Hey everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I am 30, and live in Pennsylvania! I am looking for someone to chat with to make my days a little less monotonous. I love friendly banter! Just looking to laugh with a new friend.
I work full time, but In my down time, I love being outdoors in nature, or at home playing video games. 420 friendly! My partner and I were just gifted an air fryer, so I've been experimenting with different recipes in it. Everything has turned out so tasty. I'm a foodie for sure 😂
I have a switch and Xbox series s, and Nintendo Switch. I've been playing a lot of Conan exiles, destiny 2, no man's sky, and warlander, if anyone wants to join. I'm a big fan of metal, especially death metal/core, and I will definitely give anything a listen!
I love comedies, and some of my favorite TV shows are Letterkenny and The Office! I also will binge history documentaries quite often
Feel free to send pictures of your pets, or memes 😌 I can't wait to hear from you!

Hey everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I am 30, and live in Pennsylvania! I am looking for someone to chat with to make my days a little less monotonous. I love friendly banter! Just looking to laugh with a new friend.
I work full time, but In my down time, I love being outdoors in nature, or at home playing video games. 420 friendly! My partner and I were gifted an air fryer, so any recipe recommendations would be awesome too!
I have a switch and Xbox series s, and Nintendo Switch. I've been playing a lot of Conan exiles, destiny 2, no man's sky, and warlander, if anyone wants to join. I'm a big fan of metal, especially death metal/core, and I will definitely give anything a listen!
I love comedies, and some of my favorite TV shows are Letterkenny and The Office! I also will binge history documentaries quite often
Feel free to send pictures of your pets, or memes 😌 I can't wait to hear from you!

Hey all! I’ve been going at this low-UPF thing now for a short while, and I thought I might share some ideas of items that have helped me immensely if you’re just starting out. These are just what work for me, so take everything with a pinch of salt!
1. A Freezer and Freezer Bags
This is probably the most important thing when it comes to actually being able to eat low-UPF while juggling work/school/life. Of course, almost everyone has a freezer, but keeping it in order and stocked with batch cooked meals removes the need for either constant cooking or the kind of preservatives found in UPF which allow the convenience to which we have become accustomed. I have a tiny freezer, so freezer bags have been much better for me than Tupperware at maximising space. If you’re eating low-UPF you’re likely using less plastic anyway, so don’t worry about it too much.
2. Good fridge storage
You’re going to be buying a bunch more fresh fruit and veg, as well as other fresh produce. Storing this well will elongate its life in your fridge, reducing both food waste and cost. Try storing food in containers with kitchen paper and a little water, which can keep food from drying out. This works particularly well for herbs. I like the IKEA 365 range as it’s versatile and will always be available if I need replacements.
3. A good flatbread recipe
I do buy and freeze a loaf of fresh bread from GAIL’s (UK non-UPF bakery) which lasts me about a month honestly. But I’m making flatbreads once a week at least. They’re delicious, they’re filling, they’re hard to find without UPF ingredients, they’re easy, they freeze well, and they make using leftovers easy as they work as wraps. Truly learning to make flatbreads has added value to my life. My husband loves them!
4. A stocked spice cabinet
A LOT of shop-bought sauces and condiments contain UPF. Pre-made marinades and stir-fry sauces are really hard to find too. I’ve been making my own dressings and marinades a BUNCH! Having adequate, delicious spices to hand has been amazingly important. My favourites for a quick easy meal are almost all Middle Eastern: I just find they can make any veg or meat or leftover rice taste good, especially with a little yoghurt and some parsley/mint thrown in. Ras El Hanout, Za’atar, sumac, Baharat, Shwarma spice mix, etc. Go to Indian/Middle Eastern shops to get these at reasonable prices. I mount my spices to the wall which helps with accessibility.
5. A well laid-out kitchen
This seems obvious, but you’re just not going to want to cook in a messy, confused, cluttered kitchen. Try to eradicate gadgets and utensils you just don’t use. Eating low-UPF means a loss of convenience, so you want to make cooking as convenient and easy as possible. Get a dishwasher if you can - you’re going to have more washing up than before. As I said, I mount my spices to the wall and keep NOVA 2 ingredients closely at hand and organised so that I can just cobble something together in 15/20 minutes.
6 - bags of snacks ready to go
For me, this means I keep a few freezer bags of cubed cheese, apple or pear slices and non-UPF crackers in the fridge and just throw one in my bag when I’m heading out. This means I have something to snack on and don’t have to resort to UPF snack options. Other great options are fruit leather (Bear brand in the UK - meant for kids but delightful and compact), nuts, berries, carrots and hummus, chocolate covered raisins/cranberries, veg crisps, etc. just keep them ready to go or you will find yourself hungry or munching on UPF crisps or something.
7 - cordials
One of the hardest things when eating low-UPF is drinks. I was so used to drinking diet sodas it was unreal. Having to suddenly stop and drink just water was sad. I keep a good amount of fresh cordials in my cupboard and add them to soda-stream water. You can also freeze lemon/mint/cordials in ice cubes which I’m told helps. I’m drinking more water than I ever did but it helps to be able to change it up.
8 - tinned fresh foods
Self explanatory really. It’s quick, easy, often has higher nutrient content to the fresh stuff, and allows quick food prep. They shouldn’t contain anything but fresh produce. Tinned tomatoes/passata are a must, and legumes like chickpeas etc are so helpful. Also great for making fresh hummus easily. I adore tinned fish. Cheap, delicious, and non-UPF. Check out cannedsardines for inspo.
9- Air Fryer
Not to be an air-fryer evangelist, but air fryers are fantastic. You can whip up crispy chips or chicken wings in a few minutes so no need for pre-made stuff. Really replaces the convenience that UPF offers. My favourites are crispy sweet potato bites, salmon bits, halloumi bites, potatoes in general, hard boiled eggs (!). I bought mine for £80 and it’s already paid for itself in reduced energy bills from oven usage.
10 - the right mentality
You’re probably not going to be able to 100% eradicate UPF from your diet if you have things to do other than cook, clean up and cook again. That’s ok. Things happen. Birthdays happen. Weddings happen. Nights out happen. Chocolate boxes at your gran’s. A drizzle of sriacha at a restaurant. A hangover. A summer’s day when you just need an ice cream.
UPF is bad for us all and it’s bad on a population level. It’s the single greatest factor contributing to obesity as far as I can tell. We have to be pushing for change and better labelling and policy and education and all the rest of it. But we live in a UPF world. It’s just not tenable for most of us to completely eradicate it. We CAN change our pattern of eating - the 95% of what we take in, to be low-UPF. I’ve done that, and I’m much better off for it. I’ve lost 30lbs without even trying, I have more energy and my relationship with food has never been better. I love cooking, I love eating, I love food and I just want to celebrate it more and love it for what it actually is - not imitation versions sold to me my multi-nationals. I also know I’m not going to be perfect, and that’s OK too. I want to live and eat with joy and freedom too, and I don’t want orthorexia or worse. Be kind to yourself!
I hope my tips help someone. I really have found eating this way to make so much sense to me. I hope it brings you the same joy too.
Images of some things in my kitchen for your possible interest

Hello! I'm looking to buy an air fryer. I am finally starting my diet and I think the air fryer will help me stick to a healthy food plan. So can anyone recommend me a good air fryer? What air fryer do you all use? Thanks!

hese are concepts ideas I had for an Metal Gear (1987) remake which I would dub as Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990) would be called Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland. Both games would be long and give a lot of depth on Solid Snake's past and his relationship with Big Boss, Campbell and Gray Fox. Another game I would push for is Metal Gear Solid: The Philanthropy Chronicles.It would allow players to play as Solid Snake and his supporting cast after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake’s mission to continue taking out metal gears and track down the Patriots along with Revolver Ocelot. It would lead up to the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I will be working on Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland concepts soon.
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.

• Solid Snake is sent in by Big Boss to sneak into Mother Boss from MGS5 via Los Angeles Class (Block 3).
• Mother Base is set to be demolished by Outer Heaven forces as they move their forces and operations to mainland Galzburg, South Africa.
• Snake’s mission to find and rescue Gray Fox and any of the kidnapped scientists that work for Dr. Madnar. Find out what Metal Gear is and take them to the extraction point aka an Helicopter Pad not in use by Outer Haven units. Afterward, deploy the fulton recovery device for extraction
• Snake learns Gray Fox is being held in South Africa at the Outer Haven main base along with Dr. Madnar and his top scientist team. His low level assistants were to be executed by Outer Heaven soldiers via demolishing Mother Base. Last, that Metal Gear is also in South Africa and that Outer Haven is planning to use a custom made ICBM nuclear tipped missile potentially on any country that threatens them.
• The mission goes bad when Snake is about to have the scientist air lifted off the ground via fulton recovery devices. The scientists are brutally gunned down by Outer Haven Elite soldiers.
• An enraged Snake takes down the Outer Haven soldiers that approach him using his hybrid but deadly CQC system and tries to air lift himself via fulton recovery device. However, he is ambushed by a masked Venom Snake aka The Masked Phantasm.
• Snake puts up one hell of a fight, hitting Venom several times to where the point where Venom can only praise Snake’s skills. However, he loses when Venom plays mind games with him including stating his full code name and kicks up off the rig.
• Mother Base is destroyed by Venom and his men. Snake is adrift at sea until he is saved by the Los Angeles Class Submarine (Block 3) that helped him infiltrate Mother Base. He is later taken back to the states for a debriefing on what happened while he recovers in a hospital.
• In this mission, Snake only has Big Boss communicating with him and does not get much support. He is given only a trap gun, his CQC knife and basic first aid kits.
• The suit he wears is similar to his sneaking suit from MGS. Only this suit is design to swim on to the Mother Base elevator platform and sneak around on the surface at night

Main Mission:
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.

• The briefing section for the main mission would give Escape from New York vibes. Big Boss, Lt. Colonel Roy Campell and other government officials brief Snake on his mission. It is here Snake sees his weapons, equipment and gadgets he will have for Operation:.
• Snake mission is the following: 1. Rescue Gray Fox, Kyle Schidener and Dr. Madnar. 2. Investigate War Crimes committed by Outer Haven. 3. Aid Resistance Fighters in any way possible. 4. Rescue any other hostages on the base. 5. Destroy Metal Gear and Neutralize the threat Outer Haven poses to the world. 6. Terminate the Masked Phantasm (Venom Snake)
• He is air dropped in South Africa by an C-130 gunship (Reference to Metal Gear NES/MGS3) and is ordered to meet with an Resistance fighter before moving into an areas destroyed by Outer Heaven forces via horse back
• This intro game would be similar to Rambo 3 and gives a hint on what Solid Snake will be going up against as travel though the beginning of the game seeing Outer Heaven air force units from a distance bomb villages
• The main mission would be a large map to roam around. The location being Galzburg, South Africa where the main base of Outer Haven is located at.
• When Gray Fox is rescued, he will provide support and be Snake’s mentor.
• Level boss battles will be intense and hard
• Last, Entering Outer Haven HQ will be intense and the final battle as well.

Gameplay would be a mix between MSG 3 and MSG 4 and MSG 5. It takes influence from other games like Red Dead Redemption, Splinter Cell and Grand Theft Auto video games along with new mechanics. The concept is to give the game a war survival horror like vibe if you’re spotted by the enemy or having trouble surviving in the wilderness.
MSG3 gameplay elements

• Like MGS3, you could change your camouflage and blend into the environment, camouflage meter, survive off the wilderness and eat foods.
• Finding food in the wilderness would boost Snake’s stamina and also assist with him getting his LIFE up when he rests. However, they would not boost his LIFE up like military rations or other foods (Three-Five star food) found in the supply depots or mess halls at Outer Haven bases would.
• The first aid system from MGS3 would play a part in the game. Solid Snake would be able to heal his wounds or stop bleeding like Big Boss did in MGS3 many decades ago. So having first aid items will be vital.
• The game would have different rations from different countries that Snake can eat from if he takes it off an Outer Haven soldier or from their supply depots. Military rations help heal Snake LIFE and give a small or moderate boost depending on the quality of the ration. (ex. American Military rations would give a moderate boost to Snake LIFE but would give a small boost to his stamina as he isn’t in favor of the rations taste. Russian rations would only give Snake a Small boost in LIFE and small boost in stamina due to its taste. Call back to MGS3. French Rations would boost Snake’s LIFE and Stamina completely which would be a call back to MSG4.)
• Different foods found on Outer Haven bases can boost Snake’s stamina up and LIFE better than Rations such as the Calorie Mate, Curry, different sodas, snacks, etc. Also, three or five star meals found in Outer Haven mess halls scatter through-out their many sub bases or garrisons. P.S. I want to have a scene where Solid Snake finds a Calorie Mate and speaks to Big Boss about it and the two have an interesting conversation about it. (Lol)
• Snake can sabotage enemy supply deports and armories to reduce the enemies ability in fighting him if spotted.

MGS4 Gameplay elements-

• Over the shoulder gameplay
• First person view and aiming down the sights
• A fluid polished gun gameplay mechanic
• Customizable weapon system, weapon attachment, swapping out and fixing inventory slot for weapons and/or inventory
• Psyche meter, this goes down when Snake is spotted too much and takes too much damage
• Currency system to upgrade weapons and get ammo when Snake runs into Resistance fighters weapon vendors
• Solid Snake having the option to assist resistance fighters or continue with his mission
• Aiding resistance fighters will help Snake during take segments of the game. They will return favors to Snake by giving him rations, weapons, other foods and ammo
• Saving hostages at Outer Haven facilities will also assist Snake and give him items or information
• Polished CQC system
• Being able to pick up ammo and weapons of dead enemy soldiers. No ID tags for the weapon.

