Grapevine road conditions

In 2010, the DSM‐5 Obsessive‐Compulsive and Related Disorders Sub‐Workgroup recommended the inclusion of hoarding disorder as a new mental disorder in the diagnostic system1. Following an expert survey2, a field trial3, and a period of public consultation, the new disorder was approved for inclusion in December 2012.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5980544/
My mother died in 2009 after my final estrangement from her. I called APS on her to try and fucking force her to do something a few years prior to that.
I remember having some sort of court hearing, don't remember the details because this would have been about 2005 or so, maybe 2006. She was FURIOUS with me for "embarrassing" her. If "only" I'd just be the "good daughter" and go and clean up her fucking mess. But every Single. Fucking. Time. I tried she'd do something to put up some sort of road block. When I'd ignore it then the rage would start.
I won't go into the phone call where I severed the relationship with her - it's in my history and has nothing to do with hoarding. But I was so done by then. She died in 2009. This mention in the DSM was one year too late for my mother.
So this hearing, right? I showed photos of her filth, of her piled hoard, of the mold and mildew on the walls, photos of her skin on her feet and how they were so mottled with some sort of infection or something.
Do you know what the judge said? He gave me a harsh look (I was in my 30s) when he said that he, "... wasn't going to force a hard working single mother to do anything and he wasn't going to 'judge' her for a 'lifestyle choice.'"
I remember this so well. I gave him a fuck you face and mouthed the words too. I was so furious. I gave up trying to help her at that point, but I know she blames ME for how SHE lived even though I hadn't lived with her for well over a decade by then. I know I'm clear and good with how I handled that situation.
Please don't let it be too late for your parents. I know this is hard. Don't let their conditioning of you continue to enable them. It's not shameful, although I know it feels like it.
NONE of this is your fault. Call. Do something.
It's also ok if you throw up your hands and say, "I give up." But you don't have to enable them either. Yes, that means letting go of the relationship. This is their doing, not yours.

I got a new job, and I will be traveling 175Km a day for 5 days a week (86.6 + 86.6 and 1.8 to different stores near my place.) I don't know much about cars. Is a car with 1.3T engine good enough for 5 years if I took care of it?
Here are the specs: 1.3T engine
Engine Technics: E-Turbo/DCVVT/GCCS ّ
Engine Displacement (mL): 1325
Max. Power (kW/rpm): 101 / 5500
Max. Torque (N·m/rpm): 202 / 1500 - 4200
Transmission Fuel: AT 6
Consumption Under Comprehensive Road Conditions (L/100km) 7.0
Thank you for your help

Hey, I've been lurking here for a while since I visited the gulf between December and February. I thought I'd share my experience in Kuwait as an Australian who visited all of the GCC countries.
Kuwait, unfortunately, was the least impressive by a long shot. Let me preface this by listing some things I enjoyed. Firstly, local Kuwaitis were incredibly friendly and hospitable. I was invited for numerous meals, to museums to learn about Kuwait culture and history, and even to people's homes. Expats were just as friendly, though more reserved. No qualms with the people. Food options were plentiful, and the range of products available in the city was great, and everything is super convenient re. Shopping, eating at restaurants etc. I also really enjoyed mubarakiya as a place to learn about Kuwaiti traditions. Now...
I thought that lots of the city looked unkempt, rundown, or stuck in a 1980s/90s time warp. The lack of sidewalks was quite frustrating, although this is a common theme throughout the GCC. I found the bus system to be incredibly strange and unreliable; google maps info is outdated, and there isn't really a place to find correct information. Busses stopping on random points on the road etc was strange.
I actually crossed to Iraq via Kuwait's northern border; all online information told me that there was a bus (500 I think) that goes from the city all the way to Abdali. After taking two busses to end up in jleeb shoyoukh, where the bus apparently left from, the guy at the depot flatly told me it was cancelled. Jleeb shoyoukh itself was incredibly surprising too, as it looked worse than some places I have seen in developing countries like Iraq or Pakistan. Not to mention the guy who I asked for help (not kuwaiti, he was arab but idk from where) who molested me and tried to ask me (male) to come around the back of a dirty building and kiss him etc. This area really was surprising to see in a rich city state, I would've thought the authorities would've cracked down on such things, and that the area would've been at least somewhat developed. A Kuwaiti friend I made later told me that authorities turn a blind eye to that area, because they're paid to. Idk if that's true though.
When I finally made it to abdali with a taxi, I was surprised at the condition of the roads. Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi in particular all have immaculate roads, even in out of the way areas. The road up to Abdali was potholed and unkempt. At the border crossing to Iraq, I was sent back to Kuwait city because I needed a certain permission slip to leave Kuwait to Iraq via road. That itself is fine, but there was no information about that online or on government sites. I ended up going back and getting the paper, and returned to Abdali the next day. Two more people on that day were sent back for the same reason, which tells me there isn't enough readily available info about it. They also charge you a mandatory two dinars for a five minute bus trip through the border checkpoints, which is very steep. After a month in Iraq I crossed back to Kuwait, and was kept waiting for an hour and a half because the official who (apparently) processes western passports was unavailable. Same two dinar charge for the bus on the way back.
In relation to the whole GCC, I found Bahrain to be my favorite country, and I actually told some of my friends that Bahrain looks like what Kuwait should've been. Decent public transport, immaculately clean - even in lower income expat areas - and great roads. Qatar was pretty boring for me, although the infrastructure is very good and everything runs well. Oman was very chill and almost feels like a seperate entity from the rest of the Gulf. UAE, well, is the UAE. Dubai is always mesmerising, and Abu Dhabi was very quiet, clean, and organised, almost to the point of parody. Saudi is a little different from the rest, I guess, due to its size and diversity. I couldn't rent a car in Saudi which made it difficult to get around, so I'll refrain from commenting too extensively on Saudi until I return and explore fully.
Overall, I'll be interested to hear your opinions as to why Kuwait has the problems it has and seems to have fallen behind the rest of the Gulf. My thoughts seem to line up fairly closely from what I've seen on this subreddit, so I'm very interested to learn more and hear opposing views :)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading SpacePaladin15's the Nature of Predators series and all of the fanfics as well. I finally had enough inspiration to start writing my own. I haven't written anything like this since college so it has been a while. Please message me with any suggestions and constructive criticisms. I have never written in the 1st person so this is particularly new to me but I hope I stayed mostly true to the format set in the universe. This is only part one of I don't know how many but I have a detailed outline with 6 1/2 pages and this only took me to half a page of that.
I want to give a HUGE shout out to BiasMushroom who let me use some of their news reports, their character Talen, and gave me some direction for my story. I also want to thank YakiTapioca and SavingsSyllabub7788 for letting me use elements from their stories as well.
​
​
Memory transcription subject: Leena, Capital Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: August 22, 2136
I opened my eyes to the dimly lit room. Confused, I looked at the blinds, they should be open. My eyes fell onto the cradle. The twins were still sleeping, their tails curled around each other. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table I could see why the blinds hadn’t opened. I still had almost a quarter claw before my usual waking.
My eyes shifted to the photo next to the clock. The day my husband and I celebrated finding out I was pregnant. Conflicting emotions of happiness and melancholy filled my mind. It was a wonderful memory but I couldn’t ignore the empty space next to me. The arxur had killed him before Vissa and Tas were born. With not enough time to go back to sleep and no desire to get up yet either, I reached for my holopad to check Prime News. The Anchor woman was mid-sentence when the feed buffered.
“-minion forces have attacked the research outpost hosting the Venlil-Human Exchange Program. The station defenders were able to defeat the raiding party with no damage to the station at all. We have received reports from the Governors Office that there were no venlil casualties resulting from the battle. However, the humans suffered over a hundred casualties and recovery efforts are ongoing. One fighter with a venlil and human pilots is missing in action. According to a source on the station, this defender was able to heroically lure away two of the arxur raiders and fled towards the Federation border. The whereabouts and well-being of the pilots is unknown. In Governor Tarva’s press release, her office stressed that the lack of venlil casualties was the result of the human copilots telling their venlil pilots to eject or in some cases even forcibly ejecting them in some cases.”
Why would predators save prey? We were nothing in their eyes. I can’t fathom how this played into their schemes. The blinds opened and the alarm went off. The twins stirred and I know it is time to get up and feed them. No more news. Set the holopad down and pick up the twins, check their diapers, nurse them, check their diapers again, play with them, hold them, sleep with them. Things had finally settled into a comfortable routine again.
This last [week] had been so hectic, the invasion sirens, Governor Tarva’s announcement about peaceful predators, and the closed borders. In a single day we became prisoners in our own space and our leader had all but withdrawn us from the federation. We had no protection anymore. Tarva ignored our protests outside her mansion and even encouraged people to talk to the predators. The only sensible thing to happen was the magistrates announcing they would activate all of the current and former extermination officers and increase recruitment. That was only two days. Vissa and Tas were done. I had been playing with them a while when mom called.
“Hi honey, how are you?”
Dad stepped into the frame. “How are the twins?”
I held the holopad over Vissa and Tas on the bed. The two seemed enraptured by the picture.
Dad cooed. “They are so precious.”
“We are doing better each day dad.” I laid on the bed next to Vissa and Tas and held the holopad so that mom and dad could see me and the twins. Tas reached for holopad while Vissa giggled.
Mom spoiled them with attention, wiggling her fingers at the camera, encouraging Tas. “We would love to come visit you and the kids. Oulo has a rest paw coming up soon. We should get their paw prints cast and take them to the park.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I know the twins would love to see you. I still have some extra train rides on my account from my maternity leave. Message me the details and I’ll book you both tickets.”
“You should save those dear, we can manage the tickets.”
I could see the worry in their tails however much they tried to hide it. “Dad, we don’t use the train in the capital. We use the trolley system to get around so I have extra train rides and I would love to have you. You know I could use the extra help with the babies.”
That won them over and it wasn’t a lie. Living in the capital meant we had more options for transportation. Plus, with the predators at their new complex, I haven’t been getting out except to get food or diapers.
“Oh, ok then. We wouldn’t want those to go to waste.” Dad nudged mom with his tail. “Tell her your good news.”
Mom, sat up and smoothed her fur excitedly. “I just got the news that I got the job at Vikki’s Flowers!”
“Mom, that’s wonderful! When do you start?”
“I start in 5 paws. I was honestly surprised they were hiring at all with things how they are.” When Tarva closed the borders, she cut off all trade with the federation and caused an economic crisis like we hadn’t seen in my lifetime.
“That is wonderful news and I hate to cut this short but it is about time to put them down for their nap. Send me the details and I’ll get you the tickets.”
“Rest well sweetie.”
“Goodbye mom, dad. See you soon.”
I ended the call and put the twins in their crib. Vissa was almost asleep already and Tas wasn’t far behind, despite his best efforts.
​
Memory transcription subject: Leena, Capital Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: September 1, 2136
The alarm started chiming and the blinds opened, flooding the room with light. Vissa and Tas started crying. Checking their diapers needed to be done first. I wish they would stop crying while I changed them. I turned on the news to watch while I fed them. Talen was back and he sported a bandaged head. Did the humans do that? He had only been at the Exchange Program for a couple days. What happened? Talen started his report.
“Breaking news. The venlil and human that have been missing in action since the arxur attack on the outpost station that was hosting half of the Venlil-Human Exchange Program on [August 21st], have made their way back to us in a stolen Federation craft.” Talen sighed. “The human, known as Marcel, was in critical condition, while his partner Slanek was injured but stable. We will now show you a recording of the incident. If you are prone to feinting or other outbursts, please block this show for the next [minute] as the contents of this video are quite disturbing.”
With the twins in my arms, I could not reach the holopad to do anything about the video. Prime news switched to a camera elevated above the humans, who were crowded around the docking bay, craning their necks to see their pilot as the ship finished the docking procedures. Human paramedics rushed through a hole in the crowd as a venlil who I assumed was Slanek, shouted at them and gestured with his tail inside the ship.
The camera zoomed in on the entrance to the craft as the paramedics reemerged with a human on their stretcher. He was hardly recognizable as a human. His body was splotchy and obviously emaciated. His skin was taught and his face. Sun and starts what had the Federation done to him. The camera panned back out as the paramedics whisked him through the hole in the crowd.
Before the video ended, I noticed that the predators backed away from the paramedics as they drew close. Do they fear being hurt like that? Are they trying to help by making more space? Talen returned to the screen.
“What you have seen here is the after effects of Federation torture of their human prisoner. The story that we have so far is that Marcel made a call to lure the arxur attackers away from the outpost, where their ship became disabled and were rescued by Captain Sovlin. Marcel was fitted with an electric shock collar, beaten, and starved for days before Slanek woke from a coma. Slanek was taken to see Marcel in an attempt to convince him that they are savage beasts. When that failed the Federation Captain attempted to feed Slanek to his human partner. Slanek was later able to convince Captain Sovlin’s first officer, Recel, to betray his captain and save Marcel. The trio stole a federation craft and made their way back to Venlil Republic space where Marcel is still in critical condition but being treated.”
The co-host continued, “For those out of there that still believe humans are simply biding their time, or will slip into predatory behavior if they are stressed out, here is proof that even if they are starving to death, they will not attack and attempt to eat a venlil. We have contacted the UN for an official statement on what they plan to do and have been notified they will give an official statement soon. We will continue to cover this story as it unfolds.”
Prime news finished that segment and transitioned to a panel of experts but the twins were done feeding so back in the crib they go while I cleaned up and got ready for the day. A chime alerted me to a new message on my holopad. After showering and drying off, I put Vissa and Tas in a play pen with some toys and checked the Bleat message. It was from, Niit.
“I hope you are doing well Leena. I am sending you a message to let you know that our claws are being cut again due to the lack of Federation trade. There simply isn’t enough traffic but, and this surprised me let me tell you, we will be retrofitting an old Venlil Cruiser. I heard talk that Tarva is trying to increase the number of combat ready ships.
If you ask me, I think she knows something we don’t. The predators are up to something and she has finally figured that out and is preparing for it at the roots. Hopefully, the Federation will forgive us if we give them Tarva to make an example of and send the exterminators in force to Venlil Prime to wipe them out. Paws open. Your friend, Niit.”
Well speh! Losing claws was a problem. I logged into my credit account to check the balance. I sighed in relief and sadness. The military survivor’s benefits were deposited a paw ago. That helps. Doing the math, I think we’ll be fine. Even if they cut me down to a claw and a quarter, I think I can still make it work with the benefits and an old ship retrofit will mean a lot of work for me searching for parts, so that bodes well. All that is left for today is to register Vissa and Tas in a care center. I started a search for local care facilities while I absently played with the twins. Vissa got her claws caught in my fur again. Guess I’ll look when they are napping.
​
Memory transcription subject: Leena, Capital Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: September 10, 2136
My first day back and there had apparently been some changes. Niit had started to leave her holopad on to streams of Rux Limpbut, an infamous streaming personality, while she filled out work orders. I didn’t think he was wrong necessarily but did he have to be so obnoxious?
“This is it people, I told you it would happen. The humans are invading the Cradle. The humans are slaughtering their way across Gojid territory. And, AND! And what is our esteemed Governor doing about it? She is helping them. She has sent our soldiers into harms way to die for the predator’s conquest. The humans have revealed their true intentions.
They said they came in peace but now they are waging a war of extinction against the Gojid and they are using us to do it. WE KNEW there would be slavery but to force peaceful venlil to commit such atrocities…. I could never have predicted the depths of their depravity. These humans are as bad as the arxur, maybe WORSE, at least you know what to expect with the arxur but with humans they lie and steal and deceive… and they have stolen YOUR government. They have stolen….”
I signaled to Niit to mute the video as I made a call to inquire about a cooling unit for the Cruiser docked in the Capital hangers. When the call was over, Niit immediately unmuted the stream.
“-redators are? I’ll tell you how arrogant the predators are. They think they can convince the federation of their benevolent intentions WHILE THEY ARE SLAUGHTERING THEIR WAY ACROSS THE CRADLE! Only a predator would think that was sane. They claim that they needed to protect themselves, what a load of Speh. If we accept that then they would have reason to kill anyone who dared try to protect themselves. Do you, yes you listener, want to be slaughtered or dismembered, or ripped apart because you picked up your favorite gardening shovel?!
But I’ll tell you what I’m grateful for. I’m grateful the predators are so arrogant. I’m grateful they are sending their chief liar to the Federation Council. They will see what the predators are and see Tarva for the traitor slave she is. They will come and rescue us all. We only need to hold on a little longer. Now if you’re exhausted and spent then you need my endurance booster vitamins. These will give you the strength to power through your fears and hold out for the Federation rescue fleet and at only 30 credits for a whole bottle it is available to all venlil….”
“Niit, please turn it off,” I pleaded.
“He is… too much.”
Niit muted the stream and looked at me signaling sympathy with her tail. “I understand Leena, I do. The predators scare all of us.” She put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
I learned from Balan, that ever since the predators had arrived and the borders were closed, she had started listening to Rux and was a stalwart fan.
“You need to be vigilant! These predators could strike us at any moment. You should try Rux’s endurance boosters if you are struggling to keep up with the herd.” She reached into her desk and pulled out a bottle of the advertised pills and handed me one.
“I can give you one so you can see how good they are. I recommend buying the bulk pack. You save 5 credits per bottle.” She watched me expectantly.
With no other option, I swallowed the pill. I didn’t feel any different. “Thanks, Niit. I hope it helps.”
She waved her tail satisfied, “It will don’t worry.”
The ride to the care center was a short one. It was a happy coincidence that I had found a care center so close to the space port. The time saved commuting was enough that I did not have to pay for a full two claws of time. Still would have preferred that Governor Tarva had not closed the borders but I would take any blessings I could and Young Pups had a good reputation around the Spaceport. Vissa and Tas were fussy today and it was difficult to keep them awake before we got home. When I finally put them to bed and lay next to them the day finally caught up to me. It is nice that I have a break paw when I wake. I should take the pups to the park down the road. They would like that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Again, I would love your constructive criticisms. I work full time and it took me a week to write this so I cannot guarantee a set upload schedule but I will try for one per week. Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoyed. And xXSinglePointXx, please don't pee in my shoes. The babies will be fine, I swear.

