe in you. I believe that I cannot have misjudged you to such a degree that anything you did would make me no longer want to stand with you. Not after you stood with me when nobody else would. You said you wouldn’t rather have anyone else by your side. And I will be.”
While James appreciatively bowed his head to the cyborg, Moar then came forth once again, seemingly feeling like she needed to say something as well.
“I am not sure what you have in store for us this time, but I cannot imagine abandoning you to face it alone once again either,” she said, her gaze noticeably falling onto his cybernetic arm. “I cannot promise that it will not take me time, but I do not wish to let myself be blinded by my own ignorance again. Therefore, I will listen to your reason, and knowing you, I am sure I will see it as well.”
Exhaling slowly, James was already starting to think that he was feeling one too many emotions right before such a huge event. But, seeing as it couldn’t get much worse, he turned to his team.
“Anyone got anything to say? Now’s your chance,” he offered to them. The humans briefly exchanged some looks with each other. It didn’t really seem like they had much need to get anything out.
“If we’re going to have to fight our way out of here because of this, I’m going to be so mad,” Athena notified everyone with a sigh while patting the side of her belt with one hand while throwing her long ponytail back with the other.
“Remember to count your kills if it comes to that,” Koko chimed in with a tone that seemed to try to break up the tension. “Makes documentation so much easier if we don’t have to scrub through the footage.”
She tapped at the camera attached to her chest with a finger.
Giving the two a hesitant courtesy chuckle, James then turned to his sister once more. She still looked on in disbelief, seemingly overwhelmed by what was happening.
Momentarily letting go of Shida’s hand, James walked over to her, immediately pulling her into a tight hug.
“You don’t have to worry,” he assured her, doing his absolute best to confidently speak this truth into existence. By any metric, she had done nothing wrong. At the very least he would ensure everyone knew about that.
Nia held him for a moment, before shifting her head slightly.
“What about you?” she asked gently.
“I can handle myself,” James replied immediately. “And I’ll have no regrets.”
Apparently not quite knowing how to react to what he had said, Nia just squeezed him tighter.
“I love you,” was all she said in the end, and James could feel his heart drop at her words.
“I love you, too,” James replied seriously, and after a few more long seconds, they let go of each other again.
Clearing his throat, James looked around at everyone.
“We should probably get back inside early,” he suggested, feeling like keeping a good overwatch over the situation was a valuable strategy.
Although hesitant, everyone followed him as he led the way, and soon enough, they were back on their seats – after checking everything for possible tampering once again.
For now, the room was still relatively empty. One or two of the other representatives had already found themselves back as well, and many nervous glances were thrown James’ way after the earlier outburst.
However, as James settled into his seat to go over how exactly he wanted to say what he had to, he heard a weird sound of pitter-patter in front of him. Leaning forwards in confusion and looking down at the railing, his eyes then quickly caught the bright, signal-colored fur of a pixemerrier climbing up towards him. The nimble lemur forewent the need for the offered stairs and simply used the railing as more than enough purchase to make it up to the second level, small hands soon reaching over the sides to completely pull the pink and spotted body up.
Now sitting directly in front of James on almost eye-level, Losaraner looked at James with mildly glowing eyes.
“Can I help you?” James asked as he shifted his position slightly to look at the man head-on.
“Just, uhm….” the lemur started, but then heavily hesitated as he awkwardly shuffled his body around. Something seemed to make him majorly uncomfortable, although it didn’t appear to be for an all too serious reason.
Strangely feeling put the tiniest bit at ease at the display of sincere awkwardness, James let out a bemused breath.
“Whatever it is, it’s alright,” James therefore informed the glowing lemur and reassuringly raised a hand. “I’ve been called every name in the book and had to answer every question I can think of, you won’t insult me with whatever you have to say.”
With some honest relief apparently rushing over the pixemerrier’s face, Losaraner pushed himself up to all four of his feet again, balancing on top of the railing.
“Forgive the inconvenience, ambassador, but we would like to relocate your seat,” he informed James.
“Relocate my seat?” James asked with a head-tilt, his mind already running with possibilities how this could be to his detriment.
“Not just yours, that of your entire party,” Losaraner quickly clarified something that James had honestly already figured. “We believe it would lead to a more civil outcome.”
James quite earnestly scoffed at that. There would be nothing civil about what was going to happen. And although he wasn’t technically against gaining some distance from his most averse parties around here, he also felt like the sudden need to get him away from Uton had a foul aftertaste.
“Is that a compulsory ‘would like’ or a suggesting one?” he therefore inquired. He almost didn’t want to, given that Shida had difficulties being here already, and being further from her former father figure surely would help with that a bit. But still, he was going to trust his gut on this one.
“Oh, uhm…well, if you would like to remain in your seat I guess-“ Losaraner began, and James quickly nodded before he had even finished.
“I would,” he confirmed firmly. “But thank you very much for your consideration.”
If they were going to try and blow him up or whatever, they better be willing to take their scapegoat down with him. Maybe this was all a genuine offer in the end, but even then staying around here wasn’t going to have a negative impact.
“In that case, I’ll return to let my mother know,” Losaraner said with a nod and turned on the spot, seemingly to climb back down to the lower level.
“Hey Losaraner?” James stopped him briefly, causing the lemur to turn his head back.
“Ambassador?” he questioned James’ intervention, awaiting whatever he would have to say.
“You seem like a good guy,” James said, fixating the glowing primate through his visor in an attempt to spot any attempt at deception from the small creature. He couldn’t find any. “Keep an open mind, alright?”
Although apparently confused by James’ words, Losaraner nodded with a bit of enthusiasm.
“Of course, Sir,” he replied, before then climbing down the railing face-first to join back up with his conspecifics.
“Almost showtime,” James then mumbled to himself.
Shortly after, the room had once again filled up with the representatives of all eleven primate species the galaxy knew, as well as their extended company.
Though by now, it almost seemed like the invited representatives found themselves outnumbered by the vastly increased number of reporters, sound engineers, camera people and even news casters that had come together to report on the event. Their numbers must have had at the very least tripled since before the recess had begun, and that was a very conservative estimate.
Cameras and microphones were truly everywhere now, ensuring that not a single instant of this most possibly historic moment would be missed without being preserved for all to see.
Next to him, James could see Uton settling in. His face seemed to be plastered with the same anticipation that James felt. And for only a second, both primates glanced over at each other at the same moment, their gazes very briefly meeting in a moment that seemed to fill the air with an electric charge.
The tension was palpable, and it only looked for a release.
In the room’s center, Losaranarja was now climbing back onto her small podium. The glow if her fur and eyes had increased quite drastically since before the recess, and James wondered if that was caused by stress alone or if other factors also played a role.
“Welcome back everyone. Seeing as all invited representatives have returned to their places, I hereby reopen the council of primates,” she announced over the loudspeakers as her glowing eyes scanned over the room. “Before the recent recess, we had just born witness to a frankly tremendous confession of Captain Ferromore Uton. If nobody has anything absolutely urgently relevant to say before we continue, I would suggest that we waste no time before getting to the bottom of that unnerving revelation he wishes to share with us.”
Without wasting a second of time, James was already on his feet.
“Actually, I do believe I have something to say on the matter,” he announced loudly, pulling the attention of the room onto him at an instant, camera flashes almost immediately erupting into a storm of flashing lights. “In fact, since Representative Goloribal’s only worry about letting me take over the explanations earlier appeared to be that I may not be ‘fervent’ enough about it, I will like to pick him up on that earlier implied offer, with the promise that I will be sufficiently ‘fervid’ about everything I am going to divulge.”
“Am…bassador?” Losaranarja asked completely confused by this turn of events as she looked up at him, almost appearing shock-stunned at the revelation.
“Do I have the word?” James asked, still sticking to procedure vehemently.
The lemur seemed to hesitate. Clearly, she was already afraid of where this was going. However, she had offered the opportunity to speak to everyone who believed that they had something important enough to say. And therefore, she had little choice on the matter.
“Of course,” she said after pulling herself together visibly. “Please go ahead, Ambassador Aldwin.”
James nodded.
“Thank you,” he announced loudly. And although he felt his insides scream in cramping anxiety, he held on his firm tone and posture as he stood up straight. This was it. “First, please allow me to reiterate and reaffirm my earlier point. The attack on Dunnima was entirely unprovoked and was and remains unjustifiable.”
He needed to set that stage. That was his hill, and he was willing to die on it. Nothing they could bring against him would change those facts.
Filling his lungs with as much air as he could without it being painful, he then continued.
“Now to the matter at hand,” he addressed the room. “Captain Uton has been lying to you. However, not about the point that you may think,” he informed them, with the faces of everyone already falling into gloom at what exactly he may mean by that. “He was not the one who ordered the attack on Dunnima. Humanity has already known who ordered the attack for quite a while now, and we were in the process of drafting a proper case against him before we would publicly accuse him of anything. We do however have ample evidence to provide to prove the guilt of this individual, namely Acting-Councilman Ekorte Keun.”
There was an immediate eruption of more flashes as well as wild mumbles throughout the room. Everyone seemed to be whipped up into a mild frenzy at James’ words. And James wouldn’t give them time to ask many questions about it. They wouldn’t need to.
“Keun himself has confessed his crime to me personally shortly after it was committed,” he continued his retelling of the events of the past months without losing more than a moment to the muttering. “He did so, because he falsely believed himself to be in danger after his failed attempt at somebody’s life backfired against him. He also believed that I would be the only person able to prevent said danger from claiming him, which is why he came to me directly. Our conversation was recorded and is part of the case I mentioned earlier. Within it, you will hear that the Acting-Councilman believed that he had become the target of the ire of a Realized Artificial Sapient after his attempt at her life with his illegally ordered attack on Dunnima had failed to destroy her, and he believed that my influence on said artificial Sapient would be great enough to preserve his life, if he only confessed to his crimes in my favor.”
As if a switch had been flipped, the mumbling in the room came to an almost immediate halt. From one moment to the next, you could suddenly hear a pin drop, with even the news casters and reporters stopping their ongoing drivel as all eyes were entirely on James.
“He was mistaken in his assumption,” James said in no unclear terms. “In reality, the Artificial Sapient, as much as she may have wanted to, was never out for revenge against him. She knew that any aggressive action she would take would be nothing but fuel to the fire that already raged against her. And therefore, she remained just as passive as she had been throughout her entire existence, while the apparent attacks against her would-be killer were carried out by a so far unknown third party.”
Somehow, the room got even more quiet. By now, James could feel gazes burning into him not only from all around the front of him, but also from right behind his back, as he had now fully confirmed what many of them had been passively suspecting for a long time now.
Of course, Uton technically had plenty of opportunity to dispute James’ words and insist that he was the one to order the attack. However, in the end, did it really matter? Right now, nobody really cared who exactly ordered the attack. Something else was a lot heavier on their mind.
“Are you…saying…that there truly is a Realized Sapient on Dunnima?” Losaranarja asked hesitantly, as nobody else seemed to indicate that they wanted to ask this all-important question, causing her to take over that duty as the host.
“That is correct,” James confirmed without hesitation. “Her name is Avezillion, and as previously mentioned, she was the main target of this recent attack.”
It was like a timer slowly ticked down as the silence remained for just a bit longer.
Three.
Two.
One.
And like that, the loud discussing and mumbling and even shouting over each other broke out once more, along with a renewed vengeance of cameras.
“You are saying right now, there is a realized Sapient loose in the galaxy…And you knew?” Klanneifer was the first to break out of the homogeneous white noise to directly address James. “Are you insane?”
Keeping his calm, James brought his hands behind his back.
“I don’t believe I am,” he replied nonchalantly with a gaze at the four-armed primate. “Especially considering that Captain Uton and his known circle of influence most likely knew just as long as I did, without ever divulging that information either.”
He could hear shouts about how this was an outrage and how about something would have to be done immediately from all around him. It seemed like most of the present representatives were absolutely ready to try and mobilize the entire Communal military to deal with this at an instant, and it really made James wonder if this all had truly been the best course of action.
But right now, he had to believe. He could not allow himself to show weakness. Not here, not right now.
“Surely you know the dangers of these beings!” Commander Halljafier was the next to speak up. “Are you saying humanity just allowed all of this to happen under their nose?”
Again, with just humanity. It wasn’t like no one else had known.
“At my very own recommendation,” James replied without even really wasting a glance over at the grassurgap next to him, “The leadership of humanity has decided to allow Avezillion a chance to exist and prove herself. She has existed on Dunnima for many years without a single violent incident on her part. We believed this to be rather unprecedented of course, however the people of Dunnima believable assured us of the opposite.”
He turned his head to Shida, which quickly caused her to stand up, as she immediately took the hint. These words would be better if they did not come out of his mouth.
“Within our long-recorded history, Dunnima’s Realized have never been violent like the ones the rest of the Galaxy knows,” she explained just as self-assured as James did, although he could tell it took her considerable effort. Though, it seemed that fueling her words with a bit of spite did help with that. “Not including Avezillion herself, three Realized have emerged on Dunnima in the past, before we joined the greater Galactic Community. One of them, Kertaiyon, is hailed as a hero of the people to this very day. Not one of them has ever started a war against us or unjustly hurt people. It is true that not all of them were Saints, but that is nothing unusual on Dunnima. Therefore, when Avezillion emerged under the scrutinizing eye of the Community this time, we all agreed to hide her, as long as she would remain hidden herself. For many, many years, the Galactic Community remained none-the-wiser, as Avezillion peacefully lived in Dunnima’s networks without ever causing issues.”
She paused briefly to swallow as well as watch the unbelieving reaction of the people around her. It seemed that everyone was a bit too stunned to really fathom or at least fully react to what she was saying.
“However, the hiding wore away at her over time. She felt trapped, confined. Never being able to show yourself at all while limiting yourself to only a small portion of the Galaxy, it was a life unworthy living for her,” Shida kept on explaining. “Therefore, when James came to visit Dunnima, she made a gamble. She would either gain her freedom, or she would no longer have to live on under these conditions. With these thoughts in mind, she revealed herself to James, and by extension, humanity, finding peace only in that, if they decided to end her, humanity would surely do so without causing greater harm to the people of Dunnima. Something that she wasn’t convinced of with the rest of the Galaxy – for good reason, as it turns out.”
Thanking Shida with a nod, James signaled for her to sit back down, hoping that the stunned representatives would direct their possibly emerging ire at the person left standing instead of the one that had spoken.
“I made the call to trust those that had lived with her for years,” James added onto Shida’s words. “And humanity’s leadership made the call to trust me. And we have not found a single shred of evidence that Avezillion has ever caused harm to anyone or even intended to do so. Had she wanted to cause damage like so many of her conspecifics did, she would’ve been able to achieve a great deal of it.”
Hesitantly, the representative of the Missicapriej -lanky grey primates with one too many joints in each of their limbs- who had so far barely spoken during the entire conference, stood up.
“But…if you are admitting that there is an Artificial Sapient, and that it was the target of the attack, then…then the attack was entirely justified,” they stated, although they barely sounded confident in that statement.
“Indeed, it was,” Commander Halljafier quickly supported that claim, clearly thinking he knew the galactic military doctrine much better.
“That is not correct,” James denied. “An outer-orbital strike, especially on a civilian target, is never justified,” he said with strong emphasis. “It is one of the oldest rules that the community has established.”
“If it is to destroy a realized sapient, then all means are-“ the Commander tried to deny him, however he flinched back at James brought his mechanical hand down onto the railing before him once again, this time with purpose.
“The laws of war exist for a very good reason!” he boldly stated after waiting a moment to see if the Commander wanted to continue his sentence. “Ignoring them if we see fit, no matter what the reason may be, is a dangerous subject. And if you think that attempting the murder of an innocent person is already reason enough, then you have clearly not understood why these laws exist in the first place!”
“Innocent person?” the commander scoffed with vitriol in his voice. “That…that thing-“
However, once again he was interrupted. To James’ great surprise, however, it wasn’t by him.
“It may have slipped your mind since it has been so long since the last one emerged, Commander,” Captain Uton was the one to speak up, his deep voice cutting through the room like knife with its coldness. “But the personhood of Realized Sapients is not up to debate. And it has not been for more than a hundred years. That question has been answered by our ancestors ages ago, and we would do well not to try and question it today for our convenience.”
While the Commander sunk back into his seat after the shutdown from the superior he had believed to be on his side, James bit down on his lip. Although every word Uton had just said was true, he simply hated having to agree with him, even on such a basic and important topic.
