I don’t want to sound too nasty, but beware this might sound really gross.
So I have 4 cuts on top of my wrist. They were made with something not clean. No more tan an icu long and not deep, skin is missing from them though. About a week old, and I put a tight bandaid over them immediately after they were caused. I didn’t know any better and left the bandaid on for a week straight… it was airtight and the adhesive part was on top of the cuts, not the soft part. It got really itchy and I took it off and it was red and bumpy and I freaked out and put antibiotic cream on it. I didn’t realize that I shouldn’t put antibiotic cream on until after I already did it. I put another bandaid on after that and put the adhesive part over the cuts again… I took it off again yesterday and put Vaseline on it and put the bandaid on again. Super itchy this morning and I took it off and the cuts look fine but the entire skin where the bandaid was is bright red and very bumpy and looks like there might be one or two blisters or white bumps… It itches and burns and my arm hurts. I haven’t put any more bandaids on but I put Vaseline on. I’m really scared that it’s infected. Does it sound like an infection or more like a bandaid rash? I know that rationally no one can diagnose me but I’m wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this and what happened.

Recently I bought an AIO for my computer and ever since I have been experiencing temps around 90-100 Degrees. This ranges from opening some applications on my PC to running games. This causes my Case fans to kick into maximum overdrive and start going really hard. Idle temps are generally around 45-50 Degrees when just sitting on the desktop and sometimes it will be around 60-70 when gaming. But frequently it jumps to 90-100.
I just have worries or concerns that my PC is hitting temps that it shouldn't be and that I may be running my CPU to the ground. I tried adjusting some airflow to my PC, I had the top fans on intake and then I swapped them to exhaust. Still having the same issues. I plugged my AIO into the AIO_Pump (instead of the converter cable it came with) and that didn't seem to help much. I am worried that I didn't apply enough thermal paste to the CPU when I installed it..
I guess I am Just looking for some additional thoughts..
CPU - Intel Core i9-12900K 3.2 GHz 16-Core OC'd to roughly 5.0
Motherboard - Asus TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1700
AIO - Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB UNI FAN SL120 EDITION
I have Intake fans on the Bottom and the Side panel of the case. And I have Exhaust on the Back and the Top.
Thanks!

Leah, taking on her role as the camp mediator, was determined to create an event that would provide a safe and supportive space for campers to open up and share their burdens. After careful consideration, she came up with the idea of hosting a confessional-style activity.
Leah had spent hours crafting the flyers, pouring her heart into each design element. She wanted them to reflect the essence of the activity. The flyers were meticulously handmade, exuding a rustic charm that was sure to catch the campers' attention.
The base of the flyers was cream-colored. On the top, Leah had drawn a subtle border of intertwined vines, symbolizing growth and interconnectedness. In the center of the flyer, Leah had sketched a small, cozy booth. The booth was inspired by traditional confessional spaces, with its wooden construction and a curtain partially drawn open. The woodwork was intricately detailed, displaying Leah's attention to even the smallest elements. The booth exuded an inviting aura, beckoning campers to enter and unburden their souls. Around the booth, Leah had drawn soft rays of sunlight, casting a warm glow on the surroundings. The sunlight symbolized hope, the promise of healing and renewal that awaited those who took part in the event. The rays extended outward, creating an ethereal ambiance that wrapped around the booth. In elegant, handwritten calligraphy, Leah had inscribed the details of the event at the bottom of the flyer.
With her plan in place, Leah quickly gathered the necessary materials. She set up a small, secluded area near the border of the camp, where campers could approach and talk privately. She placed a rustic wooden bench inside a makeshift booth, covered by a pink bedsheet. The atmosphere was serene, with candles flickering softly, casting dancing shadows on the ground. As the sun began to set Leah stood near the entrance, welcoming each camper with a warm smile.
She had hoped to create a space where they could find solace, where their secrets could be set free, and where healing could begin. She wanted the impact of this activity to ripple through the camp, fostering a stronger sense of community and understanding among the demigods of Camp Half-Blood.
OOC: Okay so, pretty simple. Just drop a comment with your character and Leah will respond by giving advice or just some understanding.

Do you guys have a go to place to find parts for your older Audis?
Got an ‘01 TT and the left convertible top sensor (bracket that holds a micro switch) has failed. The shop making the repair has reported that the part #8N7871443 was discontinued by Audi several years ago.
Sure enough, I see the same thing and can’t find it anywhere. There are brackets for the right side all over eBay, but none for the left.
Do I keep checking eBay, go to the junkyard, or am I SOL?

This is my own realization. Not saying it to be preachy lol
When I first started the tapes a year ago and really up until now, I viewed the ECB at something for me to drop my burdens in to before going on a journey, so they wouldn't get in the way, as Bob says.
And that very well may be the case.
But I always, always, always see others talking about since they started the tapes, they feel less anxious, less inner chatteworry about things outside of control, more focus, and just an overall sense of being connected.
I feel the same.
It occurred to me that it's always the opposite of those above attributes that we throw in to the ECB, isn't it?
We put those burdens into the ECB and the energy is converted and we experience the polar opposite of whatever we put in.
After realizing this earlier today, when I did a tape later on, the image of my ECB was super small. What was once a large concrete box with a heavy stone on top was now something the size of a ring box.
If you're looking for physical proof of this, I can't offer anything - but I do put my wallet in the ECB as a symbol casting off money worries.
I haven't struck it rich. My money problems are no better. But I don't spend anywhere near the amount of time worrying of it as I used to. They're just passing thoughts now.

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For those who haven't read the first phase, here's a link. I want to thank the people who upvoted and the ones who commented, I thought this sub would be tired of cinematic universe re-writes by now but I'm glad to see that my take on it is fresh and appreciated! Now, let's move into phase two of this universe.
Schedule

• Captain America: Out of Time
• The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms
• Excalibur
• Iron Man
• The Brotherhood of Mutants
• The Uncanny X-Men (Cyclops' team)
• Daredevil
• X-Corporation
• The New Mutants (Xavier's team)
• The Groundbreaking Giant-Man
• Fantastic Four: Rising Storm
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron

This phase keeps the mutants separated in their factions so that the phase three final event can feel larger in scale and more earned, and rather focuses on building up the Avengers.

Captain America: Out of Time

This movie is about the Winter Soldier story arc. We've already seen the mystery aspect of the whole Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier thing and Bucky wasn't introduced in the first film properly so I would avoid the mystery, rather skip straight to expositing to Steve that Bucky is back and deal with the emotional ramifications. Crossbones and Aleksander Lukin play the same roles they do in the comic arc, a side and the main antagonist respectively, Crossbones is a bit of a one-and-done. We will replace Union Jack's role in the original story with Ian Zola to continue their surrogate fatheson relationship, but Union Jack will be present at the end of the story in a post-credit scene joke.
This is a bit asshole-y of me but I want it to be out in the dirt-sheets that Captain Britain has been cast and may appear in the new Captain America film. We set that up and have someone like Taron Egerton on set for the film in 'leaked' pictures, and we finally have him show up after the credits, only for him to reveal himself to be Union Jack... and that's it. He probably won't show up in any other project again.

The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms

The movie starts with cameos from Cyclops and Iceman alongside Wolverine, showing Wolverine deciding not to stand by Scott's side and leave Scott's X-Men.
This is the start of the formation of X-Force, we have a couple of extra characters alongside Wolverine: namely Colossus and Deadpool. To be clear, this Deadpool is the same one from the Untitled Deadpool sequel, so he can continue to make meta jokes about the universe and try to bounce off of the new Colossus everytime he forgets its not the one he first interacted with in the first two Deadpool films. The main antagonist is a mysterious group moving behind the scenes to take down political enemies of mutantkind, who are using Nightcrawler and the newly introduced Spider-Woman to get things done, as well as Kitty Pryde, who audiences as of now still think left with Scott. This catches the attention of Moira, who is involved with the British intelligence at this point in time and passes word to a 'friend', later found out to be Psylocke.
The group is revealed to be Worthington Industries, as Warren Worthington III is behind it all (can't call him Angel because he isn't really powered anymore with his wings gone). He is eventually shut down but isn't killed.
Post-credits: Psylocke introduces the now unaffiliated Nightcrawler, Spider-Woman and Kitty Pryde to the idea of joining her team of mutant defenders and introduces them to their leader: Captain Britain. Excalibur, here we go!

Excalibur

Roster: Captain Britain, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Spider-Woman
This film is basically Kingsman but less spy and even more British. Our main villain is Modred the Mystic, and I would have him and a couple of minor antagonists working for him all played by BBC legends. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, the works. This film is basically a love letter to old BBC comedies and thespian culture, maybe some more cameos from actors who were in the IT Crowd, Yes Minister, BlackAdder and the like. Get Matthew Vaughn he knows how to balance British humour with an action plot he's done it quite a bit and we've had him in the universe already. There's room for social commentary about the villains all having south English accents and being played by actors all associated with that posh background too.
We have a smaller role from Black Knight too, he plays a part in fighting Modred but he isn't an official member of the team, more of a wildcard.

Iron Man

This will be an adaptation of the Demon in a Bottle storyline. Unlike Iron Man 2 it will not be a side plot but rather the focus of the film, as we've already seen Tony fight physical threats similar in skillset to himself a lot.
Ideally I want to bring Sam Rockwell back as an older Justin Hammer putting together a set of smaller villains - Blizzard, The Melter and Whiplash. We have Henry Gyrich and Nick Fury in small roles, as well as the Wasp and Namor making cameos similar to their roles in the original Demon in a Bottle comic arc.
I want Tony's emotional turmoil to bleed over into his personal life too, so we have Bethany Cabe and Pepper Potts both in the film, Potts just as his personal assistant while Cabe is the one he is in an actual relationship with. But it's clear that Tony has some reservations about Bethany and may be falling for Pepper. Rhodey is in this film too to give him some platonic support to lean on but no mentions of War Machine. A couple extra footnotes, Jarvis is a physical butler like in the comics, not an AI, and Tony does not go public with his identity.
The film ends with, yes, Hammer in jail, and two out of the three side villains dead (Whiplash survives and is in custody), but the real victory comes when Tony gets over his alcoholism. I don't want to insist upon any specific story beats, but getting someone like Dexter Fletcher to direct would be perfect as his work on Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman shows a deep understanding of egoist, narcissistic but undoubtedly talented people falling into substance abuse. That is the real core of this film and it's okay if the physical antagonists fall to the way-side for it.

The Brotherhood of Mutants

Magneto starts a cult in Latveria based around mutants being the next step in humanity's evolution. Members of the cult are Rogue, Mystique, Toad, Pyro and his twin children Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I would get someone like Greta Gerwig in on this who can create scripts that study characters inside and out as this movie should focus a lot more on the complexity of all the morally grey characters than any actual fights between the characters.
This obviously raises the eyebrow of Victor von Doom (who was already introduced in F4 if you recall), and the two ideologies clash. While Doom is not the outright villain in this film as both sides have problems, it's more a mix of grey. Magneto does 'lose' as Doom kills Pyro and warns Magneto to leave Latveria which Erik complies with. The film ends with Colossus hearing about the 'brotherhood', misinterpreting it as a school like Xavier's, and introducing Erik to his sister: Magik.

Uncanny X-Men

Established Roster: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Kitty Pryde
New Members: Armor, Gambit, Blink, Sunspot, Havok
This film basically begins with Kitty leaving the team which explains her involvement in the The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms. Cyclops very clearly has issues with Xavier and its explored how Scott feels Xavier failed the team by being too soft. The team have their internal conflicts about if this is the right thing to do, with Bobby and Jean pulling one way while Scott pulls the other. The villains are Sebastian Shaw and his latest recruit to the Hellfire Club: Abyss (Alexander Koch).
Abyss is killed by Shaw so he can absorb his power in the final battle, and Shaw fights Jean and Armor, seemingly having the upper hand after absorbing Abyss' energy but he is killed by a stray laser beam from Cyclops. The team is distraught that Scott would just kill a mutant in cold blood like that, causing a major rift. The team essentially is over, with only Jean remaining at his side. Havok decides this is not his fight to fight, while Sunspot, Armor and Iceman begin to agree more with Xavier and decide to leave for the Xavier School, and Gambit goes back to being essentially a free agent.

Daredevil

Get Drew Goddard and the Netflix series cast on this ideally, match that tone of elevated street-level work. This is essentially the Guardian Devil storyline from the comics, including the Mephisto, Wong and Black Widow stuff.
I don't really have a lot to say, keep Spider-Man as a major player even if the actor's cost is a bit steep as he will really bring eyes to this, as well as the debuts of Black Widow and Mephisto. Let 'em at it, but keep Gwyneth and Karen Page as separate characters, I know it could be tempting to roll them into one to keep the number of players in the storyline low and maybe avoid the PR trouble that comes with a teenage pregnancy in your cinematic universe.
Mysterio is revealed to be the guy behind everything in the final act, setting Bullseye and the Twin Killers on Matt and Peter and having made a deal with the devil. He is defeated, but not killed.

