Killer klowns from outer space costumes
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
2016.08.10 18:52 dxdrummer Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Fan club for the Killer Klowns from Outer Space!
2022.05.23 15:30 KillerKlownsGame KillerKlownsGame
Official Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game reddit. Killer Klowns from Outer Space The Game is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror based on the iconic 1988 horror movie. In the battle between Killer Klowns and citizens of the quiet town of Crescent Cove, players will team up and use their wits to harvest humans or save them from the alien invasion!
2012.06.07 20:02 Ytoabn ZombiU - How long will you survive?
This subreddit is dedicated to **ZombiU** (formerly Killer Freaks from Outer Space) for Nintendo's **Wii U** home console. It is a first-person shootesurvival horror video game from Ubisoft where you take on the role of a survivor in London during the zombie apocalypse. Using your Wii U GamePad, you'll need to scan for supplies, loot the corpses of the fallen, and try to survive. Just remember, you only get one life. How long will you survive?
2023.06.04 21:43 SabbyOfSableWine An alien who doesn't sleep learns what "dreams" are--or more specifically, she learns about nightmares when her human mate wakes up screaming
This is part of my little series about the adventures of Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick. If you'd like to read previous parts, they're linked below, along with brief summaries in case you prefer to just jump right into the new part:
Part One: Alien learns what "sleep" is and how humans prefer to do it in a comfy bed with blankets and pillows. And they find it utterly adorable.
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick are sent on a survey mission together. Things go south, Aldrick makes sure they're safe, and then Vr'ocria learns what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decides she will protect Aldrick while he sleeps. And she also develops a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Part Two: An alien + human adventure with such shenanigans as poison drinking, befriending dangerous wildlife, and fighting a space pirate. Oh, and they have a huge crush on each other.
Part Three: When a cold-blooded alien has to cuddle a warm-blooded human for warmth
Part Four: A human leaves a hickey on his alien lover. Her nestmate doesn't understand what a hickey is, and thinks the human injured her
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick end up assigned to be partners. Vr'ocria is a witness to both human shenanigans as well as human durability, but she also begins to learn about the limits of the human body--they are not invincible.
She and Aldrick begin to fall in love, and they finally confess their feelings for one another when Vr'ocria admits to accidentally forming a mate bond with him. Vr'ocria's nestmate, Galek, is not very happy about her being involved with a human, but begrudgingly respects her decision.
Part Five: Space pirates make the grave mistake of attacking a human's loved one. They very quickly learn what happens when a human is angry and full of adrenaline
Pirates come for Vr'ocria in revenge for her killing one of their own. Aldrick goes beast mode. 'Nuff said.
Now for the new story!
(Some of y'all are already picking up what I put down taps nose...)
"'Bumps and bruises' he says," Vr'ocria muttered. "Bumps and bruises!" She crossed her arms. "Bumps and bruises don't bleed, Aldrick."
They were back on the ship, in the med bay. Aldrick was lying on an examination table, naked except for a blanket pulled up to his hips. He was sedated, so he couldn't hear her anyway, but that didn't stop her from grouching.
As soon as they'd boarded the shop, Aldrick began fading fast. He was suddenly slumped and stumbling, eyes tight with pain, and they had to be beamed directly to the med bay. He'd been covered in so much pirate blood that the blood of his own injuries had gotten lost in the mess. Once the med team got to work cleaning him up, all of the cuts, claw marks, and stab wounds began appearing, and as soon as the orderlies let her, Vr'ocria was rushing back to his side. By now, most of his wounds had been closed up, but she still vividly remembered the bloody, black and blue skin that emerged when they peeled his shirt off.
Dr. Fen continued fussing over Aldrick. She was Lymeran, a species similar to humans, made distinctive by their flat noses and bone ridges that curved around the outer corner of their eyes. She swept her dark ponytail over her shoulder as she reached for a new tool. "He also has several hairline fractures in both arms and three cracked ribs," she reported briskly. "Honestly, these humans are going to be the death of me."
Vr'ocria's spine tightened with worry, her scales flushing red. "How could he go so long without collapsing?" She asked.
"Adrenaline," Dr. Fen explained. "It's a hormone that releases into a human's bloodstream during times of great stress. It makes them faster, stronger, more alert." She placed a small and round boneknit device on one of Aldrick's affected ribs. "But it also makes them immune to pain for a short time. That helps them keep going in a life or death situation, but pain exists for a reason. It alerts the body to injuries, it tells you when something is wrong and where. When you don't feel pain, you don't know when you're hurt, and you don't know when to stop if you're pushing yourself beyond your body's physical limits."
"Moons above," Vr'ocria murmured. She moved closer to the table, reaching out to stroke Aldrick's hair. Under sedation, his face was relaxed and free of lines, and she tried to take some comfort in that. "Will he be alright?"
"Oh, he'll be fine," Dr. Fen chuckled. "I'm good at my job, and humans are sturdy. He just needs to follow my orders for bed rest, so don't let him be an idiot and go running off."
That drew a smile from Vr'ocria.
As Dr. Fen continued bustling around Aldrick, she shot a sideways glance at Vr'ocria, a mischievous look in her eye. "So it's true that you guys are like…a thing? I noticed your scales have pink tips."
Vr'ocria blushed purple.
"Ha!" Dr. Fen smirked. "I knew it!"
"Shut up," Vr'ocria muttered.
"What? It's cute! And totally obvious. The whole ship knows at this point."
"The whole ship?"
Dr. Fen laughed. "Oh come on, it's not like you two are any good at hiding it. Anyone who knows anything about Ethyrian physiology knows what pink scales mean–full pink means you're experiencing strong feelings of love, right? And even when you're not particularly emotional, your neutral green with pink tips indicates you're within proximity of your mate. And the way he looks at you–"
Vr'ocria blushed harder and covered her face. "Oh planets, why are so many people invested in our relationship?"
Dr. Fen shrugged. "Well, historically, Ethyrians don't tend to mate outside of their species. It's not every day you see one mate another species, much less a human."
Vr'ocria couldn't help smiling. "Well, it's his fault for being so cute."
"He sure is," Dr. Fen winked.
"Hey," Vr'ocria jabbed a finger at her, "professionalism."
Dr. Fen raised her hands. "I'm very professional! I also have eyes and can acknowledge that you're a lucky girl, and I hope the two of you will be very happy together."
Vr'ocria kept stroking Aldrick's hair, her scales easing into a strong pink. "Me too."
—
By the next day, Dr. Fen had skillfully mended both skin and bone. She discharged Aldrick and let him return to his living quarters, with the caveat that he rest for at least a week.
He and Vr'ocria walked through the corridors arm in arm as she escorted him back to his quarters. They weren't even pretending anymore, and they drew plenty of stares and whispers as they passed by crew members milling about. There weren't many humans onboard to begin with, so Aldrick already stood out. Walking arm in arm with an Ethyrian must've looked even more bizarre.
Despite all the attention, Vr'ocria decided that she wouldn't be embarrassed anymore. She pulled Aldrick a little closer and held her head high as they passed a group of giggling ensigns. My human. My mate.
Aldrick's quarters, like hers, were small but comfortable. The door opened into the living space. Aldrick had decorated it with various Earth flowers and plants that sat in pots scattered about the room, some hanging from the ceiling. The lush greens, pinks, reds, purples, and yellows, made the place feel warm and inviting. The back wall was almost entirely windows with a plush couch pushed underneath them, so that one could recline and watch the stars fly by.
Vr'ocria ushered Aldrick straight into the bedroom, which was similar to the living area, just smaller and furnished with a bed, a nightstand, and a small armchair. "You're going to bed," she ordered.
"Aw, come on," he whined as she shoved him onto the mattress, bending down to pull his boots off.
"Doctor's orders." She put his boots aside and stood, placing her hands on his shoulders to push him down onto the pillow.
"I'm not tired!"
"Liar." She could see the bags under his eyes that she'd come to learn was a sign of exhaustion, and despite his protests, he didn't try to fight her off as she settled him in and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
He couldn't help chuckling. "I haven't been tucked into bed since I was a kid."
She sat on the edge of the bed with a smile. "Well, that's what I'm here for."
He rolled over onto his side and took her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles. She squeezed back, and then made to stand to turn the lights off.
"Wait."
She turned back. Aldrick had pushed himself back into a sitting position. "Something's been bothering me."
She frowned. "What is it?"
"How did the Norvidians know you were the one who killed that guy?"
She blinked. "What?"
Aldrick twisted the sheets in his hands. "How did they know it was you? They knew exactly who you were and where to find you. The only people who knew what happened on Theta-7 is our superiors and people in our department."
Vr'ocria sank back down onto the bed. "What are you getting at?" She thought she knew the answer, but she didn't want to say it out loud.
Aldrick met her eye. "What if someone sold you out?"
Her spine grew tight, yellow rippling across her scales. "...No," she whispered. "No, that can't…who would do that?"
He chewed his lip. "I don't know. I hope I'm wrong, I really do…but…" he blew out a frustrated sigh. "I could blame a leak for them knowing you were the one to kill the guy. Someone could've carelessly mentioned something somewhere, I don't know. But there's no way they would've known exactly where to find you unless they were told. That was a brand new mission, no one knew where we were except for Command."
Vr'ocria felt sick. She didn't want to think he was right…but it made too much sense. "What do we do?"
"I don't know," he said with a pained look. "There's no telling who it could be, and if it's one of our superiors, we'd only tip them off if we approached them with this."
It was a conundrum Vr'ocria could hardly believe was real. Sure, she and Aldrick had some basic combat training, but soldiers they were not. They were survey agents, their job was to explore and study, not fight. And she certainly wasn't supposed be the subject of conspiracies and espionage or whatever was happening here.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Let's worry about this later. You need to get some rest."
Aldrick reluctantly laid back down, but blushed when she bent down to press a kiss to his cheek. It was the first time she'd kissed him since Gamma-5. "I could get used to that," he murmured as he snuggled into the pillow.
"You should," Vr'ocria giggled as she rose to her feet. "I'm not going to stop anytime soon." She switched the lights off, then returned to settle into the chair next to the bed, pulling her file pad out of her pocket. The screen's soft glow was the only light in the room. "Now, go to sleep."
"Yes ma'am."
—
Vr'ocria worked quietly on her file pad for the next few hours. Data entry was tedious, but somehow, she found a comfort in doing it while listening to Aldrick's slow, deep breaths.
So she was quick to notice when his breathing pattern changed.
Aldrick groaned and shifted in his sleep, rolling over onto his back. His breath began to quicken, and Vr'ocria lowered her pad to look over at him. By the low light of the pad's screen, she could only see the silhouette of his chest rising and falling, faster and faster.
"Aldrick?" She whispered.
"Nuuh," he moaned, beginning to thrash.
Alarmed, Vr'ocria stood and flicked his nightstand lamp on, dropping the pad on the table. "Aldrick," she said a bit louder.
His eyes were still squeezed shut. He was tossing and turning now, gasping through parted lips. He cried out again, and Vr'ocria felt her blood rushing fast and hard through her veins, her scales rippling between red and yellow. What was going on? Was he still asleep? She'd never seen him like this before, and it frightened her.
Tears were beginning to seep out from under his tightly shut eyelids. "No…no…" His voice rose in volume as he clutched and clawed at the sheets. "Vr'ocria!"
Whatever held Vr'ocria frozen to the spot snapped the second she heard him scream her name like that. She bent forward and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Aldrick!" She cried desperately. "Wake up!"
"VR'OCRIA!"
"ALDRICK!"
With a strangled cry, his eyes snapped open. His pupils were blown wide and the whites were bloodshot as he stared at her in shock, still gasping for breath, his hands grasping her arms in an iron grip.
She took his face in her hands. "What's wrong? What's going on?"
He only continued to stare at her, the fog slowly clearing from his eyes.
"Say something!" Vr'ocria demanded desperately, resisting the urge to shake him again. "You're scaring me, what's the matter? Does something hurt?"
Aldrick surged up, throwing his arms around her neck and pulling her down to him. She fell forward with an "oof" as her weight landed on top of him. "Hey," she protested with the side of her face pressed into the pillow, "I can't be laying on you, your ribs–"
"You're alive," he rasped into her ear.
She stopped struggling to get up. "What?"
He was shaking, and it took her a moment to realize he was crying. "You were dead, they killed you–I watched them–God, I watched you die–you weren't moving, your eyes–"
He was babbling almost incoherently, and Vr'ocria was terrified.
She finally managed to push herself off of him, and tugged him up into a sitting position. She pulled him forward into a hug, taking care not to squeeze his ribs. "Calm down," she tried to soothe as he clutched her tight, still shaking. "Just breathe." She didn't know if she was even helping, but she didn't know what else to do.
But it seemed to work. After a few minutes, Aldrick had managed to slow his breathing down to a more reasonable pace, and she felt his muscles sag in her arms as the tension drained away.
"I'm sorry," he finally croaked. He pulled away and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" he struggled to find words. "I'm sorry for making a scene," he finished at last.
Vr'ocria placed one hand on his hip and the other on his knee. "What happened?"
Aldrick wrapped his arms around his middle. "I had a nightmare."
She furrowed her brow. "A night…mare?"
"A nightmare is a bad dream," he explained.
"...I don't understand."
"Sorry, I guess you wouldn't, since you don't sleep…uh…fuck, how do I explain this…" he ran a hand through his tangled hair. "When humans are asleep, even though we're unconscious, our subconscious brain is still pretty active. One thing it does is create dreams. During dreams you can see, hear, feel, smell and taste things that aren't there. Sometimes dreams are pure nonsense, just a mess of sounds and images. Sometimes you might have good dreams–maybe you fly, or go on crazy adventures. But sometimes, you have bad dreams. We call them nightmares."
Nightmare. What an awful word. It sent shivers over Vr'ocria's scales. "So just now, you…"
"I had a bad dream. A very, very bad dream." He dug his fingers into his temples. "When you're dreaming, in most cases, you don't know that you're dreaming. It feels completely real. And bad dreams are usually brought on by stress or fears you have. And my fear–" he broke off.
She squeezed his knee. "It's me dying?" She supplied quietly.
He shut his eyes as if he was in pain. "When I saw what those fucking pirates did to you–I've never felt so much fear in my life. I was so scared they would kill you before I got there, or that I would fail to save you, or–" he covered his face with his hands. "And I dreamed that I did fail. I watched him stab you. I watched you bleed. I held you and you were–your eyes were so blank–"
Vr'ocria didn't want to hear anymore. She yanked him forward, hugging as tight as she dared. "It wasn't real," she whispered. "I'm here. I'm right here."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." His arms still trembled and his voice was thick against her neck.
"Stop apologizing," she said firmly. "You have nothing to apologize for. None of it is your fault, not the attack, not the dream, none of it."
She felt him take a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you, my love."
Her spine tingled.
"Come on, lay back down. I'll lay with you." She pulled back the covers and crawled underneath next to him. They settled down into a familiar position–him clutching her to his check, her arms around his waist, their legs tangled together. His heart was still pounding, but she listened as it gradually quieted to a gentler pace. Soon enough, Aldrick was asleep. This time, he slept peacefully through the night.
Nightmares can fuck up your whole night, man. I've had nightmares that were so vivid they stuck with me for days afterwards. Shit sucks, and I wish I had someone to cuddle with afterwards lolol
Thank you for reading! Until next time ;)
submitted by SabbyOfSableWine to humansarespaceorcs [link] [comments]
Part One: Alien learns what "sleep" is and how humans prefer to do it in a comfy bed with blankets and pillows. And they find it utterly adorable.
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick are sent on a survey mission together. Things go south, Aldrick makes sure they're safe, and then Vr'ocria learns what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decides she will protect Aldrick while he sleeps. And she also develops a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Part Two: An alien + human adventure with such shenanigans as poison drinking, befriending dangerous wildlife, and fighting a space pirate. Oh, and they have a huge crush on each other.
Part Three: When a cold-blooded alien has to cuddle a warm-blooded human for warmth
Part Four: A human leaves a hickey on his alien lover. Her nestmate doesn't understand what a hickey is, and thinks the human injured her
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick end up assigned to be partners. Vr'ocria is a witness to both human shenanigans as well as human durability, but she also begins to learn about the limits of the human body--they are not invincible.
She and Aldrick begin to fall in love, and they finally confess their feelings for one another when Vr'ocria admits to accidentally forming a mate bond with him. Vr'ocria's nestmate, Galek, is not very happy about her being involved with a human, but begrudgingly respects her decision.
Part Five: Space pirates make the grave mistake of attacking a human's loved one. They very quickly learn what happens when a human is angry and full of adrenaline
Pirates come for Vr'ocria in revenge for her killing one of their own. Aldrick goes beast mode. 'Nuff said.
Now for the new story!
(Some of y'all are already picking up what I put down taps nose...)
They were back on the ship, in the med bay. Aldrick was lying on an examination table, naked except for a blanket pulled up to his hips. He was sedated, so he couldn't hear her anyway, but that didn't stop her from grouching.
As soon as they'd boarded the shop, Aldrick began fading fast. He was suddenly slumped and stumbling, eyes tight with pain, and they had to be beamed directly to the med bay. He'd been covered in so much pirate blood that the blood of his own injuries had gotten lost in the mess. Once the med team got to work cleaning him up, all of the cuts, claw marks, and stab wounds began appearing, and as soon as the orderlies let her, Vr'ocria was rushing back to his side. By now, most of his wounds had been closed up, but she still vividly remembered the bloody, black and blue skin that emerged when they peeled his shirt off.
Dr. Fen continued fussing over Aldrick. She was Lymeran, a species similar to humans, made distinctive by their flat noses and bone ridges that curved around the outer corner of their eyes. She swept her dark ponytail over her shoulder as she reached for a new tool. "He also has several hairline fractures in both arms and three cracked ribs," she reported briskly. "Honestly, these humans are going to be the death of me."
Vr'ocria's spine tightened with worry, her scales flushing red. "How could he go so long without collapsing?" She asked.
"Adrenaline," Dr. Fen explained. "It's a hormone that releases into a human's bloodstream during times of great stress. It makes them faster, stronger, more alert." She placed a small and round boneknit device on one of Aldrick's affected ribs. "But it also makes them immune to pain for a short time. That helps them keep going in a life or death situation, but pain exists for a reason. It alerts the body to injuries, it tells you when something is wrong and where. When you don't feel pain, you don't know when you're hurt, and you don't know when to stop if you're pushing yourself beyond your body's physical limits."
"Moons above," Vr'ocria murmured. She moved closer to the table, reaching out to stroke Aldrick's hair. Under sedation, his face was relaxed and free of lines, and she tried to take some comfort in that. "Will he be alright?"
"Oh, he'll be fine," Dr. Fen chuckled. "I'm good at my job, and humans are sturdy. He just needs to follow my orders for bed rest, so don't let him be an idiot and go running off."
That drew a smile from Vr'ocria.
As Dr. Fen continued bustling around Aldrick, she shot a sideways glance at Vr'ocria, a mischievous look in her eye. "So it's true that you guys are like…a thing? I noticed your scales have pink tips."
Vr'ocria blushed purple.
"Ha!" Dr. Fen smirked. "I knew it!"
"Shut up," Vr'ocria muttered.
"What? It's cute! And totally obvious. The whole ship knows at this point."
"The whole ship?"
Dr. Fen laughed. "Oh come on, it's not like you two are any good at hiding it. Anyone who knows anything about Ethyrian physiology knows what pink scales mean–full pink means you're experiencing strong feelings of love, right? And even when you're not particularly emotional, your neutral green with pink tips indicates you're within proximity of your mate. And the way he looks at you–"
Vr'ocria blushed harder and covered her face. "Oh planets, why are so many people invested in our relationship?"
Dr. Fen shrugged. "Well, historically, Ethyrians don't tend to mate outside of their species. It's not every day you see one mate another species, much less a human."
Vr'ocria couldn't help smiling. "Well, it's his fault for being so cute."
"He sure is," Dr. Fen winked.
"Hey," Vr'ocria jabbed a finger at her, "professionalism."
Dr. Fen raised her hands. "I'm very professional! I also have eyes and can acknowledge that you're a lucky girl, and I hope the two of you will be very happy together."
Vr'ocria kept stroking Aldrick's hair, her scales easing into a strong pink. "Me too."
—
By the next day, Dr. Fen had skillfully mended both skin and bone. She discharged Aldrick and let him return to his living quarters, with the caveat that he rest for at least a week.
He and Vr'ocria walked through the corridors arm in arm as she escorted him back to his quarters. They weren't even pretending anymore, and they drew plenty of stares and whispers as they passed by crew members milling about. There weren't many humans onboard to begin with, so Aldrick already stood out. Walking arm in arm with an Ethyrian must've looked even more bizarre.
Despite all the attention, Vr'ocria decided that she wouldn't be embarrassed anymore. She pulled Aldrick a little closer and held her head high as they passed a group of giggling ensigns. My human. My mate.
Aldrick's quarters, like hers, were small but comfortable. The door opened into the living space. Aldrick had decorated it with various Earth flowers and plants that sat in pots scattered about the room, some hanging from the ceiling. The lush greens, pinks, reds, purples, and yellows, made the place feel warm and inviting. The back wall was almost entirely windows with a plush couch pushed underneath them, so that one could recline and watch the stars fly by.
Vr'ocria ushered Aldrick straight into the bedroom, which was similar to the living area, just smaller and furnished with a bed, a nightstand, and a small armchair. "You're going to bed," she ordered.
"Aw, come on," he whined as she shoved him onto the mattress, bending down to pull his boots off.
"Doctor's orders." She put his boots aside and stood, placing her hands on his shoulders to push him down onto the pillow.
"I'm not tired!"
"Liar." She could see the bags under his eyes that she'd come to learn was a sign of exhaustion, and despite his protests, he didn't try to fight her off as she settled him in and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
He couldn't help chuckling. "I haven't been tucked into bed since I was a kid."
She sat on the edge of the bed with a smile. "Well, that's what I'm here for."
He rolled over onto his side and took her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles. She squeezed back, and then made to stand to turn the lights off.
"Wait."
She turned back. Aldrick had pushed himself back into a sitting position. "Something's been bothering me."
She frowned. "What is it?"
"How did the Norvidians know you were the one who killed that guy?"
She blinked. "What?"
Aldrick twisted the sheets in his hands. "How did they know it was you? They knew exactly who you were and where to find you. The only people who knew what happened on Theta-7 is our superiors and people in our department."
Vr'ocria sank back down onto the bed. "What are you getting at?" She thought she knew the answer, but she didn't want to say it out loud.
Aldrick met her eye. "What if someone sold you out?"
Her spine grew tight, yellow rippling across her scales. "...No," she whispered. "No, that can't…who would do that?"
He chewed his lip. "I don't know. I hope I'm wrong, I really do…but…" he blew out a frustrated sigh. "I could blame a leak for them knowing you were the one to kill the guy. Someone could've carelessly mentioned something somewhere, I don't know. But there's no way they would've known exactly where to find you unless they were told. That was a brand new mission, no one knew where we were except for Command."
Vr'ocria felt sick. She didn't want to think he was right…but it made too much sense. "What do we do?"
"I don't know," he said with a pained look. "There's no telling who it could be, and if it's one of our superiors, we'd only tip them off if we approached them with this."
It was a conundrum Vr'ocria could hardly believe was real. Sure, she and Aldrick had some basic combat training, but soldiers they were not. They were survey agents, their job was to explore and study, not fight. And she certainly wasn't supposed be the subject of conspiracies and espionage or whatever was happening here.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Let's worry about this later. You need to get some rest."
Aldrick reluctantly laid back down, but blushed when she bent down to press a kiss to his cheek. It was the first time she'd kissed him since Gamma-5. "I could get used to that," he murmured as he snuggled into the pillow.
"You should," Vr'ocria giggled as she rose to her feet. "I'm not going to stop anytime soon." She switched the lights off, then returned to settle into the chair next to the bed, pulling her file pad out of her pocket. The screen's soft glow was the only light in the room. "Now, go to sleep."
"Yes ma'am."
—
Vr'ocria worked quietly on her file pad for the next few hours. Data entry was tedious, but somehow, she found a comfort in doing it while listening to Aldrick's slow, deep breaths.
So she was quick to notice when his breathing pattern changed.
Aldrick groaned and shifted in his sleep, rolling over onto his back. His breath began to quicken, and Vr'ocria lowered her pad to look over at him. By the low light of the pad's screen, she could only see the silhouette of his chest rising and falling, faster and faster.
"Aldrick?" She whispered.
"Nuuh," he moaned, beginning to thrash.
Alarmed, Vr'ocria stood and flicked his nightstand lamp on, dropping the pad on the table. "Aldrick," she said a bit louder.
His eyes were still squeezed shut. He was tossing and turning now, gasping through parted lips. He cried out again, and Vr'ocria felt her blood rushing fast and hard through her veins, her scales rippling between red and yellow. What was going on? Was he still asleep? She'd never seen him like this before, and it frightened her.
Tears were beginning to seep out from under his tightly shut eyelids. "No…no…" His voice rose in volume as he clutched and clawed at the sheets. "Vr'ocria!"
Whatever held Vr'ocria frozen to the spot snapped the second she heard him scream her name like that. She bent forward and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Aldrick!" She cried desperately. "Wake up!"
"VR'OCRIA!"
"ALDRICK!"
With a strangled cry, his eyes snapped open. His pupils were blown wide and the whites were bloodshot as he stared at her in shock, still gasping for breath, his hands grasping her arms in an iron grip.
She took his face in her hands. "What's wrong? What's going on?"
He only continued to stare at her, the fog slowly clearing from his eyes.
"Say something!" Vr'ocria demanded desperately, resisting the urge to shake him again. "You're scaring me, what's the matter? Does something hurt?"
Aldrick surged up, throwing his arms around her neck and pulling her down to him. She fell forward with an "oof" as her weight landed on top of him. "Hey," she protested with the side of her face pressed into the pillow, "I can't be laying on you, your ribs–"
"You're alive," he rasped into her ear.
She stopped struggling to get up. "What?"
He was shaking, and it took her a moment to realize he was crying. "You were dead, they killed you–I watched them–God, I watched you die–you weren't moving, your eyes–"
He was babbling almost incoherently, and Vr'ocria was terrified.
She finally managed to push herself off of him, and tugged him up into a sitting position. She pulled him forward into a hug, taking care not to squeeze his ribs. "Calm down," she tried to soothe as he clutched her tight, still shaking. "Just breathe." She didn't know if she was even helping, but she didn't know what else to do.
But it seemed to work. After a few minutes, Aldrick had managed to slow his breathing down to a more reasonable pace, and she felt his muscles sag in her arms as the tension drained away.
"I'm sorry," he finally croaked. He pulled away and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" he struggled to find words. "I'm sorry for making a scene," he finished at last.
Vr'ocria placed one hand on his hip and the other on his knee. "What happened?"
Aldrick wrapped his arms around his middle. "I had a nightmare."
She furrowed her brow. "A night…mare?"
"A nightmare is a bad dream," he explained.
"...I don't understand."
"Sorry, I guess you wouldn't, since you don't sleep…uh…fuck, how do I explain this…" he ran a hand through his tangled hair. "When humans are asleep, even though we're unconscious, our subconscious brain is still pretty active. One thing it does is create dreams. During dreams you can see, hear, feel, smell and taste things that aren't there. Sometimes dreams are pure nonsense, just a mess of sounds and images. Sometimes you might have good dreams–maybe you fly, or go on crazy adventures. But sometimes, you have bad dreams. We call them nightmares."
Nightmare. What an awful word. It sent shivers over Vr'ocria's scales. "So just now, you…"
"I had a bad dream. A very, very bad dream." He dug his fingers into his temples. "When you're dreaming, in most cases, you don't know that you're dreaming. It feels completely real. And bad dreams are usually brought on by stress or fears you have. And my fear–" he broke off.
She squeezed his knee. "It's me dying?" She supplied quietly.
He shut his eyes as if he was in pain. "When I saw what those fucking pirates did to you–I've never felt so much fear in my life. I was so scared they would kill you before I got there, or that I would fail to save you, or–" he covered his face with his hands. "And I dreamed that I did fail. I watched him stab you. I watched you bleed. I held you and you were–your eyes were so blank–"
Vr'ocria didn't want to hear anymore. She yanked him forward, hugging as tight as she dared. "It wasn't real," she whispered. "I'm here. I'm right here."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." His arms still trembled and his voice was thick against her neck.
"Stop apologizing," she said firmly. "You have nothing to apologize for. None of it is your fault, not the attack, not the dream, none of it."
She felt him take a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you, my love."
Her spine tingled.
"Come on, lay back down. I'll lay with you." She pulled back the covers and crawled underneath next to him. They settled down into a familiar position–him clutching her to his check, her arms around his waist, their legs tangled together. His heart was still pounding, but she listened as it gradually quieted to a gentler pace. Soon enough, Aldrick was asleep. This time, he slept peacefully through the night.
Nightmares can fuck up your whole night, man. I've had nightmares that were so vivid they stuck with me for days afterwards. Shit sucks, and I wish I had someone to cuddle with afterwards lolol
Thank you for reading! Until next time ;)
2023.06.04 21:24 Vinicius1424 The Martial Level – 2401
That level is:
• Relatively safe
• habitable
• Few entities
The level is a basically endless set of martial arts training rooms, and the hall you enter in that level varies wildly. It could be a Boxing training hall, a Karate Dojo, a Shaolin Temple, any space like that!
These places have exit doors, but they just lead to more and more different training halls, and it's easy to get lost along these paths. The appliances are in great condition, like brand new, like no one has used them before! In the closets of these rooms, you can even find martial arts costumes such as Karate Kimonos, Kung Fu Tchen Moous and even Sumo Mawashis, but they are not much better than ordinary clothes, they do not protect you from attacks or give you more speed, but if you want it, you can take it!
From time to time, you can find sports locker rooms, but in contrast to the clean halls, they are full of slime, rusty lockers and leaky showers that flood the floor. It's a pretty chaotic, uncomfortable scene and you'd want to stay the hell away from them!
However, in the midst of these training halls, you can find the Championship Stadiums: they are places that have large audiences of empty chairs, with mats on the court below. But the good thing about these places is that there are Food Machines, where you can get Energy Bars and Super Almond Water! To get this, you'll need a Gold Coin for every item you want, and you can find them by scavenging the benches in the grandstands! It can take a long time, but on the other hand, the machines are never empty, as they are replenished in a supernatural way!
When approaching some training objects, you will have an instant reaction of wanting to try them, and when you touch them, a motivation to practice that martial art will appear in your head, and soon you will be practicing. And even with no one to train you, you will see several books in the academies, teaching you the fundamentals of each art!
Even if you've never practiced or shown interest in a martial art, it will seem like the most fun and enjoyable thing in the world to you! And if you already practiced, you'll love spending a lot of time at that level!
Those who went through the level report the constant feeling of strengthened muscles, zero sleep and improved concentration, which extended a little further, when they left the level, showing themselves stronger, faster and with martial techniques worthy of a black belt!
The most important things you need to look for are the weapons of these martial arts, but not just any weapon! Because normal weapons like sticks, knives and others are very common! There are specific weapons that will save your skin in the Backrooms! Are they:
Tyson Gloves: These are a pair of gold boxing gloves, with the Tyson signature on the left hand, presumably a reference to boxer Mike Tyson. They are made of foam, but when punching with them, the impact is overwhelming, capable of throwing objects weighing more than 100 kg away! You get them if you walk into a boxing ring and punch the punching bag for 12 hours straight! They appeared in your hands at the end of that time!
