I'm just getting into Perth night life now I'm 18 and having a blast, but I'm very anxious (and autistic) so I don't order things not on a menu. I like pre mixed stuff but I suspect it's much more expensive than a simple mixer + spirit but what do clubs in Northbridge actually sell?? I'm a bacardi girlie at heart or vodka/tequila, so if they have just lemonade/sprite or something that would be perfect. I'm pretty meh about tonic and soda water but if that's what they have for less than 15$ I'll take it. I went to the Aberdeen and asked if they did cocktails and they said no, but they sold my friend a wet pusy shot (which I love btw) and even though it's a shot id still call it a cocktail in essence which confused me a bit. What should I expect and how much should it cost? I'm sure I look like an idiot but any advice is much appreciated. also, what's the price difference between a shot and a mixed drink? Thank you!!

I was looking for some joke greeting cards one evening after seeing a video on Instagram. The card does not stop playing the music after it has been opened and if you tear it open, it spills glitter all over. I accidentally clicked a bogus link instead of one of the reputable companies that sells these cards. To my defense, I was on a business trip that was quite stressful and it was 1am.
I woke up at 6am and saw my order was confirmed and the domain was just nonsense (blstdispse.com). There was an option to cancel the order so I clicked that and was put in a queue. None of the live agents were available so I waited for a response via email. A few hours later I was told the order was already shipped and I couldn't cancel but could get a refund once I received the items. The charge hit my credit card and it was Blast Dispatch in the UK.
A couple hours after that I got a tracking link that showed my package was received in Ferrara, Italy. After 7 days it made it to Venice, Italy. Another day went by and it now shows in Italian Customs. The tracking page is tracking-hub.com and it claims to track 665 couriers. The funny thing is that my "tracking number" is 20 digits long of just numbers. It only accepts "tracking numbers" in that format. I found that I can change the last number and it shows me tracking for other shipments. They are all in the same format of 1) acceptance, 2) left sorting center, 3) received in another city in the same country, 4) in customs in the same country. It never leaves the country and even shipments within a country, it ends up in customs. A shipment from Houston TX to Sacramento involves US Customs on this website.
I am sure they are sending me something, and it's probably just dropship crap. I already got the real card in the mail from the official site so I filed a chargeback with Citibank. 12 hours later I received an email from customer service at blstdispse.com telling me that they have refunded my order. It was only $45 and I knew I had enough evidence to prove to my bank it was a scam. Still surprised I actually placed the order on this shitty site!

Just curious if anyone else has had a similar experience. I meet with the MFM pharmacy team on the 28th, so I am obviously going to go with what they say, but it doesn't seem like I have GD based on my readings so far.
At my 1 hour test I scored 189, so they sent me back for the 3 hour test. I ended up having to redo it because of a car fire in the parking garage where I had the test done, they evacuated us and we didn't get back inside in time to take readings. They had me carb load for 3 days and my repeat numbers were 92 fasting, 1 hour 211, 2 hour 175 and 3 hour was 90.
A friend of mine had a spare cgm and sensor and sent it to me. I also ended up with a finger prick setup, too, and got them both yesterday. I calibrated the cgm and have been using it since. I had 44g carbs for dinner last night and I was at 124 an hour post dinner. I went to bed about 8 and at midnight the low glucose alert went off, so I had a few grapes and went back to sleep.
Fasting this morning was 83 at 8am. I had breakfast (frosted shredded wheat and some more grapes) and an hour later was at 160, which I know is above goal, but an hour after that I was at 60.
Lunch time we decided to conduct an experiment. We went to taco bell and I had a crisp taco, 3/4 of a chalupa and a baja blast. An hour later I was at 126 and now 2 hours later I am at 104.
Ive been laying on the couch all morning watching bad movies, so I'm not exercising, haven't had a ton of water, etc.
Has anyone else been firmly diagnosed with GD but had relatively low readings? My provider's handout said their goals for me are <90 fasting and <120 an hour after meals. Meals where I have protein have been only slightly elevated (and usually I don't eat a lot of sugars or carbs and very rarely have more than a few sips of my husband's sodas).
30w1d, 40 year old FTM. I'm anemic, but other than the GD diagnosis, I haven't had any issues whatsoever. It's been a good pregnancy.

What sodas, whether it be flavors or specific releases, could you imagine happening in the future or do you want to happen?
My ideas are:
Mug Code Red (Red creme soda)
Mountain Dew Ginger Jawn (Ale-8-One competitor. Colored Yellow/Green)
Mountain Dew Sarsaparilla Splash (Root beer flavored)
Starry Lychee
Mountain Dew Thunderstorm (mix of every popular Pepsi soda, Colored Gray)
Mountain Dew Bubblegum Blast (similar to iron bru, pink)
Maine Root Dark Cherry
Dr. Pepper Fruit Punch
(Edit: I know Red Creme soda exists, I mean Pepsi should distribute one. How would I call it Red creme if I had come up with it myself?)

I'm in the middle of printing a big, fairly complex model atm (an emperor titan for those who know about 40k).
It's going to take a really long time to hand sand it so did some research on using abrasive powder.
The videos I found tended to be either not using the right materials so failed badly or didn't really have any definitive conclusions.
So the general question, has anyone tried soda blasting to smooth PLA prints?
It seems to be a gentle enough abrasive that it won't tear through walls but abrasive enough that it'll have some effect.
I'm aware I'll have to experiment with pressure as well but any advice is appreciated.

Clover

Five humans, missing...

Spoilers for all of Undertale Yellow's main routes below
Undertale Yellow is a fan-made prequel to the hit indie game Undertale. While Undertale follows the story of Frisk, the seventh human child to fall into the monster ruled Underground, Undertale Yellow follows the story of their immediate predecessor. Meet Clover, the sixth human. Unlike the humans that fell before, this gun-toting cowboy is unique in the sense that their journey to the Underground was no accident. Clover entered the Underground voluntarily in order to investigate the disappearances of the previous five humans and, if it turned out they perished at some point after their fall, hoped to avenge their deaths. See, while Frisk possessed a red SOUL that embodied Determination, Clover's SOUL is yellow for the trait of Justice. Clover's journey would lead them all throughout the Underground, meeting some monsters that will be familiar to those who have played Undertale and some brand new faces as well.
Like Undertale before it, Undertale Yellow's story can be altered significantly depending on the player's actions. Perhaps Clover befriends the monsters they meet and determines they were unfairly trapped underground, deciding to sacrifice themselves to bring monster kind closer to freedom. Or maybe Clover will blame the monsters for the deaths of the previous human children, avenging them with swift cruelty. Either way, Clover will act in the way they believe they can best embody Justice.

So How Do the Fights Work Anyway?

