You Matter to Her in a Way No One Else Could
When you died and were reborn, you became divine. You were love, and you were violence, and you were my miracle. A God sprung forth from the decaying machinery of your broken body. Koishi, the God of Love and Hate—have mercy on us all.
Down by the shore of one of the great Lunar seas, there sat a lonely shack thatched with feathers. Inside, there was a massive wani no less than eight leagues long… and her infant son. To that crocodile who had never known true familial love, that delicate little child—who cooed and smiled at his mother’s every move—was nothing less than a miracle. Such a delicate life in her claws, who knew nothing but unconditional love for his mother—to the crocodile, it was proof there was still good in the world.
She was tired, but the crocodile forced herself to stay awake. There was something she needed to do—a memory she wanted to share with the most important person in her life.
So, with all the caution and tenderness in the world, she picked up her child with her jaws and coaxed him into her throat pouch. The newborn child, perhaps having some shared instinct with his crocodilian mother, did not cry or struggle. Instead, he let out a giggle as he poked his head out from between his mother’s jagged teeth. With a snort, the dragon climbed out of her thatch hut, and crawled along the shore, drawing a meandering trail in the sand as she went.
When she reached the point where the water came to shore in gentle waves, the crocodile set herself down in the sand, letting the waves wash in and lick at her child in gentle sprays. Her child giggled as the Lunar sea’s tickled him with its pure waters, and as he did, his mother couldn’t help but feel at peace.
Nothing. Nothing at all would be able to take this from her.
Her miracle.
Toyohime opened her eye to clear blue skies.
She flexed her fingers, and instead of feeling the cold steel of the ship she started to tear apart, she felt so many tiny pebbles, warmed by their time in the sun. Sand? She brought a fistful of the stuff into her vision, before letting it fall through her fingers and run down her face. It was too real to be a dream.
Toyohime sat up to observe her surroundings. As far as the eye could see, there were infinite stretches of sand collected into wind-swept dunes that obscured the horizon. It was hot. Unbelievably so for what was supposedly the void. She felt a gentle gust of warm wind pass by her and toss her hair. This place… this impossible place… was she dead?
She rose to her feet, fighting biting aches and pains from her battle not too long ago. No—not dead. Somehow, she had survived—there was no other explanation. And as she looked down to assess the damage she had taken, her suspicions were only confirmed. Her right arm was missing, and in its place was nothing but a healed stump. The nasty cuts and bruises she had received in the fighting had all healed over for the most part, the only evidence they happened at all being residual scars that were yet to disappear. The ground was covered in dried blood. She must’ve been laying here in this sand trap for hours.
She brought her free arm, completely healed, up to the general space where her right eye was to find an arrow still protruding from it. Wrapping her fingers around the shaft, Toyohime tore it out in a fluid motion, causing the wound to reopen and drip blood onto the sands below. But, through some miraculous action, it was mere moments before the flow of blood stopped as the wound healed shut. Her right eye was still inoperable, but this healing ability was downright uncanny, even for a god.
She flexed her fingers. It felt like there was a hole in her head from which memories and feelings poured out. The mystery of how she got here, who she killed, and whether she could even trust her own senses had no answer—Toyohime knew she herself had made sure of that. She supposed there was a good reason. The less she knew, the better. That was something she could trick herself into believing.
Though no matter how much she forced herself to forget, she had the horrible feeling she had done something unforgivable—something she would kill over. In a sea of atrocities however, she could hardly even begin to suppose what that might have been. Maybe the heat was starting to fry her brain.
After spending a few minutes snapping the arrows lodged in her body by their shafts, Toyohime looked to the horizon, and then up. Ahead, there was a massive sand dune, no less than five times her height, and beyond the crest—a black pillar of smoke. Toyohime was not alone.
As she made her way up the shifting incline, Toyohime got to thinking about her next course of action. If this wasn’t a hallucination, then it most certainly had to be some extension of Koishi's will. Land in an impossible space… the creation of something impossible like that could only be a factor of a deteriorating mind, or God. And Toyohime had no time to consider the possibility of a crumbling psyche—not when she had a duty left unfulfilled.
But then… that would mean this was the paradise of Koishi’s mind. Surely, by her side is where she would find her salvation. She had already come to terms with it—that there was nothing left for her in the old world. Koishi could pervert and corrupt reality in whatever twisted ways she wanted—as long as it was the creation of her heart, it would be sufficient. Everything beyond that was not worth saving to the former princess.
… But that also meant there would be more enemies. More people she had to kill. She was ready. Ready to kill and ready to die in the name of love.
And as she planted her boot upon the peak of that sand dune, she saw the whole world become bare before her. A fair distance away was the crashed wreck of a golden ship, releasing plumes of black smoke as it burnt away. From this distance, it was difficult to make out any finer details, but she was sure the occupants had escaped. Satori was resourceful and stubborn, if nothing else. Dying in a crash was an impossibility.
She then traced a line from the ship through the shifting sands—to a city upon the horizon. Massive towers of glass and steel pushing against the sky, half buried in the sand, bending light around them as they reflected the intense heat of the sun. It gave the sight an unnatural fuzziness, as if the city was threatening to disappear at any moment.
As she traced the decaying visage of those buildings upwards, she saw a thin line reach beyond and into the sky. The line separated into two before converging back on itself. Above the city, etched upon the sky itself, was a pitch black gap in reality, opened and filled with so many eyes. And above still, the object of Toyohime’s desires and her sole driving factor—Koishi Komeiji.
Though the God’s eye was open, as well as the myriad collection of smaller eyes and drooling jaws that had lined every square inch of her squirming appendages, it was hard to tell if she was awake or conscious. Toyohime knew Koishi best, and if she had any guess as to what Koishi had been doing in the time they spent apart, it was receding back into the numbing comfort of her own mind. Even now, Toyohime figured she was still dreaming, avoiding the cruel weight of her responsibility. What manifested outside of her mind must’ve been some sort of twisted runoff.
Down there, hidden in the dunes, Toyohime knew there were those who would take this dream from Koishi. Those who would hurt Koishi. Those people would’ve done just as well to dig their own graves and build their own coffins. Because so long as Toyohime drew breath, she would protect Koishi with everything she could muster—that was her promise and the nature of her impossible, unconditional love.
Koishi was Toyohime’s second chance.
This time, one way or another, there would be no opportunity for a third.
Mima, on the other hand, had woken up quite a bit earlier than Toyohime had.
She had not suffered any fatal wounds or debilitating strikes leading up to the point where the reality around her started to crumble and distort—but she had briefly lost consciousness regardless. She figured that might’ve been a good thing; an action so absurd and so against everything she knew, perpetrated by an impossibly powerful being… even if a mere glimpse didn’t physically tear her mind to ribbons, she had no interest in trying to understand such a nonsensical event.
Mima awoke not in a desert, but in a grand sprawling city of seemingly human construction. Though the sun still hung overhead, the impossible hills and mountains of sand that caged the city in, always seemed to shift and move in the most calculated way… such that the sun was always put out. Caught in the shade, the city looked like it was in a perpetual night, in spite of the blinding yellow of the endless desert just beyond its limits.
Though that was the case, the city was far from dark. Street lamps, blinding neon signs, blinking traffic lights, apartments and houses with windows illuminated by the fluorescent lights within… It gave the impression the city was alive. It seemed exactly as a real bustling city at night, with its breathing and blinking—but there were no people. No matter how far Mima walked, no matter how many buildings she popped in, she would encounter no souls. She would find, in those buildings, immaculate setpieces filled with lived-in charm, hints and implications of life—but not people. Not even Yukari, who she wandered the streets in search of.
She recognized this place. This city—Tokyo. It couldn’t have possibly been, but it was the same Tokyo she grew up in, back before the Moonlight Descent and before the Kaiju. Before her chance meeting with the youkai who used to be her friend. This city, trapped in the middle of the desert, caught in an artificial night that obscured the flow of time—somehow it managed to be the perfect recreation of a long lost city, as if someone had taken a scalpel to the part of Mima’s brain that held onto the precious memories of her past life. It was comforting, being back in familiar territory, but it also carried along a pervasive uneasiness. The nostalgia said it was real, but the rational mind knew better than to buy into an impossible mirage—made all the more uneasy by the deathly silence of its streets.
After wandering around for a dozen minutes or more, Mima eventually came to find Yukari in a 24-hour fast food joint. She was sitting, out of her suit and miraculously healed, on a stool that faced the street outside, with her head down and a small pool of drool collecting at the point where the corner of her mouth met the countertop. Renko always said Maribel could fall asleep anywhere.
Mima floated back and forth around the gently snoring form of Yukari for a bit, considering her options. She changed back into her Renko form for a second, and after adjusting her hat a little, she reached over to tap Yukari on the shoulder… but then shied away. Glancing at Yukari, then back to her bag, she rummaged through its bottomless contents and pulled out a whole host of items: hand mirrors, makeup kits, two liter bottles of listerine, mints and peppermint breath spray and assorted beauty products.
She stole a quick glance back at Yukari to make sure she was asleep before going at it—in one go, she dumped every minty product she could into her mouth before swishing the unholy mixture in her mouth. It was not a moment later that she coughed out all of that liquid ice with a retch and a gag. Sheepishly, she turned her head to see if Yukari had woken up in all the commotion. Luckily, she was still knocked out something fierce. Mima might’ve guessed she was dead, if it weren’t for the occasional snore.
Undeterred, she opened a hand mirror and began to apply her makeup. Carefully. There was a subtle art to it—she only needed enough to hide any unsightly blemishes she might’ve gotten from her rather shut-in lifestyle as a ghost. Anything more, and Maribel was bound to notice Mima was purposefully fixing her appearance around her. None of that. Mima was trying for a more subliminal approach… It’s what worked in the past, after all.
Well, upon further thought, Mima figured “worked” was too strong a word. She did die before she saw any results, after all. But enough of that, Mima thought—now that she regained her memories, she’s finally gotten another shot. This being the apocalypse and all, she figured she should probably make it count.
She clicked close her portable hand mirror and, along with the rest of her stuff, threw it back into her field bag. She stole one last glance at Yukari, who was still sleeping soundly, before straightening her hat and clearing her throat.
“Maribel…” she said in a quiet, sing-song voice. She placed a hand on Yukari’s shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. “Maribel, wake up.”
No response. Mima pouted as she shook her around again. “Merry? It’s so scary around here—I need someone super strong and amazing by my side. Maybe we could hold hands?”
Nothing but more snoring. Mima’s expression fell. “... Okay, seriously. Wake up.”
“Don’t make me break out the big guns, Merry,” Mima said, digging through her bag and pulling out an airhorn. “I’ll do it. You think I’m bluffing?”
A tense beat passes. Mima stows away the airhorn. “... Ah, I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t do something like that to you. You’re too cute, hehe.”
“I’m not above this, though.” She reaches back into her bag and pulls out a spray bottle filled with water… before giving Yukari’s face a couple of quick spritzes.
That quiet, tranquil expression to Mima seemed almost a timeless representation of the relationship she shared with Maribel quickly contorted into one of disgust. After a moment of being pelted with spray after spray of water droplets, Yukari finally was roused from her sleep, a squinty, grouchy mess.
“Who..? Urgh…” She mumbled with a groan. When Yukari saw Renko, immaculately constructed before her with enough accuracy to convince her she came straight from her memories, she froze. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “... Renko?”
“Hehe… Yep, it’s me! Your best friend. Best girl-friend, even. That is, a girl who is also a friend. Not a girlfriend, you know? Aha… Unless? Kidding, kidding.” Mima flashed an easy smile. “Glad you’re awake. Hey, before you say anything else—how do I look? I look cute, right? I know we’re in the middle of saving the world and everything, but I’ve actually been spending a lot of time taking care of my appearance.”
As Mima continued to ramble on and Yukari continued to wake up, her expression made a slow and gradual pivot. Where at first Yukari couldn’t hide her bemusement from her face—as well as that strange pained expression someone would have, seeing a loved one they have long since finished mourning appear upon their doorstep—she eventually came to settle on an empty stare and a neutral, apathetic expression. It hurt Mima a little, seeing such a radical turn in her demeanor.
“Oh,” Yukari muttered. “It’s just you.”
Mima didn’t think she intended it, but there was a layer of latent annoyance in her words. Or maybe it was disappointment? A thousand years or more apart did a lot to shift their relationship. That much was clear—and it hurt.
Yukari took a moment to look Mima up and down. With a scoff and a roll of her eyes, she delivered an unceremonious answer. “You look fine.”
Mima sighed in response. “Hey, I’ll take it.”
“More importantly…” As Yukari continued, she craned her neck around to absorb every detail of her surroundings: everything from the light fixtures above to the tables that were so meticulously set and prepared. “... Where are we?”
Her eyes naturally gravitated toward the front counter and the kitchen section that was just behind—meticulously wrapped burgers and fresh fries, set underneath heat lamps… it was as if they were all made recently. But that wasn’t even the strangest detail Yukari’s eyes were able to pick out. Upon one of the tables was a tray, filled with half eaten food—as if the patrons ceased to exist in the middle of their meal. This was beyond a mere liminal space, where it gave the impression of once being a place where people gathered—it was closer in relation to the scene of an ongoing disaster, where people had left in a hurry.
In that way, it didn’t carry much of the surreal quality of a place no longer meant for humans—it more so felt like a place with a cursed history, its sinister and mysterious narrative etched into its skin and flesh through the vestiges of human presence. Mima could tell, being a ghost herself, there was more to this place than the physical construction. As to what ‘more’ was, she could not place.
She could tell Yukari was thinking something similar by the way she walked around and took in the feeling of the place. Her posture was rigid and cautious, but not necessarily ready and waiting for danger. There was a quiet dread to the things that weren’t, but should’ve been.
“I’m trying to figure that out myself,” Mima replied, following Yukari around with her arms folded behind her back. “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but… I think we’re back in Tokyo.”
“I don’t think you’re crazy.” Yukari replied. She walked over to the table with the food and traced a finger across its top. No dust clung to the surface of her finger, as if the tabletop had recently been cleaned. She brought the back of her palm close to the food. It was still radiating just a little bit of heat, as if it had been freshly served. “That’s the part that scares me.”
“... Assuming this is all very much real, this must be Koishi’s doing,” Yukari declared, taking a moment to look down at herself. As she flexed her fingers, her eyes narrowed. Mima figured she might’ve just realized she had been healed and mysteriously back to her usual outfit. She still looked younger and weaker than she once was, but there was an undeniable, albeit subtle increase in the vitality she seemed to convey. As Yukari’s eyes wandered to the empty city street outside, Mima couldn’t help but notice that expression—that idle, faraway gaze that looked like Yukari had trapped herself in a vivid daydream. She couldn’t help but realize how much Maribel had changed—and yet stayed the same.
“Whatcha thinking, Merry?” Mima tried, shuffling up to Yukari’s side.
“Yukari.”
“Oh. Right. Ha, that’s my bad. My bad…”
“I’m thinking: why Tokyo specifically?” With a wave of her hand, Yukari opened a gap next to her. Through that little tear in reality was a bird’s eye view of the whole city, as well as the infinite desert that surrounded it. “... There must be some significance to this location, but I couldn’t possibly imagine what it could be. Not right now, knowing what we know.”
“Hey, I grew up in Tokyo, you know? Maybe it has something to do with that? And… y’know, we were teaching in Tokyo before…” Mima gestured vaguely around herself. “... Everything, I guess. Maybe Koishi’s reacting to our memories.”
“Could be. Could just as easily be something related to Koishi. Could be nothing at all.” The view through the gap eventually fizzled out, leaving nothing but the inky blackness of the pocket dimension Yukari held dominion over. She let out a sigh before stitching the gap closed with a wave of her hand. “I’d suggest we keep on moving. Collect as much information as we can about this place. But only what we need—the plan is still largely the same. There’s no telling when she will appear again. Best be as quick about it as we can.”
“Oh. Uh… Alright. That’s cool.”
“... What?”
“Hm?”
“What’s wrong? You disagree?”
“Oh no, ah…” A sheepish grin crawled across Mima’s face. “I was just thinking about how much you’ve changed, is all. It’s just… you know, a huge city missing all of its people is pretty mysterious, huh? Don’t you want to do more exploring? Poke around a bit and take in the sights? Like we used to—just one last time?”
There was an unsettling period of silence where Yukari stared straight through Mima with that flat look. She averted her eyes for a passing moment. When Yukari returned her gaze to Mima, it was steely and cold. “No. Neither of us are kids anymore. We have duties and responsibilities that we can not abandon. Not for anything.”
Yukari brushed past Mima. The gesture wasn’t very rough at all, but Mima felt it come at her hard. As Yukari opened the door, she looked back at Mima and gestured to her to follow.
“Let’s go.”
Orin did not want much from life.
There was Satori, her master, who she cared about deeply. There was Okuu, her best friend, who she loved. There was Koishi, the younger sister of her master, who she felt obligated to take care of. And of course, there was her job of transporting corpses, which she could do endlessly and without tiring. Those things more or less encompassed everything she cared about—Orin was a simple person.
So as she crawled out the emergency hatch located at the top of the ship her master had so recklessly buried into a sand dune, she couldn’t help but feel so hopelessly out of her depth. With a groan, she hoisted herself over the lip of the hatch before losing her balance and tumbling over.
As she tumbled downward, bumping her head against every little edge the ship had on her way down, the visor to her suit cracked and then shattered. But as she flopped down into the warm sand, her arms and legs spread in a state of absolute fatigue, she couldn’t really bring herself to care about the warning tones in her helmet—or the fact she was able to breathe the air here, in what used to be the void. Frankly, all she could think about was how much she wanted to go home.
“Orin! Are you okay?” A familiar voice called from somewhere outside her field of vision. It was followed by the hasty clattering of boots on metal as they no doubt clambered down the ship in a hurry.
All Orin could offer in response was a weak grunt and the extension of a thumbs up.
“Are… are you insane?” Another voice called soon after, all breathless and hoarse. It cracked with exertion, as if it had already been worn out by so much screaming. “Satori, what form of devil possessed you to do that? We could’ve all died!”
Satori, of course, didn’t respond. Not before she entered Orin’s field of view, her own helmet long since thrown away. Her face was etched with a rare look of concern, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief when she saw Orin manage a weak smile. Wordlessly, Satori jostled off the smashed helmet from Orin’s suit and brushed away any remaining debris… before pulling her into a tight embrace.
Orin, dazed and shocked from the crash, could manage little else than to rest her head upon her master’s shoulders as she was pulled in. But through whatever stores of energy she had left, she managed to raise her arms and wrap them around in loose reciprocation.
“I’m okay,” she whispered. “I’m okay.”
Satori pulled back from the hug, but stayed kneeling by Orin’s side. Cautiously, she looked to the horizon, as if she had caught a vanishing glimpse of something stalking them from behind the shifting sands. She extended an elbow for Orin to grab on to. “Let’s go. Can you stand?”
“I… I think so,” Orin mumbled, hooking one of her arms around Satori’s elbow and placing a hand on her shoulder for support. Her master lifted, and in response Orin tried her best to stumble onto her feet, with mixed results. As she straightened herself out with the help of Satori, she heard her bones shift and crackle in strange ways—followed by an absolute lightning strike of localized pain in the leg and the fuzzy static that came to replace it.
After a sharp intake of breath and a pained wince, Orin settled into a decidedly unconvincing posture—she plastered a smile on her face and shifted all of her weight onto the other leg in a poor imitation of nonchalance, but Satori’s face only got graver. It broke Orin’s heart. For a moment, Orin tried to separate herself from her master so she could stand on her own—but Satori only squeezed her in closer, as if she would’ve lost Orin the second she let go.
That didn’t surprise Orin much. She knew better than anyone that the events one year ago were still fresh in her master’s mind. Even now, it haunted her every action, and now the consequences were starting to catch up with everyone involved. But to Orin, that didn’t matter. It never did—not so long as Satori was her master, and Orin was her pet. Satori could march to the deepest pit of Hell, pick a fight with a God, oppose reality itself… and Orin would march along right beside her, no matter what.
Patchouli, on the other hand, did not share the same sentiment. She marched up to the two, at least temporarily uncaring of the fantastical environment they found themselves in, and went straight to airing out her grievances.
“Recklessly engaging with Toyohime like that, against all better logic… one day, and this day might very well come sooner than you think, your obsession with that cursed woman will hurt someone you care about,” Patchouli snapped. As she looked to Orin, whose body was riddled with evidence of blunt trauma, her expression softened. “... It already has.”
“As if we had any other choice. It was our best shot to kill her, once and for all,” Satori replied, stone-faced and cold. “... Besides, let Orin speak for herself. As if you know what she does and doesn’t wish for.”
“... Orin wasn’t the only person who got hurt. Or killed.”
“It just so happens that Eirin conveniently falls outside my definition of ‘people I care about.’ I fail to see the issue.” Satori snorted with disgust, as if offended by the mere implication. Orin wanted to speak up and cut between the fighting, but couldn’t find the strength to oppose her own master. “That aside, who says I was the one who got her killed? She got herself killed, following her own incomprehensible mess of half-baked ideas and strategies. What are you coming at me for?”
“How could you be so cold toward someone like her? Especially since we were all fighting out there together, as comrades? Have you no shame?”
“I’ve no love for her. Not after what she did to my sister.” Satori stared straight into Patchouli’s eyes. Sometimes her master was like this—staring straight ahead through a person, as if judging the content of their soul itself. Sometimes, this was literally the case, given that she made liberal use of her opened third eye. “We might be fighting beside each other, but we’re fighting for completely different things. Yukari, Eirin, Kaguya, even you and I—we’re all fighting for something different. Those are just the facts. Just as it was a fact that Koakuma had darkness in her heart. It’s that kind of fact.”
“How cynical. Aren’t we friends?”
Satori fixed Patchouli with a steady glare as she thought through her answer. Even with an open eye, Orin found her master’s thought process difficult to parse.
“... No. We aren’t,” Satori settled. “It’s not a secret—I’m fighting to get my sister back. I’m fighting to kill the person who turned her into a monster. I’m fighting to protect my family. You are doing none of those things—you’re fighting for a more abstract reason: protecting the world, or preventing human suffering, or whatever other justification you assign to your actions. It’s admirable, but recognize that It’s only by convenience that we’re here, helping each other out.”
“... Is that right?” Patchouli muttered under her breath. “Then if it came between Yukari, or Eirin, or me, or anyone else… and your family. Who would you choose?”
Silence.
“It’s best to be honest with ourselves. It saves us the heartache.”
“I see.”
In the silence that came after, the atmosphere seemed to become heavier. Orin spent each passing beat being suffocated by the pressure. Her eyes darted from Patchouli to her master, and then back again.
“Er…” Orin started. “Let’s ah… could we just figure out what we’re going to do next, maybe? Without fighting—that would be nice.”
“Good plan, Orin,” Satori said. Though strangely enough, she wouldn’t take her eyes off of Patchouli. “I’m not quite sure what we would do without you.”
Patchouli looked away. Orin couldn’t help but feel vaguely responsible—though the second the thought even popped into mind, Satori squeezed a little tighter, as if in reassurance.
“... There’s no use in arguing,” Patchouli said with a heavy sigh. “Or rather, it’s a subject for later, when we aren’t all in danger. For now, I agree—we should figure out our next steps.”
The guns had long since run quiet.
Those satellites—their powerful bodies forged by the greatest minds, cast in the strongest metals, and mounted with the fiercest weapons humanity could muster—how could they have possibly matched the horror of God’s wrath? They could never, and for their hubris, their bodies and their souls were scattered and broken as a million glittering lights upon the ocean.
Those were the kinds of things Kaguya Houraisan thought about as she sat beside a flickering fire, her only source of light deep in the darkness of a desert night, not a few meters from the turned and battered wreckage of the CNS Beyond the Sun. In the void, It was battered by unseen force, turned three times—and upon the fourth, struck down and consumed by the void, as was the divine will of God. To its crew, it might have seemed like nothing less than a castigation of divine nature—but Kaguya knew it was nothing more than the temper tantrum of a child. As infant children must necessarily cry, Koishi must necessarily kill—it was her unconscious will.
Woe upon humanity, as its greatest accomplishment was brought low and made worthless before a child. Her own child. What a dubious honor it was—being the mother of such a terrifying, omnipresent killer.
Kaguya was on the ship when it was attacked by Toyohime. She was there to see Eirin march on to meet her. And she was there to see her die. It didn’t bother Kaguya too much—after all, she had watched Eirin die countless times. She will likely watch her die countless more, before all is said and done. But it was there, seized by the temporary shock, that Kaguya lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was deep within the fresh wreckage of humanity’s greatest weapon—alone. On what happened to her crew, and why Kaguya was spared, she could only make guesses.
With no direction and no plan, Kaguya spent what felt like hours wandering the claustrophobic halls of that great metal cage of a ship. But she was alone. Alone in such a way that not even the impression of humanity remained. Even the spot where she saw three men become atomized by Toyohime’s attack, which had burnt dark impressions of their silhouettes into the steel, was mysteriously void of any sign they were killed at all. The damage remained, but the people were gone—erased from existence in a way only God could manage.
When she eventually emerged from the dark recesses of the ship into a darker night, with nothing but the stars above and the inexplicable ground below, she could do nothing but start a simple fire. The night was cold, and she had a feeling it would be long. Warmth would be needed.
This, alone and huddled by a dying fire, must have been the end. Kaguya shifted closer to the flame, and held her knees closer to her chest. She didn’t know what to do. When her own daughter had sought her out, she didn’t know what to say. All she could do was recognize—that in pursuit of an easy life, she had made things so much worse. She wondered if it was too late to make things right between herself and Koishi. If Kaguya had looked up to her daughter now, and said sorry, would she hear? Would she care?
She wasn’t sure. And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out.
As she stared at the stars above, Kaguya heard the shuffling of boots displacing the sand. The sounds came in an irregular, halting motion. When it came to a stop, Kaguya lowered her gaze to the figure who stood at the edge of her fire’s light.
A moon rabbit in a pilot suit, all ripped up, tattered, and blackened by combat. In the gaps of her suit, her skin had melted away from severe burns—and froze in place, creating large patches of gangrenous tissue that covered her body. As Kaguya’s eyes drifted downward, she noticed a patch of body that had a view to the other side. Somehow, by some miracle of medicine, the wound remained stable and closed.
Her face was concealed by her helmet, tinted and patterned by a spider web of cracks, but by the way she stood, so still and lopsided, Kaguya had the impression of an empty gaze just behind the facade.
The moon rabbit carried in her left hand a revolver, its chambers empty and on display as the mechanism that connected the grip to the top half of the hung loose. In her other hand, was an ax, splintered in half at the handle from excessive use and its blade caked in a thick layer of blood.
Without a word, the moon rabbit collapsed into a heap by the fire.
Kaguya rushed to the moon rabbit’s side and, upon removing her helmet, froze.
Atonement—she wondered if it was even possible.
Previous Chapter:
Interim Chapter 11

Hi there, I'm Josh. A 26 year old chef living and working in England. I'm a tall guy (6'3/190cm) and I have short light brown hair, I wear glasses, my eyes are blue and I'm clean shaven. My style is mostly Hawaiian shirts and denim. So if you like vibrant colours, I'm your man.
My main passion is food and I love to cook new and exciting meals, I'm still eating the curry I made batches of last night. I'm working part time at a five star hotel but plan on finding a more permanent position. My hobbies vary, from cultivating chilli's and herbs to playing TTRPGs. I also paint Warhammer which can be seen as very nerdy but I like to be creative. I collect vinyl records and have a modest collection of a few hundred LP's (jazz and rock mostly), if you're unsure of an opening tell me about your favorite musician, I always love finding new music. I also enjoy reading, although I've not started on a new book since finishing my last.
I'm a passionate and caring person so someone who can match that energy would be preferable. I don't judge appearance and I strongly believe that attraction is based on a lot more than just looks. I'm perfectly content with slow laid back conversations as well as jumping straight into the big questions. If any of this sounds like you might be interested in me feel free to send me a message.

