Sarada uchiha konoha nights [d-art]

[WP] After being unable to solve the issues plaguing the world humanity decided to abandon Earth and look for a new home among the stars. Now, millennia later, humanity returns to its almost forgotten home, only to find a planet that does not at all resemble the ancient myths and legends.

2023.05.30 22:39 zeekoes [WP] After being unable to solve the issues plaguing the world humanity decided to abandon Earth and look for a new home among the stars. Now, millennia later, humanity returns to its almost forgotten home, only to find a planet that does not at all resemble the ancient myths and legends.

They were slowly making their descent towards the verdant planet below. Earth, according to their people back home. The long lost home planet of the humans that preceded them in the ancient times. According to the annals it was a planet on the brink of atmospheric collapse, caused by centuries of unmitigated disastrous handling by their ancestors. They had abandoned the place to seek refuge among the stars and, whether they deserved it or not, they had found it. This was the first mission of many that were send to scout the situation on the planet. The dream had always been to one day return. Most of human history here had been lost and what remained was often written in forgotten languages. Yet, to the crew of the ship, it immediately felt like home.
As the landing gear his the soft ground covered by lush green undercover, the crew packed their necessities. They would sleep in the spaceship at night, but venture as far as they could during daylight. Trying to map the ancient cities and industrial complexes, that were pictured in the ancient texts. With a rumble through the metal flooring, they knew they had truly arrived. The hatch opened and provided a path to this forgotten world.
The first thing the crew noted, was the overabundance of forest around them. On the imagery back at home, this world was depicted as largely barren. Here everything was covered in thick layers of overlapping growth. The air buzzing with life that in no way resembled what they were prepared for. No sign of the large geometric skylines of the cities, not the fast gray fields of asphalt. Oxygen meters cited an abundance of oxygen. Which was somewhat remarkable, as ancients legends spoke of a lack of clean air being on of the reasons for the great migration. The party set out on food, through the field of trees and bushes.
Every now and then they’d find an overgrown structure that hinted at ancient settlers. The architecture was brutish, pragmatic, but not dissimilar from the architecture at home. That recognition sparked a sense of belonging inside. This place was strange, but also recognizable. In the same way you would recognize a square shaped out of negative space. There were signs of pre-migration human civilizations to be seen here and it was oddly beautiful.
The crew had wandered further than intended, distracted by the sights. The regional star was dropping below the horizon, casting longer and longer shadows through the already dark forest. The stumbled upon what looked to be a large underground complex. Large steel hatches closed of a concrete structure. It was easy enough to shatter the decayed lock and chain. The loud sound of snapping metal echoing through the eerie silence that had accompanied the departure of light. They had enough supplies to spend the night in this bunker, albeit not ideal. One of the party stepped in first, flashlight held in front of him he slowly stepped down the staircase into the darkness. It was less deep than they had anticipated. After about twenty meters they hit the ground floor. One of them tried the switch, more out of curiosity than expectation, but the lights in the complex turned on, to everyone’s surprise. That must have been some reliable power generator they installed in here.
They strolled across rows and rows of barrels. Steel drums, all yellow in color, positioned carefully. It almost seemed like a piece of art or something. Each of them carrying a label. Yellow with a thick black outline and in the middle a black trefoil made out of triangles. None of the records back at home had carried knowledge of these symbols. But if this place was so well preserved, they must have been important. They decided to roll one of these barrels out of it’s socket and pried open the lid, careful not to damage it. The walls of the thing were much thicker than they had looked from the outside. It was a thin steel sheet bolted to thick lead on the inside. That explained why the things were so heavy. The barrel was filled with a thick resin like substance, carrying pieces of something that radiated a beautiful luminescent green. Out of curiosity they switched of their flashlights and in the dark they could truly admire the artistry of this barrel. It was like looking upon the stars in the sky, but in a barrel. Captured galaxies they would call them.
They'd spend the rest of the night opening more of these containers. Each of them containing more ore less the same. Some in different colors, some with less and some with more of those pretty stars. They had decided to give up on sleep and take the day off tomorrow. This discovery told them something real and unknown about their ancient ancestors. Each of the crew giddy about what the others at home would say to this wonderful discovery. They weren’t exactly getting tired, but carrying those barrels must’ve taken a toll on their bodies. Exhaustion, in the form of a terrible headache and muscle ache set in. It was also deceptively hot in this bunker as some of our crew began to undress to cool down from the intense sweaty fevers they were experiencing. It was when one of them started vomiting that they decided it was time to leave the discovery rest for now and try and get some sleep. They could carry one of those barrels to the ship the next morning and examine it there. They all dozed off, exhausted, in pain and feverish, but at home.
submitted by zeekoes to zeekoeswriting [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 22:29 xiaolii [H] Lots of Games [W] Trade for Games or Paypal (EU)

Last Updated List: 30/05/2023
 
I'm primarily looking to trade for games from my wishlist, otherwise I am also open to selling them. I am not interested in games I already have and all games I'm getting are for me and activated on my own account. Other than that feel free to offer your list of Steam games and something I may not have and fulfills my criteria I could/would be willing to trade for it/them.
If you're either trading or buying please state the game(s) you are interested in and your offer (game(s)/list/price).
 
Info:
 
I kindly ask of you is to be reasonable when making offers to make it a fair trade for both of us.
Let's have a good exchange/trade!
 
List of games:
submitted by xiaolii to indiegameswap [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 22:29 xiaolii [H] Lots of Games [W] Trade for Games or Paypal (EU)

Last Updated List: 30/05/2023
 
I'm primarily looking to trade for games from my wishlist, otherwise I am also open to selling them. I am not interested in games I already have and all games I'm getting are for me and activated on my own account. Other than that feel free to offer your list of Steam games and something I may not have and fulfills my criteria I could/would be willing to trade for it/them.
If you're either trading or buying please state the game(s) you are interested in and your offer (game(s)/list/price).
 
Info:
 
I kindly ask of you is to be reasonable when making offers to make it a fair trade for both of us.
Let's have a good exchange/trade!
 
List of games:
submitted by xiaolii to GameTrade [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 22:29 sahil_parakh30 [Store] Diretide 2022/Aghanim's/Nemestice/TI10/TI9/TI8/TI7 Collector's Caches Sets

200+/1000$ Gift Trades in 5 years

 

Made a google doc because the list is long

My Steam Rep: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEgt1Kjaf8PbkinQ0opU41fysTwYC0xMgX_kjDOgldg/edit?usp=sharing
 

YOUR FAVOURITE SELLER IS BACK FOR 5TH YEAR IN A ROW. CHECK MY REP THREAD

 

CACHE Price Increases as I stock out & Reservation is Compulsory

 
Want items worth listed Amount or items (1.2x - STEAM TAX). I will not go first. The link to add me :LINK to ADD ME
 

Ultra Rare Immortals 2022

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Bloodfeather Finery (Queen of Pain) 1 50$ or Items Ultra Rare Immortal 2 LastLeft
The Strings of Suradan (Hoodwink) 1 30$ or Items Ultra Rare Immortal 1 LastLeft
 

Diretide Collectors Cache-2 2022

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Sublime Equilibrium (Void Spirit) 2 45$ or Items Very Rare Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold Last Left
Brands of the Reaper (Anti Mage) 5 13$ or Items Rare Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
Grudges of the Gallows Tree (Treant) 6 15$ or Items Rare Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Four Sold
War Rig Eradicators (Techies) 5 4.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
Sacred Chamber Guardian (Huskar) 5 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
Acrimonies of Obsession (Vengeful Spirit) 5 3.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 None
Freeboot Fortunes (Ogre Magi) 5 3.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 None
Withering Pain (Clinkz) 5 3.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
Darkfeather Factioneer (Phantom Assassin) 5 5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
Feasts of Forever (Night Stalker) 5 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
Cursed Cryptbreaker (Pudge) 5 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
Dawn of Darkness Foretold (Doom) 5 6$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
The Wilding Tiger (Brewmaster) 5 4$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
Transcendent Path (Oracle) 5 3.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 None
Darkbrew´s Transgression (Alchemist) 5 6$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 Two Sold
Grand Suppressor (Silencer) 5 4.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
Bird of Prey (Legion Commander) 5 4.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache 2 One Sold
 

Diretide Collectors Cache 2022

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Dark Behemoth (Primal Beast 2 25 Very Rare Direteide Collectors Cache Sold Out
Angel of Vex (Invoker) 3 18$ Rare Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold One Reserved One Left
Blue Horizons(Marci) 4 13$ or Items Rare Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
Shadowleaf Insurgent (Hoodwink) 3 10$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache Two Sold Last Left
Scarlet Subversion (Riki) 3 10$ Direteide Collectors Cache Two Sold Last Reserved
WhipperSnapper (Snap Fire) 3 8$ Direteide Collectors Cache SOLD OUT
Hounds of Obsession (Chen) 3 7.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache Two Sold Last Left
Seadog's Stash (Clockwerk) 3 6$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
Starlorn Adjudicator (Dawn Breaker) 3 10$ Direteide Collectors Cache Two Sold Last Reserved
Spoils of the Shadowveil (Spectre) 3 $8 Direteide Collectors Cache Sold OUT
Chines of the Inquisitor (Faceless Void) 3 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
Trophies of the hallowed hunt (Ursa) 3 9$ Direteide Collectors Cache SOLD OUT
Crimson Dawn (Phoenix) 3 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
Forgotten Station (Terrorblade) 3 4.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache None
Dirge Amplifier (Undying) 3 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
Champions of the Fire Lotus (Monkey King) 3 7.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache Two Sold Last Left
Deathstitch Shaman (Witch Doctor) 3 5.5$ or Items Direteide Collectors Cache One Sold
 

Aghanim's Continuum Cache 2021 / Ti-11

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Pyrexae Polymorph Perfected (Ogre Magi) 4 15$ or Items Aghanim Cache Rare Three Sold Last Left
Scales of the Shadow Walker (Phantom Lancer) 4 12$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold
Test of the Basilisk Lord (Razor) 4 10$ or Items Aghanim Cache One Sold
Secrets of the Frost Singularity (Ancient Apparation) 4 5$ or Items Aghanim Cache None
Perils of the Red Banks (Chen) 4 7$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold One Reserved Last Left
The Chained Scribe (Grimstroke) 4 5$ or Items Aghanim Cache One Sold
Widow of the Undermount Gloom (Broodmother) 4 9.5$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold
Forgotten Fate (Mars) 4 5$ or Items Aghanim Cache One Sold
March of the Crackerjack Mage (Rubick) 4 10$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold
Cosmic Concoctioneers (Alchemist) 4 12$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold
Blightfall (Abbadon) 4 8$ or Items Aghanim Cache Two Sold
 

Nemestice Cache 2021 / Ti-11

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Twilight Hex (Dark Willow) 3 10$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 Two Sold Last Left
Astral Terminus (Enigma) 3 9$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 1 Sold
Caerulean Star (Enchantress) 3 6$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 One Sold
Arcane Inverter (Gyrocopter) 3 15$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 2 Sold Last Left
Red Sands Marauder (Shadow Shaman) 4 20$ Nemestice Cache 1 Three Sold Last Left
Herald of the Ember Eye (Grimstroke) 3 8$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 Two Sold LAST Left
Creed of the Skullhound (Lycan) 3 18$ or Items Nemestice Cache 1 Two Sold Last Left
 -

Collector's Cache 2020 / Ti-10

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Steward of the Forbidden Chamber (TA/Templar Assassin) 3 15$ TI-10 Rare Cache 2 Two Sold Last Left
Clearcut Cavalier (Timbersaw) 3 5$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 One Sold
The King Of Thieves (KOTL/ Keeper of the Light) 3 4$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 One Sold
Talons of the Endless Storm (CK/Chaos Knight) 3 7.5$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 One Sold
A carousel of the Mystic Masquerade (Rubick) 3 10$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 Two Sold Last Left
Crown of Calaphas (SD/Shadow Demon) 3 5$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 None
Blacksail Cannoneer (Sniper) 3 7$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 None
Blaze of Oblivion (Phoenix) 3 7$ or Items TI-10 Cache 2 None
Songs of Starfall Glen (Enchantress) 3 4$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 None
Flashpoint Proselyte (Huskar) 3 10$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 One Sold
Signs of Allfather (Nature Prophet) 3 10$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 Two Sold Last Left
Beholden of Banished Ones (Warlock) 3 6$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 One Sold
Fissured Flight (Jakiro) 3 8$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 Two Sold Last Left
Mindless Slaughter (Pudge) 3 11$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 One Sold
Fury of Righteous Storm (Disruptor) 3 4$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 None
Apocalypse Unbound (Ancient Apparation) 3 6$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 One Sold
Herald of Ember Eyes (Grimstroke) 3 8$ or Items TI-10 Cache 1 One Sold
 

Collector's Cache 2019/ Ti-9

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Fowl Omen (Necrophos) 4 13$ TI-9 Rare Cache Set-2 Three Sold Last Left
Prized Acquisitions (Batrider) 4 7$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Two Sold
The sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful (Drow Ranger) 4 10$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 One Sold
Directive of the Sunbound(Clockwerk) 5 7$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Three Sold
Distinguished Expeditionary (Tusk) 4 7$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Two Sold
Automaton Antiquity (Broodmother) 5 6$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Three Sold
Fury of the Bloodforge (Bloodseeker) 5 7$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Two Sold
Tribal Pathways (Warlock) 5 6$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Two Sold
Verdant Predator (Venomancer) 5 9$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Two Sold
Tales of the Windward Rogue (Pangolier) 4 20$ TI-9 Cache Set-2 Three Sold Last Reserved
Priest of the Proudsilver Clan (Chen-Long Live Harambe) 3 5$ TI-9 Cache Set One Sold
The Arts of Mortal Deception (Enigma) 3 9$ TI-9 Cache Set Two Sold Last Left
Poacher's Bane (Tidehunter) 3 6$ TI-9 Cache Set One Sold1
Riddle of the Hierophant (Oracle) 3 9$ or 3 Keys TI-9 Cache Set Two Sold Last Left
 

Collector's Cache 2018/ Ti-8

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Raptures of the Abyssal Kin (Queen of Pain) 4 12$ TI-8 Cache Set Three Sold Last Left
Raiments of the Obsidian Forge (Underlord) 4 18$ TI-8 Rare Cache Set Three Sold Last Left
Shackles of the Enduring Conscript (Axe) 4 10$ TI-8 Cache Set Three Sold Last Left
Pattern of the Silken Queen (Brood) 4 8$ TI-8 Cache Set Three Sold Last Left
 

Collector's Cache 2017/ Ti-7

Item Quantity Price Type Reserved
Eternal Testament (Death Prophet) 4 12$ TI-7 Cache Set Three Sold Last Left
 

Made a google doc because the list is long

My Steam Rep: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEgt1Kjaf8PbkinQ0opU41fysTwYC0xMgX_kjDOgldg/edit?usp=sharing
https://steamcommunity.com/id/NiriDash/ (Mirana Ti-10/2020 Super Rare, Sven Rare Ti-11, Mars Ti-10 Rare, Clock Ti-9, Sandking Ti-7 Caches Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/lameslim (Nemestice Sky Set, Ti-10 Sky, and Ember set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199068303037 (Lina Ti-10/2020 CacheSold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/p013 (Nature Prophet Ti10/2020 Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198043865971/ (Aghanim Axe Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198156603233/ (Ti-9 Disruptor Rare Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/BeAn1457738937/ (2019 Pudge Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/vcxxiv/ (Aghanim Ultra Rare CK, Rare Ogre, PL, Rubick, Alchm, DK, Axe, Mars, Abbadon, Razor, Chen, Grim, and 2020 Rare TA, Ember, CK, Doom, Tide, Timber, KOTL, SKY, Rubick, Nemestice Gyro, Shaman, Winter, Doom Sold Successfully) - Man God Bless this guy
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198795911053/ (2020 BB Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198072474418 (Ti-9 Slark, UL & NS 2020 Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/whatsyouraff (WitchDoctor Super rare, Diretide Spec, Ti-8 Ember cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198103513889/ (Pudge Super rare Cache Hook Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/nandomanul/ (Agahnim Axe Cache and Enigma 2020 Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198055874238 (Aghanim Dawnbreaker Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197990802490 (2020 Pudge Super Rare Hook, Tiny Rare Cache, Aghanim Clockwerk Sold successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197966381775 (Ti-9 Abbadon Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198863088276 (Ti-9 Pudge Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/Steinx (Agahnim Drow Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198111387239 (Rare URSA immortal bundle Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198003271696/ (Agahnim Drow Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/thelastswagurai/ (Aghanim Brood and 2020 Arc Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198057677292/ (Agahnim Rare CK, DK & 2020 Rare Tiny, NS, Jugger, BB, Grim Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/gargorath/ (2020 Juggernaut, Underlord, Warlock, Nature, Enigma, Ancient Apparition Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198144053768/ (Nemestice Doom, Enigma, Nature, and Lycan Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198080795303/ (Aghanim Drow Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198006516009/ (Rare Disruptor Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/dbsama/ (Ti-8 Magnus Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198054565307/ (Aghanim Clock Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198051635207/ (Ti-10 Arc Warden Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198916278783/ (Ti-9 Earth Spirit Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198054299781 (2021 Dawnbreaker Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198380791860/ (Aghanim Abbadon Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199116896336/ (2020 Silencer Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198079185431/ (2020 Silencer and Bounty Hunter and Aghanim DK Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/tkkz15/ (2020 BH Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/dreddhz (Ti-10 Arc Warden Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198065746417/ (2020 Silencer and Bristleback Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198186076006 (2019 Brood and Pudge Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/wraith2142/ (2021 Enchantress Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/grail_knight/ (Ti-10 Sky Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/novtnw/ (2022 Cache 1 Spec and Cache 2 Night Stalker Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197993911001 (Aghanim Dawn Breaker & Alchemist Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/750459748 (Rare Necro & 2019 Abbadon Cache Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198043196989/ (2022 Primal Beast Very Rare Cache, Legion Cache, 2020 NS Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/674330/ (Aghanim Brood, Diretide Cache - 1 Hoodwink, Riki, Spectre, Clockwerk, Ursa, Phoenix, Witch Doctor, Dawnbreaker, Alchemist, MK, Undying, Chen Dire Tide Cache - 2 Rare Treant, Clinkz, Doom, Huskar, Night Stalker, Pudge, Brew Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/yash121299/ (Nemestice Tiny Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197980391055/ (Nemestice Shaman, Diretide Riki Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/nikbigdick/ (Diretide Cache 2 Rare Treant Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198055898123/ (2019 Doom, Tusk, Batrider, Nemestice Nature Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/3011/ (Diretide Rare Treant Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198916278783/ (Diretide Snapfire Cache Set Sold Successfully)- Repeat Buyer
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198017178682/ (Nemestice Lycan and Tiny Cache Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/OakEel/ (2022 Rare Treant and 2021 Rare Ogre Cache Reserved Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198933415596/ (Ultra Rare Primal, Ultra Rare Void Spirit and Agahnim DK, PL, Diretide AM, PA, Void, Huskar, Ursa Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198592340222 (Ultra Rare Void Spirit Reserved - 5/15 Keys Paid Advance)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198111544330/ (Ti-9 DP Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198883986801/ (Diretide Rare Invoker Set Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198303321183/ (Aghanim Rare Ogre & Clockwerk,Ti-10 Rare TA& Pudge, Nemestice Tiny and, Ti-9 Rare Necro Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198088242520 (Diretide Cache 2 Techies, Doom, Alchemist & Cache 1 Snapfire Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198181327203/ (2022 AM & Chen Diretide and 2020 Huskar Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/bkwlove/ (Diretide Rare Marci, Snapfire, Hood, Silencer, and Dawn Breaker Cache Sold successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/id/aptekamaya/ (Nemestice 2021 Grim Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198111544330/ (2019 Pango Cache and 2020 Jakiro Cache Sold successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198838671544/ (Diretide 2022 Ursa Cache Sold Successfully)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198838008436 (Diretide Collectors Cache 1 Rare Voker and Riki Cache Reserved - 7/28 Paid Advance)
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198073897919 (Pango Cache Tales of Wind Reserved - 5/20 Paid Advance)
Wall of Shame:
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199102322625/ (This clown added me and when I asked to reserve which I have clearly stated in my post backtracked on trade offer, has no idea how 30-day steam gifting works so beware)
submitted by sahil_parakh30 to Dota2Trade [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 21:34 RamboBambiBambo [TotK] Anyone else wonder what we might see as DLC equipment options?

So LoZ: TotK is going to have DLC. And going off of how DLC was in BotW, I cannot help but wonder what new equipment items we may see added to the roster for TotK's gear in the form of new weapons, bows, shields, and armor that may be bundled into any of the DLC packs coming around.
So I cannot help but theorize and predict that we may get any of the following -
​
​
ARMOR SETS -
​
​
WEAPONS -
​
​
BOWS -
​
​
SHIELDS -
​
​
​
And there you have it.
Just figured I would share my expectations of what we could see as DLC legacy items coming to Tears of the Kingdom in the coming year and how I would have some of them provide a bonus effect.
Thoughts anyone?
submitted by RamboBambiBambo to zelda [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 20:46 Cinar21 2023-05-30

Things are looking up,
I did not sleep well last night, I could not sleep, I was in bed until around 2am, until I woke up to make school lunches, I made lunch until 230am, I was on the couch, until around 5am coming in and out of sleeping. Until I decided "fuck it" enough is enough, I woke up and went to work.
The night....D had a talk with my mom I did not expect it, she is a strong proud person and the last thing I would have ever expected was for her to call. It sounds like the conversation went well and when I say this is a relief to me, I cannot over state the feeling in me, that this might get better and be ok after all. I don't think they will be best friends nor do I think they should but talking is a huge first step. I don't know what go into her. To say I am shocked and proud is an understatement. We will see where this goes...
Late dinner, M had art, so by the time the kids got home and we had dinner it was 9pm, maybe that is why I couldn't sleep full belly body was digesting and keeping me awake.
On the road all day in a van that has no A/C absolutely dreadful and I am not done driving yet. I have a little more stuff to get dropped off but it should be small enough I can take one of the cars with A/C..
​
Up up and away
DC
submitted by Cinar21 to Cinar21 [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 18:43 Aduro95 A theory about the Cloud Head Ninja.

