#we basically haven't shot over 30% from 3 like at all

[the-physicality]

i don't even know what to say

i had a bad feeling about this game ever since i went to watch and it was on *m*z*n pr*me

what happened to the offense

what happened to the defense [what happened to the defense is that atlanta has one 3 point threat and apparently washington has 8?

monique i thought had a very good game

celeste did well

natasha mack again had good impact

honestly i thought we took better care of the ball tonight than we have in a while but the shots were just not falling

i'm still annoyed at nate's rotations and honestly i think they are fucking up the first quarters

like i get that he's working on rotations or what ever but if people are getting points [the first points, the only points so far] maybe keep those people in instead of pulling them halfway through the quarter

i want to say this politely: it seems like he has pre planned rotations that he's going to implement regardless of the context of the game -_-

like we lost the 1st by 9, we lost the 2nd by 9, we lost the 3rd by 4 and we won the 4th by 9. thus the game by 13

if we lose the 1st by 5 instead that means that we've either played better defense or scored more points which keeps us hotter going into the 2nd, making it easier to play well, etc.

[cleolinda]

Silent Hill 2 commentary: Blue Creek Apartments (1)

PREVIOUSLY ON: Three Bright Coins in the Five Holes Be; Apartment 107: Laura and Mary; Apartment 201: Mary and James; Pyramid Head and Blue Velvet; we cross over to the Otherworld.

Spoiler policy: Just about anything but That One Big Thing near the end of the game, particularly information about characters, their motives, and their dynamics. The game’s eight endings may also be discussed. Content notes are below the cut.

Content notes: For this video as a whole, the combat involves the usual bloodshed, acid vomit now with bonus acid explosions, monster body horror, plank and nails melee, handgun shooting. There’s an extra bathtub full of blood for no particular reason. The toilets are notably vile.

Post 3 has its own warnings about knives and discussion of self-harm, abuse, alcoholism, and other, even more sensitive topics.

Post 4 has Pyramid Head and a brief discussion of sexual assault in video games.

As I say at the beginning of the video, @idoherty451 (musician and OG fan) and I are basically settling into a routine where I can ask him questions directly while I'm recording (and you'll hear this: "Ian, why is there green goo in the hole?"), he can answer them on his bi-monthly Wednesday streams, he has also watched my videos in advance and he can respond to anything else I mentioned, and I'm going to incorporate some of his discussion (especially the music) here.

00:30: Here's a good example of our dynamic: The reason I start the video back here in Apartment 201, rather than the Blue Creek clock room in the Otherworld where I left off, is that Ian emailed and warned me that I'd left the handkerchief James drops. It's got orange blossoms, associated with brides of old, and may be something either James or Mary carried at their wedding; picking it up triggers the Pyramid Head cutscene. We honestly can't figure out if it has any functional effect after that, but he knew I'd be pissed if I left it behind, and so I brought us back here to show it to you.

Meanwhile, "I'm sick and hopped up on Sudafed!"

3:00: But also, I bungled the collection and reading of the Strange Note and Sinister Note so badly last time that this seemed like a good opportunity to bring them back out and read them in the correct order. Because, you see, the rusty grimy Otherworld of Blue Creek Apartments and all its symbolism is what's "underneath." 

4:40: So now we step over that narrow alley mid-air, as before—I haven't yet recorded that video on liminality that I wanted to do, but this is a huge and literal threshold for James to cross over.

In Ian's stream, where I'm in the chat, I mention something I'd noticed after recording this: the shot of James standing in the doorway is tilted at roughly the same angle as the strange grid on the door. The grid isn't the Nine Delusions arrangement (V3 1:36:10); I don't know if it has a separate meaning, but you see that grid (and red door) again in the context of Pyramid Head.

All game images are ©2024 Konami Digital Entertainment, and captured from my gameplay in January-March 2025.

