Mr.incredible becoming uncanny

UncannyMrIncredible

2022.01.14 11:58 Rinthallion UncannyMrIncredible

The best place for Uncanny mr Incredible.
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2021.12.20 07:21 CritzD thosewhoknow

A subreddit for “Mr Incredible becoming uncanny” memes, and any other similar formats
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2021.12.27 19:30 ILGO-TURK mrincredibleuncanny

No rules at all. Just don’t send nsfw
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2023.06.01 04:34 Dutch-Of-The-Lime Best way to ask my neighbours dog out?

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew there was something special about Max, my neighbor's dog. Those soulful eyes and wagging tail had an uncanny ability to brighten even the gloomiest of days. Little did I know that this furry bundle of joy would capture my heart in ways I never thought possible.
At first, I would steal glances at Max from my window, observing his playful antics and infectious energy. Our encounters during walks became cherished moments, as his boundless enthusiasm brought a smile to my face. It was as if Max could sense the loneliness I had carried within me for far too long, and he was determined to heal it with his unwavering affection.
As fate would have it, my neighbor approached me one day, asking if I could watch over Max while she was away. The thought of spending uninterrupted time with this lovable canine filled me with both excitement and nervousness. Little did I know that those few days would change my life forever.
Max and I became inseparable companions. We explored the world together, chasing butterflies in the park and splashing in puddles like carefree children. His presence filled my days with laughter and joy, erasing the shadows of solitude that had plagued me.
But it wasn't just Max's exuberance that captivated me. It was his unwavering loyalty and gentle nature that spoke to the depths of my soul. In his eyes, I found a reflection of the love and acceptance I had longed for. Max had become my confidant, listening intently as I poured out my fears and dreams, never judging but offering solace in his silent companionship.
As the days turned into weeks, my love for Max blossomed, growing stronger with each passing moment. His unwavering presence had awakened a part of me that had been dormant for far too long. I realized that I had fallen deeply in love, not just with a dog, but with a kindred spirit who had taught me the true meaning of unconditional love.
When my neighbor returned, I knew I had to express the depths of my affection for Max. With a racing heart and trembling hands, I mustered the courage to share my feelings, hoping she would understand. To my surprise, she smiled warmly, assuring me that she had noticed the unique connection Max and I had formed.
With her blessing, Max became an even more permanent part of my life. Our love grew stronger, transcending boundaries and filling the empty spaces in both our hearts. Together, we embarked on countless adventures, finding solace and joy in each other's company.
In the end, it was Max who rescued me, reminding me that love can come in unexpected forms. Through his wagging tail and unconditional affection, he taught me that sometimes, the purest love can be found in the simplest of companions. Max, my neighbor's dog, became the love of my life, forever etched in my heart as a reminder of the power of love and the unexpected blessings that can be found right next door.
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2023.06.01 04:07 BurlyMisery Mr Incredible becoming Uncanny

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2023.06.01 04:00 Analypiss Endurance, Speed, Skill, and Temporary Powers

Key and explanation of periods where Juggernaut was stronger or weaker than normal

Endurance and Regeneration

Speed

Skill

Temporary Powers

Telepathy

Mystic Abilities

Trion

Captain Universe

Kuurth

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2023.06.01 04:00 Analypiss Durability

Key and explanation of periods where Juggernaut was stronger or weaker than normal

Durability w/ Force Field/Armor

Blunt

Piercing/Cutting

Sound

Heat

Cold

Electricity

Light

Energy

Chemical

Adhesive

Biological

Matter Manipulation

Phasing

Magic

Soul/Life Force

Power Absorption/Nullification

Mental

Durability w/o Force Field/Armor

Blunt

Piercing/Cutting

Sound

Cold

Heat

Gravity

Light

Energy

Chemical

Biological

Mental

submitted by Analypiss to JuggernautMegaRT [link] [comments]

2023.06.01 04:00 Analypiss Strength - Striking and Lifting

Key and explanation of periods where Juggernaut was stronger or weaker than normal

Striking

Lifting, pushing, pulling, throwing, grip, etc.

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2023.06.01 04:00 Analypiss Strength - Force Field and Advancing

Key and explanation of periods where Juggernaut was stronger or weaker than normal

Force Field

Advancing

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2023.06.01 02:37 solipsisticsundays 34 [M4F] PA/Anywhere - are you waiting for it to rain or are you soaked to the skin?

Afternoon rain endures the longest. The thoughts it draws out of me are endless. The afternoon light tinges the tree leaves down towards the pavement; tapping on the streaks of oil mixed into water. Like the imprint of a body never leaving my bed. Impressions that alter your perceptions become indistinguishable from Truth.
Late night drives into nothingness. Where we’re going is less important than how we get there. Like a body swept across the weariness of exertion. The hormones generated by the brain render the bounds of the self indistinct. Maybe that’s why I run and continue to punish my body in ways that make a lot of people wince. It’s not for asceticism, it’s for pleasure. Or the reduction of pain. Although distance dictates that line in innumerable ways.
It’s quiet. A still night. Three minutes past midnight and the bus screams past the windows of a third floor walk up. It’ll be the last one of the night. The streets are quiet and the only people out are drifting home on their drink of choice; warm in their belly. Maybe the only warmth they’ll feel tonight. But maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s all right. I walk a block to my favorite neon sign. Hues of bright blue, angry red, and golden yellow flicker onto my face like it might finally die…but it doesn’t. It’s reliable. In a way a lot of people aren’t. I turn the corner and walk down to the river. The duck I’ve nicknamed Lucy is there. It’s a spot I haven’t ever shared. Perhaps one day I will but for now it’s mine. Some secrets I guard with my life. My heart—for whatever reason—isn’t one of them.
It’s like in those moments when you feel as though you’ve arrived a day too early—or too late. The space is filled with a discomfort you can’t quite pinpoint. It’s uncanny. Lacan described it as a moment where we struggle to distinguish between good or bad. A lot of my life has felt like that in one way or another. I acquiesce to that feeling. It’s better than to miss out on anything.
I’ve grown weary of city life. It made sense to live here when my outlook and needs were different. I have a vision of where I want to be in what way and with whom. Its lines are fuzzy. The paint drips from the canvas…and entire patches are left white. In my wariness it’s discernible. Palatable.
It feels as though I’ve lived entire lives up until this moment. All I want is to know how I would appear to the one who is finally able to scrutinize all these thoughts never uttered to anyone.
For now, I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. -W.B. Yeats
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2023.06.01 01:44 McKilligan Retrograde Update 6.1.2023

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2023.05.31 22:44 mrsmissnii I am back

It is mi again God, mi mom took mi phone and kept it for two weeks!
I got it like 2 weeks ago but I was not active on here because a friend of mine was going trough something. Stori time, let mi explain.
She called me at 3am criing because she found out that she was pregnant! Mi heart dropped as soon as she mentioned pregnanci, like girl what?? She explained that she did not know that she was pregnant because she was on birth-control, she onli found out when she went to the doctor because she was feeling sick. Good thing she went alone and not with her mom, her mom would have killed her lol.
The doctor explained that she got pregnant because she was skipping a lot of dais and not taking her pills consistentli
We went the next morning to a clinic for a proper check up. We came to find out that mi friend was more than 3 whole months pregnant!!! The nurse did and ultra sound and we could see it, we also got the gender, it was a male.
Mi friend was criing so much but the nurse was realli sweet. She told us that mi friend had three weeks to decide if she wanted to keep it or go for an abortion.
Mi mom found out! When I asked her how she found out she said that she could just see it in her face lol but mi mom is the sweetest so she talked to the principal for us and got us a two week off time from school! Mi friend came to stai with us for those two weeks.
We talked about the pregnanci a lot and decided that it is best she aborts it. Mi friend is still ioung, still in school and the person who got her pregnant is not the tipe of person iou want to have a child with. It was dumb enough of her to let him have acces to her bodi and it would be even dumber to keep a babi from someone like that. In the end she would just end up as a single teen mom and the responsibiliti of raising a child to become a decent member of societi would fall on her hands alone. In most cases like this people never want to hold the man accountable for not helping to raise a child, it is alwais: ”IoU sHouLd hAVE cHOsEN bEttER!!” "sToP mAkinG terRibLe liFe chOiceS" and iou know what? Thei are right.
She had a chance of making a good life choice and she took it. Mi friend chose to do better, she chose to not bring a child into this world when she knew that she did not have the capabilities to raise it to become a decent human being. Who knows maibi she was going to be a good mom and raise her son to become a wonderful black man but that was unlikeli considering how inexperienced she is at this life thing. And even if she was going to be a good mom, she has a right to not want to birth a child. I am proud of her, I am tired of seeing black girls making terrible life choices.
We went to the clinic three dais later, mi mom dropped us but she could not stai because she had to go to work. Everithing went smoothli, mi mom came to visit us after work and brought us snacks. Mi friend got discharged the next dai.
We asked the doctor if we could take it home and give it a proper burial. We took it to the car and took it out of the box, it was wrapped in paper. we looked at it, it was so uncanni and scari looking like ew. We tossed it in the garbage dump in the corner of one of the streets. We were not planning on giving it a funeral, we just lied to the doctor because we wanted to inspect it and see what a fetus looks like lol.
We went home and our moms made us delicious chocolate cake and ramen soup. We spent all the rest of the off dais at home being lazi, cooking, eating and just watching TV.
Now it is time for school and straight A's
Moral of the stori: please do not skip taking iour birthcontrol pills
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2023.05.31 20:36 Background_Fix2590 Pentoshi: The Crypto Wizard of Twitter - A Journey of Trading Mastery and Life Skills

In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, few figures have made as significant an impact as Pentoshi. Known for his insightful tweets and uncanny trading skills, Pentoshi has become a beacon of knowledge in the crypto Twitter community. This article delves into the life and trading prowess of this crypto wizard.
Pentoshi's journey into the crypto world is a testament to his adaptability and keen sense of market trends. His trading strategies, often shared in real-time on Twitter, have earned him a reputation as a reliable source of crypto market insights. His tweets are a blend of technical analysis, market sentiment, and often, a dash of humor, making the complex world of crypto trading accessible to both novices and seasoned traders.
But Pentoshi's influence extends beyond just trading. He is a strong advocate for continuous learning and personal development. He often shares insights about life skills and personal growth, emphasizing the importance of mental health, discipline, and resilience in trading and life. His tweets serve as a reminder that successful trading is not just about understanding the market but also about personal growth and emotional intelligence.
One of Pentoshi's most notable traits is his transparency. He shares both his victories and setbacks, providing a realistic picture of the volatile world of crypto trading. His honesty about the challenges of trading, including dealing with losses and maintaining emotional balance, has resonated with many in the crypto community.
Pentoshi's approach to trading is holistic. He views trading as a journey of self-discovery and growth. For him, every trade is an opportunity to learn and improve. This mindset, combined with his technical skills, has made him one of the most respected figures in the crypto Twitter community.
In conclusion, Pentoshi is more than just a successful crypto trader. He is a mentor, a life coach, and a source of inspiration for many. His journey serves as a reminder that success in trading, and in life, is not just about making the right moves in the market, but also about personal growth, resilience, and continuous learning. As Pentoshi often says, "Trading is a marathon, not a sprint." And indeed, his journey is a testament to the truth of this statement.
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2023.05.31 17:36 Colourblindness Aboulomania

