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GIFTCARDS	DENOMINATION
Starbucks	$10-$30
Cracker Barrel	$20-$50
Round Table Pizza	50-550 Points
Einstein Bros. Bagels	$5-$200
Insomnia Cookies	$10
Noah's Bagels	$10-$80
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Safeway Rewards	20-230 Rewards
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Finally finished my next Holiday Script. But you can fill it whenever you want, if you're interested. No rush.
Word Processor file available upon request. Any SFX included are just suggestions for reference. If you want to use the script, then you can change whatever you want, and post it wherever you want. Monetization OK. Please just let me see the finished product. Credit me by putting「Script by The Mousou Koujou https://www.youtube.com/@TheMousouKoujou 」in your description, and if possible, placing this image at some point in the video, like an outro: Business Card
My commissions are open! If you like my style and want a specific script, don't hesitate to ask! https://ko-fi.com/themousoukoujou/commissions
START
[Excited] Hey dad~, I'm home! I had the craziest day at work. I can't wait to tell you all about it, and…
[Calming down] …Whoa, what's with you, dad? Why are you all dressed up?
(Pause)
Special night? What are you talking about? You didn't tell me anything.
(Pause)
[Annoyed] Well you know how much I hate surprises, so that was a dumb idea. Just explain it already. What kind of "special night" is this supposed to be?
[Confused] Are you…going to a party or something?
(Pause)
[Annoyed] …huh? Is that some kind of joke? Your Girlfriend is coming over? The very same girlfriend who you conveniently forgot to mention before this very moment? This isn't even a surprise anymore. It's an ambush! Why didn't you say anything!?
(Pause)
No no no, don't try to blame me. I'm reacting this way Because you kept quiet. You’re the one who messed up here.
(Pause) Yeah, you told me you would start dating again. And I supported you, ‘cause I didn't think Mom would want you to stay alone forever. But that was a while ago, and you haven't said anything since. Now all of a sudden you’re close enough with some random woman to bring her home? (Pause) Well she’s random to me. You haven't even told me her name. (Pause)
Alice, huh. Makes sense, since she's clearly driven you insane! (Sigh)
Fine, whatever. What time is she supposed to get here anyway? (Door bell rings) …You have got to be kidding me.
(Pause)
"My best behavior?" You think I can promise something like that in this situation?
(Pause)
Ugh, fine. I promise. Let's just get this over with.
(Front Door opens)
[Polite] Hello, pleasure to finally meet you~. I've heard so~ much about you. All good things, of course. (Giggle)
Oh, can I take your coat?
(pause)
It's not a hassle at all. Please let me…oh.
[Nervous] Oh wow. Wh-what a lovely dress. Wh-where did you, um, buy it.
(Pause)
A gift from my father, hmm? And did he happen to mention where he got it?
(Pause)
Well it actually belonged to my mother. It's been collecting dust ever since she…
Well the point is, no one has worn it in a while. So he must have decided to give it a fresh start with you.
[Whisper to yourself] it's like he's trying to replace her…
[Normal volume] Hmm? Oh I was just thinking…"This is the place for her". (Giggle)
You belong here with us, and it's nice to finally have you over for dinner. Come on, let's go to the dining room and enjoy whatever dad tried to cook.
(Glasses clang, and various cutlery sounds as they ear together)
(Heavy sigh)
[exhausted] She's finally~ gone. I used up all of my energy for the month. I never want to put on a show like that ever again.
(Pause)
What do you mean? You told me to be on my best behavior. So what else was I supposed to do?
(Pause)
Well if I didn't put on a show, then I wouldn't have been able to hide how much I wanted her to leave.
(Pause)
No, I did not like her. For the record, I tried. I really did. But everything she talked about was so stupid and pointless. And did you really not mind how much she talked about her exes? Would it have killed her to focus more on you?
(Pause)
[Annoyed] Of course I'm upset!
I told you. I'm like this because you kept it a secret. We're supposed to tell each other everything, but you kept this from me. I'm sorry dad, but I don't think I can trust you.
(Pause)
No, I mean it. You went about this all wrong, and I don't know how to deal with this.
[Curious] …Hmm? Can you…say that again?
(Pause)
You mean that? You'll really do anything I say?
(Pause)
Hmmmm~
Well a new car, or some jewelry would definitely help me forgive you~ (giggle)
But really, I don't need anything fancy. If you're that serious about making things work out with her, then I also have to try my best. I mean Look at me, being all selfish after telling you to put yourself out there. it doesn't get any more childish than that. So all I really want from you, is her contact info.