We know that Neji's father was executed because his twin brother killed the Head Ninja from the Hidden Cloud village. The Cloud Ninja was trying to kidnap Hiashi's daughter in order to steal her byakugan, but Konoha chose to offer up Hizashi's head to keep the peace after killing an envoy.
I'm going to leave aside the argument about whether it was for the greater good or not to execute Hizashi to spare his brother. That's a whole 'nother thread.
The need for a concession at all is very questionable. Konoha had won the war, and because Hiashi was acting reasonably by killing the shinobi trying to kidnap his daughter. I'm not even sure that A would actually want justice for such a dishonorable subordinate.
My theory to explain this is that the Head Ninja was a leader of of a faction in Kumo politics that wanted to continue the war. It is said that Konoha won the war. But its possible that some in Kumo did not consider themselves beaten. After all, Minato and Kushina were dead, Hiruzen and Danzo were getting old. Sakumo was dead, the sanin scattered. Depending on how fast news spread, in the time between Kumo losing a decisive battle, and formally signing the treaty, Konoha might have started to look vulnerable.
In contrast, A was still in his prime, and Bee was probably nearing his peak as a jinchuuriki. Kumo is known for developing powerful weapons even during the Five Kage Summit. If Kumo wasn't happy with the peace treaty, then going for round two might have looked appealing. Especially if Kumo had a new hard-counter to the byakugan, and suspected the Uchiha were either rebellious or in decline.
Its also worth considering that A was only recently named Raikage, and effectively admitting defeat to Konoha. In a world where a Kage's repuation is so important (see Jiraiya's conversation with the Elders about replacing Hiruzen), this must have left him uneasy. If the Head Ninja was a political opponent of the Raikage, and Konoha got away with killing him under a peace treaty, he might look like he was selling out his political rival/comrade.
I think the best explanation for why Konoha caved was not that Hiruzen needed a concession to Kumo. Hiruzen needed to offer A a concession to give to the pro-war faction.
submitted by Aduro95 to Naruto [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 17:28 Sid-Thor Post war peace

Am I the only one who is bothered by how neatly the war was wrapped up in Shippuden? Like there was absolutely zero fallout?
At the end of the war we find out thar literally no other village except Konoha was involved. Yes the Akatsuki had missing nin from all villages but Konoha's missin nin crimes were vast.
• Manipulating the fourth Mizukage using the Sharingan to unleash the most cruel period in what was already a tyrannical land. An era that truly lived up to the name 'Land of the Blood mist' and then eventually killing said Mizukage. This alone cause several hundred if not thousands of deaths in their village. • Kabuto, another leaf shinobi, using Edo Tensei to raise an army that caused the deaths of several hundred if not thousand soldiers finally raising Madara Uchiha that led to the decimation of an ENTIRE platoon. • Obito attacking the 5 kage summit and then reincarnating the 10 tails before causing several more casualties. • Madara unleashing Infinite Tsukuyomi that would've traumatised, possibly destabilised several villages.
And after all this everyone just shakes hands, no harm no foul, lets go home. Sasuke is like imma go on a vacation ciao, kabuto is like imma run an orphanage guys trust me Im good so lets overlook all the people I killed, Orochimaru is like, listen I will keeps killing someone to take their body every 2 years but if I let you watch me do it will you leave me alone? Cool? Thanks.
And the rest of the villages are like yeah you guys have shown so much incompetence at dealing with your missing nin that will let you go ahead and make decisions once again.
How does any of this make sense? Rant over. Thank you for hearing me out.
submitted by Sid-Thor to Naruto [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 17:20 Neat-Lion859 Modeling nude in front of ex

In college, I started doing gigs as an art model to get some extra cash.
After doing it regularly, it became more of a hobby.
Years ago, I received a gig (Off Craigslist) to model (nude) at a female’s residence for a ladies night.
Prior to this gig, I’ve never modeled anywhere besides a professional setting (ie classroom, art studio, etc). I accepted the gig, willing to try something new.
When I arrived, I was greeted at the door by someone that I believed was vaguely familiar. She gave me an odd look as she opened the door. Moments later, it appeared that she came to the realization as to who I was. She invited me in and smirked as she led me to the living room.
As I walked into the room, I immediately knew why the girl looked so familiar. She was my ex’s sister. In the room, stood my ex. The room erupted in laugher.
(Side note: My ex and I ended in good terms)
By the way she approached me, it appeared that she was at least a little tipsy. The others in the room appeared to be in the same state.
She greeted me, laughing, and encouraged me to not wimp out and go through with the session.
I agreed and went into the bathroom, where I disrobed. When I came out, the room erupted. It was unlike any environment I’ve been in, while modeling. The girls were loud, flirtatious, and said whatever came to their mind. I actually enjoyed this environment more than I did the more conservative, school/art studio.
By the time the session was over, the girls were drunk. They asked if I’d like to play games with them (naked of course) and I agreed (because, why not at this point).
Besides receiving countless butt slaps (which I agreed was okay prior to booking this gig), the girls were cordial. I eventually joined them in drinking and we had a very entertaining and fun night. It was nice because by the time the party was over I wasn’t the only one naked (lol).
I stayed the night, sleeping on the floor with my ex (Nothing sexual happened) and went on with life. Though we hooked up weeks later, we decided to go our separate ways.
It was an embarrassing experience, at first, but turned into a night that I’ll never forget.
submitted by Neat-Lion859 to Embarrassing_Moments [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 15:40 NomNomNomNation I won a lifetime supply of paperclips.

The one thing I could probably live without, and I won the grand prize.
I enter a lot of competitions like these. The only other times I had won something was £5 off at a local restaurant, and a raffle at a Christmas fair. I won a life-size chocolate Santa for that raffle. It was actually really nice, high-quality chocolate.
I don't remember entering this paperclip competition, but me and my friends do dumb things when we're drunk sometimes. Entering a stupid competition didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.
It started when I received a single envelope, full of paperclips. There were easily 100, at least. Probably more. You can imagine my confusion when I opened this first one - No letter inside, only paperclips. Red, green, blue, yellow, pink, black, white... It almost looked like something you'd sprinkle onto a cake as they poured down to my feet, pitter-pattering on the wooden hall floor.
I rolled my eyes and cleaned up. I figured an office had put the wrong address for a supply delivery.
One shipment of 100 paperclips is odd. But 2? That's where I got suspicious.
The second day had me question whether this was some form of prank. I was smarter this time, though - I recognised the weight and feel of the envelope. I recognised the outline of paperclips as I held it up to the light. I didn't let them spill out at my feet - Although, my curiosity still had me open it to peek inside. You'd do the same. "Is it really just paperclips?" Yes. Yes it is.
By the fifth day, I had stopped opening it. I'd just briefly hold it up to the light to confirm the outline looked like paperclips, and then I'd toss it.
I don't remember why I checked my spam folder in my emails, but when I took a look, I immediately saw it. The cheesy headline stood out. "Clip-pity Clop, You've Won the Lifetime Paperclip Jack-pot! 🎉📎"
Below is the rest of the email.
Your luck has just CLIPPED right into place! Congratulations! You are the GRAND WINNER of our "Lifetime supply of paperclips" competition! 🥳📎
From now on, you can proudly say goodbye to those chaotic loose papers and let our high-quality paperclips take over. No more sacrificing yourself to papercuts! And guess what? You didn't just win a box, you won an ENTIRE LIFETIME of daily paperclip surprises! You've really hit the jack-CLIP! 🎁
Starting from next week, you will receive a random amount of our finest, top-notch paperclips every single day. Just imagine the POSSIBILITIES! Office organization, arts and crafts, creative paperclip sculptures... the list is never-ending!
With your new paperclip friends by your side, there's no end to the horizon of tidiness and creativity (to the MAX)! Just like our paperclips: durable, strong, and clip-tacular! 💪📎
As we ship your first batch, let's get you started by sharing some mind-blowing paperclip fun-facts...
I'll save you the fun-facts section, as it's not very "fun". Although I did learn that they've been around since the 1800s.
The only interesting thing that this email gave me was a company name - Clipogenics. I promptly sent an email back asking that my prize be transferred to someone else. My exact words were "someone more in need of paperclips," although thinking about it, I'm not sure who that could possibly apply to.
Spoiler alert: They did not reply, and the envelopes kept on coming.
2 weeks went by; I was still receiving paperclips.
6 weeks went by; nothing changed.
A few weeks ago was the 3-month mark. Over 90 days of paperclips. Yes, I had considered selling them, but I really don't know how much money I could make. Also, yes, they even arrived on Sundays. I could not understand who was delivering these. I never caught them, although I assumed the person posting them had no association with the company themselves, so talking to them is never something I attempted.
Around that 3-month mark, I was going through my normal daily routine. Make a cup of coffee, pick up the envelope from the hallway floor, hold it up against a light, and toss it in the bin. Only this time, the light revealed the outline of 1 single paperclip, and something else. I have to admit, deep down, part of me was almost excited. A real-life plot twist? Something to spice up an otherwise mundane part of my day? Curveballs are usually exciting to me, and this was no exception. I reached inside, pulling the mystery object out. What could they possibly have sent me?
A severed finger.
A dry, almost slightly green, severed finger.
I'm not sure which happened first - My scream, or dropping the finger to the floor.
I noticed only then that the paperclip was lodged under the fingernail, piercing right through the flesh. It was golden this time - A colour I had not been sent before. I'd like to say I stayed calm, but I didn't - I ran to the bathroom to throw up.
I contacted the police, and they took the finger and envelope away. I explained everything that I knew, and showed them the email - They told me that they'd investigate.
"It's crazy, isn't it?" - One of the police officers began his thought to me.
"What?"
"How dangerous simple production can be. Some poor sod has lost a finger over something as simple as a paperclip!"
"You think it was an accident?" - I don't know what exactly I thought it was. A threat, maybe? I'm still not sure.
"Of course. Probably someone on the production line packaging these things. Finger gets caught in machinery, 'Ahh, no, whoops!', and before you know it the finger's lost. The weight of the finger makes the machine think the envelope is now full of paperclips, and off it goes to your door."
Somehow a calm explanation of this situation actually helped me. Hell, it almost convinced me that it was just normal. I was assured, though, that the company was at fault for health & safety, and that something would be done about this.
A couple of weeks went by, and the police hadn't contacted me with any new information. The envelopes kept coming daily, but I was too afraid to open them. For fear of tossing away evidence, though, I kept them piled up in the corner.
As the pile grew taller, I decided to bite the bullet and open them, but not before carefully inspecting each one.
My hands shaking, I held the first up to the light, and it was just full of paperclips. Perhaps the incident really was a one-off, and the fault had been fixed. I held a few more up, and my heart almost skipped a beat when I found one with a solid shadow. No outline of paperclips - This envelope had a letter.
I carefully opened it up, and read.
Dear valued customer,
We would like to formally apologize for the incident that occurred recently. We understand that the events were likely traumatic, and whilst we may never make it right, we'd like to offer you a one-time compensation.
Attached to this letter, using one of our sturdy, high-end paperclips, we have written a cheque for £2,000. We hope we can continue our partnership professionally.
We understand that you may want to cancel your lifetime supply of paperclips.
Unfortunately, we must decline this request.
We hope you understand,
Clipogenics Customer Service Team
No. I did not understand. Do you? Do you understand what the fuck they're talking about?
I contacted the police to update them, letting them know that I had received this message. They sent somebody to collect it.
The following day, assuming all was well, I picked up the daily delivery from the floor. Before I had a chance to check it, there was a knock at the door - I folded the envelope and put it in my back pocket. I opened the door, and was surprised to see a man in a suit looking very concerned.
He wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Hello, we're relocating you. Pack your things, and tell nobody. We have a temporary hotel booked for you."
My lack of response showed that I had many questions.
"Look - It's just precautionary. We can't find any evidence of Clipogenics ever existing, and..."
"...and what?"
"...and the finger matched the D.N.A of a recent assumed suicide. It's now assumed to be murder."
I had a feeling there was more. Unfortunately, his next sentence confirmed that.
"The person in question was found to have also won the competition."
I did not need telling twice - I got my essentials packed, and was at the hotel in less than 90 minutes. It was only in the next town over, which I found odd, yet comforted that I was still so close to home.
After the man left and I was left with my own thoughts, I was surprised at how quiet my head was. I was just...content. I wasn't happy or sad or scared, I was just existing. Perhaps I was still in shock. It took about an hour before I remembered the envelope in my back pocket. I held it up to the light, and knew from the resulting darkness that this contained another letter.
I hesitantly opened it, peeking inside to check for hidden surprises.
Upon taking it out, I thought it to be a blank piece of paper - It seemed entirely empty. Until I unfolded it, to reveal the few words printed upon this letter.
Dear valued customer,
Suicides don't lose fingers,
The police do not wear suits.
The world spun. The world crumbled. The world felt like it no longer existed.
Then all at once, reality came back to me, as I felt a rush of anxiety-driven energy. I paced back and forth in the limited space I had, weighing up my options and trying to come up with a plan.
Could I leave? I was probably being watched.
Could I contact the police? I certainly no longer felt comfortable doing so.
Could I talk to my friends or family? The last thing I wanted was to put them in danger.
I knew I had to do one of these 3 options, and opted for the first. It was still bright out - Surely I'd be safe in crowds. So that's exactly what I did. I stuck to busy areas, and travelled across the country, using as many different types of public transportation as I could.
I didn't stop until night fell. I booked a new hotel under a fake name, and paid in cash. I rested surprisingly well that night.
My sleep was interrupted at around 7am to knocking at the door. "No thank you," I sleepily yelled at what I assumed to be room service.
"Something arrived in reception for you - I'll slide it under the door."
A white envelope emerged through the crack under the door.
I wanted to stay away from it, but I knew that being unaware of the contents would scare me more than anything else. Feeling my heart pounding through my chest, I reached for the envelope, noticing a thick object within. Another finger?
No, a letter, this time with a vial of liquid, and two golden paperclips.
Dear valued customer,
We're glad you're settling in well to your new surroundings.
Sorry for the little show - We needed to assure that you'd get as far away from your hometown as possible.
Your true prize isn't the paperclips. That would be mundane.
Your true prize is immortality.
Paperclips are beautiful, aren't they? Connecting paper to paper, as the universe connects life to life. And as the flow of life continues, it has connected us to you.
The chain of our will continues, as the chain of paperclips continues with it.
The vial within has a unique purpose. It will kill you and help you live, all at the same time.
You do understand, don't you?
Drink the vial, and stab a paperclip into yourself.
You will slowly drift away for a moment, but you will stay connected to the universe. You must.
You will awaken in your new body - One of the many that we have cryogenically frozen here.
It worked for me.
You saw my finger.
Every single paperclip we have sent you has had a purpose. Each has been blessed with a new connection for your new life. They have all been through your home, many have touched your skin, and all have been held up to the light.
Their blessings will reach you in your new life.
The green ones bring you wealth. The red ones bring you health. The blue ones bring you happiness.
All you have to do is drink the vial.
Before the poison sets in, choose a paperclip. Your decision will always be the right one.
We know how your brain ticks. Every word we've ever written, and every colour we've ever chosen, have all been designed to sway your decision in this very moment.
You'll fall asleep as a valued customer,
But you'll awaken as our valued employee.
I am not letting them control my destiny. I will not sacrifice my life to their company, to become one of their puppets to control.
I know this company has a far greater reach than I first understood, so I might not be able to tell anybody. But I can tell everybody.
I hope this post reaches their next "big winner" - And I hope they are as strong-willed as I am.
submitted by NomNomNomNation to BriteWrites [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 15:40 NomNomNomNation I won a lifetime supply of paperclips.

The one thing I could probably live without, and I won the grand prize.
I enter a lot of competitions like these. The only other times I had won something was £5 off at a local restaurant, and a raffle at a Christmas fair. I won a life-size chocolate Santa for that raffle. It was actually really nice, high-quality chocolate.
I don't remember entering this paperclip competition, but me and my friends do dumb things when we're drunk sometimes. Entering a stupid competition didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.
It started when I received a single envelope, full of paperclips. There were easily 100, at least. Probably more. You can imagine my confusion when I opened this first one - No letter inside, only paperclips. Red, green, blue, yellow, pink, black, white... It almost looked like something you'd sprinkle onto a cake as they poured down to my feet, pitter-pattering on the wooden hall floor.
I rolled my eyes and cleaned up. I figured an office had put the wrong address for a supply delivery.
One shipment of 100 paperclips is odd. But 2? That's where I got suspicious.
The second day had me question whether this was some form of prank. I was smarter this time, though - I recognised the weight and feel of the envelope. I recognised the outline of paperclips as I held it up to the light. I didn't let them spill out at my feet - Although, my curiosity still had me open it to peek inside. You'd do the same. "Is it really just paperclips?" Yes. Yes it is.
By the fifth day, I had stopped opening it. I'd just briefly hold it up to the light to confirm the outline looked like paperclips, and then I'd toss it.
I don't remember why I checked my spam folder in my emails, but when I took a look, I immediately saw it. The cheesy headline stood out. "Clip-pity Clop, You've Won the Lifetime Paperclip Jack-pot! 🎉📎"
Below is the rest of the email.
Your luck has just CLIPPED right into place! Congratulations! You are the GRAND WINNER of our "Lifetime supply of paperclips" competition! 🥳📎
From now on, you can proudly say goodbye to those chaotic loose papers and let our high-quality paperclips take over. No more sacrificing yourself to papercuts! And guess what? You didn't just win a box, you won an ENTIRE LIFETIME of daily paperclip surprises! You've really hit the jack-CLIP! 🎁
Starting from next week, you will receive a random amount of our finest, top-notch paperclips every single day. Just imagine the POSSIBILITIES! Office organization, arts and crafts, creative paperclip sculptures... the list is never-ending!
With your new paperclip friends by your side, there's no end to the horizon of tidiness and creativity (to the MAX)! Just like our paperclips: durable, strong, and clip-tacular! 💪📎
As we ship your first batch, let's get you started by sharing some mind-blowing paperclip fun-facts...
I'll save you the fun-facts section, as it's not very "fun". Although I did learn that they've been around since the 1800s.
The only interesting thing that this email gave me was a company name - Clipogenics. I promptly sent an email back asking that my prize be transferred to someone else. My exact words were "someone more in need of paperclips," although thinking about it, I'm not sure who that could possibly apply to.
Spoiler alert: They did not reply, and the envelopes kept on coming.
2 weeks went by; I was still receiving paperclips.
6 weeks went by; nothing changed.
A few weeks ago was the 3-month mark. Over 90 days of paperclips. Yes, I had considered selling them, but I really don't know how much money I could make. Also, yes, they even arrived on Sundays. I could not understand who was delivering these. I never caught them, although I assumed the person posting them had no association with the company themselves, so talking to them is never something I attempted.
Around that 3-month mark, I was going through my normal daily routine. Make a cup of coffee, pick up the envelope from the hallway floor, hold it up against a light, and toss it in the bin. Only this time, the light revealed the outline of 1 single paperclip, and something else. I have to admit, deep down, part of me was almost excited. A real-life plot twist? Something to spice up an otherwise mundane part of my day? Curveballs are usually exciting to me, and this was no exception. I reached inside, pulling the mystery object out. What could they possibly have sent me?
A severed finger.
A dry, almost slightly green, severed finger.
I'm not sure which happened first - My scream, or dropping the finger to the floor.
I noticed only then that the paperclip was lodged under the fingernail, piercing right through the flesh. It was golden this time - A colour I had not been sent before. I'd like to say I stayed calm, but I didn't - I ran to the bathroom to throw up.
I contacted the police, and they took the finger and envelope away. I explained everything that I knew, and showed them the email - They told me that they'd investigate.
"It's crazy, isn't it?" - One of the police officers began his thought to me.
"What?"
"How dangerous simple production can be. Some poor sod has lost a finger over something as simple as a paperclip!"
"You think it was an accident?" - I don't know what exactly I thought it was. A threat, maybe? I'm still not sure.
"Of course. Probably someone on the production line packaging these things. Finger gets caught in machinery, 'Ahh, no, whoops!', and before you know it the finger's lost. The weight of the finger makes the machine think the envelope is now full of paperclips, and off it goes to your door."
Somehow a calm explanation of this situation actually helped me. Hell, it almost convinced me that it was just normal. I was assured, though, that the company was at fault for health & safety, and that something would be done about this.
A couple of weeks went by, and the police hadn't contacted me with any new information. The envelopes kept coming daily, but I was too afraid to open them. For fear of tossing away evidence, though, I kept them piled up in the corner.
As the pile grew taller, I decided to bite the bullet and open them, but not before carefully inspecting each one.
My hands shaking, I held the first up to the light, and it was just full of paperclips. Perhaps the incident really was a one-off, and the fault had been fixed. I held a few more up, and my heart almost skipped a beat when I found one with a solid shadow. No outline of paperclips - This envelope had a letter.
I carefully opened it up, and read.
Dear valued customer,
We would like to formally apologize for the incident that occurred recently. We understand that the events were likely traumatic, and whilst we may never make it right, we'd like to offer you a one-time compensation.
Attached to this letter, using one of our sturdy, high-end paperclips, we have written a cheque for £2,000. We hope we can continue our partnership professionally.
We understand that you may want to cancel your lifetime supply of paperclips.
Unfortunately, we must decline this request.
We hope you understand,
Clipogenics Customer Service Team
No. I did not understand. Do you? Do you understand what the fuck they're talking about?
I contacted the police to update them, letting them know that I had received this message. They sent somebody to collect it.
The following day, assuming all was well, I picked up the daily delivery from the floor. Before I had a chance to check it, there was a knock at the door - I folded the envelope and put it in my back pocket. I opened the door, and was surprised to see a man in a suit looking very concerned.
He wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Hello, we're relocating you. Pack your things, and tell nobody. We have a temporary hotel booked for you."
My lack of response showed that I had many questions.
"Look - It's just precautionary. We can't find any evidence of Clipogenics ever existing, and..."
"...and what?"
"...and the finger matched the D.N.A of a recent assumed suicide. It's now assumed to be murder."
I had a feeling there was more. Unfortunately, his next sentence confirmed that.
"The person in question was found to have also won the competition."
I did not need telling twice - I got my essentials packed, and was at the hotel in less than 90 minutes. It was only in the next town over, which I found odd, yet comforted that I was still so close to home.
After the man left and I was left with my own thoughts, I was surprised at how quiet my head was. I was just...content. I wasn't happy or sad or scared, I was just existing. Perhaps I was still in shock. It took about an hour before I remembered the envelope in my back pocket. I held it up to the light, and knew from the resulting darkness that this contained another letter.
I hesitantly opened it, peeking inside to check for hidden surprises.
Upon taking it out, I thought it to be a blank piece of paper - It seemed entirely empty. Until I unfolded it, to reveal the few words printed upon this letter.
Dear valued customer,
Suicides don't lose fingers,
The police do not wear suits.
The world spun. The world crumbled. The world felt like it no longer existed.
Then all at once, reality came back to me, as I felt a rush of anxiety-driven energy. I paced back and forth in the limited space I had, weighing up my options and trying to come up with a plan.
Could I leave? I was probably being watched.
Could I contact the police? I certainly no longer felt comfortable doing so.
Could I talk to my friends or family? The last thing I wanted was to put them in danger.
I knew I had to do one of these 3 options, and opted for the first. It was still bright out - Surely I'd be safe in crowds. So that's exactly what I did. I stuck to busy areas, and travelled across the country, using as many different types of public transportation as I could.
I didn't stop until night fell. I booked a new hotel under a fake name, and paid in cash. I rested surprisingly well that night.
My sleep was interrupted at around 7am to knocking at the door. "No thank you," I sleepily yelled at what I assumed to be room service.
"Something arrived in reception for you - I'll slide it under the door."
A white envelope emerged through the crack under the door.
I wanted to stay away from it, but I knew that being unaware of the contents would scare me more than anything else. Feeling my heart pounding through my chest, I reached for the envelope, noticing a thick object within. Another finger?
No, a letter, this time with a vial of liquid, and two golden paperclips.
Dear valued customer,
We're glad you're settling in well to your new surroundings.
Sorry for the little show - We needed to assure that you'd get as far away from your hometown as possible.
Your true prize isn't the paperclips. That would be mundane.
Your true prize is immortality.
Paperclips are beautiful, aren't they? Connecting paper to paper, as the universe connects life to life. And as the flow of life continues, it has connected us to you.
The chain of our will continues, as the chain of paperclips continues with it.
The vial within has a unique purpose. It will kill you and help you live, all at the same time.
You do understand, don't you?
Drink the vial, and stab a paperclip into yourself.
You will slowly drift away for a moment, but you will stay connected to the universe. You must.
You will awaken in your new body - One of the many that we have cryogenically frozen here.
It worked for me.
You saw my finger.
Every single paperclip we have sent you has had a purpose. Each has been blessed with a new connection for your new life. They have all been through your home, many have touched your skin, and all have been held up to the light.
Their blessings will reach you in your new life.
The green ones bring you wealth. The red ones bring you health. The blue ones bring you happiness.
All you have to do is drink the vial.
Before the poison sets in, choose a paperclip. Your decision will always be the right one.
We know how your brain ticks. Every word we've ever written, and every colour we've ever chosen, have all been designed to sway your decision in this very moment.
You'll fall asleep as a valued customer,
But you'll awaken as our valued employee.
I am not letting them control my destiny. I will not sacrifice my life to their company, to become one of their puppets to control.
I know this company has a far greater reach than I first understood, so I might not be able to tell anybody. But I can tell everybody.
I hope this post reaches their next "big winner" - And I hope they are as strong-willed as I am.
===
submitted by NomNomNomNation to scarystories [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 15:40 NomNomNomNation I won a lifetime supply of paperclips.