Like its predecessor, Undertale Yellow tends to treat RPG mechanics as literal aspects of the game's world. Due to the abstract nature of fights in both Undertale and Undertale Yellow, with enemy monsters targeting Clover's SOUL rather than their physical body, it's understandable that there may be some confusion about how Clover actually scales to certain monsters. Luckily, this is a bit more clear in Undertale Yellow than it was in the original game, as the reveal trailer shows that the attacks of monster are things that Clover physically has to react to and dodge (we even see this same attack utilized in game) even though the battle menu only shows their SOUL.
But this is just for when encounters have already begun, what about before that? And what triggers encounters anyway? There's an area in the Wild East where boulders are falling onto the path that Clover needs to dodge. If they fail to avoid them, this begins an encounter too, where Clover is given the opportunity to avoid the "attacks" in the battle menu to negate damage. Other examples include Clover escaping damage from hot steam after touching it and avoiding damage from Axis' energy balls after they hit them. What this means for standard versus fights is a little vague, but it likely means that any attack that would deal meaningful damage starts an encounter and that it would be impossible to simply kill Clover with a sneak attack. Even if it hit them, Clover would still get the opportunity to dodge before the proper fight begins. That said, there is one example of Clover dying without triggering an encounter at the end of the Neutral Route. It's possible this is because it was an unescapable situation but the mechanics of it are still vague and unclear.
As seen with the previous examples such as the falling boulders and steam, it seems that attacks that hit Clover's SOUL and their physical body are more or less interchangeable. Or rather, it isn't possible to circumvent the SOUL to only hit the physical body because even attacks that hit Clover's physical body will trigger an encounter that can then be dodged or endured by the SOUL.
Finally, it's worth noting that the sizes of objects can vary from their appearances in the battle to what they look like in the overworld. We see Clover's SOUL alongside their physical body a few times throughout the game and it's pretty consistently a little larger than their torso. So this thread will describe feats with that scale in mind.

Other Things To Note

• At the end of certain routes, Clover acquires certain abilities/powerups that don't necessarily apply to the rest of the game. Feats or items that are limited to those routes will be marked with the corresponding route.
  
  • [Pacifist] Feat
• Like your standard RPG's, Undertale Yellow possesses a leveling system that will increase the more enemies that Clover kills, with certain abilities being unlocked after certain levels are achieved. However, in the Genocide route Clover showed off the ability to level up rapidly simply by being filled with enough righteous fury. Abilities that are locked behind certain levels will also be marked accordingly.
  
  • Feat^{LV 19}
• The majority of feats will come from Undertale Yellow, but occasionally clips from trailers and other promotional material on the director of the game's Youtube channel will be used, which will be labeled with a T like so:
  
  • Feat^T

Physicals

Strength

• Breaks a piece of wood that had jammed an elevator door with a pickaxe, which broke the pickaxe despite it being described as sturdy previously
• Pushes aside a cabinet
• While physically holding the lid of a trash can Clover is able to deflect Axis' energy attacks back at him which destroyed portable generators about as tall as Axis himself
  • Clover also uses this lid to deflect Axis' bombs
• [Anti-Feat] Needs Martlet's help moving a table

Speed/Agility

• Runs roughly 2/3rds faster than they walk, traveling the same distance in 1.5 seconds that it took them 2.5 seconds to walk
• Climbs a good distance up a rope, though Flowey resets the timeline before they reach the top
• While fighting Decibat they react and move relatively to various attacks that appear to be sound-based
  • Note that blue attacks don't harm you if you're standing still and orange attacks don't if you're moving
• Passes over a bridge when the boards were constantly elevating and lowering
• Moves out of the way of Dunebud's arrows
  • We see in the game's reveal trailer that these arrows move much faster than their in-game counterparts would suggest
• Avoids the soundwaves produced by Starlo's bell attack
• Escapes Axis during their chase
• Jukes the hell out of Axis
• Moves relatively to the arrows and flintlock pistol shots of a pair of mini robots
• Climbs a laundry chute

Durability
Blunt

• A tumbleweed knocks them onto a lower platform and they don't even flinch
• Even while using the Patch, Clover's starting accessory that offers no extra defense, Clover can withstand several giant boulders smashing into them
  • While using the Steel Buckle or superior defensive items, this damage is totally negligible
• Takes several blows from Ed that launch massive boulders into the air
• Withstands the Guardener's attacks which could smash giant gears that are larger than Clover
• [Genocide] Gets hit by large meteors summoned by Zenith Martlet

Falling

• Jumps down a hole into the Underground and lands on a bed of flowers
• Falls through the floor of the Ruins and lands in a bed of flowers in the Dark Ruins, quickly jumping to their feet afterwards
• Crashes a speeding boat over a ledge, sending them over and into the mines
  • Flowey did comment they seemed pretty hurt by this
• Falls down a trap door

Heat

• Survives in the Steamworks with no issue, which was hot enough to light Moe's clothes and stand on fire over the course of their conversation
• Withstands multiple fire attacks from Asgore before eventually succumbing to them (with Asgore being the strongest non-final boss monster in the original Undertale)

Other

• Gets shocked repeatedly by Dalv's electrical attacks, enduring four before eventually succumbing
• A giant fan produces a sandstorm that pushes them back a considerable distance
• Gets hit by dynamite thrown by Starlo
• Survives multiple shots from Starlo's revolver
• Withstands hits from Axis' energy balls which later destroy Axis' portal generators
  • During Axis' boss fight, Clover takes no damage from this at all
• With the highest defensive accessory they take negligible damage from Ceroba's attacks which shatter stone pillars (they also take a glancing blow from these attacks in a cutscene without damage, though it takes them some time to return to their feet)
  • [Pacifist] Clover later withstands Ceroba's attacks after she had powered up into her Kitsune form, which dealt double damage compared to her previous attacks (2HP with the best defensive item instead of 1HP)
• [Pacifist] Endures for a little over a minute after their soul had been extracted from their body (though they were too weak to do anything but crawl)
• [Genocide] Gets crushed by blocks with enough force to shatter them which are not affected by their SOUL's energy beams
• [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, which assuming Martlet's attacks were responsible for any of this damage means that Clover would scale to it
• [Genocide] Clover grows so powerful that Asgore's trident shatters against their SOUL^{LV 20}

Skill

• Shoots a hat off a dummy
• Beats Starlo in a quickdraw contest
• After being fully lasso'd by Starlo, Clover is still able to effectively avoid his attacks and even tricks him into shooting his own lasso twice
  • Starlo is accurate enough to shoot sticks of dynamite out of the air
  • Clover is still able to fight back as well
• Can shoot something as small as a micro froggit
• Opens a door by shooting its control panel
• Plays a mean harmonica^T
• Holy shit they're so sick with it^T

