I've been meaning to do this for awhile as I've found the info regarding backpacking without a car in the NYC area lacking, half-baked, or in practice, untrue. The thread in the sidebar is excellent, but AT focused. I'll see a post that say take this bus service to a certain town and taxi to the trailhead, but what it may not say is that there is no service to call a taxi on arrival or that line only runs on weekdays that direction. Not to say I won't be repeating common knowledge as I definitely will, but hopefully you'll find something in my logistics useful for planning your own ventures sans car.
A little bit about me: I am a lightweight backpacker (slowly working on dropping my last few ounces) living in Queens, NY. I generally love the public (and private) transit in NYC metro area, although it always could be improved and there are aspects that are deeply frustrating, large and small. In addition to not having a car, I also work a 9-5 job; this and future trail reports will reflect that I often only have a weekend to enact my plans.
The Escarpment Trail

• AllTrails
• Direction: SoBo
• Miles in total: ~26
• Nights: 1

Buy a ticket on the Trailways bus line from Port Authority to Windham, NY. On Saturdays, there is a bus that departs at 8am. That is the one you want. The Trailways' stations are in the bottom of Port Authority, terminals 28-34. Double check your bus is correct with the attendant as the what is on the directory and what terminal they're actually leaving from may be at odds. When boarding, tell the driver that you want the Escarpment Trailhead Parking lot, which is slightly before Windham; in between Windham, East Windham, and Hensonville; after Cairo; on route 23. If you pass Smitty's Nursery & Landscape on the left you've gone too far. I didn't know you could ask the driver to drop you off at a non-designated stop, but he said it was okay as long as its on route. I'm assuming this is a driver by driver thing, but as long as you're not an ass about it, I bet they'll say yes. However, I did not know this perk until a woman request to be let off before Windham, and I got off with her and proceeded to backtrack to the trailhead on route 23. If you have to walk the shoulder, maybe you can hitch a ride, but you'd be luckier than me.
Make sure you have water. At the trailhead there is a stream. There is no water after that until 0.4 miles past Dutcher Notch, which is ~12 miles away.
Starting from the first sign off 23, the trail is very well marked (until North South Campground), simply follow the blue markers. A commenter on Alltrails writes:

If you can get Wyndham and BlackHead out of the way on the first day the second day is pretty smooth after the initial climb out of the notch. Amazing view after amazing view.

Views translate to ascents. Climbing Blackhead was confirmed steep and arduous after already hiking 9 miles. But this is the hardest climb during the trip, so once summited, it's all smooth sailing. Day 1 clocked about 11 miles (excluding walk to the trailhead).
I camped somewhere on the backside of Arizona Mountain overlooking the valley. It was gorgeous, but unexpectedly buggy for no water nearby and a slight breeze. If you're hiking this in two days one night as I was, you need to get to around the Notch. In the notch, there is an intersection between the Escarpment trail (straight), the Colgate Lake Trail (right), and the Dutcher Notch Trail (left). A short ways down the Dutcher Notch Trail there is a spring (a pipe in the rock) where you can filter water. This is the last place to filter water before North Lake.
Not much to report for the first half of the day; the Catskills are beautiful. There is a very cool plane wreckage. The Escarpment trail gives views to the NorthEast, and often times you can see the Green Mountains, the Whites, and the Berkshires, depending on the clarity. Eventually you'll reach North Point on North Mountain. Here, you'll start to encounter day hikers staying at NorthSouth Campground. I was fairly alone for most of the path; some families at the start, a few day hikers going to Windham High Peak, but very few backpackers. Which imo is preferable; I like the solitude. The frequency of day hikers increased the closer you get to the campground, but most of them were heading out as I was heading in, and only one had a bluetooth speaker.
Reaching North Lake, you are a jungle person breaching civilization. People are grilling and getting stuff out of their SUVs, while you smell and swim in your skivvies. Or at least, that's what I did. After a nice dip, find the blue markers at the back of the campground. There is no more markings for the Escarpment Trail although you're still on it. The signs will say to Catskill Mountain House Site and to Boulder Rock. Stay on the blue markers.
Eventually you'll come to Kaaterskill Falls. I only went to the lookout not the base, as I was unsure how much more walking I'd have to do and I was anxious about the time (around 2pm, the bus back was 5:55pm.) Also Kaaterskill Falls was overrun by tourists, which are different than day hikers. I can't complain as Kaaterskill Falls has been a tourist attraction since the mid 1800s, but after two days in the peaceful woods, I wasn't keen about been around all the activity.
Instead of finishing the Escarpment Trail at Schutt Rd. Parking Lot, take the Kaaterskill Rail Trail to the Haines Falls Train Station. Its about a 1.5 miles of pathway that brings you back to route 23A. At 23A, take a right and walk along the shoulder for about 2 miles into the town of Tannersville, NY. On 23A, stop at the Twilight General Store for an optional ice cream, however the key stop is Bear & Fox Provisions in Tannersville. Great selection of beer and cider, one of which the proprietor brews from apple trees from the side of the road.
Catch the 5:55pm Trailways bus from outside the pharmacy (5980 Main St.), which after a brief stop in Kingston, returns to Port Authority. I would recommend buying both ticket ahead of time as I had varying degrees of mediocre service the whole trip. Day 2 clocked about ~14 miles (including walking to Tannersville)
The Escarpment is great trail for the experiences hiker. Like other Catskill hikes, it's as beautiful as difficult. It's very possible to do it in a weekend, but a slower paced individual or group may want to do it in three days, two nights which may affect bus times and accessibility. Enjoy a carless excursion and remember to bring an eye mask and ear plugs for the bus ride.
imgs

Seeing how I was downvoted in the last post with the characters getting perks, now I will make quotes of the characters getting guns. There are two types of guns that I think would do well, wall guns and box guns. There will be seperate quotes for each weapon or type of weapon depending on the character and we will do this in character order. Depending on the size of the map, the box will move every few guns made when someone gets a teddy bear. Now remember, this is the Jingle to the Mystery Box.
Takashi Komura
"Well an over under Shotgun, don't see if this can be much help?" Purchasing the Olympia
"At least I can try to figure out what to do with this, I think Rei has a better idea than me." Pruchasing the M14
"Something to keep me light on my feet, might be running back and forth to get more ammo for this." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"Well a Pump action, wait wasn't this supposed to have a scope?" Pruchasing the Stakeout
"Well if my legs want to, I guess I can keep running or ditch one of these." Pruchasing the Mp5k, MP40 or AK74U
"A little boy with his favorite toy!" Purchasing the M16
"Explosive barricades, might come handy in a pinch." Purchasing Claymores
"Restocked and ready for more!" Purchasing grenades
"Wait why is there a knife digging into my inventory space?" Purchasing the Bowie Knife
"Well sensing something happy that this box will give me. I would take my chances." Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"AUG more like AUG-SOME!" Getting the AUG from the box
"Wow this must be heavy, I don't think I want to develop problems from carrying this thing for too long." Getting a light machine gun from the box
"Time to blow some heads off!" Getting a Shotgun from the box
"Fighting me up close isn't fair, and now I get a SNIPER RIFLE?!?" Getting a Sniper from the box
"Now the entire crowd will have to see what someone like me has in store!" Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"Don't know if this would be much use?" Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"God why are you so cruel some times?!" Getting a Pistol from the box
"Don't know if its one or two?" Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"Wait what is this supposed to do again?" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"Wow this should be interesting." Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"Just you and me my fuzzy pal, now lets go kill some zombies." Getting monkey bombs from the box
"Hey box! FUCK YOU!" Getting a teddy bear from the box
Kohta Hirano
"A shotgun with the highway in its barrels, I can't see if this would cause an accident." Purchasing the Olympia
"Hey this used to be my favorite gun to get from the wall." Pruchasing the M14 or MP40
"Ammo count is low and the rate of fire isn't going to help." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"Well if they want to get up close and personal, I'm ready for them." Pruchasing the Stakeout
"Hey looks like I got something light and portable. Time to watch this kid run." Purchasing the Mp5K or AK74U
"This is a little off balance... wait doesn't this thing come with an underbarrel grenade launcher?" Purchasing the M16
"Now I want to be careful as this might trip someone up." Purchasing Claymores
"Well now I don't need to wait between rounds to get more grenades." Purchasing grenades
"I think this thing was useful for the first ten rounds, why did it have to become obsolete?" Purchasing the Bowie Knife
"Well me and my friends would always bet 950 on the Mystery Box." Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"Well someone could say I am happy." Getting the Commando from the box
"Time to go full Rambo on the zombies." *Laughs* Getting a light machine gun from the box
"I bet there is one where you can dual weld a Shotgun." Getting a Shotgun from the box
"Do you really think I need to be across the map for the perfect shot?" Getting a Sniper from the box
"No refunds from this party cannon zombies." Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"What am I supposed to do with this? Go down?" Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"I try my best to accept everything I can get in life but this something I don't want to take." Getting a Pistol from the box
"Akimbo with these things? This could be interesting." Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"This brings back fun memories!" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"This looks... odd... I bet it can be useful." Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"I remember I wasn't fond of that mister monkey." Getting monkey bombs from the box
"Why did someone like me have to roll that dreaded teddy bear?" Getting a teddy bear from the box
Rei Miyamoto
"I am happy and ready to fight!" Purchasing the Olympia
"Wee! This is my favorite rifle!" Pruchasing the M14
"I wish I could hold another one of these with my other hand." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
*Laughs* "Look at this pitful thing, it was very expensive if we aren't to pay for its upkeep!" Pruchasing the Stakeout
"One two three four, these guns are in my... how does it go again?" Purchasing the Mp5k, MP40 or AK74U
"I don't like the mechanics of this gun." Purchasing the M16
"I completely forgot what these did again." Purchasing Claymores
"Strapping extra explosives to my body is a good idea? Right?" Purchasing Grenades
"Well time to stab and slice them to ribbons! Ribbons for Takashi." Purchasing the Bowie Knife
"Well if someone says fortune could make a lady like me smile, this could mean first love." Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"A nice cushion for my chest." Getting the FN FAL from the box
"I would definitely lay down and mount this thing to my body." Getting a light machine gun from the box
"Birds, seeds, slugs, deer. This has it all." Getting a Shotgun from the box
"Definitely reminds me of the scope of my rifle. I want to mount it to the M14." Getting a Sniper from the box
"Definitely want to take down the horde with this." Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"Gah I don't like using knives up close." Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"Why do you hate me box?" Getting a Pistol from the box
"Hooray! This makes me very happy!" Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"This is... MINE!" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"Wee! This weapon would look to be a lot of fun." Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"A fuzzy little friend for someone like me." Getting monkey bombs from the box
"Where are you going box, did you dump me or something? Do you not like me?" Getting a teddy bear from the box
Saya Takagi
"Argh, I'm not a fan of double barrels." Purchasing the Olympia
"Who wants to reform the M14 Gang?" Purchasing the M14
"A little gun but it should have a deadly output of lead!" Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"Time to make their little heads go... boom!" Purchasing the Stakeout
"Something to keep my time occupied with their moans as they collapse to my feet." Purchasing the Mp5K or AK74U
"The MP40! WUNDERBAR!!" Purchasing the MP40
"A three round burst of... DEATH!" *Laughs maniacally.* Purchasing the M16
"Time to see their legs shatter into a hundred pieces!" Purchasing Claymores
"This makes a girl like me very happy." Purchasing grenades
"I don't know who Jim Bowie was but he must have been BIG and LONG and SHARP!" Purchasing the Bowie Knife
"Something like this would make someone as crazy as me but I want to hear them scream while they fall to my knees!" Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"Seeing something as strange as Kraut magic that makes the zombies go pop will make me smile with glee!" Gertting the G11 from the box
"So much lead, so much death!" Getting a light machine gun from the box
"So much fun in these tiny little shells." Getting a Shotgun from the box
"An excellent engineering piece... for zombie on the stage with me at the balcony seat." Getting a Sniper from the box
"I will be drowning in all of their body parts!" Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"The surgeon's favorite tool. Ze Doktor is in!" Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"A doctor's tools are numerous but this is one I wouldn't use." Getting a Pistol from the box
"Oh wow! Time to use these to harvest their organs!" Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"Glowing green balls are my favorite tools to perform an amputation. TO THE LEGS!" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"Blowing them away with infinite damage isn't as fun as painstakingly taking them apart with finite damage." Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"My little monkey friend. Shall we go kill the hordes of the undead. YES VE SHALL!" Getting monkey bombs from the box
"All right fine! If you don't want to keep my medicine in check then you are fired!" Getting a teddy bear from the box
Saeko Busujima
"A good gun to start us off. Wait why does it have to be a shotgun?" Purchasing the Olympia
"Now this is something a warrior's desires should be taken into consideration." Purchasing the M14
"Nice and feather light. Divine wind would sweep over me." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"Why would I need a shotgun? Shouldn't I be slicing and dicing instead of blasting holes into them?" Purchasing the Stakeout
"They say a true honorable warrior's kit is full of useful tools. This should satisfy my needs." Purchasing the Mp5k, MP40 or AK74U
"This thing should be full auto right? I am not one of a controlled bursts." Purchasing the M16
"Land mines for the honorable warrior to protect herself. This should be interesting." Purchasing Claymores
"I am glad to be restocked. I wouldn't have many ways to keep myself in fighting condition." Purchasing Grenades
"Now this is an honorable weapon to killing the zombies with." Purchasing the Bowie Knife
"A warrior's basic tool to fighting the undead, I lust for the blood to be spilled!" Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"This is considered the best of the best. I would certainly have to make do and keep fighting." Getting a Galil from the box
"A warrior has to be nimble to fight. This is too heavy for my tastes." Getting a light machine gun from the box
"Eh... not my favorite." Getting a Shotgun from the box
"I can't do much with this, I am no coward." Getting a Sniper from the box
"Can be exciting, can be not. To be fierce or not to be is my question." Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"Oh look two knives. I am pretty excited to see this." Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"It turns out the wretched box doesn't recognize my honor." Getting a Pistol from the box
"It's not like having two guns pleases me. I can barely control even one." Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"Can this... device... be of any use for a warrior like me?" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"The warrior is now invincible!" Getting the wonder weapon of the map
*Chuckling* "The Emperor would be amused!" Getting monkey bombs from the box
"You wretched teddy bear. You bring all misfortunes to the entire group!" Getting a teddy bear from the box
Shizuka Marikawa
"Why do I always have to make the wrong choice and get the shotgun early?" Purchasing the Olympia
"A brutal way of dismembering them piece by piece. Wait it's my job to help patch them together?" Purcashing the M14
"Definitely a side arm I want to keep as a back up. I wish there were more automatics like this." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"Takashi would like this to be used as a medicine dispenser." Purchasing the Stakeout
"Something that requires two hands to hold. It's like taking Zeke for his walks." Purchasing the Mp5k, MP40 or AK74U
"I wish I had one of these in Rika's weapon locker." Purchasing the M16
"Be careful and don't drop them." Purchasing Claymores
"Well I needed more of these like a shopping list." Purchasing Grenades.
"A cooking utensil for using it on them." Purchasing the Bowie Knife.
"Standard with every shipment." Getting an Assault Rifle or Spectre from the box
"This weapon wants to make me G16GL3." Getting the Famas from the box
"Concealing something as big as this makes it hard to carry at least I'm big enough to carry it without problems." Getting a light machine gun from the box
"They often say fun things come in small packages those packages are the ammo." Getting a Shotgun from the box
"I wouldn't be so useful if I was so far away." Getting a Sniper from the box
"Boom boom time!" Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"I heard this thing is excellent to bring downed team mates back from the grave. Now time to wait for someone to need my help." Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"This gun doesn't bring much joy to me." Getting a Pistol from the box
"Two pistols? I don't know what to say." Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"Wait what does a nurse with a strange weapon like this is supposed to do again?" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"I guess we seemed to have luck on our side no?" Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"Aww he's so cute. I want one of these in my office." Getting monkey bombs from the box
"Wait you're leaving? Okay have a nice day box." Getting a teddy bear from the box
Alice Maresato
"Why would there be a gang with this gun, it's not good for anything." Purchasing the Olympia
"A beautiful piece of machinery, maybe good for points." Purcashing the M14
"This will get expensive in the long run, I do not suggest purchasing." Purchasing the MPL or PM63
"I can see this being helpful getting rid of that one zombie in front of me." Purachasing the Stakeout.
"Come baby we do the 59, eh?" Purchasing the Mp5k or MP40
"I can declare that this is my favorite gun from the wall." Purachasing the AK74U
"Second best to put them down in a controlled manner." Purchasing the M16
"I will surround myself in these to form a barricade, they won't be able to reach me!" Purchasing Claymores
"Well I would always fall in love with Semtex grenades as they just stick to them like glue." Purchasing Grenades.
"EEEK! I knife almost the size of me!" Purchasing the Bowie Knife.
"Well there isn't a rifle that I don't like. I would like them all." Getting an Assault Rifle from the box
"Okay guys I'm all set up until round 35." Getting a Galil from the box.
"Hey the box really loves me!" Getting the Spectre from the box
"I... can't... carry... this!" Getting a light machine gun from the box
"Time to blast some holes in those stiffs. I definitely want to see them fall." Getting a shotgun from the box.
"I can't tell if the AK74U, Galil, Spectre is now my favorie because this has outranked them all... probably not. I still love the Spectre." Getting a SPAS-12 from the box
"Hello beautiful I will cock you gently." Getting a Sniper from the box
"Is it really safe for me to use this? I definitely want them to explode." Getting an explosive weapon from the box
"I feel I want to immediately trade this for another gun." Getting the Ballistic Knife from the box
"Well gun you did it, you made Alice cry!" Getting a Pistol from the box
"Two guns is better than one and one is better than... what?" Getting dual wield pistols from the box
"My old friend, shall we kill some zombies? Yes Alice yes we shall!" Getting a Ray Gun from the box
"They will see what they will fear from a little girl such as myself!" Getting the wonder weapon of the map
"I would prefer Gersch Device or Matryoshka Dolls over this monkey!" Getting monkey bombs from the box
"Hey guys, the box disappeared, what... what are we going to do?" Getting a teddy bear from the box
What more quotes should I make? I definitely have had some fun making this as this would explain more about the characters in how I wrote them. I would like to hear your suggestions.

