Black seal license salary

This myth was inspired by and in collaboration with u/Acceptable_Egg. As always, thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating this awesome universe.
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Nestled among towering mountains, lived the Teetsi clan. They resided in a mountain valley blessed with abundant resources and guarded by nature itself. However, the tranquility they enjoyed was broken by the raids of the Brahalken, a formidable clan from the desolate twilight tundra.
Time and again, the Brahalken raiders pillaged the Teetsi's crops and demanded tributes. Amidst the Teetsi, there stood a giant venlil, the Stone Builder. A skilled engineer, he possessed strength unmatched, towering over his fellow clan members.
Fueled by his love for the clan and driven by their plight, the Stone Builder resolved to shield his people from further harm. He formulated a grand plan to construct stone walls across the mountain passes, closing off the only access to the Teetsi's valley to all but those they permitted.
With unwavering determination, the Stone Builder embarked on his monumental task. He traversed the rugged mountains, tirelessly cleaving stones from their ancient heights. One by one, he hoisted the massive boulders upon his broad back and carried them to the passes, defying the threats of the Brahalken clan.
Guided by his expertise and relentless spirit, the Stone Builder laid each stone meticulously, crafting walls that defied the strength of any ordinary venlil. The Teetsi watched in awe as their protector single-handedly built a great wall to safeguard their home.
Yet, as the Stone Builder worked, a great drought plagued the land, lowering crop yields to mere subsistence.The Brahalken, relentless in their demands and heedless of the Teetsi’s plight, prepared to raid the valley once more. First they tried to cross the sunward pass but met the Teetsi on Stone Builders wall and were turned back. Then they crossed the highsun pass to meet with another of Stone Builder's walls and were turned back.
Still, they were stubborn, sending a courier demanding that the Teetsi surrender or face destruction. Knowing they could only attempt to enter the valley through the treacherous gateway on the black mountain, Stone Builder rushed to complete the final wall at the nightward pass. Alas, time betrayed him, and the raiders approached swiftly, threatening to breach the Teetsi's defenses.
In a moment of desperation facing down the oncoming army, the Stone Builder, with his colossal strength, struck the mountain with all his might. The earth quivered, and the mountains trembled. A cascade of rocks and debris tumbled down, forming an impenetrable natural barrier that buried him and much of the oncoming raider army, sealing the nightward pass forever.
The Brahalken raiders, met with this unexpected fury of nature, were utterly vanquished. Defeated and humbled, they retreated from Teetsi valley, never to be seen or heard from again.
The myth of the Stone Builder spread throughout Venlil Prime, recounting his remarkable feats. Legends spoke of his unwavering determination, his unmatched strength, and his sacrificial act that protected his people. The stone walls he crafted became a symbol of resilience and unity for the Teetsi clan, a testament to their indomitable spirit.
And so, the Stone Builder's tale endured, reminding future generations of the power that lies within, the strength that arises from love, and the immeasurable impact a single individual can have in protecting the herd.
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This myth is believed to be based in historical fact though the exact details have been lost to development and Federation meddling. Though there is a valley called Teetsi valley, its geologic features do not match the valley from the myth. However, analysis of two previously separated tapestries have shown mountains with distinctive features, exciting archaeologists with the possibility that the true site may still be discovered.
Further Notes:
This version of the myth has been reconstructed from the fragments that survived the Federation's attempted genocide using artifacts kept hidden by valiant venlil (most notably a tapestry donated to the Capital Museum of Art) and human archeologists and historians who have lent their knowledge and experience to the venlil to recover what the Federation tried to erase.

Misc:
- The Back Story Of The Heian Era & The 3 Great Vengeful Spirits.
- Ainu and Itadorimaru connection
- Nuances of Curse energy
- Answer between what comes first, soul or body?
- Reformation of the jujutsu society (as gojo killed the higher-ups)
- Merging with Tengen
- The “bomb” Kenjaku was supposed to drop
- What was Yuki's domain
- How to heal soul damage
- What is Gakuganji going to do with the information about creating cursed corpse
- Importance of Takaba in this story
- Result of Culling Games and stopping the merging
- If the merger does happen, how will the final curse look like
- Political and world fallout of Culling Games, the revelation of Cursed Spirits, Sorcerers, etc(possible for the epilogue)
- The whole plot with the soldiers and everything whatever happened with them lmao
- Wtf happened to Remi?
- (VERY IMPORTANT) Is geto coming back? Because he reacted when Gojo called out to him during sealing
- Did we ever find out who the other traitor is other than Mechamaru (it is hinted it is one of the higher-ups, maybe even Tengen????)
- Can toji possibly be immortal if we keep summoning the soul information in different bodies
- Also does the granny techniques bring back a dead person?
- Did maki also kill furudante ? i hope he didn't get caught in the crossfire. he was my favorite character in the entire series
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Sukuna:
- His cursed technique and conditions to activate it
- Why is he still look like Megumi, why he doesn’t convert back to his old body
- Did he defeat Maharoga and other Shikigami off screen
- Why is Sukuna the “fallen angel”
- Can sukuna use megumi domain
- Can sukuna heal soul damage ? hinted by maki when they fought “can he heal damage by soul liberation blade?”
- The cut on his finger after the bath
- What did yorozu give to sukuna and how does he know about love
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Gojo:
- How did gojo escape from the prison realm (kenjaku hints at it in chapter 221)
- Gogo clan other members
- What is he going to do with the last remaining finger?
- Lime green new technique
- What did gojo do between 19th nov and 24th dec
- How did Gojo react when he saw Choso (because Gojo saw him killing people in Shibuya)
- Does Gojo know his dead boyfriend is Yuuji's daddy
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Kenjaku:
- How is he going to end the culling games?
- His relation to tengen
- What was his goal when he created Yuji
- Backstory/origin of motivation
- Why did he say he does not remember what regret feels like
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Tengen:
- Reggie said that tenges lied about the purposed of the culling games (so why did he lie)
- Relationship to Kenny and sukuna
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Yuji:
- Cursed technique? Getting Sukuna’s technique
- Possible body swapping
- Does he know about Kenjaku being his father? His backstory with his parents
- How does Yuji's grandfather cursing him result in the end of the manga
- Black flash on command?
- Sukuna said to Yuji “that brat back then” what did he mean? He also said “kenjaku is sure twisted”
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Megumi:
- Dead or alive?
- Finding out toji is his father
- Final shikigami
- Full/completed domain (imagine how op maharoga would be in a completed domain)
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Nobara:
- Dead or alive
- -Nobara full backstory(there is an implication that something serious has been left out in chapter 63, Accomplices)
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Nanami:
- What Ino has to say about Nanami
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Todo:
- Current condition
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Panda
- Third core
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Miwa:
- What was she doing in the colony (follow up)
- What will she do with all the fame after soloing Sukuna
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Yuta:
- Conditions to activate the technique
- Domain
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Kashimo:
- His one-time CT
- Kashimo vs Sukuna
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Higaruma:
- “im going to turn myself in” and then how did he end up with the gang?
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Yuki:
- Research on the soul
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Angel:
- Relation to Sukuna the “fallen angel” and her vendetta against him
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Uraume:
- How are they still alive? They seem to have the same body they had in the Heian era.

Timestamps
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Boards:
Keycult No. 1/60
A-stock Rev. 1. White/Red. From OG (S-tier) manufacturer. Built with Inks and UHMWPE stems, lubed with 205g0, 105 on springs. Durock stabs. Soldered pcb. Used for less than an hour then put into case.
Comes with Keycult wrist rest (brand new) and extra solderable pcb (brand new)
$1,799 $1,699 with wrist rest
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TGR Singa Unikorn
Grey. Sealed.
2 sealed pcbs, brass plate, 2 o-rings. All brand new, never touched. First run of Unikorns, piece of history
Ships in original box or can substitute with one of my extra hard shell cases (no charge)
$1,888
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Kei
HHKB, everything brand new opened only for timestamp
Half plate (Silver, Aluminium)
Sealed pcb (solderable), o-ring, daughterboard, all original hardware, stickers/cards, all original packaging including boxes and Monokei cloth
Comes with:
extra PC full plate (brand new)
extra solderable pcb (brand new)
$379 OBO SOLD
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Artisans:
Montage Keypora - Alpha Keycaps, opened only for photo, $139 OBO
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Switches:
71 NovelKeys Dry Series Black (x2, 2 bags of 71), brand new never used, $13 per bag (like Alpacas and other recolors, retail is $0.55 a switch)
68 NovelKeys Dry Series Red, brand new never used, $12
64 NovelKeys NK Dry Series Yellow, brand new never used, $12 SOLD
76 clear-top pcb-mount Greetech Browns, brand new never used, $9
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Lubed Switches:
115 full black Gateron Yellows. Meticulously lubed with 205g0 and 105 on the springs, $59
70 NOS vintage blacks from Eunbu. Meticulously lubed with 205g0 and 105 on the springs, 60g TX springs. $150
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Please PM with Paypal email and Paypal zip code. I will update the post when something is no longer available. Mechmarket rules. I can only ship to the address on your PayPal. Prices do not include shipping. Must post in thread before PMing. Prices are firm unless I note OBO. I cannot respond to all PMs. I'm sorry! Not always FCFS, priority to people I know, previous buyers, and those who send a PM with Paypal email and Paypal zip code. Thanks!

What I especially love about the yiga, Is that they are different antagonists of ganon with different intentions, And they seem to be a comic relief, They are pretty fun characters, And I want to see more of antagonists like them, Especially with other species, Basically what I had in mind is that their needs to be more yiga clan like clans for species like zoras, rito, gerudo, and goron korok too And they all have their dumb comic relief intentions and so on.
Ritos: Name: White Crescent
Mostly chickens, Roosters, And doves, They here beak masks, And have like sky diving suits on them, They also wear red goggles that allow them to see in the night, Their leader is rucko, Who seems to be a giant chicken, Who has an obsession with eggs, Not in a way of wanting to eat them, But protecting them, He thinks the rito village has the eggs held hostage and sold at a "black market" Not to forget how jealous of he is, of revali and tulin. because of their skills.
The white crescent is usually spotted flying in formations, The doves mostly fly and land shots through arrows, The chickens can land on the ground and use their wing daggers, And the roosters wield a giant spear they throw around, Rucko wields a Gatling bow, And his also a coward. The white crescent mostly steals supplies from the rito village, Like rice, And especially eggs, And their goal is get rid of that annoying tiny bird known as tulin and egg the entirety of hyrule, How? Even they don't know. They get easily distracted by eggs, Not to mention Rucko's helper dgidgi the rooster who seems to be a bigger coward than him, But rucko sees him as a helpful assistant. Finally their base would a giant flying blimp with automatic cannon turrets on them.
Zora: Deep
A group of deep sea creatures having glowing yellowish green eyes, And being a constant threat and annoyance to the zora, Their colors mostly range from darker colors, Some of them wear swimming armor similar to a scuba, The normal variants are angler fish while the buffer variants are octopus, Their leader is Brobu, A giant slimy fish, Who has his jelousy over king dorephan (And now sidon) wanting to take over the zora domain, And drown hyrule, He also has a cute axolotl prince who he takes care of, And the axolotl just so happens to be a huge fan of link.
They come out of the water usually, And you can spot them through the glow in the water, the normal variants wield a trident, While the bigger variants wield a great sword, Brobu seems like he can control sludge and water, But he has his greatest sneaky stealthy body guard on his side, Sikon, A black, Quick, blind, squid who can sense link anywhere, Wielding a special spear that allows him to control water, Also his pretty cocky too, And he enjoys food like alot, Gourmet meals can distract him too much, Sense he can smell them, Their location is located through a deep sea cave domain.
Gorons: BoroCorp
A rival of yunobo corp, Borocorp is a group of evil gorons, Who steal from other gorons in the mine, Even attacking their base of operations to take over, These gorons seem to be darker and grayer, And they would attack anyone who try to interfere in their mines and base of operation, Their also very dumb, I mean it, For some reason they enjoy eating gems more than normal rocks unlike the other gorons, Even amber, Which seems to be pretty sweet for them, Their leader is boroboro, A giant goron, Who is known for having a bouncy roll, Allowing him to bounce against walls, His ability is too powerful to the point he flies off from the place on accident, He even knows his too weak for his own power, As much as he seems serious, His also old, And has a childish rivarly with the goron elder and yunobo, His goal is to be rich, And get rid of yunobo corp becoming number one source of gems for hyrule, He also sleeps alot too. The normal black gorons would have a fire trial roll, While the bigger gorons would use their claymore and shield. their base of location is under a volcano.
Gerudo: Warriors of ganon
A group of rebellious gerudos who still have their faith and trust in ganon, Still following ganon to this day, They are evil gerudos wearing strong metal armor with swords, shields, and spear, And some who appear to be stealthy assassins, They can be seen wandering around in the deserts, With higher chances in desert storms, Their location seems to be located below in the middle of the gerudo desert, Their lead by a devout follower of ganon, Rina, A gerudo warrior who seems to have practice in her assassin skill, And she also loves sand seal much like riju, Despite rina hating riju's guts, She owns several land seals who she considers her pets with names too, Shes childish, And not to forget their sort of introverted especially to voes, Rina is pretty quick, Wielding her two swords, But she does mess up alot, She wants to take over gerudo town and dethrone riju, And help in bringing back ganon.
Yeah those are my ideas or take on other evil clans aside from the yiga, Keeping them as also comic reliefs