The one thing I could probably live without, and I won the grand prize.
I enter a lot of competitions like these. The only other times I had won something was £5 off at a local restaurant, and a raffle at a Christmas fair. I won a life-size chocolate Santa for that raffle. It was actually really nice, high-quality chocolate.
I don't remember entering this paperclip competition, but me and my friends do dumb things when we're drunk sometimes. Entering a stupid competition didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.
It started when I received a single envelope, full of paperclips. There were easily 100, at least. Probably more. You can imagine my confusion when I opened this first one - No letter inside, only paperclips. Red, green, blue, yellow, pink, black, white... It almost looked like something you'd sprinkle onto a cake as they poured down to my feet, pitter-pattering on the wooden hall floor.
I rolled my eyes and cleaned up. I figured an office had put the wrong address for a supply delivery.
One shipment of 100 paperclips is odd. But 2? That's where I got suspicious.
The second day had me question whether this was some form of prank. I was smarter this time, though - I recognised the weight and feel of the envelope. I recognised the outline of paperclips as I held it up to the light. I didn't let them spill out at my feet - Although, my curiosity still had me open it to peek inside. You'd do the same. "Is it really just paperclips?" Yes. Yes it is.
By the fifth day, I had stopped opening it. I'd just briefly hold it up to the light to confirm the outline looked like paperclips, and then I'd toss it.
I don't remember why I checked my spam folder in my emails, but when I took a look, I immediately saw it. The cheesy headline stood out. "Clip-pity Clop, You've Won the Lifetime Paperclip Jack-pot! 🎉📎"
Below is the rest of the email.
Your luck has just CLIPPED right into place! Congratulations! You are the GRAND WINNER of our "Lifetime supply of paperclips" competition! 🥳📎
From now on, you can proudly say goodbye to those chaotic loose papers and let our high-quality paperclips take over. No more sacrificing yourself to papercuts! And guess what? You didn't just win a box, you won an ENTIRE LIFETIME of daily paperclip surprises! You've really hit the jack-CLIP! 🎁
Starting from next week, you will receive a random amount of our finest, top-notch paperclips every single day. Just imagine the POSSIBILITIES! Office organization, arts and crafts, creative paperclip sculptures... the list is never-ending!
With your new paperclip friends by your side, there's no end to the horizon of tidiness and creativity (to the MAX)! Just like our paperclips: durable, strong, and clip-tacular! 💪📎
As we ship your first batch, let's get you started by sharing some mind-blowing paperclip fun-facts...
I'll save you the fun-facts section, as it's not very "fun". Although I did learn that they've been around since the 1800s.
The only interesting thing that this email gave me was a company name - Clipogenics. I promptly sent an email back asking that my prize be transferred to someone else. My exact words were "someone more in need of paperclips," although thinking about it, I'm not sure who that could possibly apply to.
Spoiler alert: They did not reply, and the envelopes kept on coming.
2 weeks went by; I was still receiving paperclips.
6 weeks went by; nothing changed.
A few weeks ago was the 3-month mark. Over 90 days of paperclips. Yes, I had considered selling them, but I really don't know how much money I could make. Also, yes, they even arrived on Sundays. I could not understand who was delivering these. I never caught them, although I assumed the person posting them had no association with the company themselves, so talking to them is never something I attempted.
Around that 3-month mark, I was going through my normal daily routine. Make a cup of coffee, pick up the envelope from the hallway floor, hold it up against a light, and toss it in the bin. Only this time, the light revealed the outline of 1 single paperclip, and something else. I have to admit, deep down, part of me was almost excited. A real-life plot twist? Something to spice up an otherwise mundane part of my day? Curveballs are usually exciting to me, and this was no exception. I reached inside, pulling the mystery object out. What could they possibly have sent me?
A severed finger.
A dry, almost slightly green, severed finger.
I'm not sure which happened first - My scream, or dropping the finger to the floor.
I noticed only then that the paperclip was lodged under the fingernail, piercing right through the flesh. It was golden this time - A colour I had not been sent before. I'd like to say I stayed calm, but I didn't - I ran to the bathroom to throw up.
I contacted the police, and they took the finger and envelope away. I explained everything that I knew, and showed them the email - They told me that they'd investigate.
"It's crazy, isn't it?" - One of the police officers began his thought to me.
"What?"
"How dangerous simple production can be. Some poor sod has lost a finger over something as simple as a paperclip!"
"You think it was an accident?" - I don't know what exactly I thought it was. A threat, maybe? I'm still not sure.
"Of course. Probably someone on the production line packaging these things. Finger gets caught in machinery, 'Ahh, no, whoops!', and before you know it the finger's lost. The weight of the finger makes the machine think the envelope is now full of paperclips, and off it goes to your door."
Somehow a calm explanation of this situation actually helped me. Hell, it almost convinced me that it was just normal. I was assured, though, that the company was at fault for health & safety, and that something would be done about this.
A couple of weeks went by, and the police hadn't contacted me with any new information. The envelopes kept coming daily, but I was too afraid to open them. For fear of tossing away evidence, though, I kept them piled up in the corner.
As the pile grew taller, I decided to bite the bullet and open them, but not before carefully inspecting each one.
My hands shaking, I held the first up to the light, and it was just full of paperclips. Perhaps the incident really was a one-off, and the fault had been fixed. I held a few more up, and my heart almost skipped a beat when I found one with a solid shadow. No outline of paperclips - This envelope had a letter.
I carefully opened it up, and read.
Dear valued customer,
We would like to formally apologize for the incident that occurred recently. We understand that the events were likely traumatic, and whilst we may never make it right, we'd like to offer you a one-time compensation.
Attached to this letter, using one of our sturdy, high-end paperclips, we have written a cheque for £2,000. We hope we can continue our partnership professionally.
We understand that you may want to cancel your lifetime supply of paperclips.
Unfortunately, we must decline this request.
We hope you understand,
Clipogenics Customer Service Team
No. I did not understand. Do you? Do you understand what the fuck they're talking about?
I contacted the police to update them, letting them know that I had received this message. They sent somebody to collect it.
The following day, assuming all was well, I picked up the daily delivery from the floor. Before I had a chance to check it, there was a knock at the door - I folded the envelope and put it in my back pocket. I opened the door, and was surprised to see a man in a suit looking very concerned.
He wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Hello, we're relocating you. Pack your things, and tell nobody. We have a temporary hotel booked for you."
My lack of response showed that I had many questions.
"Look - It's just precautionary. We can't find any evidence of Clipogenics ever existing, and..."
"...and what?"
"...and the finger matched the D.N.A of a recent assumed suicide. It's now assumed to be murder."
I had a feeling there was more. Unfortunately, his next sentence confirmed that.
"The person in question was found to have also won the competition."
I did not need telling twice - I got my essentials packed, and was at the hotel in less than 90 minutes. It was only in the next town over, which I found odd, yet comforted that I was still so close to home.
After the man left and I was left with my own thoughts, I was surprised at how quiet my head was. I was just...content. I wasn't happy or sad or scared, I was just existing. Perhaps I was still in shock. It took about an hour before I remembered the envelope in my back pocket. I held it up to the light, and knew from the resulting darkness that this contained another letter.
I hesitantly opened it, peeking inside to check for hidden surprises.
Upon taking it out, I thought it to be a blank piece of paper - It seemed entirely empty. Until I unfolded it, to reveal the few words printed upon this letter.
Dear valued customer,
Suicides don't lose fingers,
The police do not wear suits.
The world spun. The world crumbled. The world felt like it no longer existed.
Then all at once, reality came back to me, as I felt a rush of anxiety-driven energy. I paced back and forth in the limited space I had, weighing up my options and trying to come up with a plan.
Could I leave? I was probably being watched.
Could I contact the police? I certainly no longer felt comfortable doing so.
Could I talk to my friends or family? The last thing I wanted was to put them in danger.
I knew I had to do one of these 3 options, and opted for the first. It was still bright out - Surely I'd be safe in crowds. So that's exactly what I did. I stuck to busy areas, and travelled across the country, using as many different types of public transportation as I could.
I didn't stop until night fell. I booked a new hotel under a fake name, and paid in cash. I rested surprisingly well that night.
My sleep was interrupted at around 7am to knocking at the door. "No thank you," I sleepily yelled at what I assumed to be room service.
"Something arrived in reception for you - I'll slide it under the door."
A white envelope emerged through the crack under the door.
I wanted to stay away from it, but I knew that being unaware of the contents would scare me more than anything else. Feeling my heart pounding through my chest, I reached for the envelope, noticing a thick object within. Another finger?
No, a letter, this time with a vial of liquid, and two golden paperclips.
Dear valued customer,
We're glad you're settling in well to your new surroundings.
Sorry for the little show - We needed to assure that you'd get as far away from your hometown as possible.
Your true prize isn't the paperclips. That would be mundane.
Your true prize is immortality.
Paperclips are beautiful, aren't they? Connecting paper to paper, as the universe connects life to life. And as the flow of life continues, it has connected us to you.
The chain of our will continues, as the chain of paperclips continues with it.
The vial within has a unique purpose. It will kill you and help you live, all at the same time.
You do understand, don't you?
Drink the vial, and stab a paperclip into yourself.
You will slowly drift away for a moment, but you will stay connected to the universe. You must.
You will awaken in your new body - One of the many that we have cryogenically frozen here.
It worked for me.
You saw my finger.
Every single paperclip we have sent you has had a purpose. Each has been blessed with a new connection for your new life. They have all been through your home, many have touched your skin, and all have been held up to the light.
Their blessings will reach you in your new life.
The green ones bring you wealth. The red ones bring you health. The blue ones bring you happiness.
All you have to do is drink the vial.
Before the poison sets in, choose a paperclip. Your decision will always be the right one.
We know how your brain ticks. Every word we've ever written, and every colour we've ever chosen, have all been designed to sway your decision in this very moment.
You'll fall asleep as a valued customer,
But you'll awaken as our valued employee.
I am not letting them control my destiny. I will not sacrifice my life to their company, to become one of their puppets to control.
I know this company has a far greater reach than I first understood, so I might not be able to tell anybody. But I can tell everybody.
I hope this post reaches their next "big winner" - And I hope they are as strong-willed as I am.
===
submitted by NomNomNomNation to nosleep [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 15:18 Guilty_Chemistry9337 Hide Behind the Cypress Tree (Part 1)

(owing to the reddit character limit, I'm posting this in two parts, but it's one contiguous story)
There are instincts that you develop when you’re a parent. If you don’t have any children it might be a little hard to understand. If you have a toddler, for example, and they’re in the other room and silent for more than a few seconds, there’s a good chance they’re up to no good. I take that back, most of the time they’re doing nothing, but you still have to check. You feel a compulsion to check. I don’t think it’s a learned skill, I think it’s an actual instinct.
Paleolithic parents who didn’t check on their toddlers every few minutes, just to double check that they weren’t being stalked by smilodons were unlikely to have grandchildren and pass on their genes. You just feel you need to check, like getting goosebumps, a compulsion. I suppose it’s the same reason little kids are always demanding you look at them and what they’re doing.
I think that instinct starts to atrophy as your kids grow. They start learning to do things for themselves, and before you know it, they’re after their own privacy, not your attention. I don’t think it ever goes away though. I expect, decades from now, my own grown kids will visit and bring my grandkids with them. And the second I hear a baby crying in the earliest morning hours, I’ll be alert and ready for anything, sure as any old soldier who hears his name whispered in the dark of night.
I felt that alarm just the other day. First time in years. My boy came home from riding bikes with a couple of his friends. I’m pretty sure they worked out a scam where they asked each of their parents for a different new console for Christmas, and now they spend their weekends traveling between the three houses so they can play on all of them.
We all live in a nice neighborhood. A newer development than the one I grew up in, same town though. It’s the kind of place where kids are always playing in the streets, and the cars all routinely do under 20. My wife and I make sure the kids have helmets and pads, and we’re fine with the boy going out biking with his friends, as long as they stay in the neighborhood.
You know, a lot of people in my generation take some weird sort of pride in how irresponsible we used to be when we were young. I never wore a helmet. Rode to places, without telling any adults, that we never should have ridden to. Me and my friends would make impromptu jumps off of makeshift ramps and try to do stupid tricks, based loosely on stunts we’d seen on TV. Other people my age seem to wax nostalgic for that stuff and pretend it makes them somehow better people. I don’t get it. Sometimes I look back and shudder. We were lucky we escaped with only occasional bruises and road burns. It could have gone so much worse.
My son and his buddies came bustling in the front door at about 2 PM on a Saturday. They did the usual thing of raiding the kitchen for juice and his mother’s brownies, and I took that as my cue to abandon the television in the living room for my office. I was hardly noticing the chaos, by this point, it was becoming a regular weekend occurrence. But as I was just leaving, I caught something in the chatter. My boy said something about, “... that guy who was following us.”
He hadn’t said it any louder or more clearly than anything else they’d been talking about, all that stuff I’d been filtering out. Yet some deeper core process in my brain stem heard it, interpreted it, then hit the red alert button. My blood ran cold and every hair on my skin stood at attention.
I turned around and asked “Somebody followed you? What are you talking about?” I wasn’t consciously aware of how strict and stern my voice came out, yet when the jovial smiles dropped off of their faces it was apparent that it had been so.
“Huh?” my son said, his voice high-pitched and talking fast, like when he thinks he’s in trouble and needs to explain. “We thought we saw somebody following us. There wasn’t though. We didn’t really see anybody and we’d just spooked ourselves.”
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“Nothing? We really didn’t see anybody! Honest! I just saw something out of the corner of my eye! But there wasn’t really nobody there!”
“Yeah!,” said one of his buds. “Peripheral! Peripheral vision! I thought maybe I saw something too, but when I looked I didn’t see anything. I don’t have my glasses with me, but when I really looked I got a good look and there was nothing.”
The three boys had that semi-smiling but still concerned look that this was only a bizarre misunderstanding, but they were still being very sincere. “Were they in a car?”
“No, Dad, you don’t get it,” my boy continued, “They were small. We thought it was a kid.”
“Yeah,” said the third boy. “We thought maybe it was Tony Taylor’s stupid kid sister shadowing us. Getting close to throwing water balloons. Just cause she did that before.”
“If you didn’t get a good look how did you know it was a kid?”
“Because it was small!” my kid explained, though that wasn’t helping much. “What I mean is, at first I thought it was behind a little bush. It was way too small a bush to hide a grown-up. That’s why we thought it was probably Tony’s sister.”
“But you didn’t actually see Tony’s sister?” I asked.
“Nah,” said one of his buds. “And now that I think about it, that bush was probably too small for his sister too. It would have been silly. Like when a cartoon character hides behind a tiny object.”
“That’s why we think it was just in our heads,” explained the other boy, “That and the pole.”
“Yeah,” my son said. “The park on 14th and Taylor?” That was just a little community park, a single city block. Had a playground, lawn, a few trees, and some benches. “Anyway, we were riding past that, took a right on Taylor. And we were talking about how weird it would be if somebody really were following us. That’s when Brian thought he saw something. Behind a telephone pole.”
“I didn’t get a good look at it either,” the friend, Brian, “explained. Just thought I did. Know how you get up late at night to use the bathroom or whatever and you look down the hallway and you see a jacket or an office chair or something and because your eyes haven’t adjusted you think you see a ghost or burglar or something? Anyway, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned there wasn’t anything there.”
“Yeah, it was just like sometimes that happens, except this time it happened twice on the same bike ride, is all,” the other friend explained.
“And you’re sure there was nothing there?”
“Sure we’re sure,” my boy said. “We know because that time we checked. We each rode our bikes around the pole and there was nothing. Honest!”
“Hmmm,” I said. The whole thing seemed reasonable and nothing to be concerned about, you’d think.. The boys seemed to relax at my supposed acceptance. “Alright, sounds good. Hey, just let me know before you leave the house again, alright?” They all rushed to seem agreeable as I left the room, then quickly resumed their snacking and preceded to play their games.
I kept my ear out, just in case. My boy, at least this time, dutifully told me his friends were about to leave. He wasn’t very happy with me when I said they wouldn’t be riding home on their bikes, I was going to drive them home. The other boys didn’t complain, but I suppose it wasn’t their place, so my boy did the advocating for them, which I promptly ignored. I hate doing that, ignoring my kid’s talkback. My dad was the same way. It didn’t help that I struggled to get both of their bikes in the trunk, and it was a pain to get them back out again. My boy sulked in the front seat on the short ride back home. Arms folded on chest, eyes staring straight ahead, that lip thing they do. He seemed embarrassed for having what he thought was an over-protective parent. I suppose he was angry at me as well for acting, as far as he knew, irrationally. Maybe he thought he was being punished for some infraction he didn’t understand.
Well, it only got worse when we got home. I told him he wasn’t allowed to go out alone on his bike anymore. I’d only had to do that once before, when he was grounded, and back then he’d known exactly what he’d done wrong and he had it coming. Now? Well, he was confused, furious, maybe betrayed, probably a little brokenhearted? I can’t blame him. He tramped upstairs to his room to await the return of his mother, who was certain to give a sympathetic ear. I can’t imagine how upset he’ll be if he checks the garage tomorrow and finds I’ve removed his tires, just in case.
I wish I could explain it to him. I don’t even know how.
Where should I even begin? The town?
When I was about my son’s age I had just seen that movie, The Goonies. It had just come out in theaters. I really liked that movie, felt a strong connection. A lot of people do, can’t blame them, sort of a timeless classic. Except I wasn’t really into pirate’s treasure or the Fratellis, what really made me connect was a simple single shot, still in the first act. It’s right after they cross the threshold, and leave the house on their adventure. It was a shot of the boys, from above, maybe a crane shot or a helicopter shot, as they’re riding their bikes down a narrow forested lane, great big evergreen trees densely growing on the side of the road, they’re all wearing raincoats and the road is still wet from recent rain.
That was my childhood. I’ve spent my whole life in the Pacific Northwest. People talk to outsiders about the rain, and they might picture a lot of rainfall, but it’s not the volume, it’s the duration. We don’t get so much rain, it just drizzles slowly, on and on, for maybe eight or nine months out of the year. It doesn’t matter where I am, inside a house, traveling far abroad, anywhere I am I can close my eyes and still smell the air on a chilly afternoon, playing outdoors with my friends.
It’s not petrichor, that sudden intense smell you get when it first starts to rain after a long dry spell. No, this was almost the opposite, a clean smell, almost the opposite of a scent, since the rain seemed to scrub the air clean. The strongest scent and I mean that in the loosest sense possible, must have been the evergreen needles. Not pine needles, those were too strong, and there weren’t that many pines anyway. Douglas fir and red cedar predominated, again the root ‘domination’ seems hyperbole. Yet those scents were there, ephemeral as it is. Also, there was a sort of pleasant dirtiness to the smell, at least when you rode bikes. It wasn’t dirt, or mud, or dust. Dust couldn’t have existed except perhaps for a few fleeting weeks in August. I think, looking back, it was the mud puddles. All the potholes in all the asphalt suburban roads would fill up after rain with water the color of chocolate milk. We’d swerve our BMX bikes, or the knock-off brands, all the way across the street just to splash through those puddles and test our “suspensions.,” meaning our ankles and knees. The smell was always stronger after that. It had an earthiness to it. Perhaps it was petrichor’s lesser-known watery cousin.
There were other sensations too, permanently seared into my brain like grill marks. A constant chilliness that was easy to ignore, until you started working up a good heart rate on your bike, then you noticed your lungs were so cold it felt like burning. The sound of your tires on the wet pavement, particularly when careening downhill at high speed. For some reason, people in the mid-80s used to like to decorate their front porches with cheap, polyester windsocks. They were often vividly colored, usually rainbow, like prototype pride flags. When an occasional wind stirred up enough to gust, the windsocks would flap, and owning to the water-soaked polyester, make a wet slapping sound. It was loud, it was distinct, but you learned to ignore it as part of the background, along with the cawing of crows and distant passing cars.
That was my perception of Farmingham as a kid. The town itself? Just a typical Pacific Northwest town. That might not mean much for younger people or modern visitors, but there was a time when such towns were all the same. They were logging towns. It was the greatest resource of the area from the late 19th century, right up until about the 80s, when the whole thing collapsed. Portland, Seattle, they had a few things going on beyond just the timber industry, but all the hundreds of little towns and small cities revolved around logging, and my town was no exception.
I remember going to the museum. It had free admission, and it was a popular field trip destination for the local school system. It used to be the City Hall, a weird Queen Anne-style construction. Imagine a big Victorian house, but blown up to absurd proportions, and with all sorts of superfluous decorations. Made out of local timber, of course. They had a hall for art, I can’t even remember why, now. Maybe they were local artists. I only remember paintings of sailboats and topless women, which was a rare sight for a kid at the time. There was a hall filled with 19th-century household artifacts. Chamber pots and weird children's toys.
Then there was the logging section, which was the bulk of the museum. It’s strange how different things seemed to be in the early days of the logging industry, despite being only about a hundred years old, from my perspective in the 1980s. If you look back a hundred years from today, in the 1920s, you had automobiles, airplanes, electrical appliances, jazz music, radio programs, flappers, it doesn’t feel that far removed, does it? No TV, no internet, but it wouldn’t be that strange. 1880s? Different world.
Imagine red cedars, so big you could have a full logging crew, arms stretched out, just barely manage to encircle one for a photographer. Felling a single tree was the work of days. Men could rest and eat their lunches in the shelter of a cut made into a trunk, and not worry for safety or room. They had to cut their own little platforms into the trees many feet off the ground, just so the trunk was a little bit thinner, and thus hours of labor saved. They used those long, flexible two-man saws. And double-bit axes. They worked in the gloom of the shade with old gas lanterns. Once cut down from massive logs thirty feet in diameter, they’d float the logs downhill in sluices, like primitive wooden make-shift water slides. Or they’d haul them down to the nearest river, the logs pulled by donkeys on corduroy roads. They’d lay large amounts of grease on the roads, so the logs would slide easily. You could still smell the grease on the old tools on display in the museum. The bigger towns had streets where the loggers would slide the logs down greased skids all the way down to the sea, where they’d float in big logjams until the mills were ready for processing. They’d call such roads “skid-rows.” Because of all the activity, they’d end up being the worst parts of town. Local citizens wouldn’t want to live there, due to all the stink and noise. They’d be on the other side of the brothels and the opium dens. It would be the sort of place where the destitute and the insane would find themselves when they’d finally lost anything. To this day, “skidrow” remains a euphemism for the part of a city where the homeless encamp.
That was the lore I’d learned as a child. That was my “ancestry” I was supposed to respect and admire, which I did, wholeheartedly. There were things they left out, though. Things that you might have suspected, from a naive perspective, would be perfect for kids, all the folklore that came with the logging industry. The ghost stories, and the tall tales. I would have eaten that up. They do talk about that kind of thing in places far removed from the Pacific Northwest. But I had never heard about any of it. Things like the Hidebehind. No, that I’d have to discover for myself.
There were four of us on those bike adventures. Myself. Ralph, my best friend. A tough guy, the bad boy, the most worldly of us, which is a strange thing to say about an eight-year-old kid. India, an archetypal ‘80s tomboy. She was the coolest person I knew at the time. Looking back, I wonder what her home life was like. I think I remember problematic warning signs that I couldn’t have recognized when I was so young, but now raise flags. Then there was Ben. A goofy kid, a wild mop of hair, coke bottle glasses, type 1 diabetic which seemed to make him both a bit pampered by his mother, who was in charge of all his insulin, diet, and schedule, and conversely a real risk taker when she wasn’t around.
When we first saw it…
No, wait. This was the problem with starting the story. Where does it all begin? I’ll need to talk about my Grandfather as well. I’ve had two different perspectives on my Grandfather, on the man that he was. The first was the healthy able-bodied grandparent I’d known as a young child. Then there was the man, as I learned about him after he had passed.
There was a middle period, from when I was 6 to when I was 16, when I hardly understood him at all, as he was hit with a double whammy of both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's. His decline into an invalid was both steep and long drawn out. That part didn’t reflect who he was as a person.
What did I know of him when I was little? Well I knew he and my grandmother had a nice big house and some farmland, out in the broad flat valley north of Farmingham. Dairy country. It had been settled by Dutch immigrants back in the homesteading days. His family had been among the first pioneers in the county too. It didn’t register to me then that his surname was Norwegian, not Dutch. I knew he had served in the Navy in World War II, which I was immensely proud of for reasons I didn’t know why. I knew he had a job as a butcher in a nearby rural supermarket. He was a bit of a farmer too, more as a hobby and a side gig. He had a few cattle, but mostly grew and harvested hay to sell to the local dairies. I knew he had turned his garage into a machine shop, and could fix damn near anything. From the flat tires on my bicycle to the old flat-bed truck he’d haul hay with, to an old 1950s riding lawnmower he somehow managed to keep in working order. I knew he could draw a really cool cartoon cowboy, I knew he loved to watch football, and I knew the whiskers on his chin were very pokey, and they’d tickle you when he kissed you on the cheek, and that when you tried to rub the sensation away he’d laugh and laugh and laugh.
Then there were the parts of his life that I’d learn much later. Mostly from odd passing comments from relatives, or things I’d find in the public records. Like how he’d been a better grandfather than a father. Or how his life as I knew it had been a second, better life. He’d been born among the Norwegian settler community, way up in the deep, dark, forest-shrouded hills that rimmed the valley. He’d been a logger in his youth. Technologically he was only a generation or two from the ones I’d learned about in the museum. They’d replaced donkeys with diesel engines and corduroy roads with narrow gauge rail. It was still the same job, though. Dirty, dangerous, dark. Way back into those woods, living in little logging camps, civilization was always a several-day hike out. It became a vulgar sort of profession, filled with violent men, reprobates, and thieves. When my grandfather’s father was murdered on his front porch by a lunatic claiming he’d been wronged somehow, my grandfather hiked out of there, got into town, and joined the Navy. He vowed never to go back. The things he’d seen out in those woods were no good. He’d kept that existence away from me. Anyways…
Tommy Barker was the first of us to go missing. I say ‘us’ as if I knew him personally. I didn’t. He went to Farmingham Middle School, other side of town, and several grades above us. From our perspective, he may as well have been an adult living overseas.
Yet it felt like we got to know him. His face was everywhere, on TV, all over telephone poles. Everybody was talking about him. After he didn’t return from a friend’s house, everybody just sort of assumed, or maybe hoped, that he’d just gotten lost, or was trapped somewhere. They searched all the parks. Backyards, junkyards, refrigerators, trunks. Old-fashioned refrigerators, back before suction seals, had a simple handle with a latch that opened when you pulled on it. It wasn’t a problem when the fridges were in use and filled with food. But by the 80s old broke-down refrigerators started filling up backyards and junkyards, and they became deathtraps for kids playing hide-and-seek. The only opened from the outside. I remember thinking Tommy Barker was a little old to have likely been playing hide-and-seek, but people checked everywhere anyway. They never found him.
That was about the first time we saw the Hidebehind. Ben said he thought he saw somebody following us, looked like, maybe, a kid. We’d just slowly huffed our way up a moderately steep hill, Farmingham is full of them, and when we paused for a breather at the top, Ben said he saw it down the hill, closer to the base. Yet when we turned to look there was nothing there. Ben said he’d just seen it duck behind a car. That wasn’t the sort of behavior of a random kid minding his own business. Yet the slope afforded us a view under the car’s carriage, and except for the four tires, there were no signs of any feet hiding behind the body. At first, we thought he was pulling our leg. When he insisted he wasn’t, we started to tease him a little. He must have been seeing things, on account of his poor vision and thick glasses. The fact that those glasses afforded him vision as good as or better than any of us wasn’t something we considered.
The next person to disappear was Amy Brooks. Fifth-grader. Next elementary school over. I remember it feeling like when you’re traveling down the freeway, and there’s a big thunderstorm way down the road, but it keeps getting closer, and closer. I don’t remember what she looked like. Her face wasn’t plastered everywhere like Tommy’s had been. She was mentioned on the regional news, out of Seattle, her and Tommy together. Two missing kids from the same town in a short amount of time. The implication was as obvious as it was depraved. They didn’t think the kids were getting lost anymore. They didn’t do very much searching of backyards. The narratives changed too. Teachers started talking a lot about stranger danger. Local TV channels started recycling old After School Specials and public service announcements about the subject.
I’m not sure who saw it next. I think it was Ben again. We took him seriously this time though. I think. The one I’m sure I remember was soon after, and that time it was India who first saw it. It’s still crystal clear in my memory, almost forty years later, because that was the time I first saw it too. We were riding through a four-way stop, an Idaho Stop before they called it that, when India slammed to a stop, locking up her coaster brakes and leaving a long black streak of rubber on a dry patch of pavement. We stopped quickly after and asked what the problem was. We could tell by her face she’d seen it. She was still looking at it.
“I see it,” she whispered, unnecessarily. We all followed her gaze. We were looking, I don’t know, ten seconds? Twenty? We believed everything she said, we just couldn’t see it.
“Where?” Ralph asked.
“Four blocks down,” she whispered. “On the left. See the red car? Kinda rusty?” There was indeed a big old Lincoln Continental, looking pretty ratty and worn. I focused on that, still seeing nothing. “Past that, just to its right. See the street light pole? It’s just behind that.”
We also saw the pole she was talking about. Metal. Aluminum, I’d have guessed. It had different color patches, like metallic flakeboard. Like it’d had been melted together out of scrap.
I could see that clearly even from that distance. I saw nothing behind it. I could see plenty of other things in the background, cars, houses, bushes, front lawns, beauty bark landscape.. There was no indication of anything behind that pole.
And then it moved. It had been right there where she said it had been, yet it had somehow perfectly blended into the landscape, a trick of perspective. We didn’t see it at all until it moved, and almost as fast it had disappeared behind that light pole. We only got a hint. Brown in color, about our height in size.
We screamed. Short little startled screams, the involuntary sort that just burst out of you. Then we turned and started to pedal like mad, thoroughly spooked. We made it to the intersection of the next block when it was Ralph who screeched to a halt and shouted, “Wait!”
We slowed down and stopped, perhaps not as eagerly as we’d done when India yelled. Ralph was looking back over his shoulder, looking at that metal pole. “Did anybody see it move again?’ he asked. We all shook our heads in the negative. Ralph didn’t notice, but of course, he didn’t really need an answer, of course we hadn’t been watching.
“If it didn’t move, then it’s still there!” Ralph explained the obvious. It took a second to sink in, despite the obvious. “C’mon!” he shouted, and to our surprise, before we could react, he turned and took off, straight down the road, straight to where that thing had been lurking.
We were incredulous, but something about his order made us all follow hot on his heels. He was a sort of natural leader. I thought it was total foolishness, but I wasn’t going to let him go alone. I think I got out, “Are you crazy?!”
The wind was blowing hard past our faces as we raced as fast as we could, it made it hard to hear. Ralph shouted his response. “If it’s hiding that means its afraid!” That seemed reasonable, if not totally accurate. Lions hide from their prey before they attack. Then again, they don’t wait around when the whole herd charges. Really, the pole was coming up so fast there wasn’t a whole lot of time to argue. “Just blast past and look!” Ralph added. “We’re too fast! It won’t catch us.”
Sure, I thought to myself. Except maybe Ben, who always lagged behind the rest of us in a race. The lion would get Ben if any of us.
We rushed past that pole and all turned our heads to look. “See!” Ralph shouted in triumph. There was simply nothing there. A metal streetlight pole and nothing more. We stopped pedaling yet still sped on. “Hang on,” Ralph said, and at the next intersection he took a fast looping curve that threatened to crash us all, but we managed and curved behind him. We all came to the pole again where we stopped to see up close that there was nothing there, despite what we had seen moments before.
“Maybe it bilocated,” Ben offered. We groaned. We were all thinking it, but I think we were dismissive because it wasn’t as cool a word as ‘teleport.”
“Maybe it just moved when we weren’t looking,” I offered. That hadn’t been long, but that didn’t mean anything if it moved fast. The four of us slowly looked up from the base of the pole to our immediate surroundings. There were bushes. A car in a carport covered by a tarpaulin. The carport itself. Garbage cans. Stumps. Of course the ever-present trees. Whatever it was it could have been hiding behind anything. Maybe it was. We looked. Maybe it would make itself seen. None of us wanted that. “OK, let’s get going,” Ralph said, and we did so.
I got home feeling pretty shaken that afternoon. I felt safe at home. Except for the front room, which had a big bay window looking out onto the street, and the people who lived across it. There were plenty of garbage cans and telephone poles and stumps that a small, fast thing might hide behind. No, I felt more comfortable in my bedroom. There was a window, but a great thick conical cypress tree grew right in front of it, reaching way up over the roof of the house. If anything, it offered ME a place to hide, and peer out onto the street to either side of the tree. It was protective, as good as any heavy blanket.
submitted by Guilty_Chemistry9337 to Odd_directions [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 13:42 Silent-Phil Graphics effects in the four elements - Shaders in 2D game