As before,

Everything is fucked. Everything is nasty and rusty and decrepit. It’s the physical embodiment of "the vibes are rancid." (General content warning: all Otherworld toilets are heinous, always.) The floor plan of this apartment somewhat mirrors the one James just left; the slatted doors of the closet have been slashed through by a VERY LARGE blade, so in some other dimension, Pyramid Head was extremely displeased by getting shot in the face. So now, we’re going to make our way through Blue Creek Apartments to a room with a clock puzzle, and we’ll be able to save there (maybe) and stop for the day. We learn a new skill: breaking through "weak walls," cracked areas that are marked with White Cloth™ and are exactly James-shaped.

6:30: Going back to the two notes, I talk about the line, "There's someone inside me." This could be Pyramid Head, as something James has manifested to punish himself, or it could be the writer of the note (and James) having various feelings of anger and resentment inside, ready to come out. More concretely, when the notes talk about something "underneath," I think it means the Otherworld of these apartments.

8:45: Once again, the exploding lying figure. By the end of this video, I will have an absolute shit ton of of bullets, so I will be shooting these from afar as often as possible. 

9:30: Here's the new type of James-shaped breakable wall we'll add to our traversal repertoire. And James manages to break through this entire-ass wall in three strikes of a wooden plank. "James is kinda... strong."

10:00: Apartment 206/204: Fighting the lying figure and mannequin goes a little better now that I'm not exhausted from a three-hour recording session. You also get to see James perceive that an enemy's nearby before I do—I think the very edge of the mannequin must be within his field of vision, and when that's the case, he'll pull out a weapon and look in that direction. I really like when he helps out. 

11:00: I did image-search this painting, and there was no exact match. It still looks very Francis Bacon to me--an influence acknowledged by Lost Memories: Silent Hill Chronicle. 

12:20: The Silent Hill 2 experience? "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?? ...I think that was a leaf."

12:40: Again, we pass the moth room, and I mention that there was a (Thomas) Harris Street in Eastern South Vale.

13:00: Apartment 210, the clock room, which is as far as we got last time. I did search the photo of a window on the wall; it's not in any of the Strange Photos (as I thought I remembered), and no exact matches came up. At this point, my best guess is that we'll see this window (or have seen it) somewhere in the game, or it's just metaphorical in some way. Anyone have any ideas?

13:50. "Puzzles love a sheet." Let's unveil the clock again: It's our organizing principle for the Blue Creek level, and we'll be hunting down its three hands (hour, minute, second). As previously noted, Mary's time of death is on every single clock in this game, and do not think I haven't checked. So we know what the solution is; we just have to get the hands. 

15:30. So I'm standing out on the fire escape to show you this courtyard full of rectangular boxes because I only, finally, just noticed that these are THE PUNISHMENT CAGES THAT PYRAMID HEAD HANGS FROM THE CEILING WITH PEOPLE IN THEM?!? THESE ARE ALL THROUGHOUT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX?!!! I honestly don't know what else I thought they could be. These are actually the "crates" stacked around the boss fight room at the end of this level, and you'll see them in use in his "Inner Sanctum" 10,000 years from now in the Labyrinth (there is a Labyrinth). Here's Masahiro Ito's original painting, Misty day, remains of the Judgment—which James will visit in person at the Historical Society (about 9700 years from now). 

17:00: We walk past the "H" room, which won't unlock until we actually collect the Hour hand. I don't know what the vehement banging/knocking is, and I don't want to know. 

17:40: It only recently occurred to me that my hereditary neuropathy may be why I end up shouting "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" at the game: "Peripheral neuropathy happens when the nerves that are located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) are damaged. This condition often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in the hands and feet."

It isn't like arthritis, but my Sudafed-addled brain pulled that comparison up—you know, a condition in your extremities that may affect mobility, may involve pain, but for the most part, you live with it and maybe take a maintenance medication for it. In terms of my hands, at least, there's no pain or burning yet, but sometimes I'll be holding a glass of water and my hand just... lets go, like it's not getting the right signals. I'm not entirely sure what's happening whenever I start yelling "JAMES RUN WHY ARE YOU NOT RUNNING?!," or I miss a dodge or a swing, but it may be my fingers refusing to fing properly. I'm not saying I'd be a pro gamer otherwise, but you can see that a lot of the time, I've got basic combat down pretty well, and then other times... dot dot dot. 

