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List of Alternate Barovian Maps which are Needed
2023.06.03 09:25 crogonint List of Alternate Barovian Maps which are Needed
I'm pretty sure that the majority of Barovian content creators have already seen some version of this list. I actually went back to update my original post of the list to discover that I never made my own post of it! I put together the first version of this list a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure this is the most complete list of its kind anywhere: Alternate areas of Barovia that are commonly needed, besides the commonly published CoS specific battlemaps:
0) The (Dark) Carnival - nobody ever makes maps / assets for this, even though gobs of people always throw it in to their campaign, even though it's old as crap. I understand that there's a Carnival Realm in the new VRGtR book.. I'll probably never use the realm-carnival, but that's a second place the Dark Carnival maps/assets could be used. There are also a trio of third party Ravenloft carnival modules as well that they could be used in.
1) Battlemap sized maps of the towns. At LEAST a 5 foot per square / hex map for the tiger chase. (Obviously modern VTT platforms don't actually need the grid on the map. ;) )
2) Random shops, stables, blacksmiths and generic places the party is likely to go anyway.
3) Generic encounter locations.. country roads / rivers / bridges and combinations of the three. It sounds dumb because you can get generic encounter maps like that anywhere.. but it would be AWESOME to have matching Barovian roads and Svalitch woods on all of your encounter maps. Don't forget the specific crossroads with the gallows from CoS.. I don't recall if there were hanging cages mentioned, but you could throw in some PNG options for them.
4) A covered bridge, including the roof, deck and under views. (To tack on to the Headless Horseman add-in.) The Woodcutters hut as well.
5) Besides the Carnival, there are a few other old school modules that people like to bolt on to CoS (Adam, etc. etc.).
6) DragnaCarta, MandysMod and Pyram King have all developed alternate encounters and a handful of setting that might be able to use an alternate map here and there. (Orphanage.) In particular, I recall battles in/near the bogs, on mountain sides with/without roads and watch towers. Military and outfitter style tent interiors and exteriors and camps placed.. you know what? Make those camps be PNG assets that could be dropped in a bog, next to a river or on a mountain side as needed. ;) I recall Lunch Break Heroes making an encounter for Borgia/Borca, but I don't recall if they made any scenarios / encounters for Barovia. I got a special request for Beneath the Abbey.
7) The Interactive Tome of Strahd sends the party back in time and would be a PHENOMENAL set of maps to expand Barovia. Seriously, you could drop those on DMsGuild and make some bank. Some additionally pre-Strahd bright and shiny versions of the village of Barovia and other basic maps might be nice for some throw-back adventures.
8) Retro Castle Ravenloft.. Castle Ravenloft fully restored to its former glory! (Castle Barovia? I picture it as more of a walled garrison, looking like a giant stone bubble from a distance, but it did have at least one tower overlooking the cliff.) We know that the old pre-Strahd castle had multiple floors located in roughly the same place as Castle Ravenloft, but with significantly different floor plans, as the ghosts walk staircases and pass through doorways that don't exist anymore. :D (Important side-note: Strahd did not grow up in Castle Ravenloft. I believe that there is one (1) painting of him looking out over Yesterhill, through the mists at a vision of the castle he grew up in, but I don't think anyone has ever tackled it.)
9) The caverns and the alter area in and under the Pillarstone of Ravenloft (from Expedition to Ravenloft) are frequently added in to CoS. I've never seen a map of a hidden cavern entrance in the Svalitch woods, let alone a set of creepy Barovian caverns.. or the Castle side of the entrance, for that matter.
10) Around a decade ago, some weirdo drew an artistic image of Castle Ravenloft with the foundation bedrock rotted away under it. I'd like to see a detailed elevation map of the curtain wall and gatehouse with the bedrock still under the curtain wall, because that irritates me to no end. NOBODY would build a massive curtain wall on a questionable foundation. Reference Vlads actual castle (which is admittedly ten times smaller than Ravenloft) for a rather specific example of a (THE) castle built on the side of a cliff. As I recall, if looking at the gatehouse, the left side and back left corner of Vlads actual castle are protected by a cliff, and that's where the inspiration for Castle Ravenloft came from.
11)Speaking of elevation, at the other end of Castle Ravenloft are balconies and windows jutting out over the cliff. I'd love to see detailed maps of those areas, an 'ant sized' map of the Svalitch woods and Barovia as seen from the castle, and an elevation map of the cliff-side reaching from the Svalitch woods up past the windows and balconies to the Curtain wall. Parties occasionally decide to attempt to scale the cliff. Having a cliff and curtain wall that actually matches would be awesome.
12) Odd ball areas we never see. The druids must have huts or a village somewhere. The Roc must have a nest somewhere. The Mad Mage in Barovia has one of either a tower / cavern / pocket dimension somewhere. We could use Barovian flavored versions of all three. Oh, and the woods and encounters with said mage on the backside of the lake.. so a lake / forested area with spread out trees for players to run in terror or attempt to attack at range.. or whatever.
13) UNDER Lake Zarovich, there are a handful of generic encounters. There are also a few river monster encounters, generally near the Berez Swamp, could use a lair map and an underwater river encounter map, Barovia flavored. Speaking of Berez, I've never seen a detailed large scale swamp map for the Berez Swamp.. let alone the whole town being overrun by the swamp.
14) A proper Berez Swamp. A full sized swamp, with river banks, fields of cattail and reeds, murky backwaters, underwater groves of trees, and a couple of dozen oddly shaped islets and sandbanks.. a few dead logs.. not to mention a proper full sized assortment of Berez town ruins.
15) What's the village in the Adventurer's Guild Supplements?? Orasnou! There's a tiny village there (the size most people depict Berez as, because the CoS book doesn't describe the whole town of Berez properly). So that map is needed, along with.. 4 interior maps, if I recall? (Probably more, + a manor.) As well as an alternate werewolf lair and a few others, like a Barovian bluff, again if I recall off of the top of my head. I've had requests for the Gundarak villages Teufeldorf, Zeidenburg and Renika, as well as the other minor villages and..
16) The complete map of Barovia, post Grand Conjunction (done in standard modern style/graphics).
17) Various encounters have been depicted on Mount Baratok. Which would be a stark stone mountain, snowy and generally above the treeline, not like the hilly tree covered mountains where Argynvostholt and the Roc and etc. are located. I think a largish rocky encounter map of the mountainside would be the first needed. I (seem to) recall a three tiered monastery built on the side of a cliff, with a freshwater spring enclosed that would require an elevation map along with three small interioexterior maps showing the wooden stairs going up and down the cliff-side. I recall one encounter involving a lai small cave sized area.
18) Lots of people want Van Richtens magic shop and other stuff described in his escapades. We could also use a handful of Vistani Vardos and Camps. If I recall, there are only two described in the CoS book, but there are many more tribes of Vistani than that, and we're told that they move around frequently. If might be easier to provide PNG files for the vardos, outfitter tents and assets for a large scale camp. Come to think of it, there aren't a whole lot of tokens for those smallish horses they use either, so someone might whip up 10-12 smallish shaggy horses with unique patterns to show off. They don't care one ounce for a horses pedigree, and are more than happy to keep unique looking mongrel horses as their personal caravan animals. They use mountain horse stock when breeding their horses, so they would be a bit hairier and stockier then say an Arabian.. just scaled closer to a pony size. Donkey size! They're donkey sized horses. :D ..real donkey size, if I recall 5e has some weirdness going on with their official donkey/wagon sizes that makes no sense at all for Vardos sized horses and wagons like the Vistani would have.
19) The valley where the village of Barovia is located is described as a massive fertile farming area, yet we never see any medieval farms, ranches, graineries or farmers markets for Barovia. Definitely need a few of those. Barovian farmers and ranchers would SPECIFICALLY all have the buildings that (in the real world) later became fortifications, Thick werewolf proof walls and heavily barricaded doors everywhere. No window on the ground floor. Livestock was housed indoors, in enclosed courtyards with family areas wrapped around them, or with the animals on the ground floor and the family living above on the second floor. Horse stalls and farrowing areas would be fenced off within the area. Graineries would be large round wooden buildings with barricaded doors and sturdy out-buildings. 10 foot tall max, today's 4-5 story tall graineries are a modern invention. There would probably be a large stone community grainery far on the other side of the valley from the Village of Barovia. for that matter, there ought to be a functioning grainery or warehouse somewhere between the Village of Barovia and Bonegrinder. ALSO, if Bonegrinder is no longer being used as a mill, there would HAVE to be another windmill or waterwheel driven mill somewhere else in Barovia. Many artists have envisioned a water-wheel grainery on the River Ivlis near the Village of Barovia. Corn cribs would be on the second floor of a barn for drying grain, doubling up to dry bales of hay, not primarily as a hay loft. PNGs for 2-3 styles of fencing and gates, water troughs, and some medieval horse drawn plows and rakes would be nice. Dog kennels!! Every farm would probably have it's own horse pasture or rink with a training post, and a dog kennel or run for dogs to run during the day. You know those giant mastiffs that the Barovian nobles are so fond of? Yeah, the farmers in the fertile valley near Barovia would be the only ones rich enough to be able to afford to raise those pups for the nobles. Somewhere out here would be a medieval rancher set up to raise mastiff puppies with an assortment of full grown mastiffs. Mongrel pups or runts would be sold off to neighboring farms at a discount. Roaming wolves would stay FAR away from them, and werewolf packs would likely attack them for any reason at all (if they could find a way in to the basin). I picture a LARGE farmers market and stockyards just inside the River Ivlis bridge of the Valley of Barovia. We know that Barovia is a trade center.. so there MUST be one. The bridge would offer protection if needed, and it would be the closest place farmers and ranchers could set up to provide commerce with the other villages and domains and still have the protection of being inside the gates. Hmm.. they might have a dirt race track there for showing off horses going up for sale. Make that very probably, The Vistani/Romani are famous for defending their mountain horses at the drop of a hat. This would be the main place of commerce for farmers goods in Barovia. This is (the main area) where Vistani Caravans would import and export farm goods in to and out of Barovia.
20) There would absolutely be homestead (small) sized farms and ranches carved out up in mountain valleys or even on mountain sides facing south. In fact, a south facing mountain side might get enough sunlight to raise delicate crops, spices and herbs, whereas most of Barovia can't, due to the mists blocking the sunlight. Also, a couple of mountain pastures with matching rocks / trees bordering them would be nice. Honestly though, if you pass out some rock and tree assets that match the ones you already use, anybody could throw together their own mountain pastures, or even their own valley pastures. Rows of crops are hard to find though! You could easily have scenarios of wolves/werewolves hunting the party in a cornfield.. but there are no Barovian cornfield battlemaps. ACTUALLY, I don't think I have any battlemap sized crop assets, and I probably have the largest collection of map assets around. You could probably sell these farming assets/maps on DriveThruRPG and DMsGuild as well, I've never seen them anywhere. ..OR you might ask Forgotten Adventures or Tom Cartos to throw some together, whatever seems clever. :) I've been asked specifically to try to get Yaedrag (barbarian-esque village in the mountains that Dragna wrote up) made up.
21) Jenny Greenteeth's Hut.. perhaps a grove of her untainted trees from the Quivering Forest? (Also the Glumpen Swamp and Vanishing Hills, various locations within these.) I picture the Quivering Forest loaded with fruit and nut trees and songbirds fighting for real estate (the text mentions angry squirrels).. surrounded by classic Svalitch Woods half-dead spooky trees. ;) I recall seeing a couple of versions that roughly followed the description given in DDAL04, but they're just a hut, not the whole barrow surrounding her hut as described. Additionally, many artists have upscaled her hut to be a small trading post, and put it on wooden poles, swamp style (never seen a battlemap of it, though). Lots of room for creative renditions there. :)
22) Another thing that I haven't seen ANYBODY making is small abbeys. The hills and mountains of Barovia are said to be littered with small abbeys. ..some of them abandoned, some not.
23) Abandoned mansions and manors. Strahd massacred the noble families of Barovia for their involvement in his father's murder. There is one legend of a nobleman possessed by a demon that Strahd left alive, as a curse 'worse than death'. At any rate, there ought to be a handful of abandoned / haunted mansions and manors dotting the Barovian countryside for the party to stumble in to (or check out due to a hook dropped by an informative villager).
24) There are currently NO mines in the CoS version of Barovia.. bizarre for a mountain country. It would suit that some of those decimated noble families ran some mines that have since been abandoned. Of course, it wouldn't do to host your standard monsters in a Barovian mine. I'm thinking Lair of the White Worm. Something more horrifying than dungeoneering.
25) It's been mentioned that instead of murdering the losers from the werewolf trials, they might be shipped off to be slaves in a mine, or to a plantation in the swamp. The plantation would be stick construction, as you would expect in a swamp, they would collect tubers and reeds that grow in the swamp, not traditional plantation type crops.
26) The various Barovian villages NOT included on Schleys map of (Central) Barovia usually have a town sized map plotted out and published somewhere, but no really decent overview maps or battlemap sized maps of them exist. (This need might easily be filled by a couple of handfuls of generic Barovian village buildings, field-stone and dirt street assets, and sundry village constructions.
27) Besides the Gates of Barovia, there are supposed to be watch-towers dotting the landscape as well. An operational watchtower and a couple of partially ruined ones would be awesome.
Assets nobody has made like the Dark Carnival and lake/river encounters and the Mad Mages various lair options would be the most needed. I simply don't understand why EVERY CoS map developer doesn't provide matching roads, forests, rivers and generic shops with matching Barovian assets. The maps I mentioned which you could make money selling on DriveThruRPG and DMsGuild (to me) would just be silly NOT to make. ...Van Richtens magic shop is requested a LOT. When the party first enters Barovia, I can picture them being chased in to a fortified farm by a pack of dire wolves / werewolves at dusk (perhaps the first couple of farms won't unbarricade their doors). I'm sure you can see the utility of the rest. Will everybody need a Roc nest on a cliff above the forest? No. Will DMs derail their campaign for a minute just for the opportunity to make the party loot a Roc nest? Yes. :
Finally, I would note that since I wrote this list, a few cartographers have added some of the above locations to their Library, but the vast majority of these are as of yet, untouched. :)
submitted by crogonint to CurseofStrahd [link] [comments]
0) The (Dark) Carnival - nobody ever makes maps / assets for this, even though gobs of people always throw it in to their campaign, even though it's old as crap. I understand that there's a Carnival Realm in the new VRGtR book.. I'll probably never use the realm-carnival, but that's a second place the Dark Carnival maps/assets could be used. There are also a trio of third party Ravenloft carnival modules as well that they could be used in.
1) Battlemap sized maps of the towns. At LEAST a 5 foot per square / hex map for the tiger chase. (Obviously modern VTT platforms don't actually need the grid on the map. ;) )
2) Random shops, stables, blacksmiths and generic places the party is likely to go anyway.
3) Generic encounter locations.. country roads / rivers / bridges and combinations of the three. It sounds dumb because you can get generic encounter maps like that anywhere.. but it would be AWESOME to have matching Barovian roads and Svalitch woods on all of your encounter maps. Don't forget the specific crossroads with the gallows from CoS.. I don't recall if there were hanging cages mentioned, but you could throw in some PNG options for them.
4) A covered bridge, including the roof, deck and under views. (To tack on to the Headless Horseman add-in.) The Woodcutters hut as well.
5) Besides the Carnival, there are a few other old school modules that people like to bolt on to CoS (Adam, etc. etc.).
6) DragnaCarta, MandysMod and Pyram King have all developed alternate encounters and a handful of setting that might be able to use an alternate map here and there. (Orphanage.) In particular, I recall battles in/near the bogs, on mountain sides with/without roads and watch towers. Military and outfitter style tent interiors and exteriors and camps placed.. you know what? Make those camps be PNG assets that could be dropped in a bog, next to a river or on a mountain side as needed. ;) I recall Lunch Break Heroes making an encounter for Borgia/Borca, but I don't recall if they made any scenarios / encounters for Barovia. I got a special request for Beneath the Abbey.
7) The Interactive Tome of Strahd sends the party back in time and would be a PHENOMENAL set of maps to expand Barovia. Seriously, you could drop those on DMsGuild and make some bank. Some additionally pre-Strahd bright and shiny versions of the village of Barovia and other basic maps might be nice for some throw-back adventures.
8) Retro Castle Ravenloft.. Castle Ravenloft fully restored to its former glory! (Castle Barovia? I picture it as more of a walled garrison, looking like a giant stone bubble from a distance, but it did have at least one tower overlooking the cliff.) We know that the old pre-Strahd castle had multiple floors located in roughly the same place as Castle Ravenloft, but with significantly different floor plans, as the ghosts walk staircases and pass through doorways that don't exist anymore. :D (Important side-note: Strahd did not grow up in Castle Ravenloft. I believe that there is one (1) painting of him looking out over Yesterhill, through the mists at a vision of the castle he grew up in, but I don't think anyone has ever tackled it.)
9) The caverns and the alter area in and under the Pillarstone of Ravenloft (from Expedition to Ravenloft) are frequently added in to CoS. I've never seen a map of a hidden cavern entrance in the Svalitch woods, let alone a set of creepy Barovian caverns.. or the Castle side of the entrance, for that matter.
10) Around a decade ago, some weirdo drew an artistic image of Castle Ravenloft with the foundation bedrock rotted away under it. I'd like to see a detailed elevation map of the curtain wall and gatehouse with the bedrock still under the curtain wall, because that irritates me to no end. NOBODY would build a massive curtain wall on a questionable foundation. Reference Vlads actual castle (which is admittedly ten times smaller than Ravenloft) for a rather specific example of a (THE) castle built on the side of a cliff. As I recall, if looking at the gatehouse, the left side and back left corner of Vlads actual castle are protected by a cliff, and that's where the inspiration for Castle Ravenloft came from.
11)Speaking of elevation, at the other end of Castle Ravenloft are balconies and windows jutting out over the cliff. I'd love to see detailed maps of those areas, an 'ant sized' map of the Svalitch woods and Barovia as seen from the castle, and an elevation map of the cliff-side reaching from the Svalitch woods up past the windows and balconies to the Curtain wall. Parties occasionally decide to attempt to scale the cliff. Having a cliff and curtain wall that actually matches would be awesome.
12) Odd ball areas we never see. The druids must have huts or a village somewhere. The Roc must have a nest somewhere. The Mad Mage in Barovia has one of either a tower / cavern / pocket dimension somewhere. We could use Barovian flavored versions of all three. Oh, and the woods and encounters with said mage on the backside of the lake.. so a lake / forested area with spread out trees for players to run in terror or attempt to attack at range.. or whatever.
13) UNDER Lake Zarovich, there are a handful of generic encounters. There are also a few river monster encounters, generally near the Berez Swamp, could use a lair map and an underwater river encounter map, Barovia flavored. Speaking of Berez, I've never seen a detailed large scale swamp map for the Berez Swamp.. let alone the whole town being overrun by the swamp.
14) A proper Berez Swamp. A full sized swamp, with river banks, fields of cattail and reeds, murky backwaters, underwater groves of trees, and a couple of dozen oddly shaped islets and sandbanks.. a few dead logs.. not to mention a proper full sized assortment of Berez town ruins.
15) What's the village in the Adventurer's Guild Supplements?? Orasnou! There's a tiny village there (the size most people depict Berez as, because the CoS book doesn't describe the whole town of Berez properly). So that map is needed, along with.. 4 interior maps, if I recall? (Probably more, + a manor.) As well as an alternate werewolf lair and a few others, like a Barovian bluff, again if I recall off of the top of my head. I've had requests for the Gundarak villages Teufeldorf, Zeidenburg and Renika, as well as the other minor villages and..
16) The complete map of Barovia, post Grand Conjunction (done in standard modern style/graphics).
17) Various encounters have been depicted on Mount Baratok. Which would be a stark stone mountain, snowy and generally above the treeline, not like the hilly tree covered mountains where Argynvostholt and the Roc and etc. are located. I think a largish rocky encounter map of the mountainside would be the first needed. I (seem to) recall a three tiered monastery built on the side of a cliff, with a freshwater spring enclosed that would require an elevation map along with three small interioexterior maps showing the wooden stairs going up and down the cliff-side. I recall one encounter involving a lai small cave sized area.
18) Lots of people want Van Richtens magic shop and other stuff described in his escapades. We could also use a handful of Vistani Vardos and Camps. If I recall, there are only two described in the CoS book, but there are many more tribes of Vistani than that, and we're told that they move around frequently. If might be easier to provide PNG files for the vardos, outfitter tents and assets for a large scale camp. Come to think of it, there aren't a whole lot of tokens for those smallish horses they use either, so someone might whip up 10-12 smallish shaggy horses with unique patterns to show off. They don't care one ounce for a horses pedigree, and are more than happy to keep unique looking mongrel horses as their personal caravan animals. They use mountain horse stock when breeding their horses, so they would be a bit hairier and stockier then say an Arabian.. just scaled closer to a pony size. Donkey size! They're donkey sized horses. :D ..real donkey size, if I recall 5e has some weirdness going on with their official donkey/wagon sizes that makes no sense at all for Vardos sized horses and wagons like the Vistani would have.
19) The valley where the village of Barovia is located is described as a massive fertile farming area, yet we never see any medieval farms, ranches, graineries or farmers markets for Barovia. Definitely need a few of those. Barovian farmers and ranchers would SPECIFICALLY all have the buildings that (in the real world) later became fortifications, Thick werewolf proof walls and heavily barricaded doors everywhere. No window on the ground floor. Livestock was housed indoors, in enclosed courtyards with family areas wrapped around them, or with the animals on the ground floor and the family living above on the second floor. Horse stalls and farrowing areas would be fenced off within the area. Graineries would be large round wooden buildings with barricaded doors and sturdy out-buildings. 10 foot tall max, today's 4-5 story tall graineries are a modern invention. There would probably be a large stone community grainery far on the other side of the valley from the Village of Barovia. for that matter, there ought to be a functioning grainery or warehouse somewhere between the Village of Barovia and Bonegrinder. ALSO, if Bonegrinder is no longer being used as a mill, there would HAVE to be another windmill or waterwheel driven mill somewhere else in Barovia. Many artists have envisioned a water-wheel grainery on the River Ivlis near the Village of Barovia. Corn cribs would be on the second floor of a barn for drying grain, doubling up to dry bales of hay, not primarily as a hay loft. PNGs for 2-3 styles of fencing and gates, water troughs, and some medieval horse drawn plows and rakes would be nice. Dog kennels!! Every farm would probably have it's own horse pasture or rink with a training post, and a dog kennel or run for dogs to run during the day. You know those giant mastiffs that the Barovian nobles are so fond of? Yeah, the farmers in the fertile valley near Barovia would be the only ones rich enough to be able to afford to raise those pups for the nobles. Somewhere out here would be a medieval rancher set up to raise mastiff puppies with an assortment of full grown mastiffs. Mongrel pups or runts would be sold off to neighboring farms at a discount. Roaming wolves would stay FAR away from them, and werewolf packs would likely attack them for any reason at all (if they could find a way in to the basin). I picture a LARGE farmers market and stockyards just inside the River Ivlis bridge of the Valley of Barovia. We know that Barovia is a trade center.. so there MUST be one. The bridge would offer protection if needed, and it would be the closest place farmers and ranchers could set up to provide commerce with the other villages and domains and still have the protection of being inside the gates. Hmm.. they might have a dirt race track there for showing off horses going up for sale. Make that very probably, The Vistani/Romani are famous for defending their mountain horses at the drop of a hat. This would be the main place of commerce for farmers goods in Barovia. This is (the main area) where Vistani Caravans would import and export farm goods in to and out of Barovia.
20) There would absolutely be homestead (small) sized farms and ranches carved out up in mountain valleys or even on mountain sides facing south. In fact, a south facing mountain side might get enough sunlight to raise delicate crops, spices and herbs, whereas most of Barovia can't, due to the mists blocking the sunlight. Also, a couple of mountain pastures with matching rocks / trees bordering them would be nice. Honestly though, if you pass out some rock and tree assets that match the ones you already use, anybody could throw together their own mountain pastures, or even their own valley pastures. Rows of crops are hard to find though! You could easily have scenarios of wolves/werewolves hunting the party in a cornfield.. but there are no Barovian cornfield battlemaps. ACTUALLY, I don't think I have any battlemap sized crop assets, and I probably have the largest collection of map assets around. You could probably sell these farming assets/maps on DriveThruRPG and DMsGuild as well, I've never seen them anywhere. ..OR you might ask Forgotten Adventures or Tom Cartos to throw some together, whatever seems clever. :) I've been asked specifically to try to get Yaedrag (barbarian-esque village in the mountains that Dragna wrote up) made up.
21) Jenny Greenteeth's Hut.. perhaps a grove of her untainted trees from the Quivering Forest? (Also the Glumpen Swamp and Vanishing Hills, various locations within these.) I picture the Quivering Forest loaded with fruit and nut trees and songbirds fighting for real estate (the text mentions angry squirrels).. surrounded by classic Svalitch Woods half-dead spooky trees. ;) I recall seeing a couple of versions that roughly followed the description given in DDAL04, but they're just a hut, not the whole barrow surrounding her hut as described. Additionally, many artists have upscaled her hut to be a small trading post, and put it on wooden poles, swamp style (never seen a battlemap of it, though). Lots of room for creative renditions there. :)
22) Another thing that I haven't seen ANYBODY making is small abbeys. The hills and mountains of Barovia are said to be littered with small abbeys. ..some of them abandoned, some not.
23) Abandoned mansions and manors. Strahd massacred the noble families of Barovia for their involvement in his father's murder. There is one legend of a nobleman possessed by a demon that Strahd left alive, as a curse 'worse than death'. At any rate, there ought to be a handful of abandoned / haunted mansions and manors dotting the Barovian countryside for the party to stumble in to (or check out due to a hook dropped by an informative villager).
24) There are currently NO mines in the CoS version of Barovia.. bizarre for a mountain country. It would suit that some of those decimated noble families ran some mines that have since been abandoned. Of course, it wouldn't do to host your standard monsters in a Barovian mine. I'm thinking Lair of the White Worm. Something more horrifying than dungeoneering.
25) It's been mentioned that instead of murdering the losers from the werewolf trials, they might be shipped off to be slaves in a mine, or to a plantation in the swamp. The plantation would be stick construction, as you would expect in a swamp, they would collect tubers and reeds that grow in the swamp, not traditional plantation type crops.
26) The various Barovian villages NOT included on Schleys map of (Central) Barovia usually have a town sized map plotted out and published somewhere, but no really decent overview maps or battlemap sized maps of them exist. (This need might easily be filled by a couple of handfuls of generic Barovian village buildings, field-stone and dirt street assets, and sundry village constructions.
27) Besides the Gates of Barovia, there are supposed to be watch-towers dotting the landscape as well. An operational watchtower and a couple of partially ruined ones would be awesome.
Assets nobody has made like the Dark Carnival and lake/river encounters and the Mad Mages various lair options would be the most needed. I simply don't understand why EVERY CoS map developer doesn't provide matching roads, forests, rivers and generic shops with matching Barovian assets. The maps I mentioned which you could make money selling on DriveThruRPG and DMsGuild (to me) would just be silly NOT to make. ...Van Richtens magic shop is requested a LOT. When the party first enters Barovia, I can picture them being chased in to a fortified farm by a pack of dire wolves / werewolves at dusk (perhaps the first couple of farms won't unbarricade their doors). I'm sure you can see the utility of the rest. Will everybody need a Roc nest on a cliff above the forest? No. Will DMs derail their campaign for a minute just for the opportunity to make the party loot a Roc nest? Yes. :
Finally, I would note that since I wrote this list, a few cartographers have added some of the above locations to their Library, but the vast majority of these are as of yet, untouched. :)
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- This fake hundred dollar bill my coworker accepted. (Real bill for comparison.)
- The Roman Catholic Church has launched an inquiry after two nuns came back from their missionary trips pregnant
- Canadian inventor Troy Hurtubise testing his amrmoured grizzly bear protection suit
- Scientists remained puzzled what the bright fast-moving object could be that was filmed behind this jewel squid off the coast of Japan.
- Picked up my son from daycare. This is how I found him.
/CFB
- [Scheer] Since I’ve seen it a few times, will go on record here. ASU is unlikely to leave Pac-12. Arizona is confident it can split when/if needed based on what ABOR has said
- [Aaron Torres] Told you when the plan came out, itd make sense: Create the best basketball league possible, so if the SEC/Big Ten try to break off, they can't host a national hoops tournament without you My guess on Big 12 targets: Colorado (because of Deion), UConn, Arizona + Gonzaga/SDSU
- The problem isnt 8 games, it's weak OOC scheduling. an 8 game schedule with good OOC would be ideal
- Ranking the Top 131 FBS Programs of the Last 40 Years: 84. Iowa State
- [Joseph Duarte] Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark says plans for Mexico games will be announced next week.
/LonghornNation
- Texas ⚾ at the Coral Gables Regional
- [6/2/2023] Friday's Sports Talk Thread
- [Dellinger] The SEC’s scheduling dilemma is over: The league will play 8 conference games in 2024 when Texas & OU join in what is likely to be a short-term format with a play to eventually get to 9.
- [6/2/2023] Friday's Off Topic Free Talk Thread
- Ewers, Jones, Murphy, and Hill listed in Big 12’s “all breakout team”
- BREAKING: MBB's Dillon Mitchell to return for sophomore season
- [6/1/2023] Thursday's Sports Talk Thread
2023.06.03 05:18 Watcher-of-souls Possibly controversial opinions (rant)
Ok so first off, the whole people saying "we payed for this game" is interesting, mainly because the people I see saying it, tend to sound like, they think they should be able to have a say in what updates come out.
My response to this is, yes you payed for the game. More specifically, you payed to play the game. You can give your feedback, criticism, ideas ect, all you want. That doesn't mean sso has to listen, sse can do what they want to the game. If someone bought sse, they could change sso, and add whatever, even change what the audience the game is targeted for.
Ok for my second thing, I've seen people say, that sso isn't being inclusive, or that they are discriminating. The reason people say it, seems to mainly be because in sso you play as a female presenting character, and there's no option for nonbinary or male player character. This is astounding to me, because you can still play, you can use your imagination, there's some short hair styles, there's also a mustache and beard options for accesories in the game. ANYONE can play the game, sso isn't saying that you have to be ____ to play. And if your reasoning as to why sso should add them is because oh, i get dysphoria when playing as a female character. Please please, talk to someone. Step back from the game, and figure out why it makes you uncomfortable to play as the opposite gender then you identify in a video game.
Here's some info some of tall may not know. Horse riding has been dominated by men for a long time, now yes if you go to your local barns, you will most likely see women. But at the more advanced shows, even the Olympics you will most likely see more men. Women have only been able to compete in Olympic level dressage since 1952, and Olympic level show jumping In 1956 and cross country in 1964. And only 6%of games have a female character option or lead. Further more, sso has stated that when making the game people told them to add a male option or else no one would play....look at the game now, it's almost 12 years old, and all without a male option.
I'm opening to discussing these topics. I'd love to hear ya'lls opinions, and see your prospectives.
submitted by Watcher-of-souls to StarStable [link] [comments]
My response to this is, yes you payed for the game. More specifically, you payed to play the game. You can give your feedback, criticism, ideas ect, all you want. That doesn't mean sso has to listen, sse can do what they want to the game. If someone bought sse, they could change sso, and add whatever, even change what the audience the game is targeted for.
Ok for my second thing, I've seen people say, that sso isn't being inclusive, or that they are discriminating. The reason people say it, seems to mainly be because in sso you play as a female presenting character, and there's no option for nonbinary or male player character. This is astounding to me, because you can still play, you can use your imagination, there's some short hair styles, there's also a mustache and beard options for accesories in the game. ANYONE can play the game, sso isn't saying that you have to be ____ to play. And if your reasoning as to why sso should add them is because oh, i get dysphoria when playing as a female character. Please please, talk to someone. Step back from the game, and figure out why it makes you uncomfortable to play as the opposite gender then you identify in a video game.
Here's some info some of tall may not know. Horse riding has been dominated by men for a long time, now yes if you go to your local barns, you will most likely see women. But at the more advanced shows, even the Olympics you will most likely see more men. Women have only been able to compete in Olympic level dressage since 1952, and Olympic level show jumping In 1956 and cross country in 1964. And only 6%of games have a female character option or lead. Further more, sso has stated that when making the game people told them to add a male option or else no one would play....look at the game now, it's almost 12 years old, and all without a male option.
I'm opening to discussing these topics. I'd love to hear ya'lls opinions, and see your prospectives.
2023.06.03 05:02 UnicornDick31 P.U.R.E - Book Money in the Bank 2023
Note: Women’s Championships have been exchanged between Asuka and Rhea Ripley so the titles are on their respective brands.
Alba Fyre (Smackdown) vs Bayley (Smackdown) vs Iyo Sky (Smackdown) vs Zelina Vega (Smackdown) vs Raquel Rodriguez (Raw) vs Shayna Baszler (Raw) vs Candice LeRae (Raw) vs Tegan Nox (Raw) vs Roxanne Perez (NXT)
The London crowd is extremely behind Bayley as usual, as well as the home country hero, Tegan Nox, the two clear the ring and come face to face. Every competitor gets their moment to shine, but as the match comes to its closing moments, Iyo Sky and Roxanne Perez are atop the ladder, and Sky manages to knock Perez from the heights. As she begins to reach up to the top, she is thrown from the top by the opportunist, Bayley. Bayley climbs the ladder and reaches up, pulling down the briefcase and becomes a two time Miss MITB, and she threw her teammate off the ladder to get it.
Bayley def. Alba Fyre, Iyo Sky, Zelina Vega, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox & Roxanne Perez
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs IMPERIUM vs Alpha Academy – Undisputed Tag Team Championship
Owens and Zayn have the trouble of facing two teams with their titles at risk, when the match reaches its conclusion, Zayn nails Kaiser with a Helluva Kick and throws Ludwig into a Pop Up Powerbomb. Gable grabs the waist of Zayn and nails the O’Connor Roll German Suplex, Otis takes out Owens. Zayn rolls out of the ring, Gable goes to cover Kaiser, but he catches Gable for a Schoolboy, the referee counts 2, but Gable reverses the pin and gets the 3.
Alpha Academy def. IMPERIUM & Owens & Zayn
Austin Theory (c) vs Rey Mysterio – United States Championship
Mysterio challenges Theory for the US Title, attempting to end the reign of the ‘Forever Champ’, Mysterio puts up a good fight but comes up short.
Austin Theory def. Rey Mysterio
Asuka (c) vs Bianca Belair – Smackdown Women’s Championship
Asuka and Belair have a great match, but Asuka retains and can look ahead to bigger challenges.
Asuka def. Bianca Belair
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Nikki Cross – Raw Women’s Championship
Cross wins a Battle Royal to earn this shot, but Ripley continues her reign of dominance by defeating Cross in short work.