Pine needles brushed across Paul's arms as he charged through the trees with his bugout bag slung over his shoulders. Weighing in at forty pounds, it hardly slowed him down as he’d practiced this hike many times. He flicked his wrist and checked his Garmin Solar 2 Tactical Watch. The timer read: 2:23.
“You can do this, Paul.” He increased the pace and gritted his teeth, the weight finally having an effect. Paul bounded over a small creek, up a rolling hill, and pushed through a row of baby birches into a clearing. He doubled over to catch his breath and looked at his watch one more time. Two hours and twenty-eight minutes. Paul pumped his fist in victory.
After a short break, he approached a thorny bush in the center of the clearing. Paul brushed aside sand at the bush’s trunk, revealing a yellow rope. He pulled it, which lifted a hidden door in the ground covered with dirt, shrubbery, and other camouflage on the top side, and drab gray iron on the other. Underneath, wooden stairs descended into darkness. Paul retrieved a flashlight from his pack, clicked on the beam, and disappeared into the earth.
At the bottom of the steps, Paul faced a steel door and a combination lock. With several quick swipes of the dial, he opened the lock and tugged the metal door, which creaked as it cracked open. Paul flashed the beam on the offending hinges and shook his head. Something to fix later. He stepped into the secret chamber and pulled a hanging aluminum chain that turned on a large halogen light, illuminating a twenty-foot by eight-foot metal rectangle. The exposed corrugated walls revealed the bunker was nothing more than a shipping container. Paul buried it two years ago and had divided the interior into three spaces. The entry had a shelf with four dozen gallon jugs of sealed water along with a portable toilet, stacks of toilet paper, and a wastebasket. The middle section was the main living area and contained a futon, a TV with a DVD player, and a neat collection of movies underneath. A nightstand housed a small library of books, including the Bible, The Art of Meditation, Buddhism for Dummies, and other spiritual tomes. The back area of the unit had two shelves filled with canned food—black beans, green beans, peaches, peas, carrots, beef, and chicken. There was also a stationary bike, which was Paul’s proudest accomplishment because he had rigged it to a giant battery that provided power to all the electronics.
Paul was a prepper, and this would be his home when the end of the world came, an event he believed was imminent. The global economy was a house of cards built on greed, corruption, and inflated asset prices, but worst of all, it was based on a faith in paper and digital money.
His fear was triggered four years ago when he attended a lecture by a professor who explained the fragility of the world’s financial system. If a few banks failed, it would rattle people’s confidence, causing a herd-like response. Thousands of people would rush to withdraw their cash, which the banks no longer had because they’d invested it. The banks would either fail, and everyday folks would lose their life savings, or the government would print new money to replace the missing money, making all money worth a lot less. Anyone holding dollars would attempt to convert them to other assets.
Just like dominoes, the banks would topple over one by one, and as they crashed, people’s faith in money would crater. After all, what was money? It was just paper with printed images and numbers that we’d all accepted as having value. More recently, money had become numbers displayed on a computer screen, something Paul knew firsthand as he spent the first seven years of his career working at a regional bank in Asheville, North Carolina. Paul could literally change someone’s net worth with a few keystrokes. He could turn a pauper into a millionaire, or he could bankrupt the richest account holder. Sure, there were safeguards, but all were built on faith, which Paul believed was misplaced. Most people didn’t realize that the Federal Reserve only required each bank to hold at least ten percent of its deposits as a reserve. Ten percent. That’s it. The rest of the money was invested in loans or other financial instruments. As the rich bank owners and executives pushed for bigger and bigger returns, they invested in riskier and riskier assets. The lessons from the financial crisis of 2008 had been forgotten.
Once the monetary system collapsed, the entire economy would become paralyzed. Without a means of exchange, transactions would halt. Think about it. If someone tried to give you a slip of paper that you thought was worthless, would you give them anything of value in return?
The doomsday scenario would escalate. Food and water prices would skyrocket, but with no way to purchase them, many would starve. But people don’t just roll over and die, they would riot and take what they need to survive. Marshall Law would be implemented, but citizens would revolt against the government they felt had cheated them.
As Paul listened to the lecturer that fateful day, a depressing epiphany struck. Everything he’d learned and everything he’d spent his life acquiring was worthless.
Growing up, Paul had been taught the value of money, saving, and planning for retirement. He internalized these lessons as a teen after his father got sick and lost his job. His mother had died when he was very young, but his father still managed to provide him with a stable childhood, even though they were barely middle class. When his father fell ill, Paul witnessed firsthand how fast a family could sink into financial trouble, which couldn’t have come at a worse time. He was applying to colleges, and instead of choosing the one he liked best, he chose the one that gave him the most financial aid, which turned out to be a small school half-way across the country. He also didn’t choose a major he was excited about; he chose the one that would offer the safest financial prospects—economics with an emphasis on banking.
The distance from home meant that Paul didn’t see the rapid deterioration of his father. It wasn’t until he returned for the funeral that family friends told him how the disease had spread. His father had refused to let anyone tell Paul because he didn’t want that to distract Paul from his studies.
After graduating, Paul accepted a job at a bank, and immediately signed up for the company’s 401K match. Most college graduates can't grasp retirement when they enter the workforce, but a 401K match was free money. Over the next several years, Paul worked diligently to advance his career while saving most of his salary. He’d mapped out his life on an excel spreadsheet and calculated that he’d be financially secure at 53.
Everything went according to plan until that damn lecturer came along and blew it up. Sifting through the rubble of his grand scheme, Paul realized that in the new world order, he possessed no skills to survive. The savings he’d so meticulously built up would have little to no value. When the economy collapsed, he'd be like a baby, unable to do anything for himself.
After a week of wallowing in despair, Paul rallied himself. “I can still fix this” became a daily mantra. To start, he threw himself into survival classes. The first was a basic camping course where he learned how to create shelters and start a fire. The next class was more advanced and focused on water purification and building snares for small game.
Paul continued working at the bank, because he needed to pay for the classes and survival equipment he began hoarding, but on his next vacation, he put his training to the test. He planned to camp for a week in the Appalachian Mountains, but the temperature swings, especially at night, were too much. Paul lasted three nights in the wild. The humbling experience forced him to admit that he wasn’t a bushman. His depression returned until he stumbled upon an article about “preppers”—individuals who prepare for end of world disasters. Suddenly, things made sense. He didn’t need to abandon all the comforts of modern society. He needed to prepare for the end of the world the way he had planned for retirement.
As Paul traveled down the rabbit hole of prepping, he uncovered an underground society of people like him who knew the truth about the world’s demise. Of course, not everyone believed it would end because of an economic collapse. Some thought a nuclear war would destroy civilization. Others feared electromagnetic pulses from the sun would wipe out all modern electricity. And still others worried a massive volcanic eruption would spew enough ash and soot into the air to blot out the sun. There was no shortage of theories about the world ending, but one thing was clear. The world would end. Did it matter how it happened?
Paul began his prepping quest by purchasing ten acres an hour and a half outside of Asheville. It had plenty of small animals and a creek running through the middle. He then transported an unused cargo container to the land and buried it. This was the toughest part of the plan because it required heavy equipment. Next, he dug out a staircase and installed a steel door at the entrance. Finally, he furnished it with a mix of modern comforts and survival essentials.
Almost every weekend, Paul trekked to his underground sanctuary and made improvements. He also planned his bugout strategy. When the end of the world hit, he figured he needed to be safely hidden in his home within two and a half hours, a time he had achieved with this latest trip. Everything was set, and Paul could finally relax. He was prepared.
Paul slumped down on his futon and considered playing a movie or cracking the bottle of Jim Beam whiskey he stored in a special cabinet, but he shook off the urge. Those things were the rewards and comforts he’d enjoy after the world ended. His fingers rubbed the top of the Bible, something he planned to read cover to cover once the global economy cratered. He’d have plenty of time then to discover his spiritual side, but not now. Something else needed to be done. Something he’d missed.
The biggest mistake a prepper can make is assuming he had everything covered. This was the lesson taught by Yannis, the guru of the prepping world. He was so well-known within the doomsday community; he only went by one name. The guy was sharp as a whip and could live off the land, if necessary, but he preferred a more sophisticated lifestyle, so he created a luxurious cave that contained backup systems for all his backups. Food, water, shelter, and electricity were all taken care of, and it was projected that Yannis could survive ten years comfortably after the apocalypse. His famous blog titled “ABP” stood for Always Be Preparing. It was a motto Yannis lived by and something Paul aspired to, but as he sat in his bunker after the relentless hike, fatigue set in. He didn’t want to think about prepping or his bugout strategy. He wanted to just be.
Paul tilted his head back onto the futon’s cushion, and a loneliness crept into his mind. All his prepping left little time for relationships. He dated off and on in college, but it was never anything serious. It wasn’t like his high school sweetheart, Kristin Summer. They dated junior and senior year, but then Paul broke it off when his father got sick. Paul couldn’t focus on romance, and he knew the relationship wouldn’t have worked when he left for school 1,500 miles away. It still hurt when he learned from a friend that Kristin started dating Derek Gorman, an old classmate Paul hated. It hurt even more when he found out they had gotten married.
After college, Paul joined a couple of dating sites, but he hadn’t used them in over two years. Most women wouldn’t understand his prepping lifestyle, at least that’s what he feared, so he rejected dating before anyone could reject him. But most wasn't all, and with eight billion people on the planet, there had to be someone for him. Almost without thinking, Paul pulled out his phone and opened “My Match,” the site where he’d had the most luck. His profile still had a photo from his early banking days. He was clean shaven with a naïve smile. The face staring back in the picture differed greatly from the bearded survivalist he’d become. Would anyone consider a relationship with the new Paul? Only one way to find out. He snapped a selfie, uploaded it, and then updated his hobbies with the first being “prepping” followed by “survival skills training.” He finished by pressing the button that showed he was actively looking for someone. All he had to do now was wait.
After spending the night in his bunker, Paul checked the dating site in the morning. No response. “It was a stupid idea,” he told himself, and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He locked his container and returned home.
Over the next two weeks, Paul received zero requests for a date. He didn’t even receive a message from anyone to start a conversation and test the waters. “Shake it off, dumbass,” he said alone in the confines of his cottage-style home. “The world is going to end, anyway.” He clenched his jaw and did what he always did. He researched more ways to survive. Paul poured over blog posts and imagined worst-case scenarios. How could his water be contaminated? Maybe he should bury some caches of water. What if someone finds his shelter? Maybe security cameras were needed. What if he gets lonely in his shelter? No ideas came to mind.
After his eyes got tired from reading, Paul clicked out of his browser, and the list of all his apps stared at him. For reasons unknown to him, he opened Facebook, something he hadn’t done for months. There were a handful of notifications and a couple of friend requests sent weeks ago. His heart raced when he saw the name of one—Kristin Summer. When he accepted, he saw she was on-line right then.
Should he message her? Would that be weird right after accepting her request? But wasn’t it weird that he hadn’t responded for several weeks? He pulled up the messenger and typed. “Hey. Sorry for the delay in accepting your request. Hadn’t been on Facebook in a while. Been busy. Hope you and Derek are well.”
He curled his lip in disgust as he typed Derek’s name and considered deleting it, but he took the moral high ground and hit “send” with his message unaltered.
Kristin Summer. Just the thought of her name brought a smile to Paul’s face.
Bing.
The sound alerted Paul to a response, which he read out loud. “Hey Paul. Good to hear from you. Derek and I divorced a little over a year ago. It was rough at first, but it was for the best. How are you?”
Paul’s eyes widened with shock and excitement. He couldn’t believe Derek was so stupid to let Kristin go. Paul could at least blame their breakup on his father’s illness. His fingers prattled away on the keyboard. “Things are amazing.” He stopped typing. That was a lie. Should he pretend like things were great or should he be honest and tell her about his prepping and the end of the world? Neither option sounded appealing. He tapped the keys without writing until he settled on something uncontroversial.
“Working at Trinity Bank in Asheville. It pays the bills. Where are you?”
Within a minute, the sweet sound of the notification binged. “I’m not too far away in Durham. If you’re ever in town, let me know.”
If you’re ever in town, let me know.
Paul couldn’t believe his eyes. Was Kristin asking him out? He shook his head. Nah, she’s probably just being polite. But maybe. If there was any chance, he had to find out. He chewed his lip and deliberated his next response. Fortune favors the bold, he told himself. Then he remembered Matt Damon telling people that in the now infamous commercial for FTX months before its collapse. When that occurred, Paul thought it was the beginning of the end, and he lived in his bunker for two days before emerging and finding the world still intact.
Paul clenched his fist. It was still good advice, and he had to try. Almost involuntarily, he typed, “I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon. If you want to get together, let me know.” His finger hit send before he could talk himself out of it. There was no qualification in the message. No waffling or hedging. It was clear Paul wanted to see Kristin. The only question now was whether she wanted to see him.
The next ten minutes felt like ten days. Paul paced back and forth with his hands over his head, and he glanced at the monitor every few seconds, just in case his ears had missed the notification alert.
There was nothing.
A dark depression filled the room. Why had he gotten his hopes up? What was the point, anyway? The world was going to end.
Bing.
Paul leapt to the computer and his eyes widened with each word he read. “How about a lunch at The Fig Tree Restaurant on 7th?”
People overuse the word literally, but Paul at least felt like his jaw was literally on the floor. He had a date with Kristin Summer, the one woman he had loved. His hands rattled away at the keyboard. “See you at 1 tomorrow.”
“Holy crap,” he muttered to himself.
Panic replaced his excitement when he imagined sitting down and talking to Kristin. What would he say? “Hey Kristin, what have you been up to? Oh me? I’ve been working at a job I hate and planning for the end of the world.”
He drifted into the bathroom and stared at the scruffy character in the mirror. Paul could only cringe at the thought of Kristin’s reaction upon seeing him. She might not recognize the bearded loner who resembled Ted Kaczynski more than the short-haired, clean-shaven teen she last saw.
Only one thing to do.
Paul had to prepare. He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of clippers. He began trimming his beard and mustache as short as the clippers would allow. Next, he applied a generous amount of cream and shaved all of it off. Paul smirked at the young man hiding under the shabby beard, but it still wasn’t enough. He set the guard on the clippers to a four and began shaving his head. In college, Paul cut his own hair to save money, and the skill came back to him quickly. He dropped to a three and worked in a fade on the sides and then finished with a two. Paul turned to the left, then to the right, and assessed his work. Not bad.
Next thing to prepare was his outfit. Paul slid the door of his closet open and evaluated his choices. A banker’s suit was too stuffy, and his mountain man denim was too hermit inspired. He yanked the clothes aside and climbed deeper into the recesses of his wardrobe until he found a nice buttoned-down shirt and a dark pair of slacks. It gave just the right vibe of successful and stable, while not trying too hard to impress, even though that was his precisely his goal. Paul laid the selection on the chair by his bed. Durham was a three-and-a-half-hour drive away, and he wanted to make sure he got there with time to find parking, and maybe use the restroom. He set the alarm on his iPhone for 6 a.m. That would give him plenty of time to take a shower, have breakfast, and get dressed.
There was no chance of falling asleep easily. His mind raced with thoughts, questions, and various scenarios about what the day would bring. To relax, he poured himself a double whiskey, which he downed with a single slurp. He poured another and sipped.
Kristin Summer. He shook his head, still in disbelief.
As the effect of alcohol set in, Paul laid down on his bed and shut his eyes. Tomorrow would be a good day.
Paul slipped into a deep, satisfying sleep until his mind jolted him awake. It was past 6 a.m. He didn’t know how he knew. He just knew. Paul had slept through his alarm. He snatched his phone off the nightstand, but it was out of battery. He checked his watch and saw it was 7 a.m. There was still time to get to Durham.
Paul jumped out of bed and into the bathroom. He flicked on the light switch, but nothing came on. Paul toggled it on and off, but the outlet was dead.
Police sirens wailed in the distance. Paul meandered out of his house and onto the front lawn. Aside from the sirens, there was an uneasy stillness. Paul’s neighbor Kurt ran out from his home with two suitcases that he flung into the trunk of his car.
“Kurt. What’s going on?” Paul asked.
“Fort Knox was bombed. All the gold was obliterated. And something happened to the electricity and the internet. They shut it down.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, man, but it’s not good. No one has access to news, no money, nothing.”
“Where are you going?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know. Somewhere isolated. I’m just hoping there are no more bombings or other attacks.” Kurt jumped into his car and sped away.
This was it. The world was ending. All of his preps were about to pay off. But what about Kristin? Paul didn’t want the world to end. If he tried to get Kristin, there was no chance he could reach his shelter before things get hairy. Plus, there was no way he could find her. He didn’t have her address, and she might have already left Durham for somewhere safe.
Paul forced himself to focus on his plan. This was what he had prepared for. He dashed back inside and changed into his camouflage gear, grabbed his bugout bag, and then sprinted to his truck. He drove through his neighborhood and reached the main road. His shelter and plans were to the left. Kristin and the unknown were to the right. The whites of Paul’s knuckles flared as he gripped the steering wheel. Now was not the time to waffle. He turned left and hit the accelerator.
Paul gritted his teeth and raced down the street. Keep going. Keep going. He urged himself on. Almost involuntarily, his foot slammed on the brakes. Paul couldn’t do it. He’d planned for the worst all his life, and while he sat alone with the engine idling, he had to admit the truth. He’d lived all his life in fear.
Paul yanked the wheel and turned around toward Durham.

Wish List: Teslas below, AA/SS/1S melee below, rare apparel/masks, or Vanguard Scout armor with +Strength/Cavalier
I still need the following Teslas: H/50c/25,,, Jug/50c/25,,, Med/50L/15r,,, Troub/50c/25
I still need the following AA/SS/1S melee: cultist blade,,, gulper smacker
Complete Trade List: (Thank you for your time browsing this huge list!!!)
FIXERS: AA/25/15r,,, AA/25/15v,,, AA/50c/15v,,, AA/50vhc/25,,, AA/50L/25,,, AA/AP/25,,, AA/E/Dur,,, Ari/25/15r,,, Ari/E/15r,,, Ari/E/25,,, B/25/15v,,, B/50L/25,,, BAP/25,,, Exe/25/25,,, Exe/50c/25,,, Exe/AP/25,,, Exe/E/25,,, F/50c/25,,, GouE/25,,, GS/50c/25,,, GS/E/25,,, H/50c/25,,, Jug/50c/25,,, Jug/AP/25,,, Junk/25/15r,,, Junk/50c/15v,,, Junk/50c/25,,, Junk/50L/25,,, Junk/AP/25,,, Junk/E/15v,,, Med/25/25,,, Med/50c/25,,, Med/AP/25,,, Mu/AP/25,,, MS/50c/25,,, MS/AP/25,,, N/AP/25,,, N/E/25,,, Q/25/15r,,, Q/25/15v,,, Q/AP/25,,, St/50c/25,,, St/AP/25,,, St/E/25,,, Su/50c/25,,, Su/AP/25,,, Su/E/25,,, T/50c/25,,, T/AP/25,,, TS/25/15r,,, TS/25/15v,,, TS/50vhc/25,,, TS/AP/25,,, V/AP/25,,, Z/25/25,,, Z/E/25
HANDMADES: AA/E/15v,,, Junk/25/15r,,, MS/E/25,,, Mu/E/25,,, Mu/50c/25,,, Q/50c/25,,, Q/50vhc/25
HEAVY WEAPONS: AA/25/90 AGL,,, AA/25/15r Cryolator,,, AA/25/90 Harpoon Gun,,, As/25A/90 Fatman,,, As/25/90 Gatling Plasma,,, B/E/Gho 50cal,,, B/25A/90 Cryolator,,, B/50L/90 Cryolator,,, B/25A/90 Missile Launcher,,, B/50vhc/90 Missile Launcher,,, B/50L/90 AGL,,, Exe/50c/15r Flamer,,, Exe/25A/90 Gatling Plas,,, Exe/E/25 LMG,,, F/50c/25 Cryolator,,, Q/25/15v LMG,,, Q/50L/90 Minigun,,, TS/25/15r Gatling Gun,,, TS/25/25 LMG,,, TS/E/25 Minigun,,, V/25/15r 50cal,,, V/25A/90 Cryolator,,, V/25/25 Gatling Gun,,, V/50L/90 Harpoon Gun,,, Z/E/90 LMG
MELEE: AA/SS/1S Death Tambo,,, AA/SS/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, AA/40P/1S Gulper Smacker,,, AA/SS/1S Pole Hook,,, AA/50c/15v Power Fist,,, AA/SS/1S Super Sledge,,, Ari/SS/1S Shovel,,, Ari/SS/1S Sledgehammer,,, As/40P/1S Chainsaw,,, As/40P/1S Drill,,, B/SS/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, B/SS/25 Gulper Smacker,,, B/SS/25 Meat Hook,,, B/SS/1S Power Fist,,, Exe/40P/25 Drill,,, Exe/50c/1S Power Fist,,, Ext/SS/1S Drill,,, F/40P/40 Chainsaw,,, GS/SS/1S Chainsaw,,, I/SS/1S Death Tambo,,, I/SS/1S Golf Club,,, I/SS/1S Super Sledge,,, Junk/SS/1S Assaultron Blade,,, Junk/SS/1S Security Baton,,, Mu/SS/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, MS/SS/1S Shishkebab,,, Su/SS/1S Spear,,, Su/SS/1S Tire Iron,,, Troub/SS/1S Bowie Knife,,, Troub/SS/1S Golf Club,,, V/SS/1S Combat Knife,,, V/SS/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, V/SS/1S Pole Hook,,, V/SS/1S Sledgehammer,,, Z/SS/1S Fire Axe,,, Z/SS/1S Knuckles,,, Z/SS/1S Pipe Wrench
RAILWAYS: AA/50c/25,,, AA/50vhc/25,,, AA/E/15v,,, AA/E/25,,, Ari/25/15r,,, B/50vhc/25,,, B/E/15r,,, B/E/90,,, F/50c/25,,, F/E/25,,, GS/25/25,,, GS/50c/25,,, H/50c/25,,, I/25/25,,, I/50c/25,,, Junk/E/25,,, Q/50L/90,,, St/50c/25,,, Su/E/25,,, TS/50L/25,,, TS/50vhc/25,,, TS/50c/15r,,, TS/AP/25,,, TS/E/Dur,,, V/25/25,,, V/50c/25,,, Z/E/90
TESLAS: AA/25/15r,,, AA/50L/15r,,, AA/AP/25,,, B/25/Gho,,, Exe/25/15r,,, Ext/25/15r,,, F/25/15r,,, I/25/15r,,, Q/25/250,,, Q/AP/25,,, TS/25/15r,,, TS/25/25,,, V/25/250,,, V/25/Dur,,, V/50L/15r,,, Z/25/15r
AA/25/25 Assaultron Head,,, AA/50c/15v Crossbow,,, AA/50L/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, AA/25/25 Gamma Gun,,, AA/E/15r Hunting Rifle,,, B/AP/25 Compound Bow,,, B/25/25 Gauss Rifle,,, Exe/50c/25 Combat Rifle,,, Exe/50c/25 Double Barrel,,, Exe/E/25 Hunting Rifle,,, Exe/E/25 Lever Action,,, F/50c/15v Compound Bow,,, F/E/25 Double Barrel,,, F/50c/15v Thirst Zapper,,, GouE/25 Double Barrel,,, Gou25/25 Lever Action,,, GS/50c/25 Gamma Gun,,, Jug/E/25 Combat Rifle,,, Jug/50c/25 Laser Rifle,,, Junk/50c/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, Mu/50c/25 Crossbow,,, N/25/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, N/50c/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, Q/50c/25 Assaultron Head,,, Q/25/15r Combat Shotgun,,, Q/25/15r Plasma Rifle,,, St/50c/25 Crossbow,,, St/E/25 Single Action Revolver,,, Su/25/25 Radium Rifle,,, TS/25/15r Combat Rifle,,, TS/50c/25 Combat Rifle,,, V/25/15r Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, V/50c/25 Bow,,, V/AP/25 Crossbow,,, V/50c/25 Gauss Rifle
ARMOR: Aristocrat's Heavy Robot left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Assassin's Heavy Combat right leg with Strength/Sentinel,,, Assassin's Heavy Raider left leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Assassin's Marine right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Assassin's T-45 right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Assassin's USA left arm with +25 Poison resist/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim Heavy Robot right leg with +25 Cryo resist/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim Raider Power left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim USA right arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim USA right arm with AP/WWR,,, Auto Stim USA right leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Auto Stim USA right leg with Strength/WWR,,, Bolstering FSA chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Bolstering FSA left leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Bolstering Marine right arm with +25 Cryo resist/Sentinel,,, Bolstering Sturdy Combat left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Bolstering Trapper chest with AP/Cavalier,,, Bolstering Trapper right arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Bolstering USA left arm with 7%LED/FDC,,, Bolstering USA left leg with slowed hungeWWR,,, Bolstering USA right leg with Agility/Cavalier,,, Bolstering USA right leg with Charisma/Sentinel,,, Chameleon FSA left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Chameleon Heavy Leather right arm with AP/WWR,,, Chameleon Marine right leg with AP/HDT,,, Chameleon Raider Power right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Chameleon Robot chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Chameleon Trapper left leg with AP/Cavalier,,, Chameleon USA chest with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Chameleon USA left arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Chameleon USA left leg with +25 Cryo resist/Sentinel,,, Chameleon USA right arm with 7%LED/WWR,,, Chameleon USA right leg with AP/FDC,,, Cloaking Raider Power right leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Cloaking USA right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Exterminator's FSA right arm with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Exterminator's FSA right leg with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Ghoul Slayer's FSA right leg with AP/Cavalier,,, Life Saving Combat left leg with AP/WWR,,, Life Saving Trapper left leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Life Saving Trapper right leg with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Life Saving USA left arm with AP/Cavalier,,, Life Saving USA right arm with +25 Poison resist/Sentinel,,, Mutant's Excavator left arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Mutant's FSA chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Mutant's FSA left leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Nocturnal Excavator right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Nocturnal Marine right arm with AP/Cavalier,,, Nocturnal USA right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Combat left arm with +25 Cryo resist/Cavalier,,, Overeater's Excavator right leg with Luck/Cavalier,,, Overeater's FSA chest with Endurance/Sentinel,,, Overeater's FSA right arm with Luck/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Heavy Combat left arm with 7%LED/JWR,,, Overeater's Heavy Metal left leg with Strength/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Heavy Raider left arm with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Overeater's Heavy Raider left leg with Charisma/WWR,,, Overeater's Heavy Robot chest with +25 Rad resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Heavy Robot left leg with Agility/WWR,,, Overeater's Marine left leg with slowed hungeWWR,,, Overeater's Marine right leg with +25 Fire resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Metal left leg with +25 Cryo resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Robot right leg with Endurance/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Trapper left leg with +25 Fire resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Trapper right arm with Luck/WWR,,, Overeater's T-60 left arm with +25% Env resist/WWR,,, Overeater's T-60 left arm slowed hungeWWR,,, Overeater's USA chest with +25 Cryo resist/HDT,,, Overeater's USA chest with Intelligence/Sentinel,,, Overeater's USA left arm with +25 Poison resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's USA left leg with Agility/WWR,,, Overeater's USA right leg with slowed hungeFDC,,, Overeater's Wood left arm with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Regenerating Heavy Leather right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Regenerating Heavy Raider right arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Troubleshooter's Excavator right arm with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Troubleshooter's Marine left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Troubleshooter's Sturdy Metal right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Unyielding FSA chest with Intelligence/Dur,,, Unyielding FSA left arm with Charisma/Cavalier,,, Unyielding FSA left leg with AP/FDC,,, Unyielding Heavy Combat chest with Strength/HDT,,, Unyielding Heavy Combat right arm with +25 Poison resist/JWR,,, Unyielding Heavy Combat right leg with 7%LED/Less limb dam,,, Unyielding Heavy Leather right arm with AP/HDT,,, Unyielding Marine right leg with +25 Fire resist/WWR,,, Unyielding Metal chest with AP/HDT,,, Unyielding Metal right leg with AP/Cavalier,,, Unyielding Robot right arm with Agility/Sentinel,,, Unyielding Sturdy Leather left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Unyielding Sturdy Metal left arm with +25 Rad resist/Sentinel,,, Unyielding Trapper right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Unyielding USA chest with Charisma/Cavalier,,, Unyielding USA left arm with +25% Env resist/Cavalier,,, Unyielding USA left leg with Charisma/Cavalier,,, Unyielding USA right leg with +25 Poison resist/JWR,,, Unyielding Wood chest with Luck/Cavalier,,, Vanguard's Excavator right leg with Intelligence/Cavalier,,, Vanguard's FSA left arm with slowed hungeSentinel,,, Vanguard's Heavy Leather right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Vanguard's Heavy Robot right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Vanguard's Marine right arm with AP/HDT,,, Vanguard's Sturdy Robot left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Vanguard's Sturdy Robot right leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Vanguard's USA chest with Luck/Sentinel,,, Vanguard's USA left arm with Intelligence/Sentinel,,, Vanguard's USA right arm with AP/Cavalier,,, Vanguard's Wood chest with Strength/Sentinel,,, Weightless USA left arm with Strength/Sentinel,,, Weightless USA right leg with AP/Cavalier,,, Zealot's USA right arm with AP/WWR,,, Zealot's USA right leg with AP/WWR
PLANS: Alien Blaster,,, Assault rifle,,, Barbed walking cane,,, Baseball bat rocket,,, Baseball bat searing puncturing rocket,,, Bear arm,,, Bear arm heavy mod,,, Boxing glove lead lining,,, Camo Backpack,,, Cave cricket tube,,, Deathclaw gauntlet,,, Dense marine armor torso,,, Dense trapper armor torso,,, Fire station bell,,, Flannel shirt & jeans,,, Hatchet electro fusion,,, Junkyard fountain,,, Machete sacrificial blade,,, Meat Tenderizer,,, Nuka girl area rug,,, Pepper Shaker,,, Pitchfork flamer,,, Protective lining marine underarmor,,, Protective lining raider underarmor,,, Puncturing pole hook,,, Radioactive barrel,,, Raw cement barricade,,, Scorchbeast queen plushie,,, Scorched tube,,, Shielded lining casual underarmor,,, Shielded lining marine underarmor,,, Shielded lining raider underarmor,,, Ski sword skate blade,,, Skiing outfit,,, Sledgehammer heavy searing sharp rocket,,, Small vault girl statue,,, Snallygaster plushie,,, Spiked walking cane,,, The Fixer,,, T-60 BOS knight paint,,, TV Aquarium,,, Ultracite emergency protocols,,, Undershirt & jeans,,, Vintage water cooler,,, WV state bird rug,,, Yao Guai tube,,, Cutting fluid recipe,,, Fasnacht donut recipe,,, Fasnacht sausage recipe,,, Healing salve Cranberry Bog recipe,,, Healing salve Mire recipe,,, Formula P recipe,,,Stimpak Diffuser recipe,,, Tato salad recipe
APPAREL: Asylum Uniform Pink,,, Clean Spacesuit,,, Emmett Mountain hazmat suit,,, Garrahan Foreman Outfit and Helmet,,, Grey Fishermans Overalls,,, Hunter's Long Coat,,, Longshoreman Outfit,,, Skiing red and green outfit,,, Straight Jacket Clean,,, ,, Winter Jacket and Jeans
CHEMS: Addictol: 180,,, Berry Mentats: 638,,, Buffout: 1507,,, Calmex: 532,,, Daddy-O: 1059,,, Day Tripper: 793,,, Disease Cure: 415,,, Mentats: 1000,,, Overdrive: 542,,, Psycho: 2794,,, Psychobuff: 1360,,, Psychotats: 1201,,, X-cell: 342
FOOD: Canned meat stew: 65,,, Pepper: 2522,,, Salt: 925,,, Spices: 1407,,, Sugar Bombs(w/rads): 378
MODS: Enclave plasma aligned flamer mod,,, Enclave plasma aligned sniper barrel mod,,, Enclave plasma severe beta wave tuner