Graphics effects in the four elements - Shaders in 2D game
Hello everyone! We are a small team that has been developing a 2D strategy game called Norland - a medieval kingdom simulator - for several years now.
This is our second article about 2D rendering of various effects in our game. You can read the previous article here. Just to remind you, the game is a 2D one and is being developed on the Game Maker Studio 2 engine.
Today, we will be discussing four elements - water, fire, earth, and air. What graphical effects do they encompass? Let's find out.
https://i.redd.it/1o7iwm2gzz2b1.gif

Water

Currently, water doesn't have a profound impact on the gameplay in Norland - you can't build structures on it, that's about it. You can't catch fish or construct ships yet. Nevertheless, it still needs to be rendered somehow.
It all started with the development of a mockup (a fake screenshot of the game drawn in a graphics editor). As the initial water reference, I used a screenshot from the game Graveyard Keeper, adjusted to our color palette.
Artists created the tiles for the shoreline for us, but they struggled with the actual water surface. So, I had to come up with its appearance myself.
I recommend using the \"Match Color\" function in Photoshop. It was specifically with the help of this feature that I adapted the color scheme of the Graveyard Keeper screenshot to our desired colors.
The coastline tiles were drawn by our artists, but they had some difficulties with creating realistic water surfaces. Therefore, I had to come up with the appearance of the water myself.
Mockup
I had a rough understanding of how to create a shader for water - a seamless texture with "caustics" is overlaid on water tiles, and waves and ripples are simulated by moving the UV coordinates of the water surface over a special noise texture (effect commonly known as Displacement).
I found the caustics on OpenGameArt, but I don't remember where I got the texture for shifting the UV coordinates - they are found online under various names (e.g., bump mapping water texture).
https://preview.redd.it/m13qcsizxz2b1.png?width=1400&format=png&auto=webp&s=66b63e978bf62e4758378f58f521985fd9969de8
The effect is simple - at each point, I take the r and b components of the Displacement texture color, which represent the shift value, and add it to the texture coordinates of the caustics. Additionally, the Displacement texture is looped and constantly shifted in a certain direction (which corresponds to the direction of water ripples).
The final effect in the game engine
The same effect in SHADERed
I recreated this shader in SHADERed, and if you're interested, you can view its implementation and experiment with your own parameter values and textures. The project can be downloaded here.
You can see the code of the fragment shader by double-clicking on \"Simple\" in the project's \"Pipeline.\"

Fire

Initially, to create the effect of burning houses, only particles were used. However, I quickly encountered a problem: to achieve a dense and vibrant fire effect, a significant number of particles were required. This, in turn, negatively affected the game's performance (Game Maker Studio 2.3 is not the most performant engine), especially when a fire spread across half of the city. Moreover, I wasn't satisfied with the resulting effect - the fire seemed insubstantial and didn't blend well with the environment. You can see the results of this work in the game's announcement trailer.
So, to avoid game lag, it was necessary to reduce the number of particles. However, even with the initial particle count, the effect still appeared insufficiently dense. Therefore, a different approach was needed. In the end, I came up with a solution that involved a small number of particles and a special fire shader applied to the building texture, creating the desired density of the effect.
The effect consists of several components:
  1. Creating a fire texture from Perlin noise, overlaying this texture on the building, and animating the result (simple upward movement of the fire);
  2. Darkening the building texture and subsequently "dissolving" it (effect commonly known as Dissolve) to fully destroy the building engulfed in fire;
  3. Several types of particles - smoke, scattered sparks from the fire, and an older fire effect that was used on a much smaller scale than before.
​
Please adhere to...
...safety protocols
I also transferred this effect to SHADERed.

Earth

If you simply apply a tiled texture to the surface, it doesn't matter how good the texture is - as the camera moves away, it will look unpleasant. To achieve an acceptable result, it is necessary to somehow break the obvious repetitiveness of the pattern.
Example of poor tiling
Initially, I had the idea to generate various-shaped and colored grass clumps and then randomly scatter them across the entire map. I was satisfied with this approach - it lasted for almost a year, but as the game is getting closer to release, it was time to revisit this task for polishing.
These pre-drawn \"blots\" were randomly distributed across the map
The downside of using clumps became evident - to ensure even coverage of a map sized 31,500 x 22,500, a large number of decals would be required, and they would inevitably intersect with each other, creating overdraw (excessive rendering of pixels that won't be visible on the screen due to object overlap). And it turned out that there might not be enough of them. Moreover, the shape of these clumps is predetermined, so creating new ones would require manual work in the editor.
Therefore, I came up with another solution - generating a diverse surface pattern directly in the shader (GLSL Fragment).
varying vec2 v_vTexcoord;
varying vec4 v_vColour;
varying vec2 v_vTexelPosition;
uniform float u_fMidAlpha;
uniform float u_fBrightAlpha;
uniform float u_fGrassScale;
uniform float u_fMidScale;
uniform float u_fBrightScale;
uniform float u_fGrassSmooth;
uniform sampler2D u_sPerlinNoise;
uniform sampler2D u_sGrass;
void main()
{
float scale = 10000.0;
float threshold = 0.5;
float threshold_step = 0.02 * u_fGrassSmooth;
float mid_noise = texture2D(u_sPerlinNoise, v_vTexelPosition / vec2(scale, scale * 0.7) * u_fMidScale).r;
mid_noise = u_fMidAlpha * smoothstep(threshold - threshold_step, threshold + threshold_step, mid_noise);
float bright_noise = texture2D(u_sPerlinNoise, v_vTexelPosition / vec2(scale, -scale * 0.7) * u_fBrightScale).r;
bright_noise = u_fBrightAlpha * smoothstep(threshold - threshold_step, threshold + threshold_step, bright_noise);
vec3 back_color = vec3(134.0, 131.0, 63.0) / 255.0;vec3 mid_color = vec3(113.0, 112.0, 55.0) / 255.0;
vec3 bright_color = vec3(157.0, 151.0, 70.0) / 255.0;
vec3 final_color = mix(back_color, mid_color, mid_noise);
final_color = mix(final_color, bright_color, (1.0 - mid_noise) * bright_noise);
vec3 grass = mix(vec3(1.0), texture2D(u_sGrass, v_vTexelPosition / vec2(scale) * u_fGrassScale).rgb, 0.64);
gl_FragColor = vec4(final_color * grass, 1.0);
}
The code for this shader is relatively simple - a tiled Perlin noise texture is fed into it, and the smoothstep function is used to cut off areas that are darker than a threshold value.
I perform this operation twice, but the second time, the noise texture is scaled and offset differently to avoid repeating patterns. Then, the spots are colored with designated colors and blended together based on alpha, and finally, a tiled grass texture is overlaid.
In addition to the texture itself, various decals such as grass clumps, rocks, and dirt spots are placed on top of the grass. However, they are required in much smaller quantities than before.
Here's the result before and after the effect.
https://preview.redd.it/1fh8cpyayz2b1.png?width=3014&format=png&auto=webp&s=51753c6117c6a7f863a2fb6097d0df214a8e990a
https://preview.redd.it/kqms2kebyz2b1.png?width=2581&format=png&auto=webp&s=4608f8e4235ce5a7f02d4969b75e7172fa9bfba4

Air

Actually, this section is not specifically about air but rather about color grading. However, I needed to align it with the overall concept of natural elements in the game ;)
LUT (Look-Up Table) is a technique that is well-known in the photography and videography communities. Its purpose is the same everywhere – to colorize an image in a specific way.
A LUT is essentially a texture (usually 512x512 pixels) that encodes the entire RGB color range. Imagine it as a cube divided into layers. The texture may look something like this:
Neutral LUT texture that will not change colors after applying the color correction shader
The idea is that each RGB color corresponds to a specific pixel in this texture (the RGB components of the color are used as coordinates in the texture). For example, for the color red (#ff0000), it would be the top-right pixel in the first square.
The job of a color grading shader is to change the color of each pixel in the image to the color corresponding to its pixel in the LUT texture. The only thing you need to do manually is prepare these LUT textures, but it's a fairly straightforward process.
For example, let's say we want to create the effect of a sunset with a shift towards red tones. We take a screenshot from the game, load it into a photo editor, and start playing with color parameters using various tools like Hue/Saturation, Brightness, Contrast, etc. Personally, I would focus on shifting the Hue towards red and increasing saturation, but feel free to let your imagination run wild. You could, for example, saturate only the red color and make everything else gray (hello, Sin City).
https://preview.redd.it/m8mm2aycyz2b1.png?width=1543&format=png&auto=webp&s=405236d0e08e3ebfce7ffe00103f5bb2e3415309
https://preview.redd.it/99g6h8edyz2b1.png?width=1165&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5b5bafdfcd44dff82c4179bb037dc1055429a3e
https://preview.redd.it/tz36r2sdyz2b1.png?width=1551&format=png&auto=webp&s=b1e16ca79798cd1770cf0bbc628a6eb1e1f1e9cf
Next, you apply the same color adjustments to a neutral LUT texture. The result would look like this:
LUT texture to which color adjustment settings have been applied
Now, if you pass the render of our game through the color grading shader with this texture, the game will look exactly as the image was adjusted in the photo editor.
varying vec2 v_vTexcoord;varying vec4 v_vColour;
uniform sampler2D u_sLut;
precision highp float;
//Number of colours per channel (64 is standard)
#define COL_N 64.0//Square root of COL_N
#define COL_S 8.0//Reciprocal of COL_S
#define COL_R 0.125
vec3 look_up(vec3 col)
{
vec3 index = clamp(floor(col.rgb * COL_N - 0.5), 0.0, COL_N - 1.0);
vec2 coord = (index.rg / COL_N + mod(floor(index.b * vec2(1, COL_R)), COL_S)) * COL_R;
return texture2D(u_sLut, coord).rgb;
}
void main()
{
vec4 base_color = texture2D(gm_BaseTexture, v_vTexcoord);
gl_FragColor = vec4(look_up(base_color.rgb), 1.0);
}
In Norland, we use a set of five different LUT textures, each corresponding to a specific time of day – morning, day, evening, sunset, night – as well as a special texture for artificial lighting. At any given time, two textures are active and blended together to achieve a smooth transition in color grading. For example, if morning starts at 6 am and day starts at 12 pm, at 8 am the color grading will be a mix of 33% morning LUT and 66% day LUT.
https://preview.redd.it/mu8vo39fyz2b1.png?width=883&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd86c6e896ad974fe6e966408cbd9f6ce54254b8
Day and night cycle
There are many other effects in the game (artificial lighting, rain, blood, equipment damage, etc.) of varying complexity, but there's still much work to be done (I'm currently brainstorming how to create snow and winter). But that's a story for another time.
I hope you found it interesting! Thank you!
submitted by Silent-Phil to IndieDev [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 13:03 FelicitySmoak_ On This Day In Michael Jackson HIStory - May 30th