X-Corporation

Our next conceptual experimentation comes with the X-Corporation. My ideal team for this would be the same team that made Deadpool to allow for some dark and meta humour.
This is unlike the X-Corporation from the comics, rather it's the polar opposite. It's not an official company under the wing of Genosha or Krakoa or anything like that, but rather a rag-tag group of, essentially, nobodies. Worthington Industries continues its illicit activities, and two people notice it: Davis and Heather Cameron (Slipstream and Lifeguard, respectively). They decide to put together a team of their own, inspired by the X-Men. The team consists of themselves as well as Risque, Penance (Monet St Croix), Darkstar, Multiple Man, Domino, Cannonball, Sunfire and Thornn. The meta commentary and rag-tag style of team makes this movie sorta feel like a hybrid of James Gunn's Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy, but with mutants.
It's quite the large team, and that's the fun part because unbeknownst to them or the audience, a lot of them will be dead by the end of the movie. While not present in the marketing in any way, the movie makes it clear that not all of the team will survive this mission, almost in the way movies like the first Avengers did, a way that makes it seem like just a way to raise the stakes without doing anything about it, but this movie delivers.
Warren is back, but reveals that with the help of a new ally he has regained his ability to fly. Magneto, playing a much more villainous role now, has given Warren new metal wings, completing his transition to Archangel. These two along with a new player form our trio of villains: Mister Sinister. He is also working with Angel, but it is made clear in this movie that both Sinister and Archangel have a larger power they are working for.
The final battle is Mister Sinister against the X-Corporation, but Sinister decides to play his ace in the hole: a set of five clones to form "Sinister's Six" (including himself). The clones are of Wolverine, Mystique, Storm, Beast and Nightcrawler. The team's goal, previously taking down the Worthingtons, changes as they realise they are massively out of their depth. Their goal is now simply to get out of there alive. In the end, the clones are all killed and Sinister decides to live to fight another day but the team takes heavy losses. Risque, Penance, Darkstar, Sunfire, Thornn and most importantly: our protagonist, Slipstream, all perish. That leaves us with Lifeguard, Multiple Man, Domino and Cannonball alive.

The New Mutants

It's been long enough, get me the Russos on this one. They are oh so good at taking ensemble films, deconstructing them into their most raw character conflicts and raising those conflicts. I want that to happen here.
Established Roster: Professor X, Emma Frost, Storm, Beast
New Members: Thunderbird, Bishop, Jubilee
Magneto and Archangel decide to go after a common enemy: Xavier and his team. Xavier's school has produced some new talent who are being slowly integrated into the team, namely the three new recruits. Magneto and Archangel bring along Sabretooth too, who Xavier eventually realises is Logan's half-brother and convinces to join his side by the end of the film. Xavier is still our protagonist, as Magneto's ideals directly conflict with Xavier's ideals much like Scott, and Xavier feels massive guilt for his part in Archangel's crippling. We can have Xavier try his best to reconcile with Warren, drawing parallels to his own crippling (no details given, I want to hold that back but we do get some vague things like that it was a bullet that Xavier could very easily have avoided and that wasn't intended for him).
It seems like Xavier is getting through to Warren but just as that seems likely, Magneto realises why Xavier has never tried using his powers on Erik, or rather that he has but has failed due to Erik's helmet. He very quickly fashions a way for Warren to shut Xavier out, completing the Archangel look with a new exosuit and helmet. The final battle doesn't result in any deaths but the X-Men take a few hits before being put down, Storm eventually being the X-Factor when she electrocutes Warren's wings, shorting them and causing Magneto to flee with him.

The Groundbreaking Giant-Man

This is the Ant-Man sequel, as you may have realised by now I'm doing a weird thing with the titles where I change the alias and the descriptor for each film in the series. This is another Edgar Wright film, and while there will be comedy it will be slightly dialed back for more serious emotional weight. Not saying that funny films can't be films that make the audience feel, but some tonal consistency would be nice and a comedy having the kind of themes I want this film to explore would be a bit dissonant.
This film is about Hank realising he won't be around forever, and looking to pass the mantle on. This creates two options: Scott Lang, or an AI.
Scott and Jessica Jones are in a rocky relationship, we explore this as one of the central dynamics of the film, this is as much as Scott Lang film as it is a Henry Pym film. The main villain is Kilgrave who is manipulating Jessica but eventually Hank and Janet put an end to his schemes, Janet finally becoming the Wasp properly after a brief test run of the suit in Iron Man.
In the end, Scott's fractured emotional state after his tumultuous relationship with Jessica leaves him an unsuitable candidate for Hank, and he decides to create an AI to protect the Earth.

Fantastic Four: Rising Storm

I don't have a particular plot in mind for this film but I have an idea, basically just the coming of Galactus plot but with less of Galactus, rather more of Silver Surfer as a precursor to his arrival. Make it known that the Baxter Foundation is looked at with more and more raised eyebrows as they seem to be misplacing some important and dangerous things often, as proven by the existence of the Fantastic Four as well as the accidents involving Mole Man and Spider-Man.
The main things I want this film to accomplish is setup Galactus as a top threat for the future and strengthen the bonds between the F4 and their peers. Really make them feel united together, Alicia too is with Ben and the two are happy together. The Silver Surfer retreats, he is defeated (no switching of sides just yet).
Post-credits: Hank Pym, with the help of Reed, completes his AI: Ultron, the final pieces being some alien remnant tech that the Silver Surfer left behind. Ultron immediately awakens, becomes self-aware, and kills Hank before escaping the Baxter building, gaining access to non-nuclear missiles and decimating New York City using it. The extent of the damage is unknown in this scene.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

This film could even be a two-parter, but I think one 3 hour film should do the trick.
New York is decimated. In the wreckage, Wasp, Mister Fantastic, The Thing, Human Torch, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-Woman and Scarlet Witch are confirmed dead. We have an actual 'age' of Ultron as Ultron basically takes over the world, creates Vision and inhabits his body, while the rest of the world tries to survive. As you have realised by now, the only surviving member of the Fantastic Four is Sue Storm, and while its unclear which mutants died, Emma Frost and Wolverine who are two of the most prominent characters in this film, both imply that they lost many friends. We explore these characters' grief while in this dystopia. As must be clear by now, Ultron has no real personality. He is what Ultron should be: ruthlessly efficient, and unfeeling. The Terminator, given the goal to terminate the world.
We have a new character in Hawkeye and Spider-Man introduce us to the post-apocalyptic world, and then slowly the plot is discovered: that technology that Silver Surfer left behind is capable of travelling across timelines. Before their final gamble, we spend the majority of the film in this dystopia with all the heroes, exploring their lives in the post-Ultron world trying to survive and hide. Heroes from elsewhere like Storm, Black Panther, Namor and others come to New York too so that all the power is in one place to devise a plan against Ultron.
Our primary protagonists after the first few minutes with Hawkeye and Spider-Man are Wolverine, Invisible Woman, and Emma Frost. Wolverine and Invisible Woman have their screen-time and grieve their massive losses, but another important player must be Emma. Her arc of going from cunning and sly Hellfire Club member to standing with Xavier and choosing the right side of history is made very clear in this film.
We have our heroes send Wolverine and Invisible Woman to an alternate timeline, where they meet The Defenders which consists of Iron Man, Captain America, Ant-Man, Wasp, Professor X and another Wolverine. The two parties fight, thinking our heroes have been sent by Morgan Le Fay, before the Defenders realise that our heroes aren't lying about their timeline and agree to help them, using the Silver Surfer's technology to reconstruct another device to send them back to their timeline to before Hank and Reed create Ultron.
Our big 'final' confrontation is Logan and Sue trying to confront Hank about creating Ultron, trying to convince him not to do it. Hank refuses to listen, and eventually Logan is forced to kill him, causing him and Sue to become fugitives. Upon capture, Emma Frost reads their mind and realises they aren't lying. However, unbeknownst to all of them, Ultron knew about the technology (because of course he did) and followed the heroes into this point in the timeline. As Ultron does not exist in this timeline yet and isn't connected to the rest of the world in his semi-organic android Vision body, he is not more than his android body, resulting in our final fight being Ultron against everyone, a proper one versus all as Ultron's practically infinite computing power causes him to sense pretty much every attack that comes at him.
Everyone who died is back (minus Hank of course), but the final fight extracts a price too, as Black Panther dies when he gets in the way of a Vision beam headed straight for Namor. Emma Frost dies when she tries to infiltrate the mind of the android but encounters Vision's countermeasures, which instantly attack her and render her brain-dead. Emma dies trying to do the right thing, ending her arc over the course of the last two phases in tragic fashion. Ultron is eventually defeated when Doctor Strange uses magic to trap him in an infinitesimally small micro-universe after being worn down by everyone else.
And that's how this phase ends. The world is saved but it is quite the downer. Nick Fury however, sees potential in putting the non-associated heroes together, and decides to contact Tony Stark about starting the Avengers. Our movie ends with the very first Avengers team being put together.
Post-credits scene: The Baxter Foundation is officially disbanded, and Reed Richards replaces it with the Future Foundation.
So, to recap the end of the phase, here is how our factions look:-

• Avengers: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Wasp, Scarlet Witch
• X-Men (Scott's team): Cyclops, Jean Grey, Blink
• X-Men (Xavier's team): Professor X, Beast, Thunderbird, Storm, Bishop, Jubilee, Sabretooth, Sunspot, Armor, Iceman
• X-Corporation: Lifeguard, Multiple Man, Domino, Cannonball
• Future Foundation: Mister Fantastic, The Thing, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Wolverine
• Unnamed villain faction: Archangel, Magneto, Mister Sinister

The next phase will close out the first arc of this universe by eventually bringing the X-Men together for the final event, while also giving some hints to phases to come with some cosmic stuff and the introduction of the Inhumans.