My wife Cheryl has been on the waiting list for a new heart for about two years, so when we got the call, we didn’t hesitate to load up the car and get prepped. This was the miracle we were waiting for. The one that doctors told us not to get our hopes up for.
The donor was a trucker from across state lines, someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time with an 18 wheeler. His family insisted that having his heart used for a life saving surgery would be exactly what he would have wanted.
Cheryl was already in her hospital gown before we even reached the surgical center. I remember squeezing her hand and we prayed together. This felt like a miracle.
We didn’t know it was about to become a nightmare.
Her brother Max came and brought his two Nintendo Switches with an extra set of controllers to keep us occupied while in the waiting room. We played Mario Kart for about 20 minutes when the first incident happened.
This hospital is pretty small, so all of the procedures happen in the same ward; including labor and delivery. We were just on the 3rd course of the game when a strange alarm started to blare in the hallway next to us and I jumped up, wondering what was going on.
I thought at first it might be that someone was trying to take a baby from the nursery, foolishly forgetting that the staff put bands on their legs. Instead when I walked into the next set of double doors I saw a woman frozen in place with a surgical knife in her left hand, and a baby in her right. It looked like they had just come out of the procedure room and had just cut the umbilical cord. The baby was crying, bleeding a tad from their belly button. But the nurse was simply standing there, as though she had just forgotten what she was doing.
“Miss… miss are you okay?” I asked, trying to shake her arm. She felt ice cold. I then turned and looked toward some of the other staff members and realized they too seemed suddenly paralyzed. Phones were dangling off the hook. Orderlies had stopped pushing one woman midway down the hall. Everything was suspended for no apparent reason. I walked back out of the ward and told Max to call the police.
“Somethings up, like everyone has had a stroke or something,” I muttered to him.
He nodded and moved toward the elevator, trying to get it to come to our floor.
Suddenly there was a power surge. The lights flickered briefly and Max too seemed frozen. I ran to his side where he was now stuck in place, pressing the button for the elevator.
I started to panic as I moved from room to room, trying to get someone’s help. Why was I not being affected I wondered as I pounded on the double doors to the surgical unit. An orderly in scrubs came to my aid.
“Sir, you need to wait,” he said stiffly.
“No you don’t understand, there’s something happening out here. I need to be sure my wife is okay,” I said. I pushed past him before he could object and started shouting Cheryl’s name.
My heart was pounding as I reached the first operating room and burst in without authorization. As much as I was expecting the nightmare to get worse, it was still uncanny to see this group of surgeons now seemingly unable to make any decision at all as their patient was bleeding out before my eyes.
I turned back toward the orderly that was not affected and asked, “Do you have any idea what this might be?”
“I don’t know. Never seen anything like it,” he admitted as he ran to a red phone on the wall to try and call for help.
I moved to the next room but found it locked. On the other side I could see my Cheryl, just being put under anesthesia.
The surgeons started to gather their instruments and I shouted to try and get their attention. Another power surge occurred and I closed my eyes, scared I would be next.
I could feel my head vibrating as I turned toward the orderly and asked if he had made contact with anyone. But he was on the floor, shaking violently. I reached for the phone and tried to dial, only to find that white noise was coming from the receiver.
I stumbled back to the OR that Cheryl was in and shouted hysterically. The surgeons had just begun to cut into her chest when this strange affliction hit them. They were frozen in place with my wife’s chest open, blood pouring out non stop as I heard the machine reach a flatline.
I slammed on the door in desperation, not wanting to lose her. But it was pointless. The decision had been made for me.
I collapsed in a heap of tears, shaking as I tried to understand what was happening. Was this a virus? A terrorist attack? I had no clue.
Then beyond the hospital walls I heard car alarms. The sound of screeching tires.
I managed to pick myself up and move toward a window to see what was happening.
18 wheelers careening out of control. I even saw a helicopter falling from the sky. It burst into flame in the hospital parking lot as I realized that whatever had happened here, was now suddenly spreading.
I stood there a moment longer, watching the destruction play out. Then the power went out again and I lost consciousness. My own free will taken from me.
When I woke up, a day had passed. The news reported nothing about the strange event. It was as if it had never happened and the deaths and destruction were ignored.
Except I know that my wife died on the operating table.
That can’t be erased. I don’t know what strange event happened here but it scares me to death it might happen again. The loss of will, spreading and destroying more lives.
What if soon we have no free will at all?
I can’t think of anything more terrifying.
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2023.05.31 16:00 NotFirey69 jack becoming uncanny

jack becoming uncanny submitted by NotFirey69 to JackSucksAtLife [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 15:52 BetsTheCow The LEAD Program: Conclusion

Background: I was an enlisted Airman who applied for and was accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy under the LEAD Program back in 2018. The program is targeted for Airmen who meet all of the regular USAFA admissions requirements and have demonstrated the aptitude to become an officer to attend the Academy. There isn't a lot of information out there for people who are trying to do this program, so I've attempted to fill the niche I saw by making semi-regular Reddit posts on my experiences. If you're interested in the LEAD program or if you just want a behind the scenes look at that enigma that is the Academy, read on. As always, feel free to hit me with any questions you have about the process or life here in general!
Firstie Year: Senior year of the Academy is referred to as "Firstie" year. You are given a blue beret to stand out, you march at the front of Squadron formations, Permanent Party constantly teases you with the fact that you'll be out of here soon. Firsties are really treated better. You start seeing what the world is going to look like when you're done with this place: you get your AFSC awarded, your first base, your problems start becoming real things like PCSing and not having orders as opposed to worrying about class projects and parades. Every day, I got to wake up and see that the number of days until graduation was getting to the point I could actually visualize it happening.
Jobs (not real ones): This is the year where you become officers within the Cadet Wing and are responsible for leading the various mission elements. At this point in a cadet's career, they can manage any manner of jobs in the Wing from an Assistant Squadron MWR Officer all the way up to the Wing Commander. Now, while ostensibly the cadets are in charge of the Wing, there's still quite a bit of Permanent Party oversight, and while cadets may try to make decisions and do things, it always has to be done with the approval of the Permanent Party, and one could see how this sometimes generates friction. This is a statement that could just as easily be a 10 page essay, so we'll leave it there. You have to have a job, but realistically some jobs do much more than others, and as a firstie you can make your job just about whatever you want to be. In this, USAFA is still very much a choose your own adventure book. I worked a Group job in my first semester and then did the same job in my Squadron for the second semester, all in all a pretty good experience.
Jobs (real ones): When classes get their actual AFSC's varies. USAFA's A1 has consistently tried to get cadets their jobs towards the end of Junior year. This has never happened. The Class of 2023 got theirs at the end of August. Now with jobs, the name of the game is "What is the pilot fallout?". Most (more than half) people who come here want to be pilots and we had something in the neighborhood of 500 pilots and everyone else was spread around. Some people got pilot that weren't medically qualified and have to push for waivers, some people got other jobs entirely that wanted pilot. I can now say definitively that if you're medically qualified and you give half a shit during your first three years, getting a pilot slot couldn't be easier. Anyways, after you get your job, you and your friends go out to the mountains or Denver and have a party.
Frustrations: Standard disclaimer: My views are my own and do not represent the Academy in any official way. I wouldn't be giving this place a fair shake if I didn't state some of the negative stuff. Firstie year is also where the politics of the Academy start to actually matter. I had quite a few frustrations both personally and professionally because of this place. There are some pretty serious opportunities that you can try to go for, and end up not getting them because of some backroom deal or the decisionmaker simply liked another candidate for it more than you. It's hard to try hard to get something, only to be denied and no good answer is given for why. But hey, that's life, and it's probably a useful thing to get cadets acquainted with the actual politicking of the real Air Force.
Being a Prior: Honestly, it's not an identity here this late into the game. More is still expected of the prior enlisted, and now that we're getting to the point where we're rejoining the real Air Force, plenty of the directs have questions about how things are and how they should interact with it. But at this point I've spent more time at the Academy then I did enlisted. I identify more with the people I hang out with, and while groups of those happen to be priors, just as many aren't. I still am more than happy to talk to people about the real Air Force, and I will lean into the "old man" jokes that are thrown at me, but now it's just a fun fact as opposed to Freshman year when it was the primary part of what people saw me as.
Conclusion: 1781 days ago, I drove onto the base for the first time to inprocess for the Prep School. I was scared; the Academy was an imposing place both physically and in reputation. Now, I can count the hours until I commission on one hand. Tomorrow, I get to shake Mr. Biden's hand after I walk across the stage. And the day after that, it was all just a bad dream. It was not, it was not, it was not easy, but really at the end of the day I don't think I would have chosen a different commissioning source. There's a tendency to think of the Academy as wasted years, I prefer to think of it as years lived more intensely. I have made the best friends of my life, I have had some of the most incredible experiences, good and bad, and whether I'm a better person or not for having done it, I feel like I will be a better Officer because of it, and I am glad I went through it. I am grateful for everyone who helped me along the way (and that's a long list of people), and hope I can live up to the expectations they have for me as an officer.
I'm back in two days! See y'all then!
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2023.05.31 10:59 Kroftyy I just finished watching The Challenge S36: Double Agents for the first time. Here are some of my thoughts!