Growing up, I remember it all vividly: any time my friends or I got too close to the shed, my dad would come out hollering and yelling, telling us to stay away from there and that it was no place for kids. He told me he had expensive tools and dangerous chemicals stored there. As a child, I didn’t question it. It was just one of those things. In my mind, I had been born into a world where the sun rises in the east, breakfast is the first meal of the day and the shed stays locked. They were all true, self-evident and simply the way things existed in my young mind.
But as I grew older and eventually moved off to college, I began to question the shed more. My father still wouldn’t let me look in there. In fact, he kept the sole key on his person at all times. Even when he slept, he would keep the key in his pocket.
Then, during my second semester at the nearby state university, I got a call that every son or daughter dreads. I was attending a lecture on anatomy when my phone lit up, ringing silently in the great, crowded hall. Looking down, I saw it was my brother’s number. I went outside, lighting up a cigarette and answering it.
“Hello?” I said. “Gil?” My brother answered immediately.
“Luke, thank God you answered,” he said. “It’s dad. He’s being taken to the hospital. He had some sort of medical emergency. Can you meet us there? In maybe twenty-five minutes?” I said I would, hanging up. I grabbed my stuff in the lecture hall and made my way to my car. Twenty-two minutes later, I pulled into the hospital.
It was too late, however. My father had died of a heart attack on the way. He was declared dead on arrival.
***
We ended up inheriting the house. Our mother had died of breast cancer ten years earlier, so Gil and I were the last two of the Mortin bloodline. My brother was a good guy, though somewhat of a waste case, constantly smoking weed and dropping acid. He had a tendency to travel out far across the country without notice, moving around to see nature or go to music festivals. That is, when he had the money. And since he worked as a freelance writer, he was often broke.
He really wanted to get at the money dad had left us. He wanted the money from the house most of all. He told me repeatedly that it would be enough to tide him over until he got a footing in the writing industry, that he just needed to make a name for himself and then the money would start rolling in. He had his heart set on it. He would write anything that he could make money off of, from horror stories to romances, short stories to novels, even technical manuals or freelance journalism articles. As we walked to the house together for the first time in months, he repeated this mantra to me again: “Just enough to tide me over, Luke…”
“I think you’re probably going to burn through the money that Dad left you,” I said. “Why don’t you get a real job and just write on the side?” He gave me a sideways look.
“Did you see Hunter S. Thompson getting a ‘real job’ while just writing on the side?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yeah, he was a journalist…” I began as we walked into the house, but we both stopped simultaneously when we saw what was on the coffee table. It was all of Dad’s possessions he had when he died. They were placed neatly in a line- his wallet, his phone, his car and house key, some cash, and last of all, a little shed key on a thin, leather chain.
“What do you think is really in that shed?” I asked. Gil looked at me, pale and wide-eyed in the dark living room.
“I don’t really… I don’t know if I want to find out,” Gil said, whispering as if he were in a church- or a funeral home. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him gently.
“Of course we need to find out,” I said. “You and I own this property now. We should go look right now.” He breathed in sharply.
“No, no, don’t be an idiot,” Gil whispered. “It’s dark now. In the morning, we can go together. In the morning. You have waited twenty years to find out, I think you can wait a few more hours.” But there was something pleading in his voice, something scared and child-like. It reminded me of when I was scared as a little boy at bedtime, telling my dad there were monsters in the closet, and he would go to open up the door, and I’d tell him to stop, that they’re going to hurt him if he opens that door. But he would open the door and there would be no monsters in there. Surely, it was the same here. Gil would see, and for that matter, so would I. There were no monsters in there.
***
This all happened from yesterday to this morning. We ended up leaving that place together a few hours ago, bloodied and bruised and injured, after being trapped inside all night.
The day before it started, Gil stayed up late downstairs, watching TV and smoking a joint. He made himself a night-cap from my father’s liquor cabinet, pouring some Jack Daniels and ice in a cup with some Coke and sipping it slowly. I stayed with him for a while, talking.
We talked about the good times we had with Dad, about going hiking with him at the Green Mountains, or traveling to New York City with him to see the museums. I thought about how much I really missed him, and a knot formed in my throat. I quickly blinked my eyes to try to get the tears to go away.
Eventually, I went to sleep in the guest bedroom. Gil stayed downstairs, sleeping on the couch in front of the TV. I heard the faint hum of it from upstairs, the canned laughter of whatever comedy he was watching, the acerbic tone of the lead characters as they delivered one witty joke after another. I fell asleep to it, the voices blending into a sarcastic, hissing whisper in my ear.
And then I was floating, bodiless, looking down on a dark cornfield with ravens staring at me. The voice was bodiless, too, sounding like it came from right behind me, but when I turned, nothing was there.
“In the halls of our fathers, everyone is dead,” it whispered mockingly. “You’ll be dead soon too, if you get curious. Some doors are locked for a reason. Some doors should stay locked.”
I woke up suddenly. Something was wrong. I heard Gil yelling. I fumbled around in the dark for the lamp, groggily checking the time. 4:17 AM. Flinging the comforters off, I ran downstairs.
Gil was sleeping on the couch, still as a corpse, and quiet as one too. I looked around confusedly. Where was the screaming coming from? I followed the noise out back. I looked at the shed, and my blood ran cold as I heard another long cry come from inside. I walked across the dirt yard in my slippers, not wanting to get any closer but walking forwards nonetheless. Part of me wondered if I was still dreaming, but the chill air against my sweaty face felt real enough.
The screaming from the shed was not in words. It was a long, drawn-out, painful shriek. It was the shriek of a mother who just lost her only child in a war zone, or the yell of someone doused with gasoline and burned alive, but amplified into an ear-splitting cacophony. I had the key in my pocket. I reached for it with shaking hands, pulling it out, slowly approaching the shed.
Then someone grabbed my shoulder. I jumped, whirling around with clenched fists, ready to fight. Then I saw it was Gil.
“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I said through clenched teeth. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He put his finger to his lips, the universal signal for silence. Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered.
“If you open that shed now, we will both die,” he said quietly and calmly, as if he were just stating the weather for tomorrow. “Put the key away and go back to bed. You never want to open it in the dark. Never.”
“What do you know about it?” I whispered back, shooting glances over my shoulder at the shed. The screaming still came, though slower now, maybe one heart-rending shriek every minute or so. Part of me was glad there were no neighbors for half a mile in each direction, and that made me want to laugh. There was probably some horrific animal in there that would rip me apart if it got the chance, and I was thinking about noise complaints.
“Tomorrow,” Gil repeated, gently taking my arm and leading me back into the house. I sat next to him in the living room, pouring myself a gin and tonic, sipping it slowly as the screams from behind the house mixed with the canned laughter of the TV show, wondering what kind of man my father really was.
***
I woke on the couch, an empty glass falling out of my hand onto the cushion. Light streamed in through the windows. Gil was nowhere to be found. I looked back and forth, then heard the sizzling of food from the kitchen.
Stumbling in, I saw he had prepared a massive breakfast of bacon, sausages, corned beef hash, eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce, Texas toast, orange juice and coffee. He was smoking a joint with the windows opened, occasionally sending a grim look out the back of the house towards the shed. I sat down, pouring myself some coffee and grabbing milk and sugar to mix in.
“Who is all this food for?” I asked. He kept staring out the window. “Hey!” He turned suddenly, his face looking pale and drawn.
“What?”
“I said, who is all this food for?” I repeated. He looked around, smiling.
“Just for us. Why not? I figure you will need the energy today, and so will I,” he said cryptically. He sat down across from me, pouring himself coffee and orange juice and grabbing a plateful of meat, toast and eggs. I did the same, giving him occasional glances.
“What did Dad tell you?” I asked, pouring maple syrup on my sausages and bacon and chugging an entire cup of coffee in one long swallow. It burned my throat, but the rising heat and caffeine made me feel instantly better and more awake. Gil sighed heavily.
“Not much, to tell you the truth,” he said. “He was really drunk one time when you were away at college, a couple months ago. He was drinking more and more before he died, like something was weighing on him, something he wanted to forget. Well, anyway, I was sitting down here with him, watching those documentaries he used to love with him, and during a commercial, he just started talking about the shed.
“‘Now boy,’ he said to me, ‘I know you probably have a few questions for me. I probably should have told you and your brother about it a long time ago, but it is something I don’t like to talk about. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. I think talking about it tends to wake it up.’
“‘Wake up what?’ I said. Dad was quiet for a long time, just staring at me. Then he leaned close to me and whispered something strange.
“‘The stairs,’ he said. ‘They’re not normal, son. Sometimes they go down below the shed to a… Well, I guess it is just an empty sub-floor. Just a plain, swept dirt basement below the shed. But I never built any such sub-floor, and it wasn’t here when I bought the house, and it isn’t on the plans either. If that was it, then who would care? Hah, a free storage place, people would be happy, right?’ I nodded, grinning back at Dad. He seemed to have a glimmer of his old self for a second, happy and free. But then his face darkened again.
“‘But lots of times, boy, those stairs do not lead to a sub-floor. One time, they led down to a white room covered in blood, with bright fluorescent lights flickering all over the walls and ceiling. And there was a little girl down there, dancing among all the blood, jumping and twirling in her little blue dress, little ballerina slippers on her feet, and all the skin on her face peeled off. She was just a bloody, grinning skull. And when she saw me on the spiral steps in the corner, she stopped dancing and just stared. The lights began to turn off, everything went dark, and I ran, my boy, I ran faster than I have ever run in my life. I felt little hands grabbing at me as I made my way up the last stair and slammed that shed door behind me. I locked it as something fought to get out, something that felt far stronger than any child. And that was just one time.
“‘It’s worse at night. That’s when the real dangerous ones come out. I don’t know how the stairs work, son, and I don’t think I ever really want to. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll never have to deal with them. Maybe I’ll find a way to destroy them before I die. Aye, maybe…’” Gil stopped speaking, deep in thought and remembrance. I took another sip of juice and ate some bacon before responding.
“So you’re telling me Dad went batshit crazy before he died?” I asked. Gil shook his head quickly.
“He wasn’t crazy, Luke,” he said simply. “At least, I don’t think he was. If he was, the stairs probably made him that way. Do you really think that you were just hearing a fox or something caught in the shed last night? Those screams sounded human. We both know that was something unnatural. But I wouldn’t worry if I were you. If you need proof, we’ll have plenty after today- assuming you still want to go into the shed.” And after we finished eating, with no fanfare or delay, we did. I grabbed the key, and Gil and I went out side by side, scared but not showing it, ready to finally see for ourselves the mystery that had haunted our family for decades.
***
We walked through the hard-packed dirt yard, looking down the grassy field behind the house to the rolling hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. They began to grow blue, pale and fuzzy near the horizon. It was a beautiful place to live, and hard to imagine something so evil might be right in the middle of it.
The shed loomed up ahead of us, boards tightly hammered together and freshly painted a dark red color. The shingles on the small roof all looked relatively new, and the door was expensive and sturdy. I stood in front of the door, listening for the sounds of any movement, but there was nothing. I fumbled in my pocket for the key, pulling it out, looking at Gil who stood close by my side. Then I shoved it in the lock and opened the door.
The shed was dark, as if a curtain of shadow fell across the open door. I stuck my head in, feeling around the side for a lightswitch. And that was when something grabbed my hand. I screamed, ready to pull my hand out and run, and then I felt the lightswitch on the wall. I flicked it on quickly. There was no one in there. Shaking, I turned to Gil.
“Something grabbed me,” I whispered. He nodded, unsurprised. Then we walked in the shed together.
The walls inside were all covered with plates of sheet metal. Every square inch of the shed was reinforced with steel, including the roof, which had a flat pane of metal going straight across the shed, welded to the four that covered the walls. Only the floor was unprotected. It was just a plain dirt floor with a hole in the center.
Looking closer at the protective structure of the shed, I saw deep claw and gouge marks raking the metal’s surface, even those on the bottom of the ceiling eight feet above the floor. Something had clearly been in here and wanted very badly to get out.
I inched closer to the hole in the floor, which took up most of the floor of the shed. It was at least ten feet wide. Looking down, I saw spiraling steps, descending in a clockwise fashion as far down as the light extended. I found a small rock on the ground outside, came back in and dropped it down the center of the stairway. I listened for it to hit bottom, counting the seconds on my watch. After about thirty seconds, I realized it wasn’t going to. Maybe it was too far down to hear when the stone connected.
I looked over at Gil. He was standing as near to the door as he could get, looking like he would rather be anywhere else in the world. I gave him high marks for courage, though. There was something wrong in here, and I could feel it. Outside, it was warm and a fresh breeze blew the smell of flowers and pines through the yard. But in here, it was cold and oppressive. A freezing chill seemed to come from the hole in the floor, spiraling up with the stairs and running over my body, sending a feeling like ice running up and down my back.
“Do you want to go first, or should I?” I said, gesturing to the hole. Gil stared at me as if I had gone mad, his eyes widening.
“Why in the fuck should either of us go?” he said, raising his hands and using them to gesticulate wildly as he often did when he was upset. I shrugged.
“This is our property now,” I said. “We need to at least know what’s on it, don’t you think?” But there was another reason too. It was sheer curiosity, and a desire to prove to myself that there was nothing supernatural going on here, no monster in the closet, just the overactive imagination of an old man. Gil sighed.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll go. Go grab two flashlights and Dad’s gun. Maybe some extra batteries. Some extra magazines too. Better safe than sorry, after all…”
We both went inside the house together, leaving the shed door wide open, and that was when, I believe, something got out. And then the killings in town began.
***
We descended the stairs slowly. They were stone, slick in some places. There was no guard rail or any protective barrier, which made my heart beat a little faster. I liked something to hold onto. If I took a tumble on these stairs, I might keep falling forever.
We heard strange sounds from below periodically, but when we shone our lights down there, we couldn't see anything. Echoes rose around us, sounding at one point like kids playing a game of hide and seek, at another like the howling of a wolf. Strange squeaks and clicks would also arise intermittently from the shaft below us, and then stop as quickly as they had started.
The noises got louder as we descended dozens of stories, then hundreds. It seemed like the stairs would just keep going on forever, until we hit the mantle of the Earth and got burned up. Then a door appeared, painted a chipped blue with a fading daisy on the center of it. I looked at Gil, then swung it open.
Beyond it, a hallway with fluorescent lights extended as far as the eye could see. Countless rooms went off it to the left and right. The lights flickered on and off, sending portions of the hallway into darkness. The floor was falling apart in many places, with strange molds and fungi growing out of the wood. White and black molds battled for space, forming huge colonies that were bigger than my shoe. I walked forward, putting my weight gingerly on the floorboard. It creaked slightly and felt wet under my shoe, yet it held my weight.
“Come on,” I said to Gil, who followed closely behind. As soon as we had walked a few steps down the hall, the door slammed shut by itself behind us. I jumped and turned, pulling out the gun reflexively. Gil put a hand on my shoulder, pushing the gun back down.
“It’s OK,” he said. I was breathing hard, my heart hammering in my chest. Maybe that was why I didn’t hear the counting at first.
But as we walked down the decayed hallway, the lights turning on and off above us with every step, I realized that someone was counting, and it had been going on for a while. It sounded like the voice of a little girl.
“Forty… thirty-nine… thirty-eight…” she said, counting off the seconds. I heard giggling from the rooms around us, but I couldn’t see anyone. We kept walking forward, but that counting was getting on my nerves- not least because I couldn’t for the life of me tell where it was coming from.
We checked the rooms to the left and the right. There were broken tables, old office equipment and chairs in nearly all of them. Some of them had fish tanks, but instead of fish, they had plumes of multi-colored molds growing over the top of them, or, in one case, a dead and dried-out turtle.
“...one… ready or not, here I come!” the girl’s voice screamed gleefully, and that was when all the lights went out at once. We quickly fumbled for our flashlights, turning them on at the same time. I had the gun in one hand crisscrossed with the flashlight in the other, a trick I had seen used in cop shows. Gil had a ten-inch bowie knife in one hand, which he had just removed from the massive scabbard he had it in around his leg. In his other hand, he held the flashlight, which he frantically shone back and forth, up and down.
“Geez, calm down with that thing,” I said. “You’re going to make me dizzy.”
“Something’s coming,” Gil whispered, a note of dread in his voice. “Don’t you hear it?” I stopped, listening hard. Indeed, I heard footsteps nearing, small suppressed giggles, the swishing of a dress. My flashlight illuminated a pale face, a little boy sneaking a peak out of the nearest room. He was filthy, covered in black soot with torn clothing and what looked like blood caked into his hair. He looked up at us quickly then withdrew into the room. For the first time, I felt genuinely scared. Now we could be certain we were being watched.
“Hey!” I whispered, running into the room after him. Gil followed close behind me. The footsteps seemed to be right next to us now, but I looked around, not seeing anyone. Then a blur of movement passed by as a little girl ran over to the little boy, where he was curled in the corner under a broken folding table, crying and shaking with terror.
“Found you!” she said. I shone my light directly at her back, seeing a pale blue dress, but I couldn’t see her face.
“Get away from that kid!” I yelled. She ignored me, bending down quickly, and before I knew what had happened, she had ripped the boy’s throat out with her teeth. She turned to look at us, and I saw that her face had been cut off, and now only a grinning skull remained. It was covered in a thin sheen of blood, and two tiny white pinpoints of light seemed to glow inside the empty sockets of her eyes. With her teeth full of flesh and gristle and fresh rivulets of blood running down her skeletal mouth, she continued to cry, “Found you! Found you! Found you!”
Without hesitation, I shot her in the shoulder. She fell back a half-step, turning to look at me with that skeletal grin, then spun around and continued eating the little boy. He was still alive, choking on his own blood, his huge eyes moving over to me as he died, as if accusing me of being the cause of all this. The sound of his last gurgling breaths were the only sounds now. I shot her again, but she wouldn’t go down. A blossom of blood began to spread outwards on her back where I had shot her, but she showed no pain. Gil grabbed my shoulder tightly.
“We need to get out of here,” he said through gritted teeth. I nodded. We ran back to the door we had come in through, but it was locked tight. The lights were still off. I told Gil to take a step back, then tried shooting at the lock. The bullet ricocheted crazily as if I had shot a reinforced army tank rather than a plain wooden doorway. Next we tried kicking it open, but it was as if it were fused to the wall.
I turned to look at him, and the truth passed between us in a glimpse. To get out, we would have to go farther in, where there were likely even worse things waiting for us.

Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Nara-Osaka-Kobe
Just wanted to preface this and say that for my partner and I, jet lag became our friend. We got up super early with ease and did everything we wanted to do. So if jet lag is something worrisome for you, think of it as a positive 🙂
**all prices are in Canadian dollars which is 1:100 Japanese yen.
*sorry for any grammatical / punctuation errors
Takeaways:
-Fruit is expensive as heck in Japan!!!
-Bring plastic bags for garbage with you!!
-Going to the washroom & “dropping off your kids at the pool” is a * religious * experience
-Splurge on kobe beef & omakase!!-Get a bullet train / shinkanssen pass. We found that it was extremely worth it for the days we were in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe as we used it everyday on the JR lines. For an entire week we did not replenish our Suica.
-Japan has this Peach water that tastes like REAL fruit juice. Identical to when you bite into a peach. GET IT!
-For money conversion, I found that my credit card gave me a better rate than converting my cash. However, cash is still king in Japan, especially in the markets.
-The japan metro/JSubway system etc is overwhelming at first however, we learned it the first day. Google maps was my bestie.
-The culture shock is huge. Japanese people are very dutiful. Everytime we needed help, locals would always go out of their way to make sure we got to our destination, even if that meant a 10minute detour for themselves. Japan is also very forward looking. I was impressed with how I was handed a sheet to put over my face to avoid my makeup getting on the clothes when trying things on.
-Comme les garçons does not let you try on their shirts 😣
8 May 2023 (Monday)Canada -> TOKYO
We checked in for our flight on air Canada as well as the Japan website.Highly recommend downloading Ubigi as an air sim and getting the suica card on your iphone wallet! Suica saved us a lot of time and we just tapped as we went along.
9 May 2023 (Tuesday) TOKYOArrived in Narita airport
I highly recommend getting the airport limo bus. I used this link: https://www.klook.com/.../2274-narita-haneda-airport.../...Service to and from the airport cost us 45$ canadian total per person and was a great choice since we did not have to worry about transfers on our first day in Japan. Lots of leg room, AC & WIFI.Our airbnb was near Okubo station. I loved our location as it was 1 stop away from shinjuku station and we had the best ramen. Restaurant is called Gomaryu.
10 May 2023 (Wednesday) TOKYO / shibazakura festival
Our trip was slightly changed as seeing Mt Fuji was important to us and this was the only day we knew for certain would be sunny! Initially, I had planned a chill day but we rearranged everything and went to the Shibazakura festival. I highly recommend going as it was beautiful with tons of Instagramable photo spots and great food vendors.
11 May 2023(Thursday) TOKYO / DISNEYLAND
I booked tickets for us on Klook for Disneyland.I have never been to any Disneyland but this one was truly magical! My partner and I cried after the beauty and the beast ride. We got to the park at 8am and werent let in till 9am. We were one of the first 10% of people who arrived. Keep in mind that people who stayed at the Disney resort got a 15mins head start so once it was our turn, we ran towards the B&B ride to which there was already a 3hr wait immediately. Paying an extra 20$/pp was a no brainer and 10000% worth it. Honestly never experienced nostalgia and magic to this degree. Also want to give a shoutout to the tower of terror 10/10 and 10mins lineup. The starwars ride was also superb for what it was. Alien mochi was worth the hype.
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12 May 2023 (Friday) TOKYO / tsukiji market & sumo performance
Tsukiji market was worth visiting with the variety of food. I do not recommend getting anything “a5 wagyu” or sushi as it is not the freshest. I learned the hard way that not all sushi is made equally in Japan so splurge on an omakase (more on my experience later).I booked a sumo experience with klook: https://www.klook.com/.../75397-sumo-lunch-experience.../...Amazing meal (I still think about the katsu we had) and show! Was very intimate and got to fight the sumo wrestlers! This day was a core memory for sure.We also visited the unicorn gundam statue which was UNBELIEVABLE!!
13 May 2023 (Saturday) TOKYO
This day was supposed to be relaxing… but we somehow did 30k steps. We went to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (so beautiful and amazing starbucks!), Meiji Jingu shrine, imperial palace & yūshūkan museum (ww2 history & samurai)
14 May 2023 (Sunday) TOKYO bullet train to yunessan
This was the first day we had for activating our shinkansen pass. We travelled to an onsen in the mountains of Hakone. It is called Yunessan onsen and it was AMAZING. It is the onsen where you can bathe in wine, coffee, sake, green tea etc. We for some reason did not have high expectations but it superseded everything. We paid extra for the fish bath where they eat your dead skin (so ticklish and a crazy experience) and we went to the adult part of the onsen where everyone is naked. Here we found ourselves submerged in lemon water while it was raining with a view of the mountains. Truly a sublime experience
15 May 2023 (Monday) TOKYO -> KYOTO We walked everywhere this day.Saw the emperor, checked out Kinnkaku-ji (Golden Temple), and Yasaka shrine (had the best matcha soft serve)
16 May 2023 (Tuesday) KYOTO We Travelled to Fushimi Inari shrine (super busy and touristy but worth it!), nara park to see the bowing deer , saw the Todaiji temple and visited the famous mochi making place called nakatani mochi shop and saw the show! Best mochi I had all trip. We decided not to go to the Arashiyama bamboo forest as it did not seem worth it from other people’s reviews.
17 May 2023 (Wednesday) KYOTO -> OSAKA Kuromon market had everything similar to Tsukiji market in Tokyo. One thing i loved here were the sweet potato chips that had sugar and salt coating. We also visited a micro pig cafe and the animals seemed very happy. Dotonburri had so many food options.
18 May 2023 (Thursday) OSAKA -> KOBE -> OSAKA My partner had a religious experience here as we both had the best beef of our life. We had kobe and wagyu beef at mouriya honten in Kobe (we travelled here using our JR pass so it was *technically free*). I wanted to take some time to note how amazing the hospitality was and that the chef cooked our beef in thirds. He made sure that every slice of beef we put in our mouth was still hot and watched as we ate to gage when to start searing the next slabs of beef. I WAS AMAZED!!! Total spent here was $240 CDN.Next we visited the zoo in Osaka and it was only 5$ CDN! (500 JAPANESE yen). I have never seen a red panda before so that was the highlight for me!After this we did mario kart in the streets of Osaka/Dotonburi. https://www.klook.com/.../8590-street-go-kart.../...I originally wanted to book it for us in Tokyo but it was booked out for a month!! However, the tour guides were amazing and it was a blast. I am not sure why others advised against it and that local Japanese people are annoyed by this activity because I found everyone waving at us, smiling and taking videos. 10/10 activity.
19 May 2023 (Friday) OSAKA. I never had soufflé pancakes so I made a reservation for us at Happy Pancake in Osaka. WAS DELICIOUS AND THE LINE WAS SO LONG FOR PEOPLE WHO DID NOT MAKE A RESERVATION. Also the fruit was really worth it as I said before, Fruit is very hard to come by.The rest of the day was for exploring Dotonburi and shopping.
20 May 2023 (Saturday) OSAKA -> TOKYO Free day!We had michelin ramen for 15$ in … A SUBWAY STATION. Ginza kagari! The creamiest broth with chicken and truffle. It was life changing to say the least. We go there at 4pm and the line only formed after we left.
21 May 2023 (Sunday) - Last full day 🙁 TOKYO We had an omakase booking at Sushi Yajima and I was so happy. It is run by a old couple who speak PERFECT english. The freshest fish and each person only paid 44$! I made sure to research this place and many other omakase experiences and this was worth way more than what we paid for. The husband was making the nigiri for us and he said the funniest things! He was plating tuna for my partner and said: “This fish is Viagra. You are strong man so you don’t need it, but I need it” HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF YOU ARE ON A BUDGET AND WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE BEST SUSHI IN JAPAN. 😂
22 May 2023(Monday) TOKYO ->back home

Tokyo - Yokohama - Nagoya - Kyoto - Osaka - Tokyo

Hi all, going to go through our trip covering golden week and time around it (: It was myself (F21) and my partner (M24) and the reasoning behind the timing was mainly due to bank holidays in the UK being unfortunately placed perfectly in line with golden week this year! Despite this, I feel we actually got pretty lucky with it all. I'll put an emoji to note which days were for golden week but for the tl;dr we weren't affected that much.
Other important contexts, both interested in Japan for a few different reasons. Anime isn't a small one but I'm also a huge fan of the Yakuza games, he's into the JDM car scene, and we just enjoy travelling in general. We didn't do many things like Universal, Disneysea etc. but hopefully there's some things in here that people will enjoy hearing about! I'll go through some tips/recommendations for the casual readers first before going into the trip in depth - please let me know if there's anything else you want to know about!

Tips + Recommendations

Yamato Takkyubin Luggage Forwarding If like us you are going to be staying in quite a few different places, this service is so so so good I cannot overstate it. We had two big suitcases and one smaller one, we sent just the big ones for two of the trips and then for the final trip from Osaka to Tokyo we sent all 3 and just used our backpacks to bring essentials for the night.Pretty much all hotels will allow you to use the service, some may request you pay them with cash for the actual service but for all but one of ours we could use card. We sent Yokohama -> Kyoto, then Kyoto -> Osaka, then finally Osaka -> Tokyo. There are options for same day delivery I believe however we did both the next day and for a few days later. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I'll answer if I can!
Trip Planning I've been fortunate to be able to travel a lot so wasn't nervous about the actual travel, however Japan is such a far away country that I didn't want to go and get there then not know what to do and waste my time. In the past holidays with family were more about relaxing on a beach, or with my partner our city breaks are short as they are other European countries and so easier to return to if we wanted. I wanted to take a different approach to this trip so I made a big Google Sheet and Google Map with all the places I wanted to visit/see. It was never meant to be a strict itinerary as some people I showed seemed to assume 😅 But it really helped me to visually see where things I wanted to go to were, and then make a rough plan in case I did get stuck at some point.Anyway it was a really good idea in hindsight and I'm very glad we did it for this trip as our first time going! Here's a picture of the map looks like, we didn't necessarily do everything but we did most things - https://i.imgur.com/2xLyy7Y.png. I used mymaps.google.com, to be honest there's definitely betteeasier to use tools out there but I got this to work for me so I stuck with it.
Walking People aren't kidding about the amount of walking, although I think our top amount was still under 30k so don't worry too much. That said, if you don't walk a lot anyway then your feet are going to hurt. My partner was fine, I was awful. I thought my shoes would be fine and apparently they weren't so if you can pack walking boots please do. The other thing is I think the way you walk affects it too, my partner and I both had multiple pairs of shoes with us but where his converse boots were fine, the soles of my feet were awful in the same types of shoes 😭
Driving I am not a driver but my partner is. He has a full manual UK driving license and insurance, and so for Japan all he needed was to get the International Driver's Permit a little before we went. We rented a car for three different occasions, two times from the same place then the final was for a JDM rental. All was fine, the JDM place was confused for a moment as my partner has a Polish passport + UK license but we translated Poland for him and after that there were no issues! You'll need to check what you need depending on where you're from, it's easier for us due to the same driving side although when we rented for Daikoku and the Nagoya drive they did give us an automatic so just be aware of that if you want to request/drive manual. The rental places we used were Orix rent-a-car for the Daikoku and Yokohama -> Nagoya trip and we had a Mazda 2. For the JDM rental we used Omoshiro.

Trip Report

Tokyo

25/04 - Airport, Shinjuku hotel, Shinjuku We followed a similar first day that I'm sure many of these reports will begin with - arrived at the airport, we had filled out the VJW forms and had both QR codes ready to go. Immigration had about an hour wait so longer than normal but we were also near the back of our plane and there was at least another full plane in front of us. Actually going through immigration was a complete breeze. Once through and picked up our luggage, we got a Welcome Suica, then headed to Shinjuku. We reached our hotel about 4 hours early for check-in, wasn't sure what to do for that time but they were happy to take our bags until we could go to the room (something that is consistent with all the hotels we went to thankfully). Jetlag was pretty bad, I was flagging by afternoon but we pushed through it and took the few hours to just walk around and see the sights. We spent some time in Hakone-yama before heading back to the hotel and getting cleaned up/accidentally falling asleep too early.
26/04 - Akihabara, Golden Gai Of course woke too early by not being as proactive as we should've with warding off jetlag but used that to leave early for Akihabara. After getting some breakfast we saw the Yodobashi Camera and went in there for about an hour just looking at all the floors 😅 It was raining a ton but it surprised us with how warm it still was and quickly realised why people prefer umbrella with no raincoat!! Spent pretty much the whole day in Akihabara, went round a ton of shops and also went into our first of many many arcades we'd go to. We went back to the hotel to return the items we'd bought then walked to Golden Gai as our hotel was about a 15-20 minute walk ^^ Had some delicious ramen, unfortunately didn't drink as my partner was finishing antibiotics for the first few days but it was still great to be there. Slept a lot later which was good.
27/04 - Kabukicho, Shinjuku National Garden This was more a day for me to fufill my Yakuza game sightseeing. Being so close to Kabukicho I was so excited to visit a city and be able to make my way round without a map loool. It was just the end of the blue festival so the iconic arch was still blue although I did get to see it red at the end of the trip so I wasn't too bothered about that. We went around Kabukicho, the square, again spent tons of time in the arcades and discovered how much we enjoyed the MaiMaiDX machines. Ended up getting one of the passports that save your progress and give you an extra play so if you like arcades then I recommend them!! After this and some lunch, we were going to do a walk to the national garden then realised I went the wrong way so we took the train. As a side note here, the Suica and train system is so useful. Very similar to using a card for the underground except it's actually clean. Walked around the national garden, it was very sunny and warm. Didn't know it had it before going but there's a starbucks in the middle of the garden and we managed to join the queue about 10 minutes before they stopped taking new orders. Had a nice time watching the sun set in that garden before heading back to the hotel.
28/04 - Teamlabs Planets Wasn't something I was going to initially go to however I checked out tickets the day previously and saw some for this day and decided we could do it as we had a ton of free time. I had chosen 2:30pm for an entrance time however it was such a nice day so we left early and spent time just walking around the docks. It was so so sunny, the area didn't have loads going on however it was still very pretty. We spent time in the parks and walking alongside the water. Teamlabs was pretty cool, I did enjoy the water based sections although dodging both influencer and family photos might detract from your experience. This was also where I realised I'd already become the stereotype tourist and was sunburnt :') I guess I had to learn my lesson physically and I did thankfully stop any further burning after this with diligent sun cream appliance afterwards pretty much every day. After this we went back to Shinjuku and after food we packed up ready to go to Yokohama.

Yokohama

29/04 - Bashamichi, Daikoku, Cosmo Clock ✨Showa Day Left our hotel at 11 and hadn't yet discovered the wonders of luggage forwarding so we brought all our bags with us on the train to Yokohama! Not too bad though, we got to our hotel a little early but they took our bags as we went and had lunch before the room was ready. Went around Bashamichi (another game location lol) before taking the train to central Yokohama. We had pre-booked the rental cars all before we left to ensure availability but there weren't any problems. This was also my partner's birthday which is something the rental staff realised whilst we were sorting out all the documents 😆. For Daikoku, we didn't need to pass through any ETC gates from Yokohama but it was the first time on the Japanese roads. It was a little nerve-wracking at first as there's very slightly different rules to UK roads but in general driving is fine. We reached Daikoku PA around 20 past 6pm, and it was about 2 hours until police moved everyone along. My partner was in dreamland with the cars that we saw, if you're into the JDM scene at all or just a petrolhead then you'll love it but it is a bit of luck with what you'll see. After we left Daikoku, we went back to our hotel. We'd checked in with them previously that we could keep the car with them as the hotel we had chosen had parking available for an additional cost. We left the car at the hotel then went out for drinks and to see the cosmo clock. Didn't ride it but it was very cool seeing it all lit up over Yokohama. We bar hopped a bit, then went back.
30/04 - Recovery... Not much to say about this day, my partner was fairly hungover so we returned the car to the rental place and then spent the day just chilling at our ryokan hotel and around Yokohama. No drinks this time round as we had a very long trip the next day!!

Nagoya (Road Trip from Yokohama)

01/05 - Expressways, Onshi-Hakone Park, Expressways, Shinshiro, Expressways, Nagoya I'll condense this one a bit otherwise I'll type forever but this was a really fun time. The driving totaled almost 6 hours by the end so it's not for the faint hearted haha. The point was that we'd stop a few times along the way though which is what we did end up doing. We sent our luggage with the forwarding service (to the hotel after Nagoya as we were just staying the one night), then had an early start as we went to the car rental for 8. We chose the same place we rented from for Daikoku and had the same sales rep sorting out any documents so it was a bit quicker although this time we did get a quick explaination on the toll gates. Anyone going on the expressways will need to know how to use them, we were a bit confused the first time but once you've done it a couple times it'll be smooth sailing (and it's such a good system for people with the automatic cards too). We left Yokohama and set our location for Nagoya. We went for about 2 hours before stopping in Odawara for a quick snack and pee break. Pretty overcast day but despite this we still decided to do a stop in a park on the way and went to Onshi-Hakone Park. It was very cool/bit scary going up the winding mountain passes but wow the views are incredible. We spent again probably a couple hours at the park, had some lunch, no view of Fuji but we could see a lot of the other mountains around which are breathtaking in their own rights (: It's right on Lake Ashi so we did get to see the pirate cruise going round. After this break we did another couple hours or so driving before stopping slightly outside of Shinshiro. Something I will say about the expressways is that it is insane how fast people go 😂 We're not about to try anything so it was sticking to the 120 on the signs for us but people just whizz by. Anyway, we stopped at a familymart in this village for a quick break and I know I've said it already but the views are so beautiful. It's green in the UK but it's something else, I kept wondering if it's just viewing through rose tinted glasses/greener on the other side but I don't think that's true at least about those countryside views. It was also one of the reasons we wanted to do the road trip instead of train at least this time round, we could stop in these places and take it in. After our stop there, it was back onto the expressway until we reached Nagoya. It was roughly 6pm when we reached Nagoya, we had intially booked the car for the whole day with return the next morning but they allow early return with Orix so we did that instead before finding our hotel and having some dinner. Not too much time in Nagoya but it was the first time seeing the bullet train which was cool. Nagoya itself has some nice sights, we were thinking about going to Liberty Walk the next day but instead we just decided we'd head to Kyoto once we left the hotel.

Kyoto

02/05 - Shinkansen, Kyoto, Nishiki Market It was a really lovely day and we were taking the shinkansen for the first time. The shinkansen from Nagoya is only 34 minutes but we did end up buying reserved seats as the station was pretty packed. This is probably the main thing we noticed with Golden week, everything else was busy but not insanely so. Nagoya station was a lot busier but otherwise fine. We didn't have JR passes as when I used the online calculator it didn't come out to be worth it for our particular travel so it was full fare for us. The shinkansen itself was good, we would be using it again for Osaka back to Tokyo but due to Nagoya being closer to Kyoto I didn't reeeally think I'd need to book early. It's probably a good idea still lol but it worked out fine for us to book same day despite how busy Nagoya was. Once in Kyoto we took our time walking down to our next hotel. This was another ryokan style so that was nice, we also passed a garden which we noted to go to the next day (Shosei-en Garden). Our luggage had arrived and was waiting for us at the hotel already so we got refreshed then went out for the evening. We went up to Nishiki market then walked back towards our hotel again. Had a sushi train small dinner as we hadn't had any sushi yet and I've also only had a train once before. It might not be the best Kyoto had to offer but wow was it still better than anything I'd had in the UK!! We then spent hours once again in an arcade, if you like games the MaiMaiDX machines really are addictive :')
03/05 - Shosei-en Garden, Higashi Hongan-ji, Tō-ji Temple, Nijō Castle✨Constitution Memorial Day We woke up early, had breakfast at the ryokan, then went straight for the garden. It was a beautiful day once again so plenty of suncream applied. The Shosei-en Garden isn't the biggest but it's so beautiful, they have this pond that looks so still but my partner spotted a turtle and then you start to see more and more. They have some historical buildings around the place, we spent about an hour there before going to the next place. We walked down the road to the next place, this was Higashi Honhan-ji temple. Both locations weren't really that busy to be honest. Seeing this temple was nice but personally I did prefer the gardens. We next went Tō-ji temple. This is one of those locations that are on the 'must-do in Kyoto' but I did like it a lot. The 5 story pagoda was a cool sight. It wasn't so busy although we were going around lunch time so hungry crowds were likely taking a small break (: We spent an unreasonable amount of time just looking at the koi fish in the moat not even in the temple area 🎏 Finally we went to Nijō Castle. This was quite busy although we were one of the latter groups going around as it was nearing the end of the day. Another of the listed must do's but again I would say it's a cool place to see. If you do go, the tour around the main house is interesting and if you decide to climb the walls there's some nice sights of the area around. We finished up this day heading back to the market area and had dinner including a matcha beer. I'm not really a massive matcha person but I was up for trying all the different things, the beer sort of just tasted of normal beer but it looked exactly like a matcha-green coloured guinness.
04/05 - Arishiyama ✨Greenery Day This wasn't really a packed day as we were heading to an airbnb for a couple of nights. We used the luggage forwarding from the ryokan where they were concerned that we wouldn't get our luggage as soon as we wanted due to Golden week. I then let them know we were looking to get it sent for the 6th and they completely relaxed and said that would be perfectly fine 👌 For context if you've not been to Kyoto, the train system is alright but pales compared to Tokyo. Getting to our airbnb wouldn't be too long, about an hour, but as we didn't really have anything planned and only had our small suitcase with us we decided to walk to the next airbnb instead and waste time along the way. This way when we arrived it wouldn't be before check in time and it would keep us out and about. The walk was about 3 hours total although we lengthed it by stopping a few times. There were some celebrations happening due to Greenery day and Children's day being the next day. We stopped to listen to some music, stopped to have a starbucks, then finally we reached out airbnb in Arishiyama. The place was really nice, and it was fun to have a whole place for a few nights instead of a hotel. If you're wanting to, looking at airbnb's is a completely valid option when staying in Japan - you just might get warned before you arrive not to talk or laugh too loudly or the neighbours might complain/call the police 😅
05/05 - Fushimi Inari Shrine ✨Children's Day Initially were going to do both the bamboo/monkey forest and Fushimi Inari but ended up leaving a little later than planned so just committed to only Fushimi Inari. I was expecting fairly large crowds considering the day and the station was..... not great. That said, the station was very small and so although it was crowded we were also out of there fairly quick. This review of Fushimi Inari is going to follow almost everyone's - it was busy at the bottom and as you go up you'll get a lot less people. Even it being Children's day didn't stop us getting moments of just myself and my partner being alone so don't be deterred if the bottom is busy! Beautiful views, we did the full routes going to the top. It was a bit tricky at times but it's not a race, and you'll feel good doing the full thing. We reached the top, were able to partake in the prayers there, then had a great time going back down. There was a little area near the end with a bunch of cats; we turned a corner and saw one and a bunch of people crowding round to take a photo. Maybe only a few steps later you realise there's about 4 more just chilling around the place. It was a cool experience and definitely worth doing at least once if you're there.