Please note what items from my list you are interested in when commenting.
Please also pay attention to what system you are looking at as there are sections of Japanese (NTSC-J) games
Have
Working systems come with necessary cables and controller unless otherwise stated.
Systems/Handhelds

System	Notes
PS1 1001 fat
PS1 7501 fat
PS1 7501 fat
PS2 fat
PS2 fat
Sega Model 2	rf, power, oem 6 button controller
Sega Model 2	rf, no power cable, oem 3 button controller.
Sega Model 2
Sega Model 3	no av cable. 3rd party controller, 6 button
32x
Black gamecube	3rd party controller
Wii U	screen light scratches. all cables, dock, sensor bar
Wii U	gamepad right joystick issues. all cables, dock, sensor bar
Xbox 360 S R2D2	C3P0 controller, kinect, 320gb
Wii RVL-001	Eject button doesn't click, but does work
TurboGrafx Express	Includes tv tuner, car charger
PSP Black 1001	includes oem charger, soft case. battery holds charge
Original DS Blue NTR-001	rough shape. screens are pretty scratched
3DS XL Red	Overall good condition. Screens have no visible scratches. OEM charger, sd card, and carrying case
PS Vita Dev Kit PDEL-1000	Great condition. On 3.570.011 FW currently. No charger included

Atari Jaguar Games

Game	Notes
Raiden	sealed
Fever Pitch Soccer	sealed
Zool 2	sealed
Theme Park Designer Series	sealed
Skiing and Snowboarding	sealed
Zoop	no manual
Cybermorph	sealed
Doom	manual cover seperated
Troy Aikmen Football	cib - box in below average condition
Pinball Fantasies	no manual
Rotary controller w/ Tempest cart	Tempest is setup, ready. Rotary installed in place of dpad
Super Burnout	cart only
Ultra Vortek	cart only
Alien vs Predator	cib
Ruiner pinball	cib
Cannon Fodder	cib
Wolfenstein 3D	cib
Towers II	cib
Flip Out	cib. box has some liquid damage
Bubsy	cib
Checkered Flag	cib
Worms	cib
I-War	cib
Attack of the Mutant Penguins	cib
Brutal Sports Football	cib
Hover Strike	cib
Rayman	cib
Zero 5	cib
International Sensible Soccer	cib
Flashback	cib
Dino Dudes	cib
Dragon Bruce Lee Story	cib
Missile Command 3D	cib
White Ment Can't Jump	cib
Kasumi Ninja	cib w/ headband
Supercross 3D	cib
Club Drive	cib
Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy	cib
Fight for Life	cib
Power Drive Rally	cib
Atari Karts	box only

CIB for TurboGrafx includes jewel case, not outer cardboard box unless noted
TurboGrafx Games

Game	Notes
Alien Crush	cart only
Keith Courage	cart only
Power Golf	cart only
Turrican	cart only
World Class baseball	CIB
Victory Run	CIB
Vigilante	CIB
TV Sports Hockey	CIB
Keith Courage	CIB (no comic)
Bonks Adventure	CIB

For carts with manuals, I am willing to sell manuals/carts independently. Not seperating boxes and manuals.
NES Games

Game	Notes
720
1942
10 yard fight	5 screw
A Boy and his Blob
Adventure Island
Adventures of Dino-Riki
After Burner	tengen cart
Air Fortress	sticker on label
Airwolf
Arch Rivals
Astyanax
Back to the Future	bad condition. appears to have spray paint on front of cart
Bad Dudes
Bad News Baseball
Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach
Baseball
Baseball Simulator 1000
Baseball Stars	sticker on label
Bases Loaded
Bases Loaded II
Bayou Billy
Bigfoot
Bill Elliott's Nascar Challenge	Box + game, no manual
Black Bass
Blades of Steel	Box + game, no manual
Blades of Steel
Break Time National Pool tour	Box, manual, no game
Burgertime
California Games
Championship Bowling
Cobra Triangle
Commando	5 screw
Contra Force	comes with cart protector
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Destination Earthstar
Super Dodgeball
Donkey Kong 3	5 screw
Donkey Kong Classics
Double Dragon	cart + manual
Double Dragon II
Double Dragon III
Double Dribble
Dr Mario
Dragon Warrior
Duck Hunt	5 screw
Ducktales	top of label damage. includes reg card
Dynowarz
Family Feud
Fantasy Zone	tengen cart
Magic Johnson Fast Break
Faxanadu
Fester's Quest
Freedom Force
Friday the 13th
Galaga: Demon's of Death
Gauntlet	tengen cart
Gauntlet
Golgo 13	cart + manual
Gotcha
Gradius	5 screw
Gyromite	5 screw
Heavy Barrel
Hogan's Alley
Hollywood Squares	sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, slightly visible)
Hoops	sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, but visible)
Hunt for Red October
Hydlide
Ikari Warriors II Victory Road
Infiltrator
Iron Sword
Iron Tank	cart + manual
Jack Nicklaus' Championship Golf	cart + manual
Jeopardy
Jeopardy 25th Anniversary
John Elway's Quarterback
Jordan vs Bird
Joust
Karate Kid
Kickle Cubicle
King of the Ring	cart + manual
Kings of the Beach
Knight Rider
Knight Rider
Legacy of the Wizard
Legendary Wings
Major League Baseball
Maniac Mansion	sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, but visible)
Marble Madness
Mario Bros Arcade Classics Series	5 screw
Mario Bros Duck Hunt
Mario Duck Hunt Track Meet
Mickey Mousecapade
Mighty Bomb Jack
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
Milon's Secret Castle
Mission Impossible
MTV Remote Control
Narc
NES Cleaning Kit	CIB w/ box protector
NES Cleaning Kit	CIB w/ box protector
NES Play Action Football
Ninja Gaiden 2
Operation Wolf
Pac-man	tengen cart
Platoon
Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling	5 screw
Punch-out
Qbert
R.C. Pro-Am
Racket Attack
Rad Racer II
Rampart
RBI Baseball	tengen cart. includes reg card
Renegade
Roadblasters
Rollerball
Rolling Thunder	tengen cart
Romance of the Three Kingdoms	cart + manual
Rush'n Attack	5 screw. sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, but visible)
Section Z
Seicross
Sesame Street ABC
Silent Service
Silent Service
Simpsons Bart Vs the World
Skate or Die 2
Ski or Die
Solstice
Spy vs Spy
Star Force
Star Soldier	Box + game, no manual
Star Trek 25th Anniversary
Star Tropics	Box + game, no manual
Star Voyager	5 screw cart, manual, poster
Super C
Super Glove Ball
Super Mario Bros	cart + manual
Super Mario Bros 2
Super Mario Bros 3	cart + manual
Super Off Road
Super Pitfall
Superspike V'ball
Sword and Serpents	cart + manual + poster
T&C Surf Designs
Talespin	top of label damaged
Target Renegade
Techmo Bowl	Cart + manual
Tecmo Super Bowl
Tennis
Terminator 2	Box + game, no manual
Terminator 2
Terminator 2
The Addams Family
The Fantastic Adventrues of Dizzy
Thundercade
Tiger-Heli
TMNT II Arcade Game
TMNT Manhattan Project	cart + manual
Top Gun
Top Gun Second Mission
Total Recall
Track & Field
Track & Field
Trick Shooting	CIB
Trojan
Twin Eagle	sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, slightly visible)
Vice Project Doom	label damage
Code Name Viper
Wheel of Fortune	sharpie on label (mostly cleaned, slightly visible)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willow
Win Lose or Draw	writing on label
World Class Track Meet
Nintendo World Cup	Box, no manual - writing on front of box
Wrestlemania	cart + manual
Wrestlemania
Wrestlemania Challenge
Xenophobe
XEXYZ

SNES Games

Game	Notes
Aaahh Real Monsters
Aladdin
Arkanoid - Doh It Again!
Bass Tournament of Champions
Batman Forever
Battle Clash
Best of the Best Championship Karate
Bubsy
Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage
Championship Pool
Cleaning Kit
Clue
Cool Spot
Daffy Duck The Marvin Missions
Family Feud
Fifa International Soccer
Final Fight
Home Alone 2
Inindo	Label damage
Jeopardy
Judge Dredd	Some label damage
Jungle Strike
Ken Griffey Jr. Winning Run
King of the Monsters
Kirby Avalanche
Lethal Enforcers
Lion King
Looney Tunes Basketball	Label damage
Madden 94
Mega Man X
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat 3
NBA Give N Go
NBA Jam
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
NBA Live 95
NCAA Basketball
NFL Quarterback Club
NHL Stanley Cup
Nigel Mansell's World Championship
Operation Europe Path to Victory
Paperboy 2
Power Moves
Primal Rage
Revolution X	Not working. Contacts look very stripped.
Road Runner's Death Vally Rally
Scooby Doo Mystery
Space Invaders
Speedy Gonzales Los Gatos Bandidos
Spider-man and the X-men in Arcade's Revenge
Starfox
Street Fighter II	Faded label
Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II turbo
Stunt Race FX
Super Bases Loaded
Super Battletank: War in the Gulf
Super Black Bass
Super Empire Strikes Back
Super Mario Kart
Super Pinball Behind the Mask
Super Play Action Football
Super Punch-Out
Taz-Mania
Tecmo Super Bowl
Tecmo Super Bowl III
Tetris 2
The Jungle Book
The Pagemaster
Tory Aikman Football
Warlock
We're Back A Dinosaurs Story
Wing Commander The Secret Missions
Word-Tris	Damaged Label
Zoop

N64 Games are cart only unless noted
N64

Item	Notes
Battle Tanx
F-1 Grand Prix
Gex 64
Madden 64
NFL Blitz
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire
War Gods
Wayne Gretzy 3D Hockey
Wipeout 64
N64 HoriPad Mini Black
N64 HoriPad Mini Yellow
N64 HoriPad Mini Red
N64 HoriPad Mini Blue
N64 HoriPad Mini Clear Ocean Blue
OEM Controller Gray
OEM Controller Atomic Purple
OEM Controller Ice Blue Clear
OEM Controller Black
OEM Controller Red
OEM Controller Watermelon Red Clear
OEM Controller Black & Gray
OEM Controller Blue
Hudson Turbo JoyCard Controller

Gamecube Games

Game	Notes
Bionicle	Disc only
Crash Bandicoot Wrath of Cortex	Disc only
Fantastic 4	No manual
Fantastic 4	Disc only
Godzilla	Disc only
Harry Potter Goblet of Fire	Disc only
Harry Potter Prizoner of Azkaban	Disc only
Harry Potter Sorcerer's Stone	Disc only
Kids Next Door Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E	Disc only
King Kong	CIB
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events	Disc only
Lord of the Rings Return of the King	Disc only
Madagascar	CIB
Mario Kart Double Dash Bonus Disc	disc only
Mario Kart Double Dash	No Manual
Mario Power Tennis	Disc only
Mario Superstar Baseball	No manual
Mega man Network Transmission	Disc only
Metroid Prime	Disc only
Monsters Inc Scream Arena	Disc only
Nascar Chase for the Cup 2005	Disc only
Nascar Thunder 2003	Disc only
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	CIB, Players Choice
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	Disc only
NFL 2K3	Disc only
One Piece Grand Adventure	Disc only
One Piece Treasure Battle	Disc only
Over the Hedge	CIB
Paper Mario Thousand Year Door	CIB, Players Choice
Rocket Power Beach Bandits	No manual
Scooby Doo Unmasked	CIB
Shrek 2	CIB
Shrek 2	Disc only
Sonic Heroes	Disc only
Spiderman 2	Disc only
Spongebob Lights Camera Pants	CIB
Spongebob Squarepants Creature from the Krusty Krab	CIB
Star War Jedi Knight II Jedi Outcast	Disc only
Star Wars Rebel Strike Rogue Squadron III	Disc only
Taz Wanted	No manual
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Disc only
The Hobbit	Disc only
The Incredibles	Disc only
The Incredibles	Disc only
Wave Race Blue Storm	CIB

Wii Games

Game	Notes
AC DC Rockband Track Pack	CIB
Balls of Fury	Disc only
Bass Pro Shops The Strike Tournament Edition	Small sleeve version (no plastic case)
Batallion Wars 2	Disc only
Ben 10	No manual
Boom Blox	No manual
Cabela African Adventures	CIB - game art faded
Cabela Dangerous Hunts 2013	Disc only
Cooking Mama Cook Off	CIB
Cruis'n	Disc only
Dead Space Extraction	CIB
Disney Sing It Pop Hits	CIB
EA Active	CIB
Golden Compass	Disc only
Guitar Hero 3	CIB
Guitar Hero World Tour	CIB
Heavenly Guardian	sealed
Hollywood Squares	Disc only
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5	no manual
House of the Dead 2&3	Disc + manual
House of the Dead 2&3	CIB
House of the Dead Overkill	Disc only
Just Dance 2	sealed
Lego Batman 2	no manual
Mad World	CIB
Madden 11	CIB
Mario Super Sluggers	Disc only
Marvel Ultimate Alliance	CIB
MLB 2K10	CIB - game art slightly faded
Monster High Ghoul Spirit	Disc Only
Monster hunter 3 tri	No manual - art very faded
Netflix disc	Disc only
New Super Marios Bros	Case and manual only, no game
Ninja Reflex	No Manual
Pikmin	No manual
Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands	Disc only
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing	No manual
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing	Disc only
Redneck Jamboree	CIB
Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles	CIB
Sonic All Stars Racing	CIB
Sonic Secret Rings	CIB
Sonic Unleashed	CIB
Spiderman Edge of Time	No manual
Spongebob Squiggleplants	No manual
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 Masters	CIB - art on front slightly faded
Trivial Pursuit	CIB
UFC Trainer	No manual
Ultimate I Spy	CIB
Wii sports	Disc + manual
World of Zoo	No Manual
Victorious Boxers Revolution	CIB

WiiU Games

Game	Notes
007 Legends	CIB
Disney Infinity 3.0	Disc only
Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams	CIB
Lego Avengers	CIB
Lego Movie	CIB
Mario Kart Wii U System Box	System Box + both tray inserts
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate	CIB
Pokken Tournament	CIB
Star Fox Zero + Guard	CIB w/ Outer box, actual games are sealed
Super Mario 3D World	CIB
Super Mario Maker	CIB w/ Outerbox + idea book
Tekken Tag Tournament 2	disc only
Twilight Princess HD	CIB
Wii Party U	CIB
Wii Sports Club	CIB
Windwaker HD	disc only
Xenoblade Chronicles X	CIB
Yoshi's Wooly World	Sealed

Switch Games

Game	Notes
Atelier Lydie & Suelle	PAL version - CIB
Bravely Default 2	CIB
Moonlighter	CIB
Sakuna Rice and Ruin Divine Edition	Sealed
Skylanders Imaginators Starter Pack	CIB
YS 8 Standard Edition	Sealed

PS1 Games

Game	Notes
Air Combat	CIB GH
Asteroids	CIB
Breakout	CIB
Destruction Derby	CIB Longbox (cardboard)
Destruction Derby 2	disc only
Destruction Derby Raw	CIB
Driver	Missing Manual / Front art of Jewel Case
Driver 2	CIB
Frogger	Missing Manual / Front art of Jewel Case
Gran Turismo	CIB
Gran Turismo 2	CIB GH some cracks in case
Gran Turismo 2	CIB
IHRA Drag Racing	CIB
Interactive CD Sampler Pack Vol 3	Disc Only
Interactive CD Sampler Pack Vol 3	Disc Only
Invasion from Beyond	CIB
Iron & Blood	CIB
Jeremy McGrath Super Cross 98	CIB
Math Gallery Collection 1	disc only
Nascar 98	CIB
Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit	CIB GH
Pac-man World	CIB GH
Pong	CIB - case hinge kinda broken
Street Sk8ter	CIB
Striker 1945	Blockbuster sticker on disc
Syphon Filter 2	disc only (has discs 1 and 2)
Tomb Raider 2	CIB
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater	CIB
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2	CIB
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3	CIB
True Pinball	CIB
Wheel of Fortune	disc only
Wipeout	CIB flat longbox americanized cover variant
World's Scariest Police Chases	CIB
You Don't Know Jack	CIB

PS2 Games

Game	Notes
007 Agent Under Fire	CIB
Acme Arsenal	disc only
American Choppers 2	CIB
ATV Offroad Fury 2	CIB
Blitz The League	disc only
Blowout	CIB
Bully	CIB
Cars	No manual
Dance Dance Revolution Super Nova	CIB
Dukes of Hazard	CIB
ESPN 2K5	CIB
Fight Night 2004	CIB
Final Fantasy XII	Disc only
Frogger The Great Quest	CIB
Gran Turismo 3	CIB
Gran Turismo 4	CIB
GTA 3	CIB w/ Map
GTA Liberty City Stories	no manual
GTA Vice City Stories	CIB w/ Map
GTA Vice City Ultimate Codes	CIB
Guitar Hero III	CIB
Jaws Unleashed	No manual - sharpie on front
Kengo	CIB
Lord of the Rings Two Towers	Disc only
Medal of Honor European Assault	Disc only
Nascar 06	Disc only
Nascar Dirt to Daytona	CIB
NBA Live 2005	Disc only
NCAA Football 07	Disc only
NCAA Football 2004	CIB
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	CIB
Need for Speed Most Wanted Black	CIB
Need for Speed Pro Street	CIB
Need for Speed Pro Street	Disc only
Need for Speed Underground	GH CIB
Need for Speed Underground 2	CIB
NFL Street 2	no manual
Pinball Hall of Fame	CIB
Pirates Legend of the Black Buccaneer	No manual
Rock Band	No manual
Sly 2 Band of Thieves	GH CIB
Sly 3 Honor Among Thieves	GH CIB
Sprint Cars 2	CIB
Sprint Cars Road to Knoxville	CIB
SSX 3	GH no manual
SSX On Tour	CIB
Test Drive Eve of Destruction	disc only
The Sims	Disc only
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 01	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 02	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 02	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 03	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 04	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 04	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 05	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10	CIB
Wave Rally	CIB

PS3 Games

Game	Notes
Assassin's Creed	CIB
Assassin's Creed	GH CIB
Assassin's Creed II	CIB
Assassin's Creed Revelations	Sealed
Batman Arkham City	CIB
Battlefield 3 Limited Edition	No manual
Battlefield 3 Limited Edition	No manual
Battlefield 4	CIB
Battlefield 4	CIB
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Limited Edition	No manual
Beijing 2008	disc only
Borderlands 2	disc only
Borderlands 2	disc only
Borderlands 2	CIB
Brutal Legend	CIB
Call of Duty Black Ops	CIB
Call of Duty Ghosts	CIB
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2	CIB
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3	CIB
Call of Duty World at War	GH CIB
Dark Souls	CIB
Dark Souls	CIB
Dark Souls	CIB - Disc is greatest hits, case is regular
Dark Souls II	Disc is greatest hits, case is regular
Dead Space 3 Limited Edition	CIB
Destiny	CIB
Destiny	CIB
Def Jam Icon	Case and game, no manual
Demon Souls	CIB
Devil May Cry	CIB (art is sunfaded a bit)
Diablo 3	No Manual
Diablo 3	Disc Only
Dragon Age Inquisition	No manual
Dragon's Crown	CIB
Dragon's Crown	CIB
Duke Nukem Forever	Disc only
Duke Nukem Forever	Disc only
EA Active 2	CIB
Facebreaker	CIB
Family Game Night 4	disc only
Far Cry 3	CIB
Fifa 14	Disc only
Fifa 14	CIB
Fracture	disc only
God of War Ascension	CIB
God of War Collection	CIB
God of War III	CIB
God of War Origins Edition	CIB
God of War Saga	Sealed
Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition	CIB
Gran Turismo 5	CIB
Gran Turismo 6	no manual
Gran Turismo 6	Disc only
Grid	Disc only
GTA 4	GH CIB w/ map
GTA 4	GH CIB w/ map
GTA 5	no manual or map
GTA San Andreas	Disc only
Guitar Hero 3	CIB
Guitar Hero Live	CIB w/ dongle
Heavy Rain	Disc only
John Daly's ProStroke Golf	CIB
Kane & Lynch Dead Men	No manual
Killzone 2	CIB
Killzone 2	no manual
L.A. Noire	CIB
Lego Movie	no manual
Little Big Planet	GH CIB
Madden 13	Disc only
Madden 13	CIB
Madden 25	CIB
Madden 25	CIB
Madden 09	disc only
Madden 07	CIB
Mass Effect 2	CIB
Mass Effect 3	CIB
Metal Gear Solid 4	CIB
Metal Gear Solid 4	CIB
Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor	No manual
MLB The Show 12	Disc only
NCAA Football 09	Disc only
Need For Speed Rivals	Disc only
NHL 11	CIB
NHL 11	No manual
NHL 13	CIB
NHL 13	disc only
NHL 15	disc only
PlayStation Move	Disc only
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing	w/ Big Box, rod, game, and rod dongle/receiver
Ratchet & Clank Future A Crack in time	GH no manual
Ratchet & Clank Future A Crack in time	GH no manual
Ratchet & Clank Future A Crack in time	CIB
Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction	CIB
Resident Evil 5	CIB
Rock Band 2	CIB
Saints Row The Third	disc only
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments	CIB
Skylanders Giants	CIB
Skyrim	CIB GH (no map, unsure if GH had map)
Sly Cooper Thieves in Time	No manual
Smackdown vs Raw 2009	CIB
Socom 4	disc only
Soul Calibur 4	no manual
Sports Champions	CIB
Sports Champions	CIB
Start The Party	No manual
Tekken 6	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11	CIB
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10	no manual
Time Crisis 4	No manual
Timeshift	disc only (2x available)
Uncharted	CIB
Uncharted	GH No manual
Uncharted 2	no manual
Uncharted 2	CIB
Uncharted 2	CIB
Uncharted 2	CIB
Uncharted 3	CIB
Uncharted 3	CIB
Uncharted 3	CIB

PS4 Games

Game	Notes
Agents of Mayhem	disc only
Anthem	cib
Battleborn	disc only
Battleborn	disc only
Bayonetta Vanquish	CIB
Binding of Isaac	CIB
Bloodborne	CIB
Brunswick Pro Bowling	CIB
Call of Duty WWII	CIB
Cyberpunk 2077	CIB
Destiny 2	CIB
Deus Ex	disc only
Fifa 14	CIB
Fifa 15	CIB
Minecraft Story Mode	CIB
NHL 15	CIB
Nioh	CIB
Rock Band 4	Disc only
Spider-man	sealed
Ys VIII	disc only
Zombieland Double Tap	CIB

Original Xbox

Game	Notes
Outlaw Golf	CIB
LA Rush	No manual
Greg Hasting's Tournament Paintball	CIB
Madden 06	Disc Only
Lego Star Wars Video Game	No Manual
NFL Street	CIB
Roadkill	No Manual
Midtown Madness 3	No Manual
Flat Out 2	CIB
Grabbed By The Ghoulies	CIB

Xbox 360 - All collector's / limited editions are 100% complete. Many of the extras are still brand new or were kept in their box
Xbox 360 Games

Game	Notes
Army of Two 40 Days	Disc only
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood	CIB
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Collector's Edition	CIB
Assassin's Creed III Limited Edition	CIB
Battlefield 4	CIB
Big Bumpin	Sealed
Boderlands 2 Limited Edition Ultimate Loot Chest	CIB
Call of Duty Ghosts	CIB
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3	CIB
Dance Central 2	CIB
Dance Central 2	CIB
Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition	CIB
Disney Infinity 2.0	CIB
Disneyland Adventures	CIB
Disneyland Adventures	No manual
DJ Hero 2	CIB
DJ Hero 2	CIB
Elder Scrolls Oblivion Collector's Edition	CIB
Elder Scrolls Skyrim Collector's Edition	CIB
Fallout 3 Collector's Edition	CIB
Fifa 12	CIB
Fifa 12	CIB
Fifa 13	CIB
Fifa 14	CIB
Forza 3 / Halo ODST Double Pack	CIB
GTA V	No manual - only 1 insert
GTA V Collector's Edition	CIB
Just Dance 3	CIB
Just Dance 3	CIB
LA Noire	Discs only
Madden 25	CIB
Madden 25	no manual
MLB 2K13	CIB
MX Vs. ATV Alive	CIB
MX Vs. ATV Reflex	CIB
Naruto Rise of a Ninja	sealed
NBA Ballers Chosen One	No manual
NBA NK11	no manual
NBA NK13	CIB
NBA NK13	CIB
NBA NK13	no manual
NBA NK13	no manual
NHL 13	no manual
NHL 13	no manual
NHL 14	no manual
Pocket Bike Racer	Sealed
Rock Band 2	CIB
Shadow of Mordor	Discs and manual. No game art
Skate	No manual
Skate 2	Disc only
Skylanders Giants	No manual
Sneak King	Sealed
Soul Calibur IV	Disc only
Table Tennis	CIB
Tansformers War For Cybertron	No manual - art is sun faded
The Wolf Among Us	No manual
Tomb Raider Collector's Edition	CIB
Witcher 2	disc 1 only

Xbox One

Game	Notes
Doug Flutie's Maximum Football 2019
Dragonball Xenoverse XV
Fifa 14
Fifa 15
Fifa 15
Fifa 16
Madden 15
Madden 15
Madden 16
Madden 17
NBA 2k15
NBA 2k16
NHL 15
NHL 15
The Division	disc only
The Wolf Among Us
This is the Police
Wreckfest
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2
Tempest 4000
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour

Sega CD Games

Game	Notes
Slam City	Box w/ all 4 Discs, no manual
Fifa Soccer	Case and manual, no game
Corpse Killer	CIB

PSP Games

Game	Notes
Daxter Greatest Hits	CIB
Jeanne D'Arc demo disc NFR	Sealed
Game shield cover	small umd protector (3x avail)
Monster hunter freedom	umd only
Spiderman UMD Movie	CIB
Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron	CIB
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force	CIB no cards

Amiibo are loose unless noteed
Amiibo

Amiibo	Notes
Wolf	SSMB

32x Games

Game	Notes
Moto Cross
Virtua Racing	Label damage

Super Famicom

Game	Notes
Chrono Trigger	CIB
Derby Stallion 3	cart only
Dragon Ball Z	CIB
Dragon Ball Z 2	CIB
Dragon Quest I & II	CIB
Dragon Quest III	CIB
Excite Stage 94	cart only
Excite Stage 96	cart only
Exhaust Heat	CIB
F1 Grand Prix Part 3	CIB
Family / Famista Stadium 4 Baseball	cart only
Fire Emblem Genealogy Of Holy War	CIB
Kirby Super Star	CIB
Motoko's Wonder Kitchen	cart only
Mountain Stream King Fishing	cart only
Pachi Slot Monogatari: Universal Special	cart only
Prime Goal 3	cart only
Rockman X2	cart only
Sim City 2000	cart only
Space Bazooka	CIB
Space Invaders	cart only
Street Fighter II	CIB
Super bomberman 2	cart only
Super Bomberman 3	CIB
Super Donkey Kong	cart only
Super Goal! 2 (aka Takeda Nobuhiro no Super Cup Soccer)	CIB
Super Kyukyoku Harikiri Stadium	cart only
Super Zugan 2	cart only
Yoshi's Safari	CIB
Yoshi's Safari	CIB

Japanese N64 Games

Game	Notes
1080 Snowboarding	CIB
1080 Snowboarding	cart only
Animal Crossing / Doubutsu no Mori	cart only
Baku Bomberman	cart only
Banjo Kazooie	cart only
Banjo Kazooie 2	CIB - excellent condition
Banjo Kazooie 2	CIB - small writing on front of box
Bass Tsuri No. 1 Shigesato Ito Fishing	cart only
Blast Dozer	cart only
Bomberman 2 Baku	cart only
Bomberman Hero	CIB
Custom Robo V1	cart only
Custom Robo V2	cart only
Densha De Go	cart only
Derby stallion 64	cart only
Derby stallion 64	CIB
Diddy Kong Racing	cart only
Donkey Kong 64	cart only
Donkey Kong 64	CIB
Donkey Kong 64	Big box - No expansion pak items (insert, pak, or box). Otherwise CIB
Doraemon 2 Temple of Light	cart only
Excitebike 64	cart only
F-Zero X	cart only
Famista Family Stadium Baseball	cart only
Famista Family Stadium Baseball	CIB
Ganbare Nippon Olympic 2000	cart only
Goemon Mystical Ninja	cart only
Goldeneye 007	cart only
Harvest Moon 2	cart only
Hey You Pikachu	Big box - CIB w/ VRU
Hey You Pikachu	Big box - missing inserts and smaller game box. Includes game + vru
Hey You Pikachu	cart only
Hiru No Ken Twin Flying Dragon	cart only
Human Grand Prix	cart only
Human Grand Prix	CIB
J League 1999 Perfect Striker 2	cart only
J League Perfect Striker	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2000	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2001	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 4	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 5	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 6	cart only
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 6	Boxed - no manual
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 6	CIB
Jikkyou World Soccer 3	cart only
Kirby The Crystal Shards	CIB
Kirby The Crystal Shards	CIB w/ extra control guide "hyper copy technique"
Kirby The Crystal Shards	cart only
Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask	cart only
Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time	cart only
Magical Tetris Challenge Featuring Mickey	CIB
Mahjong Master	cart only
Mario Golf	cart only
Mario Golf	CIB
Mario Kart 64	cart only
Mario Party 1	cart only
Mario Party 2	cart only
Mario Party 2	Boxed - no manual
Mario Party 2	CIB
Mario Party 3	cart only
Mario Party 3	CIB
Mario Party 3	CIB
Mario Party 3	CIB
Mario RPG / Paper Mario	cart only
Mario Tennis	cart only
Mario Tennis	CIB
MRC Mutli-Racing Championship	cart only
Nushi Tsuri	CIB
Nushi Tsuri	cart only
Ogre Battle 64	cart only
Olympic Hockey 98	cart only
Ozumo Sumo Wrestling	cart only
Pilotwings	cart only
Pokemon Snap	cart only
Pokemon Stadium	cart only
Pokemon Stadium 2	Boxed - no manual
Pokemon Stadium 2	cart only
Pokemon Stadium Gold & Silver	cart only
Pro League 64 Baseball	cart only
Pro Mahjong Kiwame	cart only
Pro Yakyu King of Pro Baseball	cart only
Puyo Puyo Sun	cart only
Robot Ponkottsu	cart only
Shin Nihon Pro-wrestling Toukon Road Brave Spirits	cart only
Snowboard Kids	cart only
Star Wars Episode 1 Racer	cart only
Star Wars Rogue Squadron	CIB - outer box has some wear
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire	cart only
Starfox 64	cart only
Super B-Daman Battle Phoneix	cart only
Super Mario 64	cart only
Super Mario 64 Shindou / Rumble version	cart only
Super Mario 64 Shindou / Rumble version	CIB
Super Mario 64 Strategy Guide
Super Robot Taisen	cart only
Super Smash Bros	cart only
Super Smash Bros	CIB
Tamagotchi World	cart only
Tamagotchi World	Boxed - no manual
Transformers Beast Wars	cart only
Utchan Nanchan Flame Challenger	cart only
Wave Race 64	cart only
Wonder Project J2	cart only
Yoshi Story	cart only
Yoshi Story	CIB
Yoshi Story Strategy Guide