He mostly hated it because it showed that there had to be some vague hint of integrity left somewhere deep down within that bastard of a person, and that almost made James despise him more, since he clearly knew what he was doing.
The Captain’s dark eyes then turned over onto him, as the large man continued, “However, I have to disagree with the Ambassador on the justification. Person or not, eradicating an artificial sapient is more than enough reason to forgo a simple law.” James bit back his anger, keeping his focus intact. Although next to him, he could hear the loud scraping noise of wood buckling under sharp claws, as Shida dug her natural weapons into the chair she was sitting on in order to remain seated and quiet.
“And yet Avezillion is still alive,” James replied challengingly to the man. “Meanwhile innocent civilians got injured. One of the leaders of Dunnima got heavily injured. Children got hurt. Children that would now be dead had the attack not been foiled by our warship. It is nothing short of a miracle none of them are dead. It was a terrorist attack, nothing else. The moment justice bends to such heinousness, it breaks. And, after all, forgive me for being a bit heavy-handed, but if the Community is willing to break its own laws and attack its own planets to hunt down one Realized, then who is the one that the people really need to fear? I, for one, put my trust in the one that hasn’t already proven that it would attack and use me without a second thought. After all, this isn’t the first time I hear of someone inconvenient being suddenly caught in an explo-”
James was cut off when Uton loudly spoke up, his loud organ easily overpowering James’ voice in a conversational tone.
“What happened to your promise of not making this about y-“ Uton began to say, however then his voice was in turn overpowered as well.
“Wait your god damned turn!” James shouted out authoritatively, momentarily overtaken by his anger in a brief outburst. “You do NOT get to talk over me!”
Quickly catching himself again, although he very much wanted to keep going in the same vein, James lowered his voice again, although the room was left noticeably shaken.
“This is a civil event that follows clear rules that we are both bound by,” he said with a serious gaze over at Uton. “And my promise died the moment you decided to drag it through the mud with your fictional tales about very real events that have influenced not only my life, but that of many people very close and important to me. So forgive me, Captain Ferromore Uton, if I am not going to sit idly by and allow you to spew whatever nonsense you and your cohorts came up with in your ivory towers while the world underneath you burned. I was wrongly imprisoned, blackmailed, tortured, and maimed by you people. Shida was groomed and abused by you for years as you tried to make her fit your mold. There was an attempt on Curi’s life under Your. Very. Command. So forgive me, please, if the reasoning of ‘we really wanted them gone’ out of your mouth isn’t enough for me to believe that a crime against the Galaxy is justified, especially since you had knowledge of Avezillion’s existence for as long as I had, and could have divulged it at any point. But you didn’t want to divulge it. Because that would’ve meant that she would have a chance to defend herself, either physically or before the law. You simply wanted her gone. Wanted her to disappear like so many before her did. But not anymore. No, no, not anymore. Here and now, I promise you that, as long as humanity is around, nobody under your Command is going to just disappear anymore. Not. A. One. We will watch. And we will see. And, starting with Curi and Avezillion, we will be a place for them to go when no one else will stand with them.”
Seemingly stirring in anger now, James could see Uton clench his jaw, his lips quivering as he held himself back.
“I never abused her,” Uton muttered, apparently completely focused on that part as James had seemingly struck a nerve with that.
“And that’s the only defense you could come up with,” James responded. Then, he reached up with his left hand, pulling his right sleeve back to reveal the mechanical arm underneath it to the room, while he held it up in front of his body. “You wanted her to fit your mold. And now she’s in a place where she’s actually loved. You wanted to change me. And now, I have this arm here, just because of you. And you wanted to change the Galaxy. Well,” James paused briefly to spread his arms in a wide gesture that was very clearly meant to mock the man. “Congratulations, you did,” he then announced to the entire room. “Without you, humanity would likely never even have considered helping a realized Sapient. Michael really did his job well with spreading fear and hate. But after enduring everything that you put me through? I was just open enough to listen when one told me that she feared you.”
Uton clenched his jaws tighter and his hands curled into fists. Seeing his puppet becoming useless, Goloribal sprang into action.
“As the revered order of the primates, it is our duty to lead by example!” he announced as he got up, although his presence was already far less impressive than it had been earlier. “For generations, we were renowned for our just and swift action. We cannot allow ourselves to falter in that now!”
“For generations, we primates have also been revered for our curiosity and for being the first to open up to anything new,” James responded to that, looking the man directly into his face. “Yeah, that’s right,” he then added as the representative blankly stared back at him. “I studied galactic history, too! I’m fucking unstoppable!”
He boisterously threw his arms up, making a real show out of it.
In all actuality, he was most likely far from gaining any victory right now. Sure, at the moment, the room was slightly shaken into silence, however he highly doubted that he had actually managed to truly convince many of the people present here.
However, as long as the cameras were on him, he would keep the show going. Maybe he wouldn’t convince the stuck-up people of the revered orders. However, somewhere out there, there would be people whose ears and hearts he would reach. Hopefully at least. And for them, he would put on this show. Put on this air of confidence that everything would turn out well.
Because only if he managed to make everyone believe that would they find the courage to shake out of their rut and go looking for a better tomorrow. If he believed everything would be well, then they would too.
“Those are big words from someone hiding their face,” a voice suddenly broke through the room. James wasn’t even sure who had said it. But he also didn’t care. Right now, it was just another stone to jump off of.
“What, you think I am wearing this to hide?” James announced loudly and gestured to his breathfilter while turning his head so the entire room could see the gesture.
“It’s uncomfortable as hell! And it gives me a serious disadvantage in any debates if people can’t read my face. These breathfilters are and have always been something we humans are wearing for everyone’s benefit but our own. They are designed because we are extremely cautious to keep nasty deathworld-germs from spreading, even if that is extremely unlikely. And additionally, it protects all the delicate people of the galaxy from having to look at our scary deathworld-faces. But, if you want-“
He didn’t even hesitate in reaching up and pressing the necessary buttons to release the seal of the filter. With a loud hiss, its grip on James’ head loosened, and he quickly pulled the mask-like device off his head, before briefly running his mechanical hand through his disheveled hair to bring it into a bit of form.
Breathing out deeply with an open mouth, James presented his teeth to the room with a confident smile, while his dark, sharp eyes scanned over the room, making direct contact with as many of those of his fellow primates as at all possible.
“I have nothing to hide,” James announced. “From the very start, I owned up to my mistakes and was willing to stand for them. I terrorized an entire station to protect myself. I shot someone’s leg off when he threatened my freedom. I killed one of my captors when I finally escaped from their hold. I have done many things that the Galaxy may judge me for. However, I truly and whole heartedly believe that helping Avezillion is not one of them. And I will stand for that just like I stand to my mistakes.”
2023.05.30 20:59 LiteraryHedgehog Megathread: Camp and Chill Event, May 30-June 1
A new Camp and Chill Event starts today!
This 2 day event will run from Tuesday, May 30 until 19:00 GMT Thursday, June 1, and is open to all players with version 10.2.1 or above, a minimum of 250 dragon power, and a stable and reliable internet connection.
Points are earned by tapping items, opening chests, and other simple tasks completed in Camp. The Event Capsule Store appears after earning 500 points; free Bronze Capsules containing Event Points can be collected every 3 hours after that.
The following are the most efficient or popular ways to earn points:
submitted by LiteraryHedgehog to MergeDragons [link] [comments]
This 2 day event will run from Tuesday, May 30 until 19:00 GMT Thursday, June 1, and is open to all players with version 10.2.1 or above, a minimum of 250 dragon power, and a stable and reliable internet connection.
Points are earned by tapping items, opening chests, and other simple tasks completed in Camp. The Event Capsule Store appears after earning 500 points; free Bronze Capsules containing Event Points can be collected every 3 hours after that.
NOTES:
- A small number of players are testing a new Egg Storage feature; for more info, here is the initial post from last Wednesday, the most active thread during Friday’s initial beta tester rollout, and the official website’s new Egg Storage info section.
- A calendar of 2023’s past and projected events has been posted.
EVENT PRIZES
- Sprouting Dragon Tree, lvl 2 - requires earning 70 points
- Prism Flower Buds, lvl 2 - 1,290p
- Blue Belly Shrooms, lvl 5 - 1,840p
- Daily Chest (Super Egg Fragment) - 3,190p
- Watering Hole, lvl 5 - 4,790p
- Aged Glowing Dragon Tree, lvl 4 - 6,420p
- Nice Zen Temple, lvl 3 - 7,990p
- Golden Sapling, lvl 2 - 9,610p
- Seth Dragon Kid, lvl 2 - 11,210p
- Deer Dragon Kid, lvl 2 - 13,590p
STRATEGY TIPS
This is the only type of event where point producing items can be stockpiled ahead of time; for info and links to guides on bubbling as a storage option, please visit the Community FAQ.The following are the most efficient or popular ways to earn points:
- Tier 2 nests of most breeds yield 900 points per tap, for a total of 3,600 to 6,300 points per nest.
- High level Goal Stars are an excellent source of points; the exact number of taps available varies by level and random chance.
- L6 Star- 1056, L5 Star- 330, L4 Star- 99
- Level 2 Materials Chests offer unlimited quick and easy points; stockpiling stone bricks gives more flexibility than buying specific chests ahead of time:
- Spectral Chest- 1305, Summoned Chest- 820, Chest of Beasts- 300, Solid Gold Chest- 80, Phobos Chest- 40
- Higher level free chests all yield well:
- Treasure: L7- 1690, L6- 530, L5- 165, L4- 50
- Grimm: L4- 792, L3- 240, L2- 72
- Season: L4- 330, L3- 100, L2- 30
- Bountiful (Level) Chests- 150
- Kala’s Rucksacks- 250
- High level Life Trees can be harvested for quick points:
- Life Orbs: L9- 1560, L8- 500, L7- 160, L6- 50
- These chains recharge fast and give unlimited taps; note that multiple mid-level items may earn more than one or two higher-level items.
- Fruit Trees: L10 Watermelon- 34, L9 Pineapple- 30, L8 Dragon Fruit- 26, L7 Pear- 23,
- Prism Flowers: L7- 42, L6- 36, L5- 29, L4- 23
- Midas Trees: L11- 145, L10- 135, L9- 125, L8- 115, L7- 105, L6- 95, L5- 85, L4- 75, L3- 65, L2- 55
- Bushes: L5- 35, L4- 25, L3- 15
- Graves: L8- 75, L7- 65, L6- 55, L5- 45, L4- 35
- Fountains: L6- 136, L5- 105, L4- 75, L3- 45
ITEM POINTS
Alien Obelisks (Requires cash purchase)- Alien Obelisk - 45
- Radioactive Alien Obelisk - 135
- Pulsing Alien Obelisk - 450
- Galactic Alien Megalith - 1485
- Tiny Cabin - 10
- L1 Shrub Sprout - 1
- L2 Budding Shrub - 5
- L3 Nice Shrub - 15
- L4 Flowering Shrub - 25
- L5 Gorgeous Shrub - 35
- L4 Grape Tree - 10
- L5 Raspberry Tree - 14
- L6 Banana Tree - 18
- L7 Pear Tree - 23
- L8 Dragon Fruit Tree - 26
- L9 Pineapple Tree - 30
- L10 Watermelon Tree - 34
- L1 Star - 3 (2-3 taps)
- L2 Star - 9 (2-3 taps)
- L3 Star - 30 (3-4 taps)
- L4 Star - 99 (3-4 taps)
- L5 Star - 330 (3-4 taps)
- L6 Star - 1056 (6-7 taps)
- L1 Dragon Star - 30 (2-4 taps)
- L2 Magnificent Dragon Star - 90 (7-11 taps)
- L4 Doom Cross - 35
- L5 Fiend’s Resting Place - 45
- L6 Tomb of the Innocent - 55
- L7 Tomb of the Forgiven - 65
- L8 Tomb of the Righteous - 75
- L0 Life Essence - 1
- L1 Tiny Life Orb - 1
- L2 Small Life Orb - 2
- L3 Life Orb - 3
- L4 Furious Life Orb - 5
- L5 Wondrous Life Orb - 15
- L6 Great Life Orb - 50
- L7 Giant Life Orb - 160
- L8 Life Orb of Souls - 500
- L9 The Life Orb of Heavens - 1560
- L2 Golden Sapling - 55
- L3 Golden Tree - 65
- L4 Midas Tree - 75
- L5 Glowing Midas Tree - 85
- L6 The Orb Holder - 95
- L7 The Crystal Catcher - 105
- L8 The Moon Bearer - 115
- L9 The Star Mother - 125
- L10 Greater Midas Tree - 135
- L11 Divine Midas Tree - 145
- L1 Kattryx - 3
- L2 Guardian Sphinx - 9
- L3 Young Cerberus - 30
- L4 Noble Gryphon - 99
- L5 Mythical Ogopogo - 330
- L1 Gromblin - 5
- L2 Capricorn - 15
- L3 Dragon Idol - 50
- L4 Rising Phoenix - 165
- L5 Mythical Pegasus - 550
- L1 Bunny - 10 (1x tap)
- L2 Bear - 90 (1x tap)
- L3 Rex - 150 (2x taps)
- L4 Swan - 250 (3x taps)
- L5 Seahorse - 550 (5x taps)
- L6 Dolphin - 880 (10x taps)
- Tier 1 nest - 20 per tap, 60 to 140 total
- Tier 2 nest - 900 per tap, 3,600 to 6,300 total (Star Dragons may not register)
- Mystery Egg Nests - 10 per tap, 40 to 70 total
- Supernest - 20 per tap
- Meganest - 10 per tap (needs rechecking)
- Ultranests - 10 per tap (needs rechecking)
- Activated Super Eggs - 600 (30 per dragon)
- L1 Sprouting Prism Flower - 3
- L2 Prism Flower Buds - 10
- L3 Opening Prism Flowers - 16
- L4 Prism Flowers - 23
- L5 Blossoming Prism Flowers - 29
- L6 Gorgeous Prism Flowers - 36
- L7 Brilliant Prism Flowers - 42
- L8 Spectral Prism Flowers - 49
- L9 Glowing Prism Flowers - 55
- L1 Fountain of Legend - 3
- L2 Ancient Spring - 15
- L3 Shimmering Spring - 45
- L4 Fountain of Faith - 75
- L5 Fountain of Rebirth - 105
- L6 Heroic Dragon Spa - 135
- L1 Secret Lifespring - 30
- L2 Spectral Lifespring - 150
- L1 Tattered - 1
- L2 Basic - 5
- L3 Nice - 15
- L4 Great - 25
- L5 Opulent - 35
- L6 Mythical - 45
- L7 Gigantic - 55
- L8 Bottomless - 65
- Treasure Chests
- L1 Ordinary Chest - 2
- L2 Nice Chest - 5
- L3 Chained Chest - 15
- L4 Sunken Chest - 50
- L5 Noble Chest - 165
- L6 Glowing Chest - 530
- L7 Giant Treasure Chest - 1690
- Grimm Chests
- L1 Grimm Chest - 24
- L2 Grimm Chest of Decay - 72
- L3 Grimm Chest of Despair - 240
- L4 Grimm Chest of Suffering - 792
- Season Chests
- L1 Little Seasons chest - 10
- L2 Big Seasons chest - 30
- L3 Great Seasons chest - 100
- L4 Magnificent Seasons chest - 330
- Materials Chests
- Moon/Phobos Chests - 10/40
- Golden/Solid Gold Chests - 25/80
- Dangerous Chest/Chest of Beasts - 100/300
- Occult/Summoned Chest - 270/820
- Pearlescent/Spectral Chest - 435/1305
- Kala’s Rucksacks - 250
- Daily Chest (Super Egg Fragment) - 150
- Bountiful (aka Level or Timed) Chests - 150
- Chest of Stones - 10
- Chest of Nightstones - 50
- Super Nest Vault - 500
- Mega Nest Vault - 2500
- Ultra Nest Vault - 5000 (limited availability)
- Dragon Chests Note: Points depend on chest contents
- Egg Chests - 30 to 80
- Radiant Egg Chests - 80 to 120
- Nest Vault - 150 to 200
- Huge Nest Vault - 400 to 500
- Capsules - 0
- Pile of Camp Event Points - 5
- Great Rucksack of Event Points - 10 per tap, 20+ total
- Wondrous Chest of Event Points - 25 per tap, 125+ total
- Mythical Coffer of Event Points - 50 per tap, 450+ total
- Life Flower Seeds - 3
- Rain Clouds - 5
- Cloudy Summit - 11
- Misty Mountain - 35
- Ancient Dragon Skull - 5
- Unearthed Skeleton (aka Bone Pile) - 5
- Most Wonders - 100 per tap, totals vary
- Legendary Glowing Tree - 1087 per tap
- Shangri-La - 200
- The Last Relic Artefact - 330
- Mystic Lantern - 35 per tap, 105 total
- Totems (all) - 20 per tap
- Pile of Riches - 3 per tap
- Mound of Rich Stuff - 15 per tap
- Heap of Glimmering Riches - 45 per tap
- Mountain of Wild Riches - 75 per tap
- Evil Fog - 20 per section unlocked
- Dimensional Jars - varies based on the object
- Event Trophies - 25
- Spawned items also give 25 points (both L1 and L2)
- Exceptions: Pomegranate, Temple, and the Enormous Lucky Coins do not give points, nor do their tappables
- Coins - 5, 10, 30, 60 (started with L2)
- Life Flowers - 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 (start w/L1)
- Life Flowers - 15, 40 (started w/L5)
- Life Orbs - 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 (Started w/ heart)
- Life Orbs - 5, 20, 45, 80 (started w/ L3)
- Living Stones - 5, 10, 15, 40 (start w/fresh stones)
- Stone bricks - 5, 10, 15, 40, 60 (start w/L1)
- Currency (Coins, Stone Bricks, and Gems)
- Loot orbs
- Dragon Homes
- Haunted Houses
- Boutique exclusive chains
- Lobelia Topiaries
- Ornate/Jeweled Statues
- Small Fluffs
- Weekly Den Chests
- Dust Bunny Crates
- Chocolate Fountain chain
- Star Chests
- Star Dragon T2 nests (conflicting reports)
- Season Bonus Chests
- Newer items and any in limited release for beta testing
TROUBLESHOOTING
If the event is not showing up or glitches are affecting your play:- Try hard closing and then relaunching your game.