Notes:

• I am EXTREMELY busy, but I check my messages and DMs at least ONCE per day. Please be patient and wait at least 24 hours for my response if I don't get back to you immediately.
  
• I buy only in Unrevealed Key Link Format or Plain Steam Keys. No gift links.
  
• For PayPal, I am in the US region and I only send via G&S. Please note there will be PayPal fees (including international/conversion and purchasing fees) to consider.
  
• All games that you sell to me should ideally be REGION-FREE. Please ensure the games are not region-locked/bound to a specific country.
  
• You must be willing to fill a spreadsheet with steam keys.
  

 
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
 

I BUY HB Games	with TF2	with PayPal	Currently Active Humble Bundle?
- Ratz Instagib -	0.8 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
20XX	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel	2.5 TF2	$5.19 PP	-
60 Parsecs!	0.8 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
7 Billion Humans	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
7 Days to Die	1.1 TF2	$2.2 PP	-
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
A Hat in Time	4.4 TF2	$8.98 PP	-
A Juggler's Tale	0.5 TF2	$1.07 PP	-
A Plague Tale: Innocence	1.5 TF2	$3.01 PP	-
AMID EVIL	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
AO Tennis 2	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Age of Empires Definitive Edition	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition	1.7 TF2	$3.51 PP	-
Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Deluxe Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Age of Wonders: Planetfall	0.5 TF2	$1.03 PP	-
Airport CEO	1.0 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
Alan Wake Collector's Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.67 PP	-
Alien: Isolation	1.7 TF2	$3.49 PP	-
Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection	1.2 TF2	$2.46 PP	-
Among Us	1.5 TF2	$3.06 PP	-
Among the Sleep - Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey	2.1 TF2	$4.26 PP	-
Aragami	0.5 TF2	$0.94 PP	-
Arizona Sunshine	2.1 TF2	$4.25 PP	-
Arma 3 Apex Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.31 PP	-
Arma 3 Contact Edition	2.4 TF2	$4.95 PP	-
Arma 3 Jets	0.8 TF2	$1.75 PP	-
Arma 3 Marksmen	0.8 TF2	$1.75 PP	-
Arma 3	1.8 TF2	$3.67 PP	-
Assetto Corsa Competizione	2.7 TF2	$5.69 PP	-
Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition	2.8 TF2	$5.8 PP	-
Assetto Corsa	0.9 TF2	$1.94 PP	-
Automobilista 2	3.5 TF2	$7.22 PP	-
BATTLETECH - Mercenary Collection	1.5 TF2	$3.02 PP	-
BIGFOOT	4.4 TF2	$8.98 PP	-
BIOMUTANT	1.9 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$3.88 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (Mar 2023)
BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE	0.6 TF2	$1.23 PP	-
BROFORCE	0.8 TF2	$1.67 PP	-
Baba Is You	1.6 TF2	$3.34 PP	-
Back 4 Blood	4.5 TF2	$9.25 PP	-
Bad North: Jotunn Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.88 PP	-
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
Bang-On Balls: Chronicles	3.0 TF2	$6.19 PP	-
Banished	2.2 TF2	$4.47 PP	-
Barn Finders	1.4 TF2	$2.87 PP	-
Barotrauma	6.6 TF2	$13.67 PP	-
Batman - The Telltale Series	0.9 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
Batman Arkham Collection	1.3 TF2	$2.62 PP	-
Batman: Arkham Knight	0.5 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series	1.0 TF2	$1.97 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition	2.1 TF2	$4.42 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham Origins	0.8 TF2	$1.57 PP	-
Batman™: Arkham VR	0.7 TF2	$1.52 PP	-
Battle Chasers: Nightwar	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II	1.6 TF2	$3.21 PP	-
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada	0.8 TF2	$1.75 PP	-
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
Battlezone Gold Edition	2.1 TF2	$4.3 PP	-
Besiege	1.6 TF2	$3.25 PP	-
Beyond Blue	2.0 TF2	$4.17 PP	-
Beyond Two Souls	1.8 TF2	$3.62 PP	-
BioShock Collection	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
BioShock Infinite	0.8 TF2	$1.75 PP	-
BioShock Remastered	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
Bioshock Infinite: Season Pass	0.7 TF2	$1.35 PP	-
Blair Witch	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Blasphemous	1.0 TF2	$2.02 PP	-
Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Blood Bowl 2	0.5 TF2	$1.03 PP	-
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Boomerang Fu	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Borderlands 2 VR	6.0 TF2	$12.34 PP	-
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition	2.9 TF2	$6.06 PP	-
Borderlands 3	1.5 TF2	$3.11 PP	-
Borderlands 3: Director's Cut	1.4 TF2	$2.8 PP	-
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection	3.3 TF2	$6.77 PP	-
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel	0.6 TF2	$1.17 PP	-
Brutal Legend	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Bus Simulator 18	2.2 TF2	$4.56 PP	-
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
Call of Cthulhu	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
Call of Duty: WWII	11.5 TF2	$23.77 PP	-
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront	6.0 TF2	$12.33 PP	-
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018	0.8 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics	0.6 TF2	$1.23 PP	-
Carmageddon: Max Damage	0.4 TF2	$0.81 PP	-
Celeste	1.8 TF2	$3.62 PP	-
Chess Ultra	0.7 TF2	$1.48 PP	-
Children of Morta	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Chivalry 2	3.2 TF2	$6.71 PP	-
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare	0.5 TF2	$0.94 PP	-
Chronicon	1.8 TF2	$3.76 PP	-
Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone	3.4 TF2	$6.96 PP	-
ClusterTruck	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Code Vein	1.6 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Coffee Talk	2.1 TF2	$4.25 PP	-
Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies	0.7 TF2	$1.52 PP	-
Company of Heroes 2	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Company of Heroes Complete Pack	5.5 TF2	$11.43 PP	-
Company of Heroes	1.5 TF2	$3.07 PP	-
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts	0.8 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
Conan Exiles	1.6 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Construction Simulator 2015	1.0 TF2	$2.04 PP	-
Contagion	0.5 TF2	$1.11 PP	-
Control Ultimate Edition	1.8 TF2	$3.68 PP	-
Crash Bandicoot™ N. Sane Trilogy	7.5 TF2	$15.37 PP	-
Creaks	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Creed: Rise to Glory™	2.2 TF2	$4.54 PP	-
Crusader Kings II: Royal Collection	2.7 TF2	$5.49 PP	-
Crusader Kings III	4.0 TF2	$8.18 PP	-
Crysis® 2 Maximum Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.05 PP	-
Cultist Simulator Anthology Edition	2.5 TF2	$5.07 PP	-
Cultist Simulator	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
DARK SOULS™ III Deluxe Edition	17.4 TF2	$35.94 PP	-
DEATHLOOP	2.3 TF2	$4.68 PP	-
DIRT 5	4.1 TF2	$8.46 PP	-
DMC - Devil May Cry	0.7 TF2	$1.42 PP	-
DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Ultimate Edition	3.8 TF2	$7.85 PP	-
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2	1.7 TF2	$3.47 PP	-
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
DRAGONBALL XENOVERSE Bundle Edition	1.1 TF2	$2.35 PP	-
DRIFT21	0.5 TF2	$1.04 PP	-
Dark Deity	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin	9.1 TF2	$17.31 PP	-
Dark Souls III	11.5 TF2	$23.68 PP	-
Darkest Dungeon	0.7 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Darksiders Genesis	1.2 TF2	$2.41 PP	-
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.19 PP	-
Darksiders III	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Day of the Tentacle Remastered	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
DayZ	6.3 TF2	$12.95 PP	-
Dead Estate	1.5 TF2	$3.13 PP	-
Dead Island - Definitive Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.68 PP	-
Dead Island Definitive Collection	1.4 TF2	$2.81 PP	-
Dead Island Riptide - Definitive Edition	0.3 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition	2.0 TF2	$4.02 PP	-
Dead Rising 4	0.8 TF2	$1.73 PP	-
Dead Rising® 2	1.0 TF2	$2.13 PP	-
Dead Space	3.0 TF2	$6.15 PP	-
Death Road to Canada	1.2 TF2	$2.55 PP	-
Death's Gambit	0.7 TF2	$1.47 PP	-
Deep Rock Galactic	4.2 TF2	$8.71 PP	-
Descenders	0.7 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Desperados III	1.1 TF2	$2.23 PP	-
Destroy All Humans	0.7 TF2	$1.42 PP	-
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut	1.2 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided	1.2 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Devil May Cry HD Collection	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
DiRT Rally 2.0	4.4 TF2	$8.99 PP	-
Dinosaur Fossil Hunter	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Distance	0.7 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Distant Worlds: Universe	0.6 TF2	$1.32 PP	-
Doom Eternal	2.0 TF2	$4.21 PP	-
Door Kickers	1.1 TF2	$2.23 PP	-
Dorfromantik	2.0 TF2	$4.07 PP	-
Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen	0.8 TF2	$1.69 PP	-
Drake Hollow	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Drone Swarm	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Dungeon Defenders	1.3 TF2	$2.74 PP	-
Dungeon Defenders: Awakened	5.9 TF2	$12.24 PP	-
Dungreed	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
Duskers	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair	2.3 TF2	$4.68 PP	-
ELEX	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
EVERSPACE™	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-
Elite: Dangerous	1.7 TF2	$3.6 PP	-
Empire of Sin	1.2 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
Euro Truck Simulator 2	1.4 TF2	$2.83 PP	-
Europa Universalis IV	1.1 TF2	$2.24 PP	-
Exanima	2.4 TF2	$4.87 PP	-
FTL: Faster Than Light	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Fallout 76	2.0 TF2	$4.13 PP	-
Fantasy General II	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
Farming Simulator 17	0.5 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Firefighting Simulator - The Squad	6.7 TF2	$13.8 PP	-
First Class Trouble	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
For The King	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Forager	1.4 TF2	$2.91 PP	-
Forts	2.6 TF2	$5.35 PP	-
Friday the 13th: The Game	2.4 TF2	$5.05 PP	-
Frostpunk	1.2 TF2	$2.46 PP	-
Furi	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
GOD EATER 2 Rage Burst	2.1 TF2	$4.25 PP	-
GRID - Ultimate	1.0 TF2	$2.06 PP	-
GRIS	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Gamedec	0.4 TF2	$0.86 PP	-
Gang Beasts	2.9 TF2	$5.95 PP	-
Garden Paws	0.9 TF2	$1.79 PP	-
Gas Station Simulator	1.6 TF2	$3.23 PP	-
Gears 5	4.7 TF2	$9.65 PP	-
Gears Tactics	4.3 TF2	$8.95 PP	-
Generation Zero®	1.2 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
Goat Simulator	0.5 TF2	$0.93 PP	-
Godlike Burger	1.4 TF2	$2.88 PP	-
Golf With Your Friends	1.2 TF2	$2.42 PP	-
Gordian Quest	1.8 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Gotham Knights	5.3 TF2	$10.96 PP	-
GreedFall	0.9 TF2	$1.77 PP	-
Grim Dawn	3.7 TF2	$7.64 PP	-
Grim Fandango Remastered	0.5 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Guacamelee! 2	0.6 TF2	$1.28 PP	-
HITMAN™2 Gold Edition	2.9 TF2	$5.89 PP	-
HIVESWAP: Act 2	2.0 TF2	$4.2 PP	-
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™	1.6 TF2	$3.2 PP	-
Hacknet	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Haiku, the Robot	1.5 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Hard Bullet	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Hearts of Iron III Collection	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus	1.7 TF2	$3.46 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition	2.2 TF2	$4.48 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger	1.4 TF2	$2.98 PP	-