This discussion turns out to be foreshadowing.

18:30: I am not prepared for a really cool, scary moment that I wish we'd walked in quietly for—it's one of my favorite scares. Your flashlight goes out and will refuse to come back on for a few seconds. A mannequin that's crouched down in front of a TV gets up and comes at you in the dark, with an occasional flash of light to reveal it. (Here, I've set up a sideblog for the creepier pictures.) It's so good, honestly—and symbolically, it's one of James' Nine Delusions, his distractions, blocking a television (from which he’ll learn the truth he's forgotten). 

"It's okay, honey, we're okay": You may have noticed over the last few hours that sometimes you hear how scared James is from his shaky breathing. Truly, this game has a wide range of ambient human noises. 

20:00: I'm on the lookout for anything dog-themed due to the "Goodest Boi" dog ending, but this dog food and bowl don't actually seem to do anything. I mean, in the fifth commentary we'll be searching for a doghouse, so it's worth keeping an eye out. 

20:45: Here's an empty crib to support the idea that James and Mary wanted children, as confirmed. Quick interlude for creeper hate, because those Insects of Unusual Size have actually gotten me down to low health before by ganging up on James and biting his feet and I HATE THEM. 

22:00: I knew a lying figure would be coming out of the bathroom because when I did my timing run a few days earlier, I actually spent so long in the crib room that it got bored, burst in through the door, and came after me. And I still manage to get us stuck in a corner and exploded on. 

23:00: Let's review some Stephen King influences, shall we? Here's a little blue tricycle referencing Danny's in The Shining (Kubrick adaptation) and a [checks notes] Cymbal-Banging Monkey Toy from his early short story "The Monkey" (it's on the cover of the Skeleton Crew collection, one of my favorites). I don't know if Stephen King specifically wrote about a murderous teddy bear (the toy in the middle), but I'm not ruling it out. Also, the Lakeview Hotel is based on the Stanley, same as the Overlook in The Shining, and Bachman Road in South Vale is named for his pen name, Richard Bachman. Additionally, Lost Memories says that Carrie and "The Mist" inspired Silent Hill—the first game and the setting itself, respectively. (I got Ian to talk about this at 32:10 or so on his stream.) There may be other allusions I haven't even caught yet, but suffice it to say that the original 2001 game was already steeped in King influences. Silent Hill is located in Maine, after all. 

25:00: So here's a room with three red chairs and a covered wheelchair that I didn't get into this time (Apartment 303), and I'm so irritated that I forgot. Those chairs are that vivid Pyramid Head red, and there's exactly three—James, Eddie, and Angela?—arranged in front of that fourth chair, as if gathered for a meeting. My theory is that the wheelchair represents the person, whichever person, that each of those three have physically wronged, as if James, Eddie, and Angela have been brought here for a confrontation—or a reckoning. 

Ian has an additional interpretation (34:46) having to do with SH1's Alessa, who actually used a wheelchair, that works as well or better. I honestly think these interpretations could be simultaneously correct. 

25:50: "I'm gonna try to get us around to this room." I do not get us around to this room. 

26:30: Once again, "WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS" is more of a cry to the void. 

27:30: So there's a book titled The New Damnation that you see on a few different shelves in Blue Creek; initially I thought, yeah, that checks out. Then I decided to actually google that phrase; turns out it's the title of a Varials song, which includes the lyrics, 

On and on, again and again, anxiety circles me What am I to do? Plagued by a never-ending cycle What's the point of defying when you always fall in line? What's the purpose of trying with the clock up against me?

We've discussed the idea of cycles and repetition (and reincarnation, which I asked Ian about on his stream) so often that I'm pretty much going to do a sidebar blog post on it, but suffice it to say, Bloober Team found a song that mentions all of that as well as a clock, the theme of this level's main puzzle. And modern-day graphics are so good, they can actually hide a book title in the background that's so tiny that we might or might not even find it. 

Next post: "Anam Cara" returns with extra reverb; the radio puzzle, hallway chaos, the bird seesaw, and the Worst Toilet.