Rhea Ripley def. Nikki Cross
Roman Reigns (c) vs Sheamus – WWE Universal Championship
This feud sees Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa take out Butch after he’d qualified for the Men’s MITB match, leaving Sheamus on the warpath in this heated rivalry. When the match comes, Reigns inevitably retains, but Sheamus gives Reigns an extremely close match.
Roman Reigns def. Sheamus
Gunther (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Intercontinental Championship
Gunther takes on the King of Strong Style, Nakamura gives Gunther a hard hitting fight, but the champion retains once again after an incredible fight.
Gunther def. Shinsuke Nakamura
Seth Rollins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Damian Priest – World Heavyweight Championship
Rollins’ first defence is against two members of Judgement Day, but this match doesn’t see Judgement Day exhibit cohesion, but instead sees further seeds of dissension planted. The finish comes when Priest nails Rollins with the South of Heaven and makes the cover. However Balor nails a Coup de Grace out of nowhere to break the pin. Priest and Balor argue back and forth until Rollins is recovered and nails a Superkick to take Priest out. Rollins wins the match after a Curb Stomp to Balor.
Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor & Damian Priest
Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark vs Becky Lynch & Lita
Lita returns to even the odds for Becky, and so the tag match is set up, Lita gets some revenge on Stratus by scoring the pin for her team over her former rival. But the saga between Becky and Trish continues…
Becky Lynch & Lita def. Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark
Cody Rhodes (Raw) vs JD McDonagh (Raw) vs Bronson Reed (Raw) vs Ricochet (Raw) vs LA Knight (Smackdown) vs AJ Styles (Smackdown) vs Santos Escobar (Smackdown) vs ??? (Smackdown) vs Bron Breakker (Smackdown)
Note: following Night of Champions, Rikishi appears on Smackdown, and Roman Reigns says to him that he wants Rikishi to take the Usos home and straighten them out. He doesn’t want to see them until they ready to fall back in line. The story with Reigns and Sheamus brings to light a ‘fear’ of Butch from Roman with Heyman hyping all his previous accomplishments. Which is why Reigns takes Butch out prior to the MITB match, only for Jimmy Uso to take the open spot against the wishes of Roman.
The match is filled with excitement, towards the end of the match, Jimmy looks like he could actually win, alone on the ladder he climbs for the case, but Solo makes an appearance and pulls Jimmy off the ladder, as he looks to hit the Samoan Spike, Jey runs down and Jimmy looks relieved, but as he measures up the Superkick, Jey can’t take the shot. Solo puts Jimmy down and leaves the ring. Leaving LA Knight the opportunity to climb the ladder and win the match.
LA Knight def. Cody Rhodes, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed, Ricochet, AJ Styles, Santos Escobar, Jimmy Uso & Bron Breakker
Final Note: The inclusion of NXT stars in the MITB work as call ups, but neither of the stars have a brand they’re on just yet, instead this was a chance for Raw and Smackdown to see what they’ve got and then offer a spot if they like.
submitted by UnicornDick31 to FantasyBookingElite [link] [comments]
Alba Fyre (Smackdown) vs Bayley (Smackdown) vs Iyo Sky (Smackdown) vs Zelina Vega (Smackdown) vs Raquel Rodriguez (Raw) vs Shayna Baszler (Raw) vs Candice LeRae (Raw) vs Tegan Nox (Raw) vs Roxanne Perez (NXT)
The London crowd is extremely behind Bayley as usual, as well as the home country hero, Tegan Nox, the two clear the ring and come face to face. Every competitor gets their moment to shine, but as the match comes to its closing moments, Iyo Sky and Roxanne Perez are atop the ladder, and Sky manages to knock Perez from the heights. As she begins to reach up to the top, she is thrown from the top by the opportunist, Bayley. Bayley climbs the ladder and reaches up, pulling down the briefcase and becomes a two time Miss MITB, and she threw her teammate off the ladder to get it.
Bayley def. Alba Fyre, Iyo Sky, Zelina Vega, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox & Roxanne Perez
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs IMPERIUM vs Alpha Academy – Undisputed Tag Team Championship
Owens and Zayn have the trouble of facing two teams with their titles at risk, when the match reaches its conclusion, Zayn nails Kaiser with a Helluva Kick and throws Ludwig into a Pop Up Powerbomb. Gable grabs the waist of Zayn and nails the O’Connor Roll German Suplex, Otis takes out Owens. Zayn rolls out of the ring, Gable goes to cover Kaiser, but he catches Gable for a Schoolboy, the referee counts 2, but Gable reverses the pin and gets the 3.
Alpha Academy def. IMPERIUM & Owens & Zayn
Austin Theory (c) vs Rey Mysterio – United States Championship
Mysterio challenges Theory for the US Title, attempting to end the reign of the ‘Forever Champ’, Mysterio puts up a good fight but comes up short.
Austin Theory def. Rey Mysterio
Asuka (c) vs Bianca Belair – Smackdown Women’s Championship
Asuka and Belair have a great match, but Asuka retains and can look ahead to bigger challenges.
Asuka def. Bianca Belair
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Nikki Cross – Raw Women’s Championship
Cross wins a Battle Royal to earn this shot, but Ripley continues her reign of dominance by defeating Cross in short work.
Rhea Ripley def. Nikki Cross
Roman Reigns (c) vs Sheamus – WWE Universal Championship
This feud sees Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa take out Butch after he’d qualified for the Men’s MITB match, leaving Sheamus on the warpath in this heated rivalry. When the match comes, Reigns inevitably retains, but Sheamus gives Reigns an extremely close match.
Roman Reigns def. Sheamus
Gunther (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Intercontinental Championship
Gunther takes on the King of Strong Style, Nakamura gives Gunther a hard hitting fight, but the champion retains once again after an incredible fight.
Gunther def. Shinsuke Nakamura
Seth Rollins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Damian Priest – World Heavyweight Championship
Rollins’ first defence is against two members of Judgement Day, but this match doesn’t see Judgement Day exhibit cohesion, but instead sees further seeds of dissension planted. The finish comes when Priest nails Rollins with the South of Heaven and makes the cover. However Balor nails a Coup de Grace out of nowhere to break the pin. Priest and Balor argue back and forth until Rollins is recovered and nails a Superkick to take Priest out. Rollins wins the match after a Curb Stomp to Balor.
Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor & Damian Priest
Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark vs Becky Lynch & Lita
Lita returns to even the odds for Becky, and so the tag match is set up, Lita gets some revenge on Stratus by scoring the pin for her team over her former rival. But the saga between Becky and Trish continues…
Becky Lynch & Lita def. Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark
Cody Rhodes (Raw) vs JD McDonagh (Raw) vs Bronson Reed (Raw) vs Ricochet (Raw) vs LA Knight (Smackdown) vs AJ Styles (Smackdown) vs Santos Escobar (Smackdown) vs ??? (Smackdown) vs Bron Breakker (Smackdown)
Note: following Night of Champions, Rikishi appears on Smackdown, and Roman Reigns says to him that he wants Rikishi to take the Usos home and straighten them out. He doesn’t want to see them until they ready to fall back in line. The story with Reigns and Sheamus brings to light a ‘fear’ of Butch from Roman with Heyman hyping all his previous accomplishments. Which is why Reigns takes Butch out prior to the MITB match, only for Jimmy Uso to take the open spot against the wishes of Roman.
The match is filled with excitement, towards the end of the match, Jimmy looks like he could actually win, alone on the ladder he climbs for the case, but Solo makes an appearance and pulls Jimmy off the ladder, as he looks to hit the Samoan Spike, Jey runs down and Jimmy looks relieved, but as he measures up the Superkick, Jey can’t take the shot. Solo puts Jimmy down and leaves the ring. Leaving LA Knight the opportunity to climb the ladder and win the match.
LA Knight def. Cody Rhodes, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed, Ricochet, AJ Styles, Santos Escobar, Jimmy Uso & Bron Breakker
Final Note: The inclusion of NXT stars in the MITB work as call ups, but neither of the stars have a brand they’re on just yet, instead this was a chance for Raw and Smackdown to see what they’ve got and then offer a spot if they like.
2023.06.03 04:00 Smolesworthy Baptism, Last Rites
Caedwalla, still so young but now a king, thought it shameful that he should rule no more than the empire God had given him, and he was filled with a longing to cross the sea and to conquer new land. Wherefore he set out to cross the sea and to conquer the Isle of Wight. Caedwalla and his fighting men landed in that island and they fought against the many inhabitants of it, and they subdued it.
It happened that the King of that island, whose name was Atwald, had two heirs, youths, whom it was pitifully hoped this conqueror would spare, for they fled up the Water to Stoneham; but a monk who served God by the ford of reeds which is near Hampton at the head of the Water, hearing that King Caedwalla had heard of the youths' hiding-place and had determined to kill them, sought the King and begged that at least they might be instructed in the Faith before they died, saying to him: "King, though you are not of the Faith, that is no reason that you should deprive others of such a gift. Let me therefore see that these young men are instructed and baptized, after which you may exercise your cruel will." And Caedwalla assented. These lads, therefore, were taken to a holy place up on Itchen, where they were instructed in the truths and the mysteries of religion. And while this so went forward Caedwalla would ask from time to time whether they were yet Christians.
At last they had received all the knowledge the holy men could give them and they were baptized. When they were so received into the fold Caedwalla would wait no longer but had them slain. And it is said that they went to death joyfully, thinking it to be no more than the gate of immortality.
From Caedwalla, by Hilaire Belloc. Collected in On Something.
And this execution deal made with King Darius.
submitted by Smolesworthy to Extraordinary_Tales [link] [comments]
It happened that the King of that island, whose name was Atwald, had two heirs, youths, whom it was pitifully hoped this conqueror would spare, for they fled up the Water to Stoneham; but a monk who served God by the ford of reeds which is near Hampton at the head of the Water, hearing that King Caedwalla had heard of the youths' hiding-place and had determined to kill them, sought the King and begged that at least they might be instructed in the Faith before they died, saying to him: "King, though you are not of the Faith, that is no reason that you should deprive others of such a gift. Let me therefore see that these young men are instructed and baptized, after which you may exercise your cruel will." And Caedwalla assented. These lads, therefore, were taken to a holy place up on Itchen, where they were instructed in the truths and the mysteries of religion. And while this so went forward Caedwalla would ask from time to time whether they were yet Christians.
At last they had received all the knowledge the holy men could give them and they were baptized. When they were so received into the fold Caedwalla would wait no longer but had them slain. And it is said that they went to death joyfully, thinking it to be no more than the gate of immortality.
From Caedwalla, by Hilaire Belloc. Collected in On Something.
And this execution deal made with King Darius.
2023.06.03 01:38 OmarGawrsh Fast Food
A businessman was out among the lesser-known, lesser-maintained, country roads, putting his new all-wheel-drive, traction-control, plaything through its paces.
As he hung the tail out through a sweeping bend, anticipating a Scandinavian flick to take him through the upcoming hard left turn, something happened...
A plump chicken ran past him, traveling so fast the businessman hit the brakes in shock.
Now this fowl was obviously not content with just crossing the road. It was moving at a pace more worthy of a cartoon roadrunner, leaving a small plume of dust in its wake.
There's nothing worse than a bruised ego, especially if it's wounded in an expensive car. The driver recovered from the sudden shock, and gunned his car in pursuit of the chicken.
A hundred metres later, he'd almost caught up, till the chicken displayed a sudden burst of speed.
"Two can play at that game, featherduster!" - the gas pedal was pushed a little harder.
Chicken was struggling to stay in front, and this time, as he slowly gained on the feathered fugitive, the driver noticed something odd.
He was risking life, limb, and six figures' worth of engineering, to chase a three-legged chicken!
As if it knew the car was faster, the chicken changed tactics, suddenly dodging up a small, rutted, side-track.
In a cloud of dust and small stones, the expensive car handbrake-turned and came to rest facing 180 degrees from its previous heading.
As fast as he could, albeit fairly slowly, the driver followed the chicken's path, when he came across a man in bib overalls, straw hat and work-boots, leaning on the post-and-rail fence which lined the lane.
"Hey! Did you see a three-legged chicken run past?"
The farmer nodded. "Yeah, saw him. Headed past me, up toward the barn where all the three-legged chickens roost."
"Wait... you've got a few three-legged chickens?"
"Well, yes. Ya see, I like a drumstick, Maud likes a drumstick, and my boy Zachary, he likes a drumstick too. Years of breedin', but I got a three-legged Orpington."
"That's amazing! How do they taste?"
"Weeeeeeell, there's the thing. Never been able to catch one."
(EDIT: I killed a few typos)
submitted by OmarGawrsh to FuckeryUniveristy [link] [comments]
As he hung the tail out through a sweeping bend, anticipating a Scandinavian flick to take him through the upcoming hard left turn, something happened...
A plump chicken ran past him, traveling so fast the businessman hit the brakes in shock.
Now this fowl was obviously not content with just crossing the road. It was moving at a pace more worthy of a cartoon roadrunner, leaving a small plume of dust in its wake.
There's nothing worse than a bruised ego, especially if it's wounded in an expensive car. The driver recovered from the sudden shock, and gunned his car in pursuit of the chicken.
A hundred metres later, he'd almost caught up, till the chicken displayed a sudden burst of speed.
"Two can play at that game, featherduster!" - the gas pedal was pushed a little harder.
Chicken was struggling to stay in front, and this time, as he slowly gained on the feathered fugitive, the driver noticed something odd.
He was risking life, limb, and six figures' worth of engineering, to chase a three-legged chicken!
As if it knew the car was faster, the chicken changed tactics, suddenly dodging up a small, rutted, side-track.
In a cloud of dust and small stones, the expensive car handbrake-turned and came to rest facing 180 degrees from its previous heading.
As fast as he could, albeit fairly slowly, the driver followed the chicken's path, when he came across a man in bib overalls, straw hat and work-boots, leaning on the post-and-rail fence which lined the lane.
"Hey! Did you see a three-legged chicken run past?"
The farmer nodded. "Yeah, saw him. Headed past me, up toward the barn where all the three-legged chickens roost."
"Wait... you've got a few three-legged chickens?"
"Well, yes. Ya see, I like a drumstick, Maud likes a drumstick, and my boy Zachary, he likes a drumstick too. Years of breedin', but I got a three-legged Orpington."
"That's amazing! How do they taste?"
"Weeeeeeell, there's the thing. Never been able to catch one."
(EDIT: I killed a few typos)
2023.06.03 01:12 s317sv17vnv Even geese have priority over pedestrians (short story)
A quick story of a conversation I had about road infrastructure today for your amusement.
I was telling some coworkers about how I met up with my cousin at the mall, and how I decided to take the bus there so that we wouldn't need to take two cars back home (he was already near the mall for work and I live along the way to his apartment). The bus makes two stops for the mall, one on the side where all the expensive stores are, and one on the side where the more reasonably priced stores are. I opted for the latter since I can't afford to spend $170 on a plain t-shirt, and because it was the first stop in the direction I was heading anyway.
Well, I found upon being dropped off on the side of the stroad, that the sidewalk leading to the mall pretty much ended right there where the bus stop was. But there were eight lanes of an intersecting stroad branching off to go around the parking garages surrounding the mall. I found myself walking through grass, landscaping (it was well maintained for what it's worth, but who exactly is supposed to get to enjoy this when there's no ped access?) curb edges, anything but proper pedestrian infrastructure. It was like the mall is just a castle surrounded by a moat, and I was having to swim past all the gators. It took me about ten minutes after exiting the bus to endlessly dodge traffic before I finally reached the entrance to a store.
One of my coworkers who goes to that mall a lot remarked that he's seen drivers stop though whenever there's a goose crossing the road. A goose. An animal with wings. A bird that can just fly over all the cars. But even then, geese, who were never taught anything about road safety, apparently have a better chance of getting across the road in one piece than I am.
I guess I should go on a literal wild goose chase and carry one as my safety flag whenever I need to cross a stroad.
submitted by s317sv17vnv to notjustbikes [link] [comments]
I was telling some coworkers about how I met up with my cousin at the mall, and how I decided to take the bus there so that we wouldn't need to take two cars back home (he was already near the mall for work and I live along the way to his apartment). The bus makes two stops for the mall, one on the side where all the expensive stores are, and one on the side where the more reasonably priced stores are. I opted for the latter since I can't afford to spend $170 on a plain t-shirt, and because it was the first stop in the direction I was heading anyway.
Well, I found upon being dropped off on the side of the stroad, that the sidewalk leading to the mall pretty much ended right there where the bus stop was. But there were eight lanes of an intersecting stroad branching off to go around the parking garages surrounding the mall. I found myself walking through grass, landscaping (it was well maintained for what it's worth, but who exactly is supposed to get to enjoy this when there's no ped access?) curb edges, anything but proper pedestrian infrastructure. It was like the mall is just a castle surrounded by a moat, and I was having to swim past all the gators. It took me about ten minutes after exiting the bus to endlessly dodge traffic before I finally reached the entrance to a store.
One of my coworkers who goes to that mall a lot remarked that he's seen drivers stop though whenever there's a goose crossing the road. A goose. An animal with wings. A bird that can just fly over all the cars. But even then, geese, who were never taught anything about road safety, apparently have a better chance of getting across the road in one piece than I am.
I guess I should go on a literal wild goose chase and carry one as my safety flag whenever I need to cross a stroad.
2023.06.02 22:51 hodsct59 Belmont Park And Woodbine Choices For 06-03-2023
I have chosen five races at Belmont Park and 2 races at Woodbine on Saturday June 3, 2023 that I am willing to take a shot at and hopefully find my next nice score. I will not be betting the last race at Belmont individually, but it is the last race of the late P5 which I will take a couple of small shots at. I have always preferred to get as many shots as I can to hit some type of exotics in one or two races but believe spreading in any pick type sequences is not the best use of my money. Much prefer using a few dollars every race and get more opportunities every day compared to putting all my eggs in one sequence and watching them all break when one horse or race does not go as expected.
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Belmont Park 4th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $75,000 --- 3 YOs & Up NY Bred Fillies & Mares --- 7 Furlongs Turf:
1)Ace Up Her Sleeve (12-1) Has 10 lifetime starts with 4 starts and 3 thirds since the beginning of this year. In her last three starts she was tried twice on the AWT in sprints against open company and then shipped back to NY to face state breds in a turf sprint, but race was moved to a muddy dirt track where she was well beaten but managed to get up for third. One slow work since at Delaware Park. Dialed In - Clearly Cheating by Broken Vow. 3x3 to Storm Cat, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Blushing Groom, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Secretariat. As usual, most interested in her broodmare sire, Broken Vow, to figure out what distance is best for this runner, and I believe turf sprinting is the answer for this one. Broken Vow as a G2 SW on dirt but plenty of his progeny has won on grass up to a mile and he has a daughter (Broken Dreams) similar bred to this one's dam that won 3 stakes turf sprints including 2 of them G3 stakes and banked just shy of $400K. Fits with these.
6)La Chance (50-1) Has started 10 times in her career and has one second in 4 starts this year as her only board finish in her first ten starts. She will need her best effort yet but has the bloodlines to upset this field at a huge price. Her last two races and her recent works gives a clue that improvement is on the way after getting a trainer that acts like he knows what he is trying to achieve and gets her first real chance on grass. Looking At Lucky - One Wise Cowgirl by Wiseman's Ferry. 4x5 to Clever Trick. Her sire, Looking at Lucky, was a Champion 2 YO and Champion 3 YO on dirt in the U.S. and broodmare sire, Wiseman's Ferry, won a couple of G3 dirt stakes at 9 furlongs but is best remembered as sire of Wise Dan, who was good on dirt to begin his career but took his popularity to an entirely different level by winning 14 of his last 15 starts on grass with 1 second and 15 of 17 overall, with every grass start against either G1 or G2 competition. La Chance's dam, One Wise Cowgirl, has also produced a G1 sprint SW on dirt (Haveyougoneaway).
4)Cerretta (8-1) has started once this year finishing 3rd in a grass sprint but also started 7 times last year with a second and a third her other two board finishes. Has four decent to useful works since her last start which should move her forward. Midnight Lute - Lift by Pulpit. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Raise A Native & Secretariat.
7)Souffle (2-1) started twice last year, finishing second in her first start on grass as the favorite before returning as an odds-on heavy favorite and finished 4th after getting beaten to the early lead and then coming up empty late. This is her first start this year and trainer Clement is good at hiding which one of his trainees is ready to win first back or may need a race or two but normally uses Rosario when he thinks one is live and he does so here also. Will also race with lasix for the first time. Candy Ride - Portmagee by Hard Spun. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector. Both Candy Ride and Hard Spun are known for their high speed in mid-distance races especially but dam, Portmagee, won one 6 furlongs grass sprint in her career but falter both times when asked to go just slightly further.
My Risks: $4 Ex Box 1-6, $1 Ex Box 1-4-6, $1 Tri Box 1-4-6, $.10 Super Box 1-4-6-7, $.50 Super Key 4 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7. Total Risks $25.40.
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Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5 with 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6,9 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5, with 3,6,9,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: Allowance --- Purse $95,000 --- 3 YOs UP F&M N/W 1x or N/W 2 Lifetime --- 6 Furlongs Turf:
6) Anna Karenine (9-2) was shipped to U.S. late last year and was given the rest of the year off. Returned in March in a G3 stakes and sat close up early behind a crawling pace and faded after a half mile on grass. Cut back to 6 furlongs in her next start, she sat just behind the two early leaders in third, was sent after a half after the front runner had put only early challenger away but could not get by and hung in deep stretch to lose 2nd nearing the wire in this class and conditions. She has 4 more works in typical Brown style but should be getting close to her best effort. Tornado - Ivory Style by Desert Style. 4(C)x5(F)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Danzig, 5x5 to Special. Anna Karenine's 4th dam, Ivory Wand, is also 2nd dam of Elusive Quality, and this dam line flows back through Frizette, an important member of family #13.
9) Redifined (5-1) has one start this year where she tracked a fast early pace but came up empty in the stretch run in an O/C allowance race. However, she broke her maiden in the first start of her career, then competed in 3 stakes races, 2 of them listed and the other a G3 stakes where she placed in all three. She has recorded 3 very good works since her last race and is the one to beat. More Than Ready - Mrs. Boss by Wild Event. 4x5 to Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Nearctic.
5) Dekanter (12-1) has started twice this year which was also her first two starts of her career and finished 3rd on dirt, then won a maiden special weight race on grass in fairly fast time but it was during a small period when Aqueduct's grass course was blistering fast. Has 4 more works since her last start, none that are eye catching but all done on a 7-day then 6-day splits which is what you (or at least I) want to see from grass runners instead of fast works. Kantharos - Morning Rush by Unbridled's Song. 4x4 to Storm Cat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
8) Michele M. (15-1) started twice last year, both time on the AWT, breaking her maiden in her first start before finishing unplaced in a Canadian listed stake. She will be making her first start of this year, first start on grass in her career and first start for a new trainer that wins often on grass but tends to struggle with trainees first start on grass. West Coast - Juliamarie by Mizzen Mast. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native. Dam line traces back to Penelope/Prunella and the most influential family #1 in bloodlines history, without a doubt.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-9, $1 Tri Box 5-6-9, $5 Tri Straight 6 with 9 with 5, $1 Super Straight 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 8. Total Risk $27.00.
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7th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $90,000 --- 3 YOs & Up --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
8)Redistricting (3-1) is a first-time starter. It looks like his training started under another barn, then was a private purchase by current owner (private or purchases away from sales are not reported in most cases), then has a consistent work pattern for current trainer Brown with only one small break in his training that lasted 10 days until the day after the Ky Derby (likely concentrating on runners already entered to race). None of his works are eye catching but his last 9 works have all been at 4 furlongs officially, which is the normal Brown pattern. Kingman - Cascata by Montjeu. 4x4 to Kris, 5x4 to Northern Dancer.
1)Certified Loverboy (20-1) has started once this year where he tracked the early pace for 6 furlongs, then faded near the rail as the slow early pace quicken in a maiden race at 1 1/8 mile on grass, which is likely a little further than he is bred to excel at. Now cuts back 1/16 mile, which fits his bloodlines better and has one useful work since that start and returns to jockey who likely knows him better than others. Mendelsohn - Tasha's Moon by Malibu Moon. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector. Dam family traces back to family #3 which is the family of Sister One To True Blue, a daughter of a Byerley Turk mare who, along with her full brother Young True Blue, is most responsible for the formation of the 2nd X-factor gene family.
6)Ohana Honor (8-1) has two starts this year, the first on GP speed favoring dirt track where he tried to impact the race from well off the pace but had no real opportunity to do so. Next out, he was shipped to Aqueduct and moved to grass for the first grass start of his career where he was rolling in the stretch to just miss winning but also encountered enough trouble to make him late arriving to compete. Trainer Shug has put 6 more works in him since that effort, the first 4 useful works and then 2 easy works just to let him stretch his legs until a spot could be found to race him. Has the look of a trainer who is serious about breaking this one's maiden. Honor Code - Spacy Tracy by Awesome Again. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Bold Ruler, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer. Dam has already produced 3 stakes winners from 6 known foals to race, including this one.
7)Fly Right (6-1) is making his first start of the year after making three starts last year and drew near the rail in every start, thereby forcing jockey to send him early for the lead to avoid being trapped (at least perceived by most). He has 10 works for his return, including last 9 at Belmont Park, but his last 4 works should have him fit and ready. Also goes first-time lasix. Astern - Fly By by Johar. 4x5 to Sadler's Wells, 5x5 to Danzig. 6th dam, Where You Lead, is an important and influential broodmare.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-6-8, $1 Super 8 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7, $3 Super Straight 8 with 1 with 6 with 7. Total Risk $25.00.
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8th Race: Allowance --- Purse $80,000 --- 3 Yos & Up N/W 1x or N/W 2 lifetime NY Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile:
7) Shadow Dragon (2-1) has three starts this year, finishing 2nd in a G3 stakes in his first start then giving a half-hearted effort in his next two in G2 stakes company, races he was clearly overmatched in and thrown against them much too soon in his young career. Will find these fits his current ability much better and looks like a solid key in the pick exotics. Has 6 works since his last start and most of them shows he still has a desire to be competitive. Army Mule - Fire Assay by Medaglia D'Oro. 5x5 to Northern Dancer but also has Somethingroyal crossing in the sire line through Secretariat and in the broodmare sire line and dam line through another son Sir Gaylord(x2). Has even more crossing influence through Turn-To & Teddy through multiple sons and daughters on both sides.
6) Ormstown (5-1) broke his maiden in his last start against NY bred in the third start of his career and now tries state-bred winners for the first time. This is a fairly weak field for an allowance race and the reason I landed on this one is I feel he has an ability to rate though he went gate to wire against easier in this last (or at least his bloodlines suggest he should). Bernardini - Sandra by Bluegrass Cat. 2x4 to A.P. Indy, 4x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x4(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $8 Ex Straight 7-6. Total Risk $8.00.
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Race 9: Pennine Ridge Stakes(G2) --- Purse $200,000 ---- 3 YOs ---- 1 1/8 Mile Turf:
4) Silver Knott (2-1) has one start this year and was overmatched against much better than he will see here. Will be looking to make amends for such a poor showing in last. Probably a little more eager than normal as he was fresh off a break and ended up burning all his energy before the real running began on a slow grass course. Europe does not record works between races as most works on private property and normally have to rely on what trainers tells everyone. Brings a substitute jockey along as main rider stays in England for the Epsom Derby. Lope De Vega - God Given by Nathaniel. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector. Lope De Vega is a son of Shamardal (from 1st crop of Giant's Causeway and dam was a full sister to Street Cry). Broodmare sire, Nathaniel, is also a 2-time G1 stakes winner on grass but is more famously known as the sire of Enable (15 wins in 19 lifetime starts).
5) Congruent (10-1) has started four times this year with a win on the AWT 2 starts back his only board finish. He switches trainers since his last start and new trainer has put 7 works in him, the first 4 looks like they were leg stretching type works to let him get a good feel of Belmont dirt surface followed by 3 good solid works with two of them grass works. Tapit - Part The Seas by Stormy Atlantic. 4x4 to Seattle Slew, 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Northern Dancer, In Reality & Secretariat.
2) Sharar (12-1) is making his U.S. debut after shipping over from Dubai, switching trainers and given plenty of time to rest and become familiar with U.S. racing. Like a typical Pletcher trainee, he put in a few non-descript works but works improved in his last two after he was switched to grass, which he had already suggested in his first two starts he did not like the feel of Dubai's dirt (possibly did not care from Belmont dirt either). Upset potential at good odds. Gun Runner - Sacre Coeur by Saint Ballado. 5x4 to Herbager.
8) Far Bridge (9-5) has three starts in his career, with all 3 coming this year and he has 2 wins and a second, losing his perfect record in his last start when beaten a nose. However, I will take a stand against him for the win as his two works are typical Pletcher works, but his last was not an improvement which is normal for one of his trainees just before a start. Could be the track switch but more likely last took a little fitness from him. Your call, as he certainly has the bloodlines to beat these. English Channel - Fitpitcher by Kitten's Joy. 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-4, $1 Tri Box 2-4-5. Total Risk $16.00.
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Race 10: Maiden Claiming $40K --- Purse $45,000 ---- 3 YOs & Up New York Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
3) War Prince (9-2) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
4) Atlanta's Acuna (6-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
5) Fluorescent Bay (20-1) 5x3 to Icecapade.
6) Just For Luck (12-1) 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
8) Silent Running (10-1) 5x5 to Secretariat.
9) Thethrillofvictory (5-1) Complete outcross in his first 5 generations.
10) Sea Cruise (30-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
12) Bad Larry (4-1) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
No bets on this race but using these in last race of P5. Total Risk All Bets: $125.40.
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Woodbine June 3,2023:
5th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $111,600 --- 2 YOs ---- 5 Furlongs:
7) Call The Question (8-1) started once and finished last but had only 3 furlongs works with one poor gate work before that start in 4 1/2 furlongs and did not try after a poor break. Now has two more good works since that start, a 4-furlongs followed by a 3-furlongs gate work that is much better and now stretches out to 5-furlongs where she should get a better break from gate. 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
6) That Girl Artemus (6-1) is a first-time starter. Her 4-furlongs two back is very good followed by another good 4-furlongs work from the gate. If she breaks as well as she has shown, becomes a candidate to wire the field. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector.
2) Pipit (5-2) is a first-time starter. Has a good gate work two back at 4 furlongs followed by an easy 4 furlongs work. Attracts top jockey with an above average trainer. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat & Sir Ivor, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
9) Miramichi (15-1) has one start on the AWT at 4 1/2 furlongs, but drew outside on a rainy track which is usually the worst place to be, and the one just inside her got better break and she chased them throughout as they pull away while closest to the rail and she lost third at the wire to a late runner. Returns in two weeks but has another good 4 furlongs work since that start.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-7, $1 Tri Box 2-6-7, $.20 Super Box 2-6-7-9, $.30 Super Straight 2-7 with 2-7 with 6-9 with 6-9. Total Risk $22.00.
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Race 7: Royal North S(Can-2) --- Purse $175,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 6 1/2 Furlongs Turf:
2) Bay Storm (3-1) has three starts this year with 2 seconds and one third. She has been an ultra-consistent runner throughout her career, missing a placing once in her 14 lifetime starts. While this looks like a step up for her into G2 company, it is actually a step down in class as she has missed twice to odds-on G1 winning fillies in her last 5 starts while 2nd both times, including beaten a nose by one of them. She will be going back on lasix for the first time in a while. 4x4 to Storm Cat.
8) Baby No Worries (12-1) has started four times this year, winning her first start in an allowance race on the AWT at TP with a good late kick to get up in time, then finishing 2nd in a small stakes race at same track in her third start using a good late kick again to just miss before finishing 3rd in her last start against the probable favorite in here in a G3 stakes race at this track with another good late kick. She has the look of finally putting it all together as she gets more racing experience and is also moving back to grass. 5x5 to Hoist The Flag & My Charmer.
5) Our Flash Drive (9-5) has started once this year and made it a winning effort in a G3 stakes race on the AWT at her home track here. She switches back to turf here where if she has a weakness, it is on grass as only one of her stake wins have come on that surface. However, all her grass tries have been in the U.S. where the competition is usually much tougher and since she is back on her home turf, so she deserves to be the favorite. One useful work since her last start. Outcross in her first 5 generations but has Nasrullah influences on both sides.
6) Sweet Enough (20-1) has started 3 times this year in two G3 stakes and a listed stakes race in the U.S. and has not placed. However, in all three starts, she was beaten by horses that would be vying for favoritism in here and her last indicated she is near to regaining her best form. Trainer is one of Canada's best and he has put 5 more works in her, the last three very good and indicates this filly is still moving forward. She will be racing on lasix for the first time this year. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-8, $1 Tri Box 2-5-8, $.20 Super Box 2-5-6-8, $1 Super Key 2 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8. Total Risks $26.80.
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Total Risks Both Tracks $174.80.
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Belmont Park 4th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $75,000 --- 3 YOs & Up NY Bred Fillies & Mares --- 7 Furlongs Turf:
1)Ace Up Her Sleeve (12-1) Has 10 lifetime starts with 4 starts and 3 thirds since the beginning of this year. In her last three starts she was tried twice on the AWT in sprints against open company and then shipped back to NY to face state breds in a turf sprint, but race was moved to a muddy dirt track where she was well beaten but managed to get up for third. One slow work since at Delaware Park. Dialed In - Clearly Cheating by Broken Vow. 3x3 to Storm Cat, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Blushing Groom, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Secretariat. As usual, most interested in her broodmare sire, Broken Vow, to figure out what distance is best for this runner, and I believe turf sprinting is the answer for this one. Broken Vow as a G2 SW on dirt but plenty of his progeny has won on grass up to a mile and he has a daughter (Broken Dreams) similar bred to this one's dam that won 3 stakes turf sprints including 2 of them G3 stakes and banked just shy of $400K. Fits with these.
6)La Chance (50-1) Has started 10 times in her career and has one second in 4 starts this year as her only board finish in her first ten starts. She will need her best effort yet but has the bloodlines to upset this field at a huge price. Her last two races and her recent works gives a clue that improvement is on the way after getting a trainer that acts like he knows what he is trying to achieve and gets her first real chance on grass. Looking At Lucky - One Wise Cowgirl by Wiseman's Ferry. 4x5 to Clever Trick. Her sire, Looking at Lucky, was a Champion 2 YO and Champion 3 YO on dirt in the U.S. and broodmare sire, Wiseman's Ferry, won a couple of G3 dirt stakes at 9 furlongs but is best remembered as sire of Wise Dan, who was good on dirt to begin his career but took his popularity to an entirely different level by winning 14 of his last 15 starts on grass with 1 second and 15 of 17 overall, with every grass start against either G1 or G2 competition. La Chance's dam, One Wise Cowgirl, has also produced a G1 sprint SW on dirt (Haveyougoneaway).