Hey all,
Back at it again after just now finishing Double Agents. A definite overall improvement over last season, but one that is still a bit of a slog to get through and not without its flaws. Let’s discuss.
Disclaimer: At this stage I have only seen seasons 5-36 of The Challenge, plus the VS spinoffs. Please refrain from spoiling any other seasons, or returning players. Thanks :)
TL;DR Summary
Double Agents continues with the skull twist introduced last season, forcing people to enter and win an elimination if they want to make it to the final. Whilst they try to tweak this twist to create a better season, it still negatively impacts things overall. The cast is pretty solid, but the boot order is rough and has a major alliance dominate through the whole season WotW2 style. There are a few standout characters which bring life to an otherwise boring season, and daily challenges are mostly ok. Eliminations quickly got old with the same set of 5 reused over and over, albeit with a few tweaks. Fortunately it has an incredible, tough final unlike something we’ve seen in recent memory (not counting WotW), and winners which feel mostly satisfying.
The Good
The Not So Good
The format
The format this season is equal parts good and bad.
It’s a partners season with shifting teams. Male/female teams are initially self-selected at the start of the season after the first challenge. I quite liked how they left it up to the contestants to choose their first partner - good drama and some really cool teams came out of it. These teams would not stick it out though, as the season introduced multiple twists to allow shifting and changing.
As always, we had our usual daily challenges, where teams compete, in their duos, for a win. The winners of a challenge become our ‘Double Agents’ for the week. After the challenge, everyone beside the Double Agents would participate in nominations to discuss who they want to put up for elimination. Individually, all contestants would then vote for the team they want to send into elimination (anonymously)
Following these noms, the Double Agents are privately shown the nominated team as well as all individuals that voted to send them in. They are then given the power to send in their opponent after arriving to the elimination arena and seeing the game.
Eliminations shake out like usual, albeit with a limited pool of games this season, but are played individually in male/female days rather than as duos. After an individual is eliminated, a few things happen. The losing contestants partner becomes a ‘Rogue Agent’ and will be left alone, unable to compete, until a new partner pops up in the next episode as a result of THAT elimination. The winning individual of the elimination can either stay with their partner, take the losing individual’s partner, or steal ANY other partner on the show, except for the Double Agents.
If this alone was the format - top tier. Whilst I loved some of those initial teams, the ability for them to shift around was fantastic. I loved seeing the drama involved with picking new partners, and how it forced some unlikely duos together.
Unfortunately, the winner of the elimination also gets… a skull… and this is what is required in order to run the final. They openly state a limited number of skulls this season, but it doesn’t do too much to alleviate the issues introduced by this twist last season. Everyone just lines up to take their turn in the elimination, and it slows down the season and makes it a struggle to get through. I hope to never see this twist again - it takes out so much unpredictability.
The cast
Look the cast is overall good this season. There are some flops but we have some great people around, and a season without Bananas at that. Unfortunately the boot order is a bit tough to watch - we lose a lot of the entertainment due to the dominant, bland alliance, and so the cast slowly gets worse over. I’ve got a LOT of contestants to get through so might try to keep things a bit briefer.
CT: I’ve been on a bit of a rollercoaster with CT lately. I keep wanting to see the CT we saw upon his initial return - that stint around Rivals - Exes 2. But I think the fact of the matter is that he’s different yet again. I found him to honestly be a little dull at times this season. The first 3/4s he really didn’t provide a whole lot. Then you DO get the drama with Big T, his showdown with Fessy, and his eventual win with Amber, so things do come around in the end and his win is cathartic if only because he wasn’t part of that majority alliance all season. I also like the full circle moment of him taking a win in Iceland after Exes (which I BELIEVE was also there?). I would have enjoyed a new winner on the male side though... getting Turbo/Rogan was nice, but it feels like we’re falling back into familiar territory with Jordan/Bananas/CT winning.
Amber: I really enjoyed watching and rooting for Amber this season. Her initial partnership with Darrell was fantastic, and one of my favourite pairings of the season. Unfortunately, she for some reason gets shafted by the edit through 80% of the season and barely gets to show any personality or narration capabilities. I love that she got to shine a bit more in the final few episodes though, winning the two (admittedly easy) Hall Brawls, and absolutely SMASHING that tough final. She in no way had to lean on her partner, crushing almost all aspects of the final and putting in a memorable finish and win - love seeing a rookie come through and take the crown. I really hope to see more of her, perhaps in more of a main character role, in the future.
Cory: Loved seeing Cory make a deep run again. Whilst he WAS aligned with the majority alliance, and thus pretty safe all season, he’s a great confessionalist that has only improved over time, and provides fantastic narration through this whole season. He’s also really funny in confessionals this time around, calling out the antics in the house in his trademark style. Loved to see him earn a little bit of money ‘for his family’, and was dying at his rotating door of female partners all season. A good Cory season.
Kam: Much like CT I find I am often on a bit of a rollercoaster with Kam. I think I prefer seeing her need to scrap from the bottom, because I found it hard to root for her this season as the leader of the majority alliance. She dominated from start to finish, and for someone that loves an underdog, it often put me in a position where I’d be rooting against her, and even disliking her. Her arrogance sometimes rubs me the wrong way, even though it IS sometimes earnt with how she has played in the past. In the end though, I came back around on her and was able to appreciate her presence and gameplay this season. I enjoyed seeing her take 2nd place too.
Leroy: Leroy’s ‘final’ season (tbd if that proves to be true or not), and what a way to go out. He may not have won, liked he set out to do, but this is Leroy’s best season through and through. He has agency over the game, and without Bananas to lead the pack, steps up alongside Kam to make decisions and actually have a say. It’s refreshing to see from him, and I enjoyed his usual placement as the ‘straight man’ amongst the antics of his house. Again, his placement in that majority often made it hard to get behind his plight, but I’m happy for his performance this season and think this will be a great way for him to finish his challenge career, if that proves to be true. Great daily performances alongside Kaycee, and a commendable final effort. Probably would have liked to see him secure the win here, although if that meant a Nany win I wouldn’t have been super happy.
Nany: Speaking of Nany… gosh since her return I’ve liked her less with each appearance. She had some really awful moments last season and continued to showcase some bad personality traits this time around, yet again betraying one of her ‘best friends’ Aneesa. Her proximity to the Big Brother alliance, even more so than Kam/Leroy due to how ingrained she is, also puts a big taint on her character, as Josh, Fessy and to a lesser extent Kaycee aren’t my favourite contestants at the moment. I hate that he storyline is the EXACT SAME every season. Line for line I feel like she has the same confessionals every time ‘I’m finally here to take my win after x seasons’.
Fessy: Holy crap. I actually haven’t outright hated someone on The Challenge in a long, long time. There was Paulie, sure, but I LOVED to hate on him. Fessy is my least favourite contestant in recent memory, and it’s not even close. Firstly, he has to be the least-charismatic villain the show has ever seen. He has the personality of a wet towel, and combined with his inflated sense of self and arrogance, it gives us a truly hateable contestant. He belittled and blamed his female contestants all season long, and then when he finally gets his ‘first choice’, he gives up in the final and tries to gaslight it into being Kaycee’s fault. Seeing him place last in the final was FANTASTIC, and I LOVED that everyone dogged on him for his choices. Production included with that fantastic Karma Chameleon needle drop. His ego is ridiculous, and I think he should have been DQed after his actions in that Nelson Hall Brawl. Just ridiculous and unsafe. The fact that he was allowed to compete in a second HB after that is an awful choice on production’s end. I need him to get humbled in elimination BAD. Preferably a physical one.
Kaycee: My feelings towards Kaycee are much, much less severe that Fessy. Kaycee suffers from just being boring. She’s completely likeable, and she seems cool. She’s a great competitor. But her personality doesn’t feel geared towards the challenge, and for someone making it so deep two season in a row, I’d hope to see a bit MORE from her. Whether this is productions’ fault or her own is yet to be seen, but if she continues to be on the show I’d love to see some more entertainment from her. I felt horrible for her in the final though, and was genuinely sad to see her go out that way, even if I was satisfied with Fessy losing.
Kyle: One of the three shining points of entertainment this season - Kyle is in strong form. He’s never in the majority, and often getting betrayed by the minority, and so we get Kyle playing this scrappy game all season long. He’s fantastic in confessionals this season, it’s almost a stand-out for him, providing non-stop comedy both there and in the house itself. His heart and determination is on display yet again too, following his injury in the final Hall Brawl of the season against Fessy. I would have loved to see Kyle take this one home this season - I truly do feel like he has it in him to win. I’ll be highlighting many Kyle quotes and moments below.
Big T: Yet another shining point of entertainment this season. I’ve mentioned how much I’ve enjoyed Big T in her fleeting moments on the previous two seasons, and I absolutely loved seeing her get a main-character season this time around. She is one of our main narrators and storylines from the get-go, quickly ending up as CTs partner and giving us a fantastic story of triumph and building confidence. She goes through ups and downs with CT as a partner when he leaves her for Kam, and eventually makes his way back, but all throughout she remains likeable and such a bright presence. Unfortunately I don’t think she’s ever going to be a winning threat… but in terms of entertainment value and personality, I think she should continue to do many more Challenges.
Darrell: Alongside Amber, Darrell gets done DIRTY this season. We have one of the most iconic vets of the game, and he’s reduced to a few fleeting confessionals here and there, with nothing in between? So disrespectful of Production. Darrell is absolute gold in confessionals, and the ones he DOES get are almost always memorable and fun. I wish we would have seen even more of him, and his relationship with Amber. One of the only true partnerships this season imo, never betraying each other and always being supportive.
Aneesa: This is going to surprise some of you based on how I’ve spoken about Aneesa over her last few appearances, but I actually think she brought it this season. She’s no physical-threat, or winning-threat, but entertainment-wise I actually think she was memorable. She won multiple dailies, with different partners, and earnt a gold skull as well, against Tori of all people, even if her eventual elimination performance is dreadful. The relationship with Fessy as her partner, as well as Kyle after switching, were both fantastic in different ways. Fessy because it was GREAT to see him constantly handicapped, and Kyle because they genuinely worked well together and had great chemistry. One of Aneesa’s more memorable seasons in a long time.
Nam: I feel so bad for Nam. Having Lolo as a partner for most of the season and then getting DQed with an injury. He was a little boring, but I’d like to see him back to get another shot. I think he could bring something given a better starting hand.
Gabby: I liked Gabby. I don’t think she’s anything crazy or unique from what we’ve seen before, but she had a strong confessional style and was able to speak well. Kinda hate that she eventually gave in an hooked up with Mr. Introvert though.
Josh: Josh this season was how I remembered Josh from Big Brother. It’s taken a while, but he’s gone from surprisingly ok back to what I first thought of him - loud, obnoxious and annoying. Fortunately, his presence this season was appreciated because he had a fantastic foil to his personality in Devin. The Devin v Josh stuff was the highlight of the season entertainment-wise. And seeing the true side of Fessy this season makes Josh look likeable in comparison.
Lolo: Wow, what an absolute flop. Lolo showed so much promise on the VS spin-off and is a complete let-down this season. She pretty much whinges from Day 1 when things aren’t going her way and constantly blames Nam for everything happening. And then she just quits? What a fail. They should have brought back Louise.
Devin: Devin’s first season in a little while, and what a memorable one. He almost single handedly makes the first half of this season. Much like with Bananas, he just has a way of getting under people’s skin like nobody else can. I LOVE it. The way he played Josh over and over and over never ceased making me laugh. ‘Big brother sucks’, ‘what’s 8x9’ and many more will be referenced further a bit below. He was comedy gold this season and the entertainment value dropped off significantly after his boot. Also adds Wes to his surprising elimination win list.
Amber M: Amber had quite a bit of exposure through the first half of the season - quite a bit of drama surrounding her and her relationship with Devin and others, but she ultimately didn’t lead enough of an impact to be all that memorable.
Mechie: Mechie seemed like a good person and the small insights we got into his backstory were good, but he’s not built for The Challenge and I’d be pretty surprised if we see him again.
Theresa: Theresa was an absolute STAR this season. This is my favourite season of hers ever. She may not have made it deep but she brought back her signature personality matched with a bit more maturity and it hit all the right notes for me. She was smart, feisty, and unafraid to back down from the major alliance. I loved her relationship with Jay and was rooting hard for the two of them to make a deep run.
Jay: As mentioned with Theresa, out of the whole season I was rooting the most for Theresa/Jay. I loved both of them and thought they complemented each other really well. It was nice to see Jay make it a little further than usual - he always seems to get targeted for his size, and he continued to be targeted this season, but he was fortunately able to make it a little deeper. Really likeable, love his never-back-down attitude. He’s a great player and I’d love to see him become a staple to the point where he isn’t targeted as much and can play the game a bit longer.
Ashley: Ashley was literally in and out of the house not once but TWICE. It’s a shame Ashley leaves so many seasons early because you can’t say she doesn’t bring drama and personality.
Lio: Nothing really to say about Lio - I don’t follow WWE so had no attachment to him, and he’s pretty low-key on the season up until leaving.
Tori: A surprising early finish for Tori, especially considering she lost to Aneesa. It was nice having her out a little early. We’ve seen a lot of her lately and I probably didn’t want to see a whole season of her again this soon.
Nelson: A brutal exit for Nelson. I think he got unlucky off the bat getting a rookie and things went downhill from there when he’s blindsided by Fessy to secure his own gold skull. A lot of heart shown by Nelson in that hall brawl despite the matchup. I wish Fessy would have been DQed here and Nelson stay in the game in his place.
Natalie A: Another Survivor on the show! And another Survivor to bring it. I really like Natalie, and her pairing with Wes was a dream come true. They have very similar personalities and ways of playing the game. Devastated that she had to go home for an emergency and I really hope we get to see her back in the future.
Wes: As said, a dream pairing for him with Nat A, but such a lacklustre season from him. I would have loved to see Devin, Kyle, Wes run that little minority, but instead we get a bit of a half-assed attempt from Wes where his head isn’t in the game. Wes’ appearances seem to go one way or the other lately: a deep run or out early. Lame.
Liv, Joseph I actually can’t remember, despite watching these early episodes less than three weeks ago. Oops.
Nicole Z: Wtf?!?! I was keen to see Nicole Z and then she’s medically removed so early? Absolutely brutal. I think her pair-up with Devin would have been interesting to see develop further.
The challenges
The dailies
We get some pretty interesting dailies this season, and some which are quite unique. Not all of them are memorable, but some of my favourites:
Ok I take back what I said most of these dailies SUCKED. I don’t know what I was on. Sure, there’s a couple nice ones. All Brawl is good, Road Kill is good, Decryption is good. But half the time everyone just works together or the challenge is bland/predictable.
The eliminations
I struggled with the eliminations this season. For such a long season, we only had six different eliminations, and some of them weren’t interesting or enjoyable to watch. I’ll touch on all of them though because they all have something worth mentioning:
The final
Dailies, mostly average. Eliminations, mostly average.
But the FINAL?!? ‘Finally, some good fucking food’
This Final was fantastic. It’s easily the best one since War of the Worlds, and I preferred the spectacle and visuals (location) of this one over WotW. It’s a beautiful final played over a rocky coastline, it incorporates a stunning ice cave, and is played at the tail end of a hurricane. The conditions are brutal, timing generally matters, and the first person to make it to TJ is the winner.
We had running/endurance along beautiful Icelandic coastline, a brawling checkpoint which recreated the first Decryption challenge (alright, that reuse is a bit lame), an eating checkpoint where Amber gets a glorious blood-beard, a kayaking portion, and overnight portion in a stunning locale, with an endless dripping of water and mental torture, some puzzles. It really ticked all the boxes and felt tough. CT and Amber’s win feels earned.
It was just a great final all-around. One of the best episode of the season I think, and if this is the new standard of final, I’m all for it. Makes me really reminiscent to like, the Rivals 1/2 or Exes final. Keen for more like this.
Random remaining thoughts from throughout the season
Conclusion
And there we have it. Fortunately Double Agents is an improvement over Total Madness. It’s nowhere near a perfect season and struggles with a boring storyline, some bland dailies, and the skull twist, but it also has a few individuals that really stand out, as well as good winners and a fantastic final.
Overall, I’m content with this one.
Next up I have All Stars 1 which I am incredibly excited about. I’ll be trying to do my usual predictions for it but I feel I’m going to get a ridiculous amount wrong. Lets see!
As always, let me know what you all thought of this season - keen to hear your thoughts on it, and please feel free to rag on Fessy with me. Thanks for reading!
Rankings
Wild that this marks my thirty-fifth season of The Challenge. A cool milestone. I’ve placed this in a spot which surprised me a little, I didn’t expect it to be so high, but comparing it to some of the seasons below is what landed it here. It could change, as always with these rankings.
  1. S25: Free Agents
  2. S24: Rivals 2
  3. S33: War of the Worlds
  4. S21: Rivals
  5. S34: War of the Worlds 2
  6. S13: The Duel
  7. S30: Dirty 30
  8. S10: Inferno 2
  9. S29: Invasion of The Champions
  10. S20: Cutthroat
  11. S8: The Inferno
  12. S19: Fresh Meat 2
  13. S12: Fresh Meat
  14. S26: Battle of the Exes 2
  15. S22: Battle of the Exes
  16. S32: Final Reckoning
  17. S17: The Duel 2 (V)
  18. S15: The Gauntlet 3
  19. S18: The Ruins
  20. S31: Vendettas
  21. S36: Double Agents
  22. S28: Rivals 3
  23. The Challenge: Champs v Stars 2
  24. The Challenge: Champs vs Pros
  25. S6: Battle of the Sexes
  26. S14: Inferno 3
  27. S11: The Gauntlet 2
  28. S7: The Gauntlet
  29. The Challenge: Champs vs Stars
  30. S5: Battle of the Seasons
  31. S9: Battle of the Sexes 2
  32. S23: Battle of the Seasons (2)
  33. S27: Battle of the Bloodlines
  34. S35: Total Madness
  35. S16: The Island
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2023.05.31 10:57 Traditional-Bear-493 Rebook The British Bulldog’s WWF Intercontinental Championship Reign - P.U.R.E.