"Come inside, the kids are upstairs." Molly was in a rush, I knew this much from the phone call we had earlier. She had never used me before but heard about me through word of mouth. Which meant that my little side hustle was starting to gain traction.
I am a babysitter for a good neighborhood. There's cars parked outside, lawns are manicured, and the occasional termite company is out doing rounds. I don't know why but I always feel as if there's a termite guy nearby, it's a pretty decent area. Which is a far cry from where I live, on the other side of the tracks, literally. There are train tracks that run through our town and it acts as a divide. But they didn't need to know that. They only needed to see the straightened hair, well spoken, fake braces wearing girl in glasses sporting a skirt that wasn't too short where the neighbors would talk.
Usually I sat down with new clients, have them introduce me to their kids (trust me it helps) in order to make a clear cut line with them that I am in their parent's employ and I am not there to be their bestfriend and will definitely tell on them if they act up or break something. That's not to say I won't play silly games with them, feed them, laugh, tell bed time stories, and age appropriate jokes. But I am nobody's rug.
That's what I usually do, but there wasn't such luxury this time. Molly called me on the phone and she sounded desperate for me to come out. I had concert tickets and told her that they were non-refundable and she suggested that if I could make it in 30 minutes then she'd pay me twice the amount for the tickets and 1.5x my usual rate. I got there in 29 minutes. It would have been sooner but I needed to air myself out if you know what I mean.
Anyways, Molly barely had time to look at my face, let alone get any of my credentials as she was rushing out. Working mom it looked like. Business, by the looks of the pencil skirt and the bag that doubled as a folder. It always amazes me how much trust some people put in others to watch their kids. What if I was a serial killer? Or a deranged lunatic? What if I killed the babysitter on my way here and now I'm in a house, alone, with all her children.
I'm not. But I mean, what if, right?
She didn't seem to think about any of these things, leaving me to mumble goodbyes as she pulled out of the driveway, barely audible as the turbos wound up and she shouted something out the window to the likes of, "It's all on the iPad".
Yeah, no more yellow lined paper stuck with the realtor's magnet on the fridge anymore. It's all digital now.
I closed the door and figured that I better check up on the kids before I did a rundown. God this house was beautiful. I climbed the stairs two at a time and rounded the hall. To be fair, calling it a hall was so basic of me. It was more like a wing. West wing madam. The wing could have fit my living room. I click my heels when I heard a snort come from behind me. I came to face a shaggy dog that was well groomed. The collar was black with an underline of blue. Tiffany's undoubtedly. "Hey," I reached a hand and scratched the mop of top. "Let's go find the kids," I tell the dog as if it could understand me.
There were a series of rooms, most of them closed, but it didn't take me a second guess which one was occupied. The second door on the left, I could hear a kid shouting obscenities about someone being trash. I knocked on that door first.
"Come in," he shouted still loud but slightly less angry.
I opened the door and saw a stereotypical gamer's room. Posters, action figures, a rocking gaming chair on the floor in front of a huge flat screen, and a boy about 9 or 10. He had on his headphones and was sipping a Dr. Pepper.
"Don't they know trash day is on Thursdays?"
He cocked his head and laughed, "If you're looking for my mom I think she's downstairs."
"I'm actually looking for you." And let me tell you something. The audacity of this younger generation. The way he looked at me. Almost made me feel as bad as how I felt when he shrugged his shoulders after he had a good look. "Excuse me," I walk in front of him and blocked the screen. "I'm your new babysitter."
He shrugged. "Cool."
"What's your name?"
"You can read all about it somewhere else."
"What?"
"It's all on the iPad," he told me.
"What's your name," I repeated.
He rolls his eyes and looks at me as if I had asked him a stupid question.
I don't budge.
He whined, "Bobbie. Now come on, the next rounds about to start." he pulled his headphones over his ears. I grabbed the remote to get his attention. "What. Hey come on."
"It's nice to meet you Bobbie. Your mom's going to be away for a few hours and I'll be here until she gets back. Dinner is at 6:00 and I will make snacks at 4:30."
"No cap," he motioned at the tv, "Now can I get back to my game.
"Sure I tell him." Pocketing the remote.
"Hey!"
"Bye," I tell him as I close the door behind me.
So I'm back out in the hallway. And I open a few more doors. Some were locked. Before I get into one that's rather plain. There's a picture hanging up behind the bed, a tv, some lamps and shade. On the bed sits an identical, about 9 or 10, twins it seems. Probably why Bobbie was tired of being asked which one he was.
This one was staring at the blank screen. No video games. And quiet. Now I've babysat my share of kids before, and have seen all sorts. Quiet kids are my favorite. They don't mind board games, or listening. Most often times they only need to be left alone. I don't do too much talking in case they get tired of hearing my voice. And I give them a lot of space. "Hey, sorry about that. I didn't think anyone was in here."
He turned to me slowly, "Hi. Are you the new sitter?"
I nodded, "Yup. And I'm guessing that you're Max. I'll be watching you guys while your mom is away."
"She's probably going to work."
"Yeah, looked like it." I see the iPad in his hands. "Hey. I was looking for that."
"She's always at work." He hands it over. "It's dead. And mom took the charger."
I tried not to sigh. This was not how I wanted things to go. "Well, ok. If you need anything. Let me know. Or else I can come get you at 4:30 for snacks and dinner at 6."
He nodded, "Thanks," and goes back to staring at the screen.
I smile but he doesn't see, so I leave, closing the door softly behind me.
I make my way downstairs, wandering into the kitchen and start taking stock of what's there. Which was practically everything. This kitchen was so chic that I half expected Gordon Ramsay to pop out and tell me that the banana bread I made didn't have a clue if he staked the curved yellow fruit down the middle (it's a bad question mark joke. Listen. I never said I was funny).
Once I made sure that there was food, or ingredients to make food. There wasn't much else to do. The house was spotless. The kids were fine. And even the dog seemed well behaved. So I plopped on the couch, took out my fake braces, and watched tv until about 4:10 before I started slicing apples and celery to go with some peanut butter.
I fed the dog some peanut butter and licked my fingers (not with the hand I fed the dog with), before heading upstairs. Bobbie took the plate no problem but I couldn't find Max for the life of me. I wandered the rooms as the dog followed, still trying to lick my hand. "Max, I've got snacks." I knocked on what seemed like the umpteenth door before I get to a rather solid oak one that seemed custom.
Inside was the biggest home library I had ever seen. And I once dog sat for a pretentious professor from the college nearby. I mean, there was a portrait of said academic holding his dog in 18th century art style hanging over the mantle place of the deep wood cabinets filled with books. And yet this library made the other one look like a neighborhood book exchange birdbox.
"Holy..."
"Cow."
I whirled around to find Max standing in the doorway.
"You shouldn't wander into Father's study."
"I was just looking for you," holding up the plate. He made a face. "What? You don't like PB&C?" I took a stick and crunched on the celery.
"I'm not hungry."
I shrug. "Take it anyway. In case you get hungry."
He grabs the plate from me without much struggle so I decide to leave him be. I went back downstairs and crashed in front of the tv.
When I woke up. It was dark. My mouth was dry and all of the lights were off. The screen saver flashed the logo in blinks, lighting up the room only momentarily. For a second I forgot where I was and felt my heart thumping in my chest. My alarm didn't go off but I don't know why I woke up. Then I heard it again. The sound that must have jerked me awake. A crash. It came from upstairs. I grab my phone and glance down at the numbers. It was 8:10. I had slept through dinner. Shit. Shit. Shit. Here I was trying to make a good first impression and I missed out on dinner.
I wipe what drool was on my face and took to the stairs. Bobbie was probably so immersed in his game that he probably didn't even know he was hungry. Max on the other hand. "Max?" I call out down the hall. All of the doors are shut. I can hear something panting behind me. I turn to see the dog again. Its head is down and there's barely any light touching its face. "Hey come here," I called but it retreated in the opposite direction.
Then I shit me not. I heard a creaking come from behind me. It was the only noise in the house. I couldn't even hear Bobbie yelling in his room. I turn slowly and see one of the doors down the hall is now slightly ajar. It's dark in here. It was dark everywhere. I pressed my hands against the wall searching for a light switch. "Bobbie," I call out. There's no answer. "Hey, sorry about the delay in dinner. I'm going to get to it now."
Why was this place so big? And why could I see the door?
"Bobbie. Max?" I hear the dog tapping its paws behind me. Someone on the other side of the house by now. "Hey, where are you guys?" I peer at the single door that's open and realized why it was so prominent. The hall was dark, but what was inside was even darker. Instead of going toward it, I try the first knob my blind fingers came across. Process of elimination I told myself. It was locked. I tried the next one. Also locked. I finally get to Bobbie's door and I knock. "Bobbie." There's no answer. I press my head against the door and listen. But I don't hear a single sound.
"Where are all the light switches in this place!"
The door that was open before slightly opens again. Creaking, *tic tic tic tic*, with each ungreased turn of the hinge. "Shit. Hey, stop playing around."
There's laughing coming from behind me. It sounded like a little kids. Too young to be either of the boys. Followed by smaller footsteps. It sounded like they were barefoot. "Hey, this isn't funny. I'm going to tell your mother when she gets home." I take out my phone and turn on the flashlight. "When is she coming home?" It was almost 8:30, when I realized that we never set a time.
I hear footsteps again, they were odd. Almost like falling. Like a toddler learning how to run for the first time but the hollow ground sounded as if the person was much heavier. I shine my flashlight over the hall. "Shit." The dog was sitting on all fours in the corner. It was facing the wall. I couldn't even see his face. Every hair on its body completely still.
"Hey," I called out. "Come here." I clicked my tongue. "Come here." The dog didn't move. I couldn't even see it breathing.
Bang! It sounded like thunder behind me. As if someone dropped something on the floor. As if something fell off a shelf or was pushed. I jumped around and shone my light down the west wing. I didn't know if I should have been more or less afraid now that the door was closed. "Bobbie? Max?"
God. I did not want to try the door. And I stood there for a minute before realizing how stupid I must have looked. These were some rich kids playing a joke on you Camilia. I know it. The thought of their smug little faces made me stomp out of my frozen state. I took a couple of strides over and grabbed the handle.
"Fuck!" The thing was hot. "What the hell! You guys could have hurt me," I yelled. I banged on the door. "Open up. You two are in so much trouble." I banged on the door again. "Open the door. Right now!" I could hear something on the other side. It sounded like shuffling. Heavy furniture perhaps. "You guys better not be messing things up in there. I'm not going to clean it. I mean it."
I banged on the door. "I can hear you in there! Now come on!" I put my hands on my hips and tapped my foot. "I'm waiting. Your little jokes over now." I banged on the door again.
That's when the door knocked back.
It wouldn't have scared me. I don't think. Except for the fact that I was surprised. And alone in the hall. Without any of the lights on. In a strange house. And before I could say anything else. Another door behind me knocked from the inside. "Shit. Both of you are in on this?" I grabbed the handle to the other door. It was also locked. I banged on it. "Come out right now. Max?"
But then a third door started knocked from down the hall. I felt my throat clump as I tried to swallow. "You guys weren't supposed to have anyone over." The knocking didn't stop. It kept echoing down the hall. "I'm not getting paid for three kids you know?"
Tat-tat-tat-tat. Tat-tat-tat.
I took a single step. And then all of the doors in the hallway suddenly started banging.
I almost tripped as I ran toward the stairs. The doors were thundering on so hard I thought they would crack their hinges. I skipped the stairs, the sounds chasing me as I tried to not fall and break my neck. When I got to the front landing I hear someone say my name.
"Camilia. Are you okay?"
I'm trying not to choke on a lung here as I shot my eyes toward the kitchen. The kids are sitting on the barstools lining the counter. There are two plates in front of them. As if they didn't hear the drumline upstairs.
"Is it dinner time yet," one of them asks quietly.
"Max?"
He smiles.
"Kids. I think there's someone in the house." I rush over to grab each of their hands. Bobbie's wrists are limp but it was Max's hands that shocked me. They were ice cold. I tried to let go but my fingers wouldn't uncurl.
He turns my hand over and says, "There's no one else in this house except us. I promise."
"No," I wasn't about to listen to the kid even if it was his house. "Something is wrong. We have to go. Now." I pick up Bobbie and he doesn't seem to want to move. "Come on Bobbie. Let's go." He looks over at Max who shrugs and get out of his seat.
Bobbie follows as I drag them toward the front door.
"Camilia," Max says.
"What?" He looked scared. Which made me turn toward what he was staring out. At the front door was a tall figure. I couldn't see its face through the glass. It was a stark figure of a man.
"Do you think it's your dad?"
Max shakes his head. I feel him pulling against my arm.
I call out to the man, "Hey! Who is it?" The man doesn't budge. "I'm calling the police." I turn to Bobbie, "Get the phone." He doesn't move. "Hey!" I'm trying to sound as angry as possible. "Get the fuck out of here!" I grabbed a roll of painter's tape from the side table and hurl it across the hall, hitting the glass squarely in the face where the man's head stood blocking the exit. He doesn't even twitch as the glass shakes.
"Come on," I grab their hands and rush to the back. I don't get 10 steps before I feel a scream crawl up my throat making me cough. The man was standing at the sliding door. "Fuck!" I drag the two of them with me towards the kitchen. It's a big place so there had to be a way out to the garage. We push through one of the doors and end up in the laundry room. The next door gets us out into a 3 car garage. My hands find the glowing green opener against the wall and I hear the opener fold seamlessly towards the ceiling.
It started with his feet. Then his ankles. His shins. Then his legs. Light poured in from behind him from the streetlamp. I watched as the door went to his waist before I hit the button for the garage to close, before rushing back inside. We make it into the kitchen to where I still see the tall man standing at the sliding door. A part of me wants to hide in the laundry room but I didn't want to be sandwiched in the middle of the house. So I pull the boys back up the stairs, back to where the doors banged themselves. Taking out my phone as we ascended, and called 911.
"This is the police operator speaking."
"HELLO", I hope they could hear me, "There are several men trying to get inside!"
"Men? Are you in any danger?"
"No! But they have us surrounded!"
"Why don't you go outside?"
My tongue suddenly felt numb in my mouth. Like I didn't know what to do with it. "W-what?"
"It's stranger in the house."
The line went dead as we hit the hallway.
I only took my eyes off of them for a second before Bobbie. Or Max. Runs down the hall. The one or the other already slipping through a door ahead. I look back down the stairs and see that the man is still standing in front of the doorway. I look back up and see the other boy also going through the same door. I take a single step and the doors start pounding on either side. I shut my eyes and turn around. Afraid to go. Almost deciding that these weren't my kids. That I should run away. I take a step backwards mouthing that I was sorry. But I was too scared to go! "Max! Bobbie!" My back foot sticks to the floor. I don't want to look down but the next step sticks too. I point my phone to the ground and see a trail of blood. And just behind me. It's the dog. Split right down the middle, its spine shiny and white, still facing the wall. I could see its organs still pulsing.
I couldn't go back downstairs. I couldn't go the other way. I couldn't leave them here. I couldn't be alone.
I ran after them. The thundering of the doors following me as frames fell to the floor. A vase rolled off a table in the hall. It came crashing at my feet. I run my shoulder through the door, except it wasn't locked. Which caused me to go crashing, sprawling to the floor. Running into the desk in the middle of the room.
The study.
Many of the books were off the shelves. The carpet was torn. There were curtains on fire. It was the first time a saw a window as they burned.
"Camilia!"
I hear one of their voices shouting at me.
"Camilia!" It came again. "Help!"
I get to my feet and start working my hands along the desk. I didn't have to search far. The bookcase directly behind the chair had been swung open. "Camilia!" I wipe the blood from my eyebrow where it had split and step into the tunnel behind the secret passage.
The tunnel started off tall and wide, but as I kept walking in. It got smaller and smaller. I started having to hunch. Several times I decided to turn back. But their voices would echo through, calling for me. Asking for help. "I'm coming!"
"I can't hold on! Camilia! Please!"
The twins cry for help bounced off the walls. I was finally on my hands and knees when I finally see two holes on either side. I'm afraid to look but then one of their voices came through clear as day. "Camilia." It was right in my ear now. I turned to see the boy naked and huddling, hugging his knees at the back of his hole.
"Camilia! Help! I don't want to play this game anymore!"
"Bobbie?"
"Help me!"
I look into the hole, the walls are pressing on my back and there's dust going into my lungs. I can barely turn my shoulder. "Crawl out!"
"I can't!"
"Crawl out! I'm right here." I take out my hand, "Come on!"
"Camilia!" Came a voice from the other side.
I turn my head and see Max in the other hole.
"No!" Bobbie shouts at me. "No!"
"Hold on," I tell him. "I'm going to get both of you out of here."
"No," Bobbie cries. "It's all his fault. He's the one that did it. He's the one that wants to get out!"
"Bobbie, what are you talking about."
"He's the one that put something in your drink so you'd fall asleep!"
"He's lying!" Max's voice rang through. "It's him! I saw him. Always in father's study! Reading those books! Trying out those things he reads. Those curses. Those spells. It's why the shadow men are after him! Camilia! You have to believe me."
I can hear Bobbie crying, "Why are you lying! I don't want to play anymore," he screeches. "I don't want to play!" He sobs. "You said you'd go away if I told you that I didn't want to play anymore."
I don't know what made me do it. It sure wasn't the nauseating squealing tantrum of the boy which made me reach for him first. Maybe it was because I wanted him to shut up. I don't know but I plunged my arm up to my shoulder in to grab his collar.
Instantly I screamed and saw tiny spiders, short thing legs with round white backs crawl over my arms. I shook my arm in the hole, trying to smother them against the walls. That only caused these long brown flat slugs to fall. I saw one land on my hand. It had three distinct tendon-like lines running across its back and was about a half inch long. I pulled my arm out of the hole as I felt it pierce its flat head into the back of my hand. I dropped my phone and heard it crack as the light splintered in the small, suffocating tunnel. But I didn't care as I looked at my hand and saw it burrowing its tiny spearhead below my skin. I grabbed at the wiggling tail still exposed and tried pulling it out.
It was like trying to pull our barbed wire. The spines on its body were facing me. So with each pull they dug deeper inside. I could see blood pooling under my skin, it was starting to turn purple as I tugged on its tail even harder. Until it gave. Popped right off and lay twitching in my hand. The head missing.
I couldn't take it anymore. Really. I had tried my best. I shake my head. "Bobbie. Bobbie. I'm sorry." But it didn't matter. When I looked over at Bobbie. He was covered in it. All of it. Even the spiders.
My jeans started shifting as I tried to wiggle myself out of there. But I hear Max's cry again. "Camilia! Please!"
"No," I whimpered. Shaking. I couldn't reach my hand in there again. But his voice was so scared. More scared than the pain I felt.
I shot my arm inside. Bracing. Waiting for the pain. But there was none. Instead my hands grasped around his collar and I felt his cold clammy skin, and yanked him from the hole. He came without much struggle. His face covered in the soot of it all. "Camilia," he cried. "You picked me. You did it."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that I almost didn't.
"Come on," I cried. "We. Have. To go."
The two of us wiggled our way out of there, crawling on our hands and knees, and running when we could. We finally make it back into the study. And the fire is roaring now. One of the books fall from the shelves and when it hit the fire I swear it started screaming. There was so much smoke that I couldn't see. And the door was covered by the flames.
I pointed to the window, the curtains on the floor in ashes. I kick the window. It didn't budge. I coughed. I kicked it again. The glass shook. I kicked it again and my foot went through. Pieces of the glass still hung in the frame, I use the tips of my fingers and pull them back. They fall to the floor cracking until there was a hole big enough for me to get through.
I plunge my head out and take my first breath of fresh air. The moon was full and the sky was clear. I could hear sirens coming off in the distance. When both of my feet were on the roof. I reach my hand back and grab Max from the burning house. Together we run across the clay tiles and climb down the arched tree. The red fire truck comes screeching to a stop as several firemen help us down.
One of them pushes a breathing mask on me, and wraps me up. The neighbors are outside, and the police arrive. I see a familiar car come roaring down the street, screaming to a halt as Molly runs out. Her face is flustered and she's shouting. Pushing through the cops until she reaches me next to the ambulance.
"What happened," she literally screamed at me.
"I'm so sorry," I tell her. "There were these men." I take another breath. "I couldn't do anything! B-but I saved Max! I saved him!"
She looked at the house. It was blazing now in the cool night. "Oh my god. Is Bobbie still in there?" Molly starts to cry. "My baby!"
"Max. But Max." I cough. "Max is okay!"
And she turns to me. I wasn't expecting her to be grateful. But there's anger on her face. "You didn't save my son. But you saved our dog?"
I shake my head. "No. Max. Your other son." I looked around but he was nowhere to be found.
s