(Pause)
Yes, I need to go meet with her, and be honest. Like I said, I definitely can't put on this act again. So I need her to see the real me, and hear all of my real concerns. After that, I think the 3 of us will he able to move on. What do you say?
(Pause)
Aww, thanks dad. You won't regret this. I love you! Good night~
(Long pause)
(Front door opes)
Dad, I'm home~. Da~d? Where are…oh. There you are. What are you doing all curled up on the couch like that. Are you…are you watching the news again? You hate watching the news. You always say it's too much negativity.
(Pause)
Huh? What do you mean you "want to be negative"?
Wait…is this still about Alice? Ugh, dad I told you; you have to get over her. I mean, clearly she's over you. Otherwise she wouldn't have ghosted you for the past week. Please look at me, dad.
(Pause)
Dad, come on. Just forget about her. And if losing her makes you feel this bad, then maybe we were wrong.
(Pause)
I'm saying…maybe you don't need to get back out there. I mean, between me, and mom's spirit, don't you have enough overbearing women to deal with? (Giggle)
You don't really need to add Alice to the list. Maybe one day you'll find someone new. But you don't have to rush it. For now, the 3 of us…we're still a family. Isn't that why we keep her pictures around? So come on. Show your real family some appreciation. Get off the couch and give me a hug.
(Pause)
(Couch squeak sfx)
Finally ~, thanks dad, it's nice to…hey, what's wrong? Why are you giving me that look?
(Pause)
What do you mean? What's wrong with what I'm wearing? I think it looks very nice. And it fits me perfectly.
(Pause)
Hmm? Oh yeah~ I remember now. I guess you did give this fancy dress to Alice. Well she, um, decided to return it when I went to visit her.
(Pause)
Yeah, Alice uh, remembered what I said about the dress belonging to mom. She practically begged me to take it back. In retrospect, maybe that was her way of saying she was done with us.
I'm sorry, I, uh, really thought I mentioned this when I got back from her place. It must have slipped my mind somehow.
(Pause)
"Not that kind of woman", huh…
And that's why you'll believe her over your own daughter?
She put you through hell this past week, and you'll still side with her? I can't believe you.
(Pause)
Wh-what do you mean? Of course she's the one who put you through hell. That's why you need to stop focusing on her.
(Pause)
N-no that's not what I meant. You don't need to interrogate me. What do I have to do with any of this?
(Pause)
I have not been acting weird!
Dad, please stop with all these questions!
Dad! You're wrong!
(pause)
[Yelling] No! I didn't do anything to her! She did it to herself!
(Deep breath and long exhale)
[Eerily calm] …Fine, dad. Since you can't let sleeping whores lie, I'll spell it out for you.
Alice won't be returning your calls.
She won't be speaking to any one anymore. I made sure of that.
I swear, I really did go over there just to talk. To make an effort, for your sake. You were so head over heels in love. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't support that. But when I got there, all of that crumbled away. I rang the bell, and the door opened. But she wasn't on the other side. No, it was her other boyfriend. I don't want to go into the messy details, but let's just say that by the look and smell of the place, there was no other explanation for what was going on in there. And believe me, I looked for one. I tried so~ hard to give her the benefit of the doubt. But it was all true. She was sleeping with another guy, the day after you brought her to your home. That's the kind of woman she was.
(Pause)
Yes, that's right. Was.
(Pause)
"What did I do? "
I did what I had to do. To protect you from her and her lies.
I told the boyfriend that I had the wrong apartment, and left. I hid, and waited for him to leave. Even got a clear picture of him leaving, since you wouldn't believe me otherwise. Here, see for yourself.
(Pause)
Anyway, after that, I went back and rang the bell again. When she opened the door for me like an idiot, I pushed her back inside to…confront her.
I remember wanting to convince her to break things off with you. She said something about having needs. After that, I got a little…upset.
It's weird. People usually justify it by saying they "lost control".
But in that moment, I had Never. Felt. More in control. It's like I knew exactly what to do, and how to do it.
And when it was all over, I felt a peace, something unlike anything I had ever felt before. Then it was just a matter of cleaning up. By the time I left, it was like I was never there in the first place. The remaining evidence only pointed to the last guy who was in her apartment. I'm sure the detectives enjoyed such an open-shut case. I'm surprised you didn't see the story since you've been obsessively watching the news all week.