Lee's Nunchaku: A black nunchaku, with two engraved dragons and a golden chain joining them together. His name is a reference to martial artist Bruce Lee. The impact of these nunchakus is even stronger than Tyson's gloves, with the difference that, after repeated attacks, it starts to catch fire, but without injuring the user. It will only incinerate the target it hits, which will be consumed by flames in seconds! You can get it at the Kung Fu Hall, needing to do 100 fingertip push-ups and stay 5 minutes in the Mabu base, the most exhausting Kung Fu pose. The nunchaku will be in the center of a mat with the Yin Yang symbol. Good luck!
Kusarigama: is a weapon composed of a metal scythe and a chain that is somehow infinite when the scythe is thrown. This scythe is insanely fast, being able to slice through multiple entities quickly at once! It is obtained in the Ninjutsu room, after you hit 10,000 shurikens in the center of the target, and it has to be in the middle, around doesn't count! When you succeed, the weapon will come down from the ceiling, hanging from the chain.
Musashi's Katana: It is the strongest weapon among all these. A sword from the Edo Period in Japan, which belonged to the legendary Miamoto Musashi! Wielders of this sword have already been able to slay countless Partygores, slicing them into pieces at Fun Level, and even kill a Death Whale at level 4000! The wielders of these swords have superhuman strength and speed, so any entity that is tangible will be slashed.
However, obtaining this sword is the most risky of challenges, and it is in this challenge that the only real danger of this level lives, The Samurai Challenge, and its only entity!
To find her, you must spend a lot of time in the Kendo Hall. How much time? It is not known, perhaps a matter of days or a week. Who says you should make 10,000 strikes with a training sword, it's not known for sure, but believe me: it's better to spend all that time training!
When you least expect it, you'll see a door that wasn't there before. Upon entering that door, you find a Championship Hall, but not an ordinary one, one specific to traditional Kendo in Japan. In the arena, you will see a box with Japanese inscriptions that say:
“Power must be earned. Prove yourself now!”
When you open it, you'll have access to the katana, but when you turn around, the whole scene changes!
If you were alone just now, you will have right in front of you an entity in the form of a samurai, in armor that seems to be rusted and worn by time and marks of combat, which earned him the nickname of Rusty Musashi.
Sometimes his katana varies in size, being little more than a kitchen knife, or even a huge 2 meter blade.
If everything was silent before, you can now hear screams and roars from the audience, even if there is no one in the pews! And now, you'll have to fight that samurai!
Combat with him is pretty tricky, as he seems to be experienced, but his armor is heavy and he moves slowly. Make no mistake though: his attacks are explosive and take you by surprise, and he's very strong with every hit! Agility and strategy are your best bets to win!
If you get hit, it's your death, but if you win, you'll be applauded by the audience, and you can take that weapon with you. So, throughout your stay, train Kendo until you're sharp, and don't fight the samurai until you're sure you're good enough!
Appetizer:
• Enter the hall with the “Martial Goods” sign at level 33
• Beat a level 4000 island native in a melee fight
• Ritual of the Mountain King has a 40% chance to bring you here
• The Red Knight can take you here if you ask to learn to fight, but it's not 100% sure
• Beat a fighting game at level 849
• Reading the book “The Way of War” in the level “The end is near” will get you here!
Departures:
• Using a lot of Incense to meditate will get you to Level 5000
• Upon exiting Samurai Challenge, you will exit at The Hub
• Finding a 90's phone in one of the stadium's bleachers will take you to Level 11.
• Diving into the Buddha-like fountain in the Shaolin Temple will take you to the Poolrooms, but touching the moss at the bottom of the fountain will land you in the Rotting Pools level!
• Trying to break into a Vending Machine will get you to the “You Cheated” Level, you greedy bastard!
• If you try to escape the Samurai Challenge through the door you came from, you'll exit the Run for Your Life Level, without your sword!
submitted by Vinicius1424 to backrooms [link] [comments]
• Relatively safe
• habitable
• Few entities
The level is a basically endless set of martial arts training rooms, and the hall you enter in that level varies wildly. It could be a Boxing training hall, a Karate Dojo, a Shaolin Temple, any space like that!
These places have exit doors, but they just lead to more and more different training halls, and it's easy to get lost along these paths. The appliances are in great condition, like brand new, like no one has used them before! In the closets of these rooms, you can even find martial arts costumes such as Karate Kimonos, Kung Fu Tchen Moous and even Sumo Mawashis, but they are not much better than ordinary clothes, they do not protect you from attacks or give you more speed, but if you want it, you can take it!
From time to time, you can find sports locker rooms, but in contrast to the clean halls, they are full of slime, rusty lockers and leaky showers that flood the floor. It's a pretty chaotic, uncomfortable scene and you'd want to stay the hell away from them!
However, in the midst of these training halls, you can find the Championship Stadiums: they are places that have large audiences of empty chairs, with mats on the court below. But the good thing about these places is that there are Food Machines, where you can get Energy Bars and Super Almond Water! To get this, you'll need a Gold Coin for every item you want, and you can find them by scavenging the benches in the grandstands! It can take a long time, but on the other hand, the machines are never empty, as they are replenished in a supernatural way!
When approaching some training objects, you will have an instant reaction of wanting to try them, and when you touch them, a motivation to practice that martial art will appear in your head, and soon you will be practicing. And even with no one to train you, you will see several books in the academies, teaching you the fundamentals of each art!
Even if you've never practiced or shown interest in a martial art, it will seem like the most fun and enjoyable thing in the world to you! And if you already practiced, you'll love spending a lot of time at that level!
Those who went through the level report the constant feeling of strengthened muscles, zero sleep and improved concentration, which extended a little further, when they left the level, showing themselves stronger, faster and with martial techniques worthy of a black belt!
The most important things you need to look for are the weapons of these martial arts, but not just any weapon! Because normal weapons like sticks, knives and others are very common! There are specific weapons that will save your skin in the Backrooms! Are they:
Tyson Gloves: These are a pair of gold boxing gloves, with the Tyson signature on the left hand, presumably a reference to boxer Mike Tyson. They are made of foam, but when punching with them, the impact is overwhelming, capable of throwing objects weighing more than 100 kg away! You get them if you walk into a boxing ring and punch the punching bag for 12 hours straight! They appeared in your hands at the end of that time!
Lee's Nunchaku: A black nunchaku, with two engraved dragons and a golden chain joining them together. His name is a reference to martial artist Bruce Lee. The impact of these nunchakus is even stronger than Tyson's gloves, with the difference that, after repeated attacks, it starts to catch fire, but without injuring the user. It will only incinerate the target it hits, which will be consumed by flames in seconds! You can get it at the Kung Fu Hall, needing to do 100 fingertip push-ups and stay 5 minutes in the Mabu base, the most exhausting Kung Fu pose. The nunchaku will be in the center of a mat with the Yin Yang symbol. Good luck!
Kusarigama: is a weapon composed of a metal scythe and a chain that is somehow infinite when the scythe is thrown. This scythe is insanely fast, being able to slice through multiple entities quickly at once! It is obtained in the Ninjutsu room, after you hit 10,000 shurikens in the center of the target, and it has to be in the middle, around doesn't count! When you succeed, the weapon will come down from the ceiling, hanging from the chain.
Musashi's Katana: It is the strongest weapon among all these. A sword from the Edo Period in Japan, which belonged to the legendary Miamoto Musashi! Wielders of this sword have already been able to slay countless Partygores, slicing them into pieces at Fun Level, and even kill a Death Whale at level 4000! The wielders of these swords have superhuman strength and speed, so any entity that is tangible will be slashed.
However, obtaining this sword is the most risky of challenges, and it is in this challenge that the only real danger of this level lives, The Samurai Challenge, and its only entity!
To find her, you must spend a lot of time in the Kendo Hall. How much time? It is not known, perhaps a matter of days or a week. Who says you should make 10,000 strikes with a training sword, it's not known for sure, but believe me: it's better to spend all that time training!
When you least expect it, you'll see a door that wasn't there before. Upon entering that door, you find a Championship Hall, but not an ordinary one, one specific to traditional Kendo in Japan. In the arena, you will see a box with Japanese inscriptions that say:
“Power must be earned. Prove yourself now!”
When you open it, you'll have access to the katana, but when you turn around, the whole scene changes!
If you were alone just now, you will have right in front of you an entity in the form of a samurai, in armor that seems to be rusted and worn by time and marks of combat, which earned him the nickname of Rusty Musashi.
Sometimes his katana varies in size, being little more than a kitchen knife, or even a huge 2 meter blade.
If everything was silent before, you can now hear screams and roars from the audience, even if there is no one in the pews! And now, you'll have to fight that samurai!
Combat with him is pretty tricky, as he seems to be experienced, but his armor is heavy and he moves slowly. Make no mistake though: his attacks are explosive and take you by surprise, and he's very strong with every hit! Agility and strategy are your best bets to win!
If you get hit, it's your death, but if you win, you'll be applauded by the audience, and you can take that weapon with you. So, throughout your stay, train Kendo until you're sharp, and don't fight the samurai until you're sure you're good enough!
Appetizer:
• Enter the hall with the “Martial Goods” sign at level 33
• Beat a level 4000 island native in a melee fight
• Ritual of the Mountain King has a 40% chance to bring you here
• The Red Knight can take you here if you ask to learn to fight, but it's not 100% sure
• Beat a fighting game at level 849
• Reading the book “The Way of War” in the level “The end is near” will get you here!
Departures:
• Using a lot of Incense to meditate will get you to Level 5000
• Upon exiting Samurai Challenge, you will exit at The Hub
• Finding a 90's phone in one of the stadium's bleachers will take you to Level 11.
• Diving into the Buddha-like fountain in the Shaolin Temple will take you to the Poolrooms, but touching the moss at the bottom of the fountain will land you in the Rotting Pools level!
• Trying to break into a Vending Machine will get you to the “You Cheated” Level, you greedy bastard!
• If you try to escape the Samurai Challenge through the door you came from, you'll exit the Run for Your Life Level, without your sword!
2023.06.04 21:13 AlexRD19 NLMB Fallen Members Part 6/The War With PocketTown
 | 2019 was a hard year for NLMB, losing members back to back to different opps and starting a new bloody war with DeathRow was not easy for NLMB. In 2020 the war will slow down due to a lot of factors. Most members who put in work in the war will get locked up and NLMB will focus on other opps just like DeathRow, we will come back in the summer of 2022 to that beef. submitted by AlexRD19 to Chiraqhits [link] [comments] Willie "Ghost 🕊️" Coker08/31/2019I didn't had space to include Ghost in the last part so i decided to do it here, it's not that important to the NLMB/DeathRow beef so it's ok if i include it at the beginning. Ghost also known as Rat was a respected OG from GME, i am not sure if he was the target or not but DeathRow and Lakeside dissed him a lot, Fa Fa Fa said they killed Ghost and ever since then GME didn't do anything for him, ignore the video from the store, that's not Ghost, it's a mistake by the one who made the post, the one who died in the store was an innocent as far as i know and this happen after Ghost died. Ghost died in the same month as Willie, DeathRow was sliding a lot in 2019. Ghost was outside with multiple people in his own hood when shots rang out from an unknown direction, he was shot multiple times in the chest and he died at the hospital. "Ghost got hit up" 0:58 Michael "Aero 🕊️" Portis01/05/2020One of the reasons i believed Savo 🕊️ was killed by kings was Aero death, months after Savo died, Aero was sliding with FatLord 🔒 on some kings, which made sense at least during that time, Savo died in a hood cool with the kings, Aero is sliding on the kings, it was making sense into my head that Aero died trying to get revenge for Savo + that's what i was told, again i was wrong. As i said in my previous post, Savo was killed by NLMB, Aero was just a hothead who was sliding on his opps, nothing weird. Aero was on the frontline and did a lot of dirt for DeathRow, he earned the nickname "23" for a reason, in my previous post i put a screenshot with Fa Fa Fa straight up saying Aero killed G Dottie 🕊️. I know a lot of people believed Aero killed an innocent, but people told me that Garcia 🕊️ was a known king, why would Aero and FatLord slide on some innocents and specifically target them? Aero and FatLord were driving a turquoise SUV when they made a U-turn at the end of the street and parked in the block close to a king hood, both got out of the SUV with armed 9-mm handguns and approached Garcia and his neighbor as they were outside talking, they opened fire hitting the neighbor in the arm and hitting Garcia multiple times, Garcia returned fire with his own weapon striking Aero multiple times who died at the scene, FatLord was also shot multiple times, FatLord left Aero there and went to a hospital with the SUV in the same clothes that CPD saw on the footage. Garcia was pronounced dead at the hospital, police recovered 19 9-mm shell casings and 10 .40-caliber shell casings from the crime scene. This is a very controversial situation because at first, people said after FatLord recovered from his wounds, he told the police what happen and also snitched on BD 🕊️ but now they saying free him, they saying that someone else ratted and not him, but according to this article, CPD is using FatLord as a source, FatLord was the one who allegedly was the driver on the Willie hit, FatLord is still locked up so who knows. The scanner also confirms that they was sliding on some kings because they was having problems lately, it could be possible that some kings gave the location of Savo to NLMB, Savo was killed right at his home so NLMB probably got the drop from someone. NLMB and ABK will diss Aero hard because he killed G Dottie, someone also recorded Aero on the ground, which was heavily mocked by his opps. "Lil Aero a dumbass got hit on a hit" 0:23 Tristan "Tedo G 🕊️" Rogers04/05/2020NLMB first loss in 2020 but not because of gun violence, Tedo was from the MuskegonBoyz clique, he was killed by a car in DucciWay 🔱 hood, there is not a lot to say about him, he was a respected OG who was either related to Kobe 🕊️ or close to him. Shianne "Anna 🕊️" Reynolds04/19/2020Anna was a very loved member from MTG 079 now more known as BiyoBlock, she was Biyo 🕊️ sister, at first people believed that she was not gangbanging but that's false, there is a lot of captions with her saying she was using guns to slide, i don't think she was active when she died in that life and she probably was not the target either. However, she probably was active in the past and as we all know, the past is catching up to you, her vigil was also shot, allegedly by NLMB again. What i know is this, allegedly NLMB saw some MTG 079 members in traffic in SirconnCity 🔱 hood, they sped up behind them and shot the whole car, Anna was just unlucky since she was in the car with them, she was hit in the head and CPD pronounced her dead at the scene. This was one of the first getback NLMB got for Capo, but it will not stop here, NLMB will get more getback for Capo months later. 2020 was a hard year for MTG 079, they lost 4 members, Anna 🕊️, Pook 🕊️ who was not killed by any opps, LB 🕊️ an original who was also close to Biyo, LB was killed in DrillCity 📶🔱🅱️ hood, last one is Jeezy Snow 🕊️, we will get later to him. Anthony "C-Note 🕊️" Smith04/27/2020C-Note was an OG from NLMB, to be more specific he was from the MuskegonBoyz clique, from what i know he passed away from natural causes, nothing to do with gun violence. He was born in 1985 so he was old compared to a lot of main members from MuskegonBoyz clique like G Farro for example, you could say he was from that White Folks generation. Junius "BoBo 🕊️" Thurston05/07/2020BoBo was a very loved member from ABK, he was one of the main faces from there. BoBo was also a rapper, one of his best songs Pigs Hot where you can see a lot of ABK members including Yogi 🕊️, BoBo was close to NLMB as well, he did a song with Juvie and before his death you could see him around G Herbo. BlackMobb was having a field day when BoBo was killed, even though BoBo left that life behind while starting a truck company, it's not like your opps will forgive you or forget that you did dirt in the streets or hurt their people, that shit is stucked until you die, even if you are 30, 40, as long as you put yourself in danger(go back to the city) you can get killed anywhere. BoBo exit his car and went to a gas station in a relatively safe area far away from any hood, a black Audi pull up and a rear passenger open fire, he ran north from the station but then a gunman got out of the car and chased after him, firing more shots. BoBo collapsed and the gunman caught up to him standing over him and fired more shots, BoBo was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said he was shot multiple times. BlackMobb were not the only ones having a field day with his death, PocketTown also dissed him: "BoBo got his ass smoked, 20 bullets took his soul" 2:45 It is sad because BlackMobb and ABK were like this, but friends are turning to enemies and both sides lost main members in this war. Lee "KTS Rio 🕊️" Cameron07/12/2020If you follow the drill scene, then you know who was KTS Rio, one of the main faces from PocketTown and Lil Los 🔒 little brother, he was a huge loss for PocketTown, after his death a lot of stuff went down. Rio was driving a vehicle with two other teenagers near a gas station in KakiWorld 🔱🅱️⭐️✊🏿 hood when a silver SUV pulled up and someone inside started shooting, Rio was shot multiple times and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The 14-year-old boy was shot in the back and a 17-year-old boy was hit in the right arm, both were taken to the hospital in good condition. After his death PocketTown goes by "RioGang" in his honour, Rio was also one of their main rappers, one of his most known song is NLMBK, Faro dissed him in a song after he died: "Rio got hit and they left his ass twitching" 0:38 "Rio got hit, y'all ain't get your getback" 1:05 A lot of people are saying NLMB killed KTS Rio but if you watch Freeband BoBo 🕊️ video that CH88 made, it is very clear that NLMB didn't do anything to Rio, because the war started when Lil Greg 🕊️ was killed, that's also what BoBo said. The beef was not serious until Lil Greg died, BoBo also said the whole war started because of a bitch, Lil Greg wanted to call his guys to kill BoBo because of a girl. Feel free to watch the video, it's explaining a lot of stuff. Remember there is a difference between "twitter beef" like disses and blood beef, KTS Dre did dirt on NLMB but he did that for Lakeside while PocketTown was his second hood(he started to claim PocketTown after KTS Von died), so Lil Greg was the first guy to die in that beef, we will get later to him. Now honestly it is not known who killed KTS Rio, but one of the most plausible theory is that SirconnCity killed him, months after KTS Rio died, PocketTown lost KDawg 🕊️, another top member while sliding on SirconnCity hood, his article doesn't mention anything about sliding but both sides said that. "We doing hits without hoodies and masks, Rio got hit, he got stretched like an elastic" 1:08 "KDawg got hit on a hit, he dead" 0:24 They are main opps but since PocketTown top members were sliding, i think that means something, especially after Rio died. This won't stop at KTS Rio, this year would be the most hardest year for PocketTown, they will lose 6 members in one year and they was all top members, but not all of them were killed by opps. Big Glizzy/Lil James 🕊️ (June 07 2020), killed at a party in Robbins, a suburb of Chicago. KTS Rio 🕊️ (July 12 2020), KDawg 🕊️ (September 27 2020), Nuke 30 🕊️ (November 25 2020), killed OT, LA Glizzy/Lil Ant 🕊️ (January 12 2021), killed OT, Killa Spook 🕊️ (March 26 2021), we will get later to Killa Spook. "They lost 6 niggas in one year, tryna make the rest of them disappear" 1:53 Antoine "BT 🕊️" Rose08/22/2020BT was a very loved member from NLMM and 358Gang, he claimed both sets, he was also close to NLMB, one of the reasons he died. Even though NLMB and 358Gang are opps, as i said in my previous parts, NLMM was always a set focusing on money, they was never known to slide like that, so that's probably why he was close to NLMB and cool with NLMB opps, 358Gang. BT also appeared on the Maurice show. I think everyone knows that Fa Fa Fa straight up said they killed BT, so why they killed him? Well even though BT was not involved in their beef, it doesn't matter, he was close to NLMB and 358Gang killed Mook 🕊️ in 2019, so DeathRow got their getback for him. I don't think BT was the specific target because the shooting occured in TheBush 👑🦁 territory, which are opps to DeathRow. BT was shot in the head and in the abdomen, CPD pronounced him dead at the scene, a 32 year old man was also shot in the abdomen and in the leg, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Sean "Cello Da Shoota 🕊️" Wilson09/07/2020There was a lot of back and forth between NoGood and NLMB, mainly because NLMB killed Montae 🕊️ and it was forever stuck there, even though NoGood and NLMB are old opps, that beef was really inactive compared to Lakeside for example, but this all changed when Montae was killed, Montae was very loved by NoGood and like Jeff Fort said "there is not going to be any killing without killing" Cello was not really a main face from NLMB, he was from the NoLimit clique but his original hood was JBG 🔱 also known as MoneGang. Cello was driving with someone else in the car in NoGood ⭐️✊🏿 hood, Jay Savage and Deonte 🔒 fired shots and the person in the backseat fired back, hitting one of them in the forearm, Cello was hit in the neck and died at the hospital, the other person was listed in good condition after being shot in his thigh, he has a license to carry his gun. Jay Savage and Deonte were both charged with his murder, both were from NoGood and close to Montae. Deshawn "Jeezy Snow 🕊️" Fletcher10/15/2020Jeezy was in ABK 4️⃣🍸⭐️✊🏿🔱 hood driving his car when Mally 🔒 opened fire from the sunroof of a silver Chrysler 300, he was shot multiple times in the head, neck and upper torso, he died at the hospital two days later. There is a lot of contradiction of the car used in the murder, what we know for sure is that Mally shot from the sunroof. Mally also searched the murder on google to see if Jeezy died. This was a a crazy hit for many reasons, one of them is that Lil Wet was driving the car, Lil Wet did this two months after he beat his quadruple murder case, the case is complicated but to this day Mally is still locked up for it. The full foia if you want to read more, from what i know the case is very strong against Mally but let's be real, Lil Wet beat a quadruple murder, everything is possible in Chicago, so i won't be surprised if he is beating it. Lil Wet also hinted in his song "Nun Stop" about the hit, the music video was deleted or made private, but the audio version is still up. "Gotta ride for my gang, Steph got the wheel, Lil Mally might come out the roof " 0:44 Jeezy was actually very close to DoggPound 🅱️, you can see him around them in old videos and i think he was related to some members from there too, i am not sure if he was claiming DoggPound at one point but members from there still say rip to him, again it doesn't mean every DoggPound member was close to him. It is a complicated situation but this was another getback NLMB got for Capo, a top member from MTG 079 and very loved. Gregory "Lil Greg 🕊️" Jackson III01/28/2021The death that started all and guess what caused this? Well if you didn't guess it, it was a bitch, Lil Greg 🕊️ got into his feelings because BoBo 🕊️ was messing with a girl that he liked so when Lil Greg saw him, he tried to get the green light from other members to come and kill him right there, allegedly NLMB told him BoBo is not an opp and that he is staying out of the way, Lil Greg tried to call other members but it was too late. PocketTown members got the drop from BoBo and went to kill Lil Greg who was in a barbershop far away from EastSide, Lil Don 🔒 walked up to him and shot Lil Greg in the face inside the barbershop, he was pronounced dead shortly after at the hospital, CK was actually charged because they found him in the same car that was used in the murder, he stayed solid and beat the case, CK was the one driving. Lil Greg was a very loved member from NLMB and a main face from there, he was from the MuskegonBoyz clique but very close to G Herbo and even celebrities like 21 Savage paid respects to him, he was respected because he was a trapper making money from drugs to raise his kids, his death hurt a lot of people and you could say that his death made "DrenchGang" more famous because the getback was huge in terms of impact on the media, i am of course speaking about KTS Dre, his death was international news because of the way he died + Killa Spook, we will get later to them. "Me and Gregg was sharin' clothes, but we weren't really bros" 0:18 "Lil Greg died, that started some shit, but how many checked after broski got hit?" 0:36 he is also upping 4 fingers, which is probably a reference to Killa Spook, KTS Dre, BoBo and probably Lil Don from PaxTown. Moowop 🔒 also confirmed 3 opps died for Lil Greg, again most likely a reference to Killa Spook, KTS Dre and BoBo. Lil Don was also shot multiple times but he survived NLMB was hurt but the opps were dissing Lil Greg hard, especially Lil Don: Lil Don called Lil Greg biggest score of 2021 This started a new bloody war in the EastSide which caused a lot of damage, members getting locked up, members getting killed, members getting shot and so on, PocketTown was also unlucky to get hit with a "RICO" and most of their top members got locked up, there is barely any main faces out there besides Denny G and Lil Ant, they also have internal beef now. The indictment also mentions they found the gun which was used in Lil Greg murder, the whole situation was fucked up for PocketTown, they lost like 10 members to this indictment + Lil Don got locked up + internal beef, the whole hood was hit hard by this indictment and a lot of "snitching" rumours are in the air. The members who got locked up are Lil Rah 🔒, EJ(he was released), Rello 🔒, Dreski 🔒 MT Larry🔒 who actually shot back when Spook died, Corey Got Clout 🔒, PacMigo 🔒, Dwight 🔒 and DreadHead Larry 🔒 Dante "Killa Spook 🕊️" Thomas03/26/2021Killa Spook was like a leader in PocketTown, he had a lot of respect and his name says it all "Killa Spook" it's not a name you earn for doing nothing, he was a known killer who did a lot for PocketTown, him and KTS Von 🕊️ went to slide on Lamron in the past, he was very active, him and Denny G were sliding on SirconnCity as well. Spook 🕊️ was partying with a lot of members inside StainCity🔱⭐️✊🏿 hood, it was a party for their fallen member KDawg 🕊️ who was killed sliding on SirconnCity in 2020, two shooters(this might be PocketTown shooting back but i personally think those are the offenders), NLMB and GME got the drop from a bitch and shot the whole party up, Killa Spook was shot by a stray bullet through a window, he was pronounced dead at the scene, Lord was shot in the head and he was taken to the hospital in critical condition, Denny G was taken to the hospital in critical condition and he recovered after some time, other members got shot as well but it was nothing serious like the ones i mentioned above. Right after the party got shot up, PocketTown went to slide on NLMB and hit someone in the leg, there are a lot of things that points NLMB for doing this hit but it is confirmed that GME was also involved, Lil B from GME was arrested by CPD with the car used in the murder, he was released because CPD didn't had proof that he did the murder. There are many names around Spook death, Faro, Lil Ro, Twino 🕊️, EMoe from GME, 7Moe 🕊️ from GME, it is not known exactly who killed Spook but it is hard to tell, what should be confirmed for sure is that it was a NLMB/GME hit, even CPD and FBI believes that. In case you guys don't know, FBI was trying to build a RICO but their main suspect Max 🕊️ was killed, so i think the case is really not that strong anymore. I do think FBI is monitoring what is going on between NLMB and PocketTown now. PocketTown was hurt to the core by his death, NLMB and GME were dissing like crazy and celebrating Lil Greg a lot, it's a lot of disses that i am sure most of you saw, if you want way more details, watch CH88 video. Londre "KTS Dre 🕊️" Sylvester07/10/2021Dre was getting out of prison after his fiancee paid his $5,000 bond on Friday, for some reason Dre decided to leave only on Saturday, what Dre didn't knew is that his decision will cost him his life and potentially the life of two other innocent females. Dre was shot around 64 times by multiple shooters from two different vehicles far away from EastSide in every side of his body, a 60 year old female was shot in the knee and a 35 year old female suffered a graze to her mouth while walking by, both were taken to the hospital in good condition. Dre was DOA and his death will have a huge impact in the streets, after his death the president of America, Joe Biden, was forced to do a meeting to slow the violence in Chicago, this was because his death had an immense impact in the international news because of the way that he died. I would leave in the comments a list of some the countries news speaking about KTS Dre, because it would take too much space in the post. Dre was an upcoming rapper in the drill scene, his most famous song being a feature with Rio called "NLMBK Pt. 2" but in the drill scene he mostly became known for punching Kyro, one of the many reasons Kyro diss him a lot. Dre was very active in the streets before his death, he did a lot of dirt and a lot of his opps wanted him gone. Dre was also suspected by CPD for killing Magic 🕊️ in 2019. He was originally from LakeSide but he started to claim PocketTown after the death of his brother in 2015, he is what people believe Von was, don't get me wrong, Von was active in the streets but Dre was something else. I heard many names around Dre death, Faro, the DrenchGang Twins, Moowop, Kyro, Lil Hot, honestly i am not sure who killed Dre but NLMB and even PocketTown/LakeSide made it known who did it on social media. Faro being pretty clear that this was a getback for Lil Greg. Losing so many people in such a short time affected PocketTown in many ways, a lot of them decided to step down because when shit gets real, you need to think about your life too, most of them have families, it might be a coward way but can you blame them? 10 members locked up for indictment, 9 top members killed between 2020-2022, Denny G was almost killed, Meechie was almost killed, Lil Don got locked up, Lil Art barely survived after being shot 20 times, Lord was left in critical condition, this is the worst period for PocketTown and Lil Don also confirmed that his people are scared and he only got four guys who are willing to slide. Sadly the ones who will suffer the most is the family, his mom was devastated that she can't even give him a proper funeral because of the way that he died. Christopher "Gucci 🕊️" Daniels08/05/2021Gucci was near the sidewalk in GhettoWorld 4️⃣🍸 hood when a vehicle passed by and someone fired shots at him, he was shot in the chest and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. This is one month after Dre was killed, Gucci was a member from the MuskegonBoyz clique, i didn't saw PocketTown or LakeSide celebrating anything, in fact they still say "getback got no date" for Spook and Dre, it might be other opps that NLMB have, remember NLMB beefs with 30+ sets, it could also be personal beef, mistaken identity and so on. Felder "Stro Dolla 🕊️" Tatum Jr.08/15/2021Stro Dolla was with a group of people inside GottiWorld 🔱 hood when someone opened fire and hit him in the chest, he was pronounced dead at the hospital, a 34 year old woman was also shot in the leg, she was taken to the hospital in good condition. Again i don't think he was the target but who knows, i didn't saw any opps celebrating, Stro Dolla was claiming NLMM but he was close to NLMB.He was also close to BT 🕊️ who was killed in 2020 by DeathRow, he was also a rapper, most likely Stro Dolla was just at the wrong time, wrong place, to my knowledge GottiWorld and NLMM or NLMB don't have beef. GottiWorld are actually opps to PocketTown. |
2023.06.04 21:08 mcm8279 [DS9 7x25/26 Reactions] StarTrek.com Essay: "Leaving Behind: How the Deep Space Nine Finale Added Depth to the Franchise. When telling a story of “home” and the place of departure, the story changes from one of outer space to one of inner space — inside the minds of the characters and audience."
Link:
https://intl.startrek.com/news/leaving-behind-how-the-deep-space-nine-finale-added-depth-to-the-franchise
Quotes:
"[...]
It begs the question, “What does a story about leaving home have to do with a show about space exploration?” Deep Space Nine was the first installment in the franchise to really take a look at the place where our voyage began and understand its importance in the larger context. When telling a story of “home” and the place of departure, the story changes from one of outer space to one of inner space — inside the minds of the characters and audience.
[...]
Without a starting point or a home to leave, a journey has no context. “What You Leave Behind” was a celebration of what the space station had become over the past seven years. Season 1 found the station a broken, damaged husk. Ceiling lights flickered, consoles sparked, and violent incidents on the station were frequent. Sometime over the next few years, it is difficult to say exactly when, the station became a friendly place. Banners hung from the ceiling, families grew larger, and children grew older. Just as the new crew of the station found it a hostile environment, longtime Star Trek fans at first approached this new concept of a series with caution and trepidation. Like moving into a new house and years later realizing it has become yours, Deep Space Nine had gone from being “that weird Star Trek that wasn’t on the Enterprise” to a home. With the final episode, we (characters and viewers alike) had to leave that home.
[...]
It is not difficult to understand how it took several iterations of Star Trek for a story to come to light that treats the departure with the same reverence as the journey. Looking through Gene’s own words, there are many examples of him pondering the human drive to explore, to become better than we are. His views on humanity’s start were comparatively limited. However, the Great Bird of the Galaxy did have this to say, "Human beings have got their toes in the mud and their heart and souls high in the heavens. But the mud is important. It is the mud between our toes that allows us to dance. And we must be all of those things." Acknowledging that the “toes in the mud” is what gives us the support and strength to reach for the heavens is huge, and for a man who passed away years before “What You Leave Behind” was written, it reflects a similar perspective.
[...]