"Come inside, the kids are upstairs." Molly was in a rush, I knew this much from the phone call we had earlier. She had never used me before but heard about me through word of mouth. Which meant that my little side hustle was starting to gain traction.
I am a babysitter for a good neighborhood. There's cars parked outside, lawns are manicured, and the occasional termite company is out doing rounds. I don't know why but I always feel as if there's a termite guy nearby, it's a pretty decent area. Which is a far cry from where I live, on the other side of the tracks, literally. There are train tracks that run through our town and it acts as a divide. But they didn't need to know that. They only needed to see the straightened hair, well spoken, fake braces wearing girl in glasses sporting a skirt that wasn't too short where the neighbors would talk.
Usually I sat down with new clients, have them introduce me to their kids (trust me it helps) in order to make a clear cut line with them that I am in their parent's employ and I am not there to be their bestfriend and will definitely tell on them if they act up or break something. That's not to say I won't play silly games with them, feed them, laugh, tell bed time stories, and age appropriate jokes. But I am nobody's rug.
That's what I usually do, but there wasn't such luxury this time. Molly called me on the phone and she sounded desperate for me to come out. I had concert tickets and told her that they were non-refundable and she suggested that if I could make it in 30 minutes then she'd pay me twice the amount for the tickets and 1.5x my usual rate. I got there in 29 minutes. It would have been sooner but I needed to air myself out if you know what I mean.
Anyways, Molly barely had time to look at my face, let alone get any of my credentials as she was rushing out. Working mom it looked like. Business, by the looks of the pencil skirt and the bag that doubled as a folder. It always amazes me how much trust some people put in others to watch their kids. What if I was a serial killer? Or a deranged lunatic? What if I killed the babysitter on my way here and now I'm in a house, alone, with all her children.
I'm not. But I mean, what if, right?
She didn't seem to think about any of these things, leaving me to mumble goodbyes as she pulled out of the driveway, barely audible as the turbos wound up and she shouted something out the window to the likes of, "It's all on the iPad".
Yeah, no more yellow lined paper stuck with the realtor's magnet on the fridge anymore. It's all digital now.
I closed the door and figured that I better check up on the kids before I did a rundown. God this house was beautiful. I climbed the stairs two at a time and rounded the hall. To be fair, calling it a hall was so basic of me. It was more like a wing. West wing madam. The wing could have fit my living room. I click my heels when I heard a snort come from behind me. I came to face a shaggy dog that was well groomed. The collar was black with an underline of blue. Tiffany's undoubtedly. "Hey," I reached a hand and scratched the mop of top. "Let's go find the kids," I tell the dog as if it could understand me.
There were a series of rooms, most of them closed, but it didn't take me a second guess which one was occupied. The second door on the left, I could hear a kid shouting obscenities about someone being trash. I knocked on that door first.
"Come in," he shouted still loud but slightly less angry.
I opened the door and saw a stereotypical gamer's room. Posters, action figures, a rocking gaming chair on the floor in front of a huge flat screen, and a boy about 9 or 10. He had on his headphones and was sipping a Dr. Pepper.
"Don't they know trash day is on Thursdays?"
He cocked his head and laughed, "If you're looking for my mom I think she's downstairs."
"I'm actually looking for you." And let me tell you something. The audacity of this younger generation. The way he looked at me. Almost made me feel as bad as how I felt when he shrugged his shoulders after he had a good look. "Excuse me," I walk in front of him and blocked the screen. "I'm your new babysitter."
He shrugged. "Cool."
"What's your name?"
"You can read all about it somewhere else."
"What?"
"It's all on the iPad," he told me.
"What's your name," I repeated.
He rolls his eyes and looks at me as if I had asked him a stupid question.
I don't budge.
He whined, "Bobbie. Now come on, the next rounds about to start." he pulled his headphones over his ears. I grabbed the remote to get his attention. "What. Hey come on."
"It's nice to meet you Bobbie. Your mom's going to be away for a few hours and I'll be here until she gets back. Dinner is at 6:00 and I will make snacks at 4:30."
"No cap," he motioned at the tv, "Now can I get back to my game.
"Sure I tell him." Pocketing the remote.
"Hey!"
"Bye," I tell him as I close the door behind me.
So I'm back out in the hallway. And I open a few more doors. Some were locked. Before I get into one that's rather plain. There's a picture hanging up behind the bed, a tv, some lamps and shade. On the bed sits an identical, about 9 or 10, twins it seems. Probably why Bobbie was tired of being asked which one he was.
This one was staring at the blank screen. No video games. And quiet. Now I've babysat my share of kids before, and have seen all sorts. Quiet kids are my favorite. They don't mind board games, or listening. Most often times they only need to be left alone. I don't do too much talking in case they get tired of hearing my voice. And I give them a lot of space. "Hey, sorry about that. I didn't think anyone was in here."
He turned to me slowly, "Hi. Are you the new sitter?"
I nodded, "Yup. And I'm guessing that you're Max. I'll be watching you guys while your mom is away."
"She's probably going to work."
"Yeah, looked like it." I see the iPad in his hands. "Hey. I was looking for that."
"She's always at work." He hands it over. "It's dead. And mom took the charger."
I tried not to sigh. This was not how I wanted things to go. "Well, ok. If you need anything. Let me know. Or else I can come get you at 4:30 for snacks and dinner at 6."
He nodded, "Thanks," and goes back to staring at the screen.
I smile but he doesn't see, so I leave, closing the door softly behind me.
I make my way downstairs, wandering into the kitchen and start taking stock of what's there. Which was practically everything. This kitchen was so chic that I half expected Gordon Ramsay to pop out and tell me that the banana bread I made didn't have a clue if he staked the curved yellow fruit down the middle (it's a bad question mark joke. Listen. I never said I was funny).
Once I made sure that there was food, or ingredients to make food. There wasn't much else to do. The house was spotless. The kids were fine. And even the dog seemed well behaved. So I plopped on the couch, took out my fake braces, and watched tv until about 4:10 before I started slicing apples and celery to go with some peanut butter.
I fed the dog some peanut butter and licked my fingers (not with the hand I fed the dog with), before heading upstairs. Bobbie took the plate no problem but I couldn't find Max for the life of me. I wandered the rooms as the dog followed, still trying to lick my hand. "Max, I've got snacks." I knocked on what seemed like the umpteenth door before I get to a rather solid oak one that seemed custom.
Inside was the biggest home library I had ever seen. And I once dog sat for a pretentious professor from the college nearby. I mean, there was a portrait of said academic holding his dog in 18th century art style hanging over the mantle place of the deep wood cabinets filled with books. And yet this library made the other one look like a neighborhood book exchange birdbox.
"Holy..."
"Cow."
I whirled around to find Max standing in the doorway.
"You shouldn't wander into Father's study."
"I was just looking for you," holding up the plate. He made a face. "What? You don't like PB&C?" I took a stick and crunched on the celery.
"I'm not hungry."
I shrug. "Take it anyway. In case you get hungry."
He grabs the plate from me without much struggle so I decide to leave him be. I went back downstairs and crashed in front of the tv.
When I woke up. It was dark. My mouth was dry and all of the lights were off. The screen saver flashed the logo in blinks, lighting up the room only momentarily. For a second I forgot where I was and felt my heart thumping in my chest. My alarm didn't go off but I don't know why I woke up. Then I heard it again. The sound that must have jerked me awake. A crash. It came from upstairs. I grab my phone and glance down at the numbers. It was 8:10. I had slept through dinner. Shit. Shit. Shit. Here I was trying to make a good first impression and I missed out on dinner.
I wipe what drool was on my face and took to the stairs. Bobbie was probably so immersed in his game that he probably didn't even know he was hungry. Max on the other hand. "Max?" I call out down the hall. All of the doors are shut. I can hear something panting behind me. I turn to see the dog again. Its head is down and there's barely any light touching its face. "Hey come here," I called but it retreated in the opposite direction.
Then I shit me not. I heard a creaking come from behind me. It was the only noise in the house. I couldn't even hear Bobbie yelling in his room. I turn slowly and see one of the doors down the hall is now slightly ajar. It's dark in here. It was dark everywhere. I pressed my hands against the wall searching for a light switch. "Bobbie," I call out. There's no answer. "Hey, sorry about the delay in dinner. I'm going to get to it now."
Why was this place so big? And why could I see the door?
"Bobbie. Max?" I hear the dog tapping its paws behind me. Someone on the other side of the house by now. "Hey, where are you guys?" I peer at the single door that's open and realized why it was so prominent. The hall was dark, but what was inside was even darker. Instead of going toward it, I try the first knob my blind fingers came across. Process of elimination I told myself. It was locked. I tried the next one. Also locked. I finally get to Bobbie's door and I knock. "Bobbie." There's no answer. I press my head against the door and listen. But I don't hear a single sound.
"Where are all the light switches in this place!"
The door that was open before slightly opens again. Creaking, *tic tic tic tic*, with each ungreased turn of the hinge. "Shit. Hey, stop playing around."
There's laughing coming from behind me. It sounded like a little kids. Too young to be either of the boys. Followed by smaller footsteps. It sounded like they were barefoot. "Hey, this isn't funny. I'm going to tell your mother when she gets home." I take out my phone and turn on the flashlight. "When is she coming home?" It was almost 8:30, when I realized that we never set a time.
I hear footsteps again, they were odd. Almost like falling. Like a toddler learning how to run for the first time but the hollow ground sounded as if the person was much heavier. I shine my flashlight over the hall. "Shit." The dog was sitting on all fours in the corner. It was facing the wall. I couldn't even see his face. Every hair on its body completely still.
"Hey," I called out. "Come here." I clicked my tongue. "Come here." The dog didn't move. I couldn't even see it breathing.
Bang! It sounded like thunder behind me. As if someone dropped something on the floor. As if something fell off a shelf or was pushed. I jumped around and shone my light down the west wing. I didn't know if I should have been more or less afraid now that the door was closed. "Bobbie? Max?"
God. I did not want to try the door. And I stood there for a minute before realizing how stupid I must have looked. These were some rich kids playing a joke on you Camilia. I know it. The thought of their smug little faces made me stomp out of my frozen state. I took a couple of strides over and grabbed the handle.
"Fuck!" The thing was hot. "What the hell! You guys could have hurt me," I yelled. I banged on the door. "Open up. You two are in so much trouble." I banged on the door again. "Open the door. Right now!" I could hear something on the other side. It sounded like shuffling. Heavy furniture perhaps. "You guys better not be messing things up in there. I'm not going to clean it. I mean it."
I banged on the door. "I can hear you in there! Now come on!" I put my hands on my hips and tapped my foot. "I'm waiting. Your little jokes over now." I banged on the door again.
That's when the door knocked back.
It wouldn't have scared me. I don't think. Except for the fact that I was surprised. And alone in the hall. Without any of the lights on. In a strange house. And before I could say anything else. Another door behind me knocked from the inside. "Shit. Both of you are in on this?" I grabbed the handle to the other door. It was also locked. I banged on it. "Come out right now. Max?"
But then a third door started knocked from down the hall. I felt my throat clump as I tried to swallow. "You guys weren't supposed to have anyone over." The knocking didn't stop. It kept echoing down the hall. "I'm not getting paid for three kids you know?"
Tat-tat-tat-tat. Tat-tat-tat.
I took a single step. And then all of the doors in the hallway suddenly started banging.
I almost tripped as I ran toward the stairs. The doors were thundering on so hard I thought they would crack their hinges. I skipped the stairs, the sounds chasing me as I tried to not fall and break my neck. When I got to the front landing I hear someone say my name.
"Camilia. Are you okay?"
I'm trying not to choke on a lung here as I shot my eyes toward the kitchen. The kids are sitting on the barstools lining the counter. There are two plates in front of them. As if they didn't hear the drumline upstairs.
"Is it dinner time yet," one of them asks quietly.
"Max?"
He smiles.
"Kids. I think there's someone in the house." I rush over to grab each of their hands. Bobbie's wrists are limp but it was Max's hands that shocked me. They were ice cold. I tried to let go but my fingers wouldn't uncurl.
He turns my hand over and says, "There's no one else in this house except us. I promise."
"No," I wasn't about to listen to the kid even if it was his house. "Something is wrong. We have to go. Now." I pick up Bobbie and he doesn't seem to want to move. "Come on Bobbie. Let's go." He looks over at Max who shrugs and get out of his seat.
Bobbie follows as I drag them toward the front door.
"Camilia," Max says.
"What?" He looked scared. Which made me turn toward what he was staring out. At the front door was a tall figure. I couldn't see its face through the glass. It was a stark figure of a man.
"Do you think it's your dad?"
Max shakes his head. I feel him pulling against my arm.
I call out to the man, "Hey! Who is it?" The man doesn't budge. "I'm calling the police." I turn to Bobbie, "Get the phone." He doesn't move. "Hey!" I'm trying to sound as angry as possible. "Get the fuck out of here!" I grabbed a roll of painter's tape from the side table and hurl it across the hall, hitting the glass squarely in the face where the man's head stood blocking the exit. He doesn't even twitch as the glass shakes.
"Come on," I grab their hands and rush to the back. I don't get 10 steps before I feel a scream crawl up my throat making me cough. The man was standing at the sliding door. "Fuck!" I drag the two of them with me towards the kitchen. It's a big place so there had to be a way out to the garage. We push through one of the doors and end up in the laundry room. The next door gets us out into a 3 car garage. My hands find the glowing green opener against the wall and I hear the opener fold seamlessly towards the ceiling.
It started with his feet. Then his ankles. His shins. Then his legs. Light poured in from behind him from the streetlamp. I watched as the door went to his waist before I hit the button for the garage to close, before rushing back inside. We make it into the kitchen to where I still see the tall man standing at the sliding door. A part of me wants to hide in the laundry room but I didn't want to be sandwiched in the middle of the house. So I pull the boys back up the stairs, back to where the doors banged themselves. Taking out my phone as we ascended, and called 911.
"This is the police operator speaking."
"HELLO", I hope they could hear me, "There are several men trying to get inside!"
"Men? Are you in any danger?"
"No! But they have us surrounded!"
"Why don't you go outside?"
My tongue suddenly felt numb in my mouth. Like I didn't know what to do with it. "W-what?"
"It's stranger in the house."
The line went dead as we hit the hallway.
I only took my eyes off of them for a second before Bobbie. Or Max. Runs down the hall. The one or the other already slipping through a door ahead. I look back down the stairs and see that the man is still standing in front of the doorway. I look back up and see the other boy also going through the same door. I take a single step and the doors start pounding on either side. I shut my eyes and turn around. Afraid to go. Almost deciding that these weren't my kids. That I should run away. I take a step backwards mouthing that I was sorry. But I was too scared to go! "Max! Bobbie!" My back foot sticks to the floor. I don't want to look down but the next step sticks too. I point my phone to the ground and see a trail of blood. And just behind me. It's the dog. Split right down the middle, its spine shiny and white, still facing the wall. I could see its organs still pulsing.
I couldn't go back downstairs. I couldn't go the other way. I couldn't leave them here. I couldn't be alone.
I ran after them. The thundering of the doors following me as frames fell to the floor. A vase rolled off a table in the hall. It came crashing at my feet. I run my shoulder through the door, except it wasn't locked. Which caused me to go crashing, sprawling to the floor. Running into the desk in the middle of the room.
The study.
Many of the books were off the shelves. The carpet was torn. There were curtains on fire. It was the first time a saw a window as they burned.
"Camilia!"
I hear one of their voices shouting at me.
"Camilia!" It came again. "Help!"
I get to my feet and start working my hands along the desk. I didn't have to search far. The bookcase directly behind the chair had been swung open. "Camilia!" I wipe the blood from my eyebrow where it had split and step into the tunnel behind the secret passage.
The tunnel started off tall and wide, but as I kept walking in. It got smaller and smaller. I started having to hunch. Several times I decided to turn back. But their voices would echo through, calling for me. Asking for help. "I'm coming!"
"I can't hold on! Camilia! Please!"
The twins cry for help bounced off the walls. I was finally on my hands and knees when I finally see two holes on either side. I'm afraid to look but then one of their voices came through clear as day. "Camilia." It was right in my ear now. I turned to see the boy naked and huddling, hugging his knees at the back of his hole.
"Camilia! Help! I don't want to play this game anymore!"
"Bobbie?"
"Help me!"
I look into the hole, the walls are pressing on my back and there's dust going into my lungs. I can barely turn my shoulder. "Crawl out!"
"I can't!"
"Crawl out! I'm right here." I take out my hand, "Come on!"
"Camilia!" Came a voice from the other side.
I turn my head and see Max in the other hole.
"No!" Bobbie shouts at me. "No!"
"Hold on," I tell him. "I'm going to get both of you out of here."
"No," Bobbie cries. "It's all his fault. He's the one that did it. He's the one that wants to get out!"
"Bobbie, what are you talking about."
"He's the one that put something in your drink so you'd fall asleep!"
"He's lying!" Max's voice rang through. "It's him! I saw him. Always in father's study! Reading those books! Trying out those things he reads. Those curses. Those spells. It's why the shadow men are after him! Camilia! You have to believe me."
I can hear Bobbie crying, "Why are you lying! I don't want to play anymore," he screeches. "I don't want to play!" He sobs. "You said you'd go away if I told you that I didn't want to play anymore."
I don't know what made me do it. It sure wasn't the nauseating squealing tantrum of the boy which made me reach for him first. Maybe it was because I wanted him to shut up. I don't know but I plunged my arm up to my shoulder in to grab his collar.
Instantly I screamed and saw tiny spiders, short thing legs with round white backs crawl over my arms. I shook my arm in the hole, trying to smother them against the walls. That only caused these long brown flat slugs to fall. I saw one land on my hand. It had three distinct tendon-like lines running across its back and was about a half inch long. I pulled my arm out of the hole as I felt it pierce its flat head into the back of my hand. I dropped my phone and heard it crack as the light splintered in the small, suffocating tunnel. But I didn't care as I looked at my hand and saw it burrowing its tiny spearhead below my skin. I grabbed at the wiggling tail still exposed and tried pulling it out.
It was like trying to pull our barbed wire. The spines on its body were facing me. So with each pull they dug deeper inside. I could see blood pooling under my skin, it was starting to turn purple as I tugged on its tail even harder. Until it gave. Popped right off and lay twitching in my hand. The head missing.
I couldn't take it anymore. Really. I had tried my best. I shake my head. "Bobbie. Bobbie. I'm sorry." But it didn't matter. When I looked over at Bobbie. He was covered in it. All of it. Even the spiders.
My jeans started shifting as I tried to wiggle myself out of there. But I hear Max's cry again. "Camilia! Please!"
"No," I whimpered. Shaking. I couldn't reach my hand in there again. But his voice was so scared. More scared than the pain I felt.
I shot my arm inside. Bracing. Waiting for the pain. But there was none. Instead my hands grasped around his collar and I felt his cold clammy skin, and yanked him from the hole. He came without much struggle. His face covered in the soot of it all. "Camilia," he cried. "You picked me. You did it."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that I almost didn't.
"Come on," I cried. "We. Have. To go."
The two of us wiggled our way out of there, crawling on our hands and knees, and running when we could. We finally make it back into the study. And the fire is roaring now. One of the books fall from the shelves and when it hit the fire I swear it started screaming. There was so much smoke that I couldn't see. And the door was covered by the flames.
I pointed to the window, the curtains on the floor in ashes. I kick the window. It didn't budge. I coughed. I kicked it again. The glass shook. I kicked it again and my foot went through. Pieces of the glass still hung in the frame, I use the tips of my fingers and pull them back. They fall to the floor cracking until there was a hole big enough for me to get through.
I plunge my head out and take my first breath of fresh air. The moon was full and the sky was clear. I could hear sirens coming off in the distance. When both of my feet were on the roof. I reach my hand back and grab Max from the burning house. Together we run across the clay tiles and climb down the arched tree. The red fire truck comes screeching to a stop as several firemen help us down.
One of them pushes a breathing mask on me, and wraps me up. The neighbors are outside, and the police arrive. I see a familiar car come roaring down the street, screaming to a halt as Molly runs out. Her face is flustered and she's shouting. Pushing through the cops until she reaches me next to the ambulance.
"What happened," she literally screamed at me.
"I'm so sorry," I tell her. "There were these men." I take another breath. "I couldn't do anything! B-but I saved Max! I saved him!"
She looked at the house. It was blazing now in the cool night. "Oh my god. Is Bobbie still in there?" Molly starts to cry. "My baby!"
"Max. But Max." I cough. "Max is okay!"
And she turns to me. I wasn't expecting her to be grateful. But there's anger on her face. "You didn't save my son. But you saved our dog?"
I shake my head. "No. Max. Your other son." I looked around but he was nowhere to be found.
​
s