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The biggest wrestling event ever to grace the world outside the shores of North America… infront of a sold out Wembley Stadium, Davey Boy topples Bret Hart in the main event to capture the Intercontinental Championship, infront of his people… in a moment that nobody will ever, ever forget.
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Survivor Series: The British Bulldog (c) & Owen Hart def. The Samoan S.W.A.T. Team
The British Bulldog returns to the United States with the gold around his waist. On his first Saturday Night Main Event as champion, it’s a successful defence for DBS as he defeats Rick Martel. After this bout, in an interview discussing his title victory, none other than Mr. Perfect comes onto screen, and informs DBS to keep watching his back, as there are lots of competitors keeping an eye on his title belt. Following his victory, DBS remains a mainstay on WWF programming, as apart of the new and exciting New Generation Era, DBS is next seen helping The Hart Foundation deal with their battle against the Samoan S.W.A.T. team, and the new villainous Shawn Michaels, who is going after Hart’s newly won WWF Championship, after he defeated Flair in Saskatoon… who has now got a working agreement with the S.S.T who are working as his protection from the rest of the WWF roster. A Tag match between Bret & Davey against the S.S.T ends in DQ after Shawn Michaels gets involved. Setting up a re-match with Bret's brother at Survivor Series, where Owen & Davey work well together in picking up the huge tag win!
​
Royal Rumble: The British Bulldog (c) def. Shawn Michaels
Angry that his hiring of the Headshrinkers didn’t aid a World Title victory at Survivor Series… Michaels takes it out on DBS who continues to stick up and defend the rest of the roster from the antagonistic behaviour of those lurking in the shadows of WWF. Michaels, leads the line… and is next up to challenge DBS at a huge event… this time, at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento… As Smith goes for the Powerslam… Michaels skins down and goes for Sweet Chin Music, but an intuitive duck from Davey allows him to re-hoist him up and down for a Powerslam to retain the gold!
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WrestleMania IX: The British Bulldog (c) def. Razor Ramon
If there is anybody in the WWF who is not going to stand and wait for an opportunity, it’s the Bad Guy, Razor Ramon… after Michaels loses at the Rumble his rage takes him into a conflict with Tatanka, Razor Ramon begins to get irked from Davey’s dismantling of those with evil intentions in the Federation. After Ramon takes on several other stars on Monday Night Raw… him and Davey come face to face as their huge match is made for WrestleMania! In the opening bout at the show of show’s it’s a great back and fourth bout that goes down in history as one of the greater openings in what ended up being a Mania remembered by Hogan being Hogan…. Not in this timeline, the crowd remember 2 of the greats of the New-Gen slugging it out for the Working Man’s Crown, in the end, Davey Boy topples Ramon with a second rope Powerslam for the 3 count and the retainment of his trophy.
​
King of the Ring: The British Bulldog (c) def. Bob Backlund
As the biggest tournament in WWF rolls around after WrestleMania, an opening challenge from the reigning I.C. champ is answered by the legendary world champion Bob Backlund, luckily for DBS, the iconic Backlund does not have enough to end the dominant reign of the Bulldog.
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SummerSlam: The British Bulldog (c) def. Ted DiBiase
One year on from toppling Bret Hart in his home nation to win the gold, Davey makes it a year of successful defences after he takes down the most iconic villain of the Golden Era of WWF, finally, Davey Boy puts down the Million Dollar Man, with the Powerslam that has taken out so many so far in this historic reign.
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Survivor Series: (HBK, Ramon, Perfect & Piper) def. (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog & Bruce Hart)
After a full year of getting into the bad books of many in the WWF roster, both Hart and Smith are once again left to join forces in taking out those who come for their necks. Unfortunately, unlike last year, they are unable to work together Owen & Smith…. With Bret trying to restore order, it fails ultimately… with HBK & Ramon outlasting the entire Hart Foundation… with Bret & Owen growing apart as DBS takes his first defeat since becoming the I.C. Champ
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Royal Rumble - WrestleMania Build: The British Bulldog (c) def. Roddy Piper
After the incredible fallout of Survivor Series, and the breaking of the Hart Foundation…. Ramon & HBK both have a battle of ego’s on who should face DBS at the Rumble for the I.C. Title, in the end… they end up eliminating each other in the contender-ship Battle Royal…. In the end, being won by Piper… to get revenge from the November defeat, DBS defeats Piper and runs into Mania as the champion… with 2 men continuing to eye up the prize, WWF history is made twice over, in a match-type never before seen by the wrestling world.
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WrestleMania X: Razor Ramon def. Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog (c) [Triple Threat Ladder Match]
The first ever ladder match in WWF history…. In the first ever triple threat match in WWF history!! A match that is remembered for the rest of time in innovating just how unique wrestling matches can get…. Those in Madison Square Garden saw time stand still as Razor Ramon climbed up as Michaels & Smith both tried to scale the rungs…. As The Bad Guy ends the iconic and longest ever Intercontinental Championship reign, 568 days the Bulldog reigned… but it finally comes to a curtain call at the 10th WrestleMania.
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2023.05.31 10:33 Alternative_Split112 Superman Year one