On This Day In Michael Jackson HIStory - May 30th
1970 - "The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5 enters the Billboard US Hot 100 singles chart at #45. In late June, will peak at #1 & stay there for 2 weeks
1971 - The Jackson 5 play at the Fairgrounds Arena (now Jim Norick Arena) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on their 2nd national tour
1977 - The Jacksons perform “Keep On Dancing” on Numéro Un Joe Dassin taped at the Buttes-Chaumont Studios in Paris, France while on their European tour. It would air on July 2nd
​
https://preview.redd.it/l7qs60bu1t2b1.jpg?width=583&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6097f10de11c1eed4db5c31fd60ee1164723854d
​
https://preview.redd.it/u8bs840v1t2b1.jpg?width=535&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9656ff295d3383c08dab4328533c5ddcc738131f
1979 - On their Destiny Tour, The Jacksons play the Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1987 - The Los Angeles Times reports that Michael has submitted an official bid, for an undisclosed sum, for the remains of the late John Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, from the London Hospital Medical College which has kept them since Merrick’s death in 1890.
Michael's manager, Frank DiLeo, commented “Jackson has no exploitative intentions whatsoever and cares about and is concerned with the Elephant Man as a dedicated and devoted collector of art and antiques"
Also adding that Michael "has a high degree of respect for the memory of Merrick"
1992 - "In The Closet" peaked at #6 during it's 5th week on the Billboard chart. It would stay in the Top 40 for 11 weeks
1997 - HIStory tour rehearsals in Bremen, Germany
2000 - Dangerous (album) is certified 7X platinum by the RIAA.
​
https://preview.redd.it/mux66z1m1t2b1.jpg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=534424417cb398602f1e05ad08738a2b71593424
​
https://preview.redd.it/d9mty4pm1t2b1.png?width=325&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e4d908b0017480477988d8cb306482571b7cf96
2000 - Michael announces that he has become a key partner & investor in HollywoodTicket.com, a promotional and marketing site that gives netizens the chance to win backstage passes to concerts & visits to film/tv show shoots. The amount he invested was not disclosed but it's understood to be in the millions
2003 - Michael attends a party at Robert Evan's house to celebrate Brett Ratner's Hillhaven Lodge: The Photo Book Pictures book launch. Brett Ratner is the director of Rush Hour. Later that same night, Michael shows up at a MTV Movie Awards post party at Ron Burkle's Beverly Hills Mansion where he meets Puff Daddy and Paris Hilton among others.
​
https://preview.redd.it/dqatcf5r1t2b1.jpg?width=487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15562776b7bed38a21cb83b55196fc88f4763164
​
https://preview.redd.it/lcfs3asr1t2b1.jpg?width=1707&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d44d91cf64ea078ecfc0e8d91a591feb80c49f6
​
https://preview.redd.it/nnogz5ls1t2b1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34428f4ce83bf04217c4d2b4b66e880d1ce86a1d
2005 - No court today due to the Memorial Day holiday
2006 - Michael Jackson takes his kids and his nanny Grace to Tokyo Disneyland.
2007 - A collection of almost 2000 Jackson family items dating from the mid-1960's to the early '90's goes to auction in the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas.
These are items from a storage warehouse that Henry Vaccaro came in to possession of after a failed business venture ended up in bankruptcy court. Items include Michael's gold record for Thriller, handwritten "ABC" lyrics & a signed Victory tour program
2013 - Jackson v AEG Trial Day 20
Katherine and Rebbie Jackson are in court.
The court also heard an update on efforts to get emails and any other records from a computer used by Michael's former manager, Frank Dileo. Apparently an LA attorney has a copy of Dileo's computer hard drive. Attorneys are working to get a copy of the HD to both sides. The copy was revealed during a deposition of Dileo's widow earlier this week in Pennsylvania, plaintiff's attorney Brian Panish said
Paul Gongaware Testimony
Jackson direct
Gongaware said he met with his attorneys again yesterday to refresh his recollection
Panish asked if AEG was concerned about Mr. Jackson's health. "When he was sick we obviously had a concern," Gongaware responded. Gongaware said he understood Michael was sick from reading the chain of emails shown yesterday. But Gongaware told the jury he didn't have any particular concern about Michael Jackson other than on June 19th, no one told Gongaware about being concerned with his health. Gongaware testified that he disagreed with Houghdahl's opinion, saying he had no "particular concern" about Jackson's health and ability to perform
Talking about the email Hougdahl sent saying Michael was deteriorating quickly, Gongaware explained: "I didn't see it the way he saw."
Hougdahl, in response to concerns expressed by Travis Payne about Jackson's weight Email 6/15/09 from Hougdahl to Gongaware :
He needs some cheeseburgers with a bunch of Wisconsin cheesehead bowlers and a couple of brats and beers
"Was he joking around about this situation?" Panish asked Gongaware, referring to Hougdahl. "I think he was," Gongaware replied. "Did you think that was funny?" Panish asked. "I did," Gongaware admitted
Panish asked about indemnity in Gongaware's contract. The exec said indemnity means that someone else is taking on the responsibility. "I haven't read my contract in 12/13 years, I don't know what it says," Gongaware said. Gongaware said he does not know how many pages his employment agreement is. Panish asked if he AEG would cover for Gongaware should they be found guilty. Gongaware said it was his understanding that he wouldn't be personally responsible financially if the jury sided with Jackson family.
Panish: "That means if you did something wrong..."
Gongaware: "They would be responsible. I've been assuming that,"
Adding that depending upon the size of the judgment, AEG could go after him. Panish asked how much AEG would be able to afford, and Gongaware said he didn't know. Panish emphasized there are various ways for AEG to pay a judgment, and Gongaware mentioned they had some sort of cancellation insurance.
Panish went back to discuss the email from Randy Phillips where he wrote 'Dr. Murray didn't need the gig and was unbiased and ethical'
Panish: "Is Mr. Phillips unbiased and ethical, sir?"
Gongaware: "I think he is"
Panish asked if it was ethical for Phillips to represent to Ortega that the doctor is 'extremely successful' and 'we checked everyone out'. Gongaware responded that he didn't know what Phillips knew at the time.
Panish: "Is number one priority 'the show must go on'?"
Gongaware: "I don't know if that's number one"
Panish: "What's number one?"
Gongaware: "Getting it right"
Panish showed the email from John Branca, saying he had the right therapist for Michael and asked if substance abuse was involved. "This is referring to the meeting that was going to happen and I was waiting to see the results of it," Gongaware said. "I didn't believe there was a substance abuse issue," Gongaware testified. "In the entire time I was dealing with him in this tour, I saw it once when he came back from his doctor," Gongaware testified. Gongaware said that was the only time he saw Michael with slurred speech and under the influence of something. Gongaware said he didn't know what Dr. Klein was giving Michael Jackson. When Panish asked Gongaware if he checked Dr. Klein out, he replied: "No, he was Michael's doctor and it was none of my business."
Gongaware said he once observed Michael looking "slow" and possibly intoxicated after a visit to his dermatologist but he didn't believe he had any "serious health problems" even after Jackson appeared weak and disoriented at a June 19 rehearsal. "My observation of Michael Jackson was that he was healthy," Gongaware said. "They had a meeting to discuss (the June 19 incident), and he took a couple days off and he came back strong"
As to insurance issues, Gongaware said he was involved only peripherally. On June 25, Gongaware sent an email saying that if they didn't get sickness coverage in the insurance, they would be dropping the policy. Gongaware said he didn't know why he was pressing for sickness insurance on the day Michael died. Bob Taylor, the insurance broker, wrote back that it was always down to the medical issued from the word go. Regarding Randy Phillips asking for life insurance the day Michael died, Gongaware said he didn't pay much attention to insurance, didn't recall.
The day Michael died, Gongaware said Phillips called him and told him to get over to the house right away, there seems to be a problem. Randy followed the ambulance to UCLA. "The second call was that he informed me that he had died," Gongaware remembered. On June 25, Gongaware said he went to the rehearsal at the Staples Center and talked to Kenny Ortega.
Panish: "Were you sad Mr. Jackson died?"
Gongaware: "Very much so"
"He was a business associate", Gongaware said about Michael. They did not didn't hang out as friends
Panish asked about Phillips' email directing Gongaware to remove thin, skeletal footage of Michael in the red jacket from This Is It documentary. Gongaware testified that he remembered receiving the email. In his deposition played in court, Gongaware said he didn't recall the email.
Panish: "Did you change your testimony?"
Gongaware: "No. I saw the email as part of my preparation"
AEG Live president and co-chief executive Randy Phillips wrote in Aug. 9 email:
Make sure we take out the shots of Michael in that red leather jacket at the sound stage where the mini-movies were being filmed. He looks way too think (sic) and skeletal
Gongaware replied to Phillips, his boss:
ok will have a look when it comes on screen
Gongaware said he didn't try to control any of the messages about Michael after his death to reflect he was fully engaged in rehearsals. Panish asked about an email from Gongaware okay'ing the band, singers and dancer to give interviews but asked them to keep it positive
In another email July 9, 2009, email to music coordinator JoAnn Tominaga, Gongaware wrote:
We are ok with the band, singers and dancers doing interviews now. The only thing we ask is that they keep it positive and stress that Michael was active, engaged and not the emaciated person some want to paint him as being.
Answering questions from Jackson family attorney Brian Panish, Gongaware said he was not trying to control the film's message.
Panish: "You're telling them what not to say, aren't you sir?"
Gongaware. "I'm asking them to keep it positive and not say he was emaciated"
Panish: "So you were controlling the message as a producer of that documentary"
Gongaware: "I don't think so"
Gongaware's testimony again emphasized the contrast between the answers he gave during his deposition under oath in December 2012 and his responses in the courtroom. In testimony, he agreed that Phillips meant "thin" in his email, instead of the word he typed, 'think'. Asked during the deposition what Phillips meant, he replied, "I don't know what he meant"
Gongaware said nothing was taken out of the documentary, which included rehearsals for the scheduled 50 concerts in London. Gongaware promised in a follow-up email to Phillips that he'd "have a look," but he testified that he never dumped any footage. "We didn't keep anything out based on what Randy wrote," Gogaware told jurors. Gongaware testified that he did not know why Phillips would ask that.
Gongaware said there were 15,000 tickets per show, $1.5 million in tickets per show, $47 million for all 31 shows. Tickets were selling at lightening fast, Gongaware said. "As fast as the system can sell.". The tickets were sold in March, Gongaware said. It was held by the arena, AEG had control of the money. Gongaware said merchandising was another way of making money. The building, which is owned by AEG, would keep the revenue of beverage sold. Gongaware said the beverage money would offset the arena rent, which Michael would not have to pay.
Gongaware: "His (MJ) potential was great"
Panish: "Unlimited ceilings?"
Gongaware: "If he was willing to work that hard, he would've done well"
Before lunch, Panish asked Gongaware whether This Is It was intended to be a multi-city tour. Gongaware said no, it was just going to be the 50 shows at London's O2 arena. "The only thing we knew was 50 shows in London. Michael had not agreed to anything else," Gongaware explained
Panish asked Gongaware by the time the show was sold out, how many people were in the queue to buy tickets. "250,000 people were still in the queue, which would be enough to sell another 50 shows," Gongaware answered. During Murray's trial, Gongaware testified that 250k people still wanted tickets. He told that jury This Is It would be a multi-city tour.
Panish: "Did you tell the truth when you testified in this case, sir?"
Gongaware: "Yes"
Panish then concluded his questioning of Gongaware.
AEG cross
AEG's attorney, Marvin Putnam, did the questioning of Gongaware on behalf of the defendants.
​
Putnam: "Have you ever been sued personally for the wrongful death of anyone?"
Gongaware: "No"
Putnam: "How are you feeling?"
Gongaware: "It's difficult, it's very stressful"
Putnam: "Are you nervous?"
Gongaware: "Yes"
Putnam asked about Gongaware's memory and he said it's okay
Putnam asked Gongaware about some of the emails shown to jurors yesterday. Putnam was trying to show that not all the contents of the emails had been shown to jury. Some email addresses had been redacted. Attorney Brian Panish objected to the redactions, and got testy with the judge. It prompted another lengthy sidebar. When attorneys returned from the judge's chambers, Putnam resumed questioning Gongaware about emails sent to his private account
Putnam said Gongaware handed over more than 13,000 emails in discovery from the This Is It period
Putnam inquired about Gongaware's Kazoodi personal email account. On 6/20/09, the chain of emails with "Trouble at the Front" was sent there. Gongaware said he didn't remember receiving this email. Gongaware said he had more than one "Kazoodi" email account. He said he was not using the account the email was sent to on 6/20. "The account was closed at the time." Putnam presented Gongaware a document that indicated the private email account had been closed at the time. Gongaware said he never denied it was sent. Gongaware claimed yesterday was the first time he saw this chain of emails. Putnam used the closed email account to try to show Gongaware's testimony was truthful
Putnam: "Why could you not recall e-mails?"
Gongaware: "I had not reviewed them and had not seen them in years,"
Some of the e-mails were new to him because he was so busy putting Jackson's tour together that he never read them, he said. Gongaware said he was receiving hundreds of email a day at the height of 2008/09 tour preparation. "Mostly, it was just a time factor if it was something that didn't have to do with me"
Gongaware said he doesn't have an office at AEG, and that he works on his own projects. He has an office at his house. Gongaware is the Co-CEO of AEG Live Concerts West with John Meglen. He said he was the co-founder of the company. Phillips is AEG Live CEO
Gongaware explained be has been testifying about what he could recall. If he didn't remember, he said he told the jury he couldn't recall. Gongaware testified he looked at the emails after his deposition because he wanted to put everything together and see the bigger picture. Putnam: "Did you try to give your best testimony?" Gongaware: "Yes, I did"
Regarding the phone call between Gongaware and Dr. Murray where the doctor asked about $5 million, Gongaware said he remembers that call. The next call between the two, it was the $150,000 call, where Gongaware offered the doctor $150k. Gongaware said those were the only two calls he had with Dr. Murray
Gongaware said the 1st time he met Dr. Murray was a meeting at Michael's Carolwood house. He said MJ, Kenny, Randy, Frank & Dr Murray were present. Gongaware recalled the other meeting with Dr. Murray was an encounter with him at The Forum. He remembers saying hello to him. Gongaware said he's sure he didn't meet with Dr. Murray other than on those two occasions
Gongaware said he promoted couple of shows/dances in college. He graduated in '69 from Waynesboro College in Pennsylvania in Accounting. He worked for Arthur Andersen in NYC after college as auditor. He said one needed two years of experience in order to get CPA license.The company ended up shutting down after being involved in the Enron scandal, Gongaware explained. He said there's a continuing education requirement in order to maintain his CPA license, but he hasn't kept current. "I didn't like that work," Gongaware said about leaving the practice. "I wanted to do things and not just be an accountant." Gongaware said he ski bummed for a winter and would do bookkeeping to pay for his lodge.
His first big show was in Colorado -- he got The Grateful Dead to perform at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. He said he didn't know the band or any of its managers, but asked them to come to Colorado. They did, and the show was a hit. "The concert was sold out", Gongaware said, and he became an independent promoter. Around 1975, he met Terry Bassett who worked at Concerts West and Gongaware went to work for them in their Seattle office. He worked for them for about 10 years. Gongaware said he went to work for the company because the money was steady. At Concerts West, Gongaware worked with Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Beach Boys, Chicago, Eric Clapton, among others. This Concerts West is not the same; he is the currently the co-CEO. Gongaware left Seattle and came to LA to work at Concerts West. He then went to Warner Miller Films. The company did primarily ski movies. Jerry Weintraub was Elvis' promoter and Concerts West assigned him to work with Colonel Parker, Elvis' manager.
Gongaware was in his 20s when he worked with Elvis. He said when they'd announce an Elvis concert, there would be lines at the box office for 4 days. Gongaware said Colonel would buy ads on every radio station and promote the show. When tickets went on sale, Gongaware was to report to Colonel every hour regarding the ticket sales.
Elvis Presley's death became a controversy at this trial as the man (Gongaware) who promoted both artists' last tours testified. He testified yesterday that Presley died of a drug overdose, but when his own lawyer questioned him today he changed his testimony to say Elvis died of a heart ailment. Presley collapsed in the bathroom of his Memphis, Tennessee, mansion, Graceland, on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. While his death was ruled the result of an irregular heartbeat, the autopsy report was sealed amid accusations that abuse of prescription drugs caused the problem.How Presley died is relevant because Jackson lawyers argue Gongaware's experience as Elvis's promoter should have made him more aware of drug abuse by artists, including Michael Jackson.
Although he worked advance promotion on Elvis Presley's last tours -- under the direction of Presley manager Colonel Tom Parker -- Gongaware testified he never met Presley.
Putnam:"Did you understand he had a problem with drugs?"
Gongaware: "I understood that later. There was a period of time when we didn't work. I didn't understand at the time, but I learned that it was a drug problem and the Colonel said he couldn't work."
Around 1992, Gongaware went to work on the Dangerous tour with Michael. This was his first time working with Michael Jackson. He worked with the Jacksons in 2000 but he remembered working on a tour with the Jacksons prior to 92 and said Michael was part of the group. "I was the tour manager, handled the logistics and travel for the B party," Gongaware said, adding he worked for Michael but not for A party.
  • A party - artist
  • B party - band and administration
  • C party - crew
  • D party - documentary people.
    Gongaware said there were several legs on the Dangerous tour. It was a worldwide tour. He never met Michael on that tour, saw him on stage a few times
The first time Gongaware met Michael was in Las Vegas when he was visiting Colonel Parker. Steve Wynn's brother called and said Michael wanted to meet Colonel. Gongaware stayed and met him
​
Putnam: "Were there any doctors in that tour?"
Gongaware: "Yes, two"
Gongaware said Dr. Forecast was Michael's personal doctor. He didn't think Dr. Forecast treated anyone else, so they had Dr. Finkelstein also. Dr. Finkelstein, a general practitioner, was in the B party. They went to places where they didn't know the quality of local healthcare. Gongaware explained Dr. Finkelstein treated B, C and D parties. Gongaware said he did not see any doctor treat Michael. Dr. Finkelstein told Gongaware he treated Michael twice. Dr. Forecast wasn't in Bangkok yet, so Dr. Finkelstein treated him when he needed.
"The King of Thailand said Michael would have to do the second show because his friends were attending", Gongaware recalled.
Gongaware said the King put armed guards outside their doors to make sure they didn't leave
​
Putnam: "During the Dangerous tour, had you come to have an understating that Michael had a problem with drugs or painkillers?"
Gongaware: "No, he Dangerous tour in 93 was cut short in Mexico City"
Gongaware said. He learned it had to do with drug addiction because Michael announced it. Putnam played the audio with Michael's statement:
"My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately in order to eliminate what has become an addition. It is time for me to acknowledge my need for treatment"
On Jun 25, 2009 Gabriel Sutter (a tech guy) wrote Gongaware a condolences email. "It was such an incredible shock to go through that experience," Gongaware explained. Gongaware's response on July 5, 2009:
I was working on the Elvis tour when he died so I kind of knew what to expect
"You have all these people out of work," Gongaware explained. "With Elvis some were without jobs permanently." Under questioning from Putnam, Gongaware said he didn't mean that he expected Jackson to die like Elvis. He was referring to the trauma of people losing their jobs because a tour is canceled and the estate taking over the legacy, he said.
Putnam: "When you wrote the email, did you expect Michael to die?"
Gongaware: "No, not all"
Putnam: "Did you ever consider the idea Michael would die?"
Gongaware: "No"
Here's what Gongaware had to say about the role of the estate after Elvis died (and what he expected after Jackson's death.):
"Then the estate takes over, and everything's different. You have nothing to say about anything"
When one of his friends asked about his plans after Michael's death, Gongaware replied he was "trying to recover our losses from the show"
"Michael died of overdose of Propofol. He didn't die of being sick or malnutrition", Gongaware said. He said that he had no idea of what Propofol was. "I had no idea" Jackson was using propofol in the weeks before his death, Gongaware testified
Gongaware said he worked on Michael's memorial service. He was in charge of the tickets and worked closely with the family. He said he didn't charge for his work.
Putnam: "Why did you work at the memorial service?"
Gongaware: "It was the right thing to do"
Court Transcript
2017 - Michael Jackson: Searching For Neverland, starring Navi as Michael, premieres on the Lifetime channel in the US
submitted by FelicitySmoak_ to MichaelJackson [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 13:02 tomimendoza AEGIS - An OnK FanFiction