Osaka

06/05 - Local train, Dotenbori, Den-Den Town We took a train from our airbnb to Osaka and went via the local train rather than the shinkansen. It was fine, we reached Dotenbori and our hotel was not far from the station. We got there a bit early again but our room was already available and our luggage had arrived too (: After getting refreshed we went out for the afternoon to Den-Den Town. This is Osaka's version of Akihabara, and we spent a lot of time with my partner looking in all the card shops. It was pretty rainy but not really a problem between the Lawson's umbrella and ducking into lots of shops ;) We spent time in an arcade for a while before heading out to Dotenbori market area and the bridges for the evening/night. Yet again another location in the Yakuza games so I had fun pointing out different places like the Mega Don Quijote or the crab restaurant. We had some food and ended up in a drinking place that used a QR code and website for ordering to the table which was dangerously easy to use haha. Had some really tasty sushi there too, I'll try and find the name if anyone is wondering! Took tons of photos there, the rain at night gave the city that classic look reflecting the neon lights everywhere.
07/05 - Kobe day trip We went to Kobe for the day, lots of rain but the main market area is all under cover so that was handy. My partner was looking for a new phone which he found, we also went to one of those places where they grill the food in front of you for dinner. It was great going in a scruffy elevator up to the restaurant and stepping out onto a really beautifully designed restaurant, and it wasn't very busy so we were able to go without reserving beforehand. Kobe itself is cool although we didn't explore too much outside the market areas due to just how hard it was raining, I think it was the heaviest on this day unfortunately.
08/05 - Nara day trip, Todai-ji We went to Nara and although the advice is to go early, we went for more mid-day time. It wasn't crowded at all so that was fortunate. We ended up walking past that famous mochi stall that you see on all the tiktoks of Nara. I wasn't expecting to see the making of the mochi and wasn't going to wait for it either however they started about 2 minutes after we found the stall so we did stay and watch and it was cool to see in person (: We tried the mochi, it's pretty good although for me it was a bit too dry from the powder. Was still tasty!!! Walked through towards the deer park and saw the pagodas around. When we reached the deer park of course we had to get some crackers and feed them. Oh my god they're so pushy!! It was actually so funny to interact with them, one tried to nibble me and we got headbutted a bit when we had the crackers but once you've given them all out then they'll leave you 😆. We sat on a bench for a bit and watched some other poor souls go through the same thing. Saw quite a lot of young fawns too which is cute. We kept walking up to Todai-ji, stopped for an ice cream, then went to the temple to see the huge Buddha statue. It was a good experience to see this temple, but at least for me it wasn't my favourite part of the trip. I know for many others though it's really great to see so don't knock it off your list if you're interested in it! I'm glad I went once but probably won't return. Spent some more time just chilling around Nara and looking at the temples and shrines around the place. We went back to Osaka for around 4pm. Spent the evening in Osaka again, no rain this time! Oh this was about the time I was developing a sore throat, a little bit nerve wracking but fully vaccinated + boosters and have had covid previously so was fairly certain it wasn't that. Even so, my partner was coughing a bit which is the start of the cold we both had for the rest of the trip 😔
09/05 - Osaka Aquarium, Dotenbori I didn't put the aquarium on my plan initially but we had another spare day in Osaka and I do like visiting aquariums + my partner likes penguins a lot and they had a lot there. It was a cool experience, a lot of families as to be expected but it wasn't packed so lots of opportunities to see the animals and fish :) The two whales were very cool, they're so massive. We also got to see their rockhopper penguin conservation area, you could see them sitting on their eggs. I recommend the aquarium to any families planning to be in Osaka, it's pretty easy to get to and the station gives clear directions on where to go to get to the aquarium and the nearby lego park. After the aquarium we went back to Dotenbori and looked around the various book-offs as my partner was looking for screen protectors. If you're interested in any Japanese media I can recommend them too, I found some games in there that were a lot cheaper than you find in the West in much better condition. Our coughs worsened by evening which wasn't great, we weren't doing much more in super crowded areas but it's obviously not good anyway. We were wearing masks everywhere beforehand but it made it more important. We did end up getting some Bron, if you're in Japan and have a cough then I do recommend it but just be aware that it contains codeine. We got some from a place that specifically had a pharmacy section, you bring the box to the cashier and they'll give you the actual bottle from behind the counter. Really really great stuff, much better than anything you can get without a prescription in the UK which was annoying as my cough was subsequently worse for about 5 days once I got back!! It's pretty much gone now though (lasted longer likely due to asthma but it was gone for my partner after a couple days of being back). Overall I really enjoyed Osaka, all the cities we went to were cool but for me Osaka was my favourite :)

Tokyo

10/05 - Shinkansen, Airbnb We left Osaka for Tokyo and took the Shinkansen back. We did splash out a bit and took the green car with seats on the Fuji side. I fell asleep for most of the trip but woke in time to see Fuji for the roughly 6-7 minutes it was viewable for. It was my only time to see Fuji due to the weather being almost clear that day aside from a single cloud going right across the mountain. It didn't block the peak though so I don't feel too robbed 😆. If/when we visit Japan again I would like to see it again closer but it was still a great sight. Once we reached Shinagawa station, we switched to the local train to head to our airbnb in Shinjuku once again (although closer to Shibuya this time whereas we were more North before). We were staying in a pretty close knit residential area but did a bit of a hello to the neighbours which was nice. We had done the luggage forwarding again but had set it to come the next day so we would be the people available for receiving it. Spent the time around the airbnb and also tried having an uber eats delivered (which worked great lol).
11/05 - Shibuya, Shinjuku We spent most of this day around Shibuya as we wanted a few souvenirs for family and also hadn't visited Shibuya properly. Went to the crossing, then spent time mainly shopping and going around one of the Donkis. Pretty rainy again but not a problem for a shopping day.
12/05 - RX-7 Day Trip (Lake Hinuma, Ibaraki Flower Park), Kabukicho We used Omoshiro Rent-a-car for the RX-7 (for those interested, here's the car - https://i.imgur.com/HRX4DYy.png ) and they were great. We had it pre-booked again before we arrived in Japan as it's a pretty sought after car to rent. Bit banged up but nothing major, and we had it booked for I think 8 hours? We did return it a little early as we didn't really have anything else to do and didn't want to be late with a return as the shop closed at the time we'd be returning it. A funny part of the terms you agree to is no Initial D style driving. For the trip itself, we didn't have anything major planned so I made a makeshift plan to just go a bit out of Tokyo and visit somewhere different. I found this lake on maps that'd be not too far, didn't realise until we were there that it's less a lake for sights and more for fishing 😅. No worries though, as the main reason was to get some driving in and enjoy having the car (which was achieved!). Got some snacks from a 7/11 then went off. We had a lot of time left so we drove to Ibaraki flower park, yet another quick find from scrolling around Google Maps. It was a very beautiful park, they have a rose market there as well as selling some fresh produce. It's a small charge to go in the park but it's worth it for the hour or more you might spend there and will go towards the park maintenance. Also being the middle of Spring of course it's going to be beautiful with all the new blooms (: We spent time there admiring the countryside and being sad about going back home the next day. We went back to the rental place afterwards, also during this drive was the time where we were finding it so funny how we were sticking to the speed limits in this beautiful car and being overtaken by massive trucks going so much faster. We did have a moment that was like from a movie though, we entered the expressway after the tolls and as we were pulling in an older Honda NSX was being driven next to us. The guy driving looked over and gave us a nod with a straight face before pulling ahead a little so we could be behind him. We ruined that movie mood by both being so excited by how cool the moment was but hey it's one of those things that won't be forgotten at least!! He zoomed off a few minutes later but we weren't risking anything to keep pace ahaha. We returned the car then went back to Shinjuku for our final evening in Japan. We went back to Kabukicho and I was able to see the arch in red :') Took photos of the karaoke place that's in the games, would've gone in but my throat was killing!! So we just stuck to being outside. We went back to the area around our airbnb, had our last dinner there then went and packed up ready to go home.
13/05 - Home :') Our flight was leaving a little before 9am so we were leaving the airbnb for 5ish. Early start but as we'd gotten packed up it wasn't too bad of a walk to the station. Grabbed our train, it was fairly early on one of the lines that goes direct to the station so we were able to get on with ease. The train was rammed by the time we reached the station. No problems getting through the airport, got to our gate and then flew home.

Final Notes

I had such a good time in Japan, I loved being there and hope to return within the next few years if life permits!! We definitely missed some of those 'must-do's' such as Osaka Castle, any of the theme parks, Arishiyama Monkey Park, actually doing Karaoke, and some of the food options due to my own anxieties walking into places lol. That said, I don't regret the things we did end up doing and it just means I'll have to fit some of those into my next trip 😉. Although my partner would like to visit more Northern areas like Hokkaido or Sendai so we'll see!
We didn't have probably as much packed into each day as could've been but for me this was perfect and a great time for my first time. If you managed to read all this then thank you very much, and please let me know if you have any questions about the trip!! I'll be happy to answer. Thanks for reading!

https://imgur.com/a/Lhce21W
I've posted my full bottles here before but I've been building up my decant collection. Here is what I have so far followed by some unhelpful reviews:
BOTTOM ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT)
1) Xerjoff 40 Knots- jerkoff scent from the jerkoff house. It’s a dark cola, not a sea breeze. It’s a pretentious billionaire who uses poor people as biomatter to fuel his boat, not a day at the beach.
2) Roja A Midsummer's Dream- this is like spending midsummer in an old person's closet. He has mothballs to keep the moths away and to keep his captives nauseous so they can’t make noise.
3) Louis Vutton Meteore- FULL BOTTLE SHORT LIST. Awesome scent, like Azzaro Chrome that doesn’t come from a rack store. Fresh and a little metallic, like an extra terrestrial who wears Timberlands.
4) Louis Vutton Afternoon Swim- FULL BOTTLE SHORT LIST. Is that a little armpit funk at the top of this? If it is, I don’t care because it smooths out into a citrusy bomb, giving it good longevity for me. It’s the funk that keeps it Crunk.
5) Tom Ford Costa Azzura- haven’t tried yet… Pretentious name,.plus, Italy fought against us in WWII
6) Parfums de Marley Greenley- very refreshing ok scent. It’s your typical fresh spiked with lovely green apple at the top. I’d buy it as a cheapie, not at the PdM price tag.
7) Creed Millesime Imperiale- f*** you, this is a Silver Mountain Water citrus flanker despite what these fragrance nerds out here say. “Oh but it’s not, it has a subtle..blah, blah, blah” cut the BS. It’s SMW with more fruit and less performance.
8) Goldfield and Banks Bohemian Lime- FULL BOTTLE SHORT LIST. This is a rich guy on his yacht who wears light linen pants and lets the kids play when at sea. This is a laid back rich guy, not the biomatter rich guy from 40 Knots.
9) Mancera Cedrat Boise Intense- it’s like Cedrat Boise… but Intense. It really is aptly named. It’s smokier and longer lasting. The smokiness has a bit of a burnt rubber smell..I don’t hate it. Smells like a Band Aid.
10) Roja Oceania- citrus and aquatic battle it out for supremacy. They both lose and we go home bored.
11) Roja Enigma- FULL BOTTLE SHORTLIST. This is Roja’s Pretentious BS fighting for a good cause. It's cola that sparkles more as time goes on. Great for the winter. People will automatically have an inferiority complex if they smell this on you.
TOP ROW:
12) Replica Mathca Meditation- it’s good, I guess. It definitely has an herbal note but it doesn’t make me feel like meditating.
13) Replica Sailing Day- THIS is what 40 Knots should smell like. It’s deep blue and refreshing. It also lasts 5 minutes. The 2nd-best Replica behind At the Barber’s.
14) City Rhythm Miami- if you smelled this in Miami, it would cloy you out of the state. Nice sweet scent but a little too deep for Miami swamp ass.
15) Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver- this is like Tom Ford Grey Vetiver’s disappointing brother. You don’t hate him but you don’t mention him to your friends because his existence is so underwhelming.
16) Roja Vetiver- this is a smokier Grey Vetiver. It’s Grey Vetiver’s 2nd brother who ended up going away to art college and now lives a Bohemian lifestyle. He’s just kind of there not offending anyone but not taking a stand for anything either.
17) Tom Ford Fougere d'Argent- this is Beau de Jour’s more laid-back brother. He’s a little smoother, a little less serious than BdJ but you may want to hang out with him more because he’s more accepting.
18) Creed Viking- this is a middle-aged man who thinks trading Crypto currency makes you an alpha male. He looks for wives on foreign bride directories.
19) Creed Erolfa, Himalaya, Royal Water, Bois de Porugal- haven’t tried yet.
20) Parfum de Marley Galloway and Ispazon- haven’t tried… PdM has the most meaningless, Pretentious names.
21) PdM Pegasus- this is Creed Original Santal’s inferior twin. It got the shitty half of the DNA strand. It is only saved by the fact that the DNA strand is really good, so its floor is high.
22) MFK 724- interesting scent.. floral and aquatics battle for supremacy. The battle creates a beautiful symphony. It’s probably not worth the MFK price but it smells and performs good.
23) Louis Vutton L’Immensite- FULL BOTTLE SHORT LIST. I haven’t smelled a bad LV scent yet. This one reminds me a lot of Bohemian Lime. When it gets warmer, I’m going to wear this and BL on alternating days to see the difference.
24) Louis Vutton L’Orage- haven’t tried yet, they misspelled Orange.