Justice SOUL

• Flowey talks about how Boss Monsters are stronger than others and that a human SOUL is even more powerful than them
• [Pacifist] During the final boss, Clover is powered up and given a plethora of different abilities (the reason for this isn't explicitly stated, but it's likely because they felt their cause was just, more so than they ever had in the rest of the game)^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Endures repeated enraged attacks from Ceroba that should have killed them before returning to full HP as the next phase of the boss starts^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Can fire energy blasts from their SOUL which are strong enough to overpower Ceroba's own charged blasts^{LV 1}
    • They can quickly fire smaller shots on top of the more powerful charge shots^{LV 1}
    • A weaker version of Ceroba's attacks could shatter stone pillars^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Is able to phase through attacks, including otherwise unavoidable AOE attacks^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Hope, allowing them to take an extra hit without damage^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Endure, regenerating health from a range of 5HP to 10HP^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Remember, granting them a speed buff over the course of that turn^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] After cracking Ceroba's Kitsune mask, Clover is able to see a memory of her past talking to her dying husband^{LV 1}
• [Genocide] After hearing that Axis, the penultimate boss, killed a human child, Clover is filled with such rage and a desire for justice that they automatically leveled up and developed the ability to shoot energy blasts from their SOUL. The first blast obliterated the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield and after further leveling up they fired a massive beam that obliterated Axis entirely. Clover also gained an assortment of other abilities at this point^{LV 15/19}
  • [Genocide] Smaller shots can be rapid fired and a brief charge allows Clover to fire the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] It required two small shots to destroy the meteors Zenith Martlet summons and they're completely obliterated by the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] With enough shots Clover destroys Martlet's armor that their gun was completely useless against (based on the fact that the Fight button is locked during the phase of the fight that she's wearing the armor)^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] Clover's beam is strong enough to completely obliterate Asgore as well as his throne and the wall behind him^{LV 20}
  • [Genocide] Like in the Pacifist ending, Clover is able to dash which smashes blocks that their shots and beams couldn't break and allows them to phase through otherwise unavoidable attacks without damage^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] After destroying Martlet's armor, Clover is able to see into mind and witness her backstory^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Clover is able to Endure, automatically recovering anywhere from 20HP to 25HP^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, with Clover presumably being responsible for at least some of the damage^{LV 19}
• [Genocide] Throughout the game, Clover is able to undo mistakes thanks to the SAVE function. Primarily, this is thanks to Flowey doing so for you, becoming an in-universe stand-in for standard RPG Saving and Loading and ultimately allowing them to revive at the latest SAVE point for standard enemies or directly back into the battle for Boss encounters. However, at the end of the Genocide route Clover levels up enough to steal Flowey's control of the timeline, ultimately taking the SAVE ability for themselves which they can use to SAVE and LOAD in the middle of battle^{LV 20}

Gear

Note that while Clover can store excess items in boxes they find around the Underground, they can only carry eight items in their inventory not including their current Weapon, Ammo, Armor, and Accessory. Later in the game they discovered the Dimensional Satchel which allows them to access the boxes from anywhere, but they still only have eight slots to bring into an encounter.
Weapons
Guns

• Toy Gun - Clover's default weapon is a simple toy gun
• Wild Revolver - A gift from Starlo, purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • While the Toy Gun only fires once per turn, the Wild Revolver is fired six times in a row
  • While the Wild Revolver looks and functions like a typical revolver, note that Blackjack does say that he made it so as not to be lethal (though the following line about how anything could be lethal if used enough times consecutively makes this seem more like a meta joke about RPG fight mechanics, even going so far as to mention the ballet shoes that are a weapon in the original Undertale)

Feats
Note that cutscenes will always play out the same regardless of whether the Toy Gun or Wild Revolver is being used, so while the Revolver is obviously the more powerful of the two the Toy Gun is much more powerful than it's name would suggest and the following feats apply to both weapons.

• Damages machinery
• Critically damages Axis who could withstand his own energy balls being reflected back at him with no physical damage, merely draining his power instead
  • After being rebounded Axis' attacks destroyed portable generators as tall as Axis himself
• Destroys robots with repeated shots
• Executes undamaged monsters in cutscenes/scripted fights in both the Pacifist and Genocide routes
• [Anti-Feat] Was unable to destroy the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield

Ammo
Rather amusingly, Clover will jam whatever odd materials they can find into their weapon which somehow works perfectly^T

• Rubber Ammo (AT 0) - The default ammo that Clover started their journey with
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Pebble Ammo (AT 3) - Small rocks that Clover discovered in the Dark Ruins
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Ice Ammo (AT 6) - Discovered near the start of Snowdin, these fragments of a shattered ice crystal don't melt and cool Clover's gun upon being loaded
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Coffee Ammo (AT 4 + 1 SPEED after perfect attack) - Found in a barrel near the exit of Snowdin
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
  • Compare the increased speed to Clover's normal battle speed
• Flint Ammo (AT 9) - Salvaged from an ore deposit outside the East Mines
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
    • Note that the shots make small explosions upon impact
• Glass Ammo (AT 5 + 2HP) - Taken from a shattered glass in the Dunes Gift Shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Silver Ammo (AT 3 + Bonus Damage for Perfect Shot) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Nails (AT 10) - Found in a box in the Steamworks greenhouse
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• [Neutral/Genocide] Friendliness Pellets (AT 11) - A gift from Flowey, acquired outside of the Steamworks
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver

Armor

• Warn Hat - The default armor that Clover started their journey with
• [Pacifist/Neutral] Nice Hat - Visually identical to Clover's old one and offers no extra defense or benefits, but it is a pretty nice hat

Accessories

• Patch (Armor DF 0) - The default accessory that Clover started their journey with
• Feather (Armor DF 2) - A stray feather located in the tunnels near Dalv's house
• Honeydew Pin (Armor DF 4) - Purchased at the Honeydew Resort shop
• Band Merch Pin (Armor DF 5) - A pin given to Clover by a band's super fan in Honeydew Resort
• Steel Buckle (Armor DF 7) - Found inside a cubby in the East Mines
• Safety Jacket (Armor DF 6) - Found on a hook in the East Mines
• Fancy Holster (Armor DF 8) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
• Safety Goggles (Armor DF 9) - Acquired from Vendy in the Steamworks
• Silver Scarf (Armor DF 6 and +2HP Every Turn) - Given to Clover by Slurpy in Snowdin after freeing his tongue from a frozen pole
  • Here is the scarf in use
• Delta Run Patch (Armor DF 10) - Purchased from Bits and Bites at UG Apartments
• Golden Bandana (Armor DF 12) - Found in a chest in the Steamworks
  • This did come at the cost of sacrificing the Golden Pear, Golden Coffee, and Golden Cactus

Food/Healing Items
Note that at their weakest (LV 1), Clover has 20HP and at their strongest (LV20), Clover has 100HP
Single Use

• Lemonade - 7HP
• Lukewarm Pop - 8HP
• Candy Corn - 9HP
• Packing Peanuts - 10HP
• Sea Tea - 10HP (+ Temporary Speed Increase)
  • Here is the Sea Tea in use
• Monster Candy - 10HP
• Corn Dog - 12HP
• Cold Pop - 12 HP
• Sponge Cake - 14HP
• Hot Pop -14 HP
• Trail Mix - 14HP
• Corn Chowder - 15HP
• Moss Salad - 17HP
• Ice Tea - 20HP
• Green Tea - 21HP
• Flower Stew - 20HP
• Hot Dog - 20HP
• Fruitcake -25HP
• [Pacifist/Genocide] Adult Soda - ???HP
  • It's actually 20HP
• [Genocide] Oasis Latte - 25HP
• [Neutral] Cake - 30HP
• [Genocide] Cinnamon Cookie - 35HP
• Golden Pear - Invulnerability for two hits
  • Here is the G. Pear in use
• Golden Coffee - Increases Clover's speed for 3 turns
  • Here is the G. Coffee in use (also note that this buff carries on to future encounters if the three turns aren't used)
• Golden Cactus - 15HP for 3 turns (Lose 5HP after first bite)