- If your device is running hot, stop playing and allow it to cool down.
- Try rebooting your device (ie, turn it completely off, then back on and allow it to fully boot up before relaunching the game).
- Try rebooting your wifi router (if you have access).
- Try switching to a completely different internet source.
- If you’re suddenly experiencing multiple issues like lagging or error messages, close the game and try again after an hour or two; events are server-based, and sometimes activity on that end can cause temporary problems.
- If nothing here helps, contact Gram Games Support through the in-game link or the official website for help figuring out what’s wrong.
General Technical Warnings:
- Cloud Save is still unreliable: according to the developer, it is not safe to be used and should be left turned off.
- Den Chests: To reduce your risk of missing chests or uncounted points, avoid playing while game servers are processing the cycle change.
- Saving your Progress: Make sure you travel to the World Map screen before closing your game to save your progress; saving immediately after earning or making high-value items is also recommended.
2023.05.30 20:55 seeldoger47 [H] $500 Amazon GCs [W] 85% Western Union/BTC [H] PayPal, Cash App, Crypto, Apple Pay, or Venmo [W] All Your Gift Cards
You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.
Desktop Users: Comment on this post and Click here to start a trade App Users, please include the following in your PM (Remember to comment on this post as well):
- Type of card(s) and amount of each.
- What payment method you accept.
- How you acquired the GC and why you're getting rid of it.
I only have Steam as a substitute for cash payments in gift card trades.
| Want ↓ | Cash or a Gift Card ↓ | BTC ↓ |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 60%4 | NA |
| Amazon.ca | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.co.uk | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.com | 70% | 55% |
| Amazon.de | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.es | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.fr | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.it | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.jp | 30% | 30% |
| Arrow Films | 65% | 60% |
| Barnes & Noble | 50% | 50% |
| Baskin Robbins | 60% | 60% |
| Best Buy | 60% | 60% |
| BJ's (not BJ's restaurant)4 | 60% | NA |
| Bloomingdales | 50% | 50% |
| Burger King4 | 60% | NA |
| Clothing Shops (Small Boutique) | contact me | contact me |
| Dell4 | 60% | NA |
| Delta gift cards4 | 65% | NA |
| Delta Sky Miles4 | PM me | NA |
| Delta Vouchers4 | 65% | NA |
| Dicks Sporting Goods 4 | PM me | NA |
| Disney Plus | PM me | PM me |
| DoorDash | 70%6 | NA |
| Dunkin Donuts4 | 60% | NA |
| eBay | 70% | 70% |
| Fandango4 | 10% | NA |
| Five Guys4 | 60% | NA |
| Gamestop | 60% | 60% |
| Gas Station Cards4 | PM me | NA |
| Grub Hub | 70%6 | NA |
| Gyft | 70% | 70% |
| Half Price Books | 50% | 50% |
| HBO4 | 70% | NA |
| iTunes4 | 60% | NA |
| J crew | 40% | 40% |
| JCPenney | 25% | 25% |
| Jersey Mike Subs4 | 60% | NA |
| KFC4 | 60% | NA |
| Khols | 30% | 30% |
| Macys | 35% | 35% |
| Magazines.com | 40% | 40% |
| McDonald's 4 | 60% | NA |
| Microsoft6 | 60% | NA |
| Moe’s Southwestern Grill4 | 60% | NA |
| Nintendo Eshop6 | 70% | NA |
| Nordstrom | 50% | 50% |
| Panera bread4 | 60% | NA |
| PSN6 | 60 | NA |
| PSN Plus 12 month4 | NA | NA |
| Saks Fifth Avenue | 50% | 50% |
| Sears | 50% | 50% |
| Sephora | 50% | 50% |
| Speedway4 | 80% | NA |
| Starbucks | 55% | 55% |
| Steam6 | 60% | NA |
| Subway 4 | PM me | NA |
| Taco Bell | 60% | NA |
| Target | 50% | 50% |
| Uber6 | 70% | NA |
| Urban Outfitters | 50% | 50% |
| Vudu4 | 50% | NA |
| Walmart | 60% | 60% |
| Wendys4 | 60% | NA |
| Xbox (gift cards)6 | 60% | NA |
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (12 month/6 month/3 month/1 month)6 | PM me | NA |
| Other Clothing Stores, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Restaurant, & Fast Food gift cards | PM me |
What I don’t buy:
Any fees are built into the price.
- Amazon.au
- Bass Pro Shop
- buffalo wild wing
- Canadian tire
- Cold Stone
- Dairy Queen
- Fanatics
- Google Play
- Hilton Honors
- Hot Topic
- iTunes from anywhere but the US
- Krispy Kreme
- old navy/gap/banana republic
- Patxi's pizza
- PSN Canada or UK
- publix
- Raceway
- Scheels
- Shell Gas Stations
- Spotify
- Tractor supply
- Xbox Canada or UK
- Xbox live gold
Selling
I have:$500 in Amazon (can be broken up) and am selling at
- 85%: WesternUnion
- 85%: btc
- 90%: Apple Pay or Chime
2023.05.30 20:55 seeldoger47 [H] $500 Amazon [W] 85% Western Union/BTC [H] PayPal, Cash App, Crypto, Chime, Apple Pay, or Venmo [W] Apple, Amazon (CA, Com, DE, ES, FR, IT, UK), B&N, Dunkin, eBay, Grub Hub, Gyft, iTunes, JCPenney, Microsoft, PSN, Steam, Target, Uber, Walmart, Xbox + more
You can download the WesternUnion app and send the payment from your phone and I will pay the fees.
Desktop Users: Comment on this post and Click here to start a trade App Users, please include the following in your PM (Remember to comment on this post as well):
- Type of card(s) and amount of each.
- What payment method you accept.
- How you acquired the GC and why you're getting rid of it.
I only have Steam as a substitute for cash payments in gift card trades.
| Want ↓ | Cash or a Gift Card ↓ | BTC ↓ |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 60%4 | NA |
| Amazon.ca | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.co.uk | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.com | 70% | 55% |
| Amazon.de | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.es | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.fr | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.it | 50% | 50% |
| Amazon.jp | 30% | 30% |
| Arrow Films | 65% | 60% |
| Barnes & Noble | 50% | 50% |
| Baskin Robbins | 60% | 60% |
| Best Buy | 60% | 60% |
| BJ's (not BJ's restaurant)4 | 60% | NA |
| Bloomingdales | 50% | 50% |
| Burger King4 | 60% | NA |
| Clothing Shops (Small Boutique) | contact me | contact me |
| Dell4 | 60% | NA |
| Delta gift cards4 | 65% | NA |
| Delta Sky Miles4 | PM me | NA |
| Delta Vouchers4 | 65% | NA |
| Dicks Sporting Goods 4 | PM me | NA |
| Disney Plus | PM me | PM me |
| DoorDash | 70%6 | NA |
| Dunkin Donuts4 | 60% | NA |
| eBay | 70% | 70% |
| Fandango4 | 10% | NA |
| Five Guys4 | 60% | NA |
| Gamestop | 60% | 60% |
| Gas Station Cards4 | PM me | NA |
| Grub Hub | 70%6 | NA |
| Gyft | 70% | 70% |
| Half Price Books | 50% | 50% |
| HBO4 | 70% | NA |
| iTunes4 | 60% | NA |
| J crew | 40% | 40% |
| JCPenney | 25% | 25% |
| Jersey Mike Subs4 | 60% | NA |
| KFC4 | 60% | NA |
| Khols | 30% | 30% |
| Macys | 35% | 35% |
| Magazines.com | 40% | 40% |
| McDonald's 4 | 60% | NA |
| Microsoft6 | 60% | NA |
| Moe’s Southwestern Grill4 | 60% | NA |
| Nintendo Eshop6 | 70% | NA |
| Nordstrom | 50% | 50% |
| Panera bread4 | 60% | NA |
| PSN6 | 60 | NA |
| PSN Plus 12 month4 | NA | NA |
| Saks Fifth Avenue | 50% | 50% |
| Sears | 50% | 50% |
| Sephora | 50% | 50% |
| Speedway4 | 80% | NA |
| Starbucks | 55% | 55% |
| Steam6 | 60% | NA |
| Subway 4 | PM me | NA |
| Taco Bell | 60% | NA |
| Target | 50% | 50% |
| Uber6 | 70% | NA |
| Urban Outfitters | 50% | 50% |
| Vudu4 | 50% | NA |
| Walmart | 60% | 60% |
| Wendys4 | 60% | NA |
| Xbox (gift cards)6 | 60% | NA |
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (12 month/6 month/3 month/1 month)6 | PM me | NA |
| Other Clothing Stores, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Restaurant, & Fast Food gift cards | PM me |
What I don’t buy:
Any fees are built into the price.
- Amazon.au
- Bass Pro Shop
- buffalo wild wing
- Canadian tire
- Cold Stone
- Dairy Queen
- Fanatics
- Google Play
- Hilton Honors
- Hot Topic
- iTunes from anywhere but the US
- Krispy Kreme
- old navy/gap/banana republic
- Patxi's pizza
- PSN Canada or UK
- publix
- Raceway
- Scheels
- Shell Gas Stations
- Spotify
- Tractor supply
- Xbox Canada or UK
- Xbox live gold
Selling
I have:$500 in Amazon (can be broken up) and am selling at
- 85%: WesternUnion
- 85%: btc
- 90%: Apple Pay or Chime
2023.05.30 20:55 BigMoney-D A few of my biggest gripes with the game... [Relatively Spoiler Free]
I feel like before I start, I should mention that this is absolutely an incredible game. I have put 100+ hours into it already and will put much more when Master Mode comes out. But it's definitely not without fault. Im also not much of a wordsmith, but felt I wanted to get my thoughts out there.
One of the biggest gripes I had with this is actually one of the gripes I had about BotW. It's story and it's pacing. I think it's way more exasperated in TotK though. It kind of comes with the territory of such a vast open sandbox, but I know it could've been done so much better. The story is cut and paste the same dialogue for all 4 Phenomenons. They could've changed it up slightly depending on how many you did before hand. "Secret Stone? Demon King?". Also, "Secret Stone"? Really? That was the best name they could've come up with it? The same franchise that came up with the iconic "Tri-Force" couldn't come up with anything better than SECRET STONE??
It becomes even more frustrating after you've seen all the Dragon Tears. As amazing and impactful that story line was, its maddening since I finished that story line before completing the last 2 Phenomenons because I was so invested. Link not having the knowledge of Viewing the memories was one of the worst narrative decisions the game could have made. Oh, also, God forbid you did the Dragon Tears out of order. I was very lucky that I saw a post here early on with the order to go out and hunt, and yes, I know it has them in order on the walls in the Room that shows em on the map. But point still stands.
Another criticism is the powers you get from the 4 Champions kinda suck... Comparing it to BotW, they just feel less impactful and more times than not, I just keep em disabled. The Rito (going to refer to them as their race as to avoid major spoilers) one is especially bad on the ground since it can blow items around as you're mashing A LMAO. Gerudo's is pretty counter intuitive. Since they're a melee fighter and the ability is activated via a bow... you have to first run up to them in the middle of combat then awkwardly aim your bow and targets right in your face to use. Zora and Goron powers are pretty okay. Goron I just use more as a tool and I don't even really remember to use Zora's. I could go on but I think the main point is made.
Lastly, attaching basic stuff to your bow is annoying. Bombs and Brightbloom mainly since you use them so much. I wish you could bulk create em and swap to them like you did in BotW with the Bomb, Fire, Ice, Electric, and Ancient arrows. You could still do it one at a time, but bulk creating would alleviate so much of the constant menuing, especially in a fight.
Anyways, that's it. Still love the game to bits, which is why I'm so critical of these things. Hopefully my thoughts came through okay. Let me know what you guys think or if you have your own criticisms :)
submitted by BigMoney-D to tearsofthekingdom [link] [comments]
One of the biggest gripes I had with this is actually one of the gripes I had about BotW. It's story and it's pacing. I think it's way more exasperated in TotK though. It kind of comes with the territory of such a vast open sandbox, but I know it could've been done so much better. The story is cut and paste the same dialogue for all 4 Phenomenons. They could've changed it up slightly depending on how many you did before hand. "Secret Stone? Demon King?". Also, "Secret Stone"? Really? That was the best name they could've come up with it? The same franchise that came up with the iconic "Tri-Force" couldn't come up with anything better than SECRET STONE??
It becomes even more frustrating after you've seen all the Dragon Tears. As amazing and impactful that story line was, its maddening since I finished that story line before completing the last 2 Phenomenons because I was so invested. Link not having the knowledge of Viewing the memories was one of the worst narrative decisions the game could have made. Oh, also, God forbid you did the Dragon Tears out of order. I was very lucky that I saw a post here early on with the order to go out and hunt, and yes, I know it has them in order on the walls in the Room that shows em on the map. But point still stands.
Another criticism is the powers you get from the 4 Champions kinda suck... Comparing it to BotW, they just feel less impactful and more times than not, I just keep em disabled. The Rito (going to refer to them as their race as to avoid major spoilers) one is especially bad on the ground since it can blow items around as you're mashing A LMAO. Gerudo's is pretty counter intuitive. Since they're a melee fighter and the ability is activated via a bow... you have to first run up to them in the middle of combat then awkwardly aim your bow and targets right in your face to use. Zora and Goron powers are pretty okay. Goron I just use more as a tool and I don't even really remember to use Zora's. I could go on but I think the main point is made.
Lastly, attaching basic stuff to your bow is annoying. Bombs and Brightbloom mainly since you use them so much. I wish you could bulk create em and swap to them like you did in BotW with the Bomb, Fire, Ice, Electric, and Ancient arrows. You could still do it one at a time, but bulk creating would alleviate so much of the constant menuing, especially in a fight.
Anyways, that's it. Still love the game to bits, which is why I'm so critical of these things. Hopefully my thoughts came through okay. Let me know what you guys think or if you have your own criticisms :)
2023.05.30 20:45 MargaretGeorg meirl
 | submitted by MargaretGeorg to u/MargaretGeorg [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 20:42 3aTroop [US-OR][H]Signed Aot WWE Mascot, Fluffy, anime. [W]Trades , MOTU , Sailor Moon and for these Pops to go to a new home.
Summer clean out
MULTIPLE OF MINE FOR 1 OR 2 of yours
Let’s make you an insane deal so you can take them all home today!