Heave Ho	0.6 TF2	$1.14 PP	-
Heavy Rain	1.8 TF2	$3.66 PP	-
Hell Let Loose	7.0 TF2	$14.41 PP	-
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
Hello, Neighbor!	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Hero's Hour	0.8 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$1.57 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (Mar 2023)
Heroes of Hammerwatch	0.6 TF2	$1.14 PP	-
Hitman Absolution	0.7 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
Hitman Game of the Year Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.57 PP	-
Hollow Knight	2.7 TF2	$5.47 PP	-
Homefront	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
Homefront: The Revolution	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Digital Special Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Hotline Miami	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
House Flipper VR	0.9 TF2	$1.77 PP	-
House Flipper	2.6 TF2	$5.28 PP	-
Human Resource Machine	1.5 TF2	$3.0 PP	-
Human: Fall Flat	0.7 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
HuniePop	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Huntdown	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
Hurtworld	2.0 TF2	$4.14 PP	-
Hyper Light Drifter	1.6 TF2	$3.28 PP	-
Hypnospace Outlaw	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
I Am Fish	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
I Expect You To Die	1.3 TF2	$2.72 PP	-
I-NFECTED	6.0 TF2	$12.52 PP	-
Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.14 PP	-
Imperator: Rome	0.5 TF2	$1.03 PP	-
Injustice 2 Legendary Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.39 PP	-
Injustice 2	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Into the Radius VR	5.3 TF2	$10.88 PP	-
Ion Fury	1.5 TF2	$3.12 PP	-
Iron Harvest	0.9 TF2	$1.82 PP	-
Jalopy	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Job Simulator	8.9 TF2	$18.38 PP	-
Jurassic World Evolution 2	2.2 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.6 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Humble Choice (Mar 2023)
Jurassic World Evolution	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Just Cause 2	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.16 PP	-
Just Cause 4: Complete Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.05 PP	-
Just Die Already	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
KartKraft	3.1 TF2	$6.29 PP	-
Katamari Damacy REROLL	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Katana ZERO	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes	2.7 TF2	$5.62 PP	-
Kerbal Space Program	0.6 TF2	$1.33 PP	-
Killer Instinct	7.9 TF2	$16.37 PP	-
Killing Floor 2 Digital Deluxe Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.94 PP	-
Killing Floor 2 Digital Deluxe Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.94 PP	-
Killing Floor 2	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Killing Floor	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
Kingdom Come: Deliverance	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Kingdom: Two Crowns	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning	0.9 TF2	$1.9 PP	-
King’s Bounty : Ultimate Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.74 PP	-
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
LEGO Batman Trilogy	1.4 TF2	$2.98 PP	-
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4	0.6 TF2	$1.15 PP	-
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7	0.7 TF2	$1.45 PP	-
LEGO Lord of the Rings	0.4 TF2	$0.81 PP	-
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga	0.5 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
LEGO® City Undercover	0.8 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
LEGO® DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition	1.9 TF2	$3.94 PP	-
LEGO® DC Super-Villains	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
LEGO® Jurassic World™	0.4 TF2	$0.83 PP	-
LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers	0.4 TF2	$0.77 PP	-
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.37 PP	-
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
LEGO® Ninjago® Movie Video Game	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens	0.6 TF2	$1.19 PP	-
LEGO® Worlds	1.8 TF2	$3.65 PP	-
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective	0.7 TF2	$1.48 PP	-
Late Shift	0.5 TF2	$0.97 PP	-
Layers of Fear 2	3.5 TF2	$7.17 PP	-
Layers of Fear	0.5 TF2	$1.1 PP	-
Legion TD 2	1.6 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Len's Island	2.9 TF2	$6.1 PP	-
Lethal League Blaze	0.9 TF2	$1.93 PP	-
Lethal League	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Library Of Ruina	3.1 TF2	$6.43 PP	-
Life is Feudal: Your Own	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)	4.6 TF2	$9.46 PP	-
Little Misfortune	2.7 TF2	$5.48 PP	-
Little Nightmares Complete Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management Simulation	4.9 TF2	$10.14 PP	-
Lords of the Fallen Game of the Year Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
Lost Ember	1.3 TF2	$2.76 PP	-
Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition	1.8 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Luck be a Landlord	2.7 TF2	$5.49 PP	-
METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN	0.9 TF2	$1.91 PP	-
METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience	1.3 TF2	$2.6 PP	-
MORTAL KOMBAT 11	1.7 TF2	$3.6 PP	-
MX vs ATV Reflex	0.7 TF2	$1.41 PP	-
MX vs. ATV Unleashed	0.4 TF2	$0.74 PP	-
Mad Max	1.4 TF2	$2.83 PP	-
Mafia II: Definitive Edition	1.7 TF2	$3.59 PP	-
Mafia III: Definitive Edition	2.0 TF2	$4.03 PP	-
Mafia: Definitive Edition	2.2 TF2	$4.56 PP	-
Magicka 2 - Deluxe Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
Maneater	0.9 TF2	$1.87 PP	-
Manhunt	1.2 TF2	$2.47 PP	-
Mars Horizon	1.0 TF2	$2.06 PP	-
Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition	8.2 TF2	$16.9 PP	-
Max Payne	0.9 TF2	$1.82 PP	-
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries	2.2 TF2	$4.61 PP	-
Medal of Honor	3.4 TF2	$6.98 PP	-
Mega Man Legacy Collection	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - Deluxe Edition	2.5 TF2	$5.11 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 War Chest Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.48 PP	-
Men of War: Assault Squad 2	1.2 TF2	$2.48 PP	-
Messenger	0.7 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
Metro 2033 Redux	0.5 TF2	$1.08 PP	-
Metro Exodus	1.5 TF2	$3.07 PP	-
Metro Redux Bundle	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Metro: Last Light Redux	0.6 TF2	$1.33 PP	-
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.71 PP	-
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.43 PP	-
Mirror's Edge	2.4 TF2	$4.91 PP	-
Miscreated	1.4 TF2	$2.91 PP	-
Monster Hunter: World	3.8 TF2	$7.22 PP	-
Monster Sanctuary	0.6 TF2	$1.26 PP	-
Monster Train	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
Moonlighter	0.5 TF2	$0.93 PP	-
Moons of Madness	1.8 TF2	$3.79 PP	-
Mordhau	1.7 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Mortal Kombat X	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Mortal Kombat XL	1.0 TF2	$2.15 PP	-
Mortal Shell	1.9 TF2	$3.88 PP	-
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Motorsport Manager	1.3 TF2	$2.74 PP	-
Move or Die	0.8 TF2	$1.55 PP	-
Moving Out	1.9 TF2	$3.99 PP	-
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.07 PP	-
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden	0.9 TF2	$1.95 PP	-
My Friend Pedro	0.6 TF2	$1.28 PP	-
My Time At Portia	0.5 TF2	$0.98 PP	-
NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4	1.7 TF2	$3.51 PP	-
Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker - Deluxe Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.13 PP	-
Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker	0.4 TF2	$0.83 PP	-
Necromunda: Hired Gun	0.8 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Neon Abyss	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom - The Prince's Edition	2.6 TF2	$5.38 PP	-
Nine Parchments	1.8 TF2	$3.72 PP	-
No Time to Relax	2.8 TF2	$5.75 PP	-
Northgard	4.5 TF2	$9.29 PP	-
Not For Broadcast	0.9 TF2	$1.85 PP	-
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD GOLD EDITION	2.0 TF2	$4.1 PP	-
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD	0.8 TF2	$1.7 PP	-
Offworld Trading Company™	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
One Step From Eden	0.7 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
Opus Magnum	1.3 TF2	$2.58 PP	-
Orcs Must Die! 3	2.1 TF2	$4.35 PP	-
Outlast 2	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Outlast	0.5 TF2	$0.96 PP	-
Outward	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Overcooked	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
Overcooked! 2	1.3 TF2	$2.71 PP	-
Overgrowth	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
PAYDAY 2	0.4 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
PC Building Simulator	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Paint the Town Red	2.1 TF2	$4.27 PP	-
Parkitect	5.3 TF2	$11.0 PP	-
Party Hard 2	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Passpartout: The Starving Artist	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.1 PP	-
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous	0.9 TF2	$1.89 PP	-
Pathologic 2	0.6 TF2	$1.29 PP	-
Per Aspera	0.7 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
Pistol Whip	6.0 TF2	$12.34 PP	-
Plague Inc: Evolved	1.6 TF2	$3.35 PP	-
Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
Planet Coaster	1.7 TF2	$3.51 PP	-
Planet Zoo	1.8 TF2	$3.82 PP	-
Planetary Annihilation: TITANS	4.7 TF2	$9.65 PP	-
Portal Knights	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid	3.5 TF2	$7.15 PP	-
PowerBeatsVR	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
PowerSlave Exhumed	1.6 TF2	$3.32 PP	-
Praey for the Gods	0.5 TF2	$1.11 PP	-
Prehistoric Kingdom	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Prison Architect	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Pro Cycling Manager 2019	1.3 TF2	$2.61 PP	-
Project Cars 3	10.9 TF2	$22.36 PP	-
Project Hospital	2.4 TF2	$4.88 PP	-
Project Wingman	1.8 TF2	$3.78 PP	-
Project Winter	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Propnight	0.5 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$1.04 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Scary Games to Play in the Dark Bundle
Pumpkin Jack	0.4 TF2	$0.84 PP	-
Quantum Break	1.4 TF2	$2.81 PP	-
RESIDENT EVIL 3	2.3 TF2	$4.73 PP	-
RUGBY 20	1.2 TF2	$2.58 PP	-
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse	2.6 TF2	$5.48 PP	-
Ragnaröck	3.3 TF2	$6.87 PP	-
Railway Empire	0.4 TF2	$0.86 PP	-
Rain World	1.0 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Raw Data	1.0 TF2	$2.02 PP	-
Re:Legend	1.0 TF2	$2.14 PP	-
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered	0.5 TF2	$0.97 PP	-
Red Matter	4.3 TF2	$8.93 PP	-
Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER	1.2 TF2	$2.57 PP	-
Resident Evil 0 / biohazard 0 HD Remaster	1.2 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Resident Evil 5 GOLD Edition	1.6 TF2	$3.41 PP	-
Resident Evil 5	1.2 TF2	$2.54 PP	-
Resident Evil 6	2.0 TF2	$4.14 PP	-
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition	2.1 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
Resident Evil: Revelations	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
Retro Machina	0.5 TF2	$1.02 PP	-
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam	0.5 TF2	$1.05 PP	-
River City Girls	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe	1.0 TF2	$2.12 PP	-
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack	1.8 TF2	$3.65 PP	-
Rubber Bandits	0.7 TF2	$1.52 PP	-
Running with Rifles	1.2 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Ryse: Son of Rome	1.2 TF2	$2.49 PP	-
SCUM	2.8 TF2	$5.76 PP	-
SOMA	2.0 TF2	$4.14 PP	-