4)Cerretta (8-1) has started once this year finishing 3rd in a grass sprint but also started 7 times last year with a second and a third her other two board finishes. Has four decent to useful works since her last start which should move her forward. Midnight Lute - Lift by Pulpit. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Raise A Native & Secretariat.
7)Souffle (2-1) started twice last year, finishing second in her first start on grass as the favorite before returning as an odds-on heavy favorite and finished 4th after getting beaten to the early lead and then coming up empty late. This is her first start this year and trainer Clement is good at hiding which one of his trainees is ready to win first back or may need a race or two but normally uses Rosario when he thinks one is live and he does so here also. Will also race with lasix for the first time. Candy Ride - Portmagee by Hard Spun. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector. Both Candy Ride and Hard Spun are known for their high speed in mid-distance races especially but dam, Portmagee, won one 6 furlongs grass sprint in her career but falter both times when asked to go just slightly further.
My Risks: $4 Ex Box 1-6, $1 Ex Box 1-4-6, $1 Tri Box 1-4-6, $.10 Super Box 1-4-6-7, $.50 Super Key 4 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7. Total Risks $25.40.
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Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5 with 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6,9 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5, with 3,6,9,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: Allowance --- Purse $95,000 --- 3 YOs UP F&M N/W 1x or N/W 2 Lifetime --- 6 Furlongs Turf:
6) Anna Karenine (9-2) was shipped to U.S. late last year and was given the rest of the year off. Returned in March in a G3 stakes and sat close up early behind a crawling pace and faded after a half mile on grass. Cut back to 6 furlongs in her next start, she sat just behind the two early leaders in third, was sent after a half after the front runner had put only early challenger away but could not get by and hung in deep stretch to lose 2nd nearing the wire in this class and conditions. She has 4 more works in typical Brown style but should be getting close to her best effort. Tornado - Ivory Style by Desert Style. 4(C)x5(F)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Danzig, 5x5 to Special. Anna Karenine's 4th dam, Ivory Wand, is also 2nd dam of Elusive Quality, and this dam line flows back through Frizette, an important member of family #13.
9) Redifined (5-1) has one start this year where she tracked a fast early pace but came up empty in the stretch run in an O/C allowance race. However, she broke her maiden in the first start of her career, then competed in 3 stakes races, 2 of them listed and the other a G3 stakes where she placed in all three. She has recorded 3 very good works since her last race and is the one to beat. More Than Ready - Mrs. Boss by Wild Event. 4x5 to Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Nearctic.
5) Dekanter (12-1) has started twice this year which was also her first two starts of her career and finished 3rd on dirt, then won a maiden special weight race on grass in fairly fast time but it was during a small period when Aqueduct's grass course was blistering fast. Has 4 more works since her last start, none that are eye catching but all done on a 7-day then 6-day splits which is what you (or at least I) want to see from grass runners instead of fast works. Kantharos - Morning Rush by Unbridled's Song. 4x4 to Storm Cat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
8) Michele M. (15-1) started twice last year, both time on the AWT, breaking her maiden in her first start before finishing unplaced in a Canadian listed stake. She will be making her first start of this year, first start on grass in her career and first start for a new trainer that wins often on grass but tends to struggle with trainees first start on grass. West Coast - Juliamarie by Mizzen Mast. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native. Dam line traces back to Penelope/Prunella and the most influential family #1 in bloodlines history, without a doubt.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-9, $1 Tri Box 5-6-9, $5 Tri Straight 6 with 9 with 5, $1 Super Straight 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 8. Total Risk $27.00.
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7th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $90,000 --- 3 YOs & Up --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
8)Redistricting (3-1) is a first-time starter. It looks like his training started under another barn, then was a private purchase by current owner (private or purchases away from sales are not reported in most cases), then has a consistent work pattern for current trainer Brown with only one small break in his training that lasted 10 days until the day after the Ky Derby (likely concentrating on runners already entered to race). None of his works are eye catching but his last 9 works have all been at 4 furlongs officially, which is the normal Brown pattern. Kingman - Cascata by Montjeu. 4x4 to Kris, 5x4 to Northern Dancer.
1)Certified Loverboy (20-1) has started once this year where he tracked the early pace for 6 furlongs, then faded near the rail as the slow early pace quicken in a maiden race at 1 1/8 mile on grass, which is likely a little further than he is bred to excel at. Now cuts back 1/16 mile, which fits his bloodlines better and has one useful work since that start and returns to jockey who likely knows him better than others. Mendelsohn - Tasha's Moon by Malibu Moon. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector. Dam family traces back to family #3 which is the family of Sister One To True Blue, a daughter of a Byerley Turk mare who, along with her full brother Young True Blue, is most responsible for the formation of the 2nd X-factor gene family.
6)Ohana Honor (8-1) has two starts this year, the first on GP speed favoring dirt track where he tried to impact the race from well off the pace but had no real opportunity to do so. Next out, he was shipped to Aqueduct and moved to grass for the first grass start of his career where he was rolling in the stretch to just miss winning but also encountered enough trouble to make him late arriving to compete. Trainer Shug has put 6 more works in him since that effort, the first 4 useful works and then 2 easy works just to let him stretch his legs until a spot could be found to race him. Has the look of a trainer who is serious about breaking this one's maiden. Honor Code - Spacy Tracy by Awesome Again. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Bold Ruler, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer. Dam has already produced 3 stakes winners from 6 known foals to race, including this one.
7)Fly Right (6-1) is making his first start of the year after making three starts last year and drew near the rail in every start, thereby forcing jockey to send him early for the lead to avoid being trapped (at least perceived by most). He has 10 works for his return, including last 9 at Belmont Park, but his last 4 works should have him fit and ready. Also goes first-time lasix. Astern - Fly By by Johar. 4x5 to Sadler's Wells, 5x5 to Danzig. 6th dam, Where You Lead, is an important and influential broodmare.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-6-8, $1 Super 8 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7, $3 Super Straight 8 with 1 with 6 with 7. Total Risk $25.00.
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8th Race: Allowance --- Purse $80,000 --- 3 Yos & Up N/W 1x or N/W 2 lifetime NY Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile:
7) Shadow Dragon (2-1) has three starts this year, finishing 2nd in a G3 stakes in his first start then giving a half-hearted effort in his next two in G2 stakes company, races he was clearly overmatched in and thrown against them much too soon in his young career. Will find these fits his current ability much better and looks like a solid key in the pick exotics. Has 6 works since his last start and most of them shows he still has a desire to be competitive. Army Mule - Fire Assay by Medaglia D'Oro. 5x5 to Northern Dancer but also has Somethingroyal crossing in the sire line through Secretariat and in the broodmare sire line and dam line through another son Sir Gaylord(x2). Has even more crossing influence through Turn-To & Teddy through multiple sons and daughters on both sides.
6) Ormstown (5-1) broke his maiden in his last start against NY bred in the third start of his career and now tries state-bred winners for the first time. This is a fairly weak field for an allowance race and the reason I landed on this one is I feel he has an ability to rate though he went gate to wire against easier in this last (or at least his bloodlines suggest he should). Bernardini - Sandra by Bluegrass Cat. 2x4 to A.P. Indy, 4x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x4(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $8 Ex Straight 7-6. Total Risk $8.00.
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Race 9: Pennine Ridge Stakes(G2) --- Purse $200,000 ---- 3 YOs ---- 1 1/8 Mile Turf:
4) Silver Knott (2-1) has one start this year and was overmatched against much better than he will see here. Will be looking to make amends for such a poor showing in last. Probably a little more eager than normal as he was fresh off a break and ended up burning all his energy before the real running began on a slow grass course. Europe does not record works between races as most works on private property and normally have to rely on what trainers tells everyone. Brings a substitute jockey along as main rider stays in England for the Epsom Derby. Lope De Vega - God Given by Nathaniel. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector. Lope De Vega is a son of Shamardal (from 1st crop of Giant's Causeway and dam was a full sister to Street Cry). Broodmare sire, Nathaniel, is also a 2-time G1 stakes winner on grass but is more famously known as the sire of Enable (15 wins in 19 lifetime starts).
5) Congruent (10-1) has started four times this year with a win on the AWT 2 starts back his only board finish. He switches trainers since his last start and new trainer has put 7 works in him, the first 4 looks like they were leg stretching type works to let him get a good feel of Belmont dirt surface followed by 3 good solid works with two of them grass works. Tapit - Part The Seas by Stormy Atlantic. 4x4 to Seattle Slew, 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Northern Dancer, In Reality & Secretariat.
2) Sharar (12-1) is making his U.S. debut after shipping over from Dubai, switching trainers and given plenty of time to rest and become familiar with U.S. racing. Like a typical Pletcher trainee, he put in a few non-descript works but works improved in his last two after he was switched to grass, which he had already suggested in his first two starts he did not like the feel of Dubai's dirt (possibly did not care from Belmont dirt either). Upset potential at good odds. Gun Runner - Sacre Coeur by Saint Ballado. 5x4 to Herbager.
8) Far Bridge (9-5) has three starts in his career, with all 3 coming this year and he has 2 wins and a second, losing his perfect record in his last start when beaten a nose. However, I will take a stand against him for the win as his two works are typical Pletcher works, but his last was not an improvement which is normal for one of his trainees just before a start. Could be the track switch but more likely last took a little fitness from him. Your call, as he certainly has the bloodlines to beat these. English Channel - Fitpitcher by Kitten's Joy. 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-4, $1 Tri Box 2-4-5. Total Risk $16.00.
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Race 10: Maiden Claiming $40K --- Purse $45,000 ---- 3 YOs & Up New York Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
3) War Prince (9-2) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
4) Atlanta's Acuna (6-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
5) Fluorescent Bay (20-1) 5x3 to Icecapade.
6) Just For Luck (12-1) 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
8) Silent Running (10-1) 5x5 to Secretariat.
9) Thethrillofvictory (5-1) Complete outcross in his first 5 generations.
10) Sea Cruise (30-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
12) Bad Larry (4-1) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
No bets on this race but using these in last race of P5. Total Risk All Bets: $125.40.
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Woodbine June 3,2023:
5th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $111,600 --- 2 YOs ---- 5 Furlongs:
7) Call The Question (8-1) started once and finished last but had only 3 furlongs works with one poor gate work before that start in 4 1/2 furlongs and did not try after a poor break. Now has two more good works since that start, a 4-furlongs followed by a 3-furlongs gate work that is much better and now stretches out to 5-furlongs where she should get a better break from gate. 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
6) That Girl Artemus (6-1) is a first-time starter. Her 4-furlongs two back is very good followed by another good 4-furlongs work from the gate. If she breaks as well as she has shown, becomes a candidate to wire the field. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector.
2) Pipit (5-2) is a first-time starter. Has a good gate work two back at 4 furlongs followed by an easy 4 furlongs work. Attracts top jockey with an above average trainer. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat & Sir Ivor, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
9) Miramichi (15-1) has one start on the AWT at 4 1/2 furlongs, but drew outside on a rainy track which is usually the worst place to be, and the one just inside her got better break and she chased them throughout as they pull away while closest to the rail and she lost third at the wire to a late runner. Returns in two weeks but has another good 4 furlongs work since that start.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-7, $1 Tri Box 2-6-7, $.20 Super Box 2-6-7-9, $.30 Super Straight 2-7 with 2-7 with 6-9 with 6-9. Total Risk $22.00.
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Race 7: Royal North S(Can-2) --- Purse $175,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 6 1/2 Furlongs Turf:
2) Bay Storm (3-1) has three starts this year with 2 seconds and one third. She has been an ultra-consistent runner throughout her career, missing a placing once in her 14 lifetime starts. While this looks like a step up for her into G2 company, it is actually a step down in class as she has missed twice to odds-on G1 winning fillies in her last 5 starts while 2nd both times, including beaten a nose by one of them. She will be going back on lasix for the first time in a while. 4x4 to Storm Cat.
8) Baby No Worries (12-1) has started four times this year, winning her first start in an allowance race on the AWT at TP with a good late kick to get up in time, then finishing 2nd in a small stakes race at same track in her third start using a good late kick again to just miss before finishing 3rd in her last start against the probable favorite in here in a G3 stakes race at this track with another good late kick. She has the look of finally putting it all together as she gets more racing experience and is also moving back to grass. 5x5 to Hoist The Flag & My Charmer.
5) Our Flash Drive (9-5) has started once this year and made it a winning effort in a G3 stakes race on the AWT at her home track here. She switches back to turf here where if she has a weakness, it is on grass as only one of her stake wins have come on that surface. However, all her grass tries have been in the U.S. where the competition is usually much tougher and since she is back on her home turf, so she deserves to be the favorite. One useful work since her last start. Outcross in her first 5 generations but has Nasrullah influences on both sides.
6) Sweet Enough (20-1) has started 3 times this year in two G3 stakes and a listed stakes race in the U.S. and has not placed. However, in all three starts, she was beaten by horses that would be vying for favoritism in here and her last indicated she is near to regaining her best form. Trainer is one of Canada's best and he has put 5 more works in her, the last three very good and indicates this filly is still moving forward. She will be racing on lasix for the first time this year. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-8, $1 Tri Box 2-5-8, $.20 Super Box 2-5-6-8, $1 Super Key 2 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8. Total Risks $26.80.
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Total Risks Both Tracks $174.80.
2023.06.02 21:50 Sirxi The Winds of Aetherhelm : two turbulent encounters to send your players flying !
Hey there ! I'm Axel, aka BigDud, a passionate DM who produces all kinds of third party content for your enjoyment.
I'm back with some encounters for you to enjoy ! These are part of the adventure I'm currently working on, The Winds of Aetherhelm, which will release next Friday in full.
Just like most of my adventures, they were made to be ran with no prep : just read the page once before running it and you're good to go !
In "The Winds of Aetherhelm", your players explore the city of the same name, which recently re-appeared on the Material Plane after having been gone for decades. Floating above fields and forests, the city is ravaged by elemental magics after the spell meant to make it fly went wrong ; elementals and large chunks of debris descend and fall from above, causing heavy damage to the surrounding land, and the weather keeps getting stranger as Aetherhelm comes closer and closer to major cities. The party must find what is causing this disturbance, and stop it before it's too late !
These encounters represent our party making their way to the city itself, where they'll find the secrets of the Astromagi ; to do so, they'll have to traverse dangerous floating platforms and deal with the elementals constantly summoned around the city. Can they make it in one piece, or will they end up as a mere red stain on a rock below ?
Platforming challenges, beautiful vistas and objective-based combat awaits you in this gusty adventure that's easy to modify and adapt to your own campaign setting.
You can find the PDF of the encounters, the battlemap (128 PPI), and the token for the monsters at the bottom of the post.
For the mods : all art in the adventure was made by me using Midjourney and image editing software like GIMP and Krita. The adventure itself was tested by my players.
Finally, their goal is revealed : the spell was intended to make the city fly. Unfortunately for both them and our adventurers, it worked too well. Now, the city is halfway between the Material Plane and the Elemental Plane of Air, floating in the skies while ravaged by tornadoes and powerful winds. Its ruins fall over the fields, destroying homes and harvests, while elementals descend from above, threatening to invade nearby villages.
As the local heroes, our party has been tasked to head towards the city, find what has been causing the incursions from the Elemental Plane of Air, and end the phenomenon for the safety of all.
The party starts with two scrolls of Fly and four scrolls of Feather Fall.
They'll need to climb the ruins to access the city, but beware of what remains within : the influence of the Elemental Plane can be felt even there.
To acquire successes, one party member takes the lead and must explain how they help traversing from one piece of ruins to the other. They can then make an appropriate skill check. If it beats the DC, they add one success to the counter !
The DC for these skill checks should be between 15 and 25, but can change based on how difficult you think their strategy would make the traversal. Using tools such as rope or one of their Fly scrolls can give advantage on the check or simply offer an automatic success ; limited resources give stronger bonuses.
If the check fails, the party member's strategy fails, and a consequence occurs. Here are a few ideas for consequences : - The piece of ruins the party is standing on crumbles, forcing them to dangerously catch another piece of ruins as they fall. The party takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall.
The last platforms until they arrive on the floating city proper are all formed from a long bridge that used to connect the city to the landscape around it. Now, the bridge is broken in multiple parts, each floating not too far from each other, but distant enough to form a challenge.
Worse, small elementals have appeared all along the bridge, threatening to push any passersby off to their deaths.
Traversing the bridge would be difficult, even in normal circumstances. just like for the previous part, the party will need to advance using their skills and tools to traverse the bridge.
However, this time, they're in a hurry : small, tumbling air elementals patrol the bridge, and are hostile to passing creatures. As the party crosses more of the bridge, more tumbling tempests notice their presence.
Each round, the party can use their movement to go through traversable portions of the bridge. There will be sections that can't be crossed with normal movement : the party will either need to use their tools, their skills or even the ruins themselves to fashion themselves a passage or jump over large chasms. They might even be able to use the tumbling tempests to push them in the right direction !
In addition, additional tumbling tempests appear as the party makes their way further and further onto the bridge, increasing the tension until they are finally safe.
You can download the PDF here : PDF
And the battlemap here (it's 128 PPI for VTTs) : Battlemap
And the token here : Token
If you want to run this in a different environment, you can also use this transparent version of the battlemap and change the background : Bridge without background
I hope you enjoy the encounters ! If you did and you'd like to not only support me, but get some more content for yourself, I invite you to go check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/bdhb ! I post content every single month including full adventures, standalone encounters, new game mechanics, magic items, and much more.
Have a great day and I'll be back soon with more content !
submitted by Sirxi to DnDBehindTheScreen [link] [comments]
I'm back with some encounters for you to enjoy ! These are part of the adventure I'm currently working on, The Winds of Aetherhelm, which will release next Friday in full.
Just like most of my adventures, they were made to be ran with no prep : just read the page once before running it and you're good to go !
In "The Winds of Aetherhelm", your players explore the city of the same name, which recently re-appeared on the Material Plane after having been gone for decades. Floating above fields and forests, the city is ravaged by elemental magics after the spell meant to make it fly went wrong ; elementals and large chunks of debris descend and fall from above, causing heavy damage to the surrounding land, and the weather keeps getting stranger as Aetherhelm comes closer and closer to major cities. The party must find what is causing this disturbance, and stop it before it's too late !
These encounters represent our party making their way to the city itself, where they'll find the secrets of the Astromagi ; to do so, they'll have to traverse dangerous floating platforms and deal with the elementals constantly summoned around the city. Can they make it in one piece, or will they end up as a mere red stain on a rock below ?
Platforming challenges, beautiful vistas and objective-based combat awaits you in this gusty adventure that's easy to modify and adapt to your own campaign setting.
You can find the PDF of the encounters, the battlemap (128 PPI), and the token for the monsters at the bottom of the post.
For the mods : all art in the adventure was made by me using Midjourney and image editing software like GIMP and Krita. The adventure itself was tested by my players.
The winds of Aetherhelm
The city of Aetherhelm, jewel of the Astromagi, and long lost to time, has returned. Hundreds of years ago, the society of powerful magi disappeared suddenly, following a particularly ambitious ritual they were attempting.Finally, their goal is revealed : the spell was intended to make the city fly. Unfortunately for both them and our adventurers, it worked too well. Now, the city is halfway between the Material Plane and the Elemental Plane of Air, floating in the skies while ravaged by tornadoes and powerful winds. Its ruins fall over the fields, destroying homes and harvests, while elementals descend from above, threatening to invade nearby villages.
As the local heroes, our party has been tasked to head towards the city, find what has been causing the incursions from the Elemental Plane of Air, and end the phenomenon for the safety of all.
Setup
The party knows the following information at the start of the aventure : - Aetherhelm, a city of powerful mages has been missing for the centuries, after disappearing suddenly during one of their rituals.- It has reappeared a few weeks ago without warning and since floats in the sky, slowly moving across the landscape.
- Its presence has been causing tornadoes, strong winds, falls of dangerous debris, and even the attacks of some elementals in its vicinity. They need to be stopped for the safety of neighboring villages.
- According to what is known about Aetherhelm, its center, the Palace of Zephyrs, is likely where the strongest magic will be present. Reaching it should be the party's focus.
Gear
Due to the difficult environment the party will be in, they've been given a number of scrolls to allow them to traverse the city and reach its center.The party starts with two scrolls of Fly and four scrolls of Feather Fall.
Flying, featherfall and challenges
The adventure is heavily based on its terrain to make it challenging and fun for our players. The initial scrolls the party is given will allow them to bypass or make some of the challenges a lot easier : that is intended !
The choice of which encounter to make easier is theirs, and if the more they use early, the less they'll have later. Keep in mind that since the adventure is happening on a floating city, falling off without a contingency plan is almost certain death. Make this clear to your players !
Part 1: The Floating Ruins
The party travels to the floating city, reaching the fields above which it's slowly traveling. Above them, a dangerous path presents itself along the ruins, as the bridge that allowed entrance to the city now hangs in the air, its parts spread like stepping stones to the city.They'll need to climb the ruins to access the city, but beware of what remains within : the influence of the Elemental Plane can be felt even there.
Encounter 1: The Climb
The path upwards is made of disconnected ruins each floating from a dozen to a few hundred feet apart. The challenge for them to traverse the landscape while avoiding the strong winds and moving tornadoes that could toss them off the platforms.Skill challenge : ascension
In this challenge, the party needs to acquire as many successes as there are players to reach the next part.To acquire successes, one party member takes the lead and must explain how they help traversing from one piece of ruins to the other. They can then make an appropriate skill check. If it beats the DC, they add one success to the counter !
The DC for these skill checks should be between 15 and 25, but can change based on how difficult you think their strategy would make the traversal. Using tools such as rope or one of their Fly scrolls can give advantage on the check or simply offer an automatic success ; limited resources give stronger bonuses.
If the check fails, the party member's strategy fails, and a consequence occurs. Here are a few ideas for consequences : - The piece of ruins the party is standing on crumbles, forcing them to dangerously catch another piece of ruins as they fall. The party takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall.
- The party accidentally damages the next set of ruins. The skill check of the next party member is made at disadvantage.
- The party has made some noise and attracted the attention of a nearby air elemental. For now, it hasn't noticed them, but if they fail again, it'll engage in combat.
Keep in mind that the party can use their scrolls to either provide help, or to negate the consequences of bad skill checks. They might also find a scroll or two amidst the ruins if they look hard enough !
Encounter 2: Tumbling Tornadoes
The party is getting closer to the city, now reaching its outskirts. Their goal, the Palace of Zephyrs, is still far in the distance, but the presence of elementals is starting to be felt more and more.The last platforms until they arrive on the floating city proper are all formed from a long bridge that used to connect the city to the landscape around it. Now, the bridge is broken in multiple parts, each floating not too far from each other, but distant enough to form a challenge.
Worse, small elementals have appeared all along the bridge, threatening to push any passersby off to their deaths.
Tumbling tempests : (map in appendix)
The party's goal is to cross the bridge. Once they're successfully on the other side of it, they're out of danger, and the encounter is finished.Traversing the bridge would be difficult, even in normal circumstances. just like for the previous part, the party will need to advance using their skills and tools to traverse the bridge.
However, this time, they're in a hurry : small, tumbling air elementals patrol the bridge, and are hostile to passing creatures. As the party crosses more of the bridge, more tumbling tempests notice their presence.
The encounter is ran like a combat except that the goal isn't to take down the elementals : they'll reappear a round after they're taken down a bit further from the bridge, and make their way back as soon as they can.Falling off the bridge
Tumbling tempests are weak fighters, and do little damage. The main threat they pose is pushing party members off the bridge, which forces them to use their scrolls or other resources if they want to avoid falling damage.
A creature that falls from the bridge can make a DC 10 Acrobatics check to catch ruins below to save themselves, but they'll take some damage based on the height fallen, and will need time to climb back up and get back in the action !
Each round, the party can use their movement to go through traversable portions of the bridge. There will be sections that can't be crossed with normal movement : the party will either need to use their tools, their skills or even the ruins themselves to fashion themselves a passage or jump over large chasms. They might even be able to use the tumbling tempests to push them in the right direction !
In addition, additional tumbling tempests appear as the party makes their way further and further onto the bridge, increasing the tension until they are finally safe.
Tumbling Tempest
Small Elemental, neutral
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 14 (4d6)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) - Damage Resistances lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
- Senses passive Perception 10
- Languages Auran
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
- Proficiency Bonus +2
Air Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Actions
Tumble. The elemental moves up to half its speed, then pushes a creature within 5 ft of it. The creature must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw. On a failure, they take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage are pushed 10 ft back in the opposite direction of the elemental. On a success, they are unaffected by the push. A creature can willingly fail this saving throw.
Enemy locations
- Beginning of the bridge : 1 tumbling tempest per PC.
- Middle of the bridge : 3 additional tumbling tempests.
- End of the bridge : 1 additional tumbling tempest per PC.
Once the party has reached the end of the bridge, the remaining tumbling tempests are caught in the winds and disappear. Our heroes have reached the edge of the city proper, and are now ready to step on Aetherhelm !Making the encounter more challenging
If you feel like the encounter is too easy and your players are breezing through it, you can add a number of additional challenges to keep them on their toes ! Choose one or several of the following effects to add to the battlefield :
- On initiative 30 every round, choose a piece of the bridge and point it out to your players. On initiative 10, a tornado passes by, destroying the chosen piece of the bridge. Characters on the chosen piece must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 4d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked back 15 ft in a random direction (roll 1d8).
- On initiative 30 every round, each piece of bridge moves either up or down 15 ft. Characters on pieces that move down must make a DC 10 Acrobatics check or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage from falling. Traversal DCs between bridge pieces at different elevations have a +2 to their difficulty.
- On initiative 30 every round, a 20 ft wide current of strong winds forms on the battlefield in a random direction and location. The current crosses from one edge of the battlefield to the other. Roll 1d4 for direction (left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top). Characters inside the current are pushed 15 ft in the direction of the current for each 5 ft they move.
PDF, battlemap, and supporting me
I've copied the text of the encounters in here, but I personally think it's much easier to read as a separate PDF.You can download the PDF here : PDF
And the battlemap here (it's 128 PPI for VTTs) : Battlemap
And the token here : Token
If you want to run this in a different environment, you can also use this transparent version of the battlemap and change the background : Bridge without background
I hope you enjoy the encounters ! If you did and you'd like to not only support me, but get some more content for yourself, I invite you to go check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/bdhb ! I post content every single month including full adventures, standalone encounters, new game mechanics, magic items, and much more.
Have a great day and I'll be back soon with more content !
2023.06.02 21:06 Sola_Sista_94 Kokichi Time: Part Four (Fanfic)
"How much of that did you hear?" Kokichi growled, his cheeks turning red with anger and embarrassment. Kaede kept on giggling. "It's not funny!" Kokichi fumed.
"Hahahaha...I'm so sorry, Kokichi," Kaede laughed, holding her stomach. "I just...I thought it was kinda cute."
"There was nothing cute about it!" Kokichi huffed as he crossed his arms and turned his back to Kaede.
"Kokichi...you miss Himiko," Kaede said with a sympathetic smile.
"Nuh-uh!" Kokichi lied. "I just...was practicing a song for theatre class!"
"Kokichi..." Kaede said softly. Kokichi turned to her. His eyes seemed less angry and more heartbroken. He slumped his shoulders.
"Could you...close the door, please?" he asked in a small voice. Kaede nodded and closed the door behind her. Kokichi sat on his bed and gestured to Kaede to sit next to him. Kaede sat down and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Is it true, Kokichi?" she asked. Kokichi hung his head and shut his eyes tight, trying not to tear up.
"Yeah..." he whispered. He looked up at Kaede. "I miss her so much. I didn't even realize how much I would miss her."
"Then, tell her, Kokichi," Kaede said.
"I want to, I really do," Kokichi said. "It's just that...I...I want her to be happy. And she's hanging out with Sonia because I basically told her to. So it's all my fault, anyways."
"What exactly happened?" Kaede asked.
"I mean...I was playing my game, and Himiko came in asking me if I wanted to go with her to DeepBlueSea World," Kokichi explained. "I told her that I needed some space...just for that day, so she ended up going with Sonia."
"It's not your fault, Kokichi," Kaede said. "You just wanted alone time. There's nothing wrong with that."
"But because of me, she'd rather hang out with Sonia more," Kokichi said.
"Kokichi...you were honest about you needing your alone time," Kaede pointed out. "If you can be honest about that, there's no reason why you shouldn't be honest about how you feel about her hanging out with Sonia lately."
"I just...can't," Kokichi sighed.
"Why not?" Kaede asked.
"Hanging out with Sonia makes her happy," Kokichi repeated. "If I tell her how I feel, it's just going to make her feel guilty."
"Kokichi, you know that's not true," Kaede said. "Himiko loves you. I know she'd want you to be happy, too."
"Her happiness is more important than mine," Kokichi muttered. Kaede stared at him in shock. A wave of pity coursed through her body.
"Kokichi..." she whispered softly. "Promise me you'll tell her."
"Okay, okay...I'll tell her," Kokichi muttered.
"Because if you don't..." Kaede began.
"I don't wanna talk about it anymore," Kokichi interrupted with sadness and frustration.
"Okay..." Kaede murmured. She stood up and began to leave the room.
"Kaede?" Kokichi called out to her. Kaede turned to face him.
"Yes?"
"Do you...wanna hang out with me?" Kokichi asked in a small voice. Though his voice seemed steady and calm, his eyes were pleading. Kaede smiled gently.
"Sure!" she replied cheerfully. Kokichi felt a bit of relief as Kaede sat back down next to him. He gave her a small, grateful smile. "What do you wanna do?" she asked him. A happy smile spread across Kokichi's face.
"Ever heard of 'Seven Nights At Frank-o's?'" he asked eagerly.
***
Later that evening, Himiko returned home with a whole new look. Her hair was now dyed black, and she wore makeup with earrings. Her clothes were more stylish, and her nails looked shiny and were painted red and black ombre.
"Himiko, you look amazing!" Tenko exclaimed as Himiko entered her and Tenko's room.
"Nyeh...thanks!" Himiko replied. "I feel amazing, that's for sure!"
"I wish I could have gone with you and Sonia to the mall," Tenko grumbled with disappointment.
"Hm...maybe you could go with us tomorrow," Himiko said.
"You're going to the mall again?!" Tenko asked, jumping off of her bed with excitement.
"Yup, that's right," Himiko replied. "Every Friday at the mall is called 'Free Fashion Friday,' where they pretty much give away clothes of the hottest trends."
"Whoa, seriously?! That's a thing?!" Tenko exclaimed, her eyes bugging out.
"Yeah...I thought it was weird, too," Himiko admitted. "But it's real. And we gotta get there early before the other customers take all the free stuff. Then, after that, Sonia and I were planning on going to a cute little café."
"Ooo! Sounds like fun!" Tenko squealed. "Now I really wanna go!"
"Okay, I'll text Sonia and let her know that you wanna come, too," Himiko said, taking out her phone.
"Himiko?" came a voice from their doorway. Himiko turned to see Kokichi, and immediately brightened.
"Nyeh...Kokichi!" she shouted happily, rushing over to hug him. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling around and showing herself off.
"Wow! You look really great, Monkey Buns!" Kokichi said.
"Eeeee, thank you!" Himiko squealed.
"Um, so, uh...did you have fun with Sonia at the mall?" Kokichi asked.
"Yes!" Himiko replied, and thrusted her hands out to show her nails. "Nyeh...¡mira! That's Spanish for, 'look!' Sonia taught me that, since one of the languages she speaks is Spanish!"
"I knew that," Kokichi said. Himiko looked at him in awe.
"Oh, that's right! You know Spanish, too!" she said.
"Mm-hmm," Kokichi said with a nod and a small smile. Himiko wrapped her arms around him.
"That's my Panta Bear!" she said proudly. Then she ruffled his hair adoringly. Kokichi smiled back at her, this time, a smile filled with hope.
"So, um...Himiko..." he began. He paused, remembering his conversation with Kaede earlier.
"Nyeh...what's the matter?" Himiko asked.
"Well...you know when I said I wanted to have...y'know...Kokichi Time?" Kokichi asked.
"Of course! What about it?" Himiko asked. Kokichi opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After a while, he sighed and forced a smile.
"I...think I need more Kokichi Time, for um...for tomorrow," he said.
"Oh, that's okay!" Himiko replied happily. "Sonia and I...and Tenko, now...had plans for tomorrow, anyways!"
"Cool," Kokichi said with a nod. "Um...I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"You got it!" Himiko replied with finger guns. Kokichi chuckled softly as he turned to leave. "Nyeh...Kokichi?" Himiko said. Kokichi turned back to her.
"Yeah?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"Are you okay? You seem kinda quiet," Himiko replied.
"Oh, well...I'm just sleepy," Kokichi lied, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides...I got a long day of Kokichi Time ahead of me, so...I'd better get some shut-eye, y'know?" Himiko put a hand up to his forehead.
"Are you sure you're not feeling sick?" she asked with concern. Kokichi gave her a cheeky grin and placed his hands behind his head.
"Nee-heehee...in Mother Kokichi, I don't get sick, sick gets me!" he joked in a Russian accent. Himiko smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay," she said. "I get it. You're not sick."
"Well...I guess I'd better get going, then!" Kokichi said.
"Okay," Himiko said, giving Kokichi a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Panta Bear!"
"Good night," Kokichi replied. Himiko closed the door to her and Tenko's bedroom so she could change. With a heavy heart, Kokichi sighed sadly as he shuffled in silence down the stairs to his room.
submitted by Sola_Sista_94 to danganronpa [link] [comments]
"Hahahaha...I'm so sorry, Kokichi," Kaede laughed, holding her stomach. "I just...I thought it was kinda cute."
"There was nothing cute about it!" Kokichi huffed as he crossed his arms and turned his back to Kaede.
"Kokichi...you miss Himiko," Kaede said with a sympathetic smile.
"Nuh-uh!" Kokichi lied. "I just...was practicing a song for theatre class!"
"Kokichi..." Kaede said softly. Kokichi turned to her. His eyes seemed less angry and more heartbroken. He slumped his shoulders.
"Could you...close the door, please?" he asked in a small voice. Kaede nodded and closed the door behind her. Kokichi sat on his bed and gestured to Kaede to sit next to him. Kaede sat down and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Is it true, Kokichi?" she asked. Kokichi hung his head and shut his eyes tight, trying not to tear up.
"Yeah..." he whispered. He looked up at Kaede. "I miss her so much. I didn't even realize how much I would miss her."
"Then, tell her, Kokichi," Kaede said.
"I want to, I really do," Kokichi said. "It's just that...I...I want her to be happy. And she's hanging out with Sonia because I basically told her to. So it's all my fault, anyways."
"What exactly happened?" Kaede asked.
"I mean...I was playing my game, and Himiko came in asking me if I wanted to go with her to DeepBlueSea World," Kokichi explained. "I told her that I needed some space...just for that day, so she ended up going with Sonia."