Japanese Wii

Game	Notes
Winning Eleven Play Maker 2013	CIB
Mario Strikers Charged	CIB
Wii Simple 2000 Series Vol 2 The Party Game	CIB
Donkey Kong Returns	No manual
Your First Step to Wii	No manual
Super Mario Collection	No manual
Mario Super Sluggers	No manual

Japanese Vita

Game	Notes
Dynasty Warriors Next	CIB
Exist Archive the Other Side of the Sky	CIB
Fate Extella	CIB
Fate Extella Regalia Box	Missing extras - Just LE box and Vita case + game
Freedom Wars	CIB
God Eater 2	CIB
God Eater 2 Rage Burst	CIB
Gravity Daze (Gravity Rush)	CIB - "The Best" version
Kaleido Eve	CIB
Legend of Heroes Blende of Locus II Limited Edition	CIB. CD still sealed
Monster Hunter Frontier G "Beginners Package"	CIB
Persona 4 Golden	CIB
Power Smash 4	CIB - "The Best" version
Professional Baseball Spirits 2013	CIB
Professional Baseball Spirits 2014	CIB
Ragnarok Odyssey	CIB
Soul Sacrifice	CIB
Super Robot Wars OG Taisen Saga 3 Pride of Justice	CIB
Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment	CIB
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization	CIB
Sword Art Online Lost Song	CIB
Sword Art Online Lost Song Limited Edition	CIB - game itself sealed
Uta No Prince Sama Repeat Love Premium Princess Box	Sealed
Utawareumono Mask of Truth	CIB

Wonderswan

Item	Notes
Beatmania	cart only
Beatmania	cart only
Chocobo Mysterious Dungeon	cart only w/ protector
Chocobo Mysterious Dungeon	cart only w/ protector
Detective Conan Case Closed	cart only
Digimon Adventure Anode Tamer	cart only
Digimon Adventure Cathode Tamer	cart only
Hataraku Chocobo	CIB
Mahjong Touryuumon	cart only w/ protector
Nice On Golf	CIB - sticker residue on front of box
One Piece "From TV Animation"	cart only w/ protector
Rockman & Forte	cart only w/ protector
Super Robot Taisen Compact	cart only w/ protector
Super Robot Taisen Compact	cart only w/ protector
Tarepanda no Gunpey	cart only w/ protector
Trump Collection	cart only w/ protector
Vaitz Blade	cart only w/ protector
Vaitz Blade	cart only w/ protector
Wonder Stadium 99	cart only w/ protector

Wonderswan Color

Item	Notes
Digimon Tamers Battle Spirit	cart only
Digimon Tamers Battle Spirit	cart only w/ protector
Digimon Tamers Digimon Medley	cart only
Final Fantasy	CIB
Final Fantasy	CIB
Final Fantasy	CIB
Final Fantasy	cart only w/ protector
Final Fantasy II	CIB
Final Fantasy II	CIB
Final Fantasy II	CIB
Final Fantasy II	CIB
Final Fantasy II	cart only w/ protector
Final Fantasy II	cart only w/ protector
Hunter x Hunter Determination	CIB
Hunter x Hunter Determination	cart only
Hunter x Hunter Determination	cart only
Inuyasha Kagome's Dream Diary	cart only
Kinnikuman Nisei Choujin Seisenshi	cart only
Mobile Suit Gundam Vol. 1 Side 7	cart only
One Piece Grand Battle	cart only w/ protector
One Piece Treasure Niji no Shima Densetsu	cart only
SD Gundam G Generation Mono Eye Gundams	cart only w/ protector
Shaman King Asue no Ishi	cart only w/ protector

Japanese PS1

Item	Notes
Arc the Lad I	CIB w/ Spine card
Arc the Lad I	CIB
Arc the Lad II	CIB w/ Stickers
Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu Art Truck Battle	CIB
Bastard Utsuronaru Kamigami no Utsuwa	CIB
Beatmania	CIB
Beatmania Append 4th Mix	CIB w/ Spine card
Beatmania Append Gotta Mix	CIB w/ Spine card
Bomberman Land	Manual + Disc + Blank jewel Case
Bomberman Wars	CIB
Breeding Stud	CIB w/ Spine card
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon	CIB
Cyber Sled	CIB
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) 2nd Remix Append Club Ver 1	CIB
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) 2nd Remix Append Club Ver 2	CIB
Densha De Go	CIB
Derby Stallion 99	CIB
Dragon Quest VII	CIB w/ Spine card
DX Jinsei Game II Game of Life	CIB
DX Monopoloy	No manual
DX Nippon Tokkyou Ryokou Game Let's Travel Japan	CIB
Fighting Illusion K-1 GP 2000	CIB
Final Fantasy Tactics	CIB
Final Fantasy V	CIB
Final Fantasy VIII	CIB
Fist of the North Star	CIB
Gekitotsu Toma L'Arc: Tomarunner vs L'Arc-en-Ciel	CIB
GPM Gunparade March	CIB
Gucho de Park	CIB
Gundam the Battle Master	CIB
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	CIB
Honkaku Mahjong Tetsumen Special	CIB "Best" version
Hots Shots Golf 2	CIB
I.Q Final	CIB
Itadaki Street Gorgeous King	CIB
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 95	CIB
Kawa no Nushi Tsuri: Hikyou o Motomete	Disc only
Kileak the Blood	CIB
Kouryuu Sangoku Engi	CIB
Martial Beat	CIB
Mingo Country Club Golf	CIB w/ Spine card
Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counter Attack	CIB
Monster Farm	CIB
Moon Remix	CIB
Pass Max 2	CIB
Pocket Fighter	CIB + Pocket fighter stickered memory card
Pop'n Music 6	CIB
Pop'n Music 6	CIB
Puyo Puyo 2	CIB w/ Stickers
Quest for Fame Aerosmith	Big Box Complete w/ Pick
Rockman X4	CIB
Rockman X5	CIB w/ Spine card
Rockman X6	CIB
RPG Maker 3	CIB
SaGa Frontier I	CIB
SD Gundam G Generation	CIB
Shin Super Robot Taisen	CIB
Simulation Zoo	CIB
Super Robot Wars F	CIB
Tales of Destiny	CIB w/ Spine card
Tales of Eternia	CIB
Tenchu Shinobi Hyakusen	CIB w/ Spine card
Tennis no Oji-Sama: Sweat and Tears	CIB
Tetsunoko Fight	CIB w/ Spine card
The Chess Simple 1500 Series Vol 9	CIB
The Crown is For You Baseball	CIB w/ Spine card
The Fifth Element	CIB
The King of Fighters 95	CIB
The Tetris SuperLite 1500	CIB
Thirteen of Black / Kuro No Juusan	CIB
Tokyo Majin Gakuen Gehoujou High School Limited Edition	CIB
Trap Gunner	CIB w/ Spine card
Wedding Peach Doki Doki Oironaosi	CIB

Japanese PS2

Item	Notes
Canvas 2 Rainbow Color Sktech	CIB
D.C. II P.S. Da Capo II Plus DX Box Set	CIB
Dragon Ball Z 3	CIB
Everybody's Golf 3	CIB
Final Fantasy XI Special Art Box	CIB
Gachinko Pro Yakyuu Professional Baseball	CIB
Gekikuukan Pro Yakyuu At the End of the Century 1999	CIB
Gundam Musou Special	CIB
Kamen Rider Blade	CIB
Kanokon: Esuii	CIB
Kao no nai Tsuki Select Story DX Edition	CIB
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Let's Ansatsu!?	CIB
Mahjong Taikai III Millenium League	Disc only
Mobile Suit Gundam	CIB
Mobile Suit Gundam Climax U.C.	CIB
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed	CIB
Mobile Suit Gundam VS Z Gundam	CIB
Mobile Suit Gundam Z: AEUG vs. Titans	CIB
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon DX	CIB
Mystic Heroes - Chou Battle Housin	CIB
Naruto: Uzumaki Ninden Chronicles	CIB
Onimusha	CIB
Puyo Puyo 2 Perfect Set	CIB
Ratchet & Clank	CIB
Ratchet & Clank 2 Going Commando (GaGaGa!)	CIB "The Best" version
Ratchet & Clank 3	CIB "The Best" version
SD Gundam G Generation Neo	CIB
SD Gundam G Generation Seed	CIB
SD Gundam G Generation Spirits	CIB
Shin Onimusha Dawn of Dreams	CIB
Soul Eater Battle Resonance	CIB
Sui Year Zun Sweet Season	CIB
Taiko Risshiden IV	CIB
The Prince of Tennis Smash Hit! 2	CIB
To Heart	CIB
Viewtiful Joe A New Hope	CIB

Japanese PS3

Item	Notes
Power Smash 3 Virtua Tennis	CIB
Tales of Vesperia	CIB - "The Best" version
Wining Eleven 2013	CIB

Japanese PS4

Item	Notes
Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online Limited Edition	CIB

Want
Pokemon game wants (NTSC/US)
GBC pokemon crystal cart
GBA pokemon fire red cart
DS pokemon pearl CIB or cart only
3DS Pokemon Ultra Moon CIB
Gamecube Pokemon Colosseum CIB (main game, not bonus disc)
PS5 Wants
Neptunia Reverse
Record of Lodoss Wonder Labyrinth
Returnal
Kena bridge of spirits
Star Ocean
Valkyrie Elysium
Potentially other PS5 Offers
Box/Case/Manual wants
2DS XL Pokeball Edition Box & Inserts only
Code of Princess EX - Switch Case
DS Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - case and manual
DS Chocobo Tales - case and manual
DS Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - case and manual
DS pokemon white 2 Case and manual
DS pokemon black - Case and manual
DS Shin Megami Tensai Devil Survivor 2 - Case and manual only
Harvest Moon DS - case + manual
New Nintendo 3DS XL Galaxy Edition Box & Inserts only
Mario & Luigi Dream League 3DS XL Box & Inserts only
Mario Power Tennis Gamecube - Case + Manual
Phantasy star 1 & 2 plus gamecube - manual only
Pikmin 2 gamecube - manual only
Pokemon Channel Gamecube - Case and Manual
3DS Pokemon Art Academy - Case and manual
Pokemon XY Red 3DS XL Box & Inserts only
Puppeteer PS3 - Manual only
Other wants
Capcom Fighting Collection - Switch
Chrono Trigger - DS complete with map or just the map
Dreamcast light gun - needs to be a US model that will work with house of the dead 2.
Enter the gungeon - Switch
F-Zero - Looks for Gamecube (cib for gcn) and N64 cart
Final Fantasy 1 - NES cart
Final Fantasy XI collectables - open to offers if you have any
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - Switch
Fire Emblem games for 3DS
Ikaruga - Gamecube
Katamari Games - Looking for the Vita, Xbox 360, and PS2.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
Kirby Return to Dreamland Deluxe - Switch
Legend of Zelda offers - open to offers on non explicitly stated zelda games, merch/items, etc.
Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks - DS CIB
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - Switch
Muramasa - PS Vita
Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol 1 - Switch
PS2 Light gun offers - looking for Light Gun games such as the time crisis series and a guncon for ps2.
Rabi-Ribi - PS4/Vita
Ratchet and Clank Quest for Booty PS3 (physical version, I think it's PAL exclusive)
Ratchet and Clank Vita Collection (physical version, I think it's PAL exclusive)
Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash All service edition - PS4
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Switch
Tales Games for PS3 - Looking for Xilia 2 and Graces F
Tornado Outbreak - PS3
Virtual Boy - looking for a working system and some games (need system before game offers)
Wii U - Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - special edition
Wii U - HD Windwaker Limited Edition (the one with the figure/statue)
Ys games CIB (mostly looking for PSP and older)
Zone of the Enders HD Collection - PS3
In the rare event anyone has a IIDX DJ DAO Phoenix Wan controller they want to swap I am looking for one.
Looking to work towards complete collection for Wii U - feel free to send offers for Wii U games you may be looking to trade off. Only interested in CIB items.
Potentially open to PS3-5/Vita/PSP/N64/GCN/Switch/3DS/DS offers. I am primarily interested in JRPGs (especially action RPGs), 2D platformers/action games, arcadey games, schmups, beat em ups, etc., but feel free to send me a list to look at!
Willing to consider Pokemon TCG trades as well (English or Japanese, singles/slabs/sealed)
I am not interested in digital codes for games (primarily seeking to add to physical collection).

So I decided to try out the Stargazer civic for Hives and combined it with Terravores (first time playing those) and Quantum catapult origin. We gazed at the stars and saw food, luckily, the delivery service is nearby. Had over 20 planets in 20 years on 0.25 setting (as I always play), all neat. But I have to click the Consume planet decision every year per planet. Am I missing some kind of automation of this process? Because aside from on 5 core worlds, I build nothing, I just click the decision

I'm writing this from the ruins of our old diner. This will be my last post.
When the bus came to an abrupt stop suddenly, I pressed my head against the window and peered out, hyper alert of my surroundings.
I was seeing a large glass building which reminded me of a school, or maybe a hospital. It looked far more modern than anything in Littlewood. It hit me that this was the Halfway House we had been promised solace ever since we were kids. I vaguely remembered our class being told about the curse and quickly following that up with, “But we’ll keep you safe. Like we do every year, we send our seniors to a place of healing to prepare them for the outside world after going through such trauma where they can mend and reignite themselves."
Ironic wording, considering what really happened to us.
In actuality, I knew exactly what it was. The whispering in my head had revealed the Halfway House’s true meaning. Inside that building we were going to burn. We were going to fucking burn and nobody was coming to save us. Not our parents or the town. Leaning back in my chair, my gaze flicked to the front where two armed guards were beginning to escort my classmates off of the bus. I had already made my decision when I grabbed Jun’s sleeve and yanked him under the seat in front of us. He let out a sharp gasp, almost a sound of protest. “Bee, what are you doing? Get off--"
Slamming my hand over his mouth, I pressed myself into a ball, pulling him further under the seat. The thud, thud, thud, of the guards' boots sent slithers of fear creeping up and down my spine. They passed us. I could hear their breaths, their muttering to each other.
The guards already knew our game. I sensed them checking under each seat—which motivated me to shuffle myself further under until I couldn’t breathe. Jun didn’t move, his breaths sharp and heavy into the flesh of my palm. After a moment which seemed to go on forever, thudding boots retreated back towards the front of the bus. I squeezed my eyes shut when the engines started up once again. Gripping Jun for dear life, I settled on taking deep breaths. We were going to get out, I thought. We were going to escape.
“Can you get off of me?" Jun tried to squirm from my grip, but I tightened my hold on him.
“Shh.” I said under my breath. “Don’t make a sound, okay?”
"Why? We're going to the Halfway house!"
I bit back a yell, stopping him from crawling away from me. "There is no halfway house."
Once the bus started to move, keeping a firm grip on Jun’s sleeve, I pulled us from our hiding place and lifted my head, scanning for somewhere better. The back was our best bet. When I started towards it, dragging Jun with me, however, I spotted two familiar faces already in hiding. Jonas and Mira. Jun let out a low grumble, and part of me couldn't believe he was still salty about Jonas in this situation.
Without speaking, we joined them, with Jonas shuffling back so I could join him, pulling a reluctant Jun with me. It was an uncomfortable squeeze but we were safe. I allowed myself to breathe when the bus fell into a steady drive. But I didn’t have time to relax. I was considering asking Jonas in low whispers why he had chosen to hide, when once again the bus came to a jolting stop. “Forty six?” The bus driver all but thundered from the front. “What are you talking about? Fifty were loaded onto the bus. I fucking counted them!"
Shit. Shooting the other’s a panicked look, I weighed our options. Four against one.
We could easily get past him.
“No. No, we did a sweep of the bus!" His voice was growing panicked. "There’s nobody on here."
Jonas twisted around, shooting me a questioning look.
What the fuck is wrong with him? He mouthed.
I pressed my index over my lips in response.
Jun let out a frustrated hiss, and I instantly knew what he was going to do. Before he could, however, I was slamming my hand over his mouth once again, this time with Jonas' help, cutting off his strangled, "We're over–"
Jonas shoved us further under, dragging a struggling Jun. "Do you want us to get caught!?" He exploded in a hiss of breath.
Jun only muffled into my hand, and I half wondered if knocking him out would benefit us. The bus driver’s voice was eerily shaky. I could hear every tremble in his tone. “Check? Yes! Uh, yes, I’ll check now. Don’t worry, alright? There’s no more kids on this bus. They must have ran away."
When the driver started down the aisle in a bumbling stumble, ducking under each seat, I attempted to hide. I mean there was nowhere to hide, though I at least tried to shove myself uncomfortably further under the damn seat until we were squashed like sardines. “Hey!”
The driver’s steps quickened towards us and I felt my body catapult into fight or flight.
“What are you kids still doing here?” When I lifted my head to meet his eyes, I expected anger. There was no anger, however. I was seeing frustration and fear, trickles of pain blooming in wide cartoon-like eyes. The guy was keeping his distance from us, I noticed.
Like we were teeming with the plague. It was a curse, not a contagious virus.
"What do we do?" Jonas murmured.
"We stay here."
"But he's looking directly at us." He said in a sing-song voice. "I don't think he's blind."
Before I could stop him, Jonas was awkwardly dislodging himself from the gap underneath the seats. He jumped to his feet and raised his arms in mocking surrender. His smile was bright, but there was an underlying darkness in his eyes, and I had no doubt he wouldn’t resort to violence. “Yeah, okay, you got us. We were just hitchhiking back to town. I’m not a fan of the whole half-way house thing,” he said. “I’d rather just ride back into town and go and see my pops.” His lip curled. “I want to see if he’s okay. You know, after last night. I'm sure you know I'm a little on edge."
“No.” The driver’s eyes filled with tears. “No…” he shook his head rapidly, his arms trembling at his sides. “You're not going anywhere. You.. you're staying right there."
"What, so I get possessed by the dead souls of my ancestors and now I don't have basic human rights?" Jonas rolled his eyes with a scoff. "You're legally inclined to let me go. I don't want to go to some weird halfway house and pretend I didn't gut my best friend's mother, alright? I'm going home, asshole."
The driver didn't move. "I'm telling you to… to stay back." He moaned. "Please. I have a wife. I have a wife and two children, and I just got promoted! I don't need this shit!"
Jonas' eyes darkened. "What did you say?"
"Jonas…" Jun hissed out.
"No, no, I'm curious to know what the fuck this guy's problem is," The boy spat. "I woke up tangled in my neighbors guts, and this guy…" He started to laugh, a hysterical giggle collapsing into a sob. "This guy thinks his job is more important?"
"You're a disease." The man said in a whisper. "You shouldn't… exist." His gaze flicked to me. "All of you. You're a disease."
A look of hurt sparked in the boy's eyes, and his lip curled. “The curse is over, Jackass! I'm not going to kill you!" Jonas cocked his head, his expression crumpling with confusion when the guy started sobbing. "Are you…crying? Jeez, what did I say, huh? I'm not going to kill you! We just want to go home, alright? Look! I'm holding up my hands. Just take us home."
Just as promised, Jonas held up his hands.
I chose to stand at that point. Jun followed hesitantly, Mira following, staying behind Jonas. The driver stiffened, backing away.
“I said stay back!" He hissed out. “Do you hear me?” His shaky hand went into his jacket, his eyes squeezing shut like he was expecting something. Pulling out a phone, the man's fingers nervously tapped the screen. He didn't take his eyes off us. “I’m taking you kids back to the Halfway House, alright?"
He nodded at us like we would agree if he looked as pathetic as possible. And he did. The guy looked like he was ready to drop to his knees and beg. “Just… stay there.”
I caught the exact moment he dropped the notion of an authority figure. His lips twisted when Jonas ignored his instructions and took a casual step towards him. If this guy had a gun, I knew he would use it. Instead, he stumbled back with a cry. “Don’t fucking move! I mean it!”
Jonas' lip curved. He raised a brow. “Like this?” Another step.
This time, the man let out a shriek.
“Jonas.” Jun said. “Dude, stop. You're scaring him."
"Scaring him? What's to be scared of?" He laughed. "The night's over, and this guy still thinks a bunch of kids are going to gut him."
"I don't know," Jun whispered, "but don't get too close, okay? He looks freaked."
“Why?” Jonas twisted around to look at him. “This guy’s got fucking problems. Didn't I tell him we weren't a threat?"
I caught a glimmer of that maniacal glitter left over from overnight. “Let me guess,” Jonas laughed. “Do you see dead people?” In three strides, he was face to face with the guy. Nose to nose. Still smiling. The driver was petrified to the spot, like Jonas was inhuman. His eyes were wide, lips moving, but he wasn't speaking. "You look like you're about to poop yourself over a bunch of teenagers, my guy. Kind of pathetic, dontcha think?"
"I…" The man's bottom lip trembled. His breaths were heavy, his mouth twisting and turning and trying to speak. I would have felt sorry for him, if it wasn't for him being responsible for bringing my class to the slaughter. He couldn't even get words out, wide eyes pinpointed on Jonas and Jun like they were ghosts. Something was building in my head, a pressure harsh enough to make my nose bleed.
I found myself staring out of the window. I had initially caught the movement of a lamppost swaying back and forth. But there was no wind. When I squinted, I noticed more things which didn't make sense; a patch of flowers which had been planted outside the Halfway House were… drooping. No, not just drooping. They were blackening, rotting away into their soil, petals being whisked into the air and coming apart.
It was 10:30 in the morning, and the sky was darkening.
Jun started forwards and grabbed Jonas’s wrist, and with the two of them so close, the man let out a childish whine which only confused Jonas further. Outside, a tree I was so sure had been standing tall and proud, crashed onto the ground suddenly, the force of the impact rattling the bus. I fought to hold on. The pressure was building in my brain, and suddenly I couldn’t… I couldn’t breathe. “Hey!” Jonas yelled in the driver's frozen face. “What did I say, huh? The curse is over! You don’t have to be scared of us anymore, alright? Just… take us home–"
Bubble-gum.
It sounded like bursting bubble-gum.
I didn’t hear the latter half of what he’d said because the bus windows were suddenly bright red, dripping red. The floor was red, the seats, and the ceiling. Jonas was red, and I could feel splatters of it on my cheeks and speckled on my chin. The others had gotten the worst of it, but it was still painting me. The red was warm and wet, like I had bathed in it. It was at my feet, pooling and spilling and spattering every colour from existence. I felt like I was back in on the school corridor being suffocated by a wet rag pressed over my mouth, horrifying images projecting into my hand from the fumes. But these weren't delusions. This was real. It was happening.
There was a dizzying moment when I thought it was raining blood before my brain found reality and I blinked at the spot where the driver had stood in front of us—and it began to dawn on me. I hadn’t been looking at the man when he popped out of existence. I was watching the leaves on the trees outside start to brown and then blacken into nothing. Like there was an invisible force decaying everything in its path. Jonas, who looked like he was starring in Cannibal Holocaust, twisted around to face me with wide, almost unseeing eyes. He looked like he might say something before the bus shook, and I forced myself to move, to find the window.
Outside, the ground had started to crack apart, zigzagging raptures spreading like fire across the sidewalk. Jun grabbed my arm and pulled me off the bus, Jonas diving off first, Mira on his heel. The world was crumbling around us, I realised. I could see it in flocks of birds flying across the sky in a panic. When we found solid ground, Jonas started hyperventilating. I was half listening to him mutter obscenities to himself, eyeing the growing sinkhole eating up everything in front of us. A woman jumped into her car and attempted to drive straight ahead before another tree collapsed, crushing her. “This is the curse.” Jonas said shakily. “It’s got to be, right? But why would they still be mad?"
The four of us teetered on a safe piece of sidewalk.
Mira wasn’t speaking. I think she was frozen. Traumatised. I could barely see her through the red.
“Nope.” Jun murmured. He swiped blood from his eyes with his sleeve. “It’s because we’re refusing to save the world.”
“What?” Jonas spluttered.
The ground started to split in front of me and I staggered back, my stomach galloping into my throat.
“He’s brainwashed.” I found myself gritting out. “Jun’s convinced we’re saving the world.”
“Like… like The Avengers?” Jonas grabbed his arm with a laugh. “Dude, did you hit your head?”
“No.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Didn’t I make it clear I didn’t want to talk to you?”
“Well, you might as well! Since the fuckin’ world is ending!” He paused. "If this about me and Wendy--"
Jun laughed. "You're telling me this now?!"
“Stop.” Mira cut in, her cry breaking into a sob. “Just shut up. Shut up! I can't think!"
Their back and forth was barely a whisper in the back of my mind while I watched chaos unfold in front of me. Have you ever heard a human being explode?
It kind of sounds like bubble gum bursting.
I glimpsed a running man hand in hand with a little kid before both of them went “Poof!” against the store window, painting it in a whole new colour.
Like a domino effect, the town's people started rupturing like the ground beneath us. I was staring at an old woman struggling to hobble through a panicking crowd when the mayor announced himself via megaphone across a particularly large crack in splintered concrete. Armed guards surrounded him and I wondered if whatever this was would spare him. “Stay exactly where you are!”
“Do you understand me? Do not move!”
When they risked coming closer, part of me revelled in seeing fear prickle in their eyes. Behind the mayor, was our principal. His face beet red. The guy was seething. “Can you kids understand what you have done?”
Uh, yeah.
I think we had accidentally caused the death of Littlewood.
I didn’t say that, though. I wanted answers and Jun and Jonas seemed in their own world, watching our town crumble around us. “The curse.” I said shakily when they were close enough to hear us. The bookshop I’d frequented my whole life started to crumble behind me, windows splintering with the force of the quake. But It barely fazed me. Neither did the little girl screaming for her exploding mother showering her in scarlet. “Who really started it?”
The mayor dropped his megaphone. “If I tell you, will you hand yourselves over?”
Even his voice was shaking.
I nodded. “Of course.”
"What?!" Jonas shot me a look.
"She's not being serious, idiot," Jun muttered to him. "She's stalling."
The mayor's lips twisted. “No fighting? No more questions?”
“Sure.” I said, gesturing to the world around us. “You should hurry up though. Unless you want to turn into brain soup.”
If the phenomenon happening around us wanted to take the three of us, we would already be dead. It wasn’t targeting us, however. It was killing everyone except us.
Which spoke volumes.
“Uh, no,” Jonas hissed, tugging on my sleeve. “We should run. Like, right fucking now. I don't care what you want to say, okay? I don't want to be part of this!"
“Let him explain.” I said.
“Bee, are you serious?” Mira's eyes were wide, cartoon like.
“Very.” I told her, before directing my words at the mayor. “I want to know why you made Noah Sharpe kill my mother eleven years ago. And I don't want bullshit."
A woman who was mid run across the ruins of the sidewalk blossomed into a cloud of red, and I only just glimpsed what was left of her bag landing onto the ground with a comical splat. The mayor looked like he might argue or even attempt to capture us right there and then. But he didn’t give the order. Instead, he pasted on a strict smile. “Two hundred years ago in the year 1799, the elders of this town made a grave mistake which they knew they would regret for the coming years, dooming their children, and their ancestors to eternal misery” He cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Littlewood was on the brink of collapse. Women were unfortunately barren and unable to bear children, and nothing they tried would work. They tried everything, Bee. Everything which would work and wouldn't - - old wives tales, and whispers in the wind carrying word of mouth. The town had no other option and were forced to make a terrible choice. Our elders prayed to an entity and asked for good luck and prosperity to help us through trying times, and for their women to no longer be barren."
“Prayed?” Jun frowned. “Like… to a God?”
“You could say that.” The mayor smiled proudly.
"No, you said… you said there was a fire," Jonas whispered. He was already in denial. "That's what you told us! You told us there was a fire which killed a bunch of kids…and we’re punished because you didn’t help them. Because you let them burn."
The mayor was doing a good job of skirting around actual conversation.
He nodded gravely. “That was the story we told you, yes. It was built on the bones of the truth. However, the reality of what really happened would cause panic. The truth is our ancestors sacrificed fifty teenagers in the year 1799. They were a gift to this entity in control of our beloved town. As you already know, human sacrifice was practised in those days. Some say it was normal. Human blood and life force was seen as the greatest gift Littlewood's bearers could accept— as well as the soul from an elder, or an authority of the town. But of course we couldn't do that. In the simplest of terms, our elders were.. more important. ” He folded his arms. “However, what they did not know is that those sacrifices were… impure. They had engaged in certain activities which would be deemed… unsanitary, or maybe that's not the word for it. They, ahh.. I'm not sure how to–"
“They fucked.” Jonas cut him off with an eye-roll.
The mayor’s gaze found the ground.
“Indeed.” He said. “Angered, the entity demanded more than the town could give it, and when town’s people started to notice rotting food and animals disappearing, rumours of a beast lurking in the trees beginning to circulate, they struck a deal. Every year following, the eighteen year olds, with fifty being the minimum, would be sacrificed as our punishment.”
“Burned.” I corrected in a scoff.
The man found my gaze. “In those times, yes. Burned at the stake. However, throughout the years we have found a far more humane way to complete the ritual.”
Yeah. Incineration.
“I’m not a virgin.” Jonas said dryly.
“That doesn’t matter.” The mayor said. “Whether you are or not, fifty sacrifices were demanded to make up for the towns sins. If the debt wasn’t paid, however, the entity threatened a wrath greater than hell on earth to strike our town and then the world.” This time he lifted his gaze and looked me directly in the eye like I was supposed to feel guilty. “What we call The Teen Purge would be child’s play in comparison to what they have planned for us,” he continued. “If the correct number of sacrifices are not made, Littlewood will fall, which will cause a domino effect. Destruction will spread to neighbouring towns and then cities, followed by countries across the world, killing billions of people.” The mayor gestured around us as spattered red. “As you can see, we are already seeing the start of it.”
“So… two hundred years ago, you idiots prayed to an inhuman entity and actually expected them to give you what you wanted?” Mira whispered.
Then she laughed to my surprise. “You killed fifty kids because a faceless presence told you to?”
“Like I said, Mira,” The mayor’s tone grew cold. “Human sacrifice was considered normal in those days. I’m not saying what our ancestors did was right, but they were starving. Their women could not bear children.”
“What does that have to do with turning us into psychopaths?” I found myself asking, my voice was trembling. “Why did Noah kill my mom?”
This time, the man wore the slightest of smiles. “Do you really think parents would agree to us murdering their children if we didn’t make them fear them? If we didn’t plant the idea in their head that it was their twisted child’s life or innocent towns people? Your parents were as in the dark as you. In their eyes, you were cursed. Killers. You had to be taken away.”
“You’re kidding.” Jonas looked frantic, his eyes darting around, searching for an escape, “Do you seriously think I’ll die for a town which has ostracized us since were five years old? Who made us think we were fucking monsters?”
“Mr Lockhart, the sole reason why this town is crumbling around us is because you are still breathing.” The Mayor told him. “Right now, forty six seniors have been… gifted as part of our yearly ritual. That is not enough to stop them from destroying us. We need exactly fifty sacrifices.”
“Well, good luck finding them.” Jonas said in a choked laugh. “I’m sorry, but no. If you think I’m going to willingly sacrifice myself, you’re deluded!”
“Jonas.” The principle at least tried to be sympathetic. “I know you don’t want to do this, but which would you prefer? A world which is no longer recognisable, one which you wouldn’t be able to survive anyway, or a peaceful euthanasian? Your father is still alive. You will be saving him.”
“I don’t care!” He sputtered. “You think I give a fuck about anyone in this town? You’re an elder,” He accused. “Why not give yourself to them, huh?”
“That’s…” The Mayor looked taken aback for a moment. “Mr Lockhart, that is incredibly disrespectful.”
"So is murdeding our entire senior class! " He gasped out, his body trembling. Jonas backed away, grabbing Jun’s hand, and then mine. I held on, but Jun wrenched away from his grasp, his eyes far too empty for me to bear.
“The girl who told me she had a siren in her head,” He said softly. “She said I was going to save billions of lives, and this is what she meant.”
Jonas let out a sound of distain, and Mira laughed again. Her laughter was hysterical.
There was a content smile on Jun’s face and I realised with a pang in my chest, that I preferred it to the agony twisting his expression when I’d found him. I wanted him to be happy, to be at peace. But not like this. I wanted to run away with him, with Jonas and Mira, even if this twisted fate demanded otherwise. Jun strode over to the guards, with two out of four spontaneously combusting in their helmets before the remainder grabbed and restrained him. For a moment, Jonas looked like he might join him. I saw it in his expression, in his eyes filling with tears.
He took a shaky step forward like he would abandon self-preservation for a boy he had confusing feelings for, a boy who was locked into a fantasy nobody could pull him out of. Before he turned on his heel and ran. I watched him go, concrete splintering under his every clumsy step, as he pushed himself into a sprint. I respected that Jonas had chosen himself over the town. His own life over 7 billion people. He didn’t owe Littlewood anything.
“Mr Lockhart!” The mayor yelled, a look of panic twisting his expression.
“Go after him! We need fifty sacrifices!”
The guards hesitated.
They were scared to get near any of us.
“Go!”
After hesitating, they were stumbling after him, but Jonas was already out of sight.
He nodded to the remaining guards holding Jun. “Take him to the halfway house. They’re waiting for him."
At his words, I found myself backing away, and an almost childlike look of pain crossed his face. “Bee.” The mayor stamped the ground like a child, like he was having a tantrum. “Did you not hear him?” He shook Jun like a doll, his smile widening into a grin. “You’re going to save the world!”
No.
I laughed at him. In his fucking face.
He had to be kidding!
He’d taken away my mom, and Noah— now Jun. My entire fucking class.
To make up for a mistake THEY had made. We were being punished for what they had done.
For 200 years, we had suffered.
Because of them.
And he expected me to give myself up?
One look at Jun told me he would never follow me. He had already made his choice.
Still though, I smiled at him.
And he smiled back.
Not a Wonderland Smile, a real smile.
“You’re insane.” I found myself spluttering. “You actually want to die.”
Jun rolled his eyes. “Die?” He said. “Who wants to die? No, Bee. I don’t want to die.” My friend laughed, and the guard holding him flinched, as if a single movement or expression would trigger him to combust like the others. “What did I tell you? I want to go visit my dad before Christmas. I want to move across the country and start fresh in a new college. I want to…” he pulled a face. “I want to eat New York pizza and kiss a stranger, make mistakes that I learn from. Maybe I want to go skinny dipping in mid-December, drive through late night traffic with my head stuck out of the window singing to cheesy pop. Barf all over myself after too much drinking, and then do it all over again the next night because I have zero self-control.”
The more he was speaking, the more I realised I was losing him. No, I’d lost him.
Jun was speaking in goodbye, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. Because, if he had made his choice to give in to his fate, then what business did I have trying to save him? He would only hate me. He was doing a bad job of acting like goodbye didn’t matter to him though, swiping at sore eyes. “The list goes on, Bee! Of course I want to live, idiot,” he laughed again, though it was more of a sob. I thought I was getting through to him. I knew deep, deep down, he didn’t want this either. But Jun was a good person.
He stepped out of the guards restraint , and into my arms. He was warm, and I held onto that. “Nobody ever wants to die,” He mumbled into my shoulder. I squeezed him tighter. “even on the edge of life, even with that storm cloud over their head, the suffocating pressure in their chest. All of that anxiety and pain knotting up their gut telling them they’re not worth it. That they should give up. They all still want to live. They want that reason to keep going.”
I knew exactly what he was talking about. Why I couldn't step in front of traffic or cut open my wrists. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe not all of Jun was gone. His eyes were far too sad for me to call them empty. Brainwashed. “But,” he stumbled over his words, pulling away so abruptly, I felt like all the air in my lungs had been sucked away. “How is it fair that I live while everyone else dies? Our whole class, Bee. How could I stay breathing while they sacrificed themselves for us every year prior?”
“They didn’t have a choice!” I said through gritted teeth. “Do you really think they willingly walked in there? They didn’t want to die, Jun! I saw them die. All of them."
Jun’s eyes flickered to the guards in front of him, and for a moment it looked like I was getting through to him. He made the slightest of movements, his hand grasping hold of my wrist, fingernails digging into my flesh. I felt that desperation to live. Even if he insisted it was the opposite, I knew he was putting on a brave face. But then our Principal was gone, and more red was spattering my face. Jun let go of my wrist and stepped away from me for the final time, allowing the dwindling guards to grab him. I finally understood what the mayor meant. The longer we were breathing, others were suffering and the town was falling apart. Except I couldn’t bring myself to have sympathy for them.
Would you?
“Jun.” I was fighting, then. Fighting to hold myself together when I was splintering apart. “What I heard… in my head,” I sputtered. “They weren’t voices. They didn’t speak to me.” I could feel my knees buckling. “They were screaming! They didn’t want to die! And… and why should we?”
I turned to glare at the mayor who was still standing. “Why should we die for them, huh?” I demanded. “Give me one good reason why we should die. So they can kill the seniors next year? Why should we be the ones they sacrifice? Prisoners exist! Child murderers! Why can’t it be them?”
“That is something we considered.” The mayor started to say, but I cut him off.
“Shut up.” I gritted through a mouthful of tears. “You don’t get to speak."
The mayor looked like he might argue but decided against it.
Jun shrugged. “It’s either us or the planet.”
“This isn’t a movie,” I said, “Do you really think you’re doing some heroic gesture and the whole town is going to cheer you on?” I was seething, I couldn’t control my words, control my breathing. “No. They see you as a sacrifice and nothing else. I don’t see them putting up a fucking memorial. Did they for the others? Did they care, Jun? The girl who put all this in your head. Did the town remember her?"
It took two single strides to grab him.
Shake him.
"Did. The. Town. Care? About any of them? Noah? Tommy? The girl who filled your head with all this crap? Did Littlewood remember them?"
He held my gaze. “She said I was going to save billions. They don't have to care."
“So?” I shrieked. “I choose myself any day! And you should too!"
I expected him to call me selfish, but that wasn’t Jun.
“So, run.”
I let go of him. “Jun, I swear to God–"
“I’m not saying goodbye,” Jun said in a strained voice. “I’m going to turn around and walk away. And you’re not going to look back, okay?"
“What?”
If Littlewood hadn't been decaying around us, I would have held onto him.
Mira was grabbed before she could follow Jonas, and I was so close to following Jun. I was so fucking close to giving myself up, as long as I got to be with him and the others. When one of the guards took a hesitant step towards me, however, I found myself backing away. No. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to fucking die, and if that made me selfish, so be it. I felt myself moving step my step.
One last look at Jun.
He wasn’t smiling, his head bowed as a guard pinned his wrists behind his back. When he lifted his head, his eyes were on the horizon. He looked content. And knowing that he was happy—he was at peace with his fate, I ran. And behind me, just as I turned around, the mayor was staring at me, a look of immense disgust on his face. I stared back. I wanted him to explode. I wanted his body to shower the street in red and prove to me that this so-called entity didn’t just take innocents. It took those in power too. And yet he stood there, not a smear on his perfectly pressed suit. His expression was twisted with fear, a pain in his eyes I had never seen before.
And his words were echoing inside my skull.
"Human blood and life force was seen as the greatest gift Littlewood's bearers could accept— as well as the soul from an elder, or an authority of the town. But of course we couldn't do that. In the simplest of terms, our elders were…more important.”
I took pleasure in quickening my pace into a sprint.
It’s been 12 days since I last saw Jun. On October 3rd, the trees started to blossom again. Outside my hiding place, the remnants of the diner, a rose bush bloomed out of nowhere, followed by daisies. Amongst the chaos, the endless shower of red every time another towns person was claimed, there it was. Life. Sitting in a battlefield of death. Jun.
Number forty seven. I want to believe it wasn’t him, that he got away, that he got some sense knocked into him. But it was hard to ignore the suffocating presence squeezing the breath from our town lift—even if it was only slightly. I lit a candle for him. Well, I couldn’t find any candles, so I set my neighbour’s yard alight instead. October 5th, the ground stopped cracking apart and the town's people were spared. Number forty eight. Jonas. It was fast, and I knew by the way the wind knocked into me threatening to throw me off my bike when I was scoping the ruins of my neighbourhood, a powerful gust blowing my hair from my face, that it was him.
I sensed his anger and frustration, but no pain. I think he liked being part of the wind. Jonas had done the opposite of what I thought he would. Instead of running away from his fate, he’d given up. Maybe he didn’t have anyone left. He should have ran. Maybe there might be far more destruction if he did. Jun and Jonas totalled the number of sacrifices to forty eight. I wondered if it was enough to make Jun’s wish come true. Did my fallen classmates really save the world?
Following them was Mira. I knew by the pace the leaves started to flower on trees, like the town was mending itself, that she was gone. With her combined with the boys, I think it was enough to stop the destruction, at least for a little while. Mira had fought until her last breath. She didn’t want to die, and that was evident in her lingering presence causing more decay than life before she seemingly found some kind of peace. Birds started to sing again, and the last person who exploded was, ironically, her mother. Sucks to be her. I think I’m allowed to laugh in this situation, right? Maybe Mira had a hand in it.
And I did laugh. I laughed until I cried.
Until the remaining town’s people power washed her off the sidewalk with everyone else.
October 13th, and the sun is shining.
The town are attempting to rebuild a broken Littlewood, and I sit here hoping me still existing and breathing will bring their downfall. I don’t have to hide anymore. Nobody will come near me. I’m like a plague, which works for me.
I’m skipping town soon, but first I want to stay behind to see the fireworks. I want to know if Littlewood has truly been spared or they’re just taking their time. I like to think my classmates are still here. I mean, they are. I see them in spring flowers coming to life in Fall. I hear them in the wind blowing my hair back. Some call me a coward for running away, while others beg me to keep going. And I will. I’m just… waiting.
I’m waiting for Littlewood to fall. Because I am the 50th sacrifice. While I breathe, their debt is not paid. My town’s clock is ticking, and I can’t wait for a wrath to finally be bestowed on the ignorant. I know this “entity” won’t rest until we’ve all been gifted to them. I can see that in rotting animal carcases appearing in the road and on the sidewalk. The town try to hide it.
They’re trying to hide the sudden appearance of maggot like insects festering on every street corner and a mysterious flu which has taken hold of the kindergarten. Like I said, I should sympathise with their dead. I don’t think our parents knew about any of this. We were just monsters to them; monsters they decided to let go. I am thinking about playing the pied piper and taking the little kids of the town with me. I can still save them, right? They don't have to die too.
I saw a junior girl yesterday.
Lanie Matthews. I used to sit with her in the cafeteria sometimes. She was handing out flyers in an attempt to send away Littlewood’s juniors to a safe place so the curse doesn’t get them next year. I want to tell her that her fate will follow Noah Sharpe and Jonas Lockhart. Mira Jane. Jun Sato.
Did their sacrifices really make a difference?
Who knows? Maybe this “entity” will take our world before October 1st, 2023. I think they’re waiting for me. They’re waiting for me to give in too. At some point, I almost caved. It was the screaming I couldn’t bear. Mother’s crying for their children in despair, and vice versa. But then I got a hold of myself. If I want to bring down Littlewood, then I have to survive. I wonder if the world will follow…
Are you worth saving?
In my opinion, no.
You're not worth Jun and Jonas and Mira, as well as generations of our town burning them alive.
Why should I sacrifice myself for a planet which is already killing itself?
I think I'm losing my mind. Yesterday, when I was hunting for supplies, readying myself to leave, I could have sworn I saw two guys leave the remnants of what used to be the old church. Hands entangled, the two of them hissing at each other, wielding baseball bats and cloth bags on their backs. Maybe I haven't been eating enough, but their faces, despite being bloodied and bruised, haunted eyes scanning an oblivion in front of them– a cursed town which insisted on their sacrifice– were familiar. They moved in a cloak-and-dagger dance across ruins, the one in front keeping a firm grasp of the other's arm, and when they moved, each step was in sync, the two grasping onto each other like their lives depended on it.
I can't help wondering if perhaps I was wrong. Maybe Jun and Jonas aren't part of the wind, afterall. I think they're much closer. And whether they are reincarnations built in flowers, or ghosts still attached to the town, I will find them again. But also… I won't fall victim to my own imagination. It could have been anyone. The way they moved, however, made me want to believe my delusion. It is hopeful thinking, but that is all I can do right now. I can hope they're much closer. And I'll reunite with them.
One day.
I’m going to ask you that same question again.
If this was your choice.
What would you do?
Would you surrender yourself to a fate which will save billions of lives… or run?