SONG OF HORROR Complete Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
STAR WARS® THE FORCE UNLEASHED II	0.8 TF2	$1.63 PP	-
STAR WARS™: Squadrons	2.0 TF2	$4.21 PP	-
SUPERHOT	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Sable	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Saint's Row The Third Remastered	2.2 TF2	$4.51 PP	-
Saints Row 2	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Saints Row IV	0.9 TF2	$1.84 PP	-
Saints Row: The Third	0.6 TF2	$1.18 PP	-
Sanctum 2	0.5 TF2	$1.08 PP	-
Satisfactory	6.4 TF2	$13.35 PP	-
Scarlet Nexus	2.9 TF2	$5.91 PP	-
Scribblenauts Unlimited	0.3 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
Second Extinction	1.8 TF2	$3.69 PP	-
Secret Neighbor	0.6 TF2	$1.22 PP	-
Serious Sam 2	0.7 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
Serious Sam 3: BFE	0.9 TF2	$1.82 PP	-
Serious Sam 4	2.7 TF2	$5.52 PP	-
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem	2.2 TF2	$4.54 PP	-
Severed Steel	1.4 TF2	$2.92 PP	-
Shadow Man Remastered	1.0 TF2	$2.0 PP	-
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Shadow Warrior 2	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	2.5 TF2	$5.22 PP	-
Shenmue 3	0.7 TF2	$1.43 PP	-
Shenmue I & II	0.7 TF2	$1.43 PP	-
Shining Resonance Refrain	0.5 TF2	$0.95 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition	2.9 TF2	$5.92 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization VI	0.9 TF2	$1.76 PP	-
Sid Meier's Civilization® V: The Complete Edition	2.0 TF2	$4.17 PP	-
Siege of Centauri	0.6 TF2	$1.16 PP	-
SimAirport	2.4 TF2	$4.94 PP	-
SimCasino	1.2 TF2	$2.39 PP	-
SimplePlanes	0.9 TF2	$1.91 PP	-
Skullgirls 2nd Encore	1.0 TF2	$1.99 PP	-
Slap City	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Slay the Spire	3.4 TF2	$7.1 PP	-
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.85 PP	-
Slime Rancher	1.9 TF2	$3.88 PP	-
Sniper Elite 3	1.1 TF2	$2.21 PP	-
Sniper Elite 4	1.3 TF2	$2.61 PP	-
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered	0.8 TF2	$1.72 PP	-
Sniper Elite V2	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3	0.7 TF2	$1.39 PP	-
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts	0.8 TF2	$1.66 PP	-
Sonic Adventure DX	0.5 TF2	$1.06 PP	-
Sonic Adventure™ 2	0.6 TF2	$1.19 PP	-
Sonic Generations Collection	2.4 TF2	$4.87 PP	-
Sonic Lost World	1.7 TF2	$3.48 PP	-
Sonic Mania	1.2 TF2	$2.4 PP	-
Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2	0.6 TF2	$1.33 PP	-
Soul Calibur VI	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Source of Madness	0.5 TF2	$1.13 PP	-
Space Engineers	2.2 TF2	$4.61 PP	-
Space Haven	0.5 TF2	$1.12 PP	-
Spec Ops: The Line	0.8 TF2	$1.65 PP	-
SpeedRunners	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
Spelunky	1.0 TF2	$2.11 PP	-
Spirit Of The Island	1.4 TF2	$2.92 PP	-
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated	1.3 TF2	$2.61 PP	-
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy	3.7 TF2	$7.55 PP	-
Star Renegades	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Star Trek: Bridge Crew	3.7 TF2	$7.57 PP	-
Star Wars Republic Commando™	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Star Wars® Empire at War™: Gold Pack	1.0 TF2	$2.04 PP	-
Starbound	0.8 TF2	$1.6 PP	-
Starpoint Gemini Warlords	1.7 TF2	$3.48 PP	-
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition	2.9 TF2	$5.94 PP	-
Staxel	0.8 TF2	$1.57 PP	-
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech	0.9 TF2	$1.82 PP	-
Stellaris Galaxy Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.92 PP	-
Stellaris	1.4 TF2	$2.83 PP	-
Stellaris: Lithoids Species Pack	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Strategic Command WWII: World at War	2.1 TF2	$4.26 PP	-
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection	2.4 TF2	$4.87 PP	-
Street Fighter V	0.9 TF2	$1.91 PP	-
Streets of Rogue	1.2 TF2	$2.46 PP	-
Stronghold 2: Steam Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Stronghold Crusader 2	0.7 TF2	$1.45 PP	-
Stronghold Crusader HD	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.79 PP	-
Styx: Shards Of Darkness	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
Subnautica	3.9 TF2	$8.1 PP	-
Summer in Mara	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Sunless Skies	0.7 TF2	$1.35 PP	-
Sunset Overdrive	1.4 TF2	$2.94 PP	-
Super Meat Boy	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Superliminal	1.7 TF2	$3.6 PP	-
Supraland Six Inches Under	1.6 TF2	$3.37 PP	-
Supreme Commander 2	0.9 TF2	$1.95 PP	-
Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality	0.9 TF2	$1.84 PP	-
Survive the Nights	0.8 TF2	$1.71 PP	-
Surviving the Aftermath	0.5 TF2	$0.97 PP	-
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition	1.4 TF2	$2.91 PP	-
Syberia: The World Before	0.9 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
Synth Riders	3.4 TF2	$6.96 PP	-
TEKKEN 7	1.4 TF2	$2.95 PP	-
THIEF	0.8 TF2	$1.63 PP	-
TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2	1.7 TF2	$3.59 PP	-
Tales of Berseria	0.9 TF2	$1.78 PP	-
Tales of Symphonia	1.5 TF2	$3.06 PP	-
Tales of Zestiria	0.6 TF2	$1.25 PP	-
Talisman: Digital Edition	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
Tank Mechanic Simulator	1.0 TF2	$2.17 PP	-
Team Sonic Racing™	1.9 TF2	$3.94 PP	-
Telltale Batman Shadows Edition	0.9 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
Terraforming Mars	0.8 TF2	$1.63 PP	-
Terraria	2.1 TF2	$4.24 PP	-
The Ascent	1.0 TF2	$2.12 PP	-
The Battle of Polytopia	0.4 TF2	$0.9 PP	-
The Beast Inside	0.4 TF2	$0.79 PP	-
The Blackout Club	0.5 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$0.98 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Scary Games to Play in the Dark Bundle
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope	1.2 TF2	$2.51 PP	-
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan	1.7 TF2	$3.5 PP	-
The Darkness II	0.5 TF2	$0.99 PP	-
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos	0.4 TF2	$0.89 PP	-
The Escapists 2	0.7 TF2	$1.39 PP	-
The Escapists	0.6 TF2	$1.31 PP	-
The Henry Stickmin Collection	0.7 TF2	$1.51 PP	-
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Final Cut	1.4 TF2	$2.8 PP	-
The Intruder	1.2 TF2	$2.39 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 2	2.0 TF2	$4.06 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 3	3.4 TF2	$6.93 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 5	3.3 TF2	$6.79 PP	-
The Jackbox Party Pack 6	2.7 TF2	$5.6 PP	-
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame	0.4 TF2	$0.75 PP	-
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
The Long Dark	1.4 TF2	$2.86 PP	-
The Long Dark: Survival Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
The Mortuary Assistant	2.2 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.5 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Scary Games to Play in the Dark Bundle
The Surge 2	0.7 TF2	$1.45 PP	-
The Survivalists	0.9 TF2	$1.88 PP	-
The Talos Principle	0.7 TF2	$1.41 PP	-
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
The Walking Dead: The Final Season	0.3 TF2	$0.72 PP	-
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series	2.0 TF2	$4.22 PP	-
The Witness	6.9 TF2	$14.22 PP	-
The Wolf Among Us	1.2 TF2	$2.39 PP	-
This War of Mine: Complete Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.57 PP	-
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.33 PP	-
Tomb Raider	1.2 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Torchlight II	0.7 TF2	$1.46 PP	-
Total War SHOGUN 2	1.6 TF2	$3.35 PP	-
Total War Shogun 2 Collection	1.7 TF2	$3.5 PP	-
Total War: ATTILA	1.9 TF2	$3.97 PP	-
Total War: Empire - Definitive Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.11 PP	-
Total War: Napoleon - Definitive Edition	1.5 TF2	$3.02 PP	-
Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition	2.5 TF2	$5.22 PP	-
Total War™: WARHAMMER®	3.0 TF2	$6.22 PP	-
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator	3.3 TF2	$6.88 PP	-
Totally Reliable Delivery Service	0.8 TF2	$1.59 PP	-
Tour de France 2020	0.5 TF2	$1.12 PP	-
Tower Unite	3.7 TF2	$7.62 PP	-
Trailmakers Deluxe Edition	1.7 TF2	$3.57 PP	-
Train Simulator Classic	0.7 TF2	$1.48 PP	-
Train Station Renovation	0.4 TF2	$0.78 PP	-
Tribes of Midgard	0.9 TF2	$1.79 PP	-
Tricky Towers	1.9 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
Trine 2: Complete Story	1.1 TF2	$2.33 PP	-
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince	0.9 TF2	$1.84 PP	-
Tropico 5	0.4 TF2	$0.82 PP	-
Tropico 5 – Complete Collection	0.8 TF2	$1.65 PP	-
Tropico 6 El-Prez Edition	2.7 TF2	$5.49 PP	-
Tropico 6	3.5 TF2	$7.3 PP	-
Turmoil	0.4 TF2	$0.75 PP	-
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Turok	0.4 TF2	$0.92 PP	-
Two Point Hospital	2.1 TF2	$4.28 PP	-
Tyranny - Gold Edition	0.7 TF2	$1.36 PP	-
Ultimate Chicken Horse	1.6 TF2	$3.33 PP	-
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3	1.7 TF2	$3.41 PP	-
Ultra Street Fighter IV	0.5 TF2	$0.95 PP	-
Undertale	2.0 TF2	$4.22 PP	-
Universe Sandbox	3.5 TF2	$7.24 PP	-
Unrailed!	1.7 TF2	$3.49 PP	-
Until You Fall	0.7 TF2	$1.4 PP	-
VTOL VR	5.7 TF2	$11.67 PP	-
Vacation Simulator	5.0 TF2	$10.32 PP	-
Vagante	0.5 TF2	$1.01 PP	-
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition	1.0 TF2	$2.13 PP	-
Valkyria Chronicles™	1.0 TF2	$2.0 PP	-
Vampyr	1.5 TF2	$3.01 PP	-
Victor Vran	0.8 TF2	$1.63 PP	-
Visage	2.1 TF2 Refer To My Other Thread	$4.34 PP Refer To My Other Thread	Scary Games to Play in the Dark Bundle
Viscera Cleanup Detail	2.1 TF2	$4.26 PP	-
Void Bastards	0.5 TF2	$1.0 PP	-
Volcanoids	0.6 TF2	$1.34 PP	-
Vox Machinae	3.3 TF2	$6.8 PP	-
WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship	1.1 TF2	$2.25 PP	-
Wargame: Red Dragon	6.5 TF2	$13.33 PP	-
Wargroove	0.4 TF2	$0.73 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection	1.1 TF2	$2.27 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Grand Master Collection	1.9 TF2	$3.91 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution	0.6 TF2	$1.2 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War	0.6 TF2	$1.24 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Tyranids	2.2 TF2	$4.62 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Collection	1.6 TF2	$3.34 PP	-
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine	1.6 TF2	$3.3 PP	-
Warhammer: Chaosbane - Slayer Edition	1.7 TF2	$3.47 PP	-
Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide Collector's Edition	0.6 TF2	$1.27 PP	-
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Collector's Edition	1.2 TF2	$2.52 PP	-
Warhammer: Vermintide 2	1.2 TF2	$2.53 PP	-
Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® III	1.4 TF2	$2.85 PP	-
Warpips	0.7 TF2	$1.54 PP	-
Wasteland 3	1.2 TF2	$2.49 PP	-
We Happy Few	0.8 TF2	$1.56 PP	-
White Day : a labyrinth named school	0.4 TF2	$0.91 PP	-
Who's Your Daddy	1.6 TF2	$3.33 PP	-
Wingspan	1.0 TF2	$2.04 PP	-
Winkeltje: The Little Shop	1.0 TF2	$2.11 PP	-
Witch It	1.9 TF2	$3.98 PP	-
Wizard of Legend	0.9 TF2	$1.92 PP	-
World War Z: Aftermath	4.4 TF2	$9.04 PP	-
Worms Ultimate Mayhem - Deluxe Edition	0.4 TF2	$0.75 PP	-
Worms W.M.D	1.1 TF2	$2.19 PP	-
Worms World Party Remastered	0.4 TF2	$0.89 PP	-
Wrench	3.1 TF2	$6.3 PP	-
Wurm Unlimited	0.7 TF2	$1.53 PP	-
X4: Foundations	6.5 TF2	$13.34 PP	-
X4: Split Vendetta	1.7 TF2	$3.52 PP	-
XCOM 2 Collection	1.1 TF2	$2.26 PP	-
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Pack	0.8 TF2	$1.58 PP	-
XCOM: Ultimate Collection	0.9 TF2	$1.88 PP	-
Yakuza 3 Remastered	1.4 TF2	$2.93 PP	-
Yakuza Kiwami 2	1.8 TF2	$3.61 PP	-
Yakuza Kiwami	1.5 TF2	$3.14 PP	-
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles	2.0 TF2	$4.18 PP	-
YouTubers Life	0.6 TF2	$1.32 PP	-
Yuppie Psycho	0.3 TF2	$0.71 PP	-
ZERO Sievert	4.3 TF2	$8.99 PP	-
Zombie Army Trilogy	0.8 TF2	$1.57 PP	-
Zombotron	0.5 TF2	$1.11 PP	-
biped	0.9 TF2	$1.88 PP	-
rFactor 2	1.9 TF2	$3.93 PP	-
while True: learn() Chief Technology Officer Edition	0.8 TF2	$1.62 PP	-