"It's not your fault, Kokichi," Kaede said. "You just wanted alone time. There's nothing wrong with that."
"But because of me, she'd rather hang out with Sonia more," Kokichi said.
"Kokichi...you were honest about you needing your alone time," Kaede pointed out. "If you can be honest about that, there's no reason why you shouldn't be honest about how you feel about her hanging out with Sonia lately."
"I just...can't," Kokichi sighed.
"Why not?" Kaede asked.
"Hanging out with Sonia makes her happy," Kokichi repeated. "If I tell her how I feel, it's just going to make her feel guilty."
"Kokichi, you know that's not true," Kaede said. "Himiko loves you. I know she'd want you to be happy, too."
"Her happiness is more important than mine," Kokichi muttered. Kaede stared at him in shock. A wave of pity coursed through her body.
"Kokichi..." she whispered softly. "Promise me you'll tell her."
"Okay, okay...I'll tell her," Kokichi muttered.
"Because if you don't..." Kaede began.
"I don't wanna talk about it anymore," Kokichi interrupted with sadness and frustration.
"Okay..." Kaede murmured. She stood up and began to leave the room.
"Kaede?" Kokichi called out to her. Kaede turned to face him.
"Yes?"
"Do you...wanna hang out with me?" Kokichi asked in a small voice. Though his voice seemed steady and calm, his eyes were pleading. Kaede smiled gently.
"Sure!" she replied cheerfully. Kokichi felt a bit of relief as Kaede sat back down next to him. He gave her a small, grateful smile. "What do you wanna do?" she asked him. A happy smile spread across Kokichi's face.
"Ever heard of 'Seven Nights At Frank-o's?'" he asked eagerly.
***
Later that evening, Himiko returned home with a whole new look. Her hair was now dyed black, and she wore makeup with earrings. Her clothes were more stylish, and her nails looked shiny and were painted red and black ombre.
"Himiko, you look amazing!" Tenko exclaimed as Himiko entered her and Tenko's room.
"Nyeh...thanks!" Himiko replied. "I feel amazing, that's for sure!"
"I wish I could have gone with you and Sonia to the mall," Tenko grumbled with disappointment.
"Hm...maybe you could go with us tomorrow," Himiko said.
"You're going to the mall again?!" Tenko asked, jumping off of her bed with excitement.
"Yup, that's right," Himiko replied. "Every Friday at the mall is called 'Free Fashion Friday,' where they pretty much give away clothes of the hottest trends."
"Whoa, seriously?! That's a thing?!" Tenko exclaimed, her eyes bugging out.
"Yeah...I thought it was weird, too," Himiko admitted. "But it's real. And we gotta get there early before the other customers take all the free stuff. Then, after that, Sonia and I were planning on going to a cute little café."
"Ooo! Sounds like fun!" Tenko squealed. "Now I really wanna go!"
"Okay, I'll text Sonia and let her know that you wanna come, too," Himiko said, taking out her phone.
"Himiko?" came a voice from their doorway. Himiko turned to see Kokichi, and immediately brightened.
"Nyeh...Kokichi!" she shouted happily, rushing over to hug him. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling around and showing herself off.
"Wow! You look really great, Monkey Buns!" Kokichi said.
"Eeeee, thank you!" Himiko squealed.
"Um, so, uh...did you have fun with Sonia at the mall?" Kokichi asked.
"Yes!" Himiko replied, and thrusted her hands out to show her nails. "Nyeh...¡mira! That's Spanish for, 'look!' Sonia taught me that, since one of the languages she speaks is Spanish!"
"I knew that," Kokichi said. Himiko looked at him in awe.
"Oh, that's right! You know Spanish, too!" she said.
"Mm-hmm," Kokichi said with a nod and a small smile. Himiko wrapped her arms around him.
"That's my Panta Bear!" she said proudly. Then she ruffled his hair adoringly. Kokichi smiled back at her, this time, a smile filled with hope.
"So, um...Himiko..." he began. He paused, remembering his conversation with Kaede earlier.
"Nyeh...what's the matter?" Himiko asked.
"Well...you know when I said I wanted to have...y'know...Kokichi Time?" Kokichi asked.
"Of course! What about it?" Himiko asked. Kokichi opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After a while, he sighed and forced a smile.
"I...think I need more Kokichi Time, for um...for tomorrow," he said.
"Oh, that's okay!" Himiko replied happily. "Sonia and I...and Tenko, now...had plans for tomorrow, anyways!"
"Cool," Kokichi said with a nod. "Um...I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"You got it!" Himiko replied with finger guns. Kokichi chuckled softly as he turned to leave. "Nyeh...Kokichi?" Himiko said. Kokichi turned back to her.
"Yeah?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"Are you okay? You seem kinda quiet," Himiko replied.
"Oh, well...I'm just sleepy," Kokichi lied, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides...I got a long day of Kokichi Time ahead of me, so...I'd better get some shut-eye, y'know?" Himiko put a hand up to his forehead.
"Are you sure you're not feeling sick?" she asked with concern. Kokichi gave her a cheeky grin and placed his hands behind his head.
"Nee-heehee...in Mother Kokichi, I don't get sick, sick gets me!" he joked in a Russian accent. Himiko smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay," she said. "I get it. You're not sick."
"Well...I guess I'd better get going, then!" Kokichi said.
"Okay," Himiko said, giving Kokichi a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Panta Bear!"
"Good night," Kokichi replied. Himiko closed the door to her and Tenko's bedroom so she could change. With a heavy heart, Kokichi sighed sadly as he shuffled in silence down the stairs to his room.
2023.06.02 20:35 whoadwoadie P.U.R.E: Zero the Fool, or What Is a Push to a Team Never on PPV? Maximum Male Models in the Big Leagues
You Better Work
Raw 6/5
Strowman and Ricochet lay heavy fire down on Maximum Male Models. The duo appear beat, but Mansoor manages a surprise sunset flip on Strowman for the win. In a post-match segment, they call it a foregone conclusion. “Some are born great,” Mace simply states, “and we are two of those born great.”
Throughout summer, they keep building the delusion, using cheap tactics for cheap wins and always celebrating like it’s a Tokyo Dome classic. MMM face Akira Tozawa and Apollo Crews, and Mace wildly discus clotheslines until he hits Tozawa flush and schoolboys him for the win. Mansoor tires Xavier Woods out with wild goose chases around ringside before he locks in the clingiest of sleepers. There’s a little skill, but it’s mostly ambush.
Maxxine Dupri meanwhile continues her enticement of Otis but subtler and more insidious. She flatters his ego and “innate beauty,” but she also hints at how so many people laugh at him as stupid. “Some are born great, but others can’t see it.” Gable tries to call out her toxicity, but nobody’s listening.
A few weeks out from SummerSlam, Alpha Academy face down with Maximum Male Models. Dupri makes an ultimatum: join the ones born great or reject your own greatness to remain his student forever. Gable puts on a clinic by thwarting each of Mace and Mansoor’s tricks, but the Models keep him in the corner. Finally, he makes a tag, and Otis makes a choice: he bulldozes over his mentor and joins Maximum Male Models.
From here, Otis becomes yassified Tommy from Goodfellas. He’s funny because he’s a funny man, but he thinks he’s the butt of the joke, and he hates it. So, when people laugh, he lashes out hard He also turns more diva as befits a male model stereotype. When something isn’t going his way, he screams at whomever is nearby.
SummerSlam
Gable declares that he doesn’t want to fight Otis, but he does want to fight the people who took him away: Maximum Male Models. They agree to wrestle him at SummerSlam but note that he doesn’t have a partner. However, Gable had one a time ago who’d be more than willing to show jerkwads what wrestling’s all about: Shelton Benjamin.
Benjamin and Gable bust out all the Olympic grappling they can muster and keep the heat on Mace and Mansoor. However, MMM keep finding tricks to escape from the suplex or lock of the minute. They wear the two down and hit a big senton doomsday device for the win.
They’re Too Sexy
Defeated, Gable rededicates himself to training so that one day, he might be ready to face his former student. We see vignettes of him in the gym, and he has “sparring sessions” but keeps psyching himself out.
The Models tout this win as further proof of the “it they’re born with.” However, Johnny Gargano contests this. He’s worked hard to get here like a million other guys. Nobody’s born with achievement. Dupri retorts, “That’s where YOU are. Where WE are, you must possess It within you.” So, he challenges them to a match. Mansoor snipes with dropkicks and slingblades, but Gargano dodges and locks the Garga-No Escape for a submission win. Otis wants to avenge the loss and smothers him out, but Johnny Wrestling stays cool and works an elbow free for strikes. Once he escapes, One Final Beat and pin. Mace changes it up by actually wrestling, and he pins via hossing.
Dupri and Gargano argue about whether it was legitimate since MMM reach “exponential greatness” as a unit. So, Gargano calls in some friends: Dexter Lumis and Cedric Alexander, here to get the win back for Benjamin. This is to decide who truly is the better group: MMM’s natural brilliance or The Way 1.5’s work ethic.
Extreme Rules 2023
Models try their usual tricks, but their opponents wise up and take them out time and time again. Dupri tries to interfere, and Candice LeRae chases her out. Backed in a corner, the Models go full nasty heel with it. Stomping, choking, whaling, isolating, they take it very brutal, and it pays off! Otis pins Gargano with a chain Samoan Drop.
Teenage Hand Model
Chad Gable returns to Smackdown in October on fire and secures the US Championship from Austin Theory in a marvelous series of suplexes. He declares he wants his first opponent at Survivor Series to be his old partner: Otis. The two trade promos about how Model Otis got so much more respect and achievement versus the friendship and honor they used to have in the Academy.
Survivor Series
Mace, Mansoor, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed, and Mustafa Ali lose to Smackdown’s LWO, Jimmy Uso, and LA Knight in a nice little “talk smack and find out” cross-brand match.
Gable and Otis have an emotional match where the teacher hesitates to cause harm, but the student is not so thoughtful. Eventually though, Gable wills himself to Angle Slam Otis and retain. THANK YOUUUUU.
Mansoor and Mace declare they want gold befitting their excellence, but they’re not alone. Street Profits, the reunited Broserweights, and Pretty Deadly all want a shot at Owens and Zayn’s tag championship too, so Triple H declares a tournament; winner gets their shot at the Royal Rumble. MMM use their power of trickery and blunt force trauma to sneak wins past the Broserweights and Street Profits.
Royal Rumble
Otis gets a nice run of eliminations and strongman stunts before Dragon Lee takes him out.
The ultimate test of their inborn greatness thesis. Mace and Mansoor give hell with springboard moonsaults, trips, Mace dropkicks, and especially working the Canadians’ legs so they can’t walk, much less hit their signatures. However, these guys conquered the Bloodline. With a ferocious assault of monkey flips and cannonballs, Owens and Zayn defeat MMM, though not without a few kickouts and a StunneHelluva Kick combo. Thus, while not champion, they are legitimate and notable contenders.
submitted by whoadwoadie to FantasyBookingElite [link] [comments]
Raw 6/5
Strowman and Ricochet lay heavy fire down on Maximum Male Models. The duo appear beat, but Mansoor manages a surprise sunset flip on Strowman for the win. In a post-match segment, they call it a foregone conclusion. “Some are born great,” Mace simply states, “and we are two of those born great.”
Throughout summer, they keep building the delusion, using cheap tactics for cheap wins and always celebrating like it’s a Tokyo Dome classic. MMM face Akira Tozawa and Apollo Crews, and Mace wildly discus clotheslines until he hits Tozawa flush and schoolboys him for the win. Mansoor tires Xavier Woods out with wild goose chases around ringside before he locks in the clingiest of sleepers. There’s a little skill, but it’s mostly ambush.
Maxxine Dupri meanwhile continues her enticement of Otis but subtler and more insidious. She flatters his ego and “innate beauty,” but she also hints at how so many people laugh at him as stupid. “Some are born great, but others can’t see it.” Gable tries to call out her toxicity, but nobody’s listening.
A few weeks out from SummerSlam, Alpha Academy face down with Maximum Male Models. Dupri makes an ultimatum: join the ones born great or reject your own greatness to remain his student forever. Gable puts on a clinic by thwarting each of Mace and Mansoor’s tricks, but the Models keep him in the corner. Finally, he makes a tag, and Otis makes a choice: he bulldozes over his mentor and joins Maximum Male Models.
From here, Otis becomes yassified Tommy from Goodfellas. He’s funny because he’s a funny man, but he thinks he’s the butt of the joke, and he hates it. So, when people laugh, he lashes out hard He also turns more diva as befits a male model stereotype. When something isn’t going his way, he screams at whomever is nearby.
SummerSlam
Gable declares that he doesn’t want to fight Otis, but he does want to fight the people who took him away: Maximum Male Models. They agree to wrestle him at SummerSlam but note that he doesn’t have a partner. However, Gable had one a time ago who’d be more than willing to show jerkwads what wrestling’s all about: Shelton Benjamin.
Benjamin and Gable bust out all the Olympic grappling they can muster and keep the heat on Mace and Mansoor. However, MMM keep finding tricks to escape from the suplex or lock of the minute. They wear the two down and hit a big senton doomsday device for the win.
They’re Too Sexy
Defeated, Gable rededicates himself to training so that one day, he might be ready to face his former student. We see vignettes of him in the gym, and he has “sparring sessions” but keeps psyching himself out.
The Models tout this win as further proof of the “it they’re born with.” However, Johnny Gargano contests this. He’s worked hard to get here like a million other guys. Nobody’s born with achievement. Dupri retorts, “That’s where YOU are. Where WE are, you must possess It within you.” So, he challenges them to a match. Mansoor snipes with dropkicks and slingblades, but Gargano dodges and locks the Garga-No Escape for a submission win. Otis wants to avenge the loss and smothers him out, but Johnny Wrestling stays cool and works an elbow free for strikes. Once he escapes, One Final Beat and pin. Mace changes it up by actually wrestling, and he pins via hossing.
Dupri and Gargano argue about whether it was legitimate since MMM reach “exponential greatness” as a unit. So, Gargano calls in some friends: Dexter Lumis and Cedric Alexander, here to get the win back for Benjamin. This is to decide who truly is the better group: MMM’s natural brilliance or The Way 1.5’s work ethic.
Extreme Rules 2023
Models try their usual tricks, but their opponents wise up and take them out time and time again. Dupri tries to interfere, and Candice LeRae chases her out. Backed in a corner, the Models go full nasty heel with it. Stomping, choking, whaling, isolating, they take it very brutal, and it pays off! Otis pins Gargano with a chain Samoan Drop.
Teenage Hand Model
Chad Gable returns to Smackdown in October on fire and secures the US Championship from Austin Theory in a marvelous series of suplexes. He declares he wants his first opponent at Survivor Series to be his old partner: Otis. The two trade promos about how Model Otis got so much more respect and achievement versus the friendship and honor they used to have in the Academy.
Survivor Series
Mace, Mansoor, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed, and Mustafa Ali lose to Smackdown’s LWO, Jimmy Uso, and LA Knight in a nice little “talk smack and find out” cross-brand match.
Gable and Otis have an emotional match where the teacher hesitates to cause harm, but the student is not so thoughtful. Eventually though, Gable wills himself to Angle Slam Otis and retain. THANK YOUUUUU.
Mansoor and Mace declare they want gold befitting their excellence, but they’re not alone. Street Profits, the reunited Broserweights, and Pretty Deadly all want a shot at Owens and Zayn’s tag championship too, so Triple H declares a tournament; winner gets their shot at the Royal Rumble. MMM use their power of trickery and blunt force trauma to sneak wins past the Broserweights and Street Profits.
Royal Rumble
Otis gets a nice run of eliminations and strongman stunts before Dragon Lee takes him out.
The ultimate test of their inborn greatness thesis. Mace and Mansoor give hell with springboard moonsaults, trips, Mace dropkicks, and especially working the Canadians’ legs so they can’t walk, much less hit their signatures. However, these guys conquered the Bloodline. With a ferocious assault of monkey flips and cannonballs, Owens and Zayn defeat MMM, though not without a few kickouts and a StunneHelluva Kick combo. Thus, while not champion, they are legitimate and notable contenders.
2023.06.02 17:28 trollthumper [Comics] I'm With Stupid: Marvel's Civil War
So, we already discussed what DC was doing to match the tenor of the early years of the War on Terror: A grim, smarter-than-it-thinks miniseries full of gratuitous rape that was meant to take the shine off the Silver Age by showing the darker side of its greatest heroes. Marvel, on the other hand, was trying to find a way to capture the zeitgeist of a post-9/11 era of existential threats, constant government surveillance, and the idea that if you weren’t with America, you were against it. A Captain America storyline saw Cap wrestle with the very concept of Guantanamo Bay; like any story arc that involves Cap doubting whether America lives up to its ideals, this made certain conservatives pissy, to the point that bad movie cataloguer Michael Medved wrote an entire article asking if Cap was a traitor. Avengers Disassembled briefly saw the Avengers face down their demons, as the Scarlet Witch goes crazy (again) and starts killing team members, her reality manipulations causing fault lines to form among Marvel’s greatest superteam. But there hadn’t yet been a storyline that would tie the entire Marvel Universe together with the burning question, “Which side are you on?”
Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with the Sokovia Accords. We’d be a lot better off if it did.
Part 1: Mark Millar’s March to the C-Word
Content Warning: Sexual assault. None of this is germane to the topic of the drama, so feel free to skip ahead to Part 1.5 if you don’t want to deal with this. Tl;dr: Mark Millar, the writer of the event, has a near pathological need to be a 3edgy5u contrarian.
Every comics crossover is ultimately a chance for one creative in the stable to shine or falter. The editors pick a writer who has turned out dependable work and give them a chance to try to alter the status quo but good. And for Civil War, Marvel’s EiC Joe Quesada decided the best person to lead the charge was Ultimates writer Mark Millar.
But who is Millar? Well, we could say “edgelord” and leave it at that, but we’re trying to dig deeper. Millar came up in comics alongside fellow Scot Grant Morrison, long before Morrison said the only time they want to bump into Millar on the streets of Glasgow is while going at 100 miles per hour. This antipathy is alleged to have stemmed from Millar copping several ideas from Morrison that went into Superman: Red Son. But after getting a start on Superman Adventures and as a cowriter on parts of Morrison’s JLA run, Millar soon branched out to WildStorm, where he took over The Authority from departing creatowritesex pest Warren Ellis.
The reason I bring up Red Son (for those non-geeks, an alternative universe comic premised on “What if Superman’s rocket had landed in Soviet Russia?”) is to frame a constant refrain about Mark Millar. He has good high-concept ideas… which often get trammeled up in an almost Pavlovian urge to shock, disturb, and/or titillate the reader. For instance, in The Authority, Ellis had introduced Apollo and Midnighter, two close companions who just happened to share the rough power sets and demeanors of Superman and Batman, with a few tweaks. Then he revealed they were boyfriends, which was a pretty bold move for a late Nineties comic book full of widescreen action and lovingly-rendered eviscerations.
In Millar’s first arc on the title, centered on a villainous Jack Kirby clone sending out a team of baddies who totally aren’t the Avengers, Apollo is subdued and is strongly implied to have been raped by someone who’s not Captain America. Apollo gets revenge by destroying EvilCap’s spinal column with his laser vision, then leaving him to the tender mercies of Midnighter, who is strongly implied to have sodomized him with a jackhammer.
In case you can’t tell, Millar loved him some rape. And it kept showing up in his creator-owned titles as well, all of which were basically written as Hollywood pitch docs. Wanted asks the question, “What if the supervillains won and secretly ruled the world from behind the scenes?” Well, an Eminem clone would take the opportunity to step into his dead villainous dad’s shoes and commit a lot of rape (yeah, there’s a reason the movie version replaced this with basically the Euthanatos from Mage: the Ascension getting orders from a magic loom). Chosen asks the question, “What if Jesus were born today?” Well, in a blatantly obvious twist, it turns out he’s actually the Antichrist, and part of his journey into realizing his evil nature involves being raped by all the demons of Hell.
It’s not that Millar can’t write innocent or restrained; he got started on the Superman: the Animated Series comic spin-off, and some of his titles such as Huck and Starlight have been praised for being relatively wholesome (keep in mind Huck is basically “What if Superman was Forrest Gump?” when I say “relatively”). And, as mentioned above, his works are made for high-concept log lines. You might recognize some of his various pitch docs: Kick-Ass, The Secret Service (source for the Kingsman movies), and, as mentioned above, Wanted. It’s just there’s this unctuous contrarian streak to a lot of his titles, a tendency to focus on venality, grotesquerie, and sodomy, with an air of pop culture edge. This also leaked into his image outside of his writing, with comments like “Games are for pedos” and ventures like the creator-owned comics periodical CLiNT (yes, the kerning is intentional). This streak continues to this day, as The Magic Order, a title that emerged from his deal with Netflix, features a magical escapologist who, she feels it very important to tell the reader in a direct monologue, escaped her own abortion. Bottom line, Millar has a sense of vision, but it’s betrayed at times by this reflexive desire to prove he’s smarter than the reader, to rub your face in the contradictions and make you a party to the artifice of it all. Usually with a dash of rape.
But at Marvel, Millar was riding the lightning of the Ultimate Universe. His Ultimates title was drawing on the wide-screen action image of JLA and The Authority, creating the cinematic language that would come to define the MCU. The choice to fantasy cast Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury is why we have Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. He also painted the Hulk as a cannibalistic monster, cemented Hank Pym’s reputation as a wifebeater, and gave us Captain America yelling “Surrender? Do you think this A on my head stands for France?”, so let’s just keep that in perspective.
But the Ultimate Universe was its own pocket universe. Millar was being tapped to write a story for Earth-616, the main Marvel Universe. And he had a vision:
Part 1.5: What Has Come Before
Ultimately, the crux of Civil War is something that has been explored lightly in the past at Marvel: The idea that, instead of being unlicensed vigilantes who decide the best solution of societal issues is to beat up assholes in spandex, superheroes become licensed government officers that register their true identities with Uncle Sam and solve societal issues by beating up assholes in spandex. In Marvel’s history, it hasn’t gone well. The reality of government liaisons to superhero bodies has ranged from Valerie Cooper, who worked with government mutant team X-Factor but still found herself backing the genocidal Sentinel program as a big “Yeah, but what if…?”, to Henry Peter Gyrich, an inflamed obstructionist asshole who had to be held back from flipping a switch that would depower every superhuman individual on Earth. The idea of heroes themselves bristling against a government they disagreed with had a long history, as there was a period where Steve Rogers quit being Captain America, and the government had to find a replacement while he rode around on a motorcycle in a surprisingly slutty costume. But the idea of registering with the government has usually ended up on the “No” side due to one big cohort at Marvel: Mutants.
Ever since the days of Chris Claremont, a general conceit of the Marvel Universe is that mutants are a stand-in for your minority group of choice. Hated and feared, born different and feeling alienated, painted as an existential menace and threat to the status quo. Of course, it’s long been pointed out that the metaphor breaks down on the general grounds that, say, gays can’t shoot laser beams out of their eyes. I have my thoughts on that which I might share in the comments if someone pokes me hard enough, but it’s been general editorial consensus that people with powers, especially those of persecuted minorities, being compelled to share their true names, addresses, and natures with the federal government is a “That train’s never late!” move. Not only that, it’s a slippery slope. The classic X-Men story “Days of Future Past” is entirely premised on the idea that a government program of genocidal robots built to wipe out mutants will eventually run out of mutants… and then start turning on humans who could give birth to mutants, and then it’s Skynet all over again.
Another running meme in the Marvel Universe is that the X-Men usually exist in a Schrodinger’s cat situation with the rest of the superhero universe, both coexisting and in their own worlds. Yes, mutants have served on the Avengers, and yes, Thor intervened when the Morlocks were nearly wiped out in the sewers under New York. But Captain America, for all his proud statements of living up to America’s ideals, has a habit of missing the plot whenever the US government (or Canada, seat of all the Marvel Universe’s governmental evils - no, really) decides it’s Genocide O’Clock. And when the mutant nation of Genosha was completely wiped out by said murder robots, the Avengers seemed to be all “New phone who dis?” But when the two do intersect, there’s usually support for the mutants. One story in Fantastic Four had Reed Richards - Mr. Fantastic, stretchy man, greatest genius in the Marvel Universe, guy who’s probably being cucked by a fish-man - get tapped by the US government to make a device that detects mutants and other people with powers. He does… and then uses it to show why the government probably doesn’t want it, as it pings several members of Congress as having just enough genetic variation to qualify as “mutants,” even if they don’t have powers.
All in all, while the argument has some merit, for years, Marvel has come down on the position that asking people with powers to reveal their identities to the federal government is something that could go really bad if somebody with a hate-on for superheroes ends up in power. Something that would never happen oh yeah it totally did. But before it all went to Hell, Civil War at least gave an opportunity to reexamine the concept and see if it had merit.
It might have. But not with this argument.
Part 1.75: What Else Has Happened Before?
And now, some things that will ultimately give context for what happens next:
The big kick-off for Civil War involves the New Warriors, a team of teen heroes who have, as of a recently canceled series, been trying to make it big as reality TV stars. They get in a fight with a bunch of villains in the small town of Stamford, CT, when exploding villain Nitro goes positively nuclear, resulting in a blast much bigger than any he’s generated. [1] Not only does this mostly wipe out the New Warriors (save for kinetic energy-absorbing goofball Speedball), but it also happens to hit a nearby school. In the end, 612 people are dead, many of them children, and the nation wants answers.
With public opinion turning against the New Warriors, former member Hindsight starts leaking secret identities to get the heat off his back. This only makes things worse. Secret identities have only recently stopped being a thing for some heroes: Captain America only came out a few years ago, it was only recently that Tony Stark stopped pretending Iron Man was his bodyguard, and Daredevil was almost outed in the pages of his book. But something needs to be done, so Tony helps work with Congress to pass the Super Human Registration Act, which requires that all people with powers or working as vigilantes register their identities with the government to receive training and oversight. If you don’t? Believe it or not, jail, right away.
Fault lines quickly develop in the superhero community. While Tony is leading the “pro” side, alongside Reed Richards (yeah, we’ll get to that), Captain America, usually painted as the embodiment of the dream of America despite its compromised history and many sins, is against it. He’s lived through Richard Nixon being a secret fascist and shooting himself in the head after being fingered as mastermind of a vast criminal conspiracy (yes, that happened ); he knows how badly this could go in the wrong hands. Needless to say, Maria Hill and SHIELD hear his concerns, understand his problems with it, and are willing to iron out the kinks through reasoned debate.
Just kidding. Before the law has even been signed, Maria sics SHIELD’s elite Cape-Killers squad on Cap with the intent of getting him behind bars. Cap swiftly goes underground and starts his own group of anti-registration superheroes.
The fight continues for the next few issues. Spider-Man, caught in the middle, reveals himself to be Peter Parker at a press conference, declaring his support for the SHRA. Doctor Strange is so powerful that he tells the government to fuck off, and somehow, Maria Hill doesn’t decide to go charging up his asshole. Ben Grimm, the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing, is so sick of all the conflict he goes to France. But things are still at a stalemate, and while SHIELD may be acting like a bunch of merry assholes, it seems like there’s a debate to be had that could still be resolved reasonably… except for one key factor.
Part 3: I Fought the Law, and the Law… Huh?
No one ever really defined what the Super Human Registration Act, the legislation that tore the Marvel Universe’s superhero community asunder, did. Every book that had an issue that touched on the event seemed to have a different understanding of its principles, as well as just how fascist it might be in the long run. In the pages of She-Hulk, attorney Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk argues the law is a net good, as it gives heroes the backing and resources they need to not have to go it alone, while also having some measure of government oversight. In the pages of Civil War Frontline (oh, and we’ll get back to Civil War Frontline, don’t you worry), Wonder Man is told by the government that he needs to do a job for them, and if he refuses, well, one thousand years dungeon.
Which then leads into the other issue behind the SHRA. Namely, that everyone in favor was either starting to swing towards fascism or embracing bootlicking as a lifestyle, not a kink. In the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, Peter asks Reed Richards, who has always bucked authority and once stopped the US government from doing something just like this with mutants, why he’s pro-registration. Reed then reveals that an uncle who has never been mentioned before was called before HUAC; he refused to name names, his career was ruined, and he killed himself. From this, Reed - the man who stole a rocketship because the government said “no” to his planned space voyage - has learned that the government is always right, especially when they could step on your neck (this was received so badly that a later comic revealed he’d actually borrowed the concept of psychohistory from Asimov’s Foundation, he’d made it work somehow, and his calculations showed that this was the only way to avoid a greater disaster). This comic also revealed that people who were in violation of the SHRA were sent to a literal extradimensional Gitmo, a prison in the Negative Zone that later comics would reveal was overseen by… Captain Marvel. No, not that one. No, not that one. The Kree superhero Captain Mar-Vell, who had famously died of cancer decades before. How did he come back from the dead? Fuck if we know.
This “the law says what you want it to say” approach spread across various books and miniseries meant to cross over into the event. In the pages of a crossover mini between the Runaways and the Young Avengers, this meant SHIELD Cape-Killer squads were using lethal force against teenagers. The second-to-last issue of the mini ends with several members of both teams in extradimensional Gitmo, about to be dissected by a guy who’s horny for torture. The fact that all the captive heroes were the queer members of both teams? Total coincidence. Honestly.
So, it quickly becomes clear that the editorial control on this event is less than cohesive. There are different ideas all over as to what the SHRA does, and some of those ideas are tacking pretty fashy. But if the law is being painted as that bad, then clearly, there must be some greater statement of freedom vs. security. Maybe Millar’s really painting a subversive picture of what happens when you trade liberty for control, right?
Part 4: Why Do You Hate the Good Thing?
After the publication of Civil War #3, Millar would say in an interview he was actually pro-registration. I can’t find that interview, but here’s a similar sentiment shared years later:
So here’s what happens in the pages of Civil War #3 to sell the audience on the SHRA:
Part 5: Yadda, Yadda, Yadda
The next few issues of Civil War might best be described as “They fight, and fight, and fight and fight and fight.” The anti-registration side picks up The Punisher, Marvel’s most avowed murderer of criminals - and Cap is somewhat shocked but not entirely surprised when two minor villains join the anti-registration side and Frank promptly kills them on sight. Spider-Man starts realizing things are weird on the pro-reg side and defects, after he has set his entire life on fire. The X-Men have continued to stay out of this whole mess. In the lead-up, Emma Frost called Tony out on the Avengers’ complete absence when Genosha got nuked. Later, Carol Danvers (then Ms. Marvel, now Captain Marvel) will show up at the Xavier School to pitch the SHRA just after a massive terrorist attack kills dozens of students. Emma responds by telepathically dogwalking her.
By the final issue of the miniseries, the SHRA has expanded out into the Fifty States Initiative, wherein each state gets its own superteam. There’s a big final battle, Hercules kills Robo-Thor, and Cap nearly takes out Tony, only to be stopped by… the heroes of 9/11. No shit, Captain America is subdued by cops, firefighters, and paramedics. And when that happens, Cap finally takes a look around, realizes their big ideological street brawl has resulted in collateral damage, and surrenders. The SHRA wins, though Tony feels a little bad about it. Cap is ready to stand trial and to argue that, while he may have done something wrong, he did it for the right reasons.
Once again: Yeah. About that.
Part 6: MySpace Tom Didn’t Die For This
Running alongside Civil War is Civil War Frontline, a street-level book written by Paul Jenkins that managed to capture this world-breaking conflict through the eyes of people on the street. Though it has side stories, its main leads are Ben Urich, Peter Parker’s journalist buddy at The Daily Bugle, and the aforementioned Sally Floyd. Throughout the series, they start to realize there’s a story underneath the SHRA, as if somebody is playing the angles.
Before we talk about that conclusion, let’s talk about a side story. Remember how we said part of the comics community saw Identity Crisis as a driven effort to make things less “wacky” and intentionally darken the DCU? Well, that same tonal approach led to one of the more laughable moments of a pretty laughable arc. See, despite the fact that, as established, it was Nitro who blew up Stamford, it’s Speedball, the only survivor of the New Warriors, that views himself as responsible and is held up as a scapegoat by the general public. In addition, the blast screwed up his powers. Now, he doesn’t absorb and reflect kinetic energy; rather, he generates energy based on pain. So, he builds himself a new, extreme outfit lined with 612 spikes, one for each person who died in Stamford. This will drive his crusade to make things right - not as Speedball… but as Penance.
It was so laughably DeviantArt “OC do not steal” that no one could take it seriously. Look what you did, you took a perfectly good goofball and gave him an emo streak. The turn is swiftly mocked in other Marvel books, and it’s eventually revealed that Speedball still had his original powerset and always intended to put Nitro in the Goofy Suit of Dark Inner Torment as punishment for his crimes. But this turn gives you a sense of the tone and heft Jenkins was bringing to the proceedings.
Anyway, back to the main plot. Ben and Sally follow the thread as Namor, as he is wont to do, declares war on the surface world after an Atlantean diplomat is shot. But it turns out the assassination was arranged by Norman Osborn, who decided it was better to beg forgiveness than ask permission and manipulated Atlantis into war so that Tony could have another piece of evidence for getting superhumans on a leash. And the two journalists deduce that, on some level, Tony had to know this would be an inevitable outcome of giving state backing to an unhinged mogul who dresses like a Power Rangers villain. Weighing what to do with this information, Ben and Sally, who are kind of sick of the collateral damage by this point, sit on it while they go in for an interview with Captain America, now in custody and willing to tell his side of the story.
And then. And then. The monologue. If you want a lesson in how to assassinate a character in 30 seconds or less, this monologue is a great example. Sally Floyd calls Captain America out as completely divorced from American values. Now, again, Captain America has long served as the beating liberal heart of the Marvel Universe. He has always represented an America that reckons with its legacy of things like internment camps, Manifest Destiny, and Jim Crow, in order to transcend these scars and embody the promise offered by Emma Lazarus’s New Colossus, carved on the side of the Statue of Liberty. Why is he out of touch with Americans at the dawn of the 21st century?
Well, he’s never heard of MySpace. [2] He doesn’t watch NASCAR. He doesn’t follow American Idol. There are pop culture moments that have aged like milk; this one had all the permanence of an ice cream cone in a blast furnace. But despite the inanity of Floyd’s argument - and trust me, there are fan edits dedicated to Cap pointing out how full of shit this argument is - it’s clear it represents something else. This is a post-9/11 world. Fuck civil liberties, we have a no-fly list and Gitmo, and if the American people really cared, they’d do something other than watch Simon Cowell read aspiring singers to filth. What does Captain America stand for in this moment of crisis?