MGS 5-

• Polished CQC and fighting system
• Being able to operate vehicles, tanks, apcs and infantry fighting vehicles. However, enemy forces will start to respond more aggressive call in armored units or gunships to Snake out
• Ride horses
• Weather and day changes at random times, Snake can use this for his advantage
• Enemy checkpoints and small bases that Outer Haven use as buffer against intruders and Outer Haven resistance fighters
• Call in support from local Outer Heaven Resistance fighters (only if you assisted them in them battles, gained their respect and they’re nearby to help)
• Gunship helicopter patrols
• Air assault units
• Armored convoy patrol
• Snake can sabotage mini Outer Haven bases, outpost and can knock enemy communications which makes it harder for enemies to call for back up
• Sabotaging Outer Heaven outposts and their infrastructure will cause Outer Heaven to move their forces out to confront the Resistance fighters thus giving Solid Snake a chance to get past them
• Snake can smoke his Lucky Striker cigarettes to bring up his Psyche or allow time to pass by similar to what Venom Snake did with his E-Cigars in MSG5

Splinter cell element-

• The game would allow players/Solid Snake to use stealth mechanics similar to that game to get by or attack Outer Heaven soldiers
• This also means hiding in the shadows and sometimes staying out of the light

Grand Theft Auto elements-

• Like GTA games, if you do too much damage to the police they get more aggressive.
• It would be no different when you fight Outer Haven soldiers as they will start to send in more elite soldiers with better weapons and armor.
• They will also be able to be armored units or mechanized units and gunships would be sent to kill Snake.
• Worse, Air strikes and heavy artillery strikes as well. Some OH units would deploy bi-pedal armor vehicles and jet packs along with guard dogs.
• This would strongly support the stealth element of the game and give it a war horror movie vibe if you get spotted by the enemy. It doesn’t matter how many good weapons you have on you. You will be overwhelmed by Outer Heaven soldiers and will die if you get spotted multiple times.
• This would be similar to what you see in GTA if too many law enforcement agents continue to swarm on you

New Gaming mechanics -

• Non-linear gameplay- meaning random patrols of Outer Soldiers can occur the closer you get to Outer Haven HQ
• Open world map. Goal is to give fans the immersion that the red dead redemption games gave. Basically the Outer Heaven is like a large country in and of itself
• Game would reward you for not being spotted and embracing the stealth elements of the game. This means you will encounter less Outer Heaven patrols in the game and they won’t be heavily geared up when doing them
• If Snake gets spotted too much in the game, Outer Heaven soldiers will be more hype vigilante, heavily armed and geared up. They will change their patrol tactics to make it difficult for Snake to sneak around. Worse double up on patrols or have support from armored units, gunships or unmanned drones.
• Stealth take down system. Snake can perform lethal or non-lethal takedowns rambo style when his enemies get close. The players can make the decision on which take down to use.
• Snake can switch his fighting system from CQC to the various martial arts he knows. If multiple soldiers are near him he can use CQC or use standard martial arts when fighting enemies that can counter his CQC based attacks.
• He can use a CQC take down on enemies not paying attention to him or other forms of melee takedowns.
• This is to showcase how skilled Snake is when it comes to fighting
• Different locations have points that are controlled by the Outer Haven Resistance fighters and Outer Heaven soldiers
• The game will reward players for assisting Outer Heaven resistances and sabotaging Outer Heaven bases
• Liberate occupied villages under Outer Heaven soldiers occupation or avoid them, go though abandoned villages or resistance fighter controlled villages
• The closer you get to Outer Haven, the more patrols and mini bases run by Outer Heaven soldiers you will encounter. This means the game will get very difficult real quick.
• Outer Heaven patrols will be random at time depending on how many times you have raised the alarms or not during your mission
• Caution mode would contribute to this but there will be more patrols if you cause yourself to enter caution phase too much
• The travel to Outer Haven’s main HQ is to parallel MSG3 when Big Boss had to travel to Gronznyj Grad. It short, Snake travels to Outer Haven would be an epic long high adrenaline rush journey to defeat Venom Snake and destroy TX-55 Metal Gear
• South Africa’s map would be vast and large. It is filled with its soft and rough terrain. Snake can use this to his advantage but so can Outer Heaven Soldiers
• Players will have the option to either go to Outer Heaven outpost or avoid them by using the rough terrain to get around the outpost
• Gray Fox will assist Snake in certain parts of the game and provide support either though radio or combat support to take down a level boss.
• At times, Snake and Gray Fox would work together to take down Outer Haven patrols
• The final part of the game involves Solid Snake and Gray Fox having to fight hordes of Elite Outer Heaven soldiers as they fight to stop Venom Snake from using TX-55 to fire a completed experimental long range ICBM nuclear missile on the Patriots
• Last, Solid Snake vs Venom Snake. Venom proclaims that he is Big Boss to Snake after taking off his mask and the two fight. The rest is history.
• The final battle is to parallel the battle between The Boss and Big Boss. Intense gunfight and CQC fight between the two. Snake needs to use an experimental rocket launcher made by Outer Haven to kill Venom Snake
• After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story though his eyes and how he is informed by the Real Big Boss to assist Snake and help him take down Venom Snake.
• Being able to blend into the environment Rambo/Navy SEAL tier One style to either get past enemies or take them down one by one
• Snake would have a booby trap system inspire the Rambo movies to help ambush soldiers or distract them while they go to aid wounded soldiers.
• Snake can create ghillie suits to hide from enemy soldiers, covertly sneak past them or use it to ambush them
• Players would have multiple options on how to enter Outer Heaven outpost and the main HQ

Weapons

• The weapons in the game will be from late 60s to mid 90s. Weapons form both Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, China and NATO countries. This goes from handgun, submachines, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and anti tank weapons. Last, grenades and mines.
• Weapons can be customizable for Snake to use if he finds the attachment for the weapons or finds an resistance fighter vendor that is nearby to upgrade his weapons
• Enemies use weapons fitted for the environment that they operate it and it's at random the types they use
• Some weapons will be custom built weapons that don’t exist in the real world to be the spirit of the previous Metal Gear Solid game.
• Some weapons will allow Snake to use his CQC techniques or basic melee attacks with weapons

Snake’s Gadgets/Tools for the main mission where he gets official support

• Snake's suit is a combination of late 80s and 90s US Army Special Forces attire but modified.
• 90s tactical vest. It can be upgraded for Snake to carry more ammo and to take more damage as time goes on
• Custom built MP5SD6 with a folding stock, an Beretta 92FS with an tactical flashlight/laser sighting, also can be fitted with an suppressor and MK.22 Trap gun. The weapons are modded so he can use his CQC skills
• A small pack that allows Snake to carry items. This can be increased by upgrading it in the game
• Motion-sensing radar that allows him to track enemy soldiers, a precursor to Soliton Radar. It acts more like a sonar device then radar
• Mountain climbing equipment
• Combat Scuba gear (can be refilled by going outer heaven supply deports)
• Snake has a advanced long range radio and a wireless headset to communicate with his team
• Wire cutters
• Different camouflages and face paint to wear
• Idroid like device but advanced
• Fox Hound adaptation of INT-SCOPE but more advanced and has the ability for Snake to switch to different fields of view including Night Vision and Thermal Infrared. Last, a camera system for Snake to take pictures
• INT-SCOPE can be used to help Snake what tier Outer Heaven Soldier that he is dealing with and help him plan acquiring and allow him to listen in
• Tactical flashlights
• Tools to create ghillie suits
• CQC knife
• Survival Knife used for melee take downs
• Limited Fox-Hound issued MRE rations to restore life and stamina along with restore psyche
• A blue bandana that Big Boss gives him

Vehicles

• Vehicles found in the game are jeeps, armored tank, tanks, APCs, artillery vehicles and helicopters along with jets from the late 70s to mid 90s
• Unmanned vehicles that didn’t exist in the mid 90s

Theme:

• The end of the 80s going into a new era aka the 90s.
• Desert Storm and the aftermath of the war
• The politics behind America being the only SuperpoweHype-power in the 90s
• Child Soldiers, Solid Snake being one.
• NATO, its organization expanding and the conflicts it was involved in though peacekeeping missions
• The fall of the Soviet Union, end of the Cold War, and Post-Cold War politics/events
• The rise of new technology, internet, movies, music CGI and upcoming digital age in the 90s
• The rise of global terrorism and rogue states
• The threat terrorism and rogue states pose and the fear of them getting their hands on nuclear weapons. A true big fear of the 90s going into the 2000s
• Coming of age soldiesecret agent/legend (Solid Snake)

Movie Influence:

• The Rambo movie series since Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake were heavily influenced by the first three Rambo movies.
• 80s and 90s James Bond movies. Mostly Goldeneye since it follows post-cold war.
• Die Hard movies series, gun battles and intensity between the characters and death defining odds
• Hardboiled (1992), the gun battle that Solid Snake and Gray Fox will have against the swarm of Outer Haven elite soldiers would be heavily influenced off the final gun battle from this movie.
• Running Man, the Boss level villains being similar in design to the villains from the movie, only less colorful, evil like, aggressive and more tactical in fighting.
• Face Off (1997) - action scenes
• Escape from New York, since the first game was influenced by the movie. The main mission where Solid Snake goes to South Africa with official support will give off this type of vibes including the mission briefing he is given as he looks at his equipment.
• The Rock (1996), action scenes and the relationship that Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason and Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, FBI. Its similar to the relationship Gray Fox and Solid Snake will have.

Game Music:

• The music for the game would be influenced by the previous MGS games, Rambo movies, Syphon filter and action movies from the 90s. Mixed bag of tones to give different vibes for the game
• The music will be atmospheric in nature as you move around Mother Base and later South Africa
• One set of music to make you feel like a spy, other half giving you the false sense of safety, other places the music will make you feel like your in a warzone and/or being chased
• Real world music from the 80s and 90s that players can listen to when they find a Sony Discman D-145 (1995) laying around or Sony walkmans
• Real world music would 80s - 1995, Rock, Pop, Alternative Rock, R&B, Mainstream hits, Rap, Jaxx and etc. Can listen to game music as well on either device when you the player find them.

Characters:

• David/Solid Snake:
• A child soldier of sorts. He spent his life being fostered by different foster parents (Patriot handlers) until he reached the age of 6. After that, Solid Snake was trained though-out most of his life by his many handlers at an US Army run school.
• In the US Army run school (Patriots involvement), he was made to engage in a mix of U.S. infantry, Airborne infantry, U.S. Army Ranger, Green Beret and Delta Force style harsh training. Add in the school making him learn different languages at a young age.
• On days he didn’t do military training, Snake was made to endure intense academic schooling. It was here Snake was pushed to understand the general knowledge of Science, Math, Reading, English, Writing, Workshop Skills at a High School to College level. In addition, understand how to operate most vehicles as well.
• At age 18, he was later placed in the US Army as a 2LT to a Green Beret Unit. The Patriots and his handlers, changed his age date so that he was capable of joining the unit and being a junior officer. He is second in command of the unit and sent to fight in Desert Storm (1990-1991).
• Solid Snake had a short but very successful career in the US Army through the multiple successful missions he completed in that war.
• His missions involved him destroying multiple SCUD launchers, sabotaging Iraqi supply lines, disputing their communication lines, assassination or capturing of top Iraqi officers, and deep reconnaissance within Iraq. His unit would also take part in aiding in liberating Kuwait.
• He is awarded a Silver Star and promotion to Captain before personally being recruited into Fox-Hound by Big Boss himself.
• Big Boss and Roy Campell were coordinating Fox-Hound operations in Desert Storm which is why they knew of Snake’s exploits and saw him as a candidate for the unit.
• Prime Solid Snake is a force to reckon with and is considered to be the best all around Fox-Hound agent along with being the finest practitioner of CQC next to Big Boss and The Boss.
• Big Boss states to Gray Fox at the end of the game that Snake could defeat The Boss with ease had they had fought in a straight hand to hand duel in the 1960s. In short, this is Big Boss way of humbling Gray Fox and telling him to NOT underestimate Snake for when the time comes for Fox to kill him (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake events).
• Snake’s CQC is unique and deadly in design due to his expert knowledge of various different martial arts from his youth, his mastery of Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and knowledge of CQC handed down to him by Big Boss. Snake incorporates many different forms of Martial Arts to his style of CQC where he adds in striking (punching and kicking), fake or faints, foot work, clinch, ground fighting and grappling.
• Despite being inexperienced, Snake makes up for this by being sure of his skills and not being afraid to pull the trigger. Snake’s real fear is that he is going up against experienced killers and soldiers by himself who can kill him
• Snake’s relationship with Gray Fox is similar to the relationship to what we saw in MGS2 between Solid Snake and Raiden. Only a young Solid Snake is more badass when compared to a young Raiden
• Snake’s relationship to Roy Campell is similar to what we see in MGS. However, the two become friends quickly due to the experiences they share being involved in Desert Storm.
• Roy Campell encourages Snake not to give up and to be sure of himself. He also calms down an enraged Snake when they learn that Big Boss is behind everything.
• Solid Snake's relationship with Big Boss is similar to The Boss and Naked Snake in MGS3 but a lot longer as Big Boss continues to “support” Solid Snake with his mission.
• Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, FBI and NSA start to put the pieces together that Big Boss is behind everything. He goes off the air and Venom Snake confronts Solid Snake. Rest is history after that.
  Big Boss:
  
• He is the commander of Fox-Hound and re-organizes the covert special forces unit to combat terrorism and rogue states trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons.
  
• This was a fear in the 90s and Big Boss being a legendary war hero made him the perfect pick to be the leaders of the organization again
  
• Under his leadership, Fox-Hound is successful in taking out world terrorists, international arms dealers, their backs and having them arrest by allied countries
  
• Big Boss and Roy Campell are awarded medals for their efforts
  
• Big Boss holds the simulated rank of a One Star General in within Fox-Hound due to his vast war experience, successful missions and saving the world several times over
  
• We learn of Big Boss past and how he was an top NCO before MGS3 before being given an rank of officer
  
• Big Boss personally trains Solid Snake and passes his legacy down to him after Snake accepts an open challenge to spare him and hits Big Boss multiple times before losing.
  
