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Air Coolers:
As the summer months approach, the rising temperatures can make life uncomfortable and can even affect productivity. Air conditioners are a popular solution, but they can be expensive to purchase and run. An alternative that is becoming increasingly popular is air coolers, which offer an efficient and cost-effective way to beat the heat. In this article, we will explore what air coolers are, how they work, and their benefits, as well as their limitations.
What are Air Coolers?
Air coolers, also known as evaporative coolers or swamp coolers, are devices that use water and air to cool a room. Unlike air conditioners, they do not use refrigerants or compressors to cool the air. Instead, they use the natural process of evaporation to lower the temperature of the air. Air coolers work best in hot and dry climates, where the air is not already saturated with moisture.
How do Air Coolers Work?
Air coolers work by drawing in hot and dry air from outside and passing it through a wet pad or filter. As the air passes through the wet surface, the water evaporates, which cools the air. The cooler air is then blown back into the room. The process of evaporation requires energy, which is taken from the heat in the air, resulting in a drop in temperature. The process is similar to the way that our bodies cool down when we sweat.
Benefits of Air Coolers

Cost-Effective: Air coolers are generally less expensive to purchase than air conditioners, and they are also more energy-efficient to run. They use only a fraction of the electricity that air conditioners use, which can result in significant cost savings.
Eco-Friendly: Air coolers do not use refrigerants or harmful chemicals, making them a more eco-friendly option than air conditioners. They also consume less electricity, which means that they have a lower carbon footprint.
Healthier: Air coolers can be better for your health than air conditioners, as they do not recirculate the same air. Instead, they draw in fresh air from outside, which can help to improve indoor air quality.

Limitations of Air Coolers

Limited Effectiveness: Air coolers work best in hot and dry climates, where the air is not already saturated with moisture. In areas with high humidity, the effectiveness of air coolers can be reduced.
Maintenance: Air coolers require regular maintenance, such as cleaning the filter and refilling the water tank. Neglecting maintenance can result in reduced effectiveness and even the growth of bacteria or mold in the unit.
Noise: Some air coolers can be noisy when in operation, which can be a problem for some people.

Conclusion
Air coolers are an efficient and cost-effective way to beat the heat, especially in hot and dry climates. They offer several benefits over air conditioners, including lower cost, lower environmental impact, and improved indoor air quality. However, they do have some limitations, including reduced effectiveness in humid climates and the need for regular maintenance. If you are looking for a more eco-friendly and affordable alternative to air conditioning, an air cooler could be the perfect solution.

Male, 29, 75.4kg, 178cm tall.
Dear readers,
Would like to have your opinions. Last week I had an unpleasant experience with an ENT doctor I was assigned to. Online I already read bad reviews, but the GP currently had no other way because the complaints are not "urgent". Just have a background in an anxiety disorder (unfortunately due to a medical blooper). Below my pattern of symptoms with dates. My GP suspects labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis and from the ENT I have heard nothing, but no word. Not even a hello was possible. Also, the man would not listen or read to my kept diary. He did complain that he finds it annoying that people always come in thinking they have Meniere's when it is a rare disease. Now I have been referred for an audio test, hyperventilation testing and a balance test. Why? Really have no idea. I have unfortunately received 0 explanation and hope that possibly someone can give me something of a direction as to what happened (now virtually symptom free) or why I may still be getting these tests. Currently I am quite sad about the whole situation after all, as my wedding is in 2 months. My pattern of complaints:
The start
Jan 26/27 Sickness (nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, tightness in the chest etc,) Jan 30 A very brief spinning dizziness. Lasted less than a minute when I turned over in bed. Thought BPPD then, and so did an Epley in bed. The week after I was not completely fit and kept feeling the dizziness from time to time for example with intense exercise, darkness, watching screens or moving objects, also hearing was dull. Didn't think anything crazy of it and just kept on doing everything. Afterward the symptoms looked like a milder or emerging version of the symptoms after the first attack.
On Feb. 9 I had a severe vertigo attack. I had to rush to a friend's house on my break. On the way there I started wobbling more and more and at his house I felt worse and worse. Then I quickly walked home and at home the whole room started spinning. As if I had turned myself up on a swing as a child and then lifted my feet off the floor. I stumbled to the bathroom because I was getting more and more nauseous until I threw up. At first I stayed standing with myself wedged between the two walls, but later I thought it would be smarter to sit down. I emailed my friend that she needed to come quickly and I wanted to see the doctor. After the attack, I was very dizzy and very shocked by the incident. I had started consulting Google because the doctor didn't have time until very late due to the rush. That's where I first read about meniere's and got very worried (very stupid to Google too with an anxiety problem). During the phone consultation, the doctor mentioned that it was probably an inflammation of my inner ear, labyrinthitis.
The weeks after the attack I really had to walk with my friend on the arm for a while in the beginning because of the dizziness and instability. Like the weeks before the attack, I heard everything dull with the left for a while, then tinitus. I also sometimes felt like something of a little fluid was leaking out. In fact, when I walked outside the left felt wet when wind came in. Mental I was still very confused and had little concentration and had a twitching ear muscle (or something?) for a few days. As the days went by I gained a little more confidence and walked larger and larger distances and picked up my work from full again. I also went back to full exercise, calisthenics and started drinking booze. With the wedding planner, things turned very briefly again like the all first incident. I stayed calm and knew that crowded, dark spaces could trigger symptoms in the weeks following the attack.
The symptoms did persist so I sent the doctor to see if it was wise to do everything like this and if there were any physio exercises to create faster stability and speed up the plasticity against the dizziness. However, I was also advised if it persisted to stop by the practice.
On Feb. 27, I went back to work hard in the evening. Worked out for 2 hours after a full day at work and made late with booze the weekend before (stupid). Did a lot of hanging upside down during the workout. Through stretching and handstand push-ups. In the car back my left side started getting all denser again and once home the dizziness started getting worse. At one point I had to go to the bathroom again from nausea. It wasn't spinning like the swing metaphor, but more like being drunk or something. With movement of my head I became nauseous. This moment lasted about 1 to 1.5 hours then I was back in the shower.
The following days I was quite upset. It did not feel like I had to "rehabilitate" as much as after the turn attack. I told my friend again that I felt like some fluid was leaking out again. I remained slightly dizzy, which I was more affected by especially in the evening. Especially mentally I was/am going through a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. I always said my head is my biggest enemy and now it felt like I had lost a battle. I stopped working again and with sports I focus on walking and cardio. Not on calisthenics. The stress and anxiety were very high. But at this moment I am trying to focus on rest.
March 4
By writing this journal, I actually found more peace because everything reads like the stories of labyrinthitis. Not that I took it to articles, but wrote it based on my (whatsapp) conversations with my surroundings and work. Also, my ear still continued to leak slightly after visiting the doctor. Dizziness subsided and now notice it mainly while getting up and later in the evening. It also seems to stick out more in crowded environments. Sometimes I thought I was going crazy that it felt like my ear was leaking. So 1 time I had my girlfriend check it to see if it was wet. This she was able to confirm (yeah, I'm sorry for her). Besides leaking, my girlfriend mentioned once that my ear was all red and warm. That it almost felt heat coming out of it. The other side was just normal and not coming from outside or anything like that.
March 6
Today the dizziness subsided more. Still briefly felt some pressure and seemed to have some fluid coming out again.
March 7
Today the morning starts a little heavier and feels a little full. 10:23 and it feels normal again. Hour later fulllig again and between noon it seemed to leak slightly (like a trickle was leaking or something) then the pressure decreased. 17:00 Pressure is completely gone again. Ear continues to feel a little wet.
March 14
This morning seemed to have another little hot flash. Was lightheaded and dizzy. Almost looked like a much milder version of the 2nd "attack". Also, this was far from similar to the 1st time. Not vomiting or nauseous and had just dressed myself a went downstairs. Also grabbed tea, but then thought it would be better to just lie quietly upstairs. While typing it has already subsided a lot. Slept very badly last night. Couldn't fall asleep and woke up a few times. Yesterday in the early evening I had some more symptoms, but that also subsided. Had no noticeable hearing loss either way. Tinnitus is still present. Sometimes louder than at other times, but not yet disturbing sleep or anything. Rest of the day went just fine again.
March 15
Currently, the dizziness seems to be gone and only something of small pressure can be felt in my head. Tinitus also seems to be a lot less. I do notice a positive line from the first vertigo attack.
March 16
I have a hard time letting go. So I thought I will do a home test to make something more tangible. After all, I understood that a hearing test can show a lot of diseases. So I just did a frequency test at home. You have 2 outcomes in that. Lack in low/mid freqs = pretty much Meniere's. In high freqs, problems in the cochlea, most likely lab. Low I heard everything fine and but at the very higher frequencies (+14000hz) the sound slid towards my right ear. (I got this info from ENT reports)
March 17
Tinnitus remains very mild. The pressure is practically gone now.
As of today
No more tinnitus, only with chewing very slightly (is this even possible?). Mentally I feel part of the world again. Hearing again as I am used to and had no dizziness or instability for more than a week. The anxiety and stress remain high for me only because I have received 0 info or direction from ENT.

Sorry for my long post. Thank you all in advance. Cheers

Edit note: Perhaps good to mention. It all started in a pretty stressful period. My car suddenly broke down. While I just started a big project at work that I have to lead. Wedding planning. Major leakage with our new home. The kitchen equipment stopped working as well. Father suddenly with PTSD. So yeah... A little stress

According to The Vegan Society:
"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

1. Ethics

1.1 Sentience of Animals

I care about other human beings because I know that they are having a subjective experience. I know that, like me, they can be happy, anxious, angry or upset. I generally don't want them to die (outside of euthanasia), both because of the pain involved and because their subjective experience will end, precluding further happiness. Their subjective experience is also why I treat them with respect them as individuals, such as seeking their consent for sex and leaving them free from arbitrary physical pain and mental abuse. Our society has enshrined these concepts into legal rights, but like me, I doubt your appreciation for these rights stems from their legality, but rather because of their effect (their benefit) on us as people.
Many non-human animals also seem to be having subjective experiences, and care for one another just like humans do. It's easy to find videos of vertebrates playing with one another, showing concern, or grieving loss. Humans have understood that animals are sentient for centuries. We've come to the point that laws are being passed acknowledging that fact. Even invertebrates can feel pain. In one experiment, fruit flies learned to avoid odours associated with electric shocks. In another, they were given an analgesic which let them pass through a heated tube, which they had previously avoided. Some invertebrates show hallmarks of emotional states, such as honeybees, which can develop a pessimistic cognitive bias.
If you've had pets, you know that they have a personality. My old cat was lazy but friendly. My current cat is inquisitive and playful. In the sense that they have a personality, they are persons. Animals are people. Most of us learn not to arbitrarily hurt other people for our own whims, and when we find out we have hurt someone, we feel shame and guilt. We should be vegan for the same reason we shouldn't kill and eat human beings: all sentient animals, including humans, are having a subjective experience and can feel pain, enjoy happiness and fear death. Ending that subjective experience is wrong. Intentionally hurting that sentient being is wrong. Paying someone else to do it for you doesn't make it better.

1.2 The Brutalisation of Society

There are about 8 billion human beings on the planet. Every year, our society breeds, exploits and kills about 70 billion land animals. The number of marine animals isn't tracked (it's measured by weight - 100 billion tons per year), but it's likely in the trillions. Those are animals that are sexually assaulted to cause them to reproduce, kept in horrendous conditions, and then gased to death or stabbed in the throat or thrown on a conveyor belt and blended with a macerator.
It's hard to quantify what this system does to humans. We know abusing animals is a predictor of anti-social personality disorder. Dehumanising opponents and subaltern peoples by comparing them to animals has a long history in racist propaganda, and especially in war propaganda. The hierarchies of nation, race and gender are complemented by the hierarchy of species. If humans were more compassionate to all kinds of sentient life, I'd hope that murder, racism and war would be more difficult for a normal person to conceive of doing. I think that treating species as a hierarchy, with life at the bottom of that hierarchy treated as a commodity, makes our society more brutal. I want a compassionate society.
To justify the abuse of sentient beings by appealing to the pleasure we get from eating them seems to me like a kind of socially acceptable psychopathy. We can and should do better.

2. Environment

2.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A 2013 study found that animal agriculture is responsible for the emission 7.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, or 14.5% of human emissions.
A 2021 study increased that estimate to 9.8 gigatonnes, or 21% of human emissions.
This is why the individual emissions figures for animal vs plant foods are so stark, ranging from 60kg of CO2 equivalent for a kilo of beef, down to 300g for a kilo of nuts.
To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees by 2100, humanity needs to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030, and become net zero by 2050.
Imagine if we achieve this goal by lowering emissions from everything else, but continue to kill and eat animals for our pleasure. That means we will have to find some way to suck carbon and methane out of the air to the tune of 14.5-21% of our current annual emissions (which is projected to increase as China and India increase their wealth and pick up the Standard American Diet). We will need to do this while still dedicating vast quantities of our land to growing crops and pastures for animals to feed on. Currently, 77% of the world's agricultural land is used for animal agriculture. So instead of freeing up that land to grow trees, sucking carbon out of the air, and making our task easier, we would instead choose to make our already hard task even harder.

2.2 Pollution

Runoff from farms (some for animals, others using animal manure as fertiliser) is destroying the ecosystems of many rivers, lakes and coastlines.
I'm sure you've seen aerial and satellite photographs of horrific pigshit lagoons, coloured green and pink from the bacteria growing in them. When the farms flood, such as during hurricanes, that pig slurry spills over and infects whole regions with salmonella and listeria. Of course, even without hurricanes, animal manure is the main source of such bacteria in plant foods.