Nothing. Because he just looks away from Sally Floyd. No doubt thinking, “Oh my God this bitch.” But to underline the argument in question, Sally storms out of the interview, Ben in tow. She still has that information on Norman Osborn’s false flag operation… and while she and Ben confront Tony on everything that went down, they decide the story should never see the light of day. Because they wouldn’t dare jeopardize the SHRA, because security is more important than the truth.
Oh. And then Cap gets shot. And dies. He totally dies (except he doesn’t but we’ll get to that). If ever there was an unintentional thesis statement for this event, running in the late stages of the Bush era, it would be this: “It’s better to trust that the powers that be who oversee the new America will keep you safe, even when they stage false flag operations, stick you in a gulag, and put their trust in monsters. All that civil liberty stuff was the old America. And the old America was hopeless. It wasn’t even on MySpace.”
Epilogue: Consequences Keep Consequencing
As you can tell from that last paragraph, a lot of the fan reception to Civil War likely had a lot to do with the period. This was the Bush era, a time where you were for America or against it. We were in the shadow of the Patriot Act, Gitmo, and widespread wiretaps, paranoid about what civil liberty we’d be asked to put on the pyre next in the name of Freedom. A story all about the warm, clenching fist of government control that tells you to ignore the collateral damage… well, it wasn’t great for the cultural moment.
The ideas of Civil War aren’t necessarily bad ones. I frame Cap as the liberal dream of what America could be, but there are good arguments to be made that America has never been that and Cap is just copium for liberals. His most recent title, Sentinel of Liberty, opens with Steve saying he is out of touch with the average American - not because he doesn’t watch NASCAR, but because he’s a WWII veteran who looks maybe 30 years old at most and whose best friends are all superheroes or spies. A narrative that has him on the wrong side of the issue and detonates his beliefs isn’t impossible, but it probably shouldn’t be one where people who got powers due to a fluke of birth or a radiation accident are told by the government, “Join with us or we’ll send supervillains after you.” Hell, as the Civil War movie proves, there is a way to tell a story about a superhero community torn in half by the idea of mandatory registration as government-controlled actors, and just why people would think that could be a bad idea (“Hey, remember when a good chunk of our intelligence apparatus turned out to be Nazi stay behinds?”).
But in the context of the era, and coupled with the execution, Civil War felt like a hard sell, and you could feel the thumb pressing on the scale every second while reading it. The moral center of the Marvel Universe is wrong, the winning side employs sadistic murderers and has an extradimensional Gitmo, and the writer is telling you that any sane individual would be on Team Green Goblin Employer.
So how did that all work out? Well…
[1] This is eventually explored in the pages of Wolverine, of all books, as Wolverine decides maybe somebody should track down the person who actually killed hundreds of children. It’s revealed that Nitro was given power-boosting drugs by the CEO of Damage Control, Marvel’s designated “clean up after the super-battle” corporation, as a way of generating business. In a sign of how little this matters, Wolverine tells Maria Hill to her face that the person responsible for a mass casualty event is the pawn of a powerful conspiracy, and she basically says, “Not my problem.” Cobie Smulders must thank the gods that her Maria Hill is written as somebody with basic human decency.
[2] Hilariously, when Sally Floyd was brought back during Nick Spencer’s Captain America run because no one had piled enough dung on her corpse, this line was retconned to her asking him about Twitter. Given everything Elon’s been doing lately, we’ll see if that ages just as poorly.
submitted by trollthumper to HobbyDrama [link] [comments]
Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with the Sokovia Accords. We’d be a lot better off if it did.
Part 1: Mark Millar’s March to the C-Word
Content Warning: Sexual assault. None of this is germane to the topic of the drama, so feel free to skip ahead to Part 1.5 if you don’t want to deal with this. Tl;dr: Mark Millar, the writer of the event, has a near pathological need to be a 3edgy5u contrarian.
Every comics crossover is ultimately a chance for one creative in the stable to shine or falter. The editors pick a writer who has turned out dependable work and give them a chance to try to alter the status quo but good. And for Civil War, Marvel’s EiC Joe Quesada decided the best person to lead the charge was Ultimates writer Mark Millar.
But who is Millar? Well, we could say “edgelord” and leave it at that, but we’re trying to dig deeper. Millar came up in comics alongside fellow Scot Grant Morrison, long before Morrison said the only time they want to bump into Millar on the streets of Glasgow is while going at 100 miles per hour. This antipathy is alleged to have stemmed from Millar copping several ideas from Morrison that went into Superman: Red Son. But after getting a start on Superman Adventures and as a cowriter on parts of Morrison’s JLA run, Millar soon branched out to WildStorm, where he took over The Authority from departing creatowritesex pest Warren Ellis.
The reason I bring up Red Son (for those non-geeks, an alternative universe comic premised on “What if Superman’s rocket had landed in Soviet Russia?”) is to frame a constant refrain about Mark Millar. He has good high-concept ideas… which often get trammeled up in an almost Pavlovian urge to shock, disturb, and/or titillate the reader. For instance, in The Authority, Ellis had introduced Apollo and Midnighter, two close companions who just happened to share the rough power sets and demeanors of Superman and Batman, with a few tweaks. Then he revealed they were boyfriends, which was a pretty bold move for a late Nineties comic book full of widescreen action and lovingly-rendered eviscerations.
In Millar’s first arc on the title, centered on a villainous Jack Kirby clone sending out a team of baddies who totally aren’t the Avengers, Apollo is subdued and is strongly implied to have been raped by someone who’s not Captain America. Apollo gets revenge by destroying EvilCap’s spinal column with his laser vision, then leaving him to the tender mercies of Midnighter, who is strongly implied to have sodomized him with a jackhammer.
In case you can’t tell, Millar loved him some rape. And it kept showing up in his creator-owned titles as well, all of which were basically written as Hollywood pitch docs. Wanted asks the question, “What if the supervillains won and secretly ruled the world from behind the scenes?” Well, an Eminem clone would take the opportunity to step into his dead villainous dad’s shoes and commit a lot of rape (yeah, there’s a reason the movie version replaced this with basically the Euthanatos from Mage: the Ascension getting orders from a magic loom). Chosen asks the question, “What if Jesus were born today?” Well, in a blatantly obvious twist, it turns out he’s actually the Antichrist, and part of his journey into realizing his evil nature involves being raped by all the demons of Hell.
It’s not that Millar can’t write innocent or restrained; he got started on the Superman: the Animated Series comic spin-off, and some of his titles such as Huck and Starlight have been praised for being relatively wholesome (keep in mind Huck is basically “What if Superman was Forrest Gump?” when I say “relatively”). And, as mentioned above, his works are made for high-concept log lines. You might recognize some of his various pitch docs: Kick-Ass, The Secret Service (source for the Kingsman movies), and, as mentioned above, Wanted. It’s just there’s this unctuous contrarian streak to a lot of his titles, a tendency to focus on venality, grotesquerie, and sodomy, with an air of pop culture edge. This also leaked into his image outside of his writing, with comments like “Games are for pedos” and ventures like the creator-owned comics periodical CLiNT (yes, the kerning is intentional). This streak continues to this day, as The Magic Order, a title that emerged from his deal with Netflix, features a magical escapologist who, she feels it very important to tell the reader in a direct monologue, escaped her own abortion. Bottom line, Millar has a sense of vision, but it’s betrayed at times by this reflexive desire to prove he’s smarter than the reader, to rub your face in the contradictions and make you a party to the artifice of it all. Usually with a dash of rape.
But at Marvel, Millar was riding the lightning of the Ultimate Universe. His Ultimates title was drawing on the wide-screen action image of JLA and The Authority, creating the cinematic language that would come to define the MCU. The choice to fantasy cast Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury is why we have Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. He also painted the Hulk as a cannibalistic monster, cemented Hank Pym’s reputation as a wifebeater, and gave us Captain America yelling “Surrender? Do you think this A on my head stands for France?”, so let’s just keep that in perspective.
But the Ultimate Universe was its own pocket universe. Millar was being tapped to write a story for Earth-616, the main Marvel Universe. And he had a vision:
“I opted instead for making the superhero dilemma something a little different. People thought they were dangerous, but they did not want a ban. What they wanted was superheroes paid by the federal government like cops and open to the same kind of scrutiny. It was the perfect solution and nobody, as far as I'm aware, has done this before.”Yeah. About that.
Part 1.5: What Has Come Before
Ultimately, the crux of Civil War is something that has been explored lightly in the past at Marvel: The idea that, instead of being unlicensed vigilantes who decide the best solution of societal issues is to beat up assholes in spandex, superheroes become licensed government officers that register their true identities with Uncle Sam and solve societal issues by beating up assholes in spandex. In Marvel’s history, it hasn’t gone well. The reality of government liaisons to superhero bodies has ranged from Valerie Cooper, who worked with government mutant team X-Factor but still found herself backing the genocidal Sentinel program as a big “Yeah, but what if…?”, to Henry Peter Gyrich, an inflamed obstructionist asshole who had to be held back from flipping a switch that would depower every superhuman individual on Earth. The idea of heroes themselves bristling against a government they disagreed with had a long history, as there was a period where Steve Rogers quit being Captain America, and the government had to find a replacement while he rode around on a motorcycle in a surprisingly slutty costume. But the idea of registering with the government has usually ended up on the “No” side due to one big cohort at Marvel: Mutants.
Ever since the days of Chris Claremont, a general conceit of the Marvel Universe is that mutants are a stand-in for your minority group of choice. Hated and feared, born different and feeling alienated, painted as an existential menace and threat to the status quo. Of course, it’s long been pointed out that the metaphor breaks down on the general grounds that, say, gays can’t shoot laser beams out of their eyes. I have my thoughts on that which I might share in the comments if someone pokes me hard enough, but it’s been general editorial consensus that people with powers, especially those of persecuted minorities, being compelled to share their true names, addresses, and natures with the federal government is a “That train’s never late!” move. Not only that, it’s a slippery slope. The classic X-Men story “Days of Future Past” is entirely premised on the idea that a government program of genocidal robots built to wipe out mutants will eventually run out of mutants… and then start turning on humans who could give birth to mutants, and then it’s Skynet all over again.
Another running meme in the Marvel Universe is that the X-Men usually exist in a Schrodinger’s cat situation with the rest of the superhero universe, both coexisting and in their own worlds. Yes, mutants have served on the Avengers, and yes, Thor intervened when the Morlocks were nearly wiped out in the sewers under New York. But Captain America, for all his proud statements of living up to America’s ideals, has a habit of missing the plot whenever the US government (or Canada, seat of all the Marvel Universe’s governmental evils - no, really) decides it’s Genocide O’Clock. And when the mutant nation of Genosha was completely wiped out by said murder robots, the Avengers seemed to be all “New phone who dis?” But when the two do intersect, there’s usually support for the mutants. One story in Fantastic Four had Reed Richards - Mr. Fantastic, stretchy man, greatest genius in the Marvel Universe, guy who’s probably being cucked by a fish-man - get tapped by the US government to make a device that detects mutants and other people with powers. He does… and then uses it to show why the government probably doesn’t want it, as it pings several members of Congress as having just enough genetic variation to qualify as “mutants,” even if they don’t have powers.
All in all, while the argument has some merit, for years, Marvel has come down on the position that asking people with powers to reveal their identities to the federal government is something that could go really bad if somebody with a hate-on for superheroes ends up in power. Something that would never happen oh yeah it totally did. But before it all went to Hell, Civil War at least gave an opportunity to reexamine the concept and see if it had merit.
It might have. But not with this argument.
Part 1.75: What Else Has Happened Before?
And now, some things that will ultimately give context for what happens next:
- In the pages of Thor, all of Asgard eventually runs headlong into Ragnarok. Thor and the rest of the Asgardians give their lives to save the earth, taking Thor off the board… for now.
- As mentioned above, the Avengers experience a critical fault due to Wanda going batshit (a common lament). With Avengers Mansion destroyed and the team at odds, it is eventually reunited under Tony Stark, who put the Avengers up in a tower he built.
- Nick Fury has vanished due to doing some skullduggery in the pages of the miniseries Secret War (no, not Secret Wars, this is different). Acting head of SHIELD, the all-purpose super spy squad of Marvel, is Maria Hill, who can’t seem to draw her pistol without shooting herself in the foot.
- Due to Wanda continuing to go batshit, the House of M crossover event ends with her casting a spell: “No more mutants.” While the damage is staunched, Earth-616’s population of mutants (which was recently established to be somewhere around 16 million) is reduced to 200, the rest being depowered or dying as a result of being depowered. This was because, as Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada said, the idea of mutants being everywhere made them “boring.” The fact that mutants were starting to be written less as a minority stand-in and more as an actual minority group with fashion, culture, music, and neighborhoods might have had something to do with that. From the wake of this event emerges Sally Floyd, a journalist whose own mutant daughter died before the mass depowering due to having a power that was more curse than blessing. The series Generation M follows her as the viewpoint character as she investigates the stories of former mutants.
The big kick-off for Civil War involves the New Warriors, a team of teen heroes who have, as of a recently canceled series, been trying to make it big as reality TV stars. They get in a fight with a bunch of villains in the small town of Stamford, CT, when exploding villain Nitro goes positively nuclear, resulting in a blast much bigger than any he’s generated. [1] Not only does this mostly wipe out the New Warriors (save for kinetic energy-absorbing goofball Speedball), but it also happens to hit a nearby school. In the end, 612 people are dead, many of them children, and the nation wants answers.
With public opinion turning against the New Warriors, former member Hindsight starts leaking secret identities to get the heat off his back. This only makes things worse. Secret identities have only recently stopped being a thing for some heroes: Captain America only came out a few years ago, it was only recently that Tony Stark stopped pretending Iron Man was his bodyguard, and Daredevil was almost outed in the pages of his book. But something needs to be done, so Tony helps work with Congress to pass the Super Human Registration Act, which requires that all people with powers or working as vigilantes register their identities with the government to receive training and oversight. If you don’t? Believe it or not, jail, right away.
Fault lines quickly develop in the superhero community. While Tony is leading the “pro” side, alongside Reed Richards (yeah, we’ll get to that), Captain America, usually painted as the embodiment of the dream of America despite its compromised history and many sins, is against it. He’s lived through Richard Nixon being a secret fascist and shooting himself in the head after being fingered as mastermind of a vast criminal conspiracy (yes, that happened ); he knows how badly this could go in the wrong hands. Needless to say, Maria Hill and SHIELD hear his concerns, understand his problems with it, and are willing to iron out the kinks through reasoned debate.
Just kidding. Before the law has even been signed, Maria sics SHIELD’s elite Cape-Killers squad on Cap with the intent of getting him behind bars. Cap swiftly goes underground and starts his own group of anti-registration superheroes.
The fight continues for the next few issues. Spider-Man, caught in the middle, reveals himself to be Peter Parker at a press conference, declaring his support for the SHRA. Doctor Strange is so powerful that he tells the government to fuck off, and somehow, Maria Hill doesn’t decide to go charging up his asshole. Ben Grimm, the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing, is so sick of all the conflict he goes to France. But things are still at a stalemate, and while SHIELD may be acting like a bunch of merry assholes, it seems like there’s a debate to be had that could still be resolved reasonably… except for one key factor.
Part 3: I Fought the Law, and the Law… Huh?
No one ever really defined what the Super Human Registration Act, the legislation that tore the Marvel Universe’s superhero community asunder, did. Every book that had an issue that touched on the event seemed to have a different understanding of its principles, as well as just how fascist it might be in the long run. In the pages of She-Hulk, attorney Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk argues the law is a net good, as it gives heroes the backing and resources they need to not have to go it alone, while also having some measure of government oversight. In the pages of Civil War Frontline (oh, and we’ll get back to Civil War Frontline, don’t you worry), Wonder Man is told by the government that he needs to do a job for them, and if he refuses, well, one thousand years dungeon.
Which then leads into the other issue behind the SHRA. Namely, that everyone in favor was either starting to swing towards fascism or embracing bootlicking as a lifestyle, not a kink. In the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, Peter asks Reed Richards, who has always bucked authority and once stopped the US government from doing something just like this with mutants, why he’s pro-registration. Reed then reveals that an uncle who has never been mentioned before was called before HUAC; he refused to name names, his career was ruined, and he killed himself. From this, Reed - the man who stole a rocketship because the government said “no” to his planned space voyage - has learned that the government is always right, especially when they could step on your neck (this was received so badly that a later comic revealed he’d actually borrowed the concept of psychohistory from Asimov’s Foundation, he’d made it work somehow, and his calculations showed that this was the only way to avoid a greater disaster). This comic also revealed that people who were in violation of the SHRA were sent to a literal extradimensional Gitmo, a prison in the Negative Zone that later comics would reveal was overseen by… Captain Marvel. No, not that one. No, not that one. The Kree superhero Captain Mar-Vell, who had famously died of cancer decades before. How did he come back from the dead? Fuck if we know.
This “the law says what you want it to say” approach spread across various books and miniseries meant to cross over into the event. In the pages of a crossover mini between the Runaways and the Young Avengers, this meant SHIELD Cape-Killer squads were using lethal force against teenagers. The second-to-last issue of the mini ends with several members of both teams in extradimensional Gitmo, about to be dissected by a guy who’s horny for torture. The fact that all the captive heroes were the queer members of both teams? Total coincidence. Honestly.
So, it quickly becomes clear that the editorial control on this event is less than cohesive. There are different ideas all over as to what the SHRA does, and some of those ideas are tacking pretty fashy. But if the law is being painted as that bad, then clearly, there must be some greater statement of freedom vs. security. Maybe Millar’s really painting a subversive picture of what happens when you trade liberty for control, right?
Part 4: Why Do You Hate the Good Thing?
After the publication of Civil War #3, Millar would say in an interview he was actually pro-registration. I can’t find that interview, but here’s a similar sentiment shared years later:
“Weirdly, some of the other writers would often make Tony the bad guy, which I thought was a strange choice because I was actually on Tony’s side... In the real world, if somebody had superpowers, I’d like them to be registered in the same way that somebody who has a gun has to carry a license. But a gun can kill several people while a superhero can kill several thousands of people, so on a pragmatic level I’m 100% on Tony’s side. Maybe on a romantic level, Cap’s position makes sense but I don’t think anybody in the real world would really want that."”And again, here’s the thing: He’s not entirely wrong. As said above, the idea of civil liberties for all and “free to me you and me” falls down a little when one of your neighbors can blow up a city block by thinking real hard. But Millar is fighting against years of ideological inertia in the Marvel Universe, as well as painting Captain America, the guy who has always embodied the ideal of a righteous, just America, as in the wrong. He needs to make one hell of an argument.
So here’s what happens in the pages of Civil War #3 to sell the audience on the SHRA:
- Thor comes back from the dead… and he’s on Tony’s side! Well, not really. Tony and Reed both realized that having one of the most beloved gods of the Marvel Universe come out on their side would be a big win… if only he wasn’t dead. So, they cloned him. Or rather, they T-800’d him, putting cloned divine flesh on a robot skeleton. But I’m sure he’s perfectly under control, and - oh, he just killed Goliath. In the next issue, one of Marvel’s black male heroes, frozen at the size of a small townhouse in death, will be buried in a gigantic ditch, wrapped in a tarp and chains. You’d think Hank Pym could grow a large enough coffin, at least.
- With Cap and the anti-registration side escaping once again, Tony decides he needs a dedicated team that can track down fugitive superhumans. To do so, he creates a new version of the Thunderbolts, a concept long associated with “villains acting like heroes.” And who does he put on this team? Venom, the Spider-Man villain who eats people’s brains; Bullseye, the Daredevil villain who will kill anyone for the lulz; and Norman Osborn, a.k.a. The Green Goblin, who famously murdered Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy.
Part 5: Yadda, Yadda, Yadda
The next few issues of Civil War might best be described as “They fight, and fight, and fight and fight and fight.” The anti-registration side picks up The Punisher, Marvel’s most avowed murderer of criminals - and Cap is somewhat shocked but not entirely surprised when two minor villains join the anti-registration side and Frank promptly kills them on sight. Spider-Man starts realizing things are weird on the pro-reg side and defects, after he has set his entire life on fire. The X-Men have continued to stay out of this whole mess. In the lead-up, Emma Frost called Tony out on the Avengers’ complete absence when Genosha got nuked. Later, Carol Danvers (then Ms. Marvel, now Captain Marvel) will show up at the Xavier School to pitch the SHRA just after a massive terrorist attack kills dozens of students. Emma responds by telepathically dogwalking her.
By the final issue of the miniseries, the SHRA has expanded out into the Fifty States Initiative, wherein each state gets its own superteam. There’s a big final battle, Hercules kills Robo-Thor, and Cap nearly takes out Tony, only to be stopped by… the heroes of 9/11. No shit, Captain America is subdued by cops, firefighters, and paramedics. And when that happens, Cap finally takes a look around, realizes their big ideological street brawl has resulted in collateral damage, and surrenders. The SHRA wins, though Tony feels a little bad about it. Cap is ready to stand trial and to argue that, while he may have done something wrong, he did it for the right reasons.
Once again: Yeah. About that.
Part 6: MySpace Tom Didn’t Die For This
Running alongside Civil War is Civil War Frontline, a street-level book written by Paul Jenkins that managed to capture this world-breaking conflict through the eyes of people on the street. Though it has side stories, its main leads are Ben Urich, Peter Parker’s journalist buddy at The Daily Bugle, and the aforementioned Sally Floyd. Throughout the series, they start to realize there’s a story underneath the SHRA, as if somebody is playing the angles.
Before we talk about that conclusion, let’s talk about a side story. Remember how we said part of the comics community saw Identity Crisis as a driven effort to make things less “wacky” and intentionally darken the DCU? Well, that same tonal approach led to one of the more laughable moments of a pretty laughable arc. See, despite the fact that, as established, it was Nitro who blew up Stamford, it’s Speedball, the only survivor of the New Warriors, that views himself as responsible and is held up as a scapegoat by the general public. In addition, the blast screwed up his powers. Now, he doesn’t absorb and reflect kinetic energy; rather, he generates energy based on pain. So, he builds himself a new, extreme outfit lined with 612 spikes, one for each person who died in Stamford. This will drive his crusade to make things right - not as Speedball… but as Penance.
It was so laughably DeviantArt “OC do not steal” that no one could take it seriously. Look what you did, you took a perfectly good goofball and gave him an emo streak. The turn is swiftly mocked in other Marvel books, and it’s eventually revealed that Speedball still had his original powerset and always intended to put Nitro in the Goofy Suit of Dark Inner Torment as punishment for his crimes. But this turn gives you a sense of the tone and heft Jenkins was bringing to the proceedings.
Anyway, back to the main plot. Ben and Sally follow the thread as Namor, as he is wont to do, declares war on the surface world after an Atlantean diplomat is shot. But it turns out the assassination was arranged by Norman Osborn, who decided it was better to beg forgiveness than ask permission and manipulated Atlantis into war so that Tony could have another piece of evidence for getting superhumans on a leash. And the two journalists deduce that, on some level, Tony had to know this would be an inevitable outcome of giving state backing to an unhinged mogul who dresses like a Power Rangers villain. Weighing what to do with this information, Ben and Sally, who are kind of sick of the collateral damage by this point, sit on it while they go in for an interview with Captain America, now in custody and willing to tell his side of the story.
And then. And then. The monologue. If you want a lesson in how to assassinate a character in 30 seconds or less, this monologue is a great example. Sally Floyd calls Captain America out as completely divorced from American values. Now, again, Captain America has long served as the beating liberal heart of the Marvel Universe. He has always represented an America that reckons with its legacy of things like internment camps, Manifest Destiny, and Jim Crow, in order to transcend these scars and embody the promise offered by Emma Lazarus’s New Colossus, carved on the side of the Statue of Liberty. Why is he out of touch with Americans at the dawn of the 21st century?
Well, he’s never heard of MySpace. [2] He doesn’t watch NASCAR. He doesn’t follow American Idol. There are pop culture moments that have aged like milk; this one had all the permanence of an ice cream cone in a blast furnace. But despite the inanity of Floyd’s argument - and trust me, there are fan edits dedicated to Cap pointing out how full of shit this argument is - it’s clear it represents something else. This is a post-9/11 world. Fuck civil liberties, we have a no-fly list and Gitmo, and if the American people really cared, they’d do something other than watch Simon Cowell read aspiring singers to filth. What does Captain America stand for in this moment of crisis?
Nothing. Because he just looks away from Sally Floyd. No doubt thinking, “Oh my God this bitch.” But to underline the argument in question, Sally storms out of the interview, Ben in tow. She still has that information on Norman Osborn’s false flag operation… and while she and Ben confront Tony on everything that went down, they decide the story should never see the light of day. Because they wouldn’t dare jeopardize the SHRA, because security is more important than the truth.
Oh. And then Cap gets shot. And dies. He totally dies (except he doesn’t but we’ll get to that). If ever there was an unintentional thesis statement for this event, running in the late stages of the Bush era, it would be this: “It’s better to trust that the powers that be who oversee the new America will keep you safe, even when they stage false flag operations, stick you in a gulag, and put their trust in monsters. All that civil liberty stuff was the old America. And the old America was hopeless. It wasn’t even on MySpace.”
Epilogue: Consequences Keep Consequencing
As you can tell from that last paragraph, a lot of the fan reception to Civil War likely had a lot to do with the period. This was the Bush era, a time where you were for America or against it. We were in the shadow of the Patriot Act, Gitmo, and widespread wiretaps, paranoid about what civil liberty we’d be asked to put on the pyre next in the name of Freedom. A story all about the warm, clenching fist of government control that tells you to ignore the collateral damage… well, it wasn’t great for the cultural moment.
The ideas of Civil War aren’t necessarily bad ones. I frame Cap as the liberal dream of what America could be, but there are good arguments to be made that America has never been that and Cap is just copium for liberals. His most recent title, Sentinel of Liberty, opens with Steve saying he is out of touch with the average American - not because he doesn’t watch NASCAR, but because he’s a WWII veteran who looks maybe 30 years old at most and whose best friends are all superheroes or spies. A narrative that has him on the wrong side of the issue and detonates his beliefs isn’t impossible, but it probably shouldn’t be one where people who got powers due to a fluke of birth or a radiation accident are told by the government, “Join with us or we’ll send supervillains after you.” Hell, as the Civil War movie proves, there is a way to tell a story about a superhero community torn in half by the idea of mandatory registration as government-controlled actors, and just why people would think that could be a bad idea (“Hey, remember when a good chunk of our intelligence apparatus turned out to be Nazi stay behinds?”).
But in the context of the era, and coupled with the execution, Civil War felt like a hard sell, and you could feel the thumb pressing on the scale every second while reading it. The moral center of the Marvel Universe is wrong, the winning side employs sadistic murderers and has an extradimensional Gitmo, and the writer is telling you that any sane individual would be on Team Green Goblin Employer.
So how did that all work out? Well…
- With Cap seemingly dead, shot by his brainwashed love interest Sharon Carter as part of a plot by the Red Skull, Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier becomes the new Cap. Only it turns out Steve wasn’t killed, but shot with a time bullet that Billy Pilgrims his ass. He eventually comes back.
- Thor comes back, finds out what Tony did, and beats his ass all the way across post-Katrina New Orleans (thank you to Powman_7 for the link).
- The Secret Invasion event happens next, which leads to Skrull infiltrators hitting everything (this is also the explanation for Captain Mar-Vell’s miraculous resurrection: He was a Skrull all along). With Tony caught with his pants down and Norman Osborn seeming to save the day, Norman - who has been losing his shit for some time - takes over the Initiative and forms his own fascist cabal, HAMMER. To try and stop Norman from learning everything on every hero ever, Tony goes on the run and actually starts deleting his own brain, which he then reassembles with a backup from before anyone even thought of the SHRA. The fact that getting rid of Tony’s “Oops I did a fascism” period came out alongside Iron Man hitting theaters is a coincidence, I’m sure.
[1] This is eventually explored in the pages of Wolverine, of all books, as Wolverine decides maybe somebody should track down the person who actually killed hundreds of children. It’s revealed that Nitro was given power-boosting drugs by the CEO of Damage Control, Marvel’s designated “clean up after the super-battle” corporation, as a way of generating business. In a sign of how little this matters, Wolverine tells Maria Hill to her face that the person responsible for a mass casualty event is the pawn of a powerful conspiracy, and she basically says, “Not my problem.” Cobie Smulders must thank the gods that her Maria Hill is written as somebody with basic human decency.
[2] Hilariously, when Sally Floyd was brought back during Nick Spencer’s Captain America run because no one had piled enough dung on her corpse, this line was retconned to her asking him about Twitter. Given everything Elon’s been doing lately, we’ll see if that ages just as poorly.