 
IGS Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ggsaik/fappidydats_igs_rep_page/
 
SteamTrades Rep Page (1000+):
https://www.steamtrades.com/use76561198097671494
 
GameTrade Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/GameTradeRep/comments/ggrz1y/fappidydats_gametrade_rep_page/?
 
SGSFlair Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/sgsflaicomments/ggag04/flair_profile_ufappidydat/

This is my first time visiting this sub and I hadn't even considered that "a place to post your dreams" was probably a thing. I have a lot of extremely vivid, memorable dreams and this is already defacto my new favorite subreddit. So here we go.
I got roped into joining this middle-aged heavyset criminal dude, a femme fatale sidekick of his, and Amanda (my ex-wife, of all people) on a time-traveling heist where we were trying to gain critical information from some human trafficking ring that had spirited away a little kid in the mid 70s. For some reason, after the time jump I became a young kid (13ish) and was given an injection that would give me the same DNA profile as the other kid in question. Also, for some reason, I was supposed to be able to recite a decent performance of a specific 70s song that I didn't even know (I guess as part of my cover), so I had to track down a store that sold 1. music recordings and 2. hardware to play the recordings.
Small detail: the time traveling took place via a payphone similar to The Matrix mechanics.
I really vividly remember the sketchy motel in the bad part of town. It was, like, really bad. The doors were paper-thin, the people were horrible, there was one bed in a room where four of us were staying so I was on the floor. The only thing I was excited about was returning to the present with a "portable" device that could play 45s and a mint-condition copy of whatever the fuck song it was because it would all be literally impossibly well-preserved stuff.
Also, the bearded man at the music store gave me a flyer listing upcoming events for his church that he suggested I go to, and a number of the events gave me hardcore pedo vibes. Not just an inkling. He was literally trying to lure me into some creepy trap.
Anyway, since our motel was in a super awful part of town, that inevitably caused problems, which manifested in Amanda walking down a lane that she shouldn't have and getting abducted by a bunch of thugs. I was tragically unable to do anything about it since I was a child, but I distinctly remember thinking "Well crap, you win some and lose some I guess." and then I went about my business.
This doesn't have any plot relevance, but it's cool to me and I'm going to make record of it because I can visualize it still. When I was going out to find the music store, I had "Still Feel" by Half-Alive stuck in my head, and I was kind of dancing to the rhythm of my own beat as I was thinking about it and walking down the road in the snow. I was thinking about it and how people in 1972 or whatever completely wouldn't have appreciated it. OH! That just reminded me that I also at one point stuffed a free newspaper off of one of those racks into my backpack just so I'd have something with a date on it. It was indeed 1972.
When I woke up I was very disappointed that none of the 70s memorabilia that I hoarded carried over to the real world.

Hello everyone!
Me and a friend of mine want to visit Ushguli in the next few days. We heard that the road from Mestia to Ushguli is not recommended for „regular“ cars like our Kia Rio rental car due to snowfall and road conditions, so we want to take a Marshrutka or a Taxi from Mestia. How expensive is it to get from Mestia to Ushguli?
Thank you very much!

I currently drive a 2006 Honda Civic with 206,000+ miles currently on it. I was thinking about buying a more up-to-date Subaru Forester after I graduate college. I intend on embarking road trips in various weather conditions after college which is why I’m gravitating towards the Subaru Forester. In terms of fuel economy, safety, reliability, and longevity, what are your opinions and/or personal experience with this make and model?

​
Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me tremendously horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are incredibly lusty beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way we had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and then I saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
Towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrapers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be pleased to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate were interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like as though it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to others around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the right spells, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring the need to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was a magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus informed of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted by a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people from so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in one I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his wrist. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

At the moment I like the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus and the Continental Contact Plus City as they have a double puncture protection layer and seem to grip the road in wet conditions.

Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me incredibly horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are intensely lustful beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way we had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and then I saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
Towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrapers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be pleased to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate were interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like as though it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to others around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the right spells, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring the need to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus had informed me of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted by a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people from so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in once I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his wrist. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