Two Uses

• Grassy Fries - 14HP
• Beef Jerky - 16HP

Unlimited Supply

• Spider Donut - 12HP
• Popato Chisps - 13HP
• Honeydew Coffee - 14HP
• Honeydew Pancake - 16HP
• Ice Water - 15HP
• Monster Candy+ - 15HP
• Root Beer - 18HP
• G.B. Bear - 20HP
• Dihydrogen Monoxide - 20HP
• Feisty Slider - 30HP
• Gravity Granola - 30HP
• Cinnamon Butterscotch Strudel - 30HP
• Floral Cupcake - 50HP
• Gun Powder - ???HP
  • Completely maxes out Clover's HP
  • Note that Clover can only acquire one of these on the Genocide Route

Misc

• Solves Martlet's extremely complicated lava rock puzzle
• Beats the infamous Shuffler gang at their own game
• Uses flint and a steel buckle to burn a thick stick that was jamming an elevator
• Keeps up with El Bailador during their dance off, who was out of breath after the fact
• [Pacifist/Neutral] The Doc in the Wild East can overcharge Clover's health with a one time extra 15HP (nearly double their health at LV 1)
• Stealthily creeps around the Steamworks factory, figuring out a passcode while staying out of Axis' view
• Clover has incredible willpower, since even after Flowey kills them and attempts to absorb their SOUL, Clover is able to resist him for the entirety of the ensuing boss fight which ends when Flowey realizes they'd be fighting for all eternity if they continued and opts to simply reset the timeline instead
• Breaks it down

Somebody calls for help
You answer the call

For those of you who have been on Reddit for a while, you may remember that Reddit used to have a Global Meetup Day every year in June. They stopped doing this once the pandemic hit but it is now back for the first time since 2019. The official Reddit post about it is here. This year, they are making it Global Meetup Week and communities can celebrate any day within the week. I was able to reserve the gazebo area at McClatchy Park on June 15th, so we'll have shade the entire time.
If you search "global meetup" in Sacramento, you'll see threads organizing Global Meetup Day events going back over 10 years. This sub has always done something for that day. Here is my recap post from the last such event in 2019 and here is the recap post of the 2016 event. Those are the only recap posts I can find with pictures.
We had a potluck at the last 2019 event and it was wildly successful. We'll probably do the same thing here, but there will be more info on that later. If you look at the official Reddit announcement linked above, you'll see that Reddit is advertising a Community Funds program. I have submitted a request for Reddit funding to provide food and drinks (burgers, hot dogs, chips, water, soda, etc.). I'm still waiting to see if that gets approved or not before determining what kind of potluck may be necessary.
Anyway, here are the details of the event:

• Date: Saturday, June 15th
• Time: 12:00 - ???
• Location: McClatchy Park (the gazebo is by the tennis courts near the corner of 33rd and Montgomery)

This post will remain a sticky for the next month and any updates to the event will be posted here. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me or ask in the comments.
Finally, for you trolls who feel the need to make shitty, sarcastic comments about the meetup, don't waste your time. Your comment will be deleted and don't be surprised if you find yourself banned.

And that is your daily Dr. Pepper report by me. Diet is ok but the Zero really encapsulated the spirit of the original. All of those 23 spices or flavors or whatever they are. Just dancing in our ecstasy on your taste buds and then bubbling all the way down to your belly.
I do have more interests than Dr. Pepper. I also like a good Fresca now and then…or Mt. Dew Baja Blast Zero…
I have more interested than soda too…I also drink a lot of water. Have to stay hydrated! It’s a key to life! I know people who do not drink water at all and I still wonder how they live…
At this point if you aren’t interested in messaging me than you MUST be dead inside because this whole post has been just breathtakingly fantastic…soda?? Water?!? Who doesn’t love talking about hydration?? Some dry, boring, person who also probably loves wearing pants…I bet they suck!
I also enjoy talking about movies and music. Books, writing, Diet Pepsi…doggos, cats, kids…you know some normal stuff mixed in with my nerd stuff I enjoy.
You got this far. That’s an accomplishment because this post was exceedingly stupid. But since you’re here you might as well message me. It won’t be the worst decision you make today!

So, as someone who loves industrial music, (amongst many others,) I wanted to brainstorm a new island that would be based on creation and industry. That idea is now the "Industrial Island," with a focus on making a new kind of currency. These Bubblerite Ingots that are created once you complete the monster set can be converted into any other currency other than diamonds. Here are some of my monster ideas:

• Mine-stroe (Miner), makes a metal "ting" sound and adds humming vocals.
• Orerion (Blast Furnace, lost cousin to Furnoss), adds a consistent low bass sound.
• Cromp (Metal Compressor), Adds a periodic metal clash and a crunch sound (probably made via hitting a metal chair with a hammer and crushing a soda can).
• Grommer (Metal Refiner), lasers create an electric guitar sound. Composed like a punk rock "chugging" rift.
• Coregol (Power Plant), adds a consistent gutteral bass vocal, maybe also a whistle.
• Ymirrist (Quencher), makes a drum line with the stomp of their feet and a steam vent within their chest. Adds additional mechanical ambiance.
• Sweltr (Blacksmith, one of the werdos), sings the main vocals and adds a metal slamming sound, like an angry version of a hammer hitting an anvil. "We forge on, born in fire. Keep on smelting 'till the final hour." "Heed our call, this is our power. Metal ringing to the fall of the Hammer."

After Venshun was added, I thought they could be a "special guest" of sorts and could be added like the normal monsters on gold island.
As always, thoughts and ideas for the monster's looks is always appreciated. 👍

I ended up at the mall and smelled some of the newness today. Can't smell Pink Paradise, but can't smell the SDJ 68 either so wasn't surprised. Not sure why, it's weird though. Solar Shine smelled very familiar, but I am not sure where I've smelled it before. It was ok, but not good enough to get. Vacation Vibes smelled good, wish there was a body cream for it, I used the travel size coupon for it in the spray. It is very similar to SDJ 62, but definitely more amber. If they have a good sale I might get the full set of it. Also will probably take a chance on the Wild Madagascar Vanilla and Cherry Blossom when they are available on the website. And maybe Strawberry Soda. And Whipped Coconut Milkshake (at least the shower gel) although the packaging is not very nice.
Also I stopped in at ulta hoping to smell the SDJ recently dropped summer trio, but they weren't there. So I sprayed some 71 on. I was hit with a blast of Christmas Cookies, but then it dried down to an unpleasant (to my nose anyway) nutty smell. Glad I didn't blind buy that one. I love SDJ 62 and 40 though. Does anyone know any good BBW dupes for 40?