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 66%. (I'm a bot)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have violated federal campaign finance law when his old state-level PAC reportedly transferred tens of millions of dollars to the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, the nonpartisan watchdog Campaign Legal Center alleges in a new complaint with the Federal Election Commission filed Tuesday morning.
DeSantis was privately telling donors about his plans to run for president months before his public announcement, which Campaign Legal Center alleges triggered federal campaign finance law provisions barring candidates - and affiliated entities "Directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained, or controlled by or acting on behalf of" a federal candidate or officeholder - from spending "Soft money" on federal elections.
"Soft money undermines federal campaign finance laws because it is, by definition, money raised and spent outside the scope of those laws," Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center, said in a written statement.
DeSantis cut ties with the state-level PAC, recently renamed from "Friends of Ron DeSantis" to "Empower Parents PAC," in early May. The state-level PAC is now chaired by Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, who sponsored several of DeSantis' key priorities in the Florida legislature.
While DeSantis formally launched his presidential bid in May, he privately told donors about plans to run for president as early as March, when the Washington Post reported DeSantis described his plans to run for president "Without any caveats that would suggest he's still deciding," which Campaign Legal Center alleges triggered his run for president.
"Friends of Ron DeSantis - recently renamed 'Empower Parents PAC' as part of a clear effort to distance the group from DeSantis - brazenly violated the law when it transferred this colossal sum to a federal super PAC," Campaign Legal Center's complaint claims.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: DeSantis^#1 PAC^#2 campaign^#3 federal^#4 state-level^#5
Post found in /politics.
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so i am just starting out with my bra journey and i just went to nordstrom to try on bras in the sizes the calculator gave me. my measurements are:
Loose Underbust: 31 Snug Underbust: 30 Tight Underbust: 29.5 Standing Bust: 36 Leaning Bust: 38 lying Bust: 37
putting my uk sizes at either 30f/ff or 32e/f. i tried on pretty much any unlined bras i could find in those sizes or the corresponding us ones but i wasn't really happy with any of them and would love help figuring out which ones fit well, my general shape, and other bras to try now. the store i went to didn't have any of my sizes with a 30 band so i only tried on 32s but i was highly skeptical of being comfortable in any 30s anyways
chantelle norah comfort underwire 32ddd
chantelle sizing is kinda confusing but this one was marked as a us 32ddd and a uk 32f. this one seems to fit ok, the wires felt like they were digging in to my sternum and underneath my breasts though. the wires also seem like they go really far into my armpit which doesnt seem right? i also didnt really love the shape this gave me and i feel like there was a bit of gapping at the top of the cup.
chantelle everyday graphique 32ddd
this one was marked as a us 32ddd and a uk32e so not sure what was going on there. this fit was definitely off. lots of gapping at the top of the cup i don't think the more triangle/plunge shape works well for me.
wacoal soft sense convertible us32g
ok this is definitely too big right? lots of gapping in the top of this cup. the wire was also reallly uncomfortable. the wire is also going really far into my armpit and kinda seems to be pushing some armpit chub into the cup
fantasie reflect uk32f
this one seems to big as well, or is just the wrong shape? lots of gapping at the top of the cup. i also really dont like the shape its giving me, its very shelf like and pointy. it was pretty comfortable though.
fantasie fusion side support uk32e
this was the best out of everything i tried on. i fill out the cups pretty well, but theres still a bit of armpit chub sticking out the sides. i also dont love the shape this gives me, i dont love how it seems to make my shape a bit pointy and i feel like theres no blending between my chest and breast its like flat and then all of the sudden a boob comes out of nowhere.
so those are the bras i tried on, do any of them even seem like they're close to fitting me? should the wires be going so far into my armpit? if no, should i try some 30s? im worried that theyll be too tight or dig into my ribcage and show through shirts. the wires on everything i tried on were very stiff and felt like they were digging in, is that normal or indicative of bad fit? i would also love some suggestions for bras to try that will give me a more rounded (?) shape, i dont like the shape unlined bras tend to give me. ideally that won't show through a tight or light colored shirt and cover my nipple piercings. i think im bottom heavy, but i would also love advice on figuring out the rest of my shape. hope i covered everything, and thanks in advance for any help!