When it was announced that the end of Season 7 would be the end of Deep Space Nine, fans had little say in the matter. We joined Ira Steven Behr in a mixture of grief and the determination to see the finale of the show be the absolute best it could be. It’s reported that when it was time to dismantle the set and surrender the stage, Behr chose to stay behind and be the last relic of Deep Space Nine’s production to leave. He waited until every set piece was removed and remained even after the last of the electrical and maintenance crew had left. In his own words, “I have many years to not be here.” His intent was to appreciate fully what was about to pass, knowing that the years ahead would be full of new and different challenges.
It is that feeling captured in “What You Leave Behind” that resonates with the audience. That is the connection that Star Trek made for the first time. They weren’t being asked to relate to being given a new ship and a new mission, and they weren’t being put on trial by Q to answer for the sins of humanity. The audience was being asked to reflect on the adventures they had already been through, and the mission they would give themselves from this point forward. Each viewer will come to “What You Leave Behind” bringing their own history, life story, and perspective. They will each leave with their own reflections, and they will each leave behind their old sense of self."
Aaron Bossig for StarTrek.com
submitted by mcm8279 to trektalk [link] [comments]
https://intl.startrek.com/news/leaving-behind-how-the-deep-space-nine-finale-added-depth-to-the-franchise
Quotes:
"[...]
It begs the question, “What does a story about leaving home have to do with a show about space exploration?” Deep Space Nine was the first installment in the franchise to really take a look at the place where our voyage began and understand its importance in the larger context. When telling a story of “home” and the place of departure, the story changes from one of outer space to one of inner space — inside the minds of the characters and audience.
[...]
Without a starting point or a home to leave, a journey has no context. “What You Leave Behind” was a celebration of what the space station had become over the past seven years. Season 1 found the station a broken, damaged husk. Ceiling lights flickered, consoles sparked, and violent incidents on the station were frequent. Sometime over the next few years, it is difficult to say exactly when, the station became a friendly place. Banners hung from the ceiling, families grew larger, and children grew older. Just as the new crew of the station found it a hostile environment, longtime Star Trek fans at first approached this new concept of a series with caution and trepidation. Like moving into a new house and years later realizing it has become yours, Deep Space Nine had gone from being “that weird Star Trek that wasn’t on the Enterprise” to a home. With the final episode, we (characters and viewers alike) had to leave that home.
[...]
It is not difficult to understand how it took several iterations of Star Trek for a story to come to light that treats the departure with the same reverence as the journey. Looking through Gene’s own words, there are many examples of him pondering the human drive to explore, to become better than we are. His views on humanity’s start were comparatively limited. However, the Great Bird of the Galaxy did have this to say, "Human beings have got their toes in the mud and their heart and souls high in the heavens. But the mud is important. It is the mud between our toes that allows us to dance. And we must be all of those things." Acknowledging that the “toes in the mud” is what gives us the support and strength to reach for the heavens is huge, and for a man who passed away years before “What You Leave Behind” was written, it reflects a similar perspective.
[...]
When it was announced that the end of Season 7 would be the end of Deep Space Nine, fans had little say in the matter. We joined Ira Steven Behr in a mixture of grief and the determination to see the finale of the show be the absolute best it could be. It’s reported that when it was time to dismantle the set and surrender the stage, Behr chose to stay behind and be the last relic of Deep Space Nine’s production to leave. He waited until every set piece was removed and remained even after the last of the electrical and maintenance crew had left. In his own words, “I have many years to not be here.” His intent was to appreciate fully what was about to pass, knowing that the years ahead would be full of new and different challenges.
It is that feeling captured in “What You Leave Behind” that resonates with the audience. That is the connection that Star Trek made for the first time. They weren’t being asked to relate to being given a new ship and a new mission, and they weren’t being put on trial by Q to answer for the sins of humanity. The audience was being asked to reflect on the adventures they had already been through, and the mission they would give themselves from this point forward. Each viewer will come to “What You Leave Behind” bringing their own history, life story, and perspective. They will each leave with their own reflections, and they will each leave behind their old sense of self."
Aaron Bossig for StarTrek.com
2023.06.04 21:07 mthw704 (SELLING) BIG LIST OF 4K/HD/SD CODES. Great selection at with fair prices. Huge $2 list. Over 4,000 transactions.
The Big List
Disney codes are split & do not include the GP portion, but the DMI points are included.
All Sony titles include points as long as the title is eligible. Please only redeem the portion of a code you are paying for. Prices are firm for now.
I accept Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle, Fb pay & PayPal F&F. Comment & pm if interested. Thanks!
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Mortal Kombat [2021] (MA)
Sonic The Hedgehog (Vudu or iTunes)
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Ant Man & The Wasp (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Beauty & The Beast [1991] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Captain America: Civil War (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (iTunes/ports)
Guardians Of The Galaxy (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Hell Or High Water (Vudu)
Scream [2022] (iTunes)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (iTunes)
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw (Vudu or iTunes)
Sting, The [1973] (iTunes/ports)
Terminator: Dark Fate (Vudu)
Toy Story (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Dentist 1 & 2, The (Vudu)
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Rescuers: Down Under, The (MA + 150 points)
🦝
Alien: Resurrection (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Company Of Heroes [2013] (MA)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story [1998] (MA)
Jungle Book, The [1967] (MA + 150 points)
Legion Of Super-Heroes (MA)
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Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch (MA + 150 points)
Lion King 1 & ½, The (MA + 150 points)
Men [A24] (Vudu or Google Play)
Minions + Minions: The Rise Of Gru double feature (MA)
Nightmare Before Christmas, The (MA + 150 points)
Step Brothers [Theatrical & Unrated] (MA)
Transporter, The [2002] (MA or Google Play/ports)
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Apollo 13 (iTunes/ports)
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
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Birth Of A Nation, The (iTunes/ports)
Captain Marvel (MA + 200 points)
Coco (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Doctor Strange (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Everest [2015] (iTunes/ports)
Frozen II (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Hocus Pocus (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Moana (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Rambo: First Blood (iTunes)
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (iTunes)
Transformers: The Last Knight (Vudu)
World's End, The (iTunes/ports)
Zootopia (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
🦝
About Last Night [2014] (MA + Sony points)
American Assassin (Vudu)
American Underdog (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Batman & Superman: Battle Of The Super Sons (MA)
Black Widow [2021] (MA + 150 points)
Book Of Life, The [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (MA + 150 points)
Dolittle [2020] (MA)
Encanto (MA + 150 points)
Eternals [2021] (MA + 150 points)
Goosebumps 2 [2018] (MA + Sony points)
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (MA)
Joe [2014] (Vudu)
Jungle Book, The [1967] (MA only/no points)
Kill The Messenger (iTunes/ports)
Les Misérables [1998] (MA)
Lightyear [2022] (MA + 150 points)
Lilo & Stitch (Google Play/ports)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A (Google Play/ports) or both for $5
London Has Fallen (iTunes/ports)
Minions: The Rise Of Gru (MA)
Monster Calls, A [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Moonlight [A24] (Vudu)
Night At The Museum [2006] (MA)
Northman, The [2022] (MA)
Onward [2020] (MA + 150 points)
Peter Pan [1953] (MA + 150 points)
Phantom Thread (MA)
Place Beyond The Pines, The (iTunes/ports)
Rescuers, The (Google Play/ports)
Rescuers: Down Under, The (Google Play/ports)
Shang Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings (MA + 150 points)
Side Effects (iTunes/ports)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (MA + Sony points)
Super Buddies [2013] (MA + 100 points)
This Is The End (MA + Sony points)
Thor: Love & Thunder (MA + 150 points)
Top Gun (Vudu)
Triple 9 (iTunes/ports)
🦝
All codes are $2. Prices are firm for now. Please only redeem the you are paying for. Any Disney codes are split. MA/iTunes Disney will include points but not the GP redeem. All Sony titles include points as long as the title is eligible. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I accept Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle, Fb pay or PayPal F&F. Comment & pm if interested. Thanks for checking out my list.
🦝
About Time [2013] (MA)
Action Point (iTunes 4K)
Adventures Of Tintin, The (Vudu or iTunes)
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Alien Covenant (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
All Eyez On Me (iTunes)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
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American Reunion [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Vudu or iTunes)
Annihilation [2018] (Vudu)
Ant Man (Google Play/ports)
Arrival [2016] (Vudu)
Assassin's Creed (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Bad Boys For Life (MA + Sony points)
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Batman, The [2022] (MA)
Battleship [2012] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (MA + 150 points/iTunes option is expired)
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Black Widow [2021] (Google Play/ports)
Book Club (Vudu)
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Finding Dory (iTunes/ports 4K or HD + 150 points)
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Good Day To Die Hard, A [Extended] (MA or Google Play/ports)
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Hercules [2014] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Hidden Figures (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
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Home Alone (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
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I Can Only Imagine (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Independence Day: Resurgence (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Instant Family (iTunes 4K)
Interstellar (Vudu or Google Play)
It's A Wonderful Life [1947] (Vudu)
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Kung Fu Panda 3 (MA)
Last Stand, The [2013] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Last Witch Hunter, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Lee Daniels' The Butler (Vudu)
Legend Of Hercules, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Life Of Pi (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Little Mermaid, The (Google Play/ports)
Logan (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lone Survivor (iTunes/ports 4K)
Longest Ride, The (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lorax, The [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Love & Mercy [2015] (Vudu)
Luca (Google Play/ports)
Lucy (iTunes/ports 4K)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (MA)
Maggie (Vudu)
Maleficent (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Marvel's The Avengers [2012] (Google Play/ports)
Mechanic: Resurrection (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Mindgamers (MA)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (iTunes 4K)
Monuments Men, The (MA + Sony points)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (MA)
Mud (Vudu)
Mummy, The [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Noah [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
Non-Stop [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Now You See Me 2 (iTunes 4K)
Nut Job 2 : Nutty By Nature, The (iTunes/ports)
Other Woman, The [2014] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Overlord [2019] (Vudu)
Oz The Great & Powerful (MA + 100 points)
Pain & Gain (Vudu)
Paper Towns (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Paranormal Activity [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 2 [Unrated Director's Cut] (iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 3 [Extended] (iTunes)
Paul [2011] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (MA or Google Play/ports)
Peter Pan [1953] (Google Play/ports)
Pet Sematary [2019] (Vudu)
Pirate Fairy, The (Google Play/ports
Pitch Perfect (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 3 (Google Play/ports)
Planes [2013] (MA + 150 points)
Possession, The [2012] (iTunes)
Prometheus (MA)
Purge: Anarchy, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Purge: Election Year, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Quiet Place, A [2018] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Riddick [2013] [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Ride Along (MA or iTunes/ports)
Ride Along 2 (iTunes/ports)
Rise Of The Guardians [2011] (MA)
Russell Madness (MA or Google Play/ports)
Safe [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Safe House [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Saving Mr. Banks (Google Play/ports)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Selma (Vudu or iTunes)
Shang Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings (Google Play/ports)
Sicario (Vudu 4K, iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Silver Linings Playbook (Vudu or Google Play)
Sing [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sinister (iTunes)
Smurfs 2, The [2013] (MA)
Snatched [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Snow White & The Huntsman [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Google Play/ports)
Space Between Us, The (MA or iTunes/ports)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (MA + Sony points)
Star Trek [2009] (iTunes 4K)
Star Trek Beyond (iTunes 4K)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Ted [Unrated] (MA)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Terminator: Genisys (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
This Is 40 [Theatrical] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Thor: Love & Thunder (Google Play/ports)
Thor: Ragnarok (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Toy Story 4 (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Trolls (MA)
True Blood: Season 4 (iTunes)
True Grit [2010] (Vudu)
Turbo [2013] (MA)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Google Play)
Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets (Vudu)
Venom (MA + Sony points)
Walk Among The Tombstones, A (iTunes/ports)
War For The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Warm Bodies (iTunes 4K or GP HD)
War Room [2015] (MA + Sony points)
When The Game Stands Tall (MA + Sony points)
Why Him? (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Wild Card (Vudu or Google Play)
Wolf Of Wall Street, The (Vudu)
Woman In Black, The [2012] (MA)
Woman In Gold (Vudu)
Wonder [2017] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (iTunes 4K)
Zootopia (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
🦝
Descendants, The (iTunes/ports)
Inside Llewyn Davis (MA)
Juno (iTunes/ports)
Marley & Me (iTunes/ports)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (iTunes/ports)
Rocker, The [2008] (iTunes/ports)
This Means War (iTunes/ports)
Tree Of Life, The (iTunes/ports)
We Bought A Zoo (iTunes/ports)
What Happens In Vegas [Extended] (iTunes/ports)
🦝
$1 Codes
Alex Cross (Vudu)
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Google Play/ports)
Avengers: Endgame (Google Play/ports)
Avengers: Infinity War (Google Play/ports)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (Google Play/ports)
Big Hero 6 (Google Play/ports)
Black Panther (MA without points or Google Play/ports)
Bourne Ultimatum, The (MA)
Captain America: Winter Soldier (Google Play/ports)
Captain Marvel (Google Play/ports)
Choice, The [2016] (iTunes)
Deadpool (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Divergent (Vudu)
Divergent Series: Insurgent, The (Vudu or Google Play)
Doctor Strange (Google Play/ports)
Ender's Game (Vudu)
Escape Plan (Vudu)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Expendables 3, The [Theatrical] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Expendables 3, The [Unrated] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Fast & Furious 6 [Extended] (MA)
Fast Five [Extended] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Fate Of The Furious, The [8] [Theatrical] (HD MA)
Fifty Shades Darker [Unrated] (MA)
Finding Dory (Google Play/ports)
Furious 7 [Extended] (MA)
Girl On The Train, The (MA) PENDING
Girls Trip (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hocus Pocus (Google Play/ports)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (Vudu)
I Feel Pretty (iTunes)
Inside Out (Google Play/ports)
Iron Man 3 (MA only/no points or Google Play/ports)
John Wick 3 (Google Play)
Jungle Cruise [2021] (Google Play/ports)
Jurassic Park [1993] (MA)
Jurassic World (MA)
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (Vudu)
Kidnap [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Lightyear [2022] (Google Play/ports)
Lion King, The [2019] (Google Play/ports)
Logan Lucky (MA)
Lone Survivor (MA)
Maleficent (Google Play/ports)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (Vudu)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Vudu)
Moana (Google Play/ports)
Norm Of The North (Vudu)
Now You See Me (Vudu or iTunes)
Oz: The Great & Powerful (Google Play/ports)
Pitch Perfect 2 (MA)
Planes (Google Play/ports)
Purge, The [2013] (MA)
Purge: Election Year, The (MA)
Red 2 (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Google Play/ports)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA)
Star Trek Beyond (Vudu)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Ted [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014] (Vudu)
Thor: Ragnarok (Google Play/ports)
Transformers: Age Of Extinction (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (Vudu)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (Vudu)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Vudu)
Unbroken [2014] (MA)
World War Z (Vudu)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (Vudu)
Zootopia (Google Play/ports)
🦝
Amazing Spider-Man, The (MA)
Annie [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Call Me By Your Name [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Phillips (MA + Sony points)
Despicable Me (iTunes/ports)
Devil Inside, The [2012] (Vudu)
Elysium (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer, The (MA + Sony points)
Family Guy: Blue Harvest (iTunes)
Family Guy: It's A Trap! (iTunes)
Fury [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Glee: The Concert (iTunes/ports)
Haunting In Connecticut, The (iTunes)
Heaven Is For Real (MA + Sony points)
Hobo With A Shotgun (iTunes)
Hope Springs [2012] (MA)
Hours [2013] (Vudu)
Hugo (Vudu)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (iTunes/ports)
Immortals [2011] (iTunes)
Internship, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Judy Moody & The Not Bummer Summer (iTunes)
Jumanji: The Next Level (MA + Sony points)
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (MA + Sony points)
Life As We Know It (iTunes)
Mama Mia! The Movie (iTunes/ports)
Monuments Men, The (MA + Sony points)
Morbius (MA + Sony points) PENDING
Mortal Instruments : City Of Bones, The (MA + Sony points)
One For The Money (iTunes)
Ong Bak 3 (iTunes)
Peter Rabbit (MA)
Rio (iTunes/ports)
Robin Hood [2010] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Safe Haven (iTunes)
Star, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
This Is The End (MA + Sony points)
Total Recall [2012] (MA + Sony points)
X-Men: First Class (iTunes/ports)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (iTunes/ports)
🦝
Cabin In The Woods, The (iTunes SD only)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu SD only or iTunes SD only)
Frozen (Google Play/ports HD)
Hunger Games, The (Vudu SD or iTunes SD)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (Vudu HD)
Jurassic Park [1993] (iTunes/ports SD)
Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The (iTunes SD only)
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports SD)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Google Play/ports HD)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Google Play/ports HD)
Turbo [2013] (iTunes/ports SD)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (iTunes HD only)
What To Expect When You're Expecting (iTunes SD only)
submitted by mthw704 to DigitalCodeSELL [link] [comments]
Disney codes are split & do not include the GP portion, but the DMI points are included.
All Sony titles include points as long as the title is eligible. Please only redeem the portion of a code you are paying for. Prices are firm for now.
I accept Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle, Fb pay & PayPal F&F. Comment & pm if interested. Thanks!
🦝
MISC
Bram Stoker's Dracula + Mary Shelly's Frankenstein double feature HD $6 (MA)🦝
$5 4K UHD
House With A Clock In It's Walls, The (MA)Mortal Kombat [2021] (MA)
Sonic The Hedgehog (Vudu or iTunes)
🦝
$4 4K UHD
Allied [2016] (Vudu)Ant Man & The Wasp (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Beauty & The Beast [1991] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Captain America: Civil War (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (iTunes/ports)
Guardians Of The Galaxy (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Hell Or High Water (Vudu)
Scream [2022] (iTunes)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (iTunes)
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw (Vudu or iTunes)
Sting, The [1973] (iTunes/ports)
Terminator: Dark Fate (Vudu)
Toy Story (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
🦝
$5 HDDentist 1 & 2, The (Vudu)
Jerry & Marge Go Large (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Rescuers: Down Under, The (MA + 150 points)
🦝
$4 HD
Alien3 [Theatrical] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)Alien: Resurrection (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Company Of Heroes [2013] (MA)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story [1998] (MA)
Jungle Book, The [1967] (MA + 150 points)
Legion Of Super-Heroes (MA)
Lilo & Stitch (MA + 150 points)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch (MA + 150 points)
Lion King 1 & ½, The (MA + 150 points)
Men [A24] (Vudu or Google Play)
Minions + Minions: The Rise Of Gru double feature (MA)
Nightmare Before Christmas, The (MA + 150 points)
Step Brothers [Theatrical & Unrated] (MA)
Transporter, The [2002] (MA or Google Play/ports)
🦝
$3️⃣ Movies
#$3 4K UHDApollo 13 (iTunes/ports)
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Big Hero 6 (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Birth Of A Nation, The (iTunes/ports)
Captain Marvel (MA + 200 points)
Coco (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Doctor Strange (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Everest [2015] (iTunes/ports)
Frozen II (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Hocus Pocus (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Moana (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Rambo: First Blood (iTunes)
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (iTunes)
Transformers: The Last Knight (Vudu)
World's End, The (iTunes/ports)
Zootopia (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
🦝
$3 HD
101 Dalmatians [1961] (MA + 150 points)About Last Night [2014] (MA + Sony points)
American Assassin (Vudu)
American Underdog (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Batman & Superman: Battle Of The Super Sons (MA)
Black Widow [2021] (MA + 150 points)
Book Of Life, The [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (MA + 150 points)
Dolittle [2020] (MA)
Encanto (MA + 150 points)
Eternals [2021] (MA + 150 points)
Goosebumps 2 [2018] (MA + Sony points)
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (MA)
Joe [2014] (Vudu)
Jungle Book, The [1967] (MA only/no points)
Kill The Messenger (iTunes/ports)
Les Misérables [1998] (MA)
Lightyear [2022] (MA + 150 points)
Lilo & Stitch (Google Play/ports)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A (Google Play/ports) or both for $5
London Has Fallen (iTunes/ports)
Minions: The Rise Of Gru (MA)
Monster Calls, A [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Moonlight [A24] (Vudu)
Night At The Museum [2006] (MA)
Northman, The [2022] (MA)
Onward [2020] (MA + 150 points)
Peter Pan [1953] (MA + 150 points)
Phantom Thread (MA)
Place Beyond The Pines, The (iTunes/ports)
Rescuers, The (Google Play/ports)
Rescuers: Down Under, The (Google Play/ports)
Shang Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings (MA + 150 points)
Side Effects (iTunes/ports)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (MA + Sony points)
Super Buddies [2013] (MA + 100 points)
This Is The End (MA + Sony points)
Thor: Love & Thunder (MA + 150 points)
Top Gun (Vudu)
Triple 9 (iTunes/ports)
🦝
All codes are $2. Prices are firm for now. Please only redeem the you are paying for. Any Disney codes are split. MA/iTunes Disney will include points but not the GP redeem. All Sony titles include points as long as the title is eligible. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I accept Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle, Fb pay or PayPal F&F. Comment & pm if interested. Thanks for checking out my list.
🦝
💲2️⃣ HDX
2 Guns (MA or iTunes/ports)About Time [2013] (MA)
Action Point (iTunes 4K)
Adventures Of Tintin, The (Vudu or iTunes)
Age Of Adaline, The (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Alien Covenant (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
All Eyez On Me (iTunes)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Amazing Spider-Man, The (MA)
Amazing Spider-Man 2, The (MA + Sony points)
American Girl: McKenna Shoots For The Stars (MA or iTunes/ports)
American Reunion [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Vudu or iTunes)
Annihilation [2018] (Vudu)
Ant Man (Google Play/ports)
Arrival [2016] (Vudu)
Assassin's Creed (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Bad Boys For Life (MA + Sony points)
Bad Grandpa (iTunes)
Bad Moms (iTunes/ports)
Batman, The [2022] (MA)
Battleship [2012] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (MA + 150 points/iTunes option is expired)
Big Wedding, The (iTunes)
Black Panther (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Black Widow [2021] (Google Play/ports)
Book Club (Vudu)
Boss Baby, The (MA)
Bourne Ultimatum, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Brian Banks (MA)
Bridge Of Spies (Google Play/ports)
Cabin In The Woods, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Case For Christ, The (iTunes/ports)
Contraband (iTunes/ports)
Daddy's Home (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Dallas Buyers Club (iTunes/ports)
Darkest Hour [2017] (MA)
Deepwater Horizon (iTunes 4K)
Despicable Me [2010] (MA)
Despicable Me 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (MA or iTunes/ports)
Divergent (iTunes 4K)
Divergent Series: Insurgent (iTunes 4K)
Django Unchained (Vudu)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (Google Play/ports)
Dog's Purpose, A (MA or iTunes/ports)
Dragonheart: Battle For The Heartfire (MA or iTunes/ports)
Duff, The (iTunes)
Dying Of The Light (Vudu)
Edward Scissorhands (MA)
Emoji Movie, The (MA + Sony points)
Ender's Game (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Epic [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Eternals [2021] (Google Play/ports) PENDING
Ex Machina (Vudu)
Expendables 3, The (Vudu 4K)
Fast & Furious 6, The [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fault In Our Stars, The (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Fifty Shades Darker [Unrated] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fifty Shades Of Grey [Unrated] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Finding Dory (iTunes/ports 4K or HD + 150 points)
Flight [2012] (Vudu or iTunes)
Free Guy (Google Play/ports)
Frozen (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Gemini Man (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Ghostbusters [2016] [Theatrical & Extended] (MA + Sony points)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Girl On The Train, The [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
God's Not Dead 2 (iTunes/ports)
Gods Of Egypt (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Good Day To Die Hard, A [Extended] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Grace Unplugged (Vudu)
Greatest Showman, The (MA)
Grey, The [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hacksaw Ridge (Vudu or Google Play)
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters [Unrated] (Vudu or iTunes)
Hateful Eight, The (Vudu or Google Play)
Haunting In Connecticut 2: The Ghosts Of Georgia, The (Vudu)
Heat, The [2013] (MA)
Heaven Is For Real (MA + Sony points)
Hell Or High Water (Vudu or Google Play)
Hercules [2014] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Hidden Figures (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Hitman's Bodyguard, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Holiday Inn [1942] (MA)
Home [2015] (MA)
Home Alone (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
How To Train Your Dragon 2 (MA)
Hugo (iTunes)
Hunger Games, The (iTunes 4K)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part, The (iTunes 4K)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, The (iTunes 4K)
Huntsman: Winter's War, The [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
I Can Only Imagine (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Independence Day: Resurgence (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Instant Family (iTunes 4K)
Interstellar (Vudu or Google Play)
It's A Wonderful Life [1947] (Vudu)
Jackass 3 [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (Vudu)
Jarhead 2: Field Of Fire [Unrated] (MA)
Jason Bourne (iTunes/ports 4K)
Jaws (MA)
Jessabelle (Vudu)
John Wick (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (iTunes 4K)
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (MA + Sony points)
Jungle Cruise (MA + 150 points)
Jurassic Park [1993] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Jurassic Park III [2001] (MA)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (MA)
Kick-Ass 2 (MA or iTunes/ports)
Killer Elite (iTunes/ports)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (MA)
Last Stand, The [2013] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Last Witch Hunter, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Lee Daniels' The Butler (Vudu)
Legend Of Hercules, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Life Of Pi (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Little Mermaid, The (Google Play/ports)
Logan (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lone Survivor (iTunes/ports 4K)
Longest Ride, The (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lorax, The [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Love & Mercy [2015] (Vudu)
Luca (Google Play/ports)
Lucy (iTunes/ports 4K)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (MA)
Maggie (Vudu)
Maleficent (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Marvel's The Avengers [2012] (Google Play/ports)
Mechanic: Resurrection (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Mindgamers (MA)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (iTunes 4K)
Monuments Men, The (MA + Sony points)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (MA)
Mud (Vudu)
Mummy, The [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Noah [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
Non-Stop [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Now You See Me 2 (iTunes 4K)
Nut Job 2 : Nutty By Nature, The (iTunes/ports)
Other Woman, The [2014] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Overlord [2019] (Vudu)
Oz The Great & Powerful (MA + 100 points)
Pain & Gain (Vudu)
Paper Towns (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Paranormal Activity [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 2 [Unrated Director's Cut] (iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 3 [Extended] (iTunes)
Paul [2011] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (MA or Google Play/ports)
Peter Pan [1953] (Google Play/ports)
Pet Sematary [2019] (Vudu)
Pirate Fairy, The (Google Play/ports
Pitch Perfect (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 3 (Google Play/ports)
Planes [2013] (MA + 150 points)
Possession, The [2012] (iTunes)
Prometheus (MA)
Purge: Anarchy, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Purge: Election Year, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Quiet Place, A [2018] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Riddick [2013] [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Ride Along (MA or iTunes/ports)
Ride Along 2 (iTunes/ports)
Rise Of The Guardians [2011] (MA)
Russell Madness (MA or Google Play/ports)
Safe [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Safe House [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Saving Mr. Banks (Google Play/ports)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Selma (Vudu or iTunes)
Shang Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings (Google Play/ports)
Sicario (Vudu 4K, iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Silver Linings Playbook (Vudu or Google Play)
Sing [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sinister (iTunes)
Smurfs 2, The [2013] (MA)
Snatched [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Snow White & The Huntsman [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Google Play/ports)
Space Between Us, The (MA or iTunes/ports)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (MA + Sony points)
Star Trek [2009] (iTunes 4K)
Star Trek Beyond (iTunes 4K)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Ted [Unrated] (MA)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Terminator: Genisys (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
This Is 40 [Theatrical] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Thor: Love & Thunder (Google Play/ports)
Thor: Ragnarok (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Toy Story 4 (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Trolls (MA)
True Blood: Season 4 (iTunes)
True Grit [2010] (Vudu)
Turbo [2013] (MA)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Google Play)
Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets (Vudu)
Venom (MA + Sony points)
Walk Among The Tombstones, A (iTunes/ports)
War For The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Warm Bodies (iTunes 4K or GP HD)
War Room [2015] (MA + Sony points)
When The Game Stands Tall (MA + Sony points)
Why Him? (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Wild Card (Vudu or Google Play)
Wolf Of Wall Street, The (Vudu)
Woman In Black, The [2012] (MA)
Woman In Gold (Vudu)
Wonder [2017] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (iTunes 4K)
Zootopia (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
🦝
💲2️⃣ SD
All About Steve (iTunes/ports)Descendants, The (iTunes/ports)
Inside Llewyn Davis (MA)
Juno (iTunes/ports)
Marley & Me (iTunes/ports)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (iTunes/ports)
Rocker, The [2008] (iTunes/ports)
This Means War (iTunes/ports)
Tree Of Life, The (iTunes/ports)
We Bought A Zoo (iTunes/ports)
What Happens In Vegas [Extended] (iTunes/ports)
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💲1️⃣ HD
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi (Vudu)Alex Cross (Vudu)
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Google Play/ports)
Avengers: Endgame (Google Play/ports)
Avengers: Infinity War (Google Play/ports)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (Google Play/ports)
Big Hero 6 (Google Play/ports)
Black Panther (MA without points or Google Play/ports)
Bourne Ultimatum, The (MA)
Captain America: Winter Soldier (Google Play/ports)
Captain Marvel (Google Play/ports)
Choice, The [2016] (iTunes)
Deadpool (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Divergent (Vudu)
Divergent Series: Insurgent, The (Vudu or Google Play)
Doctor Strange (Google Play/ports)
Ender's Game (Vudu)
Escape Plan (Vudu)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Expendables 3, The [Theatrical] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Expendables 3, The [Unrated] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Fast & Furious 6 [Extended] (MA)
Fast Five [Extended] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Fate Of The Furious, The [8] [Theatrical] (HD MA)
Fifty Shades Darker [Unrated] (MA)
Finding Dory (Google Play/ports)
Furious 7 [Extended] (MA)
Girl On The Train, The (MA) PENDING
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Hillsong: Let Hope Rise (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hocus Pocus (Google Play/ports)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (Vudu)
I Feel Pretty (iTunes)
Inside Out (Google Play/ports)
Iron Man 3 (MA only/no points or Google Play/ports)
John Wick 3 (Google Play)
Jungle Cruise [2021] (Google Play/ports)
Jurassic Park [1993] (MA)
Jurassic World (MA)
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (Vudu)
Kidnap [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Lightyear [2022] (Google Play/ports)
Lion King, The [2019] (Google Play/ports)
Logan Lucky (MA)
Lone Survivor (MA)
Maleficent (Google Play/ports)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (Vudu)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Vudu)
Moana (Google Play/ports)
Norm Of The North (Vudu)
Now You See Me (Vudu or iTunes)
Oz: The Great & Powerful (Google Play/ports)
Pitch Perfect 2 (MA)
Planes (Google Play/ports)
Purge, The [2013] (MA)
Purge: Election Year, The (MA)
Red 2 (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Google Play/ports)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA)
Star Trek Beyond (Vudu)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Ted [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014] (Vudu)
Thor: Ragnarok (Google Play/ports)
Transformers: Age Of Extinction (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (Vudu)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (Vudu)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Vudu)
Unbroken [2014] (MA)
World War Z (Vudu)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (Vudu)
Zootopia (Google Play/ports)
🦝
💲1️⃣ SD
Act Of Valor (iTunes)Amazing Spider-Man, The (MA)
Annie [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Call Me By Your Name [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Phillips (MA + Sony points)
Despicable Me (iTunes/ports)
Devil Inside, The [2012] (Vudu)
Elysium (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer, The (MA + Sony points)
Family Guy: Blue Harvest (iTunes)
Family Guy: It's A Trap! (iTunes)
Fury [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Glee: The Concert (iTunes/ports)
Haunting In Connecticut, The (iTunes)
Heaven Is For Real (MA + Sony points)
Hobo With A Shotgun (iTunes)
Hope Springs [2012] (MA)
Hours [2013] (Vudu)
Hugo (Vudu)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (iTunes/ports)
Immortals [2011] (iTunes)
Internship, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Judy Moody & The Not Bummer Summer (iTunes)
Jumanji: The Next Level (MA + Sony points)
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (MA + Sony points)
Life As We Know It (iTunes)
Mama Mia! The Movie (iTunes/ports)
Monuments Men, The (MA + Sony points)
Morbius (MA + Sony points) PENDING
Mortal Instruments : City Of Bones, The (MA + Sony points)
One For The Money (iTunes)
Ong Bak 3 (iTunes)
Peter Rabbit (MA)
Rio (iTunes/ports)
Robin Hood [2010] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Safe Haven (iTunes)