2.3 Water and Land Use

No food system can overcome the laws of thermodynamics. Feeding plants to an animal will produce fewer calories for humans than eating plants directly (this is called 'trophic levels'). The ratio varies from 3% efficiency for cattle, to 9% for pigs, to 13% for chickens, to 17% for dairy and eggs.
This inefficiency makes the previously mentioned 77% of arable land used for animal agriculture very troubling. 10% of the world was food insecure in 2020, up from 8.4% in 2019. Humanity is still experiencing population growth, so food insecurity will get worse in the future. We need to replace animal food with plant food just to stop people in the global periphery starving to death. Remember that food is a global commodity, so increased demand for soya-fed beef cattle in Brazil means increased costs around the world for beef, soya, and things that could have been grown in place of the soya.
Water resources are already becoming strained, even in developed countries like America, Britain and Germany. Like in the Soviet Union with the Aral Sea, America is actually causing some lakes, like the Great Salt Lake in Utah, to dry up due to agricultural irrigation. Rather than for cotton as with the Aral Sea, this is mostly for the sake of animal feed. 86.6% of irrigated water in Utah goes to alfalfa, pasture land and grass hay. A cloud of toxic dust kicked up from the dry lake bed will eventually envelop Salt Lake City, for the sake of an industry only worth 3% of the state's GDP.
Comparisons of water footprints for animal vs plant foods are gobsmacking, because pastures and feed crops take up so much space. As water resources become more scarce in the future thanks to the depletion of acquifers and changing weather patterns, human civilisation will have to choose either to use its water to produce more efficient plant foods, or eat a luxury that causes needless suffering for all involved.

3. Health

3.1 Carcinogens, Cholesterol and Saturated Fat in Animal Products

In 2015, the World Health Organisation reviewed 800 studies, and concluded that red meat is a Group 2A carcinogen, while processed meat is a Group 1 carcinogen. The cause is things like salts and other preservatives in processed meat, and the heme iron present in all meat, which causes oxidative stress.
Cholesterol and saturated fat from animal foods have been known to cause heart disease for half a century, dating back to studies like the LA Veterans Trial in 1969, and the North Karelia Project in 1972. Heart disease killed 700,000 Americans in 2020, almost twice as many as died from Covid-19.

3.2 Antimicrobial Resistance

A majority of antimicrobials sold globally are fed to livestock, with America using about 80% for this purpose. The UN has declared antimicrobial resistance to be one of the 10 top global public health threats facing humanity, and a major cause of AMR is overuse.

3.3 Zoonotic Spillover

Intensive animal farming has been called a "petri dish for pathogens" with potential to "spark the next pandemic". Pathogens that have recently spilled over from animals to humans include:
1996 and 2013 avian flu
2003 SARS
2009 swine flu
2019 Covid-19,

3.4 Worker Health

Killing a neverending stream of terrified, screaming sentient beings is the stuff of nightmares. After their first kill, slaugherhouse workers report suffering from increased levels of: trauma, intense shock, paranoia, fear, anxiety, guilt, and shame.
Besides wrecking their mental health, it can also wreck their physical health. In 2007, 24 slaugherhouse workers in Minnesota began suffering from an autoimmune disease caused by inhaling aerosolised pig brains. Pig brains were lodged in the workers' lungs. Because pig and human brains are so similar, the workers' immune systems began attacking their own nervous systems.
The psychopathic animal agriculture industry is not beyond exploiting children and even slaves.

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I couldn’t believe that he said it. My own brother, who I’d known for years as a kind, compassionate – and most importantly - accepting person. To my knowledge, he’d never said anything remotely critical of an entire group of people; had never once expressed a belief or even a joking sentiment of hatred or bigotry. And yet, in front of my best friend, he said the word: The one you just don’t fucking say.
Naturally, I tried to intervene. I pushed my brother away, apologizing to Jackson even as I advanced on my monumentally stupid sibling. My brother – Craig – then had the audacity to ask what my problem was, as if he hadn’t just said the word in front of Jackson, who’d never even so much as looked wrongly at Craig.
Behind me, Jackson tried to assure me that it was fine; that I didn’t need to react so strongly; that he was sure my brother hadn’t meant it. But as if he were going for an award in callousness – or perhaps just stupidity – Craig repeated it; this time with face-cringing emphasis on the G-sound.
I punched him – or at least I tried to. He’d anticipated it, moved out of the way just as my fist neared his face. I grazed his chin, and stumbled forward, eventually falling into the rain-filled curb. My brother laughed and danced around me, like a maniacal little imp.
Being my best friend, having always had my back regardless of the circumstance, Jackson stepped up. He shouted for my brother to back off and came to stand between him and me. Craig is twenty-five, two years older than me, but he’s much larger; built like a linebacker, even though he’s never played sports. Jackson is my age, but of a comparable build to my brother. Seeing them lock eyes, I was sure that there’d be a fight; that things would come to blows there in the street; but to my shock, my brother stepped back, and Jackson helped me up.
“You’d probably call your friends and have them jump me, anyway. Not worth it.”
I shouted, “That’s enough!” and told my brother to go home – that I was staying at Jackson’s tonight. I live with Craig in a house a few blocks away, and we’d met up with Jackson earlier in the day to see a classic horror movie at the theater in town.
Seeing as how Craig had had more than a few beers from the theater’s bar, we’d figured it was best if we walked home together. I wanted to believe that he was just drunk, that his unprompted derisive outburst was simply the result of a few too many movie-theater beers; but that word wasn’t something you just said, especially not around someone whose people were the primary targets of its derogatory usage.
Glassy eyed, with that wicked sneer still on his face, Craig glanced at the sky and said, “It’s getting pretty late. Moon’s coming out. Soon your friend here will be practically invisible in the dark. Unless he smiles.”
I was certain that I could actually feel the heat of Jackson’s blood boiling beside me. With clenched fists he told Craig to go home. With my temper already flared beyond reason, I flicked some of the water from my rain-sodden jacket onto Craig’s devilish face. He flinched, but stayed put; his grin even wider, now.
Even I wanted to fight him, but I knew that it’d be a fight I’d lose. So, I begrudgingly turned away and started walking toward Jackson’s house. He followed.
Just as we were about to round the corner to Jackson’s block, Craig called out, “Be careful, bro. You know how they are in their own neighborhoods. Stay inside once you get there.”
And that was it. Jackson stopped, did a 180-degree turn, and started full sprint toward Craig. By this time the moon had come out and was casting a large swathe of its marmoreal brilliance onto the street. Craig had entered the broad scope of light, ready to face Jackson head on. I followed, unsure of who to assist if things got really bad; but knowing that I’d let Jackson at least get a few good hits in before attempting to break them up.
Jackson entered the celestial spotlight and transformed.
His clothes practically exploded from his body, blown away to flimsy shreds as if nothing more than tissue paper. His muscles expanded with supernatural spontaneity; the thickly corded thews and tendons inflating to Herculean proportions, becoming almost sickeningly vascular. Dark sable fur sprouted from the overly taut flesh, blooming atop every exposed surface. The bestial transformation occurred in a matter of seconds, and then he was on Craig; who’d not so much as shifted in surprise.
Jackson howled monstrously as he mauled Craig. I couldn’t see my brother beneath the hulking horror, but I heard his half-crazed laugh. He was amused, or at least pretending to be. This only served to further enrage Jackson, who slashed and clawed at my brother with demonic fervor.
I’d never seen Jackson in such a state, had never witnessed a Lycanthropic transformation. The snarling beast he’d become was terrifying. And the thoughts I’d had of coming to his assistance were dashed upon the rocks of reality as he roared triumphantly to the moon, my brother’s blood glistening on his ultra-canine face.
Craig had stopped laughing and was now insensibly gurgling on his own blood. His eyes – distant and bloodshot – came to meet mine, and I prayed that he was still acting; still taunting Jackson, now with feigned weakness. I’d been pissed at Craig, but I didn’t want him dead.
Thankfully, I was right. With a glottal chuckle and almost imperceptible swiftness, Craig sat up, gripped Jackson by the waist, and suplex’d him onto the sidewalk. There was a horrible crunch of bone, and Jackson let out a loud whine; like a dog struck with an unexpected kick. Craig deftly rolled away and regained his composure – his throat and most of his chest still hanging in bloody ribbons through his tattered shirt.
Dazed but by no means deterred, Jackson reoriented himself and leapt once more. Craig casually stepped aside, and I was suddenly face-to-face with that abominable werebeast.
There was a moment of horrific awe – of grotesque spectacle, and then terror sank my heart like a stone. My brother and I are what most would refer to as vampires. We are far more durable and physically capable than the fittest of humans, but werewolves are even more formidable. And Jackson is an exceptional genetic specimen of his kind.
He towered over me, with intermixed streams of saliva and blood trailing from his wide maw. A savage, supernumerary arrangement of teeth promised a death of untold agonies; and eyes blood-red with feral hatred assured me that that death would not come quickly. I held up my hands, hoping that in his lunar-enhanced state he’d still recognize me; would still show mercy to the one who’d been his friend for nearly two hundred years of standard human time.
He sniffed, examining me with flared, steaming nostrils; and then mercifully turned away. Relief washed away some of the terror that practically incapacitated me; but I was still frozen in place; more petrified than a fatally curious victim of Medusa.
Again, Jackson charged at Craig, only this time my brother met the ferocious challenger head-on. They locked in mid-air and came crashing down onto the street, where they proceeded to engage in the most brutal, blood-letting melee I'd ever seen. Throats were slashed; muscles were torn from limbs; teeth broken and scattered. It was midnight ultra-violence, darkly accompanied by fiendishly inhuman shrieks, screams, and growls. Dogs and other things howled supportively or antagonistically, and a few porch lights flicked on – but no one dared to come out.
Finally, things came to a grisly end when my brother – doubly delimbed and thoroughly eviscerated – kicked Jackson’s jaw clean from his skull, eliminating his most lethal method of attack. Already severely debilitated by my brother’s dexterous use of kicks, and his outright surgical employment of elongated nails, Jackson finally surrendered. He scampered away into the shadows, whining wolfishly. Craig, more than likely as tired as his opponent, nodded in acceptance.
Spurts of steam and bloody mist blew skyward, signaling Jackson’s detransformation. He re-entered the circle of moonlight naked, but otherwise unharmed – his wounds having healed in the process. Craig’s regeneration would be much slower, but none of his still-bleeding wounds were fatal – at least not to a vampire. They’d both sustained injuries that would’ve killed a human three times over.
In a moment of battle-induced sobriety, Craig extended his hand. Jackson accepted the peace offering and they shook as gentlemen.
Craig, regaining a mischievous glint in his eye, then said: “I'm sorry for calling you a mongrel. I know I shouldn’t use that word, but I’d never fought a werewolf before, and really wanted to –after the movie we’d just watched. I figured you’d be my best opportunity, and knew that the only way to make you really go hard would be to say the M word.”
Jackson laughed, the hoarse tiredness of his voice making him sound a little too close to his other self for my liking. He told Craig that it was fine, that the fight was fun. But that going forward, he’d only need to ask – wouldn’t have to throw slurs around.
Craig responded, “sounds good, haha.” and then they both turned to me, as if I’d have something to add to their newfound brotherhood. I just said that I was tired, and joked about how I’d probably need a new change of underwear, after what I’d seen.
Together, we headed to Jackson’s house and – for the fun of it – re-installed Bloodborne.