These prices are shipped
ISO Freddy Funkos -Freddy Rick -Freddy Carnage -Freddy Russell -Freddy Aang BL -Freddy Optimus
MOTU
Sailor Moons
Willing to trade any and all of mine for what you may offer.
I’ll take all the pics and vids you need, even of the Pops! too.
PPGS
phen.dp
Piccolo Exam 10
Ymir’s Titan 10
Ymir auto 100
Riza 10
Spike 10
Ibara 10
Killua 10
Charlotte 10
Hot Rod 110
Devasator 135
Porg 11
Dom 11
Lloyd 11
Patrick Bateman 60
Batman 30
Stone Cold 30
Jack BL 10
Scorpion 15
Homer 10
Mr. Burns 10
Snoop 11
Kit 7*
Savant 7
Ookla 10
Alfred 10
Newman 8
Swampfire 20
Princess 10
Darkwing Duck 9*
Iron Man MS 20
Professor 10
Wardrobe 10
My Melody 4*
DA 4*
Valerian 4*
Liz 4*
Brie 10
Auto Ibis 50
Auto Fluffy Tapatio set 60 (auto + 1 common)
Fluffy JITB 12 /ea
Fluffy Tapatio 12 /ea
Tapatio Man 11
Walt 10*
Crusaderette 20*
Krang 25
Triple H 15
Stone Cold 15
Bateman 55
https://imgur.com/gallery/qvt2PXP
submitted by 3aTroop to funkoswap [link] [comments]
MULTIPLE OF MINE FOR 1 OR 2 of yours
Let’s make you an insane deal so you can take them all home today!
These prices are shipped
ISO Freddy Funkos -Freddy Rick -Freddy Carnage -Freddy Russell -Freddy Aang BL -Freddy Optimus
MOTU
Sailor Moons
Willing to trade any and all of mine for what you may offer.
I’ll take all the pics and vids you need, even of the Pops! too.
PPGS
phen.dp
Piccolo Exam 10
Ymir’s Titan 10
Ymir auto 100
Riza 10
Spike 10
Ibara 10
Killua 10
Charlotte 10
Hot Rod 110
Devasator 135
Porg 11
Dom 11
Lloyd 11
Patrick Bateman 60
Batman 30
Stone Cold 30
Jack BL 10
Scorpion 15
Homer 10
Mr. Burns 10
Snoop 11
Kit 7*
Savant 7
Ookla 10
Alfred 10
Newman 8
Swampfire 20
Princess 10
Darkwing Duck 9*
Iron Man MS 20
Professor 10
Wardrobe 10
My Melody 4*
DA 4*
Valerian 4*
Liz 4*
Brie 10
Auto Ibis 50
Auto Fluffy Tapatio set 60 (auto + 1 common)
Fluffy JITB 12 /ea
Fluffy Tapatio 12 /ea
Tapatio Man 11
Walt 10*
Crusaderette 20*
Krang 25
Triple H 15
Stone Cold 15
Bateman 55
https://imgur.com/gallery/qvt2PXP
2023.05.30 20:08 kntathuufng88 The Last Cowboy Episode VI: sirens
Sirens.
The darkness accompanies the sharp bursts of noise cutting through the air. Rumbling is present below on the ground. Everything is murky, blurred, disjointed.
Muffled voices start to speak and conversate from afar. The sound of a door snapping open can be heard. The voices continue to talk, replacing the sirens as they die out within another minute. Footsteps can be heard… and another door opens. Suddenly… the sensation of falling, tumbling, crashing down is overwhelming, too much to handle, everything sucked into the vat of nothingness.
Sirens.
×××
Soundtrack: nightmares by izaya tiji
Travis Crowley’s eyelids slowly unwind, sinking back into the depths of his face. The eyes peek out, his vision blurry as he regains consciousness. Head hurting like the dickens, he groans, taking his time reanimating. The DeadStar comes back to life, his body creaking as he moves for the first time in a while. As soon as he tries to sit up, he’s met by a hand to the chest, pressing him back down to where he was before. Confused, a nervous Travis tries to get up again, only to be forced back down. With his eyes adjusting to the light, voices have to ring out when it’s clear Travis is still out of his element. Travis finally starts to make out a figure just a foot away, sitting right beside him as they look toward someone else. The King of The Fall notices the afro quickly.
“Ramona-”
“Shh- I am so glad you’re back. Things have just been so hectic lately, i just-”
“Dizzi?”
Ramona turns and touches foreheads with Travis, softly pushing him back into the depths of bed once again. He winces as she rubs his head, confused as to why it hurts so much. She kisses him goodbye, before hugging Dizzi and telling them both she’ll be back. Ramona leaves, and Travis lets his head flop back as Dizzi pulls up a chair, Travis recognizes the room, realizing he’s back in Calabasas.
“Well, Travis. Looks like you’ve been staying busy”
Travis rolls his eyes, his friend smirking as she gets off the subtle shot at him. The DeadStar rolls over, finding and grabbing his phone off the nightstand. He checks the clock and stretches, seeing that it’s ten in the morning. He rubs his temples, feeling the headache come in even stronger than before.
“How has Sweden been?”
“Oh the usual. High fashion snobs and wannabe models. Not much different from what we got back at home.”
Travis smiles through his head pain, recalling his trip to Sweden a couple years back. What started out as a simple business trip to promote Obscuur Refurunces turned into an opportunity for Dizzi, and Travis was the first to suggest accepting.
“I guess that means you’re more qualified to run the brand than I am?”
“Oh please, let’s not go that far… I see what you’ve been up to, teasing those samples on Instagram. You've been working on something?”
“Maybe… I’ll show you later though. When did you get back to the States?”
“Studying abroad gets old after about nine months. Been trying to figure out when to take holiday, then poof. I get a call from Ramona, suddenly I need to pay respects to a friend as they lie on their deathbed…”
“Interesting way to say it…”
“You’ve got an interesting way to live life, bud…”
Travis sees the look in Dizzi’s eyes change. He sighs as she leans in, knowing the speech that’s going to ensue. The DeadStar grimaces as Dizzi locks eyes with him, already aware of what’s next. But suddenly, he feels another flash of pain in his head, in pure agony as he grabs at his temples. Dizzi’s face turns to one of concern, checking on Travis as he breaks a sweat trying to tough through it.
“What the Hell happened?”
“Y-you don’t know?”
Travis looks at her, his expression a mix of pain, frustration, and confusion. She looks back at him, quickly shaking the stumped look off her face. She quickly stands up, and walks away from the bed, turning toward the window.
“Dizzi what happened?”
“It doesn’t matter…”
“What do you MEAN it doesn’t matter???”
“Look, all that matters right now is that you rest, get better, and just stay safe. Everything else you can worry about later. And those are words I got from Ramona herself.”
Travis feels the pain in currents, using the opportunity of it subsiding to get moving. He sits up, swinging a leg out from under the covers. He sits there for a minute, ignoring as Dizzi shoots a glance at him every once in a while, masking it by tidying up the room. Travis wipes his eyes, trying to push through the pain. He’s wearing black shorts and a white shirt, socks keeping his feet protected from the cold hardwood floor. He lays back sideways on the bed, taking everything in.
“Are you okay, you need anything?”
Sirens.
“Ah man… lemme uh…”
Sirens.
“Could you pick up some donuts?”
“Sure, I could DoorDash some, maybe Krispy Kre-”
“Ah, actually. I was hoping to get them from that local place?”
“Local place?”
“You know, the local place. The place all three of us go to!”
“... Frankie’s?”
“Yeah, that’s the place. They got special flavors, let’s get a dozen from there!”
“How is that local, isn’t it like an hour away from here?”
“You can take my car!”
Travis smiles through the head pain, feeling it at excruciating levels at this point. The DeadStar questions if this will be the death of him as he grins at Dizzi, his expression backing her into a corner as she reluctantly agrees to go make a pastry run. Grabbing the keys off the hook on the bedroom wall, she waves Travis goodbye before leaving out the front door. Travis takes a deep breath, before standing up out of bed, rubbing his temple yet again as he takes a couple steps forward, He looks down at the view below, watching from the window as Dizzi opens the garage door. Travis makes sure he can’t be seen as she drives the car out from the garage and down the hill, soon disappearing from the mess of land altogether. Travis leans against the windowsill, taking in the view for a couple minutes. Getting his thoughts together, he grabs his phone, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Part of him doesn’t even want to open it. Part of him doesn’t want to find out what the Hell happened, how he ended up on his deathbed like how Dizzi described. But he pushes ahead, unlocking in with his fingerprint and immediately being blasted with a headline that sends a shiver down his spine.
“FBE Recap: Ethan Fadley Attacks Travis Crowley… Leaves Firestorm 118 without a Main Event!”
Travis’ eye twitches, noticing the thumbnail accompanying the headline. Ethan Fadley holding up the Intercontinental Championship, a crazed look in his eye. Dark blue strap in his grip as he makes a grab for the camera in the picture. Slowly, Travis pieces it together, all while the pain returns in his head, stinging like the dickens as he closes his phone. He makes his way over to the closet, trading in the shorts for some jeans and slipping into some Vans. Throwing a random shirt over his shoulder, he stuffs a travel bag full of random toiletries and clothes, and grabs his phone off the bed in a hurry, making a call as he jets out the door.
“Hello?”
“Ape!”
“Yo, what’s going on man? You good, you alright?”
“Doing fine. What happened after the show?”
“Conor had Irish police escort the ambulance to the hospital. We all got airlifted back to LA. I wanted to drive up and stay with you guys while you got better… didn’t feel right though.”
“Please tell me you’re still out here…”
“Yeah, I've been hiding out. Wanted to wait till you were up and awake before I made the next move. Crenshaw Inn Motel.”
“I’m there”
Travis keeps Ape on the phone as he walks into the garage, swinging his leg over his chopper, only to feel woozy from just doing that. The head pain is too much, shooting out to every inch and corner of Travis’ mind, keeping him off his game. Shaking his head in a desperate attempt to regain balance, he slowly slides off the motorcycle, leaning against it and breathing hard as Ape checks up on him.
“Matter fact, uh… I might get a cab”
“I’ll come to you then, I’ll have them pick you up, we’ll grab breakfast and talk.”
“Bet, thanks bro.”
Travis sits in the driveway, waiting for his friend to arrive in the cab. Worried that Dizzi or Ramona might show up before Ape and intercept him, he’s relieved to get a call from his best friend and see a yellow cab pulling up in front of the house. Travis slips on the shirt and jumps into the backseat, dapping up Ape as they quickly speed off from the scene.
×××
“Where are you, Travis?”
“I’m fine, everything is okay, Ramon-”
“I didn’t ask you that, Travis. Tell me where you are”
“That’s not important right n-”
“Travis, PLEASE don’t tell me you’re going back on tour for Firestorm, please”
“... I need to take care of this. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Trav-”
Soundtrack: losing my mind by izaya tiji
Crenshaw Inn Motel - May 25th, 2023 - 11:38 AM
Travis hangs up the phone, putting it on silent just in case Ramona or Dizzi call again. The DeadStar looks out the window of the motel, playing with the blinds as he watches city slickers make their way past his view. Sitting on one of the double beds is Ape, opening a box of delicacies from Frankie’s Donut Palace. Biting into an eclair, he suggests they get some air, opening the mini fridge and opening a can of pop. Travis takes one more look out the window, before turning around, facing the pastries now. Seeing a bear claw in the corner, he picks it up, taking his first bite of the day as Ape checks his phone. Travis makes his way out of the motel room, Ape saying he had to make a call before he joined him.
Travis stands in the parking lot of the motel, finishing off the bear claw in one hand with a joint in the other. Looking down at himself, he realizes that he’s got his shirt on inside out. Moving to fix it the right way, the DeadStar suddenly scowls and stops, seeing a familiar design. The REVOLT Summer World Tour from the year before sold out immediately, becoming a legendary piece of FBE memorabilia after its limited run. Now it’s just a bad memory for the King of The Fall. Travis shakes his head in annoyance, pulling from the joint as Ape closes the motel room door behind him. Together, they stand in silence, leaning against the beams supporting the roof covering the motel walkways. The pain creeps in, making a return as Travis starts to see red for a completely different reason.
“He almost ended my career…”
“I know…”
Sirens.
“He left me bloody… he left STEEZ bloody… he ruined everything...”
“I know…”
Sirens.
“I stepped aside for this motherfucker, not once, but TWICE. I let him be big dog. I put my glory to the side for HIM. Because that was MY BROTHER. And he…”
“I know…”
Sirens.
Travis has a thousand yard stare on his face, the pain fighting him on the inside as he carries no expression. Clenching his jaw, he takes a deep breath, waiting as it subsides. He pulls up his phone and immediately pulls up tickets to Scotland. Ape, looking over his shoulder in curiosity, looks at Travis in shock.
“Dude, you’re going to Firestorm???”
“I’m getting my title back. And I’m ripping Ethan’s fucking head off.”
“Bro-”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t expect me to do this.”
Ape looks at Travis, worried. Travis stares hard, doing his best to pull a stone-like expression on his face. The Infinity Ace sighs, nodding as he understands that there’s no going back after what has happened between Ethan and the rest of what used to be REVOLT. He throws an arm around Travis, leading him back in the motel room, gathering both their bags.
“...Get me a ticket.”
×××
St. Andrews Golf Club, Scotland - May 26th, 2023 - 9:32 PM
“Jesus Christ, where the fuck is he, man?”
“Just give him a second, bro. He’ll be here. I know he’ll be here. By the way, how’s your head?”
Travis and Ape stand outside a side door of St. Andrews Golf Club, waiting for a bit of help from an inside man. Ape dialed up Code Blue asking for help getting into the prestigious golf club with the show already in progress. Now, it’s just up to him to get Highly Suspect in. Travis paces back and forth as they wait for what feels like an eternity, only for Blue to suddenly appear, waving them in. Ape smiles, but an irritated Travis rolls his eyes.
“Is the show over? Wouldn’t be surprised since it took so damn long.”
“Oh, c’mon Travis. I was on the other side of the building. Had to rush getting over here. You know, I got my own match to prepare for too, right? I got priorities just like everyone else."
“Shut the fuck up, Blue”
“You better watch your fucking mouth,”
“I will slap the shit out of-”
“I’m not afraid of you, Travis. Don’t you ever get that confused…”
Blue, who was walking along with everyone else through the hall, suddenly stops and locks eyes with Travis. Not budging, he stares down the King of The Fall, who stares back at him with venom and anger. Ape gets in between them, Travis grabbing onto Ape as he yells at Blue.
“Motherfucker, you think this is about fear? I don’t give a FUCK if you’re afraid of me, I’ll change that if I WANT! Back up-
“Stop, STOP! BOTH OF YOU!”
“Ah, screw this-”
Travis darts around Ape, shoving past Code Blue and doing the dash down the hall. Ape calls after Travis, beginning to race after him when he realizes it’s no use using words. Crowley crashes Guerrilla and busts through the curtain, racing down the aisle as the crowd yell out in shock. Travis slides into the ring and blasts the special guest announcer, taking his mic as the audience fully explodes once they realize who’s back. With the pain and shadows overloading his senses, Travis powers through as he runs his hand through his hair.
“SCOTLAND! REVEAL THE JUDAS! REVEAL THE TRAITOR! I WANT ETHAN FADLEY! I WANT MY TITLE BACK, AND I WANT THE HEAD OF THE SON OF ROSES!”
Travis looks down at the announcer, decked out in the dark green suit yelling at him about the main event being in a few minutes. The DeadStar says he doesn’t give a damn, claiming he’ll stay in this ring all night until Ethan comes back with his Intercontinental Championship.
“I don’t think you understand what this is. This is FBE. And what a nigga like me says, is what GOES. BRING ME FADLEY.”
The announcer gets back to his feet, shocked at the audacity. He tells off Travis, asking him if he knows who he is, ONLY TO GET HIT WITH A SSWEET CHIN MUSIC! HOLY FUCK! Travis stares down at the dark green suit tumbling through the ropes as Ape suddenly appears by him, grabbing and telling him they need to go. Travis rips himself free, and grips the ropes, repeating what he said, demanding Ethan Fadley. And speak of the Devil…
… Who else joins them but the Son of Roses. Noticeably without the Intercontinental Championship, Ethan smiles as Travis seemingly gets more rowdy and unhinged, Ape unable to contain the DeadStar. Mic in hand, the former best friend of Highly Suspect asks how exactly they got into the show so late. Ape tries to tell off Ethan while Travis begins to lose control, but it’s no use. Ethan continues to talk, saying regardless of how they pulled it off, he’s glad they’re here to witness the Aether Aces rule yet another night. After last week’s conquest, it’s time for Inferno to embarrass Code Blue and walk out, still World Champion.