Star, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
This Is The End (MA + Sony points)
Total Recall [2012] (MA + Sony points)
X-Men: First Class (iTunes/ports)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (iTunes/ports)
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Super Cheap SD & HD Codes
All movies are 3 for $1 each/must spend at least $1 totalCabin In The Woods, The (iTunes SD only)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu SD only or iTunes SD only)
Frozen (Google Play/ports HD)
Hunger Games, The (Vudu SD or iTunes SD)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (Vudu HD)
Jurassic Park [1993] (iTunes/ports SD)
Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The (iTunes SD only)
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports SD)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Google Play/ports HD)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Google Play/ports HD)
Turbo [2013] (iTunes/ports SD)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (iTunes HD only)
What To Expect When You're Expecting (iTunes SD only)
2023.06.04 21:00 yellowumbrella 15 Best Chest Workout for Home - Exercises for More Defined Chest
 | submitted by yellowumbrella to HealthyZapper [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/hfecqzkrq7k61.jpg?width=714&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ebb7a4cefa5996be6d6aa213d4ec90948fe2de1 Mondays are renowned in the hardcore workout world as International Chest Day. Meatheads everywhere kick off the training week with set after set of barbell bench press reps to build up their barrel-shaped bodies, grunting and straining to beat their buddies to being strong enough to push the next set of plates. But then, they leave the weight room without hitting a single other implement (unless they're heading to the squat rack for a long round of biceps curls, of course). We're mostly joking about that type of workout, but there are some kernels of truth in the telling. Pushing big weight (and working your way up to pushing big weight) is a worthy endeavor and a great way to stay motivated, but you shouldn't feel limited to only training your major mirror muscles using that single narrow-minded protocol. There's more to training your chest than just doing presses and pec deck reps until your back fuses with the surface of the platform beneath you (hint: you shouldn't only be doing exercises with your back supported by a bench). By just staying within those comfortable realms, you're spurning all of the potential benefits that other moves could offer. You want to stimulate your muscles in different ways, so you can challenge them to adapt and grow as your training plan progresses. For that, you'll need variety. You can train your chest at home or in a pinch with bodyweight moves like pushup variations, feature chest-centric movements in broader full-body workouts to spread the workload, and if you feel like you're lagging, even ramp up the volume beyond the Monday standard with multiple sessions dedicated to chest in a week. There's a whole treasure trove full of workouts and exercises to be uncovered to blast the chest that can sculpt your pecs and push your upper body training days to the next level. Just remember, if your goal is to build chest muscle, you should aim to work using the right protocols for hypertrophy, with the most efficient rep schemes and rest periods. Likewise, you'll need to be eating right to gain muscle. Here are some of the best chest exercises to do just that. Choose two or three to work into your routine, and for best results, rotate in new movements every 3 or 4 weeks. Just remember, there's nothing wrong with a big bench for your chest-as long as your workout doesn't start and end there. The Chest-Building Exercises Bench Press Sure, we just talked about branching out beyond the bench press. But you can't avoid the exercise if you're serious about training-or even if you just step foot into any typical strength facility in the world. The move is standard for a reason: it works. Let's break it down with dumbbells for some variety. Do it: This hypertrophy method means you're more focused on building muscle than pressing max weight, so keep your butt on the bench, with your feet flat on the floor and your glutes and core engaged. You should also drive your shoulder blades down into the bench. Lift your dumbbells up, squeezing the handles tightly. Once your back is on the bench, don't just hold the weights with your elbows parallel to your shoulders. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle to help to keep your shoulders safe. Squeeze your chest to drive the weight up, then lower under control under the same path to just above your chest. Drive back up to hit another rep. Chest Fly One of the absolute go-to chest exercises, the chest fly is all about creating tension through the movement. Your goal is not to flap your arms like a bird to take flight, like the name suggests-squeezing is the name of the game here. That means you'll probably use less weight than you might expect. Do it: Lay on a flat bench, gripping dumbbells in each hand. Press the weights up above your chest, keeping them from touching, with your pinkies turned slightly inward. Maintain full body tension on the bench. Lower your arms down moving only at your shoulders, keeping a slight elbow bend. Only go as deep as your shoulder mobility allows. Squeeze your shoulder blades to raise the weight back up to the starting position, and emphasize the squeeze in your chest at the top. Dumbbell Floor Press No bench? No problem. Take your dumbbell press to the floor for a shoulder-safe chest pump. This is another excellent option for building up your chest with home workouts, since all you'll need are some weights and some space to spread out. Do it: Lay back on the floor gripping a pair of dumbbells tightly. Keep your feet flat on the floor, driving with your heels and squeezing your glutes. Keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle relative to your torso to keep your shoulders safe. Press the dumbbells up and squeeze your chest at the top position. Lower back with control, allowing your elbows to rest briefly on the ground. Band Chest Fly For a great warmup before a chest workout or a killer burnout to finish one, try out the band chest fly. The move isn't much different than its big brother, the cable fly (more on that below) or the dumbbell fly, but the use of exercise bands makes it more accessible, and potentially another exercise you can do at home. "This exercise can be an extremely effective single or double arm exercise increasing hypertrophy and muscular endurance (providing that pump) without putting the amount of stress on the shoulder joints that a chest fly with a dumbbell would," says athlete performance and development specialist Curtis Shannon, "I like programming it as an accessory, warmup/priming, filler, or finisher lift. It can also be programmed with a global lower and upper body pull exercise, such as a deadlift or bent over row. Or simply use it as a "beach day" workout exercise that focuses on high volume for that "pump". " Do it: Attach two bands to a stable base, like a power rack or tower. Grab the ends of the bands in each hand, wrapping around your palms. Stand in a staggered stance in the middle of the station. Your arms should be outstretched but slightly bent. Lean forward slightly at your hips and avoid rounding your back. Without changing the bend in your arms, bring your hands together. Slowly reverse the movement, keeping the bands controlled. Batwing Fly Spend more time at the bottom of the movement to really reap its benefits. Start with light weights to get used to the move, and try alternating between overhand and neutral grips to switch things up. Do it: Sit on an incline bench with dumbbells in each hand. Start with the weights held with your hands at your pecs, as if you were preparing for a press. Keep your chest strong, with a natural arch in the lower back. Straighten your arms out to each side, maintaining your strong chest position. Pause for a count with your arms extended, stretching the muscles. Half-Kneeling Chest Press Take a knee for some chest gains. The half-kneeling chest press also gives you the opportunity to hone your core while you're off-balance, offering even more benefits and making the exercise more realistic. "In the real world, we don't get to work symmetrically. We're kind of off balance a little bit," said Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, "This puts you in an off-balance position. " Do it: Kneel with one leg forward in front of a cable machine setup. Grab the cable with the same hand as the knee that's down on the ground. Keeping your core tight and your up-knee straight, press the cable out in front of your chest. As you return your arm back to the starting position, avoid turning with the cable by squeezing your core and stabilizing your hip against the ground. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press This is an upper body push exercise that targets the pectoralis major (upper chest), clavicular, costal and sternal head, along with the anterior deltoids, triceps, biceps and serratus anterior. "This is a great exercise to implement into your program, giving your upper body push routine some variety," Shannon says. "The mechanical load and position on the incline bench press provides a greater challenge than the flat or decline bench. This will essentially allow you to get a greater adaptational response with less weight than with the flat benchpress. I personally feel more muscle in the chest and less stress in the shoulder joint when I perform this exercise, in comparison to the flat bench. " Shannon recommends programming this as either a primary or accessory lift. The prescription all depends on the load, intensity and volume. Do it: Lie on a bench with the backrest set at a 45-degree incline. Hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest with your arms straight and your palms turned toward your feet, which should be flat on the floor. Keep your core tight and avoid arching your back, which means your butt should be glued to the seat. Press the dumbbells up, directly above the shoulders. You might have seen some people in the gym knocking the weights together at the top, but there's no need to do that here. Lower the dumbbells to chest level-but don't stress on how deep you go-before you press them back up for the next rep. Close-Grip Bench Press You can lift more weight with a barbell than with dumbbells because they're more stable. That's why barbell presses generally build more raw strength in your chest. But this variation puts more focus on your triceps, so you'll get the added bonus of extra work for the biggest muscles in your arms, too. Do it: Using an overhand grip that's a bit narrower than shoulder width, hold a barbell above your sternum with your arms straight. Lower the bar to your chest. Hold for 1 second. Press the bar up. Cable Fly When it comes to working their pecs, most guys just press. Adding the fly to your routine gives your pecs and front deltoids a new it: Attach two stirrup handles to the high-pulley cables of a cable-crossover station. Grab a handle with each hand, and stand in a staggered stance in the middle of the station. Your arms should be outstretched but slightly bent. Lean forward slightly at your hips; don't round your back. Without changing the bend in your arms, bring your hands together. Slowly reverse the movement. Photograph by Beth Bischoff Decline Dumbbell Bench Press Changing the angle on the bench does more than just switch up the scenery. This exercise zeroes in on your lower chest, helping to build serious size, according to Tyler English, , author of Natural Bodybuilder's it: Lie on a decline bench with your shins hooked beneath the leg support. Hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest with your arms straight. Your palms should face your feet and the weights should be just outside your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells to your chest, pause, and then press them back up to the starting position. Photograph by Beth Bischoff Band or Chain Barbell Bench Press Adding chains or bands to the ends of a barbell changes the load as you move through the different phases of the lift. Each chain link weighs 'X' amount of pounds, and that poundage is now something you're actually lifting and managing. As you move through the eccentric (lengthening) part of the lift, lowering the weight to your chest, you're lessening the load as there is more of the chain on the ground. When you press the weight up, you lift more links of the chain up, bringing that extra weight up. Bands work in a similar manner using the constant tension on the bar. Do it: Hang a chain over each end of the barbell, or anchor resistance bands to the bench and place them over each end of the bar. Start without weight, in order to get used to the unstable bar. Grab the barbell and lie on a bench. Using an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width, hold the bar above your sternum, keeping your arms straight. Lower the bar to your chest, and then push it back to the starting position. Plyometric Pushup This explosive pushup nails the fast-twitch muscles in your chest, priming them for growth, said English. The movement also gives you another, more powerful option for at-home chest it: Get into a pushup position, your hands just outside your chest, your feet shoulder-width apart, and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Brace your core. Lower your chest to the floor and then press up explosively so your hands come off the floor. If you can pull it off, clap your hands together before returning to the starting position on the ground. Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press This exercise hits your chest like any awesome bench variation. But what makes it particularly special is that the other side of your body, specifically your core, has to lock down so the dumbbell doesn't pull you off the bench, says Dan John, legendary strength coach. The end result: The exercise sculpts your chest-and abs-to a greater degree. Do it: Lie with your back flat on a bench holding a dumbbell in your right hand. Press the dumbbell directly over your chest until your arm is straight. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the right side of your chest. Pause, then press it back up. Do all your reps on your right side, and then repeat on your left. Suspended Pushup Performing pushups with your hands in an unstable suspension trainer works your core, chest, and stabilizer muscles harder than doing pushups on the floor, said English. Using the TRX straps makes this another more accessible option for home it: Grab the handles of a TRX strap and extend your arms in front of your chest. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and your body anywhere from 45 degrees to parallel from the floor. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Lower your chest toward the floor until your hands are just outside your shoulders. Keep your elbows in and your head in a neutral position as you lower. Brace your core throughout the movement. Standing One-Arm Landmine Press Most chest presses stress your shoulders. This exercise nails your chest while improving your shoulder mobility. Your shoulder blade moves with you as you press, putting less strain on the joint, said Eric Cressey, co-owner of Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA. And because your core has to lock down to prevent your torso from bending back or twisting, it also rocks your it: Perform this unique exercise by placing one end of a barbell securely into the corner, grabbing the opposite end with one arm. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bending slightly at the knees while pushing your butt back. Start with your elbow by your side with your wrist up near your shoulder. Brace your core and press your arm straight up and out toward the ceiling. |
2023.06.04 20:29 dnew My Firmament Critique (heavy spoilers for all Cyan games)
Before I dump on the game, let me mention a few of the places that were actually clever:
Essentially, the only mode of interaction available is turning a knob. While this is not necessarily a game killer (Myst, for example, only has clicking something) in Firmament it is completely treated as turning a knob. That is, every time you use the adjunct, you're interacting with a manufactured bit of machinery to control power to one or the other function of what you're connecting to. This leads to a sparse range of puzzles that can be included, essentially none of which progress the narrative. And it leads to the requirement for a technical instruction manual at the start of the game.
There's no "let the water out of the chest then close the knob again so it'll float when you fill the pool." There's no compass rose or turning mirrors. There's no locks to find the combination to (fortunately, given the plot). There's no sorting of singing monkeys. There's no tempting of birds with seed pods. There's no catching of Squees. There's no summoning of Wharks. The steam generator and pipes to fill the Voltaic airship actually work logically, and there's a reason they're puzzling, unlike the steam pipes in Curievale. (I had to actually look up which world the steam pipes were in just now, which shows you how well-integrated that puzzle is.) Also, each puzzle is independent of all the others; there's no foreshadowing of what you need to know, nor cleverness of relating one puzzle to another, as was common all through Exile for example.
Almost all the puzzles (including the most frustrating) involve trying to find the next doorknob to turn; or, having found it, trying to figure out how to reach it with the one and only tool available. Occasionally there's the "let's see if I can find the hidden pathway." Almost none of them involve figuring something out based on the environment or the world building. When stuck, I found myself walking around with the adjunct out looking for some hidden doorknob to light up, or wandering into unobvious corners and walking around the edge of the playable area seeing if I missed a hidden pathway. This is compounded by the huge amount of nonsensical consistency-busting designs. (Watch any first-time playthrough and you'll see the player running all over the place looking for the next clue.)
Granted, once you figured out the solution, it was often clear in hindsight what you were supposed to have been doing.
Given Cyan's track record, one might ponder some of the inconsistencies in implementation and wonder whether they have a deeper meaning. I couldn't find any.
Contrast with (say) the greenhouse puzzle: first you have to figure how to get to the entrance riding the skiff, because that made so much more sense than another flight of stairs or a ladder; thank goodness the vines didn't quite close off every path. Then you have to figure out that the place you're trying to go is the other side of the planters on the same level (and not to the thing that looks like a lift or ladder), even though you can't see the other side. Then you ride the things around a while, trying to see the walkways above and below you, before realizing there's another doorknob down at the bottom; good thing they all have distinctive lights on them, eh? That doorknob can only be reached from where you're far from your goal, and from a limited number of puzzle states, then you have to work your way all the way back up, and then if you're lucky you'll have figured out how to turn the planters so you can dodge across. Sometimes you can cross on the diagonal, sometimes it's a fraction too far. And your knees don't bend, so you can't get over the foot-high plank lying on the floor. Or look at the steam pipes and heaters. You need to turn them on, and oh goody, they light up when you do. But some of the doorknobs don't glow; other sockets on the pipes aren't doorknobs they just look that way. Some of the pipes go above the surface, and you can't tell where they come back down. You then can turn on electric heaters using steam, somehow. You have to go down to turn one on, then melt some ice, then coming back up requires turning that off again. Several times you have to turn it on, then turn it off again because the valve was installed in a way that blocks the walkway. There's a valve hidden behind a grate for some reason, but fortunately your other tool can go through grates and the walkway passes by quite close. Then you have to turn on a valve, loop around to go two levels down, turn on the second valve that you can't get to because the steampunk builders thought it was a good idea to install valves that block the pathway, come back up far enough to turn on the third valve, go back down to turn on the heater, come back up and turn off the first valve, then you can progress. And when you've worked the steam power all the way to the end, what do you get? A steam-powered machine? No, just the same electric lift as in every other realm. Good thing, because you had to turn the steam off again to get to the other side of the path. The only reason for the steam pipes is to make a puzzle that somehow runs electric heaters off steam pressure, with electricity at both ends of the path already. Oh, and there's a hundred meters of gangway in loops and ramps in the water, instead of, you know, a path from one side to the other.
Compare to Riven: Riven is grounded like Firmament. It's not particularly supernatural. The stuff is mechanical, not magical. If someone disappears from a one-door room, there's probably a hidden switch. Granted, "fire marbles" aren't explained, and why there would even need to be clues to get into Tay is unclear story-wise, but OK, combinations to locks need to be written where you can find them. And the mine cart going under water was just Rule Of Cool. Everything else makes sense. Secret passages are only secret from one side. Doors are locked between where Ghen moves and where natives move, and locked on the side where Ghen is. When there's a "hidden" passage that's hard to see, the people who created it leave a pointer (usually a dagger). When there's a hidden door, you can see into the adjacent room so you know to look for the door. There's no case of "wander all over the level holding the 'show me interaction points' control, trying to figure out if there's a button that enables some other part of the level to work." There's no wondering whether you need an upgrade to even start working on this puzzle. If there's a hidden button to make something work, you can follow the wire to it (the fan), or see the pathway over there, or see the room through the window (book assembly island dome), or notice from where you start there's only one other path of many open (the lake sub), or etc. Look at the design of the wood pulp boiler vs the sulphur mixer. And again, the reason for all the locks are explained in-game. Riven is a masterclass in adventure game design because the puzzles all make sense in the context and story of the game, all of which we see before we need to know it, and there's almost nothing arbitrary about the puzzles.
Contrast with Firmament: Firmament looks realistic, but is surreal in detail. The entire place acts like one giant puzzle, with a dozen unintuitive steps to get from each place to the next. It has knobs that can control things remotely, but uses that capability to put things out of reach instead of making things easier, even tho the only people with adjuncts would be people who are supposed to be working the machines. It has machinery on rails constructed too close to other features to let the cars pass (like the first crane blocked by rocks, the second crane blocked by ice, the bubble car blocked by the ice, etc), which is even more silly when you find out the cliffs aren't natural either. It uses complex machinery of all different kinds to accomplish the same ends; the skiff vs the first crane vs the second crane vs the sulfur trains; the conveyance pods vs the bubble cars vs (cripes) riding blocks of ice and hopping off hopefully before you reach the shredder blades. There are places where simple stairs or bridges could be built, but instead there's a half dozen baroque processes to get from one place to another place a literal stone's throw away (see "riding blocks of ice" as well as the pointless skiff and the pointless steam pipes and ....). There's several kinds of power supplies which have to be turned on, each of which powers only the bits of puzzle blocking your way. There are innumerable doorknobs placed in cages where you have to be at the right angle to fire them with no obvious reason for the cage walls to be blocking you from there (see "riding blocks of ice"). Even at the end you have to walk entirely around the axis twice to unlock a door you're 20 feet from when you come out into space.
Compare to Exile: Exile is surreal, but this time it's intentionally designed by its creator to be surreal. Each age has a purpose and a theme, and it looks designed (unlike Myst's ages). The design of each Age gives you clues to the solutions of the puzzles, and then plays into the endgame. You have an ongoing story that tells you the motivations of the people involved. You have a reason you're suddenly thrown into the situation alone. (As in Myst and Riven, for that matter.) No need for the cliche loss of memory or untrustworthy narrator (both features of Firmament, both described in the opening monologue). There's a reason the puzzles are more difficult than you'd think necessary. The same reason is why there are clues how to solve them scattered about. And you're shown the ways in which the puzzles were made more difficult, which helps tell the story; nothing is randomly broken by accident. When you solve an age, you get a beautiful reward of getting to see the age laid out before you to admire. The ending is fulfilling, and in your hands, left to you to figure out how to bring about some solution or the best solution.
Contrast with Firmament: No setup other than a monologue telling you "you remember nothing, I might lie, go do puzzles I mean maintenance work." The puzzles are arbitrary-progress-blockage puzzles. There's very little where you have to think about what the world is like to make things work. The ages don't feel any different from each other, because every one is "figure out where the path is, where the goal is, and then try to find where you can reach the doorknob from." There's no puzzle having to do with ice on Curievale (other than the heaters, which are just different forms of doors). There's no puzzle having to do with plants on St. Andrew. Even places where you might have figured it out, it was tedious rather than clever; for example, the batteries were painted colors. Imagine how it would have been if you could see into the water and each post had a different number of batteries wired to it? I don't really want to spend time doing linear algebra to figure out puzzles during my gaming hour. And when you do solve a puzzle, half the time you're inside a building or vehicle where you can't see what's happening; the shutters only open once, the bubble cars obscure most of the view, engaging the Embrace doesn't make it obvious the doors are opening in the spire, etc.
How could I have done better? Well, I don't design games for a living, but I've been playing adventure games since they were coded in FORTRAN and printed their text on paper. There are a few obvious places the puzzles could have been made more enjoyable.
submitted by dnew to FirmamentGame [link] [comments]
Before I dump on the game, let me mention a few of the places that were actually clever:
- The bit with Camelus where you had to raise the bridge and shoot into it from below.
- Figuring out there was a path under the bridge that the ice block blocked.
- Figuring out that you could get up on the ice block from the other end of the crane.
- The lack of interaction modes. Everything is a doorknob.
- The lack of characters, plot, conflict, and motivation.
- An inability to suspend disbelief, made even more absurd by the ending.
Essentially, the only mode of interaction available is turning a knob. While this is not necessarily a game killer (Myst, for example, only has clicking something) in Firmament it is completely treated as turning a knob. That is, every time you use the adjunct, you're interacting with a manufactured bit of machinery to control power to one or the other function of what you're connecting to. This leads to a sparse range of puzzles that can be included, essentially none of which progress the narrative. And it leads to the requirement for a technical instruction manual at the start of the game.
There's no "let the water out of the chest then close the knob again so it'll float when you fill the pool." There's no compass rose or turning mirrors. There's no locks to find the combination to (fortunately, given the plot). There's no sorting of singing monkeys. There's no tempting of birds with seed pods. There's no catching of Squees. There's no summoning of Wharks. The steam generator and pipes to fill the Voltaic airship actually work logically, and there's a reason they're puzzling, unlike the steam pipes in Curievale. (I had to actually look up which world the steam pipes were in just now, which shows you how well-integrated that puzzle is.) Also, each puzzle is independent of all the others; there's no foreshadowing of what you need to know, nor cleverness of relating one puzzle to another, as was common all through Exile for example.
Almost all the puzzles (including the most frustrating) involve trying to find the next doorknob to turn; or, having found it, trying to figure out how to reach it with the one and only tool available. Occasionally there's the "let's see if I can find the hidden pathway." Almost none of them involve figuring something out based on the environment or the world building. When stuck, I found myself walking around with the adjunct out looking for some hidden doorknob to light up, or wandering into unobvious corners and walking around the edge of the playable area seeing if I missed a hidden pathway. This is compounded by the huge amount of nonsensical consistency-busting designs. (Watch any first-time playthrough and you'll see the player running all over the place looking for the next clue.)
Granted, once you figured out the solution, it was often clear in hindsight what you were supposed to have been doing.
- You could realize the conservatory is symmetrical and has rubble blocking the way so you need to climb across the planters.
- You could figure out that there were controls under the sulfur you couldn't see the first time by looking at the diagram, if you could figure out what the diagram was saying without extensive exploring to start with.
- You could figure out that the goal in the battery field was to connect the one wire to the other (and not stringing batteries from the outside inwards) once you realize there's exactly two wires leading out from the lake and the error is "no connection".
- You could figure out what order the sockets get concatenated in by looking at their orientations. (Granted, they tried to teach you that during "verification.")
- Once you've drained the first reservoir, it becomes clear the odd structures sticking up were walkways.
- Often you progress a ways through a puzzle and then you can see the exit.
- One of the first things she tells you is she'll lie to you, which kind of gave away the "you are Turner" ending.
- You're the only person alive/awake, you're vital to the completion of the project, and your mentor can tell you what to do, but she doesn't.
- In Myst, Riven, Exile, you're given ongoing plot, and you know your motivation from the start, and why there's nobody helping you.
- The ending is an unsatisfying info dump. The beginning is the same. There really wasn't a sense of accomplishment, especially since "Hey, you got to the end, no go away, everything else is automated."
- Why would your mentor set things up that you needed to work so hard to make happen what she wanted?
- Why are there even locks on the doors, given only keepers and crew are there?
- Why would any giant door only have a doorknob on one side, especially when there are other doors you can enter?
- Why wouldn't there be a path around the skiff engine so you could couple either side?
- Why is there even a cargo skiff stuck to the side of a building that has stairs at the top and bottom of its range? That's like making a handicap elevator that opens onto a staircase landing. What are you moving on the skiff?
- Why would you install steam pipes zig-zagging all over under the water?
- Why would you install the gangways zig-zagging all over under the water?
- Why would you install steam valves that block the path when turned on? Why not turn that bit so they stick out over space?
- What does turning on the steam even do, other than clearing the way to the spire? It's not powering anything at the exit. Why are the pipes and heaters even there except to make a puzzle?
- Why do the electric heaters need steam power?
- Why do pressurized steam pipes glow green, except to make the puzzle possible? Why are electric lights shining out from inside the steam pipes?
- Why wouldn't you provide all the modes of running the crane on top of the crane? Why can't you raise the hook from on top of the crane?
- How is Juleston the only place that needs special electricity? Where do the other realms get their electricity that this realm couldn't?
- Why does the conservatory have collapsed columns blocking the way that aren't anywhere else in the building? There's no place for them to have fallen from. They're not symmetrical with the other half of the building.
- Why wouldn't the walkways around planters go all the way around? How are you supposed to care for or harvest the contents on the sides without walkways?
- Why wouldn't the controls for rotating the planters be more easily accessible? There's 6 or so controls to raise and lower each planter, and one control to rotate them that you wouldn't even be able to access on foot.
- Why do you need to ride the ice block to get to the factory? Did OSHA approve that? How come the protective gear described on the sign isn't available?
- Why did the walkway in the ice processing center that the moving bridge fills collapse, and where did the collapsed floor go? There are no broken plates on the floor.
- Why is there even a movable room in the ice processing center? Why not just finish building the bridges and walkways?
- How did whoever put the moving bridge there leave? You can only reach it standing on top of an ice block.
- Why is the green pipe valve hidden behind a bunker? Wouldn't it be easier to build stairs?
- Why wouldn't you build stairs all the way to the ground instead of having to walk along the crane to an ice block to reach the stairs?
- Why are there blocks of ice all over outside the processing center?
- How did all the ice blocks get around the base of the crane? Why not grind those up instead?
- How did the block of ice block the pathway, then the bridge get closed, except intentionally?
- Why not put all the controls for the sulfur mixer in one socket?
- Why is there a giant door requiring three sockets to get connected? The tracks don't go through, and there's nothing to be moved from one side to the other, and no vehicle nearby. Why is it there, and who closed it for that matter?
- Who would build a vehicle where the part you need to line up can't be seen from the steering wheel? Camelus' back door is not visible from the steering wheel. The first ice crane has to be automated at each end because you can't see what's happening. The alignment of the second ice crane is invisible from inside the crane, requiring the platform out the side.
- Why would the crane be constructed to run into the cliff? Put it farther out like the bubble car, or don't put rocks jutting out to block its path.
- Why would the sulfur need to be mined? It's not really a planet. Why not stacks of sulfur bricks? Why are there geysers in space?
- Why would you build the bubble car rails where they'd get frozen by ice? There's no seasonal run-off making waterfalls so you had to know that would happen.
- Why pretend you're mining coal? Why launch your coal supply from the ground in rocks instead of extracting it on Earth?
- Why are you wasting coal melting ice anyway? Just use the water before you freeze it. Why build the heat-powered power plant in the coldest realm?
- Why not build the steam furnace downhill from piles of coal and a big pool of water?
- What were you planning to do with a bunch of mountains in orbit when you got to your destination?
- Lots of puzzles block you from turning them off once solved. Why? And how'd they even get in that state in the first place? Nobody is working against you, and nobody has more authority to make changes than you do.
Given Cyan's track record, one might ponder some of the inconsistencies in implementation and wonder whether they have a deeper meaning. I couldn't find any.
- The first double-bridge you come to, you have to navigate around to cross; the second double-bridge you can just reach the adjunct across; the bubble car there (I think) is positioned in a way that the last person to leave couldn't set up.of mentor dialog or books or something.
- Only one bunker has an alternate exit.
- Only one bunker has a hibernation bed. Did she drag that there? Her monologue doesn't sound like it.
- It seems like a bad idea to have the Juleston bunker close you in when the power goes off.
- Places blocked by rubble have nowhere above for the rubble to have come from.
- Collapsed floors that need to be bridged have no broken flooring or rubble under them, nor is there any reason for them to have collapsed.
- The first double-bridge you come to, you have to naviate around to cross; the second double-bridge you can just reach the adjunct across; the bubble car there (I think) is positioned in a way that the last person to leave couldn't set up.
- The moving bridge near the ice grinder for sure could not have been left that way (unless someone got ground up). Otherwise riding the ice wouldn't be a puzzle.
- The first place you need to connect three sockets, and there's only one order they connect in.
- The second place needs four sockets connected, but still shows "1/3" when you do the first one.
- When there's some option not currently available for a socket, you're not given that option. Or maybe it goes "Doink". Or maybe just nothing happens. Or maybe it's dimmed out. Or maybe it starts and then immediately reverts.
Contrast with (say) the greenhouse puzzle: first you have to figure how to get to the entrance riding the skiff, because that made so much more sense than another flight of stairs or a ladder; thank goodness the vines didn't quite close off every path. Then you have to figure out that the place you're trying to go is the other side of the planters on the same level (and not to the thing that looks like a lift or ladder), even though you can't see the other side. Then you ride the things around a while, trying to see the walkways above and below you, before realizing there's another doorknob down at the bottom; good thing they all have distinctive lights on them, eh? That doorknob can only be reached from where you're far from your goal, and from a limited number of puzzle states, then you have to work your way all the way back up, and then if you're lucky you'll have figured out how to turn the planters so you can dodge across. Sometimes you can cross on the diagonal, sometimes it's a fraction too far. And your knees don't bend, so you can't get over the foot-high plank lying on the floor. Or look at the steam pipes and heaters. You need to turn them on, and oh goody, they light up when you do. But some of the doorknobs don't glow; other sockets on the pipes aren't doorknobs they just look that way. Some of the pipes go above the surface, and you can't tell where they come back down. You then can turn on electric heaters using steam, somehow. You have to go down to turn one on, then melt some ice, then coming back up requires turning that off again. Several times you have to turn it on, then turn it off again because the valve was installed in a way that blocks the walkway. There's a valve hidden behind a grate for some reason, but fortunately your other tool can go through grates and the walkway passes by quite close. Then you have to turn on a valve, loop around to go two levels down, turn on the second valve that you can't get to because the steampunk builders thought it was a good idea to install valves that block the pathway, come back up far enough to turn on the third valve, go back down to turn on the heater, come back up and turn off the first valve, then you can progress. And when you've worked the steam power all the way to the end, what do you get? A steam-powered machine? No, just the same electric lift as in every other realm. Good thing, because you had to turn the steam off again to get to the other side of the path. The only reason for the steam pipes is to make a puzzle that somehow runs electric heaters off steam pressure, with electricity at both ends of the path already. Oh, and there's a hundred meters of gangway in loops and ramps in the water, instead of, you know, a path from one side to the other.