• This is a tradition Big Boss would offer recruits during his command. The challenge was that he would train any recruit as his solo student if they could hit him in sparring. Only Snake was the only recruit to do so in Fox-Hound.
  
• Big Boss does care for Solid Snake in a bizarre way and doesn’t want to see him killed unless it's by his hands which he is secretly plotting to do.
  
• In the virtuous and main mission, Big Boss provides support to Solid Snake by giving him advice from his war time experience, how to survive in sneaking around Outer Haven and how to survive off the land.
  
• During Boss battles, Big Boss goes off the air, leaving Campell to assist.
  
• Everyone becomes suspicious of Big Boss when they discover his spy plane has disappeared off radar and it is not far from Outer Haven.
  
• Worse, when intelligence agencies learn that Big Boss was sending message to Outer Heaven HQ (Gray Fox) but they are unaware of who
  
• They create an warrant for his arrest and the rest is history after Venom Snake dies
  Roy Campbell :
  
• He isn’t a full bird colonel yet and is an Lt. Colonel. He is second in command of Fox-Hound.
  
• Big Boss trusted Campell because of the events they shared in MSG:PO and the vast amount of experience he has in counter-terrorism missions to black ops in taking out terrorists leaders.
  
• Campbell quickly befriends Solid Snake due to their shared war experiences in Desert Storm.
  
• Campbell is a skilled tactician and strategist, and is heavily supportive of Solid Snake. He gives Snake (Player) hints and clues to move around in the game. In addition, information on weapons and vehicles.
  
• Last, he gives ideas on how to destroy level bosses
  Gray Fox:
  
• He was on a mission to assassinate Venom Snake after Big Boss discovered that Venom wants to use Nuclear Weapons against Patriot run countries that would trigger a nuclear war. Of course, official members of Fox-Hound are unaware of this and believe he is investigating Outer Haven to learn if they’re involved with terrorists.
  
• He fails his mission that Big Boss assigned to him and is captured by Venom Snake after losing a fight against him.
  
• Venom spares his life and threatens that if he escape, he will personally take him out next time.
  
• After being feed by Solid Snake, Gray Fox is ordered by Big Boss in secret to assist Snake in taking out Venom and later assassinate Snake to cover up everything at Outer Heaven.
  
• However, Gray Fox is unable to help Snake take out Venom after being cut off by a swarm of Outer Haven soldiers. He instead sacrifices himself so that Snake can stop Venom from launching nukes from Metal Gear TX-55. Later, fakes his death so he could return to the real Big Boss and help with Zainabarland
  
• After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story through his eyes. Learn more about him, his fighting style and how he assists Solid Snake
  
• His fighting is mixed between his fighting style as Null (MGS:PO), CQC concepts Big Boss passed to him, Knife fighting style and pro gun fighting skills.
  

Venom Snake/Big Boss:

• Venom Snake would have a huge makeover since the events of Metal Gear Solid 5. He has been given nanomachines so that he can survive future medical surgery and look more like Big Boss and stand in for him.
• The horn in his head is removed which almost kills him but the nanomachines prevent this and heal him. They also grant him superhuman abilities that turn him into a super-soldier of sorts. His bionic hand is replaced with a more human-like bionic hand.
• The nanomachines are a precursor to what Vamp would have many years later. Only Venom’s nanos won’t bring him back from the dead, just heal him faster. However, the side effects is that the nanos in him are making him mentally unhinged
• He is given a new sneaking suit to help harness his new abilities and provide extra protection for him. Snake would need to use an Anti-Tank rifle or Anti-Tank rocket launcher to take him out.
• He is not the same man he was in MSG5. He is more militant towards the Patriots, ruthless and cold blooded. A pure demon at this point and isn’t afraid to commit war crimes or allow his men to do so.
• Venom’s prime mission is to destroy the Patriots and nations they run via nuclear strike using TX-55 Metal Gear. However, he knows that Outer Haven will be hit by NATO countries.
• This causes a rift between Venom and Big Boss. Venom sees Big Boss as being weak and is not willing to do enough to destroy the Patriots and is not willing to do whatever it takes to do so.
• However, the rift is created by Master Miller who kept his promise to help make the sons of Big Boss and Venom Snake stronger then Big Boss
• The rift gets so bad that Big Boss suspects Venom is not being loyal to him anymore and sends in Gray Fox to find out what Venom is doing leading to Metal Gear (1987) events and to assassinate him. Fox fails and loses to Venom in a fight. Venom shows mercy and has Fox locked at a maximum security brig at the Outer Haven prison site.
• A Venom Snake respects Solid Snake as he sees how skilled he is but he also plays mind games with him by hinting his relationship to Big Boss.
• He now wears a mask when he goes out in battlefields to fight aside his men so as to keep Big Boss identity hidden. He is dubbed the Masked Phantasm by world intelligence agencies. As far as the world is concerned, nobody knows who the Masked Phantasm is. Some people think he is a student of Big Boss due to CQC abilities. Near the end, he takes the mask off to reveal to Solid Snake who he is Big Boss (fake one).
• Last, we will know of the tragic story of Venom Snake and how really wanted to be a doctor after his contract with Militaires Sans Frontières end.
• Sadly, no one will ever know about Venom Snake and the man he was before his tragic events.
• He will apologize via radio to Big Boss asking his forgiveness and informs him that Solid Snake is not a man but a demon of their own making. Last, he correctly predicts that Snake will defeat the Patriots and do what they failed to do right before the Outer Haven based self destructs.

Supporting Characters
Kyle Schneider

• Developer of Outer Haven and help with building the base. Later, becomes the leader of the Outer Haven resistance force in South Africa after learning of Outer Haven’s war crimes in the region.
• He is captured and the resistance fighters try to scramble to rescue him. They agree to help Fox-Hound and Solid Snake in exchange for the safe return of their leader
• Knows where most of the weapons, foods and other important items are on the base will inform Snake on where to find them.
• Also inform Snake of where vital security checkpoints are and more are located at.
• Is caught in the explosion when NATO destroys what is left of Outer Haven. He is saved by the Real Big Boss.
• He will tragically become the Black Ninja and this leads to the event of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake where he will seek revenge against the world for what has happened to him.

Jennifer Schneider

• She is the sister of Kyle Scheider. She took it upon herself to go and rescue her brother despite not being a soldier or warrior.
• She disguises herself as a nurse and sneaks into the base. She assist Snakes with information and where weapons are at.
• The original game doesn't say what happened to her. So I have her help Solid Snake escape and they watch Outer Haven from a distance get destroyed with NATO delivering air strikes on reminding Outer Haven bases
• She is present when Solid Snake is giving a medal for completing the mission by President Bill Clinton
• The two have a brief relationship before he moves to Canada to be an undercover CIA agent
• Snake helps her find a job in America for her helping him and getting her a green card to stay in America

Diane

• A Goth Punk rocker that has a band called Thin Wall. She performed for Outer Haven several times and knows about the base
• She assists Snake with giving information on Outer Haven bases and the main HQ. Also, info on the mercenaries that operate the bases and informs him of the weakness of the Bosses in the game.
• She has a crush on Solid Snake and is in her early 20s.
• She is present for Solid Snake getting a medal for completing the mission

Drago Pettrovich Madnar

• The developer of the first Metal Gear. His project, himself, his scientist and his daughter are taken hostage by Outer Heaven soldiers
• He is being used to complete TX-55 Metal Gear and develop an custom built nuclear tipped ICBM that can be fired from Metal Gear
• Informs Solid Snake on how to take out Metal Gear He is taken off base by Jennifer after Snakes saves him
• He informs the US Government to send Snake his regards fos saving him

Ellen Madnar

• The daughter of Dr. Madnar. She is being used as a tool to force Dr. Madnar on continuing his work on TX-55 Metal Gear
• She is saved by Snake and escorted off the base by Jennifer
• She is present for Snake getting a medal for completing the mission and stands in for her father

Tech (Original)

• Expert in science, engineering and responsible for making all of the gadgets Fox-Hound has
• He is also aware of the weapon systems, gadgets and tools that Outer Heaven Soldiers use
• Son of Donald Anderson
• Gameplay mechanic, he is charge of saving the game for you when you contact him
• Would return in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibar Land and Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy Chronicles to aid Snake. In Philanthropy Chronicles he aids Snake to atone for the sins of his father. He would go into hiring with Snake’s afterwards which is why there is no mention of him in MGS4
• He would leave Fox-Hound after the Zanzibarland incident and work for the CIA as a gadget builder