I know it's not exactly fan art, but it's the most fitting for this kind of thing. Another fanfiction has it as its flair when it was posted here. Anyway, this is my output for the OnK fanfic train. I hope you guys enjoy! The link to the fanfiction.net page will be at the bottom.
***
With the rise of violence against celebrities also comes the rise of elements that protect against them. A rookie agent finds himself assigned to a famous idol with a promise to defend. And what was supposed to be a training assignment would eventually grow to so much more.
***
The young man grumbled as he trudged the halls of his home towards his father’s office. His hand would rake through his black hair in his face in annoyance while his two emerald eyes with four-point star-shaped irises focused forward. He already knew what was gonna happen and he wished he could refuse. He had been hoping to devote his time to honing his gaming skills with the hope of maybe one day joining a pro-E-sports team. But, because his father was an old man with a small scope of the modern world, he laughed and told him to do something real with his life. And something real meant taking over the family business one day.
Kurosawa Security Services, or simply KSS, is a Japanese family-owned security company based in Kyoto although they have offices all over the country and even abroad. KSS provides everything from security guards for convenience stores to close protection agents for top government figures. They can also provide security consultation and training. The service is rated as the best Japan has to offer with highly trained agents. KSS agents regularly train with the police and military elements like the Security Police and Special Forces Group. And in rare occasions, they would even train with the US Secret Service abroad. KSS is also the best because of the long history of the organization which dates back to the feudal era when Kurosawa Saitō picked up the sword and protected the local Daimyo from an attack. In other words, they had a long time to hone their craft.
Now, what makes a security company like KSS so big in a country where crime is almost non-existent? Isn’t Japan a safe nation? Those would be your first mistakes if you thought of them. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re on, good and evil exist everywhere. And good must be protected from evil. That’s why KSS exists.
And soon enough, the company will be in Akio’s hands when it's his father’s time to retire. That’s how the system works, despite what he thinks of it. So, now his ultimate tests will begin. His first assignment.
After walking for what seemed like hours he reached a pair of large doors. He knocked on them and was asked to come in by a voice on the other side, so he complied. Entering, he was greeted with a fairly large office for only one man. And that man was currently seated behind a desk reading through some papers.
“Hey, Dad,” He greeted as he sat down on one of the chairs before across from him.
Kurosawa Tadao put the papers down and then looked at his son before smiling. He was an aging man with black hair that was already greying and blue eyes that had four-point star-shaped irises.
“Hey, Son! How’re ‘ya doing?” He asked.
“Just fine. I was finally getting my KDR up in Black Ops and I was planning on getting my skills up in CSGO later. But, here we are,” Akio answered.
“Staying inside is not good for your body you know.”
“I planned to play basketball tomorrow and I have band with the boys this weekend.”
“It’s still unhealthy because it’s exactly anything productive. You’re 17, Son, you need to start shaping up for your career,” Tadao said.
“I’ve been shaping it up since I was five,” Akio muttered.
“And that’s why we’re here right now. Your first assignment, son! It’s the moment of truth! Aren’t you excited?” Tadao asked with a wide grin as he picked up a folder from the side.
“No, not really,” Akio answered flatly.
“Well, maybe you’ll be excited once you find out who I’m assigning you to. Spoiler alert, she’s an idol,” He said with a grin, whispering that last part as he handed him the file.
“I’m not into idols, Dad,” He said flatly as he took the file.
“Your little brother a good chunk of this company’s personnel, and hell, a good chunk of the population are though,” He commented.
“That doesn’t make sense. Everyone can have different interests. And Goro, well, I guess being tied to a hospital bed for years does that to you,” He said sadly.
“You’re one weird kid, you know.”
“Well, I was raised by the likes of you, Dad,” Akio retorted with a sly grin which made his father laugh.
“Well, you got me there,” He chuckled and promptly silenced himself to let his son read.
“Hoshino Ai? Never heard of her. Although I admit she is pretty cute,” He mumbled as read through the file with her picture on it. He took in her personal information like date of birth, age, physical appearance, and all the usual things. And then he got to a part that listed her status— “What the fuck?! She’s pregnant?!”
“Language, Akio!” Tadao scolded. “Anyway, officially, she’ll be taking a break from showbiz for a while due to ill health. Actually, she’s pregnant and they’re trying to keep it under wraps. Bad for business, because a lot of fans are a bunch of lonely losers, they’ll drop her just because she has kids.”
“Language, Dad,” Akio retorted and shook his head. “Well, teen pregnancy is bad, but it’s unfair for her to be hated for that reason.”
“Yeah, the life of a celebrity is a lot shittier than most people would think. I know, your mother was a singer, she dealt with that too when we were found out,” Tadao said with a frown before smiling a bit. “She
“Please don’t tell me about your romances, Dad,” Akio cringed. “Anyway, Hoshino-sama will be my protectee, huh?”
“Yes. She’ll be heading here with her management agency soon to settle the contract. And then you’ll be heading to the countryside where she can lay low until she gives birth. That’s the basics of it.”
“Alright. Babysit a pregnant teenager and keep her from doing anything dumb. Should be easy enough,” He said.
“Do not underestimate the dangers tied to the entertainment world, Akio,” Tadao reminded. “As I’ve said, a lot of them are a bunch of lonely losers or generally just of questionable character. Some of them will go to great lengths just for attention. Fans can get really wacky after all. It’s already happened before. Not to mention, all the snakes in the industry. Someone might want to up their game so they think about eliminating the competition. You get the point.”
“I’m very aware, Dad, don’t worry,” He assured then sighed. “Just doing this and my studies at the same time? What am I gonna do?”
“That’s rich coming from someone who was planning on just lazing around all day. Besides, you’ve been homeschooling for more than a year already, right? I’m sure you can get a read in every day without compromising your job.”
“Well, it’s not impossible, but it’s gonna suck,” He said then sighed. “Alright, I’ve got this. Not much of a choice anyway. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Remember this, you do not ever let your protectee out of your sight. Wherever she goes, you go. That being said, don’t be too overbearing, and make sure to give her room to breathe. She is a woman, she will want her space. Also, try not to set such a tight atmosphere. Try being her friend, and she’ll be easier to work with. Tomita will meet you tomorrow too to evaluate you. You’ll also be reporting to him your progress during your task.”
“Noted, Dad. In that case,” Akio stood then positioned himself directly in front of the table before bowing. “I shall see this task to the end.”
***
Idol music was not his cup of tea and Hoshino Ai was a complete stranger to him till that moment. He’d spend a whole week with the pre-preparations with one of the senior agents until it was time to meet the latest customers. Then he would meet Hoshino Ai for the first time and they’d make their first impressions of one another.
***
“Are you really sure about this?”
“We’re going to need a shield just in case. Lot’s of wackos around here. Besides, we’ve already agreed to meet.”
“It’s just, there’s a lot of shady dealings in the security world.”
“Are we any better? Besides, KSS is the best this country can offer. I also know the company head personally too, we went to high school together, and he owes me. We’ll be just fine.”
“Um, o-okay…”
“I didn’t understand any of that, but okay!”
“Never change, Ai…”
How do you keep a secret from the world? Simple: you lie. You lie a lot. But then you realize it’s not so simple and every day is spent with fear that everything might fall apart. Just trying to get anywhere was a massive undertaking. For example, right now. Two adults and a pregnant teen in a car. Aside from the teen pregnancy, there’s nothing strange at all about it. But if you knew who the car’s passengers were, then you’d immediately understand.
After a couple of hours of driving (making occasional turns to make sure they weren’t followed and consequently getting lost a couple of times) they finally reached their destination which was a large estate in the outskirts of Kyoto. A guard met them at the gate, and after the driver talked and showed some credentials, they were let in. It took another minute or two until they reached the house where a group was waiting for them. The car group got out of their vehicle with the house group greeting them shortly after. A man with short blonde hair and yellowish-brown eyes underneath some shades stepped forward and led the group.
“Ichigo-san, you’re still about as ugly as when I last saw you,” Tadao greeted with a cheeky grin as he approached.
“Tadao-san, you’re clearly the most repulsive one here. I see you still haven’t taken my advice to get your face fixed,” Ichigo greeted with a snarky expression as he also approached.
Once close enough, they locked hands for a shake before pulling each other in for a hug.
“It’s nice to see you again, friend! How’re you doin', man? No troubles getting here?” Tadao asked.
“I’m just fine. Getting here was a lot smoother than we thought. But we are exhausted,” Ichigo replied.
“I imagine. Remember that time in Second Year when we bought booze with fake IDs and we had to run for it?”
“Ha, how can I forget?! I was terrified the cops would get us!”
As the two men shared stories and laughed, everyone else present could not help but be astonished at how casual the two were being. It almost was like this wasn’t a business meeting.
“Yeah, those were the days,” Tadao laughed and turned to the other two people to address them. “Before we continue any further, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurosawa Tadao, head of Kurosawa Security Services, and I welcome you all to my home. It’s nice to meet you!”
He then stepped toward the next person. She was a rather tall woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and pinkish-brown eyes.
“And you must be Miyako, his wife, yes?” He asked.
“Yes, I am,” She said with a polite smile as they shook hands.
“You know, I’ve always wondered how someone with a face like his could get married. But here we are,” He joked earning a laugh from her.
“I sometimes wonder why I decided to marry him too,” She commented and they both laughed.
“Huh? What?” Ichigo said but was ignored.
Then, Tadao moved to the last person. She was a short girl with long violet hair with matching eyes that have stars in them. But her most distinct feature was the bulge in her abdomen showing her pregnancy. Moreover, she looked like she wasn’t even 18. This observation made his gut wrench due to feeling pity for this poor girl’s bad decision. Regardless, he put on his best smile and took her hand.
“And you must be Hoshino Ai,” He greeted. “I’ve heard all about you, but since I’m the stereotypical old man, I’m not into your music. Regardless of that, and after listening to a couple of songs, I think you’re doing some very great work in your field.”
Her lips curved into a smile that cured souls as her eyes seemed to shimmer. Tadao kept himself from reacting, but at that moment he knew why she was so popular.
“Thank you so much, Tadao-san! You know, I don’t think I’m that popular to begin with but I’m always so happy to hear that someone like what I do!” She said happily.
He chuckled a bit. “I used to be in a band in middle school and high school, so I still try to stay up to date with the latest musical trends these days. Although, I still don’t know much. I mostly get my info on that from my own agents.”
He glanced to the side followed by Ai shortly after to see three younger agents standing stiffly as they tried to ignore them. They knew exactly who she was. All three of them have her as their phone’s lock screen wallpaper. And it’s clear that they wanted to talk to her, but they couldn’t. And even if they could, they didn’t know how. Ai giggled in amusement while Tadao just stared.
“Anyway, now that introductions have been made, let’s go inside where it’s more comfortable. I know you’re here for business, so let’s dive right in. We’ve also prepared snacks and refreshments inside in case you want some. Ichigo, my valet will take care of your car, so give him the keys please,” Tadao said as he gestured for them to follow.
“Do you have ice cream?” Ai asked.
“We sure do!”
“Yay! Let’s go!”
After Ichigo handed over the keys to a valet, Tadao began leading them into his home with the trio following shortly after. But before that, a mischievous thought entered Ai’s mind and she acted quickly. She suddenly turned to look at the trio of agents who tensed up even more under her gaze. Worse, they realized that she was up to no good just from her grin. But before they could even speculate what she was up to, she suddenly did her signature love heart hand pose with a smile. In a flash, the three agents felt their knees go weak in the presence of such moe cuteness that they struggled to stay upright as they covered their mouths to silence their ecstatic screams. Satisfied with her handiwork, Ai giggled as she left the scene of the crime.
“Um, are they gonna be alright?” Ichigo asked nervously as he saw one of them falling over.
“They’ll be fine.”
They entered the huge house and led them through a series of hallways that were decorated with all sorts of interesting stuff. One of them was some sort of cannon on a towed carriage, except, aside from one big barrel, it’s got multiple little ones arranged in a circle with a crank.
“Kurosawa-san, what’s that?” Ai asked.
“Oh, this? This is a Model 1874 Gatling Gun. It fires a .45-70 caliber round from top-loaded 20-round box magazines with a rate of fire of about a thousand rounds per minute, although, it really depends on how fast you can crank it. It was one of the most revolutionary weapons ever designed and it changed the battlefield forever. This specific weapon here was used by the Imperial Army against revolting samurai during their last stand in the Battle of Mount Shiroyama, the last action of the Satsuma Rebellion,” He explained. “Sometimes I wonder what the samurai were thinking in their last moments just before they were all gunned down.”
“Wow,” Ai whispered in awe.
“Indeed. I don’t even know where my father dug up this gun,” He said before tracing across the black-painted barrels of the old weapon.
“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed happily then fished out her phone from her hoodie pocket. “Can I take a picture with it?”
“Ai, we’re here in business and the man’s likely very busy, so let’s not take anymore—” Ichigo said but was cut off.
“Sure thing! Our meeting is the only thing I have on my schedule today, so I’m basically free to do anything!” Tadao interjected with a wide smile as she took her phone.
What followed next was a comedic scene which was basically an old man doting on his granddaughter while he took pictures of her doing cute things. Meanwhile, everyone else present just stared with blank expressions.
“So much for not being into idols,” Ichigo muttered.
“These are so good! Thank you so much, Kurosawa-san!” She thanked him with a wide smile after going over the pictures.
“You’re very welcome! And you know, we’ve got a lot of goodies in this house, maybe you’d like to take some pictures with them too?” He offered.
“I’d love to!” She squealed.
“Mhmm!” Someone cleared their throat.
Looking in that direction, they saw a young man dressed in a nice business suit who was basically a younger version of Tadao. He approached them with his hands in his pockets and regarded them with a straight expression.
“You’re getting off track here, Dad. We’re still conducting a business,” He said as a matter of factly. “And what happened to ‘no touching of the expensive decor’?”
“Oh come on, son, do you honestly believe I can refuse that?” Tadao complained as he gestured to Ai who maintained a happy expression as she looked at the photos.
“Don’t enable her, Dad. Ma’am, please stop touching the gun, it’s very old and very expensive,” He said.
“Ai, get off of it,” Ichigo ordered.
“Aw, okay,” She said sadly as she backed off.
“Sorry for the trouble, but this stuff is crazy expensive. And oh, I’m Kurosawa Akio, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” He greeted with a polite smile.
“This is my son. He’ll be taking care of the business one day, so I’m bringing him along more now,” Tadao said.
Another round of handshakes was exchanged as the group introduced themselves to Akio. Ai expected the tone and body language of a fan holding himself back, the same kind she’s gotten used to seeing, but was rather surprised when he shook her hands normally with nothing but politeness in his eyes. Strange, now she’s curious. Akio on his part thought that she was a rather normal-looking girl, except for the bulging stomach, and didn’t find anything very special from just looking at her.
“Sorry for messing around. It’s just a really cool-looking thing!” Ai said.
“It sure is, ‘can’t argue with that. They don’t make weapons like these anymore these days. It’s all just big bombs now, which is boring,” Akio remarked.
“I don’t think death and destruction are supposed to be nice to see,” Miyako remarked.
“Exactly,” Tadao stated with a firm voice. “And that’s what we strive for in KSS. Every day must always be boring. Now come on, we’ve got business to attend to.” He said before turning and walking away.
“Is he always like this?” Miyako asked with a sweatdrop, noting the man’s sudden change of face.
“You’ll get used to it,” Both Ichigo and Akio replied in a flat tone.
They finished the walk toward their destination which was a conference room inside the house. The place was quite spacious and cozy looking, especially since it has a fireplace. They all immediately took their seats with KSS taking one side of the table and Ichigo Productions sitting opposite of them.
“Snacks will be brought in a little bit, so let’s get down to business to business shall we,” Tadao said as he placed a briefcase on the table and pulled out some papers. “By the way, everything we talk about will not leave this room, you can trust us. I think I also know the reason why you need an extra pair of hands. Your reason for getting a bodyguard is because you’re worried that you’ll be attacked like that idol that got stabbed recently, yes?”
They all nodded at that. It was already a month old, but the memory of it was still fresh on everyone’s minds, especially since it was covered on national news.
An idol named Hirose Keiko, who was pretty popular and only 16 like Ai, was recently murdered by a crazy fan in her own home. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest from severe bleeding after being stabbed three times and that she died in minutes.
The police captured the killer before he could jump off a bridge and took him in for questioning. He said that a Twitter post showing Keiko being all friendly with some guy somewhere made people think she had gotten a boyfriend. This enraged him because he felt betrayed by her actions, therefore he stalked her and plotted her murder for weeks. So, it was pretty awkward for him to find out that Keiko’s supposed boyfriend was actually her cousin and she was at a family get-together at that time.
The news shocked everyone in the country and many celebrities started taking their personal security more seriously. Ichigo was worried for Ai, and Ai was a bit scared herself. She knew Keiko, they did some collaborations together in the past, and she was upset she couldn’t attend her funeral. So, Ichigo Productions, though a bit cash-strapped, decided that it would be a good idea to have some form of security with them to help out in the long run. Especially now that Ai was pregnant… they couldn’t stomach the thought of some deranged lunatic stabbing her to death like what happened to Keiko.
“I don’t think I can forget that. I knew the girl and her agency, they were good people. I hope that bastard gets the chair,” Ichigo muttered.
“You and me both. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you,” Tadao assured. “Alright, now, how do you want to be protected?”
“We just need someone with us to keep the creeps away, especially one that can lie low with us. Nothing flashy at all,” Ichigo answered.
“Hmm, I understand what you want. One or two agents on you at all times at least, covering your front and back. They’ll be in plain clothes too so as to not draw attention. Okay, I’ve got a lot of agents to spare for that kind of job,” Tadao said, as he wrote on a piece of paper.
“What else is there?” Ichigo asked.
“We’re gonna brief you on how we operate and how we intend to do this. None of them are hard to follow at all. The gist is that you need to tell us everything, your schedules, contacts, extra activities, etcetera.”
“So, I’ll basically be followed around everywhere?” Ai asked.
“Basically, yes. But the key difference is that it’ll be by people you can trust. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll be poking around your daily life and infringing on your space every day. We’ll create a system in which you’re safe but still comfortable. In fact, we even have methods to protect you without you or anyone seeing us, but that’s really expensive though,” Tadao explained. “We know our boundaries too, Hoshino-sama, you don’t have to worry.”
“Hmm,” Ai hummed as she considered his words before another thought occurred to her. “Will you kill people?”
“Only if they really force us to. Every agent has a loaded gun with him, but we’re also trained in ways to stop an attacker with non-lethal force. Besides, one of our tactics is that by simply being there, we can discourage anyone from trying anything funny. As I’ve said, the best days for us are the most boring ones.”
“I see.”
“What’s the price tag?” Miyako asked.
“Despite the low elements, you’re still looking at 500,000 yen per month. But…” He trailed off. “But… due to my debt to you, Ichigo, I’ve decided to give you half that price for six months. This is paid like a subscription service where you have to pay every month. Failure to pay means immediate termination of services.”
“Is there anything else?” Ichigo asked.
“There are a bunch more details that you need to know. Legality, protocols, company policy, and all that. But, there’s one detail that I threw in as a condition for this,” Tadao said then placed a hand on Akio’s shoulder who was sitting to his right. “My son will be the one to run point of your protection detail. This’ll also act as his first test, to prove his skill as a protection agent.”
“Although I’m inexperienced, I’m quick to learn and adapt, and I’m ready to take on whatever task is needed from me,” Akio said politely.
Ichigo and Miyako frowned at the prospect of being given someone who was inexperienced in the field. But if he was the son of the guy who runs the place, then he should be pretty good, right? Besides, this is possibly the best deal they’ll ever get, and they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Alright, that’s fine,” Ichigo said.
“I’m okay with it,” Ai said.
“Although, Akio will be running point so you’ll see him the most often, another rookie agent will also be there to learn too. He’ll be number two. A senior agent will also be dropping by occasionally to check on them and evaluate their performance, although you don’t need to pay him. And in case things get really bad, emergency services and other agents won’t be too far to assist,” Tadao added.
“Ah, alright,” Ichigo said.
“Now, for the rest of everything.”
They would spend the next thirty minutes getting into the details of how everything would be under their care. Snacks and refreshments were brought in at that time with Ai receiving a pint of ice cream, making her very happy. They got into some legal conditions that were implemented to protect both sides. They also got into how the protection detail would work and what to do under certain situations. And of course, company policy.
One such policy is that the client can sue the company for up to 30 million yen for disclosing any secrets entrusted to them without permission. And although KSS can definitely pay that amount, their reputation would be tarnished and they’d lose even more money. That was a fact that allowed Ichigo Productions to rest easier. Ai’s pregnancy needed to remain under wraps.
After a few more minutes and a couple more things were clarified, they finally moved on to the last piece of the puzzle. Tadao opened up his briefcase and pulled out one last set of papers.
“This is the contract. What’s is just a summary of everything we talked about, but I suggest you read it carefully so you’re not missing anything,” Tadao said.
Ichigo Productions took the document and carefully read through it to make sure they were not missing anything. It took another five minutes, but they confirmed that everything was in place.
“A service that tells you everything and makes you read the contract first? Finally!” Ichigo joked.
“We’re the guys that protect the Emperor, not some shady organization! We’ve got a reputation to uphold!” Tadao stated. “Anyway, if nothing is amiss, sign your name and seal on the space provided and we are officially under your employ.”
“Everything’s here. Let’s seal the deal,” Ichigo said.
He grabbed a pen that was provided to him and signed his name on the line at the bottom then stamped his seal on the side. Miyako did the same thing after him. And finally, Ai filled out the last line with her name and seal and even drew a little heart on it. Tadao took the document and looked through it before putting it down and giving them a smile.
“You are now under the protection of Kurosawa Security Services! With Hachiman, the divine protector of Japan, guiding our hands, you will not have to worry about anything as long as we are around! Rest assured that we will take care of you. And anyone that tries to harm you will die a horrible death!” He proclaimed.
“That’s… oddly specific,” Ichigo remarked.
“If you get hurt, we’ll cover the expenses of your medical bill. If you die under our watch, which you won’t, we’ll offer a full refund to your relatives, and we’ll even avenge you. That’s our policy, to treat our clientele as if they are our family,” He added.
“That’s very nice,” Miyako said.
“Only the best we provide our clients,” Tadao said. “And aside from giving you a copy of the documents, this concludes our business. Thank you for choosing our services. We promised not to disappoint.”
“We’ll be watching closely then.”
Both groups then stood up and gave each other one last bout of handshakes to truly seal the contract that was just signed.
“I’ll make sure your men get tickets to one of my concerts in the future!” Ai said and looked at Akio. “Especially you, Akio-san.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Hoshino-sama. But, I’m not into idol music,” He replied politely.
“Huh?”
“Please excuse my son. We know he’s a weirdo,” Tadao jokingly said.
“I ain’t weird, Dad. I don’t hate idol music but I don’t exactly like it either. I just like other things,” Akio stated.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s a first for us. Everyone your age we’ve met is into idols,” Saitou said. “Looks like you’re the 10% we didn’t see coming.”
“Please just take it as less worry for you, since I won’t be prying for your attention all the time. I’ll always keep a respectful distance. I promise.”
“That’s all we can ever ask really. Thank you.”
“Now that business is concluded, we can all turn in for the night. But would you like something before you leave? Some more snacks or drinks perhaps? We’ve got a lot here,” Tadao offered but Ichigo shook his head.
“No, we’ve already been here too long, we don’t want to overstay our welcome. Besides, it’s late and we’re all tired. We should be getting back now,” he said.
“Alright. In that case, allow us to walk you out while I get the valet to get your car.”
“Alright then.”
Ichigo Productions prepared to leave while Tadao got on his phone. Ichigo and Miyako started discussing something with each other while Ai simply looked around the room. Her eyes would eventually land on Akio who was looking at his phone. He’d pocket it a moment later and his eyes would land on his protectee’s. She’d flashed him a wide smile, the kind that can captivate any man, while he returned with a simple smile and a nod. Ai began opening her mouth to speak before stopping short when there was a disturbance from Tadao.
“... Really? Alright, I’ll tell them,” He sighed before turning to the group.
“What’s wrong?” Ichigo asked.
Tadao smiled awkwardly. “A small problem just developed on your end.”
They’d find themselves outside again a moment later, watching a scene unfold before them. Ichigo Production’s car, a white rental Toyota Corolla, remained where Ichigo last left it although the hood was open and multiple guys were peering into the engine compartment with flashlights. One agent tried turning the key and starting the ignition, yet the engine remained quiet. A moment later, a middle-aged man with his sleeves rolled up walked up to Tadao while wiping his hands on a rag.
“I think it’s a broken sparkplug, Tadao-san. It just won’t start,” He reported.
“I told you it was broken!” Miyako scolded Ichigo in a hushed voice.
“Do we have spare parts, Hiro-san?” Tadao asked.
“No, we just ran out when our own rides needed maintenance and we haven’t resupplied yet,” He said with a shake of his head. “We can’t run to the shop too because it’s already closed at this time. This thing’s staying here till morning.”
Ichigo and Miyako groaned at their misfortune while the rest of them simply stared indifferently. Tadao then sighed and spoke again.
“Alright. In that case, Hiro-san, please get the van off the driveway and onto the side. We’ll deal with it tomorrow morning. Then please take one of the Land Cruisers and take them back to their hotel. The rest of you are free to leave for home too,” He ordered.
“Hai, Kurosawa-sama!” Everyone replied.
“Tadao-san, are you sure? This is probably too much—” Ichigo began but stopped when Tadoa raised a hand.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all. Just think of this as me helping a friend in need. And no, you don’t have to pay,” He replied.
Ichigo was unsure but ultimately allowed it and bowed a bit. “Alright, thank you.”
“No problem,” Tadao replied with a shallow nod.
While the adults addressed the issue of their ride, the two kids remained on the side and simply watched. Akio and Ai were still in their teens, so they were kids in the eyes of the adults present.
“So,” Ai began. “What kind of music do you listen to, Kurokawa-san?”
“Uh, I like rock music of all types from pop to death metal. I’ve been listening to them since I was five. And it’s Kurosawa, Hoshino-sama,” He replied, her sudden question and error of his name catching him off guard.
“Ah, really? Ahahaha, I’m so sorry! I'm not very good at memorizing people’s faces!” She laughed jovially.
“Ahaha, I can imagine. Since you probably see so many faces every day, it’s hard to keep track of them all, huh?” He laughed.
“Ah, yeah! It’s a bit of a problem for me, hehe. Sometimes, I even forget the President’s name too, haha!”
He laughed along with her but internally, he was cringing a bit.
Does every idol have such an airheaded personality? He wondered.
“It must be kinda hard for you too, having to work like this when you’re so young,” She remarked.
“Well, this is my first job ever, so it doesn’t seem hard at all right now. That’s definitely gonna change though,” He replied. “But, I don’t think my job will get anywhere as difficult as yours with you having to put up an act all the time. I don’t think I can handle that.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I really like my job, but sometimes it gets pretty tiring. Taking a break like this is gonna help out a lot!” She said happily before taking a deep breath and looking around. “I think I’ve already said this, but your place is really nice.”
“Mhmm, and this is just our place here in Tokyo. We’re only here now because we need to be closer to some of our clients at the moment. Our main house in Kyoto is even bigger and cooler!” Akio replied.
“You guys are really loaded, huh?”
“For the past few decades, Kurosawa has been branching to other things that make money. We need the cash to pay for our stuff after all. Although, we’re still inferior to zaibatsus like Shinomiya and Shijo (who we provide services to, by the way) but also still better than most.”
“Wow.”
“Mhmm, but money still isn’t everything. We try to take a humble approach to things too. Dad doesn’t like spending money on anything that isn’t important and I don’t buy a lot of things myself,” He added and kept his mouth open to continue when he was interrupted.
“Don’t believe him! He eats yakiniku at least once a week!” One of the younger agents stated as he walked by with a bag over his shoulder, likely on his way home.
“Look who’s talking, idiot! You spend the most out of all of us!” He retorted angrily but only got a laugh in response. He turned back to Ai who was holding a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, prompting him to sigh in annoyance. “Alright, I admit that part and also I spend a lot quite a lot on video games and band equipment, but only on special occasions. I’m not some pompous rich jerk that throws money around, I promise you.”
“Hmm, alright, I believe you,” She giggled and then thought of something. “You could’ve totally left that part out or outright lied. Why didn’t you?”
“Uh, it was already out, so there’s no point in trying to lie about it anymore. Besides, I don’t believe you deserve to be lied to, Hoshino-sama,” He answered.
Her smile wavered ever so slightly as she processed his answer. I don’t deserve to be… lied to?
“Um—”
“Ai, our ride’s here! Let’s head back to the hotel!” Ichigo called out as one of the company’s Land Cruisers had been brought out to take them.
“I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation some other time, but it’s been a nice talk. I look forward to working with you, Hoshino-sama,” He said with a wide smile and an outstretched hand.
“Ai.”
“Sorry?”
Ai smiled widely too, her eyes seemingly shimmering brighter as she took his hand and shook it. “Since we’ll be sticking so closely together for a while, you can just call me Ai, Akio-san.”
He blinked. “U-Uh, sure thing, Ai-san.”
“Just Ai,” She clarified.
“Just Ai,” He nodded and smiled widely, happy that she remembered his first know, even if he didn’t know why.
“If that’s what you want, you’re the boss,” Akio remarked, earning another laugh from her. “You have a good night, Ai, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“You too, Akio-san.”
She’d head back to her group a moment later and they were leaving the estate shortly. Akio waved at the car as it drove past him and he could just barely see a human figure waving back through the darkness. As he watched the SUV disappear, he put his hand down and looked up at the sky.
“Wow,” He breathed. “Her eyes are something else.”
He’d retire for the night shortly after without another thought. He’d sleep soundly not knowing that he had just stepped on the path that would define his life.
***
This is the link to the ff.net page. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it, and thank you even more if you decide to support it on ff.net! Please also tell me what you think and/or if you have any ideas you'd like to share here or there!
For now, have a great day, and peace out!
Veritas vos liberabit.
The Truth will set you Free.
submitted by tomimendoza to OshiNoKo [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 11:27 that-guys-face Nunchucks vs Horror Villains [Discussion!]