Compare to Riven: Riven is grounded like Firmament. It's not particularly supernatural. The stuff is mechanical, not magical. If someone disappears from a one-door room, there's probably a hidden switch. Granted, "fire marbles" aren't explained, and why there would even need to be clues to get into Tay is unclear story-wise, but OK, combinations to locks need to be written where you can find them. And the mine cart going under water was just Rule Of Cool. Everything else makes sense. Secret passages are only secret from one side. Doors are locked between where Ghen moves and where natives move, and locked on the side where Ghen is. When there's a "hidden" passage that's hard to see, the people who created it leave a pointer (usually a dagger). When there's a hidden door, you can see into the adjacent room so you know to look for the door. There's no case of "wander all over the level holding the 'show me interaction points' control, trying to figure out if there's a button that enables some other part of the level to work." There's no wondering whether you need an upgrade to even start working on this puzzle. If there's a hidden button to make something work, you can follow the wire to it (the fan), or see the pathway over there, or see the room through the window (book assembly island dome), or notice from where you start there's only one other path of many open (the lake sub), or etc. Look at the design of the wood pulp boiler vs the sulphur mixer. And again, the reason for all the locks are explained in-game. Riven is a masterclass in adventure game design because the puzzles all make sense in the context and story of the game, all of which we see before we need to know it, and there's almost nothing arbitrary about the puzzles.
Contrast with Firmament: Firmament looks realistic, but is surreal in detail. The entire place acts like one giant puzzle, with a dozen unintuitive steps to get from each place to the next. It has knobs that can control things remotely, but uses that capability to put things out of reach instead of making things easier, even tho the only people with adjuncts would be people who are supposed to be working the machines. It has machinery on rails constructed too close to other features to let the cars pass (like the first crane blocked by rocks, the second crane blocked by ice, the bubble car blocked by the ice, etc), which is even more silly when you find out the cliffs aren't natural either. It uses complex machinery of all different kinds to accomplish the same ends; the skiff vs the first crane vs the second crane vs the sulfur trains; the conveyance pods vs the bubble cars vs (cripes) riding blocks of ice and hopping off hopefully before you reach the shredder blades. There are places where simple stairs or bridges could be built, but instead there's a half dozen baroque processes to get from one place to another place a literal stone's throw away (see "riding blocks of ice" as well as the pointless skiff and the pointless steam pipes and ....). There's several kinds of power supplies which have to be turned on, each of which powers only the bits of puzzle blocking your way. There are innumerable doorknobs placed in cages where you have to be at the right angle to fire them with no obvious reason for the cage walls to be blocking you from there (see "riding blocks of ice"). Even at the end you have to walk entirely around the axis twice to unlock a door you're 20 feet from when you come out into space.
Compare to Exile: Exile is surreal, but this time it's intentionally designed by its creator to be surreal. Each age has a purpose and a theme, and it looks designed (unlike Myst's ages). The design of each Age gives you clues to the solutions of the puzzles, and then plays into the endgame. You have an ongoing story that tells you the motivations of the people involved. You have a reason you're suddenly thrown into the situation alone. (As in Myst and Riven, for that matter.) No need for the cliche loss of memory or untrustworthy narrator (both features of Firmament, both described in the opening monologue). There's a reason the puzzles are more difficult than you'd think necessary. The same reason is why there are clues how to solve them scattered about. And you're shown the ways in which the puzzles were made more difficult, which helps tell the story; nothing is randomly broken by accident. When you solve an age, you get a beautiful reward of getting to see the age laid out before you to admire. The ending is fulfilling, and in your hands, left to you to figure out how to bring about some solution or the best solution.
Contrast with Firmament: No setup other than a monologue telling you "you remember nothing, I might lie, go do puzzles I mean maintenance work." The puzzles are arbitrary-progress-blockage puzzles. There's very little where you have to think about what the world is like to make things work. The ages don't feel any different from each other, because every one is "figure out where the path is, where the goal is, and then try to find where you can reach the doorknob from." There's no puzzle having to do with ice on Curievale (other than the heaters, which are just different forms of doors). There's no puzzle having to do with plants on St. Andrew. Even places where you might have figured it out, it was tedious rather than clever; for example, the batteries were painted colors. Imagine how it would have been if you could see into the water and each post had a different number of batteries wired to it? I don't really want to spend time doing linear algebra to figure out puzzles during my gaming hour. And when you do solve a puzzle, half the time you're inside a building or vehicle where you can't see what's happening; the shutters only open once, the bubble cars obscure most of the view, engaging the Embrace doesn't make it obvious the doors are opening in the spire, etc.
How could I have done better? Well, I don't design games for a living, but I've been playing adventure games since they were coded in FORTRAN and printed their text on paper. There are a few obvious places the puzzles could have been made more enjoyable.
- Make the batteries in Juleston visible through the water, with different pylons having different numbers of batteries visibly connected. Then you don't have to do linear algebra and experiments to figure out what's going on, and the fact that the final step is also providing power would be obvious. This would leave open the possibility for the people who want to do linear algebra. (Sort of like how the sound direction clues in Mechanical Age let you navigate in Selentic Age even though there were adequate clues if you went to Selentic first.)
- Keep the steam pipes underwater, so you can follow where the next valve is.
- Actually require the player to mix the sulfur with the sulfur mixer, just for realism. And don't just have the computer tell the user what the next step is. "Door crusted." "Too much acid." "Pool full." Show, don't tell, like with the crusted lock at the start. Maybe make it so you can look into the pool before you add sulfur and see that there are controls down there, and locking lugs, and crusty stuff.
- When a machine finally turns on, make it obvious why you needed that machine in the first place. The whole "turn on steam" in Curievale was there to clear the way of ice in your way (with electric heaters, no less), while the builders could have just put a walkway over or straight through the water there. They could have made the lift at the end obviously running on steam pressure, which might have even made sense in the context of the steampunk origin story. The whole "turn on the batteries" in Juleston was there to power a half dozen machines while other machines all over already had power. Why does the Juleston bunker (you know, the place holding all the maintenance supplies) need battery power to be accessible and the others don't? (Oh, that's right, achievements.) Why did you have to send power to the bunker in order to open the giant doors? And again, the sulfur didn't need mixing (can you tell I'm traumatized?).
- Put some puzzles in that have to do with the age. Require a puzzle where you have to know ice floats, like drop a giant floating ice cube in the resevoir to get across. Require a puzzle where you have to fertilize or poison (with sulfur?) or electrocute (after powering up Juleston?) plants to progress through St Andrew. Let the player pick up a battery to locally power puzzles in Juleston (due to broken wires?) instead of just declaring that this lift lacks power but that lift works fine.
2023.06.04 18:02 EngieNeer1968 Don’t Step on Snek - First Contact (Prologue 1/2)
I give my thanks to the ASS (Actively-Shitposting-Scriptwriters) u/Saint-Andros & u/Killsode-slugcat for granting me the knowledge for my first post
As much as I want to get into the main story, I felt like this was needed. Enjoy some:
{First Contact}
[Transcript from the ’Tales of the Theseus’ audiobook, written and narrated by former captain Alexander Keolan]
12th of April, 2119. In less than a century from Humanity's last war, we detected what could only be encoded signals from a source orbiting a gas giant. Being the captain of a surveying vessel was practically a career-killer, but I didn’t care. That sliver of a chance, to find something, someone, out there? It was worth the decreased salary. If only first contact had gone smoothly.
The Theseus was no mighty ship, having barely any armaments except for some point-defense, and its armor definitely could’ve been improved. Being a retro-fitted version of an older vessel, some of my crew used to joke that it was straight from the Fusion Wars\1]). With some of the issues we faced, I was inclined to agree.
Every now and then the drive system would just… stop working. It had a cool-down time to prevent an overload, but every other jump it would shut itself down, and we had to turn it back on with a hammer and some prayers. Issues aside, the Theseus was a good enough ship for me.
Then the drive stopped working entirely.
We were stuck inside a red dwarf system, with only a few planets and a single gas giant. To say I wasn’t scared would be a massive lie. The engineer, Matt Udrey, tried to hammer it back into function, but this time, the hammer remained attached to the drive core.
That was the moment we thought we were fucked.
While survey ships do have increased cargo capacity assigned to rations, back then we didn’t have access to the FTL comms we now take for granted. We were dead in the void, stuck in a star-system and only able to use sub-light thrusters.
Since the drive core was done for, engineering decided to redirect power to sensors, hoping to find somewhere safe to survive. However, instead of finding a landing site or viable orbit, we detected what could only be an artificial signal from the orbit of a gas giant.
We couldn’t figure out its contents due to the massive collapse in signal quality that we suffered while nearing the gas giant, but it gave us hope. A lot of it, in fact. Setting course for the signal, Survey Officer Jay Walken continued to update me and the crew on the signal's content as we got closer.
After an hour of constant burning, Jay informed me privately of the signal's contents. It was a repeating sequence, what I then believed to be akin to our SOS signals.
They were fucked, just like us.
After another hour, we could now see the unknown ship's thrusters firing, but they were flickering, as if out of fuel.Then we stopped seeing their engines altogether. They were trying to burn towards us.
I heard some of my crew utter prayers of various religions, and I proudly admit I joined them. The sound of prayers was broken by Jay.
“We just got blasted with various signals, Captain!” “Are any of them recognizable?” “No, Captain.” At that moment, I felt awful.
I know I should’ve been happy, that signal bombardment was basically handing me a Bridgebuilder\2]) medal, but at that moment I only felt pure anxiety.
“Send the Golden Record, Jay.” “Are you sure, Captain?” “Absolutely fucking not. Do it anyway.” “Aye aye.”
Jay's finger trembled on the comms console as he sent the Record, a modernized version of what Voyager once had.
“Sent, Captain.” “Now we wait.”
An hour passed, and by then the ship could be seen with the naked eye. It didn’t show any visible armaments, which was my first concern, but also didn’t seem to have any external radiators. At the time, it seemed they were way more advanced than us.
Even in a technologically advanced society, engines were still shit.
The ship was sleek compared to ours, with various curves along its hull. The strangest part, however, was the reflective material on the flat portions of the hull. As we waited for their response, Jay focused our sensors on that part of the ship, and we could see very small droplets of something being released into the void, and subsequently being brought back by magnetic fields. Engineering’s curiosity was piqued, and so they redirected our cargo-bays power to the sensors.
The droplets were releasing heat into space, then once cooled, would return to the ship, while the reflective part prevented some of the radiation from flowing back into it.
“Fascinating… a radiator like that could be placed on any part of the ship, and its loss would be insignificant compared to the whole…” Safe to say, the Chief Engineer was wide-eyed with excitement.
“Captain, transmission incoming!” “What’s it say?” “It’s another… Golden record?”
I was completely baffled. On the screen was an identical copy of the Golden Record packet, but with everything being replaced by another species.
“Space crows….”
Jay got to deciphering the packet as fast as possible, but apparently he didn’t need to.
“Warning, system intrusion detected. . . Activating the intercom system.” “This is the Kraytal of the Stellar Wind, are you able to understand us?”
Deathly quiet.
“It seems they’ve already translated English…” “That quick? Captain I’m sorry, but this just seems like a fluke.” “Send an affirmative, immediately.”
A moment later…
“That’s great! It seems your literary collection was quite a boon to bring, humans.” “Hello?” “Yes, Hello to you as well, Human. I am Kraytal Onyx-Drey\3]), of the Sky Breakers Republic. Your closest equivalent would be ‘Captain’.” “I am Captain Keolan, it is good to see you. It seems we’re not the only ones having issues, are we?” “You would be correct, yes… Our engines are not as good as they used to be.”
Ah, the greatest way to connect with anyone: shared hatred of shoddy spacecraft construction.
“Our drive has malfunctioned as well. We cannot exit the system anymore.” “We would be able to tug you back to your system, but you would have to push us to a proper warp point.” “That would be… great, Kraytal.”
[1] - Going from 2078 to 2086, the Fusion Wars were the first wars ever fought in space by humans, over legislation preventing certain nations from extracting critical lunar Helium-3 for their energy infrastructure.
[2] - The Bridgebuilder was a then-theoretical medal made as encouragement for survey captains to search for life outside of Sol. It is now awarded to diplomats who successfully complete first contact procedures.
[3] - The unique naming system of the Cornacchiaris consists of: a descriptor of the shade of black that their wing tips have, and a name chosen by their parents.
submitted by EngieNeer1968 to HFY [link] [comments]
As much as I want to get into the main story, I felt like this was needed. Enjoy some:
{First Contact}
[Transcript from the ’Tales of the Theseus’ audiobook, written and narrated by former captain Alexander Keolan]
12th of April, 2119. In less than a century from Humanity's last war, we detected what could only be encoded signals from a source orbiting a gas giant. Being the captain of a surveying vessel was practically a career-killer, but I didn’t care. That sliver of a chance, to find something, someone, out there? It was worth the decreased salary. If only first contact had gone smoothly.
The Theseus was no mighty ship, having barely any armaments except for some point-defense, and its armor definitely could’ve been improved. Being a retro-fitted version of an older vessel, some of my crew used to joke that it was straight from the Fusion Wars\1]). With some of the issues we faced, I was inclined to agree.
Every now and then the drive system would just… stop working. It had a cool-down time to prevent an overload, but every other jump it would shut itself down, and we had to turn it back on with a hammer and some prayers. Issues aside, the Theseus was a good enough ship for me.
Then the drive stopped working entirely.
We were stuck inside a red dwarf system, with only a few planets and a single gas giant. To say I wasn’t scared would be a massive lie. The engineer, Matt Udrey, tried to hammer it back into function, but this time, the hammer remained attached to the drive core.
That was the moment we thought we were fucked.
While survey ships do have increased cargo capacity assigned to rations, back then we didn’t have access to the FTL comms we now take for granted. We were dead in the void, stuck in a star-system and only able to use sub-light thrusters.
Since the drive core was done for, engineering decided to redirect power to sensors, hoping to find somewhere safe to survive. However, instead of finding a landing site or viable orbit, we detected what could only be an artificial signal from the orbit of a gas giant.
We couldn’t figure out its contents due to the massive collapse in signal quality that we suffered while nearing the gas giant, but it gave us hope. A lot of it, in fact. Setting course for the signal, Survey Officer Jay Walken continued to update me and the crew on the signal's content as we got closer.
After an hour of constant burning, Jay informed me privately of the signal's contents. It was a repeating sequence, what I then believed to be akin to our SOS signals.
They were fucked, just like us.
After another hour, we could now see the unknown ship's thrusters firing, but they were flickering, as if out of fuel.Then we stopped seeing their engines altogether. They were trying to burn towards us.
I heard some of my crew utter prayers of various religions, and I proudly admit I joined them. The sound of prayers was broken by Jay.
“We just got blasted with various signals, Captain!” “Are any of them recognizable?” “No, Captain.” At that moment, I felt awful.
I know I should’ve been happy, that signal bombardment was basically handing me a Bridgebuilder\2]) medal, but at that moment I only felt pure anxiety.
“Send the Golden Record, Jay.” “Are you sure, Captain?” “Absolutely fucking not. Do it anyway.” “Aye aye.”
Jay's finger trembled on the comms console as he sent the Record, a modernized version of what Voyager once had.
“Sent, Captain.” “Now we wait.”
An hour passed, and by then the ship could be seen with the naked eye. It didn’t show any visible armaments, which was my first concern, but also didn’t seem to have any external radiators. At the time, it seemed they were way more advanced than us.
Even in a technologically advanced society, engines were still shit.
The ship was sleek compared to ours, with various curves along its hull. The strangest part, however, was the reflective material on the flat portions of the hull. As we waited for their response, Jay focused our sensors on that part of the ship, and we could see very small droplets of something being released into the void, and subsequently being brought back by magnetic fields. Engineering’s curiosity was piqued, and so they redirected our cargo-bays power to the sensors.
The droplets were releasing heat into space, then once cooled, would return to the ship, while the reflective part prevented some of the radiation from flowing back into it.
“Fascinating… a radiator like that could be placed on any part of the ship, and its loss would be insignificant compared to the whole…” Safe to say, the Chief Engineer was wide-eyed with excitement.
“Captain, transmission incoming!” “What’s it say?” “It’s another… Golden record?”
I was completely baffled. On the screen was an identical copy of the Golden Record packet, but with everything being replaced by another species.
“Space crows….”
Jay got to deciphering the packet as fast as possible, but apparently he didn’t need to.
“Warning, system intrusion detected. . . Activating the intercom system.” “This is the Kraytal of the Stellar Wind, are you able to understand us?”
Deathly quiet.
“It seems they’ve already translated English…” “That quick? Captain I’m sorry, but this just seems like a fluke.” “Send an affirmative, immediately.”
A moment later…
“That’s great! It seems your literary collection was quite a boon to bring, humans.” “Hello?” “Yes, Hello to you as well, Human. I am Kraytal Onyx-Drey\3]), of the Sky Breakers Republic. Your closest equivalent would be ‘Captain’.” “I am Captain Keolan, it is good to see you. It seems we’re not the only ones having issues, are we?” “You would be correct, yes… Our engines are not as good as they used to be.”
Ah, the greatest way to connect with anyone: shared hatred of shoddy spacecraft construction.
“Our drive has malfunctioned as well. We cannot exit the system anymore.” “We would be able to tug you back to your system, but you would have to push us to a proper warp point.” “That would be… great, Kraytal.”
[1] - Going from 2078 to 2086, the Fusion Wars were the first wars ever fought in space by humans, over legislation preventing certain nations from extracting critical lunar Helium-3 for their energy infrastructure.
[2] - The Bridgebuilder was a then-theoretical medal made as encouragement for survey captains to search for life outside of Sol. It is now awarded to diplomats who successfully complete first contact procedures.
[3] - The unique naming system of the Cornacchiaris consists of: a descriptor of the shade of black that their wing tips have, and a name chosen by their parents.
2023.06.04 17:40 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to friendship [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 17:37 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to chat [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 17:37 PigletKlutzy9711 Broke Right Hand in February and Just recently broke left arm.
I have had to have surgery on both. At this time I'm not allowed to go anywhere with my dog alone. ( according to husband and surgeon.)I'm so depressed. The hand situation did not heal properly because there is no way that I could leave my dog inside for the length of my recovery. Well I've learned a lesson and feel like God came down and bitch slapped me with a broken arm. I am super active and independent. It's a real wake up when I can't put on clothes,let alone bra would be impossible. Ugh This is the thing, I'm really unsure what to do? My dog is amazing. I have people that ask me at least once a month if I would consider selling him. He is a Catahoula, he is great with dogs,people,babies, you name it. Catahoula's are working dogs, I knew this when he was 8weeks and picked him up. He was planned. He is almost 5 years old. What the problem is both accidents happened at my house right in the front. The first one when I broke my pinky, shattered my knuckle on the finger next to it and spranged my wrist happened because the neighbor who lives next door has a horrible little dog that she used to let roam freely. It would come straight to my front window and terrorize my dog. We tried to get them friendly and her dog bit me, a trainer and my dog. My dog is 90 lbs muscle. Her dog is maybe 15 20lbs. Then her dog continued to get out and one day when my dog and I were leaving her dog bit me then my dog and I guess my dog had enough and he nearly killed her dog. Actually no blood but choked him out. She finally has stopped him from going outside off leash. We also found out that before this she has had at least two dogs put down for fighting her dog. So I know that I need to keep my dog safe. My dog is only reactive at my house. Perfect when he goes to his camp when out of town. They use my dog to vet potential new dogs to make sure they are safe. Great off leash. When I get home with him everyday its like going to hell. Her dog barks all day. He is renting space in my dogs head. Her dog is my alarm clock. It goes outside and starts barking and at that point my dog goes from sound asleep to on all 4's and starts howling until I let him outside in our backyard and then if her dog in out in the part of her yard that meets my yard the two dogs run up and down the fence. No grass grows in this area . It's a mud pile. All day it's non stop war. We have not had a run in with them in two years. My dog has NEVER ONCE,no accidents, nothing,ever been in our front yard with out his leash. If it would ever be his fault he would be put down by her. Or it would be a big fight. Actually he wouldn't because I'd hit the road. Or end up in jail. ( I've never been to jail and I'm a 50 yr old woman). So the first hand I was reading my mail sitting in my truck in my driveway like an idiot. My dog is always wrapped around my hand a million times. She opened her front door and let her dog out and who knows if she did it on purpose (because she does these type of things to make the situation worse and that is another long story,she is not mentally fit) however she had to get a front fence so her dog would not escape. Of course the fence is only 3ft tall so it has stopped her dog from coming over but if my dog gets loose, he could clear that fence in a heartbeat. So I'm vigilant and for the last 3.5 years he can't get away from me. Back to me being an idiot reading my mail, my dog lunged out of my truck, I caught major air and broke the shit out of my hand. Two weeks later had surgery on the knuckle because it was demolished. I do not have the type of dog that I can sit around with. If he does not get out 3 hours a day and do training,running,playing with other dogs then I will have an aggressive dog. If I skip a day my dog makes me pay for it. So I did not take as good of care as I should have after surgery and my knuckle is thrashed. The arm surgeon has said that he wouldn't touch it. I'm screwed for life. Not only is it still broken, I'm in a lot of pain. Then because that was my right arm , I was wrapping his leash when we leave around my left hand and we had left to go on a walk, she ( the neighbor )has cameras all over our yards and I don't really mind because it's to make sure that the dogs do not meet. Anyways I forgot my phone, my dog and I ran back in, and he is still wrapped around my left hand. She saw us leave, I don't think she saw us come back,she let her dog out and when I opened my front door,her dog barked, my dog took off like a bat out of hell and my left arm went through the door with my dog and I got caught inside and it snapped my arm. I thought I was going to die. It hurt really bad. I feel so sorry for myself. It literally crushed the bone. I have a metal plate from my palm to the middle of my arm. If I did not have surgery it was a cast for 6 weeks and possibly pain for life. With surgery it's this metal plate then in 2 weeks start physical therapy. Then surgery on the knuckle with the spring type device that I stretched the spring and now my finger is just broken and healing in the wrong direction. This does not allow pictures but when anybody looks at my hand they just make a sound that is like agony and pain. On top of all of this , I'm definitely a Tom boy but I've always taken care of myself. I do care about my appearance. I've always acted like I'm a lot younger than my age and I feel disgusted with myself. I can't shower. Taking a bath is challenging. My hair is a rats nest. I'm not good at asking for help. I'm proud. I'm not comfortable with people seeing me naked. I hate pain killers. Normally right now in our world doctors are hesitant to prescribe pain meds and I hate them but my doctors are begging me to take them and sit still. It's really hard. If you are still with me, thank you and I know this is long. I did not know how to ask a question with out a back story. This is my question.. Tomorrow night I have a trainer and a behaviorist coming over to help with my dog and see the situation. I've talked with them and told them what I've told you. I do not see what could have been trained into my dog that could have helped this. It was my fault. I should have been more vigilant in my truck reading the mail or should have been inside. I have control over my dog when I'm paying attention. It's hard but I've got him. My dog is always going to react to a squirrel, cat and the dog next door. The trainers even said it would be impossible to train it out of this type of breed. I'm not sure how familiar anyone reading this is with catahoula's but anyone who has one, a 100% catahoula knows that they are a different breed of dogs. He is the best dog I've ever had but he is a challenge and he was not a mistake. I wanted the challenge. It's been great up to this point. Does anyone have any ideas for me. From what to do during the day inside for mental stimulation? Also what should I concentrate on with the trainer? The neighbor will not do anything to help. She probably loves this. Sadly we have had letters in our mailbox about her dog and him being a nuisance. I can't get on board with mob mentality and I don't want her dog put down. I think she does love him.i don't get the 3ft fence and if tables were turned she would have been the person who started the letter about my dog. She would kill my dog herself if she could. Anyways she is going to be no help. Any ideas? Constructive criticism, anything that might help me I'd really appreciate. I'm at an all time low right now. I feel gross,look gross, pain,guilt,anger,soooooo mad at myself I could die. I was supposed to go home to help my parents,they are out of state and dad has lung cancer and mom is close to 80. They had to help me. I feel so awful. They don't need to be worrying about 50 year old daughter that acts like I'm a 12 year old boy. Ugh. Thanks again
submitted by PigletKlutzy9711 to reactivedogs [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 17:33 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to InternetFriends [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 17:14 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to Needafriend [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 17:05 cjh16 [FOR SALE] Moving sale, downsizing my collection: Rap/Indie/Rock/Metal/Electronic/Custom mystery boxes. Something for everyone!
Hey Vinyl friends,
I'll be moving in a few weeks so I'd like to downsize my collection a bit. https://imgur.com/a/VUkKV8n Everything has been cared for and stored properly after being played once or twice on my AT-LP5. Please leave a comment and send me a chat or PM if you're interested in anything and I'll get back to you quickly. Happy to provide pictures or links.I'm also open to offers and trades! https://www.discogs.com/usecameronjhoff
Orders ship out ASAP from Wisconsin with tracking number via USPS media mail to US ONLY. PayPal G&S only. $5 shipping +$1 for each additional LP.
Grading is (Vinyl/Sleeve)
Alt J - An Awesome Wave: (NM/VG+) $20
Ariel Pink - Pom Pom: (NM/NM) $22
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command: (NM/NM) Yellow vinyl bootleg. $65
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow: (NM/NM) VMP$30
The Black Angels - Passover: (NM/NM) $45
Black Wing Bundle. $40 for both
Blue Sky Black Death & Nacho Picasso - Exalted: (NM/VG+) 2xLP 45 rpm Clear w/ Purple and black splatter. $45
Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap: (NM/NM) 2xLP Purple vinyl bootleg, INCLUDES THE SONG "JUICE" $65
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy: (NM/NM) original 2xLP black vinyl with red sky cover. $20
Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry: (NM/NM) gatefold black vinyl with hype sticker on outer sleeve. $20
Tim Heckers - Virgins: (NM/VG+) First press black vinyl. $35
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys: (VG+/VG+) 180 g black vinyl. $25
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures: (NM/NM) Rare Limited edition 40th anniversary press on red vinyl. $70
Joy Division - Closer: (NM/NM) $25
Buy BOTH Joy Division for $90
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon 3: (NM/NM) $20
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music: (NM/NM) VMP 2xLP splatter vinyl with instrumentals. $30
Lord Finesse - The Awakening: (NM/NM) VMP clear with gold/black splatter vinyl. $25
Mellowhype - Black and White: (NM/NM) original press on black vinyl, really nice gatefold sleeve. $40
Mellowhype - Numbers: (NM/NM) original 2xLP black vinyl, gatefold sleeve. INCLUDES CD and hype sticker on outer sleeve. $65
Buy BOTH Mellowhype for $95
MikeWillMadeIt - Ransom 2: (NM/VG+) $25
Odd Future - Radical: (NM/NM) 2xLP clear vinyl bootleg. $50
Pantera - Vulger Display of Power: (NM/NM) Ash Grey swril vinyl repress, still in shrink with hype sticker. $25
People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.: (NM/NM) VMP 2xLP coke bottle clear vinyl. Includes Obi and extras. $45
Phish - Slip Stitch and Pass: (NM/NM-) 2xLP limited edition Blue and Purple splatter, numbered RSD copy 7256/8000. Honestly one of/if not THE best sounding record I've ever owned. $110
The Roots - How I Got Over: (NM/VG+) VMP reflective cover, silver pinwheel vinyl. $40
The Strokes bundle. $55 for both
- Is This It: (NM/VG+) black vinyl repress. $20
The Voidz - Virtue: (VG+/VG+) first press, includes poster. $24
White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade: (NM/NM) $40
VMP Mystery Box: Contains 4 (NM) VMP pressings (based on what you have in your collection/your taste in music) on color vinyl with all extras included at a way cheaper cost than the subscription. $88
Color Vinyl Multi-genre Mystery Box: Contains 4 (NM) color vinyl pressings, all different colors and all different genres (Electronic/Indie/Folk/Jazz/Post-rock/Prog-rock). INCLUDES 1 SIGNED RECORD $50
Curated Mystery Box: $100. based on your discogs collection/wantlist. Contains (4-5 LPs) ALL in VG+ condition OR BETTER. I'll include a little write up on the selections and why I picked them. I've done about 15 of these and everyone has loved them. https://imgur.com/a/aOEui31 I really enjoy putting these together too so please let me know if you'd be interested!
submitted by cjh16 to VinylCollectors [link] [comments]
I'll be moving in a few weeks so I'd like to downsize my collection a bit. https://imgur.com/a/VUkKV8n Everything has been cared for and stored properly after being played once or twice on my AT-LP5. Please leave a comment and send me a chat or PM if you're interested in anything and I'll get back to you quickly. Happy to provide pictures or links.I'm also open to offers and trades! https://www.discogs.com/usecameronjhoff
Orders ship out ASAP from Wisconsin with tracking number via USPS media mail to US ONLY. PayPal G&S only. $5 shipping +$1 for each additional LP.
Grading is (Vinyl/Sleeve)
Ariel Pink - Pom Pom: (NM/NM) $22
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command: (NM/NM) Yellow vinyl bootleg. $65
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow: (NM/NM) VMP$30
The Black Angels - Passover: (NM/NM) $45
Black Wing Bundle. $40 for both
- Black Wing - ...Is Doomed: (NM/NM) $20
- Black Wing - No Moon: (NM/NM) 2xLP Aqua Blue vinyl. $25
Blue Sky Black Death & Nacho Picasso - Exalted: (NM/VG+) 2xLP 45 rpm Clear w/ Purple and black splatter. $45
Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap: (NM/NM) 2xLP Purple vinyl bootleg, INCLUDES THE SONG "JUICE" $65
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy: (NM/NM) original 2xLP black vinyl with red sky cover. $20
Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry: (NM/NM) gatefold black vinyl with hype sticker on outer sleeve. $20
Tim Heckers - Virgins: (NM/VG+) First press black vinyl. $35
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures: (NM/NM) Rare Limited edition 40th anniversary press on red vinyl. $70
Joy Division - Closer: (NM/NM) $25
Buy BOTH Joy Division for $90
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon 3: (NM/NM) $20
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music: (NM/NM) VMP 2xLP splatter vinyl with instrumentals. $30
Lord Finesse - The Awakening: (NM/NM) VMP clear with gold/black splatter vinyl. $25
Mellowhype - Black and White: (NM/NM) original press on black vinyl, really nice gatefold sleeve. $40
Mellowhype - Numbers: (NM/NM) original 2xLP black vinyl, gatefold sleeve. INCLUDES CD and hype sticker on outer sleeve. $65
Buy BOTH Mellowhype for $95
MikeWillMadeIt - Ransom 2: (NM/VG+) $25
Odd Future - Radical: (NM/NM) 2xLP clear vinyl bootleg. $50
Pantera - Vulger Display of Power: (NM/NM) Ash Grey swril vinyl repress, still in shrink with hype sticker. $25
People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.: (NM/NM) VMP 2xLP coke bottle clear vinyl. Includes Obi and extras. $45
Phish - Slip Stitch and Pass: (NM/NM-) 2xLP limited edition Blue and Purple splatter, numbered RSD copy 7256/8000. Honestly one of/if not THE best sounding record I've ever owned. $110
The Roots - How I Got Over: (NM/VG+) VMP reflective cover, silver pinwheel vinyl. $40
- Room on Fire: (NM/NM) VMP Red/Yellow/Blue vinyl. $40
The Voidz - Virtue: (VG+/VG+) first press, includes poster. $24
White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade: (NM/NM) $40
VMP Mystery Box: Contains 4 (NM) VMP pressings (based on what you have in your collection/your taste in music) on color vinyl with all extras included at a way cheaper cost than the subscription. $88
Color Vinyl Multi-genre Mystery Box: Contains 4 (NM) color vinyl pressings, all different colors and all different genres (Electronic/Indie/Folk/Jazz/Post-rock/Prog-rock). INCLUDES 1 SIGNED RECORD $50
Curated Mystery Box: $100. based on your discogs collection/wantlist. Contains (4-5 LPs) ALL in VG+ condition OR BETTER. I'll include a little write up on the selections and why I picked them. I've done about 15 of these and everyone has loved them. https://imgur.com/a/aOEui31 I really enjoy putting these together too so please let me know if you'd be interested!