NOTE: This is a remake of the list I made way back in 2022, and it can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/BokuNoHeroAcademia/comments/vx4z7h/providing_some_characters_ideal_real_names_in_my/
Keep in mind that some entries on the list have their names changed over time because of, well, reasons. Check the old list for comparison.
​
Providing some characters’ ideal real names in My Hero Academia whose real names are currently unknown and are only referred by their aliases.
Have you ever wondered what the real names of some characters in My Hero Academia may be? There are some who are only refered by their aliases and not their real names. For example, we know that Cementoss’ real name is Ken Ishiyama (石山堅), but Ectoplasm’s real name is unknown. So I thought I would compile a list of characters, whether heroes, villains, or neutral, whose real names are not revealed in any form of media, whether they are anime, manga, game, or light novels. Keep in mind that I made up all of the ideal real names by myself (with my limited knowledge of the Japanese language). We’ll wait if Kohei Horikoshi decided on some of the names to be designated as official real names, so there could be a possibility that if a real name is already revealed and is different from mine.
Crimson Riot: Masayoshi Shinkuyama (真紅山正義, しんくやま まさよし)
Shin (真) means true, Ku (紅) means crimson or deep red, Yama (山) means mountain, Masa (正) means correct or justice, and Yoshi (義) means righteousness. The surname Shinkuyama means deep crimson mountain, which explains his hero name. The given name Masayoshi means justice, since Masayoshi is an alternate reading of Seigi, which also means justice. His sense of justice, and to an extent, chivalry, is what motivated the life of Eijiro Kirishima on his path of training to be a pro hero.
Lunch Rush: Godan Ransei (蘭生五旦, らんせい ごだん)
Ran (蘭) means orchid, Sei (生) means raw or genuine, Go (五) means 5, and Dan (旦) means daybreak. His name is a play on British chef celebrity Gordon Ramsay, only if you mention the name in western order, since Japanese names use the surname-first, given-name order, making his name Ransei Godan instead. The Go in Godan likely refers to the 5 tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, while Dan refers to breakfast, which is ironic considering that his hero name is Lunch Rush. The Sei in Ransei also likely refers to his signature insult.
Snipe: Hokori Toki (東木埃, とうき ほこり)
To or Higashi or Azuma (東) means east, Ki (木) means tree or wood, and Hokori (埃) means dust. The surname Toki roughly means “east wood”, a reference to American actor Clint Eastwood, who is known for starring in old west and spaghetti western films. The surname is also homophonous with time in Japanese, Toki (時), probably as in the phrase “the good old times” or “the good old days”. The given name might be a reference to the “Dust Bowl”, the name given to the drought-stricken Southern Plains region of the United States in the 1930’s, or the Kansas song Dust in the Wind.
Ectoplasm: Kazuhiro Masumi (増見数博, ますみ かずひろ)
Masu (増) means multiply or increase, Mi (見) means to see, Kazu (数) means number, and Hiro (博) means command or esteem or win acclaim. The surname Masumi alludes to his quirk, noting that he can multiply or clone his own self, while seeing multiple directions at once through his clones. The given name Kazuhiro is a reference to his profession, a math teacher in UA.
Backdraft: Kansho Kadome (火止看消, かどめ かんしょう)
Ka or Hi (火) means fire, Dome or Tome (止) means to stop or halt, Kan (看) means to watch or observe, and Sho (消) means to erase or extinguish, the same kanji character in Shota Aizawa’s name (相澤消太). In other words, Kadome means stopping fire, while Kansho means observe while extinguishing.
Uwabami: Mamiko Hebita (蛇田真美子, へびた まみこ)
Hebi (蛇) means snake, Ta or Da (田) means rice field, Ma or Shin (真) means true, Mi or Bi (美) means beauty, and Ko (子) means child. Hebi in Hebita refers to her appearance and quirk, alluding to the Greek mythological figure Medusa. Her given name means true beautiful child.
Gunhead: Kenshiro Tsutsuto (銃頭拳志郎, つつとう けんしろう)
Tsutsu (銃) means gun, To or Atama (頭) means head, Ken (拳) means fist, Shi (志) means will or intention, and Ro (郎) means male. The surname Tsutsuto literally means Gunhead, his hero name. Tsutsu in Tsutsuto is the same reading in Lady Nagant’s real name, Kaina Tsutsumi (筒美火伊那). Although written in a different kanji (筒), which means gun barrel, a reference to her quirk, it has the same connotation as the other one. The given name Kenshiro may be alluded to the main protagonist of Fist of the North Star of the same name, although written in katakana, noting that he is a pro hero whose agency specializes in armed combat and martial arts. Also the Ken in Kenshiro is the same kanji character in Itsuka Kendo’s name (拳藤一佳).
The Fly: Kisuke Koba (小羽黄助, こば きすけ)
Ko (小) means small, Ba or Bane or Hane (羽) means wing or feather, Ki or Ko (黄) means yellow, and Suke (助) means help or assistance. The surname Koba literally means small wings, referring to his appearance and quirk. The Ki in Kisuke means yellow, referring to his blonde hair.
Slugger: Sango Sakagami (阪神三吾, さかがみ さんご)
Saka or Han (阪) means heights or slope, Kami or Gami or Shin (神) means god, San (三) means 3, and Go (吾) means I or my. The surname Sakagami is an alternate reading of Hanshin (阪神), a reference to a popular Japanese pro baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース). In the west, the baseball team is primarily (and infamously) remembered for being associated with the curse called “The Curse of the Colonel”, a 1985 Japanese urban legend regarding a reputed curse placed on the baseball team by the ghost of the deceased Kentucky Fried Chicken founder and mascot Colonel Harland Sanders, who passed away 5 years prior at the age of 90. The given name Sango is a play on ’35, the year the Hanshin Tigers were founded, 1935; although the next year, they would be officially formed and have their first season as the “Osaka Tigers”. In 1940, amid anti-foreign sentiment, the Tigers changed the name to "Hanshin" and in 1947 changed the name back to "Osaka Tigers". The current team name was assumed in 1961.
Native: Teppei Nishiriku (西陸哲平, にしりく てっぺい)
Nishi (西) means west, Riku (陸) means land, Tetsu (哲) means philosophy, and Pei or Hei or Hira (平) means flat. The surname Nishiriku means western land, most likely referring to America. The given name Teppei is a play on the word tepee or tipi, a conical tent made by Native Americans.
Selkie: Yasuhiro Hirezaki (鰭崎安洋, ひれざき やすひろ)
Hire (鰭) means fin or flipper (body part), Saki (崎) means cape or peninsula, Yasu (安) means peaceful, and Hiro (洋) means ocean. The Hire in Hirezaki means fin or flipper, referring to his seal physique. It may also be a reference to the Japanese word Kikyakurui (鰭脚類), meaning pinniped. They are a widely distributed and diverse monophyletic group of carnivorous, fin-footed, semi aquatic, mostly marine mammals. They are also commonly referred as seals. In fact, the name "pinniped" derives from the Latin words pinna, meaning fin and pes or pedis, meaning foot, thus giving the literal meaning of fin footed.
Sirius: Miya Otomaru (音丸美弥, おとまる みや)
Oto (音) means sound, Maru (丸) means round, Mi or Bi (美) means beauty, and Ya (弥) means all the more or increasingly. The surname Otomaru means sound around, a reference to her quirk, which allows the user to hear high frequencies around her that humans normally cannot. She uses it to communicate with Selkie when they are far apart. She can also use it to detect the number of people nearby. The given name Miya can be also read as Mimi (耳), which means ear in Japanese, also a reference to her quirk and appearance.
Mr. Brave: Yuichi Kamige (上毛勇一, かみげ ゆういち)
Kami or Ue (上) means up or above or raise, Ge or Mo (毛) means hair, and Isamu (勇) means brave. The surname Kamige literally means raising hair, a reference to his quirk. The given name Yuichi means brave one, a reference to his hero name.
Death Arms: Atsuto Aratake (荒武篤人, あらたけ あつと)
Ara (荒) means rough or wild, Take (武) means military, Atsu (篤) means fervent or serious, and To or Hito (人) means person. The Ara in Aratake and Atsu in Atsuto refer to his serious and rough behavior.
Crust: Mutsuo Tatezaki (盾崎六雄, たてざき むつお)
Tate (盾) means shield (type of personal armor), Zaki or Saki (崎) means cape or edge, Mutsu or Roku (六) means 6, and O (雄) means masculine or male. The Tate in Tatezaki refers to his quirk, shield, which allows him to manifest stone-like, hexagonal shields from their body that could be utilized both defensively and offensively. His given name Mutsuo is a reference to his hexagonal shields.
Yoroi Musha: Takeyoshi Furumoto (古本武義, ふるもと たけよし)
Furu (古) means old or ancient, Moto or Hon (本) means origin or book, Take (武) means military, and Yoshi (義) means righteousness. All of the kanji characters are associated with him. The surname Furumoto can be also read as Furuhon, which means ancient book, possibly referring to old records, text, or illustrations regarding Japanese history and society. The Take in Takeyoshi refers to his hero costume, resembling a samurai, while Yoshi refers to his personality, which is ironic after what happened during the war.
Kesagiri Man: Kenjuro Kuroi (黒井剣寿郎, くろい けんじゅろう)
Kuro (黒) means black, I (井) means water well, Ken (剣) means sword, Ju (寿) means longevity, and Ro (郎) means male. The Kuro in Kuroi refers to the color of his hero outfit, while the Ken in Kenjuro refers to the literal meaning of his hero name - slashing someone with a sword diagonally from the shoulder, Kesagiri (袈裟切り).
Water Hose father: Namihiro Izumi (出水波弘, いずみ なみひろ)
Water Hose mother: Kishiko Izumi (出水岸子, いずみ きしこ)
Knowing that the Water Hose Duo is Kota Izumi’s (出水洸汰) parents, we can obviously assume that they are also named Izumi. Izu (出) means outside, and Mi or Mizu (水) means water. Combined together means flood, Izumi (出水). The surname is also homophonous with fountain in Japanese, Izumi (泉).
For the father: Nami (波) means wave or billow, and Hiro (弘) means vast or wide.
For the mother: Kishi (岸) means beach or shore, and Ko (子) means child.
Nezu: Hideyuki Nezu (根津秀幸, ねず ひでゆき)
Assuming that Nezu is his surname, I would give him his given name only. Ne (根) means root, Zu or Tsu (津) means harbor, Hide (秀) means excellence, and Yuki (幸) means happiness or fortune. His surname is meant to be a play on rat in Japanese, Nezumi (鼠), and his given name is a common Japanese male name, which fits his personality.
Kido: Ryota Kido (貴堂良太, きどう りょうた)
Ki (貴) means noble, Do (堂) means temple or hall, Ryo (良) means good, and Ta (太) means plump or thick. His surname is homophonous to that of his hero name (キドウ) and his respective quirk traject in Japanese, Kido (軌道).
Onima: Junji Onima (鬼馬淳次, おにま じゅんじ)
Oni or Ki (鬼) means demon, Ma (馬) means horse, Jun (淳) means pure, and Ji (次) means next. His surname is homophonous to that of his hero name (オニマー).
X-Less: Mitsuyuki Hoshimoto (星本光行, ほしもと みつゆき)
Hoshi (星) means star, Moto or Hon (本) means origin or book, Mitsu (光) means light, and Yuki (行) means line. His name is a reference to his quirk laser, where he fires energy beams from his right eye.
Shishido: Daisho Shishido (獅子戸大昌, ししど だいしょう)
Shishi (獅子) means lion, Do (戸) means door, Dai or O (大) means big, and Sho (昌) means prosperous or clear. His surname is homophonous to that of his hero name (シシド) and the fact that the first two syllables of his surname fits with him being called the lion hero. Shishido is also an actual surname, but written as宍戸 instead, with the initial kanji character meaning muscles or meat.
Airjet: Hayato Kamizora (上空早人, かみぞら はやと)
Kami or Ue (上) means up or above or raise, Zora or Sora (空) means sky, Haya (早) means early or fast, and To or Hito (人) means person. His surname is a reference to the fact that he can shoot blasts of air above the ground as high as he wants.
Fourth Kind: Shugo Shinomiya (四宮修悟, しのみや しゅうご)
Shi (四) means 4, Miya (宮) means temple or palace, Shu or Osamu (修) means discipline, and Go or Satoru (悟) means enlightenment. The Shi in Shinomiya refers to the fact that he has 4 arms in his appearance. Not a Kaguya reference.
Takeshita: Yoshiyuki Takeshita (竹下吉幸, たけした よしゆき)
This character in the manga and anime is named that way, which is an actual surname, which means I would give him his given name only. Take (竹) means bamboo, Shita (下) means below or under, Yoshi (吉) means good luck or joy, and Yuki (幸) means happiness or fortune. The Take in Takeshita is likely a reference to his unnamed bamboo quirk.
Eel Boy: Teruki Unagi (宇凪輝樹, うなぎ てるき)
U (宇) means roof, Nagi (凪) means calm, Teru (輝) means shine or illuminate, and Ki (樹) means tree. His surname is homophonous with eel in Japanese, Unagi (鰻), referring to his unnamed eel quirk. Interestingly, in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, there is a character with a similar sounding name, Teruo Unagisawa (鰻沢照生), unrelated to the character above. I made that name up without realization, so I must say it’s almost a coincidence.
Briareos: Gosaku Tezawa (手澤郷作, てざわ ごうさく)
Gyges: Gosuke Tezawa (手澤郷輔, てざわ ごうすけ)
Knowing that the two guards present during the Assault on Tartarus are brothers, we can assume that they share the same surname. Te (手) means hand or arm, and Zawa or Sawa (澤) means swamp, referring to their appearance.
For Briareos: Go (郷) means village or hometown, and Saku (作) means make or prepare.
For Gyges: Go (郷) means village or hometown, and Suke (輔) means help or assistance.
Public Safety Commission President: Yasuko Hoki (保喜安子, ほき やすこ)
Ho (保) means protection or guarantee, Ki (喜) means delight or rejoice, Yasu (安) means peaceful, and Ko (子) means child. Combining both the initial kanji characters of both her surname and given name would mean security in Japanese, Hoan (保安), referring to her position in the Hero Public Safety Commission.
2nd user: Hayao Nikaido (二階堂速雄, にかいどう はやお)
Ni (二) means 2, Kai (階) means story, stair or floor, Do (堂) means temple or hall, Haya (速) means quick or fast, and O (雄) means male. For the given name Hayao, the Haya in Hayao is the same one in his quirk "Gearshift" in Japanese, Hensoku (変速). The surname Nikaido has the kanji character for 2, Ni (二), referencing the fact that he is the 2nd user of OFA. Something I would like to share - the first time I encountered the surname Nikaido came from a staff member whose name was credited with that surname in most of Mob Psycho 100's episodes in the end credits. As soon as I saw the name 二階堂 in the end credits, that gave me an idea to use that surname as a what-if name for the 2nd user, so that's how I arrived with that surname. I never intended to name him after an anime staff member whatsoever.
3rd user: Sanjiro Undo (運道三治郎, うんどう さんじろう)
Un (運) means luck or fortune, Do (道) means road or path, San (三) means 3, Ji (治) means reign or cure, and Ro (郎) means male. The surname is read as "oondo" and not in the English word as it appears to be in romanized form. Also, the aforementioned surname is homophonous with movement in Japanese, Undo (運動), as his quirk Fa Jin is used for to build up kinetic energy by repeating regular motions and store it for later use. Kinetic energy in Japanese is Undo Enerugii (運動エネルギー). The given name Sanjiro has the kanji character for 3, San (三), referencing the fact that he is the 3rd user of OFA.
6th user: Enzo Rokuhara (六原煙造, ろくはら えんぞう)
Roku (六) means 6, Hara (原) means field, En or Kemuri (煙) means smoke, and Zo (造) means create or make. The surname Rokuhara has the kanji character for 6, Roku (六), referencing the fact that he is the 6th user of OFA. The given name Enzo is a reference to his quirk Smokescreen, which would give the character's nickname as En. The surname is also the name of a Japanese railway station in Kanegasaki, Iwate. Interestingly enough, two other characters in the series, whom both of them are villains, are also named after real world Japanese railway stations. The villains in question are Twice and Re-Destro. Twice's real surname is Bubaigawara (分倍河原), named after a railway station operated jointly by the East Japan Railway Company and the private railway operator Keio Corporation located in Fuchu, Tokyo of the same name, while Re-Destro's real surname is Yotsubashi (四ツ橋), named after a railway station in Nishi-ku, Osaka of the same name.
Wolfram: Shigeki Kinzoku (金続重樹, きんぞく しげき)
Kin (金) means metal, Zoku (続) means to continue, Shige (重) means heavy, and Ki (樹) means tree or wood. The surname Kinzoku is homophonous to Kinzoku (金属), in which the latter kanji character, Zoku (属), means genus. However, the Zoku in Kinzoku (金続) means to continue, referring to how he manipulates and creates metal continuously in combat. The Shige in Shigeki refers to how generally heavy metal is. Not to mention that his villain name is named after tungsten, whose symbol W means wolfram, and it is one of the heaviest naturally stable elements you can carry or hold (but factually speaking, uranium IS the heaviest element in terms of natural stability).
Nine: Kisho Terunaga (照永起昇), てるなが きしょう)
Teru (照) means shine or illuminate, Naga or Ei (永) means eternity, Ki (起) means rouse or get up, and Sho (昇) means rise up. The Teru in Terunaga likely refers to his intimidating appearance, akin to a god, while Naga likely refers to the fact that he would be invincible like any other villain if he has a great amount of quirks, considering that he is one of the few characters to do so. The given name Kisho is homophonous with weather, Kisho (気象), a reference to his original quirk before amalgamating to All for One, weather manipulation, or Kisho Sosa in Japanese (気象操作).
All for One: Majin Shigaraki (死柄木摩甚, しがらき まじん)
According to All for One himself in a flashback, Shigaraki is his real surname; however, his given name is unknown. Shi (死) means death, Gara (柄) means grip or handle, Ki (木) means tree or wood, Ma (摩) means to scrape or grind, and Jin (甚) means extreme or intense. The given name Majin is homophonous with devil in Japanese, Majin (魔神).
Mustard: Shoki Kitai (北井祥基, きたい しょうき)
Kita (北) means north, I (井) means water well, Sho (祥) means auspicious or good omen, and Ki (基) means fundamentals or basis. The surname Kitai is homophonous with gas in Japanese, Kitai (気体), a reference to his quirk. The given name Shoki is homophonous with miasma in Japanese, Shoki (瘴気), a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor, fitting with the properties of his quirk.
Innsmouth: Yakishi Takonuma (蛸沼焼司, たこぬま やきし)
Tako (蛸) means octopus, Numa (沼) means marsh, Yaki (焼) means burnt, and Shi (司) means administer or boss. The Tako in Takonuma is a reference to his appearance, resembling an octopus.
Moonfish: Takanari Habashi (歯橋高成, はばし たかなり)
Ha (歯) means tooth, Hashi (橋) means bridge, Taki (高) means tall or high, Nari (成) means grow or reach. The surname Habashi is a reference to his quirk blade-tooth in Japanese, Shijin (歯刃).
Ending: Shingoki Kurodo (黒道伸剛輝, くろどう しんごうき)
Kuro (黒) means black, Do or Michi (道) means road or path, Shin (伸) means to expand or stretch, Go (剛) means sturdy or strength, and Ki or Teru (輝) means shine, or gleam. The surname Kurodo means black road, referring to how he activates his quirk through a road or highway. The given name Shingoki is homophonous with traffic lights in Japanese, Shingoki (信号機).
Starservant: Noriharu Hoshimiya (星宮典治, ほしみや のりはる)
Hoshi (星) means star, Miya (宮) means temple or palace, Nori or Ten (典) means law or rule, and Haru or Chi or Ji (治) means reign or subdue. The surname Hoshimiya means star temple or star palace, referring to his villain name. The given name Noriharu can be alternatively read as Tenchi (天地), which means above and below, top and bottom, or more symbolically, heaven and earth. The third meaning could possibly be referring to the phrase “Heaven and Earth are about to collide”, one of the taglines to the 1998 asteroid disaster film Deep Impact, since the villain himself is a preacher who ensures the society that the end of the world is nigh.
Dictator: Reiji Shiki (志紀令司, しき れいじ)
Shi (志) means will or intention, Ki (紀) means chronicle or history, Rei (令) means orders or command, and Shi (司) means administer or boss. The surname Shiki is homophonous with command, direction, or supervision in Japanese, Shiki (指揮), while the given name Reiji is reverse for command or control in Japanese, Shirei (司令), both referencing his quirk despot.
Kunieda: Ikunobu Kunieda (國枝育伸, くにえだ いくのぶ)
Kuni (國) means country, Eda (枝) means bough or branch, Iku (育) means grow or raise, and Nobu (伸) means to expand or stretch. The villain name Kunieda, which is written in katakana, is an actual surname in Japan, so I had to use the kanji version of that name. The given name Ikunobu means growing and expanding, both of which are referring to his quirk that has the ability to sprout and grow gigantic flowers, spores, and fungus-like plants from the ground.
Gigantomachia: Goro Onikigawa (鬼木川吾郎, おにきがわ ごろう)
Oni or Ki (鬼) means demon, Ki (木) means tree, Kawa or Gawa (川) means river, Go (吾) means I or my, and Ro (郎) means male. The Oni in Onikigawa refers to his demonic appearance, while his given name Goro is a play on the Japanese onomatopoeia Goro Goro (ゴロゴロ), which describes the sound of thunder, earthquake, or other disasters incoming, fitting with his personality during the Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
Iceman: Geten Koriyama (氷山外典, こおりやま げてん)
Kori (氷) means ice, Yama (山) means mountain, Ge or Soto (外) means outside, and Ten or Nori (典) means law. The surname Koriyama is an alternate reading of Hyozan, which means iceberg, fitting with his quirk. The given name Geten means apocrypha, which is a story of unknown author or origin. While Geten is the real name of Iceman, it is unknown if it’s his given name or surname, so randomly assuming that this is his given name, his surname would be unknown, and that explains the surname’s existence. (NOTE: With the recent release of Chapter 387 on May 8, 2023, it was revealed that Geten happened to be from Rei's side, which means that his surname is Himura, and this made him a relative to the Todoroki family members, so his full name is Geten Himura. It was not explicitly stated how Rei, or even the Todoroki family, and Geten were specifically related and just listed their relation as simply "relative". With this revelation, his full name written in Japanese would be 氷叢外典, or in hiragana, ひむら げてん. As of this writing, this is the only entry on the list with a character's officially confirmed full name in the original source, so I would discard my ideal surname in favor of the original source instead.)
Unnamed Cider House leader: Gyokoten Samukawa (寒川凝古天, さむかわ ぎょうこてん)
Samu (寒) means cold, Kawa (川) means river, Gyo (凝) means stiff, Ko or Furu (古) means old or ancient, and Ten (天) means heaven. The surname Samukawa means cold river. The given name Gyokoten is homophonous with freezing point in Japanese - Gyokoten (凝固点). The first kanji of the word Gyo (凝) is the same as in the given name. His alias or villain name was never revealed as well, so Yeti (イエティ) would be a good choice, named after the ape-like creature purported to inhabit the Himalayan mountain range in Asia of the same name.
Keigo's Father: Keiichi Takami (鷹見啓一, たかみ けいいち)
This character in the manga and anime is named that way, which means I would give him his given name only. Taka (鷹) means hawk, Mi (見) means to see, Kei (啓) means disclose, open, or say, and Ichi (一) means 1. The Kei in Keiichi is the same as his son Keigo (啓悟).
Habit Headgear: Takehiko Kito (鬼頭武彦, きとう たけひこ)
Oni or Ki (鬼) means demon, To or Atama (頭) means head, Take (武) means military, and Hiko (彦) means lad or boy. His surname is a reference to his unnerving appearance. Not a Demon Slayer reference.
Giant Villain: Kiichi Otomo (大友毅一, おおとも きいち)
O or Dai (大) means big, Tomo (友) means friend, Ki or Tsuyo (毅) means strong, and Ichi (一) means 1. His name is a reference to his appearance and personality. Ironic that he is the first villain to appear in the series, yet has a character that means friend.
Sludge Villain: Sohei Dorokawa (泥川創平, どろかわ そうへい)
Doro (泥) means mud, Kawa or Gawa (川) means river, So or Hajime (創) means begin or start, and Hei or Pei or Hira (平) means flat. His surname is a reference to his dirty mud-like appearance.
Swordkil: Takeshi Mekajiki (目梶木丈士, めかじき たけし)
Me (目) means eye, Kaji (梶) means sculling oar, Ki (木) means tree or wood, Take (丈) means height or stature, and Shi (士) means samurai. His surname is homophonous with swordfish in Japanese, Mekajiki (眼梶木), which is a reference to his unnamed sword quirk, as well as his villain name, though close.
Daigo: Daigo Saruno (猿野大悟, さるの だいご)
Saru (猿) means monkey, No (野) means field, Dai or O (大) means big, and Go or Satoru (悟) means enlightenment. His surname is a reference to his beast-like appearance, while his given name is the same as that of Daigo Yamamoto (山本大悟), the character’s voice actor, also simply known (and credited) by his given name, Daigo. He is part of the Japanese comedy duo Chidori (千鳥), who made a cameo appearance in My Hero Academia: Two Heroes as two of Wolfram’s minions.
Nobu: Nobuyuki Katai (片井信行, かたい のぶゆき)
Kata (片) means part or fragment, I (井) means water well, Nobu (信) means faith or truth, and Yuki (行) means line. His surname is can be also read as Heni, which is homophonous with displacement (physics) in Japanese, Heni (変位), a reference to his unnamed displacement quirk, while his given name is the same as that of Nobuyuki Hayakawa (早川信行), the character’s voice actor, also simply known (and credited) by his nickname, Nobu (ノブ). Like the previous entry on the list, he is also part of the Japanese comedy duo Chidori (千鳥), who made a cameo appearance in My Hero Academia: Two Heroes as two of Wolfram’s minions.
Glutton God: Shigeo Shokuzawa (食澤茂雄, しょくざわ しげお)
Shoku (食) means food, Zawa or Sawa (澤) means swamp, Shige (茂) means overgrown or grow thick, and O (雄) means masculine or male. His surname is a reference to his appearance, as well as his villain name in Japanese, Kuishin (食神).
Sanctum: Seizo Jiyumiya (自由宮聖造, じゆうみや せいぞう)
Ji (自) means oneself, Yu (由) means wherefore, Miya (宮) means temple or palace, Sei (聖) means holy, and Zo (造) means create or make. His surname means freedom temple, and Seizo means holy structure, referring to his villain name.
The Mother of Quirks: Seiko Yotsubashi (四ツ橋聖子, よつばし せいこ)
Knowing the Mother of Quirks is the mother of Chikara Yotsubashi (四ツ橋主税), I would give her given name only. Yotsu (四ツ) means 4, Hashi (橋) means bridge, Sei (聖) means holy, and Ko (子) means child. I chose Seiko as her given name for a reason, because her name, when Romanized, is an anagram for quirk in Japanese, Kosei (個性), since she was the first person to use the word "quirk" to describe meta abilities.
Shie Hassaikai boss: Takahito Saijo (斎条崇人, さいじょう たかひと)
Sai (斎) means purification, Jo (条) means article, Taka (崇) means respect or revere, and To or Hito (人) means person. The Sai in Saijo is the same character in Shie Hassaikai (死穢八斎會), while his given name fits given with his position during the time he founded the organization years before Kai Chisaki succeeded him.
Hood: Tsuyoshi Aida (会田強士, さいじょう たかひと)
Ai or Kai (会) means meeting or association, Ta or Da (田) means rice field, Tsuyo (強) means strong, and Shi (士) means samurai. His name fits since he used to be a street punk who made a living as a fierce underground fighter before being turned into a Nomu by the Doctor.
Gunga Mountain Villa Paranormal Liberation Front Commander: Kairo Dendo (傳堂会呂, でんどう かいろ)
Den (傳) means propagate or transmit, Do (堂) means temple or hall, Kai or Ai (会) means meeting or association, and Ro (呂) means spine or backbone. His surname is homophonous with electric or conduction in Japanese, Dendo (電動) or Dendo (伝導) respectively, while his given name is homophonous with circuit in Japanese, Kairo (回路), both referring to his quirk amplivolt, which can conduct and amplify electricity within their body, being able to release it afterwards. Ironic that he was never given a name, yet his quirk, as well as his ultimate move, is named in the manga and anime.
​
That is all I can present. If you know a character whose real name is unknown, comment down below and formulate his or her real name based on the character's qualities. Thank you!