This tournament sure was...something. In the 14 years that I have followed the NCAA Tournament I have never seen it get this crazy before. This was a complete 180 from last year's Tournament, where we only had Blue Bloods in the Final Four, and a blue blood champion. This year, it is not the case. We have CHAOS.
Now, let us take a look at the failures, and boy do I have a few words for some teams here...
Arizona Wildcats - For the third year in a row, we have a 15 over 2 upset in the opening round. And Arizona was offered up as this year's sacrifice. To be fair, this isn't as big of an upset compared to other 15-over-2 upsets. Believe it or not, I actually saw this coming. The moment Princeton was announced as the opponent, I knew Arizona was gonna go down early. The Tigers just outplayed them and held strong throughout the entire game. Just like in 1996, when they upset defending national champion UCLA in the first round, the Tigers' next upset would unsurprisingly come against a Pac-12 team. Man, 15-over-2 upsets are becoming a staple in March Madness now...future 2 seeds better watch out...
Virginia Cavaliers - This was yet another upset most saw coming, but my god...I'm still stunned by this. Virginia was even leading for most of the game, but then they just imploded near the end. That turnover...what the hell was that?
I swear, Virginia must have sold it's soul for a National Title back in 2019...
Iowa State Cyclones - I swear, the Cyclones are like destined to bow out early in the tournament. It's as if its required by law for them to fall early no matter how high expectations are for them. It wasn't even a contest, the Panthers just straight up slaughtered them. Iowa State is one of the next contestants for my next Legacy of Failure script. But only IF they meet certain conditions...
At least the Cyclones lost to an 11 seed, and 11 seeds at least have moderate success in the tournament.
At least they're not these sorry sacks:
Purdue's Boiler Explosion - What the fuck. What. The fuck. WHAT. THE. FUCK. WAS. THAT. Don't get me wrong, I knew you weren't going to make the Final Four this year. I knew you were going to choke. But as a #1 SEED IN THE FIRST ROUND?! When you were favored by TWENTY FOUR TO WIN?!! Do you realize what you have just done?! This is quite possibly the greatest failure in the history of college sports! This was your ALL-IN year, and you fall to a double digit seed for the third year in a row? Absolutely unacceptable. Matt Painter is on a SEARING hot seat now.
One word, Purdue: NUKE. Blow it up. You aren't winning with Painter. You aren't winning with this coaching staff. You aren't winning this core, and you aren't winning with these mentally fragile players who can't handle a shred of adversity.
Tick, tick, Painter and Lusk. It's time for a house cleaning in West Lafayette. Fucking Purdue... YOU BLEW IT!!!
Memphis Tigers - Penny Hardaway is getting Memphis on the right track. They won the AAC Tournament title over Houston, securing their second straight appearance in the Big Dance. But unfortunately, the Cinderella bug hit them, and it came in the form of Florida Atlantic, who won their first tournament game in school history. Memphis is still an interesting team nonetheless, and I'm eager to see how far Hardaway can take this team in the future.
Iowa Hawkeyes - Congratulations! Your team STILL can't make it past the first weekend of the tournament! This time you get rekt by Auburn. Fran McCaffrey continues to show that he cannot survive come March Madness despite his regular season successes. Iowa, if I were you I would find a new coach already. Fran is not the man.
Texas A&M Aggies - The Aggies had a solid regular season. They came close to winning the SEC Tournament title but got decimated by Alabama. Is this football or basketball I'm covering here? I'm confused. Anyway, it really seemed as if the Aggies had it in them to go on a reasonable run as they were a 7 seed, but then they went to Des Moines and got blown the fuck out by a team that hadn't won a tournament game in 22 years. The failure is always bigger in Texas...
USC Trojans - Despite losing the other Mobley brother to the draft last offseason, the Trojans still snuck their way into the Big Dance yet again. Unfortunately, Tom Izzo's Spartans killed any hopes they had of a deep run. The Trojans failed to conquer Sparta, and it's time for me to break out this scene from 300 again...
Providence Friars - After making the Sweet 16 last year, the Friars had another good team this season and were ranked for most of the latter half of the season. But unfortunately, Kentucky remembered last year's upset at the hands of Saint Peter's and decided to kill any hopes the Friars had of a deep run.
Baylor Bears - Once again, Baylor fails to make it past the second round. Despite maintaining most of the 2021 National Championship roster the Bears still cannot find it in themselves to get past the first weekend again. It wasn't even a contest, Creighton flat out controlled the tempo for the entire game. 2021 had better not have been a fluke for your guys...
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights - Congrats, FDU! You became the 2nd #16 seed to beat a #1! Your consolation prize is blowing a late lead to Florida Atlantic in round two. Eh, who cares. You still pulled off the upset. The fact that this only happened 5 years after UMBC's stunning upset over Virginia is the most shocking fact about this too. Now, no #1 seed is safe. We are entering a period in the tournament where even the lowest seeds are now potential contenders. It'll be interesting to see how 2024's tournament goes...
Saint Mary's Gaels - Ah, it's that other WCC team. Congrats on winning another tournament game! Your prize is to get absolutely slaughtered by UConn. Great...
Penn State Nittany Lions - Congrats, Penn State! You won your first tournament game in 22 years! Even though you took the Longhorns to the limit, a big run just wasn't in the cards for you this year. Can we grant another tournament win to Penn State and put them in the Sweet 16 instead of Texas? They deserve it a lot more than Purdue...
Pittsburgh Panthers - Congrats, Pitt! You returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 7 years! You even won a tournament game too! Though all good things must come to an end, and you get upended by Xavier.
Indiana Hoosiers - What in the literal fuck was that supposed to be? Weren't you supposed to make a big run this year? This was the best team you've had in almost a decade and you just decided to crumble like that?! Sure, Miami was playing the game of their lives but it still shouldn't have been a 16-point blowout. Well, could be worse I guess. You could be Purdue...
Kentucky Wildcats - Let's start with the good news first: You were not upset in the first round this time. Instead you get eliminated by your old friends from K-State yet again. Which is good because we don't have to deal with more arrogance from the Kentucky fanbase this time. Nobody likes Kentucky anyway, so there was much rejoicing.
Duke Blue Devils - Even with Coach K no longer in the College Basketball world, the Blue Devils still manage to appear in the NCAA Tournament as a reasonably high seed. They managed to end Oral Roberts' foolish ambitions in the first round (I really wanted to make more sex jokes from that...), but then got absolutely BTFOd by Tennessee in the next round. The Evil Empire has been stopped yet again. But they'll be back here again. The Blue Devils never stay down for long...
Marquette Golden Eagles - HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON, OLD MAN?! Once again, Shaka Smart cannot make it past the first weekend of the tournament. Tom Izzo's Spartans put him in his place yet again. For fuck's sake, it's been a DECADE since Smart's coaching schemes got exposed by John Beilein in 2013. And he still has not gotten the message. Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is, Mr. Smart?
Auburn Tigers - Thanks for allowing us to laugh at Iowa again, Auburn. Now enjoy getting slaughtered by Houston in the next round.
Kansas Jayhawks - For the second year in a row, the defending national champion falls in the second round. Kansas appeared as if they would have this game in the bag, as they led by as much as 10 throughout the game. But then the team just imploded. The Razorbacks fought their way back and managed to eke out the win in the final seconds. Cherish that championship, Kansas. It may be the only one you win for a while.
TCU Horned Frogs - It seems like TCU sports are on the rise as of late. Their football team made the College Football Playoff, and their basketball team entered the tournament as a #6 seed! They even won another tournament game! But unfortunately they failed to make us laugh at Gonzaga again, as the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with the win.
Northwestern Wildcats - Welcome back to the tournament again, Northwestern! Even though this is only your second NCAA tournament appearance, you managed to win another tournament game! But a deep run just wasn't in the cards for you this time. Even after giving UCLA all they could handle, it just wasn't enough. I hope the Wildcats are able to make it back here again someday. Chris Collins seems to have something good going at Evanston. Let's see how things go the next few years.
Missouri Tigers - Congrats, Missouri! You won your first tournament game in 13 years! Your reward is to get absolutely blown the fuck out by another set of Tigers...who were seeded 15th. Come on now. Sure, Princeton was playing the game of their lives, but it still shouldn't have been a 15-point blowout. You're one of the contestants for a future Legacy of Failure script, Missouri. Give me something to truly laugh at and it'll be icing on the cake.
Maryland Terrapins - I'm gonna save the Big Bill Hell's rant this time. The Terps seemed to put a decent fight in the first half, but the Crimson Tide decided that was far enough, and put them out of their misery.
Princeton Tigers - Congrats, Princeton! You returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 56 years, and are only the fourth 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16! Third one in a row to do so, in fact! But all good things must come to an end, and there was another team looking to end their own demons. Creighton returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since the year Pearl Harbor happened.
Alabama Crimson Tide - The third #1 seed to fall this tournament. The Tide controlled the tempo most of the game, but the Aztecs eventually took the lead and never looked back. Once again, Alabama's dream to be a champion in both football and basketball like Michigan did in 1989 has not come to fruition. Maybe next year?
Tennessee Volunteers - Tennessee manages to return to the Sweet 16. And that's as far as they go. It's time for them to be upset by an inferior team again, and this time it's Florida Atlantic. The only time it appeared as if the Vols controlled the game was in the first half. But then FAU decided they wanted to go further. They took the lead in the second half, even leading by as much as 10 points, but they didn't relinquish it, making their first ever Elite Eight.
Michigan State Spartans - Congratulations! Your team finally made it past the second round! But the Sweet 16 is as far as you go. And they screwed up big time. This was yet another game where MSU's opponent was doing their best to hand the game to them, but they once again couldn't capitalize on their mistakes. K-State was literally handing them the game on a silver platter. They blew multiple leads and were even pushed into overtime. They even let you stay in the game until the final seconds! But then you just had to fuck up and let Markquis Nowell dance on your ashes, even letting him make NCAA history in the process.
Houston Cougars - What the hell was that, Houston? That has got to be arguably the worst performance by a 1 seed in the Sweet 16 in recent memory! This was the best team you've had since the days of Phi Slama Jama, and you go and do THAT?! Jesus Christ, you're pathetic. It wasn't even a contest, Miami barely even had to fucking try! Well, at least you're joining a real conference in the Big 12 next season. Hopefully the opponents from that conference can toughen you up and make you more formidable in next year's tournament.
Xavier Musketeers - Congrats, Xavier! You returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years! Enjoy getting absolutely mauled by the Longhorns.