DISCLAIMER
I almost didn’t post this. Not because I think it’s too wild or doesn’t make any sense. In fact, quite the opposite. The information I present here, which is the result of countless hours spent re-watching videos, listening to audio, and cross-referencing official information, is something that now seems to me to be far too viable not to be correct. I have actually tried to prove this theory wrong and… well basically I can’t. So, please bear this in mind as you read. This could end up being one of those rare occasions when we’re actually onto something. Either way, I hope you enjoy the post.
First point; this is going to be a long post. Given the subject matter, it needs to be. Second point; I have not added any images or videos directly into the post but have instead included a great many links embedded within the text itself. This should ensure that the post is no longer than it needs to be but should still allow you sufficient opportunity to fully scrutinize every part of my theory, so that you can determine for yourself whether or not you think it holds weight.
I have organised all of the information under specific headings designed to make everything more accessible. Each section focuses on a particular aspect of the main theory. Even if you think that some of what you are reading may not be relevant, I can assure you that everything written here has been included as an important part of a much larger puzzle, and so I would advise that you patiently make your way through the entirety of the post. In an effort to ensure that your time invested here is appropriately rewarded, and in the spirit of preserving the scientific method, I have tried to keep flavor text and blind speculation down to an absolute minimum.
Note that I will be listing various aspects of this post as being confirmed correct or incorrect as and when we have official information to verify such facts. So here we are, after five long years of waiting, the inevitable release of Starfield, like the event horizon of some nearby black hole, is almost upon us. With the Showcase now a mere 24 hours away, it is time for us to take a look at what makes this particular game so special, as well as discovering just how we will be given the means to fly among the stars.
And so, without further ado, let us begin.
Hitchhiker's Guide
From watching gameplay footage, and also listening to various devs talk about Starfield, we know that at some along the early part of the story, we will find ourselves on board a Constellation Starship, which is appropriately named Frontier. With us on the ship is VASCO, an adorable robot assistant who will eventually become one of our possible companions. But how did we even end up on this ship? Well firstly, I do not believe that Frontier is our ship, or at least not at first. And so, we’re probably here in the capacity of a ‘guest’ of some kind, or more likely, a hitchhiker.
If we take a look at this scene, we first hear a male shouting “that’s the Crimson Fleet!” and then a female saying “Everybody get ready!” After this, we can see that the group we are with is attacked. We already know that we uncover some kind of unknown artifact whilst mining for ore near the beginning of the Main Quest, and that the aforementioned Crimson Fleet is essentially an organised collective of space pirates. But what we don’t know is why they attacked us. This is not something I will be diving into in this particular post, although I do have some theories about this. But the relevance of the series of events here described cannot be understated, as they seem to be the launching point for our entry into Constellation and the adventures that follow.
Next, if we look a little further, we can see that this seemingly-important member of Constellation is not with us when we arrive at their Headquarters on Jemison, which suggests that he may have been killed during the above mentioned attack. Also note that, in-spite of not having a voiced protagonist this time round, we can clearly hear somebody talking over Frontier’s comms system, which means that there must be a designated pilot. Given the fact that we don’t see anyone who is confirmed as being the pilot (although it may actually be this person), it is safe to assume that this designated individual was with us during the flight but was first injured in the attack on the planet’s surface and was then taken to Medical Bay after we successfully land on Jemison.
It is my belief that, after perhaps being exposed to some kind of energy pulse from a grenade or something similar, the first member of Constellation we see was outright killed (hence why we are then asked to join up ourselves, perhaps to take over his role). The pilot, however, clearly survived as we can hear him talking to Control over the comms system during what is actually an extended two-way conversation, but I think that his vision was somehow compromised so that, even though he is able to speak, he is temporarily unable to see. The good news about this most unfortunate situation is that it opens the door for us to quickly step into the hot seat and, with the pilot acting as our guide, we will experience our very first Starfield flight tutorial.
Radio Chatter
If you listen to the beginning of both the Official Teaser Trailer and Official Gameplay Reveal for Starfield, you will hear both halves of the radio conversation I have referenced above, or at least the parts of it that Bethesda have given us so far. The first of these is spoken by somebody being referred to as Control, and the second by Frontier’s pilot. I previously posted a link to an audio I made and put up on Soundcloud, which gives us all of the confirmed parts of this conversation carefully spliced together and enhanced for clarity. Note that some of the audio, despite these enhancements, is a little hard to make out.
The final, in-game conversation is going to be a fair bit longer than what we have here and will be based on the specific processes that are required before attempting a Grav Jump. I don’t think we will hear this conversation every time we perform a Jump (especially given that our protagonist does not speak), but the first time we experience this early step-out moment, a detailed and appropriate pre-launch conversation will only serve to enhance what I’m sure will be an awe-inspiring experience.
Note that, at the end of this post, I have provided a link to a written transcript detailing what I think is being said in the full version of the above conversation. In the meantime, here is a breakdown of the confirmed parts of this audio. This is slightly different from the version I previously posted, due to new evidence clarifying exactly what is being said here. I have left line-spaces to help show where the missing parts of the audio will eventually go:
PILOT: "Control this is Constellation Starship Frontier."
CONTROL: "Constellation Starship Frontier, we have you on scanners."
PILOT: "We're ready to start on your signal."
CONTROL: "Performing Road Systems check. Helium-3 tanks, check. Seals are intact."
PILOT: "Maintaining Exit Vector course, Steady 'till Ready."
CONTROL: "We are still go."
PILOT: "Coordinates input, plotting Jump course."
CONTROL: "We read you Constellation."
PILOT: "Sky-Bus is converged, we're looking good."
CONTROL: "Jemison route looks good."
PILOT: "Allocating Auxiliary Reactor Power."
CONTROL: "Prepare for departure. Graviton Loop Array Spool, check."
PILOT: "System checks are green across the board."
CONTROL: "Your space Lane is clear."
PILOT: "Grav Jump commencing in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Road-Trip
At first, this seems like a typical, albeit futuristic version of an Air Traffic Control conversation. After all, much of what is being said does sound very familiar, and the rest seems appropriate to Starfield’s apparent Hard Science Fiction theme. But it’s only when you start digging a little deeper that you realize that something else is going on here as well.
Note the following terms taken from the above transcript: Road, Exit, Course, Coordinates, Bus, Route, Departure and Lane. All these words share a very noticeable common theme. They are all in some way related to Road Networks. Note also the phrase “green across the board," which sounds like it could also be a reference to Traffic Lights.
Zooming Along
Next, let’s look at this map, which features the home of a certain Software Development Company you may have heard of. If you zoom out a fair bit, you will see two large Cities, namely Washington and Baltimore. Zoom out a little more, and you can now see the cities of Richmond to the South and Pittsburgh to the North-West. Zoom back in over any of these four major cities, and you will see that there are many more smaller locations within each of the city limits.
Now scroll the map over to any of the areas outside of these cities, and you will find a multitude of other important locations. These include residential areas, airports, medical facilities, sports and leisure facilities, research facilities, manufacturing facilities, tech companies, supermarkets), hotels, places of worship, and many others. All the above locations are important in one way of another to the continued functioning of our society, and all can be placed within two distinct categories. These are Population Centers and Infrastructure.
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Now imagine that there has been some kind of catastrophic flood in this area, and all these locations, although somehow miraculously intact, are now separated from each other as a series of individual islands in the middle of a newly formed ‘ocean’. Suddenly, the existing Road Network, along with any cars, busses, and other road vehicles, would become useless. You would need to use a completely different system, one designed to properly accommodate these changes, which would of course have to incorporate such elements as harbors, shipping routes, and vehicles capable of travelling along a waterway.
Now let’s zoom out again, this time further. Much, much, further. Each location has now been transformed into either a planet or a moon, spread across various star systems covering a vast region of space. Each one of these planets and moons will have its own individual features, resources, possible inhabitants, and infrastructure requirements. With such a quantum leap in terms of scale, if we now wanted to travel between these locations, which could in many cases end up being several light years apart, we are going to need something far bigger in terms of scale, complexity, and technology.
Shown In 60 Seconds
During the first ever 60 seconds of Starfield footage we all saw, shown in the form of the Official Announcement Teaser at the end of BE3 on June 11th 2018 (which redditor InToddWeTrust2023 has very nicely referenced here), we were given some surprisingly important clues which now form the cornerstone of this theory. Not only have these clues stacked up with every consecutive trailer released, as well as many of the other official videos and various other snippets of information, but their sheer level of consistency places them well outside the realm of possible coincidence.
Some of these additional clues were given to us in the two videos referenced above which contain the comms audio. The second of these two videos, namely the Official Gameplay Reveal, dropped, as would be expected, at the end of last year’s Showcase on June 12th 2022. Some of the most crucial information we have been given to date regarding my theory is actually contained in the 70 seconds shown before Todd even begins to speak. We will discuss the relevance of all of this a little further on in the post.
Lo-go/no go
First, some Space related terminology. In Mission Control speak, a Launch Status Check, also known as a go/no go poll, is part of a very carefully designed system implemented by US Space Agencies to ensure maximum safety and the best possible survival chance of both the ship and its crew prior to launch. This, or something similar, will undoubtedly form an integral part of the pre-launch, or rather, pre-Jump procedures incorporated into Starfield, especially given what we know in relation to its specific influences, attention to detail, and focus on realism.
But let's look for a moment at a different type of launch. Let's look at the process of carefully managing the flow of information when you are launching a long-awaited, multi-million-dollar triple-A video game and you happen to be a major player. With the combined might of Bethesda, Zenimax, and now Microsoft, there is clearly a great deal of scope in terms of how they were able to execute all of the steps involved in this process. One critically important factor, and one that has been masterfully implemented in the promotion of Starfield, is the use of familiar iconography.
If we look at the iconography seen during the promotion of Starfield, we can see that there are two main elements. These are the circular Starfield logo, first unveiled in 2018, and of course the recently updated Bethesda Games Studios logo, which has existed in various iterations since around 2006. Both of these share a common, simplistic yet effective design, and the BGS logo in particular is now light years ahead of its original design as seen on box art and in promotional materials for The Elder Scrolls VI Oblivion. At the time of Oblivion’s release, the long-term use of this particular logo, which incorporates the now familiar Fallout Vault Door, was a little uncertain due to restrictions with the associated licence (more on this below). But once this matter had been resolved, it would make a lot of sense that they would then develop this logo into the much sharper, more modern version we see today.
Licenced to Fly
Way back in April of 2007, Bethesda realized one of their biggest long-term business goals by finally securing the full rights to the highly acclaimed Fallout series. Prior to this, in 2004, they had been granted limited rights which would allow them to develop Fallout 3 and then two additional games, but they clearly wanted full and unrestricted access to the franchise and all of its assets. Since this time, in addition to Fallout 3, we have seen the release of Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, as well as a number of smaller projects, including Fallout Shelter. This is all the proof you need to confirm the fact that, in-spite of some initial setbacks, Bethesda’s insistence on going the extra mile with regards to securing the full franchise, was most definitely worth it, and was seen by many as a landmark achievement.
Looking at the most recent entry to this ever-expanding series, namely Fallout 76, I would like to draw your attention to two of this particular game’s trailers. First, we have the Fallout 76 Official Trailer from 2018, and then The Pitt Story Trailer from 2022. In the first of these two trailers, at around the 35 second mark, we see the new BGS logo once again, and then near the end of the video we see a smaller version, neatly tucked away over on the left-hand side of the usual copyright notice. If we then look at the second trailer, at around… Hold on a second, let me rewind that a bit… wait, what?
This is where things start to get really interesting.
One Small Step
Okay, going back to the Fallout 76 trailers, although the smaller version of the BGS logo can be seen at or near the end of each of these, only the first incorporates the larger, ‘splash-screen’ version. “But why is this even important?” you may ask. “They may have simply forgotten to include this detail in the second trailer.” I can assure you that this is most certainly not the case. In fact, I am one-hundred-percent confident that this was quite intentional. I would even go as far as saying that this one, seemingly insignificant detail, actually brings us a step closer to unlocking the secrets of Starfield. Essentially, Bethesda have taken full advantage of how we all think we remember certain details, and as such, this is an example of truly expert-level hidden marketing on their part. I also believe it will form the basis of at least one of the big reveals during the showcase.
One Giant Leap
Let’s go back one more time to the Announcement Teaser and the Gameplay Reveal for Starfield. Look at how drastically different the BGS logo is in both of these videos compared to any of those used in promoting Fallout 76. What will really blow your mind here is the fact that all four of the trailers mentioned above were first shown to us during the same two Showcases we have just been discussing! In other words, the first of these videos for both Fallout 76 and Starfield were both unveiled at the 2018 Showcase, and the second of each at the 2022 Showcase. And yet each respective pair make use of drastically different versions of what we all thought was the exact same logo. This means that Starfield has been designed, from the ground up, to be viewed and experienced in a totally different way than, and completely separate from, any of Bethesda’s previous titles.
To clarify this point, after extensive research, I can confirm that this new, animated BGS logo, with the vault door rolling off to the left and then ‘opening up’ just before the text appears, has never been featured anywhere in an official capacity that is not directly related to Starfield. It is completely unique to this specific IP. This fact ties together everything we have looked at in the post so far. It also lets us see things from a completely different ‘orbital’ perspective. For example, I believe that this information gives us the real reason why Bethesda worked so hard to secure the full rights to the Fallout franchise in the way that they did. Not only did they wish to create awesome games set within the Fallout universe, but they also needed total freedom to make use of a specific part of this franchise that so that they could then incorporate it into their next, very very big, space related IP.
For Mankind
Okay. This is the part you’ve all been waiting so patiently for. This is the big reveal. For months now, perhaps even years, we have all been drip-fed the idea that Starfield is essentially “Skyrim in Space.” The reason I think that we have been told this is to misdirect us away from an intrinsic, interwoven connection between Starfield and Bethesda’s other major franchise, which is of course Fallout. But just to put your mind at rest, I do not for a nanosecond believe that the reveal will be, “We fooled you all, it’s actually Fallout in space!” no matter how cool that might at first sound.
What I do believe is that Starfield will be so different and so unique when viewed alongside anything else that Bethesda have published, that it will quite literally take your breath away. This game, the spark of which was first ignited 25 years ago, is Todd Howard’s true passion project. Everything else was simply the path he took to finally get here. This is the story he has always wanted to tell, the story of Mankind’s true legacy. And it all starts, just as it did when Interplay released the original Fallout) game back in 1997, with a familiar, but staggeringly different Vault Door.
The Vault
There is a very special and completely unique hidden Vault in Starfield. Not only is this particular Vault unlike anything you have previously seen anywhere within the Fallout universe, but it is also unlike anything you have seen in any game. Period.
This hidden Vault is actually the key to both interstellar and interplanetary travel. And it also happens to be the single biggest construction project in human history, extending across a span of almost one-hundred light years. And it is not even close to being completed, even after more than two-hundred years of construction.
This Vault is, by its very nature, completely invisible and shielded away from view. It is quite literally hidden in plain sight, and it can only be accessed through one of its specially crafted Vault Doors. But what does all of this mean for gameplay, and how does something like this even work? I’m glad you asked! Let’s strap in and prepare for launch, because we’re all in for an incredible ride.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen... to The Starfield
Entering The Starfield
The following is my own interpretation, based on scientific reasoning and a huge amount of detailed analysis, of exactly how I think this system works. It is, as ever, backed up with several links throughout, as well as additional evidence for which I shall provide a separate link at end of the post. I am expecting perhaps some differences in terms of specific details once we get hold of the final release of Starfield, but I am confident that I am at the very least well within the ballpark with all of this. Okay, here goes.
The Science Behind the Magic
Starfield is the name given to a vast network of interconnecting tunnels, spanning the entirety of the Settled Systems, providing us with a very fast and highly practical means of travelling between different planets, and even different star systems. These tunnels exist within a localized, folded state, known as Tunnel-Space. The construction of the Starfield is made possible thanks to a technological breakthrough which allows gravitational waves (or Gravitons) to be woven together to form something known as a Gravity-Tunnel, which is then stretched out and connected between any two existing stellar objects, such as two planets in a given system, of even two stars from different systems.
In order to maintain the integrity of each tunnel, it is wrapped in a special type of Exotic Matter known as Superfluid Helium. This has a number of highly unusual properties, including negative energy density and negative energy pressure. This essentially makes it the physical-space equivalent of time going in reverse, meaning that it is capable of counteracting the effects of any conventional physical force, including the gravitational pull of a black hole. As such, it will hold the structure of the Gravity-Tunnel together for an indefinite period of time over a potentially infinite distance through space.
Within the Starfield are a large number of Nodes and Junction Points. Nodes are used to connect together all of the planets in any one Star System, and Junction Points then connect different Star Systems together, making use of much larger Gravity-Tunnels that are the equivalent of Interstate Highways. Note that all flight between any given planet and any or all of its moons is handled locally, outside of the Starfield.
Because all of the stars, planets, and moons in the Settled Systems are in a constant state of flux, by which I mean their relative distance and positions) are constantly changing in respect to each other, the tunnels within the Starfield have been designed to be able to expand and contract almost infinitely so that they can accommodate any changes in these two factors depending on when, where, and how you travel.
Although the main tunnels are designed to transport people, resources, waste, and other items directly relating to either Population Centers or Infrastructure, I believe there is also a sub-system) that will allow much smaller objects, such as probes, to carry data-packets that can be upload at one location and then downloaded at another, effectively solving the problem of inoperable delays in communication between remote locations.
Inside of each Gravity-Tunnel is a bi-directional singularity, which can be switched between two opposite polarities whenever required with the help of the surrounding Exotic Matter, allowing for two-way traffic inside what is essentially a one-way system. This means that, as long as you are able to ensure the correct polarity of all connecting Nodes and Junction Points along your route (as in “Sky-Bus is converged” and “Jemison route looks good”), you will be able to travel, in theory at least, from any point A to any point B, as long as all of the required interconnections exist within the system.
When travelling through the Starfield, you will set a specific route, known as a Sky-Bus, which is a specified pathway that runs from your staring location to your destination. You will then, with the help of Starfield Control, access the tunnels using a Gating System which I will explain below. Incidentally, I believe that the accepted in-universe name for the actual transit network that we are making use of within the Starfield is the Sky-Bus Tunnel System.
Each tunnel in this system actually has two separate ‘Lanes’, one on the left for outbound traffic, and one on the right for incoming traffic. As I have explained above, each of these tunnels can only accommodate a single direction of traffic flow at any given time. And so, a safety measure had to be incorporated to prevent any accidental attempts to travel the wrong way down a tunnel and destroying yourself and your ship.
At each end of any given Node or Junction Point is a Gate. These are the ‘Vault Doors’ I have been referring to. The Gate comprises of a gigantic metal outer-ring connecting to an inner Vault Door. This Vault Door will either be at the center (closed position), or the left (open position) of the outer ring. The open/left position will allow outbound traffic to leave the orbit of the current planet they are in proximity to. To allow inbound traffic, the entire outer ring, with the Vault Door locked in place, will rotate clockwise through 180 degrees to the open/right position to allow access to the inbound Lane. When the outbound Lane is then once again required, the structure then continues to rotate in a clockwise motion until it reaches the open/left position once again. When required, the Vault Door will return to the neutral position at the center of the ring, and the tunnel will be locked.
Regarding Grav Jumps: Whenever you wish to perform a Grav-Jump, you must first request permission from Starfield Control, who will guide you through the process. Once the route is set and your Exit Gate is locked in place, by activating your ship’s Grav-Drive, along with it’s incorporated spooling system, you will first lock on to the front of the tunnel entrance.
Next, using a system similar to an Aircraft Catapult, you will be pulled into the tunnel at great speed, where the Graviton Loop Array will hold your ship in-place inside the tunnel, and will also ensure you don’t accidentally go down the wrong path. At the other end, the spooling system described above then acts as an Arresting Cable, slowing you down over a very short distance.
If all of the above is actually correct, especially the last part, then I think I will be having this on repeat in the background before Grav-Jumps!
Finally, here is the link to my additional supporting evidence and other materials, including some stuff I haven’t had a chance to really go into yet. Feel free to throw any questions at me, and I’ll do my best to answer them. In the meantime, Showcase will commence in 24 Hours…

