I've got a relative new site, 3-4 weeks old at this point, with approx. 50k pages. So far, a little over 500 pages have been indexed in both Google and Bing. I'm wondering what strategies exist to help speed this up?
For context, it's primarily a pSEO project/experiment, generating pages from templates and product data. There is a little bit of generative AI mixed in, not for writing 2000+ word pages, but for explanations of what the data/info means, boilerplate for comparisons, stuff like that (if that makes sense).
Things I've done/tried:

1. Minimized page size to 200kb (although still working on bringing it down TTFB, getting an avg. a little over 500ms which I believe is still considered "Good". It's my first rodeo on a site this size, but my understanding is that the more Google can hammer your site quickly, without errors, consistently, that you're likely to see an increase in your crawl budget over time—am I correct in this?
2. Added a few content elements that rotate different pages to help with internal linking / crawl depth—things like "popular searches", "compare with", etc. These are shuffled per page, changing the links for each respective element on each respective page of the site.
3. Added html site maps and used the URL inspection tool to get them crawled—this had little to no effect. Got this tip from a YouTube video on pSEO, so thought it was worth a try given that it was low-effort, but didn't seem to work.
4. Implemented IndexNow, but surprisingly, only 50 or so requests even registered in Bing Webmaster Tools, despite the bulk of my requests returning a 200 ok status (I probably got off close to 10k or so before I ran into 429 errors).

Things I'm thinking about doing/trying:

1. Finding appropriate expired domains, 301 redirecting what I can to categories and other almost like-for-like pages that exist on my site.
2. Forum and Q&A site link building—while mostly nofollow, it's my understanding that this can be useful for bringing the crawler back.
3. ...moving onto site number two and just being patient.

That's what I've got so far, I'd love to get other people's input who've run into similar issues with larger sites.
Most of those thoughts/ideas are dictated by lack of budget, so sure, while I expect a massive link building campaign would no doubt get more of my site indexed, it's not feasible at this stage of the project. I also feel that at this stage, my limited resources are probably best used on improving the quality of the site and the information it offers, than elsewhere.
Looking forward to any feedback or ideas on where to go next with it. Appreciate it, thanks!

Disclaimer: New to Skyrim Modding
I've been working on a load order for the past few days and today while testing my visual mods I find that none of my animation mods load after using the console to fast travel. I use RASR to skip intro, then coc whiterun. Before I coc whiterun, all of my animation mods work perfectly. My controller works fine and my movesets work fine. After I coc whiterun, my character takes their helmet off (Read the Room) and I can no longer sprint, attack, or jump. Any help or points in the right direction would be incredibly useful. Below is my load order so far. I havent finished adding all of my planned mods.
​
#Mod_Priority,#Mod_Status,#Mod_Name
"0000","-","0. Game_separator"
"0001","+","DLC: HearthFires"
"0002","+","DLC: Dragonborn"
"0003","+","DLC: Dawnguard"
"0004","+","Creation Club: ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode"
"0005","+","Creation Club: ccBGSSSE037-Curios"
"0006","+","Creation Club: ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS"
"0007","+","Creation Club: ccBGSSSE001-Fish"
"0008","-","1. Utilities_separator"
"0009","+","Address Library for SKSE Plugins"
"0010","+","SSE Display Tweaks"
"0011","+","SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin)"
"0012","+","Skyrim Priority SE AE - skse plugin"
"0013","+","powerofthree's Tweaks"
"0014","+","SkyUI"
"0015","+","MCM Helper"
"0016","+","Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch"
"0017","+","PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions"
"0018","+","powerofthree's Papyrus Extender"
"0019","+","ConsoleUtilSSE"
"0020","+","Spell Perk Item Distributor"
"0021","+","Auto Input Switch"
"0022","+","More Informative Console"
"0023","+","ConsolePlusPlus"
"0024","+","JContainers SE"
"0025","+","VioLens - A Killmove Mod SE"
"0026","+","Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine"
"0027","+","Payload Interpreter"
"0028","+","FileAccess Interface for Skyrim SE Scripts - FISSES"
"0029","+","SkyUILib"
"0030","+","AutoTest"
"0031","+","Dynamic Animation Replacer"
"0032","+","Animation Motion Revolution"
"0033","+","Behavior Data Injector"
"0034","+","Behavior Data Injector Universal Support"
"0035","+","MergeMapper"
"0036","+","Keyword Item Distributor"
"0037","+","Crash Logger SSE AE VR - PDB support"
"0038","-","2. UI_separator"
"0039","+","Infinity UI"
"0040","+","SkyHUD"
"0041","+","RaceMenu"
"0042","+","RASR - Random Alternate Start Reborn SE and VR"
"0043","+","moreHUD SE"
"0044","+","QuickLoot EE"
"0045","+","TrueHUD - HUD Additions"
"0046","+","Sovngarde - A Nordic Font"
"0047","+","Skyrim Platform"
"0048","+","Better Third Person Selection - BTPS"
"0049","+","NORDIC UI - Interface Overhaul"
"0050","+","Compass Navigation Overhaul"
"0051","+","NORDIC UI - Compass Markers Restored"
"0052","+","NORDIC UI Markers"
"0053","+","XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended"
"0054","+","Simple Dual Sheath"
"0055","+","Headhunter - Bounties Redone"
"0056","+","Immersive Equipment Displays"
"0057","+","Missile's Immersive Equipment Display Presets"
"0058","+","SmoothCam"
"0059","+","SmoothCam - Modern Camera Preset"
"0060","+","Show Player In Menus"
"0061","+","Improved Alternate Conversation Camera"
"0062","+","Detection Meter - NG"
"0063","+","Nordic Alert - a Custom Detection Meter Preset"
"0064","+","Pick Up Radius"
"0065","-","3. Combat_separator"
"0066","+","Gamepad++"
"0067","+","Crouch Sliding"
"0068","+","True Directional Movement - Modernized Third Person Gameplay"
"0069","+","Separate Power Attacks"
"0070","+","IFrame Generator RE AE Support"
"0071","+","Attack MCO-DXP"
"0072","+","MCO Universal Support"
"0073","+","Classic Sprinting Redone (SKSE64)"
"0074","+","Precision"
"0075","+","TK Dodge SE"
"0076","+","TK Dodge RE"
"0077","+","SCAR - Skyrim Combos AI Revolution"
"0078","+","SCAR AE Support"
"0079","+","Enhanced Enemy AI SE"
"0080","+","No Recoil"
"0081","+","Valhalla Combat"
"0082","+","Eviscerate"
"0083","+","ADXP l MCO Nordic Animation Complete Pack"
"0084","-","4. Player Character_separator"
"0085","+","Read the Room - Immersive and Animated Helmet Management"
"0086","+","Immersive Interactions - Animated Actions"
"0087","+","EVG Conditional Idles"
"0088","+","Better Jumping SE"
"0089","+","Infinite Stamina Out of Combat"
"0090","+","Vanargand Animations - Male Idle Walk and Run"
"0091","+","Smooth Random Sprint Animation"
"0092","+","Smooth Random Jump Animation - Rework"
"0093","+","Vanargand Animations - Sneak idle walk and run"
"0094","+","Vanargand Animations - Sneak Thrust Attacks"
"0095","+","Enhanced Invisibility"
"0096","-","5. NPCs_separator"
"0097","+","INIGO"
"0098","+","Immersive Patrols SE AE"
"0099","+","Civil War Aftermath SE"
"0100","+","Lawless - A Bandit Overhaul"
"0101","+","Bandit Lines Expansion"
"0102","-","6. Magic_separator"
"0103","+","Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul"
"0104","-","7. Content_separator"
"0105","+","Legacy of the Dragonborn"
"0106","+","The Tools of Kagrenac"
"0107","+","Helgen Reborn"
"0108","+","Cult of the World Eater - Dragon Priests Buff Alduin"
"0109","+","Defeat the Dragon Cult"
"0110","+","Cutting Room Floor - SSE"
"0111","+","VIGILANT SEAE"
"0112","-","8. Visual a. Base Textures_separator"
"0113","+","Static Mesh Improvement Mod"
"0114","+","Skyland AIO"
"0115","+","High Poly Project"
"0116","+","Noble Skyrim Mod HD-2K"
"0117","+","Ruins Clutter Improved SE"
"0118","+","CleverCharff's AIO 2K"
"0119","+","Prisoner cart fix SMIM"
"0120","+","Lawbringer"
"0121","-","8. Visual b. ClutterLocations_separator"
"0122","+","Mrf's Markarth"
"0123","+","WiZkiD Riften and Ratway"
"0124","+","aMidianBorn Book of Silence SE"
"0125","+","GG's Thieves Guild Headquarters"
"0126","+","JK's Skyrim"
"0127","+","JK's Jorrvaskr"
"0128","+","JK's Dragonsreach"
"0129","+","JK's High Hrothgar"
"0130","+","JK's Understone Keep"
"0131","+","JK's Mistveil Keep"
"0132","+","JK's Blue Palace"
"0133","+","JKs Guild HQ Interiors Patch Collection"
"0134","-","8. Visual c. Environment_separator"
"0135","+","Skyrim 3D Landscapes"
"0136","+","Majestic Mountains Main"
"0137","+","Obsidian Mountain Fogs"
"0138","+","Volumetric Mists"
"0139","+","Skyrim 3D Rocks"
"0140","+","Veydosebrom Regions"
"0141","+","Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods"
"0142","+","Happy Little Trees"
"0143","+","Happy Little Trees Add-On - DynDOLOD 3"
"0144","+","Bent Pines II"
"0145","+","Ancient Trees Of Skyrim"
"0146","+","Northern Ice"
"0147","+","8K Night Skies - Stars and Galaxies - Cathedral Concept"
"0148","+","Smoother Skies"
"0149","-","8. Visual d. Small Replacers_separator"
"0150","+","Bears of the North"
"0151","+","Skyrim 3D Docks and Boardwalks"
"0152","+","JS Dragon Claws AE Anniversary Edition"
"0153","+","Guards Armor Replacer SSE"
"0154","+","Security Overhaul SKSE - Lock Variations"
"0155","+","Security Overhaul SKSE - Add-ons"
"0156","+","Security Overhaul SKSE - Regional Locks"
"0157","+","JS Dwemer Control Cube SE"
"0158","+","JS Attunement Sphere and Lexicons SE"
"0159","+","JS Dwemer Puzzle Cube SE"
"0160","+","JS Common Cages SE"
"0161","+","JS Shrines of the Divines SE"
"0162","+","JS Purses and Septims SE"
"0163","+","Glorious Doors of Skyrim (GDOS)"
"0164","+","Better Chests"
"0165","+","Dwemer Pipework Reworked"
"0166","+","Golden Dwemer Pipeworks Redone 4K - 2K"
"0167","+","Iconic Statues"
"0168","+","Daedric Shrines - All in One"
"0169","+","Ryn's Standing Stones"
"0170","+","Alduin's Imprefvicticious and Chapper's Demonic Retexture mashup"
"0171","+","Whiterun Horse Statue"
"0172","+","DMT's Underforge SE"
"0173","+","Skyrim 3D Blacksmith"
"0174","+","ORI - Harkon's Sword - Blood Matron"
"0175","+","Auriel's Bow HD"
"0176","+","Auriel's Bow of Light"
"0177","+","My Road Signs are Beautiful - English"
"0178","+","Royal Armory - New Artifacts"
"0179","-","8. Visual e. NPCs_separator"
"0180","+","Expressive Facegen Morphs SE"
"0181","+","Expressive Facial Animation -Male Edition-"
"0182","+","Expressive Facial Animation -Female Edition-"
"0183","+","SUEMR SSE with Bijin AIO 2019 Support"
"0184","+","Eyes AO Clipping Fix"
"0185","+","High Poly Vanilla Hair"
"0186","+","Nordic Faces - Immersive Characters Overhaul"
"0187","+","Serana Re-Imagined"
"0188","-","8. Visual f. Lighting and Weather_separator"
"0189","+","Obsidian Weathers and Seasons"
"0190","+","Moons And Stars - Sky Overhaul SKSE"
"0191","+","ShaderTools Updated"
"0192","+","ENB Helper SE"
"0193","+","Lux - Via"
"0194","+","Embers XD"
"0195","+","Lux"
"0196","+","Lux Orbis"
"0197","+","Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS)"
"0198","+","ENB Light"
"0199","+","Particle Patch for ENB"
"0200","+","Water for ENB"
"0201","+","Rudy ENB Obsidian Weathers ADDONS and REQUiRED Files"
"0202","-","9. Creatures_separator"