2023.06.02 17:23 RedditRocks2021 Free Cedar Point, Michigan Adventure, Kings Island Ticket with Red Cross Blood Drive Donation - IN, MI, OH - 2023 Season
 | . submitted by RedditRocks2021 to FreeCedarPointTickets [link] [comments] *** PAGE UPDATED JUNE 01, 2023 - 06:29 AM **\* . https://preview.redd.it/lrxn4d3bhm3b1.png?width=544&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f8c3defc1c5164a9d88572bb483916732c78ca0 The American Red Cross and Cedar Fair theme parks are joining together to encourage blood donations this summer, All those who come to donate at select blood drives will receive one free ticket, valid for entry to participating U.S. Cedar Fair parks as listed below, while supplies last. Ends August 01, 2023, Parking not included. . The summer months are a crucial time for blood and platelet donations as donations tend to decline due to summer vacations and travel among regular donors,, The Red Cross is grateful to blood and platelet donors for coming together to support patients during this challenging time.. 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Benton St., Peru, "abundant" 06/22 - 12:00 PM - 05:00 PM - Woodbridge Health, 602 Woodbridge Ave., Logansport, "woodlong" 06/22 - 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM - National Guard, 791 83rd Ave., Merrillville, "nationalguard" 06/26 - 01:00 PM - 06:00 PM - First Baptist Church of Ossian 1001 Dehner Dr, Ossian " 46777" 06/27 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM - Zion Church 101 East North St. Columbia City "46725" 06/27 - 11:00 PM - 04:00 PM - YMCA, 2809 W. Purdue Ave., Muncie "ymcamuncie" 06/28 - 08:00 AM - 02:00 PM - Digger Specialties, 3965 E. Countyline Rd., Nappanee, "46506" 06/28 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM - YMCA 5680 YMCA Park Dr West, Fort Wayne "46835" 06/29 - 01:00 PM - 06:00 PM - College Park Church 1936 College Ave, Huntington "46750" 06/29 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM - Plymouth Fire Dept. 111 N. Center St., Plymouth "plymouthfire" 06/30 - 12:30 PM - 05:30 PM - YMCA 10313 Aboite Center Rd, Fort Wayne "46804" . . STATE OF MICHIGAN - 2023 Season - Sponsor Code: CEDARPOINT or Zip code 05/31 - 11:30 AM - 04:15 PM....United Methodist Church 203 Concord Rd, Jonesville 06/02 - 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM....Serra Whelan Chevrolet 40445 Van Dyke. Sterling Heights, 48313 06/02 - 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM....Pleasant Ridge Center 4 Ridge Rd. Pleasant Ridge, 48069 06/09 - 11:00 AM - 04:45 PM....Columbia Central High School 11775 Hewitt Rd, Brooklyn 06/21 - 12:00 PM - 05:45 PM....Chilson Hills Church 4440 Brighton Road Howell, 48843 06/22 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM....Oakland Church 5100 Adams Rd Rochester, 48306 06/26 - 11:00 AM - 03:45 PM....Napoleon Township 6755 Brooklyn Rd, Napoleon 06/27 - 10:00 AM - 03:45 PM.....West Rome Baptist Church 11984 Rome Rd, Manitou Beach 06/29 - 11:00 AM - 04:45 PM.....Goodwill Headquarters 1357 Division Street Adrian 07/05 - 01:00 PM - 07:00 PM.....St. Joseph Church 715 North Lapeer Rd. Orion, 48362 07/06 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM.....St. Joseph Church 715 North Lapeer Rd. Orion, 48362 07/06 - 01:00 PM - 05:45 PM.....First Baptist Church 131 E Main street North Adams 07/06 - 12:00 PM - 05:45 PM.....Free Methodist Church 2829 Park Drive, Jackson 07/07 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM.....St. Hubert Church 38775 Prentiss, Harrison Twnshp, 48045 07/11 - 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM....Redeemer Fellowship Church 5305 Evergreen Dr, Monroe 07/12 - 07:00 AM - 06:30 PM....Merriman Rd Church 2055 Merriman Rd, Garden City, 48135 07/13 - 07:00 AM - 06:30 PM....Merriman Rd Church 2055 Merriman Rd, Garden City, 48135 07/24 - 01:00 PM - 07:00 PM.....Oxford Meth. Church 790 South Lapeer Oxford, 48371 07/25 - 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM.....St. Andrews Church 1234 Inglewood Rochester, 48307 07/27 - 10:00 AM - 03:30 PM....Dundee Veterans Memorial 418 Dunham Dundee. . . STATE OF OHIO - 2023 Season - Sponsor Code: CEDARPOINT or Zip code 05/26 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM.....Rocky River Civic Center 21016 Hilliard Blvd. Rocky River 05/30 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM.....Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 847 W. 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North St., Alida, "alidahs" 06/10 - 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM......Grace Church 7393 Pearl Rd Middleburg Heights 06/12 - 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM......Wickliffe Community Center 900 Worden Road Wickliffe 06/13 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM......Stonebridge Church 2111 Stonehedge Dr. Findlay 06/14 - 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM......St Paul's Lutheran Church 2860 East Market St. Warren 06/15 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM......Sandusky Mall Rt. 250 Milan Rd. Sandusky 06/15 - 01:00 PM - 07:00 PM.......Wooster Community Hospital 1761 Beall Ave. Wooster 06/16 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM......Zenobia Shrine 8048 Broadstone Blvd. Perrysburg 06/20 - 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM......Moose Lodge, 1146 N SR 53, Tiffin 06/21 - 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM......Sawmill Creek Resort 400 Sawmill Creek Dr., Huron 06/22 - 09:00 AM - 02:00 PM......North Ridgeville Library, 35700 Bainbridge Rd, North Ridgeville 06/23 - 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM......Mentor Civic Arena 8600 Munson Rd. 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Johnson St., Upper Sandusky 07/13 - 01:00 PM - 06:00 PM......United Methodist Church 170 Seminary St. Berea 07/13 - 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM......Teamsters Local 20 435 S. Hawley St Toledo 07/18 - 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM......Crocker Park 239 Market Street Westlake 07/26 - 09:30 AM - 07:00 PM......Cleveland Marriott East 26300 Harvard Rd. Warrensville Heights 07/27 -12:00 PM - 06:00 PM.......Elks 231 Buckeye Blvd. Port Clinton 07/31 - 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM......Community Center 6363 Selig Dr, Independence 08/01 -12:00 PM - 06:00 PM .......Cuyahoga County Library 5071 Wallings Rd, North Royalton . Additional blood drives added every week - Click here for updates Red Cross First Time Donors Video What happens to donated blood? American Red Cross - Donate Blood Eligibility Requirements |
2023.06.02 15:48 flippenphil (Offer) Dr. Seuss 5 film collection (Request) The Menu, Amsterdam, Babylon
UPDATE: WB killed the Dr. SEUSS code some time in the past 3 weeks sorry
MA = Movies Anywhere
GP = Googleplay
[?] = unknown definition
title = pending trade
If a title is no longer listed = It has been traded
COMBO Films
Vudu Only
Titles I am looking for
submitted by flippenphil to uvtrade [link] [comments]
MA = Movies Anywhere
GP = Googleplay
[?] = unknown definition
If a title is no longer listed = It has been traded
COMBO Films
- 2film: My Girl 1 & 2 SD =MA
- 3film: Mall Cop / Zookeeper / Boom SD =MA
- 3film: Night at the Museum: Trilogy SD =MA
- 3film: The Other Guys, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights SD =MA
- 4film: The Magnificent Seven Collection HD Vudu
- 6film: Joe Dirt, Benchwarmers, House Bunny, The Animal, Deuce Bigalow, Master Of Disguise SD =MA
- SONY BUFF PASSES (Current) - 2
- Universal Rewards (Current) - 3
- 10 Clover Field Lane HD Vudu only
- 12 Rounds 2 Reload HD =MA
- 101 Dalmations HD =MA
- 101 Dalmations (Googleplay) HD =MA
- 127 Hours (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- 1917 HD =MA
- 2 Guns (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- 2 Guns HD =MA
- 21st Jump Street HD =MA
- 21st Jump Street SD =MA
- 22nd Jump Street SD =MA
- 3 From Hell 4K (Vudu Or iTunes)
- 40 Year Old Virgin HD =MA
- 47 Ronin HD =MA (MA Redeem, Vudu Kills Code)
- 47 Ronin =MA 4K (iTunes Portion)
- the 5th Wave SD =MA
- A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood HD =MA
- A Dogs Way Home HD =MA
- A Good Day To Die Hard HD = MA
- A Good Day To Die Hard (iTunes redeem) SD = MA
- A Haunted House (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- A Madea Christmas HD Vudu
- A Madea Family Funeral HD (Vudu / iTunes OR GP)
- A Million Ways To Die In The West [unrated] (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- A Monster's Call HD =MA
- A Monster's Call (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the A-Team (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- A Thousand Words SD Vudu
- A Quiet Place HD Vudu Or iTunes 4K
- A Walk Among Tombstones (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- About Last Night HD =MA
- Admission (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- the Adventures Of Tintin SD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- After Earth SD =MA
- the Age Of Adaline HD Vudu
- Alex Cross HD Vudu
- Alpha and Omega 3: Great Wolf Games HD Vudu
- Alice Through The Looking Glass HD =MA
- Alien Covenant HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- All the Devil's Men HD Vudu or iTunes
- Alpha SD =MA
- Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chip Wrecked (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Amazing Spiderman HD =MA
- the Amazing Spiderman SD =MA
- the Amazing Spiderman 2 HD =MA
- the Amazing Spiderman 2 SD =MA
- Amelia (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- American Assassin HD Vudu/GP/iTunes
- American Made HD =MA
- American Girl: Mckenna Shoots For The Stars HD =MA
- American Hustle HD =MA
- American Hustle SD =MA
- American Reunion UR HD =MA
- Anchorman 2 HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- And So It Goes HD =MA
- the Angry Birds Movie HD =MA
- Annie (2014) HD =MA
- Annie (2014) SD =MA
- Annihilation HD (Vudu Or iTunes) Split
- the Art of Self Defense HD =MA
- Arrival HD Vudu or iTunes 4K
- Arthur (iTunes redeem) SD =MA
- Arthur Christmas SD =MA
- Assassin's Creed HD (4K If iTunes Redeem)=MA
- Atomic Blonde HD =MA
- Atomic Blonde (iTunes Portion) 4K =MA
- August Osage County HD Vudu
- Avengers: End Game HD (googleplay) =MA
- Avengers: Infinity War (googleplay) HD =MA
- Babylon A.D. (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Bad Boys For Life HD =MA
- Bad Boys For Life SD =MA
- Bad Grandpa HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Bad Moms (iTunes) HD =MA
- Bad Moms HD =MA
- Bad Words (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Bank Job HD Vudu
- Barbie & Her Sisters In A Puppy Chase HD =MA
- Battle Of The Year HD =MA
- Battleship 4K =MA (iTunes Portion)
- Battleship HD =MA
- Baywatch (Vudu-HD Or iTunes-4K)
- Beethoven Treasure Tail (iTunes Portion) HD =MA
- Beethoven Treasure Tail HD =MA
- Begin Again HD Vudu
- Beirut HD =MA
- the Best Man Holiday HD =MA
- the Best Man Holiday (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Big Miracle (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Big Short HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- the Big Wedding HD Vudu Or iTunes
- the Big Wedding SD Vudu
- the Big Year (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Black Nativity [Extended] HD =MA
- Black Swan (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Blackhat HD =MA (iTunes Portion)
- Blockers HD =MA
- Bloodshot SD =MA
- Blue Jasmine HD =MA
- Boo! A Madea Halloween HD V/I/GP
- the Book Of Life HD =MA
- Boss Baby HD =MA
- the Bourne: Identity HD =MA
- the Bourne: Identity (iTunes Redeem) 4K =MA
- the Bourne: Legacy HD =MA
- the Bourne: Legacy (iTunes Redeem) 4K =MA
- the Bourne: Supremacy HD =MA
- the Bourne: Supremacy (iTunes Redeem) 4K =MA
- the Boy [unrated] HD =MA
- the Boy [unrated] HD =MA (iTunes portion)
- the Boy Next Door HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Boyhood HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Braven HD Vudu or GP
- Brian Banks HD =MA
- Bride Wars (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Brides Maids (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Bridge Of Spies HD =MA
- Bring It On: Cheersmack HD =MA
- Bring It On: Cheersmack (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Broken City HD Vudu
- the Butler HD Vudu
- the Bye Bye Man HD =MA (iTunes Portion)
- the Cabin In The Woods SD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- the Cabin In The Woods HD Vudu Or GP
- the Call SD =MA
- the Call HD =MA
- the Call Of The Wild (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Call Of The Wild HD =MA
- Captain Phillips HD =MA
- Captain Phillips SD =MA
- Captain Under Pants: The First Epic Movie HD =MA
- Carrie [2013] (Vudu or GP) HD
- the Case For Christ (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Case For Christ HD =MA
- Casino Royale HD V/GP
- Cedar Rapids (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Change Up (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Change Up Unrated (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Chappie SD =MA
- Chasing Mavericks [2012] HD =MA
- the Choice HD (iTunes, Vudu Or GP)
- the Choice HD (Vudu Only)
- Chronicle HD =MA
- Chronicle (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Chronicles Of Riddick [unrated] (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 SD =MA
- Coal Miner's Daughter HD = MA
- Coal Miner's Daughter HD = MA (iTunes portion)
- the Commuter HD V/i/GP
- Concussion (will Smitch) HD =MA
- Concussion (will Smitch) SD =MA
- the Condemned 2 HD Vudu
- Contraband (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Counselor HD =MA
- Countdown [wwe films] HD Vudu
- Cowboys And Aliens (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Croods (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Cruella HD =MA
- Cruella (Googleplay) HD =MA
- Cult Of Chucky [unrated] HD =MA
- Cult Of Chucky [unrated] HD =MA (iTunes Redeem)
- Curse Chucky (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Curse Of Chucky HD =MA
- Daddy's Home HD Vudu / 4K iTunes (split)
- Dallas Buyers Club HD (iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Danny Collins HD (iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- the Day The Earth Stood Still (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Dead In Tombstone [unrated] HD =MA
- Dead Man Down SD =MA
- Deadpool HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- Deadpool 2 [super dooper cut] HD =MA
- the Descendants (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Deliver Us From Evil SD =MA
- Despicable Me (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Despicable Me 2 (4K iTunes) =MA
- Despicable Me 2 HD =MA
- the Devil Inside SD Vudu
- Devils Due HD =MA
- Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Dictator SD Vudu
- Die Hard: A Good Day To Die (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Dilemma HD =MA
- Dirty Dancing SD Vudu
- Dirty Grandpa SD Vudu
- Disney Nature: Monkey Kingdom HD =MA
- Disney Shorts Collection (googleplay) HD =MA
- Disney Shorts Collection HD =MA
- Divergent HD Vudu
- Divergent [4k Itunes] or [GP-HD]
- Divergent Series: Allegiant HD Vudu
- Divergent Series: Allegiant SD Vudu
- Divergent Series: Insurgent HD Vudu/GP (iTunes Split)
- Divergent Series: Insurgent SD Vudu
- Django Unchained HD Vudu
- Dom Hemingway HD =MA
- Downsizing HD Vudu & iTunes 4K
- Downton Abbey The Movie HD =MA
- Dracula Untold (iTunes Redeem) 4K =MA
- Dracula Untold HD =MA
- Draft Day HD Vudu/iTunes Split
- Draft Day SD Vudu
- Dragon Heart 3 (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Dragon Heart 3 HD =MA
- Dredd HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Dredd 4K (Vudu Or iTunes) Or GP-HD
- Drive (2011) HD MA
- the Duel SD Vudu
- the Duff HD Vudu
- Dumb And Dumber To (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Dying Of The Light HD Vudu
- E.T. (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA (from bluray)
- E.T. HD =MA
- E.T. SD =MA
- Escape Plan HD Vudu
- Edward Scissorhands HD =MA
- Elysium SD =MA
- the Emoji Movie HD =MA
- Empire State HD Vudu
- End Of Watch (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Ender's Game 4K Vudu/iTunes Split
- Ender's Game HD Vudu/iTunes/GP
- Enough Said HD =MA
- Epic (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Epic HD =MA
- Escape Plan HD Vudu
- the Equalizer HD =MA
- the Equalizer SD =MA
- Ex Machina HD Vudu
- Exodus: Gods And Kings HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- the Expendables 2 HD Vudu/iTunes/GP
- the Expendables 3 4K Vudu
- the Expendables 3 [unrated] HD
- the Expendables 3 HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Extraction HD Vudu
- Fast & Furious 1 (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 1 HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 2 (4K iTunes) =MA
- Fast & Furious 3 HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 4 HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 4 (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Fast & Furious 5 Extended (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 5 Extended HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 6 Extended (4K iTunes) =MA
- Fast & Furious 6 Extended HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 7 Extended HD =MA
- Fast & Furious 7 Extended (4K iTunes) =MA
- Fast Furious 8 Extended 4K =MA
- Fast Furious 8 Extended HD =MA
- Fast Furious 8 Theatrical 4K =MA
- Fast Furious 8 Theatrical HD =MA
- the Fault In Our Stars HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Fault In Our Stars HD =MA (no Upgrade)
- the Favourite HD =MA
- Fences HD VUDU or iTunes 4K (split)
- Fifty Shades Darker [unrated] (iTunes) HD =MA
- Fifty Shades Darker [unrated] HD =MA
- Fifty Shades Of Grey [unrated] HD =MA
- Fifty Shades Of Grey [standard] 4K (iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Fighter HD =MA
- Finding Dory (googleplay) HD =MA
- Finding Dory HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Finding Nemo (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Finest Hour HD =MA
- the Finest Hour (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Five Year Engagement (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Flight HD (Vudu / iTunes Split)
- Footloose (2011) SD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Frank & Lola HD =MA
- Fright Night 2 UR HD =MA
- the Front Runner SD = MA
- Frozen HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Frozen (googleplay) HD =MA
- Frozen (sing Along Edition) HD =MA
- Frozen (sing-along Edition) (googleplay) HD =MA
- Frozen Ground HD Vudu
- Fury HD =MA
- Fury SD =MA
- G.I.Joe Retaliation HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- the Gambler HD (Vudu / iTunes Split)
- Gemini Man HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Get On Up (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Get The Gringo (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Ghost In The Shell [2017] HD Vudu Only
- Ghost Rider Spirit Of Vengeance SD =MA
- Ghostbusters HD =MA
- Ghostbusters: Answer The Call & Extended HD =MA
- Gifted HD =MA
- the Girl In The Spidersweb SD =MA
- the Girl On The Train =MA 4K (iTunes Redeem)
- the Girl On The Train =MA HD
- the Giver HD Vudu
- Gladiator Vudu or iTunes 4K
- Glee The Concert (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- God's Not Dead 3: A Light In Darkness HD =MA
- Gods Of Egypt HD Vudu (and iTunes 4K split)
- Gods Of Egypt SD Vudu
- Grace Unplugged HD Vudu
- the Grand Budapest Hotel HD =MA
- the Great Wall (iTunes Portion) 4K =MA
- the Great Wall HD =MA
- the Greatest Showman HD =MA
- the Grey (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Grown Ups 2 HD =MA
- Grown Ups 2 SD =MA
- Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 1 HD =MA (no 4K Upgrade)
- Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.0 (googleplay) HD =MA
- Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.0 4K =MA
- the Gunman HD =MA
- the Gunman (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Hacksaw Ridge HD Vudu iTunes Or GP
- Hail, Caesar! HD =MA
- Hail, Caesar! (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Halloween Kills Extended HD =MA
- Hammer Of The Gods SD Vudu
- Hansel & Gretel [unrated] HD Vudu / HD iTunes (split)
- Hands of Stones HD Vudu
- the Hangover (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Hardcore Henry HD =MA (iTunes redeem)
- Harvey (1950) (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Hateful Eight HD Vudu Or GP
- the Haunting In Connecticut 2 Ghosts Of Georgia HD Vudu
- the Heat HD =MA
- the Heat (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA (will Send First)
- Heaven Is For Real HD =MA
- Heaven Is For Real SD =MA
- Hell Or High Water SD Vudu
- Hellboy (2019) 4K Vudu/iTunes/(GP HD)
- Here Comes The Boom SD =MA
- Hidden Figures HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Hillsong: Let Hope Rise HD =MA
- Hocus Pocus (googleplay) HD =MA
- Holiday Inn (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Home Again HD =MA
- Home Alone 4K =MA
- Home Alone HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Home Alone 2: Lost In New York HD =MA
- Homefront (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Homefront HD =MA
- Honey 2 (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Honey 2 HD =MA
- Hop (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Hop HD =MA
- Hope Springs HD =MA
- Horton Hears A Who (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Host (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Hostiles 4K Vudu/iTunes/(GP HD)
- Hotel Transylvania SD =MA
- Hotel Transylvania 3 SD =MA
- Hours SD Vudu
- House With A Clock In Its Walls HD =MA
- How To Train A Dragon 2 HD =MA
- the Hundred Foot Journey (googleplay) HD =MA
- Hugo SD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- the Hunger Games HD Vudu
- the Hunger Games: Catching Fire HD Vudu
- the Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 HD Vudu
- the Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2 HD Vudu
- I See You HD Vudu (no itunes)
- I, Frankenstein HD Vudu/iTunes/GP
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Ice Age: Dawn Of Dinosaurs (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Ice Age: the Great Egg-Scapade HD =MA
- Identity Thief (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Ides Of March HD =MA
- In Time (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Incarnate (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Independence Day Resurgence HD =MA (no Upgrade)
- Independence Day Resurgence HD (4K if iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- Inferno HD =MA
- Inglorious Bastards (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Inside Out HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- Inside Out (google Redeem) HD =MA
- Insidious Chapter 2 SD =MA
- Insidious: the last key SD =MA
- Internship (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Interview HD =MA
- the Interview SD =MA
- Into The Spider-verse SD =MA
- Iron Man 3 (googleplay) HD =MA
- Iron Man 3 HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- Jack Reacher SD Vudu
- Jack Reacher HD Vudu (4K itunes split)
- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit HD Vudu Or iTunes
- Jarhead 2 [unrated] HD =MA
- Jarhead 2 [unrated] HD =MA (iTunes portion)
- Jarhead Law Of Return HD =MA
- Jason Bourne HD =MA
- Jason Bourne 4K =MA (iTunes portion)
- Jaws HD =MA
- Joe SD Vudu
- John Wick 4K (Vudu,iTunes Or HD-GP)
- John Wick SD? Dvd (Vudu/iTunes/GP)
- John Wick : Chapter 2 HD (Vudu,iTunes Or HD-GP)
- John Wick 3 4K (Vudu,iTunes Or HD-GP)
- Joy HD (4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- Joy HD =MA
- Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle SD =MA
- Jumper (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Jungle Book [2016] (preorder) HD =MA
- Jungle Cruise (googleplay) HD =MA
- Juno (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Jurassic Park (4K iTunes) =MA
- Jurassic Park HD =MA
- Jurassic World (4K iTunes) =MA
- Jurassic World HD =MA
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom HD =MA
- Just Wright (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Justin Bieber: Never Say Never HD VUDU / iTunes (split)
- Keeping Up with the Jones (4K if iTunes Redeem) = MA
- Kevin Heart: Let Me Explain HD
- Kickass 2 (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Kickass 2 HD =MA
- Kidnap HD =MA
- Kidnap (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Killer Elite (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Killing Them Softly HD Vudu
- Kin HD Vudu/iTunes/GP
- the Kingsman: The Golden Circle HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Kingsman: The Secret Service HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Kingsman: The Secret Service SD (Vudu) =MA
- Knight And Day (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Knocked Up HD =MA
- Knocked Up (iTunes redeem) HD =MA
- Kung Fu Panda 3 HD =MA
- the Last Exorcism Past2 SD =MA
- Last Knights HD Vudu
- the Last Stand HD
- Last Vegas SD =MA
- the Last Witch Hunter SD Vudu
- the Legend Of Hercules HD Vudu
- Les Miserables [1998] HD =MA
- Les Miserables [2012] (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Les Miserables [2012] HD =MA
- Let's Be Cops HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Life HD =MA
- Life As We Know It (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Life As We Know It SD =MA
- Knight And Day (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Life Of Pi HD (4K iTunes Through Foxredeem) =MA
- Lightyear (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Little Mermaid HD =MA
- the Little Mermaid (googleplay) HD =MA
- Little Women (2019) HD =MA
- Lockout (unrated) SD =MA
- the LOFT (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Logan HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Logan Lucky HD =MA
- Logan Lucky 4K (iTunes) =MA
- the Lone Ranger (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Lone Ranger HD =MA
- Lone Survivor HD =MA
- Lone Survivor 4K (iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Longest Ride HD ( 4K If iTunes Redeemed) =MA
- the Longest Week HD Vudu
- Looper SD =MA
- the Lorax (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Lorax HD =MA
- the Lord of The Rings: Return Of The King HD =MA
- the Lords Of Salem HD Vudu
- Love Actually (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Love Actually SD =MA
- Love & Mercy HD VUDU
- Love & Other Drugs (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Machete (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted HD =MA
- Madea's Neighbors From Hell The Play SD Vudu
- Madea's Witness Protection HD Vudu Or iTunes
- Madea's Witness Protection SD Vudu
- Maggie HD Vudu Only
- Maleficent (googleplay) HD =MA
- Maleficent HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Maleficent: mistress of evil (googleplay) HD =MA
- Mall Cop 2 SD =MA
- Mamma Mia! (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again HD =MA
- the Man With The Iron Fists (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Marauders HD Vudu
- the Marine 4 HD Vudu
- the Marine 6: close quarters SD =MA
- Marley & Me (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Martian HD (4K If iTunes Redeem)=MA
- Mary Poppins HD =MA
- Mary Poppins (googleplay) HD =MA
- Mary Poppins: Returns (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Maze Runner HD (no Upgrade)
- the Mechanic: Resurrection HD Vudu, GP HD Or iTunes 4K
- the Mechanic: Resurrection SD Vudu
- Megan Leavey (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Megan Leavey HD =MA
- Men In Black 2 HD =MA
- Men In Black 3 HD =MA
- Men In Black 3 SD =MA
- Middle School: The Worse Years Of My Life HD Vudu/GP or iTunes split
- Midway 4K Vudu/iTunes or GP
- Mike & Dave Need A Wedding Date HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Minions (4K iTunes) =MA
- Minions HD =MA
- Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children HD (4K iTunes redeem) =MA
- Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children HD =MA (Vudu Redeem)
- Mission Impossible: Fallout HD (Vudu or iTunes)
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal Dvd (Vudu)
- Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (HD Vudu Or iTunes 4K)
- Mom's Night Out SD =MA
- Moneyball HD =MA
- Monte Carlo (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Monuments Men HD =MA
- the Monuments Men SD =MA
- Moonlight HD Vudu
- Monster's University (googleplay) HD =MA
- Mortal Instruments SD =MA
- Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? (iTunes Portion) HD =MA
- Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? HD =MA
- the Mountain Between Us HD ( 4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Mr. Holmes HD Vudu
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman HD =MA
- Mr. Popper's Penguins (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Mud HD Vudu
- Mulan Original Cartoon (googleplay) HD =MA
- the Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Muppets Most Wanted (googleplay) HD =MA
- Muppets Most Wanted HD =MA
- My All American HD =MA
- My All American (iTunes redeem) HD =MA
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 HD =MA
- My Life As A Zucchini (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Nebraska HD Vudu
- Nerve SD Vudu
- Night At The Museum Or Night At The Museum: 2 [pick One] HD =MA
- Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Night At The Museum 3: Secret Of The Tomb HD ( 4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Night School [extended] HD =MA
- No Country For Old Men HD Vudu Or GP
- No Escape HD Vudu
- Noah HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Non-stop (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Non-stop HD =MA
- Norm Of The North HD (iTunes Or GP)
- Norm Of The North HD Vudu Only
- Now You See Me 4K Vudu/iTunes/GP
- Now You See Me HD Vudu
- Now You See Me HD Vudu/iTunes/GP
- Now You See Me 2 SD Vudu
- Oblivion HD =MA
- Office Party HD VUDU or iTunes (split)
- Olympus Has Fallen SD =MA
- the Oranges (itunes redeem) SD =MA
- the Other Woman HD =MA
- Ouija: Origin Of Evil (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Overcomer SD =MA
- Oz The Great And Powerful (googleplay) HD =MA
- Oz The Great And Powerful HD =MA
- Pacific Rim: Uprising HD =MA
- Paddington HD Vudu
- Pain & Gain HD Vudu Only
- Paranormal Activity 2 HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity 3 SD Vudu (try iTunes at your own risk)
- Paranormal Activity 4 HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity Ghost Dimension HD (Vudu or iTunes)
- Parental Guidance HD =MA
- Parental Guidance (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Parker HD =MA
- Parker SD =MA
- Passengers HD =MA
- Patriots Day HD Vudu (or 4K iTunes)
- Paul [unrated] HD =MA (iTunes Redeem)
- Peanuts Movies HD ( 4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Penguins Of Madagascar HD =MA
- Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters HD =MA
- Perks Of Being A Wallflower HD Vudu Or iTunes SD (split)
- Peter Pan 2: Return To Never Land (googleplay) HD =MA
- Peter Pan 2: Return To Never Land HD =MA
- Philomena HD Vudu
- Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (googleplay) HD =MA
- Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales HD =MA (iTunes kills code)
- Pirates! Band Of Misfits SD =MA
- Pitch Black [unrated] (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Pitch Perfect HD =MA
- Pitch Perfect [iTunes redeem 4K] =MA
- Pitch Perfect 2 HD =MA
- Pitch Perfect 2 HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Pitch Perfect 3 HD =MA
- Pixels SD =MA
- Planes (googleplay) HD =MA
- Planes HD =MA
- Planes Fire And Rescue (googleplay) HD =MA
- Planes Fire And Rescue HD =MA
- Planes, Trains & Automobiles HD (Vudu or iTunes)
- Playing For Keeps SD =MA
- Pompeii HD =MA
- Pompeii SD =MA
- Possession HD Vudu (SD iTunes)
- Predators (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Premium Rush SD =MA
- the Prince HD Vudu
- Prometheus HD =MA
- Prometheus (iTunes Redeem) [?] =MA
- Promised Land (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Protector 2 SD Vudu
- Public Enemies (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Public Enemies (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Purge (4K iTunes) =MA
- the Purge HD =MA
- the Purge: Anarchy HD =MA
- the Purge: Election Year HD =MA
- Queen Of Katwe (googleplay) HD =MA
- Queen Of Katwe HD =MA
- R.I.P.D. (redeems In iTunes) 4K =MA
- R.I.P.D. HD =MA
- Ralph Breaks The Internet (googleplay) HD =MA
- Rambo HD (Vudu,iTunes4K Or GP)
- Rambo: Last Blood 4K (Vudu,iTunes Or HD-GP)
- Ramona And Beezus (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Rango HD Vudu Or 4K iTunes (split)
- Real Steel (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Reasonable Doubt HD =MA
- Red 2 HD Vudu
- Red Sparrow HD =MA
- Redemption HD Vudu
- Reprisal HD Vudu
- Resident Evil: Retribution HD =MA
- Resident Evil: Retribution SD =MA
- Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City HD =MA
- the Revenant HD =MA
- Ricki And The Flash SD =MA
- Riddick [unrated] HD =MA
- Riddick [unrated] (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Ride Along (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Ride Along HD =MA
- Ride Along 2 (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Rio HD =MA
- Rio (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Rio 2 HD =MA
- Rise Of The Guardians HD =MA
- Rise Of The Planet Of Apes (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Risen SD =MA
- Robin Hood (1973) [Disney-animation] (googleplay) HD =MA
- Robin Hood (2018) Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K
- Robocop 2014 HD Vudu Or GP
- the Rocker (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Rocky Horror Picture Show HD =MA
- Runner Runner HD =MA
- Rush HD =MA
- Safe HD Vudu Only
- Safe House (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Safe House HD =MA
- Same Kind Of Different As Me HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Samson HD =MA
- Santa's Little Helper HD =MA
- Sausage Party HD =MA
- Savages 4K (iTunes Redeem) =MA (unsure Which Version)
- Saving Mr. Banks HD =MA
- Saving Mr. Banks (googleplay) HD =MA
- Scarface 4K (iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Scarface HD =MA
- Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark 4K Vudu/iTunes or (GP HD)
- Schindler's List =MA HD
- the Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption HD =MA
- the Scorpion King 4: Quest For Power (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Scorpion King 4: Quest For Power HD =MA
- Seal Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines HD (Vudu Or Googleplay)
- Search Party HD =MA
- Search Party (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- the Secret Life Of Pets HD =MA
- the Secret Life Of Pets (4K iTunes) =MA
- the Secret Life Of Pets 2 HD =MA
- the Secret Life Of Walter Mitty HD =MA
- See No Evil 2 HD Vudu
- Seeking A Friend For The End Of The Earth (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Selma HD (redeems In iTunes) HD =MA
- Seventh Son (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Seventh Son HD =MA (iTunes Portion)
- Sex Tape SD =MA
- the Shack HD Vudu Or iTunes (split)
- Shrek: Forever After (the final chapter) HD =MA
- Showdogs HD =MA
- Sicario HD Vudu
- Sicario 4K Vudu (or HD GP Or iTunes)
- Silver Linings Playbook HD (Vudu Or Googleplay)
- Single Mom's Club HD
- Sisters [unrated] (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Sisters [unrated] HD =MA
- Skin Trade HD Vudu Redeem
- Skyfall HD (Vudu Or Googleplay)
- Skyfall SD (iTunes)
- Skyscraper HD =MA
- Sleepless (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Slumdog Millionaire (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Smurfs 2 HD =MA
- the Smurfs 2 SD =MA
- Snitch HD Vudu
- Snow White & The Huntsman (4K iTunes) =MA
- Snow White & The Huntsman HD =MA
- Snowden HD =MA
- Snowden (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Son Of God HD =MA
- Sonic The Hedge hog 2 4K (Vudu or iTunes)
- the Spectacular Now SD Vudu
- Spectre 007 HD Vudu/GP/iTunes
- Spider-man: Far From Home HD =MA
- Spider-man: Far From Home SD =MA
- Spider-man: Homecoming HD =MA
- Spider-man: No-way Home SD =MA
- Split HD =MA
- the Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water HD Vudu / iTunes (split)
- Spy [unrated] HD =MA
- St. Vincent HD Vudu
- Stand Up Guys HD Vudu
- the Star SD =MA
- Star Trek [1] HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Star Trek [2] Into Darkness HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Star Trek [3] Beyond HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- Star Wars: Force Awakens HD =MA (Vudu - No Upgrade)
- Star Wars: Rise Of The Skywalker 4K =MA
- Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker (googleplay) HD =MA
- Step Up Revolution HD Vudu Or (iTunes Quality Unknown)
- Straight Out Of Compton (iTunes Redeem) 4K =MA
- Straight Out Of Compton [unrated] HD =MA
- Strange World (googleplay) HD =MA
- Street Kings (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Super 8 HD Vudu Portion
- Super Buddies (googleplay) HD =MA
- Super Troopers 2 HD =MA
- the Sword In The Stone (googleplay) HD =MA
- Taken (theatrical slip) SD =MA
- Taken (Extended slip) SD =MA
- Taken 2 HD =MA
- Taken 3 (extended) HD =MA
- Ted (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Ted [unrated] HD =MA
- Ted 2 (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Teen Spirit HD =MA
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles HD Vudu/iTunes split
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows HD Vudu/iTunes split
- Temptation HD Vudu
- Temptation HD Vudu or Google Play (ask for this one for GP)
- Terminator Dark Fate HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- That Awkward Moment SD =MA
- That's My Boy SD =MA
- the Theory Of Everything (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Think Like A Man SD =MA
- Think Like A Man Too SD =MA
- This Is 40 (iTunes Portion) HD =MA
- This Is The End HD =MA
- This Is The End SD =MA
- Thor Love And Thunder 4K =MA
- Thor Love And Thunder HD =MA
- Thor Love And Thunder (googleplay) HD =MA
- Thor Ragnarok (googleplay) HD =MA
- Thor Ragnarok HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- the Three Stooges [the movie] (iTunes redeem) SD =MA
- Tinker Tailor Solder (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Tinkerbell And The Legend Of The NeverBeast HD =MA
- Top Gun HD Vudu & Unknown iTunes (split)
- Total Recall (1990) HD Vudu
- Total Recall (2012) [theater & Extended] HD =MA
- Total Recall (2012) SD =MA
- Tower Heist (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Toy Story 4 (googleplay) HD =MA
- Tracers SD Vudu
- Trainwreck (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Transformers: Age Of Extinction HD (Vudu Only)
- Transformers: Age Of Extinction SD Vudu
- Transformers: Dark Of The Moon HD Vudu
- Transformers: Dark Of The Moon SD Vudu
- Transformers: The Last Knight (digital Cut) HD Vudu Or iTunes 4K Split
- the Transporter (iTunes) SD =MA
- Trauma Center 4K Vudu/iTunes/GP
- Tremors 5: Bloodlines HD =MA
- Tremors 5: Bloodlines (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Tremors 6: A Cold Day In Hell HD =MA
- Trolls HD =MA
- True Grit HD Vudu (iTunes Split)
- Trumbo (iTunes redeem) HD =MA
- the Trust SD Vudu
- Turbo (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Turbo HD =MA
- Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt 2 HD
- Unbroken (iTunes) HD =MA
- Unbroken HD =MA
- Underworld: Awakening SD =MA
- Underworld: Bloodwars HD =MA
- Unfriended HD (iTunes Portion) =MA
- Unfriended HD =MA
- Unknown (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Unstoppable (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Vampires Suck (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets HD Vudu
- Venom HD =MA
- Venom SD =MA
- the Vow SD =MA
- Walking With Dinosaurs HD =MA
- Wallstreet 2: Never Sleeps (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- Wanderlust (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- War Of The Planet Of The Apes HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- War Room HD =MA
- War Room SD =MA
- Warcraft (4K iTunes) =MA
- Warcraft HD =MA
- Warm Bodies HD Vudu
- Warm Bodies HD Vudu/GP/ iTunes (4K iTunes Split)
- the Watch HD =MA
- Water For Elephants (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- We Bought A Zoo (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Wedding Ringer SD =MA
- Werewolf: the Beast Among Us UR HD =MA
- Wanderlust (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Wanted (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- What Happens In Vegas (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- What To Expect When You're Expecting HD
- Whats Your Number (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- When The Game Stands Tall HD =MA
- When The Game Stands Tall SD =MA
- White House Down SD =MA
- Why Him? HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- Widows HD =MA
- Wild Card HD Vudu
- Winchester HD Vudu/GP/iTunes
- the Witch SD Vudu
- the Wolf Of Wall Street HD Vudu (and 4K iTunes Split)
- the Wolfman (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- the Wolverine (iTunes Redeem) [SD?] =MA
- the Wolverine (unrated) HD =MA (must redeem on MA)
- the Woman In Black SD =MA
- Won't Back Down HD =MA
- Wonder HD (iTunes, Vudu Or GP)
- Woodlawn HD =MA
- Woodlawn (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- World War Z HD (Vudu Or iTunes)
- X Men Apocalypse HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- X Men Days Of Future Past HD (4K If iTunes Redeem) =MA
- X Men Days Of Future Past HD =MA
- X Men First Class (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- X Men Origins Wolverine (iTunes Redeem) SD =MA
- XXX: Return Of Xander Cage HD Vudu (or iTunes Split)
- Yesterday HD =MA
- Young Adult HD Vudu
- the Young Messiah (iTunes Redeem) HD =MA
- Zero Dark Thirty HD =MA
- Zero Dark Thirty SD =MA
- Zootopia (googleplay) HD =MA
Vudu Only
- Nurse Jackie Season 6 HD Vudu
- Orange Is The New Black Season 1 SD Vudu
- True Detective Season 3 HD Vudu
- Game Of Thrones Season 1 HD iTunes Only
- Game Of Thrones Season 2 HD iTunes Only
- Game Of Thrones Season 3 HD iTunes Only
- Game Of Thrones Season 4 HD iTunes Only
- True Detective Season 3 HD iTunes Only
- Abduction SD (iTunes)
- the Act Of Valor SD (iTunes)
- the Adventures of Tin Tin HD (iTunes)
- Alex Cross SD (iTunes)
- All Eyez On Me HD (iTunes)
- Annihilation HD (iTunes)
- Bankok Dangerous SD (iTunes)
- the Bank Job SD (iTunes)
- the Big Wedding HD (iTunes)
- Book Club 4K (iTunes)
- Brooklyn's Finest SD (iTunes)
- the Corrupted [2020] (iTunes)
- Criminal 4K (iTunes)
- Daybreakers SD (iTunes)
- the Dictator HD (iTunes)
- Divergent 4K (iTunes)
- Divergent Series: Allegiant 4K (iTunes)
- Divergent Series: Insurgent 4K (iTunes)
- Don Jon SD (iTunes)
- the Expendables [first movie] SD (iTunes)
- the Expendables 3 [unrated] HD (iTunes)
- Family Guy Its A Trap (iTunes)
- Forbidden Kingdom (iTunes)
- G.I.Joe The Rise Of The Cobra (iTunes)
- Gamer iTunes SD (iTunes)
- Ghost In The Shell 4K (iTunes)
- Gods Of Egypt 4K (iTunes)
- Hansel & Gretel [unrated] HD (iTunes)
- the Happytime Murders (apple Tv)
- the Haunting In Connecticut (iTunes)
- Hot Tub Time Machine SD (iTunes)
- House At The End Of The Street SD (iTunes)
- Hercules 4K (iTunes)
- Hot Tub Time Machine (iTunes)
- the Hunger Games [4k Itunes] or [GP-HD]
- the Hunger Games: Catching Fire [4k Itunes] or [HD GP]
- the Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 [4k Itunes] or [HD GP]
- I Feel Pretty (apple Tv)
- Jack Reacher 4K (iTunes)
- Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 4K (iTunes)
- John Wick 4K (iTunes)
- Immortals (iTunes)
- Interstellar 4K (iTunes)
- La La Land 4K (iTunes)
- Labor Day HD (iTunes)
- the Last Witch Hunter 4K (iTunes)
- Limitless (iTunes)
- the Lincoln Lawyer (iTunes)
- Machine Gun Preacher (iTunes)
- Mission Impossible: Fallout HD (iTunes)
- Monster Trucks HD (iTunes)
- Movie 43 (iTunes)
- Noah HD (iTunes)
- Office Christmas Party 4K (iTunes)
- One For The Money [Bluray] (iTunes)
- Pain & Gain HD (iTunes)
- Paranoia (iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity 2 HD (iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity 3 HD (iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity 4 HD (iTunes)
- Paranormal Activity 5: The Marked Ones HD (iTunes)
- Pet Sematary 2019 4K (iTunes)
- Pink Panther 2 (iTunes)
- the Raven SD (iTunes)
- Red Dawn SD (iTunes)
- Rogue Warfare HD (iTunes)
- Safehaven (iTunes)
- Same Kind Of Different As Me HD (iTunes)
- the Shack HD (iTunes)
- the Spirit SD (iTunes)
- Star Trek SD (iTunes)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars SD (iTunes)
- Step Up Revolution (iTunes)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (tmnt1) 4K (iTunes)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of The Shadows 4K (iTunes)
- Terminator: Dark Fate 4K (iTunes)
- Texas Chainsaw [2013] (iTunes)
- Titanic (iTunes)
- Transformers: Age Of Extinction 4K (iTunes)
- Transformers: Dark Of The Moon 4K (iTunes)
- Transformers: the Last Knight 4K (iTunes)
- Transporter 3 SD (iTunes)
- Warm Bodies SD (iTunes)
- What to Expect While Expecting SD (iTunes)
- Wonder 4K (iTunes)
- Xxx Return Of Xander Cage 4K (iTunes)
- Black Water (GP) Can. (NOT MA)
- Hitman Agent 47 (GP/iTunes) Can.