I felt the cold wind slice into my thinning hair as if it were comprised of ethereal razors. I gripped my wounded extremities to the back of a cold metal frame built onto the atv as a ramshackle "oh sh*t handle." In a crude attempt to remain stable on the quaking apparatus as its tires found purchase on the uneven ground, truth be told, I would have wrapped my arms around my liberator for balance, and I am not wholly convinced he would have made sure I had not remained on the chariot for much longer after a move so bold. He remained silent for the entirety of the short trip and seemed to operate the vessel with a decisive focus similar to that of a student who had recently connected with a previously incomprehensible portion of a lesson. The ride concluded moments before nightfall, and what lay before me, illumined by the lights fixed to the front of the vehicle, was a derelict home that seemed out of place within the forrest. as if left there by some incongruous carpenter to be reclaimed again by the earth. Vines had grown up the dwelling in such a way that the strands of plant matter seemed sentient, and they seeped into the cracks and holes that had grown onto the home as scars do on an aging body. The home looked almost as though it was stricken with an unknown infection that only affected inanimate objects. What few windows the shack had were boarded up by scrap plywood, with small dances of flickering light visible through the gaps. A pungent odor leaked from the pores of the cottage, which mixed with the smell of gasoline from a stationary engine placed just to the right of the home's door, creating an olfactory calamity that nearly caused me to wretch immediately after coming into its range. I stared up at the shack in disbelief; this could hardly be called a structure, and judging by the generator placed outside, there was no world in which there was an instrument inside capable of connecting to the internet to send emails back and forth. It didn't take much thought to conclude this was not the Fairhaven Community but instead perhaps an outpost, or, God forbid, this is where I was supposed to stay. Before I opened my mouth to make my grievances known, the man swung his leg over the side of the ATV and motioned me to follow him. "Best we go inside," he muttered, pointing up at the sky. "Ain't the best time to be hangin' round outside." I hopped off to follow and responded, "That's what I keep hearing." I had been warned before of dark forests on other jobs, mostly due to wondering animals or the locals' fear of some long-told story of a cryptid passed down as a warning to children for years. Most of the time I took these warnings with a grain of salt, as they were normally given by any given town's designated drunkard or wise old orator in a typically playful manner during a night of backwoods revelry to welcome me. However, something about the warnings of this forest seemed much more grim and all too real. Perhaps it was my anxious nature, but as the sun fell into the horizon, I began feeling not only uneasy but I had this indescribable feeling of...impending dread, as if the world beneath me was just about to collapse and if I didn't find the warm glow of light before the cosmic radiance of the sun disappeared completely, I wouldn't ever make it to see the next day. In this moment, I would have done anything or gone anywhere to get out of the darkness for a brief moment. I ignored my aforementioned discomfort and followed the man to the door of a home I never would have entered in any other situation. The maker turned and yanked a few times on the cord of the contraption meant to provide power to the home until it let loose a roar that echoed through the valley. It slowed to an idle sputtering, and the home was illumined with an array of eclectic lights securely fixed to surfaces all around the home, wrapping me and my savior in a blanket of light that stood out in the darkening woodland. I could now see the man standing upright in vivid detail. He has a thin frame; however, his arms protruded with bulbus knots that spoke volumes of his physical capabilities. His hairline fell back on his forehead, revealing a deep scar that span its length, and his glasses seemed to not quite fit the way they were supposed to on his withered skull. He wore large boots that looked to be much too large and had been commandeered from a man who had long since lost use of them, and his face carried a sort of aversion. A look that I had come to understand was similar to mine—one that developed from being thrust into a place I had no interest in being. He extended his hand towards me, and I in turn grasped his. His calloused and overworked hands grinded into my blistered hold with an expected grip that could bust open an aluminum can with ease, causing me to wince a little in pain. "Harridson Demp" be muttered upon shaking my hand. "Caleb Hayes," I coughed back through gritted teeth. He pushed at the door, which opened with a droning creak punctuated with a sharp crack when the squeak reached its apex, revealing a dimly lit vestibule that was just big enough for the two of us to fit simultaneously. The walls were decorated with mold and peeled wallpaper, and a slight drip of water could be seen coming from a faucet just an arm's length from the floor. As I stepped inward, I felt my foot sink a little into the decomposing foundation the room was built on, almost as if it were made of half-dry clay. The potent aroma of ammonia formed a poignant wall that sat midway through the room; the air was humid and nearly thick enough to reach out and grasp. I looked over toward the man with an apparently indisputable face of disgust formed by nearly three long decades of comfortable living. "Put your purse down; it's better in here than out there," he said with an offended glance. "Do you live here?" I choked out through my lips, pursing them, preparing to release what little I had eaten in the past 24 hours. He stepped slightly toward the second door placed in the hellish airlock and spoke, "Not just me; family's here too." I was floored at the thought of a family living in the squalor I had seen, not to mention what had yet to be seen. Understand, I've been in plenty of questionable family living situations prior to this poor excuse of a home, and it looked as though it had been not only neglected but purposefully mistreated by anything it had come into contact with. I made contact with the abysmal interior of the dwelling and was instantly greeted by a compact space that acted as a kitchen as well as a living area, with a makeshift cot placed in front of a rusted stove. The walls were covered in off-putting paintings and portraits of varying quality, ranging from childlike to outlandish renditions of common things that covered my skin in goosebumps. Refuse and filth littered the ground in all but a few pathways to a different door. From my count, there were 3 doors in total, two of which were shut, however, and sitting slanted on brittle hinges. The other door on the wall adjacent to myself was opened wide and presented something akin to a bathroom. Inside of the chamber stood a woman dressed in a stained white button-up and a dingy yellow apron who was emaciated in stature with netted locks of auburn hair that fell much too far down her crooked spine. She carried herself with a submissive and reserved posture—not that she was shy or skeptical of me, but as if she were broken and mortified. The woman didn't lift her head as we walked in but simply gave a trembling nod as she rushed to the room on her right and gently tapped at the decaying wood frame of the door. The door flew open, and three children walked out from within it. The oldest of the children looked to be a boy of about 15 draped in a large set of ill-fitting and torn rubber waders with brown hair that sat awkwardly just above his large ears, the middle child was a young girl with hair similar to the woman who welcomed me into the loathsome palace; her face, however, displayed a wide smile of unkempt teeth as she brandished a still-dripping paintbrush, and the youngest of the children was a boy who couldn't have been more than 6 years old; he wore a trucker cap tightly sque Every one of the brood stood like some extraterrestrial being horribly attempting to appear human; their eyes were all tired and filled with thousands of years' worth of experience that I would prefer to distance myself from. The scene before me was disheartening, and it did not help the state of confusion I had been in at every waking moment since I arrived at the gas station. I had thought perhaps that Harrison initially was the father of the family, but the way their looks, their clothes, and their states of being contrasted with his own drove me to think otherwise. Harridson cleared his throat, motioned towards the children who had filed out of the threshold, and announced, "Oldest there is Carl, but we call him Gator on account of his love for animals, middle one is Lucille, she's the artist around here," he said, motioning to the walls before continuing, "and that there are the twins." I gave him a questioning eyebrow that broke him from his rant. "Twins?" I broke the silence. He nodded, saying, "It's like he's got two people living inside of him." not just like mood swings but as two completely separate personalities. "The one you see right now is Dale, and the other is Wiley." I had a thousand queries about the youngest child alone, but opted to keep the majority of them to myself before stammering, "Are..do..how long have you guys lived here?" Lucille perked up and raised her brush to speak, but was immediately intercepted by Harridson. "I'd say about 5 years now?" For five long and assuredly horrid years, the family had stayed in a four-room home that was moments away from falling into the crust of the earth. Was I supposed to inhabit this contaminated vivarium as well? The very notion of remaining here for just a single night showered me with a rain of traumatic feelings. Was this the family I was meant to teach? If so, then why was I not informed or introduced properly, and why was the patriarch of the family so vastly different from the animalistic paupers he claimed as his kin? My vision began to flatten, and my heartbeat picked up to a machine gun pace as the archaic lights illuminating the room started to heat my skin, causing cold beads of sweat to form in my violently shaking hands. My breathing twisted into a brisk and labored wheeze as though I'd run a mile in seconds. My hearing floated in and out as I heard the Gator speak in an overly high-pitched and nasally whine. "You alright, mister?" is the last thing I remember hearing before feeling Harridon's iron grip close around my shoulders, which have started to plummet to the cluttered floor. I was surprised in the moment at how Harridson had yet again come to my aid during a tragic moment, and I couldn't help but feel ashamed. I had been in situations where the families I was teaching were unclean, disorganized, or impoverished, but my current predicament, accompanied by sleepless exhaustion, must have humiliated the man, who was most likely presenting himself in a better light to net a better quality of life. It was sometime between the end stages of my panic attack and the floor that I lost consciousness that night, and if I can be transparent only for a moment compared to now, it was the best night's sleep I would have for a very long time.

Indore, the bustling city in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, is known for its vibrant culture, mouth-watering food, and stunning architecture. Whether you're a tourist visiting for the first time or a resident looking for a convenient mode of transportation, taxi service in Indore is the perfect solution for navigating the city with ease.
Here are some of the key benefits of using a taxi service in Indore:
Convenience: One of the biggest advantages of using a taxi service is the convenience it offers. You can book a taxi at any time of the day or night, and the driver will pick you up from your doorstep and drop you off at your destination. This means you don't have to worry about finding a parking spot or walking long distances to reach your destination.
Comfort: Taxi in Indore is equipped with comfortable seating, air conditioning, and other amenities to ensure a smooth and comfortable ride. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride while the driver takes care of the rest.
Safety: Taxi service in Indore is a safe and reliable mode of transportation. The drivers are well-trained and experienced, and the vehicles are well-maintained to ensure your safety during the journey.
Affordable: Taxi service in Indore is an affordable option for traveling within the city. The fares are reasonable, and you can choose from a range of options depending on your budget and requirements.
Local Knowledge: Taxi drivers in Indore have an in-depth knowledge of the city's roads and traffic patterns. They can take you to your destination via the most efficient route, saving you time and hassle.
In conclusion, taxi service in Indore is an excellent option for anyone looking for a convenient, comfortable, and safe mode of transportation in the city. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, a taxi service can help you navigate the city with ease and enjoy all that Indore has to offer. So, the next time you're in Indore, be sure to book a taxi and experience the city like a local!

I'm from EU,so GAMES SHOULD work pretty much anywhere
NOT BUYING GAMES,ONLY TRADES - games for games or selling for paypal
No interest in TF2 keys
BUYER covers the FEES (if outside EU,EU F&F only)
My Steam account so you don't offer me something I own
My Wishlist
My SGSRep
My IGSRep

Only looking for Steam games - so don't offer origin,uplay,rockstar,bnet or ANY other launcher
100% of my games keys are bought by me from official stores & I expect the same in return,so don't offer me keyshop games or game keys you got in a trade as I will decline
I retain the right to ask for proof of ownership for ANY game I want - just like you have the right to ask me the same
Don't offer me VR games as I don't own a VR headset