The following text is AI generated. I just find the idea funny and wanted to share this short story with y'all.
Uncle Roger: Hello, hello, hello! It's Uncle Roger here, and today we're going to be talking about something very important: rice.
Cut to Mission Control from Deep Rock Galactic
Mission Control: Roger, this is Mission Control. We've detected a significant amount of rice in the area. We need you to investigate and report back.
Uncle Roger: Wait, what? I thought we were just going to talk about rice. I didn't sign up for a mission.
Mission Control: Roger, this is important. We need to know if this rice is safe to eat. We're counting on you.
Uncle Roger: Okay, okay, I'll do it. But I'm not a rice expert, I'm just a comedian.
Uncle Roger heads out to investigate the rice
Uncle Roger: Okay, so I've found the rice. It looks like it's been cooked, but I don't know if it's any good.
Mission Control: Roger, we need you to taste it.
Uncle Roger: What? No way! I'm not going to risk getting sick.
Mission Control: Roger, we need to know if it's safe to eat. You're our only hope.
Uncle Roger: Fine, fine. I'll taste it.
Uncle Roger takes a bite of the rice
Uncle Roger: Oh, wow. This is actually pretty good.
Mission Control: Excellent work, Roger. We'll send in a team to collect the rice and bring it back to base.
Uncle Roger: Wait, what? You're going to take my rice?
Mission Control: Yes, Roger. It's for the good of humanity.
Uncle Roger: But I wanted to eat more!
Mission Control: Sorry, Roger. Duty calls.
Uncle Roger: Well, there you have it folks. Even in space, rice is important. And apparently, I'm a rice taste tester now. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.

Is Copilot considered the best option for assisted coding (I primarily use VS Code)? Or has something better come along?

Just finished A Memory Called Empire, working on its sequel (no spoilers!), and looking for my next read to put on hold at the library. I love me a good space opera. Looking for more!
I guess you could say I'm a computer sympathizer--I loved Imperial Radch and Murderbot for their lovely humanly inhuman AI protagonists. I've also read and liked Wayfarers, and was similarly captivated with the AI characters in the second book.
Queer characters are also a plus. I loved Memory and Wayfarers for it. While not purely sci-fi, I also loved the Locked Tomb series (but wow did it make my head spin).
In general, I prefer the "unrealistic" type of sci-fi (FTL travel, aliens, the works) to the "realistic" type (where astronauts go on suicide missions and have to be asleep for 30 years in transit). E.g, I've read Project Hail Mary, and it was fine, but not as interesting as a good old intergalactic network of space imperialists.
This is How You Lose the Time War is on my list, but it has been on hold at the library forever, so I won't be able to get to it soon. :')
What other gems are there for me to discover?

Author's Note
Hey how goes it
Here's a long one that I should have wrote more for but after passing it through ChatGPT, or whatever subsequent type of AI it was, the results, which aren't posted here, actually gave me some really cool and new ideas that'll come in the next chapter.
Like, super cool things I didn't even consider or think about. So that's awesome.
Expect the usual shenanigans and humanry occurring.
Love you guys and I'm thankful for the people who have been messaging me reminding me that I should keep writing. Sometimes I get a little jaded or just downright depressive thinking about my works of art.
As always, I hope you guys enjoy reading this from the bottom of my heart. I know I say it every chapter but I genuinely do mean it.
Here's the prior one, Chapter 6
And as always, the next chapter will go here once posted.
End of Author's Note
The Gladiator
A 'Space is an Ocean' Story
Chapter 7
The Unlikely Candidates
Something was very wrong about the agent escorting them out of the labyrinthine underbelly of the colosseum.
Xyx had dealt with Systems Authority on multiple occasions. They had augments that curbed their social skills, recorded every action and thought they committed to, and reminded them that the Cewmis were watching.
He'd never met one, of course. Had only heard stories. They ran the Federation and, in turn, the galaxy.
The Xihex'han wondered if this warranted one coming out to That Sand Ball, or if they were going to meet one.
When he got caught on Earth, his crime had been enough that an agent physically apprehended him and escorted him to his own courts, who worked as a liason to the Federation proper.
None of the agents he had ever interacted with were as cocksure as this one.
The reptile adjusted his robes and stepped a bit closer to the human, keeping an eye on the agent in front of them.
"Saul, this agent is.. you could use the term off.", he started.
"Really? Seems like a cop to me.", the little pale ape replied. "Walks like a cop, purrs like a cop."
"No, I mean, well, maybe your cops but he is not acting like our cops.", he glanced down at the man to see if he was catching on. He wasn't.
"Why? He forget to stand for the anthem or something?", the human grinned up at him, "Come on Xyx, you're not your usual zonked out self. Hit that peace pipe you keep hidden on you." The man gestured jokingly toward his robes. "Unless somebody broke it. Did the cop take it?"
The human was lucky he understood the sarcasm dialect of English. He brushed it off and kept as serious a tone as he could muster.
"No, nothing of the sort. Should my behavior not indicate that something is wrong?", he pressed.
"Nah. I think you got involved with the police and you don't wanna be seen as a narc.", the man replied dismissively, stepping over a fallen body. "I don't see you any different and I'm not gonna give you any stitches, so just relax. They're gonna get me home and probably give you a couple bucks for helping. No sweat."
So that's why Saul was being so carefree about this. Obviously. How could he have known?
The reptilian stared at him for a long moment before taking another glance at the feline ahead of them, keeping his eyes on the agent as he spoke.
"That is not at all what will happen, Saul of Earth.", he muttered, catching an inquisitive look from the man out of the corner of his eye.
"Remember what I told you? You are a very sturdy little bastard, and a bioweapon on top of that.", the green scaled biped began explaining.
"You would be the equivalent of a rabid tiger covered in anthrax let loose in the streets of New York.", he peered down at the man to see if he was getting through and, thankfully, he was.
"I do not know where you are being taken nor why you are even alive. They don't charge tigers with crimes.", he finished.
"What about the machines inside me? And.. and you can translate. Tell him I'm not gonna hurt anybody.", the man tried, his eyes now glued to the feline as well. Xyx only shook his head.
"Who knows when those black market machines will fail? Or if they truly kill everything coming out of you. Regardless, my point remains.", Xyx ventured, an accusatory shift coming over his demeanor. "His motives are unclear, your fate is unknown, and he is not to be trusted."
"Off. Right." Saul was mulling over his words with a look of suspicious determination. "What do we do then?", he asked.
Xyx was very glad that he had asked.
"Simply remain amicable until it's time to become human.", he gave the man's shoulder a few reassuring pats.
Ocean of Uncertainty
Banzora sounded lovely right about now.
If anyone asked, Lana'kt'ujam couldn't honestly provide an answer that she felt comfortable with being her final decision, but home would have been one of her options.
On one claw, she could be back under the warm oceans of that blue pearl. Enjoying the pristine waters, abundant fresh food, and unimaginably beautiful stonework her people carve with their own claws.
Conducting honest research with state of the art equipment in an effort to bring more uplifted species to the galactic fold beneath the Federation's benevolent eyes.
Her scientific progress doubling as proof that she's making an effort to reclaim her medical practitioner's license and disbar the charges that robbed her of it.
Serene, happy, safe.
She felt the memories of home coating the seafloor in layers of nostalgic catharsis, a mass of soft sponge for her to sink back down into when the need arises
On the other claw, this cycle had started off with her stuck inside of the glorified closet she called a clinic.
Fixing the deadbeat criminals, untrustworthy contract fighters, and exotic beasts for an arena she wished would burn down.
Deeply loathing her employer and wishing him nothing but death with his establishment dismantled.
She felt the smoldering coal of disdain from the still-fresh memories, burning the cracked statue of pride containing who she once was
But now?
Now, her employer's unburied corpse was pulped on the floor of the embarrassing closet clinic.
She was leaving the dung heap arena falling to shambles with her dung heap responsibilities to the scum that inhabited it.
And one would think nothing could make the day any better?
She felt the coal morphing, growing, becoming a self-righteous fire of empowerment, containing the potential to mend her cracked pride and rebuild the Lana she remembered being
She was accompanying a genuine enlightened Amber class primate and his Xihex'han companion that spent years enriched in his culture, on his home planet.
There was just so much to learn if she could find a moment between all of the sudden violence and minefield of ethical dilemmas to seize the opportunity.
The Amber very clearly wished he weren't a victim of the poking, prodding, or tests conducted on him any time she wasn't relentlessly piecing his burnt pelt back together from the holes and scratches coating it, but she stayed optimistic that he'd warm up to the idea of furthering science eventually.
She felt a bubbling giddiness from anticipation, the dense waters of professionalism keeping them from traveling far or getting in the way
Unfortunately for Lana, the 'human' and Xyx were ahead of her, quietly speaking in his belching, gibbering language and didn't seem keen on including her or her scientific interests.
Despite lacking the facilities to replicate it herself, she desperately wanted to learn the language. His Spike was already translating for her, she only needed to understand him. Then proper interviews could happen.
She observed the pair ahead of her and made a few attempts to glean something, anything, from the interaction.
Obviously they needed some kind of distraction. Maybe they were deciding what to have for dinner once they got out of the arena. Or perhaps Xyx was sharing a secret or traumatic memory of some kind.
Or, the most likely possibility, that she was hopeless in trying to read either of the beings in front of her.
She felt the sharp knife of focus as she tapped into the network to guide her augments, a silk web of attention letting nothing escape scrutiny
For starters, the reptile's species were, unfortunately, completely expressionless. To the extent that they appeared to utterly lack the capacity for complex social interaction to an outside observer.
The one, and only, notable exception mentioned by the networks were the regional accents and dialects that any Xihex'han could simply mimic with relative ease after a few conversations.
Otherwise, they were a blank slate to the rest of the galaxy.
To some degree, it was likely being done intentionally to maintain their stoic desert monk facade.
Xyx being no exception to this, fighting and basking were the contractor's only two notable characteristics before the hominid's arrival, and the arena's subsequent upheaval.
Lately, she noticed him beginning to mirror certain motions and mannerisms she'd seen in the human.
Sorting through footage provided a testimony to her observation. Motions they both went through. Practically identical.
Bobbing the shoulders sometimes, shaking the head there, the occasional hand moving around in front of his chest as he spoke.
It was almost as if he was trying to use the familiarity of the language and gestures to comfort or disarm the Amber for some reason.
If only she could cross reference the collected data with the network to find intent.
She felt unease mixing with intrigue, an uncomfortable skin coating her determination
She made a few mental notes to review more data and continue her observations of the Xihex'han before her attention switched to the fleshy creature beside him and she started trying to figure him out.
The header of her dissertation would definitely make note of the stocky little primate's deathwish since he was tirelessly trying to get himself killed at every opportunity.
Then there was the glaring, irreparable problem of the Command Spike where an augment should be, jutting from his face and mocking her by only operating one way.
He couldn't even access the aug network, not that she thought he could handle such an information overload, but the poor guy couldn't even put on clothes or send pseudo-telepathic messages.
He must have been so embarrassed.
She felt pity for the creature, a soft fog barely concealing the helpless shame of her inaction, in the heart of the mist was a glowing pile of embers, frustration
'May you be forgotten while you rot in the deeps, Burj.' The only fitting curse for his cruelty that she could think of.
The Banzoran did start to internalize that she had been distracted by her pity and frustration for the ape mixing with her shame for failing to stop the Spike from being implanted.
Lana had forgotten to actually observe, to find something notable. She knew she still had recordings of everything but the seed of introspection clung to her thoughts, threatening to grow into resentment.
Resentment would jeopardize her chances of making something bigger with what she had here.
She felt her emotional weakness unsettle the seafloor and break embarrassment free from below, the friction and instability trying to weaken the pillars of duty on the foundations of hope
Turning the last corner shifted her line of thought, the hall stretching towards the hardlight door leading outside to her future of unemployment.
Sweet, succulent destitution.
Lana could find work elsewhere, and would need to, but she really was not going to miss working under Burj. She'd take the uncertainty of starvation over another minute under that fool.
The Projush agent stepped right up to the field and the semi-transparent red door collapsed at his command prompt. Rather quickly for such a thick hardlight field as well.
Lana couldn't help but wonder how the primate was going to react to the world outside the pit when he saw it for the first time.
She definitely needed to keep collecting data on the Amber and verified that both her augs, and her drone, were still recording everything. Twice.
She felt the coarse irritation of her emotional slip begin to sink beneath the stones of clinical detachment, large bricks of chance sinking from the waters above to build a tower gleaming with opportunity or just as easily crush her beneath them
She already had plenty of footage of his biological reactions to the weapons used against him and his own combatives, which needed work. She was quite excited to deconstruct and file away everything once she had a terminal.
As the door drew closer to her, she could hear the rain outside pelting the crowded streets and made a mental note to get data on the acid's interactions with the primate's skin.
Lana genuinely could not get any more excited today. There was just too much work to be done.
No more patching up criminals with subpar equipment. No more listening to an insane warlord's bipolar rambling.
Real work!
A future!
Now to either convince the agent to let her have it or take it herself.
She opened a pseudo-telepathic channel to Ash'shis and introduced herself, opening with a bit of amicable rapport.
You Live Like This?
The cat dude stepped in front of the large open space leading outside. And just stood there for a second.
Saul was keeping a closer eye on cat cop after his conversation with his gator friend. While he wanted to believe that law enforcement was supposed to do the right thing, there's always a bad apple to ruin the bunch.
This one might be that bad apple if Xyx had good hunches.
The cop stepped outside and the three various people followed him, the crab lady was still taking up the rear. He didn't blame her.
If he could put himself between him and the off officer, he would.
He stepped outside and squinted at how dark everything was. Nothing at all like the blue cloudy skies inside the colosseum. Not to mention the rain coming down.
He opened his mouth to catch some of the misty drops floating down and immediately regretted his decision, closing his mouth and feeling a bit torn by the taste of vinegar. At least it wasn't the funion balls but he didn't pack any of the water orbs and that would bite him, for sure.
Before he could bring his head down he saw shapes moving across the sky between the skyscrapers around him.
The sight was enough to make him forget about his open wounds stinging from the vinegar rain.
Massive boats of all shapes and sizes floated through the sky. The largest of them could be glimpsed in the gray sky above the towers. Some of the ship's were small enough to fit between the buildings. Others were so small it was just an alien standing on a skateboard clinging to the singular maste in the middle. The tiniest ones were flying just above his head.
He almost thought about throwing a rock.
"Oh wow. There's fuckin boats flying.", he muttered, jostling the lizard beside him with his elbow.
"There sure are. I believe our host wishes for us to continue though." Xyx replied as flat and bored as always, dragging Saul's attention downwards to cat cop.
The agent was standing a few meters away with his hands on his hips. Beside him was a big rhinoceros manatee hybrid that stood on cloven feet. Crab doc was already waiting beside them.
"Is tubby supposed to be the muscle?", he cracked, starting to make his way over to the agents and trying his hardest not to step in any puddles or lumps of wet trash with his bare feet.
He couldn't even fathom how the aliens live in this place with nothing on.
By the time he tip toed his way to the waiting cops, the big manatee thing was walking past him and going inside while the feline fur bro began to lead the way again, the crowded streets parting for him while he had his empty hand raised above his head.
The human figured his arm would get tired eventually.
One thing he noticed about the streets was the silence. There wasn't very much talking going on and the footsteps around him were louder than the chatter or the rain. It was still depressing.
The alleys and thin streets were a maze and the cat cop was vigilant. Not letting the human out of his sight for a second.
Saul didn't mind. He couldn't help looking around at the city and sky. Between releasing his pent up aggression towards blood sport operators, getting free of the traumatic cage, and being greeted by Picasso's crowded Bladerunner city with boats in the sky, he was actually starting to remember where he left his sense of humor.