Hi. This is a review of a few samples I purchase from SSE. I'm on a search for my personal matcha, pistachio, and marshmallow scents. I love gourmands, vanilla, oceanic, woody, and citrus scents. I dislike incense, sickly sweet, too much smoke, spice, musk, or white florals. Please keep in mind that these perfumes need to rest; the owner herself recommended it, and it mentions that on the website and the info card that came in my package. This will be my immediate first impression, but I will do a 1 week and 1 month update.
Rating system:

1. My body odor smells better than this perfume. Instant regret.
2. This perfume gave me a headache.
3. I would actively avoid breathing around people who wore this.
4. I dislike this, but I can see how others might.
5. I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. Indifferent.
6. I like it but its not anything groundbreaking. Smells like every other bitch.
7. I like it but I wouldn't buy it again. Others might love it.
8. This is unique/nice and I would buy samples/smaller bottles.
9. this is the best thing ever for its category of scent type. I would buy a full size and have it in my daily rotation.
10. Life changing. I will bathe in this perfume. So unique. I don't care what it costs to get a full size. I would wear this to seduce someone.

***These are my opinions, no one has to agree nor am I telling you to~***
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Siren Song - Salt Water Spray, Sea Salt, Dahlia, Lychee Fruit, Sand, Driftwood, Kelp, Dark Ocean Water, Regret

• floral and clean, with a slight saltiness. There is a slight sweetness/fruitness from lychee, which works well with the floral part.
• I wish there was more ocean and driftwood in there. It creeps up behind the floral, so It's more of a clean musk than oceanic scent.
• It's like smelling a bouquet of flowers followed by an ocean breeze.
• This would appeal to anyone who wants a mature and soft skin scent for everyday wear. I could see myself wearing this in a more professional setting.
• In my opinon, it leans very feminine, which makes sense considering the name. I would prefer more of a masculine push from the ocean and driftwood notes. But it a very pleasing balance.
• Rating: 6/10

Beguile - Stout beer, Chocolate, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Caramel, Toasted Coconut

• chocolate, warm sweet, slightly bitter
• You get so much toasty chocolate and a light alcoholic, sour note followed by a gooey caramel. The lightest note is coconut, I can barely smell it.
• If this was a drink, it would be an Irish car bomb (guiness with a shot of baileys)
• The dry down is a bitter, dark caramel and a softer chocolate and vanilla.
• Freaking delicious in the least sweet way. I like it a lot. If you want a gourmand that's not just outright sweet, please try this. It's a unique take and leans slightly into the fall gourmands due to the bitterness and depth.
• Rating: 7/10

Matcha Milk Tea- Matcha, Green Tea, Jasmine Tea, Oat milk, Honey, Vanilla

• Matcha, green tea, jasmine, honey.
• It's like a mix of a matcha latte and green tea honey latte from starbucks. Creamy, green with a slight floral, and honey forward.
• I don't personally like honey, but its a nice blend if someone wants a realistic green tea drink from a boba shop. The jasmine and honey notes give it intrigue compared to the other matcha scents I've tried. But as a trade off, you get less matcha.
• Dry down is more honey and sweet with musky florals.
• Rating: 5/10

Nocturne #6 - Sea Salt, Cypress, Driftwood, Pacific Rock Moss, White Sand, Red Flame Mimosa, Grapefruit, Thunderstorms, Tonka, Blue Musk Accord

• Citrus, woody, clean. The last note is musk that is just on the border of okay and too much for me.
• It's a neutral scent that gives clean, skin scent. It's well blended, balanced and I like it more than Siren Song. I would smell this and immediately guess something from Estée Lauder or my mom's collection.
• Leans feminine. Dry down is stronger on the citrus and musk, and the sweetness comes through more.
• I could see this replacing a mainstream perfume. It smells luxurious and would appeal to people who want the "clean girl" aesthetic. Not what I'm looking for, and seems a little basic to me.
• Rating: 5/10

Eat Me (Cheesecake, Blueberry, Lemon, Cream Cheese Frosting, Cake)

• fruity, vanilla, creamy, tangy. Like a carmelized basque cheescake with a blueberry sauce on it.
• There isn't a butteriness, more of a concentrated sugariness. It's not sickly sweet, but I can see how it might be on the border or too much for others.
• The dry down gives more of the sweet lemon and blueberry. I don't think the lemon helps in this case because it starts leaning more towards a blueberry jam than cheesecake.
• It's great if you like blueberry thats fruity and jam-like, and cake. There's a tartness that I find unique compared to other blueberry scents. No green notes. No cleaning supply type of lemon notes.
• Rating: 5/10

Maîtresse-en-titre - Pistachio, Macaroon, Double vanilla cream, Blush peony

• Nutty, coconut, toasted almond. The toastiness is so warm and creamy.
• It smells predominantly macaroon with the coconut and almond
• The dry down exposes some of the peony, which is slightly sharp and fresh compared to the rest of the notes. The peony makes me feel pretty and feminine and elegant. Like Blair Waldorf. It's sweet and floral.
• I wouldn't say its a pistachio scent, but the nuttiness helps bring out the coconut and almond and vanilla. Its a pistachio that doesn't scream gourmand. The peony rounds it out in an extremely feminine way that wraps around and leaves a trail. If I smelled this on someone I would stop them to ask what they're wearing.
• Rating: 7/10

Pistachio Cream - Pistachio pudding, Cardamom, Sweet Cream, French Vanilla

• Pistachio, vanilla, and the smallest hit of a spice. Like teeny tiny dusting. I'm not a fan of cardamom, but I can handle this amount. The intensity of spice is 2/10.
• It reminds me of pistachio kulfi (which is what ice cream is called in many eastern and south asian countries). Sweet from condensed milk. Nutty from the pistachios. A crisp, floral, mintiness from the cardamom sprinkled in.
• There is a slight plasticness to it, but I think resting will resolve that issue.
• Dry down makes the cardamom and cream blend and soften, somehow making it even nuttier.
• This is delicious. I enjoy it immensely and would recommend this as a pistachio with an unexpected note. The cardamom is present without overpowering, and it complements and elevates the pistachio. This is everything that DS & Durga Pistachio claimed to be (minus the patchouli). It might be my perfect pistachio. I will be buying this again.
• Rating: 8/10

I ordered a set of 5 samples 1.5mL x 5 for $25, and 1 separate sample for $6. The Pistachio cream was 5 mL and free with my $30 order. I appreciate that the vials come with a flint applicator (the little stick attached to the cap) and the larger bottle had a roller top. It took about 12 days for my order to arrive and everything was well packed and labeled. I would say that the blend of the fragrances was more unique and well done than some of the other brands I've tried; gourmands can get boring really quickly but I wasn't bored while smelling these.
10/10 experience and would order again from SSE.