Sorry in advance for the long post. I’m just so heartbroken and shocked.
I (29F) have been married to my high school sweetheart (29M) for nearly 9 years plus we were together for 3 additional years on top of that. We have had a wonderful marriage up until about 1-1.5 years ago. Since then, he has become addicted to various things all at once- cigarettes (more than a pack a day), nicotine/vape, weed, alcohol, caffeine (several Red Bulls, etc. a day) and has also become secretive- driving off in the middle of the day, spending a lot of time alone in the garage on the phone - even peeing in soda bottles and leaving them around the garage to avoid having to come inside. When questioned, he snapped back at me about it saying I ask too many questions, he needs his privacy, etc. He also eats out there as well and has not really eaten from our groceries in weeks. He will not buy anything when we go to the grocery store together and will go and get food everyday and eat it in the car. I also recently found out that he had been paying for sex content to be created / phone sex behind my back with our joint budget (he swore nothing physical happened) which had been ongoing for several years. I had caught this before a few years ago but he swore he had changed, was going to therapy, and did make some improvements. I have since found out that it had started up again and that the amount was far greater than I originally thought.
This week, he and I were supposed to be going on vacation. (He is a sales rep & had earned this company trip as an incentive.) This had been planned for months, I already had it off work. Yesterday, he brought me over to our friend’s house and proceeded to tell me (yes, with both of our mutual friends within earshot- another couple) that I should not go on the trip. That is how he started the conversation. He then told me he had slept with a coworker at a trade show he was working the previous week (unprotected) and that this person was going to be there, and that if I went and he did not tell me, his boss said he would tell me there because he needed to tell me what happened. (Although he would not tell me much of the details because “does it even matter?”, I guess the majority of this, other than the actual sex, happened within visibility of other colleagues.) During this conversation, it felt like he was not remorseful, and kept trying to direct it back on me. He cheated because he hasn’t been happy and tried to convince me that I also wasn’t happy. (Can you remember the last time it was good? See, you can’t, Etc.) It almost felt to me that he was trying to justify his actions and/or to get me to leave him or make it a mutual thing. I went into this conversation relatively calmly (especially with the audience) and may have been open to making it work, however given what he’s saying it doesn’t sound like he is interested in trying to repair things and has had a foot out the door for awhile behind my back.
After the conversation, he essentially left our 2 friends to deal with the aftercare and to console me. Both friends told me to leave him and that it was unacceptable the way this was handled. They helped me to figure out what I needed to do next and took me home after. It was so embarrassing to have our personal business on display in front of our friends but I am glad someone was there to comfort me after the conversation.
He is still going on the trip this weekend without me (LOL) and I am using my week off work to move in with my mom. We have continued to stay in our home together until he flies out for the trip but he does not really talk to me or won’t even look at me when he walks past me. No remorse or apologies.
The sad thing is, I walked out of this day feeling like the guilty one because of our conversation. I’m certainly not perfect and have my flaws, as anyone does, but what could I have done wrong to make him feel this way in our marriage that he would go into this conversation like I’m less than a stranger after 12 years together? He made me feel like it was my fault when literally I’m the one that got cheated on and got my personal business blasted to our mutual friends. Every reason he gave seemed so generalized and I’m just lying here awake, so confused. I’ve been so torn up about it I can’t eat or sleep and I’m so disgusted I want to vomit thinking about that night. At the end of the day, I just love him enough to want him to be happy and want him to get the help he needs for his addictions. He is, and has been for months, in therapy and meds so I am so shocked this happened.
I never thought I’d ever see the day my marriage ended and am still just in shock from it all. I genuinely thought we were soulmates and am so shaken by this sudden 180 in personality. Does it get better? What would you do if you were in the situation where he gives you this conversation in front of your friends….?

• Grape is my top pick
• Fruit Punch (almost as good)
• Cherry (average)
• Orange Blast (meh, but I'm going to try it with some vanilla extract to make a creamsicle-type flavor)
• Berry Pomegranate (least favorite, but my top flavor when mixed with plain water)

(I haven't seen lemonade or pink lemonade in a few months. I haven't seen margarita mix in several years)
Mixing notes: I get a small plastic soda bottle, tare it on a kitchen scale, then add 91 grams of water. I add one sachet of powder (9 grams), put the lid on, and shake, then store in the fridge and wait overnight.
In use, I carbonate ~ 850 mL of water in the soda stream 1L bottles (e.g. fill by eye to the fill line) and then set it on the kitchen scale. Tare it out and add 50 grams of the mix. Screw the cap on and flip once or twice (don't actually shake) and let it settle for 2-3 minutes before drinking.
Mixing the powder with water and letting it sit overnight drastically reduces the amount the mix will foam up when poured into water. So about twenty cents per (almost) liter, not counting CO2 and tap water.
Since the SodaStream bottles hold about 850 mL of water if you fill to the line, I assume the official mixes are 150 mL per bottle, but I don't know. It's always seems cheaper to just buy 2L bottles of diet Dr Perky than the official SodaStream mixes.
Edit to add: I found the lemonade drink mix, I like to mix it in a 2L soda bottle with about 1 liter of chilled still water, and then pouring in 850 mL of plain carbonated water, Since the CO2 makes carbonic acid when dissolved in the water, I'll typically fill the 2L bottle almost to the rim with more still water to make it slightly less tart, and even more if I'm adding some Mio Energy (or the Walmart knock-off)

Just wanted to do a quick headcanon post on how I imagine the characters are spending mother's day
♡ Sam and Anthony are out having brunch with their mom and grandma, shopping and spending the day together as Daniel's at home preparing a big dinner for everyone
♡ Miguel is at home with his mom and grandma blasting music as they eat a lunch together, he attempted to make breakfast but let's just say he was much better at karate then he ever was in the kitchen
♡ Robby’s at his mom's house celebrating mother's day with her. He bought her pizza from the pizza place she liked and now they are setting back watching movies together and getting caught up for lost time, Shannon is only drinking juice and soda, she's not even tempted to drink alcohol or grab any pills, not when her son is with her, that's the best substance
♡ Tory is at home with her brother in their mom's room. She brought take out from her job for them so they are all sitting around the room talking about anything and everything as a move plays in the background. it's some of the rare times they feel like things are normal, because their mom has a smile, and that's not common anymore
♡ Eli is out trying to convince his mom to get a matching tattoo with him to celebrate mother's day. She refuses so they both settle on a getting temporary wash off tattoos from a gumball machine as they go to grab breakfast
♡ Kenny and his mom are at the juvie building spending mother's day with shawn as they get caught up, excited for Shawn's soon release.
♡ Johnny visited his mom's grave and shared a drink with her, he left her flowers and finished up his bottle before saying goodbye, he's gone back to his house and is preparing or well, attempting to prepare a large dinner for him, his son, miguel, carmen, and Rosa for when they all come over later that night for dinner
♡ Robby and tory both makes sure to wish a happy mother's day to Amanda due to her part in being there while their own mom's weren't able to