Welcome! Please read this before you scroll down any further.
Prices include shipping. I will ship as soon as possible. USA buyers only. Prioritizing selling bundles over single games. Have to spend at least $20 to get free shipping.
All games are complete and the US version unless noted. Pictures will be provided when and if asked.
Thanks
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Nintendo Switch
Skylanders Imaginators- $140
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (Sealed)- $38
Dungeon Munchies - $35
Killer Queen Black- $20
Indivisible- $23
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console v2 (Brand new in box, box is heavily damaged, no joy cons)- $200
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3ds
Jake Hunter Detective Story Ghost of Dusk (Cart only)- $32
Code Name Steam- $12
Bit trip saga (Cart only)- $15
Rodea the sky solider (Cart only)- $24
Samurai warriors chronicles 3ds (Cart only, some yellowing on label)- $10
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Ds
Elite Beat Agents (cart only)- $17
n plus (cart only)- $12
​
Wii U
Lego Movie video game- $12
​
Wii
Resident Evil 4- $15
Sin and punishment star successor (Sealed)- $50
Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Complete with bonus disc)- $35
Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Selects (Some writing in the case)- $20
​
Xbox One/Xbox Series X
Rare replay- $15
Nba2k playgrounds 2 (Sealed)- $10
Rainbow six siege- $7
Life is Strange- $13
Call of Duty Advance Warfare- $7
Assassins Creed Valhalla (sealed)- $15
Dead or Alive 5 last round- $7
Mlb the show 22 (Xbox One Version) - $12
Mlb the show 22 (Series X version)- $12
​
Xbox 360
Nier (Sealed)- $60
Assassin Creed Revelations (No manual)- $6
Assassin Creed Rouge- $14
Dante Inferno- $15
Fairy Tale fights- $14
Tomb Raider underworld- $13
Dead Island- $6
Catherine (No manual)- $20
Dishonored goty edition- $10
Wet- $32
Shadows of the damned- $46
​
Ps4/Ps5
Days Gone (red box sticker on disc)- $12
Prototype collection- $60
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate- $25
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered (ps4 version)- $10
Deadpool- $55
Akiba Trip Undead and Undressed- $35
Mad Max- $12
Syberia 3- $15
Uncharted 4- $12
Uncharted lost legacy- $12
​
Ps3
The Darkness- $10
Remember Me- $10
Killzone 2 (No manual and greatest hits) - $8
Killzone 3 - $10
Dead Island Escape- $8
Resistance (No manual and greatest hits)- $10
Resistance 2- $12
Metal Gear Solid 4 (No manual)- $10
Demon Souls- $20
Heavy Rain (No manual)- $10
Beyond Two Souls (No manual)- $10
Valkyria chronicles- $10
Uncharted 1 (greatest hits)- $6
Uncharted 2 (greatest hits)- $6
Uncharted 3- $6
Hitman Hd trilogy- $25
Dragonball Z Battle of Z (No manual)- $25
South Park Stick of Truth (No manual)- $20
Call of Duty Black ops (large black sticker in corner on the front)- $10
Best of playstation network vol 1(No manual)- $50
Infamous Collection- $20
God of War Saga- $45
God of War Ascension- $32
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z- $12
Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning (No manual)- $6
Disgaea 4- $16
Sly collection- $50
Sly Cooper Thieves in time (No manual)- $40
Jak and Daxter collection- $25
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (greatest hits)- $15
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (Greatest hits version)(No manual)- $7
Puppeteer (No manual)- $62
Tales of Xillia (No manual)- $15
Dragon Dogma Dark Arisn (No manual)- $15
Castlevania lords of shadow collection (No manual)- $55
Resonance of fate (No manual)- $25
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations- $18
Lego lord of the ring's combo packaging (No Blu-ray or insert)- $10
Eternal Sonata (Disc only)- $20
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Amiibo (All are opened, good condition)
Splatoon blue boy inkling (From 3 pack)- $12
Splatoon orange girl inkling (From 3 pack)- $12
Meta Knight (Kirby)- $18
Waddle- $16
​
Video Game Preorder Bonuses (sealed or unopened unless noted)
Forspoken premium character cards (GameStop Exclusive)- $25
Bravely Default 2 - Coasters and Placemat (BestBuy Exclusive)- $15
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Video Game Soundtracks
The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV- $12
Trails of cold steel 2 musical selection cd (Sealed)- $25
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Video Game strategy guides/artbooks
Metal Gear Solid 3 Ps2 limited edition strategy guide- $75
Marvel vs capcom 3 fate of two worlds strategy guide - $15
Gears of War Judgement Collector's Edition Hardback Official Game Guide (Sealed) - $15
Final Fantasy XII (12) The Zodiac Age Collector Edition Strategy Guide Book (Sealed) - $160
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition (Sealed) - $80
Ghost in the Shell Read Me: 1995-2017 Anime Guide English Art Book- $80
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Video Games Collector items
Trails of cold steel 2 cards (Sealed)- $25
​
Video Game Statues
Half Life® 2: Headcrab Zombie Statue 1/4 scale made by Gaming Heads (Box is in rough shape, regular version) - $640
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands Santa Muerte Fallen Angel PVC Statue (Sealed In Box) - $60
​
Want
Paypal F&F
Venmo
Luigi Mansion 1 3ds (USA Version)
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey 3ds
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time DS
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Professor Layton and the Last Specter

I'm having some trouble with Vallejo model color and am seeking insight/advice from more experienced with this.
The figures were primed with Tamiya white spray can primer so I know I've got a good staying point.
I thin my paints about 1/3 to 1/2 with distilled water, so it's thicker than airbrushing type but not thin to the point of nearly being a wash. I apply in multiple thin coats after an evening of drying time.
But when I come back, the paint on the highest edges have completely disappeared. White clearly visible on the creases of the clothing, corners of the boots, etc. Especially bad with German Grey and black, but not from wear as they're carefully placed to protect from that.
Last night instead of thinning, I used unthinned black on the boots in extremely thin 'edge highlight' fashion then sealed with glass varnish to protect.
Is this the only way to work around this? It's adding extra time and annoyance when theres.other parts I want to get onto instead of constantly backtracking.
::EDIT:: Maybe I need to move to their game color line or another brand like Tamiya to avoid this problem?

So it looks like I'm going to be continuing with this after all.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Kalva, Kratotl Retired Predator Disease expert
Date [Standardized Human Time] : 27th September 2136
ERROR: NEURAL CONNECTIONS PARTIALLY DAMAGED. MEMORY TRANSCRIPTION PARTIALLY CORRUPTED. CONTINUE? [Y/N]
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My wings ache.
A lot of my body has been aching ever since some years ago.
But I suppose thats what {Corrupted Data} a scholar for much of your life.
I was not a particularly active person. Sure I did fly but flying anywhere in Venlil Prime was incredibly hard even for the strongest of all Kratotl living. Not that I would be flying here any time soon.
The slightly elevated slopes of Riverford would have been promising to me but I had been of course too busy studying on Predator Disease to do much about flying.
I've been an expert on the subject for many decades now. Helping identify patterns of non-sapient predators whenever they popped, providing advice for new Exterminator pods and assisting in trials of predator-diseased peoples across the belt. I've kept a impressive track record ove{Corrupted Data}.
I yawned and stretched my wings as I stepped out from my favourite cafe onto the nearly empty street. It was a fairly isolated place that has seen plenty of Riverfords elderly visitors and scholars throughout its long life, myself included. And personally I would rather keep its isolated nature like that.
I walked over to where my car was and opened its door. Some would say tha{Corrupted Data} but I liked this model and I would be rather be long in Inatala's embrace before I even change cars now.
As I entered the car, I heard something drop onto the floor of the car, and quite close to me too. I craned my aching neck over to the right car seat to see a weird cylindrical object of some kind. Curiously, I picked it up. From visual observation, this was a cylinder with some metal bits on one end with a hole and a rough exterior, presumably for grabbing-
​
[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS. REASON: INSTANT DEATH OF TRANSCRIPTION SUBJECT. CAUSE OF DEATH: POINT-BLANK EXPLOSION AND MULTIPLE MAJOR SHARPNEL WOUNDS. POST-MORTEM WOUNDS: 3RD DEGREE BURNS FROM IGNITED ELECTRONICS OF VEHICLE]
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Memory Transcription Subject: Tavr, Venlil Exterminator
Date [Standardised Human Time]: 10th November 2136
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I removed the helmet and placed it on the public bathroom's counter, checking the fur on top of my head. It was a soft pastel white with rather nice curls which I've been trying to keep on whenever I was on duty. As usual, it got ruffled by the helmet so I decided to put some water on my wool to see whether it would retain the shape.
Letting my fingers plap and flatten the wool into the shape I wanted it to be, I was reminded of my pod-on-duty eating Second Meal. None of us had our breakfast and Valim had bought us all hefty meals as a treat to make up for our dour moods.
Ah well, I suppose I can take my time with this and surprise them all with my new wool-style.
A toilet behind me flushed as whoever it was began to clean themselves up. I paid not much mind to the person in the cubicle as I bent down and applied more water to my wool.
When I looked up back into the mirror, I saw the following things:
Myself.
A Yotul in all black.
A set of white, sharp, predatory teeth in the center of their chest.
And a wire tied in a circle in one of their hands.
I turned around, feeling the grip of the Yotul on my fire-proof suit and the circular wire go around my neck as he violently threw me into the cubicle that he was hiding.
My jaw collided with the toilet, sending a shock of pain through my jaw. I did not have time to recover from this as the Yotul pulled the circular wire and my throat and began to strangle me.
I tried to get up, but the Yotul placed his weight against me to the point where I couldn't leverage my body to get an angle to push him off, neither could I call for anyone to help me from this predator-diseased primitive as his wire continued to tighten against my throat.
I squirmed around, flailing my limbs as I tried to grab at the Yotul to no avail, my vision starting to blur as I kept flailing. I barely even registered the cubicle door closing when the Yotul lifted me up and pulled me towards him.
I was getting desperate now. I was gonna blackout now and die to this Yotul here and now in this cubicle. I was hoping for anything, for my pod-members to come in and here the struggle, for anything!!
Then I remembered the knife I had in my boot. I had used it only once during my entire service to the Guild but it had saved before. It can save me again now!!
Desperately, I forced myself against the wire noose, constricting me even further than it already had and I swore I felt my eyes bulge out. But it did give me the angle needed to get to the concealed sheath in the boot and-
There was a firm hand on my wrist.
"Not today, you fuck!" said a grizzled, phlegmy voice.
And with that sentence, the angle that I was in was kept fixed as the Yotul pushed his foot against my back, now sealing my fate.
"I already faced that trick once before. Fool me once, but I'll make sure you'll never fool me twice!" he snarled at me as my vision went black.
[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS. REASON: EXPIRATION OF ALL BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. CAUSE: PROLONGED STRANGULATION. POST-MORTEM WOUNDS: DEEP CUTS AND GASHES TO SUBJECTS THROAT]
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[Next]