UCLA Bruins - Now this was a shock to see. This was the absolute inverse of 2006. The Bruins build up a big lead, only for Gonzaga to come back and build a big lead...only for the Bruins to storm right back and go up by 1. Maybe this is a repeat of 2006?
"Strawther for the lead...BULLSEYE!!!!"
And the Bulldogs have finally gotten their proper revenge for 2006, where they lost in the West region after blowing a big lead in the Sweet 16. Adam Morrison laughs, and the rest of the country breaths a sigh of relief as they don't have to see Los Angeles win another championship.
Arkansas Razorbacks - Great job, Arkansas! You managed to knock off the defending national champions! Your prize is to get absolutely steamrolled by UConn in the next round...by 23 points. Great...
Creighton Bluejays - Congrats, Creighton! You returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since WORLD WAR II!! And you're on the verge of becoming the first team from Nebraska to make the Final Four, beating out even the Cornhuskers! Imagine that! But it was not to be. The Bluejays built up a decent lead, and were on the verge of becoming the first #6 seed to make the Final Four since the Fab Five Michigan squad in 1992. But they couldn't hold it, as the Aztecs slowly crawled their way back. The Bluejays didn't really make any big mistakes, they didn't foul all that much, but at the end of the day it wasn't enough. They nearly sent the game into OT, but then...a last second foul call gave the Aztecs new life (Refball? You decide.). They would lose by a point. They were THAT close. But I honestly can't be mad at them. Still a successful season though. Hopefully next year you can get over the hump.
Kansas State Wildcats - I swear to god, K-State has to be the most unlucky team in NCAA Tournament history. This was their NINTH trip to the Elite Eight since their last Final Four berth in 1964 and they fell just short yet again. And like in 2010 and 2018, it was to a Cinderella team. First it was Butler. Then it was Sister Jean's henchmen from Loyola-Chicago. Now, it was FAU. Despite having a strong roster, the Wildcats once again could not end their long Final Four drought. Folks like to talk about Purdue being unlucky, but I think the real bridesmaid here is K-State. Just absolutely brutal. Which is why they're a candidate for my next Legacy of Failure script.
Texas Longhorns - This was very much a Days of our Steelers season for Longhorns basketball. Head coach Chris Beard was axed following an incident where he beat his wife (FUCKING IDIOT), and assistant Rodney Terry had to step in and clean up the mess. Thankfully, it was a good hire. Terry helped guide the Longhorns to their best season in ages, as they returned to the Elite Eight for the first time in 15 years. It appeared as if they were on the verge of returning to the Final Four for the first time in two decades! But then, the team straight up SHAT THE BED. Texas could not get anything going at all near the end of the game, as the Hurricanes came back from 13 points down to make their first Final Four. YOU BLEW IT!!!
Though lets be honest here, the refs were absolute dogshit. Calling blatant offensive fouls as fouls on the player guarding, are you fucking kidding me? Still, the Longhorns did screw up and blow that lead. Blame the refs all you want, but you want to know what would have helped? Not blowing a 13 point lead late in the second half. But at least Rodney Terry has shown that he can coach. Hopefully he can lead this Texas team to new heights in the future.
Gonzaga Bulldogs - pukes uncontrollably Fucking hell, are you kidding me? What the hell were you doing all game long? This was your ALL-IN year. You were the top scoring team in the country. You had the best player in the nation in Drew Timme! And you got absolutely beaten to a pulp by the team that beat you in your first Elite Eight appearance 24 years ago. Sure, UConn was playing the game of their lives, but it still shouldn't have been a near-30 point slaughter. You managed to unleash the Pandora's Box of Locusts known as UConn fans on the College Basketball world. Your Legacy of Failure continues. UConn is still getting the best of you after all these years, eh?
Florida Atlantic Owls - Oh my god, it's going to happen! The Owls are about to make history! They're up by 14! Sure the Aztecs cut that lead down to 1 in the final seconds, not to mention the refs are absolute shit, but the Owls are about to make history and become the first 9 seed to make the National Championship! Let's hear it for FAU!
"They don't have their scorers on the floor...it's Butler, with 2 seconds, he's gotta put it up and...-buzzer sounds- HE WINS IT!!! HE WINS IT WITH THE JUMPER!!! A San Diego State Miracle!"
OH MY MERCIFUL GOD!!! Well, this sucks. But it was still a successful season nonetheless. The third 9 seed to ever make the Final Four, and it happened in your second NCAA tournament appearance! Well, you'll be joining a better conference in the AAC next year. Hopefully you can make another big run like this again someday.
Miami Hurricanes - Congrats, Miami! You made your first Final Four in school history! And then the fun stops. UConn comes in to spoil the day. I would rip on Miami here, but nothing went right for them at all this game. Nothing. Missing 14 layups in the second half? Christ, that's brutal. Even though Jim Larrañaga tried his best to get Miami's stars on the right track, they were no match for the Huskies. Whenever Miami tried to strike back, UConn said 'Nope!' and put the Hurricanes on lockdown for the rest of the game. Nonetheless, this was a good run for Miami this year. You'll be back here eventually.
Whew, that was a crazy tournament. Now we're finally down to only two. And only one of these teams will be walking away with a championship.
Let's bring out contestant number one...
Connecticut Huskies
The Huskies have returned to the National Championship for the fifth time in school history, and for the first time in almost a decade. The last time they were here, the Final Four was held in the other major Texas metropolis of Dallas-Ft. Worth, and the Huskies became the first 7 seed in NCAA Tournament history to win a National Championship. Now, they are here for more.
The face of this revived UConn squad has been Jordan Hawkins, a sophomore from Maryland who has been this team's leading scorer in their past two matchups against Arkansas and Gonzaga, and it has been a long road for him. During the season opener he suffered his second concussion in his playing career and had to sit out the first two games, but he has thankfully made a full recovery and is playing better than ever. Joining him has been African sensation Adama Sanogo, a two-time first-team All-Big East award winner. He and Hawkins have been the bread and butter of this UConn squad, as both have been leading the team in scoring in a majority of games this season. Sanogo has also been this team's rebounding machine, as he has led the team in rebounds in all four of their tournament games so far. Rounding out UConn's Big 3 has been Andre Jackson Jr., who has been the Assists leader for this team in 18 games including the NCAA Tournament.
UConn has been the hottest team in this tournament thus far, as they've won each of their first four games by at least 10 points or more. Iona? 14-point win. #5 St. Mary's? 15 point win. #8 Arkansas, who just took down the defending national champs? 23 point win. #3 seed Gonzaga, who had three-time consensus All-American Drew Timme? Doesn't matter to them, they won by 28. #5 Miami? Even though the Hurricanes tried to put up a fight, they were beaten by 13. This Huskies team is absolutely unstoppable. The last two teams who won their first five tournament games by double digits both went on to win the national title - North Carolina in 2009, and Villanova in 2018. And it looks like history is about to repeat itself. UConn is hungry for it's fifth national title.
This #4 seed is playing like a #1 seed, and they are for sure the favorite to win it all. Just like every other time UConn has a solid team in the tournament, it's National Championship or bust.
Prepare for their wrath.
But not if their opponents have anything to say about it...
San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs have made it to the National Championship game. Exactly as everyone predicted at the start of the tournament. What this team reminds me of is the drug addict that has had numerous chances to get his shit together but constantly relapsed every time. And it's only through a reflection and a last second intervention that he starts to get clean.
For a while it felt as if San Diego State would never make it here. Former Michigan head coach Steve Fisher and his longtime assistant Brian Dutcher spent YEARS building this team into a contender. And the Aztecs have put up many elite teams over the years, but could only go as far as the Sweet 16 at best.
2011 seemed to be their year. They fell to UConn. In 2014, they were a 4 seed. They fell to Arizona. And after a series of first and second round eliminations, they finally got over the hump and made it to the promised land, though just BARELY.
This run has been far from easy for the Aztecs. They escaped by 7 points against Charleston in the first round. In the second they destroyed Furman, who just upset Virginia. Then came the Sweet 16, their opponent was the overall #1 seed in Alabama. It looked like another early exit for the Aztecs again. But then, a miracle happened. They rallied from 9 points down in the second half against Alabama to take the lead for good and make their first ever Elite Eight. And in their first Elite Eight, Creighton pushed them to the limit. However, they managed to overcome another deficit and escape by the skin of their teeth in the last second (Refball? You decide.). Same case in their first ever Final Four. They trailed by fourteen against Florida Atlantic, and it felt as if that was it. But then, the Aztecs pulled off another miracle to win by 1. That miracle's name? Lamont Butler. This team is the Energizer Bunny of the tournament. They will not die no matter how much stress you put on them.
SDSU's sudden appearance in the National Championship feels less like a "Glad you made it here!" and more of a "FINALLY!!". Considering all of the elite talent and top-tier coaching they've possessed over the years, it's still surprising that it took them this long to get here. But hey, better late than never.
Fuck you, Spanos!
The face of this San Diego State team has been Matt Bradley, a two-time First-team All-Mountain West selection. Alongside him is Ghanaian sensation Nathan Mensah, who is known for his immense wingspan of 7'4 ft, and has led this team in rebounds in two of their four wins this tournament. Other standouts on this Aztecs team include Jaedon LeDee, Micah Parrish, Darion Trammell, and Lamont Butler, who has led the team in Assists this tournament.
Brian Dutcher has built a winner this tournament, but we all know what his ultimate goal is - a National Championship. Though it wouldn't be his first. His first title came with the 1989 Michigan team led by Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson, where he was an assistant under Coach Fisher. Now he's looking to win one as a head coach.
The Aztecs seek to become the first team from California to win a national title in basketball since 1995. That year, UCLA won their 11th National Title in school history by knocking off the "40 Minutes of Hell" Arkansas squad, a rather formidable opponent on par with this UConn team. And no team from California has done it since.
Will San Diego State be the team to break that drought, and become the fourth team from the Golden State to win a National Title? Will they become the first non-power five conference team to win a National Title since UNLV did it in 1990?
Will the Aztecs become the first team from San Diego to win a championship in either the pros or college, and break the San Diego sports curse?
And so, here it is. The Big East Empire of Doom, versus the Mountain West's only hope!
Time for battle.
EPIC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JINXING
Unfortunately, there will be no miracles this time. I think UConn has this one in the bag. They've been destroying their opponents with ease, like North Carolina and Villanova before them. No matter what you throw at them, they'll just push it aside like a cardboard box. Their 28-point win over a stacked Gonzaga team is proof of this. They always seem to have an answer for whatever their opponents throw at them, and therefore the choice is easy.
UConn will steamroll the Aztecs by at least 10 points and cruise to a 5th National Championship, tying with both Duke and Indiana for the fourth most championships.
Have a nice day.