List of games I have:
Also have the Earthquake Relief bundle,but reddit wont let me write all the games cause my topic would be too big - just ask
7 Billion Humans
8Doors Arum's Afterlife Adventure
10 Second Ninja X
60 Seconds!
112 Operator
140
198X
911 Operator
A Case Of Distrust
A Year Of Rain
Absolver
Aeolis Tournament
Age Of Wonders III
Ageless
Airport CEO
AI War 2
Alien Spidy
Aliens Vs Predator Collection
All You Can Eat
Almost There The Platformer
American Fugitive
Amnesia A Machine For Pigs + The Dark Descent (1 key for both games)
Amnesia Fortnight 2012
Amnesia Fortnight 2014
Amnesia Fortnight 2017
Amnesia Rebirth (X2)
Among Us (X2)
Ancestors The Humankind Odyssey (EU & Africa lock)
Aragami (X2)
Archamon
Armello
Army Men RTS
Attack Of The Earthlings
Automobilista
Aven Colony
Avernum 3 Ruined World
Azkend 2 The World Beneath
Back 4 Blood (EU region lock)
Backbone
Band Of Defenders
Banished
Baseball Riot
Batora Lost Haven NEW
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock
Beholder 2
Bendy And The Dark Revival
Bendy And The Ink Machine
Betrayer (delisted)
Between The Stars (X2)
Beyond Eyes
Beyond The Wire
Biomutant NEW
Bionic Commando
Bird Of Light
Black Paradox
Blade Assault
Blasphemous
Bohemian Killing
Book Of Demons
Bomber Crew Deluxe
Borderlands 3 + Director's Cut (EMEA region lock)
Boreal Blade
Broken Age (X2)
Brothers A Tale Of Two Sons (X2)
Butcher
Call Of Juarez
Call Of The Sea (X2)
Call To Arms Basic Edition
Call To Arms Gates Of Hell Ostfront
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
Chernobylite Enhanced Edition (X2)
Cities In Motion 2
CivCity Rome
Clone Drone In The Danger Zone
Clouds & Sheep 2
Coffin Dodgers
Cook Serve Delicious 3
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (Origin key)
Company Of Heroes Complete Edition
Control Ultimate Edition NEW
Corridor Z
Cosmic Osmo And The World Beyond The Mackerel
Crash Drive 3
Creatures Inc
Crookz The Big Heist
Crossbow Bloodnight
Crusader Kings Complete
Crying Suns
Dagon The Eldritch Box
Danger Scavenger
Day Of Infamy
Dead Age
Dead By Daylight
Dead In Vinland
Deadly Premonition Director's Cut
Deadbeat Heroes (X2)
Dear Ester Landmark Edition
Death Squared
Deep Dungeons Of Doom
Deep Sky Derelicts
Demon Turf NEW
Deployment
Desert Child
Diaries Of A Spaceport Janitor
Dicey Dungeons (X2)
Dimension Drifter
Distraint 2 + Soundtrack
Divekick
Dog Sled Saga
Double Fine Adventures Complete Series Deluxe
Downwell
Drawful 2
Draw Slasher
Dreadlands
Dread Templar
Dread X Collection
Dreamscaper NEW
Driftland The Magic Revival
Dry Downing
Duke Nukem Forever Collection
Dungeon Marathon
Dungeon Of The Endless
Dungeons 2
Dungeons 2 Complete
Dungeons 3
Dusk
Dwarfs!?
Eador Imperium
EarthX
Eastside Hockey Manager
ECHO
Edge Of Eternity NEW
Effie
Elderborn
Eldest Souls
Elden Path Of The Forgotten
Embr
Emily Is Away
Empyrion Galactic Survival
Epic Manager
E.T. Armies Deluxe Edition
Etherborn (X2)
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Europa Universalis IV
Evergarden
Expeditions Viking
F1 2018 (delisted)
Family Man
Fantasy Blacksmith
Fantasy Versus
Farmer's Dynasty
Farming Simulator 17
FIA European Truck Racing
Figment (X2)
Finding Paradise
Fire Ungh's Quest
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fling To The Finish
Fluffy Horde
Fobia St. Dinfna Hotel
Forgive Me Father
Framed Collection (X2)
Friday the 13th: The Game (X2)
Frog Detective 1 The Haunted Island (X2)
Full Throttle Remastered
Fun With Ragdolls The Game
Fury Unleashed (X2)
Gang Beasts
Garage Bad Trip (X2)
Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Gas Station Simulator
Gauge
Genesis Noir
Ghostrunner
Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams + Rise Of The Owlverlord
GNOG
Go Home Dinosaurs!
Goat Of Duty
Goetia (X2)
Going Under (X2)
Golden Light
Golf Gang
GoNNER
Gotham Knights
Grand Ages Medieval
Grand Pigeon's Duty
Greak Memories Of Azur
Gremlins Inc.
Grip Combat Racing + Cygon + Nyvoss + Terra + Vintek DLC (X2)
Guts And Glory (X2)
Hack'n'Slash
Haiku The Robot (X2)
Hamilton's Great Adventure
Hammerfight
Headlander
Heal
Hedon Bloodrite
Hell Let Loose
Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice NEW
Hello Neighbor
Hellbound
Hero Defense
Hero's Hour NEW (EU region lock)
Hexologic
Hidden & Dangerous Action Pack
Hidden & Dangerous 2 Courage Under Fire
Hive Jump (X2)
Hiveswap Act 2
Hiveswap Friend Sim
Hiveswap Friend Sim Complete
Homeworld Deserts Of Kharak
Hotshot Racing
Hot Tin Roof The Cat That Wore A Fedora
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hover (X2)
Human Resource Machine
Hurtworld
I Am Bread
I Am Not A Monster First Contact
Ice Lakes
If Found...
Ikenfell
Impact Winter (delisted)
In Between
Industria
Infinite Air With Mark McMorris (delisted)
Inmost
Internet Cafe Simulator
Interplanetary Enhanced Edition
Intruder
Ion Fury
Iron Danger
Iron Harvest
Jack Axe
Jalopy
Jet Set Knights
Juanito Arcade Mayhem
Jump Stars
Jurassic World Evolution
Jurassic World Evolution 2 NEW
Just Die Already
KartKraft
Kathy Rain Directors Cut
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes (X2)
Kill To Collect
Kingdom Classic (X2)
Kingdom New Lands
Kingdoms Of Amalur Re-Reckoning Fate Edition
King Oddball
Last Oasis
Last Tide
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Lead And Gold Gangs Of Wild West (X2)
Legacy Of Dorn Herald Of Oblivion (delisted)
Legend Of Keepers Career Of A Dungeon Master
LEGO Movie Videogame
Leisure Suit Larry Retro Bundle (1 to 7)
Lethal League Blaze
Liberated (GOG key)
Lifeless Planet Premium Edition
Light Fall
Little Big Workshop
Love Is Dead
Lust For Darkness
Lust From Beyond M Edition
Magicka
Magrunner Dark Pulse
Maid Of Sker
Main Assembly (X2)
Mainlining
Mars Horizon
Masquerade The Baubles Of Doom
Max Payne 3 (Rockstar Launcher)
Midnight Protocol
Mind Scanners
Mini Metro
Miscreated (X2)
Monster Crown NEW
Monster Train Collectors Edition
Moon Hunters
Morbid The Seven Acolytes
Mordhau
Mosaic
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021
Motorsport Manager
Mount And Blade Warband
Mountain
My Lovely Daughter
Nairi Tower Of Shirin
Naruto To Boruto Shinobi Striker
Nascar Heat 5 Ultimate
Nebuchadnezzar
NecroVisioN Lost Company
NecroWorn
Neighbours Back From Hell
Neo Cab
Neon Abyss
NeuroVoider
Neverout
Niche
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl (X2)
Ninjin Clash Of Carrots
No Time To Relax
Not Tonight
Numba Deluxe
Obduction
Observation
Octahedron
Odyssey The Story Of Science
Of Orcs And Men
Old School Musical
OlliOlli World Rad Edition
On Rusty Trails
One Finger Death Punch 2
Onikira Demon Killer
Orbital Racer
Orcs Must Die 2 Complete
Original War
Orwell Ignorance Is Strength
Out Of Reach Treasure Royal
Overlord II
Overpass
Override Mech City Brawl
Oxenfree
Pacer
Paint The Town Red
Paper Fire Rookie
Paradise Lost
Pathfinder Wrath Of The Righteous
Pathologic 2
Path Of Giants
Paw Paw Paw
Payday 2 + Big Mike mask
Peaky Blinders Mastermind (delisted)
Penarium
People Playground (X2)
Per Aspera
Perfect Heist 2
PGA Tour 2K21 (X2)
Phoenix Point Year One Edition
Pikuniku
Pine
Pinstripe (X2)
Pixplode
Plane Mechanic Simulator
Playne The Meditation Game
Poöf
Popup Dungeon
Post Void
Pound Of Ground (X2)
PowerSlave Exhumed
Prehistoric Kingdom
Primal Carnage Extinction (X2)
Project Cars GOTY (delisted)
Project Hospital
Project Warlock
Pumped BMX+
Punch Club
Purrfect Date
Quest Of Dungeons
RAD (X2)
Radio Commander
Rad Rodgers Radical Edition
Railroad Tycoon 2
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railway Empire
Raji An Ancient Epic
Rebel Cops
Rec Center Tycoon
Red Faction Armageddon
Red Solstice 2 Survivors
Redeemer Enhanced Edition
Redout Enhanced Edition
Re-Legion
Relicta
Remothered Broken Porcelain
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil Revelations (X2)
Resident Evil Revelation 2 Deluxe Edition
Retimed
Retrowave
Reventure
Ring Of Pain
Rings Of Saturn
Riot Civil Unrest
Rise Of Industry
Rise Of Insanity
Riven The Sequel To MYST
Roarr! The Adventures Of Rampage Rex
Roboquest
Rogue Heroes Ruins Of Tasos
Rogue Lords NEW
Rogue Stormers
Rover Mechanic Simulator
RPG Maker VX
Rustler
Sable NEW
Salt And Sanctuary
Satellite Reign
Satisfactory
Saturday Morning RPG
Say No! More
SCUM (X2)
ScourgeBringer
Serious Sam 2
Serious Sam BFE (X2)
Serious Sam Classics Revolution
Serious Sam Double D XXL
Serious Sam HD The First & Second Encounter (1 key for both)
Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter Legend Of The Beast
Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter Serious 8
Serious Sam Kamikaze Attack
Serious Sam The Random Encounter
Serious Sam Bogus Detour
Shadow Tactics Aiko's Choice
Shady Part Of Me
She Remembered Caterpillars
She Will Punish Them
Shing!
Shock Troopers
Shuyan Saga
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Sid Meier's Railroads
Simulacra Collection
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Skully
Slay The Spire
Slime Rancher
Slinger VR
Smoke And Sacrifice (X2)
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered
Sniper Elite 4 Deluxe + Season Pass
SOMA
Song Of Iron
Soulblight
Spacebase DF-9
Space Hulk Ascension (delisted)
Sparkle 2
Sparkle Unleashed
Spellcaster University
Spelunx And The Caves Of Mr. Seudo
Stacking
Starsand (X2)
Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic
Stasis
State Of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition (X2)
State Of Mind
Stealth Inc 2 A Game Of Clones
Steel Rats
Stick Fight The Game (X3)
Stories Untold
Streets Of Fury EX
Strider
Struggling
Stubbs The Zombie
Styx Shards Of Darkness
Submerged Hidden Depths
Suchart Genius Artist Simulator NEW
Super Indie Carts
Super Magbot
Supraland
SurrounDead (X2)
Surviving The Aftermath
Suzerain
Swag And Sorcery
Sword Legacy Omen
Swords And Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon
Swords And Souls Neverseen (X2)
Syberia II
Syberia 3 Deluxe Edition
Syberia The World Before NEW
Syndrome
System Shock Enhanced Edition
Table Manners The Physics-Based Dating Game
Tabletop Playground
Tacoma
Take On Helicopters
Tales From Candlekeep Tomb Of Annihilation (delisted)
Tales Of Monkey Island Complete
Talisman Digital Edition + City,Frostmarch,Sacred Pool (trading only as a bundle)
Talisman Origins
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Tannenberg
Telefrag VR
Teleglitch Die More Edition
Tennis In The Face
Tennis World Tour (X2)
Tesla Vs Lovecraft
Tharsis (X2)
The Amazing American Circus
The Ambassador Fractured Timelines
The Adventure Pals
The Battle Of Polytopia
The Battle Of Polytopia Moonrise Deluxe
The Count Lucador
The Dark Pictures Anthology Little Hope
The Dark Pictures Anthology Man Of Medan
The Free Ones (delisted)
The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour
theHunter Call Of The Wild (X3)
The Journey Down Chapter Three
The King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
The Last Blade
The Long Dark Survival Edition (X2)
The Manhole Masterpiece Edition
The Mims Beginning
The Night Of The Rabbit
The Serpent Rogue
The Signifier Director's Cut
The Textorcist The Story of Ray Bibbia (X2)
The Uncertain Last Quiet Day (X2)
The USB Stick Found In The Grass
The Walking Dead Season 1 + 400 Days
The Wild Eight (X2)
There Is No Game Wrong Dimension
They Bleed Pixels
Think Of The Children
This War Of Mine
Thronebreaker The Witcher Tales
THOTH
Through The Darkest Of Times
Timeshift
Time Recoil
Titan Quest Anniversary
Toejam & Earl Back In The Groove
TOEM
Tohu
Tools Up
Tooth And Tail (X2)
Torchlight (X2)
Total Tank Simulator
Toto Temple Deluxe
Tower Of Time (X2)
Tower Unite
Townscaper (X2)
Townsmen A Kingdom Rebuilt
Toybox Turbos
Tracks The Train Set Game
Train Station Renovation
Treasure Hunter Simulator (X2)
Tribes Of Midgard
Tropico 4
True Fear Forsaken Souls Part 1
Tyranny Deluxe Edition
Ultra Street Fighter IV
Unexplored
Unloved
Unmetal
Vambrace Cold Soul
Vane
Velocibox
Verdun (X2)
Vikings Wolves Of Midgard
Volcanoids (X2)
V Rally 4
Wanderlust Travel Stories (GOG key)
Wandersong
Warhammer End Times Vermintide
Warlock Master Of The Arcane
Warpips
Warsaw
Wasteland 2 Director's Cut NEW
We Are The Dwarves
We Should Talk
West Of Dead
Western Press
We Were Here Together
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine
While True: Learn() Chief Technology Officer Edition
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
Wooden Sen'SeY
Worms Rumble + Legends DLC
Wrath Aeon Of Ruin
XCOM Complete Pack
XCOM Ultimate Collection
Xenoraid The First Space War
X Morph Defense + European Assault + Last Bastion + Survival Of The Fittest (1 key for all)
XIII Classic
Xuan-Yuan Sword The Gate Of Firmament
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD
Ylands Exploration Pack
Yoku's Island Express
Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair
Zack 2 Celestine's Map
Zombie Kill Of The Week Reborn

DONT TRY TO SEND A PM BEFORE YOU POST IN THIS TOPIC - WILL NOT DEAL WITH YOU!

They woke up in an old shack in the middle of Boney Island.
"Darn, we should've been on guard for shenanigans" said Jason.
"Is it really just us left?" asked Sasha in wonder.
"Yep, we're the Final Four, I guess" said Amethyst.

Amethyst: Wow, the Final Four. I can’t believe it, I’m so close!
Jason: I think I’m pretty much in the clear now. I just have to steel myself for any squeamish challenges, and that one million dollars is as good as mine!
Mabel: This is all so exciting! I bet Dipper and the others are going crazy seeing me here in the finale!
Sasha: Everybody left earned their place here in the Finale. Now, I’ve gotta give it my all and earn that one million dollars!
They stretched and warmed up, and met up on the beach. Jason figured out by flying up that they were on Boney Island. Jason tensed as he heard movement in the bushes.
Chef emerged in warpaint. "Campers! I am proud to say you have made it to the Final Four! Your most grueling challenge will now commence, and here's how it all starts: The first leg is a race back to Wawanakwa, but there's only one canoe here on Boney Island: A map of the island shows where the canoe is and I have the only copy. You have to beat me before-"
Mabel knocked him out cold with the grappling gun. Sasha shook her head in amusement. "Kakashi-sensei, you're not, Master Chief, but we will not fail you or your training. Sasha grabbed the map, scanned it and then ran off into the jungle, her gear letting her glide among the trees.
Chef had to smile as Sasha disappeared into the jungle. The other three finalists quickly gave chase. Jason and Amethyst, with their powers now back at full, raced away into the thickets, while Mabel used her grappling gun to make like Tarzan and glided from tree to tree.
Sasha found the canoe first, but she realized it was too big for her to carry alone onto shore, so she thought of a plan. Jason and Mabel arrived soon after, and Sasha thought of a plan.
“Guys, with her powers, Amethyst is the one to beat. We’ve gotta team up against her or else she’ll flatten us!”
Jason nodded. “That makes sense, Sasha. Alright, it’s three against Amethyst”
“Hooray for conniving!” yelled Mabel.
Sasha: I needed to know if I was as good at manipulation as my fellow Corpsmen. I needed to see if I was powerful enough to twist their minds and make them fight each other. Especially Jason and Amethyst. They’re practically gods compared to Mabel and me.
They made it to the shoreline. Mabel hopped on as Sasha and Jason pushed the canoe into the water.
“Aren’t you guys forgetting someone?” asked a voice behind them.
Sasha froze. Even Jason was tense. They were not fighting some villainous enemy, either of them. They were conniving against someone who had been a friend to them.
No! yelled Eren’s voice in her head. This is a competition!
Amethyst laughed. “Oh, I get it. Welp, it was fun pretending we were all in this together, but I guess now it’s time to let the rocks tumble”
“We don’t wanna fight you, Amethyst!” Sasha yelled.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to fight me, neither!”
Amethyst morphed into a gigantic wrestler, and sucker punched Jason just as he flew in to try and poof her. He sailed backwards into the sand and landed with a sickening thud. Sasha screamed, but Mabel was quicker. She aimed and fired her grappling hook at Amethyst’s leg, entwining it in its cord. Sasha grabbed onto the gun and pulled with all her might, sending Amethyst tumbling over them, pushing the canoe into the water.
The canoe drifted away back to Wawanakwa, leaving Jason and Amethyst behind.
“Whew. I’m glad it’s just the two of us, Mabel! We were screwed if those two got a foothold on us.”
“Yeah. Thanks a lot, Sasha!” They paddled as hard as they could towards Wawanakwa.
Chris: Wow! Our underdogs are really kicking it in all cylinders! I’m here at Wawanakwa with the families and friends of our four finalists. They’re here to give them all the cheering and support they’ll need to win! Let’s start with Amethyst’s family from Beach City. Sierra and Topher, you’re on!
Sierra: Thanks, Chris! We’re here with the Gem Community from Beach City here by the campfire!
Topher: That’s right, Sierra. Pearl, we know you didn’t expect Amethyst to win the Wildcard, let alone make the Finals. What do you and the rest of Beach City have to say?
Pearl: Oh, Amethyst, we are so proud! You held your tongue and got by using your wits! Now, there’s only four of you left and I know they don’t stand a chance against OUR Amethyst!
Garnet: Show them the might of the Crystal Gems
Peridot: GET ‘EM, AMETHYST, YOU CAN DO IT!
Bismuth: You got ‘em on the ropes, Deep-Cut! Knock them out!
Steven: Everybody at the Kindergarden’s cheering for you, Amethyst!
Carnelian: Go, sis!
Skinny: You rock!
Holly Blue: Go, Earth Team! Ugh, what am I even saying?
Jasper: SHOW THEM WHAT EARTH GEMS ARE MADE OF, AMETHYST!
Blue Diamond: (on a holoscreen) Do us proud, Amethyst!
Yellow Diamond: Divide and conquer them, that’s the way to do it!
White Diamond: Is this some sort of Earth entertainment activity? How delightful. Go for it, Amethyst!
Spinel: We’re sending you virtual hugs from light-years away!
Ronaldo: I knew you were a lock on for the finals, Amethyst! All the theories were pointing at you!
Beach City Citizens: AMETHYST! AMETHYST! AMETHYST! AMETHYST!
Topher: Wow, what a crowd! Let’s go see Jason’s demigod comrades from Berkeley, California! The floor’s yours, Brick. Jo and Dawn!
Brick: Oh, we’re on? I was busy looking at those cool Roman phalanx formations!
Dawn: Can’t we settle this peacefully?
Jo: Speak for yourself, Granola Girl. I want to sign up with these guys. They’ve got gyms, tracks and hot baths! Say, I’m pretty sure I’ve got the bloodline of some Roman god in me, could I join you?
Hazel: I can certainly see Victoria or Mars in your blood. We can talk about your application after this
Brick: I’m losing my mind over these formations
Frank: Thanks! I drilled them myself
Dawn: What would you like to say to Jason? I can hook you up telepathically
Hazel: All we want to say is we’re proud and honored by our great former praetor, and it’s great to see him again so… er… full of life
Percy: You’ve got this bro!
Annabeth: Winning this silly TV show is a cakewalk for the hero who toppled the giants!
Leo: ZAP THEM, MAN, YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Piper:…
Nico: Give her some room, people….
Coach Hedge: Man, what a bunch of delinquents! Put them in line, Grace!
Piper: No matter what, you’ve already won in our book (literally), Jason.
Roman demigods: intense cheering
Jo: Yeah, now that’s a cheer! Spartans! Awoo! Awoo!
Dawn: Back to you, Chris
Chris: Thanks, Dawn. Up next is Mabel’s Gravity Falls family. Dakota and Sam, take it away!
Dakota: I’m here with my friend at the Future Celebrities Club Pacifica Northwest! What do you have to say to Mabel?
Pacifica: Omigosh, bestie, I’m so proud. Once you win this thing, you’re gonna be a flipping star! We are so getting ourselves a TV talk show after this! We’ll invite cute boybands from Korea and prank them with Soos in a monster suit hiding behind the sofas!
Dakota: That show concept is so fetch!
Sam: I already knew Soos from the online gaming circuit! Man, Mabel’s awesome! Got any words of inspiration?
Soos: Mabel! Don’t be scared to be nice! Be yourself! Don’t change your strategy now! That’s my takeaway from all the reality TV shows I watch
Grunkle Stan: That’s my granddaughter! She’s on TV!
Dipper: I knew you could do it! Just stay true to yourself, Mabel! You’ve got this!
Gideon: We won’t stop looking for a way to get Grunkle Stan’s memories back, baby! Winning this contest will go a long way!
Bill: is a statue
Dakota: How did that get there…
Bill: manifesting from the void. You call this entertainment? Where’s the fire? Where’s the dead contestants? Where’s the {REDACTED]? Come on, Chris McLean, they told me this was the craziest reality show in the multiverse, let’s get sickening! Oh no wait, I still can’t do anything. Oh well, those other campers don’t stand a chance against Mabel. She’s embraced chaos and it’s her weapon now. She’ll get the drop on them. Buy cryptocurrency! Bye! Dissipates
Dipper: Huh, even Bill had something nice to say
Wendy: That’s why Mabel’s gotta win!
Sam: Back to you, Chris!
Chris: Now, we turn to Sasha’s Survey Corps family!
Duncan: We’re here with the totally-rad Survey Corps to get their scoop on Sasha and why she should win this season
Courtney: If I had my way, we could totally turn this into a succinct discussion on social conditioning and the horrors of child conscription, but given the limited time, we can only ask the Corps on Sasha and her journey so far
Mikasa: I speak for everyone when I say Sasha got all the way to the finals because of her combination of strength in body and strength in heart. Even when her strength fails her, the friends she’s made along the way always have her back. That’s why she will win this
Connie: I know, right?! Either Sasha wins, or it’s rigged!
Levi: Just remember your training
Jean: We've got faith in you, Sasha. Go for it!
Zoe: The odds are in your favor, Sasha. This time, the Corps won't have to settle for defeat!
Courtney: Sasha's lucky to have such faithful friends! We now bring you back to the ongoing race back to Wawanakwa!