Armenian, Russian FMs exchange three-volume collections of documents on bilateral legal framework

The Foreign Ministers signed the three-volume collections, after which they passed them on to each other.
“For the first time, a three-volume collection of documents on the legal framework of bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia “30 Years of Allied Interaction” has been published,” said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to her, the collection was prepared with the participation of the Foreign Minidtries of the two countries, the public organization “Dialogue” and the “House of Russian Books” in Yerevan.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/armenisn-rusdian-fms-exchange-three-volume-collections-of-documents-on-bilateral-legal-framework/

Pashinyan, Blinken gave phone conversation

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Nikol Pashinyan and Antony Blinken exchanged thoughts on the perspectives of settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the opening of communication channels in the region.
The US Secretary of State reiterated his call for the immediate reopening of the Lachine Corridor and emphasized that the US is ready to continue supporting the above-mentioned processes.
During the telephone conversation, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his concern regarding the recently increasing aggressive rhetoric by Azerbaijan.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/pashinyan-blinken-discuss-humanitarian-crisis-in-artsakh/

Lavrov says date of a meeting between Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani FMs being discussed

“In the near future we will see which dates are convenient for all three ministers,” he concluded.
Earlier, Lavrov said that the tripartite statements by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan remain the key to stabilizing Nagorno-Karabakh. He also noted that he reached an understanding with Mirzoyan on how to return the situation in Karabakh to normal.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/lavrov-says-date-of-a-meeting-between-armenian-russian-azerbaijani-fms-being-discussed/

Direct negotiations are the only way to achieve lasting peace. Blinken about Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

According to the report of "Armenpress" , according to the post on the Twitter page of the Secretary of State, Blinken expressed support for the establishment of stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stressing the readiness of the US to support these efforts.
"The only way to achieve stable and strong peace is through direct negotiations," he wrote.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1106878.html

‘Azerbaijan wants to commit ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh’, Armenian FM warns Russian counterpart in Moscow

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106740.html

The issue of Lachin corridor should be considered in the context of trilateral agreements, Russian FM says

“We are in favor of strict and full implementation of all the tripartite agreements that were reached between the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia, without any improvisations, primarily the agreements that were signed on 9 Novembe,r 2020. And the problem of the Lachin corridor should be considered exclusively in this context,” he said.
Any other the parties has its obligations, Lavrov stressed.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/the-issue-of-lachin-corridor-should-be-considered-in-the-context-of-trilateral-agreements-russian-fm-says/

Armenia seeks to take Azerbaijan’s non-compliance with ICJ ruling to UN Security Council

“Unfortunately, we are facing the reality that Azerbaijan is simply ignoring the ruling, not only ignoring, but also trying to distort the content of the ruling on all official levels. This was recently seen in the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister’s letter addressed to the UN Secretary General, to which our minister’s letter has been submitted as a response,” he said.
Kirakosyan said that article 94 of the UN Charter provides for a certain narrow description pertaining to the rulings. But attempts in the past to bring rulings on provisional measures before the UN Security Council have failed. The cases related to a permanent member, who exercised its right to veto and the issue didn’t make it to final debates.
“But in our case I think we should work in that direction. I know that our colleagues at the foreign ministry are working in that direction. It is highly important for the matter to enter the agenda at the UN Security Council. And we must maximally utilize all diplomatic channels to ensure a favorable discussion of the issue,” Kirakosyan said.
Taking the issue to the UNSC has two perspectives, he added. First is the formal point of view, there’s article 94 of the charter which gives such an authority to the Security Council. The second logic is chapter 7 of the UN Charter – its mandate for ensuring international peace and security.
“The idea is that the non-fulfillment of this ruling creates risks for international peace and security. So we have the chance to raise this issue at the Security Council at least under two logics. It is obvious that the non-compliance with the court’s decision, that is the continuation of the blockade, creates very serious risks for international security.”
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/armenia-seeks-to-take-azerbaijans-non-compliance-with-icj-ruling-to-un-security-council/

Armenian FM to visit Moscow

https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/armenian-fm-to-visit-moscow-4/

Armenian side denies shooting at Azerbaijani positions

The State Border Service of Azerbaijan spread disinformation today claiming that units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire towards the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the Southeastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone on March 20, at around 2:50 a.m.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/20/armenian-side-denies-shooting-at-azerbaijani-positions-3/

The Prime Minister receives the delegation of Germany-South Caucasus Friendship Group

The Prime Minister referred to the reforms implemented in our country, the recorded high economic indicators and highlighted the importance of the support of the European Union and Germany to the democratic agenda of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the protection of human rights, the establishment of an independent judicial system, the fight against corruption, and ensuring transparency are priorities for the Government, and our country is moving forward on the way to set a high bar. Tabea Rößner noted that Germany will accompany Armenia on that path. Issues related to the promotion of women's involvement, cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and the environment were also discussed.
The parties exchanged ideas on the regional situation, security challenges, peace agenda. In this context, the Prime Minister highlighted the role of the long-term observation mission of the EU.
The crisis created in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor was addressed. In terms of settlement of the problem, the consistent and addressed response of the international community, the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice published on February 22 of this year by Azerbaijan were emphasized.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106870.html

Baku openly shows that it rejects negotiations with Artsakh. Artsakh MFA

“For 100 days now, Azerbaijan has been subjecting Artsakh to an illegal blockade, the ultimate goal of which is to destroy the Artsakh people as such by expelling them from their historical homeland. Accompanying their actions with the use of force and acts of terror, Azerbaijan is pursuing a consistent policy aimed at forcibly suppressing the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities openly demonstrate their rejection of negotiations as a means of finding a solution to any issue. It should be noted that for several decades, Azerbaijan has been striving to get rid of the people of Artsakh and resolve the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by force. The first victims of such a criminal policy were, in particular, the Armenians who lived in Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. The deportation of Armenians from Azerbaijan organized by the local authorities in 1988-1990 and accompanied by massacres, torture and pogroms, marked the beginning of a new stage in Azerbaijan's policy of persecuting Armenians. As early as in 1991, the Azerbaijani authorities continued the deportation of Armenians from Artsakh, which, in various forms and manifestations, has continued to this day.
We recall that according to international law and international practice, the denial and forceful suppression of the right to self-determination, accompanied by massive human rights violations, as well as the rejection of negotiations as a means of resolving conflict, are sufficient grounds for recognizing the right of a people to establish an independent state”.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106863.html

US Department of State refers to the atrocities of the Azerbaijani armed forces during the aggression against Armenia

The US Department of State published a report on the human rights situation in Armenia, in which it also referred in detail to the atrocities committed by Azerbaijani servicemen during the September aggression against Armenia.
The report mentions that there are credible reports that during the September conflict, Azerbaijani forces committed unlawful killings involving summary executions of Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijani custody.
It is noted that the International Committee of the Red Cross studied the cases of missing persons as a result of the conflict with Azerbaijan. It is noted that after the 2020 war, 203 people (including 20 civilians) are considered missing, and 3 military personnel are considered missing as a result of the September 13-14 conflict.
The US State Department also addresses the illegal execution of 7 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijani servicemen, which, according to the Human Rights Watch NGO and investigative journalists of Belingat, was filmed in mid-September 2022.
The report also mentions the cases of inhumane treatment of the bodies of Armenian female servicemen during the September conflict, attacks on civilian infrastructure by Azerbaijani forces, targeting of emergency vehicles.
The report also presents cases of violations of human rights in Armenia, including the use of force by the security forces, bad conditions in prisons, arbitrary arrests, and restrictions on freedom of speech.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106858.html

Armenian serviceman believed to have accidentally crossed into Azeri-controlled territory

An Armenian serviceman is believed to have accidentally crossed into Azeri-controlled territory after getting lost in low visibility and foggy weather, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The serviceman of the Armed Forces of Armenia was transporting food to an outpost when he got lost, the ministry explained.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately and “actions are being taken to confirm that the serviceman has appeared in Azerbaijani-controlled territory and return him.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106850.html

Israel’s Haifa inaugurates Armenian Genocide Square

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106817.html

Appalling video from Lachin Corridor shows Azeri ‘eco-activist’ threatening to SLAUGHTER Armenians for KEBAB

A video online shows one of the fake eco-activists in the Lachin Corridor threatening to “slaughter” Armenians. “We will soon slaughter an Armenian for Nowruz here and will add his blood on kebab,” one of the fake eco-activists says smilingly looking into the camera. Those standing next to the man are heard laughing.
Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan reacted to the video. “It's never enough for a bloodthirsty regime and its puppets to starve 120000 people of Nagorno Karabakh,” he tweeted. “Now their pseudo-eco-activist threatens to kill all Armenians and literally drink their blood. Are we truly in the 21st century? Is there a civilized world somewhere around?”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106803.html

Armenia appoints new Ambassador to Brazil

Yeganyan, a career diplomat, served as Armenia’s Ambassador to Canada from 2011 to 2017. He was then the Chief of Protocol at the Foreign Ministry until 2018. His most recent position has been Head of the Department of the Americas at the Foreign Ministry since 2020.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106827.html

PM Pashinyan felicitates Kurdish community of Armenia on Newroz

“I warmly congratulate the representatives of the Kurdish community of Armenia on the national holiday, Newroz,” PM Pashinyan said in a message published by his office. “This beautiful spring holiday symbolizing the awakening of nature and the new year is full of new life, new hopes and expectations of success. May the new year be a year of overcoming problems, establishing peace and fruitful work. I wish the representatives of the Kurdish community of Armenia health, hope and faith in the prosperous future of our country, and progress and implementation of good initiatives to your community.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106804.html

Deputy PM Grigoryan, Belarusian counterpart discuss cooperation

Issues related to cooperation between Armenia and Belarus were discussed during the meeting, according to a read-out issued by Grigoryan’s office.
Grigoryan and Parkhomchik attached importance to cooperation in agriculture, mechanical engineering and other sectors of industry, as well as the full utilization of existing potential as part of joint cooperative projects.
Views were exchanged around possible new directions of mutually-beneficial cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally within the EEU.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106723.html

Iranian Deputy FM due in Yerevan

“A few hours after the start of the new year, the rapid movement of the diplomacy apparatus focusing on strengthening the neighborhood policy and prioritizing the Caucasus began. Going to Yerevan for a two-day working visit at the invitation of my Armenian counterpart,” Ali Bagheri Kani tweeted.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106833.html

International fact-finding mission in NK and Lachin Corridor is imperative. Armenian Deputy FM to German MPs

Presenting to the German parliamentarians the complex security situation in the region, as well as the consequences of the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, Paruyr Hovhannisyan emphasized the role of the EU's long-term observation mission in stabilizing the situation.
The Deputy FM also emphasized that Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor, the killing of police officers, periodic violations of the ceasefire regime, as well as the intimidation of the civilian population make sending an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor an imperative.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106867.html

The works performed by the Science Committee and the Higher Qualification Committee were presented to the RA Prime Minister

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1106855.html

Alen Simonyan will leave for Germany on a working visit next week

At the meeting, there was extensive reference to the security problems facing the region and Armenia. The German partners noted that the security architecture is changing every day in the world, leading to new rearrangements.
The humanitarian problems caused by the 44-day war of 2020, the consequences of the Lachin crisis were discussed.
"On February 22, 2023, the International Court of Justice made a legally binding decision against Azerbaijan, forcing it to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor," noted Alen Simonyan, reminding that after the Court's decision, on March 5, there was an attack by an Azerbaijani subversive group on Nagorno-Karabakh police officers, in which three citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh were killed.
He emphasized that we expect German partners to take active steps to ensure Azerbaijan's immediate implementation of the Court's decision.
RA NA Speaker thanked the German government for supporting the decision to deploy a new EU long-term monitoring mission in Armenia, expressing his belief that it will play a significant role in establishing peace and security in the region.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1106767.html

Adam Schiff condemns Louis Bono's statement on excluding sanctions against Azerbaijan

In the letter initiated by Schiff, in particular, it is said: "We are deeply disturbed by your comments during the trip, which exclude the use of economic and diplomatic sanctions against Azerbaijan in response to their obvious aggression. You have been reported to have stated that "this is not the time for sanctions ... it's not even on the table at this point." While 120,000 innocent people are in the third month of being deprived of their basic rights due to the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Azerbaijan to end, now is not the time to rule out any tools."
The letter also states that the US, the US President, the US State Department and the entire administration should use all the tools at their disposal to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh, including ending financial support to Azerbaijan and imposing sanctions against that country.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1106805.html

Armenia announces “Step Toward Home” 2023 program for Diaspora youth

This year, the “Step Toward Home” program will host 600 Diaspora Armenian youth from June 19 to August 26 and will be divided into five stages. The program includes Armenian language (Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian), Armenian studies, national song and dance courses, visits to historical and cultural sites in Armenia, museums and educational institutions, meetings with state and public officials, artists and cultural figures, as well as sports and cultural events.
The Armenian Government covers all the costs related to the Armenian part of the program. Diaspora Armenian youth who have not participated in the “Ari Tun” and “Step Toward Home” programmes in previous years can participate; they can cover their own travel expenses for arrival and departure to Armenia and purchase a two-week travel insurance.
The applications must be submitted on the official website of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. Applications will be open until May 10.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/21/armenia-announces-step-toward-home-2023-program-for-diaspora-youth/

Armenia’s Supreme Spiritual Council urges international community to press for implementation of UN Court decision by Azerbaijan

“It is with deep sorrow that we record that it is already the 100th day that the authorities of Azerbaijan have blocked the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia, with the intensifying manifestations of anti-Armenian policy,” the Council said.
“The physical and psychological pressures, violence and terrorist acts carried out regularly by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh deepen the catastrophic humanitarian situation. Contrary to the efforts of the peacekeeping personnel stationed in Artsakh, as a result of the criminal actions of the Azerbaijani authorities, people’s rights to life, treatment, movement and other fundamental rights are being violated,” it added.
The Supreme Spiritual Council highly appreciated the decision of the International Court of Justice regarding the lifting of the blockade of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor by Azerbaijan and welcomed the call of the European Parliament urging the authorities of Azerbaijan to implement the decision of the UN Court.
“We express our surprise that despite the strong demands of the international community, its competent and influential structures to open the road, the blockade continues to this day,” the Council said.
It urged the UN structures, the European Parliament and the European Union, the heads of states and religious leaders to make consistent efforts to reach implementation of the judgment of the International Court by Azerbaijan, the condemnation of genocidal acts and the provision of a safe and normal life for the people of Artsakh.
“Toleration of such a blatantly disrespectful approach by Azerbaijan to the decision of the International Court will aggravate the humanitarian crisis, create new dangers for the lives of more than 120,000 people of Artsakh, create an unforgivable precedent for grossly circumventing the judgments of international courts, and at the same time cause deep disappointment in international justice,” the Spiritual Council stressed.
“Our Holy Apostolic Church, having the priority of saving and safety of human lives, will consistently protect the realization of the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh, based on the principle of independence for the sake of safety and security,” the statement said.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/21/armenias-supreme-spiritual-council-urges-international-community-to-press-implementation-of-un-court-decision-by-azerbaijan/

The financial and economic policy of the state should be completely revised and restructured. State Minister of Artsakh

"It's been twenty days since I held the position of Artsakh state minister. During this period, quite a lot of work and time is devoted to mitigating the situation and consequences of the blockade of Artsakh. Along with all that, an attempt is being made to implement the short-term programs that are necessary to restore the normal life of the country and ensure minimum conditions.
When discussing every program or process, cases of ineffective or unnecessary subsidies, loans, financing, etc. by the state are brought to light. I stop or reduce such financial expenses almost every day, and in connection with suspicious or unjustified transactions, additional studies are given.
It is necessary to abandon the approach of burdening the state budget at every step and consider state funds exclusively as a stimulating and supporting tool when building state programs.
Social assistance programs should be implemented in such a way that the real beneficiaries, the citizens who actually need social assistance, benefit from it," wrote Nersisyan.
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I hate this condition so much sometimes. I've had POTS for 5+ years and while I'm very used to living with it by now, there are some days where it just gets to me.
I was having a heavy symptom day today at work and it affected my ability to do my job so much and I'm so frustrated by it because my job is one of the main things that give me joy in life. I was trying so hard to push through my symptoms but it was at the point where my coworkers were noticing I was unwell, which is always embarrassing. One of them kept asking me if I needed to sit down and letting me know that I was getting very pale and worrying them, and my boss even made me stop doing a task and finished it himself because he saw that my service dog was alerting me and I was ignoring him and trying to push through to get the task done.
Having to sit because I'm too dizzy, weak, and disoriented to do my job while my coworkers pick up the slack is embarrassing and frustrating. And I hate even more that it affects my ability to work with the kids at my job--I work at an afterschool program and my priority is always the kids, but sometimes my symptoms even get in the way of that. Today I was so dizzy and brain-fogged through the majority of my shift that I barely processed anything the kids said to me as they tried to tell me about their day, share stories, fill me in on their interests, etc. I just had to nod and act like I was listening when I wasn't able to fully process what they were saying to me, and I feel so bad for that because the kids deserve better from the person who's supposed to be there to listen to them.
Now I've made it home, passed out while taking a five-minute shower, cried on the floor of the bathroom for a while, and now I'm starving but I'm not up to the task of making anything for dinner right now and can't even get out of bed to walk to the kitchen to grab a snack, and I stupidly never replenished the basket of snacks that my service dog retrieves food for me from in exactly these kind of situations from the last time it was emptied. All I can do is lie here in bed and complain and be angry that I have this disease.
I've worked really hard to build a life where I'm happy and fulfilled despite my disability, but the truth is that even if a lot of the time I'm able to thrive despite POTS (even if my definition of "thriving" is different than what an able-bodied person's might be), sometimes it wins and everything is just awful. I know there's no point to this post, but I just wanted to get these thoughts out of my mind somewhere that people might actually understand.