“But you didn’t come for that… did you, Cowboy?”
Ethan smirks as Travis trembles with anger, unable to even listen to or recognize Ape trying to hold him back. Fadley knows he’s pushing his former friend to the edge.
“No… I know what you came for… the first challenger for none other than the NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION… BESTOWED UPON HIM BY HIS FELLOW AETHER ACES… THE HOMETOWN HERO, JAY CASTLE!”
Travis freezes as Jay Castle enters, holding up the Intercontinental Championship in all its glory. Crowley’s pride and joy. After seeing the collapse of REVOLT from a TV screen, falling off the map of relevancy. Only to crawl back, and become Grand Slam Intercontinental Champion. It was all Travis had left. And they TOOK that from him. The King of The Fall locks eyes with Jay Castle, only to get pulled away by Ethan’s words yet again.
“And if you weren’t up to date with the news, Cowboy? Not only has Jay Castle dethroned you for the Intercontinental Championship… he’s going to kill your World Championship aspirations, by knocking you out full stop, FIRST ROUND of the Heyman Classic.”
Travis and Ape take in the news, staring down Jay Castle and Ethan as they reach ringside. With the crowd bursting with energy, and tension rising with every second, Travis sinks into the pain and madness, shoving Ape out of the way as he charges, leaping out to the Aether Aces without a care in the world…
… And that’s when the DeadStar snaps…
Sirens.
submitted by kntathuufng88 to FantasyBookingElite [link] [comments]
The darkness accompanies the sharp bursts of noise cutting through the air. Rumbling is present below on the ground. Everything is murky, blurred, disjointed.
Muffled voices start to speak and conversate from afar. The sound of a door snapping open can be heard. The voices continue to talk, replacing the sirens as they die out within another minute. Footsteps can be heard… and another door opens. Suddenly… the sensation of falling, tumbling, crashing down is overwhelming, too much to handle, everything sucked into the vat of nothingness.
Sirens.
×××
Soundtrack: nightmares by izaya tiji
Travis Crowley’s eyelids slowly unwind, sinking back into the depths of his face. The eyes peek out, his vision blurry as he regains consciousness. Head hurting like the dickens, he groans, taking his time reanimating. The DeadStar comes back to life, his body creaking as he moves for the first time in a while. As soon as he tries to sit up, he’s met by a hand to the chest, pressing him back down to where he was before. Confused, a nervous Travis tries to get up again, only to be forced back down. With his eyes adjusting to the light, voices have to ring out when it’s clear Travis is still out of his element. Travis finally starts to make out a figure just a foot away, sitting right beside him as they look toward someone else. The King of The Fall notices the afro quickly.
“Ramona-”
“Shh- I am so glad you’re back. Things have just been so hectic lately, i just-”
“Dizzi?”
Ramona turns and touches foreheads with Travis, softly pushing him back into the depths of bed once again. He winces as she rubs his head, confused as to why it hurts so much. She kisses him goodbye, before hugging Dizzi and telling them both she’ll be back. Ramona leaves, and Travis lets his head flop back as Dizzi pulls up a chair, Travis recognizes the room, realizing he’s back in Calabasas.
“Well, Travis. Looks like you’ve been staying busy”
Travis rolls his eyes, his friend smirking as she gets off the subtle shot at him. The DeadStar rolls over, finding and grabbing his phone off the nightstand. He checks the clock and stretches, seeing that it’s ten in the morning. He rubs his temples, feeling the headache come in even stronger than before.
“How has Sweden been?”
“Oh the usual. High fashion snobs and wannabe models. Not much different from what we got back at home.”
Travis smiles through his head pain, recalling his trip to Sweden a couple years back. What started out as a simple business trip to promote Obscuur Refurunces turned into an opportunity for Dizzi, and Travis was the first to suggest accepting.
“I guess that means you’re more qualified to run the brand than I am?”
“Oh please, let’s not go that far… I see what you’ve been up to, teasing those samples on Instagram. You've been working on something?”
“Maybe… I’ll show you later though. When did you get back to the States?”
“Studying abroad gets old after about nine months. Been trying to figure out when to take holiday, then poof. I get a call from Ramona, suddenly I need to pay respects to a friend as they lie on their deathbed…”
“Interesting way to say it…”
“You’ve got an interesting way to live life, bud…”
Travis sees the look in Dizzi’s eyes change. He sighs as she leans in, knowing the speech that’s going to ensue. The DeadStar grimaces as Dizzi locks eyes with him, already aware of what’s next. But suddenly, he feels another flash of pain in his head, in pure agony as he grabs at his temples. Dizzi’s face turns to one of concern, checking on Travis as he breaks a sweat trying to tough through it.
“What the Hell happened?”
“Y-you don’t know?”
Travis looks at her, his expression a mix of pain, frustration, and confusion. She looks back at him, quickly shaking the stumped look off her face. She quickly stands up, and walks away from the bed, turning toward the window.
“Dizzi what happened?”
“It doesn’t matter…”
“What do you MEAN it doesn’t matter???”
“Look, all that matters right now is that you rest, get better, and just stay safe. Everything else you can worry about later. And those are words I got from Ramona herself.”
Travis feels the pain in currents, using the opportunity of it subsiding to get moving. He sits up, swinging a leg out from under the covers. He sits there for a minute, ignoring as Dizzi shoots a glance at him every once in a while, masking it by tidying up the room. Travis wipes his eyes, trying to push through the pain. He’s wearing black shorts and a white shirt, socks keeping his feet protected from the cold hardwood floor. He lays back sideways on the bed, taking everything in.
“Are you okay, you need anything?”
Sirens.
“Ah man… lemme uh…”
Sirens.
“Could you pick up some donuts?”
“Sure, I could DoorDash some, maybe Krispy Kre-”
“Ah, actually. I was hoping to get them from that local place?”
“Local place?”
“You know, the local place. The place all three of us go to!”
“... Frankie’s?”
“Yeah, that’s the place. They got special flavors, let’s get a dozen from there!”
“How is that local, isn’t it like an hour away from here?”
“You can take my car!”
Travis smiles through the head pain, feeling it at excruciating levels at this point. The DeadStar questions if this will be the death of him as he grins at Dizzi, his expression backing her into a corner as she reluctantly agrees to go make a pastry run. Grabbing the keys off the hook on the bedroom wall, she waves Travis goodbye before leaving out the front door. Travis takes a deep breath, before standing up out of bed, rubbing his temple yet again as he takes a couple steps forward, He looks down at the view below, watching from the window as Dizzi opens the garage door. Travis makes sure he can’t be seen as she drives the car out from the garage and down the hill, soon disappearing from the mess of land altogether. Travis leans against the windowsill, taking in the view for a couple minutes. Getting his thoughts together, he grabs his phone, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Part of him doesn’t even want to open it. Part of him doesn’t want to find out what the Hell happened, how he ended up on his deathbed like how Dizzi described. But he pushes ahead, unlocking in with his fingerprint and immediately being blasted with a headline that sends a shiver down his spine.
“FBE Recap: Ethan Fadley Attacks Travis Crowley… Leaves Firestorm 118 without a Main Event!”
Travis’ eye twitches, noticing the thumbnail accompanying the headline. Ethan Fadley holding up the Intercontinental Championship, a crazed look in his eye. Dark blue strap in his grip as he makes a grab for the camera in the picture. Slowly, Travis pieces it together, all while the pain returns in his head, stinging like the dickens as he closes his phone. He makes his way over to the closet, trading in the shorts for some jeans and slipping into some Vans. Throwing a random shirt over his shoulder, he stuffs a travel bag full of random toiletries and clothes, and grabs his phone off the bed in a hurry, making a call as he jets out the door.
“Hello?”
“Ape!”
“Yo, what’s going on man? You good, you alright?”
“Doing fine. What happened after the show?”
“Conor had Irish police escort the ambulance to the hospital. We all got airlifted back to LA. I wanted to drive up and stay with you guys while you got better… didn’t feel right though.”
“Please tell me you’re still out here…”
“Yeah, I've been hiding out. Wanted to wait till you were up and awake before I made the next move. Crenshaw Inn Motel.”
“I’m there”
Travis keeps Ape on the phone as he walks into the garage, swinging his leg over his chopper, only to feel woozy from just doing that. The head pain is too much, shooting out to every inch and corner of Travis’ mind, keeping him off his game. Shaking his head in a desperate attempt to regain balance, he slowly slides off the motorcycle, leaning against it and breathing hard as Ape checks up on him.
“Matter fact, uh… I might get a cab”
“I’ll come to you then, I’ll have them pick you up, we’ll grab breakfast and talk.”
“Bet, thanks bro.”
Travis sits in the driveway, waiting for his friend to arrive in the cab. Worried that Dizzi or Ramona might show up before Ape and intercept him, he’s relieved to get a call from his best friend and see a yellow cab pulling up in front of the house. Travis slips on the shirt and jumps into the backseat, dapping up Ape as they quickly speed off from the scene.
×××
“Where are you, Travis?”
“I’m fine, everything is okay, Ramon-”
“I didn’t ask you that, Travis. Tell me where you are”
“That’s not important right n-”
“Travis, PLEASE don’t tell me you’re going back on tour for Firestorm, please”
“... I need to take care of this. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Trav-”
Soundtrack: losing my mind by izaya tiji
Crenshaw Inn Motel - May 25th, 2023 - 11:38 AM
Travis hangs up the phone, putting it on silent just in case Ramona or Dizzi call again. The DeadStar looks out the window of the motel, playing with the blinds as he watches city slickers make their way past his view. Sitting on one of the double beds is Ape, opening a box of delicacies from Frankie’s Donut Palace. Biting into an eclair, he suggests they get some air, opening the mini fridge and opening a can of pop. Travis takes one more look out the window, before turning around, facing the pastries now. Seeing a bear claw in the corner, he picks it up, taking his first bite of the day as Ape checks his phone. Travis makes his way out of the motel room, Ape saying he had to make a call before he joined him.
Travis stands in the parking lot of the motel, finishing off the bear claw in one hand with a joint in the other. Looking down at himself, he realizes that he’s got his shirt on inside out. Moving to fix it the right way, the DeadStar suddenly scowls and stops, seeing a familiar design. The REVOLT Summer World Tour from the year before sold out immediately, becoming a legendary piece of FBE memorabilia after its limited run. Now it’s just a bad memory for the King of The Fall. Travis shakes his head in annoyance, pulling from the joint as Ape closes the motel room door behind him. Together, they stand in silence, leaning against the beams supporting the roof covering the motel walkways. The pain creeps in, making a return as Travis starts to see red for a completely different reason.
“He almost ended my career…”
“I know…”
Sirens.
“He left me bloody… he left STEEZ bloody… he ruined everything...”
“I know…”
Sirens.
“I stepped aside for this motherfucker, not once, but TWICE. I let him be big dog. I put my glory to the side for HIM. Because that was MY BROTHER. And he…”
“I know…”
Sirens.
Travis has a thousand yard stare on his face, the pain fighting him on the inside as he carries no expression. Clenching his jaw, he takes a deep breath, waiting as it subsides. He pulls up his phone and immediately pulls up tickets to Scotland. Ape, looking over his shoulder in curiosity, looks at Travis in shock.
“Dude, you’re going to Firestorm???”
“I’m getting my title back. And I’m ripping Ethan’s fucking head off.”
“Bro-”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t expect me to do this.”
Ape looks at Travis, worried. Travis stares hard, doing his best to pull a stone-like expression on his face. The Infinity Ace sighs, nodding as he understands that there’s no going back after what has happened between Ethan and the rest of what used to be REVOLT. He throws an arm around Travis, leading him back in the motel room, gathering both their bags.
“...Get me a ticket.”
×××
St. Andrews Golf Club, Scotland - May 26th, 2023 - 9:32 PM
“Jesus Christ, where the fuck is he, man?”
“Just give him a second, bro. He’ll be here. I know he’ll be here. By the way, how’s your head?”
Travis and Ape stand outside a side door of St. Andrews Golf Club, waiting for a bit of help from an inside man. Ape dialed up Code Blue asking for help getting into the prestigious golf club with the show already in progress. Now, it’s just up to him to get Highly Suspect in. Travis paces back and forth as they wait for what feels like an eternity, only for Blue to suddenly appear, waving them in. Ape smiles, but an irritated Travis rolls his eyes.
“Is the show over? Wouldn’t be surprised since it took so damn long.”
“Oh, c’mon Travis. I was on the other side of the building. Had to rush getting over here. You know, I got my own match to prepare for too, right? I got priorities just like everyone else."
“Shut the fuck up, Blue”
“You better watch your fucking mouth,”
“I will slap the shit out of-”
“I’m not afraid of you, Travis. Don’t you ever get that confused…”
Blue, who was walking along with everyone else through the hall, suddenly stops and locks eyes with Travis. Not budging, he stares down the King of The Fall, who stares back at him with venom and anger. Ape gets in between them, Travis grabbing onto Ape as he yells at Blue.
“Motherfucker, you think this is about fear? I don’t give a FUCK if you’re afraid of me, I’ll change that if I WANT! Back up-
“Stop, STOP! BOTH OF YOU!”
“Ah, screw this-”
Travis darts around Ape, shoving past Code Blue and doing the dash down the hall. Ape calls after Travis, beginning to race after him when he realizes it’s no use using words. Crowley crashes Guerrilla and busts through the curtain, racing down the aisle as the crowd yell out in shock. Travis slides into the ring and blasts the special guest announcer, taking his mic as the audience fully explodes once they realize who’s back. With the pain and shadows overloading his senses, Travis powers through as he runs his hand through his hair.
“SCOTLAND! REVEAL THE JUDAS! REVEAL THE TRAITOR! I WANT ETHAN FADLEY! I WANT MY TITLE BACK, AND I WANT THE HEAD OF THE SON OF ROSES!”
Travis looks down at the announcer, decked out in the dark green suit yelling at him about the main event being in a few minutes. The DeadStar says he doesn’t give a damn, claiming he’ll stay in this ring all night until Ethan comes back with his Intercontinental Championship.
“I don’t think you understand what this is. This is FBE. And what a nigga like me says, is what GOES. BRING ME FADLEY.”
The announcer gets back to his feet, shocked at the audacity. He tells off Travis, asking him if he knows who he is, ONLY TO GET HIT WITH A SSWEET CHIN MUSIC! HOLY FUCK! Travis stares down at the dark green suit tumbling through the ropes as Ape suddenly appears by him, grabbing and telling him they need to go. Travis rips himself free, and grips the ropes, repeating what he said, demanding Ethan Fadley. And speak of the Devil…
… Who else joins them but the Son of Roses. Noticeably without the Intercontinental Championship, Ethan smiles as Travis seemingly gets more rowdy and unhinged, Ape unable to contain the DeadStar. Mic in hand, the former best friend of Highly Suspect asks how exactly they got into the show so late. Ape tries to tell off Ethan while Travis begins to lose control, but it’s no use. Ethan continues to talk, saying regardless of how they pulled it off, he’s glad they’re here to witness the Aether Aces rule yet another night. After last week’s conquest, it’s time for Inferno to embarrass Code Blue and walk out, still World Champion.
“But you didn’t come for that… did you, Cowboy?”
Ethan smirks as Travis trembles with anger, unable to even listen to or recognize Ape trying to hold him back. Fadley knows he’s pushing his former friend to the edge.
“No… I know what you came for… the first challenger for none other than the NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION… BESTOWED UPON HIM BY HIS FELLOW AETHER ACES… THE HOMETOWN HERO, JAY CASTLE!”
Travis freezes as Jay Castle enters, holding up the Intercontinental Championship in all its glory. Crowley’s pride and joy. After seeing the collapse of REVOLT from a TV screen, falling off the map of relevancy. Only to crawl back, and become Grand Slam Intercontinental Champion. It was all Travis had left. And they TOOK that from him. The King of The Fall locks eyes with Jay Castle, only to get pulled away by Ethan’s words yet again.
“And if you weren’t up to date with the news, Cowboy? Not only has Jay Castle dethroned you for the Intercontinental Championship… he’s going to kill your World Championship aspirations, by knocking you out full stop, FIRST ROUND of the Heyman Classic.”