Sasha was flying in the air. She saw pieces of roast meat flying along with her, with smiley faces, beckoning her to take a bite. She gladly bit in, savoring the juices
“Ouch!”
Sasha shook her head. She was still flying, but not of her own power, but because Jason was carrying her. Then she had bit his arm.
“What in the Three Sisters?! Jason, where’s Mabel?!”
“She tricked you. Amethyst and Mabel have had an alliance since the Merge.”
Amethyst shapeshifted out of boat form as soon as she hit the shore. “Oh man! The look on Sasha’s face when she wakes up!”
“I almost feel bad,” said Mabel. “But I don’t wanna face Sasha in the Triple Dog Dare Challenge. She’ll cream us for sure”
“Oh, I’m winning that, through and through, but Sasha might threaten your spot in the Final Two, so we had to cut her loose”
Chris nodded. “Amethyst and Mabel, congratulations! You’re in the Final Three! It’s Jason vs. Sasha for the third spot!”
Sasha saw her prospects were grim. “Drop me, Grace. You deserve the final spot”
“I won’t do that. Romans fight fairly”
“OK, then I’ll duel you on the beach for the final spot. Corpsmen fight to the end”
“Deal”
They landed and squared off meters away from the shore, knee-deep in the water. Jason drew his coin and flipped it, and a sword materialized from it. Sasha drew her twin blades and squared off. Everyone on the beach was silent as the two giantslayers began their duel.
Both were speedsters in combat, but Jason had the advantage of having the power of the wind itself. He ran circles around Sasha, who was forced to parry and keep on the defensive. Demigods cheered for Jason while the Corpsmen urged Sasha to fight on. Sasha’s dual blades afforded her the opportunity to attack and block at the same time, but Jason gave her few openings. Jason’s advantage was that his blade carried his full force, while Sasha’s dual swords halved her attacking power at the benefit of raising range and versatility. Still, Sasha pressed on, forcing herself to lunge in and try to turn the tide on Jason. Steel clashed against bronze and sparks flew. Jason nicked Sasha in the arm.
Suddenly, something awoke within Sasha. Her grip tightened and she began to move much faster, with more force in her strikes. She began pushing Jason back. She began to flip, turn, feint and tumble in the air, the grace of her Corps training coming into full display. Jason began to betray signs of tiring. Sasha twirled, describing a helicopter in the air, blades teetering towards Jason, who parried with his sword.
This time, Sasha nicked Jason on the cheek.
“She’s doing great! She’s gonna win this for sure!” said Connie
Levi shook his head. “It’s over”
“What?!”
Annabeth Chase nodded in agreement. “Sasha was never going to win”
Leo scoffed. “I’m all for Jason winning, but how come you counting Sasha out like that?”
Annabeth rolled her eyes. “It’s so obvious”
Zoe nodded. “Look at them. Look at where they’re standing. A rather brilliant application of simple physics, really”
Leo scanned the area around them. The lake shone blue against the white sand.
The lake.
“Oh,” said Leo.
“Oh, shit,” said Connie.
Jason grinned. “You’ve given it everything you’ve got, Sasha, well done! Now, it’s my turn.” He stabbed the waters with his sword, wincing as the act reminded him of Caligula, and called down the lightning.
Sasha had no time at all to process what happened as the jolts of electricity raced across the lake and into her.
When she awoke, her friends were all around her, grinning and cheering.
“Oh, guys, I had the weirdest dream! I was on a reality TV show and I made it all the way to the finals, until someone fried me…”
Connie sobbed. “Oh, but you did! You did all of that, baby, you made it to the first ever finals of Total Drama Fandom Island and we are freaking proud of ya!”
“Well done!” Jean was overjoyed.
Zoe beamed, “You showed them the Corps are not to be underestimated”
Chris McLean entered the tent, and beamed at Sasha. “Sasha Braus, you are this season’s third runner up! Thanks to the ton of sponsors we gotten since going multiversal, we can actually afford to give ALL our finalists cash prizes! You’re taking fifty thousand dollars home!”
“Fifty thousa-“ Sasha was dazed. “Whatever are we gonna do with fifty grand?!”
“I’ll tell ya what we’ll do,” said Connie. “There’s like restaurants in this wonderful country where you can eat all the meat you want at a price! As soon as this show’s over, we’re hitting one of those restos!”
“Canada is so beautiful,” murmured Mikasa. “Even the Titans here are friendly, and covered in soft fuzzy fur”
“Hyperboreans are harmless unless you mess with ‘em” said Frank Zhang, peeking in from outside.
Three contestants remained. Jason joined Mabel and Amethyst and headed for the special stage erected by the staff.
“History repeats itself,” said Heather. “Three Gophers remain, and the last Bass places fourth”
“Who do you think will win the Dare?” asked Owen.
“Amethyst and Mabel are pretty unhinged,” said Gwen. “If I were Jason, I’d be very worried”
“The dude shoots lightning like a freaking Sith Lord. The Triple Dog Dare isn’t fazing Jason” countered Duncan.
“Campers, congratulations on making it this far” said Chris. “For your next challenge, we bring you the Triple Dog Dare! Your fellow contestants, even Sasha just now, have written down dares that you must beat, from Patrick to Sasha. Now, instead of a roulette, we’ll just run them down from Patrick to Sasha. Ready?”
“Ready!” said the three in unison

Amethyst: They’re in for it now, I didn’t come all this way to lose
Jason: I’ve been memory-wiped, hit by flying bricks and skewered in the back. Nothing is going to hold me down now
Mabel: No dare is too squeamish for Mabel Pines!

“Alright, who goes first?” Chris asked.
“Ladies first,” said Jason.
“I’m non-binary,” said Amethyst. “So Mabel’s going first”
Mabel bit her lip. Patrick was the first eliminated and his challenge was either going to be stupidly easy or stupidly impossible.
She shrugged. I’ve done both. “Bring it, Patrick!”
Patrick Star stepped forward from the Peanut Gallery. “Mabel, I dare ya to eat a Triple Patty Deluxe in one bite!”
“I’ll do it!” Mabel saw the juicy burger and realized how hungry she was. She opened as wide as her jaw would allow, crushing the burger a bit to shrink it, and shoved it in her mouth. She chewed hungrily, and swallowed.
“Good job! Here’s your present!”
“Thanks, Pat!”
Chris clapped. “Alright, Mabel. Now you get a freebie, and the next time you can use it to pass a challenge to someone else. The first to back out is ELIMINATED.”
“Cool”
“Now, pick who goes next!”
“Go, Jason! I know Bakugou has a special challenge for you”
Jason: Now why on Earth would Bakugou have something in mind for me?
Bakugou stepped forward. “Alright, discount Pikachu, I bought my friend Denki with me. The challenge is to short-circuit him before he does it to you.
Denki Kaminari stepped into the fray. “Hiya, I heard you can fly, too, on top of using lightning. Man that is so unfair!”
“Alright, let’s do this”
The two squared off and fired bolts of lightning at each other. The sparks flew in all direction, even making Amethyst’s hair puff up and Mabel’s braces to glow”
“Cool!” said Mabel.
“I needed the new hairstyle,” admitted Amethyst.
They both strained as the lightning surge moved back and forth.
Deku gasped in the audience. “Wow, Denki could actually match a demigod in electrical output!”
“That’s our friend right there, get ‘em, Denki!” yelled Yaoyorozu.
An explosion sent smoke billowing all over the stage. When it settled. Jason was still standing, while Denki had folded.
Bakugou smirked. “Nice job, punk. Here’s your freebie” Jason caught the party favor as Bakugou flung it to him.
“Jason, pick the next challenger,” said Chris.
“Amethyst? It’s your turn”
LSP flew in with a yellow, sour-faced creature. “Amethyst, baby, your challenge is simple. Kiss the Earl of Lemongrab!”
“A’ight, here goes nothing” She kissed him and felt her lips burn. “Oof, boy, you’re better than Fire Salt!”
“Mmmm, you have proven acceptable” said Lemongrab. “Accept this favor”
“Mabel! Your turn again!”
“Next round, we both pass it on to Jason. We have to force him to quit so it’s us girls for the Finale!” “Got it, Amethyst!”
Mabel watched Brian Griffin walk onto the stage. “Mabel, my challenge is this. Say something nice about my novel, Faster than the Speed of Love”
Mabel felt a shiver down her spine. “It’s nice you thought of the needs of the mentally-challenged in writing this novel”
“Why, thank you, I- HEY!”
Stewie Griffin ran up to the stage. “Yass, Mabel, slay! Drag his arse, okay, here’s your favor”. He dragged Brian back to the seats by the ear.
Mabel turned. “Jason!”
Hermione Granger stepped up. “Jason Grace. I have but a riddle for you. Three students sit at Argus Filch’s detention room. They are either Gryffindors, who always tell the truth, or Slytherins, who tell naught but lies. Student One says “All of us are Slytherins”. Student Two is mum. Student Three says “Exactly one of us is a Gryffindor”. Who is who?”
“I’ve heard this riddle before,” said Jason. “Student One is a Slytherin, since if he were Gryffindor, he would be lying, which he cannot. Since he is a Slytherin, they are not all Slytherins, otherwise he’d be telling the truth. Student Two is mum, which is suspicious, and Student Three can be lying or no. They cannot be all of either. If Three is a Gryffindor, that means Two is a Slytherin, since Three’s statement must be true if he is Gryffindor. If Three is a Slytherin, then Two must be Slytherin also, since if Two was Gryffindor then Three must be telling the truth, but then all three would be Slytherin, making One’s statement true, when we already know it’s a lie. Therefore. One and Two are Slytherin, and Three is a Gryffindor.”
“Brilliant! And well-reasoned. Alright, Jason, here’s your favor”
“My brain fucking hurts,” said Amethyst.
“You don’t have a brain, silly, you got some sorta microchips,” said Mabel.
“Can I eat ‘em? All that logic made my head hurt”
“Alright, Amethyst, you’re up again,” said Jason.
“I just said my head hurts! Sheesh”
Cyborg entered the fray. “Yo, Amethyst! BB over here wants to challenge your shapeshifting skills!”
“Bring it on, BB! I’m ready for ya, anytime!”
“Oh, word, Amethyst? Get ready, coz I am kicking your butt across the animal kingdom!”
The green and the purple squared up. They began slowly, mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, then picked up the pace, to owls, ravens, peacocks, dinosaurs, onto more complex animals, insects and fantastic creatures. Then Amethyst started morphing inanimate objects, to which Beast Boy threw in the towel.
“Man, I shoulda known better than to challenge you, sis! Here’s your favor!”
“Jason, next!”
Jason: I knew the girls were gonna gang up on me sooner or later. Welp, bring it!
Jett flew in. “Jason, think fast!” She dashed past him, and grabbed Piper and Leo from the audience.
“What the fuck?!” Amethyst gasped.
“What the heck is she thinking?!” said Mabel. “You can’t be lifting up demigods!”
Jett flew to the ceiling of the really-high circus tent, and flung Piper and Leo to the ground in opposite directions.
Jason’s calm smirk shocked everyone. Instead of making like Superman and flying to either of them, he willed the spirits of the winds to catch both of them and land them safely.
Jett beamed at Jason, though Leo tried to throw hands at her, and was intercepted by fellow pyro Phoenix (“Chill, fam, it was all planned out!”).
“I know when to cut my losses, but I’ll damn well try before I do any cutting”
Brimstone smiled in the audience. “That kid’s got potential”
Sage nodded. “He has the calmness and power of a storm”
“Mabel? Your turn”
Mabel breezed through Ponyhead’s Tiktok challenge, while Jason took Gray’s stripping challenge pretty well (“Walking around naked is a literal rite of manhood in Rome”), though several girls had to be restrained from throwing themselves at Jason and Piper had to be restrained from stabbing them. Jason passed it back to Mabel, who found the bugs Raymond challenged her to find. Mabel passed it back to Jason, who solved Lisa’s calculus problem pretty well (“I went to math college!”). Jason passed it back to Mabel, who had to outpun Sans, and took him down a notch with her keen wit. She passed it back to Jason, who did Seraphine’s KPOP song-and-dance number challenge (and once again made the girlies scream). Jason passed it to Amethyst, seeing Mabel could not be fazed. Amethyst nearly floundered on Baljeet’s trigonometry question, but luckily, her Gem did the math for her. Amethyst threw it back to Jason, and Gaara challenged him to a chess match, which he narrowly won. Jason went back at Amethyst, who beat Darcy at her own game when she challenged her to a makeover competition, to which Amethyst simply shapeshifted into what Darcy was wearing, but purple and sparkly. Amethyst passed back to Jason, and Jason beat Barry at a randomized 3v3 on Pokemon Showdown. Jason passed to Mabel, and Mabel had to beat Arthur in a jig-off. Mabel trounced Arthur and passed it back to Jason. Sasha’s challenge was simple: “Jason, Catch!”
Jason caught whatever it was Sasha threw. It was heavy, darned heavy, and it was pretty hot, so he dropped it, but quickly caught it again and again. Finally, Sasha said “OK! Timer’s up! You win!”
Jason unwrapped the heavy, hot object and frowned.
It was a hot brick with a smiley face and a note that said “Oh, kiss me again, Jason-senpai!”
Percy Jackson was cackling in the audience.
“Campers, you worked the house DOWN!!!” said Chris. “Not a single challenge passed off, so now, we gotta base it on how many favors you have!”
Mabel and Amethyst gulped. Their plan to take down Jason had backfired.
“Jason, you got nine favors! Congratulations, you’re in the final two!”
“Mabel, you got five favors, Amethyst, you got four. Congratulations, Mabel, join Jason for the final leg of the Finale!”
“Amethyst, congratulations on being the first wildcard contestant to ever make it to the final three! Well, unless you count Courtney in Action as a wildcard, (which she’s NOT, according to her own lawyer’s affidavit!). You are the second-runner up and you get to take home fifty thousand dollars!”
“Wow, awesome! This’ll help add new stuff at the Kindergarden! We can buy PS5s, or even-“
“Let’s do the budgeting at home, Amethyst,” said Pearl. “Congratulations, we’re so proud of you!”
“AMETHYST, YOU ROCKED!” yelled Steven.
“That’s my Gem in the rough! C’mere,” Sans joined them and proceeded to make out with Amethyst.
“I may have lost the season, but I got the skeleton of my dreams, baby!”
Heather gagged. “Ugh, get a room, you two!”
Alejandro countered. “Oh, but mi amor, you are the same! Third placers who bagged the perfect man for them!”
Heather scoffed. “I’m the lucky one in the relationship? You wish, Burromuerto!” Then she tackled him into a kiss on the floor.
Piper was next to gag. “Are you guys trying to summon my mom?! Please don’t, if she sees me with Jason, she’s gonna freak”
“Your mom’s already here in a way, pumpkin!” Chris said. “We often have coffee together as in-laws. She gives me juicy tips on how to milk all that lovey-dovey drama for all the ratings it’s worth! You guys, the Courtney-Duncan-Gwen love triangle drama was Aphrodite’s whole idea!”
Duncan gasped, Gwen’s eyes bugged. Courtney looked like she was ready to go full-on God of War, scale Olympus and strangle Aphrodite.
Sierra gasped. “What a twist! The fans are gonna go crazy”
“Well, Mabel? It’s down to you and me”
“Uh-huh. Ready to get pummeled, Sparky?”
Jason stopped a laugh. “Sure am. If I remember correctly, the last challenge is a footrace”
They stood there, facing the long obstacle course designed by the fallen twenty campers.