After a couple weeks of recovery, I've had some time to write up a trip report! This vacation was the best I've ever had and I'm excited to share some highlights here, along with some mistakes I made and travel tips. My plans were to meet up with two friends for the first 1.5 weeks of the trip, then to go solo for the last week. They would fly to Chicago to connect with me, then we'd all fly over together to Narita.
Pre-flight
- I filled out the Japan entry forms to provide proof of vaccination, declare for customs, etc. We saved a pretty good amount of time with that compared to people filling out paperwork on the plane.
- For phone / internet we went with pocket wireless and it was incredibly smooth basically the whole time. We got two units for times where we'd be separated as well as a pocket translator, which was an unnecessary expense. You're not getting any added value over Google Translate.
- For daily travel we all went with Suica and that was again a very simple, intuitive experience. I'd just periodically add on funds to my Apple Wallet and ended up paying for a bunch of stuff with that rather than cash / credit. My one friend went with the actual card instead of using his phone, which had one advantage: some ticket machines would only accept Suica via card and through the app.
- For the shinkansens we skipped the JR Pass and just booked tickets that day, which was mostly fine. The machines wouldn't accept my credit card so I'd need to go talk to a person, but I knew enough about where I wanted to go and what to do I muddled through. We did opt for the Hakone Free Pass as that would cover basically all the transportation for that area and saved a little money.
- I'm fortunate to have a friend living in Japan who helped arrange a couple events for us... if you don't have that option you can try to book some tickets at Lawson, or for restaurants you can try to go 1-2 days in advance and ask about reservations.
- I tried taking a language course ahead of the trip and learning a few key phrases... I was not able to hold a conversation but the little bit I did know helped I believe. One "caution" I'll give is that if you use Google Translate to construct a sentence for you in Japanese, you're likely to get a response in Japanese!
Part 1: Tokyo
2/15 + 2/16 - Friend B unfortunately overslept and missed his first flight, so Friend A and I met up in the morning at O'Hare. I did have to check one of my bags at the gate because it was over 10 lbs, but otherwise the trip was uneventful until we arrived at Narita, where I had a momentary panic when my checked suitcase did not show up on the carousel. I talked to an agent and for some reason, they had set my bag aside from all the others behind a sign. With that out of the way, we picked up the pocket wi-fi and on our way out the door, a film crew from "Why did you come to Japan" asked us if we would do a brief interview. I recognized their logo and thought it might be fun, but I wasn't prepared for a 40 minute conversation! I mentioned I was visiting a Game Center CX exhibit and they asked me a long line of questions about meeting the show's host (Shinya Arino), what I would say to him, what games we would play, etc. Finally I had to explain we were tired and would like to be on our way. I don't believe my interview was ever shown.
By the time we got tickets and were seated on the Narita Express, we could barely stay awake. Maybe because of the fatigue we had difficulty with exiting Shinjuku station: we eventually talked to an Australian family who showed us the fare exchange kiosk where we converted our Narita Express ticket into a regular train ticket for the gate. Once we settled that we checked into our hotel (Hundred Stay Tokyo Shinjuku), briefly went out to Family Mart for snacks, then crashed for the night.
​
2/17 - We got up around 7 and went to a Sukiya near our hotel for breakfast, then headed over to Akihabara. Things were still opening up so we stopped for Mr. Donut, then visited a couple stores before moving further east to Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka where we had a lunch / sumo demonstration. This was very much a tourist thing: there was a brief explanation of the sumo ceremony and technique before they invited the audience to get in sumo costumes and step in the ring and have matches with the wrestlers. I (and about 90% of the attendees) went up: this was absolutely not a serious match and was closer to improv comedy than anything. Still, we had a good time and the food was fine.
Afterward, we went back to Akihabara for a reservation at an owl cafe. We got some cute photos but I admit those owls could not have been happy, as there were 30 of them in a small room. The handlers would let one perch on your arm but were adamant you not let go of their leash, because if you did... it wouldn't be pretty. At this point we had to return to our hotel to link up with Friend B who had just arrived, then we went back to Akihabara for dinner. Dinner was at Merino, an all you can eat place where we had lamb and beef tongue in a hot pot. Fittingly, there was a collaboartion with a lamb girl V-tuber. We were again pretty wiped out after dinner and retreated back to our hotel.
​
2/18 - After a quick stop at Family Mart we headed to Ueno for the Tokyo National Museum. Unfortunately the special exhibition was closed, but we enjoyed the historical artifacts that were available. We had a ramen lunch at one of the restaruants at Ueno Station, then head over to Akihabara (yes, again) and crawled through the shops in more depth. We were there on Saturday afternoon so there were people everywhere, so that only lasted for a couple hours. Our bags were full so we dropped things off at the hotel, then ate dinner at a Coco Ichibanya: we all kept our orders pretty low on the scale but as advertised, there's a kick even at "2". Finally we visited Star Club, a Super Mario themed bar located nearby. Despite the gimmick, the crowd appeared to be local aside from our group. We each ordered a couple of the themed drinks and bonded with the bartender over Cowboy Bebop through the language barrier, as he was playing the soundtrack for ambience.
​
2/19 - Our first stop in the morning was the Ghibli Musem. While my previous visit had been lackluster, this one went much better as there was a significantly smaller crowd so early in the day. Plus, while they are still largely not supporting English, the movie shown had no dialogue and they did actually provide an English guide for the special exhibit on Future Boy Conan! The merch shop was of course seductive and we ended up with souvenirs for ourselves and friends. Our lunch plans unfortunately fell through as our targeted spot (Chillmatic, a burger place) was closed for a building inspection. We opted for another random ramen place as we walked over to the PARCO mall in Shibuya. We visited all the character stores (Nintendo, Pokemon, Capcom, etc.), which were of course also mobbed on a Sunday afternoon. At this point I had easily outgrown the space in my luggage, so our next stop was Don Quijote so Friend A and I could each buy a duffel bag. To make up for earlier we visited Shogun Burger for dinner, which was fantastic.
​
2/20 - Our first travel day, but before heading out we did a little more shopping in Shinjuku: my friends and I really got into visiting every BookOff we could find. I also took the opportunity to stop at McDonalds for an early lunch and try their "exclusive" menu items. We then boarded the Odakyu line to make our way out to Hakone. In hindsight, I definitely should have forwarded a bag to our Kyoto hotel: I had a very uncomfortable trip moving between trains and walking uphill but after a couple hours we made it to Ajisai Onsen Ryokan. The building was in a traditional style but with modern furnishings: to paint a picture, our room had futons and an Amazon Fire Stick. We booked times to reserve some of the baths, then walked to a local gyoza place - and I mean local, a bunch of schoolchildren stampeded in with us as it opened - then headed back to the hotel for our evening bath. To cap the evening we enjoyed some sake and watched a few episodes of Spy x Family.
​
2/21 - We got an early start with our morning bath and quickly came to a realization. The previous night we had booked the "indoor / outdoor" bath, which had both an indoor and outdoor bath but critically kept the showers indoors. For the morning we were in the "outdoor" bath, which... had the showers outdoors. When it was right around freezing. Afterward we ate breakfast at the hotel, then went on the "Hakone Loop". We started by walking through Gora Park and participating in a brief tea ceremony, then took the rope car up to Owaukudani. We were lucky and there were clear skies so Mt. Fuji was very visible in the distance. Unfortunately part of the ropeway was out of service so we took a bus down to Lake Ashi, which we then crossed by boat. We quickly stopped for snacks then walked along Ancient Cedar Avenue before catching a bus back closer to our hotel. We unfortunately missed the last cable car for the day - they stop before 4:30 - but we managed to figure out the local bus line to get back. After a brief rest we found dinner at Pub Stop Pizza & Bar and took in some local entertainment (a TV was playing Fast and the Furious 7).
​
2/22 - Another bath, another hotel breakfast, and a quick stop at the Hakone Art Museum before we got on our way to our next destination. I asked / begged for us to take a cab back down the mountain to Hakone-Yumoto, which saved me from more luggage struggles. At the station we stopped in Eva-ya: I had only learned yesterday that Hakone is the setting for much of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but luckily they had some cover files and sweets ready for me to buy. After a couple hour trip on the shinkansen we arrived at Kyoto and with a bit of fumbling got to our hotel. The key here is that there is a second floor walkway that runs North - South through the station and doesn't require paying train fare. Our Kyoto hotel (Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Ekimae) had a very slick entrance way: it blended in with the building to the point you'd think you're walking towards a wall without signage. We did some laundry, then went next door to the Yodobashi to pick up a couple items (Friend A needed new sneakers) and literally got lost again. After again getting reoriented, we headed back to Kyoto Station where we got conveyor belt sushi. These places do technically exist where I'm from (US) but this was still one of my favorite moments on the trip.
​
2/23 - Kicked off the day at the Kyoto International Manga Museum. The bulk of the museum is an impossibly large manga library, which didn't serve me too well, but I enjoyed the history sections. One room was devoted to sculptures of the hands of famous artists, which was certainly a choice. They also had an artist there who would draw sketches of you for 1500 yen. I was a little worried I was paying for the equivalent of a carnival caricature, but the skill and detail were much better than that. Be advised, the artists are only available on holidays and weekends.
Afterward I took the train down to Osaka to meet a friend living in Japan for... you guessed it more shopping. We visited the Capcom Cafe first and checked out the rest of the nerdy stores at Daimaru Umeda. Unlike in Shibuya, we did need to get a timed entry ticket for the Nintendo store, so we went over to Mandarake to kill time. After finishing up in Umeda we hit up the Daimaru / PARCO at Shinsaibashi, then visited the Dotunburi Glico sign and walked the river. They took my picture and when I offered to take theirs they replied "no... I'm not a tourist". Oof. In the evening I met back up with my travel group and had udon at a spot in Kyoto Station.
​
2/24 - Slightly mixed things up here: we went to the Imperial Palace in order to get tickets for Katsura Imperial Villa. Unfortunately, same day tickets were not available as we expected, so we instead had to get them for Sunday 2/26. Still visited the palace, and in spite of the rain still had fun. Then back to Osaka where we ended up visiting Daimaru again - the other guys liked some photos I sent so much they wanted to see it too. Had takoyaki for lunch, then took the train to the Osaka Aquarium. The absolutely massive tank at the center was very impressive. Then stayed in the area and went to the park to wat a New Japan Pro Wrestling show. This was one of the first shows that allowed the whole audience to cheer: people were quiet but by the end of the night things were rocking. Interestingly they still only sat people in every other chair. Lastly while the other guys went to bed I had read on Twitter there was a party near our hotel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Fox. Stopped by there and while it was a little awkward at first once I found the more gregarious / drunk people there it was a good time. One guy insisted I get in front of a camera and talk for a second, and it showed up in a video they posted on Twitter.
​
2/25 - Went to Nara and saw the deer. The deer are docile if you don't have food, friendly if you do, and absolutely terrifying to children. The amount of "yada yada yada" and "kowai" I heard... At first we were giving whole crackers out, but we learned that we could break them up, leave them on our palm, get them to bow, etc. Headed over to Todai-ji and saw the huge Buddha. It was in fact very, very large. Doubled back and played with the deer a bit more, then took the train to Kyoto. I took the lull in the afternoon to visit the office of Edit Mode, a clothing maker that specializes in video game goods. They occasionally host an "open house" at their office and we were lucky enough to be there during one. For dinner we ate okonomiyaki at a restaurant in the Yodobashi building, then afterward took a trip to the nearest BookOff before hitting the hay.
​
2/26 - This was definitely our biggest mixup on the trip. We had been planning to go to Fushimi Inari in the morning but there were some scheduling issues:

1. We didn't take not of how long the hike would be (2-3 hours).
   
2. We overslept (woke up at 7:30 instead of 6).
   
3. We had a hard stop time to make the Katsura Imperial Villa tour we'd booked on Thursday.
   

We probably should've just not gone to Fushimi Inari at all but we did and ended up arriving with less than an hour to stay. We walked up the steps for about 15 minutes, turned back, checked out the start of the path, and left :( At least the Villa was a good experience: we had an English speaking guide (+ recording) which helped a lot. The context felt necessary to understanding how carefully the whole area was designed.
Next up was one last stop at our Kyoto hotel before taking a quick train ride to Osaka. We stayed at the Hotel Granvia Osaka, which is literally right above the station, so the location was certainly convenient. We ate sushi for lunch at one of the many restaurants in the building, took a quick nap, then went out for some taiyaki. Specifically, I forced my friends to go to a particular chain that was collaborating with a V-Tuber. back to the hotel where we checked out then hopped on the train to Osaka. Checked into our hotel and people napped for a bit before we headed out again. Got taiyaki (making my friends visit a chain with a Hololive collab). More shopping followed with a stop at Mandarake, then to Don Quijote where I bought another small suitcase. We ended up more or less skipping dinner and heading out for karaoke, where we had some snacks and drinks.
​
2/27 - For my friends' final day we went to Universal Studios Japan. This could be its entire own post but I recommend looking for tickets at least a month in advance, get the Express Pass, and get there early. The park is supposed to open at 9, and even though we showed up at 8:30 people were already pouring inside. Our main objective was Super Nintendo World but our timed entry wasn't for a couple hours, so we tried Jujutsu Kaisen 4D (okay), Spider-Man (good), and Jurassic Park the Ride (okay) first. As for Super Nitendo World itself... as long as you know it's intended for kids and has about a 4 hour lifespan you'll enjoy it. The Mario Kart ride was very good the AR game was interesting tech, and the restaurant food was alright. Really though, the Flying Dinosaur which went on afterward was incredible and easily my favorite ride. Unfortunately, Friend A became ill afterward so we ended up bailing to go back to the hotel and rest. After he felt better we grabbed dinner at a local ramen place: the gimmick was they lined the bowl with slices of pork, which you could then put in the broth to cook a little and season the whole bowl.
​
2/28 - My two friends left for America, so we checked out of our room and I checked into a smaller one at the same spot. This hotel didn't have laundry machines, just an expensive service (200 yen to clean one pair of underwear), so instead I found a laundromat nearby and caught up with family by phone while I waited. On the way back to the hotel I stopped at another Yodobashi, where I committed a gaffe: you're supposed to check out on each floor. Once I apologized a bunch and paid, I grabbed lunch at Wendy's and got settled into my new room. For dinner I went to another of the restaurants in the building, then took a train to Namba to see a retro video game bar. A couple drinks and a chat with the bartender later, I headed back for the night.
​
3/1 - A very nerdy shopping day in Osaka: first to the Daimaru character shops, then over to Parco character shops, then I just used Google Maps to hit BookOffs one after the other. I made my way south until I hit DenDen Town where I stopped in every store I saw until I had to break away for dinner. A local friend helped me book a reservation in Kobe Took the train out to Kobe where a friend had helped me make a reservation at a steak restaurant. I went for the "modarately" cheap option that was about $100 total and loved it from beginning to end. Also strangely this was the only restaurant anywhere I could tip: you had to tip individually and could only max it out at 500 yen. I tipped the two waiters, the chef, and the host / barker outside (who had good English so we talked a bit).
​
3/2 - My Fushimi Inari revenge trip! I got there around 9am so things were already pretty busy, but I did get the chance to chat with one of the tour guides while I had a morning coffee. The starting area was pretty busy and even as I went along, I ran into a lot of people but there was still enough space to take photos and see everything. I definitely paused at a few points: even walking 20,000 steps daily on the trip hadn't prepared me for all the stair climbing. I'd also suggest that you don't NEED to go all the way to the top: there's just a store up there that completely obscures the view, the better views are earlier in the hike. With that said, I still really enjoyed myself, taking a different route back down. I grabbed a couple of snacks and took the train back to Osaka, where I finished up exploring Namba and went with a friend for an unagidon dinner. I'd had broiled eel before as sushi but never as the full entree and found it delicious!
​
3/3 - After checking out of the hotel and forwarding two of my bags to Tokyo, I caught the shinkansen but made a detour while in Yokohama to visit the Gundam Factory. The Gundam is very impressive in person and I would definitely recommend visiting in the early evening to see it after dark if possible. I proceeded onto Shinjuku where I ran into another issue: I was staying at a capsule hotel and immmediately realized I was not comfortable there. Everyone's bags were kept in a locker room that was not closely monitored, there were signs everywhere advising the hotel was not responsible for any theft... I should have done more reading to understand where I'd be staying. I would have been better off in a hostel, at least that would've been cheaper! I did at least have a chance to visit Shogun Burger again for dinner, after which I booked a new hotel for the next night, then got a few hours of restless sleep as I heard every snore and cough from my neighbors.
​
3/4 - I rose early and walked to Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. You really can use Suica in a lot of places, they even accepted it here! Most plants weren't in bloom yet but I did spot a lone cherry blossom tree that had blossomed: as I passed by it later in my walk a dozen people had crowded around for photos. A lot of stuff was not in bloom yet but I did see one cherry tree had blossomed at least. After getting my fill of nature I ventured over to Nakano Broadway. Out of all the nerdy shopping I did, this spot was my least favorite: maybe if I knew Japanese I would've fared better but because I didn't, I found all the various specialty stores confusing to navigate. I stopped back at the capsule hotel to pick up my luggage, then headed to Nipponbashi to check into my backup hotel (S-Peria Inn Nihonbashi Hakozaki). This new spot was pretty out of the way so I opted to just grab some sushi from a nearby supermarket and park it for the evening with the hope of a strong start tomorrow.
​
3/5 - Checked out of my hotel and headed over to Shinjuku to check in to my final hotel (Kadoya Hotel) for the trip. Dropped off my bags and confirmed my other ones had shown up safely, then headed to Shibuya Parco for the Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary pop-up. Shopped there for a bit, then headed back to Chillmatic and this time they were open! It was a neat experience but I think I preferred Shogun Burger. Next stop was Meijijingu - I didn't leave a votive and instead just walked around, including a stop in one of the gardens. Then over to HMV Books where there was a 20th Anniversary Celebration for Game Center CX. However busy I expected it to be, it was not... at all. I was the only person who paid the 800 yen for the museum part in the 30-45 minutes I was there. But I did enjoy it and picked up a T-shirt. I also found a small pop-up gallery titled "9Days" on a lower floor that was interesting. It was getting late but I pressed onto Akihabara where I went to the Radio Kaikan tower. I stayed there until closing, then headed over to Tokyo Video Gamers, a bar. They had closed down last year but were in the middle of a soft re-launch when I stopped by. Finally, I headed back to my hotel and ordered some Dominos because I was tired of walking around.
​
3/6 - Checked out of my hotel, but left my bags so I could go eat breakfast at Eggslut at the station. Took the Narita Express to the airport, shopped a little bit at the airport shops, then the long sad flight back to the US.
That was a linguistic dreadnought so if anything is unclear let me know and I'll try to clean it up. Hope you enjoyed and it helps with your own planning: I'll answer questions as best as I can!

With full reservoirs, cyberattacks on dams worry lawmakers
A state Senate committee has advanced a measure to prepare critical infrastructure for cyberattacks. Sen. Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield pointed out that previous attacks have attempted to release water from a dam in New York and successfully shut down meat processing plants.
One expert testifying in support warned the federal government would be overwhelmed if a mass cyberattack threatened food, water and power. Sen. Bob Archuleta of Pico Rivera feared an attack could release water from reservoirs during winter storms, leading to catastrophic flooding downstream.
Remember: Last year the state signed into law a separate bill from Hurtado on cybersecurity for water infrastructure. It tasked the state’s emergency services office with developing a strategic plan to assist the food, agriculture, water supply and wastewater sectors with protections.
Wine Country wants to improve weather forecasting
A new bill capitalizes on emerging forecasting technology to better prepare California for sudden droughts.
Forecast-informed reservoir operations, or FIRO, aims to retain as much water in reservoirs as possible ahead of storms and anticipated runoff while enabling better flood control as well. AB 30 would expand FIRO to more parts of the state. It gained unanimous support.
Why it matters: Mark Fenstermaker, a lobbyist for Sonoma Water, explained that 1960s-era federal rules led the district in 2013 to release 30,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Mendocino. It didn’t rain for another three years. In 2019 a minor rule change enabled the district to retain more in the reservoir.
Yet the lake all but dried up again in 2021, leading cities to cut water use in half and dairies and wineries to get creative in adapting to extreme scarcity.
Vilsack keynotes Agri-Pulse policy summit
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will headline the annual Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit today in Washington.
This year’s conference will focus on issues critical to ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability and food security.
The summit will feature interviews with the leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees and discussions with a diverse array of experts and producers. They’ll debate a range of issues, including the challenges facing beginning and minority farmers as well as future needs for risk management, agricultural research and nutrition assistance.
Registration for the summit is still available today online, or in person at the National Press Club.
By the way: The Biden administration’s “waters of the U.S.” rule officially takes effect today, an issue almost certain to occupy time at a Senate hearing this week with EPA Administrator Michael Regan. A Senate vote to eliminate the rule also is nearing.
Read more about WOTUS in our Washington Week Ahead.
Senate bill would freeze Adverse Effect Wage Rate
A bipartisan Senate bill introduced by a couple of unlikely allies would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate at last year’s level for the rest of 2023.
Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said farmers in their states who use the H-2A program are getting squeezed financially by increases in the AEWR. In Georgia, the rate went from $11.99 to $13.67 per hour this year, up 14% from 2022. The rate in North Carolina was set at $14.91 an hour, up 5%.
“I’m leading this bipartisan legislation to prevent damage to Georgia’s agricultural producers,” Ossoff said. Tillis said the wage rate “has long outpaced the rate of inflation and become unsustainable.”
Bipartisan, bicameral bill would expand AgARDA authorization
Ag groups and land-grant universities are backing a bill introduced by Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to double the authorization of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) from $50 million to $100 million.
The bill, which is expected to be joined by a companion in the House from Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, also would expand AgARDA’s scope to address animal and plant pathogens and pests.
The agency was authorized by the 2018 farm bill but has not been established yet because of limited funding.
More bills: Another bipartisan, bicameral bill would expand biochar research efforts. In the House, Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrats Kim Schrier of Washington and Chellie Pingree of Maine have introduced the Biochar Research Network Act. In the Senate, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Jon Tester, D-Mont., John Thune, R-S.D., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reintroduced companion legislation earlier this month.
Meanwhile, bills dropped by Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota would require the FDA to regulate hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, as a dietary supplement and food and beverage additive.
Warnock: Debt relief 'can't come fast enough' for underserved farmers
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. is urging USDA to act quickly on debt relief programs for economically challenged farmers who have historically been discriminated against.
“I will continue to hold USDA’s feet to the fire,” Warnock said on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers this week. “We passed the legislation, and now we’ve just got to make sure that we get people the resources they need.”
Relief "can't come fast enough" for farmers who experienced discrimination, he said.
The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $5.3 billion to farm debt relief in August 2022.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
He said it:
“This is a self-inflicted crisis of epic proportions that is putting lives on the line.” — Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of San Diego, responding to Gov. Newsom’s announcement on Saturday of a new effort to lower healthcare costs.
Philip Brasher, Jacqui Fatka and Bill Tomson contributed to this report.
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/18484-agencies-directed-to-examine-national-security-threats-to-food-ag
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/17521-legislature-has-water-board-in-the-crosshairs-over-drought-response-and-delta-delays
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB30
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/16511-sonoma-vineyards-squeeze-through-drought-while-vegetable-growers-struggle
https://www.agri-pulse.com/2023-DC-Summit
https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402806&utm_source=Agri-Pulse+Daybreak+WEST&utm_campaign=6ca6369497-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_03_19_08_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6ca6369497-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB265&utm_source=Agri-Pulse+Daybreak+WEST&utm_campaign=6ca6369497-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_03_19_08_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6ca6369497-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

Important Notes:

• I do my best to include every sale, but at the same time I focus on sales that are worth a mention, meaning sales start with at least 20% and up. I usually skip anything below that unless it's a worth while title.
  
• Click on the price to visit the store page for that game.
  
• The end date of the sale isn't mentioned, you can check the store page to see it.
  
• All of these sales are based on the US store front, so some sales may not be available depending on your country.
  