(SH2R commentary master post)

[pardi-real]

Main Story Ep. 2 / Part 3 / Chapter 2 - Archery Team Training

Prev | All | Next

[Devil's Palace, Backyard]

~ The next day ~

The butlers were immediately divided into teams and began their training. Muu and I decided to observe each group.

Muu: "Ah! My lord! The Archery Team is training over there!

> "Really? Let's go take a look"

Trudge… trudge…

Nac: "Oh? Good afternoon, my lord. I see, you've come."

Ammon: "Hello, my lord."

Flure: "Good afternoon, my lord."

> “May I watch?"

Nac: "Yes. Of course, please do. Now then...! Since my lord is here, shall we start the training? The Archery Team consists of these three members. I, Nac Stein, have been entrusted with the leadership of the Archery Team. The members are Ammon and Flure. Let's work together."

Ammon: “Sigh... Why are you the only one you refer to with a full name?"

Flure: "Mr. Ammon, There's no end if you start nitpicking with Mr. Nac."

Ammon: "True…”

Nac: "Well then... Let's get started, shall we? Have both of you ever handled bows and arrows before?"

Ammon: "Nope..."

Flure: "I haven't either."

Nac: "I see... I see... Understood. I don't mean to brag, but I have experience with various kind of weapons. And of course! I'm also familiar with handling bows and arrows! So... first, let me explain the basics of handling a bow and arrow to both of you. Since Ammon and Flure are both very dexterous, I'm sure you'll master it in no time!"

Ammon: "Thank you, please guide us!"

Flure: "C-can I… do it…"

~ After a while ~.

Nac: "Now then... That's all for the method of shooting an arrow. Let's try aiming at that target 30 meters away!"

Ammon: "Hmm... aim carefully... ...Hup!"

Swoosh... thunk!

Ammon: "Tch, it was a bit to the right... Missed."

Nac: "No, no! For a first attempt, it's remarkably skillful! As expected! Ammon! You catch on quickly!”

Ammon: "Hehe... It feels great to be praised so much by Mr. Nac. I'm not usually praised like this, so it's a nice change!"

Nac: "I'm one to praise and help you improve!”

Ammon: "But usually, you're scolding Lamli a lot…”

Nac: "A-ahem...! That one is a special case. Now then...! Next is Flure!"

Flure: "U-Understood... Phew… (I-I feel somewhat nervous.) Aim carefully... Hup!"

Swoosh... thunk!

Flure: "Woah!"

Thud

Flure: "Ouch... I fell over from the impact of releasing the arrow." (Sigh... I'm so clumsy...)

Nac: "Amazing! A direct hit on the target!”

Flure: "Eh? No way?”

Ammon: "Impressive. Almost dead center."

Flure: “M-Must be a coincidence.”

Nac: "Well, may I have you shoot a second arrow just in case?"

Flure: "Y-Yes... Aim carefully... Hup!"

Swoosh... thunk!

Ammon: "Amazing...! It hits the center again.”

Nac: “L-let's have it one more time.”

Flure: “Y-yes…”

~ A few minutes later~

Ammon: "Amazing…! Out of 10 shots, 9 hit the target."

Nac: "Oh my... Flure seems to have a talent for archery."

Ammon: "Right… Great job, Flure~"

> "Truly impressive, Flure!"

Flure: "T-Thank you... very much.” (This is my first time to be told that I have talent in something related to battle... And the lord praised me too… Yes…! I'm so happy!)

Nac: "Ammon, you also seem to have quite a bit of talent... The Archery Team seems to be able to carry out their mission without any problems, my lord."

Muu: "It looks like the Archery Team is doing well! My lord, shall we go check on another team soon?"

> "Yes, let's do that."

Trudge... Trudge…

Prev | All | Next

[jvstheworld]

Due South Re-watch: episode 1

Part 1

Okay, time to dive into the main series with the first episode:

•A nice gentle opening, oh look, bank robbers. It's actually a good, quick intro to the episode, you see that these people are professionals who have probably done this before. They are in and out quickly, so this have been well orchestrated and and rehearsed.

•We get the first look at Ray's signature car, we see the new dog actor playing Dief, and Fraser's crappy apartment. Though to be fair I liked the apartment more than him living at the consulate.