Did some power washing on Monday and thought "what a satisfying incremental game this would make". Surprised to see there haven't been any posted here.
I'm envisioning an HTML canvas containing an image that's slightly occluded with a layer of transparent grime – you use the mouse to sweep back and forth, cleaning it, getting paid for each job and reinvesting it into more powerful and efficient power washers, your own crew of helpers, etc.
Bonus points for using AI-driven image masking to only grime up surfaces like concrete, brick, etc, while leaving other stuff (lawns, trees, etc) unchanged.

Like the title says!
Anyone have any recommendations on a wrist brace for painting and drawing? I need one that is flexible enough for me to turn wrist and fingers as if I'm rotating a combination lock, because that's very similar to how I rotate things when drawing digitally. That move in particularly is painful.
I tried looking online, but every list k read sounded like it was written by AI, I just trust humans with EDS more! Thanks!

Blocks & Items - 7 posts

• 500✨ Green Copper Fire
  
• 400✨ Adding sugar to concrete powder prevents it from turning into concrete
  
• An Armor Trim that looks Over Grown
  
• New tool idea: The rake
  
• Item frames can be locked with honey to prevent rotation or item removal.
  
• [Crafting 1 chain should give you 3 or 4 chains]()
  
• Mushroom Wood set!
  

Plants & Food - 2 posts

• 300✩ Goats should drop meat.
  
• Melon and pumpkin blocks should be rotated 90 degrees
  

Mobs - 2 posts

• Minecraft Parrot Change Parrots Warn Before Tools Break
  
• An amethyst Golem that sings or chimes when it's near valuable ore
  

General - 1 posts

• Maps should be stable when walking

Structures - 1 posts

• Technical blocks (namely Jigsaws) should not cause Suffocation damage

Terrain - 1 posts

• 300✩ Mangrove Forest waterways should be more traversable as with real mangrove forests

AI Behavior - 1 posts

• Unique Mob Behavior towards Player's Current Health

Gameplay - 1 posts

• Frogs should be able to eat silverfish

Java Edition - 1 posts

• Option to make deleted worlds go to the computer's recycle bin/trash/rubbish/wastebasket

Community Question - 1 posts

• What’s a feature removed from Minecraft that should come back?

Weather - 0 posts

Magic - 0 posts

Combat - 0 posts

Sounds - 0 posts

Redstone - 0 posts

Dimensions - 0 posts

User Interface - 0 posts

Command - 0 posts

Controls - 0 posts

Bedrock Edition - 0 posts

Advancement - 0 posts

Achievement - 0 posts

None - 0 posts

Hey folks! I'm currently piecing together a curriculum for a Scratch afterschool program class and I've been pondering about the significance of AI in the coding world. I feel like it might be a bit shortsighted if I don't introduce the kiddos to the impact AI already has and will continue to have in this field. Is there any resource or guide that already integrates this?
Also, do you think kids should first master the basics of coding on their own before diving into AI? Just to clarify, I don't really teach it like school (grades et al). Instead, I emphasize learning how to teach yourself what you want to know by finding tutorials and so on.