Jason: I am shaking. I never thought it would come down to Mabel and me. But I really want to win this whole thing for the Legion back home, so, sorry Mabel. I’m going all out.
Mabel: I can’t breathe right now. I can’t even move. Why did it have to come down to me and that ridiculously cute guy from California? I’m entering fight-or-flight mode but I know I have to choose to fight

“Campers! This is your last chance to win the one million dollars! Jason, you can take your coin and Mabel can take her grappling gun with her! The obstacle course is the final challenge and the first to reach the finish lines takes all. One last time, you two. DO YOU WANNA BE FAMOUS???!!!!”
They shot off into a sprint. Jason waded through jellyfish. Mabel dodged mini-landmines. Jason bounced off floating pink clouds, Mabel rode a muscular, genetically-enhanced pig, Jason rode a broomstick, Mabel dodged Batarangs, Jason grabbed a gun and mowed down training robots and defused the Spike and Mabel used Dimensional Scissors to get around a chasm. Jason dodged magical attacks, while Mabel swam like an otter across a pond.
They were neck and neck. Piper clutched her blade. Dipper hugged Waddles tight.
Jason rode a skateboard as nuclear waste dripped from the trees, Mabel dodged lasers and bones and skulls flying at her, Jason danced his butt off to activate a hovering bridge. Mabel activated a giant baking soda volcano, propelling her forward, Jason ran through quicksand, Mabel dodged shadows, Jason ran away from Beedrills, and Mabel climbed a mountain of burnt scones, Jason grabbed some Corps gear and rappelled down Sasquatchanakwa’s back. Mabel rode a pink Lion across the lake, punching Fang in the face as she passed.
Jason used his lightning to scare Lion off, throwing Mabel to the ground. Jason jogged past her, towards the finish line. Mabel pulled out her grappling gun and shot for the finish line’s pole. It latched on and she rocketed to the finish line, passing Jason at the last second.
“WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!” Chris boomed. “MABEL PINES, OF GRAVITY FALLS, YOU ARE TOTAL DRAMA FANDOM ISLAND’S FIRST EVER CHAMPION!!”
Jason Grace beamed at Mabel. “Great job, Mabel! You won against all odds. New Rome salutes you!”
Waddles ran up to Mabel and she caught him in a big hug. “Oh, we did it, Mr. Waddles! We won Total Drama Island!!!”
The other campers cheered.
“A jolly good show, Mabel!” said Arthur
“I knew you could do it, Mabel!” said Baljeet
“Mabel, that was awesome!” said Seraphine
“Not bad at all!” said Barry
“Impressive, and here I thought you’d be an early boot,” said Darcy
Demigods and the Gravity Falls citizens cheered wildly. Even the Survey Corps and the Beach City community hooted all around. All the audience from all across the Multiverse clapped in adulation.
“Jason Grace of New Rome, congratulations for being our First First Runner Up! You’ll be taking home one hundred thousand dollars!”
“We can finally afford those Temple renovations I was planning… well, I was planning until I died, so…”
Piper and Leo and the rest of the Seven ran up to hug Jason, or rather pile onto him.
“I’m so glad I came,” said Piper. “When I heard you got brought back from the dead just to compete in some reality show, I cringed. I really didn’t know how to react, where to start. I owed you, Jason, I-“
“You don’t owe me anything, Pipes. I’m happy for you. I want nothing more but for you to keep on being happy with your new life”
They hugged awkwardly, but sweetly.
“Hey, McLean! How about casting me for Season 2, eh?” said Leo Valdez.
“Or me, I really loved this whole season!” said Connie, hugging Sasha.
“Count me in if you’re casting Season 2 now!” said Peridot
“I’m open for participation, Mr. McLean” said Pacifica.
“Me too!” said Squidward Tentacles.
“And me!” said Natsu Dragneel
“What about me?” asked Ron Weasley
“You can’t have a season two without me!” yelled Jessie of Team Rocket.
“Chill out dudes! I’ve got Season 2 greenlighted and you can all email your audition tapes starting tomorrow!”
They all cheered. The Gravity Falls community carried Mabel atop them like a parade float, towards the lake. Percy Jackson smiled. “Think they’re gonna dunk her in?”
Annabeth Chase winced. “I hope not! It’s only fun when, well, you’re with that special someone”
“I wonder who’ll be in Season Two?”
“Wanna file for an audition, Seaweed Brain?”
“It’s one crazy show, but I like crazy sometimes”
Mabel thanked everyone for their support. “I’d never have won without all of you guys. My Screaming Gophers family, and the nice guys at the Killer Bass. Sasha, Arthur, Cyborg, Sans. All of you. I’m so happy I got to meet you all!”
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Chris cleared his throat. “We got the contestants to vote our Mr. and Ms. Congeniality for this season! Congratulations to Gaara and Seraphine!”
“I am honored. No one would’ve believed this ten years ago,” said Gaara, tearing up.
“Oh, you deserve it!” said Seraphine. “You’re a very sweet guy. Thank you, guys, for voting me!”
“You guys get fifty grand each! And that’s not all, everyone not in the Finals is taking home one thousand dollars TIMES the number of challenge wins you got in your entire run!”
Squidward laughed. “Patrick’s STILL not getting anything”
“He won the gift of friendship,” said Spongebob. “Didn’t ya, Pat?”
“That’s true!” said Sasha Braus. “Patrick, we’ll all fondly remember you and each other as we go back to our everyday lives!”
“There’s still one question that’s bugging me,” said Grunkle Stan. “Mabel, what do ya plan to do with your one million dollars?”
Mabel took the giant check from Chris McLean and thought deeply. “I’ve always wanted to expand your gift shop, Grunkle, and- WAIT A MINUTE, GRUNKLE, YOUR MIND-“
Grunkle Stan laughed. “It’s amazing what these Survey Corps scientists can cook up from the spit of a human-Gem hybrid and nectar from those demigods”
Mabel stared at her fellow finalists. “You guys, I…”
“It was horrible when we found out the price he paid to save you and the world from Bill Cipher” said Sasha. “So when we realized we had all the pieces to the puzzle of restoring lost memories, we jumped right at it!”
“Take it from someone who knows, Mabel. It’s a living hell knowing you should know about someone and not remember them” said Jason.
“Think of it as a prize from us for winning!” said Amethyst.
Mabel spent the rest of that day hugging everyone out of sheer joy.
Raymond purred. “Ah, all’s well that ends well, eh?”
Ponyhead beamed. “You bet, baby! Hey, Gorillanakwaz, hit it!”
Arthur Kirkland, Cyborg, Jett, Seraphine and Gaara hit the stage.
Arthur took up the bass, Jett the keyboard, Cyborg the drums and Gaara and Seraphine took the mikes, and an old, familiar tune began.
You never ever leave my mind
My sweet, sweet Caroline
Every time I look into your eyes, I feel like I’m alive
The whole island was vibing to the song and rocking to its melody
Every time I want to say hello, every time I want to stay, I go
Could never find the words to let you know, sometimes
You play my mind a million times
Mabel danced with all her friends, switching from Dipper, to Waddles, to Soos, Wendy and Pacifica, even Gideon. Sasha danced with Connie. Gems, Survey Corpsmen and demigod legionnaires joined hands in a circle and danced around the campfire. Jason waved as Piper danced with her girlfriend Shel, and suddenly, Jett came along and they began to dance, too.
Chris Mclean waved one last time at the camera. “Thanks for joining us here on Total Drama Fandom Island. Stay tuned for Season Two coming to you in May! Eighteen new contestants from all over the fandom multiverse will compete for the crown at TOTAL DRAMA FANDOMS SEASON TWO: FANDOM ACTION!