I need some help with my 1997 XR650l.
Back Story:
I purchased the bike last november22 as a project. It was missing all the plastics & spedo but engine was in sound condition (well lets just say it sounded as it should), it was titled, had supermoto wheels and acerbis tank. Basically engine and frame on wheels. For $700 it was a perfect project bike or worst case scenario a parts bike. I rode it couple times after purchase to gage what is needed and took time over the winter to shop ebay for missing parts. By March I had the bike back restored to "stock form" all the plastics where back on I installed lights and original air filter. Only custom parts where the Lexx Exhaust, and supermoto wheels that came with the bike. Once it got warmer here in Denver I went on first ride (march) on new setup and surprisingly everything was feeling great out of the box. Towards the end of my ride during riding up small overpass bike started feeling very sluggish and started loosing idle on downshifting. I made it back home fiddle a little bit with idle screw and mixture screw and parked the bike until next time. After couple youtube videos and forum posts it sounded like I'm running rich. I ordered carb rebuild kit and new jets and waited until I have time again to look into it.
Fast forward week later, today I went for another ride, I wanted to feel it out once more to see how I will approach the jets. First 30 minutes into the ride bike didn't have any problems I started heading home thinking I need to clean the carb and I'm set. All of a sudden bike again started feeling sluggish and loose idle while downshifting but this time around it was significant and on top of that I was riding on the flat road. I parked the bike to check things out. I'm not that familiar with XR engine but I read they tend to heat up so i thought I will wait a bit to let things cool down. After 5 min or so I got on the road again but bike again felt sluggish, and within a moment my top end started ringing and died again. At that time I knew it was probably bad but didn't know what that was. I parked the bike trying to assess what is going on, I tried to start it again and my starter locked up. There was no blow up, or noise , simply starter turned once and stopped.
Fast forward I got towed home, starter won't turn but gearing and rear wheel are moving normal. Sound like I will need a rebuild.
I don't have that much free time to play with so I need to make the call if I will hire someone to do it for me or just take forever to do it myself.
What would you do to asses the damage? Or maybe this already sounds familiar ? What could be the point of failure here?
Does anyone know any reliable mechanic in Denver Area? What does it usually cost to rebuild an XR650l ? Did anyone did that ? what was your experience? Would you pay to do it again? or Would you do it yourself instead ?
Looking for any help I can get. Every feedback/suggestion is much appreciated. Thanks! * video is minutes before the incident
https://reddit.com/link/1299x65/video/0ic9csc1fera1/player

After a year of ownership and around 7000kms, my Inty started giving me the infamous handle bar wobble.
It wasn't like a death wobble, but between 80kmph and 95kmph, there was significant wobble when I let go of the handlebar. And at lower speeds, something didn't feel right and I couldn't put my finger on it.
It bothered me a lot, and I went down a rabbit hole of Interceptor owners anguish over this issues. Some people had problem with their cone set, others with their Pirelli tyres.
I keep my bike in a covered garage, with a cover on, so I thought it couldn't be anything to do with the cone set getting rusted or damaged, got it checked and and clean with good amount of greese on it. Asked the mechanic to regrease just for my sake. It didn't solve the problem.
Next I looked at the tyres. I had the Ceat tyres on (India). It was in pretty good condition with very less wear. The wear looked normal and consistent. So ruled out the tyres issue.
Then one of my friends told me, that it could be the spokes and the balance of the rims. Something just made sense. He said after riding on bad roads for a while (India), the spokes tend to mishapen or come loose. Ran to a wheel balancing guy (who turned out to be Master Shifu of tyre balancing). He showed me that there was a slight bend in both tyres and some spokes had turned loose. He spent and hour rotating the tyres on his special rig, and using his fingers to feel the bends and corrected it. Lo and behold, the wobble stopped immediately. The bike felt solid again and everything just feels right.
Just wanted to pop in say if you ever get the wobble, check your tyres and the spokes before going to the service center to open up the cone set. Will save you some money.

This is a bit of a longer write up to give a full picture, and any/all advice is appreciated.
I work in sales. Last year I got a new regional director. Good dude. Ride alongs last year were all positive. Nothing but praise. Took a $700,000 territory of business and in 2 years it’s worth $4 million.
This year , about a month and a half ago we did another ride along. He requested to see certain customers and certain types. Not a problem. One of which is my best customer.
We went to see a variety of folks and the trip was a disaster on many levels. He was stressing to me the urgency of sales being down company wide. In the December sales meeting I won an award for highest profit margins for the company , and we as a company grew 25% year over year when competitors struggled to even do a few %. Yet now after 3 months they are laying off 10% of essential staff IMO. Folks in our showroom , the warehouse , and service desk. He told me on our ride together he hates having to fire people not related to sales because of sales people having bad sales…. Like woah chief I’m not firing them. We are making hundreds of millions with 25% growth. A recession is going on. I’m not to blame. I’m busting my ass day in day out, away from my family 2 weeks out of the month out of state driving in hazardous road conditions just to see clients and hit quotas to provide food on the table, and not have a target on my head.
Why a target ? He was in my car talking on the phone with someone about two other people having to be on performance improvement plans. Not something you’d want to have me hear unless you’re using it as a warning.
I should mention this year I’ve only lagged behind in February by $50,000. This is with accounts who used to do a ton of business completely pulling out because our company refused to help them on their claim . Out of my hands as I desperately tried to be customer service filled to keep them happy . Goodbye $200,000 account.
On this trip he yelled at me because he said we shouldn’t have samples for products we carry that aren’t the ones the factory makes. Some we bring in from distributors. However, at all our meetings he wasn’t pitching our products, he was showing the distributor stuff to get business…. And I assured him that samples are being delivered in person unless I’m out of state or can’t make it to these remote places in time due to scheduling. He didn’t believe it and mimicked me in an annoying pitch and raised his voice. I defended myself and raised my voice as well. I’m fine with criticism if I screw up but I refuse to be accused of things I didn’t do.
He made us late for a few meetings, we netted zero sales, and customers later asked me not to bring him along again because he was “car salesman” selling.
After the trip he’s been monitoring all my follow up looking for slip ups. I followed up so much with one person it turned into harassment IMO and now won’t talk to me. He also threatened to take my biggest account because I am not getting more of a certain kind of sale from him. Which is all price driven and if my company can’t provide the low ball number I can’t get that business. So I’m boned …
The company now with firing people is asking me to work in our showroom and service desk . Including weekend days. Things I’m not trained for and I don’t want to do due to the severe anxiety it gives me. Panic attack inducing stuff.
I talked to HR which I had to follow up with 4 times until she would talk to me. Her response for working jobs that aren’t sales is to get training for it. As for the regional guy issues when I asked can he please not ride along with me again or be forced to take leadership classes she said the three of us should talk so the next trip is better. I asked can my local manager go with me instead and she report to him how it went. Nope.
I interviewed for a different company for the same position I have with a smaller geography and is family owned Friday. If I land the job it won’t be finalized to start until likely end of May.
I told HR let me talk to my regional guy alone first on Monday, because I know if I ambush him with her my bullseye on my back is written in blood.
What do I do? If I don’t get this new gig I’m so boned. The stress and depression I’ve come under now is hard to manage without my wife and kids to distract me albeit momentarily.