2023.06.04 17:05 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
the-finality#8188
submitted by 3598159 to discordfriends [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
the-finality#8188
2023.06.04 16:59 3598159 48[M4F] Looking for a friend
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to Kikpals [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 16:56 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend [chat]
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to MakeNewFriendsHere [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 16:55 3598159 48M - Looking for a friend [chat]
1) this is strictly platonic. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, just an interesting conversation.
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
submitted by 3598159 to MeetPeople [link] [comments]
2) if you message me please tell me you’re name, where you’re from and how old you are.
Some of my interests include reading, creative writing, history, philosophy, sociology, abnormal psychology, nature, art, animals, photography, food, music, tv shows, movies, memes, outer space, science and technology. I can talk about anything and everything.
I am brainstorming/worldbuilding/researching ideas for a creative work. Some of the genres include supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, bizarro, mystery, kitchen sink realism, science-fiction, and horror. I would like to talk about ideas since I am always brainstorming, worldbuilding, or researching.
I am looking for someone who actually wants to talk and engage in conversation. In addition, I am looking for someone who likes to ask questions and does not give one-word responses. I can hold a conversation and ask questions, but it is important for the other party to converse too.
2023.06.04 16:52 micronesiarain Episode 5- "Killer Queens" 🔪😱
 | Before this episode begins, I am so happy to say that this is the 100th episode of MDR! I guess I knew we'd reach it one day, but still can't believe it. It has truly felt like it's flown by, but the countless memories I have are a reminder of the past year and a half, and all 100 episodes. I am so appreciative of the support on this project, it has been so much fun to bring to life, and I can't thank everyone enough for letting us get to this milestone. Enjoy the episode <3 submitted by micronesiarain to XtinasDragRace [link] [comments] ------------------------- the queens return to the workroom after Sharris' elimination 🏁Kami CF: Coming back from the last elimination, I feel like we need at least two to three business days to decompress. It was wild! Steph: Well...how y'all doin'? the queens look around the room in silence Whorechata: I just wanted to say something. Things got really out of hand earlier, and I know it was hard for all of us. But if there was any group to go through this with, I'm glad it was you all. Wren: Aw, thank you. I feel the same wa- Whorechata: I mean really, there's no group I'd want to go through being safe with. It was such an intense moment, but you all held me down. Sue: ... Anthyy: That's not where I thought you were going with that! Whorechata: Oh and I guess the Sharris thing was unfortunate too, but the real tragedy was just so much worse. 🏁Whorechata CF: Whew, let me try and hold back these tears. I knew this competition would get intense, but I never knew the level it would get to. So when Micro called me safe, it was a wake up call about just how nasty things can get here. A disaster, truly. Morgs: I don't want to excuse what Sharris said. It was definitely not a nice thing to say. Wren: I swear there's a "but" coming. Steph: Wren, this is a family show... Morgs: But, I have to be real and say that I'm sad to see her gone. She was someone I was really close with, and I know that this meant so much. Blondie: You can be sad that your friend isn't here anymore, but you really can't be sad that her toxic energy was removed from this environment. Morgs: My relationship with Sharris wasn't toxic. I know she did some of you wrong. But that wasn't my experience. 🏁Morgs CF: I feel like I'm put between a rock and Jackie Cox's face right now. All of the other queens are allowed to react however they want to when it comes to one of their friends going home. But when I do it, it feels like I'm not really allowed to feel sad about it. Anthyy: I never saw myself picking Sharris to go home, especially this early. But I can reveal that I chose her lipstick. And I do feel for Morgs, that's your sister. What it came down to was that I needed to make sure the competition was kept as drama free as possible. Morgs: I understand, it's okay. 🏁Anthyy CF: Morgs and Sharris were two people I had an alliance with. Even before we came here, I knew we'd look out for each other. However, it comes down to what feels right on a human level, and Sharris took things too far with Wren. I had to take a stand, even if it meant sending home an ally. Wren: Full tea, what Sharris said didn't really bother me. I've heard worse, and I'm sure I'll hear worse in the future. Blondie: That's not fair to you, though. Wren: It's okay! You all know that me loving myself isn't an issue, I'm not about to let that get to me. 🏁Wren CF: I mean, how did Sharris want me to react? Did she want this to be the part where you bring out the tiny violin and switch everything to black and white while I wistfully look through a window while a single tear falls down my well defined cheekbones? Girl bye. Blondie: One thing's for sure, people proved who they really were. Some of you who rode for what Sharris was saying, I won't forget that. Fleur rolls her eyes and laughs 🏁Blondie CF: My relationship with Fleur has gone down to a zero. Or scratch that, a negative two. We do run in similar circles, and I was expecting that to mean something in this competition. And it did for the first day or so. But when the pressure got turned up, Fleur showed her true colors. I need space from her right now, or else I'll pop off, and I'm not trying to be a fighter again. All that screaming messes up your vocal chords, and Fleur is not worth that! Fleur: The vagueness is killing me. Blondie: I'm not being vague, I'm just not giving you the attention you're craving. Fleur: Blondie, be so real right now. Do you think I'm scared of you? Do you think there's any reason why I should be scared of you in this competition? Blondie: Based on who won a challenge, maybe! Fleur: Oh right, I forgot you won a challenge. Or did you even win it? It felt a lot like Zodya carrying you. Blondie: The win is still sitting pretty. Something not everyone can say! 🏁Fleur CF: Blondie, I tried. I tried to defy the odds and actually get along with you here. But you've just proven to me that everyone here is truly awful. I'm not worried about anyone here being able to take me out. So why not give them hell and make them all miserable? That sounds even nicer than a crown. Yes, that'll do just fine. Get ready for it, you woke up the bitch. Well, the inner bitch. The outer bitch has been here the whole time. You know what I meant. And edit some nice villain music under all of that. It's showtime! The Next Day the queens dance into the workroom and over to the table 🏁Kami CF: It's a new day in the workroom, and I'm hoping the next challenge is something like baking cupcakes. That might be the only thing capable of bringing us back together. But for real, that would be so fun... Zodya: Sue, I have to ask how you felt during the last lipsync. Sue: I was fine. Really, I was so fine! And side note, but the sheets in the hotel are really great at absorbing tears. Or so I've been told. 🏁Sue CF: I really thought that last week could've been it for me. Everything felt so right, but it just wasn't enough. I'm desperate to prove myself as a strong competitor here, and someone that people should be afraid of. But without a win, it's hard to do that. Whorechata: I was surprised at the top two, and that's only a moderate read. Zodya: I'm scared for this answer, but who would you have taken out of the top? Anthyy: And I know you might say me, but I don't really care. I know I turned it out, mama. Whorechata: I would have replaced both of you! I think Sue should've been up there. And the other spot would have to go to a beautiful queen, full of talent, starts with a W... Wren: Aw, me? Whorechata: No, me. Wren: Oh! Not sure why I'm even surprised by that at this point. the workroom door swings open and Micro walks in, wearing a tailored white suit with a matching hat and cherry red lip Micro: Hello queens! Steph: Alright, pimp mama! Micro: Last week, things got a little tense. And uh, that might be a bit of an understatement. Which is why for your next challenge, it would make sense to do something a little more lighthearted. Kami: Yes please! Micro: But you know how we do things around here. For your next challenge, you'll be killing each other. Blondie: Oh dear god. Micro: With your acting, of course! The ten of you will be randomly split into two teams of five. In this group, you will be in charge of producing a plot, trailer, and captivating poster for the next big horror movie. How you choose to work within your team, that's up to you. But if I were you, I'd be sure to contribute if you want to avoid the bottom. And on the runway, category is "Pretty Little Prosthetics". Good luck, and get ready to scream! 🏁Blondie CF: For our challenge this week, we're split into teams as we create a horror movie. On my team, we have Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, and Zodya. And on the other team, Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, and Wren. Less than thrilled to be on a team with Fleur, but it's a strong group, and I think our chances of winning are pretty solid! the teams scatted through the workroom, with Blondie, Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, and Zodya talking by the couches 🏁Whorechata CF: It's starting to get to me that I haven't really been performing at the level I know I'm capable of here. I'm feeling a new sense of determination this week, and I have a whole list of ideas for this challenge. It's time to prove why I'm here. Whorechata: So...I have ideas. Fleur: There's a first for everything! Whorechata: I'm thinking it could be cool to have the movie be shown from two different perspectives. The same story, but you see it differently depending on who it's focusing on. A sort of play on how the same situation can be perceived differently by different people. Zodya: Wait, I love that? Kami: That's a really great idea. Whorechata: I know, that's why I said it! I mean...thanks! 🏁Kami CF: I do tend to feel stressed in group challenges. Especially with this big of a group. There are five of us. There might be more room to hide, but it's also so much harder to stand out. I want my voice to be heard, and I want to shine, but I'm not sure how. Fleur: I'll volunteer to work on the poster. Kami: Nice! Do you want help on that? Fleur: Hmm, I think I can do it on my own. 🏁Fleur CF: First of all, I'd rather eat sand than work with anyone on my team. And, the poster is a huge part of this challenge. If I do it on my own, that means all the credit goes to me. Maybe a bad idea if the poster turns out ugly, but I'm not too worried about that. My only worry now is what to wear for the lipsync this week! Zodya: Blondie, do you have an idea of what you're working on? Blondie: I'll do whatever you need. Put me wherever and give me something to do. Whorechata: Work with me on the script. I need someone to read through it and make sure it makes sense. One little issue, can you read? Blondie: You bitch. 🏁Whorechata CF: I didn't plan on taking a leader position this week, but it kinda fell into place. We're getting some good work done, most of us at least. Kami, I know she wants to contribute, but I don't know what she's done yet? And that's starting to worry me. We might not be able to get this done in time... the team of Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, and Wren talk around the table Anthyy: Ladies, ready to win? I need this one! Wren: Oh please, you do not need another win right now. I'm already getting the Greantee flashbacks as is! 🏁Wren CF: Being on a team with Anthyy is really scary. I like her, we get along. But if we do well, that means another win for her. At a certain point, we need to stop her. Sue: I feel like I could work on the poster? I can do my best with that! Wren: That's perfect. Do we want ours to be a parody of iconic movies, or should it be fully original? Morgs: I would maybe bring those ideas together. It can be a new and fresh idea, but still referencing certain ideas that have worked before. Wren: I like that, I like that. Anthyy: I would feel most comfortable working on the poster. Steph: I think Sue mentioned wanting to work on that. Anthyy: I don't want to take it away from her of course. Sue: No, it's okay! Whatever is best for the team. Anthyy: Are you sure? Sue: If that's what will make our team strong, that's what we should do. Anthyy: Thank you Sue, such a queen! Morgs, do you want to get some work done on this? Morgs: Anything for you, well of course! the team works on their script before coming back together to go over their progress Anthyy: I have the outfits for the poster almost done. But don't worry, they'll be done. Wren: Not to be shady, but what were the two of you doing for all that time? You were gone for awhile, and didn't get anything done. Morgs: She just said she was working on the outfits and that they're almost done. Wren: The two of you talked a lot about what you were going to contribute, I'm not seeing much of anything. You need to do your part in the group. Anthyy: We are. Don't diminish our work! Wren: I don't see what work I'm diminishing... 🏁Wren CF: Maybe I need to appoint myself as the team leader, because we are not making enough progress. Anthyy and Morgs are like the two friends in school who work together on all the projects, but never get anything done because they're talking the whole time. We have serious work to do! Morgs: I've been adding to the script, Anthyy's done the outfits, we've done more than enough. Wren: That's not what I asked you two to do. Morgs, you were supposed to look over what I was doing, not add your own stuff. Morgs: I get that, but I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. Wren: Well it feels like you're either doing nothing, or just making things worse. 🏁Anthyy CF: Wren is making me and Morgs feel horrible during this challenge. We're doing the work, more than some other people in the team! But she ignores that since they're friends. It's making me question if I want to even be here, because she's making me feel so bad right now. the teams continue to work, as Whorechata goes over to the other team Whorechata: So like, what if we had more time? Steph: We have to be on the runway soon, I don't think that's an option. Whorechata: If we all ask for a few more hours, maybe Micro will give it to us. 🏁Whorechata CF: What we have so far is good. But time is our biggest issue. If we can get a little extra, I know we can pull it all together. And it helps the other team too, it makes sense. Anthyy: I don't think we need the extra time. Wren: We don't, I know we don't. 🏁Wren CF: Your poor time management is not my fault. We were given the time we were given. If you can't make that work, start packing your bags. Whorechata: But would you be against it? Anthyy: I'm not making a scene over extra time, but we don't need it. Whorechata: So what I'm hearing is that I can ask for more time... Morgs: I wouldn't be mad with more time. Sue: I'm happy to make it work either way. Whorechata: Perfect! Whorechata leaves the workroom to ask a producer about extra time, before realizing there are no producers, only Micro. She drags Micro into the workroom while she's halfway done with getting ready for the runway Micro: Chile, what now? Whorechata: You know how much we love you, right? And how you really don't even need a corset, no matter what everyone says about your waist. Micro: Excuse me? Whorechata: What I'm saying is, we need a little more time for the challenge. Micro: And everyone's good with that? Whorechata: They'd love it! Micro: I'm asking them...not you. Whorechata: Sorry, I'm just speaking for the people. I'm motherly like that. Micro: Does anyone strongly object to a few more hours for the challenge. Anthyy and Wren hesitate before raising their hands, and bringing them back down when nobody else objects Micro: Alright, you can have a few more hours. But you better use it and make this the best challenge yet. Whorechata: Mwah, thank you! 🏁Wren CF: When Micro says that there's an extension, I start to see red. Our group does not need this extra time. We may not have everything done right now, but when we hit the runway, it would've been ready. Micro leaves the workroom and the queens talk while getting ready by the mirrors Wren: This is such bullshit, just so you all know. Kami: What happened? Wren: This whole extra time. Kami: Were you guys done with your work? Wren: ...that's not the point. We would've been done with it. Anthyy: To me, it just feels like riggory. Micro wants the underdogs to win this week, so she's giving you more time. Zodya: Underdogs? Anthyy: I don't mean that in a shady way. I'm just saying that our team seemed stronger, and Micro wanted to make it less obvious. It's clear to me. Wren: Exactly. 🏁Zodya CF: I don't know what Anthyy and Wren are trying to get at with this. I saw their work, it's nowhere near done. And in what world are we the underdogs? Anthyy sees everything by the numbers, but that isn't the only thing that matters in a challenge like this. Anthyy: Look, it doesn't matter. Congrats on winning this week, woohoo! Runway the lights flicker and an electric magenta light floods the runway as Micro struts down the center Micro Episode 5 Look Micro: Welcome back to the runway of Micro's Drag Race: All Stars Two! This week, the queens were challenged with working in teams to come up with original horror film concepts. And joining me on the judging panel is a queen with killer creativity, Lisbon! Lisbon Guest Judging Look Micro: Lisbon, thank you for being here! Lisbon: Anything for you...as long as you give me a crown one day. Micro: Ha! Lisbon: I'm not joking...oh at all. Micro: Oh. I'll see what I can do about that! Do you have any terrifying moments from your time on MDR that might inspire you in a challenge like this? Lisbon: Why yes, I have quite a few! Season One Episode Twelve, All Stars One Episode Twelve, XDRVTW Episode Six. I'd have to say those really stick out. Micro: Any reason? Lisbon: Nope, none at all! Lisbon pulls out her voodoo dolls of Unieke, Tiwa, and Crystal Micro: Well, that is not at all troubling! You ready to get into things? Lisbon: Please, before I turn these dolls into a pile of fluff. Micro: Alright! First up on the runway, category is "Pretty Little Prosthetics"! "Bad Juju" by Jujubee plays Anthyy: Tonight on the runway the theme is prosthetics! And honey trust me this theme is just asking itself for it to be a creppy spooky lewk, but i already served that last week and on episode 1 an literally thorught the whle halloween special for miss Xtina so this time i wanted to make sure i am as girly as i can be with this prostehtics them! But also there is another layer to it i would never just go for a look and dont do nothing behing to it. Tonight on the runway i am channeling a broken porcelain ballerina doll. My whole dress is made out of glass and i am walking very carefully but stunning-ly by the runway. Her story is that her soul is trapped inside a ballerina's figure body and as you can see on the skin an thorughout her body she is slowly turning into that sad ballerina with the glass pieces cutting through her skin,, thats what the prostheticas are in my look! they modify her whole face, she is sad on the glass side, she is trapped and she is bleeding! but in pink! cause pretty girls have pink blood! Don't try and check it though! This runway also need to have a personal touch for me to feel good about it and tonight i wanted to honur my grandma, since she always wanted to become a ballerina but never made it! so granny tonight! you are the prettiest glass ballerina on the mainstage of the biggest compeitiotn! Anthyy Look Blondie: KERMI! I AM READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP MON AMOUR! Tonight I am representing the original camp/fashion icon Miss Piggy! I am wearing prosthetic ears, a nose, and a cute wiggly tail! I am also wearing more passing than usual to create that big girl magic energy, so not only am I appropriating fat people, but pigs as well! The dress is completely made by moi and completely bedazzled, I get actual pearls and diamond encrusted headband, and I styled the 40 inch weave myself! I am taking a huge risk going camp, but I rather go out looking like a pig, than actually being one (cough cough Alex cough cough) . And you don't like it, expect this karate chop! HI-YA! Blondie Look Fleur: People say I am two faced which I don't necessarily agree with because I say what I want when I want but I just wanted to pay homage to the losers of my past arguements who call me two faced by wearing a prosthetic head! Two heads is always better than one head, am I right Fleur Look Kami: For my prosthetics lewk I am getting down and dirty mawma! I just wanted to do something fun this week, so I have gone with this sort of pig prosthetic thingy. This is for my fellow vegan/vegetarian qweens! #ISTANDWITHVEGANTEACHER Kami Look Morgs: Silicon manufacturing with your own skin using inorganic compounds of negotiated slurp products for your bodacious perfect size scabs snack for youthful glow anti aging properties may turn vou slime new products for you soon including waters I discussed with Wren stay tune #microfracking Morgs Look Steph: for my prosthetic look tonight i wanted to gag everyone by showing that i can be green with envy and still be pretty. just look at my skin and my long nose and she’s bald! also that rat is just a little scrumptious snack for later YUMMY YUMMY!! what’s not to love. i love a long soft prosthetic nose, ears, and chinnnn. if ur chin ain’t long, you’re just wrong! Steph Look Sue: So for this runway I am serving you the end of the world but she I still a bad bitch because uwu. Sue Look Whorechata: On the runway tonight I am feeling very SAFE! I am a kraken craking backs mawma! She is giving a full squid head prosthetic this evening. I am ready to wreck holes and boats tonight!!! Whorechata Look Wren: Today on the runway I am giving you Ratrina Ratson, heir to the Ratson throne. She is DRIPPING in like a million fucking layers of jewels, necklaces, bracelets, and silver. When she moves it sounds like windchimes. I have been consistently getting the critique that I don't drag things up enough, and I hope thisll change that. This is what happens if the rats in Cinderella were sent to the ball instead of her, Cinderella has rats in it right? I'm literally just realizing while typing this that I have never seen Cinderella. Wren Look Zodya: For this runway, I am showing off a look inspired by the Dilophosaurus! I have used prosthetics to make myself look fully reptilian, including my large, colorful flaps of skin off my face and hands. And don’t forget to mention my talons, as well as the horns sprouting out throughout my body. Don’t mess with me, queens, or else I’ll tear you apart and eat you alive…in Minecraft! Zodya Look ------------------------- Micro: Thank you ladies. You all look gorgeous, or terrifyingly disturbing. But hey, these looks will definitely be hard to forget. Now, let's take a look at your horror movie scripts. Team 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e-6bIAzNsvFOqKMMaqR7z5Y2ca503HZnzg15Ym4GfLc/edit# Team 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoPn63HhkzwHNf1O4zJJ_Zj0U7tk07x96rx_iCZO4jg/edit?usp=sharing https://youtu.be/eVFuGpRHkdU Critiques Micro: Based on your performances tonight, Lisbon and I have formed some opinions. It's time for your critiques. Micro: First up, Team 1 (Blondie, Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, Zodya)! Lisbon: Well, hello ladies… and Fleur. This concept was really interesting! I like that you weren’t afraid to approach it more seriously and it felt very atmospheric. However, it fell a little flat for me I guess? The addition of the hallucinations felt odd and left me wondering if Desireé or whatever was like- magic? I think this felt like a solid horror short story but I feel like it lacked imagination and was pretty middle of the road content wise. As for your runways… Blondie, I really love this look as I am the Miss Piggy extraordinaire but I wish it was elevated a little more. It’s giving Ariana meets Miss Piggy which I love but it’s definitely a bit more pedestrian than I’d like for All Stars. Fleur this is one of my top looks of the night you look absolutely horrid, no note really other than the glitter bouquet feels a wee bit cheap. Kami, this is cunt. No notes. Lucky, you look good! It’s a great look, I just want more mug I suppose. Zodya this is fierce, I love a concept that is well executed! One note and this is mainly a personal preference, I wish the face was more cunt less monster, but obviously that’s nitpicking. Micro: Hello pretty ladies!! I think within this group, you all have such clear strengths, and I was curious to see how that would work in a team format. And I have to say, I’m really impressed by what you came up with. Starting with the poster, I think it captures that eery feeling and the split down the poster played perfectly into the story of the movie. I think some more contrast on the poster could’ve made it pop even more, but I thought it was nicely done! In the plot, I think this was structured a little more as a scene or trailer, rather than it being an overall summary of what the film would be about and the journey it would take us on. It was well written, I just think it ended up being overshadowed by the trailer since the vibe was quite similar between the two. Speaking of the trailer, it was so gripping. I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next, and that level of suspense isn’t easy to achieve. My one little nitpick would be that I wish the split perspectives were showcased more, but really fantastic work. On the runway, solid looks from each of you! Kami, I love the campiness of this look, and how you and Blondie played into the pig elements of the movie. Very clever! Fleur, this is the blend of concept and glamour that you do so well, nicely done. Lucky and Zodya, these creature looks can be tough to hold onto the fashion, but you both managed to pull it off. The scaling is grand and extravagant, two of the strongest looks of the night. Overall, very impressed by your group! Micro: Next, Team 2 (Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, Wren)! Lisbon: You guys… acting challenges are hard and I get that but this thing? Was super fun!!! Oh my god!!! I think taking the camp and parody route is a risk that is well worth taking because this was really good! Troglodyte was a standout in my opinion, but everyone had their moments. This was such a fun watch and you mixed two horror franchises really well! Micro is a lot scarier though to be honest. My issue tonight with this team is the runways as opposed to the other team over there. Starting with Anthyy, I love the concept as a former dancer, I just know this execution could’ve been a little more en pointe. I’m hilarious. I just wish it was more clearly prosthetic. Morgs, this is a well executed cliché with a fun twist. I’ve seen and was expecting a booby girl but I like that you are pink, this runway isn’t winning any awards though. Steph… girl… these prosthetics are so good… but this dress is god awful. You are giving Party City girl, and that’s the point blank truth. Sue. Meh. It’s fine, just not mind blowing. WREN WHY ARE YOU A RAT? This look is train wreck central. Those are necklace and earring PNGs on that dress and I don’t even know what’s going on with your face. Rat? Why? But like, this group had a phenomenal challenge, but was challenged with looks. Micro: This team is full of some creative creative ladies, so I was really excited to see y’all in a team together. And I just have to say, the execution of this was incredibly well done. The poster, I love the custom looks, the dark shadowy feel, the scary ass “person” in the back, and the little “probably not though” at the bottom. That was a really fun little comedic touch that gave the poster some depth. I have to be honest, I was a little worried when I saw that the concept was so similar to Drag Race, just with a darker twist. I think for a challenge like this, it could’ve been an opportunity to go balls to the wall. But within the concept, you found really nuanced ways of telling the story. The character building and storytelling was next level, and it made me so invested in what was happening. The audio as well, in the words of Wendy Williams, “it was scuh-ary”. I think the way you structured everything as well was something we could actually see with a plot and trailer, clean and concise. The twisted humor throughout the trailer added lots of special touches, I loved to see it. On the runway, some serves were served! Anthyy, this dark ballerina moment is so pure, but also has darker levels beneath the surface. Steph, I think the actual prosthetic work here is amazing. But the dress, I wish it was so much more!! Morgs and Sue, I love how you both took a more standard fashion silhouette, and infused that prosthetic twist throughout. Wren, rat queen! This week was truly a return to the originality and dedication you showcased on Season Six, and this runway proves that. It’s weird, it doesn’t make sense, it’s glamorous, it checks all the boxes. Nicely done. Overall, great work from this team!! Micro: Thank you ladies. This week, you worked in teams. But your individual work is what matters here. When I call your name, please step forward. Micro: Anthyy, Fleur, Morgs, Steph, Zodya. The five of you are safe. You may step to the back of the stage. 🏁Anthyy CF: Disappointed to only be safe, but this week was really awful for me, and I'm just glad I was able to make it through. Micro: Blondie Dahl. On the runway, you were a blushing bacon bride. Micro: Whorechata Grande. In the challenge, you had us all questioning reality. Micro: Wren Wyvern. This week, you scurried your way to the top. Micro: Whorechata, Wren. Congratulations, you are the top two queens of the week! 🏁Whorechata CF: And that's how you do it. 🏁Wren CF: Yes!! Fuck yes!! Finally I get my moment, this is what I've been waiting for! Micro: Blondie, you are safe. Blondie: Better than getting the pork chop! Micro: Sadly, that means Kami and Sue, you are the bottom queens of the week. 🏁Kami CF: This is a horrible feeling. I know how badly I want this, and the thought of my dream being cut short, it's heartbreaking. 🏁Sue CF: I'm devastated right now. I wanted this to be the week where I got to the top, not fall to the bottom. I don't want to be the reason Kami goes home, but I need to fight for my spot. Micro: Whorechata, Wren. In a moment, you will lipsync for your legacy and for the right to eliminate one of the bottom queens. Head backstage to Untucked and deliberate. Untucked the queens enter Untucked 🏁Zodya CF: The bottom two this week is crushing to see. You don't want it to be you, but it stings seeing such amazing people in the bottom. For once, I am glad to not be in the top. Kami: First and foremost, congratulations! Not the ideal situation, but the two of you crushed it, and we need to celebrate that. Wren: Aw, thank you. I don't want to be obnoxious with how I'm feeling, but this just feels amazing. Like, ahhhhh!! Whorechata: I told myself that I would be able to win this challenge if I set my mind to it. And look at me now! It makes me feel great. Steph: I'm obviously really happy for the two of you, but devastated at who's in the bottom. I really didn't expect this. Sue: I thought I gave it my all this week. But when you hear the critiques, it's hard not to feel like you could've done more. I guess that's what I'm feeling right now. Steph: Aw, Sue. I thought you were great. Sue: Thanks. This just, it means more to me than I thought it did? And to go from feeling like I was picking up steam to totally crashing, it's not a slay moment. Steph: Very not slay. Blondie: Whatever happens, you two have brought so much to this. It means a lot that I can call you my sisters. Morgs: Did anyone have issues working with their team? Zodya: I think we all got along! Kami: There was a clear end goal of what we wanted to get done. It would've been nice to feel like we all had the chance to do our fair share, but it was a good experience overall. Whorechata: I know you wanted to do more. But it's up to you to step in and make sure you're involved. You'll get left behind if you wait for us to bring you in. Kami: Yeah, I get it. It's just a lot of emotions, sorry. Whorechata: Hey, you're good. Anthyy: I thought we worked really well. We all brought our own unique twist, and it came out great in my eyes. Morgs giggles 🏁Anthyy CF: The other team does not need to know how bad things were for us. If they know, then they'll think I'm not good at working in a team. They need to think that everything went perfectly! Kami: I would love the opportunity to speak with the top queens if that's alright. Just plead my case a bit. Sue: That would be nice for me as well. 🏁Sue CF: I want to prove to the top queens this week that I deserve to be here. I regret letting Anthyy take over for the poster. But a lot of the love that the characters got, I helped with that. This isn't my time to go, I know it isn't. Whorechata: Alright, let's chat! Kami talks with Whorechata and mentions their connection to Season Five, and how she wants to represent for that. She shares that during Season Five, she felt like she was overshadowed by Moof, and unable to really stand on her own as a strong competitor. Being in the bottom made her realize how badly she wants this, and moving forward, she's dedicated to giving everything she has to this competition Sue talks with Wren and Wren says that she thought Sue would've been in the top this week. Wren tells Sue that her heart is being pulled in two different directions. While she's gotten close with Kami, she can't overlook her long friendship with Sue. Sue tells Wren that she stands by what she did in the challenge, and wishes she took more responsibility for her contributions while the top and bottom queens deliberate, Anthyy and Morgs chat by the touch up mirrors Anthyy: Honestly, I'm over it. Morgs: Oh no, over what? Anthyy: I feel like I need to leave maybe. The way Wren made me feel during the challenge, and saying we weren't doing enough. 🏁Anthyy CF: When we were working on the challenge, Wren said multiple times that she didn't think Morgs and I were doing enough. And to me, that felt like a really shady way of ganging up on us to make sure none of the praise for the challenge got shown to us. I felt myself getting closer with Wren, but her questioning my work ethic, it really broke me. Morgs: You can't leave. You're doing too well. Anthyy: I didn't come here to deal with all this stress. I came here to win, and the pressure is eating away at me. And now for someone to be coming after me, I can't do it anymore. 🏁Morgs CF: Losing Anthyy isn't an option right now. She's the closest person I have here, and I know that she would regret leaving. That's my girl, I need to make sure she's alright. Morgs: I will cry if you go home, and you don't want to make me cry. Anthyy: No, I don't want that! I know I need to fight through this, but it's really hard. I'm not sure what I'll do. the queens return to the runway Micro: Welcome back queens! Will the top two queens of the week please step forward. Whorechata Lipsync Look Wren Lipsync Look Micro: Prior to tonight, you were asked to prepare a lipsync performance of "Die Young" by Kesha. https://youtu.be/NOubzHCUt48 Micro: This is your chance to impress me, and earn the right to give one of the bottom queens...the chop. 🏁Whorechata CF: Little do they know, I put pockets all up in here. Give me all the lipsticks, send 'em all home! 🏁Wren CF: Oh bitch, I'm ready for this! I need to give these girls a few lessons. Micro: Good luck, and don't fuck it up! Read the lipsync here! Micro: Well, that was something! I've made my decision. ... ... Micro: Wren Wyvern. You're a winner, baby! 🏁Wren CF: I did it!! If you asked me how I felt a few hours ago, I would've said that I was questioning my place here. But this little taste of victory, it snapped me right back into place. Micro: Whorechata. You are safe to slay another day. You may step to the back of the stage. Whorechata: Safe, of course. Smile through the pain, smile through the pain. Micro: You may step to the back of the stage. Whorechata: I mean, I could. But what if I stood here? Would I be a winner. Micro: ...no. No, you would not. Whorechata: Shh, no more words. Micro: Now, will the bottom queens please step forward. Kami and Sue step to the front of the stage with shaky hands Micro: I won't lie, this sucks. Both of you are such special queens in this competition. Wren. With great power comes great responsibility. Wren: Ugh, this is the worst part. Micro: Which queen have you chosen...to get the chop? Wren: Ultimately I believe with one of you I would not be in the top and you were such a joy to have on our team and you did a lot of the conceptualizing. I am not about to have my Bebe Zahara Benet moment so the person I have chosen is… ... ... Wren: Kami. Wren's Lipstick Choice Kami smiles and wipes away a tear as Micro and the other queens get emotional Wren: I'm so sorry. Kami: It's all good, I promise! 🏁Kami CF: I wanted this. I wanted this so bad. But I'm leaving this competition as a better queen than I was when I walked in. Seeing people believe in me gave me permission to believe in myself. My time will come. Micro: Kami. You are one of the kindest, genuine, and most talented queens to ever grace this stage. Kami: I appreciate that more than I can say. It might not have ended the way I wanted, but I'm forever grateful for this experience. Micro: Sadly, I must ask you to sashay away. Kami walks to the back of the stage as Anthyy leads a crowd of queens up on stage to embrace Kami before she leaves Kami: Love you all. Until we meet again! Micro: Whew. Congratulations to the nine of you for making it through another week. I know I get all "whaaaa" and a little "oh my damn" at these eliminations, but this one hit different. And they're only getting harder each week. Keep up the great work, and let the music play! "Banjo" by Bebe Zahara Benet plays Next Time on Micro's Drag Race: All Stars Micro: Get ready for the buffoonery, riggory, and tomfoolery of "Robbed: The Musical!". Anthyy: I don't know if I can do this anymore. It's all too much. 🏁Wren CF: The competition is being flipped on its head. Things can change so quickly. Track Record Cast Shot w/ Placements |
2023.06.04 15:11 YukiteruAmano92 Remembrance, Chapter 3 of 28
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---Esme’s perspective---
---Saturday, 11th of November, 2682 Terran Calendar---
---Southern England---
Fucking Sussex!