~ PSN ~

• Most Yakuza games are on big sale (1/2/3/4/5)

(On Mobile please Swipe left/right to see the prices and tags)

Game	Price/Link	Tags
Final Fantasy Type-0™ HD	$7.99 $19.99	Action/Sci-fi setting/Army Battles/Military academy/Dark Story
Final Fantasy VII	$7.99 $15.99	Active Time Battle/Sci-fi setting
FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered	$9.99 $19.99	Active Time Battle/Sci-fi setting
FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster	$12.49 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Expansive skill tree
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age	$24.99 $49.99	Real-time strategy with pause/Fantasy setting/Expansive skill tree/Job (Class) system/Monster Hunting/Loot heavy
Disgaea 1 Complete	$19.99 $49.99	Turn-based Tactical/Fantasy setting/Deep character customization/Comedy
The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition	$5.99 $29.99	Action/Dark Fantasy/Hack n Slash
SaGa Frontier Remastered	$14.99 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy + Sci-fi setting/Choice Matters/Open World/8 Characters to choose
Star Ocean® Till The End Of Time™	$8.39 $20.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Space travel/Resource gathering & Crafting/Social link mechanic between party members
Star Ocean®: The Last Hope - 4K and Full HD Remaster	$8.39 $20.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Space travel/Resource gathering & Crafting/Social link mechanic between party members
STAR OCEAN : INTEGRITY AND FAITHLESSNESS	$11.99 $29.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Space travel/Resource gathering & Crafting/Social link mechanic between party members
Star Ocean : Divine Force	$35.99 $59.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Space travel/Resource gathering & Crafting/Social link mechanic between party members
Dark Cloud™	$7.49 $14.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Village builder & management/NPC collectoResource gathering/Dungeon crawling
Dark Cloud™ 2 (Dark Chronicle)	$7.49 $14.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Village builder & management/NPC collectoResource gathering/Dungeon crawling
Rogue Galaxy	$7.49 $14.99	Action/Sci-fi setting/Space Pirate/Monster hunting/factory management
Wild Arms 3	$7.49 $14.99	Turn-based/Wild West Fantasy/Female Protagonist/Puzzle heavy
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits	$7.49 $14.99	Tactical turn-based/Fantasy setting/Playing through two different Main characters stories
I Am Setsuna	$15.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/World covered in Snow
Lost Sphere	$14.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen	$23.99 $59.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Great World Building/Fan-serivce/Comedy/War & Politics/Lovable Characters/Mystery
Harvest Moon®: A Wonderful Life Special Edition	$4.49 $14.99	Action/Farming simulatoModern World setting/Social link system
Valkyrie Elysium PS4&PS5	$29.99 $59.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Multiple Endings
Persona 3 Portable	$15.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
Persona 4 Golden	$15.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
Persona®5 Royal Ultimate Edition	$41.99 $99.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
KINGDOM HEARTS All-In-One Package	$49.99 $99.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Crossover of Disney and Square Enix characters
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	$23.99 $59.99	Tower Defense/Sci-fi Japan setting/School life/Multiple Main characters to follow/Visual Novel/Heavy on story & light on gameplay
Digimon Survive	$41.99 $59.99	Tactical turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Monster CollectoMostly VN/Multiple Routes & Endings/Anime style/Social Link system
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition	$25.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Great soundtrack/Full Pixel graphics option/Character skill tree/Gathering resources and crafting
Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS4 & PS5	$17.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Contemporary Japan setting/Yakuza life/Open World/Heavy on Drama and Comedy/Heavy on Mini-games/Class Changing Mechanics
Neptunia ReVerse	$22.49 $49.99	Turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Remake of Neptunia Re:Birth 1/Female Protagonist/Comedy/Parody/Fan-serivce
Trials of Mana	$24.99 $49.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Hack & Slash/Choose 3 out of 6 main characters/Class customization system/Expansive Skill Tree
Monster Sanctuary	$4.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoMetroidvania/Pixel Graphics/Expansive Skill Tree/Character customization
Dragon Quest Builders 2	$23.99 $39.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Minecraft-like
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force	$5.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Anime style/Comedy/Dark story/Good English dub/Power Ranger Transformation/Fan-service/Dating-sim
Dungeon Encounters	$14.99 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Dungeon CrawleCharacter Customization/Very light on Story
Ys Origin	$7.99 $19.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack
Relayer	$11.99 $59.99	Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Space travel/Piloted Mecha/Female Protagonist/Anime art style
World of Final Fantasy	$9.99 $24.99	Turn-based/Crossover of Final Fantasy games/Monster CollectoChibi style
Secret of Mana	$19.99 $39.99	Action/Fantasy setting/3D Remake/Local Co-Op
SWORD ART ONLINE: Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition	$12.74 $84.99	Action/Living inside an MMO setting/Online Multiplayer support/Dating sim/Tiered Loot/Dungeon Crawlers/Boss Raids/Kill & Fetch Quests heavy
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition	$12.49 $49.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy Sci-fi World War setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based story progression/Army management
Shining Resonance Refrain	$5.99 $29.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Dragon transformation/Musical theme/Anime visual style/Social link mechanic
Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion	$2.99 $19.99	Active Timed Battle/Fantasy setting/Valkyrie Profile combat-like/Choices Matter
DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT	$14.99 $59.99	Action Fantasy/Semi-Open World (zones)/Anime story adaptation/Beautiful animations
ONE PIECE ODYSSEY PS4 & PS5	$41.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Anime Adaptation

~ Switch ~

Game	Price/Link	Tags
Shadows of Adam	$7.49 $14.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Retro Pixel Graphics
ŌKAMI HD	$9.99 $19.99	Action/Japanese Mythology Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Beautiful watercolor animations and art style
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin	$19.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoOnline Co-op/Resource gathering & Crafting
Collection of Mana	$19.99 $39.99	Action/3 games in 1/Fantasy setting/Adventure
Trials of Mana	$24.99 $49.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Hack & Slash/Choose 3 out of 6 main characters/Class customization system/Expansive Skill Tree
Legend of Mana Remaster	$14.99 $29.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Beat'em up/World Building Mechanic/Open World/Beautifully Hand Drawn/Great Music/Resource gathering & Crafting
STAR OCEAN First Departure R	$8.39 $20.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Expansive crafting system/social link mechanic between the party members/multiple story routes
Final Fantasy VII	$7.99 $15.99	Active Time Battle/Sci-fi setting
CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION	$39.99 $49.99	Action/Sci-fi setting
Final Fantasy VII Remake	$29.99 $59.99	Action/Sci-fi setting
FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered	$9.99 $19.99	Active Time Battle/Sci-fi setting
FINAL FANTASY IX	$10.49 $20.99	Active Time Battle/Medieval Fantasy setting
FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster	$24.99 $49.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Expansive skill tree
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age	$24.99 $49.99	Real-time strategy with pause/Fantasy setting/Expansive skill tree/Job (Class) system/Monster Hunting/Loot heavy
World of Final Fantasy MAXIMA	$15.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Crossover of Final Fantasy games/Monster CollectoChibi style
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition	$11.99 $29.99	Action/High Fantasy setting/Heavily geared for Online MultiplayeCustom Character
I Am Setsuna	$15.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/World covered in Snow
Langrisser I & II	$17.49 $49.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Remake of 2 games in 1 bundle/Fire Emblem-like/Multiple story routes and endings
ONINAKI	$19.99 $49.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Dungeon CrawleHack & Slash
CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION	$13.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Sci-fi Fantasy setting/Choices MatteMultiple Endings/2 Games in 1 bundle
NEO: The World Ends with You	$29.99 $59.99	Action/Modern Tokyo setting/Dark Fantasy/Death Game/Read people's minds/Psychic powers
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered	$17.49 $49.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Expansive Skill Tree/Character customization
COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND	$11.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Character customization
Romancing SaGa 2	$7.49 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Choices MatteKingdom Building/Open World/Party changes with each new generation/Light on story Heavy on gameplay
Romancing SaGa 3	$8.69 $28.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Choices MatteFantasy Adventure/Open World/8 Main Characters to choose 1 at the start/Light on story & Heavy on gameplay
SaGa Frontier Remastered	$14.99 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy + Sci-fi setting/Choice Matters/Open World/8 Characters to choose
SaGa SCARLET GRACE: AMBITIONS	$8.99 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Choice Matters/Open World/4 Characters to choose from/Complex and Challenging Combat system/Light on story Heavy on gameplay
DRAGON QUEST 1	$3.24 $4.99	Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Great soundtrack/Pixel graphics
DRAGON QUEST II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line	$4.21 $6.49	Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Great soundtrack/Pixel graphics
DRAGON QUEST III: The Seeds of Salvation	$8.11 $12.49	Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Great soundtrack/Pixel graphics
DRAGON QUEST TREASURES	$35.99 $59.99	Action/Medieval fantasy setting/Monster collectotreasure hunting/Open-world
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox	$29.99 $59.99	Action/Medieval Fantasy setting/Hack & Slash/Fantastic Music/Smooth combat/Boss fight heavy/City Exploration
Earthlock	$5.98 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting
Poison Control	$4.99 $39.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Hell/Third-person shooteComedy/Dungeon crawleAnime visuals
The DioField Chronicle PS4 & PS5	$29.99 $59.99	Real Time Strategy/Medieval fantasy setting/Military & WaClass mechanics
The Princess Guide	$4.99 $39.99	Action/Medieval Fantasy setting/Training a Princess/Tiered Loot/Anime Visuals
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk	$19.99 $49.99	Turn-based/Dark Fantasy setting/Class customization system/Tiered loot/Dungeon Crawler
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince	$9.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Hand Drawn Art/Stylistic
The Cruel King and the Great Heron	$16.49 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Hand Drawn Art/Stylistic
Tactics Ogre: Reborn	$34.99 $49.99	Tactical turn-based/Medieval fantasy/Choices MatteMultiple story routes/Class system/Dark/Politics/Remake of the SNES original
Dungeon Encounters	$14.99 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Dungeon CrawleCharacter Customization/Very light on Story
Lapis x Labyrinth	$9.99 $29.99	Action/Hack'n Slash/Class and Character creation & customization/Dungeon CrawleLooter
KINGDOM HEARTS INTEGRUM MASTERPIECE for Cloud	$44.99 $89.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Crossover of Disney and Square Enix characters
HARVESTELLA	$41.99 $59.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Farming SimulatoClass changing system/Resource gathering and Crafting
Jack Move	$13.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Cyberpunk setting/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics/Hacking
The Caligula Effect 2	$29.99 $49.99	Turn-based unique combat/School Life setting/Persona-like/Great Soundtrack/Female and Male Protagonist choice
Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited	$29.99 $49.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Anime Visuals/First-person Dungeon CrawleCharacter Customization/2 games in 1 pack
Coromon	$11.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoPixel Graphics/Pokemon-like
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: [Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle Remastered] / [Soul Nomad & the World Eaters]	$29.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Demon World/Heavy Customization system/Expansive Class changing/2 games in 1
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2: [Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound] / [ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman]	$29.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Demon World/Heavy Customization system/Expansive Class changing/2 games in 1
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3: [La Pucelle: Ragnarok] / [Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure]	$29.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/2 games in 1/Musical/Cute
Disgaea 1 Complete	$19.99 $49.99	Turn-based Tactical/Fantasy setting/Deep character customization/Comedy
Disgaea 4 Complete+	$19.99 $49.99	Turn-based Tactical/Fantasy setting/Demon World/Heavy Customization system/Expansive Class changing
Disgaea 5: ALLIANCE OF VENGEANCE	$19.99 $39.99	Turn-based Tactical/Fantasy setting/Deep character customization/Comedy
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero	$31.99 $39.99	Tactical turn-based/Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Slow Start/Police Force/Story and World building heavy
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	$29.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Great Soundtrack/Fantasy High school life setting/Dating Sim/Story and Lore heavy/Military and War
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	$29.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Great Soundtrack/Fantasy High school life setting/Dating Sim/Story and Lore heavy/Military and War

~ Xbox ~

Game	Price/Link	Tags
South Park™: The Fractured but Whole™	$14.99 $49.99	Tactical Turn-based/Modern Day setting/Comedy/Mature/Dark HumoNudity/Fart Jokes
Yakuza 0	$4.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza Kiwami (Remake of Yakuza 1)	$4.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Remake of Yakuza 2)	$4.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
The Yakuza Remastered Collection (3/4/5)	$13.99 $39.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza 3 Remastered	$6.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza 4 Remastered	$6.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza 5 Remastered	$6.99 $19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life	$4.99 19.99	Action/Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Hero Edition	$20.99 $69.99	Turn-based/Contemporary Japan setting/Yakuza life/Open World/Heavy on Drama and Comedy/Heavy on Mini-games/Class Changing Mechanics
Valkyria Revolution	$5.99 $29.99	Action/Fantasy World WaMilitary setting/Mission based Gameplay
Valkyria Chronicles 4	$5.99 $29.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy Sci-fi World War setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based story progression/Army management
Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Bundle	$29.61 $39.49	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
Persona 5 Royal	$41.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch™ Remastered	$29.99 $49.99	Action/Medieval Fantasy setting/Isekai/Monster CollectoBeautiful art style by Studio Ghibli/Beautiful soundtrack/Fairy tale story
Monster Sanctuary	$6.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoMetroidvania/Pixel Graphics/Expansive Skill Tree/Character customization
Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom - The Prince's Edition	$59.99 $79.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Isekai/Base BuildeArmy Battle/Character CollectoBeautiful art style
Soul Hackers 2	$29.99 $59.99	Turn-based/Cyberpunk setting/Monster collectoFemale Protagonist
DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT Legendary Edition	$59.99 $119.99	Action Fantasy/Semi-Open World (zones)/Anime story adaptation/Beautiful animations
Scarlet Nexus Deluxe Edition	$19.99 $79.99	Action/Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi setting/Choose between 2 Main Characters/Psychic powers/Using environmental objects as weapons
Tales of Arise Deluxe Edition	$29.74 $84.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Anime style/Revolution Story/Fantasy setting/anime trope heavy/Social links mechanic between party members

~ Steam ~

There is a spring Sale going on, so there is a separate thread to cover this sale, link here:

https://www.reddit.com/JRPG/comments/11t7fgw/steam_spring_big_sale_2023_breakdown_listguide_of/

~ General Recommendations For Anyone Who Can't Decide ~

First off, I won't recommend big or famous games like Final Fantasy or Persona, this is more for lesser know, hidden gems, or just games where it's hard to find someone talking about them.

[Monster Sanctuary]

This is a solid game, everything in is polished and balanced to make sure you are having fun collecting new monsters and customizing your team through evolution/skill trees/gear and making the best in-sync party you can. Then you add the beautiful pixel art and animation, the challenging, yet not frustrating, platforming, and how the game makes sure you're getting a steady flow of new monsters, gear, and skills as you go through the game from start to finish, and you have a true gem.
If that wasn't enough, they released a free DLC that adds a lot more content and and a whole new zone that is bigger than any zone the game had, and it updates old ones, and adds new mods like a true randomizer and and built-in nuzlocke mode. All of that for less than $7 ? It's a crime not to get it at this point

[Tales series]

You can't go wrong with any of these, I personally would say start with Symphonia for the classic epic fantasy adventure with all the usual classic JRPG tropes. Or go for Berseria for a dark revenge story with a ragtag scallywag group of misfits grouped by fate type of deal. You can start with Vesperia if you want a main character with a chill personality and his companion is pipe smoking dog with. There is also the newly released and critically acclaimed Tales of Arise that comes with a free demo you can try before buying.
No matter which game you choose, this is a solid series if you want action combat, an anime shounen adventure story, with lots of party banter, side-quests, and post-game content.

[Ni no Kuni] Series

If you're looking for that great Isekai fantasy adventure feel, then these two games are where it's at. Fantastic visuals and great music, coupled with a great art style, a combo that is perfect for a chill and relaxed gaming experience. Especially when talking about the first game, with the help ofStudio Ghibli, they managed to make a truly whimsical world with that Studio Ghibli classic touch.

- Important Note: The games aren't connected story-wise, so you can start with any of them -

[Wrath of the White Witch]

For a the best fantasy adventure feel, while the combat is a hit or miss depending on your taste, don't let that stop you from actually diving into a true fairy tale world, this is the one with the better story in my opinion, so if you want more story than game, this is for you. Still it has a good share of gameplay, from raising and collecting Pokemon-like monsters, to learning and using different spells, not just in combat but for the overworld too.

[Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom]

This one focuses more on gameplay, with a Kingdom builder, Army battles, Heavy loot focus, and even character collector, this is the one to go with if you want more game than story. Still has the great music and he fantastical art style and setting. Add to that a lot of side activities like beating rare monsters, collecting cute creatures to help you in battle, and even going around the world to gather people to help you build your kingdom. You'll never be short on things to do.
Finally, both of them have beautifully draw world that is just a pleasure to walkthrough, made even better with the amazing orchestral soundtrack.

[SaGa series]

Both amazing games for the SaGa series, but for newcomers, it's better to start with RS3, it's closer to how classic turn-based JRPG functions while still retaining what makes a SaGa game. If you found Scarlet Grace to be too challenging for an entry title, then go with RS3. RS2 isn't a bad entry point but it's way less forgiving which may turn some people off the series.

[Romancing SaGa 2]

You played the part of an emperor, where make choices on what to build/upgrade and what weapons and armors to research. You expand your kingdom by freeing nearby cities and towns from the different evil oppressors (Evil Heroes). The more you expand your kingdom the more world you can explore, and the more classes, races, formations, gear, and quests that will be available to you.

[Romancing SaGa 3]

You choose 1 out of 8 characters (4 male/4 female), and play through their own special scenario. After finishing the short prologue, the whole world is open to you to explore and adventure through. Choices drive everything in this game, as is the usual for the series, that even side-quests will have different endings depending on how you choose to tackle or finish them. Find and battle the 4 Sinistrals, join world tournaments, recruit many of the unique characters around the world to your party, from a Wandering Warrior, to A sentient Snowman. Fighting army battles, and play the market stock mini-game. Collect the legendary weapons, unlock power magic, and carve your own legend.
Both games are remastered to have beautifully made pixel art, which is so good that they are alone worth the price of admission.

[SaGa Frontier Remastered]

Where to start with this one, while the 3D character models have aged badly, everything is remastered and looks great. with 8 characters to choose from and play through each of their stories, you'll always have something to do. Not to mention the long list of side-quests and dungeons to explore at your own will. Then you add one of the best soundtracks in the series by Kenji Ito and one of the best open-world universes you can have in a JRPG, where you can travel from world to world, from ancient Japan to a Fantastical world mystics and magic, to the inter-galactic port for spaceships from all around the universe. It's a game any JRPG fans should experience at least once.

[SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions]

You heard a lot about the series, but you never knew where to start ? well wonder no more. Scarlet Grace is one of the best entry titles to the SaGa series.
Everything is tutorialized, a long list of tips and strategies that will be given to you from the start to even the very late parts of the game, to make sure you are prepared for everything the game throws on you. Then you add that it has one of the best and most challenging turn-based combat systems out there, if you ever thought turn-based combat in JRPGs is too easy, this will change your mind as it what can be done with it. Add to that a fantastic soundtrack, and open-world with tons of quests and events to take part, and 4 Main Characters to choose each with their own story and characters to recruit, and you'll find this is a great pick.

[Valkyria Chronicles]

[Valkyria Chronicles 4]

This one is really hard to explain through words alone, but just in case, the VC series is a World War 2 military setting story, where you act as the lead of a squad and take mission to drive back the enemy. The story is drama heavy and the gameplay is tactical turn-based, but it's mixed with real-time third person shooter.
You can also make your own army by recruiting different types of solders, training them and upgrading their gear. From rifles to tanks, this is a game you have to experience to understand.

[Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin]

Wither you're a fan of the Monster Hunter series, monster collection games, or just someone who likes/loves a good and challenging turn-based combat game. Then this is a match made in heaven for you. A great game with lots of exploration, hunting, resource gathering, crafting new Cool looking weapons and armor from monster materials, capturing and fighting with monsters together, and then add being able to play with friends online and you have a really great game on your hand. The animations are great, the monsters are unique and each comes with different attacks and skills both in and outside of battle.
A real gem if you are a fan of any of the above, and has content to keep you playing for days if not weeks.

[ Dark Cloud 1 & 2 / Rogue Galaxy / Wild Arms 3 / Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits ]

These are all great PS2 JRPG ports that are sold for less than $8, and all of them are a steal at that price:

• Dark Cloud 1 & 2: Amazing series, with a focus on crafting and building your town. An easy pick and a classic.
  
• Rogue Galaxy: Another great game, where you play as a space pirate, and a monster hunter.
  
• Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits: A very fun game in the Arc the Lad series, and don't worry, it's not related to any of the previous games, so you don't need any previous knowledge. You play the game from two different perspectives of the humans and demons.
  
• Wild Arms 3: One of the best titles in an already amazing series. Famous for it's charming Wild west setting and interesting characters, and heavy with some of the most challenging puzzles you'll ever find in a JRPG.
  

As always, please do add your own recommendations, and let me know if there is mistake or if something was missing, and have a nice day.

She was dressed in white, wearing an old fashioned dress far too fancy for an evening alone in a small restaurant like ours. Her wide-brimmed hat was adorned with lilies, and she refused to take it off, leaving half of her face hidden in its shadow. Nobody had noticed her come in. It was as if she had just materialized into her chair.
She had chosen to sit all the way in the back at one of our least favorite tables. The lighting didn’t properly reach this part of the room, leaving it in a state of perpetual darkness. People generally avoided sitting here. She didn’t seem to mind. There were lots of other free tables, but she didn’t make a move for any of them. She barely moved at all in fact. She didn’t wave, or call out for somebody to serve her. She just sat there - silent, and motionless.
My co-worker was already busy waiting on a few tables, which meant that the woman in white was my responsibility. I approached her, carrying a menu, and a tray of napkins in one hand, and a glass jar containing a tealight in the other. Her head tracked my movement as I weaved past a bunch of empty tables. I forced a smile onto my face.
“Hello. Glad to have you as our guest. Can I get you something to drink while you look through our menu?” I felt a growing sense of unease as I rattled down my standard greeting. Something was very off about this woman.
Her dress was not the pristine white it had seemed from a distance. Large yellowish stains littered the fabric, as if it had been left lying in a damp place for a long time. The long strands of her straight black hair were of uneven length, and stuck together in a strange way. The sight evoked an unpleasant memory. Once upon a time, when I was a kid, I had gotten a bad case of head lice. My hair had looked exactly like that back then.
Even more unsettling than all of that was her smell - a dense cloying scent - intense and artificial - the smell of flowers layered on so thickly that it bit my nostrils. It smelled as if she had dumped an entire bottle of perfume over her body, and even that couldn’t completely hide the underlying moldy odor. Breathing it all in nearly made me gag. Somehow I managed to keep my composure.
“I can highly recommend our fresh carp today,” I said, while positioning the menu and the napkins in front of her. “Or the mushroom-potato casserole if you’re looking for a vegan option.” I hastily grabbed the glass jar to light up the candle inside. The faster I was done here, the quicker I could get away.
“I already know what I want.” Her voice was raw and deep. By now the candle was burning. I reached for my little notebook, and turned back towards her. My body froze.
The light of the candle hadn’t dispelled the creepy atmosphere surrounding the woman. It had made it worse. Now I could see the unnatural stillness of her face. There was not a single twitch of a muscle, no wrinkling of the skin, no rising of her cheek bones - nothing. Her features would have been stunningly beautiful otherwise, but this lack of motion made her look uncanny and disturbing. She didn’t seem like a person. She seemed like something else entirely.
The candlelight had also done nothing to drive away the shadow hiding her upper face. It just made the darkness stand out even more. The fire was reflected back from her eyes, and they suddenly sparked up within the darkness - two glowing orbs fixated right on me - unblinking and merciless.
“I already know what I want,” she said again, and I noticed that I had just been staring at her for the last few seconds. I swallowed, and forced myself to look down onto my notebook.
“That’s great,” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse. “What can I get you?”
“Sit with me,” she said.
“What?” - I looked up, the tip of my pen still resting on my notebook. Her head turned towards the chair on the opposite side of the table, then back towards me.
“Such a warm and pretty thing,” she said. “Come sit with me.”
“Uhm…” I struggled to keep the neutral smile on my face. A clenching pressure began building up within my bowels, as if some invisible hand had pushed into my abdomen, and was now squeezing down on my innards. “S-sorry, but I’m in the middle of work. I’m afraid I can’t just sit with you. I’d be happy to get you your order though - or anything else you might need.”
“Come sit with me,” she repeated, and just as she spoke something suddenly moved on her face. It was minuscule, but it stood out among the unnatural stillness of her features. The left side of her nose bulged a little. Something thin and black poked out with a little twitch. I thought it was a hair at first, but then it twitched again, and it grew longer and wider, and then…
A big blowfly emerged from her nostril.
It came to rest above her upper lip, rubbing its hindlegs over its wings. She didn’t react at all. After a few seconds the fly lifted off, circled around the flickering candle twice, then headed towards the kitchen entrance. I stood there frozen, my mind reeling from what I had just witnessed.
“Come sit with me,” the woman repeated a third time, and I stumbled away from her.
“I - sorry… I just… - need to work -” I gestured towards the room with a slightly panicked movement. “Lots of other table to wait on - I just… I need to… Just call me if you’ve decided on your order - uhm -...”
I never found a way to properly finish my stuttering speech. I just turned away mid-sentence, and hurried back towards the well-lit sections of the room. Her stare burned into the back of my neck, but she didn’t stop me. She also didn’t call me back all evening. At some point I noticed that she had vanished from the table. Nobody had seen her come in, and nobody had seen her leave either.
The tension within me began to seep away. My body allowed itself to relax. It had been a creepy encounter, but nothing actually bad had happened. Now it was over. It’d probably make for a good story to tell at a party.
My workday came to a close. The last guests left. We cleaned up, and said our good-byes for the night. It was just past 1am when I finally got home.
I kicked off my shoes, rubbed my aching feet, and headed to the kitchen to make myself a little bedtime snack. I was in the middle of rummaging through one of the pantry lockers, when the lightbulb above me suddenly blew. For a short moment I stood in the darkness. Then a candle flame whisked to life behind me. I froze in horror.
She was still dressed in white, now sitting at my kitchen table, hands folded in her lap. The menu of our restaurant was lying next to her, the tray of napkins right beside it. The small glass jar holding the tea light was positioned at the center of the table.
“No more work,” she said. “No other tables to wait on. Now you can sit with me. Such a warm and pretty thing. Come and sit with me.”
I tried to say something, but the sudden crushing tension of my fear squeezed my throat tight. The only sound coming out of my mouth was a feeble choking whimper.
“Sit with me!” A forceful note crept into her voice and she leaned forward. I shoved myself away.
Her head abruptly jerked to the side with a series of twitches. Something squirmed within the shadow beneath her hat. The silhouette of a small wriggling body began emerging from her ear, until a final violent twitch of knocked it free. The thing tumbled down, hit her shoulder, and landed right in front of her. It was a huge black cockroach.
The insect lay on its back, frantically kicking its legs to get upright. It looked just as panicked and disoriented as I felt myself. The woman looked at it for a moment, then swooped down. She extended her tongue - a blackish and bloated thing - and licked across the tabletop, scooping up the roach. A single leg still stuck out from between her lips when she pulled back. There was a faint crunching sound. She swallowed.
“Sit with me. I will eat, and when I am finished we can go to my place,” she said “Won’t that be wonderful? Come sit with me. Sit with me! Sit with me!”
She raised one hand, beckoning me to step closer. Her nails were broken and chipped, with something dark clinging beneath them. Her arm stretched towards me. I should have been far out of her reach, but just as the extended limb seemed to have reached its limits, it began to grow longer, inching closer and closer, her fingers clawing through the air.
I scrambled backwards - or I tried at least, because I was already forced flat against the wall. There was nowhere to retreat. The woman was sitting between me and the only door. The only other exit was the window to my back - a five story drop onto asphalt pavement.
“Sit with me,” the woman said. “Sit with me. Sit with me. Sit with me. Sit…” - And her hand stretched closer and closer, the faint touch of her long broken nails already brushing against the front of my shirt. I tried to move, or to think, or to do anything, but I was completely frozen, and her hand came even closer, and my mouth snapped open and shut, struggling to scream for help, or to beg for mercy, to make any sound at all…
And then I managed to squeeze out one lone sentence. It was a sentence ingrained into me after years of working in the food service industry, an empty automatic response that I didn’t even have to think about. That was probably the only reason my mind was able to utter it at all.
“D-did you make a reservation?” - It was a ridiculous thing to say. The woman hesitated. She slowly pulled her hand back into her lap.
“No reservation”
“W-we… we are sadly booked out for today.” My voice was hoarse and strained and barely audible. “I’m afraid you’ll need to come back some other time.”
She sat there in silence. The steady ticking of the kitchen clock above the kitchen sink was the only sound in the room.
“I would like to make a reservation,” she finally said. “For tomorrow.”
“We’re all booked out tomorrow, too.”
“Next week…”
“We’re booked out all week. We’re booked out ALL YEAR!” I nearly shouted those last two words.
“All year?” The glowing orbs that were her eyes suddenly flared up. They visibly widened within the darkness. She suddenly leaned forward. Her hands slammed onto the table. Her nails dug deep into the wooded surface, leaving deep scratch marks. “All year - all year - ALL YEAR!”
This was it. I had pushed the lie too far. Any moment now she would fling herself from the chair and onto me.
“ALL YEAR! ALL YEAR! ALL YEAR!” Her voice grew louder and louder, and her body threw itself downward, shivering and pulsing, fists slamming onto the table - and then - all of the sudden - all tension fell away from her. She pushed herself back into a sitting position, now perfectly still once more.
“Next year then,” she said. “This day. I’m making a reservation for this very day - one year from now.”
Before I could think of a way to respond she reached for the candle. Her hand pushed into the glass jar, showing no sign of being affected by the heat. Her fingertips closed around the flame. There was a sharp hiss when the fire touched her skin, and then there was darkness, and then she was gone. The only evidence that she had ever been there were the deep uneven scratches on the table, and the cloying sweet smell of her perfume still hanging in the air. A whispering echo reached my ears, sounding from everywhere and nowhere at once.
“...such a warm and pretty thing…”
-
One day has already passed since then, but since next year is a leap year there are still 365 days remaining. 365 days to figure out how to cancel a dinner date with a monster…