Travis and Ape take in the news, staring down Jay Castle and Ethan as they reach ringside. With the crowd bursting with energy, and tension rising with every second, Travis sinks into the pain and madness, shoving Ape out of the way as he charges, leaping out to the Aether Aces without a care in the world…
… And that’s when the DeadStar snaps…
Sirens.
2023.05.30 20:07 Verrgasm Dreamland (short story)
Every night, against his will, Kenneth would relive every awful moment of it. Pulled back into his hellish youth through a dream. The same dream he found himself in once again. He was in a place now so familiar that he could actively acknowledge his unconscious state, but he could never wake up from it. Not until Steve had his fill. Not until he was satiated in his place from beyond the grave, firmly in charge of this horrific dominion within his victim's damaged psyche. It was an evil dreamland, somehow designed to re-inflict every harrowing humiliation and brutal torture experienced in the waking world. The disgusting past, revived.
Kenneth shivered as the cold wind battered against his scantily-clad body. The same as always, he was wearing his pajamas. Now far too small and disintegrating on his adult-sized frame, they tore and fell away as he walked, leaving him little more than torn rags for comfort against the elements. The harsh earth stung under his bare feet. Uniformly black, contrasting the sickening reddish sky which hugged cragged mountain tops on horizons far out of reach. A small light emanated in the distance. Following his usual robotic routine, Kenneth stumbled towards it like a moth to the flame.
The wind ceased almost instantly as he grew nearer and its howling was replaced by an intimidating silent totality. There was no sound left whatsoever besides the first whisper. Loud and clear, as if right in his ear. Right on que. There was nothing he could do.
"To come or go after and take or bring back.
All the children, wrapped up in black.
Venture forth or turn around.
A soul once entered is already bound."
It was his voice. It made Kenneth want to wretch, to empty his nonexistent stomach, but such reliefs weren't present. Not permitted. Stripped from Kenneth like so many other things before, injustices of which he'd now face all over again. His horror was an internal one. The ability to react, dulled and blunted, as if tranced. His foreknowledge of the impending trauma rained a great heavy dread upon the sullen atmosphere of the nightmarish place. A literal rain. Slimy like oil. The air hung heavy, further slowing his movements. Kenneth struggled on regardless, shuffling towards the second glow amidst the growing fog. The second taunting installment retelling his miserable history.
The light blinked out, plunging the landscape into darkness once again. The sky's pale crimson glow only slightly revealed his surroundings, occasionally lit up with bolts of unseen violet lighting. Not that there was anything for Kenneth to see. Nothing to do but obey. Steve's voice throbbed in the void around him. A cruel mockery, cawed in a distorted imitation of the man who'd destroyed his life before it even had a chance to truly begin. The monster who snuffed his innocence out forever.
"All alone the lady waits,
Devoid of a father, whom they now both hate.
House is empty, home is cold.
A shallow dream, eagerly sold."
Visions of his mother tore at Kenneth and he did everything he could to resist, to stamp them down and lock them away. But the more he struggled, the harder it was to keep them at bay.
"A sweet relief, a sweet reprieve. A lovely replacement,
named Steve.
Steve is kind, Steve is nice.
Kenny's mother, in a vice."
Another clockwork recurrence chilled Kenneth as he felt the eyes. Turning to meet them, the wind returned; crashing against him and sending him tumbling to the coarse desert floor. The ashen texture coated everything, acrid and burning in his nostrils. Piercing debris like shattered glass clung and then fell back to their place among the filth as Kenneth strained to get back up. To his relief, Steve wasn't moving yet. Just… standing there. Right on the edge of his visibility. Waving…
He didn't act like the Steve that Kenneth had known in the waking world. The rhymes, that was nothing like him. But the way he… it, would deliver them… that was just Steve all over. That smug cadence, made manifest in a demon now all too real. It cocked its head as it brought its hand back down to its side before extending it outwards. A long bony finger beckoned to Kenneth.
"No…" he whimpered. Desperate to escape the inevitable. "Just… go away…"
"He takes you away to a different place.
Leaves an awful mess all over your face.
'Tell a soul, my little whore,
Then you will suffer.
Your mother, and more."
"Do you remember, Kenny?" It began to advance. An onyx phantom, silhouetted and drawing nearer. "Do you remember the toolshed?" A creature, becoming clearer.
A shrill cackling laughter filled the night air, which immediately became much darker. Thicker. Like being underwater. The monster broke from a shamble into a sprint and fight or flight sent Kenneth running too. The shock that had held him in place cleared fast with the adrenaline, spurring him to flee. To escape that terrible place, once and for all. He could hear its heavy, lumbering footfalls advancing close behind. A sharp pain shredded through him from his bloody soles to his pounding chest, close to bursting, when a cave presented itself in the distance. Small, but safe. A false safety.
A tiny candle flickered dimly in its narrow entryway and as it finally became within reach Kenneth thrust himself inside and awaited his imminent punishment with clenched fists, but his monstrous pursuer was gone. For now. Picking up the fragile light source and shielding it with his cupped hand, Kenneth began to go deeper. The passageway was thin, but there was nowhere to go except forward. There was a strange feeling emerging from inside, one long awaited.
"Of inky black and rotten sack, a filthy mongrel answers back.
Tell him quietly, watch him whimper. Tell him loudly, hear him holler.
The mother tries to help her son. Steve is angry, he says he'll maul her."
A flash of righteous anger bubbled in Kenneth as he felt the presence behind him. Once again eager to give chase.
"And I did maul 'er. Didn't I, boy?" Kenneth heard it scrape its claws on the cold stone wall. Screeching like nails on an old, long abandoned chalkboard. "It's your fault what happened to her."
Another hideous cackle, only this time stifled, Kenneth's response overcoming it in the constricting chasm.
"Fuck off, Steve! You fucking piece of shit!" He'd always wanted to say that, it spewed out all frothy and furious like he imagined it would. A thirst for retribution fuelled him, flowed all through and inspired a long dead hope within. A puncture in its invulnerability. "I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
Kenneth believed it. He knew it, and so did the monster.
"Through Muffled screams and burning holes,
Steve continues, ignoring 'no's'.
Searing flesh, the work is done.
'Uncle Steve', has had his fun."
The cave walls began to rumble, and through some invisible quaking force they splintered and cracked, flooding the dim tunnel in a sea of sparse debris. Two round searchlight-like eyes beamed at Kenneth through the dusty mist as it extinguished his little candle. Silence once again, punctuated only by shallow breath before being interrupted by a deep penetrating growl. The eyes closed, and in the darkness of the tunnel the two's chase ensued. The passage grew slimmer and skinnier with each step and eventually the slick thuds of pounding steps on wet stone were reduced to grunts and pained moans as Kenneth squeezed and crawled and shimmied through dank shafts and up and down stairs and across chambers full of black crystal formations. Impossibly black. Blacker than the remotest void of space. Darker than a sea of dead stars. The sight captivated Kenneth, tempting him to stop and fall into it forever. To give into it. But as he was right on the precipice of the endless cosmic lagoon, about to start tumbling, he heard it stirring behind. Snorting and laughing. Clicking and mumbling incomprehensibly. Scratching and scraping its thick filthy claws in an effort to regain control. To prove its ownership. Kenneth was done. He wasn't scared anymore, he repeated it in his head like a mantra. Giving everything to believe it.
"Amber leaves and dirty knees,
A wife held down, who hardly sees.
Always stoic, mummy's soldier.
No escape from your enclosure..."
Kenneth ducked back and slid into a large crack in the wall as the monster entered into the small crystal chamber, the exit now blocked with its menacing presence. Kenneth held his breath, clamping his hands down tightly over his trembling bottom lip.
"Trapped again, little Kenny,
No escape without a penny.
Tell aloud, try to run.
Watch her suffer.
It's never done."
Thick slopping drool seeped from its distended maw as it lurched past Kenny's hiding spot in the wall. Mere feet away from taking him, bringing him back. Pulling him under. It cooed for him. Humming a sweet song, one he barely remembered. It made him want to give in, for the last time. But he didn't, refusing to scream. Refusing to give it what it wanted.
After a while the creature began to double back, creeping towards the exit from whence it came. As its sweet serenade slowly disappeared, Kenneth climbed out and made a break for it, trudging through the darkness using his hands as eyes. No more song, no more Steve. Kenneth crawled through the mud, desperate to leave. The cold cave air was becoming hot, and as Kenneth traveled ever deeper the walls began to rot. Flesh came away with each frantic grasp, choking poor Kenneth and making him gasp. The musky dead passageway was emitting a horrid miasma. It burned and it stung, rekindling his asthma. But push onward he did, embracing his chance. Ready to face down the monster for one last dance.
"A comforting weapon,
The cold steel gun.
In your tiny palm it weighs a ton.
Grip it tighter, hide it good.
Kill Uncle Steve like a hero would."
Kenneth was in control, a rhyme of his own. Ready to kill. Not maim, but dethrone. Just as in childhood, he felt the gun's weight. Now all the more lighter, and though the darkness remained, it was as if it grew brighter, empowered by the knowledge that he now was a fighter. So he clambered on through the decaying dark tunnel. The tunnel, it seemed, leveled out like a funnel. In through the mouth and down the thin trail. Then into a slide where he slid like a snail. The final hill of a terrible ride, when Kenneth popped out he was no longer inside.
"Childish lies, naievity.
No heroes at all in your nativity.
A growing hope, finally time?
Not so fast, you'll always be mine."
Kenneth got up and looked all around. High above the sea, and yet feeling as if drowned. A precarious mountain top, just him and Steve. A long way down, He could tumble with ease. Kenneth raised the gun, a shake in his knees. About to end the fiend that haunted his dreams.
"Think you're ready?
Think you're strong?
Uncle Steve knows that you won't last for long!"
"Maybe not… but at least you'll be gone…"
Spark and tinder, the monster did splinter. Cast down below, into the cold winter. Kenneth rejoiced, the gun by his side. The ultimate tool that helped leave him behind. Finally free, he yelled and he screamed. Feeling released in the ultimate reprieve. But as his cries carried all through the scorched mountain tops, blood began pouring. The sky weeped like a fountain.
"A trembling hand,
Another chance.
Little Kenny,
is 'free' at last.
Lost his mother, got no friends.
Always alone, no matter the ends.
So know this, my tiny child.
I am undying, forever beguiled.
And you, sad pup, are forever defiled…
I'll always be there. I have the means.
There's no escape, while I lurk in your dreams."
The celebration ended with the stark revelation. The gun met his temple to defy the cantation. Steve's mocking screech, the final desecration. And with a loud bang, he was back in his bedroom…
"Fuck!" Kenneth sprang up and fell to the floor. His shallow breathing leveled out as the pill bottle's lid joined him. He'd been there before. "Not again…"
He choked down six, triple the dose… Now back in this life, that he hated the most.
submitted by Verrgasm to DiabolicOughts [link] [comments]
Kenneth shivered as the cold wind battered against his scantily-clad body. The same as always, he was wearing his pajamas. Now far too small and disintegrating on his adult-sized frame, they tore and fell away as he walked, leaving him little more than torn rags for comfort against the elements. The harsh earth stung under his bare feet. Uniformly black, contrasting the sickening reddish sky which hugged cragged mountain tops on horizons far out of reach. A small light emanated in the distance. Following his usual robotic routine, Kenneth stumbled towards it like a moth to the flame.
The wind ceased almost instantly as he grew nearer and its howling was replaced by an intimidating silent totality. There was no sound left whatsoever besides the first whisper. Loud and clear, as if right in his ear. Right on que. There was nothing he could do.
"To come or go after and take or bring back.
All the children, wrapped up in black.
Venture forth or turn around.
A soul once entered is already bound."
It was his voice. It made Kenneth want to wretch, to empty his nonexistent stomach, but such reliefs weren't present. Not permitted. Stripped from Kenneth like so many other things before, injustices of which he'd now face all over again. His horror was an internal one. The ability to react, dulled and blunted, as if tranced. His foreknowledge of the impending trauma rained a great heavy dread upon the sullen atmosphere of the nightmarish place. A literal rain. Slimy like oil. The air hung heavy, further slowing his movements. Kenneth struggled on regardless, shuffling towards the second glow amidst the growing fog. The second taunting installment retelling his miserable history.
The light blinked out, plunging the landscape into darkness once again. The sky's pale crimson glow only slightly revealed his surroundings, occasionally lit up with bolts of unseen violet lighting. Not that there was anything for Kenneth to see. Nothing to do but obey. Steve's voice throbbed in the void around him. A cruel mockery, cawed in a distorted imitation of the man who'd destroyed his life before it even had a chance to truly begin. The monster who snuffed his innocence out forever.
"All alone the lady waits,
Devoid of a father, whom they now both hate.
House is empty, home is cold.
A shallow dream, eagerly sold."
Visions of his mother tore at Kenneth and he did everything he could to resist, to stamp them down and lock them away. But the more he struggled, the harder it was to keep them at bay.
"A sweet relief, a sweet reprieve. A lovely replacement,
named Steve.
Steve is kind, Steve is nice.
Kenny's mother, in a vice."
Another clockwork recurrence chilled Kenneth as he felt the eyes. Turning to meet them, the wind returned; crashing against him and sending him tumbling to the coarse desert floor. The ashen texture coated everything, acrid and burning in his nostrils. Piercing debris like shattered glass clung and then fell back to their place among the filth as Kenneth strained to get back up. To his relief, Steve wasn't moving yet. Just… standing there. Right on the edge of his visibility. Waving…
He didn't act like the Steve that Kenneth had known in the waking world. The rhymes, that was nothing like him. But the way he… it, would deliver them… that was just Steve all over. That smug cadence, made manifest in a demon now all too real. It cocked its head as it brought its hand back down to its side before extending it outwards. A long bony finger beckoned to Kenneth.
"No…" he whimpered. Desperate to escape the inevitable. "Just… go away…"
"He takes you away to a different place.
Leaves an awful mess all over your face.
'Tell a soul, my little whore,
Then you will suffer.
Your mother, and more."
"Do you remember, Kenny?" It began to advance. An onyx phantom, silhouetted and drawing nearer. "Do you remember the toolshed?" A creature, becoming clearer.
A shrill cackling laughter filled the night air, which immediately became much darker. Thicker. Like being underwater. The monster broke from a shamble into a sprint and fight or flight sent Kenneth running too. The shock that had held him in place cleared fast with the adrenaline, spurring him to flee. To escape that terrible place, once and for all. He could hear its heavy, lumbering footfalls advancing close behind. A sharp pain shredded through him from his bloody soles to his pounding chest, close to bursting, when a cave presented itself in the distance. Small, but safe. A false safety.
A tiny candle flickered dimly in its narrow entryway and as it finally became within reach Kenneth thrust himself inside and awaited his imminent punishment with clenched fists, but his monstrous pursuer was gone. For now. Picking up the fragile light source and shielding it with his cupped hand, Kenneth began to go deeper. The passageway was thin, but there was nowhere to go except forward. There was a strange feeling emerging from inside, one long awaited.
"Of inky black and rotten sack, a filthy mongrel answers back.
Tell him quietly, watch him whimper. Tell him loudly, hear him holler.
The mother tries to help her son. Steve is angry, he says he'll maul her."
A flash of righteous anger bubbled in Kenneth as he felt the presence behind him. Once again eager to give chase.
"And I did maul 'er. Didn't I, boy?" Kenneth heard it scrape its claws on the cold stone wall. Screeching like nails on an old, long abandoned chalkboard. "It's your fault what happened to her."
Another hideous cackle, only this time stifled, Kenneth's response overcoming it in the constricting chasm.
"Fuck off, Steve! You fucking piece of shit!" He'd always wanted to say that, it spewed out all frothy and furious like he imagined it would. A thirst for retribution fuelled him, flowed all through and inspired a long dead hope within. A puncture in its invulnerability. "I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
Kenneth believed it. He knew it, and so did the monster.
"Through Muffled screams and burning holes,
Steve continues, ignoring 'no's'.
Searing flesh, the work is done.
'Uncle Steve', has had his fun."