•Boy scout points for Fraser for looking neat and tidy for the slum lord. On a serious note, renting is difficult enough in today's climate, but the fact the people who own these buildings and can afford to make them liveable but won't is just shameful.

•Jumping out of windows, lucky for Ray there are no explosives around. (Too soon?) Ray doesn't need to follow Fraser across the roof tops but he does anyway, and never will again because he knows better than to try and keep up with Fraser when he does this. Just walk or take the car, you'll catch up later.

•Always check the safety on a gun, always! Fraser knows this and that's why he knew Willie wouldn't have shot him. Also, friendly PSA, if you are going to use one make sure that you are trained to know how to use one safely and keep it secured when not in use.

•Ah, Fraser, friend to elderly ladies everywhere. This is nice to see, unlike when Soldier Boys does it, because there is a whole lot of yikes with that man. (If you haven't seen season 3 of The Boys then you won't get that reference. I do recommend watching it, it's a good show. I may cover it at some point).

•I like the fact that Fraser is so precise when working that as soon as his shift is over he is out of there.

•We meet Huey and Louis, nicknamed 'the Duck Boys' because those are two of the names of Donald Duck's nephews. (Also the Ducktails reboot was actually really enjoyable you should go watch that too, you are never to old for cartoon and don't let anyone tell you otherwise). Here we see the beginning of the rivalry/friendship between these Fraser/Ray and Huey/Louis.

•A black kid doesn't trust cops because 'all they know is how to put people in jail.' He has probably heard of stories or seen people from his neighbourhood being arrested or even shot by police because, let's face it, that is not unrealistic. Unfortunately though, this is still true almost 30 years later. But just from that one line you can infer so much as to why Willie doesn't trust Fraser or Ray.

•Not well liked by all of Canada, that still makes me laugh, but also seriously? The man did the right thing and did his job and he basically got kicked out of the country because of it.

So I got a feeling when typing this that I may have to split re-watch posts for each episode up in to 2 because I tend to make a lot of notes and then when typing up I add stuff and it just makes it longer. I also have a feeling that if it's too long people won't want to read them, if people do actually read them. This is something I want to continue doing because I want to become a film & TV journalist, so writing these is practice for me and Tumblr makes it easy for people to see these posts.

So part 2 coming soon.

[tk-productions]

Mystic Sisters- Ch.19 Trader

Masterlist🌙🌹

Hikari’s pov

It was a few days later and we were still in Yokohama. Yua went to get breakfast from the convenient store while I packed up the rest of my stuff. After Yua’s dream a few days ago we thought it was best to find out what this castle was that we kept seeing. We were headed to Yokosuka. It might bold a clue to us and powers. I tried contacting Saki but I couldn’t get a hold of her. When I last talked to her, that's where she told us to go. We still haven't heard from anyone. It had been days and our parents still haven't called. They probably don’t care at this point. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and braided my hair into two braids. Akio's hat still laid on the counter.

"Well since I still have it and it's cold I might as well wear it" I grinned and slipped the hat over my head. I don’t know why I was obsessed with him and his hat. Did I really just say that? That I was obsessed with him? According to Yua I was but I wouldn’t call it that.

"Im back!" Yua yelled. She was sitting the food on the little table we had in the room.

"Are you done packing?" she asked, sitting my food in front of me. I nodded unwrapping my onigiri. “I brought some more water since someone drank a gallon of water by herself.”

“I’ve been thirsty. Leave me alone.” We quickly ate so we could catch our train. Knowing how long it takes Yua we still might be late.

“When we get there I'll try contacting Saki again.” I told her once we got to the train surprisingly on time.

“If she doesn't answer we’ll stay in Yokosuka until we can reach her.”

Luckily it was only a 30 minute train ride and the train wasn't too packed. I shivered feeling a cold breeze. The same way I felt When Akio was around. I looked at Yua to see if she noticed too but she was too busy listening to music on her phone. Once we got off I felt another cold breeze. Quickly turning around I expected to see Akio like usual but he wasn't there. No one was.