And you know what the best part is? I got away with it! (Laugh)
It's been a week since then, and all they've done is arrest the other guy. Makes sense of course. Her social media presence was mysteriously erased, so there was no way to connect her to you. And this dress, which never should have been in her apartment in the first place, is finally back home where it belongs.
Everything worked out perfectly!
That's why I'm sure of it. I'm sure this had to have been a blessing from mom. She's still looking after us, keeping us safe. Even after all this time, she hasn't abandoned us. She showed me what to do, and protected me from the consequences because it was the right thing to do. And that's why I'm certain that we'll be okay. Just the 3 of us. Forever.
(Pause)
Oh dad, I know you don't feel it now. But you will. I'll make sure of it.
(Pause)
You'll what? Turn me in? You would have your own daughter arrested for helping you out? Does that really make sense?
(Pause)
Of course I helped you. Now that woman won't cheat on you ever again. And she can't distract you from your real family. This is a good thing. Why can't you focus on that?
I don't think calling me names is going to change anything. But it's okay, I know you're stressed. We can talk more about this in the morning. Lemme give you a hug.
Hey, don't flinch away from me. Just let your daughter hug you.
[Whispering in ear slowly until the end] Oh wow. Your pulse is racing. You really are stressed. Or could it be…you're scared? I wonder what you could be scared of. (Giggle)
But it doesn't really matter.
I promise, from now on, mom and I will be sure to protect you, so you don't need to be afraid.
Not now.
Not ever.
I love you dad. We~ love you.
Good night.
END

Toxic Rats: B, Geoff, Scott, Leshawna, Sammy, Sierra
Mutant Maggots: Anne Maria, Katie, Molly, Scarlett, Dave, DJ, Trent
Episode 02: Truth or Mutant Shark
"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!" Chris opened over a long-distance shot of Wawanakwa, the recap montage beginning soon after. "Fourteen new competitors were blown away by this year's challenges," the host said as the yacht carrying the new cast was shown, Chris maliciously pressed a button on his remote control, and the yacht blew up. "They were treated to an early-morning swim," Max was shown trying not to drown, "said hello to the island's wildlife," Dave was shown to get nearly zapped by its eye-lasers, "and did some totem-surfing," the Toxic Rats slid down the hill and into the air, falling from their totem just before it crashed into the better cabin and exploded. "Ex-plosive!"
"In the end," a few short clips of Max trying to be villainous, "Max's non-stop claims about being dangerous made him useless enough that his team sent him packing, Hurl of Shame-style." The recap footage ended with Max getting catapulted off the island.
"Who'll go home next?" Chris asked the camera from the end of the dock. "And how much pain can I put them through first? Find out right now, on Total! Drama! Revenge of the Island!"
XXXXX
The episode opened on a shot of the morning sky and a few far-away bird calls as the camera panned down to the two cabins of Camp Wawanakwa.
The shot cut inside to the girls' half of the Rats' cabins where Leshawna and Sammy were woken up to the sound of Sierra texting on her phone.
"The first day competing on Total Drama was exciting," Sierra talked to her phone. "I managed to make some friends and even though my team lost the first challenge, I'm still staying for another day!"
"Girl, who are you even talking to?" Leshawna mumbled tiredly.
"I'm giving the fans an update about my day and experience being a contestant," Sierra mentioned. "The fansite eats up this stuff."
"Are you going to carry your phone everywhere you go just to do so?" Sammy asked.
"I won't use it during the challenges, but I keep it with me at all times," Sierra said. "Without my phone, I'd probably lose my mind!"
Confessional: Sammy
"So I joined the show because my friend group suggested I do so," Sammy timidly said. "They said it's to increase my self-esteem and make me branch out more or something close to those lines."
Confessional Ends
The shot cut abruptly to a top-down view of the other half of the Rats' cabin, showing Geoff and B sleeping in their bunk beds. The sound of a door suddenly slammed open and slammed shut, waking Geoff up.
It was Scott – flat against the front door with his eyes wide, his breath heaving, and his clothes dirty. "Dude, what happened to you?" Geoff asked in concern.
Scott straightened himself out. "Oh, uh... just had an early morning make out session with one of the honeys," he explained.
Geoff got out of his bed in his pajamas and got near Scott. "Why are you so messy then?"