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Chapter III - Is that baklava, or are you just happy to see me? San Francisco, California - Market & Castro - June 1st, 2008
Number 5: "So there I was, at a Fetus/GWAR concert and I'm right at the barricade at the very front between sets, and there's this super HOT fucking bouncer chick, right? And she's staring right at me, and I look right at Oderus, and he looks right at me, and we both stare at this fine ass bouncer working crowd security at the front. Then, just out of nowhere, she lifts her shirt and whips her tits out and points at her mouth, and they aim the blood canon right at her and absolutely blast her with purple monster blood all over her in the face and tits. And me and Oderus look at her, then each other, and then just shrug, and man. It was fucking awesome..."
Command: "When was the last time you went to a GWAR concert, Five?"
Number 5: "It was at least back in 03'... Hold up. We've got Cookie monsters gathering in Jane Warner Plaza... You seeing this Seven?"
Number 7/Overwatch: "Copy that, five. They just hopped out of the MUNI, and looks like they're getting hot for boy pussy... Fucking dickholes..."
Command: "Okay ladies, don't get your panties in a twist. We need this to go down quietly. Do you have eyes on the package?"
Number 6: "Packages everywhere. Literally, but not the one we're looking for..."
Number 8: "Be advised, we've got Hajis and Skinnies popping out of the Muni station. Looks like they're here for more than just tail. Do you see this Command?"
Command: "Roger that, Eight. Keep it tight and don't let them out of your sight. Five, I want a danger close tail on those fuckwads, and find out if they're here for the package."
Number 5: "Copy, Command. I'll drop a line to the West Side Story boys, and see if they can keep a visual. Just a sec... Crutchie, do you read?"
Crutchie: "Oooh, is that who I think it is? Five, Darling. You never called me back after last time... And I thought we had sooo much in common."
Number 5: "Well that was before you made out with and keestered our asset, and made him pop positive for molly on a piss test, Crutchie..."
Crutchie: *Twirls a lock of hair* Whatever, Five. And he was soooo hot to trot too. Tsssssss."
Number 6: "Doesn't Crutchie always try to bone all of our assets?"
Crutchie: "Only if they're hot enough, Six..."
Number 8: "By the way Crutchie, really digging the whole hipsteClark Kent get up you've got going for you. Does it normally get you tagged by boner, or is that how you always dress when courting an investment banker?"
Crutchie: "Only when they're getting right off of work and hitting the club scene, Eight. Okay, I've got visual on the Skinnies. I'll have Leather Daddy run the tail from here, and we'll have Gilette and Stabby watch from their perch."
Number 6: "Tell Gilette I said Hi. Is she still dating that fucking twat from Jersey? Last time we had an engagement, she almost blew the whole damned OP over a tray of creme brulee..."
Crutchie: "Yeah, well bitch had a sweet tooth... Never get between a woman and what she's craving during a pregnancy..."
Number 7/Overwatch: "We've got a problem. Looks like the Skinnies are heading over to the deli for some falafel, and they've got company. Looks like the Greek mobsters from Kearny Street we saw last week..."
Command: "Keep it cool, ladies. The last thing we need is for one of you to get made if these fuckers start exchanging bullets. Hopefully they keep their dildos in their holsters..."
Crutchie: "Speaking of dildos, when's the last time you had some poon, Five? It's been what, over a year since you had that hot goth chick you were making out with at my mom's apartment? Or are you into dudes now?"
Number 5: "I don't get attached, Crutchie. I'm here for a good time, not a long time. Remember?"
Crutchie: "Okay, if you say so, but you still didn't answer my question, darling..."
Stabby: "Daddy, do you have visual? Pop a twenty in the deli and order some baklava. Find out if these fuckers are here for the package."
Leather Daddy: "If you say so, sweetie. And ooooh, good call. The baklava is to die for. You've absolutely gotta try some sometime..."
Stabby: "Be advised, Six. We've got the Sesame Street convention hopping out of the MUNI station. Looks like the perverts you warned us about on the APB."
Number 6: "Got visual, and yep. Those are the same perps."
Crutchie: "I don't want to be a party pooper, ladies, but I've got an investment banker to impress... Think you can party with Stabby and Gilette for now?"
Number 5: "Damn it, Crutchie... and by impress you mean..."
Crutchie: "Always sweetheart."
*The four suspects start heading over to the Palestinian Deli*
Number 6: "We've got a problem, looks like the Cookie Monsters already know the Greek Malacca fuckwads... Command, you seeing this?"
Command: "Affirmative, Six. Standby for further instructions. Daddy, how's the baklava looking?"
Leather Daddy: "Oooh, sweet as can be. You like shwarma, sweetie?"
Command: "Not really, Daddy. Kebabs are my thing, and usually salmon if they have it, and have decent enough tatsiki sauce."
Number 7/Overwatch: "One of the skinnies isn't looking so hot. You see the heat on him? He's burning up..."
Crutchie: "And by burning up, I'm going to assume you mean in a less than sexy way?"
Stabby: "Confirmed on the thermal, Seven. He's got a temp of over 107 .
*The Somalian youth in the leather jacket keels over to his hands and knees and starts coughing up blood*
Number 6: "Well, that's not a good sign... You seeing this command?"
Command: "Affirmative, Six. Keep a distance in case he's got ebola or some shit. Daddy? Be advised, the skinny in front of the deli is coughing up blood. Keep a good gap and follow the others when they move.
Leather Daddy: "Yes, Mommy. I thought you'd never ask."
Stabby: "Looks like the Hajis are heading across the street to the bodega next to the bakery/ice cream shop. Standby, Daddy. This could get complicated. Let's see what these fuckers are about.
Leather Daddy: "Oooh, what a co-inky-dink. My girls are getting ready for Rocky tonight. They're at Starbucks right now. Should I give them a ringy-dingy?
Gilette: "Copy that, Daddy. The more the merrier."
Number 6: "Looks like the Skinnies are on the move, and they don't seem to give a fuck about their buddies well being, they're just dragging him along..."
Number 7/Overwatch: "Yep, looks like they're heading into the plaza in front of Twin Peaks right now. Those Malacca fucks are still milling about with the Sesame Street parade."
Number 5: "Copy that. Let's keep the logistics for this shit under wraps. Dykie, Stabby, Daddy? We'll do a split push. You have your girls at Starbucks watch the Hajis, and we'll keep an eye on the Plaza. If anymore Cookie Monsters pop up out of the Muni, I'm going to get fucking heartburn."
July 2nd, 2008 - 2148 Hours San Francisco, California - Market & Castro - June 1st, 2008
*The four Muhajadeen gatherered in front of the bodega, while the elder with the flowing beard and trucker cap walked in the front door. Sueliman lit a cigarette while Mohammed and Ismael looked at Mehmed sideways*
*Simultaneously, Dave and Richard sat in Jane Warner Plaza, reading magazines and eating sandwiches they bought moments earlier from next door to Twin Peaks.*