Note: This is gonna be a very long post, so brace yourselves
As most of you know by now, X-Men '97 will be coming out on Disney Plus this Fall.
This series will be a pretty big deal since it'll mark the X-Men's very first major animated appearance in over a decade!
During the 2010s, due to the rising success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 20th Century Fox still owning the FILM rights to the X-Men, and Ike "Fuck You" Perlmutter, Marvel basically resorted to pretending the X-Men didn't even exist, removing them from potential media they would be allowed to appear in.
Cartoons, merchandising, and perhaps one of the most egregious, video games.....
Chances are most of you are familiar with Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
And you're probably all aware that one of the biggest criticisms towards that game was the vetoing of any X-Men representation.
And not helping was the frankly idiotic responses given to this valid criticism.
Which, let's be real, the people from Capcom only really said half of that shit since they were most likely being held at gunpoint by an executive from Marvel, who in turn was being held at gunpoint by Perlmutter.
And after the game's release, people from Capcom came out to say how much the production of the game was absolute nightmare due to Marvel's bullshit.
And with that being said, the license for MvC will mostly likely never be renewed since after all the bullshit Marvel pulled on them, Capcom wouldn't want to work with them ever again.
But enough about that....
While it is great that the X-Men are finally returning to television after spending nearly 15 years without a major animated appearance, it is a little disappointing that it's being done through a revival of an already existing series.
I'm guessing that Marvel decided to have the X-Men's grand return to animation to be something a little familiar, so when it's time for a new X-Men cartoon that's a bit different from before, it wouldn't be too overwhelming for some.
But when that time does come, I have what I think would a cool idea for a new X-Men cartoon.
The cartoon would be titled X-Men: The Next Mutation!
Essentially the main draw of this series would be turning the characters of the Marvel Universe into powerful badasses right out of a shonen manga/anime.
And I figured the X-Men would be the perfect characters to explore that concept with.
Becuase the reason they're more powerful in this universe, apart from years of rigorous physical training, are secondary mutations.
Yeah in the universe of this series, secondary mutations are much more common among mutants, often happening early adulthood.
Tertiary mutations also exist, but they're pretty rare.
As for the X-Men themselves, the series would feature the biggest roster by far.
It would consist of Cyclops, Psyche (Jean Grey), Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat, Lockheed, Rogue, Iceman, Nightcrawler, Angel, Thunderbird, Beast, Sunfire, Banshee, Dazzler, The Diamond Queen (Emma Frost), Gambit and Psylocke.
There are some notable changes with some of the members of the team.
-Angel will be female by the name of Wren Worthington
-Nightcrawler's last name will be changed from Wagner to Darkhölme, since in this universe, he's the biological son of Mystique and Destiny
(Bonus points for anyone who gets that reference)
-Nightcrawler and Rogue grew up together
-Sunfire and Psylocke's back-stories are much different than they were in the original comics. Sunfire, who while still Japanese, spent most of his life in San Fransokyo, being raised by the Silver Samurai, who in this universe is his uncle rather than his cousin. Sunfire was also a member of the Hand until he met the X-Men and saw the error of his ways. As for Psylocke, she was a Japanese baby raised by the Braddocks, who in this universe are a family of English adventurers. You're probably wondering why I changed their back-stories. In the case of Sunfire, I felt like his original backstory is pretty problematic, at least in my opinion. I mean, it literally had to do with the bombing of Hiroshima. And when you take into consideration that he was created back in the late 1960s, you can't help but go a bit "yeesh" about it. As for Psylocke, I'm sure most of you are familiar with the whole body-swapping mess. Yeah....that shit has been banished to the Shadow Realm. I felt like this new backstory I came with would be a perfect way to still keep the appearance that most people associate with, while still keeping her British.
-I'm still debating on this one, but either Colossus or Gambit will be gender-swapped as well. Essentially, it would be either a female Colossus and a still-male Gambit, or a still-male Colossus and a female Gambit. The reason for that I'm about to touch on next.
In terms of romantic relationships.....
-Cyclops, Jean and Wolverine will be in a polyamorous marriage
-Storm will be dating Thor
-Colossus and Shadowcat will be dating (with a much shorter age difference this time)
-Rogue and Gambit will be sort-of dating
-Iceman will be dating The Human Torch
-Nightcrawler and Angel will be dating
-Beast and Emma will be dating.
-Dazzler and Sunfire will be dating
-Banshee will have a thing for Moria MacTaggert
So yeah, if you considered that possible gender-swap between Gambit and Colossus....that would put Shadowcat and Rogue in LGBT relationships.
Though in all honesty, I'm leaning more towards keeping Gambit male and making Colossus a female.
Since I think it would be nice for Shadowcat to finally be in a relationship with another female for once.
Although I haven't seen too many people mention it, it is pretty strange how despite being canonically bisexual, Shadowcat is still being restricted to male love interests.
I've heard something that it has to do with writer bias, since a lot of them had crushes on her back in the day.
It does seem like they're now gonna change it since she does seem to have thing for Rasputin IV.
Apart from the team themselves, what about their standing in the world?
Well, this might be a bit controversial, but in this universe, the X-Men have finally achieved their original dream of a world where mutants and humans peacefully co-exist with each other.
Since in this universe, the human race are actually decently intelligent.
Along with that, they've come to see the X-Men as what they truly are....heroes, due to the various good deeds they've done over the years.
And because of the deeds of the X-Men, humans have began to change their perspective on mutants overall.
And while there are still humans who hate the mutants, they're more of a minority now.
But despite achieving their dream, the X-Men still persist as heroes....simply because they want to.
Yeah, the heroes in this universe will be actual heroes, people who go out of their way to help those in need.
But you're probably wondering, if the X-Men finally achieved their dream, what kind of conflict would they deal with now?
Well, simple.....
This series would have 4 seasons, with each one focusing on a different antagonist.
The first season will be the Return Season.
The main antagonists will be the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy (consisting of Mystique, Destiny, Blob, Pyro, Avalanche, Unus the Untouchable, Lorelei, Sabertooth, Mastermind, Lady Mastermind, and Toad), who had spent the last 2-3 years in the Raft.
That was until they were broken out by Bolivar Trask and General Kincaid (from X-Men Legends).
Their reason for doing so was simple.....revenge.
With the rising acceptance of mutants as whole, plus their frankly heinous actions against them and humanity, Trask and Bolivar have become societal rejects.
They've been stripped of both of their positions by the government, and are now treated like shit by everyone.
This has made the duo's hatred for the X-Men even greater than ever before.
As a result of this, they decided to break the Brotherhood out of the Raft so they could work together to take out the X-Men once and for all and conquer the world.
Although both sides do hate each other, they do form an alliance due to their shared hatred for the X-Men.
Basically the classic the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And since the Brotherhood have also gone through secondary mutations of their own, they're even more of a challenge for the X-Men than ever before.
The season will also feature other villains like The Juggernaut, Black Tom Cassidy, The Silver Samurai, Sauron, Arcade, and the entire island of Genosha.
Luckily, the X-Men will have plenty of allies to back them up.
These include Charles Xavier, obviously.
Duncan Mathews, who in this universe, is a pretty nice guy and a longtime ally of the X-Men, essentially being like their April O'Neil.
Moira MacTaggert, who's still a human.
Ka-Zar, Shanna the She-Devil, and Zabu.
Nick Fury, who has formed a partnership with the X-Men to promote human-mutant relations.
James Produstar and Theresa Cassidy, Thunderbird's little brother and Banshee's daughter, who are both little kids.
The Avengers and The Fantastic Four, who are actually close allies with the X-Men rather than rivals who try to rip each other's throats whenever they cross paths.
Plus, they have members of their respective teams dating each other.
And I know some of you are gonna ask this, but Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Franklin Richards will all still be mutants.
X-Factor (which consists of Forge, Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy, Chat, Longshot, and Multiple Man).
A bit more reluctantly, Deadpool.
And a new ally in the form of Nathaniel Essex, a world famous geneticist who has partnered up with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Xavier to study and learn more about the X-Men and the other superheroes of New York.
But undoubtedly the big bad of this season would be the one and only, Magneto!
There would be a storyline throughout this season involving the Brotherhood searching for the whereabouts of their leader, along with the pieces of his iconic helmet.
And given how powerful Magneto already is in the comics, imagine what he would be like this in new universe where everyone is a badass right out of Shonen Jump!
Also, I wanted to add this real quick, but Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch will be Magneto's grandchildren rather than his children.
I mean, the guy is over 90 years old....
Season 2 would be the Clone Season.
I'm pretty sure you all knew this already, but Dr. Essex would essentially be the main villain of this season, taking on his iconic identity as Mister Sinister.
Sinister's master plan is to create the perfect army of hybrids, made from the DNA of the X-Men and the other superheroes, which is the reason why he worked with them last season.
And he plans to use this army to conquer the world.
So this season will basically be like The Clone Saga, except not shit.
Apart from Sinister, this season would introduce to Marauders and various notable clones of the X-Men, like Madelyn Pryor, Archangel, and even X-23.
Season 3 will be the Apocalypse Season.
As you would expect, the main villain of this season will be none other than Apocalypse, with Mister Sinister serving as the secondary villain.
Apocalypse's plan is to use his Four Horsemen to conquer the world, rid of those he sees weak, and enslave those he deems strong.
This season will not only see the X-Men working with all of their allies, but also their enemies, in order to defeat Apocalypse.
This season would also see a redemption arc for Magneto and the Brotherhood, with them finally going from villains to heroes.
The season would also introduce us to X-Force, a team of time-traveling mutants consisting of Cable, Domino, Shatterstar, Rictor, Boom Boom, Theresa and James (now going by their Siryn and Warpath aliases), Rachel Summers, and the future children of the other X-Men.
Also, since Cyclops won't be hooking up with Madelyne, Cable will be the son of him, Jean and Wolverine, with Rachel being his biological younger sister.
I should mention this that this series would have a lot of influence from shonen manga/anime, with one of the biggest being Dragon Ball Z.
And this season would have one of the strongest influences from DBZ.
Just like Trunks, X-Force will be portrayed as a band of heroes from a dystopian future (that being the Age of Apocalypse), who traveled back in time to stop the source of said future.
The fourth and final season will be the Multiverse/Space Season
This season will be heavy emphasis on the extraterrestrial side of the X-Men.
This season will see the introduction of The Broods, The Flock, The Sh'iar, The Starjammers, Mojo, and Vulcan.
This season will also but a heavy emphasis on the Multiverse.
As this universe's X-Men will meet various iterations of themselves from across the ages.
From the 616, to the Ultimate, to the animated, to the movies.
The main MVP would have to be none other than Jean herself.
A huge plotline for this season is that would become the new host of the Phoenix Force, and is now learning how to use it, with the help of 616 iteration, who has learned to master the entity.
And this Jean really needs to if she's gonna be able to take on the season's main villain...herself.
Well technically it's a variant of her who also became the host of the Phoenix, but was overwhelmed by its power and became evil.
And thus, Dark Phoenix was born...
Many of the multiversal variants of the X-Men and the Marvel characters already knew of Dark Phoenix before the events of the series.....and I'll be honest, they're all scared shitless of her.
And why won't they?
She's an all-powerful being with enough strength to destroy entire planets!
And although they've tried their best to avoid her, they can't anymore when she forces the entire multiverse to fight in a tournament that will decide their fate, and against villainous variants of themselves, all of whom are powerful in their own right.
From Maestro, to The Maker.
And final event is a battle against her and the multiverse's strongest fighters.
If the heroes win, Dark Phoenix will leave the multiverse alone forever.
But if they lose, she'll basically destroy everything and everyone.
Before we wrap up, I do want to talk about the art-style and the animation.
The art-style would be done by Boris Grovez, aka ArtFrenzyBoris, who has a really cool art-style I vibe with.
Not only does it look like something right out of a comic book, but also this sense of expressiveness and a cartoony nature not typically found in most comic books or superhero cartoons.
If you want to check it out, here's a link to his DeviantArt page below.
https://www.deviantart.com/artfrenzyboris/gallery
As for the animation, it would be done by Flying Bark Studios.
The animation studio behind Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Monkie Kid, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
When considering that this series would be heavily inspired by shonen manga/anime, you can't tell me that this wouldn't be the best studio to possibly animated this show.
I mean, have you seen their animation?!
Voice Cast:
.Scott Porter as Cyclops
.Jennifer Hale as Psyche
.Steve Blum as Wolverine
.Danielle Nicolet as Storm
.Chris Cox as Colossus (Male)
.Vanessa Marshall as Colossus (Female)
.Danielle Judovits as Shadowcat
.Dee Bradley Baker as Lockheed
.Melissa Disney as Rogue
.Zachary Gordon as Iceman
.Liam O'Brien as Nightcrawler
.Grey Griffin as Angel and Psylocke
.Johnathan Joss as Thunderbird
.Fred Tatasciore as Beast
.Steven Yuen as Sunfire
.Quinton Flynn as Banshee
.Cristina Valenzuela as Dazzler
.Kari Wahlgren as The Diamond Queen and Gambit (female)
.Troy Baker as Gambit (Male)
.Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier

The time has come to try to unload my entire collection, I've been selling on here for a few years and am an experienced seller and I would love to get these awesome records to some people who will love and appreciate them! Everything is VG+ and well cared for. I will give you a better price for the more you buy! $5 shipping on all orders, US only.
Adventures- Adventures 7"-Pale Yellow-$10
Adventures-Clear My Head With You-Blue-$10
Adventures/Pity Sex Split-Red W/ Blue Color in Color-$10
Adventures/Run Forever Split-Red/ Light Blue-$10
Aeon Station-Observatory-Blue-$15
Alkaline Trio- Maybe I'll Catch Fire-Transparent Orange-$30
American Pleasure Club- A Whole Fucking Lifetime Of This-Purple/Blue-$30
Antarctigo Vespucci- Essential Antarctigo Vespucci Vol.1- Gold-$15
The Appleseed Cast- Low Level Owl: Vol 1 + 2-Jungle Swirl-$50
Archers Of Loaf- Icky Mettle-Blue-$25
Archers Of Loaf-White Trash Heroes- White-$25
Atmosphere- Overcast EP-$14
Balance and Composure-The Things We Think We're Missing-Yellow/Black Haze-$60
Balance and Composure- Light We Made-Flesh- $30
Basement-I Wish I Could Stay Here-Gold-$18
Beach Slang- A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings-Blue Starburst-$10
Beach Slang- The Deadbeat Bang Of Heartbeat City- Red-$10
Beach Slang- Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street- Orange-$15
Beach Slang- MPLS-$5
Beach Slang- Skyway/Old Orchard Beach-$20
Beach Slang- Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken?-$10
The Beatles- Abbey Road- $20
The Beatles- Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band-Anniversary Edition-$30
Bedhead-Transaction De Novo-$30
Better Oblivion Community Center-Better Oblivion Community Center-Yellow-$50
Big Bite-Big Bite-$15
Big Thief- Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You-Random Color Eco Mix-$35
Black Country New Road-For The First Time-Translucent Blue-$40
Black Country New Road-Ants From Up There-Deluxe Edition-$40
Blonde Redhead- Fake Can Be Just As Good-$14
Boris- Akum No Uta- $20
David Bowie- Space Oddity- $25
David Bowie-Hunky Dory-$30
David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars-$30
David Bowie- Station To Station- $25-SOLD
David Bowie-Lodger- $25
David Bowie- Blackstar-$30
Bright Eyes- Fevers And Mirrors-$25
Bright Eyes- I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning-$30
Broken Social Scene- Broken Social Scene-Clear W/ Red-$50
Bugg- Bugg-Green- $30
Coma Cinema- Loss Memory- $50
John Coltrane- A Love Supreme- Impulse Orange- $15
Converge- All We Love We Leave Behind- Pink/Purple Mix-$50
Mat Cothran- My First Love Mends My Final Days-$40
Crash Of Rhinos-Knots-$30
Cymbals Eat Guitars- Why There Are Mountains- $15
Cymbals Eat Guitars- Pretty Years-Smoke-$25
Daniel Johnston- Fun- $15
Daylight- Dispirit-Yellow Starburst-$20
Daylight- Run For Cover Acoustic Series #3- $10
Deafheaven- New Bermuda-$15
Deafheaven- Sunbather-Yellow/Pink-$25
Kevin Devine-Brothers Blood-$20
Kevin Devine- Make The Clocks Move-Clear Brown- $50
Kevin Devine- Instigator- Red-$15
Kevin Devine- Bubblegum- Clear-$15
DIIV-Oshin-Purple-$30
DIIV- Is The Is Are- Captured Tracks Special Edition- $30
Dinosaur Jr.- Bug- $15
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm- $25
The Districts- Telephone-$15
Dogleg- Melee- Red W/ Blue and White Splatter-$70
Donovan Wolfington- How To Treat The Ones You Love-Clear- $15
Donovan Wolfington- Waves- Pink-$15
Drug Church- Cheer-Red in Beer- $70
Drug Church- Drug Church 7"- White No Sleep Subscription- $20
Drug Church- Party at Dead Man's 7"- $10
Drug Church- Paul Walker-Orange- $40
Drug Church- Swell- Clear W/ Green Haze- $25
Elliott Smith- Alternate Versions From EitheOr 7"- $10
Elliott Smith - EitheOr-$50
Elliott Smith-Elliott Smith-$35
Elliott Smith- Elliott Smith Alternate Versions- $20
Elliott Smith- New Moon-$25
Elliott Smith- Pretty (Ugly Before) 7"- Blue/White-$15
Elliott Smith-XO-Hazel Black Smoke- $100
Elvis Depressedly- Depressedelica-Black and White Galaxy-$25
Elvis Depressedly- Holo Pleasures/ California Dreamin'-Baby Blue in Bone-$20
Elvis Depressedly- New Alhambra-Purple Starburst-$15
Empire! Empire!-What It Takes To Move Forward- Sea Blue/Bone Red/ Bone-$100
Father John Misty- Fear Fun-$15
The Fall Of Troy- Doppelganger-$50
Field Medic-Fade Into The Dawn-Oxblood In Clear- $20
Field Medic-Floral Prince- Red- $40
Fucked Up- David Comes To Life - Yellow- $15
Fucked Up- Year Of The Horse- Gold-$15
Girls- Father, Son, Holy Ghost-$50
Gouge Away- Burnt Sugar-$20
Gulch- Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress- Cyan & Mustard Pinwheel w/ Purple Splatter-$50
Happy Diving- Electric Soul Unity- $20
Hot Snakes-Suicide Invoice-Yellow-$15
Hot Snakes- Audit In Progress-Pink-$15
The Hotelier- Goodness- Fawn & Field-$30
Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights- 10th Anniversary Edition-$80
Jim James- Regions of Light And Sound Of God- Autographed Test Pressing- $150
Jay Reatard- Matador Singles '08-$15
Julia Brown- An Abundance Of Strawberries- Red- $15
Julia Brown- Library b/w I Wanna Be A Witch 7"- $25
King Tuff- The Other- Rainbow Marble- $15
Knot- Knot- Red-$15
Leatherface-Horsebox- $40
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade- Live Frogs- Green- $40
Manchester Orchestra- A Black Mile To The Surface- Clear W/ Black Smoke- $80
Manchester Orchestra - Cope- $15
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's- Not Animal- Pink- $100
The Mars Volta- Deloused in The Comatorium-Sealed 2021 Repress- $40
The Mars Volta- Frances The Mute-Sealed 2021 Repress- $50
Melvins- Eggnog + Lice-All- $20-SOLD
Melvins- Gluey Porch Treatments- Green-$15-SOLD
Melvins- Hostile Ambient Takeover-Pink- $15
Melvins- Nude With Boots- Red-$15
The Menzingers- Chamberlain Waits- $15
The Menzingers- After The Party- Red-$40
The Menzingers- On The Impossible Past-Summer Sky Wave -$40
Mil-Spec- World House-$15
Modern Baseball Holy Ghost- Yellow- $15
Modern Baseball- Sports- Clear-$40
Thelonious Monk-Underground- 2014 ORG Pressing /2000- $50
Night School- Blush- Yellow- $15
Night School - Disappear Here- $12
Old Gray- An Autobiography- Half Pink/ Half Yellow-$60
The Orwells- Disgraceland- $20
The Orwells- Terrible Human Beings- $20
Ovlov-Am- Clear-$50
Ovlov-Tru-$30
Ovlov- Buds- Clear-$30
Ovlov- Greatest Hits Vol.II- $20
Parquet Courts- Content Nausea- $40
Parquet Courts- Light Up Gold- Pink- $30
Parquet Courts- Sunbathing Animal -W/ 7"- $40
Parquet Courts- Wide Awake! - Blue- $50
Pedro The Lion- Control- Yellow- $15
Posture & The Grizzly- I Am Satan- Green/ Milky clear split W/ Splatter- $50
Primus- Frizzle Fry- $Yellow- $45
Primus- Sailing The Seas Of Cheese- $35
The Residents- Eskimo- Clear W Black Swirl- $20
The Residents-Meet The Residents- Lime Green- $30
Rival Schools- United By Fate-$50
Saba- Care For Me-VMP- $40
SALEM-King Knight-Clear w/ Purple Splatter-$50
The Sidekicks- Awkward Breeds- Copper-$50
Sleep- Dopesmoker- Green hazy Translucent-$40
Slowdive- Slowdive- Silver-$20
Tiny Moving Parts- Pleasant Living- Red/ Orange- $40
Told Slant- Still Water- White- $30
Touche Amore- Parting The Sea Between Brightness and Me- Clear Family & Friends Pressing- $80
Turning Point- 1988-1991- Yellow- $50
Turnover- Peripheral Vision- Milky Clea Sea Blue- $50
Valium Aggelein- Silver in Clear-$50
Wavves- Afraid Of Heights- Purple-$70
Wavves- V- Purple- $50
Whirr- Around- Clear w Black Splater W/ Die Cut cover- $$35
Whirr- Distressor EP- Grey W/ Blue & White Splatter- $35
Whirr-Pipe Dreams Redux- Blue-$50
Whirr-Feels Like You- Purple Smoke $250
Yndi Halda- Enjoy Eternal Bliss- Random Color- $40

Here is a list of everything I have and several of my big WANTS, but open to offers/lists as well. Some items I have are harder trades, but feel free to make an offer on anything. Some games I have bundled into a single collection and would prefer to trade those all or none.
HAVE