The footage quickly cut to a scene of Scott running in terror from a Woolly Beaver – one with several boney spikes jutting out of its back. The shot flashed back to the Rats' cabin, and Scott added "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
"Wait," Geoff stepped in. "You kissed a guy?" This comment earned him an annoyed expression from Scott.
Confessional: Scott
"All right. I was out looking for that hidden immunity idol, not that they need to know," Scott opened up. "It's all part of my strategy. Let my team lose so the Maggots develop a false sense of security before I pick 'em off!"
He was interrupted by a knock on the wall. "Occupied!" he shouted until the wholly beaver from earlier barged through the wall and frightened Scott into screaming.
Confessional Ends
The camera cut back outside the cabins, zooming on on the Maggots' abode on the right then cutting inside to show Anne Maria brushing and blow drying her hair.
Scarlett walked up behind her from the left carrying a clipboard. "How were you able to sneak those cans in?" she asked.
Anne Maria placed her items inside her pouf. "Easy. I stuck it in my pouf." She noticed the clipboard. "Why are you carryin' that clipboard?"
"I've been working on sleep analysis, Anne Maria," Scarlett answered. "Your stage two sleep spindles were low frequency followed by an intense delta or slow-wave. You slept well."
Anne Maria was a little surprised to hear that. "That's nice, but don't go spyin' on me." She grabbed her hairspray from her pouf and walked away spraying her hair.
Scarlett saw that Katie was still sleeping. "Seems Katie's sleep cycle is lower than I anticipated. Had she not tried to pull an all-nighter, she'd have a higher score," Scarlett spoke to herself.
Confessional: Scarlett
"I have the need to research my teammates and know what their weaknesses and strengths are," Scarlett said. "We were able to achieve victory in the first challenge, and I want to keep it that way."
Confessional Ends
The scene flashed to the boys' side of the cabin, the camera focusing on DJ as he woke up and stretched his arms. "Morning Trent and Dave!" the brickhouse greeted his bunkmates, though Dave wasn't around at the moment. "Where'd Dave go?"
Trent, who had also woken up, shrugged. "Beats me. He probably went to the bathroom."
Confessional: Trent
"This is my first time sleeping in a cabin," Trent confessed with his guitar on his lap. "It was hard trying to fall asleep, so I played some songs that were guaranteed to make me and the guys drift off… at least that's what my friends back home say."
"Anyway, my bunk mates are pretty cool. Dave's a bit neurotic, and DJ's more soft-spoken, but once I get to know them more, I can guarantee you we'll be best buds."
Confessional Ends
The scene cut to the back of the Maggots' cabin where Molly got out of a tent that she pitched.
Confessional: Molly
"I don't like bunk beds," Molly admitted with a shrug. "They tend to break no matter how stable it is. That's why I decided to sleep outside. Besides, I wanted to have a camping experience, and sleeping in a tent is the first way to go."
Confessional Ends
The footage returned to Molly stretching her body, and a few seconds later, Dave walked up to her. "Did you sleep outside of your cabin?"
"Yep," Molly nodded.
"Do you know the negatives of doing that?" Dave crossed his arms.
"I don't think so," Molly shook her head.
"You could get bug bites or get sick," Dave explained to the indie woman.
"I already planned for that," Molly laughed. "Ever heard of bug spray and sleeping bags?"
"I know those things, but why did you sleep outside?" Dave wondered.
"One, I prefer to sleep by myself, and two, I don't like sleeping indoors," Molly gives the germaphobe answers. "I hate following the crowd."
"Okay then," Dave said. "I'm gonna use the bathroom. Are you coming?"
"I'm already prepared," Molly took out toothpaste and a toothbrush.
\
The scene cut to a seagull sleeping in a nest inside the horn of a loudspeaker. A blow horn sounded through it without warning, though, forcing the bird out into the air and revealing its snake-like features as it fell.
"Up and at 'em my little morning glories!" Chris called out, sitting on his ATV below. "It's time for today's challenge!" he announced, the camera moving behind him to show the two teams assembled in front, their respective logos appearing on the screen overhead.
"What?" Sierra asked in shock. "But we haven't even had breakfast yet!"
"Not a problem for me," Molly brushed it off and swallowed a pickle. "I packed enough pickles for me to be full."
"And we haven't had enough sleep," Katie added.
"Cognitive function is dependent on REM sleep," Scarlett acknowledged the host.
"You can catch up on your sleep after the challenge," Chris told them. "Rrright this way, to the Bay of Dismay!"