Foundations of Humanity 29 (Healing Words) - an NoP fanfic
​
Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for establishing the Nature of Predators Universe, and for allowing Fanfics to flourish! Thank you again, u/Braquen, u/Acceptable_Egg5560, u/BiasMushroom721, and last but not least u/Liberty-Prime76 for proofreading! This is my side of the Nature of a Giant crossover!
First -- Previous -- Next
​
Memory transcription subject: Valek, Venlil tourist
Date [standardized human time]: Sept 11th, 2136. Middle of 3rd Claw
Tarlim was the first to see me as I marched toward the table, tossing the still-open pad into its center.
“Predator Disease is anything! Whatever they need to put you away!” I cried, vacillating between grief and outrage while Tarlim looked through my research.
“They don't work! None of them do! Hundreds are being thrown into those facilities for everything from active murder, to jaywalking,” And Tarlim met my gaze, “to complaints. Complaints! The most positive source said ‘a dozen cured every year’. From a sample of hundreds! No names! No sources! Just their word and a ‘trust me, bro!’ And that’s only maybe from the ‘jaywalking’ section, not even the people who need real help!”
I pulled my ears down taut, embracing the pain to distract my panic, blind to Alvi’s desperate attempts to calm and comfort me. “The facilities don't help anyoneI But every one of them punishes, no, tortures Venlil for something they cannot control or choose. Not criminals, not those who did something, just… just so many people who did nothing wrong! Who had no record beyond a-a single half-shorn screening!!"
I stopped to breathe, my voice faltering as I started again, “And we sent you there. I checked, you did nothing! Not even a complaint! The only charge on your record, even according to that pro-exterminator trash ‘Moralen’s Pred Guide,’ was ‘resisting arrest’; whatever the brahk that’s supposed to mean. You were only barely an adult, and… we still sent you there. I’m… I don’t… I’m so sorry, Tarlim. I won’t plead innocence; we did this. Our people, all of us, failed you in the most impossible, embarrassing way. I’m…”
You’re what?? Sorry?!
My body went limp as I felt the weight of my people’s sins against all of us, distilled into this Person’s real experience. “No. Just a sad ‘sorry’ doesn’t even begin to make up for what happened to you. I don't know how to make this right, or if it’s even possible to do so at this point. But for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
I looked up at him. At Tarlim. He… he had begun breathing erratically, short and fast, tossing his chest wool about. His ears twitching in fear. Had- had I said something wrong? I saw Alvi lean towards him with worry in her affect. “Hey, you okay?”
Tarlim didn’t show any sign of having heard. He grabbed onto his knees and pulled them to his chest. Jacob stood and began running his hand along Tarlim’s back. I didn’t know what to do! How do I fix this? Should I do something? Wait? I-
I heard a chime coming from Tarlim’s shoulder pack. As soon as it was heard, it was like he transformed. The look of panic and confusion was replaced by a determined calm as he began taking steady breaths. He seemed to be coming around again.
Maeve leaned forward, looking uncertain at her words. “It’s alright Tarlim. We are here with you. You’re not alone. ”
“C’mon buddy, you got this.”
A murmur, too small for a Venlil of his size, “Th-Thank you.” Then Tarlim’s ears swiveled back to me, “Valek… you… you are the first to say that. To really say that, and to mean it, too.”
My tail swayed in honest joy, while I closed my eyes to give him comfort, as he started again, choking on phlegm brought on by tears,
“It has been years since my lawsuit. In that time, I can count the people who supported me on one paw. One paw!” He held up four claws for emphasis. “They helped me get on my feet. Let me release my feelings. And just… they were there for me. They gave sympathy, but you…” I panted, trying to control my breathing. “You didn’t. You called me dangerous. Feared me. You were… you were them.” He swept his arms at the oblivious crowd below, “In all those years, all that time, nobody, not one, had ever apologized. Not sincerely.”
I tried to show kindness and welcome, happy to have another friend. “You’re a good person Tarlim. I know I won’t be the last.”
…
A short silence fell over us all, before Maeve spoke up, “Not to give conversational whiplash, but absolutely to change the subject: What do you think about Venlil Cuisine, Jacob? I am quite partial to the Juicefruit, even if I need a small towel for every bite.”
“Good subject change,” he took a drink of his soda and set it on the table. “There’s this thing that translates to Firefruit, and it’s amazing! Got this nice zest like a lime but a sweet spice like a jalapeño! Its juice goes great on a lot of things!”
“Oh then you may like this,” she shifted a plate of fried veg across the table, “This one is fried Deeproot. It’s got quite a ginger kick to it, but the fry brings out a lot of sweet too!”
Tarlim’s affect softened as we spoke on kinder things. “Deeproot? That’s rather tasty.” He uncurled himself and swung his ears genially, “Have you… have you been on the planet long?”
Maeve met my eye, and pulled Alvi onto her lap, her voice taking on a wistful remembrance, “Feels like a new life… but my calendar says just over two weeks! A lot has changed since I walked on the station.” Her voice trailed off, while my tail flicked comfort and Alvi leaned her weight against Maeve.
Tarlim continued his curiosity and asked Maeve, “So what do you think of our planet? Apart from the… poor welcoming.”
Maeve waved her hand dismissively, “Oh those poor pups were just doing as nature intended; honestly it just made your planet more familiar! Really that’s the surprising thing, despite twenty lightyears across the galaxy, everything is still so familiar! You have trees that remind me of the Redwoods, you have cities that are just like ours, if shinier, and Alvi here worked in customer service!” She ruffled Alvi’s crown affectionately. “I never imagined I would feel so at home on another world!”
I stepped back from the conversation and helped myself to what was left of the food, enjoying the sharp tang of the Deeproot.
Maeve breathed a contented sigh under her veil, before facing Jacob, “How about you, Jacob? How are you handling the planet?”
Jacob finished another drink of his soda. “Ah would say that outside of the station incident, it has been going well. After we’re done here, ah am going to be getting my own apartment to live in since Tarlim’s isn’t big enough!” He snorted in amusement. “Don’ worry about me living in an apartment. Ah have mah ways of winning people over.” He picked up the last of his fried dough. “Relatedly, be careful with Venlil drinks. Their ‘lite beer’ is our equivalent to distilled whiskey.”
Maeve laughed lightly, “Glad to see they know how to party! It’s an equal trade though, what they call an ‘energy drink’ is on par with weak tea. I was so glad my handler got me a 10lb bag of beans and a french press.”
“Lite beer? What do you guys consider strong?” Alvi asked, and I had to agree with her concerned tone.
“Tarlim called it distilled Ipsom,” Jacob responded. “60% alcohol. That’s pretty strong fer most humans. Our whiskey is usually 40-50%. What about y’all? What do you call strong?”
Alvi perked up, excited to share one of her happy memories, “I used to hang out at The Roost when I was in the capital, and they kept a bottle of 90% behind the counter for Venlil only: distilled and fermented Goji juice, aged in Nishtalian hardwood casks. It was really good, but I’ve had stronger.” I had to admire how proud she was to say that. Even I would struggle at that amount!
Jacob leaned back, his shoulders tense with surprise. “Jeezus! And this is just drinkable Ethanol, right? Not Methanol?”
I recoiled at the awful memory of my first time with Methanol. That disgusting stuff? Blech!
“Ew, no, I hate the taste it leaves on your tongue. And after what happened at my 16th, I’m not touching that stuff any time soon.” Alvi seemed to share in my distaste for that glorified spoiled speh.
“Yeah,” Tarlim chimed in between sips of his Sprunk, “I hear the Zurulians experiment with drinking that stuff specifically, but it seems to be just them. Even they don’t usually drink at our level.”
“That’s incredible!” Maeve chimed in, “That stuff makes us go blind. Doesn’t stop people from homebrewing it anyway though.”
My tail flicked in concern; I mean, methanol is bad, but were humans so frail that it would make them go blind?
Tarlim, however, seemed somehow amused! “You guys are crazy. Why would you do something that would cause you to be disabled?”
“I never said we were smart!” Maeve, to my astonishment, laughed along with Jacob. “Seriously though, it's complicated. The insultingly short version is: humans experimented with alcohol for literally our entire history, some post industrial nits thought it was evil and banned it, so people made their own. Bootlegging Moonshine became its own culture, even the not so smart parts, so methanol based drinks are still around.”
“But seriously though, to turn blind.” Tarlim’s voice was full of worry, and his tail didn’t hide it. “Why do something that would cause them to be cast out?”
“Cast out??”
A silence fell over the table, while Maeve and Jacob watched Tarlim, who began to shrink under their gazes. I hadn’t been expecting this reaction; wouldn’t humans do the same? Isn’t that what… Wait. Maeve wouldn’t, not in a million years! Why did I think that humans would do this?
“Why,” Jacob asked, “would you think we would cast someone out?”
“B-because that’s what… we… oh Speh!” Tarlim did his best to bury his face in his paws, and I hid behind my ears. “Why did I think that? It isn’t true- of course it isn’t! The exterminators said it! Gods!”
“Yeah,” Jacob said as he shook his head slowly, “that ain’t what we do. We try to help them live as normal a life as possible.”
“Yeah,” Maeve agreed. “We teach them how to use guiding sticks, give correctional implants, or help them learn braille!”
That last word caught my attention. The translator seemed to struggle with it, saying it was some form of communication for people who couldn’t see, but not how. “Braille? What’s that? The translator didn’t quite get it.”
“It’s a kind of writing.” Maeve explained, “Little bumps whose patterns translate to a letter. A blind person can pass their fingers over the bumps to feel the pattern and thus read through their hands.”
“Don’t y’all have something similar?” Jacob directed his question at Tarlim, “you told me once that the Xeno-what’s it hospital.” He twirled his hand dismissively, “You said it had classes. Don’t they teach stuff like that there?”
“Those…” Tarlim spoke up, then hesitated. “Those classes are for families. Teaching them how to care for their herd members. Not for… us.”
Jacob shook his head. “Okay? Ah mean, that’s fine fer families, but what about someone without one? Or if they go somewhere the rest of their herd doesn’t?”
"It depends on the family," Alvi added her voice, "some will go without to stay with the weak, but some will just…" Her ears fell, "leave them. And for those that don't have… don't have a herd they…"
A deep sadness drifted from the Giant, “Sleep on the streets.”
“Bullshit!” Jacob slammed his hand against his table. “I’m not gonna lie and say we humans don’t have homeless, but no support if they don’t have a family or herd? None? What about shelters? Food banks? Those… those bunkers everybody evacuated to in panic!”
“We have food banks!” I piped up, wishing to add some hope to the gloom, “We don’t let people just starve! If people are tight on money, they are completely free to visit one of the social centers or food banks! They have services there to match you with a herd, and sometimes they give community service. It's considered pre-disease treatment.” But I couldn’t ignore the Tarlim in the room. "Sometimes people fall through the cracks. And sometimes, as I just learned… they are dropped through."
"Oh my god…" Maeve sighed, her face pointed at nothing.
“Hold it. Pre-disease?” Jacob’s voice dripped with skepticism. “So you're saying that someone visiting one of those places would be saying they have your Predator Disease?”
I answered immediately, "Not necessarily. It is more supposed to prevent herdless behavior. I've never been in the system, though, so I don't know what it looks like inside."
“It’s a big room.” I wince at Tarlim’s tone as he interrupts. “A bunch of bunk beds crammed together in the center with Exterminators watching over at all hours as you eat, sleep, and… everything else. Watching for the slightest excuse to cry Predator Disease.” He let out a huff of distaste. “When I was in the facility, there were five inmates who tried to stick around me despite what the faculty said.” He stared directly at me as he said the final words. “Three of them were snatched in one of those places. There’s a reason I slept in the streets.”
“But… but they wouldn’t…”
I remember the photo. I remember the corruption on Emerald Marble. I remember the testimony from Clegal Falls. So many children, abandoned by their families.
"Who am I kidding. I want so badly to believe we aren't like that, but…" I pointed despondently at my pad in the center of the table.
"It's ok, Valek, this is actually familiar to us." Maeve's voice soothed my melancholy, as she tried to rub my head with her elbow, "We haven't solved those problems ourselves, but we have made huge strides. Hopefully, more opportunities and less facilities may give them a fighting chance."
“Here’s hoping,” Jacob agreed.
I heard Tarlim sigh, but his tail… wagged?. “And as little as it may be, there is now at least one city with no Facility at all.”
A city with no facility. Somewhere that people with… possible Predator Disease roamed free. For two years. And yet, this place… it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t in chaos. There weren’t people being devoured in the streets at all times. There was… there was nothing. Just a normal city…
How could so few have realized…
“By the way,” my train of thought was interrupted by Jacob’s voice, “bit of a subject change, but Maeve. Are you going to eat any of your food?” He gestured to our plate. “You haven’t even touched that since we arrived.”
Maeve flipped her hand, and her voice was light and kind, "It's quite a pain to eat through this. I'd already had enough before you guys got here, I'll be fine."
Jacob shook his head. “Ah don’t buy that. There’s only one plate in front of you, and it’s only been nibbled.” He leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table. “It’s the teeth thing, isn’t it?”
Tarlim signaled concern, while his ears locked onto Maeve. “Are you not eating just so I don’t see your teeth?”
Maeve was quiet for a moment. She was thinking about her next words, like I had seen so many times before. "... I'm sorry I lied to you, I should have seen you're more comfortable than the average Venlil. Teeth is a part of it, yes, but I have had the most intense reaction from my eyes and hair. I'm red-headed, rather brightly I'll add."
Jacob leaned back in his chair, and chuckled, "Oh, No!"
Tarlim’s affected slid to confusion, "I don't get it, what am I missing?"
"Uhh, there's no easy way to say this bud, but her hair makes it look like she's doused and speckled in Venlil blood."
Of course, there really isn’t a good way to say that. It was the most alarming thing about Maeve when we first met, and Alvi took almost three paws to get used to it! I hoped that Tarlim wouldn’t freak out too badly.
He stared blankly. “Ooookaaay? And why is that a problem?”
Whut.
“Wait,” Alvi was the first to speak, “you aren’t bothered?”
Tarlim cocked his head quizzically, “Why should I be? It’s a fur color. I have seen pictures of Sulians with a pigment that makes them look like the color of our blood.” I could only stare in shock as he simply sipped from his soda. “Don’t starve yourself on my account.”
Ok Tiny, you're laying it on a little thick. You don’t have to be that nonchalant.
My ears focused on him as I called him out, “Alright, how are you so calm about this? Even the braver Venlil on the station were nervous around humans that weren’t their partners. Why aren’t you?”
“Guys, look at me. I tower over all of you. What could they do to me that a prey couldn’t? That…” His whistling laugh dripped with irony, “that a prey hasn’t already done?”
What they… that hasn’t… that has to be the most cynical reason for bravery I’ve heard.
I remembered the video of the station incident. My father’s rifle, ready to fire. The shuttle driver dropping us in the middle of a forest. And through it all, Maeve’s smile never left me.
I joined the four of them in boisterous laughter at the ridiculous reversal of everything I have ever known and been taught. When the world is upside down, what can you do but laugh?
Shortly after, Maeve regained her breath and answered, "I'm glad you can laugh about it! Well, consent given…" and she removed her veil entirely.
I watched as Maeve removed her head covering, marveling at the luscious waves of sunset falling against her shoulder. I couldn’t stop my tail from swaying as I saw her bright smile light up the entire room, and set my heart ablaze; a fire more hungry than any Exterminators’ torch. And in that moment I wanted nothing more than to feel her hair in my paws, scent her salt on my tongue, and hear our jubilations rattle off the walls of wherever we stood. To know her, completely. And maybe ‘biblically’.
Tarlim spoke with certainty, as if stating a fact that was beyond obvious, “You have very nice eyes,” Damn right, she does. And my snout bloomed at the well deserved compliment. “The color reminds me of a freshly sprouted Darkwood leaf.” Tarlim turned his attention to me, “From what I understand, you two are very brave to have seen her without her mask.”
I flapped my ears to shake off my reverie, and I breathed deeply as I remembered how we began. "It took time. We had talked by text for a couple weeks before the meetup, and our introduction in the room went smoothly. But when she took off her hair wrap, I… I could hear the sound of blood on the ground. I tried to dive under the bunk, but I missed. Woke up in the clinic with a nasty bump." and I laid my paw on the place of impact, now well healed.
Jacob chuckled. “You certainly weren't the only one to react by freaking out.” He turned his visor towards Alvi. “What about you?”
"My first time was in the forest." Alvi started, "Maeve was… having a hard time. I caught her eyes when I was trying to talk to her and… I uhh… I fainted!" She pulled her ears in front of her face, "and the second time! We were in Valek's b-" her voice caught in her throat.
I met Alvi’s eye while she sat on Maeve’s lap, reaching out to offer comfort as I picked up her story, "It's ok, Alvi. Our first rest at the farm we were all sharing a bed, Maeve's spare room wasn't finished yet. Maeve's uncovered face was the first thing Alvi saw when she woke, and she locked up. At least we took the opportunity to get used to eye contact."
"How about you two?" Maeve spoke to Tarlim directly, "You mentioned you were from the first wave on Prime Station? I'm glad you both made it out of the attack!"
“Nah,” Jacob waved his hand, palm facing out, “Only one of us was on the station.”
Tarlim sighed in disappointment, “Yeah, I’m certain you can guess why it wasn’t me.”
Maeve sympathetically returned his disappointment, “Ah. I can see why your size would be a prohibitor. Though I’m certain a human would have gotten creative to make a fix. But no use lamenting what is already done. And you, Jacob?” She switched to facing Jacob, and asked through a bite of fried sweetwood. “How did you fare in the attack?”
Jacob shrugged, “ah volunteered to help recover drifters after the raid cause, well, Spacesuit.” he gestured at his sadly un-blue pelts, “But Ah’m sure we can talk about that even more in a bit. Fer now,” he shook the now empty fried dough bags, “Ah don’t think these were filling enough. Do any of y’all have suggestions on what else to eat?”
“Not around here if you’re looking for ‘filling’,” Maeve answered, “If I’m being honest, as delicious as I find their food, everything has been very calorie-light. I would ki-- uh… be very excited for some pasta. This girl needs her carbs!” Her giggle was adorable. I could tell she was about to say something else, but she recovered well.
“Well why not eat some Stringfruit?” Tarlim offered, excited to be helpful, “It’s one of the more dense foods, more content and less juice, and has a good amount of protein inside. Good savory taste, in my opinion. Or maybe some more Bunt leaf salad. Hearty plant. Bit neutral, but that makes it good with just about everything. And even though it’s not my taste, firefruit is a good option for calories.”
I was impressed; He was more familiar with some of our foods than even my parents! Maeve and Jacob looked at him in surprise before he clarified, “I’m big! Need to eat more to fuel my size!”
Maeve lit up in another smile, “I will take those notes! The three of us can check a cafe that we passed on the way. But Jacob, what were your first impressions when you got to Venlil habitations? The smell took some getting used to, but at least it’s not sour…” Her question surfaced memories of her teeth on my neck, and I hoped my bloom wasn’t noticeable.
Tarlim’s ears turned in confusion, “Smell? What scent do you mean?”
Maeve shrugged, “It’s just something I noticed while on the station. Humans have their own scents, some stronger than others, but I noticed that the Venlil are especially thick; might be a consequence of having to taste the air. You, for example, remind me of when I took a nap in a field of honeysuckle.”
In response to Maeve’s words, Tarlim leaned forward for a scenting breath.
It was an interesting part of our biology. While our lack of a physical nose caused many to assume that we Venlil had no sense of smell, that wasn’t quite true. Our mouth and tongue had more taste receptors than most other races, so we could taste the air much like other races could smell it; though we were less sensitive and more specialized. We would be able to discern the difference between fruits one day apart in age, but things like petroleum products were completely scentless to us. Maeve and I had a wonderful conversation about the differences in our biology when that was first brought up.
Tarlim appeared to approve of our choice of shampoo. “Interesting. If multiple people were using the same scented fur-care, I can see how it would be overwhelming at first. But Jacob is going to get his own apartment. We’re just waiting to hear from the magistratta with news. Should be on this paw or the next. I’m sure that sleeping on a couch wouldn’t be an accurate impression.”
“Certainly not,” Jacob agreed. “Just thankful the apartment is tall enough!”
“Yeah, I can stand straight with my ears flat. Barely fitting for me, but good headroom for humans!” Tarlim flattened his ears, mimicking his issues with low ceilings, before laughing amiably.
“But fer now,” Jacob calmly stood from the table, “my stomach demands to be satisfied. Perhaps we could all check out that cafe y’all noticed?”
Alvi’s ears excitedly perked, “That would be fantastic! They had a stringfruit soup bowl with spiceleaf and nightberry on the window that I’d love to try! They're just leeward of the Dome, about two streets over.” Maeve set her down before standing as well.
Tarlim was next to rise, agreeing and swinging their tail in clear joy and friendliness. Maeve and Jacob reapplied their coverings before we all walked as a herd to the exit.
​
First -- Previous -- Next