- Kingsman: the Golden Circle (GP/iTunes) Can.
- the Wolverine (GP/iTunes) Can.
Titles I am looking for
2023.06.02 15:25 HonestBat I just crossed my first 1cr milestone
I crossed my first 1cr milestone yesterday; I was awaiting my May salary credit with the same excitement (if not more) as my first paycheck.
Background: 27M from a middle-class, education-first focussed family (father was a government servant, moved throughout the country during transfers, mum settled in the city so our education wasn't disrupted). Finally, their sacrifices paid off; I got into one of the top-ranked institutes and started working right after college, switching once in between.
Current distribution of assets:
Investment strategy: Experimented with active mutual funds initially but switched to passive investing after exposure to the idea. I started with some money for actively picking stocks that I liked (domestic market only) and did well (~40% returns), which became a portfolio of 17L. I understand that I do not have time to track the markets; hence most of my savings go into index funds and stocks whenever I feel like shopping (mostly existing ones I've researched already). Apart from that, I already have sorted out term insurance as well as health insurance for me and my family.
Major expenditures ahead:
I couldn't tell anyone about this milestone; I quietly celebrated with myself when I saw the "salary credited" notification on my phone. I have lurked here long enough, reading about the experiences of other folks who've already FI/REed; I thought I could, at least share my journey with you guys.
submitted by HonestBat to FIREIndia [link] [comments]
Background: 27M from a middle-class, education-first focussed family (father was a government servant, moved throughout the country during transfers, mum settled in the city so our education wasn't disrupted). Finally, their sacrifices paid off; I got into one of the top-ranked institutes and started working right after college, switching once in between.
Current distribution of assets:
- Equity (~70%)
- Mutual Funds:
- US Markets Index: 15.6L
- Nifty 50 Index: 28L
- Parag Parikh Flexi Cap: 7.25L
- Other active MF: 1.7L (plan to remove these during re-balancing)
- Direct Domestic Equity: 17L
- Mutual Funds:
- Debt (~25%)
- Liquid Fund: 1.15L (will be moving this to FD)
- FDs: 2.6L
- Cash: 6.85L
- EPF: 14.25L
- Gold: 6L (only SGBs)
- Real Estate: 0.5L (recently started exploring REITs and will be increasing it, hence kept it under this head)
Investment strategy: Experimented with active mutual funds initially but switched to passive investing after exposure to the idea. I started with some money for actively picking stocks that I liked (domestic market only) and did well (~40% returns), which became a portfolio of 17L. I understand that I do not have time to track the markets; hence most of my savings go into index funds and stocks whenever I feel like shopping (mostly existing ones I've researched already). Apart from that, I already have sorted out term insurance as well as health insurance for me and my family.
Major expenditures ahead:
- Marriage with my long-term girlfriend.
- I wanted to take my family on our first international vacation for a long time, will do that now.
- I'm contemplating pursuing higher education outside India as well.
I couldn't tell anyone about this milestone; I quietly celebrated with myself when I saw the "salary credited" notification on my phone. I have lurked here long enough, reading about the experiences of other folks who've already FI/REed; I thought I could, at least share my journey with you guys.
2023.06.02 14:24 Lifeisstrange99 14-Day Itinerary Check (Tokyo-Kyoto-Nara-Osaka-Kobe)
Hi guys, this is going to be our (me and my partner) first trip to Japan from 17th June to 1st July 2023. Would love your thoughts and suggestions (food etc.) on it. I realise I may have overplanned few days but the idea is to have options if we want more stuff to do. We will be using Google maps and CityMapper to guide us.
Day 1- Arrival ->Straight to Hotel
Day 2- (4 nights in Tokyo)
Morning
-Harajuku- Meiji-Jingu shrine, Yoyogi Park (adjacent to shrine)
-Omotesando, and Nezu Museum, Takeshita Dori
-Meiji-Jingu shrine
-Tokyu Plaza Omotesando
Afternoon- Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing Walk Hachiko Statue
Shibuya Sky for view, Patchinko
Shibuya crossing
VR park + Arcades, Shibuya Center Gai,Takeshita Street
walk along Tomigaya 1-chome street
Day 3
Morning- Shinjuku
-Walking tour Imperial palace
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Afternoon- Gotokuji temple Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Evening- Golden Gai- bars, eat at Omoide Yokocho
Samurai Museum
Shopping areas- Takashimaya, Isetan and Odakyu
Day 4- DisneySea
Would we be able to do anything this day?
Day 5
Morning- Asakusa
-Sensoji temple -Asakusa-jinja Shrine.
-Tokyo Skytree-?
-Nakamise-dori Street
Afternoon- Ginza (??)
Day 6- HAKONE
Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun Hot Spring Theme Park- booked via Klook
Evening
Hakone Tozan Train trip to Gora
Okada Museum of Art
Hakone Open Air Museum
Day 7- (3 NIGHTS IN KYOTO)
– Nijo Castle/ – Fushimi Inari Shrine/ Kiyomizu-dera
– Menbakaichida Fire Ramen – Lunch
– Kyoto Imperial Palace
– Nishiki Market
Gion evening tour at 6pm
Day 8
Early – Head to Arashiyama
8 am – Togetsukyō Bridge
9 am – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
11 am – Tenryuji Temple
12 pm – Ryoanji Temple and Lunch
3pm – Kinkaku ji Temple
Day 9
Nara Day Tour
- Sanjo-dori Street & Nakatanidou Mochi Shop
-Kofukuji Temple
-Nara Park
-Yoshikien or Isuien Garden
-Todaiji Temple Complex
-Nigatsudo and Hokkedo (part of Todaiji)
-Mount Wakakusayama
-Kasuga Taisha
Day 10 (4 NIGHTS IN OSAKA)
Morning
Osaka Castle- booked via Klook
Osaka Museum of History
Kuromon Ichiba Market- lunch
Evening
Umeda Sky Building or Abeno Harukas Building
Dōtonbori & Amerikamura area of Osaka
Day 11
Kobe Day Tour
Start the Kobe itinerary at Sannomiya-Motomachi Area.
Strolling around Kitanocho District.
Visit the Kobe Kitano Ijinkan.
Taste the Kobe beef at Kokubu (reserved)
Leisure walk in Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street.
Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown).
Kobe Port Tower.
Night view on Kobe Harborland.
Day 12
Universal Studios
If we have time-
Namba Yasaka Shrine – The Lion’s Head Shrine
Namba Parks Shopping Mall
Denden Town – The Geek Area Of Osaka
Day 13
Morning
Osaka Aquarium- booked
The Old Osaka – Tsutenkaku Osaka Tower & Shinsekai Area
Evening
teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka- booked
Day 14
Extra day in Tokyo (shopping, missed stuff)
Arigatouogozaimasu~!
submitted by Lifeisstrange99 to JapanTravel [link] [comments]
Day 1- Arrival ->Straight to Hotel
Day 2- (4 nights in Tokyo)
Morning
-Harajuku- Meiji-Jingu shrine, Yoyogi Park (adjacent to shrine)
-Omotesando, and Nezu Museum, Takeshita Dori
-Meiji-Jingu shrine
-Tokyu Plaza Omotesando
Afternoon- Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing Walk Hachiko Statue
Shibuya Sky for view, Patchinko
Shibuya crossing
VR park + Arcades, Shibuya Center Gai,Takeshita Street
walk along Tomigaya 1-chome street
Day 3
Morning- Shinjuku
-Walking tour Imperial palace
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Afternoon- Gotokuji temple Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Evening- Golden Gai- bars, eat at Omoide Yokocho
Samurai Museum
Shopping areas- Takashimaya, Isetan and Odakyu
Day 4- DisneySea
Would we be able to do anything this day?
Day 5
Morning- Asakusa
-Sensoji temple -Asakusa-jinja Shrine.
-Tokyo Skytree-?
-Nakamise-dori Street
Afternoon- Ginza (??)
Day 6- HAKONE
Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun Hot Spring Theme Park- booked via Klook
Evening
Hakone Tozan Train trip to Gora
Okada Museum of Art
Hakone Open Air Museum
Day 7- (3 NIGHTS IN KYOTO)
– Nijo Castle/ – Fushimi Inari Shrine/ Kiyomizu-dera
– Menbakaichida Fire Ramen – Lunch
– Kyoto Imperial Palace
– Nishiki Market
Gion evening tour at 6pm
Day 8
Early – Head to Arashiyama
8 am – Togetsukyō Bridge
9 am – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
11 am – Tenryuji Temple
12 pm – Ryoanji Temple and Lunch
3pm – Kinkaku ji Temple
Day 9
Nara Day Tour
- Sanjo-dori Street & Nakatanidou Mochi Shop
-Kofukuji Temple
-Nara Park
-Yoshikien or Isuien Garden
-Todaiji Temple Complex
-Nigatsudo and Hokkedo (part of Todaiji)
-Mount Wakakusayama
-Kasuga Taisha
Day 10 (4 NIGHTS IN OSAKA)
Morning
Osaka Castle- booked via Klook
Osaka Museum of History
Kuromon Ichiba Market- lunch
Evening
Umeda Sky Building or Abeno Harukas Building
Dōtonbori & Amerikamura area of Osaka
Day 11
Kobe Day Tour
Start the Kobe itinerary at Sannomiya-Motomachi Area.
Strolling around Kitanocho District.
Visit the Kobe Kitano Ijinkan.
Taste the Kobe beef at Kokubu (reserved)
Leisure walk in Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street.
Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown).
Kobe Port Tower.
Night view on Kobe Harborland.
Day 12
Universal Studios
If we have time-
Namba Yasaka Shrine – The Lion’s Head Shrine
Namba Parks Shopping Mall
Denden Town – The Geek Area Of Osaka
Day 13
Morning
Osaka Aquarium- booked
The Old Osaka – Tsutenkaku Osaka Tower & Shinsekai Area
Evening
teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka- booked
Day 14
Extra day in Tokyo (shopping, missed stuff)
Arigatouogozaimasu~!
2023.06.02 12:41 Tigrannes On this day in History, June 2
Ancient World
- 455 – Sack of Rome: Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks.
Middle Ages
- 1098 – First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ends as Crusader forces take the city; the second siege began five days later.
Early Modern World
- 1608 – The Colony of Virginia gets a charter, extending borders from "sea to sea".
- 1615 – The first Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France.
- 1676 – Franco-Dutch War: France ensured the supremacy of its naval fleet for the remainder of the war with its victory in the Battle of Palermo.
- 1692 – Bridget Bishop is the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts; she was found guilty and later hanged.
- 1763 – Pontiac's Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison's attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort.
- 1774 – Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided.
Revolutionary Age
- 1780 – The anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in London leave an estimated 300 to 700 people dead.
- 1793 – French Revolution: François Hanriot, leader of the Parisian National Guard, arrests 22 Girondists selected by Jean-Paul Marat, setting the stage for the Reign of Terror.
- 1805 – Napoleonic Wars: A Franco-Spanish fleet recaptures Diamond Rock, an uninhabited island at the entrance to the bay leading to Fort-de-France, from the British.
- 1835 – P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States.
- 1848 – The Slavic congress in Prague begins.
- 1866 – The Fenians defeat Canadian forces at Ridgeway and Fort Erie, but the raids end soon after.
Second Industrial Revolution
- 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph.
- 1909 – Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
- 1910 – Charles Rolls, a co-founder of Rolls-Royce Limited, becomes the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane.
Interwar Period
- 1919 – Anarchists simultaneously set off bombs in eight separate U.S. cities.
- 1924 – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act into law, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
World War II
- 1941 – World War II: German paratroopers murder Greek civilians in the villages of Kondomari and Alikianos.
Cold War
- 1946 – Birth of the Italian Republic: In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic. After the referendum, King Umberto II of Italy is exiled.
- 1953 – The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey becomes the first British coronation and one of the first major international events to be televised.
- 1955 – The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between the two countries, discontinued since 1948.
- 1962 – During the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in fights between Chilean and Italian players in one of the most violent games in football history.
- 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is formed.
- 1966 – Surveyor program: Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on another world.
- 1967 – Luis Monge is executed in Colorado's gas chamber, in the last pre-Furman execution in the United States.
- 1967 – Protests in West Berlin against the arrival of the Shah of Iran are brutally suppressed, during which Benno Ohnesorg is killed by a police officer. His death results in the founding of the terrorist group Movement 2 June.
- 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official visit to his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
- 1983 – After an emergency landing because of an in-flight fire, twenty-three passengers aboard Air Canada Flight 797 are killed when a flashover occurs as the plane's doors open. Because of this incident, numerous new safety regulations are put in place.
- 1990 – The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawns 66 confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, killing 12.
Modern World
- 1997 – In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later.
- 2003 – Europe launches its first voyage to another planet, Mars. The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe launches from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
- 2012 – Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
- 2014 – Telangana officially becomes the 29th state of India, formed from ten districts of northwestern Andhra Pradesh.
- 2022 – Following a request from Ankara, the United Nations officially changed the name of the Republic of Turkey in the organization from what was previously known as "Turkey" to "Türkiye."
Featured
- Sack of Rome (455) > The sack of 455 AD marked a pivotal moment in history when the Vandals (led by King Genseric), a Germanic tribe, invaded the city of Rome. The Vandals pillaged the city for two weeks, causing widespread destruction. This event not only shocked the Roman world but also symbolized the decline and impending fall of the Western Roman Empire.
2023.06.02 12:14 Maxcactus Woman Holds Up Jeweler at Westfield Annapolis Mall at Gunpoint
 | submitted by Maxcactus to AnneArundelCounty [link] [comments] |
2023.06.02 07:39 girl_from_the_crypt Stuck on earth and looking for a job: My indie artist roommate appears to have grown her hair out
When you don’t see someone for a while, they tend to look kind of different the next time you meet. That’s not because they’ve actually changed, but rather due to your memory being inaccurate. Still, I don’t think my roommate has always had barnacles growing on her.
Kit Sutton did indeed look different. Beautiful, but different.
In the short time we’d been apart, her hair had grown to an impressive length. It trailed after her through the water as she effortlessly hopped from rock to rock before landing in front of us. She was even more scantily clad than usual; in fact, she wasn’t wearing anything at all. Her normally olive skin had adopted a pearlescent sheen, interrupted by the algae, starfish and seashells clinging to her body. Her eyes shone in the light of our torch and she regarded us with an unreadable expression, putting a hand to her hip.
"I can't believe you're actually here." She shook her head, sounding like she wasn't even sure herself what tone to strike. "You… you'd better leave. And fast. I-it's nice to see you, though."
I took a step forward and hugged her. She felt slippery. "I've missed you."
"Yeah. Me too. You should still go now."
"You need to come back," I said. "I'm sorry I ever gave up on you. There has to be a way for you to come back."
She shook her head. "Eva, you saw what my father can do. You saw the wave and you just saw his grotto guard. There's, like, a thousand more where that one came from."
"What are you doing here anyways? Isn't this a kinda way too lonely spot for you to hang out?" Elijah asked. "Doesn't seem very you."
"Yeah. It's… not." She rolled her eyes. "I'm basically grounded. My Dad's gonna keep me here for the next two hundred years or so. I'm not allowed to leave until he trusts me again."
"Two hundred years?" Eli echoed.
Kit massaged her temples. "I don't like it either, believe me." Looking up, a hopeful expression crossed her face. "How's Nettie?"
"She misses you," I told her.
"She does? That's, um… nice."
"It's cool, I know about you two."
"Oh. Well. I'm really glad she's thinking about me. Is that mean? Because I don't want her to be unhappy, it just feels good, you know?"
"I can imagine," I answered. "And it only proves my point. We have to get you out of here."
"Dude, I said no. You actually can't beat my father. I wish that was an option, but it's simply not."
"Kit…"
"It's Chandra." She raised her head to fix me with a stern gaze. So empty, so joyless, so… unlike her. "It was nice being Kit and running around up top and living with you. Those were a good few years, and now here I am, paying the price. There is nothing you can do against my Dad."
Silence descended upon us for a sober couple seconds. I studied her expression, her set jaw and taut shoulders. "And what about you?" I asked. "Can you do something?"
Kit snorted. "You've never even seen me use any sort of powers."
"But you have them, don't you?"
"Actually, I do." She casually raised a hand, her wrist slowly describing a circle. Eli and I watched in astonished silence as a trail of water snaked its way up from the lake, arching above her head and trickling back down on the other side of the stepstone. Kit Sutton looked after it disinterestedly, then turned to us with a bored shrug. "I guess I can sorta control water."
Elijah was gaping at her. "Could you do this the whole time?"
"Nope. Only when I'm in my natural habitat. I'm the crown princess—" she spat out the words in discontent, forming air-quotes around them— "and the heiress to the throne, so I'm, like, ultra connected to my element or whatever. Not like my siblings."
"But as of now, you are stronger than them?" I queried. "Is there any possibility you could become stronger than your father, too?"
For a moment, she stared at me, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "Actually, let me show you something." Her naked feet never once slipping on the wet stone, she proceeded towards the nearest platform rock, jumping off with ease and landing gracefully. After trading shrugs with Elijah Carter, we scrambled after her. She led us back a little ways and then down one of the other passages we'd glimpsed before, barely losing a word the whole time. I stopped trying to strike up a conversation, focusing solely on keeping up with her unnaturally sleek, swift steps.
"The olm you saw before was one of my father's guardians," she called out sharply over her shoulder. "The sea breeds giants, as they say. Or rather, Dad does. He keeps creating abominations like that, and he uses them to ward off outsiders in places where they don't belong. They're obviously not stopping me from running away again—you've seen that they'll obey me. But his Majesty has made it quite clear that if I break out, he's going to turn the town into a swamp. I'm not going to be responsible for people's deaths, or the loss of their homes. Especially not… not hers."
She came to a halt, squaring her shoulders. Above her head, I could make out the silhouette of an opening in the tunnel. "We're here. This… this should be enough proof that he'll make good on any threat he's ever uttered." She stepped aside to make way for us.
We hesitantly pushed past her and into the room that lay before us. It was different from all the others we'd seen thus far—it didn't lure one into a false sense of security with its descriptive beauty. In fact, the second the beam of our flashlight illuminated its interior, every last fiber of my being started to cry out to me, telling me to run. My flight instinct kicking in, I tried desperately to stay grounded somehow, to keep control. I couldn't allow myself to panic. This was a horrible time to end up going dimensions. I had to remain in this reality, no matter how difficult the sight before me was rendering the task.
I heard Elijah Carter gag beside me, his stomach revolting at what he saw. His hand abruptly flew to my shoulder, cold, sweat-slick fingers clamping down on my skin, hard enough to bruise. With my own stomach doing kick-flips inside my body, I could understand his reaction far too well. Instead of shrinking away, I reached up to graze his knuckles with my own, a fleeting touch I couldn't find the strength to hold. It was hard to be reassuring given the circumstances.
We were looking at a gallery of corpses. They lined the walls, the floor, the ceiling, all in different states of wholeness and decay. A viscous, transparent fluid was gluing them to the stone, fixing them in their respective places. In some spots, it looked quite shiny and fresh, while in others, it had hardened, encasing the dead bodies like clear, pale amber. It was an unorganized chaos, the carcasses strewn practically everywhere, some overlapping, some upside down. Some had their eyes still open, their faces eternally frozen in void, empty expressions of terror. Most bodies weren't even complete—arms, legs or heads were missing, pronounced bitemarks marring the aged yet well-preserved flesh.
Elijah and I found ourselves standing rooted to the ground, too terrified to move, too dazed to speak. My friend's dark gaze frantically raced over the walls, flickering across the horrid display, taking in the carnage. My own eyes seemed to be burning. My head was spinning, and I had to hold onto his arm to support myself—it felt as though my legs were about to give way beneath me.
A shimmering light at the center of the room caught my attention. Somehow finding it within me to steady myself, I took a couple faltering steps towards it. Elijah Carter followed suit and Kit Sutton wordlessly trailed after us. Stepping over the dozens and dozens of corpses in my way, I tried hard to keep my wits about me. When I finally reached its source, I was surprised to find it to be a pond, or rather a bottomless hole of water. Another connection to the sea, no doubt. The shine however seemed fine from within it, from down below where there would normally be just darkness. Looking in, the breath was once again stolen from my lungs. It felt rather like peering through a small window into a very large hall. I could only see a fracture of what lay beneath.
Hovering within the endless masses of water was the enormous statue of a woman. Her stony pale arms were raised, her hands reaching out almost pleadingly, as if she was hoping for someone to pull her up from her cold, abyssal grave. Her eyes, one of which was about the size of my head, were wide open, her colorless stare holding a wild, unreadable mix of emotions. Her lips were parted in a silent scream. An unearthly, bright glow surrounded her; it seemed to come from within her body rather than anywhere else. It was disturbingly beautiful.
"Her name was Calypso."
Kit's voice pulled me from my trance. When I turned to face her, she pointedly avoided my gaze. An idea took shape in my mind, created by the faint, wavery undertone of mourning in her words. "She was someone special, wasn't she?"
"My mother."
I swallowed, my pulse still thrumming in my ears. Stepping forward, I tentatively grasped my roommate's hand. She let go of a soft breath, the corner of her mouth twitching. "These people here have been rotting away for centuries. It's the worst punishment imaginable, isn't it. The lucky ones are dead before they get glued down, but the ones he's really angry at, he covers in that goo when they're, like, lethally injured. I don't quite know what this stuff is, but it slows down all those organic processes, the death, the decomposition…" She paused. "With Mom, it was different. He turned her to stone. The same kind that grows from the ground here, you know; that smooth, shiny kinda rock that looks real pretty."
"What did she do to piss off your Dad?"
"What did any of these poor fuckers do? Most of these are failed cult leaders, actually. You'd never guess how many cults the deep ones have dedicated to them. As for my mother, I don't know. I can't even remember her, to be honest." She shrugged with affected carelessness. "You see it now? My father is… just beyond comprehension."
"So are you, though, aren't you? If you think about it."
"Eva, I know you're trying to boost morale here, but it's not working. Please let me get you out of here. And for heaven's sake, don't come back."
She led us back through the labyrinth of tunnels and corridors, staying well behind when we caught the first glimpse of daylight.
"I promise I'll think of something," I told her. "I'll find a way to get you out."
She merely shook her head. "No, you won't. Just go home and look for a new roommate. Or move back in with Nettie. She'll be glad."
I clenched my teeth, but allowed Eli to press his palm to my back, guiding me towards the exit.
"Actually, just… just wait. Could you tell her I, like, miss her? A lot?" Kit shouted after us, a sudden note of warmth softening her voice.
Elijah turned back to her with a sad smile. "Of course."
We didn't return to the car straight away, instead walking along the shore for a little while. My extra limbs having retracted and Eli's face having returned to a less nauseous color, we didn't bear any outward traces of our experience in the cave. We didn’t talk much, but we almost leaned onto one other with how closely we stuck to each other’s side. Eventually, I gathered the strength to break the silence. “This can’t stand, obviously.”
“You still want to get her out?” He gave me a sidelong glance. “This is more for Nettie’s sake than anything else, isn’t it?”
“I do like Kit Sutton, and I miss her tremendously,” I stated. “But largely, it is.”
Elijah, having nothing else to add, gave a noncommittal grunt.
“Would you mind if I asked you something personal?” I asked.
“Try it and find out.”
“I was wondering about what Mary Markov said about you earlier,” I began. “An incident at a highschool.”
He sighed. Silence fell, and for a minute I thought he wouldn’t respond at all. Then, he slowed down, coming to a halt and turning to look out at the horizon. “So how do we do this, Shirley? You really want me to pour my heart out to you and let you in on my tragic past as we stare at the tossing waves? That’s a bit too romantic for the two of us, if you ask me.”
“But you’d let me in on your tragic past in a less romantic setting?”
“Oh sure, anytime,” he said lightly. “Well, not any time. I’d be okay talking to you about it, though. See, it doesn’t matter to me if you know or not, the problem is kinda the headspace and getting the words out of my mouth in the first place.”
“I’m glad you feel like you could do that with me.” I regarded his profile, noting how he swallowed and shut his eyes for a moment.
“Let’s go back to the car.”
So we did. Only that it wasn’t quite how we left it. Elijah noticed it first—a low, hissed curse escaped him as he bent down to inspect the damage. The back window had been smashed in. The brown folder Mary Markov had given me was gone.
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart
20: olms and Jewels
submitted by girl_from_the_crypt to nosleep [link] [comments]
Kit Sutton did indeed look different. Beautiful, but different.
In the short time we’d been apart, her hair had grown to an impressive length. It trailed after her through the water as she effortlessly hopped from rock to rock before landing in front of us. She was even more scantily clad than usual; in fact, she wasn’t wearing anything at all. Her normally olive skin had adopted a pearlescent sheen, interrupted by the algae, starfish and seashells clinging to her body. Her eyes shone in the light of our torch and she regarded us with an unreadable expression, putting a hand to her hip.
"I can't believe you're actually here." She shook her head, sounding like she wasn't even sure herself what tone to strike. "You… you'd better leave. And fast. I-it's nice to see you, though."
I took a step forward and hugged her. She felt slippery. "I've missed you."
"Yeah. Me too. You should still go now."
"You need to come back," I said. "I'm sorry I ever gave up on you. There has to be a way for you to come back."
She shook her head. "Eva, you saw what my father can do. You saw the wave and you just saw his grotto guard. There's, like, a thousand more where that one came from."
"What are you doing here anyways? Isn't this a kinda way too lonely spot for you to hang out?" Elijah asked. "Doesn't seem very you."
"Yeah. It's… not." She rolled her eyes. "I'm basically grounded. My Dad's gonna keep me here for the next two hundred years or so. I'm not allowed to leave until he trusts me again."
"Two hundred years?" Eli echoed.
Kit massaged her temples. "I don't like it either, believe me." Looking up, a hopeful expression crossed her face. "How's Nettie?"
"She misses you," I told her.
"She does? That's, um… nice."
"It's cool, I know about you two."
"Oh. Well. I'm really glad she's thinking about me. Is that mean? Because I don't want her to be unhappy, it just feels good, you know?"
"I can imagine," I answered. "And it only proves my point. We have to get you out of here."
"Dude, I said no. You actually can't beat my father. I wish that was an option, but it's simply not."
"Kit…"
"It's Chandra." She raised her head to fix me with a stern gaze. So empty, so joyless, so… unlike her. "It was nice being Kit and running around up top and living with you. Those were a good few years, and now here I am, paying the price. There is nothing you can do against my Dad."
Silence descended upon us for a sober couple seconds. I studied her expression, her set jaw and taut shoulders. "And what about you?" I asked. "Can you do something?"
Kit snorted. "You've never even seen me use any sort of powers."
"But you have them, don't you?"
"Actually, I do." She casually raised a hand, her wrist slowly describing a circle. Eli and I watched in astonished silence as a trail of water snaked its way up from the lake, arching above her head and trickling back down on the other side of the stepstone. Kit Sutton looked after it disinterestedly, then turned to us with a bored shrug. "I guess I can sorta control water."
Elijah was gaping at her. "Could you do this the whole time?"
"Nope. Only when I'm in my natural habitat. I'm the crown princess—" she spat out the words in discontent, forming air-quotes around them— "and the heiress to the throne, so I'm, like, ultra connected to my element or whatever. Not like my siblings."
"But as of now, you are stronger than them?" I queried. "Is there any possibility you could become stronger than your father, too?"
For a moment, she stared at me, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "Actually, let me show you something." Her naked feet never once slipping on the wet stone, she proceeded towards the nearest platform rock, jumping off with ease and landing gracefully. After trading shrugs with Elijah Carter, we scrambled after her. She led us back a little ways and then down one of the other passages we'd glimpsed before, barely losing a word the whole time. I stopped trying to strike up a conversation, focusing solely on keeping up with her unnaturally sleek, swift steps.
"The olm you saw before was one of my father's guardians," she called out sharply over her shoulder. "The sea breeds giants, as they say. Or rather, Dad does. He keeps creating abominations like that, and he uses them to ward off outsiders in places where they don't belong. They're obviously not stopping me from running away again—you've seen that they'll obey me. But his Majesty has made it quite clear that if I break out, he's going to turn the town into a swamp. I'm not going to be responsible for people's deaths, or the loss of their homes. Especially not… not hers."
She came to a halt, squaring her shoulders. Above her head, I could make out the silhouette of an opening in the tunnel. "We're here. This… this should be enough proof that he'll make good on any threat he's ever uttered." She stepped aside to make way for us.
We hesitantly pushed past her and into the room that lay before us. It was different from all the others we'd seen thus far—it didn't lure one into a false sense of security with its descriptive beauty. In fact, the second the beam of our flashlight illuminated its interior, every last fiber of my being started to cry out to me, telling me to run. My flight instinct kicking in, I tried desperately to stay grounded somehow, to keep control. I couldn't allow myself to panic. This was a horrible time to end up going dimensions. I had to remain in this reality, no matter how difficult the sight before me was rendering the task.
I heard Elijah Carter gag beside me, his stomach revolting at what he saw. His hand abruptly flew to my shoulder, cold, sweat-slick fingers clamping down on my skin, hard enough to bruise. With my own stomach doing kick-flips inside my body, I could understand his reaction far too well. Instead of shrinking away, I reached up to graze his knuckles with my own, a fleeting touch I couldn't find the strength to hold. It was hard to be reassuring given the circumstances.
We were looking at a gallery of corpses. They lined the walls, the floor, the ceiling, all in different states of wholeness and decay. A viscous, transparent fluid was gluing them to the stone, fixing them in their respective places. In some spots, it looked quite shiny and fresh, while in others, it had hardened, encasing the dead bodies like clear, pale amber. It was an unorganized chaos, the carcasses strewn practically everywhere, some overlapping, some upside down. Some had their eyes still open, their faces eternally frozen in void, empty expressions of terror. Most bodies weren't even complete—arms, legs or heads were missing, pronounced bitemarks marring the aged yet well-preserved flesh.
Elijah and I found ourselves standing rooted to the ground, too terrified to move, too dazed to speak. My friend's dark gaze frantically raced over the walls, flickering across the horrid display, taking in the carnage. My own eyes seemed to be burning. My head was spinning, and I had to hold onto his arm to support myself—it felt as though my legs were about to give way beneath me.
A shimmering light at the center of the room caught my attention. Somehow finding it within me to steady myself, I took a couple faltering steps towards it. Elijah Carter followed suit and Kit Sutton wordlessly trailed after us. Stepping over the dozens and dozens of corpses in my way, I tried hard to keep my wits about me. When I finally reached its source, I was surprised to find it to be a pond, or rather a bottomless hole of water. Another connection to the sea, no doubt. The shine however seemed fine from within it, from down below where there would normally be just darkness. Looking in, the breath was once again stolen from my lungs. It felt rather like peering through a small window into a very large hall. I could only see a fracture of what lay beneath.
Hovering within the endless masses of water was the enormous statue of a woman. Her stony pale arms were raised, her hands reaching out almost pleadingly, as if she was hoping for someone to pull her up from her cold, abyssal grave. Her eyes, one of which was about the size of my head, were wide open, her colorless stare holding a wild, unreadable mix of emotions. Her lips were parted in a silent scream. An unearthly, bright glow surrounded her; it seemed to come from within her body rather than anywhere else. It was disturbingly beautiful.
"Her name was Calypso."
Kit's voice pulled me from my trance. When I turned to face her, she pointedly avoided my gaze. An idea took shape in my mind, created by the faint, wavery undertone of mourning in her words. "She was someone special, wasn't she?"
"My mother."
I swallowed, my pulse still thrumming in my ears. Stepping forward, I tentatively grasped my roommate's hand. She let go of a soft breath, the corner of her mouth twitching. "These people here have been rotting away for centuries. It's the worst punishment imaginable, isn't it. The lucky ones are dead before they get glued down, but the ones he's really angry at, he covers in that goo when they're, like, lethally injured. I don't quite know what this stuff is, but it slows down all those organic processes, the death, the decomposition…" She paused. "With Mom, it was different. He turned her to stone. The same kind that grows from the ground here, you know; that smooth, shiny kinda rock that looks real pretty."