The thirteen campers groaned, except for Katie, who pulled out her tablet.
"Hey viewers! I'm gonna be at a Bay of Dismay," Katie started to film herself until Chris used a magnet to take her tablet away. "What the?"
"Contraband! Now it's mine! Confiscator's keepers! Come on! Your humiliation awaits!" Chris told a miserable Katie.
\
The scene flashed ahead to the thirteen campers walking along at an even pace. "'Bay of Dismay'?" Trent told Anne Maria as they walked side-by-side. "That doesn't sound depressing at all."
"If Chris is gonna make us fight against alligators," Anne Maria said. "I'm planning on suing him after the show ends for breaking my nails."
Trent frowned, but chose to ignore it.
The camera lingered a few seconds as they walked off, long enough for DJ and Katie to enter the shot together. "So, what kinda challenge do you think Chris is gonna put us through this time?" DJ asked.
"I don't know," Katie answered without looking at him, "but I hope it's one that requires the use of a camera so I can take pictures with it, you know?"
DJ facepalmed, unseen by the influencer.
Confessional: Katie
"It's been four minutes, and I'm already missing my tablet," Katie squeaked out and huddled herself. "How will my viewers know what I'm doing right now?"
Confessional Ends
DJ decided to make Katie happy. "Maybe when the challenge is over, you could get your tablet back."
"Emphasis on maybe," Katie snarked.
"I don't know if this is going to be another physical challenge," Leshawna said to Sierra as the footage cut to the two of them walking together. "We already struggled getting that totem down last challenge."
"Chris probably has an academic challenge planned for us at the Bay of Dismay," Sierra told her as they walked forward, "and I know Chris isn't lying."
"How do you know Chris isn't frontin' us?" Leshawna asked.
"Basic knowledge," Sierra bragged. "I can tell if he's lying to us by his vocal pitch and body language."
"So you really studied the show and how it works, huh?" Leshawna followed up in surprise.
"Of course I have," Sierra said. "I've seen every episode like fifty-three times and auditioned twice before being accepted the second time."
B and Scarlett were now shown walking together. "Any idea on what we'll be facing up against?" the quiet brainiac asked the similarly intelligent boy, who didn't talk back to her. "I can see that you prefer not to vocalize your sentences like me, but you're more exaggerated."
Confessional: B
B simply shrugged in the confessional.
Confessional Ends
The static cut away to the body of water that was, presumably, the Bay of Dismay. Three structures rose out of its waters: on the left and right were two-tiered game-show-like seats that housed the Toxic Rats and Mutant Maggots respectively and bore their logos on the front; and in the middle was a single Greek pedestal upon which Chris stood in his blue tuxedo below a large video screen and electronic scoreboard.
"Welcome to the 'Getting to Know You' Trivia Game Challenge," Chris introduced. "Everyone strapped in all nice and snug?" he asked the contestants.
"Too snug," Scott answered irritably. "It's cutting into my shoulders!"
"Yeah, children's size harnesses will do that," Chris chuckled. "I'll be asking our players embarrassing personal questions," he explained, "and I mean majorly humiliating. If the player I'm talking about hits the poorly-wired buzzer and owns their humiliation before the time runs out," he continued as the shot cut back to Scott looking at the red buzzer on the counter in front of him, the camera zooming out to show Sierra on the left, Sammy on the right, and B, Leshawna, and Geoff on the back row, "their team gets a point." The camera panned across the Maggots, showing DJ, Molly, and Scarlett in the bottom row and Katie, Anne Maria, Dave, and Trent above. "First team to five wins part one, and a distinct advantage in part two."
"Buuut," Chris added as the shot cut back to him, "if no one owns up, this happens!" He took out his remote, pressed the button, and with a mechanical whir the elevated stand the Maggots were seated in suddenly dropped into the bay. The shot cut to the seven holding their breaths below the water, focusing in on DJ in particular. He looked around and screamed when he saw the large mutant shark with arms and legs looking at him hungrily, and his teammates joined in as the shark reared back to take a bite – but the stand rose back up just in time to take the teens away from danger.
The shot cut back to the surface as the Maggots re-emerged, dripping and coughing and generally frantic. "There's some kind of two-legged shark down there!" Anne Maria told the host in a panic.