$EPAZ Bounce Play Watchlist (EPAZ, GAXY, AABB, HMBL)
06/08/2023 03:28am EDT
In the fast-paced world of stock trading and investment, savvy market participants are constantly scanning the horizon for lucrative opportunities hidden within market fluctuations. These periods of volatility can present a unique window for astute investors to capitalize on potential bargains.
​
For this article, let's turn our attention to a selection of four penny stocks that have recently encountered a temporary downturn. However, beneath the surface lies an intriguing narrative of resilience and potential resurgence, capturing the attention of shrewd investors seeking hidden gems in the market.
​
EPAZZ INC. (OTC: EPAZ)
The first company with the potential for a bounce play is Epazz, Inc. (OTC:EPAZ). EPAZ is a mission-critical provider of drone technology, blockchain mobile apps, and cloud-based business software solutions.
​
Throughout this spring, EPAZ and their spinoff company, ZenaDrone, have been making significant strides with their flagship product, the ZenaDrone 1000. This advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has garnered substantial interest from various sectors, positioning Epazz as a rising stock in the industry.
​
In March 2023, ZenaDrone, Inc., received a letter of support from the U.S. Air Force, solidifying the drone's potential for drone cargo delivery, including critical blood transport. The U.S. Air Force invited ZenaDrone to conduct tests at an overseas base under battlefield conditions, showcasing the drone's capabilities in a military environment. This milestone not only attracted attention from the U.S. Air Force but also caught the interest of the U.S. Army.
​
The successful presentation of the ZenaDrone 1000 at the AERO General Aviation Convention in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in April further bolstered its reputation. This exposure resulted in multiple scheduled demonstrations with NATO partner countries, law enforcement departments, and a prominent German rail line. In addition, ZenaDrone's engagement with German UAV regulators for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations also demonstrates the company's commitment to staying ahead of industry standards and expanding its market reach.
​
In another update, EPAZ announced a meeting with Ossian Smyth, minister of state at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform of Ireland, at ZenaDrone's offices in Dublin. ZenaDrone is currently in negotiations with a financing institution for a deal to purchase up to 100 ZenaDrone 1000s, paving the way for drone-as-a-service operations in Ireland, which could prove to be a lucrative opportunity for the company.
​
Something that could help with a rebound is that EPAZ is not only focused on the drone technology itself but also on key supporting components. The company has been actively filing patents for its artificial intelligence (AI)-based drone technology, with two patents already granted and two others under review with the US Patent Office.
​
In line with their commitment to innovative technologies, EPAZ recently formed Galaxy Batteries Inc., a subsidiary dedicated to housing their battery technology intellectual property. The company's high-powered battery solutions are essential for running specialized devices and aircraft. EPAZ is evaluating opportunities to monetize these technologies and provide additional value to the company.
​
Epazz's strategic updates this spring, including securing military interest, expanding international partnerships, and advancing patent filings, could make them a compelling investment prospect.
​
As EPAZ continues to develop and commercialize cutting-edge drone technology and battery solutions, investors may want to keep an eye on Epazz, Inc. (OTC: EPAZ) for potential opportunities within the ever-growing drone industry.
​
GALAXY NEXT GENERATION (OTC: GAXY)
​
GAXY is a leading provider of interactive learning technology solutions and school communication platforms. With over 22 resellers across the United States, the company serves the commercial and educational markets. The K-12 education segment accounts for nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales.
​
Latest Contract Win on June 6: Galaxy recently secured a significant contract worth a minimum of $200,000 from a prominent school district in Northeast Ohio. The contract involves supplying G2 Bell, Paging, Intercom, and Clock (BPIC) hardware, along with G2 Communicator software, to five schools within the district. Implementation is expected to take place over the next few weeks, marking a promising growth opportunity for Galaxy.
​
Q3 FY 2023 Earnings Highlights from June 1: In its recent earnings report for Q3 FY 2023, Galaxy showcased progress. Revenues climbed quarter over quarter, rising from approximately $430,000 in the three months ending December 2022 to around $657,000 in the three months ending March 2023. Notably, G&A expenses decreased from roughly $1.5 million to approximately $670,000, resulting in a significant improvement in net loss.
​
Strategic Partnerships Fuel Growth: Galaxy's recent partnerships with major audiovisual (AV) dealers have been instrumental in driving sales growth. With a pipeline exceeding $5 million and several upcoming opportunities, Galaxy is capitalizing on their expanded product portfolio. The company expects this shift towards higher-margin products to substantially improve profit margins and contribute to the company's performance.
​
ASIA BROADBAND INC. (OTC: AABB)
​
AABB is a resource company focused on producing and selling precious and base metals primarily in Asian markets. AABB is focused on providing an efficient metal supply from Mexico to Asian clients.
​
In addition, AABB has also ventured into digital assets, introducing AABBG, a gold-backed cryptocurrency, and proprietary platforms such as AABBExchange and PayAABB.com.
​
Yesterday, AABB provided an update on its operations. The company successfully verified shipments of processing equipment for its new facility in Mexico, which is set to enhance processing throughput while minimizing production costs. With an exclusive agreement to purchase a significant gold and silver ore stockpile worth over $800 million, AABB demonstrates its commitment to strategic expansion and increasing physical gold holdings.
​
The initial processing capacity of 200 tons per day, expected to generate over $11 million in annual revenue, is just the beginning, as AABB plans to expand the capacity fivefold to 1,000 tpd once the initial level is consistently at full capacity.
​
This state-of-the-art plant, equipped with advanced mining equipment automation, aims to maximize metal extraction while minimizing production costs.
​
AABB's strategic acquisition of the large-scale gold and silver ore stockpile in Las Jimenez, Etzatlan, Jalisco, Mexico, presents a potential high-yield asset addition. The new processing facility, located in close proximity to the ore stockpile and the AABB Buenavista mining warehouse, is expected to bolster revenue generation and pave the way for further expansion.
​
Overall, Asia Broadband Inc.'s recent progress, including the verification of equipment shipments, exclusive purchase rights to a substantial gold and silver ore stockpile, and the development of an advanced processing facility, could indicate a positive trajectory for the company.
​
HUMBL, INC. (OTCQB: HMBL)
​
At the end of May, HMBL took significant steps to strengthen its position and drive shareholder value. The company announced an extension of the conversion limitations on its Series B preferred stock, signaling its commitment to reducing dilution and securing investor interests.
​
Under the revised terms, Series B holders are restricted from converting any shares between June 2023 and September 2023. From October 2023 to June 2024, conversions will be limited to 500 shares per month, and from July 2024 to December 2024, the limit will increase to 1,000 shares per month. These measures aim to streamline the company's restructuring plan, which includes consolidating and retiring existing debt.
​
Additionally, HUMBL announced it has entered into a marketing partnership with the Swish Foundation, a renowned 501(c)3 organization, and the Swish Pro-Am Summer League. As part of this collaboration, the HUMBL logo will be prominently displayed on jerseys and courts during Swish Pro-Am games. The partnership extends to merchandise, which will be verified and commemorated on the BLOCKS Registry for enhanced tracking and verification.
​
This strategic alliance not only opens avenues for increased brand exposure but also presents opportunities for fan engagement. Swish Pro-Am athletes and teams will connect with fans through verified profiles on HUMBL's social media platform, catering to a global audience across 130+ countries. HUMBL will further leverage its digital wallet, search engine, and verified social media to activate sponsorships and offer authenticated, signed merchandise from the league during the 2023 Pro-Am Summer season.
​
The Swish Pro-Am Competition, set to begin on June 22, 2023, at Lincoln High School Gym in San Diego, promises an exciting showcase of talent and entertainment. HUMBL CEO Brian Foote expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, recognizing the growth potential and enhanced fan experiences this collaboration brings.
​
With these recent developments, HUMBL demonstrates its commitment to driving shareholder value and expanding its presence in the sports and digital content spaces. The company's efforts to reduce dilution and establish strategic partnerships contribute to its potential for a significant bounce in investor interest.
​
Disclaimers:CapitalGainsReport (CGR) is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment adviser. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investment advice. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, goals, assumptions, or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements indicating certain actions & quote; may, could, or might occur. Understand there is no guarantee past performance will be indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap and growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investors investment may be lost or impaired due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. CapitalGainsReport (CGR) is owned by RazorPitch Inc. and has been retained by Epazz Inc. to assist in the production and distribution of content. 'CGR' is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. This content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained in this article constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by CapitalGainsReport/RazorPitch or any third party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments. All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in this article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the article constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. CGRazorPitch is not a fiduciary by virtue of any persons use of or access to this content.
​
CONTACT: CapitalGainsReport
​
Mark McKelvie
​
Editor
​
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
​
585-301-7700
​
.
​
(C) 2023 M2 COMMUNICATIONS, source M2 PressWIRE