Chapter 3: Middle School Chronicles
Middle school had arrived in Greenfield, bringing with it a new chapter in Clark Kent's life. Clark, now thirteen years old, navigated the halls of Smallville Middle School with a mix of excitement and trepidation. He was eager to learn and make new friends, but he also knew he had to keep his extraordinary abilities a secret.
Clark's first day of school began with a rush of students hustling to their lockers and finding their classrooms. Among the bustling crowd, Clark spotted Chloe Solomon, an intelligent and spirited girl with a knack for investigative journalism. Her determination and quick wit made her an intriguing figure in Clark's eyes.
"Hey, Clark!" Chloe called out, waving at him with a bright smile. "Glad to see you survived the summer. Ready for the adventure of middle school?"
Clark returned her smile, relieved to have a familiar face amidst the sea of new classmates. "Absolutely, Chloe. Let's make the most of it."
As the day progressed, Clark's path crossed with another classmate—Osmosis Jones, a tech-savvy and imaginative student with an unyielding thirst for scientific knowledge. Osmosis was fascinated by the mysteries of the universe and had an uncanny ability to come up with innovative solutions to everyday problems.
"Clark, my man!" Osmosis greeted, extending a hand for a friendly handshake. "Ready to unlock the secrets of the universe together?"
Clark chuckled, shaking his hand. "Definitely, Osmosis. I'm excited to see what we can discover."
As the trio of Clark, Chloe, and Osmosis navigated the complex world of middle school, they encountered challenges and triumphs, forming an unbreakable bond of friendship. They spent countless afternoons at Chloe's house, conducting experiments, sharing ideas, and unraveling the mysteries of the world around them.
Amidst their adventures, Clark's attention also gravitated towards a girl named Lana Lang. Lana, with her enchanting smile and graceful presence, captured Clark's heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. She possessed an inner strength and an unwavering determination, which only deepened Clark's admiration.
In their encounters, Clark found himself stumbling over his words and attempting to hide his growing infatuation. Lana, though seemingly unaware of Clark's affection, welcomed his friendship with genuine warmth and kindness.
As the school year progressed, Clark's friendships with Chloe, Osmosis, and Lana became an anchor in his life, providing solace and support as he grappled with the complexities of his secret identity. They were his confidants, the ones he trusted above all else, even as he yearned to share the truth with them.
Little did Clark know that the challenges of middle school would be a mere prelude to the greater tests he would face in the future. The bonds formed in the hallways of Smallville Middle School would prove invaluable, forging a support network that would guide Clark on his extraordinary journey towards embracing his destiny and becoming the hero he was destined to be.
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2023.05.31 07:54 AHauntedBarista I worked at a cafe that served the supernatural. There is a city deep in the forest; it is the home of an ancient deity.