"You mean Fang?" Chris asked with a broad smile and quick laugh. "Yeah, it turns out toxic waste can mess with stuff underwater too." He pointed up at the screen above him as he spoke, and the camera panned up to show a seemingly ordinary shark drinking a cup of tea on a wooden post underwater...until the screen flashed, and a picture of Fang against a simple teal background replaced the normal shark. "Who knew?"
"Better them than us," Scott said from the Rats' stand.
"Anywho," Chris continued slowly, "if a team gets dunked, their opponents can steal by guessing which dunk-ee is guilty. Guess right, and you get a point. Guess wrong, and this happens." With a sly look he pressed the button on his remote again, and this time it was the Rats who got plunged into the bay. Fang was shown tying a bib around his neck, then looking behind him just as the fresh set of teenagers came into view. He turned around and opened his mouth to bite, and with the muffled screams being heard the shot cut back to the bubbling surface. Chris pressed the button once more, and the Toxic Rats rocketed back up on their stand.
"Now that we understand the rules," Chris told them as they coughed up water, "let's start the game!" The host pulled a notecard out from behind his back. "To the Rats, now listen carefully," he began. "Who does this," he motioned upward to a picture of a question mark, "if they eat or drink any form of dairy?" the question mark farted.
All members of the Mutant Maggots began to laugh, as did the members of the Toxic Rats – all except Leshawna, who seemed to shrink in her seat as the camera zoomed in on her. "Where did you get that?" the sista asked in her embarrassment, pressing her buzzer and yelping at the shock she received.
The shot cut to the scoreboard, the Rats' half changing from 0 to 1.
The camera moved back to Chris and his card, now turned towards the Maggots. "Who sleeps with a teddy bear," he motioned upward to a picture of a brown teddy bear, "even after they turned 13?"
"Really? I thought we were more grown-up than that," Dave cringed at the fact.
Scarlett saw that DJ was feeling embarrassed. "Push the button, DJ! You're clearly harboring some guilt," Scarlett advised.
As the timer continued ticking, DJ finally shuddered, then slammed his right hand down on her buzzer. "Alright then," he declared after getting shocked, "it's me."
A bit of light laughter came from the Rats, and the scoreboard updated to show the Maggots' first point. "And it's one-all!" the host declared, earning a cheer from the Maggots.
"Aww, thanks DJ," Katie whispered to the drooping brickhouse. "I know that must've been hard, and I don't hold it against you."
"Really?" DJ regained his smile.
"I have my own collection of teddy bears in my room," Katie beamed.
Confessional: DJ
"Liking teddy bears is one thing me and Katie have in common," DJ smiled in the outhouse. "We'd have to get to know each other a bit more."
Confessional End
"Rats," Chris turned back to the other team, "whose first name is really Beverly?"
"That's not embarrassing," Trent called out defensively. "None of us will throw a fuss over a girl's name being Beverly."
Over to the Rats, Sierra was looking at a picture of Chris, Sammy was shrugging to signify it wasn't her, and Leshawna was just waiting for someone to buzz in.
B, on the other hand, looked down at his own buzzed timidly, and after some consideration, he pressed the buzzer and got shocked, raising his hand to let Chris know that he owned up to the question.
"Correct, Beverly," Chris teased the strong, silent genius. "Rats get the point, but I would've preferred a verbal response."
"But B is as quiet as a snail," Geoff piped up. "And we still got the point."
"Don't care," Chris said apathetically. "So, as a quick punishment." He smiled as he pushed the button on his remote again.
The Rats were plunged back into the water, and the camera focused on Scott as he hollered before getting chomped up by Fang, the stand rising back up as Fang struggled to close his jaws.
Scott managed to get out of Fang's mouth, shouting "No! Wait for me!" as he swam back to her seat.
Confessional: Scott
Scott winced in the confessional, pulling something white out of his butt. "What the? A shark tooth?" he asked, looking at what was obviously a shark's tooth.
Confessional: Fang
The next to use the confessional was none other than Fang, examining his mouth in a hand mirror with great concern. Upon noticing the gap in his upper row of sharp teeth, he growled angrily and snapped the mirror.
Confessionals End
Scott furiously climbed back into his seat. "Thanks for leaving me down there, team!" Scott scolded his teammates. "You can win this stupid challenge without me!"
"If he's not playing, then I'm not either," Anne Maria chimed in, the shot zooming back out as she and the other Maggots looked towards the host.
"I've already had a secret about me exposed, so I think I'll be leavin'," Leshawna declared.
"Okay, everyone just settle down," Chris told them all sternly.