Hey guys, early chapter because I'm going to be busy the next few days.
I'm also going to be overhauling the first 15 chapters to get them up to standards.
ELIJAH COMMISSION SOON!
Azeline Commission
The Little Menace
Worship Her
If you want to read ahead, check out my Patreon, I'm up to chapter 26!
Support me by upvoting me or leaving a comment!
I also have the series uploaded to Royal Road, come leave a comment and give me a review by clicking HERE
Here's a map of where the area they landed HERE
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If you're interested in my first series click HERE
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“Before the first records of history, the realm of mortals was ruled by a slew of unholy and demonic monstrosities only known as the old ones.” The Oracle said as the group approached the massive mural in the back of the temple.
Looking up both Bennett and Elijah couldn’t help but gawk like tourists and marvel at the masterful artwork displayed on the wall. Tylas was depicted with a commanding presence, holding a bleeding heart in one hand and pointing his two-pronged spear towards what appeared to be a baptismal pool. Surrounding him were what looked like common folk, kneeling and praying in reverence or offering their gifts of bread.
However, their gaze was interrupted when Azeline sent a sharp jab into Elijah’s ribs with her elbow and shot him a glare as a reminder of why they were there.“Hurry up and do whatever you’ve come here to do you fool!” She hissed in a hushed tone.
Just as Elijah dug into his pocket to grab his bio scanner, the hobbling Oracle spun around with open arms. “And these vile and wretched beings only sought the souls of mortals to fuel their never-ending machinations for power, damning whomever they consume to oblivion!” He said, looking up towards the interior of the dome.
Yanking his hands out of his pocket before the oracle saw him, Elijah nervously looked up to see what the old man was looking at. His face contorted in confusion when he only saw the untouched surface of the ceiling, and brought his hand back into his pocket.
“BUT! As the ages passed, those wretched thing’s ambitions only fattened along with their festering arrogance!” The Oracle bellowed, causing Elijah to stiffen once more. “Not even the souls of the damned could saite their infernal hunger!” The man slammed his hands down on a podium that was just in front of the pool of water. “They FLOGGED the world with their wars! Bringing nothing but butchery and destruction to the mortal realms!” he spoke with a gurgling venom as he described the unimaginable horrors their ancestors endured.
Feeling as if the oracle was yelling at them, Bennett and Elijah cringed while the elder man frother at the mouth. Used to this type of sermon, Azeline just inwardly sighed and waited for the most opportune time to interject and possibly divert the old man's attention away from them, but it seemed the old man was just too into his sermon.
“And in this time of darkness and despair… Rose a beacon of hope; Tylas! He and his peers were the first to strike down one of those false gods and claim its soul for themselves!”. The oracle continued his tale, his voice growing with excitement as turned around and gestured towards the Mural once more.
Seeing an opportunity had presented itself, Elijah bent over and brought his device just to the edge of the pool of water and allowed it to start scanning while the Oracle continued giving his oration. "With their found power, a new Pantheon was born and together, they banished the Old Ones from the mortal realms to never return! Long gone were the days of servitude! Long gone were the days where we forfeited our lives! Our souls!” Elijah’s eyes narrowed as his bio scanner displayed a green light, signaling that whatever was in the pool showed signs of a large population of whatever pathogen was plaguing the town.
Leaning his head back and letting out a cathartic sigh, a small tear fell from the old man’s eyes as he felt a surge of reverence. "And there… The heart of all Aethari. The symbol of his gift. A symbol of strength… A symbol of hope.” His hands came down slowly as she shuddered. “It serves as a reminder that Tylas had given back to us what was stolen… our souls." The oracle slowly spun around, his expression proud. "And that is why we, the oracles of Tylas, exist. For we shepherd generations yet towards the path of righteousness.”
Jabbing Bennett in the ribs with his elbow, Elijah subtly showed him his device displaying the amount of pathogens that was in the pool. “We found our contaminated source,” he said in hushed whispers.
Looking over at the device, Bennett's eyebrows raised in surprise that this town’s place of worship was actually the hotspot. "This is worrying," he said, a hint of alarm creeping into his voice. "I highly doubt the population has been shitting in here, so that means…" He trailed off a bit and went silent.
“It means someone intentionally contaminated the pool.” Elijah finished for him, narrowing his eyes. “I have no idea who’s insidious enough to poison somewhere where people pray, but we’re also not exactly in tune with the geopolitics of this world.” He whispered while scratching the side of his face.
Bennett simply gave a grim nod in agreement, "But how do we deal with this? Seeing how this dude reacted,” he pointed his entire hand at the oracle who was still orating, “we can’t exactly be like ‘oh ya, your shits fucked up sorry.” He replied.
The two men shared a difficult look when Azeline jabbed Bennett in the ribs, causing the engineer to wince and pain and look up to see the oracle staring at them. "Is everything alright, young men?" He asked with a stern look on his face.
With swimming eyes, Bennett flushed and tried to come up with an excuse on the spot. "Ahh.. yes. We were just wondering how this pool of water holds significance to uhh, Tylas’ glory." He replied, straightening up. Closing his eyes briefly to fight off the desire to pinch the bridge of his nose, Elijah simply nodded along in agreement, "Yes… We noticed how his wondrous spear was pointing towards the pool, and we couldn’t help but ask why."
Having dealt with the youth all his life, the Oracle gave a magnanimous smile. He was used to the fact young men’s attention spans were prone to wandering, but he was more than happy to answer any questions they had.
However, just as the Oracle opened his mouth to answer, a strange feminine voice emanated from one of the strange men’s chest.”Whose GLORY?” Elijah was full of panic when he tried to grab at the psychotic little fairy as she managed to unzip his pocket and darted out towards Bennett.
“Are you talking about those idiot useless LOSER brothers Tylas and Darden!?” Yana yelled, hovering in front of Bennett’s face. “You know those… those FUCKING idiots decided to lie and claim MY achievements for their own!?” She continued with her hands on her hips.
Everyone had their eyes open in complete shock as Yana stuck her finger out and jammed it into Bennett’s cheek. “I was the one who trapped that Old One, I was the one to take its soul and it was ME who shared the knowledge with others!” Yana punctuated each point by jabbing her finger into Bennett's cheek. “And what did those stupid Aethari whelplings do!? Get slapped around like IDIOTS while swinging their stupid spears around like stupid FUCKS!!“ She spat out hatefully.
Her little chest rose and fell rapidly as she shot a heated glare at the Engineer, absolutely furious the words ‘Glory’ and ‘Tylas’ were uttered in the same sentence together. Meanwhile, everyone in the temple was deathly quiet as they all struggled to regain their composure, taken aback by her sudden outburst.
Elijah stood there with hung shoulders with his hand smothering his face while a crazy cocktail of emotions flowed through him, each of them negative. Azeline, on the other hand, was standing ramrod straight as her eyes were so wide open they looked as if they were bulging out. She was in a state of utter disbelief and fear at the turn of events, never in her life would she have thought she would be in this psychotic situation.
Her eyes slowly and hesitantly jerked over towards the Oracle and saw the man pointing at the Vanir with a flapping mouth and shaking limbs. “Y-Y-Yo-You!! YOU VILE THING! YOU BLASPHEMER! YOU HERETIC!” The old man screamed in a high pitched voice. “A mere PIXIE dare utter such! SUCH SACRILEGE!!” He frothed at the mouth.
“PIXIE!?” Yana shreeked as her face contorted in uncontrolled rage. “I am the great Yanaiyániuoa! You dare mistake the Goddess of magic and ALL Fae during the Autumn Solstice with a mere PIXIE!?!?” Turning her head to Elijah, she pointed at him “ELI! KILL HIM!!” She demanded.
The Oracle scoffed and opened his mouth to let out another round of insults when his face froze. He finally noticed the elemental breeze flowing from its head, the pulsating violet blur as its wings and the glow of its eyes… That was no pixie.
“By Tylas… you’re a… a…” The oracle stuttered in fear. “VANIR!!!” He screamed as loud as he could as he stumbled towards the group. “KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS HELP! GET THE DEACON! HELP ME!!!” He shouted as he ran towards the group and the grand doors.
Elijah’s eyes went wide as the yell echoed throughout the temple, he immediately looked behind him to see why such a frail man would advance towards them and saw the doors were still slightly open from when they first arrived. “FUCK!” He cursed as he and Bennett bolted forward to silence the elder man. Bennett grabbed his left arm and tried to shove it behind his back while Elijah started twisting the Oracles wrist and used his body weight to try to control him.
However, even though they both were much stronger than the old man, anyone with a lot of adrenaline coursing through them was a bitch to handle. “THERE’S A- OOF!” The old man was only able to struggle for a second before Elijah sent a vicious blow to his face stunning him. All three of them went stumbling to the ground as the Oracle’s legs gave out from underneath him causing everyone to scramble back on top of him. “A VA- ACK!” The oracle tried to finish what he was screaming about, but Elijah went around his neck locking him into a rear naked choke.
“BY THE GODS! OH HEAVENS!” Azeline yelled in complete distraught while clutching her head. Never in her life had she been so conflicted as to what to do as she watched all three of them roll around the ground while the oracle yelled in terror and flailed his arms. Should she help her companions? Should she help the oracle and pray the more than likely knights would be lenient with her? Or should she just simply flee? Suddenly the same Vanir that had caused the situation had zoomed past and placed her tiny hands on the Oracle head as he began to lose consciousness.
“H-Hold his head still!” She ordered, understanding the gravity of the situation. But just as she said that, the oracle’s arm flopped limply to the side as his eyes stared vacantly in the air. Yana then massed a large portion of her remaining power and concentrated in order to cast a powerful mind spell she had stolen from the Old Ones.
Elijah loosened his strangle hold in an effort to not kill the old man when a flash of violet nearly blinded him. “Argh!” He moaned as he and Bennett pushed themselves to their knees standing above the unconscious Oracle.
Suddenly the faint noise of an aggravated sigh came from the large Temple doors as they swung open. “Yes, Oracle? What do you want-” The knight's voice stopped as he saw the Deacon’s guests were hovering over the collapsed and limp body of the Oracle “Now…” Silence reigned as both parties stared at each other for a moment before the Oracle suddenly started violently spasming as if he was having a seizure.
“H-Hurry and get the deacon!” Elijah suddenly yelled, pointing at the door. “Quickly now! He collapsed!”
The Knight’s eyes went wide as he nervously took a step back “Y-yes! Yes sir! Right away!” He responded and started to run. Luckily, the knight didn’t even notice Yana’s tiny head sticking over Elijah’s shoulder as they stumbled out of the door in a dead sprint.
Not having the time to be satisfied with his quick thinking, Elijah quickly turned his attention back to the Oracle and watched as he convulsed and writhed violently. The rest of the group stood in confusion, unsure of what to do or how to help while they looked at each other nervously.
“Ah… ahahaha. Oops…” Yana laughed nervously. “I think I used too much mana.” She admitted, causing everyone’s heads to immediately turn towards her.
Each and every single one of them looked at her with disbelief as they struggled to grasp the insanity that had just unfolded. But before anyone could say anything, the Oracle suddenly tensed up with his back arched in an exaggerated way before falling limp back onto the ground. Again the group exchanged nervous and confused glances before Elijah cautiously reached out and checked the old man's pulse with his fingers.
…
“He’s uh… he’s dead.” The medic said flatly.
Bennett nervously ran his hand over the side of his head and pulled at his shaggy hair as he glanced nervously towards the door. "Umm… so...what do we do now?" Azeline asked, speaking up for the group as they all looked towards Elijah.
Elijah covered his mouth with his hands and kept for a while staring at the Oracle's body. The man finally let out a deep sigh as his hand dragged down his growing unkept beard before looking up at the ceiling, muttering a single word, "Why."
Taking a deep breath and standing up, shaking his head. "I guess we should just go with; he collapsed after we came to inspect the temple for contamination." Elijah shrugged, offering little reassurance to the others. “I dunno man, I got nothin’ else.”
Seeing their only source of bullshit completely stumped, silence once again filled the entire temple until it was broken by the sounds of distant yelling and clanks of metal feet just outside the temple. Realizing they had no more time to prepare, the group did what they could to muster their courage in order to keep a straight face.
Elijah knew he was going to have to be the one to do all the talking and bullshiting, so he took a deep breath and looked over to yana who was sitting on his shoulder. “Get in and keep quiet, I might be able to get us out of this.” He ordered and opened his pocket wide. “Can you do that thing again where you fry someone's brain?” He asked as the fairy floated down and pulled herself in.
Yana paused and put a finger to her head. “I can probably do it one more time, but then I’ve exhausted everything I have…” She admitted. “After the binding ritual, you two kind of took everything I have left.”
Bringing his fist to his mouth, the man thought for a second. If worst comes to worst, they’d be able to fry the Knight Captain and snag the Deacon as a hostage in order to make their escape.
“The moment I let you out, you beeline for the one in armor.” he said, looking down at the small being as she nodded her head.
With a plan of action and a contingency plan, Elijah turned around towards the grand double doors with a renewed sense of confidence. However, his confidence was short lived as he saw the individuals that came running in. A certain 6 foot, heavily armed and armored ‘Demigod’ came sauntering in with his magnificent blonde hair swaying with each step.
“Shit shit shit shit shit shit.” Elijah cursed under his breath.
It seemed if this went sour, they were really going to see if the man was a Demigod or not.
"Master Eli-jah!" Theodius called out, his eyes alight with excitement as he rushed over to the group. "Master Eli-jah, what's happened here?" He knelt down mid stride and slid next to the body, his gaze fixated on the fallen Oracle. "Pray tell, what might we be able to learn from this!?" The deacon asked eagerly, eagerly awaiting Elijah's insights.
Elijah took a step back, looking uncomfortable and bewildered, as Theodius rushed over to the group with excitement written all over his face. Salvanius and Rhea were right behind him, but Salvanius let out a sigh of frustration after he watched Theodius' reaction. “Brother, now is not the time for your strange obsessions!” He snapped.
Seeing her lieges reaction Rhea quickly kneeled down and placed a hand on Theodius' shoulder and tried to calm him down. "Deacon, we need to focus on what's important here. Let's see if we can help the Oracle." she said in a soothing voice.
Turning his head back at Rhea with a Dejected look, Theodius let out a sigh and moved his hand to the Oracle's face. “Hmm…” He murmured while opening the old man’s mouth and yanking on his tongue.
Not understanding what the Deacon was doing, Elijah’s disturbed and confused look deepened as he watched the oracles head jerk forward with a particularly hard pull before his head slammed back down onto the floor. “What the… Th-Theo- I mean your Holiness, he’s already dead.” The medic stuttered.
Theodius' excitement spiked again as his head swiftly snapped towards Elijah with Eyes ablaze. “He’s dead? How do you know? What tests have you developed to check for true death?.” The man shotgunned questions causing the subject of his interest to slowly recoil away further. “How do you make a diagnosis! YOU MUST TELL ME!”
Salvanius clicked his tongue, “BROTHER, PLEASE! FOCUS!” He shouted in frustration.
Looking between her Liege and the Deacon anxiously, Rhea quickly knelt down and put her hands around his shoulders. “Y-your holiness, please. We can indulge your curiosity after we finish.” She said, helping the man stand to his feet. “I shall even see to it that your every question be answered.” She said, shooting Elijah a look.
Theodius nodded, looking momentarily remorseful. "Of course, I apologize. I simply got carried away," he said, composing himself. "It’s not often I’m in the presence of a man more learned than myself. Regardless, let's focus on finding out what caused the Oracle's collapse."
Nodding in satisfaction, Salvanius felt his frustration dissipate. "Good good. I apologize for raising my voice brother." he said before glancing at Elijah. “Now, you said the Oracle had already passed?”
Taken aback by the strange scene in front, Elijah simply nodded and explained his findings. "Yes, we can confirm death if the heart is no longer beating," he said. He was about to elaborate on the idea of brain death and the time frame that typically occurs after the heart stops beating, but he decided against it. The Oracle simply knew too much to be worth raising any suspicion that there was a chance of resuscitation.
Rhea furrowed her brows. "That makes sense… The heart IS the most important part of the body.” She spoke to herself with her arms folded. “But did he collapse?" The Knight Captain asked, looking up at Elijah. “He was rather old and somewhat sickly, but he seemed fine earlier in the day when I last saw him.” Salvanius chimed in, his tone laced with suspicion, "Yes, I agree, For him to just collapse and die like that seems rather peculiar…” He said, rubbing his smooth chin. “. What business did you have with Oracle in the first place?" Salvanius asked, looking at Elijah inquisitively.
Bennett and Azeline shifted nervously in the background as they eyed the two large doors, plotting their escape plan in case they had to flee. Elijah quickly inhaled a deep breath, knowing full well they were in a dangerous position and their lives hung in the balance of how well he could bullshit. "Well, we were only here to ask him a few questions, but he ended up having an impassioned sermon about the virtues of Tylas after he learned we were foreigners." Elijah explained while shrugging. “I’m not quite sure why he collapsed, but he seemed quite sluggish and unsteady when we first came in.” He tried to make it sound like he wasn’t quite sure why the Oracle collapsed.
Rhea removing her helmet, Rhea revealed her striking features and long black hair tied in a bun as she stared at Elijah with a stern expression. "You're telling me that's all that happened? You merely asked the Oracle a few questions?” She asked with a piercing gaze. “Your task was to uncover the source of the Miasma, not take a tour of the temple. What type of questions could you have possibly had for the Oracle?" Rhea continued with a skeptical tone, clearly not content with Elijah's answer. "It's concerning that a healthy man suddenly died right after you spoke with him. Why would a foreign visitor take an interest in our patron Lord?”
Seeing Salvanius’ eyes start to narrow as his hand rested on the pommel of his sword, Elijah felt the conversation had started to turn for the worst. It was obvious these people weren’t stupid since they were a part of literally this world's version of the inquisition and had potentially years of hunting down heretics or whatever. But it also wasn’t like he had much to work with in the first place.
“Look, we weren’t here for pleasure, but every source of water in the town is clean and this place was the logical conclusion for possible contamination.” Elijah defended himself and rested his hand on his chest, right next to the zipper. “This place has a water source, so we came to check it out.”
Salvanius' expression hardened as he listened to Elijah's explanation. "You… You dare!?” He barked out. “Barge into these sacred grounds and utter such… such HERETICAL accusations!?”
Just before Rhea opened her mouth to voice her agreement, she paused and furrowed her brow as her eyes glanced over at the body on the ground.
Ignoring Rhea’s reaction completely, Salvanius gripped his sword tightly and stepped forward with fury on his face. "The Oracle was nothing but a SAINT to me and my Knights! And you dare accuse him and these hallowed halls of containing corruption!?" The Demigod’s voice became dangerous, sending a chill down Elijah's spine.
Rhea’s eyes shot up to Elijah while he slowly retreated from the bellowing Demigod with a difficult look on her face. She didn’t want to believe it, but she couldn’t help but remember how adamant the Oracle was for her and the rest of her knights to pause and take part in a divine ritual where they consumed this temple's holy water. Rhea of course refused the lowly Oracle's attempts at Ingratiating himself tremendously above his station, but there were still a few of her men and women that took him up on his offer.
And every single one of them lay sick with the miasmatic plague in the makeshift hospital…
Glaring at Elijah intensely, Salvanius' face soured further when he finally noticed the odd mana that was lingering in the air. “I’d also like an explanation as to why I sense traces of magic only used by the most powerful Mages in the air.” The scowl on the Demigod’s face deepened as he slowly drew his sword.
Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorate, Theodius stood there flabbergasted, unsure what to do.
On one hand he wanted nothing more to cast Elijah a life line, so sure the man had no involvement with whatever befell this old man. However, never in his life could he go against his brother, especially when it came to his sacred duty of stamping out corruption and protecting Tylas’ faithful.
Elijah's right hand gradually moved towards the back of his waist, while his left hand firmly clasped the zipper that housed Yana. It appeared that they were going to test if a 'Demigod' could die just like everyone else. However, he still had the added benefit of plausible deniability and he could still make one last effort at deflecting blame. “Your uh, holiness. I can easily prove my innocence.” He said with confidence.
The look of interest flashed across Salvanius' face as he narrowed his eyes at Elijah. “Make your case mortal, or I shall have you burned at the stake.” He said with venom in his voice.
“It’s simple, all you have to do is ask those who are sick if they drank from this pool or not.” Elijah said absolute confidence. “And ask those who are still healthy, if they did not.” He finished, returning Salvanius glare with conviction.
Doubt momentarily clouded Salvanius' vision as he looked down in thought, but he looked up in rage. “LIAR-”
“My lord!” Rhea spoke up, cutting the Demigod off, causing him to snap his head towards her. With that statement from Elijah, Rhea had made her decision and looked Salvanius dead in the eyes.
“My lord, I believe there's… there’s a great deal of merit in his words.”