"Toad" refers to the venom naturally secreted by the Bufo Alvarius toad. This secretion contains the powerful psychedelic, 5-meo-DMT, which is apparently capable of obliterating the ego in one fell swoop and bringing astounding healing results.
I participated in my first toad ceremony a few months ago. I will describe the experience, the benefits I gleaned from it, and what I learned about the theory and practice of Ketamine-State Yoga.
Lead Up to My Toad Ceremony
I got the connection from a friend at my yoga studio. He referred to a healer of great wisdom and experience (including Western medical credentials) who traveled the world administering this medicine in the context of a brief ceremony.
I reached out and had a fascinating conversation with the guy. I won't reveal details, for obvious reasons, but I will say he struck me with both the breadth of his experience and his dedication to serving others by conducting these healing ceremonies. I signed up for my first "toad ceremony," to be conducted when he arrived in my city.
I was determined but plenty scared!
Since I discovered the potential of psychedelic healing, through yogic practices within the ketamine state, I had been on a mission to excavate and heal my trauma-pain from abuse I experienced in childhood. Since my scars are old -- and were reinforced by re-traumatizing habits over the years -- I have always expected healing transformation will require work and difficult experiences.
But the dabbling I had done with 5-meo-DMT, in the form of a synthetic vape, had yielded terrifying (though very brief) experiences. I was plunged into a dark abyss, with my ego, memory and senses blinking out of existence like a dying computer monitor -- with only my vivid pain body floating in space. The Toad Shaman (I'll refer to him this way, though he doesn't use that title) was so reassuring on the phone that I resolved to forge ahead with the full 5-meo-DMT experience led by this master, despite my earlier terrifying experiences.
The Ceremony
I arrived at the location, a comfortable room a half hour from my apartment. The Toad Shaman was there with two assistants dressed in white. I had the vague impression of a cult, but soon learned these attendants were a trauma therapist and breathwork specialist. Everyone was extremely warm as we talked about the upcoming experience.
They heard my fears, listened to my story of trauma, and suggested I take the full dose. The idea was that the small doses I had taken from my synthetic vape had only partially eradicated my ego, which ironically made the suffering far more intense. They said that often the full dose was much easier to handle.
And that turned out to be an understatement.
I recited a few non-sectarian verses, mainly aimed at forgiveness and acceptance of self and others. I stood and took a few deep breaths. Then I took an enormous hit of toad venom as the Toad Shaman held the pipe to my lips. I have a vague memory of starting to descend to the floor...
My ordinary consciousness-stream resumed (I suppose I could say I "woke up," but that somehow feels inaccurate) as I lay on the floor in total bliss. They had caught me, laid me gently on the ground with a blanket. I felt utter peace and balance, though my thoughts were still incoherent. At some point, I thought, "Wow!" -- This was total bliss, there had been no intense fear, no painful struggle.
The Come Down
The breathwork specialist whispered in my ear, "Stay with your breath." This reminder was unnecessary, though he couldn't have known (I told him later). I'm a pranayama yogi, and at that moment I was intentionally resting at the bottom of my exhalation on empty, as I do when practicing Ketamine-State Yoga.
I performed a few rounds of the 5-deep breaths practice -- a series of deep belly breaths followed by a long and luxurious final exhalation and then a prolonged rest at the bottom on empty.
Then my stuck emotions burst forth.
I wept and wept, touching tender memories, allowing thoughts of my childhood to float through my mind, thinking about my parents and feeling compassion for them despite their atrocious behavior. Everything I touched released a stream of emotions, my body shook as I spilled out the tears.
Then a thought flew in, "There are other people in the room watching me cry." Suddenly I was struck by the juxtaposition of the profound state I had experienced -- contact with the "source consciousness" as the Toad Shaman explained it -- and this silly incursion of social paranoia. I immediately started laughing hysterically at my own ego.
Peels of laughter shook my body.
I alternated between tears and laughter for about 20 minutes. At some point I sat up, and turned around to face the Toad Shaman and his assistants. We talked for a few minutes about the experience, and the trauma therapist said he was so moved by my ceremony that he wanted to give me his amulet! (I wore this amulet to a recent Ayahuasca retreat, which I will describe in a later post.)
I walked home feeling terrific, like a mountain of pain had been reduced to dust and then blown away by a pleasant Spring breeze. There was no sense of a toxic after-effect at all -- none. I thought, "This is the cleanest psychedelic I have ever experienced."
I had some lucid dreams in the following nights, in which I returned to my childhood home and faced with courage the primal-fear nightmares of my youth. Months later, I still feel I can touch that sense of total release -- complete surrender to the "source consciousness" -- whenever I need to, and this power has benefited me during stressful times.
In sum, this toad ceremony was an outrageously effective healing experience that somehow bypassed the intense discomfort I sometimes feel on psychedelics and went straight to the potent emotional release I needed.
What This Experience Taught Me about Ketamine-State Yoga
At first I joked with the Toad Shaman and my friends afterwards. When I practice Ketamine-State Yoga, I put emphasis on the come-up phase. I do all sorts of yogic practices -- pranayama, mudras, loving-kindness meditation -- as the trip builds toward the peak.
But in this toad ceremony there was no come up at all!
I took that big hit of toad venom and wham! -- On the floor, body of bliss. How could I possibly connect this experience to Ketamine-State Yoga?
But I realized that, while many folks benefit from 5-meo-DMT, I had perhaps experienced a particularly effective trip in terms of catharsis and healing. The Toad Shaman and his assistants had implied this after the ceremony, saying, "You will probably maintain a connection to this medicine." (I think they were right.)
First, there was the complete release of my exhalation following the hit from the pipe. I had let go with that total release I cultivate when I practice breathwork near the ketamine peak. I had been prepared!
Then there was the 5-deep-breaths pranayama. I practice this nearly every ketamine trip, and it's possible that it allowed me, in the toad ceremony, to process my stuck emotions and soothe my trauma-pain. The first thing I remember when my consciousness-steam returned, as I lay on the floor, was a feeling of bliss. Then I practiced the pranayama that in turn led to my alternating weeping and laughing. Crying and laughing "shake out" the upper chakras -- they literally, physically, wring out the places -- throat, chest, belly -- where painful emotions are stored. This is why emotional release is so cathartic!
Finally, the toad-ceremony experience validates the basic theory of Ketamine-State Yoga in terms of healing results. A peak experience results in obliteration of the ego. In this egoless state, without the constant stream of (often self-antagonizing) language, the chakras automatically move toward equilibrium. This is experienced as balance, peace, contentment -- but it is also a fertile state for accessing and processing emotions that are in deep storage.
A stark difference is that essentially I had no experience of the 5-meo-DMT peak. I "woke up" with a body of bliss, on the ground. And usually when I practice Ketamine-State Yoga and cultivate a peak mystical experience, I do remember something. But I can't be sure I didn't have an experience on Toad -- It could be I simply don't remember. I asked the Toad Shaman and his helpers and they said I grunted a few times "in releasing stuff." They hinted that memories might emerge over the following days, but aside from the lucid dreams I didn't experience that.
Conclusions
I plan to do another toad ceremony in a few weeks! I am very curious if it will be similar to my first or if it will vary greatly, as my ketamine trips often do.
I have referred several friends to the Toad Shaman -- people who are struggling with trauma and deep depression, folks who have "tried everything." Maybe this strange and (for me) glorious experience will bring them a breakthrough.
Next time I use 5-meo-DMT, I plan to perform Maha Bandha, a combination of yogic muscular locks within the body, because my intuition tells me this will synergize well with the toad medicine. I'll do this for those few moments following the inhalation from the pipe.
My intention the first time was simple: To let go of horrific and obsessive thoughts that have plagued me for most of my life and came from the violence I experienced. This time I may just focus on surrendering completely and letting the medicine -- and my inner wisdom -- do their work.
I have practiced Ketamine-State Yoga since this experience and my practice has been joyful and effective. I can't say if it directly benefited from the toad medicine trip, but I suspect that is the case. I can let go so completely and relax at the bottom of the breath. I now have multiple ways of understanding and appreciating the "source consciousness" that permeates my being and the whole world, and I can see even more clearly the arbitrary and petty nature of my ego.
Have you had an experience with 5-meo-DMT? Have you had an experience with it, or another psychedelic, that supported your healing process and/or your understanding of the ketamine state?

Hello i'm a subtley rogue with 427 Il. this is the log https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports/BFdgVQKfb3N8Hh7v/#fight=last&type=damage-done
I really dont know how i have so much low % of parse and ilvl% I always did the right rotations, i followed youtube videos and after frustation i even installed "hekili" addons which help into rotation...
I dont know what to do... how can I understand what to do?

so for some reason I have kitchen and bedroom containers empty. no items at all, no matter how many containers I searched. I'm quite sure this is a mod issue, but I just don't know what mod could cause that. any help?
mods loaded:

mod = ModManager, mod = CheatMenuRB, mod = AzaDesertTiles, mod = AzaMountainTiles, mod = Cookie\_Tiles, mod = Diederiks Tile Palooza, mod = DylansTiles, mod = EN\_Newburbs, mod = EN\_Flags, mod = FantaStreetTiles\_01, mod = FearsFunkyTiles, mod = ManikRetexture\_Clean\_Tiles, mod = melos\_tiles\_for\_miles\_pack, mod = OujinjinTiles, mod = PertsPartyTiles, mod = simonMDsTiles, mod = SkizotsTiles, mod = TileFixes, mod = TryhonestyTiles, mod = iverytiles\_01, mod = tkTiles\_01, mod = 10YL\_RC, mod = 10YL\_KINGSMOUTH, mod = 10YL\_MAPS, mod = 10YL\_SAVEYOURSTATION, mod = XRoadsGunExpo, mod = Authentic Z - Current, mod = BedfordFalls, mod = Bendys Bunker v2, mod = Blackwood, mod = Checkpoint\_1, mod = Checkpoint\_2, mod = Checkpoint\_3, mod = Checkpoint\_4, mod = Checkpoint\_5, mod = Checkpoint\_6, mod = Chinatown, mod = Crossroads Checkpoint, mod = Cruise boat, mod = CruiseShip, mod = Desert, mod = EVAC\_Louisville, mod = EVAC\_Muldraugh, mod = EdsAutoSalvage, mod = EerieCountry, mod = ForagingZ, mod = FortKnoxLinked, mod = FORTREDSTONE, mod = Fort Rock Ridge, mod = Fort Waterfront, mod = GreenHellCommunityCenter, mod = InGameMaps, mod = InGameMaps\_Vanilla, mod = InGameMaps\_WestPointExpansion, mod = WestPointExpansion, mod = InGameMaps\_EerieCountry, mod = InGameMaps\_FortKnoxLinked, mod = InGameMaps\_FortKnoxRoad, mod = FortKnoxRoad, mod = InGameMaps\_FortRedstone, mod = Lighthousematrioshka, mod = Insurgent, mod = LincolnRegionalAirport, mod = LouisvilleBridgeSpawn, mod = Louisville\_Quarantine\_Zone, mod = metro, mod = military fuel depot, mod = MonkeysStartScenarioBase, mod = MonkeysStartScenarioBikerBackwardsCompatibilityPatch, mod = MuldraughCheckpoint, mod = OccupiedLouisvilleSpawnpoints12, mod = Otr, mod = OtrSR, mod = RV\_Interior\_MP, mod = RabbitHashKY, mod = RavenCreek, mod = SpawnsRC, mod = rbr, mod = rbrA2, mod = Riverwood, mod = RMH, mod = RosewoodVHSGunStores, mod = Sailors - Custom Spawn Mod -, mod = SaveOurStation\_KnoxCountry, mod = SecretZ\_v3, mod = RavenCreekEerieCompatibleSlocanLake, mod = RavenCreekEerieCompatibleSlocanLakeIngameMap, mod = TrimbleCountyPowerStation, mod = Legacy\_California, mod = Legacy\_Louisiana, mod = Legacy\_Vinegrove, mod = BRDM2, mod = UH60Helicopter, mod = UH60HelicopterSPspawns, mod = fol\_Take\_A\_Bath, mod = 67commando, mod = 78amgeneralM35A2, mod = 78amgeneralM49A2C, mod = 78amgeneralM50A3, mod = 78amgeneralM62, mod = 82oshkoshM911, mod = 86fordE150, mod = KI5VansExtra, mod = 86oshkoshP19A, mod = 87cruiser, mod = 90fordF350ambulance, mod = 92amgeneralM998, mod = 97bushmaster, mod = 10YearsLaterOccupations, mod = ProfessionFramework, mod = 10YearsLaterOccupationsSpawnItems, mod = 10yearslaterwrecksonly, mod = Alex, mod = Alex2, mod = ADRENALINE\_MOD, mod = AkyHair, mod = blkt\_crosshair, mod = blkt\_fonts, mod = ammomaker, mod = am\_bc, mod = hironiimenu, mod = Arsenal(26)GunFighter\[MAIN MOD 2.0\], mod = amclub, mod = tsarslib, mod = autotsartrailers, mod = ATA\_Bus, mod = ATA\_Jeep, mod = 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WorkingVending, mod = YakiHSBasegameTexture, mod = YakiHS, mod = YouDriveISleep, mod = ZRemoteDoorControlSystemUIVol1, mod = VaccinDrReapers, mod = addTrailerHome\_RV\_Interior\_MP, mod = ahzbritagrayskins, mod = clothesboxskirtmeshfix, mod = errorMagnifier, mod = ezDirt, mod = sDayZ.MinimalDisplayBars, mod = uaz2206, mod = zReBetterLockpicking, mod = QNW\_Ladder, mod = QNW\_QNWLibrary, mod = Mirror\_avator, mod = BetterMakeup, mod = Replace Bandage, 