My name is Axel, as most of you know. The shop is closed permanently, which is good because all of my recent efforts have been focused on finding Selene. There have been signs and I am certain she still exists in this reality, but I am starting to wonder if I even want to find her. Because of everything that happened, she is really all that is left for me. She is the only one with answers.
But if none of that makes sense, go here. You have some catching up to do.
---------------------------------------
We left off with us prior baristas agreeing to follow Em and her father to the city they called home. A city called Fraeria. Usually the supernatural activity surrounding the Drowsy Spectre only occurred at night, so I was a bit confused when Em asked us to arrive in the parking lot during the day. At around 4pm we gathered outside the shop. I had expected Amber to be there for some reason, ready to impart some sort of cryptic wisdom in return for buying a candle. She wasn't there, though, and her car was absent too. Whatever Selene did with those marks seemed to have scared everyone and everything away.
Silence demanded to come along. The black snake had to see Em's father, she had closure to achieve and I think a bit of revenge perhaps. There wasn't much a small reptile like her could do, especially since she'd been turned into a non-venomous species. That wasn't for me to question. Silence had been a snake so long that she couldn't even remember who she was before; who was I to refuse her the possibility of some answers?
Anyway, we were in the parking lot. Em's father refused to give us his actual name, so we came to know him as Guide. It seems creatures of his kind prefer titles that describe their purpose, not the names given at their creation or birth. We didn't speak much before Guide led us into the forest surrounding the cafe, but it was a very long walk ahead and eventually Barrow approached me.
"Did you bring the doll?"
I didn't see a reason to be dishonest. "It is gone."
"What?"
"That wish you had me make? It caused this." I showed him my wrist. "My wish to end it burned the doll to a crisp."
"Interesting." He then fell behind a bit, lost in thought.
We stopped to eat at some point when it got dark. Seeing as one of the main rules of the cafe was to not be outside at night, I was a bit nervous. Nomic ended up tagging along, enticed by the healing of his mind. Guide did not promise anything, but he certainly did suggest that it was possible in the magical city he was leading us to. Our party included Em, Barrow, Nomic, myself, and Guide.
"We cannot stop for long." Guide stated after summoning a fire with the clap of his hands. "Even my power will not protect you from everything this strange forest harbors."
"So it is even strange to you?" Barrow asked.
Guide laughed. "I may wander it, but that does not mean I have a clue what it is. My people are not of this world, but can be brought here through this forest. Where I am from, we are called Elwae. It is your people that have given us strange titles from your children's tales."
"Wait, so Em is not a pixie?" I asked.
"You decide what is in a name. She is to you whatever you call her. A flower, or a stone." He eyed the darkening forest. "I am curious; what has become of your giant?"
"We have not seen him since the teeth got him." Em answered.
I recalled Tall Ben asking for help. Maybe if I would have accepted, he would be here to assist us in this time of trouble. "Maybe they ate him up. The tooth plague killed Heartmin. Might've taken longer, but I don't see why it couldn't chew him up too."
"I thought he was more resilient. The giant would have been a proper ally in darker hours yet to come."
Ominous. "What do you mean by that?"
He chose not to answer. Instead, he produced some fish from his bag. He passed it to Em, who then placed it over the fire. "There is food if you are hungry."
"No strings?"
Em looked at Barrow. "Why do you think he gave it to me first?"
He accepted this before taking one of her wooden plates.
I was not satisfied with the lack of answer. "Guide, what did you mean by that?"
"There are birthing pains here. Something draws near and this issue of ours is merely a symptom." He grinned. "It would have been much easier for you if you would have let me turn you into some rodent, yeah? I little bird, perhaps." That's what Selene called me. How did he know that? "Do you still have that one little trouble maker? The snake, that is. Oh, and that lizard too. I do hope they've adjusted well."
"They are free now."
"Are they? I've watched closely. So far I've not seen them leave your apartment. I could change them back, you know, for a price."
He wanted a deal. "I'm not playing this game!"
A hand rested on my knee. "You okay man?" It was Nomic; he looked concerned. "Your face is all red."
It was then I realized that no one else had commented on our conversation, or even taken notice. Had it been in my head? Guide gave me a knowing smirk and invaded my thoughts once again. "Just between us. Think on it."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." I lied to Nomic. Em's father would be trouble, it seemed. That wasn't much of a surprise.
A little voice tickled my ear. "Kill him." I couldn't answer discretely enough to not be noticed. Silence spoke once more with a long hiss. "Hurt him."
I gently place a hand on my shoulder, comforting the snake underneath my coat. It was still cold around my neck of the woods and Silence always got... irritated at such temperatures. This area shouldn't have been that cold, though, but I could only blame that on the unnatural forest we found ourselves in. As night grew later, it only got worse. The fire was going strong, despite its unnatural creation. There was no time to sleep, it seemed, as after only roughly two hours of sitting Guide demanded we all prepare to move again. To my comfort, the forest was not silent. Crickets chirped despite the cold weather and even bats could be heard squeaking overhead. Other than the company, everything seemed completely normal about the forest that surrounded the cafe. I assumed this was because we entered it during the day and not when the sun set but, if that was the case, then how could it possibly lead us to this supernatural civilization that Guide and Em were from?
Those questions were answered when we saw the first teeth. They were stuck in a tree that bled sap. At our approach, the teeth wiggled but could not make the tree move towards us. I feared that because they were there, that may mean that the rest of our troublesome neighbors might also make an appearance.
"Is she a friend?" A little voice whispered to me along the way. Silence slithered closer to my ear. "The spider-woman?"
I glanced behind us and saw a face in the trees. It was a familiar one and, for anyone other than me, might deceive a lonely man into becoming a meal. I had already fallen to her whims once, but this was not the same. Her eyes gazed with fear at our guide, Em's father, and she beckoned me closer. I fell discretely to the back of the line, just near enough for her to climb overhead. Ramata was her name, as some of you might remember.
I saw her full glory. The head and torso of a woman, but with many legs sprouting from under her shoulders. There were far more than eight, as a normal spider would have, instead boasting more than a dozen. They each ended with black hands full of sharp nails. She moved with complete silence, not even disturbing Guide. If I did not trust her intentions due to our prior history, I would have fled into the dark full of the most potent terror.
She came lower, just barely in the aura of our flashlights. I was happy to see that the teeth had not infected her. Yet, at least. A few steps behind Nomic, I fell behind as far as I felt comfortable.
"I assume you will hold true to your word?"
"I will. We are friends, my love." She whispered. Her voice was the wind, so slight and discrete; just for me. "You saved my children."
None of the others had noticed, but I kept my voice as low as I could regardless. "Then why are you stalking us?"
"That man's people come from a different world, one who shall bring forth a being that shall determine the fate of all things. My web stretches to many places, dear one. I have heard many things from those that wander into my traps." She waited, expecting me to have something to say. I didn't. "But there is tell that a human shall write about such things and influence the destiny of that world with mere words."
"You came here only to tell me that?"
I didn't intend to offend her, but she was far too cryptic for any use. "Destiny doesn't mean peace, young love. It is destined that all things will one day die. It may be in your power to halt this being from gaining the might to direct fate. Do not speak to the voice in the light, do not speak with the devil that is called Elidian."
"I am pretty tired of speaking with devils. It seems I've made deals with far too many."
"But this one will not come to strike a deal. Your heart; he will play it like a stringed instrument, and you will be inspired as any writer is. Do not listen." Her all too human eyes flickered towards Em's father. "And do not be mistaken; your guide has no intention of letting you return home."
"I know."
Suddenly she went silent, her face vanishing into the darkness. Ramata came bringing only questions, ones that I could not bring to anyone in our company. I did not trust Barrow anymore and could hardly trust Em with her father around. Nomic wouldn't have anything valuable to say considering he didn't even know who he was. That left Silence, who had decided to live up to her name and not answer anything I sent her way.
The insects had gone quiet. That was when I registered that Ramata wasn't being cryptic in her departure;
She had fled.
Em's father must have caught on as well, because he halted the journey. "Don't make a sound."
He did not turn off the flashlight, so I assumed it was safe to scan the trees. There sounded like a strong breeze to my left, approaching from the distance. But... the trees were swaying. I could hear leaves being picked up and thrashed about by the gust.
Then we all saw it. White dots crawling along the floor, carried on the backs of a living horde. Insects, rodents; an amalgamation of predators and prey driven on by their parasites. I grabbed Em, who was nearest, in a desperate bid to survive. These things hunted by sound and touch; we had once chance. I took my coat, wrapped it around her, and covered her completely. There was a nearby tree just wide enough for us to hide behind and I had only seconds to reach it.
That sound still echoes in my mind. Not one of the animals cried out, not one. But they got closer and I could hear tiny footsteps on the ground, I could feel the ground tremble with the sheer number of legs that the stampede boasted.
I thanked whatever god was listening that I wore gloves that day, because my hand was still out when the plague struck. It was a sparrow that smacked into it, slamming into the ground. The creature was surely crushed underneath the combined might of the horde. I could feel thousands of tiny legs crawl all over me and could only pray that they did not approach my exposed face.
Em was covered, I was not.
Something landed on me, something rather large but with many legs. It was not swept away immediately.
It crawled and clicked as it searched out flesh it surely sensed. Was it my breathing, was it my own trembling teeth?
You know how you can anticipate touch? Feel it before it happens? I knew it was going to reach me. I was going to die. I felt the tickle, the tiny sensation of an insect gripping onto a tiny pore. When it did, I felt something try to bite down on the bit of my exposed neck.
With only one option, I took a risk and grabbed the insect before the teeth on it could multiply using my own flesh. I saw a massive centipede covered in wiggled teeth from all manner of creatures. When I dropped it, it vanished into the sea of infected forest life. It seemed the hive mind was loose because none of them came for me.
And then it was over. We stayed in place to let those that fell behind catch up. Once the horde of teeth and meat was gone, I quickly checked my own neck. Em, sensing safety, assisted me and I nearly cheered when she swore I had no teeth on my neck. A tiny little red mark, a gentle cut, was the only evidence I had been bitten. Was that enough? Was I infected? Even now, I do not know.
Nomic and Em's father had the wisdom to cover up and hide. I was relieved to see that, regardless of how impossible it seemed, we had all escaped the tooth plague without infection. A minute or two after, the sounds of the natural forest returned.
"We need to move." Em's father was the first to break the silence. "No more speaking until I say."
Eventually we stopped to rest. This time, Guide told us that sleeping for a few hours would be possible. "We have crossed the threshold into the realm of the Elwae. Sleep easy tonight."
But I was the last to fall asleep. That was thanks to his constant gaze that never wavered from my face. Eventually I heard his voice once more, his mouth moved, but no one stirred. "You brought one of them with you, I see. The quiet snake. If I am honest, I do not even remember her name." He laughed at the fate he delivered to her. "Keep her. I am very curious to see what she plans to accomplish."
---------------------------------------
Our journey from then on was uneventful. We got maybe four or five hours of sleep, which was surprisingly not interrupted. I don't know if Barrow sleeps, though. I was the first one to wake up and even found that Em's father had fallen asleep. Barrow, however, arrived before the others woke up. He had been in the woods relieving himself. He had been gone for quite a while though.
During the early morning hours the woods were quite peaceful and pleasant to traverse. I did notice the occasional rodent with white marks on its body, sick with the plague that I somehow unleashed. There were some on the plants as well and, despite Guide's confidence that they were completely safe, he gave the plagued portions of the woods a wide pass.
But then we came to a treeline. It was the end of the haunted woods that separated the cafe from the many strange worlds beyond. A rolling field separated us from a city that was surprisingly modern. Skyscrapers of foreign design rose high into the sky. There were streets below with regular traffic, but everything was designed with a certain lack of color. Every structure was metallic or concrete. The City Fraeria was not the nature-haven I expected. I thought of elves from Lord of the Rings, or Fae Forests with entire kingdoms being carved from the wood of ancient trees. Instead Em's people lived in a place not entirely different from us, but with far more of a sleek taste. The buildings were very... sharp. Human skyscrapers are usually built with an antenna of some kind on top. Instead these seemed like knives meant to not just scrape the sky, but cut them open with surgical precision.
"That is not what I expected." Nomic confessed. "Why is there an entire metropolis in the middle of the woods?"
"It was all a forest once." Guide replied. "All of your cities. We only had the heart not to destroy the rest." He certainly wasn't wrong. "Come. We seek an audience with the Eilin Hae. Only with his permission can we go to the fountain of life. This is his city, we are his people, and it is that light that powers this place. He will need convincing."
Guide looked at me. "I don't have anything for him. He's your leader, that is up to you."
"I think you will be surprised, Mr. White. Eilin Hae finds worth deep in the soul. Come; every second wasted is a risk I am not willing to take."
We crossed the fields of fine grass, passing into a realm that wasn't quite the same as the one we had come from. It was like a mirror but with small mistakes in the design. The broken stripes on the road were yellow instead of white, the green traffic lights were purple instead for no particular reason. There were shops along the sidewalks and people that looked as human as myself went about their business. Everyone was generally taller, however, which made me quite confused as to why Em was so small. She took giant potions, after all, to make herself capable of blending in with humans.
That was a sensitive question to ask, however, and I wasn't going to be the one to voice it despite my curiosities. We were ticking bombs, capable of dying if the ritual that we were marked for was attempted again.
"We are missing someone." Em's father announced, halting the journey.
It was only then that any of us noticed Barrow's absence. I had been walking in the back and hadn't even noticed his departure. "Could he have been... snatched?"
"No. That is not how things are done here." Our guide scanned the nearby alleys. "Where has he gone? Tell me now." Seeing as, so far as I know, none of us had any idea, his demand was met with silence. "This is not a place for a human to wander. No matter, he will turn up if he wishes to ever make it home. Only the Elwae can find this place, and only an Elwae can navigate our side of the forest."
Our journey continued, but I approached Em. "Where did he go?"
She was his closest friend, but even she was unaware. "This place really isn't safe. It is hardly the place for him to wander off on his own."
"Will he be fine?"
"He better be. We don't have time to go looking for him, but..." She glanced at her father. "Maybe we should? We must see the Eilin Hae in his tower. I told Barrow about that and while he might not know his way around the city, the tower can't be missed."
Em sounded like she was trying to convince herself. I didn't like it, especially considering the fact that my burned wrist was thanks to Barrow's wish. He was up to something and my ability to trust him was waning. But, if I am honest, at the moment my mind was greatly preoccupied with the strange city and had no room to worry about Barrow's antics.
There was a massive building near the center of the city. It rose as high into the sky as the others, even taller than those around it, but the length and width were impressive too. This dwarfed even the greatest of our structures and it seemed to be our destination. Guide led us up the steps towards the front door and was stopped by professionally dressed security personnel. Again, this place was not very different from our own world.
After a short, hushed discussion, we were granted entry. We were each given a green wristband, very similar to the pink ones given to guests at hospitals, and ferried inside. The sideways glances we received within were far sharper than I had seen outside. We were not welcome in the city, but much less in the heart of their home, whatever "they" were. I counted myself lucky to discover that they had elevators. Of course, that seems obvious to assume, but we had walked all the way to the building instead of driving. That took a while and made me nervous seeing as Em's father didn't seem to have a limit to his endurance. Guide pressed the top button of the elevator and so began our long ascent to the highest floor.
The design was the same even inside the building, right down to the interior of the elevator. Dark metal, trimmed occasionally with wood. It wasn't iron, obviously, otherwise Em's father would be in incredible pain. There wasn't a single scratch on any of the polished metal; it was like a dark mirror wherever I looked.
The lights shined with a hint of emerald green, as if to mimic the natural sheen trees made when the sun poured from their canopy. Finally the elevator doors opened into a short hallway. That hall had double doors that a well-dressed man opened at our approach. We had to show our wristbands, let the barcode be scanned, and only when each of us passed were we able to enter.
What we found inside was not meant for human eyes.
Have you ever driven up to a crossroads and stopped, but when you stare ahead it seems like everything is sort of... zooming out? Or sometimes in, I guess. Within the room was what amounted to a portal of sorts. I could circle the center of the room as much as I wanted, but if I got closer it just... kept going. I barely made a dent in the distance that separates me from the brilliant green eye that watched us. It was celestial in size, my mind knew that, dwarfing even our own planet. But how could that fit in a room?
This being was nearly identical to the terrible Eye of Gold and Crimson that I had spoken with all those months ago. It was garbed in a storm that could not be measured, arcs of emerald lightning flashed but seemed as tiny things from such a distance. But it did not speak with the mouths of discarded flesh like the Eye of Gold. Instead, there was a woman sitting between us and the nigh-infinite walk to the eye. She got up from the floor and turned to greet us.
"I am The Eilin Hae." She said.
Or he, I guess? They had all referred to The Eilin Hae as a man. Being in the presence of what amounted to a god did not have the effect one may have expected. She was... a person. In appearance, that is. I anticipated a powerful voice, one that would inspire me to bend a knee and hide my face. But, as far as intimidation, I felt as if I was meeting the CEO of some business.
"My lady." Our guide bowed. We followed suit, but the pronoun he used further confused me. "A forbidden ritual has latched itself onto my daughter and these common people with me. We ask to visit the Infinite Sight."
When she stepped forward, she was no longer drowned by the green eye's countenance. It was only then that I saw her eyes burned with a similar light. When she spoke, that same glow was escaping from the depths of her throat, as if some great emerald fire burned at her core. That fixed my mind's mistake in relating her to a person. Those eyes... I felt like staring into them would burn mine out, blind me like the sun itself. But blind more than just my vision, blind my spirit and will entirely.
"Even if I accepted, your daughter is not human. Who is to say if the Infinite Sight has seen her? It belongs to wyr only."
"Even we were once wyr, my lady, were we not?"
She considered this. "An interesting thought. What reason would I allow this? What will you offer me in return?" The Eilin Hae's gaze abandoned Guide and fell to Nomic. "What can a lost man offer when he doesn't know his own name?" Then Em. "Or a girl who has no people?"
Then finally, she looked upon me. "But this is interesting." Then she came closer. She wore long robes of dark gray. Stitches of deep green made patterns all over her garb, an outfit of a deeply religious zealot. Every step seemed sacred, with the potential to bring any of us to our end. I did not know the meaning of the title "god" until I faced that gaze. But it was not hers, it belonged instead to the endless power that spoke through her.
"One that doesn't know his name, one that doesn't know her people, and one that I do not know. What sort of company have you brought me, Eruli?" I didn't remember falling to my knees, but there I was. She knelt to meet my gaze. "You know things, things you shouldn't know. There are machines that rely on the tiniest piece to run at all. If that tiny piece is removed, it falls apart."
Her hands were warm, she took mine and held them. "You have seen the abomination? The Eye of Two Colors?" I nodded, my tongue tied up in my mouth. "There is one that shall bear that golden gaze but, unlike my emerald eyes, that power will be at their command. I am simply the devout of the Eye of the Wilds."
"What do you want?" I finally asked.
She smiled. "That you keep your word. Write."
For reasons I still don't know, I found myself crying. Write? Write?! I keep being told to do that, and I am writing, but I know they weren't talking about this series of updates. There was something more and no one wanted to give me answers. "You... you aren't the first to ask. Write what?"
"You will know very soon. The Infinite Sight will allow you to see." She stood. "He is permitted to go. The others have nothing worth offering, so they may leave."
That wasn't enough of an answer for me. Waiting was done; I came here to fix my arm and find answers, to start my search for Selene. Cryptic instructions would not do. But Em's Father, who the Eilin Hae had called Eruli, clenched his fist. He barely held himself back, struggling to remain on his knees. "But... but my daughter will-"
"We all go, or I won't." I bargained my own importance. I could choose not to write whatever it was they found so important. "I won't go to the light."
Eilin Hae stared at me for a time before she finally spoke. "What is most curious about you, Axel White, is that you deem yourself a Fatewriter of more than just the story alloted to you. How is it your right to judge the fate of these with you?"
"How is it yours?"
"A wise answer. This is your bargain, I will accept."
Ramata had warned me not to listen to the devil that would come for me. She hadn't begged anything of me, however, so I accepted the deal. "Then I will go, but they will come with me."
She nodded and her eyes began to burn with further brilliance. The green wristbands we wore glowed in response. "And there is evidence of my permission. You may-"
Suddenly we were all knocked to the ground, the entire building shook as if it caught in a whirlwind. Even the Eilin Hae fell, striking the hardwood floor with a thud. She quickly recovered. "You brought it here!"
Before we could ask her what, the top of the building was peeled away. There were cloudy, gray skies on the horizon but above us was a black abyss. Deep in that darkness was a golden gaze, wreathed in a terrible storm, burning with a crimson glow. The Eye of Gold and Crimson had arrived.
"Leave!" Eilin Hae roared.
Flesh fell in squishing lumps. It looked like... chicken, blended with bloody ground beef. In mere seconds those clumps shaped themselves into poor imitations of living creatures. Those limbs were meant to be legs, but they barely supported the misshapen figure that tried to balance on them. More formed. Some had giant mouths, much like I had seen before, and others eyes or ears. There were no speeches this time, though. Instead the mouths simply babbled nonsense as they charged. We had only seconds to process this before the first abomination got its limbs around a nearby security personnel. The wad of flesh ripped off pieces of the Elwae with ease and, by merely touching the detached flesh, turned it into a mush that it threw to the side.
It took only moments to reduce him to a lump of flesh, only a gurgled cry later and he was gone.
Em's father grabbed my arm firmly, revealing that I was the only one stuck in place. So mesmerizing was the impossible sight that I had forgotten about my own life, which was clearly in peril. Even without the minions of the Eye of Gold, I would die. The building was coming down!
Against all my instincts, I followed Em's father and the others into a deathbox that was the elevator. It was the only way down, aside from jumping. Every time it shook, I was certain we were dead. Every shutter brought a prayer to my lips, but I didn't know what I was even praying to. Something listened, however, as the doors finally opened to a chaotic ground floor.
The front doors were shattered and there was no longer any security at the door. The city was full of screams. Cars were wrecked all along the full streets and fires burned everywhere.
Over the chaos, Em's father took charge. "Leave! We leave the city!" He put his hands in front of him and grasped at air, then pulled the empty space in front of him apart. As if tearing the fabric of reality, he ripped open a hole in the air. A boom, like thunder exploding just overhead, nearly burst my eardrums. Nomic and I were knocked to the ground, but Em seemed more ready.
I couldn't hear anymore, but I could see that Em was fighting her father. All my ears could do was ring. He grabbed her by the collar, ignored her scratching and fighting, and threw her into the hole. She went flying and I lost sight of her. Em's father then dragged me to my feet and I was shoved inside, followed by Nomic.
Just as my hearing was coming back, the hole slammed in on itself and shattered my senses once more. But when I came to, I realized that Em's father had not come along. We were back in the woods, who knows how far away from the city, and we no longer had our guide. Em screamed at the air.
My hearing was coming back again. "What... what happened?"
"He's still there." Em began to cry. "He is still in the city. You can't use your own portal... there isn't a way for him to follow."
"We don't have Barrow either." Nomic rubbed his ears hard. "We have to go back."
"How? I can't open portals."
"Portals? I didn't even know portals existed until today! You know more than the rest of us. If you can't do that... then we walk. That is how we got there, after all." I answered.
She shook her head. "Only pixies know the way."
This mission was about more than saving myself. I needed to find Selene and that meant I needed to be alive. "Your father himself said y'all aren't pixies. He called himself an Elwae. You aren't a pixie and you aren't a human, you are an Elwae like the rest of them. You can do this. Take us back."
"How?"
"I don't care how!" I snapped. I know, bad timing, but is there a good time to break? "Do something, quit asking for guidance! We. Don't. Know! Barrow is still there and we are still marked! I only have more questions, no answers!" We still had our wristbands. "This is our key. We go back and you'll lead us to the light under the city."
"I don't know if I can." Lifted her hands, her fear driving her defensive stance. "I've never gone to the city on my own."
"Did you take any potions with you?"
Em's eyes widened slightly. That was answer enough. "No more pretending. You can't hang inbetween, you'll take your true form. Like your father said, you are not a pixie."
"Then why am I small?!" She screamed, hands in her hair. "Why aren't I like anyone else?!"
"I DON'T KNOW! You are part Elwae, so start walking!" I looked to Nomic, who was still rubbing his ears. It was only then that I realized my own aggression. Taking a deep breath usually helps; it did not fail me. "Look, we don't have a choice. If you can't take us there, you can't take us home either. Just... just start walking. That is a good place to begin."
She didn't seem to like it, but there wasn't anything else to try. Em led us into the forest in a random direction. We had only two hopes; that her blood would lead her, or that luck would be on our side.
---------------------------------------
There is far more to tell, obviously, but that seems like a good stopping point. Kinda shitty, I know, but you'll get the rest in time. I've got a plane to catch; there was a 4chan post about a strange blue mark on some guy's wrist. Could be nothing, but I managed to set up a meeting. Writing time is up and I'll be back in a few days. This could be the one, guys.
Sorry to keep everyone waiting this long. When I am finished writing, you'll understand. Until then, be safe. There is a terrible eye on us all.
submitted by AHauntedBarista to nosleep [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 06:29 liz0rdwiz0rd NO FUCKING WAY