Sgt. Dave: "You ever get the feeling we're in the wrong line of work? I mean, with all the shit going on in the world today, we could be overseas making a difference, and instead we're walking a beat to protect a bunch of entitled liberals and hipsters..."
Pvt. Richard: "You're barking up the wrong tree with that one, Sarge. I already did my tour, and it was a steaming pile of dog shit. War is still not over. Not by a long shot. I'll take walking a beat with this crowd any time, compared to getting keestered in some Iraqi shithole mosque's basement, any day of the fucking week."
Number 5: "Be on the lookout, we've got two cops sitting in the plaza and they are completely fucking clueless to the Sesame Street brigade gathering around them."
Stabby: "Copy that, Five. They're beat cops, and they're usuals in this neck of the woods. They're not involved in policing this kind of shit..."
Leather Daddy: "Ooooh girls, looks like we got some boys from the Bin Laden fan club gathering in front of the bodega, and I think they're there to buy more than just bongs and zig zags..."
Number 6: "Copy that, Daddy. Looks like the Skinnies are walking past the Cafe and are heading down Market. The Greeks are still hanging out in front of the deli..."
Gilette: "Looks like Rip Van Wrinkle from the Muhajedeen is going to be in there for a while. Standby. Yo, Daddy. Can you get a stoner or hardcore pothead to drop in there and see what the fuck is going on inside?
Leather Daddy: "Passing Squat and Gobble right now, tailing the pirates. I'll see what I can do... Heeeeeey, Javier?"
Javier: "God damn it, dude. I told you not to call me this early. I'm not holding and the dispensary doesn't restock until Tuesday..."
Leather Daddy: "Well, see. If you could help a brother out, I've got this group from the Bin Laden fan club at the bodega bong shop around the corner from the flag, and I really need someone to drop by and give a looksie. Could you be a dear and do me a favor, just this once?"
Javier: "Yeah, yeah, Daddy-o. I'll have one of the Punk rockers from up the street drop by and get a pair of ears in there. It could be a minute though..."
Leather Daddy: "Ahoy! The sooner the better sweetie. We're running a tight ship."
Javier: "Got someone walking up the block on a parallel route right now. Should be there in a minute twenty."
Leather Daddy: "Fantastic! I'll definitely owe you one, Javi."
Javier: "Any time, Daddy-O."
*Just then, a Ford Explorer pulled up at the intersection of Market and Castro, with 20" rims and neon lights on the under carriage. "Mac Dre" was dumping out of the woofers*
Stabby: "And look who it is..."
Gilette: "Sauce boss is early today, eh?"
Stabby: "Probably about to hit the Cafe for the usual customers. If they run into the Sesame Street convention in the plaza, we could be looking at a shootout in the making..."
Number 6: "Be advised, Greeks are looking heated."
Number 5: "Don't tell me those malacca fuckwads are thinking what I think they're thinking..."
Command: "Five, Six, Seven, Eight! Do NOT engage! I repeat! Do NOT engage!"
Gilette: "Oh, Motherfucker-"
*The Greeks in front of the Palestinian deli eyeballed the Ford Explorer and reached into their coats as it rounded the corner on Castro. That's when Intratec Tec DC-9s with extended barrels and 30 round mags popped out of the windows, and it began to rain 9mm x 19mm shell casings and ball parabellum rounds.* _.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-._.-=-.
Chapter 4 - We need more cone charges... Hayward, California - July 6th 2008 - 0324 Hours Mobile Task Force - Epsilon Bravo VII (The Renegades)
EB7-5: "Well that was a shitshow the other night..."
EB7-6: "Yeah, tell me about it, Five. And we got reassigned to the Scooby Squad and the Mystery Machine? Literally, how in the fuck does that happen?"
EB7-8: "Well, those coke dealers weren't playing around when those Greek kid fuckers reached for their jammies..."
EB7-7/Overwatch: "No shit. It was curtains the minute they dug in. Damned shamed about the package though, we almost had that fucker."
EB7-6: "Hey Five, you know if those cops made it? The ones in the plaza?"
EB7-5: "They were wearing standard issue kevlar. The few strays the sergeant caught to the torso tagged him in the vest, but one got him in the shoulder. The Private got one in the pelvis, so he's in ICU still. We don't know if he'll pull through."
EB7-8: "They were a game changer though, through and through. Lucky for the Sergeant, that Private was a Seal."
EB7-5: "Well, that made all the difference in that world." she said, making a wide covering arc with her extended barrel AA-12 as she knelt and held up a balled fist to Six and Eight, a 30 round drum of 12-gauge Thamauturgically enhanced cobalt slugs hung from beneath her weapon, and two more drums were in her pack, just like the rest of her 3 person fire team whom also had similar loadouts of AA-12s, each one with a secondary loadout of short barrel SCAR-Light bullpups and several 30 round magazines in their Boron-Ceramic armor's LBVs. Seven had standard issue .50 Cal tungsten carbide SLAP rounds enhanced with neutronic singularity dispersement tips at the ready, and an FN-FS2000 with lithium plasma phase differential bullets.
EB7-Command: "Good evening, Ladies..."
EB7-6: "Holy fuck, is that Gator?"
EB7-Command: "The one and only, Six."
EB7-5: "Congrats on the promotion, Captain. Glad to have you join us..."
EB7-Command: "Thanks, Five. I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but switch to your visors. You've got some tangoes up ahead and I don't think they're here for tea."
EB7-5: "Roger that. Gear up girls, this is what we signed up for. Switching to multispectral..."
Professor Chaos: "Wait for me to run point up ahead, and you three cover me. I need to see what these things are up to..."
EB7-5: "Copy that, Skippy. Just don't get your damned arms ripped off, got it?"
Professor Chaos: "Roger that, Five. I'm Oscar Mike, with Charlie..." he said, as he closed his eyes and began walking, doing his best to concentrate, craning his head from right to left. Taking a bandana out of his pouch, he tied it around his eyes so he wouldn't have any distractions...
Professor Chaos: "Be advised, I'm reading some temporal-spatial anomalies about half a click ahead."
EB7-Command: 'You can fucking see that shit, Skippy?"
Professor Chaos: "Five, now would be a damned good time to deploy a mobile Scranton Beam Projector..."
EB7-5: "Copy that, Skippy. Tripod deploying the directed energy stabilization field in ten seconds." Ten seconds later, there was a brief temporal distortion, and the spatial fabric of the facility wavered and shimmered momentarily.
EB7-5: "Temporal-Spatial stabilization synchronized, Skippy. You're clear to proceed."
EB7-6: "Didn't Nazis used to use this place as a secret base after the war?"
EB7-Command: "Correct, Six. Those fuckers were hiding under everyone's noses for decades until OSI flushed them out in the 70's. Place has been In-OP and direlect for decades, but the Serpents Legion teamed up with what was left of the Ahnernerbe Inner Circle back in the Satanic Panic of the 80's and 90's. They've been using the place on and off since then..."
EB7-Gunny: "Lance and I will keep watch here on the surface and give you a heads up if anyone decides to drop by. As of now though, not a soul knows were here, and Higher made sure to keep it dark on signals. We're the only one's that will be in or out... Professor, don't get shanked by a fucking sorcerer now, or worse get Shanghai'ed by the damned cult. Motherfuckers will be sad if your ass gets eaten by a God damned monster, Skippy..."