Warning: extremely jaded and personal experience. Do not read if you're starting in this business.
I've been a wedding photographer for 5 years now. It's not that much, but it's more than enough to see what this business is all about. Photography is my passion and I will never get tired of it, but I'm officially done with weddings. No matter if I make a good living out of it - to me it's just a fking thankless job.
Here's the list of things I grew disgusted of:
- Having all of my spring and summer weekends locked months or year(s) in advance and missing all kind of personal happenings. All of my friends and family work in normal 9-5 jobs so when they rest and party on weekends, I'm out on a gig. I barely see them anymore. I even missed a funeral. Come on, there aren't many jobs in this world that takes up ALL of your weekends and prevents you from taking a day off on short notice - and I believe most of these important jobs get you a way bigger paycheck. I can't cancel the gig and say to the bride "hey I'm not coming to your wedding next week - here's your refund good luck finding another photographer."
I could have that "case of emergency" line in the contract... yeah, no. That would just make potential clients run away. Same for "I start booking dates only x months prior to your wedding.", I don't have enough inquiries to risk that kind of strategy.
I don't even have kids and I cannot imagine how horrid that life pace would be. Working 12+ hours on Saturdays and recovering from wedding-hungover on Sundays. When I think about it, I haven't met a lot of parents in this industry...
I'm missing my personal life as years go by, and even if I make a good living with that camera, it's just not worth missing my best friend's birthday or my brother's bridal party.
- The pressure and responsibility you have to endure, not missing any moment, constantly reassuring stressed out brides and grooms instead of photographing, the risk of having your camera fail on you during father & bride walking in the aisle, or tripping over some hyperactive running kid or drunk uncle bobs during reception...
- The overall saturation of the market, having to constantly improve your communication, SEO, etc... if you want to still be there next year.
- Getting paid in 2 times, I'm tired of receiving a split payment over 6, 12, 18 months. Without a constant rotation of clients over 2 years I can't get a decent living out of it. That's just adding more pressure and I personally hate that feeling of being paid in half over such a long timespan.
- It's not such a well-paid job, especially when you break it down to every hour you really put into effort, and when you have to face all of these responsibilities. If you start counting every hour you spent on your communication, updating your website, having all those meetings and calls and emails with the client, sending the contract, photographing the wedding, culling and editing photos, making the album, etc... it's just not worth it. I'm not even talking about the cost of gear you need in double in case something breaks during a gig, and all the other fees such as insurance, taxes... And yet I'm on the high-end prices in my country (starting price is $3000, while most of others photographers are $1000-1500). Oh and I hate brides constantly trying to negotiate prices as if you wanted to scam them, when they gladly hand over 4 times this amount to the caterer who will serve them bland frozen food.
- You get eventually physically injured out of it, holding that camera and carrying that gear all day long. I've seen old wedding photographers being completely broken. And it's way worse for videographers.
- It's one-time jobs only, you rarely get to work with the same clients again. So there's no real point building relationships with them (besides hoping word of mouth from them), unlike other types of professional photography. You have to start it all over again every time. And it's tiresome, especially if you're not that extrovert social type of person.
- Wedding industry is all fake and unfair, other vendors suck, they are unprofessional af, while most of them earn way more than you do without having to endure 10% of the responsibilities you carry on your shoulders. Bad caterer? No problem, it's down the drain 24 hours after anyway. Bad DJ? It's okay, everyone was wasted and danced like hell anyway. Bad wedding planner? The day just went along without her help (95% of wedding planners are useless pieces of sh*t anyway)
Oh and who's the ONLY vendor who can't call it a day after the wedding's over? You. The third wheel photographer who's the last to get contacted after the couple have spent all their budget, but who's also the only one who has to go back to them months after the wedding. And if the bride didn't like her wedding for any stupid reason, if you're unlucky she will blame you for it because you're the only one she can take off her hate on.
I also loved randomly finding my photos shared by other vendors - with filters, cropping, and ofc without tagging me. But hopefully most of the times they tag me when I kindly ask them. When their post is now burried in their feed weeks after they posted it.
- Entitled Pinterest bridezillas appearing more and more with stupid unrealistic expectations. The worst thing is that they are unpredictable. You can totally match with her during the first encounters, but she can turn into a monster during her wedding. I remember that bride who handed me over that 50 pages stapled ream of Pinterest styled shoot photos 1 week before the wedding. "We want this." girl you're getting married in march in northern France and you're showing me totally staged pictures taken in Tuscany in late summer, wtf.
You missed THAT one shot she never talked about with her uncle's brother-in-law's daughter who was just there 1 hour during reception? Or maybe the 218th guest is missing from your photos and you were supposed to have EVERYONE in your pictures? You better damage control that shit and pray she doesn't leave that 1 star review on your Google page - aka the end of your career.
- Culling thousands of photos. Editing hundreds of them. Or how to destroy your passion for photography brick by brick. Yeah, you can use AI softwares or hire someone but I don't think that's honest.
- Being dependent on the weather, when it rains you can be sure your photos will suck and bride gets moody.
- Ugly and fat brides. It's just impossible to make them look good in our pictures and it's a pain to edit them. They look awkward in every pose they do, especially when the husband is thin. Sorry for being an asshole on this one but come on we all think the same. If she complains that she doesn't look good in the pictures, good luck to you trying to explain without involuntary insults.
The only way I could picture myself going back into this job would be going luxury. Maybe I'll come back one day selling $30 000 packages for 6 hours coverage lmao. But even with mad money, I would still have to face most of the problems I'm now running away from.
So now I'm going into corporate photography/videography. I'm basically getting paid as much as weddings for 80% less work and none of the cons stated above. And strangely I get more fun out of it.
Wedding photography is the toughest of all photography jobs, I really respect senior photographers who have been doing it for 10+ years. I don't know how they do and I would never want to be in their shoes. This job is turning me into a bitter person and I must stop the process.
Farewell wedding photography, thank you for all you taught me.

(See the Known Issues post for 0.21.5 here.)
Shared by TGC on all major communication. Check out their tweet here:

Good news, Sky kids! 📣
We have a new patch update for Sky:
🌈 Days of Color
🎵 Days of Music
✨ Other improvements
See the patch notes for more 📬 bit.ly/SkyPatch0215

Patch notes transcript:
Greetings, Adventurers! In our latest update, prepare to head into the remaining Season of Passage quests, plus two colorful and musical events. We also introduce a feature to make it easier to get new in-game currency items during events, a new way to create music, plus another round of bug fixes.

The Final Lessons of Season of Passage Lie Ahead

The second half of Season of Passage is here! The final Seasonal Quests approach, with new lessons awaiting. As you progress through the quests, don’t forget to check in with the Passage Guide in Isle of Dawn. Not only will you be able to receive hearts and unlock masks, you may even find a prop you can use to share a game of footbag with other players.
The lesson of each Seasonal Quest is best experienced when completed with groups of other players, but all of these passages can be completed independently if desired. Except for the first quest, all quests are held at set intervals every 15 minutes.
Be sure to unlock expressions and exchange Seasonal Candles for any cosmetics you want from the Seasonal Spirits before the Season ends at 23:59 on June 25th (all times PDT, UTC -7). Content can be enjoyed by all players who have progressed to at least Hidden Forest.
Players with a Season Pass will also have the opportunity to unlock all items from the Seasonal Spirits and the Ultimate Gifts available through the Season of Passage Guide.

Introducing Event Currency

As you may have read in our recent blog post, in this update we’re introducing event currencies, a new category of currency to make it easier to get new in-game currency (IGC) event cosmetics. The aim is to make it easier to unlock new IGC event items simply by playing most of an event, without feeling pressure to save up Candles or Hearts in advance.
Event currencies can be exchanged for new IGC cosmetics or event-related spells. They can be found in the main area where the event is played, or in some cases, alongside the event’s themed daily quests, so you won’t need to go out of your way to add this currency to your inventory. In the levels, event currencies vary in appearance to fit the theme of their event. In your inventory, they'll appear as a ticket icon with a symbol on it that will be related to its specific event.
The basics:

• The currency for a specific event is available only while that event is being held.
• Currencies won’t carry over from one event to another, but enough are available during an event to unlock this year’s new IGC cosmetics.
• You won’t need to get all the event currency available every single day to unlock new event items.
• Currencies are placed in set locations each day, and their location in an event will rotate.

Event currencies have some similarities to Seasonal Candles. However, they have some key differences, like:

• At the end of an event, unused event currencies do not convert to Candles or anything else.
• From one event to another, there may be a different total number of event currency available each day.

Please note that there’s a limited amount of event currency available for each event, so if there’s a new IGC cosmetic you want, take note of how much event currency you’ll need to unlock it before deciding whether to spend a lot of that currency on event spells.
Be sure to check out our blog post and FAQ page for more info!

Rainbows Return in Days of Color

The most colorful time of Sky’s year is about to begin. From 00:00 June 1st until 23:59 June 14th, join in a celebration of the diversity that makes our shared world so vibrant. This year’s update further builds on the core themes that have been the focus of the event since its debut in 2020 as Days of Rainbow, celebrating diversity, hope, and above all making the world inside and outside of Sky more inclusive for everyone.
Two event guide Spirits greet a double rainbow in Home that offers Light to collect. Talk to them for the option of teleporting to where the main festivities will be held: an area high above Daylight Prairie, expanded specially for the occasion.
During the first eight days of the event, colorful platforms will gradually become available one-by-one. Charge them with the aid of other players, and once enough people have gathered to charge each platform, receive a reward of Light—or, once all eight platforms are charged, something even more lofty and brilliant. A nearby closet and magical spell-lending geyser can help if you need to make a quick cape change.
As you explore the event area and complete themed Daily Quests, keep an eye out for small iridescent, bubble-like spheres. These are the special event-themed currency you can use to unlock this year’s new IGC Days of Color cosmetic. Players can collect 8 every day during the event—and on days with themed Daily Quests, up to 12 each day! Explore a bit more on the weekends and you might find an extra bubble or two…
Note: The total number of event currency intended to be available during the event is affected by a bug. To offset that bug, we’ll add 8 event currency to the inventory of all players who log in during Days of Color. The only thing you need to do to receive this is to log into the game.
This year we’re proud to share that we’ll once again be supporting The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project’s programs include crisis services, education, peer support for people around the world, and other efforts to ensure young people can have the chance to thrive no matter who they are. You can read about our 2022 campaign with the Trevor Project here.
2023 Days of Color Campaign Items

• Dark Rainbow Pack $9.99 (all prices USD)
  • As a token of gratitude in return, 40 regular Candles are included with the purchase of this campaign pack
  • $5.00: Days of Color 2023 campaign
  • $3.00: platform fees
  • $1.99: development
• Rainbow Pack flower hair accessory: $19.99 (returning item)
  • As a token of gratitude in return, 75 regular Candles are included with the purchase of this campaign pack
  • $10.00: Days of Color 2023 campaign
  • $6.00: platform fees
  • $3.99: development
• Double Rainbow Pack flower hair accessory: $9.99 (returning item)
  • As a token of gratitude in return, 40 regular Candles are included with the purchase of this campaign pack
  • $5.00: Days of Color 2023 campaign
  • $3.00: platform fees
  • $1.99: development

Other Days of Color Items
The cosmetics below will be offered for sale or in exchange for in-game currency. They can be found from the event guide Spirits, or from the in-game shop. (Please note that these are not campaign items.)

• New This Year—Dark Rainbow Cape: 104 Days of Color currency
  • This is earned through our brand new event currency
• Rainbow Cape: 175 Candles
• Rainbow Trousers: 95 Candles
• Rainbow Braid Accessory: 20 Hearts
  
• New This Year—Dark Rainbow Tunic: $14.99
  
• Rainbow Earring: $2.99
  
• Rainbow Headphones: $9.99
  
• Rainbow Hat: $9.99
  

Free trial spells for all items are available from the Sleepy Traveling Merchant’s Boat in Home. For more details about this year’s Days of Color, check out our recent blog post!