So you’re an eager AS200 ready for field training. You got your bag packed with your extra set of OCP boots, your FTM is all tabbed up, and you got 20 9-Line cards for the rest of your flight. You’re prepared, but you don’t know what to expect. You need advice, you want the POC to tell you how to prepare. Never fear, I will offer my genius insights on how to get the most out of field training. This advice might not be helpful, but hey, its coming from a POC.
· Sequencer: So there’s this off brand-Gatorade they put at every water cooler. It’s served through normal Gatorade dispensers and you drink it through these flimsy paper cups. It comes in five flavors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Purple. First off, double up your cups. Those paper cups will decompose in seconds, use two or three to minimize leaks. Secondly, I would recommend staying away from the yellow and green flavors. They are not as good, are generally saltier, and the CTAs don’t know the right ratio for those two. Lastly, mix the flavors. Mixing Red and Purple yields this concoction so ungodly good you’ll wish you never had to drink anything else. Blue and Red is also okay. Using Red or blue with yellow is also a good way to boost the inferior flavors.
· DFAC: Don’t greet the staff table. You will have to eat at the DFAC a bunch, it is annoying, know the procedures. If you can ever volunteer to do something during lunch, do that. Not only will you get longer to eat, but you may get some neat opportunities. I met the first sergeant during my max and got to have a lunch with them because of it. You will be offered to take snacks as well. You may not be the type of person to take snacks. ALWAYS TAKE YOUR SNACKS. You may frequently have lunch of dinner super early and get hungry later, and if not I can guarantee you there are flight mates who would kill for your pop tart. Also, the wrappers for the granola bars when I went had coupon codes for free minecoins on them. Even at FT, the grind never stops. You will probably have water minimums every meal. You can drink for the rest of the day. Still drink your water (see below), but focus on your food. You only get ten minutes to eat (ask for time extensions if you need them!) so use the time for food.
· Drink water: Duh. But seriously. Don’t be that one weirdo that gets stripped naked by staff because you had a heat stroke. Water is amazing and I cannot emphasize how important it is. I drank almost 15 liters in one day once. Also it gives you an excuse to go to the bathroom frequently, which is really your only break in the first few days. Also, be sure to fill up your pack every chance you get. You never really can know how long you are going to go without having another chance.
· Sleep and Hygiene: It is hard to fall asleep at 2000, especially if you are coming from the west coast. The first few days will be annoying as well. After about two days you will fall asleep very quickly (I’ve never heard of even the roughest sleepers taking more than 15 minutes to fall asleep). The lights out hours are enforced, so be sure you are sleeping when you can. Your body will wake you up automatically five minutes before 0400 in a few days, so in the dark silently make your bed or brush your teeth if you didn’t have time last night. Oh yeah, brush your teeth, it may be hard to find the time but don’t get cavities from FT. I would suggest brushing teeth in the shower if you can’t find time. I know too many people who didn’t find time to brush their teeth.
· Gossip: yes, really, get to know each other, share what you know. Did you overhear and FTO say that Romeo flight was going to VW TD-7? Spread the word! Do not hold knowledge that can help your flight to yourself, because such behaviors really stand out and FTO’s will really ding your flight rankings. Lots of people go into FT trying to know everything and be the big up-front leader. People who step on toes get ranked much worse than those who repeatedly fail but demonstrate growth. Point is, you will hear things. Set up a recall roster in your flight. Also don’t be afraid to ask for things, such as allowances to break the flight path. Also, just share what you know. If you came with extra FDE cards for everyone, share! If you have feedback for an ORI, share! The flight halls should have public bulletin boards for MFRs, use those. Your evaluators will notice.
· Talk to the Chaplains! You might not be religious, that is totally cool, but the religious services were an outstanding spiritual experience and just asking to talk with the chaplains is a great way to get a quick break within bounds. Talking with them will not negatively impact your rankings in any way, and I cannot emphasize how amazing they are. Seriously, do not be afraid to put yellow or red for mental health in your journals. Lying about your issues does not make them go away. Talking to the chaplains just might. I got to go on some walks and have some nice drinks with them while talking about life. An excellent reprieve.
· Feet: oh yeah, this is a big one. There is a reason you put this on your weekly journal. You will not have an option to wash your shoes, so be sure you pack a burner pair. Maybe also get extra insoles. Air out your shoes every night if you can, maybe pack some Lysol. Wash your feet when you shower, sleep without socks on if you need, and watch your feet to treat any potential blisters immediately before they get to you.
· Actually go: this one is fun. Apparently, every year like half a dozen people just don’t show up to FT. When called, they’re just like “oh yeah I don’t wanna do ROTC anymore.” It is past that point, you have committed, so be sure you are fully present. Don’t not go, and don’t go and not be present. Actually be there, and care why you are. Don’t do an SIE or whatever the self elimination is called. You may want to, but talk with the chaplains first and realize, it’s only a few more days. Focus on one day at a time. VW is a blast and it gets a lot easier. The CTAs warm up. No one I know of did an SIE after TD-3, so just bear out the first few days, as rough as they are.
· Packing List: Take a pair of nail clippers, your own set of moleskin, and extra thing of wet wipes or Lysol, extra shoes and arguably more socks. Write your locker combo in your FTM (AND ALWAYS LEAVE YOUR SECURITY LOCKER LOCKED—most common form 17 and was responsible for one dismissal at my max.) Take an extra set of civilian clothes so once you are done you can change out of IUs for the ride home. Keep in mind you won’t hear music for two weeks, so think about what the last song you hear is going to be. Also you can take extra stuff as long as its not contraband (consumable, electronic, or a distraction) so take extra stuff. You will have a lot of fun time at VW and maybe even get some places where you want to kill time. There is no harm in taking extra things to help you prepare.
· Learn marching jodies: calling cadence for 15 minutes in the heat sucks.
I probably forgot a bunch of stuff so maybe I'll be back.

Hi all, I’m back with the full series following on from my last mini-series, Angland U. If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it, as it serves as a prologue and an easy entry into the THJ Universe, which started with The Hunter’s Journey. I have tried to make it so reading THJ isn’t necessary if you read the prologue, but it will provide more insight into the world than my prologue will (it’s a lot easier to go into the full depths of something with around 2,000 pages than it is with around 40-50 after all.)
Fair warning, there will be some adult themes in the series, so reader discretion is advised.
So, without further ado, enjoy!
-----------------------------
Prologue / Previous / Next
-----------------------------
Daniel rolled his left arm in its socket as he read his new assignment once more, excited to finally be getting out of constant lessons, training, and parades. He shut off the holoviewer and retracted it back into his bionic arm, allowing his hand to snap back into place, banging the back of it a couple times to make sure it was seated properly, and letting out a small sigh of relief that it was still holding up after so much punishment in basic training. He quickly checked his bags once more, making sure he had everything on him, completed one final check of the room, and then exited it. He walked down the hallway and hopped into the lift, heading down to the ground floor. Once there, he walked over to the reception, where he checked out of the hotel, and then made his way over to the hotel's subway entrance.
Upon entering the subway, he identified the military door and scanned his pass, letting him through the secure door to the private platform, where a half filled carriage was waiting. He quickly boarded and found a seat, watching the door for another 30 seconds before they closed and the carriage began to move. Less than a minute later, the carriage slowed to a halt at the other platform, and everyone began to disembark. Once he was off, Daniel quickly pulled his uniform straight, making sure the creases were still crisp and that his brassard was sitting correctly, before touching his headdress to make sure it was on straight, and he then began to walk up the stairs and left the subway.
Looking out onto the runway, he spotted his transport almost completely loaded, a massive 350 metre wide behemoth of a flying wing, an ASWT-16. As he walked towards the military security terminal of the spaceport, two privates stood to attention and saluted him, which he acknowledged quickly so they could get back to their business. He scanned his pass on the security terminal, and then walked through the attached gate, scanning him and finding nothing of concern. He quickly removed his headdress now that he was on an active airfield, and stored it in his bag before jumping on the nearby shuttle bus, which collected a few more people before the doors closed and silently drove towards the transport, coming to a stop just before the ramp. Everyone quickly disembarked, and the bus headed back to the gate the instant the last person was off, and then the group all quickly boarded the transport, rushing to get one of the better seats. Daniel didn’t rush though, and instead headed to the subtly comfier seats with an actual real window that peeked over the surface of the wing, reserved for officers like himself, and he stuffed his bags under it.
As he waited for boarding and loading to wrap up, he flicked his metal hand back and checked his messages on his holo once again, looking to see if any of his family or friends had responded. As expected, he had a quick good luck message from his Dad, and absolutely nothing from his Mother, but all his childhood and University friends had responded, barring the one person he really wanted to hear from. He knew she had read it, the app indicated as such, but she hadn’t responded. He hoped she was just writing a really long message congratulating him and wishing him luck, but he couldn’t just help but worry that she hadn’t taken the news well.
He forced it out of his mind as the loading ramp began to close and the transport crew called out their final checks. He raised both his arms off of his lap as a crew member checked to make sure his belt was on, and once the crew member had checked everyone on the row, they found their own seat and sat down. Less than two minutes later, a low rumble could be heard as all twelves thrusters roared to full power, and the transport began to quickly accelerate down the runway, taking off with its full 4,000 tonne load.
Daniel watched the fields blitz past out the window, each one getting smaller and smaller as they ascended faster and faster, until he could just about make out the curvature of the Earth, feeling a small jolt as the thrusters switched from their air breathing modes to their vacuum modes. It didn’t take long until all he could see out of his tiny window was the black void of space above the wing. The wing in question suddenly became a hub of activity as numerous panels began to wing open or retract, allowing a pylon with a long pod on the end to raise up, which began to glow a dull blue as the star formations visible to him began to distort.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please,” one of the crew members began. “We are now at warp, and it is safe to walk around the craft. ETA for Mars orbit is 30 minutes, so please make sure you are buckled back in before that happens. The gravity generator isn’t the strongest on a transport like this, so the docking manoeuvres could pose a danger. Also, please don’t enter the cargo grid, gravity is weaker there, and any magnetic objects could be ripped from your body. I don’t fancy having to retrieve your body for the medic because a piercing got ripped out.”
Daniel looked over to the other passengers, noticing that one of the plain clothes personnel was grimacing and holding their legs tight together, while their friend next to them bumped their shoulder with a poorly masked grin. He shook his head and got to his feet, giving them a stretch while he had the chance, and checked his holo to see that it was now disconnected from the network as expected. He snapped his hand back into place, finding that the connection for his little finger wasn’t engaging properly, so he gave the back of his hand a firm smack and thankfully managed to regain control of his extremity.
“Should probably get that looked into, Sir,” the Lieutenant sitting next to him said.
“Yeah, I’ve got a replacement ordered. It’s been messed up since basic, and I’ve finally gotten approval for the latest model,” Daniel explained.
“Is requisition that bad at the moment?”
“Only for the full suite I need.”
“What do you need that’s in short supply?”
“Sorry, but that’s need to know,” Daniel told him, knowing that the parts weren’t restricted information to someone of his rank, but he was still happy to use it to avoid unwanted conversation at the moment.
“Of course, sir. My apologies for asking.”
“No harm done,” Daniel assured him as he straightened his shirt and made his way towards the front of the transport.
He opened the doorway into a corridor, and then immediately made his way into the office space, taking a seat in one of the four cubicles and logging into one of the computers, pleased to see that his travel profile had been uploaded before takeoff. The data was sparse, but it was all he needed at the moment, which was mainly the bios of his soon to be subordinates, and more importantly interview and trainer notes. None of them had any real world experience in the world of electronic subterfuge, though they did all pass the training and tests with perfect grades like him, even if the tests missed off a few handy tricks he’d utilised on occasion. It meant that he would likely be irreplaceable if the ship was in a dangerous situation, though he knew that would be the case just from him being in a position of authority. He was a little disappointed by the prospect of almost always having to be at his post, but such was Navy life.
He continued to look more closely at their bios, making a mental note of the comments made against them. They all seemed to be by the book types, which means that he would have to teach them some dirty tricks at some point, but it at least meant that he wasn’t likely to have a rough time with them. They all originated from various colonies though, so he was wary of the tribalism that could cause. It should have been trained out of them so they all acted as a single unit, but pride was often something hard rooted.
“Five minutes till Mars!” a crew member shouted into the room, before moving onto the next.
Daniel took his que to wipe his profile in case it got missed due to tight schedules, and logged off. It might not be his responsibility to do so, but he’d be damned if someone else messed up and he and his new team got hurt for it. He left the cubical and made his way back to his seat, buckling in and allowing himself to be inspected once again.
He looked out the window once again as the warp pylon powered down and the distortion effect stopped, causing the green and blue surface of Mars to take up the majority of his view. It remained in his few for only a few moments though, as the transport began to turn and roll as it aligned with the station. The warp pylons quickly stowed themselves in the wings again, and the transport edged forward, sliding into the hangar after a minute or two of travel. There was a small bump as the craft touched down, followed by a droop as the hangar’s gravity was turned up to normal levels.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Mars Stardock 02. Please disembark to allow for unloading of supplies,” the crew member from before announced.
Not wanting to get caught in the crowd, Daniel jumped up from his seat, picked up his bags quickly, and was the fourth person to exit the transport. He looked at the unloading tractors that were entering the room, noticing that they had a particularly large one usually reserved for ship modules. He was surprised that something like that would be coming from Earth given Mars’ manufacturing capabilities, but he probably couldn’t find out what it was without putting his rank at risk, so he elected to ignore it. Instead, he headed over to the hangar exit and scanned his pass, confirming his presence aboard the station.
As he began to walk down the corridor of the station, following the signs for the habs, he checked his messages once more, finding that he still hadn’t received the message he was hoping for. He did his best to hide his frustration, and continued on until he reached the nearest short stay habs, walking past the honeycomb array of pods designed to pack in the lower ranking spacemen of visiting ships if the ships weren’t serviceable. Thankfully for him however, he was able to keep walking until he reached the officer’s cabins, picking an empty one and assigning it to himself.
His temporary accommodation was little more than a small bed, a desk, and a stool, but it served his needs. He dropped his bags on his bed, and quickly activated his arm’s scanners, checking the room for any bugs, which he found none of. He knew there was practically no way of someone knowing which room he’d end up in, but he couldn’t be too careful. Happy that he was safe, he opened the makeshift compartment on his arm, removing the memory chip that had sat there for almost five years at this point. He carefully hid it in the ceiling light cover, and exited the room, locking the door behind him. He knew that after five years of no-one looking for it that was probably safe, but he wasn’t going to take the risk.
He began to look at the station signs again, managing to find a layout map. He quickly committed it to memory the best he could, and made his way to the station’s clinic. Once he finished the short walk there, he checked himself in, and was assigned to a room, which he entered and sat down on the bed within it. He let out a small sigh as he looked around the room, waiting for the doctor to arrive, and began to study all the posters and displays, containing information on a bunch of medical advice that was inapplicable to him.
“Sorry about the wait,” an old and balding man in a medical uniform apologised to him as he entered the room, carrying a large long black case.
“It’s not a problem,” Daniel assured him.
“I’m Dr Middleton,” the Doctor informed him. “Now, may I just confirm your identity please?”
“Lieutenant Commander Daniel Hardbrooks,” Daniel replied, handing over his military ID.
“... Indeed you are. Just a couple of quick questions before we get onto why you’re here. Can you please confirm the purpose of your visit?” the Doctor asked, handing his ID back.
“To receive a replacement mechanical prosthetic arm, containing equipment I am not allowed to disclose.”
“And can I confirm that you don’t need a socket upgrade?”
“No, I have the latest socket after my last one broke during basic training.”
“Perfect,” the Doctor replied, checking a few boxes on his holo display. “Will you be recycling your old arm, or will you keep it?”
“Recycle. This thing will probably break if you look at it wrong,” he explained, taking off his shirt and holding up his scratched and dented arm.
“A mk IV-C. I’m surprised it’s still working. Well, you’ve got a nice new mk XXII-NM. I’m pleased to inform you that a starsteel heatsink was successfully sourced, as well as some other components that are simply blank on my display,” the Doctor told him as he handed Daniel the case. “The profile from your old arm has been transferred onto this one, but you will have to map any new functions.”
“Of course,” Daniel replied, pressing the lock and allowing the case to scan him.
After almost ten seconds of waiting, the locks popped off, and the lid opened to reveal his new arm. It looked almost like a real arm in shape, except he had given it a custom carbon black with white trim paint scheme, and replaced the plates that visually simulated muscle with armour and electronics. Happy with his new appendage, he grabbed hold of his current arm and popped it out of its socket, laying it on the nearby table before picking up his new arm and locking it in place, checking to make sure the seal engaged properly.
He rolled his shoulder, surprised at how smooth the motion was, making him realise just how bad his old arm was performing. He then began to twist his arm and wrist while flexing his fingers, finding that each motion felt like it had less purpose, but they instead felt much more natural like his real arm. He then performed a systems check, making sure none of the secret stuff was displayed, before giving the doctor a thumbs up.
“It’s working perfectly. Thank you for your help,” he told the Doctor as he put his shirt back on.
“You’re very welcome. Please tap here to confirm your appointment has been completed,” the Doctor instructed, pointing at his holo display.
“There. All done,” Daniel replied, performing the action.
“Thank you very much. Any issues and concerns, please check back here or to any other military approved clinic as soon as possible.”
“Will do. Thanks once again for your help,” Daniel told him as he left the clinic.
Daniel made his way straight back to his hab, entering it and testing out his new scanner, finding it to return the same readings of his room, but he could now read practically every electromagnetic and aetheric signature within half a kilometre, with the larger signals of the station’s fusion generators easily detectable from almost two kilometres away. Satisfied, he quickly retrieved the memory chip from the light cover, and stored it within the new secret high security compartment he now possessed.
Satisfied, he left his room once more and entered one of the nearest lifts. He punched in the button for the observation deck, and braced himself slightly as the lift accelerated rapidly, bringing him to his destination in a matter of seconds. He stepped out of the lift and into what was essentially a ball of transparent metal, overlooking the whole station. He walked over to the edge, and took in the sight of the disk shaped station floating over the distant Martian landscape. He could just about make out some of the smaller hangars from his vantage point, but what he was more interested in was the docking arms on the outside of the disk.
He could make out three corvettes dock on a single arm, and another one on an arm of its own. The next three arms were empty, with the next two servicing a frigate each, followed by three arms servicing destroyers. He was able to identify the classes of the destroyers, identifying two as direct combat ships, and the third as a light drone carrier. Finally, he rested his eyes on a single ship taking up two arms that were far longer than the others, the expedition cruiser, CNS Trailmaker.
His soon to be new home.
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Prologue / Previous / Next

For I was yet scarcely fallen asleep, when I thought that I, together with an innumerable multitude of men, lay fettered with great chains in a dark dungeon, in which, without the least glimpse of light, we swarmed like bees one over another, and thus rendered each other’s affliction more grievous. But although neither I nor any of the rest could see one jot, yet I continually heard one heaving himself above the other, when his chains and fetters had become ever so slightly lighter, though none of us had much reason to shove up above the other, since we were all captive wretches.
Now when I with the rest had continued a good while in this affliction, and each was still reproaching the other with his blindness and captivity, at length we heard many trumpets sounding together and kettle drums beating in such a masterly fashion, that it even revived us in our calamity and made us rejoice.
During this noise the cover of the dungeon was lifted up from above, and a little light let down to us. Then first might truly have been discerned the bustle we kept, for all went pell-mell, and he who perchance had heaved himself up too much, was forced down again under the others’ feet. In brief, each one strove to be uppermost. Neither did I myself linger, but with my weighty fetters slipped up from under the rest, and then heaved myself upon a stone, which I laid hold of; howbeit, I was caught at several times by others, from whom yet as well as I might, I still guarded myself with hands and feet. For we imagined no other but that we should all be set at liberty, which yet fell out quite otherwise.
For after the nobles who looked upon us from above through the hole had recreated themselves a while with our struggling and lamenting, a certain hoary-headed ancient man called to us to be quiet, and having scarcely obtained this, began (as I still remember) to speak on thus:
If the poor human race
Were not so arrogant
It would have been given much good
From my mother’s heritage,
But because the human race will not take heed
It lies in such straits
And must be held in prison.
And yet my dearest mother
Will not regard their mischief,
She leaves her lovely gifts
That many a man might come to the light,
Though this may chance but seldom
That they be better prized
Nor reckoned as mere fable.
Therefore in honour of the feast
Which we shall hold today,
That her grace may be multiplied
A good work will she do:
The rope will now be lowered
Whoever may hang on to it
He shall be freed.
He had scarcely finished speaking when an ancient matron commanded her servants to let down the cord seven times into the dungeon, and draw up whosoever could hang upon it. Good God! that I could sufficiently describe the hurry and disquiet that then arose amongst us; for everyone strove to get to the cord, and yet only hindered each other. But after seven minutes a sign was given by a little bell, whereupon at the first pull the servants drew up four. At that time I could not get very near the cord, having (as is before mentioned) to my huge misfortune, betaken myself to a stone at the wall of the dungeon; and thereby I was made unable to get to the cord which descended in the middle.
The cord was let down the second time, but many, because their chains were too heavy, and their hands too tender, could not keep their hold on the cord, but with themselves beat down many another who else perhaps might have held fast enough; nay, many a one was forcibly pulled off by another, who yet could not himself get at it, so mutually envious were we even in this our great misery.
But they of all others most moved my compassion whose weight was so heavy that they tore their very hands from their bodies, and yet could not get up. Thus it came to pass that at those five times very few were drawn up. For as soon as the sign was given, the servants were so nimble at drawing the cord up, that the most part tumbled one upon another, and the cord, this time especially, was drawn up very empty.
Whereupon the greatest part, and even I myself, despaired of redemption, and called upon God that he would have pity on us, and (if possible) deliver us out of this obscurity; who then also heard some of us. For when the cord came down the sixth time, some of them hung themselves fast upon it; and whilst being drawn up, the cord swung from one side to the other, and (perhaps by the will of God) came to me, and I suddenly caught it, uppermost above all the rest, and so at length beyond hope came out. At which I rejoiced exceedingly, so that I did not perceive the wound which during the drawing up I had received on my head from a sharp stone, until I, with the rest who were released (as was always done before) had to help with the seventh and last pull; at which time through straining, the blood ran down all over my clothes, which I nevertheless because of my joy did not take notice of. Now when the last drawing up on which the most of all hung was finished, the matron caused the cord to be laid aside, and asked her aged son to declare her resolution to the rest of the prisoners, who after he had thought a little spoke thus unto them.
Ye childer dear
Ye who are here,
It is completed
What long hath been known,
The great favour which my mother
Hath here shown you twain
Ye should not disdain:
A joyful time shall soon be come.
When each shall be the other’s equal,
No one be poor or rich,
And who was given great commands
Must bring much with him now,
And who was much entrusted with
Stripped to the skin will be,
Wherefore leave off your lamentation
Which is but for a few day
As soon as he had finished these words, the cover was again put to and locked down, and the trumpets and kettle-drums began afresh, yet the noise of them could not be so loud but that the bitter lamentation of the prisoners which arose in the dungeon was heard above all, which soon also caused my eyes to run over.
Presently afterwards the ancient matron, together with her son, sat down on seats before prepared, and commanded the redeemed should be told. Now as soon as she had demanded everyone’s name, which were also written down by a little page; having viewed us all, one after another, she sighed, and spoke to her son, so that I could well hear her, “Ah, how heartily I am grieved for the poor men in the dungeon! I would to God I could release them all.”
To which her son replied, “It is, mother, thus ordained by God, against whom we may not contend. If we were all of us lords, and possessed all the goods upon Earth, and were seated at table, who would there then be to bring up the service?”
Whereupon his mother held her peace, but soon after she said, “Well, however, let these be freed from their fetters,” which was likewise presently done, and I was the last except a few; yet I could not refrain (though I still looked upon the rest) but bowed myself before the ancient matron, and thanked God that through her, he had graciously and fatherly vouchsafed to bring me out of such darkness into the light. After me the rest did likewise, to the satisfaction of the matron.
Lastly, to everyone was given a piece of gold for a remembrance, and to spend by the way, on the one side of which was stamped the rising sun, and on the other (as I remember) these three letters, D.L.S.; and therewith everyone had license to depart, and was sent to his own business with this annexed limitation, that we to the glory of God should benefit our neighbours, and reserve in silence what we had been entrusted with; which we also promised to do, and so departed one from another. But because of the wounds which the fetters had caused me, I could not well go forward, but halted on both feet, which the matron presently espying, laughing at it, and calling me again to her said thus to me: “My son, do not let this defect afflict you, but call to mind your infirmities, and therewith thank God who has permitted you even in this world, and in your state of imperfection, to come into so high a light; and keep these wounds for my sake.”
Whereupon the trumpets began to sound again, which gave me such a shock that I woke up, and then first perceived that it was only a dream, but it so strongly impressed my imagination that I was still perpetually troubled about it, and I thought I still felt the wounds on my feet. Howbeit, by all these things I understood well that God had vouchsafed that I should be present at this mysterious and bidden wedding. Wherefore with childlike confidence I returned thanks to his Divine Majesty, and besought him that he would further preserve me in fear of him, that he would daily fill my heart with wisdom and understanding, and at length graciously (without deserting me) conduct me to the desired end.
Hereupon I prepared myself for the way, put on my white linen coat, girded my loins, with a blood-red ribbon bound cross-ways over my shoulder. In my hat I stuck four red roses, so that I might sooner be noticed amongst the throng by this token. For food I took bread, salt and water, which by the counsel of an understanding person I had at certain times used, not without profit, in similar occurrences.
But before I left my cottage, I first, in this my dress and wedding garment, fell down upon my knees, and besought God that in case such a thing were, he would vouchsafe me a good issue. And thereupon in the presence of God I made a vow that if anything through his grace should be revealed to me, I would employ it to neither my own honour nor my own authority in the world, but to the spreading of his Name, and the service of my neighbour. And with this vow, and good hope, I departed out of my cell with joy.