The cave walls began to rumble, and through some invisible quaking force they splintered and cracked, flooding the dim tunnel in a sea of sparse debris. Two round searchlight-like eyes beamed at Kenneth through the dusty mist as it extinguished his little candle. Silence once again, punctuated only by shallow breath before being interrupted by a deep penetrating growl. The eyes closed, and in the darkness of the tunnel the two's chase ensued. The passage grew slimmer and skinnier with each step and eventually the slick thuds of pounding steps on wet stone were reduced to grunts and pained moans as Kenneth squeezed and crawled and shimmied through dank shafts and up and down stairs and across chambers full of black crystal formations. Impossibly black. Blacker than the remotest void of space. Darker than a sea of dead stars. The sight captivated Kenneth, tempting him to stop and fall into it forever. To give into it. But as he was right on the precipice of the endless cosmic lagoon, about to start tumbling, he heard it stirring behind. Snorting and laughing. Clicking and mumbling incomprehensibly. Scratching and scraping its thick filthy claws in an effort to regain control. To prove its ownership. Kenneth was done. He wasn't scared anymore, he repeated it in his head like a mantra. Giving everything to believe it.
"Amber leaves and dirty knees,
A wife held down, who hardly sees.
Always stoic, mummy's soldier.
No escape from your enclosure..."
Kenneth ducked back and slid into a large crack in the wall as the monster entered into the small crystal chamber, the exit now blocked with its menacing presence. Kenneth held his breath, clamping his hands down tightly over his trembling bottom lip.
"Trapped again, little Kenny,
No escape without a penny.
Tell aloud, try to run.
Watch her suffer.
It's never done."
Thick slopping drool seeped from its distended maw as it lurched past Kenny's hiding spot in the wall. Mere feet away from taking him, bringing him back. Pulling him under. It cooed for him. Humming a sweet song, one he barely remembered. It made him want to give in, for the last time. But he didn't, refusing to scream. Refusing to give it what it wanted.
After a while the creature began to double back, creeping towards the exit from whence it came. As its sweet serenade slowly disappeared, Kenneth climbed out and made a break for it, trudging through the darkness using his hands as eyes. No more song, no more Steve. Kenneth crawled through the mud, desperate to leave. The cold cave air was becoming hot, and as Kenneth traveled ever deeper the walls began to rot. Flesh came away with each frantic grasp, choking poor Kenneth and making him gasp. The musky dead passageway was emitting a horrid miasma. It burned and it stung, rekindling his asthma. But push onward he did, embracing his chance. Ready to face down the monster for one last dance.
"A comforting weapon,
The cold steel gun.
In your tiny palm it weighs a ton.
Grip it tighter, hide it good.
Kill Uncle Steve like a hero would."
Kenneth was in control, a rhyme of his own. Ready to kill. Not maim, but dethrone. Just as in childhood, he felt the gun's weight. Now all the more lighter, and though the darkness remained, it was as if it grew brighter, empowered by the knowledge that he now was a fighter. So he clambered on through the decaying dark tunnel. The tunnel, it seemed, leveled out like a funnel. In through the mouth and down the thin trail. Then into a slide where he slid like a snail. The final hill of a terrible ride, when Kenneth popped out he was no longer inside.
"Childish lies, naievity.
No heroes at all in your nativity.
A growing hope, finally time?
Not so fast, you'll always be mine."
Kenneth got up and looked all around. High above the sea, and yet feeling as if drowned. A precarious mountain top, just him and Steve. A long way down, He could tumble with ease. Kenneth raised the gun, a shake in his knees. About to end the fiend that haunted his dreams.
"Think you're ready?
Think you're strong?
Uncle Steve knows that you won't last for long!"
"Maybe not… but at least you'll be gone…"
Spark and tinder, the monster did splinter. Cast down below, into the cold winter. Kenneth rejoiced, the gun by his side. The ultimate tool that helped leave him behind. Finally free, he yelled and he screamed. Feeling released in the ultimate reprieve. But as his cries carried all through the scorched mountain tops, blood began pouring. The sky weeped like a fountain.
"A trembling hand,
Another chance.
Little Kenny,
is 'free' at last.
Lost his mother, got no friends.
Always alone, no matter the ends.
So know this, my tiny child.
I am undying, forever beguiled.
And you, sad pup, are forever defiled…
I'll always be there. I have the means.
There's no escape, while I lurk in your dreams."
The celebration ended with the stark revelation. The gun met his temple to defy the cantation. Steve's mocking screech, the final desecration. And with a loud bang, he was back in his bedroom…
"Fuck!" Kenneth sprang up and fell to the floor. His shallow breathing leveled out as the pill bottle's lid joined him. He'd been there before. "Not again…"
He choked down six, triple the dose… Now back in this life, that he hated the most.
2023.05.30 20:02 IaProc [First of Our Kind] - Chapter 31 - Part I
First: https://redd.it/11e34ce
Previous: https://redd.it/13q19ts
Chapter 31
It was a long while before Quin stirred. He knew it was well past the 14:00 mark when the crew would have re-boarded. He glanced down at his armband and saw 18:43. He was thirteen minutes late to the dinner hour. The weight of everything sitting heavy on his shoulders, he lethargically pushed himself out of bed and sat on the edge, his face in his hands. Falling forward onto his feet, he trudged over to the door and unlocked it. Out in the corridor, he found almost no one. A lone security officer made his way slowly around the corner as he was looking down at a tablet. He paid no mind to Quin and he slowly passed, heading to the cafeteria.
Maybe I can grab something to eat really quick before anyone recognizes I’m there, he hoped. They should all be busy eating, I could just slip in and out. He had no intention to speak to anyone. His armband and even the screen in his room were unusually silent, which didn’t bother him too much, given the way that he was feeling. He knew he would eventually have to face the crew, and especially Nova, back at work the next day. I technically should have been back already. There was mixture of fury, shame, and uncertainty brewing in his gut and he wanted to quash it before having to meet anyone. He breathed slowly, deeply, and leaned up against a wall. He let his head rest against the wall and felt the queasy feeling subside a bit. He sighed and pushed out a long exhale, leaving the wall.
He saw no one as he wound through the crew dormitories, arriving at the main hallway that connected the crew living space, the command deck, and the working spaces. Right on the edge of this junction, the main cafeteria’s double doors opened into a massive bay, with tables stretching far down the open space leading to the serving line and kitchens in back. Quin knew that back there, Bostwick had arranged to have coffee served continuously. He looked around and saw pockets of people eating and a larger crowd lounging around a group of tables. Quin saw Mae and Bostwick among the group and made to leave to avoid them, but Mae caught his eye and waved him over, preventing his escape.
Quin trudged over and sat down at the periphery of the group, He didn’t recognize a lot of the people sitting there, though he could remember a few being among Mae’s engineering section. He supposed the others were a good mix, some being security, judging by their builds and haircuts.
Mae leaned toward him a whispered, “As you can imagine, word has travelled fast.” This set Quin on edge. He in no way felt ready to confront his fellow crewmembers about what took place in that hangar. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before he felt a hand on his upper arm. Mae was looking at him, meeting his eye as he silently pleaded to escape. Her firm clutch on his arm was remarkably comforting.
“It’s okay, Quin,” Mae whispered to him. “Nothing is going to happen. I’m here and so is Commander Bostwick. Stay, eat.” She slid him her tray where a good portion of her meal was untouched. He grabbed a rehydrated roll and tore off a bit. It was about all he could stomach. He chewed slowly and let his eyes trace the floor tiles between his feet. It allowed him to be ignored by the ongoing chatter while still paying attention to what was being said. A number of the crew were debating amongst themselves, some more loudly than others.
“Drake here thinks we can just go killing each other willy-nilly,” one crewmember said loudly. She gestured to an older, scruffy looking man in a white t-shirt and a stained apron reclining against the table, a hardened look about him. He was the head of the kitchen crew that Quin remembered from his first briefing.
“Shoulda killed ‘em while she had ‘em pinned,” Drake grunted. His accent was more British than anything, though it was course and not like some of the academy instructors’ more refined dialect.
“You can’t be serious, Drake. Killing another person? That’s so senseless,” Mae said.
“Goddamn thief, gotta lot less than ‘e deserved,” Drake scowled.
“Drake, we’re on a goddam humanitarian mission, for the love of…” Mae quipped, exasperated. “How can you be for killing this guy when we are trying to save all those people of Gaia?”
“It’s tha’ job, girlie,” Drake retorted. “You officer types got all these ideas. You know how much a support staff gets from this? Imma retire tha’ minute we get back.”
“Well, sure, there’s that,” Mae said, a little resigned. “But there’s also the humanist principle. Protecting and promoting human life.”
“Life is pointless, dearie. Th’ sooner you reconcile yerself with tha’, the sooner you will be comfortable with th’ fact tha’ nothing you do matters. Tha’ bloke is insignificant. An’ so are you,” Drake stated, punctuating his last sentence with a jab of the finger at Mae.
“Why are you being so cold?” Mae said, rather hurt.
“Cause life hurts, right Chief?” Drake sneered. He turned to Commander Bostwick with raised eyebrows. It was clear that Bostwick was now the only person that could say anything that would be heard by the entire group, Drake included. The familiarity of the remark seemed to indicate that Bostwick and Drake had been on missions before together.
“Actually, Drake, I don’t agree,” Louis said, seemingly waking out of a deep reverie.
“Really? You think this whol’ thing ain’t some crock of shit?” Drake asked incredulously.
“I have long ago come to terms with how small I am compared to the grand arch of the universe. You can’t be a space traveler and not see that. In my experience, it usually drives people to one of two extremes: they either become extremely religious in their search for belonging and purpose, or they become so nihilistic that caring goes the way of the common cold: extinct. I see that you tend towards the latter. Me?” Louis shrugged, offering, “I take a different approach. Yes, our existence has a sense of cosmic horror and pointlessness. We are not some Ancient Ones, consuming worlds and manipulating the very fabric of physical laws. We are subject to the universe’s ebbs and flows. So, what do we do? What can we do? We give our lives purpose; we give them meaning.”
“Yer just like ‘er,” Drake said, shaking his head and flapping his hands to wave him off. “Sentimental wishing that’ll save tha worl’.”
“Perhaps. Though I would say I’ve seen quite a few loved ones and colleagues senselessly killed: training accident mishaps, space travel cataclysms, incurable diseases, not to mention at the end of a gun.” Quin was frozen, though he was staring intently at the floor so as to not meet anyone’s gaze. He knew who Bostwick was talking about when listing those causes, and Quin felt his stomach churn violently when imagining himself being on that list.
“Their deaths affect everyone around them and funerals are for the living,” Bostwick continued. “You can’t see that and not be angry at the universe for what seems like random fatal chance. I know I have been at some points. So, I’ve come to look at it this way. In light of everything that could go wrong at any time, YOU, yourself, are responsible for giving your life meaning.”
“Philosophical bullshit,” Drake said, interrupting, and crossing his arms and leaning back against a cafeteria table.
“Shut the hell up, Drake,” Mae said testily, turning back to Louis.
“It’s okay, Mae, everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Louis said, smiling softly.
“Sure, but he keeps dismissing it without letting you explain it. What do you mean by ‘giving meaning’?”
“Hmm, well, look at it like this. Whatever you do in life, you are remembered by. Everyone interprets things too, so your meaning is the only thing that comes from you, intrinsically. Once you put it out there, it’s for others to deal with as they please. Especially in death. That’s why we gild our historical figures, we project our best wishes on them, despite what meaning they may have intended for their life. It is only in your own life and your own motivations that you are able to control your meaning, your purpose, so that is why you have to live your life as fully as possible.”
“Wow, that’s pretty heady,” Mae said, smiling a bit.
“Not really. Look at it like this. When the Europeans set out to conquer the American continents, they were after large amounts of gold. Gold, itself, has no real intrinsic purpose, until a person comes along and gives it a purpose or meaning by using it for something. So, the Europeans ascribed it tremendous value. The Native Americans living on those two continents, millions of people spread across thousands of miles of land and spanning cultures, languages, and beliefs, were subject to such cruelty and horror, through genocide and plague, all because the Europeans ascribed value to a particular resource. And the kicker is, these native groups held that resource in a different regard. Imagine an alien race coming along and saying that your…shoes,” Louis said, gesturing toward Mae’s feet, “were extremely valuable and were going to trade you for them. And you refused, so they killed you for them. Wouldn’t you think that their purpose for shoes is a little…off?”
Mae simply nodded. The rest of the cafeteria was silent.
“Sure. Humans are the only beings that we know of right now that can not only give purpose to things, but also to themselves. It’s why our species had religion for so long. People seek purpose. Now, I have no patience for such a system where my purpose is controlled by something else. Some people go their entire lives, repeating a mundane set of tasks within a relatively limited amount of space, and call that living. If that’s where they get their own purpose, then fine. But I’ve concluded that living a purpose-driven life means taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions and putting it at the service of others. I give myself purpose. That’s why I’m here. I’m fortunate that my life’s purpose is aligned with the humanitarian ideals present in our mission. Many people search a long time to find such a unity of purpose.”
“So yeh’ve got yer altruism an’ it keeps you warm an’ fed at nigh’,” Drake said sarcastically.
“I’ve got my bread and my cot, so I’m taken care of. I’m speaking about a higher search for meaning. I believe to my core that such a mission is purposeful, because I am dedicating my existence to others. I’ve come to accept my fate. If I die—and I shall because all of us are only temporary passengers on this journey—then my life’s meaning is crystal clear,” Louis finished, sitting back in his chair, taking a sip of coffee, and glancing over at Quin, who was busy tracing a panel of floor tiling with his eyes and trying to soak in everything Louis said. “And if it needs to be stated for the record, I’m also opposed to killing anyone onboard this ship, or off it for that matter, no matter what crime they are believed to have committed.”
Drake stood up, staring at Louis, and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but instead just shook his head and wagged his finger and stomped off to the kitchen.
Quin stood up too and skulked off out the main cafeteria doors. Louis jumped up and chased after him, leaving the rest of the room sitting quietly.
“Quin! QUIN! Will you just stop and talk to me?!” Louis said part-way down the hall, grabbing Quin’s arm and turning it. Quin’s eyes were burning as he was trying hard to hold in his guilt.
“Okay, come on,” Louis said, guiding him down the hallway.
They walked a full quarter length of the massive ship, Louis guiding him through the twists and turns of the labyrinth that was the Nemo. They passed through the portal leading to officer quarters and arrived at Louis’s chamber. The walls closed in around Quin as he and Louis crammed themselves into the room. Louis sat Quin down on the bed and took the desk chair.
“You need to cool down,” Louis said. “I know it’s not your fault. You have this really annoying, yet really endearing habit of carrying the weight of the cosmos on your shoulders. Even Atlas himself asked for a break. No one is dead.”
“Yeah, but it could have gone a lot worse. And I had no way of controlling it, yet I’m still responsible for it, Louis,” Quin half-shouted, launching himself up and pacing the small room. Bostwick’s eyes followed him back and forth. “I can’t face Captain Fuentes, or the other crew, let alone Nova. I don’t know what to say to her. Aside from that I almost got someone killed.”
“Like I said, Quin,” Louis said, smiling softly, his piercing grey eyes suddenly warm, “leave it to others to gab about the situation and suppose everything. You, yourself, are the only person who knows what is in your heart. But, my friend, I think I can guess what’s in there.”
Quin’s his chest was tight as he was burning up with humiliation and rage.
“You know what I do when I need to calm down?” Louis asked.
“What’s…that…” Quin said between slow breaths to calm himself, the tightness in his chest refusing to abate.
“You ever heard of Hendrix?”
“No, what’s that?”
“You mean, who’s that,” Louis said, hopping up. “Take a deep breath, lean back, and rest your head. Let the music wash over you.”
Quin laid his head back against the wall next to the bed and got comfortable.
“Now, center yourself. Take a deep breath,” Bostwick said softly as he scrolled through a menu on his tablet in the wall. He pressed play on his tablet, and the first twangy guitar strums filled the room, like a heartbeat, pulsing the air through Quin’s chest.
Quin let his eyes go unfocused and closed them as the lyrics began emanating from the nothingness around him. “After all the jacks are in their boxes…” the cool edge of the singer’s voice and the slow, driving grit of the guitar took over him, and he drifted off to sleep. The Nemo cruised on into the black, and it was as if Jimi and space fused as one, his music making the nothingness swell with soul. “And the wind…cries…Mary.”
submitted by IaProc to redditserials [link] [comments]
Previous: https://redd.it/13q19ts
Chapter 31
It was a long while before Quin stirred. He knew it was well past the 14:00 mark when the crew would have re-boarded. He glanced down at his armband and saw 18:43. He was thirteen minutes late to the dinner hour. The weight of everything sitting heavy on his shoulders, he lethargically pushed himself out of bed and sat on the edge, his face in his hands. Falling forward onto his feet, he trudged over to the door and unlocked it. Out in the corridor, he found almost no one. A lone security officer made his way slowly around the corner as he was looking down at a tablet. He paid no mind to Quin and he slowly passed, heading to the cafeteria.