Lance Corporal Todd slung the M32A1 over his torso as he slid the extra clips of .308 into the LBV on his Boron/Ceramic armor. Taking his bullpup SCAR Heavy with suppressor and Multispec scope, he gave a brief once over of his gear. Corpsman Bill did the same, as did Gunny Wilson. Each one had similar rotary grenade launchers with high explosive armor piercing 40mm grenades, and extra ordinance and munitions in their packs, including cone charges, claymores, and various utility grenades like flashbangs and thermite. Taking one last look at each other, they switched on their quantum camouflage, and their forms shimmered and disappeared to visible light spectrum. Switching to back scatter X-Ray/Multispec, they nodded to each other and made off to secure the entrances at the perimeter.
EB7-Bill: "Did you make sure to wash with hunter's soap and scent free baking soda deodorant, guys?"
EB7-Wilson: "Copy that, Corpsman. I can't even smell myself."
EB7-Todd: "Yeah, it's weird. It's like 99 degrees right now and I'm not even sweating, let alone smelling myself. At least it's not like Mississippi..."
Just then a pair of headlights could be seen rolling down towards the warehouses. The sound of Reggaton could be heard on subwoofer.
EB7-Bill: "Well boys, it looks like we've got company, and I don' think they're here for the same reason we are. Let's just hope its a drug deal or an arms sale, and let them go on their way."
An electrical company van's headlights could be seen coming from the opposite direction, and it was being followed by a repair truck with a bucket lift.
EB7-Wilson: "I Get the creeping suspicion that these cats aren't here to check the meter."
EB7-Todd: "Command, be advised. We've got activity here on the surface. Looks like gangster shit, but we've also got some utility workers on their way to the street parallel to us. What do you want us to do for now?"
EB7-Command: "I'm less worried about the gangsters, and more concerned about the utility workers. Keep an eye on them. Especially if they start snooping around.
EB7-Bill: "Copy that, Command. We'll be on the lookout."
The Escalade bumping the reggaton pulled off to a side road a few streets over, and the Utility van and bucket truck pulled the same way. More headlights could be seen as two vehicles came from the same direction as the gangsters. One was a Dodge grand caravan, and the other was a Ford F-350 XL.
EB7-Wilson: "Oh shit, this can't be good. Command, you seeing this?" It was then that the microwave uplink to the aerial surveillance drone scrambled and cut out.
EB7-Command: "Well fuck me running, boys, but looks like the drone's feed just ate shit, and the timing of theses utility workers and gangsters is a little too convenient. Stay in the shadows. It looks like they're here for us and the girls..."
Three men in body armor with kitted out Ak-47s and NV goggles hopped out of the Escalade. Five more hopped out of the minivan, equally geared up. Two hopped out of the truck, and went around back for large metal cases and dragged them to the ground, as well as three C-Bags. A man in a white suit with a white cabana hat stepped out of the Utility Van, and lit a cigar.
Mercenary Captain: "Buenos Tardes, Patron. Es tiempo." The man in the white, gave him one stern look and simply said, "¿Si? Bien."
The Captain pointed his AK-47 at the ground as he slapped the side of the truck twice and yelled to the men, "Vamanos puez! Andele!" The nine men gathered around, and each one dropped to one knee, and lowered their heads. Taking a puff of his cigar and pinching it between his fingers, the man in white outstretched his arms and stepped forward.
Man In White: "Welcome, Children of the Night! The Serpent is with us. I do hope you are all ready to do the Lord's work..."
It was at this point that the power went out for the entire grid to the whole city. All the lights and ground communications went dark in that very moment.
Man In White: "Viya con dios, Mijos."
They all rose to their feet and immediately began unloading the crates of rocket launchers and light machine guns, and ammo boxes.
EB7-Wilson: "Yeah. Guess they're not here to check the meter fellas. These aren't Mexican mafia at all... They're something else..."
EB7-Command: "Hopefully they don't see you yet..."
It was then that the Man in White walked 90 º perpendicular to physical 4th dimensional reality and winked out of existence. His men did a double take and stood there flabbergasted for at least a minute looking around until the Captain said, "Get back to work!"
EB7-Wilson: "You fucking see that shit, Gator?"
EB7-Command: "Yeeeeeah. That's NOT a good sign. Ladies, this is probably not a good time, but we've got our hands full up here. Stick to securing the objective with Professor Chaos. We've got a mess about to happen and will do our best to hold them off while we can."
EB7-5: "Yeah, we got a Temporal-Spatial distortion spike right before you told us. Well stick with Skippy. Seven, you're up here with us. All of us will stick in a five man team from here on out. Going radio dark, Command. We don't know if our COMS encryption's been burned yet.
EB7-Command: "Good call, Five. We'll head down there as soon as we get this handled. Good luck." Wilson, Todd, and Bill, held their positions and aimed their weapons at the entourage of mercenaries.
EB7-Wilson: "Don't do a thing unless they fire at us. It's better we aren't seen and don't have to engage unless we have no other options."
The Man in White's voice echoed in Wilson's head.
Man In White: "I appreciate you demonstrating a professional courtesy of sparing my men, Gunnery Sergeant Dennis Nathaniel Wilson, and honestly you and your fireteam could have killed them all rather quickly if you were motivated enough. However, I cannot guarantee the girls success of securing the relic. You will find that its guardians can be rather- persistent. Now tell me more about the SCIP friend of yours...Professor Chaos."
EB7-Wilson: "I remember your from Peshwar. You were with the general from ISI in '03." *His eyes widened* "You're-" Wilson's eyes rolled back into his head and he began twitching as he entered a fugue state and convulsed and foamed at the mouth. He fell to the ground unconscious shortly thereafter. He plopped like a ragdoll with an invisible *thud*. It was then that the Man in White began probing his memories...
EB7-Command: "Wilson! Damn it Gunny, Wake UP!"
_ To Be Continued...

Just small mundane luxuries like candy, gumball machines, soda, colorful clothing, and video games make me happy. It’s like after all the terrible, fucked up shit that happened in the Dishonored series people moved on and made these little comforts. The music is especially comforting imo. It reminds me of the instrumentalists you’d find on the streets of Karnaca from time to time, adding an element of liveliness and hope to the bleak setting.
The world probably did still really suck in a lot of ways, wouldn’t be Dishonored without some crapsack elements intact, but out of all that grimdark you have a song like City Lights from Frank Spicer. It makes me happy to imagine a 1960’s Dunwall with folks hanging out on the street corner blasting that song, chewing bubblegum, far removed from the scars of the rat plague and Delilah’s coup, but still facing some new challenge with hope and gumption.