For I was yet scarcely fallen asleep, when I thought that I, together with an innumerable multitude of men, lay fettered with great chains in a dark dungeon, in which, without the least glimpse of light, we swarmed like bees one over another, and thus rendered each other’s affliction more grievous. But although neither I nor any of the rest could see one jot, yet I continually heard one heaving himself above the other, when his chains and fetters had become ever so slightly lighter, though none of us had much reason to shove up above the other, since we were all captive wretches.
Now when I with the rest had continued a good while in this affliction, and each was still reproaching the other with his blindness and captivity, at length we heard many trumpets sounding together and kettle drums beating in such a masterly fashion, that it even revived us in our calamity and made us rejoice.
During this noise the cover of the dungeon was lifted up from above, and a little light let down to us. Then first might truly have been discerned the bustle we kept, for all went pell-mell, and he who perchance had heaved himself up too much, was forced down again under the others’ feet. In brief, each one strove to be uppermost. Neither did I myself linger, but with my weighty fetters slipped up from under the rest, and then heaved myself upon a stone, which I laid hold of; howbeit, I was caught at several times by others, from whom yet as well as I might, I still guarded myself with hands and feet. For we imagined no other but that we should all be set at liberty, which yet fell out quite otherwise.
For after the nobles who looked upon us from above through the hole had recreated themselves a while with our struggling and lamenting, a certain hoary-headed ancient man called to us to be quiet, and having scarcely obtained this, began (as I still remember) to speak on thus:
If the poor human race
Were not so arrogant
It would have been given much good
From my mother’s heritage,
But because the human race will not take heed
It lies in such straits
And must be held in prison.
And yet my dearest mother
Will not regard their mischief,
She leaves her lovely gifts
That many a man might come to the light,
Though this may chance but seldom
That they be better prized
Nor reckoned as mere fable.
Therefore in honour of the feast
Which we shall hold today,
That her grace may be multiplied
A good work will she do:
The rope will now be lowered
Whoever may hang on to it
He shall be freed.
He had scarcely finished speaking when an ancient matron commanded her servants to let down the cord seven times into the dungeon, and draw up whosoever could hang upon it. Good God! that I could sufficiently describe the hurry and disquiet that then arose amongst us; for everyone strove to get to the cord, and yet only hindered each other. But after seven minutes a sign was given by a little bell, whereupon at the first pull the servants drew up four. At that time I could not get very near the cord, having (as is before mentioned) to my huge misfortune, betaken myself to a stone at the wall of the dungeon; and thereby I was made unable to get to the cord which descended in the middle.
The cord was let down the second time, but many, because their chains were too heavy, and their hands too tender, could not keep their hold on the cord, but with themselves beat down many another who else perhaps might have held fast enough; nay, many a one was forcibly pulled off by another, who yet could not himself get at it, so mutually envious were we even in this our great misery.
But they of all others most moved my compassion whose weight was so heavy that they tore their very hands from their bodies, and yet could not get up. Thus it came to pass that at those five times very few were drawn up. For as soon as the sign was given, the servants were so nimble at drawing the cord up, that the most part tumbled one upon another, and the cord, this time especially, was drawn up very empty.
Whereupon the greatest part, and even I myself, despaired of redemption, and called upon God that he would have pity on us, and (if possible) deliver us out of this obscurity; who then also heard some of us. For when the cord came down the sixth time, some of them hung themselves fast upon it; and whilst being drawn up, the cord swung from one side to the other, and (perhaps by the will of God) came to me, and I suddenly caught it, uppermost above all the rest, and so at length beyond hope came out. At which I rejoiced exceedingly, so that I did not perceive the wound which during the drawing up I had received on my head from a sharp stone, until I, with the rest who were released (as was always done before) had to help with the seventh and last pull; at which time through straining, the blood ran down all over my clothes, which I nevertheless because of my joy did not take notice of. Now when the last drawing up on which the most of all hung was finished, the matron caused the cord to be laid aside, and asked her aged son to declare her resolution to the rest of the prisoners, who after he had thought a little spoke thus unto them.
Ye childer dear
Ye who are here,
It is completed
What long hath been known,
The great favour which my mother
Hath here shown you twain
Ye should not disdain:
A joyful time shall soon be come.
When each shall be the other’s equal,
No one be poor or rich,
And who was given great commands
Must bring much with him now,
And who was much entrusted with
Stripped to the skin will be,
Wherefore leave off your lamentation
Which is but for a few day
As soon as he had finished these words, the cover was again put to and locked down, and the trumpets and kettle-drums began afresh, yet the noise of them could not be so loud but that the bitter lamentation of the prisoners which arose in the dungeon was heard above all, which soon also caused my eyes to run over.
Presently afterwards the ancient matron, together with her son, sat down on seats before prepared, and commanded the redeemed should be told. Now as soon as she had demanded everyone’s name, which were also written down by a little page; having viewed us all, one after another, she sighed, and spoke to her son, so that I could well hear her, “Ah, how heartily I am grieved for the poor men in the dungeon! I would to God I could release them all.”
To which her son replied, “It is, mother, thus ordained by God, against whom we may not contend. If we were all of us lords, and possessed all the goods upon Earth, and were seated at table, who would there then be to bring up the service?”
Whereupon his mother held her peace, but soon after she said, “Well, however, let these be freed from their fetters,” which was likewise presently done, and I was the last except a few; yet I could not refrain (though I still looked upon the rest) but bowed myself before the ancient matron, and thanked God that through her, he had graciously and fatherly vouchsafed to bring me out of such darkness into the light. After me the rest did likewise, to the satisfaction of the matron.
Lastly, to everyone was given a piece of gold for a remembrance, and to spend by the way, on the one side of which was stamped the rising sun, and on the other (as I remember) these three letters, D.L.S.; and therewith everyone had license to depart, and was sent to his own business with this annexed limitation, that we to the glory of God should benefit our neighbours, and reserve in silence what we had been entrusted with; which we also promised to do, and so departed one from another. But because of the wounds which the fetters had caused me, I could not well go forward, but halted on both feet, which the matron presently espying, laughing at it, and calling me again to her said thus to me: “My son, do not let this defect afflict you, but call to mind your infirmities, and therewith thank God who has permitted you even in this world, and in your state of imperfection, to come into so high a light; and keep these wounds for my sake.”
Whereupon the trumpets began to sound again, which gave me such a shock that I woke up, and then first perceived that it was only a dream, but it so strongly impressed my imagination that I was still perpetually troubled about it, and I thought I still felt the wounds on my feet. Howbeit, by all these things I understood well that God had vouchsafed that I should be present at this mysterious and bidden wedding. Wherefore with childlike confidence I returned thanks to his Divine Majesty, and besought him that he would further preserve me in fear of him, that he would daily fill my heart with wisdom and understanding, and at length graciously (without deserting me) conduct me to the desired end.
Hereupon I prepared myself for the way, put on my white linen coat, girded my loins, with a blood-red ribbon bound cross-ways over my shoulder. In my hat I stuck four red roses, so that I might sooner be noticed amongst the throng by this token. For food I took bread, salt and water, which by the counsel of an understanding person I had at certain times used, not without profit, in similar occurrences.
But before I left my cottage, I first, in this my dress and wedding garment, fell down upon my knees, and besought God that in case such a thing were, he would vouchsafe me a good issue. And thereupon in the presence of God I made a vow that if anything through his grace should be revealed to me, I would employ it to neither my own honour nor my own authority in the world, but to the spreading of his Name, and the service of my neighbour. And with this vow, and good hope, I departed out of my cell with joy.

We regularly see posts in bourbon asking for Bourbon Trail trip recommendations. My wife and I just returned from a trip to Bardstown, and I wanted to offer you guys some feedback on our experiences. Hopefully you will find them useful for planning your own trip to Bardstown.
First, a very special "thank you" to u/Old_Riff_502 . Old Riff always posts very useful information in the forums. I also privately messaged him and I was amazed with the amount advice that he provided on the area. I don't think we would have had nearly as a excellent of a trip had it not been for him. Thank you again!
Hotel: We stayed at the La Quinta Inn & Suites from Wednesday evening until Sunday morning. The hotel was new, clean, and offered free breakfast every day (although we never actually ate it). The hotel is easy to get in and out of. It seemed like we were only a five minute drive away from anywhere we were trying to go. However, it's not very centrally located. You're not walking anywhere important from the hotel. The other knock on the hotel (and this seems more just industry standard these days), is that we never had anyone come in to do a room refresh at all during our trip. Nobody took out the trash, refreshed room coffee, or soaps/shampoos. That being said, I would not mind staying here again at all!
Distilleries (listed in order or preference):

• Kentucky Cooperage - I know it's cheating....this isn't technically a distillery. But hear me out. Kentucky Cooperage is located in Lebanon, KY which is maybe a 30-minute drive from Bardstown. It may have been my favorite experience of the whole trip! The visitor's center is very unassuming; it looks like a small store in a strip mall. But the magic happens when you are shuttled across the street to walk the factory. Watching these craftsmen create bourbon barrels was impressive! The skill and meticulous attention required for each barrel was very cool to witness. I think this was one of the cheaper tours as well at ~$15.
• Jim Beam - Beam Made Bourbon - The James B. Beam distillery is located in Clermont, KY, which was a 25-minute drive from Bardstown. Although it does feel sterile and corporate feeling at times, I had an excellent time! The tour runs like a well oiled machine! Our tour guide Terry was knowledgeable of the distillery and the area. The sheer scope of the Jim Beam operation is mind boggling! Many generic distillery tours start to get repetitive. But I thought the Jim Beam tour was one of the best. The site and setting are really cool. There is also a spot where you can select a bottle of Knob Creek 9-year single barrel and watch it get filled through the bottling process. You can then take home your bottle for $60. The tasting was probably my favorite of the trip. We were given Jim Beam White Label, Basil Hayden 10-year, Knob Creek 9-year, and then a bourbon of your choice - Bakers 7, Legent, or Knob Creek 18-year. The store had some interesting bottles. There was a distillery exclusive experimental batch of something which looked to be about 250 mL and was $70. When they opened that had a bottle of Little Book and a bottle of Booker's for sale. I missed them both. There were plenty of bottles of Knob Creek 18-year which were selling for $180, and there was a Jim Beam Lineage which looked fancy but was selling for ~$280. I spoke to our tour guide after the tour for a bit. After the tour you walk back down through the gift shop and I noticed them putting another bottle of Booker's on the shelf. I was able to purchase this for $100. So it seems like they do restock some items throughout the day. There is also an excellent restaurant on site called the Kitchen Table (more on this later).
• Bardstown Bourbon - Rickhouse Tasting - This was a very unique experience. Bardstown Bourbon is a very modern facility, and the experience feels different from many from the long established brands. This tour was done in a very cold rickhouse (apparently they are always cold). Our tour guide gave us an overview of Bardstown Bourbon as a brand and some of the things they are working on. We then proceeded to get samples poured directly from the barrel via a whiskey thief. We tried a wheated bourbon which he said is part of their Origin series, a regular bourbon (which was not released yet), and a 95/5 rye. We then proceeded to go to a speakeasy type tasting room to for our last sample of Fusion #8. This was followed up by a walk back to the gift shop where we were told we would get to keep our sample glasses. The restaurant's food looked wonderful but we didn't eat. There were also a TON of pours available at their bar. I was interested in purchasing the Origin bourbon, but he said that they were sold out. I later found one a Total Wine. They did have quite a few bottles for sale though - many of Bardstown collaborative releases, Bardstown only releases, as well as bottles that use Bardstown to make their bourbon.
• Maker's Mark - We did the standard Maker's Mark tour. The grounds were great! Very hilly and picturesque. Unfortunately, we were visiting in the winter, so it was not very colorful. But I could see this being amazing in the spring or fall! The history explored was very interesting. The tasting was wonderful, as I always enjoy Maker's Mark. We tasted regular Maker's, Maker's Cask Strength, Maker's 46, Maker's 46 Cask Strength, and a French Toast stave select. We purchased a bottle in the gift shop and we were able to hand dip it which was pretty cool. I was hoping to have lunch here, but their restaurant was being redone. They had a tasting bar opened which offered a limited selection of Maker's pours and cocktails. I really enjoyed the Makers 46 cask strength, and was hoping to buy a bottle. But that was unavailable. They had standard Maker's bottles for sale, Maker's 46, standard Maker's cask strength, and a Blueberry stave select bottle for purchase. We chose a standard Maker's with a limited edition label where some of the proceeds support women's education.
• Wilderness Trail - This is a bit of a hike from Bardstown - probably about 45-minutes. But I thought it was well worth the trip! Wilderness Trail is a very modern facility. They really put an emphasis on the science behind the bourbon. I thought it was very cool to learn about the variety of yeasts utilized by Wilderness Trial. This was a pretty generic distillery tour. The tasting is done in the gift shop, which got a little loud at the end due to another tour coming in. We tried a wheated, a higher rye, a cask strength, and their rye. To me, much of Wilderness Trail's rye comes off as minty, and that is a turnoff for me. But their high-rye standard bourbon was a favorite of mine! We spoke to the tour guide after the tour, and he said "I've got something for you to try". We tried a three barrel blend of master distillery selected bottles - one wheated and one high-rye. I liked the high-rye and purchased a bottle for about $65. They also had a limited release for a program they are doing with the Frasier museum which was available for purchase. It was a 6-year rye (it might have been 7-years, I forget at this point) for $135. Not being a fan of the rye, I passed on this.
• Heaven Hill - You Do Bourbon - This was a pretty cool experience! Heaven Hill's distillery was CROWDED with people. It seems to be a very popular stop on the Bourbon Trail. The You Do Bourbon experience was pretty pricey at $40 per person. But it was also really cool! We would each have the opportunity to purchase a bottle of our choice at the end of he tasting. 20 of us were taken back to a classroom setting, and we got right to tasting. We each had four samples in front of us - Bernheim 7-year Barrel Proof, Larceny Barrel Proof, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and then Heaven Hill Select Stock 14-year. I don't know much about the Select Stock. They did say it was 14-years aged in a high floor of the rickhouse and it was wheated. The tour guide gave us the hard FOMO sale on the Select Stock - it's only 25 barrels, it's exclusive to the distillery, once it's gone....it's gone. It also had a price tag of $200! I was disappointed that we had so much wheated whiskey or low rye options on the tasting. But the Elijah Craig was wonderful! I purchased a bottle of it for about $80. I bottled it up using an idiot proof machine, corked it, and my wife drew up the labels. It was a very cool experience! There was a bachelor party full of what my wife and I affectionately refer to as "Bourbon Bros" who bought into the FOMO. They purchased probably 12-15 bottles of the Select Stock on their own! Kentucky must love these tour groups!
• Four Roses Bottling Facility - This is kind of near the Jim Beam distillery, and I think it's worth popping your head in and checking out. We did this, and their gift shop had a Master Distiller selected private barrel of OESQ for $105. I've yet to try it, but I am very excited to!
• Limestone Branch - We stopped in here for a quick flight. The flight they gave was very generous: Minor Case Sherry Finished Rye, Yellowstone 4-year, Yellowstone Toasted, Yellowstone Single-Malt, Yellowstone Hand-picked, and their gin. This is one of the things I like best about Kentucky, you can try before you buy! Had I not been given this option, I would have purchased the Toasted and Single-Malt. I would have been disappointed with both of these purchases. Ultimately, none of these selections were for me. But it was a cool experience nonetheless.

Restaurants/Food (listed in order or preference):

• The Kitchen Table - This was my favorite restaurant this trip! The Kitchen Table is located at the Jim Beam Distillery. Prices are very reasonable, and the food is fantastic! We tried appetizers: Pulled Pork Empinadas with white BBQ sauce (which was the best thing I ate all trip!) and Pimento Cheese and some Peppery Jelly spread (also great!). We tried the Burgoo which was good. And their burger was excellent! There are also some great Jim Beam themed pours and cocktails available. I had some of the "Kentucky Tea" Booker's which was just too good! I would have eaten here all trip if it was closer!
• Mammy's - This is in downtown Bardstown, and we really enjoyed it! It's just great southern cooking. We ate their for breakfast one day. We had biscuits and gravy, and eggs and bacon. We also went back for dinner one night and had a BLFT with Pimento Cheese, Hot Browns, and fried cornbread. I'm drooling as I type just remembering how great this was! The bar also has a ton of solid bourbons and decent prices. They even have live music certain evenings.
• Quick Stop - Old Riff swore by this place, and he nailed it! The Quick Stop is just a gas station on the way out of Bardstown. But they service awesome Jake's Country Sausage biscuits to go. This country sausage is just too good! We ate their on our way out to the Kentucky Cooperage and again on the way to the airport.
• Hadorn's Bakery - This place is a hole in the wall serving donuts. They had one of the best jelly donuts I've ever had. Very solid.
• Cozy Cottage - This is located by Maker's Mark. It's a total dive, but the food was decent and prices were fine. I got a burger, the wife had the pot roast special. I could take it or leave it.
• Herradura - This is a Mexican restaurant in Bardstown. It was actually pretty good! The food was decent and came out very fast. Like most places in Bardstown, they had a hell of a bourbon selection at reasonable prices.
• Sedona Taphouse - This was actually over in Lexington. They had a large amount of draft beers which I enjoyed. I also took advantage of the pours of Booker's for $15 and Stagg Jr for $10. Food was good as well.

Overall: We had a wonderful trip. We really enjoyed our time at Bardstown. Old Riff and the advice he provides on this forum is invaluable! Listen to this dude. There was a couple that hired a driver one day and we saw them at four of their five stops (the only thing they did that we didn't was they did a chocolate pairing at Lux Row). They paid $900 for their chauffeured experience! Ours basically cost us the price of admission plus a few hours poking around on Reddit's boards and distillery websites.
A few tips for those considering a visit to Bardstown:

• Personally, I don't think you need a driver. The distilleries don't give you more than 2 oz on a tour. We weren't looking to drink a lot at the distilleries. But with some of the bar selections available at the distilleries it would have been easy to get carried away. That said, know your limits. If you are going to be drinking more than the 2 oz given at tastings, consider hiring a driver.
• Reserve ahead of time, especially on weekends! Our Thursday tours were pretty empty. Sometimes there was only an additional couple or two on our tours. But the Friday and especially Saturday tours were much more crowded.
• Don't get caught up in FOMO. There are plenty of bottles for sale at area liquor stores well above retail. There are also quite a few limited or distillery only releases. These don't necessarily equate to bourbon you will enjoy. Don't buy something just because it might be the only time you'll be able to get it.
• Try before you buy! It's pretty easy in most cases to get a pour of something before committing to a whole bottle. You'll find a bottle which sounds like it might be your thing is actually something you don't enjoy.
• Take the time to talk to people. There were definitely people that were there to "hunt" bottles. You could just feel the eye rolls by employees. These people walk in, ask for a bottle, and walk out. You're in Kentucky! Sit back and experience whiskey for yourself! Try a pour of something you've never heard of based on the recommendation of a stranger at the bar. Trade stories of restaurants/distilleries/attractions you enjoyed during your day. You might even get the inside scoop on something that you may have missed otherwise.
• Bardstown outside of peak season lacks off hours attractions. We also could have missed them. But we found that most attractions and even locally owned shops opened at 10am and closed at 4pm. There wasn't much to do in the evenings other than pony up to the bar. It's fine, but a little variety would have been welcome. I'm told it's a little more lively in season. But we definitely enjoyed the smaller crowds.

Anyway, that's all I've got! If you're planning on visiting Bardstown anytime soon, I'm genuinely envious. It's a wonderful place. Thanks for reading!

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 33%. (I'm a bot)

Russian state media on Monday showed bags of KFC takeout being delivered to the luxury Moscow hotel where China's delegation is staying for President Xi Jinping's state visit.
State-media agency Ruptly, part of the RT network, reported that Xi's delegation headed to the five-star Soluxe hotel in Moscow after arriving Monday for a three-day state visit.
A delivery guy soon afterwards dropped off at least 18 bags of the fast food outside the hotel, which was bedecked in Russian and Chinese flags.
The owner, fast-food conglomerate Yum! Brands, sold its restaurants to a Russian operator, which is supposed to have rebranded them under the name Rostic's.
Insider contacted Yum! Brands to ask about this delivery, but did not immediately receive a response.
According to the footage, the old branding is still being used, including the Colonel Sanders logo that was clearly visible on the takeout bags.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: Brands^#1 bags^#2 hotel^#3 China's^#4 state^#5
Post found in /worldnews.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

EDC Las Vegas 2023

Official EDC Las Vegas 2023 Trailers:

• There are none, yet
• Previous EDC Trailers playlist

Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway 7000 N Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89115
Dates & Times:
May 19, 20, 21, 2023

• Opening Ceremony 5:00pm–7:00pm, full grounds open 7:00pm–5:30am
• Parking lots open 2 hours prior to the opening ceremony or gate opening.

Box Office:
Expo at World Market Center 435 S Grand Central Pkwy Las Vegas, NV 89106
Box Office Hours:
Wednesday, May 17: 2PM – 12AM Thursday, May 18: 11AM – 12AM Friday, May 19: 11AM – 3AM Saturday, May 20: 2PM – 2AM Sunday, May 21: 2PM – 2AM
Camp EDC Hours
Thursday, May 18th, 9am – Monday, May 22nd, 5pm. All campers must be fully packed and vacating the campground by 5pm on Monday, May 22nd.
Camp EDC Check-In

• Thursday, May 18: 8am–2am
• Friday, May 19: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer
• Saturday, May 20: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer
• Sunday, May 21: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer

Other informative other posts --

NO BUILD LEAKS!

electricdaisycarnival Discord chat

Official 2023 electricdaisycarnival & campEDC Reddit meetup info

Roommate Megathread

CampEDC/tent-mates Megathread

Rideshare Megathread

EDC Las Vegas 2022 Playlists by Stage Lineup (COMING SOON!)

Useful Quick Links:

Purchase festival passes -- LIMITED GA+ & VIP PASSES REMAINING (GA SOLD OUT)!

Purchase shuttle passes -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase Moon Glow camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase Desert Rose camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase RV camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase Premier Parking -- SOLD OUT!

Hotel EDC

Purchase Locker Rental

Lineup Flyer (COMING SOON!)

Lineups by Stage (COMING SOON!)

Lineups by Art Car (COMING SOON!)

CampEDC Activities Schedule (COMING SOON!)

CampEDC Party Schedule:

• CampEDC Pre-Party (COMING SOON!)
• CampEDC Pool Parties (COMING SOON!)
• CampEDC After Parties (COMING SOON!)

CampEDC Map (COMING SOON!)

CampEDC The Mesa Map (COMING SOON!)

Opening Ceremony Lineup (COMING SOON!)

Parking Map (COMING SOON!)

Festival Map (COMING SOON!)

Shuttle Map (COMING SOON!)

Shuttle Schedule --

• Departure Times: Shuttles will operate continuously from 7:00pm–11:30pm from all Standard Shuttle stops
• Return Times: Return shuttles will begin at 3:00am and conclude 60 minutes after the music ends at kineticFIELD PLEASE NOTE: Shuttles will not run between 11:30pm and 3:00am.

EDC Wedding Info

Table & Bottle Service info

Helicopter Booking

Lost & Found Information

Basic Festival & Ticketing information

When can I check in to the campgrounds?
Insomniac put together a handy entry guide for camping that is available here
What are the guidelines for camping? I have more questions related to camping!
Insomniac put together their camping guidelines and camping FAQ pages related to camping and they are very informative. I'm not going to re-type all this information here, so use the links provided.
My wristband/parking pass/shuttle pass hasn't come yet!
Be patient, they will be shipping out over 100k+ packages when they go out. You can also call Front Gate Tickets to see where your shipment is and/or set up will call pickup @ 888.512.7469. Also here's the Front Gate Tickets Support Site.
If you are coming from outside of the USA, you have no choice but to go to will call for your tickets. Please see the above event information for the box office location and hours.
I have tickets/shuttle passes/parking passes to sell!
Check out EDCTickets! Remember, even though our community is friendly, caring, and kind, there are ticket scammers out there that are willing to take advantage. Be vigilant, if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instincts.
Where can I register my Wristband? Do I have to register my wristband?
You can register it here. The only way to recover your wristband if it is lost or stolen is to have it registered. Additionally, there is emergency contact information stored in your wristband as part of the registration process, if anything should happen to you. There is a $40 fee for a replacement wristband.
Well this is embarassing, I didn't listen to everyone and put my wristband on early/on the wrong hand, how can I get it off? I sold my wristband after I attended one of the nights, how can I get it off without damaging it?
Here's a short how-to video to remove the wristband without damaging anything. DON'T PUT YOUR WRISTBAND ON UNTIL FRIDAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOTEL! It goes on your right wrist, and should be able to fit a finger underneath for breathing room.
I'm going solo to the fest, how can I make friends, I need a place to stay, etc.
There are several ways of doing this. You can use the search function on the subreddit. There's also some Facebook groups dedicated to solo journeys to EDC. Once again, trust your instincts here and only stay with people that you can properly personally have vetted ahead of time.
Also, check the useful links above for ride shares, hotel shares, and tent shares!
Live sets just aren't doing it for me, I need a feel for what this place is like before I attend!
Check out Electric Daisy Carnival 2000, Under the Electric Sky, or The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience trailer from when the festival was still in L.A. If you can find The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience online for free somewhere or even for a couple bucks to stream it, I think it's a much better movie than the Under the Electric Sky movie.

FAQ

When do the set times drop? When does the app update? I can't find the app on the app store, what gives?!
Set times and app updates usually happen the week of the festival. The Insomniac app will update the week of the festival, so go ahead and install it now if you want to.
What about pool parties or other EDC Week events?
Official site here for a list of events and tickets. There's also going to be parties and pools at the campground.
What time should I leave the strip? How long does it take to get to/from to the speedway? What time should I leave the event to beat traffic?
EDC is not like a local DJ show and Las Vegas traffic SUCKS. Parking lots open at 2PM, so I would strive to leave the strip right around that time. Without traffic it will take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The longer into the night you wait to leave the worse off traffic will be and the longer it will take to get to the show. I have heard nightmare scenarios of 2 or 3 hour shuttle rides, so don't let it happen to you!
Typically, you can leave before the sunrise sets or about halfway through it and not have too bad of a wait in traffic back to the strip in the morning! At the end of night 3, keep in mind normal people are also heading to work since it will technically be Monday morning. That's just going to add to the cluster fuck of traffic on I-15 and Las Vegas Blvd. Plan accordingly! If you are driving have a cooler in the trunk with water bottles!
Are we doing the Reddit meetup again this year?
We sure are. Check out the links up top regarding information on where and when we are meeting up. We are going to have two simultaneous meetups, one for campers and one for people on the Strip. All information is contained in the post linked at the very top!
What can I bring into the festival? What can't I bring into the festival? What are the searches like?
The searches could be TSA style, or you could barely get touched at all. It's pretty random. Consider stash boxers or compression underwear to get your favors inside or items that are disallowed like LED gloves, etc.
If you take your time to observe the security, you can usually get a feel of who is being a hard-ass for a dime raise for busting someone and who is just doing their job quickly and efficiently.
As for allowed and disallowed items, here's a link to those lists as well as totem guidelines.
Bring a gallon zip lock bag and put all of your belongings that you want to bring into the festival in it while you are waiting in line. All three days last year security complimented me on being organized and how easy I made their jobs because they could just scan the items in the bag, check my camelbak, give me the pat down and I was on my way.
Seriously, if you make security's lives easier in this way, they will not hassle you at all as long as you aren't trying to bring in stuff that isn't allowed. I didn't even get pat down on Night 2 because I was so up-front about all my belongings.
Any further questions, feel free to comment below, or visit the EDC Las Vegas Guide page!

Tips and Tricks!

• Put an Emergency Contact Information (ICE) on your phone's lock screen. Android or Apple. This serves as two things.. One, if you lose your phone, someone can try to get it back to you. TWO, if you get hurt or fall out, the medics on site can get in contact with someone you know.
• Call your bank/credit card companies and let them know you will be traveling to Vegas to avoid holds on your account.
• Be vigilant on the Strip. Everyone is trying to hustle. Street performers will expect tips if you take pictures!
• Hit up a Vegas buffet at least one day.
• Stretch beforehand in your hotel room. Your muscles will thank you in the morning!
• Wear comfy shoes and/or get insoles to replace the "stock" insoles that come with your shoes. Also, consider moleskin if your feet are prone to blistering from rubbing against your socks. Your feet will thank you!
• Get to the festival early. Stop by the merchandise tent first thing. Items sell out fast. Consider a mobile charging locker to store your merchandise in! Additionally, if you bring all of your sealed items in on the first day (wipes, chapstick, cigarettes, gum, tampons, etc), you can keep them all in your locker overnight and not have to worry about getting 3 of each sealed item to bring in every single day. REMEMBER! Hide your lock combo from people that may peer over your shoulder or look at your combination wristband and try to get into your locker. Remain vigilant inside the festival!
• After you get your merch and put it in your locker, you next stop should be one of the free water stands to fill up your hydration pack or water bottle. It's very important to remain hydrated, especially while the sun is still out and bearing down on you! If you tip some of the vendors, they will give you ice if the warm water turns you off.
• If you need to eat something, consider the food trucks instead of the concession stand food. The food trucks have their company name out there and on the line when compared to the generic concession stand stuff, the quality of the food is unparalleled. Don't make the same mistake as I did a few years ago and get a raw onion sandwich masked as a "cheese steak".
• Bring earplugs! Tinnitus sucks!
• Wear sunscreen! Remember, if you are staying all night the sun is up at like 5AM and starts beaming down on you almost immediately.
• If you want to ride the rides, get there early or risk missing sets while standing in line! Some rides you will be waiting for an hour or more at peak times.
• Time-stamp your texts! There will be cell service congestion. Stamping your texts will help your friends know whenever you truly sent a message!
• Bring an external battery pack in with you to charge your phone if you are someone who likes to take a lot of photo and video!
• Bring cash. Credit and debit cards could possibly be hit or miss if the speedway's internet network would happen to shit the bed! Don't be stuck without a way to pay for something you need!
• Remember to take it easy night 1! EDC is a marathon not a sprint!
• Emergen-C packets are a lifesaver. Take one before the festival every night in order to help you recover from the night before and prepare for the festival ahead!
• Take some time to look up and enjoy the fireworks!
• Don't forget about the EDC parade down Rainbow Road every night! You should at least try to check it out one time out of the three nights you are there! Check the app for times, but it should be around midnight every night!
• Follow your favorite artists' social media so that you know if they may show up unannounced, or if they are doing any surprise sets on one of the art cars, etc.
• Send a post card to back home at the EDC Town Post Office. Mine took until October in 2017 to land, but it was a nice surprise when it finally did! Check out EDC Town in general. It's pretty sweet.
• If you are feeling at all dehydrated or anything else medical related, visit one of the medical tents. Staff is super friendly and you WILL NOT get in trouble for seeking medical treatment, no matter your condition. If you can't make it to the medical tent, look for a Ground Control staff member to assist you or any of your friends! Look out for your fellow ravers. If you see something, say something! This will keep everyone safe and having a good time.
• If you are going to do drugs, and especially MDMA, I suggest only doing it 1 out of the 3 nights and finding something else for the other two days. Just to let you know as an example of responsible use, in 2017 we did edibles and shatter the first night, rolled night 2, and just chilled with some shatter night 3. Everyone is different, but be safe, and TEST YOUR SHIT. Do not buy drugs at the festival. Not only do you risk getting bunk shit, but undercover cops are everywhere!
• If you are going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation and stay hydrated! For every alcoholic drink you have, you should drink 8-16oz of water!
• If you are a lady, bring wipes! Usually the porta-potties run out of toilet paper. It's just a fact of the festival and usually they don't get resupplied until the following day. You will thank me if you get caught in this situation.
• Bring a hand fan for the water lines! They can get pretty hot and people will love you!
• Try to catch at least one sunrise set one of the nights. I recommend night 2, since everyone and their mothers will be staying on night 3. Plus, Monday morning rush hour traffic on night 3 is no bueno.
• If you have a large crew and need to split up to see different sets, plan a meeting spot! Try to pick something that is stationary, like the locker area, the cooling area, one of the buildings in EDC Town, etc.
• Buy a smoothie or a lemonade. They are a nice change of pace from warm hydrant water.
• Get a bandana and tie it around your neck for each night you are out there. Put it over your mouth and nose when the dust gets to be too much. Your lungs will thank you, plus you get to look like a bandit. Win/win.
• Trains of people going in and out of the crowd are going to happen, so use them to your advantage. Become the caboose to go into or out of the crowds and use your manners! Excuse me, thank you, etc go a long way when navigating the crowd!
• Bring good vibes, leave the judgement at the gates, and most of all, enjoy yourself and smile! EDC is a glorious wonderland of fun. Extrude the vibes you wish to receive back to you and you will have a great time, I promise!

If you have other tips, tricks or questions, comment your thoughts below!