Maybe I can grab something to eat really quick before anyone recognizes I’m there, he hoped. They should all be busy eating, I could just slip in and out. He had no intention to speak to anyone. His armband and even the screen in his room were unusually silent, which didn’t bother him too much, given the way that he was feeling. He knew he would eventually have to face the crew, and especially Nova, back at work the next day. I technically should have been back already. There was mixture of fury, shame, and uncertainty brewing in his gut and he wanted to quash it before having to meet anyone. He breathed slowly, deeply, and leaned up against a wall. He let his head rest against the wall and felt the queasy feeling subside a bit. He sighed and pushed out a long exhale, leaving the wall.
He saw no one as he wound through the crew dormitories, arriving at the main hallway that connected the crew living space, the command deck, and the working spaces. Right on the edge of this junction, the main cafeteria’s double doors opened into a massive bay, with tables stretching far down the open space leading to the serving line and kitchens in back. Quin knew that back there, Bostwick had arranged to have coffee served continuously. He looked around and saw pockets of people eating and a larger crowd lounging around a group of tables. Quin saw Mae and Bostwick among the group and made to leave to avoid them, but Mae caught his eye and waved him over, preventing his escape.
Quin trudged over and sat down at the periphery of the group, He didn’t recognize a lot of the people sitting there, though he could remember a few being among Mae’s engineering section. He supposed the others were a good mix, some being security, judging by their builds and haircuts.
Mae leaned toward him a whispered, “As you can imagine, word has travelled fast.” This set Quin on edge. He in no way felt ready to confront his fellow crewmembers about what took place in that hangar. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before he felt a hand on his upper arm. Mae was looking at him, meeting his eye as he silently pleaded to escape. Her firm clutch on his arm was remarkably comforting.
“It’s okay, Quin,” Mae whispered to him. “Nothing is going to happen. I’m here and so is Commander Bostwick. Stay, eat.” She slid him her tray where a good portion of her meal was untouched. He grabbed a rehydrated roll and tore off a bit. It was about all he could stomach. He chewed slowly and let his eyes trace the floor tiles between his feet. It allowed him to be ignored by the ongoing chatter while still paying attention to what was being said. A number of the crew were debating amongst themselves, some more loudly than others.
“Drake here thinks we can just go killing each other willy-nilly,” one crewmember said loudly. She gestured to an older, scruffy looking man in a white t-shirt and a stained apron reclining against the table, a hardened look about him. He was the head of the kitchen crew that Quin remembered from his first briefing.
“Shoulda killed ‘em while she had ‘em pinned,” Drake grunted. His accent was more British than anything, though it was course and not like some of the academy instructors’ more refined dialect.
“You can’t be serious, Drake. Killing another person? That’s so senseless,” Mae said.
“Goddamn thief, gotta lot less than ‘e deserved,” Drake scowled.
“Drake, we’re on a goddam humanitarian mission, for the love of…” Mae quipped, exasperated. “How can you be for killing this guy when we are trying to save all those people of Gaia?”
“It’s tha’ job, girlie,” Drake retorted. “You officer types got all these ideas. You know how much a support staff gets from this? Imma retire tha’ minute we get back.”
“Well, sure, there’s that,” Mae said, a little resigned. “But there’s also the humanist principle. Protecting and promoting human life.”
“Life is pointless, dearie. Th’ sooner you reconcile yerself with tha’, the sooner you will be comfortable with th’ fact tha’ nothing you do matters. Tha’ bloke is insignificant. An’ so are you,” Drake stated, punctuating his last sentence with a jab of the finger at Mae.
“Why are you being so cold?” Mae said, rather hurt.
“Cause life hurts, right Chief?” Drake sneered. He turned to Commander Bostwick with raised eyebrows. It was clear that Bostwick was now the only person that could say anything that would be heard by the entire group, Drake included. The familiarity of the remark seemed to indicate that Bostwick and Drake had been on missions before together.
“Actually, Drake, I don’t agree,” Louis said, seemingly waking out of a deep reverie.
“Really? You think this whol’ thing ain’t some crock of shit?” Drake asked incredulously.
“I have long ago come to terms with how small I am compared to the grand arch of the universe. You can’t be a space traveler and not see that. In my experience, it usually drives people to one of two extremes: they either become extremely religious in their search for belonging and purpose, or they become so nihilistic that caring goes the way of the common cold: extinct. I see that you tend towards the latter. Me?” Louis shrugged, offering, “I take a different approach. Yes, our existence has a sense of cosmic horror and pointlessness. We are not some Ancient Ones, consuming worlds and manipulating the very fabric of physical laws. We are subject to the universe’s ebbs and flows. So, what do we do? What can we do? We give our lives purpose; we give them meaning.”
“Yer just like ‘er,” Drake said, shaking his head and flapping his hands to wave him off. “Sentimental wishing that’ll save tha worl’.”
“Perhaps. Though I would say I’ve seen quite a few loved ones and colleagues senselessly killed: training accident mishaps, space travel cataclysms, incurable diseases, not to mention at the end of a gun.” Quin was frozen, though he was staring intently at the floor so as to not meet anyone’s gaze. He knew who Bostwick was talking about when listing those causes, and Quin felt his stomach churn violently when imagining himself being on that list.
“Their deaths affect everyone around them and funerals are for the living,” Bostwick continued. “You can’t see that and not be angry at the universe for what seems like random fatal chance. I know I have been at some points. So, I’ve come to look at it this way. In light of everything that could go wrong at any time, YOU, yourself, are responsible for giving your life meaning.”
“Philosophical bullshit,” Drake said, interrupting, and crossing his arms and leaning back against a cafeteria table.
“Shut the hell up, Drake,” Mae said testily, turning back to Louis.
“It’s okay, Mae, everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Louis said, smiling softly.
“Sure, but he keeps dismissing it without letting you explain it. What do you mean by ‘giving meaning’?”
“Hmm, well, look at it like this. Whatever you do in life, you are remembered by. Everyone interprets things too, so your meaning is the only thing that comes from you, intrinsically. Once you put it out there, it’s for others to deal with as they please. Especially in death. That’s why we gild our historical figures, we project our best wishes on them, despite what meaning they may have intended for their life. It is only in your own life and your own motivations that you are able to control your meaning, your purpose, so that is why you have to live your life as fully as possible.”
“Wow, that’s pretty heady,” Mae said, smiling a bit.
“Not really. Look at it like this. When the Europeans set out to conquer the American continents, they were after large amounts of gold. Gold, itself, has no real intrinsic purpose, until a person comes along and gives it a purpose or meaning by using it for something. So, the Europeans ascribed it tremendous value. The Native Americans living on those two continents, millions of people spread across thousands of miles of land and spanning cultures, languages, and beliefs, were subject to such cruelty and horror, through genocide and plague, all because the Europeans ascribed value to a particular resource. And the kicker is, these native groups held that resource in a different regard. Imagine an alien race coming along and saying that your…shoes,” Louis said, gesturing toward Mae’s feet, “were extremely valuable and were going to trade you for them. And you refused, so they killed you for them. Wouldn’t you think that their purpose for shoes is a little…off?”
Mae simply nodded. The rest of the cafeteria was silent.
“Sure. Humans are the only beings that we know of right now that can not only give purpose to things, but also to themselves. It’s why our species had religion for so long. People seek purpose. Now, I have no patience for such a system where my purpose is controlled by something else. Some people go their entire lives, repeating a mundane set of tasks within a relatively limited amount of space, and call that living. If that’s where they get their own purpose, then fine. But I’ve concluded that living a purpose-driven life means taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions and putting it at the service of others. I give myself purpose. That’s why I’m here. I’m fortunate that my life’s purpose is aligned with the humanitarian ideals present in our mission. Many people search a long time to find such a unity of purpose.”
“So yeh’ve got yer altruism an’ it keeps you warm an’ fed at nigh’,” Drake said sarcastically.
“I’ve got my bread and my cot, so I’m taken care of. I’m speaking about a higher search for meaning. I believe to my core that such a mission is purposeful, because I am dedicating my existence to others. I’ve come to accept my fate. If I die—and I shall because all of us are only temporary passengers on this journey—then my life’s meaning is crystal clear,” Louis finished, sitting back in his chair, taking a sip of coffee, and glancing over at Quin, who was busy tracing a panel of floor tiling with his eyes and trying to soak in everything Louis said. “And if it needs to be stated for the record, I’m also opposed to killing anyone onboard this ship, or off it for that matter, no matter what crime they are believed to have committed.”
Drake stood up, staring at Louis, and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but instead just shook his head and wagged his finger and stomped off to the kitchen.
Quin stood up too and skulked off out the main cafeteria doors. Louis jumped up and chased after him, leaving the rest of the room sitting quietly.
“Quin! QUIN! Will you just stop and talk to me?!” Louis said part-way down the hall, grabbing Quin’s arm and turning it. Quin’s eyes were burning as he was trying hard to hold in his guilt.
“Okay, come on,” Louis said, guiding him down the hallway.
They walked a full quarter length of the massive ship, Louis guiding him through the twists and turns of the labyrinth that was the Nemo. They passed through the portal leading to officer quarters and arrived at Louis’s chamber. The walls closed in around Quin as he and Louis crammed themselves into the room. Louis sat Quin down on the bed and took the desk chair.
“You need to cool down,” Louis said. “I know it’s not your fault. You have this really annoying, yet really endearing habit of carrying the weight of the cosmos on your shoulders. Even Atlas himself asked for a break. No one is dead.”
“Yeah, but it could have gone a lot worse. And I had no way of controlling it, yet I’m still responsible for it, Louis,” Quin half-shouted, launching himself up and pacing the small room. Bostwick’s eyes followed him back and forth. “I can’t face Captain Fuentes, or the other crew, let alone Nova. I don’t know what to say to her. Aside from that I almost got someone killed.”
“Like I said, Quin,” Louis said, smiling softly, his piercing grey eyes suddenly warm, “leave it to others to gab about the situation and suppose everything. You, yourself, are the only person who knows what is in your heart. But, my friend, I think I can guess what’s in there.”
Quin’s his chest was tight as he was burning up with humiliation and rage.
“You know what I do when I need to calm down?” Louis asked.
“What’s…that…” Quin said between slow breaths to calm himself, the tightness in his chest refusing to abate.
“You ever heard of Hendrix?”
“No, what’s that?”
“You mean, who’s that,” Louis said, hopping up. “Take a deep breath, lean back, and rest your head. Let the music wash over you.”
Quin laid his head back against the wall next to the bed and got comfortable.
“Now, center yourself. Take a deep breath,” Bostwick said softly as he scrolled through a menu on his tablet in the wall. He pressed play on his tablet, and the first twangy guitar strums filled the room, like a heartbeat, pulsing the air through Quin’s chest.
Quin let his eyes go unfocused and closed them as the lyrics began emanating from the nothingness around him. “After all the jacks are in their boxes…” the cool edge of the singer’s voice and the slow, driving grit of the guitar took over him, and he drifted off to sleep. The Nemo cruised on into the black, and it was as if Jimi and space fused as one, his music making the nothingness swell with soul. “And the wind…cries…Mary.”
2023.05.30 19:55 buildsandgames [Spoilers All] Ranged combat.
Been experimenting, and think I’m feeling going ranged combat, which is a new one for me.
Now there is a lot of opinions what is and is not best, I’m fairly certain there is quite a lot of mage fans, but let’s not talk about what’s best. Do you like ranged combat in any of the games?
1: What do you prefer in each game? Physical or magical? And why?
2: How do you fit a range character into your party?
3: Why do you like or dislike ranged combat?
4: Are you an experienced ranged fighter? Or did you try it and liked?
My own opinions…
DA:O: IMO, Origins is the most suited for ranged combat mechanics, simple because ranged fighters don’t have to stay ranged. This is because in Origins you can have a second load out and switch back and forth on the fly with either the radial wheel or assign to a quick slot.
Also in Origins, when you switch loud outs the quick slots also changed back and forth, so you can still use your favorite respective abilities without have to open the radial menu.
Origins also had the least restrictions; warriors had the archery tree much like the rogue, giving you the option to become a sniper tank, and mage could use weapons other than staves like daggers (You just didn’t get any abilities).
There was also the arcane warrior class which was, arguably, the best of not ranged and close quarters combat.
The only downside was point distribution, unless you played on pc with a mod, you had to be carful where to place your point and skills.
DA:2: 2 suffered a lot from the changes they made, the biggest was taking out the secondary loud out, warriors no longer could use bows or mages melee.
The weapon restrictions , I am assuming, we’re an unwelcome splash of cold water. Mages could no longer equip melee weapons, and warriors no longer has archery, on top of that you were also limited based on if you wanted a balanced party.
2 had three rogues, two of which already were archers, so if you are like me and obsessed about keeping party options balanced it kinda locked you in. In this case you best bet is mage.
(Example: In 2, depending on your choice of Hawke, and that choice will determine which of you siblings will live decide overall availability of classes among your companions. If you choose mage or warrior, there will be three of each, but if you choose rogue you will have more rogue than you need IMO and only two warriors. Told you I obsessed.)
DA:I: While again the ability to switch around weapons in command is still out, the abilities and skills are no longer an issue, as you can buy an item to respec. The companions consist of three of each class, who also represent each specialization, and your character will be a fourth. If Origins is the best for ranged classes, IMO, Inquisition is the second best and that’s not a bad thing.
Inquisition had some good specializations, for both mage and rogue, and many who liked arcane warrior in Origins may have also liked Knight Enchanter in Inquisition.
submitted by buildsandgames to dragonage [link] [comments]
Now there is a lot of opinions what is and is not best, I’m fairly certain there is quite a lot of mage fans, but let’s not talk about what’s best. Do you like ranged combat in any of the games?
1: What do you prefer in each game? Physical or magical? And why?
2: How do you fit a range character into your party?
3: Why do you like or dislike ranged combat?
4: Are you an experienced ranged fighter? Or did you try it and liked?
My own opinions…
DA:O: IMO, Origins is the most suited for ranged combat mechanics, simple because ranged fighters don’t have to stay ranged. This is because in Origins you can have a second load out and switch back and forth on the fly with either the radial wheel or assign to a quick slot.
Also in Origins, when you switch loud outs the quick slots also changed back and forth, so you can still use your favorite respective abilities without have to open the radial menu.
Origins also had the least restrictions; warriors had the archery tree much like the rogue, giving you the option to become a sniper tank, and mage could use weapons other than staves like daggers (You just didn’t get any abilities).
There was also the arcane warrior class which was, arguably, the best of not ranged and close quarters combat.
The only downside was point distribution, unless you played on pc with a mod, you had to be carful where to place your point and skills.
DA:2: 2 suffered a lot from the changes they made, the biggest was taking out the secondary loud out, warriors no longer could use bows or mages melee.
The weapon restrictions , I am assuming, we’re an unwelcome splash of cold water. Mages could no longer equip melee weapons, and warriors no longer has archery, on top of that you were also limited based on if you wanted a balanced party.
2 had three rogues, two of which already were archers, so if you are like me and obsessed about keeping party options balanced it kinda locked you in. In this case you best bet is mage.
(Example: In 2, depending on your choice of Hawke, and that choice will determine which of you siblings will live decide overall availability of classes among your companions. If you choose mage or warrior, there will be three of each, but if you choose rogue you will have more rogue than you need IMO and only two warriors. Told you I obsessed.)
DA:I: While again the ability to switch around weapons in command is still out, the abilities and skills are no longer an issue, as you can buy an item to respec. The companions consist of three of each class, who also represent each specialization, and your character will be a fourth. If Origins is the best for ranged classes, IMO, Inquisition is the second best and that’s not a bad thing.
Inquisition had some good specializations, for both mage and rogue, and many who liked arcane warrior in Origins may have also liked Knight Enchanter in Inquisition.
2023.05.30 19:41 coltonarh the internet archive shows that wizard of oz was remade in 2011 and im unsure if the borderlines lost relics version was the old or new one
 | submitted by coltonarh to dagamesofficial [link] [comments] |