Game Title	Platform	Condition	Additional Details
9th Dawn II: Shadow of Erthil	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Assassin's Creed 3 Pack	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Ezio Collection, III Remastered, and Rebel Collection
Baba is You	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Bayonetta 3	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Borderlands Legendary Collection	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Bug Fables	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Catherine: Full Body	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Cave Story +	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Crosscode	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Death Road to Canada	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Diablo III: Eternal Collection	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Disgaea 4 Pack	Nintendo Switch	Sealed	1 Complete, 4 Complete+, 5 Complete, and 6 Complete
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Dragon's Lair Trilogy	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Limited Run Games
Dungeon of Naheulbeuk	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Eastward	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Limited Run Games edition
Hades	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Hello Neighbour	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Ikenfell	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Indivisible	Nintendo Switch	CIB
La-Mulana 1 & 2 [Hidden Treasures Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Just Cart & Case, no outerbox or extras
Mario + Rabbids 2 Pack	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Kingdom Battle & Sparks of Hope
Mercenaries 3 Pack	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons, Saga Chronicles, & Wings: The False Phoenix
Minecraft	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Monster Harvest	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Monster Hunter Rise	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Monster Sanctuary	Nintendo Switch	CIB
No Man's Sky	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Project Highrise: Architect's Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Rayman Legends	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Red Colony Trilogy: Limited Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Rustler	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Scibblenauts Mega Pack	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Complete Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB	LRG Complete Edition
SENRAN KAGURA Peach Ball	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Shadows of ADAM Limited Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Shining Resonance Refrain	Nintendo Switch	Sealed
Sid Meier's Civilization VI	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Slide Stars	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Smashing the Battle: Ghost Soul	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl Gold	Nintendo Switch	CIB
The Survivalists	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Tales of Symphonia Remastered	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Titan Quest	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Undertale	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Untitled Goose Game	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Victor Vran Overkill Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection	Nintendo Switch	CIB	Strictly Limited Games version
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (Black Label)	Nintendo Gamecube	CIB
Donkey Kong Country	Gameboy Advance	Loose	Includes custom game case
Donkey Kong Country 2	Gameboy Advance	Loose	Includes custom game case
Donkey Kong Country 3	Gameboy Advance	Loose	Includes custom game case
Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun	Sega Genesis	Loose	Front Label Damaged, Includes custom case
Final Fantasy VII (Greatest Hits)	Playstation	Game + Case	Manual missing
Bouncer, The	Playstation 2	CIB
Destroy All Humans! (Greatest Hits)	Playstation 2	CIB
Destroy All Humans! 2	Playstation 2	CIB
God of War II (2 Disc Edition)	Playstation 2	CIB
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec	Playstation 2	CIB
Gran Turismo 4	Playstation 2	CIB
Jak and Daxter 3 Pack	Playstation 2	CIB	Jak 1, 2, & 3
Oni	Playstation 2	CIB
Red Faction	Playstation 2	CIB
Red Faction II	Playstation 2	CIB
Simpsons Road Rage (Greatest Hits)	Playstation 2	CIB
The Sims 2	Playstation 2	CIB
Tak and the Power of Juju	Playstation 2	CIB
Tak 2 The Staff of Dreams	Playstation 2	CIB
Total Overdose	Playstation 2	CIB
Angry Birds Star Wars	Playstation 3	CIB
Anarchy Reigns	Playstation 3	CIB
Assassin's Creed 6 Pack	Playstation 3	CIB	I, II, III, IV, Brotherhood, & Revelations
Dead or Alive Paradise	PSP	CIB
Devil May Cry HD Collection	Playstation 3	CIB
DmC Devil May Cry	Playstation 3	CIB
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice	Playstation 3	CIB
Dynasty Warriors 8	Playstation 3	CIB
Hunted: The Demon Forge	Playstation 3	CIB
L.A. Noire	Playstation 3	CIB
Nier	Playstation 3	CIB
Prototype	Playstation 3	CIB
Prototype 2	Playstation 3	CIB
Red Faction Armageddon	Playstation 3	CIB
Red Faction Guerilla	Playstation 3	CIB
Valkyria Chronicles	Playstation 3	CIB
Yakuza 4	Playstation 3	CIB
The Legend of Heroes	PSP	CIB
Queen's Blade Spiral Chaos	PSP	CIB	Japan-only game, no English
Dead of Alive Xtreme 3 Venus	Playstation Vita	CIB
Dragon's Crown	Playstation Vita	CIB
Senran Kagura Estival Versus Endless Summer Edition	Playstation Vita	CIB	Full CE
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus	Playstation Vita	CIB
Sly Cooper Collection	Playstation Vita	CIB	Sly Cooper 3 download code is used (but included)
Valkyrie Drive -Bhikkuni-	Playstation Vita	CIB
Demon Sword	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Simpsons, The: Bart Vs. The World	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Strider	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Tiger Heli	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Wrath of the Black Manta	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Killer Instinct	Super Nintendo	Loose	Includes custom game case
Mario Paint	NES	Loose	Includes custom game case
Mortal Kombat Trilogy	Super Nintendo	Loose	I, II, and III all with custom cases
Street Fighter II Turbo	Super Nintendo	Loose	Includes custom game case
Bahamut Lagoon	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Densetsu no Ogre Battle	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Live A Live	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Romancing SaGa	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Romancing SaGa 2	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Romancing SaGa 3	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Seiken Densetsu 2	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Seiken Densetsu 3	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Tactics Ogre	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Tales of Phantasia	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce	Super Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Magic of Scheherazade Arabian Dream	Famicom	Loose	Japanese Text Only
Playstation Vita White OLED (PCH-1001)	Console	Loose	Includes Charging Dock, Hard Case, 64GB Memory Card, and Grip.
Playstation TV	Console	Loose	Includes Charger & dock only, can include HDMI cable as well.
Gameboy Micro Black (Silver Faceplate)	Console	Loose	Works fine, does not have charger.
Super UFO Pro 8	SNES Accessory	Loose with custom case
NES Advantage	NES Acessory	Loose - not working
NES Joystick	NES Accessory	Loose

WANTS

Game Title	Platform	Minimum Condition
Darksiders Genesis	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Darksiders II: Dethinitive Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Darksiders III	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Bayonetta	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Bayonetta 2	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Cities: Skylines	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Langrisser I & II	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Atelier Ryza	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Atelier Ryza 2	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Atelier Ryza 3	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Ori: The Collection	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Kirby and the Forgotten land	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Kirby's Return to Dreamland	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Super Mario Maker 2	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Demon Gaze EXTRA	Nintendo Switch	CIB
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	Nintendo Switch	CIB
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	Nintendo Switch	CIB
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure	Nintendo Switch	CIB
The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Salt & Sanctuary	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition	Nintendo Switch	CIB
BRIGANDINE The Legend of Runersia	Nintendo Switch	CIB
Castlevania	NES	Loose
Castlevania III	NES	Loose
Wizards & Warriors III	NES	Loose
Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny	NES	Loose
Demon's Crest	Super Nintendo	Loose
EVO: Search For Eden	Super Nintendo	Loose
Kirby Super Star	Super Nintendo	Loose
Final Fantasy II	Super Nintendo	Loose
Final Fantasy III	Super Nintendo	Loose
Soul Blazer	Super Nintendo	Loose
Ultima VI: The False Prophet	Super Nintendo	Loose
Ultima VII: The Black Gate	Super Nintendo	Loose
Chrono Trigger	Super Nintendo	Loose
Breath of Fire 2	Super Nintendo	Loose
Harvest Moon	Super Nintendo	Loose
Dragon View	Super Nintendo	Loose
Shadowrun	Super Nintendo	Loose
Suikoden	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Suikoden II	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Torneko: The Last Hope	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Terry Pratchett's Discworld	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes!	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Wild ARMs	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Legend of Legaia	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Legend of Dragoon	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Legend of Mana	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Threads of Fate	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Tomba!	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Tomba! 2 The Evil Swine Return	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Final Fantasy Anthology	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Final Fantasy Chronicles	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Final Fantasy VII	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
SaGa Frontier	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
SaGa Frontier II	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Breath of Fire III	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Breath of Fire IV	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Ogre Battle	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Vagrant Story	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Final Fantasy Tactics	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	Playstation	CIB (Black Label)
Ar Tonelico	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Atelier Iris	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Atelier Iris 2	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Atelier Iris 3	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Legaia 2 Duel Saga	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Magna Carta: Tears of Blood	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Metal Saga	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Radiata Stories	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Stella Deus	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Suikoden III	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Suikoden V	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Unlimited Saga	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Wild Arms Alter Code: F	Playstation 2	CIB (Black Label)
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance	Gamecube	CIB
Skies of Arcadia Legends	Gamecube	CIB
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance	Gamecube	CIB
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	Gamecube	CIB
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn	Nintendo DS	CIB
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon	Nintendo DS	CIB
Radiant Historia	Nintendo DS	CIB
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow	Nintendo DS	CIB
Lunar Genesis: Dragon Song	Nintendo DS	CIB
Children of Mana	Nintendo DS	CIB
Heroes of Mana	Nintendo DS	CIB
Bravely Second	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Stella Glow	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Ever Oasis	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Monster Hunter Stories	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Fire Emblem Fates	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Fire Emblem Awakening	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Etrian Odyssey IV	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Etrian Odyssey V	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
Etrian Odyssey Nexus	Nintendo 3DS	CIB
DragonHeart	Gameboy	Loose
Final Fantasy Adventure	Gameboy	Loose
Final Fantasy Legend	Gameboy	Loose
Final Fantasy Legend II	Gameboy	Loose
Great Greed	Gameboy	Loose
Kirby's Dream Land 2	Gameboy	Loose
Crystalis	Gameboy Color	Loose
Harvest Moon 2 GBC	Gameboy Color	Loose
Harvest Moon 3 GBC	Gameboy Color	Loose
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages	Gameboy Color	Loose
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons	Gameboy Color	Loose
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance	Gameboy Advance	Loose
Breath of Fire	Gameboy Advance	Loose
Breath of Fire II	Gameboy Advance	Loose
Final Fantasy I&II Dawn of Souls	Gameboy Advance	Loose
Final Fantasy V Advance	Gameboy Advance	Loose
Final Fantasy VI Advance	Gameboy Advance	Loose
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I am also looking to complete franchise collections for Dragon Quest, Mana Series, Rune Factory, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and SaGa. To see what I have missing click here
Also open to reviewing your offers! I am mostly looking for retro games or games I don't currently own for the Nintendo Switch, particularly RPGs & platformers. To see what I currently own, you can view my pricecharting collection which I keep relatively up-to-date.
I am not currently looking to sell anything, I am mostly just interested in trading for a few games I really want.
Photos available upon request after mutual interest in trade is determined.