"I'm with everyone else. We should stop," Molly said, standing up and trying to undo her harness. "I do not want any secrets of mine to be spilled out."
"You can do so after you've had a secret revealed," Scarlett snapped.
"Hey! Host talking here!" Chris barked. "I decide when the challenge is over."
"Whatever," Scott scoffed, having already removed his harness. "I'm out of here."
"Not until we win," Sierra held the dirt farmer back from leaving. "I am not going to have us lose."
Just then, Fang jumped out of the water and took a large bite out of the Maggots' stand, forcing them to yelp.
"Now would be a good time to leave," Sammy remarked and tried to get herself out of her straps.
The shot cut back to the Maggots as Anne Maria and Scarlett began to argue with Dave and Molly and DJ, Katie, and Trent watched the debacle going on.
Eventually, the shot cut back to Chris as he finally shouted "Alright! SHUT IT!" The off-screen arguments promptly ceased. "Thanks to that pathetic digression," he said in annoyance, glancing at his watch, "now we don't have enough time to finish this challenge! Happy?"
The Rats voiced their agreement. Likewise, all the Maggots agreed happily.
"Well you won't be happy for long," Chris told them and the camera with a smile. "Come back after the break for an all-new challenge from which there is no escape. And in the meantime," he added slyly as he took his remote back out and pushed the button, causing both teams to be dunked into the bay with a scream once more.
\
(Commercial Break)
\

I've been through several terrible experiences with the American Express services. With my former BA Premium Plus I got into a terrible discussion with them simply refusing to downgrade my card to the free anuity one (they told me I couldn't replace, I couldn't ask for a new card and I couldn't use my already acquired companyon card if I cancelled). They got me so nervous I cancelled it right away and got the Gold card afterwards.
​
On my Gold card there was another huge frustration last week. I wanted to transfer points to Avios, so I registered the BA account and request a transfer as I was looking into one ticket I was interested to and needed a few more avios. After 3 working days the transfer status changed to "" and I opened a chat with them and they told me the BA account was not linked (which was, otherwise I couldn't have created the request). Then they cancelled it, linked and created a new request themselves, which after 3 more days failed with "Rejected by Participant". In contact with BA they said the request never reached them. Amex says that everything happened on the BA side. I ended up paying 230 pounds for the 11000 avios I needed and said very angry words to both BA and Amex as none of them know what happened and none of them helped or provided compensation.
​
In summary, every time I open the Amex chat or call them I do expect to receive made-up polite excuses not to help and create imaginary artificial difficulties just not to help, but look like they're doing great service.
​
I've already cut ties with BA and now I want to cut ties with Amex, but the options are not even close. I like having the free lounge accesses, fee free extra cards, the points 1 to 1 in any airline (which is looking to be useless anyway) and a few benefits like deliveroo cashback and discounts on Morrisons, Currys, Google and Samsung every now and then. The closest I've seen is the HSBC World Elite card, but it's more expensive, has a 1 to 0.5 airline rate and although it does provide with lounge key unlimited accesses, it doesn't for a companion and there's an extra fee for an extra card.
​
Is it really that hard to find one competitor to the Amex Gold? They can't keep on having a terrible service and still being the one only option we have for good rewards.

First time trying to use Paypal Bill Pay (credit card) to pay utility bill, but it keeps showing error message --- Things don’t appear to be working at the moment.
Trying to earn some credit card reward, but it seems Paypal Bill Pay is not reliable. Is it down often?
Thanks.

I have luck cards to 14 , bloody mess, better criticals, class freak, starched genes and critical savvy all maxed, then a teammate shared three star grim reaper sprint and it was great, I was at line in the sand and was unstoppable, killing everything with one to two shots no cool down for vats as it would fill again I only stopped to reload and especially great with gun fu as I didn't have to re aim just fire knock down everything fast,
Is it worth knocking better criticals and bloody mess down to two stars or critical savvy down to two

First time trying to use Paypal Bill Pay (credit card) to pay utility bill, but it keeps showing error message --- Things don’t appear to be working at the moment.
Thanks.

I have a prebuilt, new PC that is facing a recurrent issue. I have paid 510$ for this PC, and everything loads up fine. The only problem is upon game start up I have a blank, green screen and my PC instantly resets. The first time that this occured, we thought maybe it could have been the ram, and we replaced it with new ram sticks. The same PC and the same issue is occurring, again. The display has been artifacting, as well. It comes and goes. I do not know what the problem is. I would appreciate any speculations?