Hey all – this is probably the most ridiculous post for a while – but thought it was a fun idea.
I went to the pub last night wearing this "Horror Needs More Nunchucks" t-shirt I bought recently; https://www.burymefamous.com/product/nuchucks-tee-redux
It generated a fair bit of discussion between friends and I thought I’d open up the chat to you all … we discussed which horror villains could we conquer if we were proficient with nunchucks!
What do you think? What villians have I missed – and where am I wrong about the below?
My initial thoughts;
Michael Myers – I’m fairly sure I could nunchuck a completely still Michael for several days and it wouldn’t make a difference. Verdict; He kills me, with ease.
Hannibal Lector – I feel like a lot of what Hannibal the Cannibal brings to the table is mind games. Hopefully I can avoid listening to him. In a straight hand-to-hand combat situation, the old boy is getting blasted. Verdict; Nunchucked to death!
Pinhead – Huge question over this one is, will the pin’s cause damage to the nunchucks – or will the nunchucks cause the pins to be driven further into his head – creating significant amounts of damage? Either way, you’re not vanquishing a Cenobite with nunchucks, are you? Verdict; My excruciating death.
Ghostface – I feel like the main weapon in Ghostface’s armoury is the element of surprise. If I can survive the initial onslaught without significant damage, then I think this is a pretty good 50/50 fight to the death! Nunchucks vs Knife, the horror franchise we didn’t know we needed until now! Verdict; I feel confident!
Dracula – Two stakes chained together. That’s a deadly set of Transylvanian nunchucks. Verdict; Dracula is going to sleep - for good!
Freddy Krueger – Ok, so if we are in the dream world, I’m not sure nunchucks are going to be much use against his sadistic form of dream torture. However, if we can grab a hold of him – and pull him in to the real world. Nunchuck vs Glove, it’s go time! Verdict; Depends where the battle takes place!
Jason Voorhees – Na man. Dead. Verdict; I’d die.
Chucky – That doll is getting a nunchuck to the face. I feel fairly confident I could take him out with some solid nunchuck skills. Verdict; I would win this fight!
Jigsaw – HE’S AN OLD, SICK, MAN! BATTERING AN OLD MAN WITH NUNCHUCKS IS SIMPLY UNFAIR! NO MATTER HIS SINISTER CRIMES! Verdict; Comfortably battering an elderly gentleman.
Art the Clown – He’d let me batter him, he’d enjoy it. He’d then kill me in a horrific manner. Verdict; no chance in hell.
submitted by that-guys-face to horror [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 09:10 Terrariumlover Hi

Hello, I’m Lei. I’ve recently discovered that I have a Faun kintype, (a goat-human thing) so I’d thought I’d introduce myself. You might see me around a lot of art subreddits because I like to draw, and you’ll most notably see that most of my OCs are fauns, and I’m only ever active at the unholy hours of the night when I should be sleeping (usually from 10:00 pm- 5:00 am) anyways Have a nice day/night :] A bonus piece of useless info about me: I really like apples and flowers
submitted by Terrariumlover to otherkin [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 08:43 CloutWithdrawal Solo Trip Report - 4 Days in CDMX

Introduction: Mexico City has been a recent interest of mine ever since the YouTube algorithm started recommending me videos on this mega city. Like most Americans, I was ignorant and incorrectly under the assumption that Mexico City was sketchy and had nothing to offer for travelers other than poverty tourism. However, after watching YouTube videos and reading more about this city, I quickly learned that Mexico City, and Mexico in general, has a very rich culture and history. It also is the biggest city in the Western Hemisphere. I was locked in this point to explore this city so close to home.Booking this trip was very random, I originally booked a vacation to go to EDC Vegas with friends (insanely fun time btw) but I wanted to extend my PTO for the rest of the week after because I was already taking a day off to rest and had the Friday off for MDW.
After exploring other options in the US like possibly other areas in the south west like Utah or Arizona I quickly realized how expensive this would be. Vegas has great prices on flights so I wanted to take advantage of that and go somewhere international, due to my recent interest with Mexico City and how it isn’t too expensive, it just made sense. I booked the flight and hotel instantly so I wouldn’t think too much about it.
I invited some other friends at first and received some maybes, ultimately I knew that this would end up being a solo trip. I have some experience with solo trips, my first one was Hiroshima while I was studying abroad in Tokyo, that trip gave me my first powerful global experience that has ultimately became my goal when i travel now. I also did Denver last summer to see a red rocks show ( stayed in a hostel which ended up being the same price as a decent hotel in CDMX 🤣). I didn’t have much of a structured plan for this trip except to see the historic district and maybe teohiucan if it wasn’t too difficult to get there.
Logistics: I stayed in a Roma Norte hotel from Tuesday Night - Sunday Morning.
Interests: architecture, food, electronic music, nature, history
Day 1: Arrival
I arrived into CDMX around 1045pm via Volaris. The Volaris experience sucks, honestly worse than Spirit lol. For about an hour we were sitting on the runway not moving without AC in the Vegas heat. Apparently this is due to them not having runway rights? Not sure about this but that’s what some googling told me.
For some reason I exchanged usd for pesos at the cash exchange counters instead of using an atm to take out pesos. Not sure why I did because I have travelled internationally and know that ATMs are usually the best options. Whatever, I just took the L there. I called an Uber to my hotel after rejecting many taxi drivers.
I arrived to my hotel hungry and looked for open places to eat that were close to the hotel. I did not want to walk too far as I heard that night time gets sketchy. I ended up finding a taco place right across the street from my hotel so I went there. The place was called Taquería LOS HUARACHINES (ROMA). Ordering was a bit tough due to the language barrier but I got 2 Al pastor tacos, a plate of carne asada with about 5 tortilla, and a Coca Cola. This was an amazing meal and exactly what I wanted. The Al pastor was incredibly juicy and probably were the best tacos I had in my life at this point. I’m currently based in Texas so I’ve had real tacos before but these were just something else. I walked back to my hotel and quickly went to bed.
Day 2: Roma Norte & La Condesa
I had no official plans for this day. I was still tired from EDC Vegas so I woke up pretty late and didn’t get out of the hotel until around 1130-12. Once I did get out, I originally just planned to walk around neighborhood and see what piqued my interest. I started with a coffee. I got an iced coffee as it was hot out, I don’t think iced coffee is a thing anywhere else besides the US so this was also a little harder to order due to language barrier. Luckily someone spoke English at the counter and helped me order.
I began to walk north, I stopped at plaza rio de janiero to smoke a cigarette (I’m not a regular smoker except on vacation and when I go to raves lol). Very cool spot. My first impression of the Roma Norte neighborhood was that it was a nicer, greener, cleaner version of nyc with a European flair.
Next, I ended up at I believe Zona Rosa? It was a pedestrian only area with a lot of shops and restaurants. I stopped in a few shops maybe looking to buy sunglasses or a shirt but ultimately did not. I continued my walk.
I saw there was some sort of park near me called Bosque de Chapultec. I decided that would be my next destination to walk to. I passed the el Angel de la indepencia which was very impressive. I finally got to the park and was wowed by how nice it was. I didn’t know it was such a big destination until I got there and saw there a bunch of museos and vendors set up. I bought a pair of sunglasses as it was bright out and walked around a bit to take it in. Finally, I decided to check out a museum. I chose Museo de Arte Moderno as I wanted to see some art. I much prefer modern art over traditional art too. I really liked this museum and connected with a lot more paintings that I thought I would. About of 1/4 of the way through I realized can use Google translate to read the descriptions for some of the paintings. I wish I took down the artists who created some of these paintings but I think I can find the artists again if I really wanted to.
I went outside to the sculpture garden and this was a little underwhelming tbh. I was also getting hangry so I went through it quick. I decided to get lunch at Los Pancheros as it was nearby and the Google reviews seemed good. I ordered Plato rachero & caldo xochitl. HUGE portions and incredibly good. I really liked the soup though, it was some sort of chicken and rice soup. It took a little bit for the check to come but it finally did and I paid and left.
I ate way too much and I had to lay down somewhere so I went back to the park and found a nice place to lay where other people were. It was some sort of fountain that I can’t find on Google maps but even though it wasn’t exactly “grand” it was very chill and everyone there just seemed relaxed lol. I laid there for about 20-30 mins until I was ready to go again. I saw on Google maps that there was a castle in the park!? I really wanted to see that. I decided to walk in that direction and also passed Lago de Chapultec. Wow that was beautiful, I wish I took my rest time there lol.
I finally got to the castle entrance but they weren’t letting people in anymore as it was too late, damn. I should’ve paid more attention to the times, I didn’t realize all the museums closed at 5. I decided to finish up my park experience and Uber to the historic center just to check it out. However Ubers were very hard to get at this time as it was rush hour and traffic was insane outside the park. I had multiple people cancel on me, I also canceled on someone after seeing how long it would take to pick me up and drop me off to the historic center. I eventually decided just to walk back. It was about an hour walk back so I had to tough it out.
Not much happened on this walk, just continued to take in the city. Stopped at glorieta de Los insugentes to take a break and smoke a cigarette. I felt a little sketched out here due to all the people constantly moving. I was a bit worried about being pick pocketed but I think it was just the tiredness making me anxious. I got out of there relatively quick and made it back to my hotel to rest before dinner.
At this point I decided I wanted to go to teohiucan the next day. I explored my options for getting there and eventually just decided on Uber because I don’t really like being in a group when going to tourist sites as I’m a bit “quirky” and like to take weird routes and repeat some areas a few times I also keep an inconsistent pace so that made the group experience out of the question. I could’ve taken the bus but did not want to deal with the stress that public transit can be in a foreign country lol. For dinner, I made a reservation at the sushi place Makoto as I wanted something other than Mexican food. Fabulous place, I ordered a glass of wine, sushi sampler, and the fatty tuna nigiri.
Day 2: Teohiucan
I woke up somewhat early for this day. I ordered an Uber and was off. It was really interesting to see Mexico City outside the nicer neighborhoods. I think this is what most Americans imagine when they hear Mexico City. It looked like the COD MW2 map Favela. I wondered what life was like in this area of Mexico City. I even saw a ski lift in use to bring people up the mountain to their house maybe?
I got dropped off at Teohiucan and entered in. I skipped breakfast because I assumed they would have something there. I was half right, they had some convenient stores. I just bought a pack of crackers and a electrolit and hoped that would get me through the whole time I was there lol.I walked around all the pyramids, I was hoping to climb them but I saw they were closed for climbing, honestly a good thing, I imagine they were getting a lot of wear and tear from that. I feel like these pyramids are underrated in terms of world wonders. They’re pretty big and the city itself was apparently one of the biggest cities in the world at the time.
My favorite part about this visit was this path that you can take that allowed you to walk on the outside of the main path. It was super peaceful and you got to see the pyramids at different angles with no people around. In terms of my favorite structure, I liked the citadel a lot due to the intricate designs on it. Some random things I liked there were the jardin and the things the vendors were selling that made the animal noises 😂 I thought it was hilarious how everyone was basically spamming it in chat. I should’ve bought one looking back
I was a little anxious about getting an Uber back but I got one relatively quick and got back to my hotel. When I got back I was very hungry and I found this place near my hotel with a deal that gave 5 al pastor tacos and a cervesa for $100 pesos. Amazing deal but then I saw the al pastor looked like it was dry and has been out for awhile. Unfortunately i felt too awkward to leave after sitting, a mistake that I learned from later if you keep reading. However the tacos were still decent. I was still pretty hungry and found a street vendor selling hamburgers, I ordered con queso and it was insanely good. I ate it in a park and then got some churros from Churrería El Moro which were also good.Again I was way too full and had to lie down. I went back to my hotel and took a nap.
When I woke up I was still full but I started experiencing the first signs of montezumas revenge. However it didn’t seem that bad and I wanted to go out for a rooftop drink. I went to Supra Roma. Great vibe. I had to stand by the bar the whole time due to not having reservations but the views were fantastic and the dj was decent too. She was playing house music. I definitely want to bring my friends here if they ever want to come to cdmx. I had 1 cocktail and 2 beers there. Was thinking about talking to people there but mostly everyone was speaking Spanish so I decided not to.
I left and was gonna call it an early night but heard some more house music being played across the street at departmento. I decided why not and paid the cover to check it out. It was ok. Dj was decent but the vibe seemed kind of “basic” other than the music. Nothing too unique about this place, just a terrace playing music with young people hanging out. I had 2 drinks and left and got a torta. I made it back to my hotel around 12am and this when things started to go south unfortunately. Montezumas revenge came back and this time even stronger than earlier. The alcohol definitely did not help. It quickly kept getting worse in terms of cramping and the ability to not go to the bathroom for more than 20 mins. I think it was the Al pastor tacos from earlier today. I did not get much sleep this night and was basically in survival mode lol luckily I had some water bottles to stay hydrated but I knew I would have to venture out to get more eventually. I basically spent the whole night on the toilet or curled up in pain.
Day 3: Recovery
I was hoping I’d feel feel better in the morning and I was somewhat correct. After 12 hours I could walk again although it was definitely difficult. I managed to make it to a farmacia where the pharmacist recommended me treda. I got that and more water + electrolit. It was around 1pm so I sat outside and drank my electrolit to see if I strong enough to do some sort of activity. After about 20 mins of sitting outside I decided I definitely could not and decided to just take the L for today so I could be full strength for tomorrow. I took my treda and was able to get some rest. When I woke up I was still feeling montezumas revenge a little bit but I knew I had to eat something. I ended up using Uber eats to get consomé de pollo from this place called Toks. It seemed like a safe option as it looked like a chain and I assumed chains usually have somewhat good hygiene standards. It ended up being way better than expected and I managed to put down most of it.
After eating, I took a walk to get more electrolit. I was still a little weak so I just went back to the hotel and went to bed. I was a bit bummed I lost a day but anytime you’re in a 3rd world country you should budget a day for stomach issues.
Day 4: Castillo De Chapultepec & Historic Center
I woke up feeling a lot better. It was actually crazy as 24 hours ago I couldn’t even walk straight. I took my treda and headed out. I was debating on if I should go back Chapultepec park to see the castle or if it would take too much time as I was planning to go to the historic center today. I decided to see the castle as I was thinking about it too much to skip it.
I took an Uber there this time and paid the admission. It was definitely worth it. The castle was so beautiful and there was so much history inside. I learned a lot about Mexican history and was able to take in some nice views of the city. My favorite part were the murals inside and the jardin. After, I walked to 7/11 to get more electrolit. I also got pringles as I was hungry but my stomach was still a little rough. From there I ubered to the historic center.
When I got to the historic center I was instantly overstimulated lol. It was a Saturday afternoon so it must’ve been the most popular day. It was a lot bigger than expected too. I didn’t really know where to start so I just started walking. My first stop was actually the adidas store as I needed to get my bearings and am a fan of adidas lol unfortunately there wasn’t much in there though that seemed exclusive. I know in Tokyo they’ll have exclusive stuff but didn’t see anything like that in Mexico City, bit disappointed but otherwise it provided a place for me to take a breath. I got out and started walking towards zocalo plaza.
Zocalo Plaza was just epic. The big Mexican flag with the cathedral behind it had so much swag for lack of a better term lmao it showed off the immense pride that Mexico has for itself. I really liked this area a lot.
I continued walking and ended up at these streets with vendors. This was even more overstimulating than the other areas. So much noise and people. I stopped in a store and got a can coke and kept on trucking along.
I decided to go to palacio de bella artes. I really liked palacio de bella artes as well. The architecture and colors were stunning. The Torre Latinoamericana building was also interesting. I decided to check out the museum inside palacio de Bella artes. At first i thought it was a bit underwhelming. I was not too big of a fan of the murals and it seemed like some areas were closed. I then came across the Dioses y Maquinas exhibit by Santiago Sierra Soler. This exhibit was an “immersive cinema installation” that told the story of the aztecs getting colonized by Spaniards. It was very powerful and really made me understand some of the politics of Mexico. Also globalism in general and how colonization impacted the world. It gave me that powerful global experience that I mentioned before. I think everyone who visits cdmx should experience this exhibit to really wrap your head around the politics of the country and how it became what it is today. When I walked out I began to see the two sides of Mexico, the native side and european side and how they interact with each other.
That exhibit made me want to learn about the Aztecs more so I ended up going to museo del templo mayor. This place was also impressive with countless exhibits about the Aztecs. It’s insane to me how there was an ancient city right under us. By the time I was done there I was getting hungry so ironically I got McDonald’s as my stomach needed something familiar. I got it to go and ate it near the palacio de bella artes. I wanted to go the sears rooftop after but couldn’t find the entrance so I just walked around the surrounding neighborhood. This part reminded me a lot of Manhattan.
I walked through the Barrio Chino and thought it was hilarious tbh. I did not see any Asian people and there wasn’t much Asian culture other than the lanterns i guess lol the restaurants also did not look too good. Cool experience nonetheless.
I ended my walk at a plaza San juan to call an Uber as it was about to start raining. I found the torre de telefons de Telmex structure also super interesting. I made it home and rested before dinner.
For dinner I went to this Argentinan steak house called Gardela. A bit risky after my stomach issues but I wanted to get a nice dinner on my last night. I got a dry aged New York strip and it did not disappoint. I ordered it medium rare but it was a bit more rare than expected. I ate it anyway and was wowed. One of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Amazing service too, can’t recommend this place enough if you want a good steak.
When I got back to my hotel I was having an internal debate if I should go out. I had an early flight and was already pretty tired and full. I decided to go out anyway as it was Saturday night and didn’t get to do anything the day before. I ended up at this techno club called yuyu. Pretty intimate spot. The techno was very good and creative. The crowd was also fun, I had a few shallow conversations with people but nothing deep. Mostly my fault though as I wasn’t making much conversation. I just drank beer, smoked cigarettes, and listened to good electronic music which is a solid night for me. I headed home around 2 and went to bed for my flight.
Closing remarks:I really enjoyed my time in Mexico City. Im not sure what my expectations were for the city but they were definitely exceeded. Definitely an underrated city as there is so much culture and history but I never here much people talk about it in the states. I will definitely be back as I feel like there’s still so much to discover and it was pretty cheap to get there and get lodging.
Not gonna lie though, I was bit nervous going solo here but once I got there most of the anxiety went away. In terms of safety, just be where you’re supposed to be (tourist areas & safe neighborhoods), keep your possessions zipped up, and don’t walk at night. I felt more sketched out in most US cities
submitted by CloutWithdrawal to MexicoCity [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 08:28 CloutWithdrawal Trip Report: 4 Days in Mexico City