"What's up?" Yua asked after I turned back around.

"Nothing let's go.” I told her grabbing my suitcase walking past her. I swear I felt him around. After dropping off our stuff at the hotel we went to a local ramen shop for lunch. As we walled back I heard my name being called. "Saki?" I said stopping in the tracks.

"Hikari I can't get to you guys right now. I'll come find you just not now. There's something going on. Mom and d-."

"Saki!" I called out, I called her name a few times but she didn't answer. Mom and dad? What was she gonna say?

"She sounded like someone or something was after her. She tried to tell me something but got cut off like last time. "I told Yua who was now standing in front of me.

"We'll just go back to the hotel or go to our grandparents since dad made it obvious he doesn't want us home.” She told me. I nodded grabbing her hand. I looked past my sister staring off into the distance. I could feel him nearly. This time I knew he was here. But where?

"What's wrong? she asked, grabbing my cheeks forcing me to look at her.

"He's here"I said blankly.

"Well Akio was right. You were easy to find."

Yua quickly turned around and Akio and his friend were there.So he was here earlier.

For a second I could have sworn he smiled at me but when I looked closer he still had the same blank look on his face. Akio and I stared at each other, not breaking eye contact until Yua spoke up.

"How the hell did you find us? We're not even in Tokyo any more.”

“Just because you left Tokyo doesn’t mean we couldn't find you.” The older boy pointed at the hat I was wearing. “That belongs to my brother little girl.”

I sucked in my breath and was shocked. “Excuse me I am not little!” I said stomping my feet.

Akio smirked at my reaction. The other boy looked at me and then at Akio. “I guess she’s your type.”

Akio looked insulted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What are you tryna say Riyoshi?”

“Oh nothing, don't get all butt hurt now.”

“So your names Riyoshi?” Yua questioned.

“That Princess is none of your business.” Riyoshi told Yua “However you should be worried about your boyfriend though I left a pretty big scar on his face.”

“Try his whole body.” Akio chimed in, chuckling. “Don’t downplay it man you nearly killed that guy.”

“Yea but he can die later he’s not our mission.”

“Y'all are really too handsome for this shit. What’s so important about us?”

Riyoshi seemed to find that amusing while Akio just stood there.

“Well isn’t this a nice surprise .” Says an unknown guy walking up.

“And you are?” Yua asked

“My name is --

“Irrelevant. We're busy, go away.” Yua snapped.

“Right we don't need anymore weirdo’s here.” I said.

“You little bitches. First off my name is Levi.” Levi was definitely triggered.

“Who are you calling weird?” Akio and Riyoshi said in unison.

I ignored them and looked at my sister. “This is getting bad very fast. Let's get the hell out of here.”

“You really think we have a chance there's three of them. Stay put!”

“Looks like they can communicate by just looking at each other. Interesting.”

“It’s called telepathy dumb ass.” Riyoshi shot at Levi.

I decided it was time to shoot some fire and make a break for it since they obviously weren't paying attention at the moment.

“Yua throw that car and i'll blow it up, decent distraction don’t you think?”

“We're sister’s for a reason. Let's do it on 3.”

“1” I started.

“2” Yua followed.

“3!” We said aloud. Catching the boy's attention but the plan was already in effect.

Yua used her powers and tossed a car in their direction and I shot a fireball at it causing it to explode. Yua grabbed my hand and we ran as fast as we could and I was happy because I still had my hat. He shouldn’t have given it to me, it's mine now.

We made it to a nearby ally before Riyoshi literally jumped off of a building and landed in front if us with Akio right behind him. “Damn not gonna lie that was a little hot.” Riyoshi said basically giving my sister the eye.

“Wow you're trying to kidnap us and you're flirting at the same time. You and my sister are made for each other.”

“Hikari now is not the time to promote my antics.” Yua snapped.

“I thought it was pretty funny.” Riyoshi answered.

“What is happening right now?” I asked very confused.

“What’s happening is these idiots have betrayed the VHA.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Riyoshi said darkly.