‘Can you send me to the Forth Valley?’
‘Oh, we can try… On an unrelated note, how’s your standard English? No problems in communicating?’
I should’ve just said ‘No, I have great difficulty in communicating in anything but Lallans Scots!’ instead of putting on my poshest English speech register to say ‘Marjorie dearest, would you be a lamb and pass another buttered scone… hold the raspberry jam, it’s far too spicy for me!’ which she told me she’d take as a ‘Yes.’
“This is an English language barracks. If you have been directed here in error, please make yourself known to barracks staff for reassignment.” plays a loud, prerecorded Welsh language announcement, over speakers.
They’re fucking rubbing it in!
“This is an English language barracks. If you have been directed here in error, please make yourself known to barracks staff for reassignment.” it repeats in Scots Gaelic.
“Ceci est une caserne Anglophone. Si vous avez été assigné ici par erreur, veuillez vous faire connaître auprès du personnel de la caserne pour une réaffectation.” it says in what I’m 90% sure is a French version of the same announcement (I can’t be certain, though, as that’s not one of my languages).
Looking at the crowds queuing to get in makes me regret asserting that I didn’t need transport here.
‘You shouldn’t be sending someone to War that you don’t trust to navigate themself from Galloway to Sussex!’ were my exact words.
I brushed off the recruitment officer saying that I’d be processed faster if I arrived on Military organised transport.
Well, standing here’s not gonna get me to the front of the queue now, is it!
I walk forward to join the massive throng of people, almost all of which look to be about my age.
It’s astonishing how short you feel, being an average height girl in a crowd of people!
178cm really isn’t all that much when you’ve got a not insignificant number of +2m guys here!
Even guys who are the average 188cm can make a girl feel short when their packed too close…
I see a few Neanderthal hunks… perhaps conscription won’t be all bad(!)
When I make it to the front of the line, the guy just stares expectantly at me like I’m supposed to already know what to do.
“Y’awright?… Err… mah nam’s Esme Reid…?” I say, hesitantly, in perfectly comprehensible speech.
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?” he answers, looking at me like I just spoke to him in fucking Chinese!
“Greetings, gracious sir! You may kindly refer to me by the name ‘Esme Reid’!” I say, affecting my supercilious Southern English gentlewoman accent.
“Alright, Ms Reid. Please present your draft papers and identification.”
The balls they have to ask me to prove who I am when they’re the ones asking me to go off and fucking die for them!
I think about quipping that I should ask him to show me some proof that this is a legitimate Military installation sanctioned by the government of Sol… but think better of it…
Instead, I pull out my draft papers and my holopad, quickly getting up my identification app.
The man scans the code with his own holo and spends a few seconds glancing from his screen to my face and back.
Seeming satisfied that I’m not attempting to enlist under a false identity (for whatever strange reason a person might want to do that) he glances at my papers, says “Everything seems to be in order.” and waves a hand in front of a machine which whirs for half a second before spitting out a simple chain necklace with two little metal rectangles hanging off of it.
He hands it to me and says “This is your identification tag. Please check that the information on it is correct and, if it is, put it on and never take it off.”
I check the tag.
“You’ve got my name and birthday right…” I say, making a conscious effort to keep my speech register in that that a standard English speaker would consider acceptable “…don’t know about the regiment and serial number.”
“Those will be correct.” he says with a ‘move along’ tone.
I shrug, raise the dogtag over my head and drop it around my neck.
I walk on and he’s serving the girl behind me before I’ve even rounded the counter.
I’m ushered through the barracks, herded by the staff, until I reach a building labelled ‘Billet House 279’.
It doesn’t really look like I expected soldiers’ digs to look.
Definitely prefabbed but sort of has more the look of a uni hall than anything else… though I think it’s probably a bit much to expect that I’ll get a room to myself(!)
I follow the throng of draftees through to a wide open room, on the ground floor, that looks like it’s normally a cafeteria.
The camp attendants (who I’m guessing were in the same boat as us, not too long ago) direct us to stand along the left, right and nearside walls, keeping the back wall and centre of the room clear.
Everyone in place, there follows a few minutes of silence broken only by people whispering to one another.
Then, she enters the room.
Dark skinned and clad in green camo clothing, her scalp is easily visible between her cornrows with nary a hair out of place.
Her expression looks absolutely indifferent with just the slightest hint of a curled lip.
From the broadness and flatness of her facial features as well as her single mauve eye, she is clearly half Tshwane… though, you’d never guess that from her stature!
Female Tshwane average nearly 2m… the men are more like 2.2m!
She’s shorter than me!
She’s also built like a Sapiens, not the willowy thinness typical of Tshwane
I guess genetics interact in funny ways sometimes…
Based on her age, her Tshwane parent would probably have to have been one of the very first to be cloned back!
The other eye seems to have been ripped out at some point because in its place is a bionic and there’s a patch of hypopigmented scar tissue, forming a tear shape, at the right corner.
“Recruits… Welcome to the United Terran Coalition Infantry Trainin’ Camp, Graffham… My name is Warrant Officer Simone Sands… and I’ll be your drill instructor…” says the woman, cooly, speaking in a rough sounding, London accent.
The surname ‘Sands’ probably means her dad was the Tshwane (though not necessarily… she might have been given her mum’s surname… or it might be a coincidental English surname).
“…You all know why you’re here… Most of you’ve prob’ly already lost loved ones to this War… You are here to defend our right to exist… and I can’t think of a more worthy reason to fight than that…”
I’ve decided I like this woman… She may be English but I’ll try not to hold that against her(!)
“The first thing I need to tell all of you is that, by the end of your trainin’, you will NOT like me…” she says, as if reading my mind “…that’s OK. My job ain’t to be liked, my job ain’t to make friends… my job is to make soldiers!”
She casts her biological and bionic eyes around the room, letting her words hang in the air.
“Note… that I said ‘soldiers’… This ain’t Full Metal Jacket. This ain’t the 20th Century. There’ll be no Pvt Piles here!… I ain’t aimin’ to destroy your minds or your individuality. I ain’t goin’ to physic’ly and psychologic’ly abuse you into becomin’ robots or killers… I am makin’ you into soldiers… Regardless… this process will not be easy! In fact, it may well be the hardest thing you ever do!… As the face of this process, you will come to hate and resent me for it!… I hope for it! The more you hate me the more-DO YOU HAVE SOMETHIN’ TO SAY, PRIVATE?!”
Everyone in the room is startled by the authoritative woman breaking herself off to shout angrily at someone on the other side of the room.
“STEP FORWARD AND SPEAK SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU!”
The boy that steps forward is tall, bulky and muscular with a handsome, half Neanderthal face… just my type!
Then he has to go and ruin it by opening his mouth.
“I was just saying… that I find it somewhat difficult to take you seriously as a commanding officer… You just seem a little bit… little.” says the boy in the poshest, smarmiest English drawl I’ve ever heard!
The woman does not shout, she does not scream, she doesn’t snarl or even purse her lips!
She just nods, as if considering his words, then asks “What’s your name, Soldier?”
“Rupert Forest.” responds the boy, proudly.
“And, how tall are you, Pvt Forest?” responds the woman, unimpressed
“195cm.” he answers.
“And, what’s your mass?” she asks.
“110kg.”
“I see, I see… So, by your logic… you’d make a better drill sergeant than me, would you? You’re 25cm taller and 35kg heavier, afterall!”
He smirks “I wouldn’t presume to say so, Ma’am…” in a way that definitely suggests that he thinks he would.
She seems to consider that for some moments before answering “Alright then, fight me for it!”
“I’m sorry…?” responds the poshboy.
“You heard me… Clearly, you got no respect for skill and experience but it seems like you must respect power… so fight me for it! You win, you get to train this lot, I win, you never question my authority again!”
Is this woman mad!?
She may be a soldier but this boy she just challenged is a half Neanderthal giant!
She’s gonna lose!
I do not want to be drilled by some snotty, privileged English brat who got here at the same time as I did and just couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut!
Then again, I don’t really want to be drilled by a woman so delusional that she felt the best way to squash insubordination was to challenge a man she has no hope of beating, either!
The guy is clearly salivating over the power that’s just been slapped on the table in front of him as he answers “I accept your terms, Ms Sands…” with faux magnanimity.
There’s no way they’d let a Private run drills, is there? When he wins, someone just needs to go and complain and they’ll give us another (less stupid) drill sergeant… right?
He strips off his jacket to reveal a pair of thick, muscular arms that (in spite of his repulsive personality) are a thrilling sight.
He has to go and ruin it by flexing and posing, clearly revelling in the room’s worth of gasps he got when he revealed his arms… He obviously likes being the centre of attention.
“Done?” asks Sands, drily.
“If you still want to do this…” he says, smugly “…you could just concede defeat and I’m sure no one would hold it against you!”
Her lip curls as she answers “But… if I did that, no one would learn nothin’, now would they…”
He shrugs before launching himself at her without waiting for her to give the word to begin.
She whirls out of the way and he snatches at her, unsuccessfully, as his momentum carries him past.
“Lesson 1:…” she shouts while snapping into the space behind him and kicking out his knee “…size does not determine victory, strength does not determine victory…” levelling another powerful kick between his shoulderblades to bring him to the ground.
She backs off, allowing him to scramble to his feet and turn to face her, hunched in readiness and scowling.
“…Pvt Forest here looked at me with contempt on account of my small size and, though he didn’t say so, I’d guess that my rough accent, my lack of a graduate epithet and my lack of a penis also played a roll in his judgin’ me as less than!… He thought he could beat me, he probably still DOES, and, ’causa that, he didn’t respect my ability to lead…!”
Forest makes another lunge for the smaller woman, misses and is punished for it by being knocked back to the floor.
I’m agog as I watch this little woman… there’s no other word but toy with the giant man!
“…but victory does not care how big you are, how strong you are, how classy or educated you are or what**’**s in your pants or panties…!”
She dodges around his arm and pins his chest to the floor with her knee.
“Discipline and trainin’ determine victory!… Things that I have and Pvt Forest LACKS!… Things that ALL of you will acquire, over the next 8 months!!!” she turns her head down to the mountain of man she’s pinning to the floor “Concede, Private!”
The man shakes his head, trying in vain to leverage himself up.
“Alright then… Lesson 2: When faced with a resistant individual, compliance can be effectively enforced by the expedient of lockin’ their joints to induce PAIN!!!”
She grabs his thick arms by the wrists and pulls them backwards in a way they are not meant to bend!
He screams in agony!
“CONCEDE!!!… Don’t make me send you to the Medical Officer! It’d be inconvenient for BOTH of us if your pride makes you miss your first week of trainin’ while your arms heal!!!”
He holds out for two more seconds before screaming “I concede! I CONCEDE!!!”
She releases him and stands back up.
“On your feet, Soldier…” she growls down at him.
He stands back up, his face beet red.
“Are you ever goin’ to question my fitness to instruct again, Private?” she glares up at the humiliated giant.
“No.” he answers, gracelessly.
“No…?” she says as if waiting for something else.
Forest looks as confused as I am about what she’s expecting.
“No, Ma’am!” she snarls.
“No, Ma’am.”
“Good, we’ll work on your attitude, movin’ forward. Now, get back in line!”
The humiliated man picks up his civvy jacket and returns to the place he was called out from.
“Now, I don’t think I need to prattle on anymore about how you’re gonna hate me by the end of our time together, do I?… I think Pvt Forest helped me prove that point quite well, so I’ll move on… You will sleep in this buildin’, six to a room. Your rooms will be gender segregated. If you wish for a place to be… intimate with people of the opposite gender, you may request use of one of the conjugal rooms… I suggest you do the same if you want to be intimate with a same gender partner but that’s between you and your roommates! You will eat in this room at 0700hrs, 1200hrs and 1800hrs. Diet’ry requirements will be accommodated but, bare in mind, this ain’t your mummies’ and daddies’ kitchen! ‘This food is forbidden by my religion/personal ethics’ is a diet’ry requirement. ‘I am allergic to this food’ is a diet’ry requirement! ‘I don’t like how this food tastes’ is not(!)… In the mornin’s, you will be receivin’ lessons in lecture theatres, workshops and the like…”
“Oh great… just what I wanted after leaving school(!) More classrooms(!)” I mutter to myself.
Her head instantly wheels to me with unnerving precision.
“Someone else with somethin’ they’d like to say!?” she says, locking eyes with me, terrifyingly.
“No, Ms Sands!” I answer, instantly.
“Miss?! I’m not your bloody schoolteacher girl!!!”
Everyone laughs. Even Pvt Forest, like he wasn’t just humiliated himself, 2 minutes ago!
“Ma’am… err… Ma’am, no, Ma’am!!!” I say, doing my best to emulate the tone I’ve seen soldiers use in films.
She rolls her eye (it’s difficult to tell if the bionic rolls too) and says “Better… What’s your name, Private?”
“Ma’am, the Private’s name is Esme Reid, Ma’am!!!”
“Do you remember me tellin’ you this ain’t Full Metal Jacket?… You don’t need to scream when you talk to me, you don’t need to refer to yourself in third person and one ‘Ma’am’, when you’re done speakin’, is enough, Reid!”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She points to her single, mauve eye, then to me and says “I’ll have my eye on you, Reid!”
Somehow, her tone sends a chill up my spine but I do my best not to show it.
She turns away and I release a silent sigh of relief.
“As I was sayin’… In your lectures you will learn the ins and outs of military theory; tactics, strategies, logistics etc. You will learn as much as we can tell you about the nature of the species we are fightin’; their capabilities, tendencies, political organisations and known weaknesses… bear in mind that First Contact weren’t much more than 4 years ago and we’ve been at War for almost all the intervenin’ time, so a lot of what we teach you will be little more than guesswork and hearsay from prisoners we’ve interrogated… The mornin’s’ll also be where you learn the particulars of the equipment you’ll be expected to be proficient with in the field. This includes firearms, plasmaweaponry and durasteel armour, as well as the tech you’ll likely encounter from the opposite side; kinetic pulse weapons, laser weapons, field emitters etc… I strongly suggest that no one allows word to get back to me that they’re not takin’ these classes seriously!… A stupid soldier is a dead soldier!”
She glares around the room, her eyes resting on me four a quarter of a second.
“…In the afternoons and evenin’s, you’ll be doing PT… that’s ‘Physical Trainin’’… soon to be every one of your two least favourite words in the English Language(!) “
I notice a wry smirk twist the mouths of a few of the camp attendants.
“In PT you will be drilled in agility, endurance, close quarters combat and coordinated marching… Five times over the comin’ 8 months, you and your trainin’ partner will be dropped into a remote bit of wilderness, somewhere on Earth, for five day practical survival experience. You will be given a beacon, to summon retrieval, but these are only to be used in cases of actual threat to life or bodily integrity… not because you’re feelin’ miserable!”
She takes a second to pause for breath.
“You get an allowance of 12 days off, over your time here… that’s two a month… These are subject to my approval and I may deny them for any reason, including no reason… so don’t piss me off!… You may not take more than 2 consecutive days leave at a time! Certain classes are mandatory and leave will not be approved on days they occur. If your allowance is spent, no more leave will be approved, barring a real emergency!… Now, for today, you are going to line up to have your maps and room keys downloaded onto your holos when your name is called, then you are going to have your bodies scanned for your armour measurements… at that point everyone with no uterus has the rest of the day free to settle in… If you have a uterus, you’ll need to report to medical to get your cycle paused! This is, I’m afraid, nonoptional… You are not prohibited from engaging in relations with your fellow recruits but you cannot be a soldier while you’re able to get pregnant. Attempts to circumvent this requirement in any way will land you in the Stockade!… After your cycle pause has been given, you’ll also have the rest of the day to settle in… Enjoy it! It’ll be the most downtime you get for a while!… Finally… I believe we have a 17 year old with us here… Pvt Taylor?”
A few people put their hands up, most looking confused.
“Pvt Oskar Taylor! The 17 year old?” she says, exasperated.
All but one of those with their hands up put them down.
The one remaining Pvt Taylor with his hand in the air has pale skin, black hair, brown eyes and a sharp featured face wearing a dour expression.
He stands even taller than Forest… Nearly 2m tall!
Though he’s not quite as heavily built, he’s certainly a good looking piece of boycandy!
“Pvt Taylor…” says Sands, her mouth breaking into a smile for the first time I’ve seen “…couldn’t wait to go off to War, could you(?)”
He mutters something but, while I can hear the power and deepness of his voice, I can’t make out a word he says.
“You’ll have to speak up, Taylor! Nobody’ll be able to hear you if you mumble.” points out Sands.
“I said I had some personal circumstances that made this the most sensible course of action for me, Ma’am.” says the tall, dark haired man, looking over her head rather than down at her and speaking in a grim monotone. He definitely loses boycandy points for the poshness of his accent, unfortunately…
“I see… I won’t pry into that but… you didn’t think of Officer Training? That’s the route that most people take when volunteering ahead of their conscription.”
He shakes his head “I thought of it and decided against it, Ma’am.”
“Oh? Why’s that, Pvt Taylor?”
“I didn’t believe I would make a good officer, Ma’am.” he answers simply.
She laughs “I wish every soldier could be as introspective, Taylor! I like you!… Unfortunately, bein’ a minor does mean that you can’t be put in a room with others… Sooo, that means you get a room to yourself… for the moment. Might sound cushy but before anyone else gets too jealous, bare in mind that privacy is the only advantage! His room will be a sixth the size of yours so its basic’ly a broomcupboard… the disadvantage will be severely reduced opportunity to socialise!… If that doesn’t sound doable, you can leave and come back when you turn 18, Taylor.”
“It’s acceptable, Ma’am.” he says without hesitating.
Yeah… it’s official… I don’t like him…
---later---
I rub the spot on my arm where the serum was thunked into me about 15 minutes ago.
Like with everything else about conscription, I get it… I understand the point…
But seeing the sense doesn’t mean I have to like it!
It’s not like I want to get pregnant (getting a nine month reprieve from service would be a fairly shitty reason for me to bring a child into the world) but it does feel like one last slap in the face to my personal autonomy that I’ve just had a cycle pause fucking mandated upon my body by the government!
As I draw near, door 1512 detects the key downloaded on my holo and unlocks
I open it and am greeted by a blonde girl, smiling broadly and instantly identifiable as brimming with ADHD energy.
“Hey there! My name’s Charlotte, it’s lovely to meet you!” says the girl, wrapping me in a hug without asking if I’m OK with that.
Her accent makes me wonder if everyone I meet here is going to be a posh toff!
She makes three of three of my fellow draftees!
“A pleasure, Charlotte… the name’s Esme…” I say, speaking Scottish accented standard English and gingerly patting her back.
“Oh, you’re Scottish…?” she says pulling herself off me with an expression that suggests meeting a Scottish person is just the most wonderful thing she could have imagined “…My great grandmother was from Edinburgh, where are you from?”
“Stranraer.” I answer.
She frowns “I don’t know it, I’m sorry!”
“I won’t hold it against you… Southwestern tip of Scotland? Where it nearly touches Ireland and the Man Peninsula?… ’Bout two and a half million people?”
“Oh, wooow! I don’t think I’ve ever met someone from a village before!” she says, seeming entirely oblivious to how that might be taken as an insult.
“Yeah… I guess it’s not that big.”
“Well…” she wraps me back in the hug and continues “…we’re the first ones to the room and that has to mean we’re going to be best friends!”
“I’m afraid my best friend’s name is Tamsin… the position is not open.” I say, firmly setting a boundary.
“I meant best bootcamp friends, silly!” she says, as if that should have gone without saying.
“Alright… I guess that positions open… but you’ve not got the job yet(!)” I quip, warming up a little to the ball of posh English energy.
She pulls back and beams at me “Alright then, for my first act as best bootcamp friend candidate, let me show you the view!… That should earn me some points!”
She says, leading me into the room that’s so small it makes me doubt that that goody-two-shoes 17 year old can possibly have one a sixth this size!
She leads me to the window and spends a few moments making sure I’m positioned just right before she draws back the curtain.
The view is quite breathtaking… rolling hills of snow blanketed mammoth steppe, lit by evening sun, with barely any of the sprawling military camp visible.
Though, you can see one of the tallest structures ever built by Humanity… the Sussex Space elevator… several times the Earth’s own diameter, the ‘top’, if you can even call it that, is a fifth of the way from here to Luna! …And… in 8 months, I’m going to be riding it, all the way up, to get on a troop transport.
“Look! See! There’s a herd of aurochs over on that hill! You know this place used to be a national park, before even Unification or the Reset! It’s called the South Downs! My mum told me we had family from here… obviously I never met any of them because they would have left hundreds of years ago!…”
The bubbly girl talks and talks and… just keeps talking… but I don’t particularly mind.
---
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-
---Esme’s perspective---
---Saturday, 11th of November, 2682 Terran Calendar---
---Southern England---
Fucking Sussex!
‘Can you send me to the Forth Valley?’
‘Oh, we can try… On an unrelated note, how’s your standard English? No problems in communicating?’
I should’ve just said ‘No, I have great difficulty in communicating in anything but Lallans Scots!’ instead of putting on my poshest English speech register to say ‘Marjorie dearest, would you be a lamb and pass another buttered scone… hold the raspberry jam, it’s far too spicy for me!’ which she told me she’d take as a ‘Yes.’
“This is an English language barracks. If you have been directed here in error, please make yourself known to barracks staff for reassignment.” plays a loud, prerecorded Welsh language announcement, over speakers.
They’re fucking rubbing it in!
“This is an English language barracks. If you have been directed here in error, please make yourself known to barracks staff for reassignment.” it repeats in Scots Gaelic.
“Ceci est une caserne Anglophone. Si vous avez été assigné ici par erreur, veuillez vous faire connaître auprès du personnel de la caserne pour une réaffectation.” it says in what I’m 90% sure is a French version of the same announcement (I can’t be certain, though, as that’s not one of my languages).
Looking at the crowds queuing to get in makes me regret asserting that I didn’t need transport here.
‘You shouldn’t be sending someone to War that you don’t trust to navigate themself from Galloway to Sussex!’ were my exact words.
I brushed off the recruitment officer saying that I’d be processed faster if I arrived on Military organised transport.
Well, standing here’s not gonna get me to the front of the queue now, is it!
I walk forward to join the massive throng of people, almost all of which look to be about my age.
It’s astonishing how short you feel, being an average height girl in a crowd of people!
178cm really isn’t all that much when you’ve got a not insignificant number of +2m guys here!
Even guys who are the average 188cm can make a girl feel short when their packed too close…
I see a few Neanderthal hunks… perhaps conscription won’t be all bad(!)
When I make it to the front of the line, the guy just stares expectantly at me like I’m supposed to already know what to do.
“Y’awright?… Err… mah nam’s Esme Reid…?” I say, hesitantly, in perfectly comprehensible speech.
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?” he answers, looking at me like I just spoke to him in fucking Chinese!
“Greetings, gracious sir! You may kindly refer to me by the name ‘Esme Reid’!” I say, affecting my supercilious Southern English gentlewoman accent.
“Alright, Ms Reid. Please present your draft papers and identification.”
The balls they have to ask me to prove who I am when they’re the ones asking me to go off and fucking die for them!
I think about quipping that I should ask him to show me some proof that this is a legitimate Military installation sanctioned by the government of Sol… but think better of it…
Instead, I pull out my draft papers and my holopad, quickly getting up my identification app.
The man scans the code with his own holo and spends a few seconds glancing from his screen to my face and back.
Seeming satisfied that I’m not attempting to enlist under a false identity (for whatever strange reason a person might want to do that) he glances at my papers, says “Everything seems to be in order.” and waves a hand in front of a machine which whirs for half a second before spitting out a simple chain necklace with two little metal rectangles hanging off of it.
He hands it to me and says “This is your identification tag. Please check that the information on it is correct and, if it is, put it on and never take it off.”
I check the tag.
“You’ve got my name and birthday right…” I say, making a conscious effort to keep my speech register in that that a standard English speaker would consider acceptable “…don’t know about the regiment and serial number.”
“Those will be correct.” he says with a ‘move along’ tone.
I shrug, raise the dogtag over my head and drop it around my neck.
I walk on and he’s serving the girl behind me before I’ve even rounded the counter.
I’m ushered through the barracks, herded by the staff, until I reach a building labelled ‘Billet House 279’.
It doesn’t really look like I expected soldiers’ digs to look.
Definitely prefabbed but sort of has more the look of a uni hall than anything else… though I think it’s probably a bit much to expect that I’ll get a room to myself(!)
I follow the throng of draftees through to a wide open room, on the ground floor, that looks like it’s normally a cafeteria.
The camp attendants (who I’m guessing were in the same boat as us, not too long ago) direct us to stand along the left, right and nearside walls, keeping the back wall and centre of the room clear.
Everyone in place, there follows a few minutes of silence broken only by people whispering to one another.
Then, she enters the room.
Dark skinned and clad in green camo clothing, her scalp is easily visible between her cornrows with nary a hair out of place.
Her expression looks absolutely indifferent with just the slightest hint of a curled lip.
From the broadness and flatness of her facial features as well as her single mauve eye, she is clearly half Tshwane… though, you’d never guess that from her stature!
Female Tshwane average nearly 2m… the men are more like 2.2m!
She’s shorter than me!
She’s also built like a Sapiens, not the willowy thinness typical of Tshwane
I guess genetics interact in funny ways sometimes…
Based on her age, her Tshwane parent would probably have to have been one of the very first to be cloned back!
The other eye seems to have been ripped out at some point because in its place is a bionic and there’s a patch of hypopigmented scar tissue, forming a tear shape, at the right corner.
“Recruits… Welcome to the United Terran Coalition Infantry Trainin’ Camp, Graffham… My name is Warrant Officer Simone Sands… and I’ll be your drill instructor…” says the woman, cooly, speaking in a rough sounding, London accent.
The surname ‘Sands’ probably means her dad was the Tshwane (though not necessarily… she might have been given her mum’s surname… or it might be a coincidental English surname).
“…You all know why you’re here… Most of you’ve prob’ly already lost loved ones to this War… You are here to defend our right to exist… and I can’t think of a more worthy reason to fight than that…”
I’ve decided I like this woman… She may be English but I’ll try not to hold that against her(!)
“The first thing I need to tell all of you is that, by the end of your trainin’, you will NOT like me…” she says, as if reading my mind “…that’s OK. My job ain’t to be liked, my job ain’t to make friends… my job is to make soldiers!”
She casts her biological and bionic eyes around the room, letting her words hang in the air.
“Note… that I said ‘soldiers’… This ain’t Full Metal Jacket. This ain’t the 20th Century. There’ll be no Pvt Piles here!… I ain’t aimin’ to destroy your minds or your individuality. I ain’t goin’ to physic’ly and psychologic’ly abuse you into becomin’ robots or killers… I am makin’ you into soldiers… Regardless… this process will not be easy! In fact, it may well be the hardest thing you ever do!… As the face of this process, you will come to hate and resent me for it!… I hope for it! The more you hate me the more-DO YOU HAVE SOMETHIN’ TO SAY, PRIVATE?!”
Everyone in the room is startled by the authoritative woman breaking herself off to shout angrily at someone on the other side of the room.
“STEP FORWARD AND SPEAK SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU!”
The boy that steps forward is tall, bulky and muscular with a handsome, half Neanderthal face… just my type!
Then he has to go and ruin it by opening his mouth.
“I was just saying… that I find it somewhat difficult to take you seriously as a commanding officer… You just seem a little bit… little.” says the boy in the poshest, smarmiest English drawl I’ve ever heard!
The woman does not shout, she does not scream, she doesn’t snarl or even purse her lips!
She just nods, as if considering his words, then asks “What’s your name, Soldier?”
“Rupert Forest.” responds the boy, proudly.
“And, how tall are you, Pvt Forest?” responds the woman, unimpressed
“195cm.” he answers.
“And, what’s your mass?” she asks.
“110kg.”
“I see, I see… So, by your logic… you’d make a better drill sergeant than me, would you? You’re 25cm taller and 35kg heavier, afterall!”
He smirks “I wouldn’t presume to say so, Ma’am…” in a way that definitely suggests that he thinks he would.
She seems to consider that for some moments before answering “Alright then, fight me for it!”
“I’m sorry…?” responds the poshboy.
“You heard me… Clearly, you got no respect for skill and experience but it seems like you must respect power… so fight me for it! You win, you get to train this lot, I win, you never question my authority again!”
Is this woman mad!?
She may be a soldier but this boy she just challenged is a half Neanderthal giant!
She’s gonna lose!
I do not want to be drilled by some snotty, privileged English brat who got here at the same time as I did and just couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut!
Then again, I don’t really want to be drilled by a woman so delusional that she felt the best way to squash insubordination was to challenge a man she has no hope of beating, either!
The guy is clearly salivating over the power that’s just been slapped on the table in front of him as he answers “I accept your terms, Ms Sands…” with faux magnanimity.
There’s no way they’d let a Private run drills, is there? When he wins, someone just needs to go and complain and they’ll give us another (less stupid) drill sergeant… right?
He strips off his jacket to reveal a pair of thick, muscular arms that (in spite of his repulsive personality) are a thrilling sight.
He has to go and ruin it by flexing and posing, clearly revelling in the room’s worth of gasps he got when he revealed his arms… He obviously likes being the centre of attention.
“Done?” asks Sands, drily.
“If you still want to do this…” he says, smugly “…you could just concede defeat and I’m sure no one would hold it against you!”
Her lip curls as she answers “But… if I did that, no one would learn nothin’, now would they…”
He shrugs before launching himself at her without waiting for her to give the word to begin.
She whirls out of the way and he snatches at her, unsuccessfully, as his momentum carries him past.
“Lesson 1:…” she shouts while snapping into the space behind him and kicking out his knee “…size does not determine victory, strength does not determine victory…” levelling another powerful kick between his shoulderblades to bring him to the ground.
She backs off, allowing him to scramble to his feet and turn to face her, hunched in readiness and scowling.
“…Pvt Forest here looked at me with contempt on account of my small size and, though he didn’t say so, I’d guess that my rough accent, my lack of a graduate epithet and my lack of a penis also played a roll in his judgin’ me as less than!… He thought he could beat me, he probably still DOES, and, ’causa that, he didn’t respect my ability to lead…!”