YAY! Chapter 4 already done and ready for posting! WOOO! I really hope that you enjoy it, dear readers!
I've Been Reincarnated as a Bunny Girl?! (Chapter 4)
by
ShadowDragon88
"I love when the merchant caravan comes to town!" Valay cheered from where he was sitting on Kiana's shoulders, making his soon-to-be sixteen-year-old big sister wince. At age nine, the twins were being accompanied by Kiana as they walked through main street in town. Twice a year the merchant caravan, often accompanied by adventurers or mercenaries as guards, came to Starlight Rose. Ever since the destruction of The Spire, the town had started to see more traffic as travelers no longer had to worry about traveling through the narrow gaps in the mountain range, past a source of evil. In the six years since its destruction, Starlight Rose had bloomed and doubled its population.
​
Walking past the stalls and the games, Kiana smiled, feeling a festive atmosphere. She looked down at Malay, who was wearing a seafoam green dress, the young wolbet not caring that it had been a hand-me-down from Kiana, and clutching a giant blue stuffed fox almost as big as she was. Kiana was wearing a bright yellow sundress, having stated that on such a warm day, it was the best option to help keep from getting overheated. Her mother and sister had both smiled knowingly, not the least bit tricked by Kiana's professions. Kiana would often just not think about it.
​
Valay, in contrast, was wearing a simple red shirt and brown shorts and some small stick-on bandages on his shins and knees. The young boy wolbet was holding a purple dragon plush. Kiana had won them from a game booth. It was the classic 'throw a ball at a stack of bottles to knock them over' game, and like a cliche, she had seen her little brother throw a ball, hit the stack in the dead center, and they didn't move an inch. That's when big sister had stepped in. Kiana looked back at the booth... or rather where it had been. The attendant was still standing there, staring in a daze, as only half of the structure still remained.
​
"I'm glad you two like it," Kiana said, picking her brother up off her shoulders and setting him down next to his twin. Mirabelle rubbed up against his leg, making him giggle. The tiny snake, that had been small enough to sit coiled comfortably in the palm of a younger Kiana's hand, was now the size of a Saint Barnard, and just as affectionate as one. The blue-green snake had a tendency to try and sneak food, mainly cookies, when she thought she could get away with it, and had developed quite the set of sad puppy eyes when caught.
​
"So Kiana," Malay asked, looking up with her forest green eyes, a twinkle in them, "gunna go meet with Davtio later?"
​
Kiana smiled and rolled her eyes. Malay loved asking Kiana about her love life, or rather lack thereof. The older girl reached over and ruffled her little sister's headfur.
​
"Davtio and I are just friends," she said, having the day before gone on a walk with the elf-boy from her graduating class, gently letting him down after he had made his courting intentions known. The day after Kiana's birthday, which would be two days after the biannual festival, she was going to be leaving Starlight Rose to become a traveling adventurer. Davtio, with his long and practically glowing golden locks and eyes the color of the deep blue sea, had been disappointed, but he understood.
​
Jorba the goblin boy, however, had been far less formal as well as far less respectful with his own declaration. Said green-skinned bat-eared boy had walked over to where Kiana was retying her new forest green boots and given her bottom a swat, just below her cotton tail, puffing out his chest and informing Kiana that he had decided she was the finest female in their age group in the town and therefore, will be his woman. Slowly, Kiana had straightened herself and turned around, her eyes glowing with a blue light. With a swipe of her legs and a downward punch, that Kiana had been careful not to be too hard with, she effectively punched the disgusting goblin, literally, into the ground. Still alive and not crippled, but definitely in a lot of pain.
​
"I know that he liiiiiikes you, though," Malay said, rocking back and forth on her heels, reaching down to stroke Mirabelle's head, making the large reptile loosely wrap herself around the young wolbet girl's ankles.
​
"I don't feel the same way and I told him as much, so we've agreed to remain friends," Kiana said, making her sister let out an exasperated sigh.
​
"GAH! That is so just like you, Kiki!" Malay said, using the name she and Valay had called Kiana shortly after they had first learned how to talk. "Someone likes you, but you're just happy being just friends!"
​
"Hey, friends are awesome to have," Kiana said, picking Malay up and setting her on her shoulders, taking Valay's hand/paw into her own. Malay just rolled her eyes and continued to hug her fox.
​
"So," Valay piped up, glad that the girls had quit talking about romance stuff, "whatcha gunna buy with the money you saved up?" Valay was speaking of the jingling pouch of coins on Kiana's hip. She had earned extra coin around town doing things like babysitting and helping Mr. Fresto build a new stone wall around his garden, and the like. Making deliveries for the new offta restaurant in town had been fun for the teen bunny, and not because offta was the name for what turned out to be pizza in this world either! Tapping into her powers, she was able to sprint all across town and even over to Lake Phantom and back, often in under a minute.
​
"Well, I've already bought a bunch of supplies and a pack for my journey," Kiana said, taking note of Valay's ears drooping a bit, as well as sensing that Malay's ears were probably doing the same.
​
"So... you really mean to leave?" Malay asked from Kiana's shoulders. Kiana smiled and rubbed her little sister's leg, before rubbing her little brother's head.
​
"Yeah, I really do. But like I've told papa... repeatedly, actually, I'll come back to visit a whole bunch! And I'll be able to tell you all some cool stories about my travels!" Kiana said, brightening their moods.
​
"Are you going to learn magic?" Malay asked. As the twins edged closer towards their tenth birthday, that meant that they were nearing when they'd be old enough to take an exam to determine their magical abilities. Malay had accidentally turned a handful of flowers to stone when she sneezed at age seven. She also accidentally set a patch of grass on fire just outside her bedroom window after a bad dream a couple months back. According to a very excited Felixin, these were signs that Malay had a high aptitude for magic, and might actually be a sorceress, someone born with raw magical power within them.
​
Felixin went on to explain that anyone, with study and practice and skill, could eventually learn to use magic, but people like that fell under the category of a wizard. He went on to explain that witches were similar to wizards, but were more like hippies out dancing in the woods. Sorcerers and sorceresses were born with raw magical power already in them, that as they grew older, they needed to learn how to control, lest it become dangerous to them and those around them.
​
Druids, he continued with his explanation, were similar to witches, but less studious and more concentrating on attuning themselves to the energies of the surrounding natural world. He also said they had a tendency to eat certain mushrooms and fungus that they claimed could open one's third eye, but her father dismissed that notion as them just being addled by the chemicals in said fungi. Clerics were also magical, but their magic derived from whichever god they'd devoted themselves to, much like paladins, but with more study and significantly less combat training.
​
Finally, there were warlocks. Felixin was not shy about making his feelings regarding warlocks known. Instead of taking the time to learn and practice and concentrate and actually earn their magical power, they were rare people who instead bound themselves to an entity of great magical power, often something very sinister. In exchange for this power, they would do their new master's bidding, oftentimes not even fully understanding why such entities would want such requests done. He even recounted one warlock whose only task was to go out on the road and find a specific boulder, and then move it three inches south. Said warlock just shrugged when asked why, and stated that it was the only task his master ever asked of him.
​
What Felixin apparently didn't know was that there was a final category. The monk. When the master dragon monk had come to evaluate Kiana, after he had recovered from his shock, he had explained that monks were ordinary people who trained both their minds and their bodies. They would learn to tap into their inner power, their ki, and harness it through their bodies. This was of course after years and years of training and meditation. Of the different kinds of monks, the dragon monks were the most powerful. Once they passed a certain threshold, they would become as powerful as a dragon; which kind of dragon depended on which advanced school of training they most identified with. According to the master, Kiana practically oozed the aura of a storm dragon, which was capable of moving as fast as lightning.
​
"Kiki!" Valay called, tugging on Kiana's hand. She shook herself and smiled down at the wolbet boy. Kiana looked up in time to see Mirabelle stealthily reaching up at a nearby picnic table where those sitting weren't paying any attention and was trying to drag a plate with an entire rotisserie chicken on it nearer to the edge. She snapped her finger, making Mirabelle recoil and slither right back over to her legs, making the sad eyes at her. Kiana ignored the big orange orbs with the black slits and returned her attention to her brother.
​
"Sorry, buddy, I guess I got lost in my memories there for a sec."
​
The boy rolled his eyes and pointed to a large red and white tent that covered a wide area. There were no walls, and plenty of people were milling about inside, looking at the various goods. What had caught Valay's eye were the weapons. Already the boy had begged their mother to teach him swordfighting and, only recently, Pumala had agreed. She took note of how quickly Valay had taken to practicing the basics every day after school, always starting back to stance one. Kiana was certain that he was going to grow up to be quite the fighter.
​
"Okay, let's take a look and see what they've got for sale," Kiana said, turning them to an opening, Mirabelle following close behind. Together they walked down the set up shelves and displays. Valay was entranced by the swords and daggers, especially the throwing knives and shurikens. Scratch that, Kiana thought to herself with a giggle as she set her little sister down to look at the magical staves, thinking about how much Valay loved hiding and planting stink bombs for pranks and using smoke bombs to make his escapes. He'll probably grow up to be a great ninja or something.
​
Keeping her younger siblings and Mirabelle in sight, Kiana started to look through the different weapons. There were plenty made from low-quality materials that would probably break upon the first real usage, including an ornate-looking gold sword encrusted with jewels. She stopped just past the flails and nunchucks, spying several different tetsubos. The tetsubo was a weapon of the ancient samurai, at least that was the case for her home world. They were long, thick wooden clubs, in this case as tall as Kiana was, so around five feet in length. Going down the sides of the weapons, stopping only at the ends at the tops and just before the handles at the bottoms, were rounded or spiked metal rivets.
​
She pushed past some ornately carved ones, and spotted what appeared to be a plain brown tetsubo. It was polished and its rivets were spiked and black. The handle was wrapped in a comfortable-feeling leather. Some instinct deep within her liked this weapon, it liked it very much. Carrying it with one hand, she approached a man wearing a lapis lazuli-colored turban, and some matching lapis with gold trim robes. His skin was a pitch-black, with a shock of long white hair, signifying that he was a dark elf.
​
"How much for the tetsubo?" Kiana asked, hearing Valay and Malay hurrying to her side. She could practically feel their wide eyes staring in wonder at the weapon.
​
The merchant smiled, his purple eyes twinkling. "So this is the weapon you have selected? Quite the interesting choice."
​
"Uh, thanks?" Kiana said, now looking the tetsubo over and wondering if it was cursed, or if the guy before her was going to turn out to be a demon or something and that every item in the shop was cursed in some karmic way like the old cliche.
​
"It is made from a healthy branch of steelwood. Note that I said made, and not carved. As exquisite as a weapon or armor made from carved steelwood is, it pales in comparison to one that is made with secret techniques to sing the form it was always supposed to be straight from the trees themselves. Doing so ensures that any weapon or armor crafted this way will never dull or break. And the price will, of course, reflect as much..."
​
"Ah," Kiana said, understanding what the merchant before her was getting at.
​
"That particular tetsubo I cannot part with for less than a platinum," he said.
​
"Sold," Kiana said, pulling open her pouch and jangling it as her hand disappeared inside. After a moment of her rooting around and sifting coins aside, she found what she was looking for. Out she pulled a single platinum coin. Her brother and sister, as well as the merchant, looked at Kiana in shock.
​
"Where'd you get a platinum piece?" Malay asked, watching transfixed as Kiana handed the coin over to the still stunned dark elf, who took it and slipped it into a pocket in his robes.
​
"I found it just outside of town, when I beat down a giant shambling plant creature-thing. I think it ate a traveling merchant or something, 'cause I found a pouch with ten of them in it," Kiana whispered with a wink. She looked up to see that the merchant had the coin back in his hands and was examining it with a jeweler's loupe, nodding in approval as he pocketed both and gave Kiana an award-winning smile.
​
"A happy transaction," he said, his voice much more jovial than it had been, "please, look around some more for any more weapons that might catch your eye. And please, remember to ask for F'nnickly the Weapon Merchant if ever you're in the cities of Thassles, Ghostflower, or Midnight Tree. I have shops in all of them!"
​
"I certainly will," Kiana said, meaning it. She imagined she would be seeing more of this F'nnickly on her travels. She then turned to her brother and sister and knelt down, while the merchant turned to address another customer. "Alright, you two, did you guys find anything you wanted? I'll buy it for you."
​
"But... your birthday money?" Valay asked, looking torn. Kiana gave him and then his twin a kiss on their foreheads.
​
"You're my cute little brother and sister. If I want to spend money on you guys, I will," she said with a warm smile that only grew wider at the sight of the two now sporting excited grins. They both ran off and started to look more earnestly at things that had caught their eyes.
​
"Papa probably won't be too happy with me buying them weapons, but I'm sure he and Mama will teach them how to be responsible with them," she thought. She was still crouched to the twins' level and was about to stand back up, when she spotted something else that caught her eye. It was a pair of seemingly plain polished brass knuckles lying inside a small glass display case on a shelf to her left. They looked to be made of a bright silvery metal. Opening the case and picking them up, they weighed next to nothing, but like the tetsubo, something about them called out to Kiana on a level she couldn't quite identify. Smiling, she stood up with them and tapped F'nnickly on his shoulder.
​
After learning that they were a pair of master-crafted mithril brass knuckles, Kiana bought them for five hundred gold, which was just half of another platinum piece, so she got some change to fill her coin pouch with. Valay was the first to return, carrying a set of shuriken that were enchanted to return to the thrower's hand with a snap of their fingers, a steel dagger, and a chain and sickle that F'nnickly identified as a kusarigama. Kiana had to stop Valay from spinning the weighted end as well as the sickle. Malay returned with a corkscrew oak carved staff that ended with a glowing purple jewel at the top, floating just above the tip. Right below it were human faces carved in, all with sinister-looking grins. It was a swamp dragon staff, meaning that it was great with poison, disease, and paralysis-related spells. With some practice, a dedicated magic user could use it to help with healing very nasty injuries and infections. Together, their purchases ended up costing Kiana another platinum piece plus another fifty gold.
​
Kiana smiled down at her beloved little brother and little sister, seeing their excitement as they marveled at their new equipment. Mirabelle, not understanding just why they were excited, was still wriggling happily nonetheless. Kiana looked around at her town, beyond the merchant booths and the games, looking at all the sights she had grown up again with, feeling a pang of sadness at knowing in two days, she was leaving. She saw all the familiar faces of her neighbors and friends and everyone else in this town she had grown to love. But it was time, and she knew it. And she had meant what she had said, she was going to visit often. Plus, she'd have Mirabelle with her, so she didn't expect she'd feel too homesick.
​
Two Days Later...
​
Kiana's travel pack was fully loaded with spare clothes, food, her mithril knuckles, a couple health potions (not that she was expecting to have to use them), a canteen of fresh water, some alchemical flameless torches, some books, other assorted supplies and, when she was certain no one was looking, Mr. Wolfy. She grabbed her tetsubo and looked at her bedroom, smiling at the bookshelf filled with all sorts of titles and books about faraway lands. Her bed was made, the soft pink comforter that made cold winter nights just so warm. Her closet that was closed, containing a bit fewer dresses than it did a couple days ago, with them safely packed away in her bag. Sighing, she exited.
​
She was wearing her forest green boots with gold trim up the laces. They matched her green and gold hot pants and matching halter top. Kiana hadn't been too sure about leaving her midriff open like this, exposing her grey back and white tummy, but she had to admit that she had a pretty decent range of movement. And besides, compared to some other female, and some male, adventurers out there wearing what were basically bikinis or lingerie, this was much less revealing.
​
Out in the living room, her family was waiting. Pumala stood there, holding Kiana's platinum star-shaped badge, signifying the girl was a registered adventurer. Valay had asked Kiana about the badge that had been hand-delivered by guildmaster Graval the day before, the human man wishing the new adventurer a happy birthday. Kiana had explained that she was now officially an adventurer, but a freelance adventurer. She then had to explain that the local guild was a branch of the international inter-adventurer guild association. For freelance adventurers, a platinum ranking was the highest ranking they could achieve. If they wished to rank higher, they needed to join an official guild, like Unicorn Riot or Phoenix Phist. Basically, the guild in their town was just for beginners. The bunny girl was considering joining a real guild, but wanted to first travel and do some missions, and then look in on the different guilds and find out which one she would be most comfortable with.
​
"Go out there and have an awesome adventure!" Valay said, his voice choking up a bit. He looked away and wiped his eyes before hugging Kiana.
​
"Yeah, and be sure to tell us all about the places you go and the things you do!" Malay said, her own eyes moist. Kiana felt the hot prickle of tears at the back of hers and furiously blinked them away as she returned their hugs.
​
"Count on it," she said with a smile. The two letting go, Pumala stepped forward and pinned the badge on Kiana's halter top, her own eyes misty.
​
"I'm so proud of you, honey-bunny," she said, now doing the hugging. Kiana hugged back, having to blink away some tears again.
​
"I love you, Mama," she said, being kissed on her forehead.
​
"I love you too, baby," Pumala said. The older bunny woman, who now had a slight baby bump again, stepped back as her large wolf-man husband strode forward. He tried to look stern, but the silent tears streaming down his face ruined the impression. He threw his arms around Kiana and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug.
​
"Oh, my little princess is going awaaaaaaaaay!" he sobbed, much to everyone's collective embarrassment.
​
"I'll be back to visit, Papa," Kiana said, trying to gently pry his arms off.
​
"Be careful out there on the road, sweetie!" he sobbed again, his tail tucked between his legs.
​
"I will, Papa, I promise." Kiana smiled as he let go, and walked to the door. She turned and waved to her family, before turning back and opening the door. Just after she took her first step, she felt a jolt and something wrap around her right leg. Looking down, she saw her father, clinging to her leg like a toddler.
​
"Feli, let go of Kiana's leg right this instant!" Pumala called, while the twins, still saddened by their big sister's departure, shared a giggle at their father's antics.
​
"Never!" he called back, tightening his grip. Kiana rolled her eyes and smiled back at her mom.
​
"Don't worry, he'll fall off or I'll manage to shake him off before I get to the bridge," she said, starting to walk, albeit with an awkward gait. She whistled and Mirabelle, now sporting a new pink ribbon around her neck, came slithering after. Kiana's friends were near the gate for a send-off, which was made a little awkward by the still sobbing grown wolf clinging to the now mildly annoyed bunny girl's leg. She thanked them all and hugged each one, before stopping at the gate itself. She raised the leg her father was on, and began to shake. After a few moments, Felixin went flying and landed in the dirt with an 'OMPH!' Kiana waited as he got up and dusted himself off, wiping his face with the sleeve of his red robes, and walked over to her.
​
"I love you, Princess," he said, looking Kiana in the eyes and forcing a smile, "from the very day you were born, you were always my little princess, and it's just so hard to see you go. But please, know that I love you, and that not only am I already proud of what you've managed to accomplish, but that I know I'll be proud of the things you do out in the world."
​
Kiana, fresh tears of her own falling, pulled her Papa into one more hug, now the one making it a bone-crushing hug.
​
"I love you, Papa. I'm so lucky that I got to have you and Mama for parents. I'll be back before you know it," she said, wiping her own eyes. Felixin stepped back and continued to smile at his little girl. Kiana smiled back and, snapping her fingers to pull Mirabelle away from a gate guard's unattended bag lunch, the two set off, with Kiana turning back once to wave goodbye, before they finally crossed the bridge, and were on their way out into the wide world.
Name: Kiana
Species: Beasta (Rabbit-Kin)
Age: 16
Skills: Sibling Wrangler, Babysitter, Puppy-Dog Eyes, Master Martial Arts, Brawling, Heavy Weapon Proficiency, Sarcasm Mastery, Eyerolling Mastery, Beast Taming Level 3.
Class: (Official) Master-Level Dragon Monk: Storm Dragon School
Str: 140
Int: 12
Dex: 139
Cha: 12
Wis: 10
Con: 170
Languages: Common
Equipment: Adventurer's Pack, Steelwood Tetsubo, Mastercraft Mithril Knuckles (x2), Rope (25 Ft.), Canteen (Full), Road Rations, Spare Clothes, Bedroll, Health Potion (x2), Books (x3)
Sniffle. And there you have it, folks! I loved writing about Starlight Rose, but now it's time for us, along with Kiana, to explore the wide world! Thanks for reading this new chapter, and be sure to consider leaving a comment or review.
​
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I have a green mountain grill that I haven’t used for a few years and I want to get it cleaned up. Most of it is in decent shape but I am seeing some spots that are getting some light rust. Any recommendations how to properly clean rust off of the outside of a grill.

White Sox @ Tigers - Sat, May 27

Game Status: Final - Score: 7-3 Tigers

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Comerica Park: 72°F - Partly Cloudy - Wind 6 mph, In From LF
• TV: National: MLBN (out-of-market only), White Sox: NBCSCH, Tigers: Bally Sports Detroit
• Radio: White Sox: WMVP 1000 AM, Tigers: WXYT 1270 (es), 97.1 The Ticket
• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	White Sox Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Anderson, Ti - SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.257	.296	.292
2	Benintendi - LF	3	1	0	0	1	2	0	.271	.332	.354
3	Moncada - 3B	4	1	1	0	0	3	0	.283	.327	.446
4	Vaughn - 1B	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.237	.315	.409
5	Grandal - C	4	0	0	0	0	1	3	.269	.333	.414
6	Burger - DH	3	1	0	0	0	0	2	.252	.302	.591
7	Sheets - RF	3	0	1	3	0	0	0	.250	.320	.455
	1-Haseley - CF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.222	.282	.278
8	Frazier - RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.278	.381	.389
9	González, R - 2B	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.196	.207	.304
	Totals	31	3	4	3	1	7	9

White Sox
1-Ran for Sheets in the 7th.
BATTING: 2B: Sheets (2, Foley). TB: González, R; Moncada; Sheets 2; Vaughn. RBI: Sheets 3 (21). 2-out RBI: Sheets 3. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Burger; Frazier. GIDP: Grandal. Team RISP: 1-for-5. Team LOB: 2.

	Tigers Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	McKinstry - RF	4	1	3	2	0	0	1	.291	.410	.444
2	Greene, R - CF	5	1	1	0	0	3	5	.292	.355	.436
3	Torkelson - 1B	4	1	1	1	1	0	2	.238	.311	.368
4	Haase - C	4	0	1	1	0	0	3	.248	.307	.333
5	Maton, N - DH	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.159	.277	.318
	a-Cabrera, M - DH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.169	.253	.202
6	Baddoo - LF	2	1	1	0	1	0	0	.264	.367	.382
	b-Vierling - LF	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.245	.298	.358
7	Schoop, J - 3B	4	2	2	0	0	0	1	.237	.301	.303
8	Ibáñez - 2B	4	0	1	1	0	0	2	.175	.205	.275
9	Short - SS	2	1	1	2	2	0	0	.310	.429	.655
	Totals	34	7	11	7	4	3	16

Tigers
a-Grounded out for Maton, N in the 7th. b-Grounded out for Baddoo in the 7th.
BATTING: 2B: Baddoo (7, Scholtens); Greene, R (9, Kelly, J); Torkelson (12, Kelly, J); Schoop, J (5, Lambert); McKinstry (6, Lambert). HR: McKinstry (4, 7th inning off Kelly, J, 0 on, 1 out); Short (3, 8th inning off Lambert, 1 on, 1 out). TB: Baddoo 2; Greene, R 2; Haase; Ibáñez; McKinstry 7; Schoop, J 3; Short 4; Torkelson 2. RBI: Haase (13); Ibáñez (7); McKinstry 2 (10); Short 2 (8); Torkelson (23). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Greene, R; Torkelson; Vierling; Haase 2; Ibáñez. SF: McKinstry. Team RISP: 5-for-16. Team LOB: 8.
FIELDING: E: Ibáñez (3, throw). DP: (Schoop, J-Short-Torkelson).

White Sox Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Scholtens	4.2	4	2	2	2	3	0	68-45	2.84
Santos	1.1	0	0	0	2	0	0	25-14	2.33
Kelly, J (L, 1-2)(BS, 2)	0.1	4	3	3	0	0	1	23-14	4.30
Bummer	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	8-5	8.47
Lambert	1.0	3	2	2	0	0	1	14-9	5.91
Totals	8.0	11	7	7	4	3	2

Tigers Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Lorenzen	6.2	2	2	0	1	4	0	95-65	3.50
Foley (W, 2-1)(BS, 1)	0.1	1	1	0	0	1	0	14-11	1.66
Shreve (H, 6)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	8-6	4.66
Vest	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	9-7	1.59
Totals	9.0	4	3	0	1	7	0

Game Info
WP: Kelly, J.
Pitches-strikes: Scholtens 68-45; Santos 25-14; Kelly, J 23-14; Bummer 8-5; Lambert 14-9; Lorenzen 95-65; Foley 14-11; Shreve 8-6; Vest 9-7.
Groundouts-flyouts: Scholtens 2-7; Santos 4-0; Kelly, J 1-0; Bummer 2-0; Lambert 0-1; Lorenzen 9-6; Foley 1-0; Shreve 1-1; Vest 1-0.
Batters faced: Scholtens 20; Santos 6; Kelly, J 5; Bummer 2; Lambert 6; Lorenzen 23; Foley 3; Shreve 3; Vest 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Santos 1-0; Bummer 1-0; Foley 2-2.
Umpires: HP: Jim Wolf. 1B: Mike Muchlinski. 2B: Sean Barber. 3B: Alan Porter.
Weather: 72 degrees, Partly Cloudy.
Wind: 6 mph, In From LF.
First pitch: 1:10 PM.
T: 2:36.
Att: 24,685.
Venue: Comerica Park.
May 27, 2023

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Bottom 2	Andy Ibanez singles on a sharp line drive to right fielder Gavin Sheets. Akil Baddoo scores. Jonathan Schoop to 3rd.	1-0 DET
Bottom 2	Zach McKinstry out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Clint Frazier. Jonathan Schoop scores.	2-0 DET
Top 7	Gavin Sheets doubles (2) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Riley Greene. Andrew Benintendi scores. Yoan Moncada scores. Jake Burger scores.	3-2 CWS
Bottom 7	Zach McKinstry homers (4) on a line drive to right field.	3-3
Bottom 7	Spencer Torkelson doubles (12) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Adam Haseley. Riley Greene scores.	4-3 DET
Bottom 7	Eric Haase singles on a line drive to center fielder Adam Haseley. Spencer Torkelson scores.	5-3 DET
Bottom 8	Zack Short homers (3) on a fly ball to left center field. Jonathan Schoop scores.	7-3 DET

Team	Highlight
CWS	Bullpen availability for Chicago, May 27 vs Tigers (00:00:07)
DET	Bullpen availability for Detroit, May 27 vs White Sox (00:00:07)
DET	Fielding alignment for Detroit, May 27 vs White Sox (00:00:11)
DET	Starting lineups for White Sox at Tigers - May 27, 2023 (00:00:09)
CWS	Fielding alignment for Chicago, May 27 vs Tigers (00:00:11)
DET	Visualizing Zack Short's swing using bat tracking technology (00:00:09)
DET	Andy Ibáñez's RBI single (00:00:25)
DET	Zach McKinstry's sacrifice fly (00:00:22)
CWS	Jesse Scholtens K's three (00:00:25)
CWS	González breaks up perfect game (00:00:13)
CWS	Sheets' go-ahead three-run double (00:00:28)
DET	McKinstry's game-tying homer (4) (00:00:24)
DET	Torkelson's go-ahead double (00:00:28)
DET	Eric Haase's RBI single (00:00:14)
DET	Zack Short's two-run HR (3) (00:00:29)
DET	Will Vest secures the win (00:00:11)
DET	Lorenzen strikes out Grandal (00:00:10)
DET	Michael Lorenzen fans four (00:00:44)
CWS	Short safe after review (00:00:47)
DET	Hinch on 7-3 win over White Sox (00:01:02)
CWS	Condensed Game: [email protected] - 5/27/23 (00:08:48)
CWS	White Sox vs. Tigers Highlights (00:03:02)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0		3	4	0	2
Tigers	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	2			7	11	1	8

Decisions

• Winner: Jason Foley (2-1, 1.66)
• Loser: Joe Kelly (1-2, 4.30)

Division Scoreboard

TOR 7 @ MIN 9 - Final
WSH 4 @ KC 2 - Final
STL 2 @ CLE 1 - Final
^{Last Updated: 05/27/2023 10:20:55 PM EDT}

Despite my skepticism, I've always been a fan of a good horror story. A few weeks ago, I stumbled across some reviews online about a supposedly amazing new horror novel. I'll copy two of the reviews that stood out the most to me. Do note, I edited the reviews slightly to fix spelling and grammatical errors.
"Creepy and disturbing, [Redacted] is a fantastic novel worthy of at least one read. It explores the psyche of the human mind, and our approach to things we find creepy and supernatural. The author did a fantastic job setting up a story, and tearing apart the mind to explore our deepest, darkest fears. I won't spoil too much, but I highly reccomend purchasing this book before it's too late."
Too late? Why would it be too late? Even if it sells out, in a few months, second-hand copies will show up all over the place. There's never a 'perfect' time to read a book. As for the second review.
"Do not touch this book. Stay as far away from it as possible. If it's in a library or store near you, my best advice is to move. Find a new place to stay, or better yet, burn down the location. Either get as far away from it as possible, or destroy it as soon as possible. This book is demonic! It is pure evil and should not even be acknowledged! May Our Father forgive us."
Now, I didn't know exactly why this review stood out so much to me at the time, after all, it's probably just the ravings of another religious fanatic, right? Well, hindsight's a bitch. Perhaps if I was that bit smarter, perhaps if I was slightly less skeptical, I wouldn't have brushed it off like that, but that's what I did.
So, being a fan of good horror, I decided to purchase the book. It took rather a while to get delivered, to the point I had almost forgotten about it. The day it did arrive was a strange one. An unmarked black van pulled into my driveway. Now, while I'm skeptic of supernatural dangers, I'm all too aware about the ones that the real world presents. A man in a black suit and hat stepped out of the van and approached my gate.
I quickly grabbed my phone and went to dial 911. Something stopped me in my tracks though. He called out my full name. How would he know that? His next comment quickly answered that. He had a delivery for me. He held up a black book with white words engraved near the top. I squinted and could make out the title of the book I ordered. Okay, weird. I went outside and accepted the delivery.
"Where do I sign?" I asked, slightly taken aback by the strangeness of this whole affair. What kind of delivery company doesn't have a logo?
"Not necessary." He responded with a gravelly voice and a tip of his hat. "Enjoy." He turned and walked back to his van.
"Wait!" I called out. I had so many questions, but he just seemed to ignore me as he entered the van and slowly backed out of the driveway.
I stood there, at the gate, reading the title. It certainly was the book I ordered, with a small white price tag at the bottom, the exact price I had paid online. I flipped open the book and the very first page was completely blank, except for black text in the center.
"In memory of the damned. As you read their stories, remember always one simple rule. Never say their names out loud."
I shook my head, that was likely just some comment for immersion's sake. I snapped the book closed and headed inside. I made myself a cup of tea and got comfortable. It was getting late, and a creepy story and a warm drink was the perfect way to end the day.
The first few pages were your run of the mill horror. Small children screaming for their parents about monsters they saw under the bed, strange sightings when the power goes out and so on. The more I read though, the progressively stranger, and more personal it got. There was a story that started on Page 39 about a child who nearly drowned in a pool, it described the environment in such poetic detail.
Around the pool was a brick path, beside it were multiple fruit trees, under which sat a white, stone bench. The environment sounded so similar to the pool in my parents' old place. I chalked it up to coincidence, until the child was named. My name.
In a moment of shock and awe, I read the name again, out loud. Was this story about me? I continued reading, and it described a banshee-like creature with long, black claws dragging the child into the water by their ankles. I remember that, no one believed me. I just went in too deep, wasn't ready. Just an accidental near-drowning. Monsters aren't real. And so the story went in the book as well. No one believed the child about this banshee they clearly saw.
This story was about me. How? I didn't recognize the author's name, or anything about this book. I only told that story to a few people. Did they tell it to other people and it spread? That must be it. This book is a collection of short stories from all over the globe. This was likely just a case of someone in my family knowing someone who knew the author, and he just never came up.
Still, I found it very annoying that he didn't bother changing my name. That's how these books usually go. All names have been changed for the safety of the victims. Nothing like that on the front page though. My emotions quickly went from concern to mild irratation at the amateur nature of this author.
I finished reading the story about the child that nearly drowned, despite knowing exactly how it would end. But something caught my eye. The ending was different.
"And there, as the child lay asleep, outside the bedroom window stood the banshee, waiting to strike again."
Was this added fiction just for the sake of a little scare? Did he know something more than I thought? These thoughts raced across my mind, but ultimately I thought it was pointless to go on a mental journey about some dumb book. I closed the book and set it on my desk, then went to sleep.
The next morning when I woke up, the first thing I noticed scared me to the core. There, against my bedroom window were several long scratches downward, scratches that slightly cracked the window. It's important that you understand, my bedroom window is situated in a pathway with very tall, locked gates on either side, and across from the window is a very tall wall, with electric wire. The likelihood that someone could just get there during the night and scratch the window without my noticing is very slim. There aren't trees or animals that could've done that either. And none of these would crack the window just scratching it.
I tried to explain the scratches as best I could, but I could find no logical explanation. Was the book right? Was the banshee back because I read my own name aloud? It felt so dumb to even consider that as an option. Ghosts and monsters aren't real. Books don't hold any supernatural power. In that swimming pool, I was drowning. I was delusional, but what else could have caused this?
There was one course of action I could think of. In the case that this was some supernatural force at work. I grabbed the book and went to the grill outside. I dropped it inside and set it alight, watching as the fire slowly consumed it, the paper coiling in on itself and turning to ash with each passing second. I stared at the fire as it burned for nealy half an hour and slowly burned out.
When that was all done, I went on a walk to clear my mind. I tried to answer any questions I had about this whole ordeal on the walk, I couldn't. Some of it just didn't make any sense. When I finally returned home, I went to my study, with the intent to get back to work. I was halted in my tracks by a most disturbing sight, however. There, sitting on my desk just as I had left it the night before, was the damn book. The same one I burned.
Did someone see me burning it, then sneak in and replace it while I was out? Once again, that would be very difficult considering the secure nature of my home, with all the locked gates and electric wire. Perhaps this was just a very determined prankster. When I was younger, I did have a friend who would do these sort of things all the time. Though he passed a few years ago. Perhaps he had like-minded friends and they thought this was a fun way to pass the time. I flipped open the book to read that rule again.
"In memory of the damned. As you read their stories, remember always one simple rule. Never say their names out loud."
Was that first line supposed to mean something? Were they referring to this old friend? If this was a prank, I had to hand it to them, they certainly put in a lot of effort. Slightly disturbing, using a person's dead friend to play a joke on them, but that's the way of some people.
Once again, a small spell of paranoia poked at the back of my mind. If at all this was supernatural, I had to get rid of this damn book. I grabbed it and decided to go on a drive. My town is surrouned by very large mountains, and somewhere on those mountains are deep rivers. I drove up to the mountain gates. Locked. No matter, I got of the car and climbed over the gate, then made my way up the path.
I didn't notice it at first, but the sun was setting, which meant the night animals would be coming out soon. At least I knew to expect strange noises. As I hiked towards the river, I felt a very chilling sensation across my body, as if it the winter had come early. That was very strange, given it was the middle of summer.
I chalked it up to the nightly air, and continued on my way. After about an hour of hiking, I finally made it to the river and dropped the book in the water. My eye caught something that made my heart sink. As the book touched the water, something swam underneath it. Something that looked human. At this time of day there's almost no one around, and less so anyone swimming.
I tried to make my way back to the car as quickly as possible, trying to ignore what I saw. There was no logical explanation outside of the supernatural. None that I could come up with anyway, and I did not want to accept the latter. The drive home was unnerving, to say the least. My mind stuck on that one moment. What was under that book? Was it just some random person swimming? Was it something else?
I couldn't sleep that night. I tried and failed. The tapping on my window kept me awake, but I dared not look to confirm my suspicions. I kept my back to the window all night. Once the sun started rising and casting light into my room, the tapping stopped. I got up and immediately went to my study. I didn't look inside. I just closed and locked the door. I didn't have to look. I know that book is on my desk.
Each night it's the same thing. The tapping on my window is steady, I've gotten used to it. Ironically, it helps me fall asleep now. I'm not going to look. I know what's outside.