“Oh yea when your little brother here saved his little girlfriend I caught it all on camera and showed it to Amelia.” Levi said with a big smirk on his face. “Long story short your public enemy number one now. Both of you. Amelia was so hurt when she watched the video. She couldn’t believe that two boys she practically raised would turn on her and choose to side with the enemy. You know her policy on loyalty right? Since you betrayed her everyone at the VHA will be coming after you. You two aren't welcome back. You're at the top of the blacklist. ” Levi said walking closer to the boys patted me on my shoulder. “Nice job brat you just got your friends here killed.”

Before I or Levi could react Levi was flying backwards as Akio kicked him with the utmost force. Yua and I jumped both our eyes turning white in shock.

It didn’t stop their as Riyoshi grabbed Akio by the back of his collar pulling him back so he could face him. “Seriously Akio?”

“I swear my body moved on it’s own.” Akio explained.

Suddenly 6 more guys showed up and we were surrounded but luckily we knew how to fight. Yua and I got into defensive positions back to back.

Riyoshi Pov

“Well since we were considered traders anyway might as well help them fight. But I will deal with you later.” I said to Akio, giving him the deadliest glare I had. It worked. He looked like he saw a ghost. Since the VHA turned on us we would have to run. Getting caught and brought back to Amelia would be worse than being on the blacklist. Amelia kept a list of people that have wronged her or weren’t loyal to the VHA. If you were to get caught after being blacklisted then she would make your life hell. Because of an incident that happened before Amelia started putting kill chips in us so that way if someone turned on the VHA the other members would kill that person on sight.

I didn’t have my wooden bullets but I had regular one’s and they definitely would work on halflings. Quickly loading my gun I saw Akio pull out his sword and I knew he was serious about this girl right then and there.

“Go do your thing i’ll cover for you.” I told Akio and he took off slicing two of the guys in seconds. He didn’t need my help but I heard a squeal. It was Yua turning my attention to her. She was ok but Hikari was struggling and her goal was to protect her sister. One of the boys came charging at them. Hikari waved her hands in front of her causing the boy to turn into ice. He stood there frozen until Yua ran up to him punching him causing his body to shatter into pieces. While Akio went for Levi I ended up doing three headshots killing them instantly since they weren't worth my energy.

“Aghhhh.” I looked up to see Levi running for his life and Akio chasing him with his sword like a mad man.

“Akio!” he stopped and looked at me confused “Leave him be. Let's go. More members will be here any second!” I then looked towards the girls who were standing around catching their breath.“ You too since you're the ones who got us in this mess.” I walked away Akio right behind me. The girls are reluctant but they followed nonetheless.

“This is Bullshit.” I said to myself as I tried to think of my next step on how to approach this crazy ass situation.  

[worldtravelerhd-blog]

7 World Travel Backpacking Tips You Haven't Heard One Million Times

#1 WEAR REAL SHOES

You were going to have an easy night of riding the ferry to Athens. Sorry bud-you're showing up at a filthy Athens seaport at 5:30 AM. Its slammed with Syrian refugees and now you're flopping around like a bro at the SigPi Spring Luai while trying to find your Airbnb.  Who knew Athens was going to be so dirty?

When in doubt, skip the flippy floppies and put on your beat to hell, smelling-like-hot-garbage travel shoes. You know the shoes- the Goretex, heavy duty, waterproof, snake bite proof, guaranteed to last through a trek to Mordor shoes you just knew you needed? You were right.  Now wear them.

Whether trekking through filthy streets of Saigon or stumbling home from the bar in Makarska, your shoes are going to save your butt when your flip flops could give a toss about you. Wearing shoes in unfamiliar territory will save you smashed toes, split toenails, and probably an infection.

Hopping on a plane?  The crew is doing their best to lose your luggage for you, so make sure you aren’t stuck in flip flops.

If you’re flip flopping (HA!) between sandals and shoes before you go visit a waterfall, temple, or a local market,  I promise you that you’ll never be upset that you wore shoes.

#2 Don’t worry about getting the absolute best deal on everything. 

Traveling costs money.  It can cost A LOT of money.  However, just by being in the subset of people who might be reading a budget travel tip list like this, you likely are already educated on many of the best practices for getting low pricing on airfare, accommodations, food, tours, etc.