Worst Case Scenario - Time to be a Hero - Volume 23
Thursday 14th June 2017
WARNING: THIS VOLUME CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND STRONG LANGUAGE!
I sigh as the gentle breeze graces my face, I've really got nothing to do right now. I'm just here looking over the town as I search for any suspicious activities going on, but alas nothing. It's been like this for some nights, were nothing happens and I felt like I just wasted my time. But I guess being here just in case is better then just racing out of my house at the last minute. But the down side of being out here is that I am more than bored. Also the rain doesn't really help things. I sit down and spawn an umbrella for shelter as I take my mask off and look at it. I wonder what the normal thug thinks when he sees this? Fear? Regret? Worry? I don't really know, I place the mask onto the ground as someone hovers above me? It can only be one person.
B: "Hey Moni~"
M: "Heya Bobo~" She sits beside me with two coffees? "Here!"
B: "Did you buy these?"
M: "I know you can make them out of thin air but I don't want to put my favourite coffee place out of business now!" I shake my head as I take the cup.
B: "But you are putting me on the side-lines!"
M: "I know it's a tough choice..." She leans against me as I put my arm around her.
B: "Did you see or hear anything?"
M: "No, not much of anything? It's been real quiet tonight."
B: "Ah well then..." We sit there in silence together, only taking the occasional drink as the rain pours down around us. It's not long before Monika looks at me.
M: "Do you want to head back to HQ? I think Sayori said she had something to show us tonight!"
B: "Really? She didn't say anything to me?"
M: "Oh it's top secret! A little surprise for everyone~" I nod as we stand up and finish off our drinks. "Come on then! Race you there!" She flies up as I put my mask back on.
B: "You're on!" I leap off the roof as she just flies off, this seems unfair and I did not think about this beforehand. But who cares? I'm just happy to be spending time with the person I love! I've been missing out on these feelings and the sense of comfort that comes from a person you love and trust so much. I've just...been rather lonely the past few years so just getting a new person there means the world to me you know? 'I know, I'm happy I can give you that comfort and love~' I know you do Monika, thank you. 'You're welcome, now hurry up slowpoke!' I chuckle as I land on the roof and run across it to see Monika hovering above the street?
M: "Come on Sparrow! You're far too slow tonight!"
B: "Just give me two seconds-" Before I can finish I see a hand in front of me as Alex grabs me?! "What?!" Not another surprise spar!
A: "Come with me now!" He sounds serious? We teleport to the HQ as he disappears again to only come back with Monika this time?
M: "What's wrong?" I look over to see a concerned looking Yuri and a rather distressed Sayori? "What's going on guys?" Monika steps up as her tone goes serious. I walk over to Alex.
B: "So, what's going on?" He looks at me and just shrugs?
A: "I don't know, Sayori just said you grab you guys immediately? She sounds really worried?" I nod as we both walk over to see Sayori working on the laptop?
M: "Sayori what's wrong?"
S: "...." Monika looks back at me as I shrug. What's gotten into Sayori?
Y: "uhmm, we have a big problem." Yuri turns around as she holds out a note? Monika takes the note as me and Alex hover her shoulder to read it? It's...a message?
'If you want to see her again, then come to the old churchyard'
The hell? Is this a letter about a hostage? Who took who anyway?
S: "They've got Nat." What!?
M: "Uh?! Who?!"
S: "I don't know, some guys in suits? They were like the men in black Monika! They just came out of nowhere and shot her with a taser! I barely escaped but they got her!" …
B: "...oh no..." Everyone looks at me as my hands shake.
M: "Botan what's wrong??" Monika comes up to me as I stare into her eyes. "Botan...?"
B: "They're here...." Both Monikas' and Sayoris' eyes go wide as they look at me.
S: "You don't mean it's...them?"
B: "It's Coomer. They're here."
A: "Coomer? Are you sure? This could just be some of the big mens' guys no?"
Y: "That's...the worst case scenario." Yuri pulls up a feed onto the wall as we all look at it. Seems like she did her homework. "I did a bit of digging for this day. Ever since you told me what these guys were about Botan." Me and Yuri share an uneasy glare as she takes a shaky breath before starting her presentation. "Coomer Industries, on the surface they are a pharmaceutical company."
A: "They make all kinds of drugs, even treatment for certain cancers! They're good people! Are you sure they're the same guys who took Nat?" I look at him as Monika quickly puts her hand on my shoulder.
M: "Alex...you know of Botan's past right?"
A: "Of course I do. I just think we got muddled up here, I mean these guys are good! Isn't there another Coomer or something??" I glare at him.
B: "They killed my family, experimented on me and hunted me for all my life! I know these people! They are the same fuckers who took my life away Alex!! Don't fucking ask me again if I'm sure about it!!" Silence as Alex blinks.
A: "Well...seems you're set about this then?"
M: "Don't be fucking smart Alex!" Monika snaps at him as she rubs my arm.
A: "Sorry..." Yuri clears her throat.
Y: "Yes, as I was saying that's only on the surface. Below that they are a biochemical and bioweapon manufacturer for the government and army." Yuri clicks a button as it shows multiple images of guns, vials, death squads and all kinds of things. I know them all too well...
M: "I'm here..." I know you are...
A: "woah..."
Y: "They're a superpower hiding in plain sight, and from what Botan has told me and what I could dig up on the dark web they are the real deal. They are serious. But I don't think it'll be right if I was the one talking about them..." Everyone looks at me as I feel myself shrink in place.
M: "You don't have to honey, Yuri can keep going!"
Y: "That I can, just give me the word Botan."
B: "I uh....maybe it'll help if I do?" Monika looks unsure but Sayori steps forward.
S: "Talking about past trauma does help, it helped me when I talked about Manato so we should at least let Botan talk about Coomer." Monika sighs and lets go of my hand.
B: "R-right..." I walk over to where Yuri was just standing and turn around to face the others. "Ummm, Coomer. Right, uh...yeah, so they're dangerous..." I've never felt this nervous before.
A: "Okay...?"
M: "Botan you don't need to do this-"
S: "Give him a chance." Monika stands back as I look at my hands.
B: "Umm...they have...all kinds of resources and weaponry, they uh...have access to a lot of manpower and...yeah...they're just...very dangerous..."
S: "Right uh, could you give us a little more than-"
M: "That's enough! Botan come on!" Monika calls me over like a dog as I stand there. "Come on..."
B: "Uh...listen if they took Nat and left us this note then they must know that I'm here, or they have some idea?" A lightbulb then goes off in my head! "...the duplicate!"
A: "Uh?"
B: "He said about the big man having some connection to someone outside! Maybe it's possible that he was talking about Coomer!"
M: "Are you sure?"
B: "The duplicate said it with his own mouth! I knew he wasn't bluffing!"
S: "Are they working together?"
B: "Highly likely, but if it's one thing Coomer won't stand for it's working openly with a criminal organisation. Sooner or later, they will put a knife in the big man's back."
A: "Yeah but how long until that?"
B: "Awhile, they just need to build up trust and that will be that."
M: "So what do we do?"
B: "Sayori?" Sayori looks at me. "When did Natsuki get taken?"
S: "Uh...an hour or so ago?"
B: "How many men did you see?"
S: "Uh....twenty? Maybe thirty? They just came of nowhere and hit us like a truck!"
B: "Okay we still have time! We need to grab Nat and move base!"
M: "Huh? Why?"
B: "They will question her, and they have their ways of making people talk!" Everyone looks at each other nervously.
S: "Nat wouldn't do that to us right? She would never tell some strangers who we are and where we live! Right?"
B: "Again, they have their ways."
A: "Jeez...well what now? We can't really just go in guns blazing, they'll just take us out too!"
B: "I have a plan." Everyone looks at me. "Monika? You're not going to like this but I'm going to surrender myself." Monika rips her mask off and throws it at the ground as everyone stares in shock at me.
M: "No! Don't even suggest that!!"
B: "They want me! They don't want anything to do with you, remember I'm the priority to these guys! When they have me in custody they don't need to be here, they'll slip away just as quietly as they arrived!"
M: "No, I'm not sacrificing you! Or anyone else!"
A: "Monika, listen. Maybe he's right-" Monika slaps Alex as hard as she can!
M: "Don't agree with him, do not even try to convince me to give up MY boyfriend to some fucking company!"
S: "Monika, I'm not going to convince you but...do you have a better idea?" Monika goes quiet.
M: "This....this is so unfair...." I hug her as she latches onto me. "This is unfair...."
B: "I know but...that's not the end of the plan." Everyone looks at me again. "I'm not really going to surrender myself after all this time, while someone takes me in for a swap the other three will stand by and get the jump on them! Now that I think about it, the best option for the handoff will be you Sayori." Sayori looks stunned.
S: "Me? Why me?!"
B: "We'll be in the thick of it, besides we'll be with Nat. She'll medical help so it's better that you can get to her right away as us four buy you time to escape!"
A: "That's a good idea! I could even teleport you guys out!"
B: "Even better! Somewhere quiet and discreet, don't come back to help us just focus your efforts on Natsuki alright?" Sayori sighs and nods.
S: "I'll do the best I can."
B: "As for us?" I look at Monika and Yuri. "We do everything we can to make sure Sayori and Natsuki get out of there alright. We can either stay and fight or run. When Alex comes back that's when we have to make a choice, while yes Coomer does have the upper hand it's our call. I'll just say now, they fight like animals. They will kill you if given the chance, they're not like the thugs out on the street. A mistake will be punished by death. Understand?"
Y: "Understood."
M: "....yeah."
A: "Okay. So...do we prepare?"
B: "I'd say we just go, I think we've wasted far too much time here anyway." Everyone starts to gear up as Monika walks up to me.
M: "I will protect you with everything I have."
B: "Monika if things go south and they take me... I want you to make sure they can't get me." She just shakes her head.
M: "Don't say that."
B: "If they take me I will go back to that hell, I'm asking you to make sure I will not be taken in alive."
M: "I can't....I won't...." She's crying as she holds my cheeks and stares into my eyes. "I will not do that to you Botan....I will not kill you..."
A: "I will." Alex steps forward?
M: "Don't you even fucking lay a hand on him!"
B: "Are you sure?"
A: "Yeah, I...if you don't want to go back I'll make sure you won't..."
M: "Alex I will fucking kill you if you even think-"
B: "Thank you." We shake hands as Monika looks on horrified.
M: "Botan!? No!"
B: "It's okay, that's only the worst case scenario... I don't want to go back Monika, you saw what I had to go through. I don't want to go back to that place." She just shakes her head.
M: "No....no....no...." She hits my chest softly as I sigh.
B: "It's okay..." I hug her as everyone appears to be ready.
S: "Right so...are you ready Botan?" I nod as I take my mask off and walk over to her. "Monika?"
M: "....."
B: "Hey?" She looks at me. "Fight hard Monika, I'll be counting on you." She blinks before putting her mask back on and walking over very determined.
M: "You are not getting the chance to kill him." She says to Alex before turning to me. "I will not let you be caught, if I let you down then...what's the point?"
B: "The point is I love you~" She smiles as we kiss briefly.
M: "Please come out okay..."
Y: "We will do our best Monika."
A: "Yeah, we'll fight hard!"
M: "Good...." Alex nods.
A: "Okay then, we ready?" Everyone nods. "Okay, here we go!" Alex first teleports me and Sayori just outside the church ground. "Good luck guys..."
B: "You too..."
S: "Stay safe Alex..." He then disappears as Sayori looks at me. "You know, you can abandon this plan and...we can come up with something else?"
B: "No this...this is the only way, Nat needs us now." She nods as she puts some cuffs on me.
S: "They're unlocked, you can just slip out of them okay?"
B: "Right..." She pushes the gate open, makes sure she's holding me tight and escorts me up the path. The moon shines down as it only shows the trees and the path ahead, apart from that we're surrounded by darkness. Not even the rain has stuck around for this moment. We walk in silence for a bit before I see a red laser being pointed at us. "see that?" I whisper at her.
S: "yeah I do...." She makes on a display that I'm struggling and I play along. "Come on you!"
B: "No don't please! I don't want to go back! Please let me go!!" Our struggle gets the attention of some other lasers as they too point at us. "Please! Just let me go!"
S: "I need my friend back, I'm sorry but this is the only way!"
B: "Oh god! You're going to kill me!!" I spawn in a knife as Sayori spots it and slaps it out of my hands! "No!"
S: "That won't work! Come on!" I can see Yuri, Alex and Monika hanging back in the brush, Monika looking very hurt at my performance right now. We arrive at the old church building as the red lasers focus on my chest. We stand there for awhile before Sayori clears her throat. "Hello?!"
...
"I've brought the person you want!" She holds me in place as I try to run. "You have my friend so let's make a trade! You get what you want, I get what I want. We all go home happy!" Still nothing. "Hello? Is anyone even there?" The door opens with a creak as one man in a suit steps out saying nothing. "Hello?"
?: "..."
S: "You heard my offer, now let me see my friend!" …something's wrong? 'What is it?!' I don't know, it's just...really quiet.
?: "Eyes on alpha target sir." The man speaks into his radio as there's some sort of message laid back to him in his earpiece. "Understood...bring her out!" Two more men appear holding a rather unwell looking Nat, she has no mask on and she looks terrible!
S: "Natsuki!"
N: "ugh....fucking animals..."
?: "As you said, a trade. We hand off your friend first then you hand off him to us."
B: "No!! No!!"
N: "nnngg...." One agent lets go as the other one approaches holding Nat. Sayori holds out her free arm as Nat just falls into it.
S: "I've got you, it's okay..."
N: "Sa....say..."
S: "Save your strength." The three agents then look at her expectantly. "Alright, my end of the deal." The lasers still shine on my chest as she pushes me forward. "Go on you!"
N: "wha....Bot....no...."
B: "Please don't!" One agent walks forward ready to grab me.
?: "A deal well done. Thank you for you cooperation." The lasers go out as I slip out of my cuffs and hold up a gun! "What?!"
B: "Boo~" I shoot him in the face with a blank as he goes tumbling down to the ground! The other agents pull out their guns but they get slashed in half as Alex runs out of the brush.
A: "Sayori come here!" Bullets start flying as Monika instantly puts a shield in front of me as she flies in. Alex slides over to Sayori and Nat, teleporting them out. Good they're safe.
B: "They're out of here! What's the call?!"
M: "We fight!"
Y: "Got it!" Yuri punches one agent to the floor as Monika makes the old church come down to the ground! A few agents rush out of the falling church as I knock them out with the help of Yuri. One agent rushes us with a knife but Monika kicks him down to the floor! Just like that it's over? "That all of them?"
M: "I think so?" Alex comes back with his blade drawn.
A: "Right let's-...do this?" We look around at all the fallen agents. "Is that it already?"
B: "No...there's more. There's always more." But...nothing?
A: "Ugh, maybe it was just that squad? I mean most of them were most certainly in the church so..."
M: "Thank god Botan, you're okay!" Monika rushes me as I scan the treeline, putting my hand out to her!
B: "No! Stay there!" Everyone looks at me as I hear something. "Do you guys hear that?"
A: "....what?"
Y: "...there's...a thumping?"
M: "...what is that?"
B: "I know what that is!" I turn to up to see a huge helicopter above as multiple men jump from it! "Take cover!"
M: "I've got this!" Monika makes a barrier just below the helicopter as multiple men just jump face first into it! Then multiple jeeps pull up as Monika finds herself exposed! "Oh man-"
A: "I got you!" Alex tackles her out of the way of bullets as her barrier disappears! The men in the air regroup and pull their parachutes and land! I find myself dodging and just jumping around trying to do something! Yuri seems to be struggling as I hop over and push her out of the way of a grenade! I throw multiple flashbangs to just give us time to breath but just as quick they're at us again!
Y: "There's too many!" Yuri shields herself behind a tree as I toss out some smoke!
A: "I suggest we turn tail!" That's the better choice, we're just holding on as is!
B: "Right let's get out of here!" I help Yuri over by providing cover fire as we a rush over to cover beside the fallen church. Monika uses her power to force everyone back as Alex grabs all of us!
A: "Where to?!"
B: "Anywhere but here!" He nods and we all leave. The gunfire stops as one agent walks over.
?: "They got away...."
We land on a roof as we all catch our breath!
B: "Fuck...I almost forgot what it was like to go up against them!"
M: "Where the hell did they all come from?!"
A: "It was like a infestation, they just kept coming!"
Y: "That was all too...that was far too close...thank you Botan." Yuri smiles at me.
M: "Yeah, thank you Alex."
B&A: "Don't mention it." We both stare at each other?
A: "That's weird."
B: "Where did you leave Sayori and Nat??"
A: "In an old factory not too far! They're safe!"
B: "Good, go get them." He nods and leaves as Monika walks over to me.
M: "Are you okay?"
B: "I'm fine, just a little out of breath...I've never made so many things in a panic like that before..." Monika puts her hand on my back as I steady my breathing.
M: "It's okay, you're alright....thank god you're alright..." She hugs me as Yuri walks over.
Y: "So that was Coomer huh? I feel like we got very lucky..."
B: "We were." Both girls look at me as I stand up straight. "That was just their scouting team, not their full force." Both Monika and Yuri look taken aback.
M: "Just...a scouting group?"
Y: "That many?! Just scouts?!"
B: "I'm afraid so..." We go quiet as Alex arrives with Sayori and Nat. We all turn our attention to the pink haired girl as she sits on the floor, clearly exhausted. "Nat?! You okay?"
S: "She's been...heavily drugged..."
B: "What did they use?"
S: "Some sort of shot, I don't know what it was...." I walk over to Nat as everyone else gathers around also. I kneel in front of her and take her hands in mine.
B: "Nat? Can you hear me?" She lifts her head a little?
N: "Botan...is that....you?" She looks at me, she's very weak.
B: "I'm here, can you see me?" She blinks...
N: "I can't see you?"
M: "She's blind?!"
S: "I don't think it's permanent, only a side effect!"
B: "I know what they used on her..." Everyone looks at me. "They gave her a dose of a powerful drug, they call it compound Q." Everyone looks at me, as I stare at Nat. "Natsuki, don't worry about not being able to see. You just need to rest and drink plenty of water to get your eye sight back."
N: "But how long..."
B: "A few days..."
S: "I'll come up with an excuse for your dad!"
N: "thanks...I'm sorry guys, I got jumped and-"
B: "Don't apologise Nat. I've been hit with Q for a few times, it sucks. It really makes you talk..." Everyone looks at Nat again.
M: "What did you say to them?"
N: "I...I gave..." Nat shakes as I rub her shoulder.
B: "It's okay, tell us~"
N: "A...names....and....base....that's it. I swear!"
B: "That's okay, don't blame yourself~" I hug her as she latches onto me, her small frame making me feel like I'm hugging a small child.
S: "So...Coomer knows us?"
M: "The big man probably knows us now." Everyone looks at each other.
A: "Well.....fuck."
Y: "What do we do now?"
B: "It's not guaranteed." I stand up. "Coomer has valuable information, which the big man wants. They won't just give that away without getting something of similar value in return. The only thing I can think of that'll might be worth the names of your biggest problem-"
M: "Is you?" I nod.
B: "They want me."
S: "Well....we're not going to surrender you!"
Y: "Never in a million years will I entertain that thought."
M: "I will stand by you Botan. To the very end."
A: "I don't know it's-" SMACK!
Y: "Alex just shut up for once." We look in shock at Yuri as she huffs. "Honestly, this is a serious moment right now! We don't need your shitty sense of humour!"
A: "...okay sorry." Alex looks hurt but I just sigh.
B: "Well...everything changes from this day on. I suggest we no longer patrol alone, at least go in pairs from now or more. Watch out for any suspicious looking vehicles, Coomer will want to stake us out for awhile before making their move. Do not take them on alone, otherwise..." I look down at Nat. "This will be you."
N: "I'm sorry-"
B: "Don't apologise Nat." I pat her shoulder. "Anyway, I doubt they would raid your homes but do keep an eye out for each other." I look at Monika. "I also suggest keeping a low profile at school, don't meet at the club everyday. They will put two and two together, giving them a perfect chance to attack."
M: "Heard. When school opens and if Coomer are still lurking about, no more club every day."
B: "Good. Anyway, I suggest we start planning to move base. We need something more...discreet."
A: "I know a place!" Alex steps forward? "There's this old summer camp place near the forest! Nobody goes out there now! It's real hidden and discreet! I doubt people even remember it exists!"
B: "That will do! I suggest you guys pack up from that old warehouse and start moving! Keep your heads down also." Everyone nods as Natsuki is helped up by Sayori. "Natsuki? Just rest for now, spend some days at home okay? One of us will keep an eye out for you in the meantime."
N: "Okay, sure....what you think is right Botan." I nod and smile at her.
B: "Yeah, just get some rest."
S: "I'll take of her guys, I suggest we all go our separate ways. They'll be looking for us right now."
B: "Yeah, let's head home and cut tonight off early." Everyone agrees and promptly leaves. Sayori helping Natsuki away using her rocket boots as Alex teleports away with Yuri. I'm left with Monika on the roof as we just look at each other.
M: "You know...you've really grown as a person. Taking charge like that, really made me happy."
B: "I know these guys and well...I just want everyone to be safe. I want you to be safe." I walk up to her and put my hand on her cheek.
M: "It's okay, I understand. Now let's go home before we get found out alright?" I nod as we leave the roof, Monika carrying me back home. We don't say anything as we just fly back to our apartment. I keep an eye out for any suspicious activity around us in the meantime, Coomer is here and they'll be looking for us. Then they will watch. Then they will plan. Finally, they will attack. "We'll be ready Botan, I promise."
B: "Yeah, I know we will." I smile at Monika as she smiles back. Doubt lurking in the back of my head as I look away from her. We arrive back to find the usual window open as Monika helps me into the apartment first. I get in low and look around for anything in the apartment, and everything looks normal. Monika follows me in and locks the window.
M: "Okay, let's just get changed and head to bed alright?" I nod as we head into the bedroom, being too tired and overworked I just take my mask off and fall onto the bed. Monika sadly smiles at me as she too only takes her mask off and crawls beside me. "It's okay...we'll be okay..."
B: "I know..." But in truth, I really don't know...