Introduction: Mexico City has been a recent interest of mine ever since the YouTube algorithm started recommending me videos on this mega city. Like most Americans, I was ignorant and incorrectly under the assumption that Mexico City was sketchy and had nothing to offer for travelers other than poverty tourism. However, after watching YouTube videos and reading more about this city, I quickly learned that Mexico City, and Mexico in general, has a very rich culture and history. It also is the biggest city in the Western Hemisphere. I was locked in this point to explore this city so close to home.Booking this trip was very random, I originally booked a vacation to go to EDC Vegas with friends (insanely fun time btw) but I wanted to extend my PTO for the rest of the week after because I was already taking a day off to rest and had the Friday off for MDW. After exploring other options in the US like possibly other areas in the south west like Utah or Arizona I quickly realized how expensive this would be. Vegas has great prices on flights so I wanted to take advantage of that and go somewhere international, due to my recent interest with Mexico City and how it isn’t too expensive, it just made sense. I booked the flight and hotel instantly so I wouldn’t think too much about it.
I invited some other friends at first and received some maybes, ultimately I knew that this would end up being a solo trip. I have some experience with solo trips, my first one was Hiroshima while I was studying abroad in Tokyo, that trip gave me my first powerful global experience that has ultimately became my goal when i travel now. I also did Denver last summer to see a red rocks show ( stayed in a hostel which ended up being the same price as a decent hotel in CDMX 🤣). I didn’t have much of a structured plan for this trip except to see the historic district and maybe teohiucan if it wasn’t too difficult to get there.
Logistics: I stayed in a Roma Norte hotel from Tuesday Night - Sunday Morning.
Interests: architecture, food, electronic music, nature, history
Day 1: Arrival
I arrived into CDMX around 1045pm via Volaris. The Volaris experience sucks, honestly worse than Spirit lol. For about an hour we were sitting on the runway not moving without AC in the Vegas heat. Apparently this is due to them not having runway rights? Not sure about this but that’s what some googling told me.
For some reason I exchanged usd for pesos at the cash exchange counters instead of using an atm to take out pesos. Not sure why I did because I have travelled internationally and know that ATMs are usually the best options. Whatever, I just took the L there. I called an Uber to my hotel after rejecting many taxi drivers.
I arrived to my hotel hungry and looked for open places to eat that were close to the hotel. I did not want to walk too far as I heard that night time gets sketchy. I ended up finding a taco place right across the street from my hotel so I went there. The place was called Taquería LOS HUARACHINES (ROMA). Ordering was a bit tough due to the language barrier but I got 2 Al pastor tacos, a plate of carne asada with about 5 tortilla, and a Coca Cola. This was an amazing meal and exactly what I wanted. The Al pastor was incredibly juicy and probably were the best tacos I had in my life at this point. I’m currently based in Texas so I’ve had real tacos before but these were just something else. I walked back to my hotel and quickly went to bed.
Day 2: Roma Norte & La Condesa
I had no official plans for this day. I was still tired from EDC Vegas so I woke up pretty late and didn’t get out of the hotel until around 1130-12. Once I did get out, I originally just planned to walk around neighborhood and see what piqued my interest. I started with a coffee. I got an iced coffee as it was hot out, I don’t think iced coffee is a thing anywhere else besides the US so this was also a little harder to order due to language barrier. Luckily someone spoke English at the counter and helped me order.
I began to walk north, I stopped at plaza rio de janiero to smoke a cigarette (I’m not a regular smoker except on vacation and when I go to raves lol). Very cool spot. My first impression of the Roma Norte neighborhood was that it was a nicer, greener, cleaner version of nyc with a European flair.
Next, I ended up at I believe Zona Rosa? It was a pedestrian only area with a lot of shops and restaurants. I stopped in a few shops maybe looking to buy sunglasses or a shirt but ultimately did not. I continued my walk.
I saw there was some sort of park near me called Bosque de Chapultec. I decided that would be my next destination to walk to. I passed the el Angel de la indepencia which was very impressive. I finally got to the park and was wowed by how nice it was. I didn’t know it was such a big destination until I got there and saw there a bunch of museos and vendors set up. I bought a pair of sunglasses as it was bright out and walked around a bit to take it in. Finally, I decided to check out a museum. I chose Museo de Arte Moderno as I wanted to see some art. I much prefer modern art over traditional art too. I really liked this museum and connected with a lot more paintings that I thought I would. About of 1/4 of the way through I realized can use Google translate to read the descriptions for some of the paintings. I wish I took down the artists who created some of these paintings but I think I can find the artists again if I really wanted to. I went outside to the sculpture garden and this was a little underwhelming tbh. I was also getting hangry so I went through it quick.
I decided to get lunch at Los Pancheros as it was nearby and the Google reviews seemed good. I ordered Plato rachero & caldo xochitl. HUGE portions and incredibly good. I really liked the soup though, it was some sort of chicken and rice soup. It took a little bit for the check to come but it finally did and I paid and left.
I ate way too much and I had to lay down somewhere so I went back to the park and found a nice place to lay where other people were. It was some sort of fountain that I can’t find on Google maps but even though it wasn’t exactly “grand” it was very chill and everyone there just seemed relaxed lol. I laid there for about 20-30 mins until I was ready to go again. I saw on Google maps that there was a castle in the park!? I really wanted to see that. I decided to walk in that direction and also passed Lago de Chapultec. Wow that was beautiful, I wish I took my rest time there lol.
I finally got to the castle entrance but they weren’t letting people in anymore as it was too late, damn. I should’ve paid more attention to the times, I didn’t realize all the museums closed at 5. I decided to finish up my park experience and Uber to the historic center just to check it out. However Ubers were very hard to get at this time as it was rush hour and traffic was insane outside the park. I had multiple people cancel on me, I also canceled on someone after seeing how long it would take to pick me up and drop me off to the historic center. I eventually decided just to walk back. It was about an hour walk back so I had to tough it out.
Not much happened on this walk, just continued to take in the city. Stopped at glorieta de Los insugentes to take a break and smoke a cigarette. I felt a little sketched out here due to all the people constantly moving. I was a bit worried about being pick pocketed but I think it was just the tiredness making me anxious. I got out of there relatively quick and made it back to my hotel to rest before dinner.
At this point I decided I wanted to go to teohiucan the next day. I explored my options for getting there and eventually just decided on Uber because I don’t really like being in a group when going to tourist sites as I’m a bit “quirky” and like to take weird routes and repeat some areas a few times I also keep an inconsistent pace so that made the group experience out of the question. I could’ve taken the bus but did not want to deal with the stress that public transit can be in a foreign country lol. For dinner, I made a reservation at the sushi place Makoto as I wanted something other than Mexican food. Fabulous place, I ordered a glass of wine, sushi sampler, and the fatty tuna nigiri.
Day 2: Teohiucan
I woke up somewhat early for this day. I ordered an Uber and was off. It was really interesting to see Mexico City outside the nicer neighborhoods. I think this is what most Americans imagine when they hear Mexico City. It looked like the COD MW2 map Favela. I wondered what life was like in this area of Mexico City. I even saw a ski lift in use to bring people up the mountain to their house maybe?
I got dropped off at Teohiucan and entered in. I skipped breakfast because I assumed they would have something there. I was half right, they had some convenient stores. I just bought a pack of crackers and a electrolit and hoped that would get me through the whole time I was there lol.I walked around all the pyramids, I was hoping to climb them but I saw they were closed for climbing, honestly a good thing, I imagine they were getting a lot of wear and tear from that. I feel like these pyramids are underrated in terms of world wonders. They’re pretty big and the city itself was apparently one of the biggest cities in the world at the time.
My favorite part about this visit was this path that you can take that allowed you to walk on the outside of the main path. It was super peaceful and you got to see the pyramids at different angles with no people around. In terms of my favorite structure, I liked the citadel a lot due to the intricate designs on it. Some random things I liked there were the jardin and the things the vendors were selling that made the animal noises 😂 I thought it was hilarious how everyone was basically spamming it in chat. I should’ve bought one looking back
I was a little anxious about getting an Uber back but I got one relatively quick and got back to my hotel. When I got back I was very hungry and I found this place near my hotel with a deal that gave 5 al pastor tacos and a cervesa for $100 pesos. Amazing deal but then I saw the al pastor looked like it was dry and has been out for awhile. Unfortunately i felt too awkward to leave after sitting, a mistake that I learned from later if you keep reading. However the tacos were still decent. I was still pretty hungry and found a street vendor selling hamburgers, I ordered con queso and it was insanely good. I ate it in a park and then got some churros from Churrería El Moro which were also good.
Again I was way too full and had to lie down. I went back to my hotel and took a nap. When I woke up I was still full but I started experiencing the first signs of montezumas revenge. However it didn’t seem that bad and I wanted to go out for a rooftop drink.
I went to Supra Roma. Great vibe. I had to stand by the bar the whole time due to not having reservations but the views were fantastic and the dj was decent too. She was playing house music. I definitely want to bring my friends here if they ever want to come to cdmx. I had 1 cocktail and 2 beers there. Was thinking about talking to people there but mostly everyone was speaking Spanish so I decided not to.
I left and was gonna call it an early night but heard some more house music being played across the street at departmento. I decided why not and paid the cover to check it out. It was ok. Dj was decent but the vibe seemed kind of “basic” other than the music. Nothing too unique about this place, just a terrace playing music with young people hanging out. I had 2 drinks and left and got a torta.
I made it back to my hotel around 12am and this when things started to go south unfortunately. Montezumas revenge came back and this time even stronger than earlier. The alcohol definitely did not help. It quickly kept getting worse in terms of cramping and the ability to not go to the bathroom for more than 20 mins. I think it was the Al pastor tacos from earlier today. I did not get much sleep this night and was basically in survival mode lol luckily I had some water bottles to stay hydrated but I knew I would have to venture out to get more eventually. I basically spent the whole night on the toilet or curled up in pain.
Day 3: Recovery
I was hoping I’d feel feel better in the morning and I was somewhat correct. After 12 hours I could walk again although it was definitely difficult. I managed to make it to a farmacia where the pharmacist recommended me treda. I got that and more water + electrolit. It was around 1pm so I sat outside and drank my electrolit to see if I strong enough to do some sort of activity. After about 20 mins of sitting outside I decided I definitely could not and decided to just take the L for today so I could be full strength for tomorrow. I took my treda and was able to get some rest. When I woke up I was still feeling montezumas revenge a little bit but I knew I had to eat something. I ended up using Uber eats to get consomé de pollo from this place called Toks. It seemed like a safe option as it looked like a chain and I assumed chains usually have somewhat good hygiene standards. It ended up being way better than expected and I managed to put down most of it.
After eating, I took a walk to get more electrolit. I was still a little weak so I just went back to the hotel and went to bed. I was a bit bummed I lost a day but anytime you’re in a 3rd world country you should budget a day for stomach issues.
Day 4: Castillo De Chapultepec & Historic Center
I woke up feeling a lot better. It was actually crazy as 24 hours ago I couldn’t even walk straight. I took my treda and headed out. I was debating on if I should go back Chapultepec park to see the castle or if it would take too much time as I was planning to go to the historic center today. I decided to see the castle as I was thinking about it too much to skip it.
I took an Uber there this time and paid the admission. It was definitely worth it. The castle was so beautiful and there was so much history inside. I learned a lot about Mexican history and was able to take in some nice views of the city. My favorite part were the murals inside and the jardin. After, I walked to 7/11 to get more electrolit. I also got pringles as I was hungry but my stomach was still a little rough. From there I ubered to the historic center.
When I got to the historic center I was instantly overstimulated lol. It was a Saturday afternoon so it must’ve been the most popular day. It was a lot bigger than expected too. I didn’t really know where to start so I just started walking. My first stop was actually the adidas store as I needed to get my bearings and am a fan of adidas lol unfortunately there wasn’t much in there though that seemed exclusive. I know in Tokyo they’ll have exclusive stuff but didn’t see anything like that in Mexico City, bit disappointed but otherwise it provided a place for me to take a breath. I got out and started walking towards zocalo plaza.
Zocalo Plaza was just epic. The big Mexican flag with the cathedral behind it had so much swag for lack of a better term lmao it showed off the immense pride that Mexico has for itself. I really liked this area a lot.
I continued walking and ended up at these streets with vendors. This was even more overstimulating than the other areas. So much noise and people. I stopped in a store and got a can coke and kept on trucking along.
I decided to go to palacio de bella artes. I really liked palacio de bella artes as well. The architecture and colors were stunning. The Torre Latinoamericana building was also interesting. I decided to check out the museum inside palacio de Bella artes. At first i thought it was a bit underwhelming. I was not too big of a fan of the murals and it seemed like some areas were closed. I then came across the Dioses y Maquinas exhibit by Santiago Sierra Soler. This exhibit was an “immersive cinema installation” that told the story of the aztecs getting colonized by Spaniards. It was very powerful and really made me understand some of the politics of Mexico. Also globalism in general and how colonization impacted the world. It gave me that powerful global experience that I mentioned before. I think everyone who visits cdmx should experience this exhibit to really wrap your head around the politics of the country and how it became what it is today. When I walked out I began to see the two sides of Mexico, the native side and european side and how they interact with each other.
That exhibit made me want to learn about the Aztecs more so I ended up going to museo del templo mayor. This place was also impressive with countless exhibits about the Aztecs. It’s insane to me how there was an ancient city right under us. By the time I was done there I was getting hungry so ironically I got McDonald’s as my stomach needed something familiar. I got it to go and ate it near the palacio de bella artes. I wanted to go the sears rooftop after but couldn’t find the entrance so I just walked around the surrounding neighborhood. This part reminded me a lot of Manhattan.
I walked through the Barrio Chino and thought it was hilarious tbh. I did not see any Asian people and there wasn’t much Asian culture other than the lanterns i guess lol the restaurants also did not look too good. Cool experience nonetheless. I ended my walk at a plaza San juan to call an Uber as it was about to start raining. I found the torre de telefons de Telmex structure also super interesting. I made it home and rested before dinner.
For dinner I went to this Argentinan steak house called Gardela. A bit risky after my stomach issues but I wanted to get a nice dinner on my last night. I got a dry aged New York strip and it did not disappoint. I ordered it medium rare but it was a bit more rare than expected. I ate it anyway and was wowed. One of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Amazing service too, can’t recommend this place enough if you want a good steak.
When I got back to my hotel I was having an internal debate if I should go out. I had an early flight and was already pretty tired and full. I decided to go out anyway as it was Saturday night and didn’t get to do anything the day before. I ended up at this techno club called yuyu. Pretty intimate spot. The techno was very good and creative. The crowd was also fun, I had a few shallow conversations with people but nothing deep. Mostly my fault though as I wasn’t making much conversation. I just drank beer, smoked cigarettes, and listened to good electronic music which is a solid night for me. I headed home around 2 and went to bed for my flight.
Closing remarks:
I really enjoyed my time in Mexico City. Im not sure what my expectations were for the city but they were definitely exceeded. Definitely an underrated city as there is so much culture and history but I never here much people talk about it in the states. I will definitely be back as I feel like there’s still so much to discover and it was pretty cheap to get there and get lodging. Not gonna lie though, I was bit nervous going solo here but once I got there most of the anxiety went away. In terms of safety, just be where you’re supposed to be (tourist areas & safe neighborhoods), keep your possessions zipped up, and don’t walk at night. I felt more sketched out in most US cities
submitted by CloutWithdrawal to solotravel [link] [comments]

2023.05.30 06:34 DDoubleBlinDD Everyone's a Catgirl! Ch. 216: Magnificent Trio

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A/N: 4 days left to pre-order Volume 1!
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The return trip to Madhyam somehow felt a great deal faster than the initial voyage to Rājadhānī. Tristan chalked it up to a combination of things—Encroachers seemed to stay out of their way, the winds and sands moving in their favor, and everyone received at least one full night’s rest. With so many bodies, it was easier to split the night watch between all of them.
Tristan shared his gigashank with Zahra, and they filled the time with idle chatter. His thoughts were consumed by the immense amount of work that lay before him, not allowing for anything deeper than brief observations and inquiries.
Cailu had asked him to essentially resolve the same issues on San Island that plagued San Francisco; homelessness and orphaned kittens. Battling Encroachers and Defiled were one thing, but resurrecting a broken economy? That was a task that could take years of designing and implementing. Just how long did Cailu want him to stay on San?
When they did reach Madhyam, the group made a point to visit Ishani at Tristan’s suggestion. It was the least he could do for Zahra after all of her help. They were welcomed just as warmly as their first visit with Zahra’s mother.
“Three men in my house! What an honor!” Ishani fussed between them, her eyes glittering with wonder. “Please, allow me to serve you a small meal before you continue on.” She rested her hands over her stomach and performed the traditional bow.
Tristan returned it, and Cailu was nearly in sync with his movements. Tristan cleared his throat to catch Matt’s attention and was glad when he followed suit.
“It would be our pleasure,” Cailu replied. “Your daughter has been a tremendous help.”
Ishani straightened her back and clutched her hands to her chest. “You bless us both. Sands walk with you, sir.”
There was an unspoken rule on Ichi when someone invited you to stay. The guests were meant to relax and let the members of the household do all the work. But even with Zahra’s help, preparing anything for thirteen people would be no easy feat.
“Ishani, if you’d permit me to, I’d love to help you prepare everything.” Tristan smiled. “I know there are a lot of us.”
“Oh! Me, too!” Cannoli said. She’d been far more chipper during their journey back than Tristan had seen her in a long time. He hoped it was a good sign.
Ishani studied them for a time, eyes flickering to the full group as her tail rocked back and forth in thought. At last, she nodded. “Yes, I would be glad to have your assistance.”
“And mine, of course,” Zahra chimed in. “It is still my house after all.”
Ishani swept an arm over Zahra’s shoulders and hugged her daughter close. “Of course, my sweet. This will always be your home.”
They moved to the modest kitchen while the rest of the group made their way outside. Cannoli set to work on passing out drinks and preparing small plates while Ishani gave Tristan and Zahra instructions for cutting and seasoning meats. While they worked, Ishani’s questions began to roll in like the tide.
“We heard of Magni’s death a little over two days after it happened,” Ishani began. “An Ejderha arrived begging for Sanctuary. How did it happen?”
Zahra pursed her lips. “The Ejderha didn’t say?”
“It is best to hear a tale from a tongue you trust,” Ishani replied.
“Cailu challenged Magni to a sanctioned duel and won,” Tristan said. “He left the throne to Naeemah.”
“Then it is true. That is wonderful news!” Ishani stoked the flames at the stove, hooking a large pot over the coal. “And what of Sanrai?”
Tristan looked up from his diced onyans and over at Zahra.
Zahra’s expression softened. “Sanrai returned to the sands, Mother,” she said softly. “She refused to see reason.”
Ishani froze, her hand hovering over a ladle. A string of expressions passed over her face, her eyes searching into an abyss they could not see.
Even after the hell Sanrai had put them through, Tristan’s heart broke for her mother. He couldn’t imagine how receiving news like that felt, and he desperately searched for the right thing to say. Sanrai was powerful, intense, calculating. She’d driven them out of the city not once, but twice, and very nearly killed Ceres.
“Zahra did everything she could to bring her sister home.” Tristan was careful to keep his words even. “You raised two incredible daughters, Ishani.”
Ishani’s lower lip quivered, and a string of tears trickled from the corners of her eyes.
Zahra stepped forward and embraced her mother in a tight hug.
Tristan quietly set the knife down beside the cutting board and stepped into the hallway. He was surprised to find Cannoli on the other side of the threshold, hugging the doorframe and peeking inside.
Cannoli’s cheeks pinked, and she rapidly blinked her bright ruby eyes. “I-I just didn’t want to interrupt anything,” she whispered.
“I know. You’re not the type to eavesdrop.” Tristan grinned.
“Tristan… how do you do that?”
He blinked. “Do what?”
“You always know just what to say to make someone feel better,” Cannoli murmured. She looked into the kitchen and back at him. “Not just to me, but what you said to Ishani about Sanrai was so kind. Even though Sanrai was never nice to us. Not once.”
It was Tristan’s turn to blush. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms, realizing only a second later that it was a gesture he’d picked up from Matt. He sighed and shook his head. “I just try to put myself in their shoes.”
Cannoli cocked her head to the side and touched her chin. “Why would you want to wear their shoes?”
“No, not actually wear their shoes.” Tristan covered a laugh behind his hand. “What I mean is, I think about what I would want to hear in their situation. Like finding you here. You wouldn’t want me to call you a spy, right?”
“No. I would have felt awful if you thought that.”
“Exactly. It’s important to see things from the other person’s perspective, I think. No real magic to it.”
Cannoli rocked on the balls of her feet. “You make it sound so easy.”
“It takes a lot of practice.” He leaned to the side, seeing if he could catch Zahra’s eye.
Zahra locked his gaze and waved him into the kitchen. Ishani dabbed at her eyes with a cloth and inhaled a deep breath.
“Back to work, then?” Tristan asked Cannoli.
“Yes.” She touched his shoulder and flashed him a brilliant smile. “Thank you, Tristan. For the advice.”
“You’re welcome.” He cupped a hand over hers. “Though, a smile like that will make anyone feel better, Cannoli.”
Cannoli giggled and ducked into the kitchen.
“Apologies for my poor manners, Tristan,” Ishani said as he returned.
“Please, you have nothing to apologize for.” He shook his head. “Besides, cutting onyans makes everyone cry, right?”
Ishani laughed, her mood brightened, and they continued to prepare the afternoon meal.
They were able to serve it in good time, and the conversation was light-hearted and cordial. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits and laughed easily. Tristan was happy to enjoy a meal outside of the citadel. The experience was a lot closer to an intimate family gathering rather than the battle strategy style meetings that every meal in Rājadhānī brought with it.
Tristan finished eating before the others and procured his sketchbook from his [Cat Pack]. With the enchanted pen, he sketched a smiling Zahra. Something about her had changed since they first met. She now carried herself with a grace Tristan recognized in Naeemah, and the determined spark in her eyes had changed to one of excitement. She’d succeeded in her mission, and it showed.
Flipping the page, he made one more drawing. A piercing, ruthless gaze. Lips slanted in a dry, knowing smile. Dark tattoos carved into umber skin. Sanrai looked as alive in his sketch as she did in the shadow of the citadel.
As the others readied to leave, he handed the sketches to Ishani. “These are for you.”
Ishani accepted both pieces of parchment, her lips parting in a silent ‘o.’ Eyes wide, she looked at Tristan. “You protected my daughter, and now you grant me such beautiful gifts. Tristan, I have no way of repaying you.”
“You already have, Ishani.” Tristan touched her wrist. “May the wind carry your desires—”
“And the sun warm your back,” she finished for him, clutching the drawings to her chest. “You are truly Saoirse’s gift to this world, child.”
As they departed Madhyam, Tristan let himself believe Ishani’s words, just a little. He knew he’d need them in the coming weeks.
​
Zahra Pro Tip: Thank you, Tristan, for all you have done for my mother and for me. I will pay your kindness forward.
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2023.05.30 06:30 farmer_giles91 12 Days Honeymoon in Tokyo & Kawaguchiko with tips and observations

I just had my honeymoon (originally scheduled for Jun 2020). My wife and I are in our early thirties. It’s my wife’s first time in japan while it’s my fourth. I’ve benefitted immensely from stalking Tokyo travel reddit and would like to return the favour. I’ll provide some of my tips and observations to the end (skip to the end if the itinerary doesn’t interest you), some of which I think haven’t been mentioned before.
Thank God pretty much everything went to plan, and my wife thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We spent 12 days in Japan, most of it in Tokyo and 2 nights in Kawaguchiko. Many people were surprised to know that we’d be spending most of our trip in Tokyo, but I thought it was just fine because Tokyo had a lot to offer. My wife and I aren’t big on visiting shrines or ticking tourist hotspots off a checklist. We don’t shop much, but we did a lot of it simply because it’s Japan and we bought lots of quality-of-life items (not fashion) for ourselves and others. Given how much my wife really enjoyed the trip, I think others with similar interests could find something helpful too.
Pre-trip planning
Planning during the trip
Day 0 (Wed) 17 May - Arrival at Haneda Airport to hotel in Shinjuku
Arrived in Haneda late, about 11pm. Clearance was quick but baggage took 30mins. As I wouldn't make my stipulated airport limousine timing, I had no choice but to cancel my airport limousine and take the metro to our hotel in Shinjuku. I tried Apple wallet’s Suica at first. It worked seamlessly but I felt that a physical metro card was just faster so I eventually switched over. We reached after midnight, so do let your hotel know in advance if you anticipate arriving at odd hours.
Day 1 (Thurs) - Shinjuku exploration
Originally planned to visit Tsukiji on day 1, but given that we arrived late the previous night, agreed with my wife to change the plan and spend the first day doing the Shinjuku itinerary.
Day 2 (Fri) - Kappabashi St., Fabric Town, Akihabara
Day 3 (Sat) - Cooking class in Shinjuku, Shibuya
Day 4 (Sun) - Komazawa Church, Harajuku, Shibuya
Day 5 (Mon) - Tsukiji Market, Ginza Muji/Uniqlo, Tokyo station
Day 6 (Tue) - Tokyo National Museum, Fabric town revisit, Akihabara revisit, Ochanomizu
Day 7 (Wed) - Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, Mori Museum, Ginza Wakamatsu, Shinjuku
Day 8 (Thurs) - Kawaguchiko
Day 9 (Fri) - Fuji Q Highland, Shimoyoshida Honcho St, Batting Cage
Planning for Fuji Q & Morning Jog: I didn’t plan to go to Fuji-Q highland before the trip. Always felt it a bit of a waste to visit amusement parks overseas. That’s until I realised that Fuji Q had some of the most exciting (I mean world-record-holding) rollercoasters in the world. Maybe they don't hold the records anymore, but that intrigued me enough, because most amusement parks only had 1-2 coasters. Problem was that wife is terrified, and she said cycling on the streets of Kawaguchiko was already like a coaster ride for her. Still, I'm really thankful she encouraged me to go and said she was happy waiting and taking pictures for me. So I decided I would reach at opening time, and buy time by paying for the fast passes and try their top three coasters. The night before, we felt that we had to make decisions on our itinerary as it was our last day at Kawaguchiko. If Mt Fuji still wasn’t visible the next day, we'd go to Oshino Hakkai, if it was, we could try going to Shimoyoshida to get a nice picture.
Day 10 (Sat) - Kichijoji, Ghibli Museum, Kichijoji Jazz bar
Woke up before sunrise for a run and to attempt to catch a sunrise picture of Mount Fuji. Streets were completely empty. Even ran to the famous Kawaguchiko Lawson for a picture. Headed back for an onsen bathe (note: we never used the room's shower, and always went for an onsen bath throughout our stay in Kawaguchiko as it was just too convenient). Took a 7am bus to return to Shinjuku.
Day 11 (Sun) - Tokyo Sky Tree, Shinjuku, Back to Kichijoji, Shibuya
It was a crazy day where we simply hit the places we wanted to revisit regardless of proximity. Headed to Tokyo Skytree in the morning to check out another Ghibli store in hopes of getting another Ghibli shirt; reason was because I ended up buying one at the museum I really loved (made in Japan, beautiful colour, perfect fit. I hesitated at first because I couldn't try it). If you’re not going to the Ghibli museum, this is probably the best store available for Ghibli goods. Alas, the museum's items were really quite exclusive. Headed to Shinjuku to try curry udon, then to Kichijoji to try satou beef balls and dangos and to make some purchasing decisions on some sports equipment. Then we ended up at Shibuya (my favourite place!) to the mega Don Quijote and Tokyu Hands to shop for gifts for others. It was a lovely end to our trip!
Day 12 (Mon) - Back home
Best trip ever, says my wife.
Tips for travellers
Observations
I've decided not to mention the specific food places as far as possible because I think there's more than enough recommendations available elsewhere. I also think sometimes that we get a bit fomo if we build up too many must-go spots. Enjoy the process of discovering new places! But feel free to ask me more if you like.
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