Roughly 7 years ago u/TheGreatZiegfeld did an experiment of a post to determine what the best films of each year would be from 1940 to 2011 (before the 2012 S&S polls).
With the recently updated TSPDT and the 2022 S&S list, I decided to do the same from 1940 to 2021 regarding what critics thought were the best of each year.
Keep in mind this is all from a critics' poll, not from one specific critic's list. Also no short films or miniseries (meaning no Twin Peaks or Meshes of the Afternoon), as well as those from 2022 and beyond because of the last S&S poll.
With all that in mind, let's begin.
1940
Winner: His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks)
Other nominees: The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin), The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford), The Shop Around The Corner (Ernst Lubitsch), The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor)
1941
Winner: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
Other nominees: The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges), Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges), The Maltese Falcon (John Houston), How Green Was My Valley (John Ford)
1942
Winner: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)
Other nominees: The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles), To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch), The Palm Springs Story (Preston Sturges), Cat People (Jacques Tourneur)
1943
Winner: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Powell and Pressburger)
Other nominees: Day of Wrath (Carl Theodor Dreyer), Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock), I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur), Ossessione (Luchino Visconti)
1944
Winner: Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)
Other nominees: Ivan the Terrible, Part I (Sergei Eisenstein), Meet Me in St. Louis (Vincente Minnelli), A Canterbury Tale (Powell and Pressburger), To Have and Have Not (Howard Hawks)
1945
Winner: Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné)
Other nominees: Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini), Brief Encounter (David Lean), I Know Where I'm Going (Powell and Pressburger) Les Dames du bois de Boulogne (Robert Bresson)
1946
Winner: It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra)
Other nominees: A Matter of Life and Death (Powell and Pressburger), Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock), My Darling Clementine (John Ford), Paisan (Roberto Rossellini)
1947
Winner: Black Narcissus (Powell and Pressburger)
Other nominees: Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur), Monsieur Verdoux (Charlie Chaplin), The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
1948
Winner: Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica)
Other nominees: The Red Shoes (Powell and Pressburger), Letters from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls), Spring in a Small Town (Mu Fei), Germany Year Zero (Roberto Rossellini)
1949
Winner: The Third Man (Carol Reed)
Other nominees: Late Spring (Yasujirō Ozu), Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford), White Heat (Raoul Walsh)
1950
Winner Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa)
Other nominees; Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder), All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz), Los Olvidados (Luis Buñuel), In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray)
1951
Winner: The River (Jean Renoir)
Other nominees: Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson), Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica), Early Summer (Yasujirō Ozu), Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
1952
Winner: Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly)
Other nominees: Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa), Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica), The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi), The Quiet Man (John Ford)
1953
Winner: Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu)
Other nominees: Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi), The Earrings of Madame de (Max Ophüls), The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati)
1954
Winner: Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
Other nominees: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock), Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini), La Strada (Federico Fellini), Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi)
1955
Winner: Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Other nominees: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton), Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray), All That Heaven Allows (Douglas Kirk), Floating Clouds (Mikio Naruse)
1956
Winner: The Searchers (John Ford)
Other nominees: A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson), Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk), Aparajito (Satyajit Ray), Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray)
1957
Winner: Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)
Other nominees: The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman), Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini), Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa), Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick)
1958
Winner Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)
Other nominees: Touch of Evil (Orson Welles), Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda), Ivan the Terrible, Part II (Sergei Eisenstein), The Music Room (Satyajit Ray)
1959
Winner: The 400 Blows (François Truffaut)
Other nominees: Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder), North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock), Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks), Pickpocket (Robert Bresson)
1960
Winner: Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)
Other nominees: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock), La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini), L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni), The Apartment (Billy Wilder)
1961
Winner: Viridiana (Luis Buñuel)
Other nominees: Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais), La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni), West Side Story (Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins), Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa)
1962
Winner: Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean)
Other nominees: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford), Jules and Jim (François Truffaut), Cléo from 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda), L'Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni)
1963
Winner 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini)
Other nominees: Le Mepris (Jean-Luc Godard), The Leopard (Luchino Visconti), The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock), The Executioner (Luis García Berlanga)
1964
Winner: Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick)
Other nominees: Gertrud (Carl Theodor Dreyer), The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy), Black God, White Devil (Glauber Rocha)
1965
Winner: Pierrot Le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard)
Other nominees: Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles), Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov), Le Bonheur (Agnes Varda), Doctor Zhivago (David Lean)
1966
Winner: Persona (Ingmar Bergman)
Other nominees: Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky), Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson), The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo), Blow-Up (Michelangelo Antonioni)
1967
Winner: Playtime (Jacques Tati)
Other nominees: Mouchette (Robert Bresson), Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville), Belle de Jour (Luis Buñuel), The Graduate (Mike Nichols)
1968
Winner: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
Other nominees: Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone), Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski), Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea), Faces (John Cassavetes)
1969
Winner: The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah)
Other nominees: The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov), Kes (Ken Loach), My Night at Maud's (Eric Rohmer), Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville)
1970
Winner: The Conformist (Bernado Bertolucci)
Other nominees: Wanda (Barbara Loden), Performance (Nicholas Roeg), Husbands (John Cassavetes), Tristana (Luis Buñuel)
1971
Winner: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
Other nominees: Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman), A Touch of Zen (King Hu), Out 1 (Jacques Rivette)
1972
Winner: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
Other nominees: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog), Cries and Whispers (Ingmar Bergman), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel), Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky)
1973
Winner: Amarcord (Federico Fellini)
Other nominees: The Mother and the Whore (Jean Eustache), The Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice), Don't Look Now (Nicholas Roeg), Badlands (Terrence Malick)
1974
Winner: The Godfather: Part II (Francis Ford Coppola)
Other nominees: Chinatown (Roman Polanski), A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes), Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Celine and Julie Go Boating (Jacques Rivette)
1975
Winner: Jeanne Dielman (Chantal Akerman)
Other nominees: Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky), Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick), Nashville (Robert Altman), Jaws (Steven Spielberg)
1976
Winner: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)
Other nominees: News from Home (Chantal Akerman), Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders), In the Realm of Senses (Nagisa Oshima), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (John Cassavetes)
1977
Winner: Annie Hall (Woody Allen)
Other nominees: Star Wars (George Lucas), Close Encounter of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg), Eraserhead (David Lynch), The Ascent (Larisa Shepitko)
1978
Winner: Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett)
Other nominees: Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick), The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino), The Tree of Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi), In a Year with 13 Moons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
1979
Winner: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)
Other nominees: Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky), Alien (Ridley Scott), Manhattan (Woody Allen), All That Jazz (Bob Fosse)
1980
Winner: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
Other nominees: The Shining (Stanley Kubrick), The Empire Strike Back (Irvin Kershner), Heaven's Gate (Michael Cimino), The Elephant Man (David Lynch)
1981
Winner: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg)
Other nominees: Possession (Andrzej Żuławski), Blow Out (Brian de Palma), Mad Max 2 (George Miller), An American Werewolf in London (John Landis)
1982
Winner: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)
Other nominees: Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg), The Thing (John Carpenter), The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
1983
Winner: Sans Soleil (Chris Marker)
Other nominees: L'Argent (Robert Bresson), Videodrome (David Cronenberg), Nostalgia (Andrei Tarkovsky), A Nos Amours (Maurice Pialat)
1984
Winner: Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone)
Other nominees: Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders), Love Streams (John Cassavetes), Amadeus (Milos Forman), Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch)
1985
Winner: Shoah (Claude Lanzmann)
Other nominees: Come and See (Elem Klimov), Ran (Akira Kurosawa), Vagabond (Agnes Varda), Brazil (Terry Gilliam)
1986
Winner: Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
Other nominees: The Green Ray (Eric Rohmer), The Sacrifice (Andrei Tarkovsky), Aliens (James Cameron), Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen)
1987
Winner: Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
Other nominees: Where is the Friend's House (Abbas Kiarostami), The Dead (John Huston), Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson), Yeelen (Souleymanne Cisse)
1988
Winner: My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki)
Other nominees: Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore), Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terence Davies), The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris), Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata)
1989
Winner: Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
Other nominees: A City of Sadness (Hou Hsiao-hsien), Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen), When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner), The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway)
1990
Winner: Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami)
Other nominees: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese), Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar-wai), An Angel at My Table (Jane Campion), Paris is Burning (Jessie Livingston)
1991
Winner: A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang)
Other nominees: Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash), The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski), The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme), Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou)
1992
Winner: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)
Other nominees: The Quince Tree Sun (Victor Erice), Orlando (Sally Potter), Life, and Nothing More (Abbas Kiarostami), Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino)
1993
Winner: The Piano (Jane Campion)
Other nominees: Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg), Three Colors: Blue (Krzysztof Kieslowski), Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis), The Puppetmaster (Hou Hsiao-hsien)
1994
Winner: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)
Other nominees: Satantango (Bela Tarr), Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai), Three Colors: Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski), Through the Olive Tree (Abbas Kiarostami)
1995
Winner: Heat (Michael Mann)
Other nominees: Underground (Emir Kusturica), Safe (Todd Haynes), Casino (Martin Scorsese), Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch)
1996
Winner: Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier)
Other nominees: Fargo (Joel Coen), A Moment of Innocence (Mohsen Makhmalbaf), Secrets and Lies (Mike Leigh), Crash (David Cronenberg)
1997
Winner: Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami)
Other nominees: Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai), Lost Highway (David Lynch), Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson), Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki)
1998
Winner: Histoire(s) du Cinema (Jean-Luc Godard)
Other nominees: The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick), The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen), The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg), Flowers of Shanghai (Hou Hsiao-hsien)
1999
Winner: Beau Travail (Claire Denis)
Other nominees: Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson), The Matrix (Wachowskis), Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick), All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar)
2000
Winner: In The Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai)
Other nominees: Yi Yi (Edward Yang), The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda), Werckmeister Harmonies (Bela Tarr), In Vanda's Room (Pedro Costa)
2001
Winner: Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)
Other nominees: Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki), La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel), A.I: Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg), The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson)
2002
Winner: City of God (Fernando Meirelles)
Other nominees: Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (Wang Bing), Talk to Her (Pedro Almodovar), Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sukurov), Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay)
2003
Winner: Goodbye, Dragon Inn (Tsai Ming-liang)
Other nominees: Dogville (Lars von Trier), Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola), Elephant (Gus van Sant), Oldboy (Park Chan-wook)
2004
Winner: Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Other nominees: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry), The Intruder (Claire Denis), Before Sunset (Richard Linklater), Sideways (Alexander Payne)
2005
Winner: Caché (Michael Haneke)
Other nominees: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Cristi Puiu), Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee), The New World (Terrence Malick), Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)
2006
Winner: Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Other nominees: Inland Empire (David Lynch), Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro), The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
2007
Winner: There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Other nominees: No Country for Old Men (Coens), Zodiac (David Fincher), Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas), 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu)
2008
Winner: The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel)
Other nominees: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton), Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman), The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan), Hunger (Steve McQueen)
2009
Winner: The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke)
Other nominees: A Prophet (Jacques Audiard), Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold), Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino), Avatar (James Cameron)
2010
Winner: Uncle Boonmee (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Other nominees: Nostalgia for the Light (Patricio Guzman), The Social Network (David Fincher), Mysteries of Lisbon (Raul Ruiz), Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt)
2011
Winner: The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
Other nominees: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi), Melancholia (Lars von Trier), The Turin Horse (Bela Tarr), Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
2012
Winner: Holy Motors (Leos Carax)
Other nominees: The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer), The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson), Amour (Michael Haneke), Tabu (Miguel Gomes)
2013
Winner: Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
Other nominees: The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino), Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche), Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski), 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
2014
Winner: Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
Other nominees: Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson), Girlhood (Celine Sciamma), Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
2015
Winner: Mad Max; Fury Road (George Miller)
Other nominees: Carol (Todd Haynes), Cemetery of Splendor (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien), No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman)
2016
Winner: Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
Other nominees: Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade), American Honey (Andrea Arnold), Arrival (Denis Villeneuve), Certain Women (Kelly Reichardt)
2017
Winner: Get Out (Jordan Peele)
Other nominees: Zama (Lucrecia Martel), Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson), You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay), Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
2018
Winner: Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
Other nominees: Happy as Lazzaro (Alice Rohrwacher), Burning (Lee Chang-dong), An Elephant Sitting Still (Hu Bo), Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
2019
Winner: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma)
Other nominees: Parasite (Bong Joon-ho), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino), Atlantics (Mati Diop), First Cow (Kelly Reichardt)
2020
Winner: Nomadland (Chloe Zhao)
Other nominees: Time (Garrett Bradley), Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Eliza Hitman), Days (Tsai Ming-liang), Quo Vadis, Aida? (Jasmila Zbanic)
2021
Winner: Petite Maman (Celine Sciamma)
Other nominees: The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion), Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Titane (Julia Docournau), Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

Got back from a 1 week trip to Costa Rica and wanted to summarize my thoughts here as a few friends have asked for them.
Tamarindo, 2 nights
Scene: Young and touristy with a lot of surfing though during low tide you'll actually see that the beach is full of jagged rocks - my friend actually cut himself on them. Plus the waves were pretty aggressive when I was there which makes surfing even tougher for beginners. Great for partying - at least on the Friday and Saturday night I was in Tamarindo there were several bars and clubs. That said, I've heard that folks who stayed in other popular beach towns like Santa Teresa and Nosara enjoyed it more.
Things to do: Bar crawl ($25 USD) was pretty fun and Crazy Monkeys was my favourite spot as it was a rooftop club with acrobatics (think: a very, very scaled down version of Coco Bongo). Cheap surf lessons at Banana Surf Club, $20 or 30 USD for 2 hours. Not much to do from an outdoors/adventure perspective.
Food: Tough to find cheap local options as the Sodas are not walkable from the center of town. The food options were pretty westernized. The Mahi Mahi tacos from Green Papaya Cafe were my second favourite meal. Witches Rock had a cool vibe with live music and it's beach front patio. Tried several places in the small food court but they ranged from mediocre to bad. The Carribean food truck in the food truck yard was terrible as the meat is literally microwaved. Heard good things about the food at El Be and coffee at the shop above White Lotus but didn't try myself.
Transportation: Shuttle from airport for $25 USD each (1 van shared with 4 others)
Monteverde/Santa Elena, 2 nights
Scene: Quite literally in the mountains. Much quieter and sparse vs the other places in Costa Rica. Great for outdoor adventures, renowned for coffee, and most notably the home of a large cloud forest reserve, etc.
Food: CASEM co-op was quaint and the tortilla with meat was decent. Raulitos was decent as well. Sabor Tico was highly recommended by the locals but I thought it was disappointing (plus very expensive). Cafe Choco was a great place for coffee (though contrary to the name, they do not make chocolate).
Things to do: Between 100% Aventura (which I did for $54 USD), Selvatura, and Extremo, there's lots of great ziplining/Tarzan swing excursions available and I'd highly recommend doing one of them. I would ignore any claims like "largest zipline in Costa Rica" because I saw several ziplines throughout the country making similar but nuanced claims. Night walks are also popular but the one I did ($25 USD purchased at the Selvatura office in town) was terrible - saw a couple interesting animals from afar but was otherwise underwhelmingly focused on bugs (read: boring) and I didn't like the guide. Didn't visit the cloud forest or do a coffee tour but those are the other popular things to do here.
Transportation: Shuttle for $50 USD (van with ~6 others)
La Fortuna, 2 nights
Scene: Typical tourist town (not necessarily in a bad way) that felt like a hybrid of all the other places I visited in Costa Rica. Has a good variety of things to do ranging from quiet outdoor activities to partying. As has been well documented here on Reddit, you have to pay for pretty much every hike though there are a small handful of free activities.
Food: My favourite meal in Costa Rica was at Travesia. While the prices appear high, each meal we got could have probably fed 2+ people. A must try. A close contender because of its low price was Pollolandia, which is a no-frills fried chicken chain located throughout the country. Rain Forest Cafe was decent. Soda Viquez is highly recommended and definitely filling but the food is very low quality and served from a hot table that has likely been sitting all day - I didn't like it.
Things to do: My favourite activity during my trip was the level 3-4 rafting ($85 USD). It was my first time and a ton of fun, especially for those who like high adrenaline activities. The river level was a bit low though which led to us getting stuck a lot. We hiked through the private Volcano Arenal for $18 USD which was a pretty decent hike though you don't actually get too close to Volcano itself. There's a vendor in the parking lot selling cheap fresh coconuts (1,200 CRC) which was a great refresher after the hike. We also did the La Fortuna waterfall for ~$20 USD which was beautiful. The Don Juan coffee and chocolate tour ($45 USD) which was nice as well, though someone later suggested the Northfields one could be better because it's less "corporate" than Don Juan. Partying, at least on the weekdays that I was here, was pretty limited. Charlie's was the only place open during the week but pretty empty. Drinks were cheap though (~3,000 CRC per). In terms of free activities, there's a great swimming area with a rope swing, an okay hot spring a short walk from the road, and a free waterfall that I didn't get to visit. Also, on the trip from Monteverde>La Fortuna our shuttle service had us switch from bus>boat>bus again which we didn't know would happen upon booking but actually made for a nice, makeshift boat tour around the Arenal Volcano
Transportation: Shuttle for $50-70 USD (don't remember the exact amount) (bus/boat with ~12 others)
Liberia, 1 night
I know everyone says to skip it but I had an early morning flight the next day and wanted to be close to the airport. Next time, I think I'd just stay in a nearby beach town like Playa Hermosa instead which is equally far from the airport. Not much to do and my Airbnb on the south side of town felt a bit sketchy. This is more specific to the Airbnb itself but despite the great reviews it was terrible - flooded during heavy rainfall, bad smells, and lots of bugs. Cafe Negro was great for breakfast and coffee, though. Also if you're flying from this airport beware that alcohol at the souvenir shops is significantly overpriced. There's a smaller duty free shop near gate 5 that sells the example same products for much less (e.g. 750ml Cacique for $15 vs $23 USD)
Transportation: Private driver (shuttles were sold out as we tried booking the day before) for $115 USD (SUV with up to 4 seats and the cost can be split by all passengers; driver also stopped at Rio Celeste, a popular river to swim in, on the way)
Other, general thoughts:

• Everything, especially food, is VERY expensive. Outside of Airbnbs and alcohol, I paid more for things in Costa Rica than I would in Canada. I ate out for all my meals and paid ~double what I would normally spend eating out at similar places where I'm from in Canada. Same goes for coffee (~2,000-3,000 CRC) and other general merchandise items, but food was especially surprising given that even basic meals like casado (read: rice and bean heavy) would run me ~5,000 CRC.
  
• In addition to being expensive, food is pretty underwhelming here. I guess that was to be expected as Costa Rica isn't exactly a culinary destination.
  
• Alcoholic drinks from corner stores were pretty cheap (e.g. ~1,000 per beer, ~7,000 for 750ml bottles of liquor), at least compared to Ontario (perhaps not as noticable if you're from a low alcohol tax area in the US, let's say). Alcohol at restaurants and bars was generally expensive though.
  
• Tipping was not expected anywhere I went. Some places, particularly fancier restaurants, do mandate a service charge though, a standard 10%.
  
• With the exception of my night walk guide who sucked, all the tour guides were great and funny. Even the guides that were not great English speakers knew how to crack jokes.
  
• I imagine it's an anomaly but it only rained once despite my trip taking place during rainy season.
  
• If you're used to eating properly marbled steaks, I'd skip eating steak in Costa Rica. It's generally lean and tough, very different from the fattier steaks we're used to.
  