Just know ahead of time that you won’t always get the very best deal on everything and that you should be completely okay with that. You should be less focused on the dollar price of something and more focused on the value.

It doesn’t make sense to book a $12 bed/person at a hostel in Europe if you’re traveling with a companion and can get an entire Airbnb for $30.   For a few more dollars more, you have an entire apartment with an area to cook, guaranteed good night's sleep, and a secure location for your belongings.

Transportation isn’t something to cheap out on all the time either.  For example, few extra dollars to the right transportation company is the difference between spending a day relaxing on an air conditioned coach bus with free wifi or being packed into a sweltering cargo van, shoulder to shoulder with 12 other hungover, sweaty backpackers.

#3 Don't take yourself too seriously.

You are traveling to experience new things, seek adventure (possibly romance) and to learn about cultures other than your own. Without a doubt, you will screw up. In fact, tick off this list as you do them on your trip:

Pronounce new words wrong.

Get lost so bad it ruins the rest of the day.

Order an entree that you hate after the first bite.

Insult your host by accident.

Pay WAY too much for something.

Get taken in by a basic scam.

Lose something/Have something stolen.

Travel by its very nature means that you’re getting out of your comfort zone.  Be willing to keep putting yourself out there. Learn from your mistake, regroup mentally, and move on.

#4 Err on the side of kindness.

When you leave your home turf, rules governing how to interact with strangers, personal space, and even how to form a line change drastically. Somewhere along the line you are going to deal with a rude person or two.

Breathe deep, show some patience, and most importantly, don’t let one or two people affect your perspective of those people or that place.

The world over, at least 98% of people are awesome. Regardless of country, this leaves 2% of people as a vocal minority of raging douche bags.

*This ratio does not apply to Chinese tourists of course, who make it an effort to be outright dicks to as many people as possible, including other Chinese people. Be prepared to post up and defend your spot in line with your life. You haven't known fear until an 80 year old Chinese grandma starts throwing elbows.

#5 Plan to spend some time on the potty.

Just simply make peace with the fact, that somewhere in your extended travel, you will spend 48 hours of your life in which you can not be further than 10 ft from a potty. You will eat/drink the wrong thing at some point and the gods will demand penance.

Know you will owe these 48 hours as tribute to the Travel Gods and for the sake of your soul, don't try to man up and go out. Disaster will strike when you are furthest from a safe place.

Get to that novel you've been wanting to read. Binge watch some Netflix. Or perhaps watch a funny video.

*Bonus Bathroom Tip- If you see a good bathroom on your travels, use it! You will never be sorry you did.

#6 Assume something will be stolen from you.

Buy travel insurance-  Don't make yourself an easy target to pickpockets. Keep tabs on your bags. Don't smash 8 shots of Jaeger in a row trying to impress that Aussie chick, then stumble home through a dark alley so that you can get mugged while drunk.

If you’re going to have something stolen, most likely, it's going to be a result of a pickpocket. Since this is the most likely scenario, why don’t we plan on it?  

Easy ways the thwart a pickpocket:

    Keep your wallet in a front pocket.

    Buy travel pants/shorts that have zippered pocket. (They should not have zipper off legs because you shouldn't be a complete slob.) 

    Be extra aware in crowds, markets, and tourist locations.

    Minimize the damage-Know numbers to cancel your cards, keep a minimum of cash

#7 Its alright to indulge in comforts from home.

 Whether you’ve been on the road a few days or few months, it's okay to take a mini trip back home.  You’ve likely been doing as the locals do 99% of the time.  Don’t beat yourself up if you’re craving a Big Mac or a Budweiser. When you’re traveling, those tastes sate something aside from hunger- they can let some part of your brain breathe a sigh of relief while it tricks itself into thinking it's back home.

You will hit a day when you need to get take out pizza, throw on a hoodie, and binge watch some reruns of The Office.  If you're reading this and not American, that probably sounds like a terrible time to you. That's fine-make a little bubble of [INSERT YOUR COUNTRY HERE] when you need to and then come out of it the next day feeling refreshed and ready to explore again.