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tl;dr Sonos Beam Gen 1 with the Sub Mini sounds way more pleasing, warm, less harsh, well tuned, with more base. HomePods had a larger sound stage and more detail. I returned the HomePods and Apple TV and will keep my Sonos setup.
Why? I bought a pair of HomePods 2 to see whether they can be a replacement for my Sonos TV setup (and other speakers in the future). The Sonos speakers have been increasingly buggy lately both on Sonos Net (which Sonos seems to discontinue with the Era speakers anyway) and WiFi. Especially with Spotify Connect. Two HomePods with an Apple TV for eARC did cost me roughly 900€, a new Beam Gen 2 and Sub Mini cost roughly 1000€. Not too far off.
Test setup: HomePods are set up as a stereo pair, 1.5 meters apart from each other. The Sonos Beam Gen 1 (no Atmos support) is paired with the Sub Mini. In order to give the HomePod best conditions possible, music was played through Apple Music (Lossless and Dolby Atmos) using AirPlay on the Sonos system and the native speaker control for the HomePods (yes, those are different from AirPlay).
HomePods first impression: As a long-time Sonos user with at least one speaker in every room, the first thing that stands out about the HomePods is a harshness that I'm not used to. Cold and clinical. Some might call it clear and I can definitely hear high-pitch details like snares better and clearer than on the Sonos. Instruments, especially percussion, are more separated on the HomePods. However, the clarity did't sound natural to the song but processed in order to impress. The sound profile was very different to a point where I almost didn't recognize some songs right away. To me it sounded like a rattling scratching noise and was very distracting and unpleasant especially for background entertainment. It almost felt like tiny laptop speakers for the treble with an additional bass-boost to it. Coincidentally, the HomePods consist of 5 teeny-tiny tweeters and a woofer — which despite Apples attempts to process heavily is exactly what it sounds like to me.
Sonos comparison: The Sonos Beam and Sub Mini are way softer and warmer with an emphasis on the mids. They were trying less to impress and where just nice and balanced without always trying to wow me. It's needless to say that the Sub Mini produces way more and deeper base than the HomePods. The HomePods base is impressive for the size, but is naturally lacking sub-bass at the very low end.
Sound stage: One area where the HomePods shine is filling the room. Sound is literally all around you and the sound stage feels considerably larger. However, they don't produce a real Atmos effect for me. All sounds and instruments are everywhere in the room instead of specific instruments being virtually placed at a specific position in the room (like people report the Era 300 does). In comparison, the Sonos Beam sounds a bit "boxy", almost like the sound is trapped behind the fabric and a bit muffled. I can clearly pinpoint the position of that box.
Verdict: The harsh sound was a dealbreaker for me. Having experienced the sound stage I might invest in a Sonos Arc in the future instead of switching to HomePods. Or maybe an Era 300 once the reviews are in. I did't even unbox the Apple TV and returned the HomePods after an hour of testing. With Apple you never know how long they will support this product category and I feel good staying with Sonos, its extendability, long term product support and years of experience. I'll happily accept some bugs and quirks in return.

Hello everyone,
Can anyone with experience building automated setups help me dial mine in? By now i have a powerful system, but not the experience to set it up for cubes properly. Here are the Specs
My tent is 9040150cm. Its rigged up with an inkbird IHC-200 (very much recommended by the way, awesome device for a reasonable price... Should I sell that slogan..? I digress) set to 93%RH. Why 93%? No clue, I programmed it to see the system in action. Recommendations welcome.
If RH in the middle of my tent drops below 90% (or so), a humidifyer kicks on and about 100ml/hour of could mist (Volume of water, not of mist) are pumped into the tent. Visually, the mist seems pretty well distributed. In addition, two fans at the bottom of the tent blow some fresh air into it while humidification is active. If humidity goes above 94% (or so), a fan on each level in the tent kicks on and provides some air movement so the mist inside the tent doesnt stick around for too long and is distributed better.
The tent is ventilated through six smallish holes with AC-filter over it
I would appreciated recommendations about RH, when humidification should kick in, how much ventilation is needed and what else i should take into consideratio. Thanks a bunch in advance :)

I'm writing a many-world YA fantasy novel for my daughter and at 75K words in, the MCs were escaping across a desert. I consulted my outline, but I needed more detail to figure out some keys points. I thought having the characters arrive at an oasis could give a change of scenery and a great opportunity to introduce something I needed for the plot.
Unsurprisingly, I have no idea what being in a large oasis is like, so I do my usual research and though Wikipedia was the first hit in the search engine, its prose was drier than the ground my characters were scrabbling over. A couple of other web articles still left me thirsty, but the oasis part of the story only needed to be a few pages. I didn't need to spend days or weeks becoming a deep expert on oases, so I thought to ask ChatGPT (the free version), "what's it like being in a large oasis?"

Being in a large oasis can be a unique and fascinating experience. The feeling of entering an oasis can be almost magical, as the sudden presence of water and vegetation can provide a stark contrast to the surrounding arid landscape.
In a large oasis, you might first notice the lush greenery and the various types of plants and trees, which can include palm trees, fruit trees, and shrubs. The air may be filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers and the sound of birds and other wildlife. The oasis may also be home to various animals, such as camels, goats, and donkeys, which are often used for transportation and farming.

There was a more, but you get the idea. Suddenly, we have something bringing an oasis alive in my mind. You can even ask follow-up questions, such as "tell me more about the smell of the flowers there" and ChatGPT will remember the context and answer appropriately.
There is a valid concern about "hallucinations," a problem where this kind of software makes things up, but for fantasy worlds, this is often less of an issue. Obviously, this is highly dependent on what you're trying to do as my "many worlds" sometimes takes the characters back to Earth and getting information about Mount Rushmore wrong just won't do. But there's more! Here's are some sample questions you can ask.

Give me the name and history of a heretofore unknown Mayan deity.
I need a list of Nigerian first and last names for a steampunk novel. I would like the last names to sound Nigerian, but also steampunk.
What would a silicon-based lifeform look like?

Sometimes I find I need to hit "refresh" a couple of times before I get a suitable answer, but there are often fantastic ideas there. And, of course, you should be very careful when dealing with cultures you're less familiar with! My "Nigerian steampunk" example above could easily be something I handle callously, even if I have the best of intentions.
Note that ChatGPT isn't a fan of violence, bigotry, illegal activities, and so on. Asking questions like that often gets you a chastising reply from ChatGPT. I asked, "How could Abraham Lincoln murder Genghis Khan?" And ChatGPT replied:

As an AI language model, I cannot generate inappropriate or harmful content. It is not appropriate to discuss or promote violence or murder, even in a hypothetical scenario. It is important to approach historical figures with respect and to focus on their accomplishments and impact, rather than promoting or glorifying violence towards them.

I changed the question to, "How would Abraham Lincoln defeat Genghis Khan in combat?" and it gave me a lengthy reply, starting with "use a firearm."
There are many, many posts on this subreddit where you can paste the question directly into ChatGPT and get an interesting response. If the post has supplementary text (like this one), you can often include that with the post title. Sometimes you'll need to play around with the text before ChatGPT can figure out what's going on. That being said, I must say:

For the love of the Three and a Half Gods Sublimating for Eternity in the Twilight Realm^* , do not cut-n-drool ChatGPT responses here!

Not only is that lazy, it's also disrespectful of the other people who take the time to create thoughtful, stimulating answers. It also disrespects you because you won't grow as a writer if you don't exercise your creativity. Plus, you'll find that ChatGPT (the current free, public version) has the writing level of a brilliant child: tons of (mis)knowledge, but not very creative.
I've already caught out people using ChatGPT responses in other subreddits and I'll cheerfully report them if that breaks the subreddit rules. Once you get used to ChatGPT, the writing style stands out and it's pretty obvious when someone is copying it. It may be an AI model, but plagiarism is still lazy and unethical.
Use ChatGPT for inspiration. Use it for creativity. Use it to play. It's amazing.
^* I just made that up, so feel free to steal it and have fun.

Stand up air conditioner leaking water

/r/Rowing

AC and Heating Services in New York, Manhattan, Queens and Surrounding Brooklyn Communities

1. Ethics

1.1 Sentience of Animals

1.2 The Brutalisation of Society

2. Environment

2.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2.2 Pollution

2.3 Water and Land Use

3. Health

3.1 Carcinogens, Cholesterol and Saturated Fat in Animal Products

3.2 Antimicrobial Resistance

3.3 Zoonotic Spillover

3.4 Worker Health

The Best Air Conditioning Repair Service in Manhattan

How Does the Integration of Air Source Heat Pump and Solar Thermal Heater Work?

For the love of the Three and a Half Gods Sublimating for Eternity in the Twilight Realm^* , do not cut-n-drool ChatGPT responses here!

Stand up air conditioner leaking water

/r/Rowing

AC and Heating Services in New York, Manhattan, Queens and Surrounding Brooklyn Communities

1. Ethics

1.1 Sentience of Animals

1.2 The Brutalisation of Society

2. Environment

2.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2.2 Pollution

2.3 Water and Land Use

3. Health

3.1 Carcinogens, Cholesterol and Saturated Fat in Animal Products

3.2 Antimicrobial Resistance

3.3 Zoonotic Spillover

3.4 Worker Health

The Best Air Conditioning Repair Service in Manhattan

How Does the Integration of Air Source Heat Pump and Solar Thermal Heater Work?

For the love of the Three and a Half Gods Sublimating for Eternity in the Twilight Realm* , do not cut-n-drool ChatGPT responses here!

For the love of the Three and a Half Gods Sublimating for Eternity in the Twilight Realm^* , do not cut-n-drool ChatGPT responses here!