• Tap water is safe to drink. I drank it everyday without issue.
  
• Navigating is really challenging because they don't use addresses here. It's all relative to landmarks (e.g. 50m West of large statue).
  
• Partly due to above but also because the roads between cities can be terrible, I'd recommend avoiding driving. Perhaps if you're from a region without modernized roads then you'd be okay with it but fully paved roads, stop signs, cross walks, street lights, etc are rare outside of the big cities.
  
• Uber is illegal (for drivers, not passengers) so in some less populated areas it can be hard to match with drivers. Still worth trying to call for them if you're not in a rush because it was ~50-70% cheaper than taxis (regardless of whether we had fixed price or meter). That said, taxis show up very quickly if you call them.
  
• Related to the previous thought, I was amazed by how easy it was to book transportation around the country through shuttles/private transport. Even on very short notice, we paid someone at a hostel or tour agency who leaves a Whatsapp voice message with a very vague description of your party/pickup location (again, no addresses), and in every single case the driver showed up right on time. Never tried public transportation but I heard it's to be avoided if you can afford it. Shuttles/private transport can also be booked online. We used Bookaway which seemed standard.
  
• For some reason you can't convert foreign currency to CRC at banks without showing your passport.
  
• Outside of a few small things irking me in Liberia, the country generally felt safe, even when walking around Tamarindo and La Fortuna at 2-4am in the night.
  
• Tourists are tourists but the locals generally felt pure and nice, truly embodying the essence of "Pura Vida". These aren't great examples but I saw several things (e.g. bumping into people at clubs) that in North America would lead to a fight that the locals just brush off.
  
• Last but not least, and partly a product of hanging around hostels (even if I wasn't staying in them), it was very easy to meet and make friends with other people. There were plenty of people ranging from solo to small groups, backpackers to more mature travelers, coming from near and far countries, and so on. A very different vibe than in North America where it's almost taboo to start up a conversation with someone at a restaurant or on a tour - I was able to meet a diverse array of people just by striking up conversations!
  

Marzman315 here again for this year's edition of Defending the Draft
Disclaimer:
Well here we are again. Once again I am here to talk about the Cleveland Browns offseason and draft, and this means I will be talking about Deshaun Watson. While I am a Browns fan I am completely sympathetic to the negative feelings toward this player. However I am not responsible for his actions or the team's decision to sign him so don't waste your time insulting me and distracting from the discussion of this post to address his actions, instead use that time and energy to donate to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center using the link below, as I will not engage in any discussion regarding the QB in any off field capacity:
https://clevelandrapecrisis.org/support/donate-now/
Brief Season Review:
The Browns entered 2022 with very ill-defined expectations. On one hand the roster looked fairly solid on paper, however the bizarre QB situation left many with the knowledge that success would be an uphill battle, and that inconsistent QB play would likely be our downfall.
And it most certainly was.
During Deshaun Watson's 11 game suspension, Jacoby Brissett took over as starting QB. He immediately became a fan favorite, as the Browns won their opening week game for the first time in seventeen years, and largely played fairly well in the opening weeks. Some poor performances against beatable opponents though saw the Browns as a pretty mid-level team as Watson made his debut.
To say he was underwhelming was an understatement. While flashes of the elite play that Watson has demonstrated in the past shone through at times, he was largely mediocre to poor for most of his abridged season, completing just 58% of his passes for 1,100 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He turned in decent games against Baltimore and Washington, and while most reasonable Browns fans expected him to have a bit of rust, it was hard not to be disappointed.
That being said there was still plenty of fun to be had during the Browns 2022 campaign as well. New receiver Amari Cooper performed as advertised, putting up an impressive 1,160 yards and 9 TDs, Nick Chubb was dominant once again rushing for over 1500 yards and 12 TDs, the offensive line continued to utterly dominate (including surprise breakout player Ethan Pocic). The defense regressed largely due to poor coaching and a down year from Denzel Ward (which could partially be blamed on said coaching) but another absolutely elite season from Myles Garrett, continued improvement from 2021 first round pick Greg Newsome and a fantastic year from third round rookie MJ Emerson kept things from being disastrous.
Coaching Staff and Front Office:
The major change to feature here was the welcome firing of defensive coordinator Joe Woods following the season. Woods' refusal to adjust his scheme to fit the skillsets of his players led to pretty poor results (hence the down year from Ward, an elite man coverage corner who played the vast majority of his snaps in zone coverage) and was replaced with veteran DC Jim Schwartz. Kevin Stefanski remains head coach and despite a few Browns fans losing faith in him, the 2020 NFL Coach of the Year remains a stable presence at a position the Browns have not had much stability in as of late.
Free Agency and Trades:
The Browns came into free agency this season with clear needs and GM Andrew Berry emphasized filling those needs immediately with the opening of free agency. Those three needs were Defensive Tackle, which the Browns basically had nobody playing, an edge defender opposite Myles Garrett, and a safety to replace the departing John Johnson.
The Browns opened free agency by signing Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, former Ram and Texan coming off two great pass rushing seasons, Dalvin Tomlinson, the solid and consistent defensive tackle from Minnesota, and Juan Thornhill, very good coverage safety from the Kansas City Chiefs. They then focused on re-signing players from their core like Ethan Pocic and Sione Takitaki, as well as rounding out their depth with more mid-level free agents at fair deals like Jordan Akins and Trysten Hill. Their final impact move before the draft was a trade for 23 year old slot specialist Elijah Moore from the New York Jets by exchanging their second round pick for the Jets third round pick. A low risk gamble for the high upside Moore who wanted to be featured in the offense a bit more and will be in the Browns offense.
Key Acquisitions/signings:
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT - Signed: 4 yrs $57 million
Juan Thornhill, DB - Signed: 3 yrs $21 million
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE - Signed: 3 yrs $19 million
Jordan Akins, TE - Signed: 2 yrs $3.9 million
Sione Takitaki, LB - Re-signed: $2.4 million
Marquise Goodwin, WR - Signed $1.7 million
Michael Ford, DB - Signed: $1.5 million
Elijah Moore, WR - Traded from NY Jets for draft picks
Za'Darius Smith, DE - Traded from Minnesota for draft picks
Anthony Walker, LB - Re-Signed: 1 yr, $1.2 million
Rodney McCleod, DB - Signed: 1 yr, $1.3 million
Trysten Hill, DL - Signed: 1 yr, $1.2 million
Jordan Kunaszyk, LB - Signed 1 yr, $1.2 million
Key Losses:
Jacoby Brissett, QB - Signed with Washington in FA
Greedy Williams, DB - Signed with Philadelphia in FA
D'Ernest Johnson, RB - Signed with Jacksonville in FA
Taven Bryan, DT - Signed with Indianapolis in FA
Chase Winovich, DE - Signed with Houston in FA
(The following players' deals have expired but as of now they have neither re-signed or signed elsewhere)
John Johnson, DB - Very unlikely to re-sign, replaced by Thornhill/McLeod
Jadeveon Clowney, DE - Very unlikely to re-sign, replaced by Okoronkwo/Smith
Kareem Hunt, RB - unlikely to re-sign, injuries/reduced usage in 2022
Deion Jones, LB - uncertain to resign, average play in 2022, probably redundant with healthy Anthony Walker
Draft Season:
The Browns entered the draft season without any major holes on the starting roster, although their depth at defensive tackle and wide receiver was still lacking. This was good, considering the team had no draft picks until the 74th pick. The Browns have had some mixed success in the mid rounds but ultimately most reasonable fans trust Berry to put together the best roster possible.
The Draft:
Browns trade pick 42 to NYJ for WR Elijah Moore and pick 74.
3.74 - Cedric Tillman, WR Tennessee
Receiver is an interesting position for the Browns because there are a number of guys on the roster that its easy to get excited about but also easy to write off as non-contributors. 2020 sixth round pick Donovan Peoples-Jones was a fairly solid number two with 840 yds and 3 TDs, but struggled to contribute meaningfully late in the season barring a pretty good game against Cincinnati. Third round rookie David Bell had some decent games from the slot but is limited as an outside option, and Anthony Schwartz is good for one or two huge plays a year thanks to his speed but his terrible hands and poor route running simply doesn't justify them.
Enter Cedric Tillman. The big bodied, 6'3" 220 lb outside threat was dominant for Tennessee before injuries saw him limited in his final season. Tillman has huge potential and while he may not play a ton of snaps in 2023 he is auditioning to take over at #2 if Peoples-Jones leaves in free agency following this year.
3.98 - Siaki Ika, DT Baylor
While GM Andrew Berry aggressively attacked the defensive tackle in free agency, the depth of the position was still lacking going into the draft, particularly an adept run stuffer to man the 1T.
And then the 6'3" 335 lb monster Siaki Ika just falls into their laps. Ika was widely considered a first round prospect going into the season, however some reduction in his production in 2022 as well as a disappointing combine saw him fall out of favor a bit, plus the natural lack of value of the nose tackle position he plays. However his good tape is astounding, as it features a very nimble big man who can not only absorb double teams and disrupt run lanes, but positively contribute to pass rushing as well. He will have a role on the Browns from day one, even if he cannot replicate his pass rushing from college, he will be an effective presence on run downs immediately.
4.111 - Dawand Jones, OT Ohio State
The fall of Dawand Jones on draft day was shocking to some and expected by others. He is a prospect of very distinct strengths and weaknesses.
His strengths are obvious from looking at him. Dude's big. At over 6'8" and weighing in at 375 lbs with monstrous 36" arms he's the premier 'first off the bus' guy and has inherent advantages at the position. His tape was very impressive in 2022 and 21, albeit a bit inconsistent at times.
Jones started rubbing people the wrong way at the senior bowl, after an impressive first day he quit on the rest of the program, then showed up seeming a bit out of shape at the Combine. In the fourth round however he is a no-brainer. With Jedrick Wills approaching the last year of his contract and Jack Conklin (despite his recent extension) being somewhat injury prone, Jones has a path to the field early and is in the hands of one of the very best position coaches in the NFL in o-line coach Bill Callahan. A gamble to be sure, but a very worthwhile one.
4.126 - Isaiah McGuire, DE Missouri
The Browns have certainly had a type with their edge rushers as of late. With the exception of Okoronkwo the physical profile of our EDGE rushers is often very similar and McGuire fits that mold exactly. Highly productive at Missouri, McGuire logged over 20 QB hurries in 2021 and 2022 according to PFF. While he did get shut down at times against top level opponents like Georgia, he was a very effective pass rusher and run stopper with a tremendous physical profile, even if his athletic testing was a bit more modest. He will settle in as a rotational edge rusher immediately and compete with Alex Wright for snaps.
5.140 - Dorian Thompson-Robinson , QB UCLA
There have been few QBs in college football over the past five years as modestly dependable and effective as DTR. Passing for over 10,000 yds and 86 TD to 33 INTs over his long college career, with an additional 1800 yds and 27 TDs on the ground, DTR has a pro level arm, excellent mobility, and is a very intelligent passer with good instincts and the ability to progress through his reads. With a QB that has baggage, a dependable backup QB is a necessity.
5.142 - Cameron Mitchell, DB Northwestern
There was a scandal at one point this offseason where one of Cleveland's many dumbass media personalities pushed a rumor that Greg Newsome was unhappy and was demanding a trade. This was immediately rebuked by follow reporters, sources with the team, and Newsome himself, citing a charity program he launched in Cleveland within the few months prior while reiterating his love for the Browns. The reporter was justifiably made a fool of and issued a half-hearted apology soon after.
However just in case, the Browns went ahead and drafted Newsome's best friend just to make him a bit happier. Mitchell was a solid coverage presence at Northwestern, who had some great games against good passing teams including Ohio State. However his tendency to disappear at times as well as his being a better tackler than coverage player (not exactly what you want in a cornerback) saw him fall to the fifth round. He brings solid size and athleticism to the position, and is certainly a worthwhile project.
6.190 - Luke Wypler, IOL Ohio State
A real curiosity of the 2023 NFL draft was the fall of Luke Wypler. The number 54 player on PFF's big board and considered a solid day two choice by most, Wypler found himself falling all the way to the sixth round where he was a welcome addition by the Browns. Perhaps a bit undersized for his frame, he brings solid athleticism and two very good years of production to the position at one of the top programs in the nation. With the team having signed Ethan Pocic to an extension and Wypler's profile locking him to Center pretty much exclusively, his path to the field is not exactly clear (barring injuries) but a player of Wypler's caliber is not often available in the sixth round so that seems like a good problem to have.
Undrafted Free Agents:
Lonnie Phelps, DE Kansas
Mohamoud Diabate, LB Utah
Ronnie Hickman, DB Ohio State
Jeremiah Marin, DE Washington
Hassan Hall, RB Georgia Tech
Tanner McCalister, DB Ohio State
Charlie Thomas III, LB Georgia Tech
Thomas Greaney, TE Albany
Caleb Biggers, DB Boise State
I don't see anyone from this list contributing meaningfully in 2023 barring injury. The days of the Browns depending on starting snaps from UDFAs is thankfully over. That said I can see Phelps and Hickman potentially making the team, perhaps Hassan Hall as well due largely to the lack of depth running backs on the roster.
It was also following the draft that the Browns traded two fifth round picks for Za'Darius Smith, a sixth round pick and a seventh round pick. Smith is an excellent pass rusher who will provide the critical third veteran presence after Okoronkwo and Garrett, allowing the young, more raw guys like Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire to be more rotational.
Going Forward:
Browns fans that I've spoken to are largely extremely pleased with this draft and offseason as a whole. We came in with clear needs, addressed them definitively in free agency, drafted with a clear BPA approach, and came out of draft season a better team on paper than going in. The depth of the receiving corps is still a bit uncertain, and while most Browns fans may wish we upgraded at DT a bit more I think that the guys that have been starting are better suited as backups anyway.
The season is hard to predict however for much the same reason last year's was; the massive uncertainty at QB. While Deshaun Watson played quite poorly last year it is impossible to predict how he will play with a full offseason with his teammates and coaching staff.
The division and conference is brutally hard but if this team plays to its full potential it is easily a contender for a deep playoff run. If Watson struggles and the defense doesn't improve with the new coaching it could be a long few years ahead. Only time will tell and most Browns fans are approaching the year with a familiar cautious optimism.
Projected 53 Man Roster:
OFFENSE:
QB - Deshaun Watson, Joshua Dobbs, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (3)
RB - Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, John Kelly, Hassan Hall, (7)
WR - Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, Marquise Goodwin (13)
TE - David Njoku, Harrison Bryant, Jordan Akins (16)
OT - Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Jack Conklin (RT), Dawand Jones, James Hudson, (20)
OG - Joel Bitonio (LG), Wyatt Teller (RG), Colby Gossett (23)
C - Ethan Pocic, Luke Wypler (25)
DEFENSE:
DE - Myles Garrett, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Za'Darius Smith, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire (30)
DT - Dalvin Tomlinson, Sikai Ika, Perrion Winfrey, Jordan Elliot, Trysten Hill (35)
LB - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Anthony Walker, Sione Takitaki, Tony Fields, Jordan Kunaszyk (40)
CB - Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson, Greg Newsome, Mike Ford, AJ Green, Cameron Mitchell (46)
SFTY - Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, Rodney McCleod, D'Anthony Bell (50)
SPECIALISTS
K - Cade York (51)
P - Corey Bojorquez (52)
LS - Charley Hughlett (53)

So...... When is it a good time to admit that despite playing games since childhood I've never played Legend of Zelda?
I'm really sorry. I've put it on my list I swear.
Anyway, I picked up a couple of the new release from Area of Effect dedicated to the new game and some other catalog scents, and thought it would be a good time for a review!
TAT was all of 5 days?? Very quick. I bought 2 sample packs and a 5ml and received two freebies. Onto the words!
~~
New Release- Tears of the Kingdom
Calamity - sage, smoke, blood orange, dragon's blood, black cherry, dark sandalwood, benzoin, dark amber, animalic musk
Impressions: cherry, incense, spice, musk
Description: Woah there, hello NSFW cherry! I've noticed with a lot of cherry scents the cherry is here and gone, poof, didn't leave a number or anything, but this isn't your usual ghosted Tinder date cherry. The longevity on this bad boi cherry is awesome and the incense, spice, musk background is honestly chef's kiss. Though the cherry is prominent it doesn't read edible... At least not outside of the bedroom.
For: play
~~
Revali's Gale- fresh air, balsam fir, forest, juniper, white pepper, rosemary
Impressions: laundry, clean air, fresh, floral
Description: Right now we are in this ozonic smoke smog from a fire burning somewhere and every time I go outside I start sneezing. The moon looks spooky at night from the haze. There's been no wind or rain.
While I'm not normally very into fresh and floral scents, this is sending me to a fantasy scene that's like The Sound of Music in the green rolling hills of the Alps with laundry drying out in the sun. It's a really nice escape from reality right now.
For: leaving the nunnery to marry a wealthy bachelor and do laundry for 12 children
~~
Daruk's Protection - smoke, cardamom, lava, stone, burnt wood, clove, leather, hot spice
Impressions: smoke, cologne
Description: Men around the bbq grill. Listen they protect dinner okay? It's an important task and I'm not critiquing it.
For: the best burgers, "hold my beer" moments
~~
Tears of the Kingdom - yuzu, white pepper, metal, petrichor, linen, banana leaf, wax, motor oil, iso-e-super
Impressions: idk if I even know
Description: There's some note in common with I believe with BPAL Ghost Dragon's Mama that to my nose (not skin chemistry, I also tried on paper) that is absolutely stomach turning to me and therefore I feel incapable of rating it. I made the husband smell it and he called it "unusual but not terrible" ("what does it smell like?" "I don't know" 🙄) Someone else will have to review- if you've smelled it give a review in the comments!
For: not me!
~~
Misc Others!
Black Flag - teakwood, rum, lime, bergamot, ocean, ginger, gunpowder, leather, vetiver
Impressions: gasoline, leather, cologne, musk
Description: I am a very boring person, so this is going to be my alter cool badass ego. Who doesn't exist.
Cool me: this is the smell of riding on the back of my boyfriend's motorcycle. Gasoline, his leather jacket, a hint of his lingering cologne and the smell of his skin.
Regular me: Seeing the note list is interesting, because it doesn't seem like it would be like this, but I think a lot of the first listed notes are coming across like a very tame supporting note of cologne but I'm reading gasoline instead of gunpowder. Something about it definitely feels exciting and rebellious and bad boyfriend hot, the name is perfect.
For: adventure, looting, booty
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Dark Brotherhood dark chocolate, leather, smoke, pine, cashmere, clove, sandalwood, patchouli
Impressions: sweetened chocolate, patchouli, smoke, leather, spice
Description: I am extremely picky about my chocolates so I'm being upfront on that. This scent has had many good chocolate reviews so take anything I say about it with that grain of salt. However to me this chocolate is going very tootsie roll, which is a bit of a bummer. I love the spicy smoky leather patchouli hanging out in the background.
For: assassins with a sweet tooth
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Dungeon Master - black coffee, bacon, stout beer, teakwood, eggnog, french toast, soft pretzel, clove, fir
Impressions: French toast, cinnamon, clove, coffee, smoke
Description: Oh my god it's French toast, wild. I've never smelled anything french toast in perfume before. No maple syrup, not really sweet much at all. I do think there's cinnamon in this, maybe it's the clove and some combo of the other notes? Regardless I can't convince myself otherwise. A very hint of coffee and something a bit burnt, like the edges of bacon or the roasty note in the beer. I really can't distinctly pick up the rest of the notes. It sounds a lot more wild than it actually smells. It's mostly spiced French toast for me. Because of the other notes in this it really feels like the name where D&D is being played at the breakfast table where the food is tame but the rest of the notes are the fantasy adventure that's going on.
For: slaying dragons before lunch
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Game Over - patchouli, rich vanilla, temple incense, dark chocolate, smoke, fire
Impressions: very smoky incense, patchouli, chocolate
Description: A sacred temple, filled with burning incense. Someone has left out some sweet chocolate on the altar. It's barely noticeable through the cloud of smoke. It's very dry in here, I think I need some water, but I'm falling into a trance altered state where I lose track of my body. I'm not exactly sure this is a game over, or a permanent one anyway. Maybe the death of my ego to be reborn into someone new? Maybe something is lost but something else is found. Regardless of my skepticism and firm grip on reality walking in here, I end up letting go.
For: the final reveal of the end credits
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Insert Coin - sexy vanilla, patchouli, cinnamon, graham cracker, leather
Impressions: cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla, spice, patchouli
Description: Pretty much as described! Though I'm having a really hard time trying to find the leather. Cinnamon graham crackers with patchouli that is spicy and not dank. It feels like 75% gourmand 25% incense.
For: people who like both graham crackers and patchouli?
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Viva Piñata - guava, hibiscus, hot spice, mango, coconut, beach, cola, sandalwood
Impressions: pineapple, coconut, hint of other fruits
Description: dontsingthesongdontsingthesongdontsingthesong
...
IF YOU LIKE PIÑA COLADAS [removed by editor]
For: [removed]
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Shadow - petrichor, tomato leaf, stone, fig, mud, campfire, rainforest floor, patchouli
Impressions: petrichor, greenery, stone, patchouli, smoke
Descriptions: Oh this is absolutely divine. Wet leaves next to a fire pit that's sputtering in the rain. It's strongly petrichor and green when it's fresh and then the smoke and patchouli start coming through a little more with dry down. I really don't care for fig notes but I'm not picking it up here. Rainy, green, smoky, you're huddled in the tent next to the fire so everything outside is wet but you are dry and cozy.
For: GETTING CAUGHT IN THE [removed by editor]
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Witch of the Wilds - nag champa, blackberry, oakmoss, amber, vanilla, violet, clove, fire, smoke
Impressions: VIOLET
Description: Violet you're turning violet! Yeah I think if I huff really hard and noseblind myself to the violet I can sort of catch some fleeting impressions of the other notes, but IMO they really just make violet really violet. I guess the violet note has a way of waffling in and out of anosmia? Someone smart confirm/deny. Anyway this one maybe due to everything else is not a fairweather violet. Quite the staying power! Purple and powdery but not sweet.
For: getting kicked out of the chocolate factory
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Full Size
Syndicate - motor oil, petrichor, stone, leather, gasoline, benzoin, dark amber, frankincense, ginger, bergamot, black tea
Impressions: motor oil, gasoline, amber, leather, damp garage
Description: I actually tried this a long time ago and finally FSed it with this order... So you see where this is going. I LOVE IT. I think it's very comparable to Alkemia Deus Ex Machina, however sometimes that one is very strong and has a ton of throw that it tends to lean migrainey for me. This one is infinitely comfortable, keeps close to the skin. It is so soothing. The smell of a damp garage with motor oil and gasoline, worn in leather, and smooth amber.
I made my sister finally smell some industrials and she said "this smells like dad after he comes in from the garage" and there you go. It's the smell of nostalgia and love from someone who was only capable of showing it by fixing things.
For: having your bike fixed, your motor oil changed, and knowing most things can be repaired with elbow grease and time