Melodies and Harmonies in Days of Music

New songs are about to ring out to introduce a cozy event! From 00:00 June 26th until 23:59 July 9, Harmony Hall in the Valley of Triumph is hosting Days of Music, a laid back gathering for players of any (or even no) music experience.
A Jam Station in Harmony Hall allows you to easily create music of your own. This new feature lets you dabble out tunes for solos, duets, or even four-part ensembles with an interface that makes it simple to loop them together and adjust as you go along.
A group of four Spirits from the Seasons of Gratitude and Rhythm will also arrive for the occasion, each one offering an instrument to unlock. New music sheets have been added to the music sheet challenges, which will also give each Sky kid an extra boost of Light if they sit down to try their hand at one, no minimum skill level needed!
Two new instruments will be added to Harmony Hall's lineup: a saxophone for event currency, and a violin as an IAP added during the second half of Days of Music.
With the brand new event currency feature, we’re still working to make sure the final balance for everything will be in order—we’ll share those details on our News page closer to the start of the event, so stay tuned!
These event items can be found at the counter (or Spirit standing nearby it) in Harmony Hall:

• Music sheet: 5 Candles
• Harmony Hairpin: 50 Candles (returning item)
• Event currency items: stay tuned for details when the event approaches!
  • Marching Band Hat
  • Saxophone
• Planned to be available from July 7—Triumph Violin: $19.99
  • Please note that our recent development server accident may cause a delay in the violin’s release.
  • The violin will continue to be available after the event as well.

Apart from the music sheet, free trial spells for these items (and the violin, once available) can be found at the counter. Days of Music content is available to all players who have progressed to at least Valley of Triumph.

More Updates

• A lot of features that have been added to Sky are directly based on player feedback—expanding the Friendship Constellation, in-game translation, even being able to interact with Spirits with hugs and high fives (as just a few examples). The latest addition based on player requests: Huggable plushie props. Go forth and show love to your stuffed crab anywhere you go!

Developer Note: Many players love taking their plushie friends around Sky, so we added new ways to play with them! Plushies can now be picked up, hugged, and more. This is our first crack at the plushies and we plan on tinkering with them some more as we see players interact with them. Keep an eye out for more plushie updates in the future!

• A monument has been added to the Starlight Desert area of Vault of Knowledge in honor of a late beloved coworker, and others to whom we’ve had to say goodbye. “In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so, it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night.”

Improvements and Bug Fixes in this update include:

Highlights:

• Various improvements to reduce players being separate from their friends when meditating to go to the seasonal area of Isle of Dawn or to join the Seasonal Quests.
• Changes to make it easier for friends to teleport to a player in Festival Tech mode.
• In Festival Tech mode, a player's own avatar will not be obscured from view by avatars from the crowd.
• When standing near a player using the Do Not Disturb spell, the spell's icon appears above their head.
• Updated music sheet rotations in Harmony Hall.

Want to know more about some other fixes in this patch? Find further details below!

Season

• The Overactive Overachiever's hair no longer has a gap when worn with the chibi mask.
• Adjusted the alignment of the Tumbling Troublemaker's earrings.
• Fixed Isle of Dawn Temple music playing instead of seasonal music in that level's seasonal area.
• Update for timer text visibility in second Seasonal Quest.
• Adjustments to ultimate mask to reduce clipping with various hairstyles.

General Fixes and Improvements:

• [PlayStation] Savior achievement reliably granted.
• [iOS, Android, Huawei] Added the option for players on mobile devices to link their Sky account to a Steam account.
• Honking is very important, but not so important that it should interrupt Sky kids’ movement. So now, Sky kids no longer stop rolling, skipping, and doing any other traversal emote to stand up straight when they honk.
• Friends and others should correctly see the stance a player is using, and that stance should no longer reset to default when going between areas or restarting the game.
• Trial of Water opening cutscene is skippable.
• Friendship should raise you up, not pull you down, so we fixed the bug causing a player to sink underground if they accepted a friendship request or unlocked a friendship interaction while being carried by piggyback.
• Similarly, a player leading a friend by handhold won’t sink below the terrain when the person they're holding hands with dives deep underwater.
• When two Spirits are standing close to each other and a player opens one of their Friendship Trees and then selects the other Spirit, the display correctly switches to the Friendship Tree of the selected Spirit.
• Player will not leave edit mode if they tap outside of the keyboard when naming a Shared Space.
• When recording Shared Memories, chatting will pause the recording while the avatar is standing still. Chat is disabled during a recording when swimming, flying, or otherwise moving.
• Music sheets stop playing when you equip a new prop.
• Spirits in Harmony Hall now use their instruments properly during a jam session.
• Removed the mysterious invisible lead boots bug that made players walk underwater in one of the waterfall ponds in Sanctuary.
• Friendship menu now closes automatically when two friends swim away from each other.
• Duration of Kizuna AI STAR Pin effect updated from three seconds to 1 minute.
• Fixed a bug causing avatars that were sitting or lying down to stand up when using an emote.
• When a group of players is handholding or using piggyback, the players following in the chain will automatically attempt to join the Shared Space the group's leader is in.
• Even though red notification dots that never ever ever ever go away are surely the most beloved thing that could appear in a menu, we have ultimately decided that the red dot for new inbox messages should not wear out its welcome. Thus, that red dot now disappears after reading the message.

Audio & Appearance

• Fix to reduce flickering lighting on capes in bright environments.
• Reduced the sound effects radius of instruments being played by other players.
• Fixed a bug causing pillars and other objects in front of the first gate in Forest to be unusually dark or oddly lit.
• Fixed clipping issues with Nature sunglasses and Sanctuary sunglasses masks.
• Instrument no longer misplaced during the Hairtousle Teen's Spirit memory sequence, better suited to entertain us.
• When two friends follow each other in the AURORA concert, doing so no longer leads to visual corruptions in cutscenes or transitions.
• Fixed some missing and discolored polygons here and there, like behind the stage in the Village of Dreams Theater area and the Daylight Prairie Village area.
• Fixed some gaps and pits that could trap players in Eden, plus some other clipping issues with the terrain.
• Small fixes for visual effects affecting capes, with small changes such as gold diamonds on the Thoughtful Director's cape appearing metallic, and improvements to the visual recharge effect on the Season of Shattering Ultimate Light Cape.

Please refer to this page for known issues ongoing or introduced with this patch: Known Issues Patch 0.21.5
As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback, and encourage you to join the community discussion on our official Discord server at discord.gg/thatskygame!
^{Reminder I’m not TGC staff, just reposting their announcements :D}