Editor's Choice: Shark Navigator NV352
"2-in-1 lightweight vacuum cleaner with detachable canister, lots of attachments, and HEPA filter; 5-year warranty."
Best Robot Vacuum: ILIFE V3s Pro
"Robot vacuum with up to 60 min battery life and scheduled auto clean; features 0.3L bin, HEPA filter, and pet hair cleaning option."
Budget Pick: BISSELL Cleanview Swivel Pet 2252 Vacuum Cleaner
"Bagless upright vacuum suitable for bare floors and carpets; includes several attachments for more versatility."
Most Versatile Attachments: Prolux Tritan
"Bagged canister vacuum with plenty of attachments for any surface and purpose; comes with 12 Amp motor and HEPA filter."
Best for Pet Hair: Hoover WindTunnel 3 Max Performance Pet Vacuum
"Upright vacuum with the proprietary Pet Approved Windtunnel system and 5-level height adjustment; good for any type of surface."
Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: Bissell AirRam 1984
"Cordless upright vacuum cleaner with removable 22V lithium-ion battery and multi-surface brush roll; very lightweight."
Best Canister Vacuum Cleaner: Kenmore 200 Series 81214
"Bagged canister vacuum with a 2-motor system and the Power Flow technology for better performance; multi-floor cleaning."
Best Robot Vacuum for Carpet: Pure Clean PUCRC25 V1
"Robot vacuum with 3 cleaning modes, HEPA filter, and up to 55 min of battery life."