Heads up! This story is both unpolished and unfinished, and posted here only for the sake of not letting my work go entirely to waste. If you want to continue the story yourself, feel free to do so.
Credit for The Nature of Predators goes to u/spacepaladin15.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Rania, Gojid Civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: Error 560 (estimated date: September, 2136)
At first, we assumed it to be an Arxur weapon, but we had plenty of time to get a more detailed look at the object intersecting our FTL trajectory. A mass of energy, far more than a star could emit, yet giving off no light. Gravitational pull was intense, but completely wrong for a black hole. Maybe the remains of a massive warp core accident? Whatever it was, it was directly in our path.
We had ample time before our collision, and nothing we could do. Our course was set, and escape vessels couldn’t be launched during an FTL jump. All that was left was to wait, and pray for a mercifully quick death that we all knew was unlikely. We built our starships to withstand direct assault from Arxur warships. Our deaths would be both inevitable and slow.
I was away from the refugee’s quarters, on the bridge. I couldn’t bear to watch pups cry in terror, as their parents tried hopelessly to ease their fear. The bridge was only marginally better. Some of the crew were facing their imminent death with stoicism. Many were praying. Many were crying. I don’t remember what I was doing when it hit, but I was probably crying too.
Then… then…
Pain, agonizing and blinding pain. No screaming. No noise at all. Silence, darkness, death.
Movement. But I couldn’t possibly move myself. Was I carried?
​
My first coherent memories started taking shape next to a fire. I couldn’t see, but the warmth and crackling were unmistakable. I tried to move, only to find myself unmoving. Was I in the wreckage of the ship? I felt no pain. Was I already dead?
“Hey, look who’s finally back in the land of the living. Can you hear me?”
A human. The species that started this whole mess. That attacked our cradle, let the Arxur find an easy target. That taunted us with their “Evacuation” cattle roundups. The disgusting mockery of a voice washed over me, tainting my very soul.
That fire must be to roast my flesh. Does it want my fear, before it kills me? It won’t get a single goddamn word, not so much as a noise.
“You… damn, he must still be out of it. Maybe another stimpak..?”
Cli-hsssss. A stabbing pain in my arm, followed by… relief? My arm twitched slightly, but I couldn’t manage anything more. A rushing sound filled my ears, overpowering the growl on my left until it bore me away to unconsciousness.
—
I woke up on a bed, staring at what must’ve been the ceiling, though all I could see was vague rust-brown shapes in the distance. My body still refused to move. And yet still, somehow, so little pain. Was my nervous system destroyed?
No. Hunger. Brutal, snarling hunger stabbed through my stomach like a dagger. I made a weak noise, remembered where I was, and rapidly forced silence. If it knows I’m awake, it’ll torture me until it lets me die…
“Oh! You— you’re awake again! Can you hear me?”
Don’t make a noise. It might lose interest.
“...No. Dammit. It’s going to starve if it doesn’t fully wake up soon… I can’t afford all these meds for much longer anyway. I’ll just have to… leave this here for it. Maybe it’ll wake again while I’m out.”
And just like that, a rush of movement and it was gone. It worked! I lived… I lived, just so I could starve…
​
By the graces of the protector. Food. I could smell food, just inches to my right. Can I move to pick it up? Can I move my jaw to eat?
Is it a trap? The human must be trying to fatten me up. Or maybe it didn’t leave at all, and is just waiting in the shadows to see if I take the bait. Or… maybe…
Fuck it. I was already good as dead, I could at least die full. I tried moving my arm, but to no avail. My other arm was no better. Maybe I could move my head?
The world shifted around me, a nauseating whirl of muted colors. But that meant my head could move. I could move… the food was still just barely out of reach. I can almost taste it… it’s so close to my nose…
I let out a weak cry of frustration. I couldn’t help myself. Did the human intend for this torture? The frustration became rage, filling my body like a white-hot star until I—
Trembling, my claw grasped the food. Rage and hunger animated my arm, pushing it forward. Whatever this was, it was soft. It smelled heavenly. I brought it up to my face. My vision was just recovered enough to make out its form; a strayu-like pillow drizzled with a sweet glaze. I tore into it like an animal, barely even tasting. I must not have eaten in days.
Gone in seconds, and the hunger was barely sated. But it was enough energy to force movement with. Slowly, unsteadily, I rose to a sitting position. The world threatened to shift away from under me, but I held, trying to get my bearings.
I’m in… some sort of shack. Bare, rusted sheet metal on the walls; clearly an improvised structure. Other than that oddity, the room was surprisingly normal. No blood dripping from cages, no hunting trophies on the walls. A torn up carpet, a beaten-up table and chair, some cabinets, all illuminated by soft rays of light pouring in from a window over the table. And right next to my little mattress… is that more food? Some sort of orange vegetable. Like the sweet strayu, I ate without even tasting.
Much better. I was still starving, but only metaphorically. I could even move my other arm, though my legs were entirely numb and refused to cooperate no matter how much I pushed them. Could I escape by dragging my body with my arms?
No. I was still too weak. I had to count on the human fattening me up a bit more before I could make a break for it.
​
​
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Memory Recovery Subject: Nathan Dunne, sole survivor of Vault 111
Date: December 13th, 2287
Just a hair to the right… and… Now. The interloper, a feral dog that had wandered onto the property, dropped without a sound.
I couldn’t afford to attract any attention, so I’d hastily slapped together a silencer for my pipe revolver. An old oil filter, just small enough to not obstruct the scope I’d hastily tied to the top. The gun looked ridiculous, but it got the job done silently. If I attracted any visitors, my alien guest was as good as dead. Nearly a week after finding it, and it still wasn’t waking up consistently.
Now’s not the time for thought. Focus. Now.
The second dog also dropped. The alpha of the pack still hadn’t noticed anything, a miracle. I lined up one last shot… pulled the trigger, and finally let myself breath. That was way too close. Every day without the fence finished was another day of silent stress.
Putting up a fence was easy enough, but putting up a fence QUIETLY was nightmarishly slow work, constantly punctuated by hiding from any would-be visitors. But these dogs had wandered onto the property without even seeing me. Could they smell the alien? I knew Dogmeat could track injuries from a far greater distance…
Fence should've been up yesterday. Back to work.
I’m running out of barbed wire. And screws. And boards. Can I afford another expedition? What if Dogmeat can’t defend him? Not a chance in hell I’m risking any other group learning about this… although Mama Murphy probably knows anyway, doesn’t she. Maybe the Minutemen can—
No. I can’t risk it. I’ll have to improvise. Maybe I can set up a Tesla arc as defense and leave to raid Sunshine Tidings. Rusted metal sheets don’t make for the best walls, but better than nothing.
The sun was still high, so I had some time if I hurried. As I began gathering supplies, a thought crossed my mind. A Tesla arc was better than nothing, and Dogmeat was formidable enough, but… surely if the alien was in serious danger, it could use some self defense. Those spikes weren’t gonna cut it. Maybe that bastard Kellogg’s old .44 would finally get some use?
I grabbed the .44 revolver, a spare arc trap I’d salvaged from Fort Hagan, and some tools. It would have to do. There was already power hooked up to the shack for heating, so wiring the—
The food’s gone.
Dogmeat didn’t eat carrots, so I knew there was only one culprit. The alien must’ve woken up while I was working. It was back asleep now, but at least it got something down. It wouldn’t starve. Thank god.
…right. If it can wake up, this trap is probably more dangerous to it than any invader. I walked back over to the shed, stowed the Tesla arc and tools, and grabbed a handful of vegetables and a water canteen. If it could stomach food, it needed to start putting on weight now to make up for lost time. This would be a start, at least.
I set the food and water on the table (taking care not to break the digital chimera I’d already laid there), and the gun beside the bed. I knew it could reach to there, without a doubt. Maybe toss in a handful more bullets, too; it’s not like I’d ever be able to make myself use the damn thing. I gave one last glance at the alien curled up on a bare mattress before closing the door and setting out.
—
Memory Transcription Subject: Rania, Gojid Civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: Error 560 (estimated date: Unknown)
Help me. Kay-ut. Ki-ra. Protector. Anyone. It’s right there.
When I heard the human coming, I faked sleep hoping it wouldn’t check. As seconds passed, that hope grew thinner and thinner. Clearly, it could see the food was gone. Not that it needed to figure anything out; it could probably see through my deception just looking at me. Ki-yu, trickster; please, let this work. Let me live a moment longer. Noises all around me. Was it laying out torturous weaponry? Was it getting ready to gut me?
Protector. Please. I don’t want to die.
The noise around me stopped. Had the gods heard my prayers? I dared not check; if the human was still there, and I so much as opened an eye, I was dead. But death failed to claim me, and more noises failed to appear, until I finally worked up the courage to take advantage of my blessing and open my eyes.
The human was gone. I was alive. One more look around the room, to make sure it hadn’t—
A gun. A human weapon, close enough to grab. And ammo…
I knew humans were masters at trapping, at deceiving; such was their nature. I stared at the gun, trying to figure out what the trap was.
But I was tired, and hungry, and every sense told me that this wasn’t a trap, but a loaded gun. An answer to my prayers for safety. I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. I picked it up. It felt solid and weighty in my hands, lending some sense of security to the otherwise hopeless situation. Emboldened, I tried to rise to my feet again.
If I grabbed some of the furniture and stood on my good leg, I could just about stay upright without pain. That would have to do for now. Maybe I could use something in this room as a crutch. A leg of the table might do nicely, if I could—
Food. More food, all over the table. A sprawl of alien vegetables, including that orange one I had earlier. A metal jug, probably filled with water. And… is that a translator?
Curiosity overpowered both my hunger and my fear. On closer inspection, it was indeed a translator, one of the older dedicated units. Wired into… some sort of metal armband with a green flickering screen. The craftsmanship was shoddy; some parts were literally held together with insulated tape. Still, it appeared to be powered on and functional.
If I wasn’t in so much danger… I’d love to get a better look at what the human did with this thing. To wire Federation tech directly into one of their devices, and make it work…
My attention drifted back to the bounty laid out on the table before me. It could all be poisoned, but I’d already eaten the human’s food; what harm could it do to be full?
—
Sweeter than the orange one, but not as filling. Kind of mushy. Now no longer starving, I began to savor my meal slightly more. The green fruit was next, the one nearly the size of my skull. Upon breaking open the shell, it turned out to be pinkish red inside, and so juicy that I didn’t even need the water in the jug.
Bitter, but strangely satisfying. Next was a massive purple flower, which I could only guess was supposed to be food as well. The taste was unpleasant, but it felt bizarrely good to eat. Maybe a medicinal herb?
Why would the human give me a medicinal herb?
I’d been circling around the question for some time now. Why the food? Why the gun? Why the lack of gutting? Even if those supposed “empathy tests” weren’t faked, our species were at war! Did it not know?
Well-fed prey made for better-tasting prey, but a gun did not feed. A translator did not feed. Did it really want to talk to me? I weighed my options.
Option 1: Run. Impossible to do in my current state. Even with a large head start, even with uninjured legs, humans were nothing if not persistent; my odds were not all too favorable. And where would I go, anyway?
Option 2: Hide. Impossible to do in any state. Humans were perceptive and cunning. Nothing short of divine protection would hide me. And again, where would I go afterwards?
Option 3: Fight. I had a loaded gun, but for all I knew it was only there to lure me into a false sense of security. And besides, did I really expect to outfight a predator?
Option 4: Talk. It wasn’t likely, but maybe the human would have some sympathy (or at least fake some sympathy to keep up appearances). I was already injured, and it hadn’t torn me apart already; it clearly had something else in mind. Maybe the translator was involved in its “Something else”?
I didn’t… like that last option, but it seemed a hair better than shooting on sight when the human came back. Maybe I was forsaking the protection of the gods, forsaking my fellow Gojid. But none of the options were without risk, and I had to try something bold if I wanted to survive.
A noise from outside roused me from my thoughts. It’s coming. Time to make your choice.
​
​
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Memory Recovery Subject: Nathan Dunne, sole survivor of Vault 111
Date: December 13th, 2287
Halfway through the outbound trip, I realized I’d forgotten my pip-boy at camp. I’d taken both off, while working on wiring in that translator to the spare one from Vault 81. Having no way of assessing potential injuries simply would not do.
Halfway through the return trip, I realized I’d brought Dogmeat with me instead of leaving him to guard. I managed to make myself move a little faster. That .44 was no guarantee of safety, not if the alien simply couldn’t get up.
Once back, I could at least be sure that nothing happened. No blue blood seeping through the shack’s foundation. I grabbed the pip-boy, ordered Dogmeat to patrol, and prepared to leave before the daylight faded.
That’s a bit cold, isn’t it? Leaving without even checking on your guest?
I was leaving so I could build a fence for its protection, but… a quick check couldn’t hurt. Just to make sure nothing happened, right? Yeah. Sure. I had the time. Though maybe barging straight in wasn’t the brightest idea, not when I had just given it a revolver.
I knocked twice, and tried to lower my voice to a more soothing register. I had no idea if my hacked-together translator abomination would work, so tone was key. Before I could even speak, I heard a wild scrambling from the inside.
“Don’t— please don’t k-kill me, human, I’ll… I’ll do anything.”
…I guess I should be glad the translator worked? What the hell was that?
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise. Is it OK with you if I come inside?”
“I… Y-Yes.”
I gave Dogmeat a strong look to stay back, and cracked open the door. The terrified sniveling over the translator couldn’t have prepared me for what met my gaze.
A few weeks ago, I’d heard a heart-wrenching noise while poking around the edge of the glowing sea; a lone radstag doe, torn literally in half by a deathclaw. The beast was scared off by an approaching Vertibird, leaving the doe to wail helplessly until I put it out of its misery.
I had nothing else I could compare the alien to. It was shaking like an aspen leaf, eyes screwed shut and body curled up against the wall. The gun was still technically in its hand (claw?), but pointed at nothing. Just looking at the thing made me feel helpless.
But I brought it back from the brink of death. Soothing terror would surely be easier than saving its life.
—
Memory Transcription Subject: Rania, Gojid Civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: Error 560 (estimated date: Unknown)
Protector. Please, give me strength. It’s… It’s going to…
No. It just wants to talk. Rania, get a hold of yourself.
I cracked open an eye. Tears largely blinded me from the horrifying details of the predator, but the human still towered over me, casting an engulfing shadow over my weakened form. It was all I could do to not further embarrass myself with incoherent pleading.
It seemed to take notice of my fear, crouching down to roughly eye level.
“You’re OK. I’m not going to hurt you, no matter what. What’s your name?”
“R-Rania.” I forced another eye open. The human had moved itself to a chair. Soft daylight illuminated a pair of forward-facing eyes, but no predatory scowl. It had an expression which could be mistaken for solemn sympathy on another species. But it had no reason not to be sincere. There was no other audience, nor anything I could do to escape. Could it really be concerned?
“Rania. My name is Nate. Can you tell me… what you are?”
“Just Nate? I— I thought humans had two names.”
“Oh, uhh… Nathan Dunne. I just go by Nate.”
I noticed a distinct look of confusion engulf the human’s face. Actually, I started to notice a lot of things. It wasn’t just the building and translator that were so clearly improvised. It— Nate’s armor was clearly not standard-issue anything. Nor the weapon on his side, some sort of pistol made seemingly from scrap.
He didn’t look like a UN soldier, nor a civilian of any type. And… just now… did he ask what I was? How could he not know?
“I’m a… I’m a G—Gojid. Does that mean anything to you?”
He shook his head, which even I knew was a human gesture for no. “Not as such. I might need to work out some issues with the translator, though, so don't count on it meaning—”
“The Federation? The cradle? Venlil? Arxur? UN?”
A bizarre shudder passed through Nate. “I know about the UN, though I can’t imagine how they’re relevant now… and no to the rest.”
“I can’t imagine how they’re relevant”!? What the hell could that mean?
“What— what does the UN mean to you?”
Again, that shudder, like a shadow cast over his soul. “They were a global group, trying to keep international peace. When the first Resource wars sparked… they collapsed like a house of cards. 2052. I was 12. After that, it…” he trailed off, before forcing himself to speak. “It all went to hell. As you can see.”
I couldn’t speak for shock. Predators were deceitful by their nature, yet I knew in my heart his words were sincere. It was plain as day, etched across his face. And if so… What the hell? What the hell!? What was any of that?
“As you can see? What do you mean?”
“Can you walk?”
Should I reveal my weakness? I don’t see any way he couldn’t notice my condition by now, so maybe I can get some sympathy for it?
“I… no, I don’t think so…”
“Then I can carry you outside. If you want, I mean. You’ll see what I meant by ‘went to hell’ real quickly.”
He’d have to… oh Protector, if he chose to carry me to slaughter, there’d be nothing I could do. But by this point, my fear was starting to wear thin from weariness. Curiosity was slowly taking the upper hand.
“S-show me.”
And just like that, the world moved out from under me. Instinctively, I grasped the human’s artificial pelt like a pup clinging to its mother. Light flooded my still tearstained eyes. I blinked them clear, and looked out on the world.
​
​
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Memory Transcription Subject: Rania, Gojid Civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: Error 560 (estimated date: Unknown)
Was this Earth? This couldn’t be Earth. Earth was green, wasn’t it?
Yellow foliage, grey trees. A soft blue sky, intermittently broken up by concrete highways that towered towards the clouds. And on the horizon, the mammoth corpse of a city, a metal carcass that dominated the skyline.
No green. No life. Not even wind. The whole scene was eerily still, seemingly frozen in time.
Unable to make sense of the wider world, my attention drifted closer. A ring of ramshackle fencing, a larger building that I might mistake for a house. An ancient hand-worked water pump. A plot of vegetables. A beast with glistening fangs, bounding towards—
“Dogmeat, no. Stay.”
Somehow, impossibly, the beast heeded the command, slowing down enough for me to get a better look at my imminent demise. Long brown fur with black markings, a swishing tail, a red fabric tied around its neck. Forward-facing eyes gleaming with hideous intelligence. It sat down, tilting its head and letting out a shrill whine.
“You still haven’t met Dogmeat yet, have you— Rania? Rania!”
I couldn’t breathe. It was looking straight at me. I thought the human was terrifying, but this thing made it look harmless. Did Nate not realize the danger he was in?
“N— No! Please… don’t let it…”
“It’s not going to hurt you either. You’re OK. Breathe.” Nate turned slightly, shielding the beast from view. “Here. We can go back inside if he scares you too much.” I managed to choke out an affirmation, and felt darkness overtake me as we rushed back into the relative safety of the shack. The door clicked shut, sealing the beast outside.
“Rania, talk to me. Can you breathe?”
“Please… please don’t feed me to it…”
Nate’s eyes went wide, and his hand rose to cover his mouth. I didn’t know much human body language (aside from the vicious snarl they called a smile), but shock was a constant across almost every species. His eyes cast around the room wildly, his breathing becoming erratic before he managed to regain control.
“Rania, I— I’m not going to feed you to him. You— listen, I won’t even let him in. It’s safe here.” He clearly had something else to say, and silently struggled with the words for a moment before finding his phrasing. “Can you tell me why you’re so scared? What happened before I found you?”
The words took several moments to consciously register, but their effect was immediate. If Nate was trying to startle me out of my fear, he couldn’t have done a better job. When I spoke, it was with startling clarity as fear was replaced by near-indignant confusion.
“How could I not be scared? You’re predators. Even if… even if you really don’t want to kill me, seeing injured prey must be a powerful temptation to your instincts, no? Not to mention the invasion of the cradle; even if you do have empathy, why try to save an enemy species?”
A few moments of stillness, and then I mimicked his previous motion of shock as I realized what I’d done. If he somehow didn’t know the situation with the Gojid before, he did now. Even prey empathy didn’t extend to their sworn enemies. My stupid thoughtless rambling meant I was good as dead.
“Rania.” Nate’s words were slow, soft, and measured. “I don’t know where you come from or what the situation is out… up there. But I can promise you this.” He tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my terrified reverie and forcing me to pay full attention. “I’m never going to hurt you. I’ll keep it safe here, as long as it takes for you to heal. You can hold me to that.”
“Safe… even safe from that monster..?”
Nate looked deeply hurt, but quickly covered it up with his previous expression of concern. “Yes. I wish I could prove to you that my dog is friendly, but… if he scares you that much, I’ll find somewhere else for him.”
He stole a glance out the window, before turning back to me. “Listen. I need to get some supplies for the fence while there’s still light. I’ll take Dogmeat with me. Do you know how to use this?” He gestured towards the gun, still sitting where I’d carelessly let it slip from my claws minutes earlier.
“Y-yes.”
Apparently seeing straight through my lie, he bent down to show me. “Here, you just need to pull back the hammer. Finger over the trigger, and line up these sights on your target. Only pull the trigger when you know you have your shot.”
Nate stood up, putting one hand on the door before remembering something. “If you start hurting, you can use this.” He set a syringe down on the table. “Just stab wherever it hurts. The pack’ll do the rest for you. I’ll be back at sundown.”
And just like that, he was gone.
​
​
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Memory Transcription Subject: Rania, Gojid Civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: Error 560 (estimated date: Unknown)
For a while, I just sat there, gun in hand and mind slowly dissolving from all the new information weighing it down. But boredom is a powerful thing, and even injured as I was, restlessness started to take hold.
With the beast gone, and gun in hand, I started convincing myself that it might be a good idea to get another look at the land. I needed to know what I had to work with in case… something happened. And I swore I saw a vegetable garden earlier. Curiosity was getting the better of me.
I tested my legs again. One was sore, but shockingly capable. The other was still burning when I applied pressure, and swaddled in bandages. I didn’t particularly feel like knowing what was under there. One leg would have to do. I didn’t need my legs to shoot, after all.
Cautiously, without making a sound, I cracked the door open. Nobody was out there. I took one shaky step. Then another. Inch by silent sore inch, I made my way over to the “house”.
Like everything out here, it was a rough-hewn heap of rusted metal and thick planks of wood. On closer inspection, however, some care had clearly been put into making it insulated. The windows even had glass (albeit covered in dust), rather than the screen mesh in my shack. This must be where the human lives.
What could Nate be hiding from me?
My curiosity burned brighter than the pain in my leg as I ambled towards the door. Unlocked. I peeked inside.
Thick layers of carpet. A fireplace on the wall, a couple paintings. A mattress much better-maintained than mine, pushed up under one of the windows.
No blood dripping from cages. No hunting trophies on the walls. No indication that this was the lair of a predator. If not for the construction materials, it could be mistaken for a house back on the cradle. It even has refrigeration and lights, without a functional power grid. I guess that predatory cunning comes in handy.
I already knew what the fridge must be filled with. I made the decision not to look. It’d be better if Nate didn’t know I was here, and that’d be pretty hard to hide with vomit all over his carpet. I couldn’t stop myself from looking in one of the cabinets, though. The thing was stuffed with cans of food, nearly full to bursting. Some were clearly homemade, some looked like they’d been excavated from the dirt. Maybe they had been.
My good leg was starting to ache, cutting my exploration short. With no small hesitation, I forced myself back outside, back to the shack where I could rest up a bit.
—
I was only steps away from the door when a horrifying sight stopped me in my tracks. Dead animals, three of them. Sickly looking things, but recognizably the same species as that ‘Dogmeat’. I couldn’t look away. Was Nate hunting before I woke up? I stepped closer, morbid curiosity dowsing my pain. I don’t see any bite marks. And… predators don’t eat other predators.
​
Did he kill them to protect me?
Humans were apex predators on their planet. It couldn’t have been self-defense. Nor could it have been hunger, if he’d just left them to rot. So… what other reasons would he have to fight?
I looked closer, my eyes meeting a series of glassy stares. Two of them looked literally skin and bones, but the third looked a lot like Dogmeat. Mouth closed, eyes staring up at the sky unseeing. I almost felt bad for it.
“I wish I could prove to you that my dog is friendly, but… if he scares you that much, I’ll find somewhere else for him.”
Did Nate feel any conflict, having to shoot them on my behalf? Was he going to shoot Dogmeat too, just to ease my fears? He clearly cared about the beast, but if he thought “keeping me safe” meant…
​
No. I wouldn’t let it come to that. I had to overcome my fear. If I wanted to survive, I needed to be stronger.
Reaching out to the body, arm trembling, I ran a claw down its side. It was soft… still warm, too. The thought that this predator had been alive so recently, only to be put down for my safety, managed to elicit a twinge of sorrow. That feeling, hold on to that. Force it through your fear.
My movements got bolder, even exploring the rows of sharp teeth hidden by a clenched jaw. And the soft fur on its underbelly… its long tail, which sat limp and unmoving on the dust. I could feel my fear begin to fade more and more with every second I sat next to the body of this predator.
Eventually, I forced myself to rise. As I walked back to my bed, I stole one last glance backwards. Instead of horrifying predators, all I saw was a family of three. That they had to die so I could live… the thought filled me with a strange sense of shame.
I couldn’t stand there forever. My poor legs wouldn’t allow it. Back to the bed, step by shaky step.
​
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Memory Recovery Subject: Nathan Dunne, sole survivor of Vault 111
Date: December 13th, 2287
Hauling sheet metal was no easy task, even with the help of a dog. It was dark by the time I got home; I’d missed my appointment with the sunset by nearly half an hour.
Supplies stowed away, armor shed, weapons holstered. I rummaged around the fridge for a radstag fry I’d prepared a couple days ago. I didn’t have the energy to cook, and I still needed to check in with Rania. Dogmeat hovered around my ankles, performing his best puppy impression.
These might be the last meals you get to eat with him. I gave a few scraps for his unconvincing performance.
I knew the minutemen would take good care of him, and Valentine could make good use of his nose. But saying goodbye would be a challenge. He’d had my back practically since I escaped Vault 111, and casting him aside felt like nothing short of a betrayal.
The radstag felt like sawdust in my mouth. I tossed the rest of it to Dogmeat, who looked up quizzically rather than digging in. I knew he was wondering why I was being so generous all of a sudden, but I wasn’t ready to break the news to him yet.
—
“Is it OK with you if I come in?”
The voice responding sounded completely different. Still recognizably Rania, but without the terrified quivering I’d expected. “Yes. We need to talk.”
I slipped inside, taking care not to let out too much heat. The figure facing me, while again still undoubtedly Rania, was otherwise unrecognizable. Sitting up straight, unshaking, looking directly at me. A far cry from the poor creature I’d talked to when I left. He (he? I decided to assume it was male, given the voice from the translator) turned his head slightly to the side, leaving one eye to meet both of mine in what I assumed was an intense stare for a person with side-facing eyes.
“Nate.” Rania’s voice was thick with determination. “I’ve decided… I want to get used to Dogmeat. If he’s really as friendly as you say, you shouldn’t have to get rid of him just because of my fear.”
It was all I could do to suppress a full-bodied sigh of relief. If he’s on the fence on this decision, showing my joy would force his hand. I have to stay calm. “Can I ask why?”
“I, uh… I found the other predators. The feral ones. The ones you shot.”
Oh.
“And I… I don’t want you to have to do the same for him. It doesn’t…” The quivering returned in shades, but he continued. “Even if you meant ‘find somewhere else for him’ literally, you shouldn’t have to do that for my sake.”
“I…” I buried my face in my hands, trying to beat back tears. “Thank you. I couldn’t imagine having to… thank you. I can still keep him away from you if you’re scared. You shouldn’t have to live in fear.”
Rania shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Actually, I was thinking I should… you know, get used to him, not just tolerate him from a distance. Face my fear head-on. Just… not tonight, OK?”
For all that quivering, he’s a lot braver than I thought he’d be.
“Yeah. We can get something worked out later. Right now, you need to rest. I’m not just talking about tonight; you’re still injured. Best you can do right now is rest and eat. Which reminds me… The vegetables I brought you earlier. How were they? Any you really liked?”
“Oh, uhhh… yeah, the orange one was really nice. And that red mushy one wasn’t so pleasant; I could eat it anyway to get full, but I’d rather not. Why do you have so many vegetables, anyway?”
Why wouldn’t I? “What do you mean?”
“Well, I thought… predators eat flesh, right? Were you growing them for decoration? I mean… it was nice to see something green and growing out here, but that seems like a lot of effort!”
I couldn’t manage a verbal response to this. All I could give was a baffled stare, which Rania seemed to interpret as a threat.
“I— I didn’t mean to insult you—”
“No, no, it’s just…” I rubbed my eyes. Hauling sheet metal had sapped all my energy, but I couldn’t just let this slide. “I mean… humans aren’t obligate carnivores. Most predators aren’t; even deathclaws forage for mutfruit when they can. Or does the word ‘predator’ mean something else to you?”
It was Rania’s turn for a blank stare, and I began to wonder if I’d just said something insulting. He looked down, mumbling something the translator couldn’t catch, then turned his attention back. “I think we should talk about this later. I need to rest.”
I knew it was a flimsy excuse (I could practically see his mind overheating as he stared back into the ground), but he wasn’t exactly wrong. I bid my farewell with a solemn nod.
—
The moon cast a picturesque blue light through the windows, giving just enough illumination to fend off sleep. On its own, the meager light couldn’t fight off the exhaustion radiating through my muscles, but Rania’s bizarre outburst was also keeping me up.
Not knowing about the history of our planet was perfectly reasonable, given his alien identity. Being so scared of humans despite apparently knowing about them was strange, but nothing a bit of trauma couldn’t induce. But even schoolchildren knew the basics of the food chain, and I found it hard to believe that a space-faring alien race would be less knowledgeable about ecology than the local population of raiders. Even with no education at all, certain things were obvious by observation.
If nothing else, Rania was right about one thing. We will need to talk about this later.
​
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[Continued in comments]