"What did she do to piss off your Dad?"
"What did any of these poor fuckers do? Most of these are failed cult leaders, actually. You'd never guess how many cults the deep ones have dedicated to them. As for my mother, I don't know. I can't even remember her, to be honest." She shrugged with affected carelessness. "You see it now? My father is… just beyond comprehension."
"So are you, though, aren't you? If you think about it."
"Eva, I know you're trying to boost morale here, but it's not working. Please let me get you out of here. And for heaven's sake, don't come back."
She led us back through the labyrinth of tunnels and corridors, staying well behind when we caught the first glimpse of daylight.
"I promise I'll think of something," I told her. "I'll find a way to get you out."
She merely shook her head. "No, you won't. Just go home and look for a new roommate. Or move back in with Nettie. She'll be glad."
I clenched my teeth, but allowed Eli to press his palm to my back, guiding me towards the exit.
"Actually, just… just wait. Could you tell her I, like, miss her? A lot?" Kit shouted after us, a sudden note of warmth softening her voice.
Elijah turned back to her with a sad smile. "Of course."
We didn't return to the car straight away, instead walking along the shore for a little while. My extra limbs having retracted and Eli's face having returned to a less nauseous color, we didn't bear any outward traces of our experience in the cave. We didn’t talk much, but we almost leaned onto one other with how closely we stuck to each other’s side. Eventually, I gathered the strength to break the silence. “This can’t stand, obviously.”
“You still want to get her out?” He gave me a sidelong glance. “This is more for Nettie’s sake than anything else, isn’t it?”
“I do like Kit Sutton, and I miss her tremendously,” I stated. “But largely, it is.”
Elijah, having nothing else to add, gave a noncommittal grunt.
“Would you mind if I asked you something personal?” I asked.
“Try it and find out.”
“I was wondering about what Mary Markov said about you earlier,” I began. “An incident at a highschool.”
He sighed. Silence fell, and for a minute I thought he wouldn’t respond at all. Then, he slowed down, coming to a halt and turning to look out at the horizon. “So how do we do this, Shirley? You really want me to pour my heart out to you and let you in on my tragic past as we stare at the tossing waves? That’s a bit too romantic for the two of us, if you ask me.”
“But you’d let me in on your tragic past in a less romantic setting?”
“Oh sure, anytime,” he said lightly. “Well, not any time. I’d be okay talking to you about it, though. See, it doesn’t matter to me if you know or not, the problem is kinda the headspace and getting the words out of my mouth in the first place.”
“I’m glad you feel like you could do that with me.” I regarded his profile, noting how he swallowed and shut his eyes for a moment.
“Let’s go back to the car.”
So we did. Only that it wasn’t quite how we left it. Elijah noticed it first—a low, hissed curse escaped him as he bent down to inspect the damage. The back window had been smashed in. The brown folder Mary Markov had given me was gone.
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart
20: olms and Jewels
2023.06.02 04:49 MrEpicLuke Kenswick in Humble?
Looking to settle around Houston and noticed the affordability of Humble west side of the highway by airport north of 1960. How are the residential areas culture and safety wise? I wouldn't personally be keen in any apartments along the road by the airport just looking at the maps and such, but it seems like it's pretty densely built up and green, lots of schools around and a mall of questionable quality within reasonable distance.
Can I get the brutally honest review of that little cluster of open houses so I know whether to cross off the region on zillow or not? ^^;
submitted by MrEpicLuke to Kingwood [link] [comments]
Can I get the brutally honest review of that little cluster of open houses so I know whether to cross off the region on zillow or not? ^^;
2023.06.02 04:20 CDDaniels My great-great-grandparents' house isn't so unoccupied...
My extended family owns a big property down South. It sits in the flattest, dryest plains you could imagine, with the dullest house I've seen at the end of a drive that takes you through what looks to be untouched post-apocalypse. It's a two-story antebellum affair, built of planks that were probably painted a hundred years ago, but are now dried and grayed by the sun. Its windows are cloudy and floors creaky, but its interior has some charm, and we've refused to sell it, mostly since nobody wants to figure out who exactly it belongs to.
School will be starting up soon, so to put an end to the drowsy mid-August slump, I decided we'd go down and give the place a visit. I'm forty or so, work in an office job, with a wife and two kids. I gave my aunt a call, and made sure nobody was at the old place, then broke the news to my kids when they got home. One's seven and one's nine, both boys, and they were surprisingly excited. The last time we'd went had been boring beyond belief, thanks to the nearest town cancelling the annual fair, but they must have been too young to remember.
It wasn't an unpleasant drive. We stayed the night in a pleasant little inn in Kansas, and arrived around noon at the property. I unlocked the front door with a charmingly outdated brass key, and walked back a century in time. A thin layer of dust covered most of the living room. A fireplace sat on the left wall, and on the right a doorway led into a small kitchen. Against the back wall of the living room was a less-than-sturdy staircase, and two bedrooms sat at the rear of the first floor. I rolled my suitcase up against the wall to the kitchen, moving an intricately carved hat stand to the other side of the doorway. "Welcome in!" I announced, as the other three filtered in.
The room was dimly lit even with light streaming through the windows. Luckily the house had been "modernized", with electricity in some of the rooms. I flicked a switch, inviting the pleasant glow of an incandesent floor lamp on the other side of the room. My older son flopped down into a red velvet armchair, with gilded armrests, as if he'd been standing for hours. "You just spent three hours sitting in the car, Mikey," I reminded him, smiling.
"Gotta say, this isn't my kinda place. If I gotta share a room with Todd, I'm at least taking the nice chair."
He was right about it being the nice chair. A wooden chair sat opposite the fireplace, with a rough construction that seemed oblivious to the possibility of splinters. An equally robust bench sat between them, facing the fireplace, made of the same gray, splintered wood. My wife Liz sat down, stretching, while my youngest started exploring the house. I walked to the foot of the stairs, looking up at the second floor. I could see an attic door in the ceiling to my right, and at the top of the stairs against the wall sat a table, with a vase of cotton plants, which had dried out long ago. I walked up tentatively, checking each step to ensure it wouldn't buckle under my weight.
On my left was a short hallway, with a room on each side. On my right, an open space stood empty, with windows overlooking the dirt driveway. I tried to open up the door to one of the rooms, which I seemed to remember held cardboard boxes of old documents and trinkets, but it wouldn't budge. The other room seemed to have been a bedroom. Its only window was boarded up, and the only furniture, a bed, made of the same rough wood, sat against the far wall. There was a closet door opposite the foot of the bed, but it too was stuck. The house had surely shifted, especially given the unstable soil it rested upon.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. I cooked some delightfully rustic (my wife used less forgiving terms) food on the 1970s-vintage electric stove, and opened the windows to let a breeze in to combat the stifling warmth of the un-air-conditioned house. Not long after sunset, which we watched from the porch, I put my sons to bed, both in the bedroom downstairs, across from ours.
At some point in the dead of the night (I'd foregone my digital alarm clock, trusting the sun would wake us up), I felt something over my shoulder, standing beside the bed. The room, which had no windows, was pitch-black. I felt it drift away, and fell back asleep.
I awoke again, this time with light faintly streaming through the now open door. "Dad," a voice said. I could make out Todd, my younger son, standing shortly inside the doorway. "I keep waking up. I think someone is coming in our room."
I quietly crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Liz. "It's probably just the house settling and making creaking noises," I whispered. "Or maybe Mikey couldn't sleep."
Todd and Mikey's room, which had two windows, was slightly lighter, and I could see the beds. I helped Todd back into his, assuring him that everything was alright. I turned to Mikey's on the other side of the room, and found it empty. "Todd," I said, in an urgent voice. I heard him quickly sit up. "Do you know where Mikey went?"
"He left."
"D...do you know where?"
Todd pointed up, in the general direction of the stairs. I walked out of the room and up the stairs, worried, trying to walk slowly on the weak planks, but rushing to find my son. I looked around, not seeing him in the open area overlooking the driveway. I opened the door to the upstairs bedroom, and saw him, sitting against the wall below the window. I rushed over to him. "Mikey, what are you doing up here?"
"I heard you tell me to go upstairs," he said, looking into my eyes with worry.
I looked around, confused and concerned. "Okay. What happened when you went up here?"
"I got in bed. I couldn't sleep. I kept seeing the closet and it was so dark and-"
Mikey trailed off. I looked at the closet door, which was again shut. I walked over and shook the handle, but the door didn't budge.
"It was open, and inside was pitch black. I was scared. I'm not lying Dad. Why did you tell me to come up here?"
I was deeply unsettled by this point. I didn't want to scare Mikey, so I lied. "I told you to come up here so you'd have your own room. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so scary up here." That part wasn't a lie. I led him downstairs, and put him back to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to the sun streaming in through my bedroom door. I'd left it open in case something else happened, but the events of the night before were starting to feel like a bad dream. As we all awoke and gathered in the living room, I recollected the things that had happened, considering all the ways they could have happened. I get night terrors from time to time, I talk in my sleep, and the house's foundation wasn't particularly stable. It made perfect sense that I just sleep-told Mikey to go upstairs, and the house settled just enough to let the closet door swing open for a little while.
We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs, cooked in a thick iron skillet I found in a cabinet. "I hear there's a waterpark in town," Liz mentioned. That got the boys' attention. We pulled our swimsuits out of our suitcases, and drove twenty minutes down to the town for the day. It wasn't exactly bustling with people, but there was a small waterpark with a couple of slides, and a nice sandwich place for lunch. We drove back to the house and played some card games.
Although I'd done my best to put on a good face and see the house as charming and welcoming, as the shadows grew longer that afternoon, I couldn't help but feel something gnawing in the pit of my stomach. It got dark outside by the time we'd finished playing games, and Liz and I said goodnight to our boys. As I sat on the edge of our bed to pull off my shoes, I glanced over at her. "Does something feel...off? About this place?"
She looked over at me. "Last night, did you hear something?"
"Hear something?" I asked, probing, hoping it was something innocuous.
"Never mind," she replied, shaking her head.
I chose not to tell her about Mikey. Although I was pretty sure I'd just sleeptalked, I didn't want to worry her.
I walked out to the living room and flicked the light switch, plunging myself into darkness. The starlight was just enough for me to see my way back to our room, and shut the door. " 'night," I uttered, crawling under the covers, and nudging up against her reassuring warmth.
I woke to a startling crash. I bolted awake. I opened the bedroom door, as quickly as I could without flinging it into the wall, and ran around the corner. In the near pitch black room, I made out the figure of a young boy. It was Todd, on the ground under the stairs. Right at head height was a broken board, half of it hanging at an unnatural angle. "Todd!"
He sniffled. I bent down and put my hand on his shoulder as he sat up. "Why did you try to go upstairs?" I asked, with quiet restraint, holding back panic.
"It told me to," he replied, barely whispering.
Wordlessly I picked him up, and rushed to his and Mikey's room. Mikey was still asleep. I sat Todd back in his bed, and pulled his covers over him. I fumbled through the darkness to the fireplace, and grasped the fire poker. I stepped over and took hold of the stair railing, and carefully ascended, minding the broken step. When I reached the top, upon seeing the open door to the upstairs bedroom, I felt a chill. I stepped inside. The closet door was wide open.
The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Something felt deeply wrong. I turned, and ran down the stairs, feeling every board bend under my weight. I rounded the corner and catapulted into bed. All I felt was cold. I took heavy breaths, slowly feeling the warmth return, and soon drifted back to a worried, interrupted sleep.
In the morning, I wasn't as quick to shake off the feeling from the night before. I gathered everyone in the boys' bedroom, where we sat on the beds. I explained what had happened with Todd, who had some bruises, but nothing serious. There was an unspoken unease, that made us all eager to get out of the house for a while. Liz decided to take Todd to a petting zoo half an hour down the road. Mikey, who was too old for the petting zoo (since when?), wanted to go walk the property with me.
Liz and Todd took the car out to the petting zoo, leaving us waving in the driveway. We turned to our right, and headed out to the barn, a half-collapsed wooden structure that held some old tools and not much else. I grabbed an axe and Mikey took some hedge clippers, and we strolled the boundary of the plot, hacking through some brush that had popped up along the barbed wire fence. The sky, which had been cloudy for the first time that morning, started to darken, eventually promising rain as we made it half a turn from the driveway again.
As rain started to fall and thunder echoed from across the plains, we crossed the front path back to the barn. As I walked under the windows of the house, I couldn't help but feel it was watching us...or maybe that something was watching us from it. I brushed past my worries. I was toting an axe, after all. As we leaned our tools back against the rotting barn wall, heavier drops started falling, and the thunder grew louder. Not wanting to be the only other tall things on the prarie, we made our way back from the barn to the house. Lightning stuck just a few hundred feet away, with a blinding flash, burning a line into my retinas...straight down to the power line along the road.
When we got inside, as I'd expected, the light switch didn't work. The storm clouds had blocked out the sun, leaving the house almost as dark as the night before. A gust of wind slammed the front door shut. Mikey was silent. He slowly walked forward, straight toward the back wall of the living room. I followed him, at his same slow pace. As he reached the foot of the stairs, I turned. I cannot describe the shock of seeing the attic door standing open, the ladder folded down, making contact with the second story floor. Mikey gasped. I silently covered his mouth with one hand, and wrapped around him with the other. I tried to walk backward, pulling him away with me, but he was frozen, fixed on the gaping black entrance. As something moved in the corner of my eye upstairs, with sudden strength, I pulled Mikey to the side. This must have shaken him, and his feet moved. I released him and he ran, ran to the door. I followed in his path, looking back, seeing a glimpse of a shadow against the top of the back wall. I didn't want to look back to shut the door.
Mikey faltered, running out of breath, as he ran down the porch stairs and across the front path. I picked him up, holding him tightly, my arms burning, as I ran. He let out a wail, finally, and tears streamed down our faces. With some distance between ourselves and the house, I let go of Mikey and turned, and saw a shadowy figure in the upper window. Its eyes were dark, hollow. Until Mikey grabbed my arm and pulled me away, I stared, unable to move away from the figure. "What are you staring at?" he whispered, wrapping me in a hug which seemed more like a straightjacket.
Silently I reciprocated, holding him tightly, as rain battered us and thunder rolled through the barren landscape around us. With immense relief I saw headlights in the distance, and a blue SUV purred into the driveway. we threw ourselves into the car, and with a silent understanding, Liz immediately reversed out and flew toward the nearest town.
---
I'm not sure what we encountered in that house. I think it must have been a ghost, or some sort of reaper. I know I shouldn't have lived, that without Mikey, I would've walked back into that house. That without me, one of the boys might have had too close of an encounter with that thing. I don't know what Mikey saw in that closet, and I haven't asked him since. I don't know what Liz heard, but I think if we hadn't been sleeping in the same room, she would have gone up those stairs too. I haven't told them what I saw, and I don't know if they saw it too. All I know is, if you're invited to stay in a house that old, and you start feeling drawn to something, you get. out.
submitted by CDDaniels to nosleep [link] [comments]
School will be starting up soon, so to put an end to the drowsy mid-August slump, I decided we'd go down and give the place a visit. I'm forty or so, work in an office job, with a wife and two kids. I gave my aunt a call, and made sure nobody was at the old place, then broke the news to my kids when they got home. One's seven and one's nine, both boys, and they were surprisingly excited. The last time we'd went had been boring beyond belief, thanks to the nearest town cancelling the annual fair, but they must have been too young to remember.
It wasn't an unpleasant drive. We stayed the night in a pleasant little inn in Kansas, and arrived around noon at the property. I unlocked the front door with a charmingly outdated brass key, and walked back a century in time. A thin layer of dust covered most of the living room. A fireplace sat on the left wall, and on the right a doorway led into a small kitchen. Against the back wall of the living room was a less-than-sturdy staircase, and two bedrooms sat at the rear of the first floor. I rolled my suitcase up against the wall to the kitchen, moving an intricately carved hat stand to the other side of the doorway. "Welcome in!" I announced, as the other three filtered in.
The room was dimly lit even with light streaming through the windows. Luckily the house had been "modernized", with electricity in some of the rooms. I flicked a switch, inviting the pleasant glow of an incandesent floor lamp on the other side of the room. My older son flopped down into a red velvet armchair, with gilded armrests, as if he'd been standing for hours. "You just spent three hours sitting in the car, Mikey," I reminded him, smiling.
"Gotta say, this isn't my kinda place. If I gotta share a room with Todd, I'm at least taking the nice chair."
He was right about it being the nice chair. A wooden chair sat opposite the fireplace, with a rough construction that seemed oblivious to the possibility of splinters. An equally robust bench sat between them, facing the fireplace, made of the same gray, splintered wood. My wife Liz sat down, stretching, while my youngest started exploring the house. I walked to the foot of the stairs, looking up at the second floor. I could see an attic door in the ceiling to my right, and at the top of the stairs against the wall sat a table, with a vase of cotton plants, which had dried out long ago. I walked up tentatively, checking each step to ensure it wouldn't buckle under my weight.
On my left was a short hallway, with a room on each side. On my right, an open space stood empty, with windows overlooking the dirt driveway. I tried to open up the door to one of the rooms, which I seemed to remember held cardboard boxes of old documents and trinkets, but it wouldn't budge. The other room seemed to have been a bedroom. Its only window was boarded up, and the only furniture, a bed, made of the same rough wood, sat against the far wall. There was a closet door opposite the foot of the bed, but it too was stuck. The house had surely shifted, especially given the unstable soil it rested upon.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. I cooked some delightfully rustic (my wife used less forgiving terms) food on the 1970s-vintage electric stove, and opened the windows to let a breeze in to combat the stifling warmth of the un-air-conditioned house. Not long after sunset, which we watched from the porch, I put my sons to bed, both in the bedroom downstairs, across from ours.
At some point in the dead of the night (I'd foregone my digital alarm clock, trusting the sun would wake us up), I felt something over my shoulder, standing beside the bed. The room, which had no windows, was pitch-black. I felt it drift away, and fell back asleep.
I awoke again, this time with light faintly streaming through the now open door. "Dad," a voice said. I could make out Todd, my younger son, standing shortly inside the doorway. "I keep waking up. I think someone is coming in our room."
I quietly crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Liz. "It's probably just the house settling and making creaking noises," I whispered. "Or maybe Mikey couldn't sleep."
Todd and Mikey's room, which had two windows, was slightly lighter, and I could see the beds. I helped Todd back into his, assuring him that everything was alright. I turned to Mikey's on the other side of the room, and found it empty. "Todd," I said, in an urgent voice. I heard him quickly sit up. "Do you know where Mikey went?"
"He left."
"D...do you know where?"
Todd pointed up, in the general direction of the stairs. I walked out of the room and up the stairs, worried, trying to walk slowly on the weak planks, but rushing to find my son. I looked around, not seeing him in the open area overlooking the driveway. I opened the door to the upstairs bedroom, and saw him, sitting against the wall below the window. I rushed over to him. "Mikey, what are you doing up here?"
"I heard you tell me to go upstairs," he said, looking into my eyes with worry.
I looked around, confused and concerned. "Okay. What happened when you went up here?"
"I got in bed. I couldn't sleep. I kept seeing the closet and it was so dark and-"
Mikey trailed off. I looked at the closet door, which was again shut. I walked over and shook the handle, but the door didn't budge.
"It was open, and inside was pitch black. I was scared. I'm not lying Dad. Why did you tell me to come up here?"
I was deeply unsettled by this point. I didn't want to scare Mikey, so I lied. "I told you to come up here so you'd have your own room. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so scary up here." That part wasn't a lie. I led him downstairs, and put him back to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to the sun streaming in through my bedroom door. I'd left it open in case something else happened, but the events of the night before were starting to feel like a bad dream. As we all awoke and gathered in the living room, I recollected the things that had happened, considering all the ways they could have happened. I get night terrors from time to time, I talk in my sleep, and the house's foundation wasn't particularly stable. It made perfect sense that I just sleep-told Mikey to go upstairs, and the house settled just enough to let the closet door swing open for a little while.
We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs, cooked in a thick iron skillet I found in a cabinet. "I hear there's a waterpark in town," Liz mentioned. That got the boys' attention. We pulled our swimsuits out of our suitcases, and drove twenty minutes down to the town for the day. It wasn't exactly bustling with people, but there was a small waterpark with a couple of slides, and a nice sandwich place for lunch. We drove back to the house and played some card games.
Although I'd done my best to put on a good face and see the house as charming and welcoming, as the shadows grew longer that afternoon, I couldn't help but feel something gnawing in the pit of my stomach. It got dark outside by the time we'd finished playing games, and Liz and I said goodnight to our boys. As I sat on the edge of our bed to pull off my shoes, I glanced over at her. "Does something feel...off? About this place?"
She looked over at me. "Last night, did you hear something?"
"Hear something?" I asked, probing, hoping it was something innocuous.
"Never mind," she replied, shaking her head.
I chose not to tell her about Mikey. Although I was pretty sure I'd just sleeptalked, I didn't want to worry her.
I walked out to the living room and flicked the light switch, plunging myself into darkness. The starlight was just enough for me to see my way back to our room, and shut the door. " 'night," I uttered, crawling under the covers, and nudging up against her reassuring warmth.
I woke to a startling crash. I bolted awake. I opened the bedroom door, as quickly as I could without flinging it into the wall, and ran around the corner. In the near pitch black room, I made out the figure of a young boy. It was Todd, on the ground under the stairs. Right at head height was a broken board, half of it hanging at an unnatural angle. "Todd!"
He sniffled. I bent down and put my hand on his shoulder as he sat up. "Why did you try to go upstairs?" I asked, with quiet restraint, holding back panic.
"It told me to," he replied, barely whispering.
Wordlessly I picked him up, and rushed to his and Mikey's room. Mikey was still asleep. I sat Todd back in his bed, and pulled his covers over him. I fumbled through the darkness to the fireplace, and grasped the fire poker. I stepped over and took hold of the stair railing, and carefully ascended, minding the broken step. When I reached the top, upon seeing the open door to the upstairs bedroom, I felt a chill. I stepped inside. The closet door was wide open.
The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Something felt deeply wrong. I turned, and ran down the stairs, feeling every board bend under my weight. I rounded the corner and catapulted into bed. All I felt was cold. I took heavy breaths, slowly feeling the warmth return, and soon drifted back to a worried, interrupted sleep.
In the morning, I wasn't as quick to shake off the feeling from the night before. I gathered everyone in the boys' bedroom, where we sat on the beds. I explained what had happened with Todd, who had some bruises, but nothing serious. There was an unspoken unease, that made us all eager to get out of the house for a while. Liz decided to take Todd to a petting zoo half an hour down the road. Mikey, who was too old for the petting zoo (since when?), wanted to go walk the property with me.
Liz and Todd took the car out to the petting zoo, leaving us waving in the driveway. We turned to our right, and headed out to the barn, a half-collapsed wooden structure that held some old tools and not much else. I grabbed an axe and Mikey took some hedge clippers, and we strolled the boundary of the plot, hacking through some brush that had popped up along the barbed wire fence. The sky, which had been cloudy for the first time that morning, started to darken, eventually promising rain as we made it half a turn from the driveway again.
As rain started to fall and thunder echoed from across the plains, we crossed the front path back to the barn. As I walked under the windows of the house, I couldn't help but feel it was watching us...or maybe that something was watching us from it. I brushed past my worries. I was toting an axe, after all. As we leaned our tools back against the rotting barn wall, heavier drops started falling, and the thunder grew louder. Not wanting to be the only other tall things on the prarie, we made our way back from the barn to the house. Lightning stuck just a few hundred feet away, with a blinding flash, burning a line into my retinas...straight down to the power line along the road.
When we got inside, as I'd expected, the light switch didn't work. The storm clouds had blocked out the sun, leaving the house almost as dark as the night before. A gust of wind slammed the front door shut. Mikey was silent. He slowly walked forward, straight toward the back wall of the living room. I followed him, at his same slow pace. As he reached the foot of the stairs, I turned. I cannot describe the shock of seeing the attic door standing open, the ladder folded down, making contact with the second story floor. Mikey gasped. I silently covered his mouth with one hand, and wrapped around him with the other. I tried to walk backward, pulling him away with me, but he was frozen, fixed on the gaping black entrance. As something moved in the corner of my eye upstairs, with sudden strength, I pulled Mikey to the side. This must have shaken him, and his feet moved. I released him and he ran, ran to the door. I followed in his path, looking back, seeing a glimpse of a shadow against the top of the back wall. I didn't want to look back to shut the door.
Mikey faltered, running out of breath, as he ran down the porch stairs and across the front path. I picked him up, holding him tightly, my arms burning, as I ran. He let out a wail, finally, and tears streamed down our faces. With some distance between ourselves and the house, I let go of Mikey and turned, and saw a shadowy figure in the upper window. Its eyes were dark, hollow. Until Mikey grabbed my arm and pulled me away, I stared, unable to move away from the figure. "What are you staring at?" he whispered, wrapping me in a hug which seemed more like a straightjacket.
Silently I reciprocated, holding him tightly, as rain battered us and thunder rolled through the barren landscape around us. With immense relief I saw headlights in the distance, and a blue SUV purred into the driveway. we threw ourselves into the car, and with a silent understanding, Liz immediately reversed out and flew toward the nearest town.
---
I'm not sure what we encountered in that house. I think it must have been a ghost, or some sort of reaper. I know I shouldn't have lived, that without Mikey, I would've walked back into that house. That without me, one of the boys might have had too close of an encounter with that thing. I don't know what Mikey saw in that closet, and I haven't asked him since. I don't know what Liz heard, but I think if we hadn't been sleeping in the same room, she would have gone up those stairs too. I haven't told them what I saw, and I don't know if they saw it too. All I know is, if you're invited to stay in a house that old, and you start feeling drawn to something, you get. out.
2023.06.02 04:00 Artistic-adventurer Jewel toned wedding
Hi all, My husband and I recently celebrated our 1 year anniversary and it occurred to me that I hadn't really shared the details.
https://imgur.com/a/z1Sw6cY
EDIT: A few more photos! Photos...https://imgur.com/a/QmmsbkI Mood board for bridesmaids ...https://imgur.com/gallery/clLsd3h
I got so much inspiration from redditors on this sub. I wanted to keep us to a pretty tight budget, but I also wanted it to have a classic yet on trend aesthetic. It was also a cross cultural wedding as well, with one day being the Hindu wedding and the next being a Christian wedding. I would say we spent on two weddings what most spend on one and both nights the food was incredible and the bar was wide open! I'm particularly proud of the flowers, put together by me and my bridesmaids. None of us had any prior experience and they'e everything I wanted! Also there are about a billion little details I didn't include here (like the thrifted mix and match candle votive etc).
Flowers were from FlowerMoxie(90%) and Sam's Club(fillers and some roses). We had some issues woth the flower delivery from Sam's and the flower moxie delivery was seamless. I also didn't use flower moxie's flower packages and instead drew inspo from other flower arrangements I had seen online. I knew there were certain flowers I HAD TO HAVE (ranunculus, anyone?). Main flower inspo: https://winstonandmain.com/moody-jewel-toned-wedding-at-the-houdini-estate/
I hired a stylist for my hair, but did my own makeup. My bridesmaids picked their own dresses, I just asked them to stay within the jewel tone family and to not double up on colors. They clearly nailed it!
Backyard wedding: We hired rentals for the backyard wedding and bar tenders who would handle everything from serving mixed alcoholic beverages to keeping our guests hydrated with water. We did everything from draping flowers to draping fabric.
General tip: Jamie Wolfer's videos were a GODSEND. Her video on staying under budget was especially helpful (I'll see if I can find it and I'll drop it in here). Her tip was to pick 3 things you both care about and cut corners on the other things. So, I didn't want a cake but For us it was an open bar, a great photographer, and a good DJ. We got all three and didn't break the bank!
We made most of the signs using a cricut or designed in Word (very low tech).
Happy to answer any questions, but just wanted to share some detail shots! Also happy to share wedding shots of our BEAUTIFUL Colorado wedding if folks are interested!
EDIT: More details on the jewel theme execution (from a comment below in case you don't want to dig): We didn't go goth with it. More spring/summer vibes. I think it helps to know WHY you want to go jewel tone. For me, it was that I wanted to tie our Hindu wedding and Christian wedding together in a way, aesthetically, without repeating details. A lot of festive Indian outfits have that general aesthetic anyway. Plus, I wanted something that would be classic, but fun. We were also having a Memorial Day weekend wedding, so it seemed appropriate weather-wise. Our venues tied in as well, more on that below.
My advice is to use the jewel tones as accents. For example, I kept the table cloths white because having each table be a different color could have been a win...but it also could have been far too overwhelming. Instead, we did jewel toned napkins. We kept the men's suits pretty traditional, but went with a jewel tone, royal blue instead of just black or gray. And then the extra detail was matching the groomsmen's bow ties, suspenders, and pocket square with the dress color of the bridesmaid they were walking down the aisle with.
We also had a venue that was exceptional for the theme. It's not an option for anyone, but finding a place with the bones that vibe with it helps a ton. If you go jewel tone and then pick a barn to get married in, it's a bit tougher to seamlessly work it in. But the church had beautiful stained glass and fresco paintings that tied it altogether. The reception venue had a darker, muted base (dark gray wood and gray velvet curtains) but also large windows to really brighten the place and make the colors pop. Some more detail pics: https://imgur.com/a/QmmsbkI
On the bridesmaids dresses, the mood is very specific but leaves enough room for them to play with it. I had friends on my bridal party who hated dress lengths, cuts, sleeves etc on dresses they had to wear in the past and by letting them pick with some pretty good guardrails made it fun for them rather than a chore. Not a single complaint, and a lot of gratitude was shared haha. Also, underlying skin tone varied so drastically across my bridesmaids (from being dark brown to very very pale), so letting them pick actually accentuated that aspect rather than washing anyone out.
I also went super overboard with small details because it brought me so much joy haha. First, I went with a simple, formal invite ( this one from minted https://www.minted.com/product/wedding-invitations/MIN-I22-INV/best-is-yet-to-come?color=A&shape=default) and I sealed each envelope with a gold wax stamp. I used the same stamp to affix the seating chart to the plexiglass on an easel. So, I just found fun ways to have details like that pop up throughout. Another was pressing flowers that were similar to what we used in the bouquets to make the table numbers. I also made sure that every bridesmaids dress color was included in the bouquets etc. I included a few of those photos in the first link!
submitted by Artistic-adventurer to weddingplanning [link] [comments]
https://imgur.com/a/z1Sw6cY
EDIT: A few more photos! Photos...https://imgur.com/a/QmmsbkI Mood board for bridesmaids ...https://imgur.com/gallery/clLsd3h
I got so much inspiration from redditors on this sub. I wanted to keep us to a pretty tight budget, but I also wanted it to have a classic yet on trend aesthetic. It was also a cross cultural wedding as well, with one day being the Hindu wedding and the next being a Christian wedding. I would say we spent on two weddings what most spend on one and both nights the food was incredible and the bar was wide open! I'm particularly proud of the flowers, put together by me and my bridesmaids. None of us had any prior experience and they'e everything I wanted! Also there are about a billion little details I didn't include here (like the thrifted mix and match candle votive etc).
Flowers were from FlowerMoxie(90%) and Sam's Club(fillers and some roses). We had some issues woth the flower delivery from Sam's and the flower moxie delivery was seamless. I also didn't use flower moxie's flower packages and instead drew inspo from other flower arrangements I had seen online. I knew there were certain flowers I HAD TO HAVE (ranunculus, anyone?). Main flower inspo: https://winstonandmain.com/moody-jewel-toned-wedding-at-the-houdini-estate/
I hired a stylist for my hair, but did my own makeup. My bridesmaids picked their own dresses, I just asked them to stay within the jewel tone family and to not double up on colors. They clearly nailed it!
Backyard wedding: We hired rentals for the backyard wedding and bar tenders who would handle everything from serving mixed alcoholic beverages to keeping our guests hydrated with water. We did everything from draping flowers to draping fabric.
General tip: Jamie Wolfer's videos were a GODSEND. Her video on staying under budget was especially helpful (I'll see if I can find it and I'll drop it in here). Her tip was to pick 3 things you both care about and cut corners on the other things. So, I didn't want a cake but For us it was an open bar, a great photographer, and a good DJ. We got all three and didn't break the bank!
We made most of the signs using a cricut or designed in Word (very low tech).
Happy to answer any questions, but just wanted to share some detail shots! Also happy to share wedding shots of our BEAUTIFUL Colorado wedding if folks are interested!
EDIT: More details on the jewel theme execution (from a comment below in case you don't want to dig): We didn't go goth with it. More spring/summer vibes. I think it helps to know WHY you want to go jewel tone. For me, it was that I wanted to tie our Hindu wedding and Christian wedding together in a way, aesthetically, without repeating details. A lot of festive Indian outfits have that general aesthetic anyway. Plus, I wanted something that would be classic, but fun. We were also having a Memorial Day weekend wedding, so it seemed appropriate weather-wise. Our venues tied in as well, more on that below.
My advice is to use the jewel tones as accents. For example, I kept the table cloths white because having each table be a different color could have been a win...but it also could have been far too overwhelming. Instead, we did jewel toned napkins. We kept the men's suits pretty traditional, but went with a jewel tone, royal blue instead of just black or gray. And then the extra detail was matching the groomsmen's bow ties, suspenders, and pocket square with the dress color of the bridesmaid they were walking down the aisle with.
We also had a venue that was exceptional for the theme. It's not an option for anyone, but finding a place with the bones that vibe with it helps a ton. If you go jewel tone and then pick a barn to get married in, it's a bit tougher to seamlessly work it in. But the church had beautiful stained glass and fresco paintings that tied it altogether. The reception venue had a darker, muted base (dark gray wood and gray velvet curtains) but also large windows to really brighten the place and make the colors pop. Some more detail pics: https://imgur.com/a/QmmsbkI
On the bridesmaids dresses, the mood is very specific but leaves enough room for them to play with it. I had friends on my bridal party who hated dress lengths, cuts, sleeves etc on dresses they had to wear in the past and by letting them pick with some pretty good guardrails made it fun for them rather than a chore. Not a single complaint, and a lot of gratitude was shared haha. Also, underlying skin tone varied so drastically across my bridesmaids (from being dark brown to very very pale), so letting them pick actually accentuated that aspect rather than washing anyone out.
I also went super overboard with small details because it brought me so much joy haha. First, I went with a simple, formal invite ( this one from minted https://www.minted.com/product/wedding-invitations/MIN-I22-INV/best-is-yet-to-come?color=A&shape=default) and I sealed each envelope with a gold wax stamp. I used the same stamp to affix the seating chart to the plexiglass on an easel. So, I just found fun ways to have details like that pop up throughout. Another was pressing flowers that were similar to what we used in the bouquets to make the table numbers. I also made sure that every bridesmaids dress color was included in the bouquets etc. I included a few of those photos in the first link!