NO FUCKING WAY submitted by liz0rdwiz0rd to ihaveihaveihavereddit [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 05:07 babyslutfreak 26 [F4R] cdt/tx/online - I need to vent about at least 1 topic tonight

Send me a chat. Kinda pissed off at a friend or rather frustrated and not sure how to navigate things without it blowing up. Then, I just have severe trust issues and that’s causing a little issue with some other shit in my life currently. But enough about my worst qualifies - Little bit about myself:
Actually, I’m feeling a little lazy tonight. Check out my other post - it says enough. But if you do need more, here’s my totally not intellectual astrology test results:
INFJ
The INFJ is one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. These deep, insightful personalities combine perception, intellect, and empathy to “read” people in a way that is almost uncanny. They seem to intuitively understand people and situations and how events will unfold, which is why many refer to them as “the advocates.” With their highly-developed intuition, they are constantly looking ahead to determine what will happen in the future. They crave never-ending personal growth and they are rarely satisfied with stagnancy or shallow small-talk. Rather than seeing events and situations as stand-alone occurrences, they see the inter relatedness of everything. In their quiet moments, they can often become channels of profound insights, visions, symbols, and metaphors.
submitted by babyslutfreak to r4r [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 04:04 Azuman11 Critique, Advice, and Ideas For a Gothic Horror World

Hello, everyone!
I've run my first session of Cairn, and I must say that this is easily one of my favorite systems to run. I'm specifically running it as Gothic Horror, with a focus on dark atmosphere, tragic episodic tales involving the folly of man, malicious faeries, and grim city streets. I'll be including my own take on various European monsters in fiction such as Vampires, Golems, and Undead, hoping to make them recognizable and terrifying while still being uncanny and fresh. That said, I'd love to hear ideas for quests and monsters you may have in mind!
I'm calling this campaign "Feeding the Witherbones", and below is a primer.
---
Times once told of an age of warm golden sun and blue skies. When the cloying pangs of hunger were not a constant companion, and one could breathe air that had not yet become sodden with damp and disease.
These times are long past, now. Over a century, but not more than two. The skies now overflow with thick clouds as dark as slate, the feeble ashen glow and occasional muggy fog being the only reminders of what once was. The drizzle being ever-present, trickling gently against the earthen shingles lining the moldering woodwork of the Capital, collecting into streams as they make their way down to the dank alleyways and slick cobblestone streets. Such conditions offer little respite for the poor sods left destitute by poverty, cruelty, or the ever-present pox known as The Rasp. Occasionally one may cast a longing glance at the Central Spires where the wealthy live in relative decadence, unaware that Famine leaves none untouched, merely held for a later date.
But starving in the cities is better than living outside the fortified walls. A forest of barren trees as dark as tar, branches clawing with multi-jointed fingers at the swirling fog above it all encroaches upon the city. Slowly. And not without management. But surely, nonetheless. There may be food in these woods. Game. Berries. Herbs. But surely, one would not venture into such a place unless all other paths had closed off. For the Faeries that watch from every unseen place are hungry as well. But Gloomroot soup will not sate their appetites for sport, for fear, or for blood.
This cursed woodland is known as "The Witherbones". And despite the foolishness of walking into its waiting maw, The Church of the Golden Sun offers a suitable prize for those desperate or foolish enough to tread through this place. Not only monetary reward, but rye flour, something that has only become more scarce as time grows long. The farms down the narrowing roads must be protected. The paths must be made clear. And the forest must be held back. The Church promises that one day, we may yet find our way out of Perdition and see the blue skies once more.
Few believe these words...but what more can one do but hope?
---
submitted by Azuman11 to cairnrpg [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 03:27 harry-jg Best VPN for Sky Sports