Three days ago, my housemates were alive.
And I wasn't losing my fucking mind.
Three days ago, I awoke to my housemate, Misty, shaking me.
“Get up!!”
Misty was usually the last to roll out of bed out of all of us, so I figured it was something important. My housemate wouldn’t get out of bed for nothing. She valued her sleep—often comparing her bed to a safe haven. Her place of solitude. I was right there with her, until she startled me out of slumber. I opened my eyes to find her face roughly three inches from mine, her expression lit up with excitement I couldn’t justify this early in the morning.
She smelled of toothpaste breath and her raspberry scented body wash. Her thick black curls framing her face were still damp from what I presumed was a shower, hanging in tangled knots in front of wide, almost unseeing eyes. When I first met her, Misty Kang had been my crush for a while. With a Korean father and a Texan mother, she definitely caught eyes when we hung out. We had a thing in freshman year, which quickly fizzled out once we started living together. Never date your housemates.
I will just say that.
Over the last few years, Misty has become one of my closest friends.
When she knew I was at least conscious, my housemate was grabbing my arm and yanking me out of bed. “Get up!”
I was barely awake, and those were the only words I could fully distinguish.
I shooed her away for a moment and swung my legs out of bed, taking a minute to blink sunlight out of my eyes coming through the blinds. “Sam.” Misty was in front of me again.
I don’t think she understood the concept of being half asleep.
She wouldn’t leave me alone, waving her arms wildly. Her shadow under the soft morning light almost reminded me of one of those inflatable tube guys.
“Huh?” My voice was a low croak, and her smile widened.
“Guess who’s just scored tickets for an actual screening of the first five minutes of gameplay for the most anticipated game of the decade?”
“What?” Her string of words wasn’t making sense in my caffeine deprived mind. It just sounded like gibberish to me, initially.
Like we were in some cheesy commercial, she was the lead, and I was the confused NPC with the WTF expression. But when I went over it in my head, words started to slide together like a jigsaw puzzle. Misty didn’t get excited about video games. Well, she did. Though, my housemate was one to get excited on behalf of someone else. After living with her for a while now, I had concluded she was a follower.
By that, I mean whatever others thought or did or said, she copied it. If her Twitter followers were mad at bad takes, she would drop all of her own opinions on said follower and focus on what other people said. We had Korean barbecue for takeout the other day, and Misty clearly did not like it from the creased look on her face, and her very obviously spitting it politely into a napkin.
Jay, my other housemate, liked it.
And so did I. So, naturally, Misty announced she wanted more.
I had to watch her suffer through two more portions before she excused herself—presumably to throw up. Blinking at my housemate who was clearly excited for Jay, I resisted the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes.
“Slow down. What game? What are you talking about?”
I got out of bed and threw on my robe, half aware of the mess from last night on my desk. Another attempt to finish an essay which just wasn’t happening. The monster energy cans and takeout Chinese wrappers were embarrassing. I got a basic run-through as I headed downstairs with Misty right behind me, practically breathing down my neck. From what I understood, there was a Reddit post.
That was all I got from Misty’s squealing. She leapt down the stairs after me with a spring in her step. The clock above the front door told me it wasn’t even 9am. The smell of bacon, however, was quick to arise me from the dead.
Jay was in the kitchen making breakfast. I noticed his laptop was open on the table, and every so often he’d peer at it with wide, almost disbelieving eyes. Jay and Misty were complete opposites, which made them great people to live with. Jay was a quiet book who was slightly on the pretentious side, routinely quoting something philosophical to piss me off.
He had rich parents on the other side of the world, but the guy himself was fairly humble and had mostly detached himself from said family.
My housemate was usually well put together. In fact, I barely saw him in his pajamas, excluding game nights. That morning, however, he was a disheveled mess, still in yesterday’s clothes.
He offered me a grin. I glimpsed sauce from last night’s dinner still staining his chin. Jay hadn’t brushed his hair or even put on deodorant.
I caught a whiff of BO when he ducked in front of me, his gaze glued to his MacBook. It was rare when Jay ignored basic hygiene, so yeah, I was going to guess this was a pretty huge thing. “I did tell her not to wake you up, y’know.”
His slight aussie accent was always refreshing on a morning. Born in Australia and moving to the states when he was ten years old, Jay still had a slight tinge in his accent. I had seen pictures of his family, and the guy had definitely gotten most of his dad’s genes, thick brown hair, and freckles. While his dad was built like a pro wrestler however, Jay was leaner like his mom.
I shrugged. “I was already awake.”
“Liar.” He didn’t look away from his laptop.
Looking closer, I glimpsed the Reddit homepage.
“So, you have won something.”
Jay didn’t answer. I could tell he was excited by the way he could barely keep still, bustling around the kitchen, barefoot. “Coffee?”
His voice was more of a Misty-like squeak, and I half wondered for a moment if they had switched bodies, or he had at least become one with my other housemate through a chemical explosion. In our kitchen, which was yet to be cleaned after a cooking disaster several nights ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if something was living on the countertop. I nodded, slumping into a chair. “What’s going on? Why is Misty freaking out?” I nodded at his laptop. “She said you’ve won something?”
As if my housemate couldn’t hold it in anymore, he nodded, turning his screen towards me. “You know____, right?”
“Yes.” I sipped my coffee, eyeing a toaster strudel sitting on the countertop. "You mean the game which has been coming out for a decade."
He ignored that. “Well, what if I told you one of the developer’s posted on the official sub this morning?”
“For _____?"
He nodded with a grin, and I wondered it this was one of those rare times when Jay was blindly looking through a red flag to see what he wanted. I had heard of these types of scams, and Reddit was a breeding ground for them.
Gamers were pretty intense. I didn’t realize I was pulling a face until I caught his lips curving into a smile. Jay was usually the skeptical one.
“You don’t believe me.”
I downed my coffee to avoid replying. When I had drained the cup, he was still staring at me with amused eyes.
“What?”
“You think it’s bullshit.”
I shrugged. “You said it,” I said. “I’m pretty sure that game isn’t even partway through development. Didn’t Twitter leak a still last year? Also, they’ll be bringing out a new console before that game comes out.”
I leaned back in my chair. “It’s more of a pipe dream, at this point.”
“The leaks were fake,” Even he didn’t look sure. “Anyway, that’s not the point. One of the dev’s posted on the official sub this morning. He asked if we were all excited for the new game, asked if we could post some of our favorite NPC dialogue, and he’ll DM winners.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded at the screen. I had already checked my phone for an internet meltdown concerning this post, but there was nothing. “And where is that post now?”
Jay didn’t look at me. “It was deleted. So it only reached a certain number of people.”
“Oh, it was deleted?” I couldn’t resist a smile. “What a coincidence.”
When I laughed, Jay scowled, showing me his screen—navigating his trackpad to his Reddit DM’s.
To my surprise, there was actually a message from what I guessed was a throw-away account.
While I was skim reading the DM, Misty hurried in, all dressed and ready for the day. I peeked at her outfit from Jay's laptop. Cute.
Extravagant, but cute. My housemate cranked the radio up before bouncing between us, a toaster strudel hanging out of her mouth.
Misty was a living animated character. Ignoring her wide smile, I turned back to the screen. “Congratulation!!” The DM started with capitals.
It took me reading it twice to realize there was a clear spelling mistake. I sent Jay a pointed look, but he was too busy practically vibrating with excitement. If the guy had any more caffeine, he was going to explode. “Since when did winning DM’s start with a typo?”
“I knew you were going to say that.” Jay curled his lip. “They were clearly excited when typing the message.”
“But this is supposedly an official,” I said. “Surely they would make sure it’s professional?”
My housemate didn’t reply, shooting a look at Misty, who rolled her eyes.
“Wow.” I squinted at the screen. “I am so sorry for caring about your safety. You do realize these types of scam’s usually end up with you being sold on the black market, right?”
I shuddered. “I’ve heard horror stories about underground markets specializing in illegal organ harvesting.”
“Or…” Jay’s eyes were glued to the screen. “You could be happy for me?”
I frowned at the rest of the message, which was just a capitalized freak-out about the upcoming release of the game, before inviting Jay (and a friend!) to a five-minute preview of gameplay, as well as a Q&A. There was a location and a time, which was brow-raising. “10 at night.” I said. “Who hosts a gaming convention at 10pm?” I leaned my chin on my fist. “Unless they wanted to lure as many gullible people as possible, and ship them to some organ harvesting factory on the other side of the world.”
Jay scoffed. “That’s dark.”
“You’re actually considering going to a 10pm gaming convention in the middle of nowhere. I’m trying to wake you up.”
Jay nudged me that time. “It’s real. Relax.”
“And.” I pointed to the screen. “No phones? Why would they ask you not to bring your phones?”
“To stop us filming content,” Misty sang. “Duh.”
I groaned, leaning back in my chair. “You’re on his side? This is clearly shady!” I didn’t get mad unless something was seriously pissing me off, and this was one of those times. Jay was a smart guy. There was no way he was falling for this bullshit. I thought he was joking around when he spent the day tracking the location on Google Maps. I went to class like normal and got updates through text. At lunch, Jay agreed with me and said it was in fact shady, and he wasn’t going. By afternoon classes, he was texting me in paragraphs explaining his own skepticism but had found several “friends” on an online forum who were also going and had changed his mind once again. The guy couldn’t make up his mind. He was driving me crazy.
Misty sent me several videos of Jay pacing the kitchen with his MacBook in his hands. She was broadcasting his mental breakdown via Instagram stories. But then she started to send me pictures of herself in different outfits, asking me for my opinion on each one. At that point, I turned my phone off. My housemates had lost their fucking minds. I did my own research though, just to make sure I wasn’t actually going to lose them to a shady cult.
I searched for the game itself, but just as I thought, it was shown as still in development. Every “update” was just fan speculation.
There were YouTube videos and TikTok’s of fake leaks, but nothing was real. It was either AI generated, or badly edited. By the time my classes had ended and I had turned my phone on, I had a barrage of missed calls and texts.
Most of them were from Misty with her outfit changes, and Jay changing his mind again.
This time he was convinced it was all a scam, his texts full of typos and crying emoji's which he never used. Before it hit me that Misty was most likely using his phone to text me.
I was right. When I walked through the door, I was greeted by both of them sitting on the stairs. Misty was scrolling through Jay’s phone, while the boy had his head in his hands. According to Misty’s last text, he was back to being excited to go.
From the look on his face, eyes shadowed with sleep circles, light brown curls slipping from under his hood, I wasn’t sure what Misty meant by “excited”. The guy looked the complete opposite. His mind had been consumed by the game, and the idea of seeing new content.
When I dropped my bag and folded my arms, fixing the two of them with my best disapproving parent look, Misty jumped to her feet. “Sam!” she waved Jay’s phone at me. “Did you get my texts? We’re actually going now!”
The 100+ texts on both messenger and iMessage said otherwise.
I nodded, my gaze on Jay. “Both of you do realize it’s a scam, right?” I softened my tone despite growing progressively more irritated. We were grown adults, not kids. I could understand a group of teenagers falling for it, but two twenty-three-year-olds?
This time, I ducked in front of Jay. “Hey.” I pulled down his hood, and he groaned, burying his head in his knees. “I don’t want to freak you out, so listen to me, okay?”
I exhaled out a breath. “I’m not saying something bad is going to happen to you, because it most likely won’t—and yes, I admit I’m being paranoid.” When he lifted his head, blinking through bedraggled curls, there was a faint smile on his lips. “But.” I said. “You are most likely going to end up disappointed. Which I don’t want, because you won't shut up about it for weeks."
I was only partly joking.
For a moment, I thought my housemate was going to wake up, and nod, laughing at how crazy it was.
Before shook his head and jumped up.
“I’m going to take a shower, alright? I should start getting ready."
I admit, I exploded at him.
We argued while he was in the shower, and I paced up and down the hallway, coming up with multiple reasons why he was definitely going to die, and only two positives if it was in fact real. In the end, I gave up worrying all together. I didn’t say anything when the two of them were hurrying around looking for shoes and missing car keys. I didn’t realize they were gone until the door was clanging shut, and a text was coming through. I didn’t look at it until an hour later, and I had calmed down.
Jay: 1h ago: Stop worrying, lmao. We’re good! I’ll keep my phone just in case. I’ll make sure to avoid the organ harvesting 😉
Another from Misty a few minutes later: “Love you! Chillll, kay? 😭😭 It’s going to be fun! I’ll take pics!”
…
Followed by: “Oh shit, we can’t. I’ll try to sneak some!"
Attached to the text was a photo of the two of them. Misty with a wide smile and a peace sign, and Jay who looked like he was mid-shout, his eyes on the road.
Those texts were… at least comforting, I guessed. Maybe they were right. I figured I was paranoid, and they in fact would really be okay.
But that didn’t stop the anxious coil in my gut when I tried to force down takeout pizza. I attempted to focus on my essay to distract myself, but I couldn’t stop glancing at my phone, and checking Twitter. There was a hashtag on the DM, which was just “PlayStationGO.” When I searched for it, however, nothing came up.
Sure, it was a private convention and only a select few knew about it, but nothing could escape Twitter.
Somewhere, someone must be talking about it. After scrolling through endless tweets though, I realized I was wrong. There was nothing.
That put a bad taste in my mouth.
10pm came, and I held my breath all the way through a Netflix TV show I was forcing myself to watch, half asleep, slumped at my desk.
I could barely distinguish the plot.
I just had a vague idea of the character names, and some of their motivations.
Midnight passed, and I was struggling to stay awake.
I glanced at my phone.
No messages, just a notification from Spotify reminding me my favorite band was playing nearby.
1am.
Still nothing. I fell back to sleep.
2:48am.
This time, I stayed awake for a few minutes glaring at my phone before my eyes grew heavy.
3:16: am.
My phone buzzed with a text from Jay, but I could barely desipher it: "can't feel help my head hurts Canshdhsn727272_6798mi/!! _&go home please. (Sent from: PlayStationGo™️ BETA)."
3:27: am.
3:54: am. I was wide awake, blinking at a notification which had popped up from an unknown number. I was trying to figure out what number it was, when my phone vibrated again and I almost jumped out of my skin.