Peace, everybody I am looking to sell these records for under Discogs prices and if you bundle, I will give you a better deal.
$5 shipping
100 gecs- 10000 gecs (yellow opaque, sealed) $50
Al Divino - facement 2 (purple green split, OBI, never played and no shrink) $70
Asun Eastwood - the SOUL (coral marbled, never played) $80
Daniel son - season 7 (VG+, small tear on spine, OBI and never played) $140
Jay nice - heightened senses (black and white swirl, never played but opened) $70
Pro Dillinger - mos foul (red, Frank’s vinyl, never played) $20
Rome streets - kids the ring (splatter, unsealed but never played) $85

I’ll start from the beginning I’ve had my ferret for five years now she’s a Marshall’s ferret I was told that Marshall ferrets don’t live very long by the veterinary I take my ferret to. I couple months ago she started to get a tumor on her front right paw we took her to the emergency vet. They told us to schedule surgery with the exotics team but before we could schedule the surgery we had to schedule a checkup with them. We went to the the check up the veterinarian said bc of my ferrets age she might not do so well with the surgery. We decided to still go through with the surgery. We told the vet tech our concerns about my ferret not being able to keep her cone on we knew from this start this would be an issue. We were told by the vet tech that they could always put a wrap on her. And so we scheduled a surgery with the veterinarian exotics team she did well with the surgery. We pick her up my bf noticed she just had a cone on and no wrap they told him that the veterinarian didn’t want to put a wrap on her bc it could become imbedded into her skin. I was not a part of this conversation so I don’t know if he fought for the wrap. They told him they stitched her up and also put surgical glue to seal it so she would not open the wound easily. We went home that night all was well that night next morning I noticed her cone was off I had to keep putting it back on her every hour. I noticed that her paw was getting red and Swollen it was a weekend so the exotics team was not in we were told that they are in Monday through Friday. So we waited for Monday I scheduled an appointment with exotics that same day we took her id like to mention that the veterinarian that saw her this day was a different one then the one that did her surgery.the vet had told us that had we waited longer she would had to get her paw amputated my ferret was not getting enough blood flow on her paw and was infected they put a wrap on her and prescribed her with a sedative. The vet tech told us while she was in her cage. She had ripped her nail bed off on the right back paw.They sent us home with antibiotics as well. A couple days go by. I started to get her medicine ready for her to take. I noticed her right back paw had a blister at this point it’s a Friday night. The exotic vet isn’t in at all. I kept an eye on it through the weekend. I noticed Sunday it was swollen so I had planned to call first thing Monday morning. Same day I was able to schedule an appointment. We took her. We waited. The veterinarian said that her foot might die off. They gave us more medication that could help her and told us to soak her right back Paw in epson salt. The veterinarian also said that if we needed to amputate that ferrets don’t do well with amputations At this point they don’t know if it was her nail bed breaking that caused it. The vet tech did mention how weird it was that on her same side of her surgery her back Paw has some issues. They told us to schedule another appointment and it would be her last appointment so I scheduled an appointment for Monday with the veterinarian that did my ferrets surgery. I scheduled an appointment with that same vet because the other vet that has been seeing my ferret. Doesn’t have an opening until the 21st of this month and I don’t wanna wait that long My ferrets foot is slowly turning black she isn’t keeping her cone on anymore other than that the paw that she had surgery on looks like it’s healing. She’s eating well. I don’t know what to do at this point anymore. My boyfriend has spent a little bit over $1000 on the vet visits because we were told by the veterinarian that ferrets don’t do well with amputations my boyfriend wants to put her down if she needs an amputation he wants to put her down bc of what the veterinarian has said I agreed I guess what I’m trying to ask is do ferrets do well with amputations or not? I don’t want to euthanize her because other than her right back paw she’s fine Yes I think she’s in pain but other than that she seems fine. I’d also like to mention she’s on pain medication to mange her pain.