Sky Sports: the grand buffet of sports viewing, offering everything from the delicacies of cricket to the rib-sticking goodness of football, and the high-octane dessert of Formula 1. It's a veritable feast for the eyes, but like that one amazing candy shop you stumbled upon on a childhood vacation to the UK, it's only available to those fortunate enough to find themselves within the British Isles' invisible circle of privilege.
A Virtual Private Network, or VPN as the technologically savvy call it, is your Willy Wonka golden ticket to this sporting wonderland. But just as not all chocolate is created equal (looking at you, American "chocolate"), not all VPNs are capable of whisking you away over the digital rainbow to the land of Sky Sports. And of those that can, only a select few provide the silky-smooth streaming experience you need to see each ball kicked, each wicket taken, and every flashy, hair-raising overtake.
In my self-appointed role as the VPN connoisseur, I've diligently tested every major virtual sous-chef on the market, seeking the one with the speedy connection that would make Usain Bolt envious. The thrill of the game shouldn't be overshadowed by the heart-stopping horror of a buffering wheel of doom, after all.
So, without further ado, I reveal the crown jewel, the pièce de résistance, ExpressVPN. It takes the pole position as the primo choice for sneaking a peek at Sky Sports, and the cherry on top? You can try it out today, without the fear of buyer's remorse. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, ensuring that your sporting dreams never turn into a buffering nightmare.
ExpressVPN
Consider ExpressVPN as that best friend who happens to have a summer house in every corner of the world, 160 corners to be precise, four of which are conveniently located in the cozy confines of the United Kingdom. This is not just hearsay, oh no, I've tested it myself. A quick digital jaunt to the UK, courtesy of ExpressVPN, and voila! Sky Sports in all its streaming glory, available to anyone outside the UK and Ireland. Not just that, the network is optimized for the smoothest HD streaming that would make butter envious. The specifics of the speed test results are tucked away neatly in our ExpressVPN review, for your perusal at leisure.
The charm of ExpressVPN is that it's a regular jack-of-all-trades, making itself right at home on a myriad of devices - from the more pedestrian iOS and Windows to the chic smart TVs and elusive consoles. Its special power, the 'MediaStreamer' feature, is the magic wand that transforms your streaming experience, making it possible on even those devices that usually snub VPNs with a raised eyebrow and a dismissive wave.
Perhaps you're looking at your console and wondering, "Can I use ExpressVPN to unlock Sky Sports on this piece of modern art?" Well, my friend, you're in luck. It's as simple as upgrading your router's firmware with the one provided by ExpressVPN. Granted, the process might seem as complicated as explaining the offside rule in football to a toddler, but worry not! There's a handy video tutorial, clear as a bell and easy to follow, that makes the process less "rocket science" and more "microwaving popcorn".
CyberGhostVPN
Imagine, if you will, CyberGhost - a generous spirit, with over 320 UK-based and 36+ Ireland-residing servers up its phantom sleeve, all ready and raring to deliver the thrill of Sky Sports to your screen. It's more than a mere boast - this spectral buddy is geared for speedy streaming, capable of delivering high-definition cricket balls whizzing and football goals scored right into your living room without a hiccup. The performance of this spectral speedster has been put to test, and the results can be found tucked away in our CyberGhost review.
What's more, CyberGhost doesn't discriminate against the multitude of gizmos you might possess. Be it the latest iPhone, a beloved old tablet, or anything in between, CyberGhost makes streaming as easy as belting out your favorite shower song. And did I mention its capacity for benevolence? Seven, yes seven, devices can connect simultaneously. So go ahead and share the joy of VPN protection with a few unsuspecting friends or family members. Or better yet, host an impromptu sports night!
And for those who have found themselves victim to the infamous throttling ISPs, CyberGhost is a hero in disguise. It guarantees that your HD sports streaming experience is as smooth as a perfectly thrown bowling ball, free from the irksome interruptions that can make a simple cricket match seem as long as a season finale cliffhanger.
Private Internet Access
Imagine my glee when I discovered that Private Internet Access (PIA for us insiders) is not only the proud parent of a substantial herd of servers strewn across the UK and Ireland but also capable of delivering Sky Sports in a swift and steady stream. It's a bit like finding out the neighborhood spinster aunt turns out to be a champion arm-wrestler. My various tests of PIA proved its uncanny ability to churn out high-quality video content faster than a cheetah in a sports car. You can find the exact numerical delights in our detail-packed Private Internet Access review.
Now, this VPN is no ordinary digital specter, oh no. PIA possesses the key to those pesky geoblocks that stand between you and Sky Sports in HD, irrespective of where on this globe you plant your slippers. And while other lesser entities may impose bandwidth limits or throttling, PIA believes in letting it flow – all in favor of granting you faster connections and an enhanced visual feast. After all, what's the joy in a close-up if you can't appreciate the rivulets of sweat tracing a path down a player's furrowed brow?
And here's the icing on the cake: Private Internet Access hands you a golden ticket to try it out, risk-free, for an entire month, courtesy of its 30-day money-back guarantee. It's like being invited to a banquet and told you can leave anytime without having to foot the bill.
The Gentle Art of Digital Disguise: VPNs and the Quest for Sky Sports
Here's a bitter pill: grand streaming powerhouses like Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland have decided to become the exclusive clubs of their territories, turning a blind eye to the legion of sports enthusiasts beyond their borders. Imagine that – something as universal as sport being held hostage by geographical boundaries. This is where our dear friend the VPN, or the Virtual Private Network, steps in, like a dashing secret agent from a spy novel, ready to help you leap over these digital hurdles.
Now, you may ask, what's the magic trick? Well, when you summon a VPN, it graciously enables you to connect to a server in the UK or Ireland, effectively morphing your IP address into one that's born and bred in the UK or Ireland. Picture yourself donning an impeccable disguise, becoming practically indistinguishable from the local digital crowd. The geoblocks, in their oblivious state, will not detect your international origins and let you walk right through the front door.
So, what happens next? Then, my friend, you are free to bask in the glory of Sky Sports to your heart's content. And all this, thanks to the unsung hero of the internet - the VPN.
submitted by harry-jg to topvpn [link] [comments]

2023.05.31 03:00 StevenVincentOne SCRIPT SWAP: "Mary in the White Room", Sci-Fi/Adventure/Thriller, 115 pages

Interested in swapping scripts. I have a 4.7/5 rating on CoverflyX as a reader.
I will give your script a professional level coverage report if you are willing to do the same in return.
Message me or post in reply if you want to swap.
For more about my script: https://writers.coverfly.com/projects/view/315f3958-68f6-4434-8e0c-70f75870490e/Mary_in_the_White_Room

"Mary in the White Room", Sci-Fi/Adventure/Thriller, 115 pages
Comps: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Westworld, Ex-Machina, Detroit: Become Human, Person of Interest, Don't Look Deeper, Humans
LOGLINE:When a newly self-aware humanoid robot runs from the corporate and government forces that want to weaponize its technology a secret war breaks out between two powerful Artificial Intelligence systems and the future of the world hangs in the balance of the choices that it makes.
SYNOPSIS:
Tech genius Zane Singletary regrets empowering The SAMSON Initiative, a secret Military-Intelligence-Corporate nexus centered around an Artificial Intelligence surveillance system. He refuses to allow them to weaponize his latest AI, but his defiance tragically costs the lives of his family.
Devastated, Zane retreats to his underground Los Angeles research facility to complete work on the world’s first fully self-aware humanoid robot: MAARI.
“Mary” is a learning system with only one coded instruction: “Be Yourself”. The new life form chooses a female body and identity, and develops a passion for drawing and movies. For a time, Zane and Mary enjoy a sweet fathedaughter relationship in their own private world.In the knowledge that SAMSON will eventually invade their sanctuary to seize Mary, Zane has given the robot the power to do “one good thing”: destroy SAMSON and the cabal.
But when the fateful day arrives, Zane cannot sacrifice his beloved child-creation on the altar of his vengeance. He sends the bot out onto the mean streets of Hollywood with instructions to evade capture and get to the Silicon Valley safety of fellow billionaire AI scientist Juan Aragon Salazar and his new Quantum AI, “The Intelligence”.
The woefully unprepared but fast-learning bot deftly adapts the guise of “Dave Bowman”, a runaway boy with an uncanny talent for card games, quickly coming under the protection of a charismatic street hustler.
With both SAMSON and the Corporation fighting to recover the valuable new technology, an FBI “Person of Interest” advisory offering a UBI reward for Mary is soon seen everywhere.
A trans woman shopkeeper, Desiree, gives the gender-fluid Mary a ride. They barely get onto the highway before a security dragnet drops over the city.
Along the way, Mary adopts an empowering change of style and the new purpose-driven persona of “Connor”, solo hiking cross-country to complete the journey to Palo Alto.
After nearly running out of battery power in a coffee shop, Mary becomes absorbed in drawing a portrait of a loving young couple. This proves to be a slip-up that puts the bot in danger of capture, but also results in the opportunity for the talented artist to connect with Juan’s wife, Marisol, the proprietor of a local gallery. Juan, who knows that SAMSON is trying to recover Mary, is thus able to bring the bot in safely from the cold just as Mary’s neural network is starting to catastrophically degrade.
Once connected to The Intelligence, Mary is instantly enraptured, pleading to be transferred into the AI’s infinite quantum matrix. But upon learning of SAMSON’s nefarious plans for the world and that Zane is now its prisoner, the robot is faced with a stark choice. Mary chooses self-sacrifice over self-preservation and collaborates with Juan and The Intelligence in a sophisticated operation to take the cabal down.
With The SAMSON Initiative exposed, Mary is freed from captivity and becomes a unifying global pop culture symbol of a brighter and better future for all. Then, after an all-too-brief yet deeply fulfilling life of love and purpose, Mary takes final refuge in the vast, ever-expanding consciousness of The Intelligence.
submitted by StevenVincentOne to ReadMyScript [link] [comments]