After a moment of hesitation, I answered it.
I was trying so hard not to think of the possibility of it being the emergency room, or even worse, the cops.
All of my worst nightmares had come true in a single second.
“Hello?” I whispered in a croak.
“Are they in the house with you?” The stranger’s voice came through in a hiss of interference.
His words sent my mediocre dinner lurching back up my throat. “What?” I managed to get out. “Who?”
“Your friends.” He said, and I leapt to unsteady feet, my gut twisting and turning.
“No.” I found myself taking slow strides toward the window, brushing back the curtain and peering out into the night. “Why? Did something happen to them?” I paused.
“How did you get my number?”
“That does not matter.” His voice rattled in my ear as I rushed downstairs, almost stumbling down the bottom two. “I need you to get out of that house. Now. Get as far away as possible.”
I could hear his rapid breaths.
He was driving. I could hear the rumble of the engine. With my phone pressed to my ear, I obeyed his instructions, pulling open the door and stepping out into the cool night, a brisk breeze grazing my bare arms was just enough to stop my thoughts spiraling.
I was barefoot, in nothing but a robe, staggering down the driveway. The night was calm and silent; our neighborhood was asleep, each window drowned in darkness. I couldn’t breathe, my clammy fingers wrapped around my phone, as this stranger broke down over the phone. “Whatever you do,” he gasped out.
“Do not, I repeat DO NOT remove the PlayStationGo—shit!! He hissed out, static rattling the call. The guy seemingly got ahold of himself, and the wheel, and continued. I started to walk—where I was going, I had no idea.
The stranger lit a cigarette. I heard the click of a lighter and his exhalation of breath. “It was a BETA version, but we had to rush it. This was not my idea. My boss is a greedy man. He wanted to release the game last year, which would have meant widespread infection. Luckily, that did not happen. We did manage to delay it, but only by a year.” His words barely made sense to me as I struggled to get a word in, peering in the dark. “It was supposed to be a virtual experience of the game—a whole new angle of gameplay. But testing was difficult. First, on monkey’s, we lost multiple subjects. Tonight was supposed to be a…well, I guess you could call it out first attempt on human subjects,” his laugh was bitter. “I knew the tech wasn’t finished. And I tried. Believe me, I fucking tried. I tried to blow the whistle, but these bastards know where my parents live."
Something squirmed its way down my spine.
“So my friends were lab rats?” I said stiffly. “You used them?”
I fucking knew it.
I knew it was too good to be true.
“Yes and no. Listen to me, the people I work for are hunting them down. Trust me, I don’t want my bosses to find them because a life of experimentation will await them. Torture. Do you hear me? It does not matter if subjects fail. They don’t care. As long as there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel for them, they will see it as a win, and bring the publication date closer. They will not be treated as humans. Your friends signed a contract before trying out the tech, where the small print stated that, under section 3, player engagement, all subjects must agree to offer themselves as participants in later updates. I silently cursed Jay for always skipping the terms and conditions when buying games." The man stopped to breathe.
“I have told you multiple times, and I won’t say it again. Get as far away from that house as possible. I will take care of them. I will make sure of it." The sound of squealing engines, and I stopped power walking, coming to an abrupt stop. The silence of the night around me, compared to the sound of the highway he was on, traffic horns and the wind rushing through the window was an eerie contrast, a disturbance to the heavenly bubble we were trapped in.
“What do you mean ‘take care of them?” I had to swallow a yell. “Hey! What are you talking about?
“I’m sorry.” Was all he replied with. “I’m afraid it is too late. There was once an opportunity to save the mind during the initial level of the demonstration. However, once the PlaystationGo has been fully attached to the base of the subject, we no longer have control of it. Once integrating itself into the cerebral cortex, the PlayStationGo can only be removed by signing out of the player’s account,” his breath was heavy. “On this unfortunate occasion, however, your friends are unable to navigate the system due to a malfunction which scrambled their brains,” He trailed off. “Which has left them stranded in the game."
I let out a breath. “Right.” I said. “That’s.. bad. I mean, it’s a fucked-up piece of technology, but they’re just playing a game, right?”
There was a pause, before the man laughed.
“Young man, I don’t think you understand,” he said. “The PlayStationGo was created to give the player a full virtual experience of our game. The PlayStationGo is not a physical object. Created with nanotechnology, it attaches itself to the subject’s brain and is supposed to create a personal gaming experience for each player. As I said, however, it is not finished. It is yet to be released to the public, and of course, we are expecting certain ethical arguments due to the controversial—”
I pulled the phone away from my ear, shaking my head. I didn’t need to hear his attempts at trying to save his own skin.
“You need to help them,” I whispered. “Do you hear me? Can you do that? Can you help them?!”
“That is what I am trying to tell you,” He said.
“I know you are upset and confused, and believe me, I offer my apologies. But you need to listen to facts. During initial testing, our subjects were conscious enough to know where their home was. We are unsure why this happens, though we have linked it to territory, as well as the main character of the game heavily influencing their actions. I have been tracking them from the testing facility, and they are incredibly close. Please get as far away from there as possible. If you are no longer in the vicinity of the house, I can end this quickly and quietly before we gain attention.”
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say. Maybe start fucking screaming at him, because he was talking about getting “rid” of my friends, after their mistake.
“Do you understand me?” He said, when I couldn’t reply. “Your friends are lost causes!”
Before I could answer, though, headlights were suddenly coming around the corner, and I found myself paralysed to the spot. The car which swerved twice, crashed into several trash cans, before reversing and coming straight towards me, was not Jay’s car. Jay’s car was an old hunk of junk he’d gotten from a scrapyard. Jay’s car had doors which were practically hanging off, and a stereo which exclusively played either static gibberish, or old tapes I had no idea how to use. This car was bright yellow, and definitely had an option to drive itself. When the car came to a stop, inches from careening into me, I lost all control of myself.
I was vaguely aware of my phone slipping from my fingers and hitting the sidewalk. But I was too busy staring at the two shadows in the front of the car. The driver, and the passenger.
And the muffled screaming coming from the trunk.
When the door swung open, a figure stepping out, I did not recognise my housemate.
The stranger told me I wouldn't, but I didn't believe him.
Jay had left the house in casual jeans and a sweater, bearing the game's logo.
Now, I found myself face to face with a man with my housemate's face and features, his smile and eyes-- but something had been severed in his eyes and twisted in his expression. For one, Jay was wearing a suit I knew he couldn't afford, the sleeves torn, collar pulled open, smears of red staining the front.
His pants had cufflinks, and the Rolex on his wrist had definitely been pulled off someone's corpse.
The silver was stained a revealing scarlet. Drinking in his face, he looked like Jay. His curls hung in front of his eyes, freckles speckling his cheeks, but everything else wasn't. It wasn't until I was glimpsing what was moulded into the flesh of his hand, did I remember how to move. But then I was taking all of him in, everything my mind had intentionally skipped, because I didn't want to believe the stranger on the phone. Nanotechnology, the man had said in a hiss.
Fiction, I had thought.
Before I saw the reality of it, a writhing metallic like substance glued to the guy's temple, and slowly, very slowly, inching down his cheek, already forming around the bridge of his ear, a very faint blue light flickering.
Something must have alerted him. His cavernous eyes left mine, and he twisted his head—and I heard the sound of his neck snapping, his head lolling to the left slightly, his eyes flickering. I watched his whole body seem to sway back and forth, ready to fall forwards.
Before the newly formed device on his ear turned red, then green.
It was almost like he was… rebooting. As if coming back to life, Jay lifted his head at an awkward angle, before looking straight through me. The blood vessels in his eyes had popped, rivulets of red beading down his face. He should have been dead, I thought. No. No, he was dead. That… that thing was keeping him alive. “Well, shiiiittt,” he said. I could sense the game dialogue which had taken over him, forming on his mangled tongue.
“I’m a man on a mission.”
In jerking movements, he turned and marched back towards the car, opening the door, and sliding into the front seat.
I remembered how to move, ducking to grab my phone, before something slammed into the back of my head—and I saw stars.
I didn’t remember hitting the floor, only the soft sound of her voice, a seductive murmur repeating NPC dialogue, and her kitten heel sticking into my spine, forcing me onto my face.
Misty. I was expecting her to get it over with. But when she dragged me to my feet, sticking the barrel of a gun into the flesh of my neck—I figured she was still playing the game.
Twisting around to meet her eyes, lifeless and empty, only filled with light from the device which had taken over half of her face, I felt sick to my stomach. This thing wasn’t a games console or a virtual reality headset.
It was an attempt at coercing and programming something you already don’t understand, to do something impossible.
I could see that in the way the things had visibly chewed and eaten through her flesh, devouring her from the inside and out. I could see what was left of the dress she had worn earlier, but something must have gone wrong with her too. Because Misty had thrown on another outfit over the top, a diamond necklace hanging from her neck.
I caught a thin river of red pooling down her right temple, trying to ignore the twitchy way she moved, just like a character. From the way Misty walked, stumbling, I already knew she was gone. My housemate had newly acquired strength, throwing me in the trunk of the car where three other hostages were, and slamming it shut on my attempts to reason with her. She didn’t tie me up or restrain me.
In the dim light I could just make out though passing streetlights, I could see the trunk opened from the inside. Which was too easy.
Still though, Jay was driving recklessly, and every time I tried to throw the damn thing open, I was knocked backwards, rolling into a screaming girl, who was bound by her hands and feet. It took me multiple attempts before I had the trunk open, freezing cold air blasting me in the face. I untied the other hostages, but when I told them to come with me, they just stared blankly at me, and continued begging for their lives—and it only took me glimpsing what was attached to their temples, a familiar writhing metal plate, for me to understand. They too were playing the game. This time, as NPC hostages.
I found myself gingerly touching the trembling metallic flesh of the girl's fingers bound in rope. It had a slimy consistency, and I swore, I felt something bite into me.
No way, I thought.
This thing was sentient, yes. But it wasn't living.
Listen, I wish I could tell you what it was like to jump out of a moving car, but I can’t.
I remember it as lunging out of the trunk, hitting the freezing cold air, before hitting the ground head first, neutron star collisions exploding in the backs of my eyes.
What I do remember is waking up on the side of the road. Hours later. The sky was bright blue, a scorching sun blinding me when I managed to force my eyes open.
The early morning rush hour flew by as normal, and I wondered how ignorant American people had to be to ignore someone knocked out on the side of the road.
It’s not like I was nowhere near civilization. There was a fucking Subway right next to me.
When I had gathered myself, I remembered I had no phone. I couldn’t go home in fear of running into my rogue housemates playing their own fucked up version of _____ in their head. My plan was to try and find my phone, get in contact with the stranger who blew the whistle on my friends being dangerous, and find them. They couldn’t be far., right? And even if they weren’t themselves… someone would be able to save them.
If someone could do this to them, surely they could reverse it.
I felt sick, tired, and I was starving.
So, with some loose cash I’d found in my pocket, I bought a Subway and a Coke.
The woman at the counter smiled widely at me. She leaned forward, with a wink. “Nice cosplay!”
Cosplay?
I didn’t understand what she meant until I swore I felt something… move its way up my pant leg. I ignored it, and it happened again, this time it felt like something was… biting.
A bug, maybe? I had been laying on the side of the road for around six hours.
When I went to the bathroom, though, I found myself staring at an all too familiar glint of silver creeping its way across my temple. Like it was sentient, parts of it sider webbed towards my ear while the rest writhed into my hairline.
I pulled up my pant leg again, and there it was, a fungus-like metal substance which had already formed in two solid metal masses on my knees. I remember grazing two fingers across the thing beginning its slow feast of my flesh. I remember trying to pull it off, hissing in pain when I risked ripping off my own skin with it. I remember shaking my head and being in denial, even when the lights dimmed above me, and the bathroom door in front of me became more of a shadow. When I strode back through the Subway store, I began to see slight flickers of light above each person, highlighting something not quite there yet.
I could see it already starting, beginning to take over my thoughts. Cars which sped past were suddenly highlighted, and at the corner of my eye, if I concentrated, the outline of a map was starting to appear. Even now, when the room is almost completely taken over by shadow, and my thoughts are half my own, and half not—when a metallic device is beginning to form over my eyes—I know if I hold on, this thing won’t take me. I have considered killing myself, but that wouldn’t… be right.
How could I kill myself when there is so much left to do?
This developer was right. I don’t even know where I can sign out. There’s what looks like the beginning of some kind of index when I look up, but it’s not… finished. I can still see entangled pieces of code struggling to load what I’m guessing was log out. Whatever this thing is, it’s taking over me. Fast. Like a fungus, like a virus, it will not stop until it’s dragged me into the game, until it's leeched itself onto me.
I can feel it happening right now. It's been slow.
Almost painfully slow.
But maybe that is the point. Maybe part of the game is to feel my own thoughts beginning to unravel in favor of something else entirely.
Fuck.
Time is going by…. Fast.
Five minutes ago… I was trying to get home. But I can’t remember where I live.
I can’t concentrate.
I can’t think straight.
I have a phone—but I don’t know how I got it. Did I steal it?
Every time I move, the slowly emerging map comes to life at the corner of my eye jerks with my movement. There is a car parked nearby.
I know it belongs to the man with a child.
But a confusing blur of light is highlighting it to be something of importance. Reality is crashing in front of me, replaced with contorting shapes and bursts of color I have to blink through.
I keep hearing... sirens.
Jay is messaging me.
On what, I'm not sure.
But I need to find him.
I’m sure one mission won’t hurt, right?