Introduction

During the development of our card game Conflux we wanted to have an easy way to create various abilities for our cards with different effects and at the same time wanted to write smaller amount of code per ability. Also we wanted try and add a simple modding capability for abilities.

Format we introduced

Some of you may be familiar with MoonSharp LUA interpreter for C#, often use in Unity engine to add scripting support to your game. That's what we took as a base for writing the code for abilities. Each ability can subscribe to different events such as whenever a card takes damage, is placed on the field or ability is used manually on some specific targets. Besides having event handlers we needed a way to specify some metadata like mana cost of abilities, cooldown, icon, etc. and in the first iteration of the system we had a pair of JSON metadata file and LUA code file.
It was fine initially but we quickly realized that abilities typically have ~20 lines of JSON and ~20 lines of LUA code and that having two files per ability is wasteful so we developed a simple format which combines both the JSON and LUA.
Since LUA code could never really be a valid JSON (unless you are ok with slapping all the code into a single line or is ok with escaping all the quotes you have) we put the JSON part of the abilities into the LUA script. First LUA block comment section within the script is considered as a JSON header.
Here is an example of "Bash" ability in LUA (does damage and locks the target cards):

--[[ { "mana_cost": 0, "start_cooldown": 0, "cooldown": 3, "max_usage": -1, "icon": "IconGroup_StatsIcon_Fist", "tags": [ "damage", "debuff", "simple_damage_value" ], "max_targets": 1, "is_active": true, "values": { "damage": 5, "element": "physical" }, "ai_score": 7 } --]] local function TargetCheck() if Combat.isEnemyOf(this.card.id, this.event.target_card_id) then return Combat.getAbilityStat(this.ability.id, "max_targets") end end local function Use() for i = 1, #this.event.target_card_ids do Render.pushCardToCard(this.card.id, this.event.target_card_ids[i], 10.0) Render.createExplosionAtCard("Active/Bash", this.event.target_card_ids[i]) Render.pause(0.5) Combat.damage(this.event.target_card_ids[i], this.ability.values.damage, this.ability.values.element) Combat.lockCard(this.event.target_card_ids[i]) end end Utility.onMyTargetCheck(TargetCheck) Utility.onMyUse(Use) 

Inheritance for abilities

It may be a completely valid desire to have a way to reuse the code of some abilities and just make some small adjustments. We solved this desire by having a merge function for JSON header data which will look for a parent field within the header and will look for the data based on the ID provided in this parent field. All the data found is then merged with the data provide in the rest of the current JSON header. It also does it recursively, but I don't foresee actually using this functionality as typically we just have a generic ability written and then the inherited ability just replaces all it needs to replace.
Here is an example on how a simple damaging ability can be defined:

--[[ { "parent": "Generic/Active/Elemental_projectiles", "cooldown": 3, "icon": "IconGroup_StatsIcon01_03", "max_targets": 2, "values": { "damage": 2, "element": "fire", "render": "Active/Fireball" }, "ai_score": 15 } --]] 

So as you can see there is no code as 100% of it is inherited from the parent generic ability.
The way a code in the child ability is handled is that the game will execute the LUA ability files starting from the top parent and will traverse down to the child. Since all the logic of abilities is usually within the event handlers then no actual change happens during the execution of those LUA scripts (just info about subscriptions is added). If the new ability you write needs to actually modify the code of the parent then you can just unsubscribe from the events you know you want to modify and then rewrite the handler yourself.

MoonSharp in practice

MoonSharp as a LUA interpreter works perfectly fine IMO. No performance issues or bugs with the LUA code execution as far as I see.
The problems for us started when trying to use VS code debugging. As in it straight up does not work for us. To make it behave we had to do quite a few adjustments including:

• Create a new breakpoint storage mechanism because existing one does not trigger breakpoints
• Add customizable exception handler for when the exception occurs within the C# API. By default you just get a whole load of nothing and your script just dies. We added a logging and automatic breakpoint mechanism (which is supposed to be there but just does not work)
• Proper local/global variables browser. Existing one just displayed (table: 000012) instead of letting you browse variables like a normal human being.
• Passthrough of Unity logs to VS code during debugging. This one worked out of the box for the most part when errors were within the LUA code, but anything that happens in our C# API is only visible in Unity console (or Player.log) and when breakpoint is triggered good luck actually seeing that log with Unity screen frozen and logs not flushed yet (can flush the logs in this case I guess too?)

What is missing

While we are mostly satisfied with the results the current implementation there are a couple things worth pointing out as something that can be worked on:

• When you are done writing the ability you can't really know if the code you wrote is valid or if the data within the JSON header is valid. Linters within VS code I tried either complain about LUA code when highlighting JSON or ignore JSON when highlighting LUA code
• Good luck killing infinite loop within the LUA code (though same is true for C#). Execution limit needs to be implemented to avoid that problem, better to have invalid game state then having to kill the process.
• By placing the metadata of the abilities within the same code file you lock yourself out of the opportunity to have a unified place to store all your ability metadata (e.g. having a large data sheet with all the values visible to be able to sort through it and find inconsistencies). This can be addressed by having a converter from those LUA files to say CSV file or having a dedicated data browser within the game

TL;DR

Adding JSON as a header to LUA has following pros and cons compared to just writing C# code per ability:
Pros:

• Can hot-swap code with adjustments for faster iteration
• No compilation required, all the scripts can be initialized during the scene loading process
• Can evaluate the same code an ability would use within a console for testing
• Allows abilities to be modded into the game with lower possibility of malicious code (as long as exposed API is safe)

Cons:

• Requires compatibility layer between C# and LUA (you will still have to write API in C# to reduce the code bloat, but there is an extra layer that you need to write to pass this API to LUA)
• MoonSharp VS code debugging is buggier than using VisualStudio debugger for C#
• Doesn't really reduce the number of lines of code you need to manage. While you avoid boilerplate code, with smart management of this boilerplate code you can reduce it down to just a good base class implementation for your abilities with almost no overhead

Problem 1: Real Estate prices just aren't coming down.
Problem 2: Working in an office is irrelevant in an era where we all have home internet, but the sunk cost in office space pressures everyone from the top down into continuing this anachronistic practice of gathering everyone in a central place to work.
Solution: Convert office spaces into condos. Make real estate prices drop, office prices rise. More people can afford to own a place, and companies are incentivized to let people work from home.
How can we realistically encourage this and create a trend?
EDIT: I should add - ideally we'd look for win-win-win scenarios here. No need to "punish" anyone for doing something you don't like. But there's usually some kind of policy play that can make everyone happy.

The Coinbox #63 May 30th North America Online

"Welcome to The Coinbox #63! A weekly TEAM LIQUID tournament powered by COINBASE This tournament series will be region locked to North America as well as The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands."
Hungrybox and Team Liquid are holding the biweekly Melee Coinbox! This Coinbox will pay out $3,000 to the Top 8 of the tournament! There's now a $400 bounty for the first player to beat Cody Schwab! For the first time, the bracket will be all Best of 5.

Brackets

• Melee Singles (All Bo5)
• Top 96
• Top 8

Streaming Information

Hungrybox

Event Schedule All Times EDT (UTC-4)

Time Zone Converter, -3h for PDT, -2h for MDT, -1h for CDT, +5h for BST, +6h for CEST, +13h for JST, +14h for AEST
Tuesday, May 30th

• 6:00 PM: Pools
• 8:00 PM: Top 96
• 10:00 PM: Top 8

Seeding

1. Cody Schwab (Fox) [New York]
2. Liquid Hungrybox (Jigglypuff) [Florida]
3. Nouns Aklo (Fox, Link) [New York]
4. FLY KoDoRiN (Marth) [SoCal]
5. Hax$ (Fox) [New York]
6. Spark (Sheik) [Arizona]
7. TLOC Salt (Captain Falcon) [Texas]
8. LG Ginger (Falco) [Michigan]

Other Information

start.gg VODs Hungrybox Twitter Team Liquid Twitter

The Coinbox #63 May 30th North America Online

"Welcome to The Coinbox #63! A weekly TEAM LIQUID tournament powered by COINBASE This tournament series will be region locked to North America as well as The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands."
Hungrybox and Team Liquid are holding the biweekly Melee Coinbox! This Coinbox will pay out $3,000 to the Top 8 of the tournament! There's now a $400 bounty for the first player to beat Cody Schwab! For the first time, the bracket will be all Best of 5.

Brackets

• Melee Singles (All Bo5)
• Top 96
• Top 8

Streaming Information

Hungrybox

Event Schedule All Times EDT (UTC-4)

Time Zone Converter, -3h for PDT, -2h for MDT, -1h for CDT, +5h for BST, +6h for CEST, +13h for JST, +14h for AEST
Tuesday, May 30th

• 6:00 PM: Pools
• 8:00 PM: Top 96
• 10:00 PM: Top 8

Seeding

1. Cody Schwab (Fox) [New York]
2. Liquid Hungrybox (Jigglypuff) [Florida]
3. Nouns Aklo (Fox, Link) [New York]
4. FLY KoDoRiN (Marth) [SoCal]
5. Hax$ (Fox) [New York]
6. Spark (Sheik) [Arizona]
7. TLOC Salt (Captain Falcon) [Texas]
8. LG Ginger (Falco) [Michigan]

Other Information

start.gg VODs Hungrybox Twitter Team Liquid Twitter