All I ever wanted was for my wife and I to live comfortably. But the longer we stayed together, the higher our bills increased. We’d already fought off debts from college, barely scraping by. Even after we paid them off, we were only able to afford a tiny apartment on the outskirts of New York City.
Sidewalks laid cracked everywhere while condemned buildings sat sadly against their crooked foundations. Crooked lampposts would hang only by electrical wires. Graffiti marked every street corner in bland art that existed without rhyme or reason. Homeless people could be found on every street corner, a constant reminder of what would happen if my wife and I failed to keep up with our payments.
However, I managed to make somewhat decent money as a plumber. But even then, it sometimes wasn’t enough to deal with loan sharks, the hefty utility bills, food prices, and gas money. I was willing to do anything to get us out.
And that is where I encountered gambling. I was willing to take the risks. I’d take any chance to obtain a reward, even just a small one. It started out with just a handful of poker games. Then I moved on to scratch tickets and slot machines. All I needed was enough to get by. Unfortunately, obtaining a payday from the casinos was impossible. I started growing desperate, which only led to more debt. The whole cycle sucked me down like Odysseus’ ship in Charybdis’ maw. And just like that, my relationship with my wife began to tear us apart.
My wife and I were once so close together. Before we married, there would be days where we’d work together at wood shops, creating 3D prints of various sci-fi characters and video games. Other times we’d study the components of circuits and use them to create elaborate lighting displays whenever Christmas arrived. Our wedding day was supposed to be the greatest day of our lives. Instead of relying on the help of others back like we did in college, we relied on ourselves.
But my actions tore all that apart. I didn’t know what else to do, either.
—
A few nights ago, I arrived at my shitty apartment, having completed a ten hour shift fixing the drains of several upper class folks. I rested my hand on the knob, expecting the worst from my wife. Sighing, I pushed the door. The moment I did, she was already in the front hall. Her eyes were scrunched and she was holding a bank statement, smacking it for emphasis.
“Care for an explanation?” She demanded.
I rubbed my temples, removing my scum covered overalls and plopping them right into the nearest laundry hamper. We locked eyes. Breaking eye contact with her would only ignite her anger further. She was holding another piece of evidence of my failures. My failure to strike it rich. All I could do was stand there sheepishly, tail tucked behind me, and wait to get ripped a new one. No words could come out of my mouth.
She marched up to me, holding it in my face. “Frank, you wasted three-thousand dollars at the casino AGAIN?!” my wife bellowed.
I set my tool box down and washed the pipe gunk from my hands, looking down just for a bit.
“Turn around and look me in the eyes.”
Resting a hand on my eyes, I glanced over at her petite frame. Then, I began to speak. “We can live comfortably if you just give-“
“Enough of the excuses! We nearly lost our apartment twice by you betting on slots, you wasted our heating money on roulette, and now this!”
I held up my hands reassuringly. “Look, just let me figure this out! I’ll think of some way to get the money!”
“You’d better. Otherwise we’re getting a divorce. Got it?”
Without another word, I put on a casual outfit, exiting for some fresh air. Shutting the door behind me, I gazed back at the unpolished apartment number on the frame. Wincing, I clenched a fist and descended the rickety stairs. Eventually, my boots hit the cracked pavement, and I headed off.
---
I had only made it a few blocks from my apartment, when I noticed shadows lurking in one of the alleyways. Picking up my stride, I try to evade the figures. They drew closer and closer. My stride changed into a sprint. Another alleyway comes into my sights. I make a break for it, hoping for an opportunity to escape. Only a dead end greets me. Before long, the figures cornered me. The light from a street lamp illuminated two shady faces. Loan sharks. Before I could react, the duo held me up by my throat.
“What the hell are you guys doing?!” I strained, feebly kicking back one of the thugs. He jammed a fist right under my rib cage. My lips pursed as I lost my breath. The other grabbed me by the chin, grinning like a maniac and revealing his tobacco rotted jaw. I gulped.
“Frank, calm down. Take it easy,” every word he said ground my inner ears. Brown saliva sprayed on my cheeks. “We just want to have a little talk…” I didn’t have the courage to speak up. All I could do was let them tell me everything.
“Your landlord is getting rather impatient with your payments. We just came to send a little message. He has some demands.” The other guy snarled.
I tugged on my collar. “What…demands?”
“The landlord wants you to cough up $18,000 for your next payment!”
My hands grew clammy. Were they out of their minds? I was a plumber, not a heart surgeon! I didn’t have that kind of money! Besides, the rent was only $500 a month.
“You have until the end of the month,” one of the goons croaked.
That was only two weeks! I couldn’t have made that kind of money with such constraints! I’d barely be able to afford food and electricity! Negotiating was out of the question. God knows what would have happened to me if I dared speak up.
“The landlord has given you chance after chance to pay up. But you’ve never followed through. He’s let it slide for three months. You haven’t paid shit in that time frame. Do you realize how much he has to pay for his own apartment? If you fail to pay at that time, there will be consequences…” He makes a capiche gesture.
I nodded. The moment I complied, they released me, disappearing into the smog.
—
I stood outside a graffiti covered subway station, pacing around, hands in my pockets. My fists constricted as I pounded a nearby wall. There’s no way I would have been able to make that kind of money! Craps were too unpredictable, arcade machines were always rigged, and roulette was too high in stakes. Seeing red, I screamed and kicked a wall as hard as I could. My foot throbbed and once I was done with my fit, I broke down sobbing. The sidewalk darkened with my tears. I pressed my head against it, clawing at it until my fingernails turned crimson.
Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Wiping the tears away, I glanced over my shoulder. A card was lying on the floor. Its borders were covered in green dollar symbols. The rest of the card was a silver color shiny enough to reflect my face in it. Written in gold letters were the following:
ACES HIGH CASINO
WIN ONE ROUND OF BLACKJACK
AND EARN FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!
NO MONETARY WAGER NEEDED
TABLE 777
My eyes lit up. All I had to do was win one game of blackjack, and I’d be rich? Dimples formed on my cheeks and I pumped my fist. I nearly clicked my heels in joy, but decided against it. I’d already caused enough of a scene already, and I wanted to make sure nobody knew my secret. When I flipped it around, it had an address also written in golden letters.
---
Despite the address being in an unknown area, I still managed to pull it up on my phone’s map and arrived without any struggle. The casino itself was a pigsty, to say the least. Smokers polluted the air in the prison gray interior. Slot machines with broken lights clicked and whirred while cheap dice clattered against tables with peeling felt. Meanwhile, the concrete floor was covered in colonies of roaches while neglected beer bottles sat against the rungs of several tables. The only thing that was kept well was the bar and a room draped with navy blue curtains with golden sashes. Emblazoned above the doorway was the number 777.
This was the first time I had entered a casino smiling. For once, I thought that this was my lucky night.
When I pushed the curtains away, they revealed a room with ornate black wallpaper, an assortment of oak desks and other furniture. The walls were covered in fine Baroque paintings. On the floor was a single blue carpet covered in opulent tapestry. I followed the back wall to a single dealer table coated in green felt. Two seats were present with one patron taking the seat on the left. He was shaking with what I assumed was excitement.
Behind him was the dealer, a trim man with long blond hair and a top hat over his nose and eyes. He wore a dapper tuxedo free of blemishes that shimmered in the light of a single hanging glass lamp. His skin was pure and free of moles, glistening with slight amounts of glitter.
“Why, hello there…” The man spoke in a voice slicker than the gel in his hair. “Are you here to win big?” Unlike the loan sharks, his teeth were cleaner than a freshly washed plate.
“Yup. Deal me in.” I said, straightening my back, shuffling into the last seat. The other player had his jaw locked together. His eyes were drooping and bloodshot. Sweat pooled around his brow like glass beads. Just like him, I always felt nervous about losing, so their reaction was understandable.
“You know the rules of blackjack. I deal out cards. You can say ‘hit me’ if you want more cards. Get closest to twenty one without going over. Dealer only draws two cards. And you can also surrender your cards for half your bet. When you don’t want any more cards, say the word ‘stand.’” The dealer said, shuffling the cards through his hands and manipulating them like a sculptor with a ceramic pot.
I double blinked. Wager? “What do I bet with?”
The mysterious man just focused on passing out his cards. First, he brought out two cards for himself and dealt two more to each player. Instantly, he flipped over his cards. A jack and a king. Twenty.
I clutched the velvet backed cards, seeing what I was dealt.
A ten and a seven of hearts. I forced my face into a neutral smile. My stomach twisted. There was no way I could get twenty one that easily. “Surrender,” I said, pushing my cards to the dealer. All he did was reshuffle the cards and toss me two more. They didn’t even bother looking back up at me during the process.
The other player started clutching his stomach. My smile vanished. I carefully looked over the left guy’s cards. A seven and a two of clubs.
“Hit me…” the guy on the left choked out. An ace of spades. A total of ten. Sweat trickled down his head like a shower in April. His eyes welled up with tears while foam developed around his mouth. I raised a brow, wondering what his deal was.
I knew the stakes of gambling, but my sixth sense kept telling me something was just not right. No. That couldn’t be true. Even if there was some kind of string attached or fine print I didn’t read, I couldn’t risk giving up that money. Besides, this might have been my only chance to obtain such a vast award without much risk.
“Hit me…” The man wheezed. A five of hearts. His teeth chattered.
While I waited for my turn, I stood up and walked around the room, getting a closer look at all the ornate gadgets and such. My eyes focused on a painting on the leftmost wall. It resembled a man in rich military regalia. But something made my hair stand on end. Their upturned white mustache looked damp, and their face sagged like they were crying. Linear, stick-like shadows were cast on the sleeves. Edging forward, they came into focus.
Hands. I followed their forms outward, which extended into oily, dripping arms.
“Husssssssssh…” A faint noise echoed from somewhere in the room.
“What?” I mouthed, turning an ear to the source.
“Husssssssssh…” It came from the painting. I backed away, hands out at my sides. Was someone dragged in that painting?
“Where are you going? You forgot to pay up!” The dealer yelled back, hands slamming on the table and pulling out a sack of navy blue poker chips.
I double took. “I thought the card said there was no monetary wager needed?”
“There isn’t.”
Then, I looked at the ground. There was a second rug on the ground. The tapestry matched, but its patterns didn’t match with the other rug. It was off center from the rest of the decorations, like someone didn’t even bother setting it up properly. Taking a closer look, I could hear faint whispers coming from it, too. When I looked back up, the guy on the left was gone. I rushed over, checking his cards. A total of twenty five.
Swallowing saliva, I stood in confusion, wondering what to do next. I scraped my fingernails against my palms. I needed that money. If I didn’t get it, I’d lose my wife and my apartment. And what about the loan sharks? Only God knew what would happen to me if I didn’t pay up. What was I going to do? What would happen if I lost? Would I turn into another object just like the other guy? Or would I be in for a worse fate?
“That’s because there isn’t a MONETARY wager. I’m still taking half of what you owe.”
A sharp pain punched my left side. My left side felt heavier than before, like my veins were replaced with tungsten. I grabbed my fingers around my chest. The area around the pain almost felt solid like a tumor. Brushing around the area, I could make out a cylindrical mass. I tried to inspect it some more, but the pain overwhelmed me, and I crumpled to the ground.
I crouched down on all fours, trying to get back to my seat, but the pain froze me in place. Reaching out a hand, I called out for help. Nothing.
Slithering away, I pulled back the curtains to the entrance of the casino. I spat on the ground from the bludgeoning pain.
“Don’t feel out of luck. You can still surrender once more and you still have two chances left!” The dealer smiled, adjusting his hat. It was only a glimpse, but I caught a look at his upper face. His eyes were on his hat and his forehead was blank. The dealer looked like they were plucked straight out of an Alice in Wonderland book. What or who was this dealer?
“Think long and hard about this. I saw you arguing with your wife. And those ruffians nearly killed you.”
I clambered back to my seat. I still didn’t know what that dealer did to me. Something in me forced me to get back up and keep playing. More questions ate at me the longer I played. How did he know that information?
Then, I remembered feeling a tap back at Grand Central Station. And the card that brought me here. He couldn’t have been human. Was he some kind of demon? I didn’t bother asking. There wasn’t any way he would spill the beans about his nature.
After what seemed like hours, I managed to writhe back into my seat, slumping over the table like I’d just had the worst hangover.
“Ready to try again?” The charming man said, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.
Reluctantly, I gave him a thumbs up. He took back the cards and began manipulating the split deck once more. I analyzed every move he made. None of the cards were tricked. He wasn’t second dealing and didn’t have any aces up his sleeve. Never revealed anything under the table, either. The only thing that brought me reassurance was that he was honest. Still, keeping an eye out was critical.
The dealer revealed his cards. Two tens again. One of spades, one of hearts. His face was harder than diamond and glowed like one, too. Not a pleasing glow, but one that would hex anyone that dared gaze at it for too long.
I looked at my cards. An ace and a seven. Eighteen. Gripping my lower abdomen, I stayed crumpled in agony. The odds of getting a blackjack were slim and the stabbing pain skewed my thoughts.
“Surrender…” I wheezed. The words slipped out of my mouth like the dying breath of a wounded soldier. The dealer smiled, holding a pile of blue poker chips around him. He waved his hand over the mound and made an inaudible chant. Then, they vanished.
I held my hands over my face, bracing myself. Suddenly, the pain doubled, shifting to my right like a mudslide down a hill. Now I knew everything the previous player was going through.
I vomited out something hard and blue. A poker chip. Suddenly, my guts turned and another seven spilled out. My esophagus wound itself into knots more contorted than cobwebs. “I…forfeit!”
The man started to smile. “Without these?” With a thud, the hat faced dealer pulled out a jar filled with a kidney and a piece of liver. They still were oozing with blood that plumed and fit their containers. I remembered how the dealer said that there was no monetary wager. He never said there wasn’t a wager at all. My wager…was my organs.
“You want them back? Win them.” He set them back on the ground.
Now there was no choice. My fate was sealed if I tried to leave. I started to shed tears. If I didn’t get these organs back and fast, I was done for. Even if someone saw me passed out on the floor, finding donors for organs wasn’t guaranteed. And even then, I’d be put further in debt. Nothing would be solved. Then again, was trying to beat this guy even worth it? No. The reward was too great. Taking a few deep breaths, I sat back down. Reluctantly, I asked that he proceed.
The dealer drew out cards just like before. He took the cards and gave them a good shuffle. Plucking two cards out of the stack, he revealed them. A king and a nine. Another poker chip tumbled out my throat. I spat it out in a red and blue plastic heap. Not paying attention to the mess I made, he handed me two cards. A jack and a two. Twelve.
“Hit…me.” An ace. Aces could count as one or eleven depending on what other cards were drawn. I still had a fighting chance.
“Hit me.” A five.
His dead stare tore at my soul. I scratched against the felt, the wounds in my fingers reopening. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him frowning. “Are you going to play, or do you want all that money to go to waste?”
I gritted my teeth. “Shut up…Hit me…” Swallowing saliva, I watched the dealer play out my last card. A queen.
“You lose.” The dealer said coldly, grabbing a pile of poker chips and holding them close. He waved his hand over the mound and made another incantation. Then, they vanished once more. Everywhere at once, burning pain sears my skin, making me blackout.
---
When I wake up and feel my arms, they are covered in something hard, blue and plastic. My clothes were gone. I examined my extremities and my torso.
My skin was missing and replaced with poker chips. They were shaped to fit every part of my body. Cracks filled with blood gushed out with each slight movement I made. Horrified, I spilled my guts. More poker chips slid out my throat. Piles of skin laid clumped on the side of the table in hideous pink and blood red sheets.
“I think you know what’s at stake now. One try left. Better make it count. You want to end up in an object for an eternity?” He taunted.
The rigidity of my plastic coated skin made each movement expose more of the cracks, searing my muscles. I groaned as I raised myself up. Crimson liquid dampened the table. I pounded at the table. This was it. I either walked out with my money and saved my marriage and tied up all those knots. Or I lost and suffered a fate worse than death. Giving up was not an option. I gave the mysterious man a death glare, not even bothered by his resistance.
He plucks out two cards. A nine and a ten. This was my chance.
Then, my cards were revealed. A ten and a two. Fingers rattling, I took a deep breath and let calmness seep into me.
“Hit…Me…” I sputtered. Another two.
Huffing, I opened my mouth to speak again. The dealer just stared into me, tilting his head like a vulture waiting for roadkill. The poker chips rattled again, grinding against each other.
“Hit…” I paused for a moment, recollecting my thoughts. At a value of fourteen, I needed at least a six to beat the dealer. But an eight or higher would result in disaster. Gulping down another chaser of saliva, I spoke. “Hit…me.”
To my chagrin, a five slipped out of the hand. I was now tied. Staring at the pile of skin and my other organs, I closed my eyes and shook in horror. An ace or a two were the only cards I could draw in order to win. I looked down at my cards, sweat dripping on the table. With a quick glance, I gazed at the eyes on the man’s silk hat.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” The man demanded.
I’d begun hyperventilating. His stare grew more intense the longer I waited. His confident smile turned into a frown of irritation. Eyebrows and mouth twisted into a hideous snarl. He rattled his fingers against the dealing table. The cacophony made my ears go numb.
Then, I whispered my answer.
“Hit…me…”
The man darted up, smiling back in anticipation. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.
“HIT ME!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Then, the last card was revealed:
A two.
I’d won!
My mouth dropped. The sheets of skin unfurled themselves and flattened over me. Two organ jars spilled over, their contents rising in a beam of white and torpedoing back into my body. Immediately, I yelped at the top of my lungs, skipping my heels and doing a jig. I regained my strength, instantly looking around for traces of my prize. For several minutes, I wasn’t able to uncover anything. Staring directly at the dealer’s face, I asked him to reveal my prize.
“I don’t have it with me.” He said, blankly.
Not listening, I scrutinized every inch of the room, looking behind his station, checking under the table, everything.
I searched everywhere for my prize, my happiness dissipating. With each step I took, my smile faded even further, twisting into a frown. My nose crinkled. “Where is the fifty million?” I demanded, overturning the table, ripping off the ornate paintings and yanking the tasseled rugs off the floor. “You promised me fifty million dollars if I beat you! Do you realize what’s gonna happen to me if I don’t get that money, you charlatan?!”
The strange man just stood there, not even acknowledging my pleas.
“YOU PROMISED ME MONEY! You’re a thief!” I roared, pointing an accusing finger at him. “I only did this for my wife, to save my marriage! I almost gave up my life trying to help my family out! How can you take that away from me?!”
The demon stuck his hands behind his back and shook his head. He rolled his eyes back in thought. Something was up with him. “You aren’t like the other gamblers.” He said.
“Other gamblers?” I said, stepping back.
“They all wanted the money for worthless things. A mansion with fountains and a view, hookers, a trip to Tahiti…” He paced around me. His face was rather relaxed and calm. Never once did he lose eye contact with me. “But you had so much determination to help your wife out that you would risk it all. I admire that. It took me a while to figure out that you were actually a kind hearted person.”
I saw red and tried to punch him. He grabbed my fist, shoving it back.
“Listen to me. I understand your rage. There never was a prize in the first place. It was nothing but a lure to capture those that wasted their lives away. But there is one thing that you don’t understand.”
I saw red and I thrusted my hands back. “You nearly killed me all for nothing?!”
“Yes, but that was before I saw you the way you really were. Listen to my words.”
Slowly, I relaxed my posture, but still remained firm. “Why should I listen to you?”
“I can help you out of your situation.” The man said.
My nostrils flared. “You owe me money you snake!”
“You never needed the money in the first place.”
Taken aback, I retreated. “What do you mean?” My arms relaxed once more.
“You are a plumber, aren’t you? I saw you come home from work, just barely catching a glimpse of your schedule. Forty hours a week for thirty-eight dollars an hour for five days a week. That’s $15200 a week for two weeks. You already have everything you need.”
“But you don’t understand. They need $18000!” I pleaded.
He wouldn’t budge. “Trying to earn this money via dumb risks and chances will not get you anywhere. Look at all the things that you’ve done wrong.”
Tears began to well up. “And I want to change that.” I wiped my eyes. “But what am I supposed to do now?”
“The only way you can earn that money is through grit and spit,” He said, walking around me. “You aren’t going to find solace through good luck alone. You have to work for it. And you already have the tools that some people don’t have. If you give up now, you might as well have lost. Think about it.” With those last words, he raised his hand and snapped it, disappearing without a trace. Slowly, I gathered my things and walked out of the casino, head hanging low.
---
The following day, I sat outside an old woman’s faucet, inspecting how to fix a leak. I wondered what the demon’s words meant to me. Before I stuck the wrench up to a U trap, I remembered my pay. If I worked the same amount of hours as before, I’d only make $15200. But if I pulled off some overtime and worked several extra hours, I might just be able to pay off my debts.
I started staying up much later than before. Not long after, my wife started to become suspicious. Eventually, she confronted me.
“Frank, you’ve been staying up late. Are you going back to the casinos again?” she asked, hands on her hips.
I closed my eyes. Instead of fear, calmness filled my veins and my blood stilled. “Not this time. I’ve been working overtime.”
Her face loosened up for just a moment before hardening back up. I held my hands up and motioned my palms downward. “Listen, I have been horrible lately. All my gambling did was drown us in deeper debt.”
Her expression began to soften up again, her frown vanishing.
“I want to change things. We used to work so well together, doing everything to help each other. Instead of fighting against each other, it’s time we made peace. And we bring us out of our debt, together.” I held out my hand for her to shake it. She kept her arm pulled back and folded like the pincer of a mantis. Inch by inch, she extended it and took it.
The following day, my wife convinced me to go to therapy to get out of my addiction, which I gladly obliged. Simultaneously, she decided to start up another job working as an electrician. Day by day passed and we pooled all our resources as one. Before our eyes, bills were paid and debt disappeared faster than eye floaters. Our financial status wasn’t the only thing that changed. Her once crusty mood lightened up and she began to smile more. She began to believe my words and began to respect the changes I made.
And then, we paid off our rent. We got a letter from our landlord, saying that we now were even. The moment that letter came in, we embraced each other. The only question now was, what were we going to do with this extra money?
Not too long ago, we ended up earning enough money to create another 3d project, this time of a Companion Cube. Day after day, we created more projects. Although we weren’t as happy as our days back in college, we still could make the best with what we had. In retrospect, the hat-faced man put up a good fight, but I managed to come out of a casino with more than I came in with. It wasn’t exactly money, but it wasn’t worthless, either.