Forest makes another lunge for the smaller woman, misses and is punished for it by being knocked back to the floor.
I’m agog as I watch this little woman… there’s no other word but toy with the giant man!
“…but victory does not care how big you are, how strong you are, how classy or educated you are or what**’**s in your pants or panties…!”
She dodges around his arm and pins his chest to the floor with her knee.
“Discipline and trainin’ determine victory!… Things that I have and Pvt Forest LACKS!… Things that ALL of you will acquire, over the next 8 months!!!” she turns her head down to the mountain of man she’s pinning to the floor “Concede, Private!”
The man shakes his head, trying in vain to leverage himself up.
“Alright then… Lesson 2: When faced with a resistant individual, compliance can be effectively enforced by the expedient of lockin’ their joints to induce PAIN!!!”
She grabs his thick arms by the wrists and pulls them backwards in a way they are not meant to bend!
He screams in agony!
“CONCEDE!!!… Don’t make me send you to the Medical Officer! It’d be inconvenient for BOTH of us if your pride makes you miss your first week of trainin’ while your arms heal!!!”
He holds out for two more seconds before screaming “I concede! I CONCEDE!!!”
She releases him and stands back up.
“On your feet, Soldier…” she growls down at him.
He stands back up, his face beet red.
“Are you ever goin’ to question my fitness to instruct again, Private?” she glares up at the humiliated giant.
“No.” he answers, gracelessly.
“No…?” she says as if waiting for something else.
Forest looks as confused as I am about what she’s expecting.
“No, Ma’am!” she snarls.
“No, Ma’am.”
“Good, we’ll work on your attitude, movin’ forward. Now, get back in line!”
The humiliated man picks up his civvy jacket and returns to the place he was called out from.
“Now, I don’t think I need to prattle on anymore about how you’re gonna hate me by the end of our time together, do I?… I think Pvt Forest helped me prove that point quite well, so I’ll move on… You will sleep in this buildin’, six to a room. Your rooms will be gender segregated. If you wish for a place to be… intimate with people of the opposite gender, you may request use of one of the conjugal rooms… I suggest you do the same if you want to be intimate with a same gender partner but that’s between you and your roommates! You will eat in this room at 0700hrs, 1200hrs and 1800hrs. Diet’ry requirements will be accommodated but, bare in mind, this ain’t your mummies’ and daddies’ kitchen! ‘This food is forbidden by my religion/personal ethics’ is a diet’ry requirement. ‘I am allergic to this food’ is a diet’ry requirement! ‘I don’t like how this food tastes’ is not(!)… In the mornin’s, you will be receivin’ lessons in lecture theatres, workshops and the like…”
“Oh great… just what I wanted after leaving school(!) More classrooms(!)” I mutter to myself.
Her head instantly wheels to me with unnerving precision.
“Someone else with somethin’ they’d like to say!?” she says, locking eyes with me, terrifyingly.
“No, Ms Sands!” I answer, instantly.
“Miss?! I’m not your bloody schoolteacher girl!!!”
Everyone laughs. Even Pvt Forest, like he wasn’t just humiliated himself, 2 minutes ago!
“Ma’am… err… Ma’am, no, Ma’am!!!” I say, doing my best to emulate the tone I’ve seen soldiers use in films.
She rolls her eye (it’s difficult to tell if the bionic rolls too) and says “Better… What’s your name, Private?”
“Ma’am, the Private’s name is Esme Reid, Ma’am!!!”
“Do you remember me tellin’ you this ain’t Full Metal Jacket?… You don’t need to scream when you talk to me, you don’t need to refer to yourself in third person and one ‘Ma’am’, when you’re done speakin’, is enough, Reid!”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She points to her single, mauve eye, then to me and says “I’ll have my eye on you, Reid!”
Somehow, her tone sends a chill up my spine but I do my best not to show it.
She turns away and I release a silent sigh of relief.
“As I was sayin’… In your lectures you will learn the ins and outs of military theory; tactics, strategies, logistics etc. You will learn as much as we can tell you about the nature of the species we are fightin’; their capabilities, tendencies, political organisations and known weaknesses… bear in mind that First Contact weren’t much more than 4 years ago and we’ve been at War for almost all the intervenin’ time, so a lot of what we teach you will be little more than guesswork and hearsay from prisoners we’ve interrogated… The mornin’s’ll also be where you learn the particulars of the equipment you’ll be expected to be proficient with in the field. This includes firearms, plasmaweaponry and durasteel armour, as well as the tech you’ll likely encounter from the opposite side; kinetic pulse weapons, laser weapons, field emitters etc… I strongly suggest that no one allows word to get back to me that they’re not takin’ these classes seriously!… A stupid soldier is a dead soldier!”
She glares around the room, her eyes resting on me four a quarter of a second.
“…In the afternoons and evenin’s, you’ll be doing PT… that’s ‘Physical Trainin’’… soon to be every one of your two least favourite words in the English Language(!) “
I notice a wry smirk twist the mouths of a few of the camp attendants.
“In PT you will be drilled in agility, endurance, close quarters combat and coordinated marching… Five times over the comin’ 8 months, you and your trainin’ partner will be dropped into a remote bit of wilderness, somewhere on Earth, for five day practical survival experience. You will be given a beacon, to summon retrieval, but these are only to be used in cases of actual threat to life or bodily integrity… not because you’re feelin’ miserable!”
She takes a second to pause for breath.
“You get an allowance of 12 days off, over your time here… that’s two a month… These are subject to my approval and I may deny them for any reason, including no reason… so don’t piss me off!… You may not take more than 2 consecutive days leave at a time! Certain classes are mandatory and leave will not be approved on days they occur. If your allowance is spent, no more leave will be approved, barring a real emergency!… Now, for today, you are going to line up to have your maps and room keys downloaded onto your holos when your name is called, then you are going to have your bodies scanned for your armour measurements… at that point everyone with no uterus has the rest of the day free to settle in… If you have a uterus, you’ll need to report to medical to get your cycle paused! This is, I’m afraid, nonoptional… You are not prohibited from engaging in relations with your fellow recruits but you cannot be a soldier while you’re able to get pregnant. Attempts to circumvent this requirement in any way will land you in the Stockade!… After your cycle pause has been given, you’ll also have the rest of the day to settle in… Enjoy it! It’ll be the most downtime you get for a while!… Finally… I believe we have a 17 year old with us here… Pvt Taylor?”
A few people put their hands up, most looking confused.
“Pvt Oskar Taylor! The 17 year old?” she says, exasperated.
All but one of those with their hands up put them down.
The one remaining Pvt Taylor with his hand in the air has pale skin, black hair, brown eyes and a sharp featured face wearing a dour expression.
He stands even taller than Forest… Nearly 2m tall!
Though he’s not quite as heavily built, he’s certainly a good looking piece of boycandy!
“Pvt Taylor…” says Sands, her mouth breaking into a smile for the first time I’ve seen “…couldn’t wait to go off to War, could you(?)”
He mutters something but, while I can hear the power and deepness of his voice, I can’t make out a word he says.
“You’ll have to speak up, Taylor! Nobody’ll be able to hear you if you mumble.” points out Sands.
“I said I had some personal circumstances that made this the most sensible course of action for me, Ma’am.” says the tall, dark haired man, looking over her head rather than down at her and speaking in a grim monotone. He definitely loses boycandy points for the poshness of his accent, unfortunately…
“I see… I won’t pry into that but… you didn’t think of Officer Training? That’s the route that most people take when volunteering ahead of their conscription.”
He shakes his head “I thought of it and decided against it, Ma’am.”
“Oh? Why’s that, Pvt Taylor?”
“I didn’t believe I would make a good officer, Ma’am.” he answers simply.
She laughs “I wish every soldier could be as introspective, Taylor! I like you!… Unfortunately, bein’ a minor does mean that you can’t be put in a room with others… Sooo, that means you get a room to yourself… for the moment. Might sound cushy but before anyone else gets too jealous, bare in mind that privacy is the only advantage! His room will be a sixth the size of yours so its basic’ly a broomcupboard… the disadvantage will be severely reduced opportunity to socialise!… If that doesn’t sound doable, you can leave and come back when you turn 18, Taylor.”
“It’s acceptable, Ma’am.” he says without hesitating.
Yeah… it’s official… I don’t like him…
---later---
I rub the spot on my arm where the serum was thunked into me about 15 minutes ago.
Like with everything else about conscription, I get it… I understand the point…
But seeing the sense doesn’t mean I have to like it!
It’s not like I want to get pregnant (getting a nine month reprieve from service would be a fairly shitty reason for me to bring a child into the world) but it does feel like one last slap in the face to my personal autonomy that I’ve just had a cycle pause fucking mandated upon my body by the government!
As I draw near, door 1512 detects the key downloaded on my holo and unlocks
I open it and am greeted by a blonde girl, smiling broadly and instantly identifiable as brimming with ADHD energy.
“Hey there! My name’s Charlotte, it’s lovely to meet you!” says the girl, wrapping me in a hug without asking if I’m OK with that.
Her accent makes me wonder if everyone I meet here is going to be a posh toff!
She makes three of three of my fellow draftees!
“A pleasure, Charlotte… the name’s Esme…” I say, speaking Scottish accented standard English and gingerly patting her back.
“Oh, you’re Scottish…?” she says pulling herself off me with an expression that suggests meeting a Scottish person is just the most wonderful thing she could have imagined “…My great grandmother was from Edinburgh, where are you from?”
“Stranraer.” I answer.
She frowns “I don’t know it, I’m sorry!”
“I won’t hold it against you… Southwestern tip of Scotland? Where it nearly touches Ireland and the Man Peninsula?… ’Bout two and a half million people?”
“Oh, wooow! I don’t think I’ve ever met someone from a village before!” she says, seeming entirely oblivious to how that might be taken as an insult.
“Yeah… I guess it’s not that big.”
“Well…” she wraps me back in the hug and continues “…we’re the first ones to the room and that has to mean we’re going to be best friends!”
“I’m afraid my best friend’s name is Tamsin… the position is not open.” I say, firmly setting a boundary.
“I meant best bootcamp friends, silly!” she says, as if that should have gone without saying.
“Alright… I guess that positions open… but you’ve not got the job yet(!)” I quip, warming up a little to the ball of posh English energy.
She pulls back and beams at me “Alright then, for my first act as best bootcamp friend candidate, let me show you the view!… That should earn me some points!”
She says, leading me into the room that’s so small it makes me doubt that that goody-two-shoes 17 year old can possibly have one a sixth this size!
She leads me to the window and spends a few moments making sure I’m positioned just right before she draws back the curtain.
The view is quite breathtaking… rolling hills of snow blanketed mammoth steppe, lit by evening sun, with barely any of the sprawling military camp visible.
Though, you can see one of the tallest structures ever built by Humanity… the Sussex Space elevator… several times the Earth’s own diameter, the ‘top’, if you can even call it that, is a fifth of the way from here to Luna! …And… in 8 months, I’m going to be riding it, all the way up, to get on a troop transport.
“Look! See! There’s a herd of aurochs over on that hill! You know this place used to be a national park, before even Unification or the Reset! It’s called the South Downs! My mum told me we had family from here… obviously I never met any of them because they would have left hundreds of years ago!…”
The bubbly girl talks and talks and… just keeps talking… but I don’t particularly mind.
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2023.06.04 15:06 Teguterror An Honest Dominion Ch. 11
The Nature of Predators is made by u/SpacePaladin15
Previous/ First
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Memory transcription subject: Varce, Cattle Farm Δ12
Date [standardized human time]: January 5, 2137
The kitchen was once again filled with the scent of boiling crab. Al and Kyra were manning the cooking station, occasionally poking down crab parts that would try to float to the surface. The rest of the division and I were separating meat from shell.
Al’s injured arm was coming along nicely. The gauze that lined his arm under the bandages stayed clean the last time he checked himself. He could even somewhat use it now. While he couldn’t do more physically intensive activities like splitting body shells with his knife, he could still do smaller things like cooking.
I looked up from my work when I heard an annoyed sigh coming from my human. Oddly enough, Kyra was shooting a glare of pure disgust in my direction. Not really sure what I did to warrant that kind of look.
As I sat there confused, a large hand reached over me and snatched the piece of crab meat I was working on. Alright, who’s the smart guy? I turned to chew out the thief, however I stopped when I was greeted by a wall of scales. The list of Arxur I knew that were this large was dangerously short.
Yeah, danger is a good word for this.
I bowed my head down in fealty. “Your cruelness. How may I serve you.”
An audible swallow could be heard above me. “I’m not here for you Welfare Officer. Human, follow me… Also, this food is awful.”
Chief Hunter Shaza pivoted away from me and began walking towards the door that was currently being manned by a pair of guards. There was nothing more I wanted to do at that moment than to tell her to fuck off. After the wound she inflicted on Al, she would have the self-entitlement to come in and start commanding him to do her biding. I stayed silent though, maybe I’m a coward.
As I started to sink into my own thoughts, I felt my arm getting tugged. Al was standing by me, motioning his head for me to follow him. But she doesn’t want me. I don’t want to get her mad… I forced myself up. My legs felt like lead as I fought every instinct in my head. I’m not going to run and hide. I’m not a prey.
I pulled myself along, following Al into the hallway. The door guards looked me over as they began tailing us. My heart skipped a beat as Al hopped forward a few paces, aligning himself to be beside the Chief Hunter.
Worse yet, he started to talk. “Chief Hunter Shaza. I’d like to have a quick conversation with you. There is a restroom down the hall.”
She lazily swung her head towards him and gave a grunt. “Fine.”
You stupid bastard.
I quietly followed them into the restroom, unsure of what was to come. The guards stopped at the door to ensure we had privacy. Shaza stood next to a sink while looking the two of us over.
Al postured himself respectfully and spoke. “Chief Hunter Shaza. I have raised the price of my cooperation.”
The Chief Hunter gave pause. “And what made you think you have a say in this?”
Al tapped his bandaged arm. “Besides the obvious one? I suspect you’re not in a good position to be saying no. So I might as well take advantage of the situation.”
She didn’t like that. “You think I’m vulnerable? Like a weak prey.”
Al kept a straight face. “Your Cruelness. You lost a quarter of your bargaining power and have an angry Prophet Descendant demanding results. You came to me to give you those results. I will give you what you need, but I want you to do something for me in return.”
Her eye twitched in anger. Al got a bullseye on this one. The fact she hadn’t gutted him yet was proof that she was desperate. The Prophet Descendant was the only person in the Dominion that could have her executed. And it looked like she was fearing for her neck.
Shaza approached my human, grabbing the top of his head and looking him in the eyes. “What do you want?”
“I want Varce here to be given top priority in the Dominion’s eugenics program. I want every one of his kids to be supplied with big swaths of fertile land for raising syasaras. I want his kids to never know hunger.”
The senior officer exhaled a chuckle while releasing Al’s head. “That’s it? You got me worked up over nothing… I’ll write a recommendation if you offer anything worthwhile to me.”
I was speechless. I’d told Al a couple of times about how I wanted to get into the eugenics program. This was a dream come true. To not only get to father the next generation, but for them to be guaranteed a good life as well. I’d owe Al a debt I’d never be able to fully pay. I… I just… Thank you.
A firm hip check to my outer thigh brought me back to reality. Shaza was already walking out the door as Al waved me a goodbye. With everyone gone, I mulled over what happened as I washed my claws. My life has gotten so much better since I met my human. I really do need to think of a way to show him my gratitude.
As I strolled my way back to the kitchen, it occurred to me that vice admiral hadn’t given me any notice of Shaza’s arrival. I pulled out my holopad while entering the kitchen. Kyra gave me a worried look that I alleviated with a joyful nod.
I relaxed in a chair while messaging the vice admiral. “Vice Admiral, are you aware that Chief Hunter Shaza is back?”
He replied. “I was unaware of this. Thank you for the update. I’ll make accommodations for my guest.”
She just zips around as she pleases with no regard for others, doesn’t she? No one ever standing up to her has certainly given Shaza a number of “personality traits”. It explains a lot really.
I peered up from my holopad and looked around the room. The first half of the meat had been de-shelled while the second half of the crab was still boiling. Al’s hard boiled egg plate was only half eaten. I made a mental note to take that home for my human.
--------------------------------
I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling waiting for Al’s return. The goober left his holopad at the cooking station as a timer so I haven’t been able to get status updates from him. I know that he was acting like everything was fine when he left, but I was still concerned he’d show up with another gored arm. He really is quite fragile. His skin is soft and weak. He has barely any physical strength in comparison to an Arxur. He needs someone like me there for him. Someone that will crush those that try to do him harm.
I lamented the fact that I didn’t follow him after the restroom. That was another failure on my part. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if I stayed with him. He can barely handle a couple of pissy humans, yet he thought he could stand against a superior being like Shaza. I sunk into my darker thoughts.
What if I were to lose him? I’ve effectively been alone my entire life. The danger of Betterment labeling me defective for reaching out to others prevented me from ever forming anything meaningful with people. The only reason I risked it with Al was because I figured I could pass it off as a weird human thing. But now that I have him, I just don’t think I could let go. I can’t see myself going back to pretending to be an empty husk.
I almost felt sickly. My stomach felt weighted down by the intrusive thoughts of being alone again. Kyra would probably fade into the background again. Tarth would still be chatty, but I’d imagine his words would return to being meaningless noise meant to incite anger.
The sound of the common room door opening made me bound out of bed. I darted to my bedroom door and opened it to greet Al. The blond hairball happily waved as he walked over to greet me. I pulled him into my room so we could spend time together.
My human started talking with a big grin. “Hey Varce, guess what? Tomorrow morning, you’ll be receiving a flight itinerary to Wriss. Make sure to have lots of fun. I’ll hold down the fort for you here, okay? Oh! And drink lots of water.”
I couldn’t stop myself from letting a grin slip. “So Chief Hunter Shaza liked your offer?”
“Oh yeah. The Dominion is going to be in a much better position here in a couple of days. Probably not going to be great for our job security though.”
As long as I get to keep Al around, I don’t mind. “That’s good. Your probably hungry by now. Take a seat.”
I led him over to my bed and gave him his egg plate. I loaded it up with some crab from dinner as well. He really doesn’t eat enough in my opinion, so I’ll make sure he stays in tiptop condition.
Al gave me a smile when I sat next to him. “Thanks Varce. I’m gonna be honest though. I just ate a bunch so if you could help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated.”
How? Did he stop by the main facility to cook something on one of the hotplates? “I’m not going to turn down free food. What did you eat anyway?”
“Vice Admiral sent a harchen over as a gift. Shaza offered me some. I think she was trying to do some kind of purity check on me.”
I missed my favorite little predator’s first foray into something besides tilfish? Dammit. She stole that moment from me.
“Oh. So how was it?”
Al grimaced. “It sort of tasted like somebody accidentally dropped it in the dirt. Maybe some of the ‘gamey’ flavor could be cooked out.”
I plucked a couple of eggs from Al’s plate. “Next time some harchen rations show up, I’ll give you a bit to cook up back at the kitchen. Deal?”
“Sure. I don’t know if it’ll beat these eggs though.”
I can’t argue with that. The cooked crab meat is kinda meh, but these hard boiled eggs with salt? I could live off of this stuff. Cleaning the cooked tilfish egg slime out of the pots in the restroom was even a fair trade off as far as I was concerned.
Speaking of… “What was the deal with you wanting to talk to Shaza in the restroom of all places? There are plenty of empty rooms you could have used.”
“I didn’t want any unwelcome eyes observing our conversation. The only places that don’t have cameras in this cattlefarm are staterooms, officer quarters, and restrooms. Shaza doesn’t want anything we talk about to be recorded.”
That got a little chuckle out of me. “Is she seriously THAT concerned about someone seeing her with a human?”
Al gave me a confused look. “What? No. Varce, the humans captured Chief Hunter Isif and then suddenly showed up right behind our fleet. There’s a very real chance that humans have infiltrated almost all of our digital systems since Isif had access to them. All of the higher ups in the Dominion are going radio silent right now until the situation gets resolved. Don’t tell anyone this. It’s supposed to be super secret. We’ve actually been giving out tons of misinformation on our communication systems while we patch things up.”
Shit… I wasn’t aware of that.
My human continued. “Yeah. It’s a whole thing right now. According to the tech guys, they’ve pinned down most of the potential leak points. They’re going to do a mass shut down and purge sooner or later… Oh. Funny thing. They all thought for sure that you were a smurf account that was giving out human propaganda for like the first week after you released the guide. They thought they were extracting sensitive data when they asked us questions. Fucking hilarious.”
What? “They thought I was a UN internet spy? Okay, there’s some irony in there somewhere.”
We (mostly me) finished off Al’s food plate and set it aside. It was fairly late, so we decided to call it a night. Al crouched down to fish out his foam pad from under my bed. The pad was really thin all things considered and not really appropriate to sleep on long term. Well that’s one thing I could do to improve his quality of life.
I snaked my arm around Al’s abdomen and pulled him onto my bed with me. I knew for a fact that he would be more comfortable on a soft officer mattress then some crap foam sheet.
I dragged him under my bed covers. “Here. Just sleep on the bed. Making you sleep on the floor for a month was honestly a really shit move on my part.”
Al awkwardly responded. “Uh… Okay. This is a lot better.”
“No worries. You’re a few degrees warmer than me, so this is an improvement for both of us.”
I was very much intending on stealing some of his body heat. I’d say the arrangement was mutually beneficial overall. Who knows, maybe one day humans and the Arxur people could have a something beneficial like what my friend and I have.
submitted by Teguterror to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
Previous/ First
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Memory transcription subject: Varce, Cattle Farm Δ12
Date [standardized human time]: January 5, 2137
The kitchen was once again filled with the scent of boiling crab. Al and Kyra were manning the cooking station, occasionally poking down crab parts that would try to float to the surface. The rest of the division and I were separating meat from shell.
Al’s injured arm was coming along nicely. The gauze that lined his arm under the bandages stayed clean the last time he checked himself. He could even somewhat use it now. While he couldn’t do more physically intensive activities like splitting body shells with his knife, he could still do smaller things like cooking.
I looked up from my work when I heard an annoyed sigh coming from my human. Oddly enough, Kyra was shooting a glare of pure disgust in my direction. Not really sure what I did to warrant that kind of look.
As I sat there confused, a large hand reached over me and snatched the piece of crab meat I was working on. Alright, who’s the smart guy? I turned to chew out the thief, however I stopped when I was greeted by a wall of scales. The list of Arxur I knew that were this large was dangerously short.
Yeah, danger is a good word for this.
I bowed my head down in fealty. “Your cruelness. How may I serve you.”
An audible swallow could be heard above me. “I’m not here for you Welfare Officer. Human, follow me… Also, this food is awful.”
Chief Hunter Shaza pivoted away from me and began walking towards the door that was currently being manned by a pair of guards. There was nothing more I wanted to do at that moment than to tell her to fuck off. After the wound she inflicted on Al, she would have the self-entitlement to come in and start commanding him to do her biding. I stayed silent though, maybe I’m a coward.
As I started to sink into my own thoughts, I felt my arm getting tugged. Al was standing by me, motioning his head for me to follow him. But she doesn’t want me. I don’t want to get her mad… I forced myself up. My legs felt like lead as I fought every instinct in my head. I’m not going to run and hide. I’m not a prey.
I pulled myself along, following Al into the hallway. The door guards looked me over as they began tailing us. My heart skipped a beat as Al hopped forward a few paces, aligning himself to be beside the Chief Hunter.
Worse yet, he started to talk. “Chief Hunter Shaza. I’d like to have a quick conversation with you. There is a restroom down the hall.”
She lazily swung her head towards him and gave a grunt. “Fine.”
You stupid bastard.
I quietly followed them into the restroom, unsure of what was to come. The guards stopped at the door to ensure we had privacy. Shaza stood next to a sink while looking the two of us over.
Al postured himself respectfully and spoke. “Chief Hunter Shaza. I have raised the price of my cooperation.”
The Chief Hunter gave pause. “And what made you think you have a say in this?”
Al tapped his bandaged arm. “Besides the obvious one? I suspect you’re not in a good position to be saying no. So I might as well take advantage of the situation.”
She didn’t like that. “You think I’m vulnerable? Like a weak prey.”
Al kept a straight face. “Your Cruelness. You lost a quarter of your bargaining power and have an angry Prophet Descendant demanding results. You came to me to give you those results. I will give you what you need, but I want you to do something for me in return.”
Her eye twitched in anger. Al got a bullseye on this one. The fact she hadn’t gutted him yet was proof that she was desperate. The Prophet Descendant was the only person in the Dominion that could have her executed. And it looked like she was fearing for her neck.
Shaza approached my human, grabbing the top of his head and looking him in the eyes. “What do you want?”
“I want Varce here to be given top priority in the Dominion’s eugenics program. I want every one of his kids to be supplied with big swaths of fertile land for raising syasaras. I want his kids to never know hunger.”
The senior officer exhaled a chuckle while releasing Al’s head. “That’s it? You got me worked up over nothing… I’ll write a recommendation if you offer anything worthwhile to me.”
I was speechless. I’d told Al a couple of times about how I wanted to get into the eugenics program. This was a dream come true. To not only get to father the next generation, but for them to be guaranteed a good life as well. I’d owe Al a debt I’d never be able to fully pay. I… I just… Thank you.
A firm hip check to my outer thigh brought me back to reality. Shaza was already walking out the door as Al waved me a goodbye. With everyone gone, I mulled over what happened as I washed my claws. My life has gotten so much better since I met my human. I really do need to think of a way to show him my gratitude.
As I strolled my way back to the kitchen, it occurred to me that vice admiral hadn’t given me any notice of Shaza’s arrival. I pulled out my holopad while entering the kitchen. Kyra gave me a worried look that I alleviated with a joyful nod.
I relaxed in a chair while messaging the vice admiral. “Vice Admiral, are you aware that Chief Hunter Shaza is back?”
He replied. “I was unaware of this. Thank you for the update. I’ll make accommodations for my guest.”
She just zips around as she pleases with no regard for others, doesn’t she? No one ever standing up to her has certainly given Shaza a number of “personality traits”. It explains a lot really.
I peered up from my holopad and looked around the room. The first half of the meat had been de-shelled while the second half of the crab was still boiling. Al’s hard boiled egg plate was only half eaten. I made a mental note to take that home for my human.
--------------------------------
I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling waiting for Al’s return. The goober left his holopad at the cooking station as a timer so I haven’t been able to get status updates from him. I know that he was acting like everything was fine when he left, but I was still concerned he’d show up with another gored arm. He really is quite fragile. His skin is soft and weak. He has barely any physical strength in comparison to an Arxur. He needs someone like me there for him. Someone that will crush those that try to do him harm.
I lamented the fact that I didn’t follow him after the restroom. That was another failure on my part. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if I stayed with him. He can barely handle a couple of pissy humans, yet he thought he could stand against a superior being like Shaza. I sunk into my darker thoughts.
What if I were to lose him? I’ve effectively been alone my entire life. The danger of Betterment labeling me defective for reaching out to others prevented me from ever forming anything meaningful with people. The only reason I risked it with Al was because I figured I could pass it off as a weird human thing. But now that I have him, I just don’t think I could let go. I can’t see myself going back to pretending to be an empty husk.
I almost felt sickly. My stomach felt weighted down by the intrusive thoughts of being alone again. Kyra would probably fade into the background again. Tarth would still be chatty, but I’d imagine his words would return to being meaningless noise meant to incite anger.
The sound of the common room door opening made me bound out of bed. I darted to my bedroom door and opened it to greet Al. The blond hairball happily waved as he walked over to greet me. I pulled him into my room so we could spend time together.
My human started talking with a big grin. “Hey Varce, guess what? Tomorrow morning, you’ll be receiving a flight itinerary to Wriss. Make sure to have lots of fun. I’ll hold down the fort for you here, okay? Oh! And drink lots of water.”
I couldn’t stop myself from letting a grin slip. “So Chief Hunter Shaza liked your offer?”
“Oh yeah. The Dominion is going to be in a much better position here in a couple of days. Probably not going to be great for our job security though.”
As long as I get to keep Al around, I don’t mind. “That’s good. Your probably hungry by now. Take a seat.”
I led him over to my bed and gave him his egg plate. I loaded it up with some crab from dinner as well. He really doesn’t eat enough in my opinion, so I’ll make sure he stays in tiptop condition.
Al gave me a smile when I sat next to him. “Thanks Varce. I’m gonna be honest though. I just ate a bunch so if you could help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated.”
How? Did he stop by the main facility to cook something on one of the hotplates? “I’m not going to turn down free food. What did you eat anyway?”
“Vice Admiral sent a harchen over as a gift. Shaza offered me some. I think she was trying to do some kind of purity check on me.”
I missed my favorite little predator’s first foray into something besides tilfish? Dammit. She stole that moment from me.
“Oh. So how was it?”
Al grimaced. “It sort of tasted like somebody accidentally dropped it in the dirt. Maybe some of the ‘gamey’ flavor could be cooked out.”
I plucked a couple of eggs from Al’s plate. “Next time some harchen rations show up, I’ll give you a bit to cook up back at the kitchen. Deal?”
“Sure. I don’t know if it’ll beat these eggs though.”
I can’t argue with that. The cooked crab meat is kinda meh, but these hard boiled eggs with salt? I could live off of this stuff. Cleaning the cooked tilfish egg slime out of the pots in the restroom was even a fair trade off as far as I was concerned.
Speaking of… “What was the deal with you wanting to talk to Shaza in the restroom of all places? There are plenty of empty rooms you could have used.”
“I didn’t want any unwelcome eyes observing our conversation. The only places that don’t have cameras in this cattlefarm are staterooms, officer quarters, and restrooms. Shaza doesn’t want anything we talk about to be recorded.”
That got a little chuckle out of me. “Is she seriously THAT concerned about someone seeing her with a human?”
Al gave me a confused look. “What? No. Varce, the humans captured Chief Hunter Isif and then suddenly showed up right behind our fleet. There’s a very real chance that humans have infiltrated almost all of our digital systems since Isif had access to them. All of the higher ups in the Dominion are going radio silent right now until the situation gets resolved. Don’t tell anyone this. It’s supposed to be super secret. We’ve actually been giving out tons of misinformation on our communication systems while we patch things up.”
Shit… I wasn’t aware of that.
My human continued. “Yeah. It’s a whole thing right now. According to the tech guys, they’ve pinned down most of the potential leak points. They’re going to do a mass shut down and purge sooner or later… Oh. Funny thing. They all thought for sure that you were a smurf account that was giving out human propaganda for like the first week after you released the guide. They thought they were extracting sensitive data when they asked us questions. Fucking hilarious.”
What? “They thought I was a UN internet spy? Okay, there’s some irony in there somewhere.”
We (mostly me) finished off Al’s food plate and set it aside. It was fairly late, so we decided to call it a night. Al crouched down to fish out his foam pad from under my bed. The pad was really thin all things considered and not really appropriate to sleep on long term. Well that’s one thing I could do to improve his quality of life.
I snaked my arm around Al’s abdomen and pulled him onto my bed with me. I knew for a fact that he would be more comfortable on a soft officer mattress then some crap foam sheet.
I dragged him under my bed covers. “Here. Just sleep on the bed. Making you sleep on the floor for a month was honestly a really shit move on my part.”
Al awkwardly responded. “Uh… Okay. This is a lot better.”
“No worries. You’re a few degrees warmer than me, so this is an improvement for both of us.”
I was very much intending on stealing some of his body heat. I’d say the arrangement was mutually beneficial overall. Who knows, maybe one day humans and the Arxur people could have a something beneficial like what my friend and I have.
2023.06.04 15:02 YaKnowWhatImSaiyan Should I replace Heim and Yellowjacket?
 | submitted by YaKnowWhatImSaiyan to cuecardgameAvid [link] [comments] |