Best Overall: Cosori 5-Quart Air Fryer
Best Overall, Runner-Up: Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer
Best Large-Capacity: Instant Pot Instant Vortex Plus
Best Budget: Chefman 3.7-Quart TurboFry Air Fryer
Best Small-Capacity: Dash Compact Air Fryer
Best With Toaster Oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
Best With Pressure Cooker: Instant Pot Pro Crisp & Air Fryer 8-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer
Best Smart: Cosori VeSync Pro II Smart Air Fryer

Hi all,
I'm facing a decision to add to/redesign my current setup and would need help deciding on a system (MB Pro 14" M1 Pro or MB Pro 14" M2 Pro) as well as buying advice for a dual monitor setup.
My current situation: I have a MacBook Air M1 (2020) and a 37.5-inch curved monitor that I mainly use for work.
My goal: I want to switch to a dual monitor setup with UHD monitors (31.5 to 32 inches), with HDR if possible. The monitors are to be used both professionally and privately for programming, reading documents, watching YouTube videos and occasionally watching movies/series in UHD and HDR. In addition, recording zoom calls with OBS Studio will be added as a future scenario. Video editing, image processing, etc. do not play a role currently and in the future. Programming currently means a lot of Python in the Machine Learning / AI environment, but at most small prototypes to understand concepts. I can outsource computationally intensive things to the cloud.
This raises the following questions:

1. which 14" MB Pro would you recommend with which equipment in terms of (processor M1 Pro vs M2 Pro, number of cores CPU, number of cores GPU, storage size, how much RAM)?
   
2. which monitor is best suited for the use case I have outlined? Parameters: 30"-32" UHD (HDR) monitor for dual monitor setup.
   

I appreciate every hint, every feedback and further continuative thoughts if I should not have considered/communicated something essential.

Editor's Choice: Ninja AF101
"A functional model for a family of up to 4 people; has 4 programmable cooking functions and an easy-to-read control panel."
Best Large Air Fryer: Cuisinart TOA-60
"This high-capacity air fryer is capable of heating up to 450ºF and boasts of a 60-minute timer for ultimate convenience."
Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven: GoWISE USA GW44800-O
"Being one of the largest on our list, this unit is also quite versatile thanks to the 15 preset functions and 10 accessories it comes with."
Best Air Fryer under $100: GoWISE USA 5.8-Quart Air Fryer
"A capacious model for a large family; has a digital display and is BPA- and PFOA-free."
Best Temperature Range: Big Boss Oil-less Air Fryer
"A 16-quart model that is capable of maintaining any temperature up to 480ºF; the bowl is transparent for maximum control."
Best Air Fryer for the Money: COSORI CP-158AF
"This model is packed with different features and presets; comes with a booklet of 100 recipes."
Budget Pick: Dash Compact Air Fryer
"An eye-catching model available in multiple color options; easy to use and maintain."

Best Overall Ninja Air Fryer: Ninja Foodi, 8 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer
Best Basket Air Fryer: Ninja AF161
Best Pressure Cooker Air Fryer: Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 SMART XL 8 Qt. Pressure Cooker
Best Air Fryer Grill: Ninja Foodi Smart XL Pro 7-in-1 Indoor Grill/Griddle
Best Oven Air Fryer: Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven

1.Lists, 2.Games, 3. Guides, 4. Requested Games
!!! ADD YOUR GAMES YOU DONE OR REQUEST TO WORK - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t_E04Qt411f9mEZJVku_OJsEe6XCqZZsdqtjVaMCcgk/edit?usp=sharing (I have received overwhelming amount of requests to add, so I have created a google sheet so anyone can add games )

GOAL:

There is nothing more convincing than if developers can play their own games on a mac:
A.) WORKING
B.) REQUEST Games to test -> so we get it working -> than it is working

(1/4) LISTS

• (other games lists)
• https://www.applegamingwiki.com/wiki/Game_Porting_Toolkit
• ​

(2/4) GAMES (WORKING)

!!! ADD YOUR GAMES YOU DONE OR REQUEST TO WORK - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t_E04Qt411f9mEZJVku_OJsEe6XCqZZsdqtjVaMCcgk/edit?usp=sharing (I have received overwhelming amount of requests to test so I have created a google sheet so people can add games them selfs)
(UNDERLINED GAME NAMES HAS LIKS TO POST WHERE YOU CAN ASK PEOPEL WHO GOT THEM WORKING.)

• Diablo IV [1]m1Air8gbm1pro
• Diablo 2 Resurrected
• Horizon Zero Dawn SLOW DOWN BUG!!
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Cyberpunk 2077 M2max
• Counter Strike 2
• Elden Ring
• Days Gone
• Rocket League
• Cuphead have native pert for a long time already
• God Of War (2018)
• Halo 3 (MCC)- (MCC - No Online due to Easy Anti-Cheat Compatibility)
• Assetto Corsa Competizione
• Q.U.B.E. 2
• Spider-Man
• Skater XL
• Satisfactory
• Warframe - To get installelauncher working add dwrite (disabled) to library overrides in winecfg
• Age of Wonders 4
• Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
• Northgard
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (~50 FPS on High settings at 1080p with M1 Pro)
• Final Fantasy III
• Guilty Gear Strive
• God of War (Works somewhat well on M1 Pro (16gb), wouldn't recommend lesser hardware.)
• Wildfrost
• Elden Ring
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
• Metal Gear Solid V
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Sonic Omens
• Sonic P-06
• Scarlet Nexus
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• Dyson Sphere Program (some objects and main character weren't visible before)
• Derail Valley (awesome performance, no missing manuals - in-game objects for train operation - like on CrossOver)
• Spider-Man (2018)
• Spider-Man Miles Morales - requires Windows ver fix
• HI-Fi RUSH
• QUBE 2
• Deceive Inc. - works well if launched without EAC
• Risk of Rain 2 (does not require `-disable-gpu-skinning` like Crossover 22)
• Crysis Remastered
• Cuphead
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Tetris Effect: Connected - Game window likes to be uncooperative; really doesn't like retina mode, works otherwise
• Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+ - works with Retina mode; DivaModLoader and DivaNoSpy recommended; run Steam with WINEDEBUG=-all WINEESYNC=0 WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput8.dll=n,b"; may randomly crash at the title screen (just restart and try again until it works)

​

(3/4) GUIDES

• (How to get games working developer lvl OR be comfortable with the terminal commands)
• AppleGamingWiki Discord
• https://www.applegamingwiki.com/wiki/Game_Porting_Toolkit
• https://gist.github.com/Frityet/448a945690bd7c8cff5fef49daae858e
• https://www.reddit.com/macgaming/comments/14441mw/macosgaming_github_repo_as_a_wiki_for_playing/
• https://www.reddit.com/macgaming/comments/143v4i7/apple_game_porting_kit_guide/

​

(4/4) Requested Games (TO GET THEM WORKING)

!!! ADD YOUR GAMES YOU DONE OR REQUEST TO WORK - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t_E04Qt411f9mEZJVku_OJsEe6XCqZZsdqtjVaMCcgk/edit?usp=sharing (I have received overwhelming amount of requests to test so I have created a google sheet so people can add games them selfs)
DX 12

• FIFA 23 (any other FIFA) {VERY POPULAR}
• Star Citizen {VERY POPULAR}
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition = Skyrim SE sos {VERY POPULAR}
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion = Oblivion
• Fortnite {very popular}
• Call of Duty (any) {very popular}
• Valorant {very popular}
• APEX Legends {very popular}
• League of Legends {very popular}
• PUBG {very popular}
• Terraria {very popular}
• Assassin's Creed (any) (Valhalla, Unity, Syndicate) {very popular}
• Madden
• Halo 4
• Age of Empire 4
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - sos{very popular}
• Forza Horizon 5 {very popular}
• Forza Horizon 4
• World of Warship
• Warcraft III Reforged - sos
• GTA 5 = GTA V = Grand Theft Auto V = Grand Theft Auto 5
• Star Wars: The Old Republic = SWTOR {very popular}
• Guild Wars 2
• Witcher 2
• Witcher 3
• Sea of Thieves
• Darkest Dungeon 2
• Digital Combat Simulator World
• Microsoft Flight Simulator
• The Last of Us
• Fortnite
• Street Fighter 6
• Dragon Ball Fighterz
• Dragon ball (any from the series)
• Ghostrunner
• Have a Nice Death
• Cinebench R23
• State of Decay 2
• Far Cry 6
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Ghost of Tsushima
• Detroit Become Human
• Uncharted Dying Light 2
• Uncharted Legacy of Thieves
• Uncharted 4
• Sniper Elite 4
• Sniper Elite 5
• A Plague Tale Requiem
• Overwatch 2
• Portal 2
• NBA2K23
• DOOM (all)
• Star Wars Battlefront 2 (new)
• Star Wars Battlefront 2 (original)
• Valkyria Chronicles 4 (already works in CrossOver)
• Company of Heroes 3
• Batman Arkham
• Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon
• Tekken 7
• Deathloop
• Outer World
• Gears 5
• Atomic Heart
• Dead Space 2023
• Marvel Midnights Sun
• Need for Speed Unbound
• Quantum Break
• Calisto Protocol
• BeamNG.drive https://www.beamng.com/game/
• Check Prey (2017)
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
• Amnesia the bunker
• Final Fantasy X-2 (Remastered)
• Final Fantasy X (Remastered)
• Stranger of Paradise
• Final Fantasy XV
• Captain of Industries
• Far Cry Primal
• Ori
• Will of the Wisps
• Cruelty Squad
• Captain of Industries
• Star Trek Online
• Valheim
• Lost ark
• Mafia: Definitive Edition

Sons of the Forest
DX 11 or Older

• Dishonored II
• Mafia III
• Far Cry 5
• Batman Arkham Knight
• Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Paladins
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (original)
• Elder Scrolls Online (the new expansion really messed up the Mac native build for me) - DX11
• Team Fortress 2

Credit to Andrew Tsai

I have an ongoing issue with my AirPod pro 2, I have visited the Apple Store multiple times and tried pretty much everything that can be thought of in an effort to fix the issue. The point of this post is to see if there is anyone else who is experiencing this and hopefully that someone from Apple will see this and get this fixed once and for all.
The problem occurs when listening to music on the Apple Watch. Quite often the music will playback at a slower than normal speed than after a short while, 15 to 20 seconds or thereabouts, the AirPods will disconnect from the watch then reconnect. I’m guessing it’s kind of like a crash and restart but I don’t really know. When this happens the music playback is not glitchy or stuttering it is just playing back at a slower speed like 0.75x and pitched down a bit.
This will happen listening to music either via Apple Music or Overcast, it doesn’t matter if the music is downloaded to the watch or being streamed.
Ever since this first happened I have managed to convince myself it is a sample rate mismatch but I have no way of testing this or proving it.
Between trouble shooting myself and multiple visits to the Apple Store we have tried resetting the APP2, setting up the Apple Watch as a brand new watch (multiple times), sending my Apple Watch away to Apple to check for damage and reflash (no errors were found). Then I bought a new Apple Watch, we replaced my APP2 for a brand new set and I have now moved up from an iPhone 12 to a 14 Pro Max. I’m pretty sure we have ruled out a defective device by now. Everything we have tried has ended up with the playback problem coming back.
The APP2 work perfectly with iPhone or iPad, this problem only happens with Apple Watch. I have many pairs of Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, this problem will only happen with the APP2 and Apple Watch combo, wether the iPhone is in range or not. I am convinced there is something about the way the Apple Watch and APP2 communicate with each other that is causing this.
I could just listen to music via my iPhone, but there are times when I don’t have my iPhone, for example in the gym or out running, this is when the Watch & APP2 combo would be ideal. I could just use a different pair of earbuds, but nothing fits and stays in place like the APP2, these earbuds are really well designed.
Currently, the only two sets of earbuds paired with my watch are the Sennheiser MTW3 and the APP2. It really doesn’t matter if there are multiple earbuds paired or just the APP2 this problem will occur.
I am currently using an Apple Watch Series 8 with watchOS 9.5.1 (but this has been happening over several previous generations of watchOS). The APP2 are on firmware 5E135 (but this has been happening ever since I first got these AirPods back in Nov 22). My iPhone is on iOS 16.5
I do listen to music via my Apple Watch and connected earbuds a lot, if you are going to try this out for yourself make sure you are listening to music on the watch and not via your phone. It might work perfectly at first, but I am sure it will happen to you eventually. When it does happen it will happen straight away and the only way to temporarily resolve it is to restart the Apple Watch.
I can’t be the only person who has this problem…

I need your help. I am loosing my mind over my next grinder setup. I have a budget of around 800€ maybe I can stretch to 900€ (I live in Germany). Through the week I primarily drink filter coffee (light to medium roast with Chemex, V60 and Aero Press (Hoffmann Recipe)) but also the occasional Espresso (everything from light to medium/dark with Sage Dual Boiler). After a lot of reviews my focus layed on the DF83 V2. Now I am unsure if I would be better off with two grinders. Maybe an Ode (gen 1 with SSP MP or gen 2 stock) or even a Timemore Scuptor 078 and a Handgrinder (1Zpresso K-Series or similar) for Espresso? I could keep my Sage Smart Grinder Pro for situations where I have to crank out more than one shot for friends and save for a Niche zero in the future. I would be very grateful for suggestions, your experience and your oppinions.

I need your help. I am loosing my mind over my next grinder setup. I have a budget of around 800€ maybe I can stretch to 900€ (I live in Germany). Through the week I primarily drink filter coffee (light to medium roast with Chemex, V60 and Aero Press (Hoffmann Recipe)) but also the occasional Espresso (everything from light to medium/dark with Sage Dual Boiler). After a lot of reviews my focus layed on the DF83 V2. Now I am unsure if I would be better off with two grinders. Maybe an Ode (gen 1 with SSP MP or gen 2 stock) or even a Timemore Scuptor 078 and a Handgrinder (1Zpresso K-Series or similar) for Espresso? I could keep my Sage Smart Grinder Pro for situations where I have to crank out more than one shot for friends and save for a Niche zero in the future. I would be very grateful for suggestions, your experience and your oppinions.