PC is updated, as well as drivers card. Furmark testing does not show artifacting and green screen crashes. I also find it weird that on some games I can play on max settings with no issues, fortnite & BDO. Others, less demanding games, can warrant a green screen crash.
TLDR; My PC has been artifacting and green screening. Drivers are updated, and it is not showing any problems on Furmark.
The following specs are: CPU: Ryzen 5 4500 PSU: Corsair 750X Motherboard: D450M DS3H WIFI with 16GB of SP RAM GPU: Sapphire Pulse 5600XT Windows 11

I have a relative with 2 almost maxed out credit cards and they want to do debt consolidation with that. But how does it work, re do you have to stop using the cards, once the debts are consolidated? They want to know as they are self employed and have to use their electric car for that, but unfortunately the car will need a new battery soon. They can buy a reconditioned battery for about 8k and it's vital that they continue to use their car, or they can't work and can't pay off their debts. So once their debts are consolidated, does that "empty out" their credit cards, so they can use 8k from the credit cards to pay for the battery? The credit cards both currently only have about $500 left to use on each of them.

Sorry the title should read "Monetary Aid."
I'm behind on making payments now for certain loans and cards simply due to the lack of funds and the fact that I cannot return to work until power and water is restored there. I am starting to get worried because right before the storm happened I also went from full time to part time and so I feel ill now always be behind on making payments and totally ruin my credit...

With NAB having acquired Citi a year ago, would I currently still be able to do a balance transfer from my existing Citi credit card to a new NAB credit card (their Low Rate card, 0% for 32 months with no BT fee)?

I (46f) have a daughter (17f) & son (15.5m) who love hanging out with their friends. We moved to a new state a few years ago and the first year or so was really rough. It took time but both kids have found really great groups of friends.
Over the last 5 months it seems there are constantly extra people sleeping over every weekend night. They stay all day long and they eat all their meals at our house. My son and his friends just help themselves to everything. Meanwhile daughter is living her absolute best life -using our credit card. She’s eating out with her friends a lot- claiming she will pay us back- which she never does. She has a job and makes great money for a teen. She has covered her friends meals a few times using our CC because “they forgot their wallet” & will pay her back. We have never seen that money.
My teens are only one school year apart. They’ve started to hang out all together. But now the situation has gotten out of control.
The last 9 days (schools out for summer) there was not one single night when kids weren’t at our home. And it’s not just one friend each. It’s like a group of 9 kids. They’ve all slept over a couple times as a group twice in the last week. But usually it’s 4 people sleeping over. They all come over before my kids’ curfew and then spend the rest of their time hanging out here. They are plowing through all our food and drinks, asking for rides without notice to go meet up with other friends or play pickle ball. We can’t relax in our own home or be casually dressed because we never know who is here. These kids even let themselves into the house (or attempt to) without knocking!! We are so tired. We can’t sleep until we know the kids are home safe.
Yesterday was the last straw. I got home around noon after leaving home at 6:30am to run errands. My kids & a couple of their friends were sprawled across my living room couch watching TV. Only my son said hi to me. The others barely glanced up from their phones. My coffee table was covered in snacks. I went into my pantry - so many missing items. I pulled my kids aside & told them I wanted the house cleared out. I then sat them down and explained how difficult it has been for their father & I to have this going on non stop in our house . We told them our “hotel” was closed. We told them massive groups of kids could no longer congregate here every night. I shared the negative impacts that were happening to us personally and financially. Last night was the first night in 10 days and the first weekend night in 6 months where my hubby and I could actually relax. Of course the teens weren’t thrilled.
So….AITA for not wanting my house to be the hangout spot every day/night of summer? Could I have handled it differently ? I clearly let it go on too long. I had to edit for word count.

Current Cards: American Express Blue Cash Preferred, Capital One Venture
Fico: 750+
Oldest Account: 8+ years
Income: 80,000+
Average Monthly Spend:
Groceries: 450
Gas: 320
Travel: 3500/year
Open to business cards: no
What’s the purpose of next card? Take advantage of AmEx Platinum 150,000 points
Do you have any cards you’ve been looking at? American Express Platinum
Are you ok with category spending or do you want a general spending card? This card would just be used enough to cover the cost of the card.
Bottom Line:

I’m looking at upgrading my American Express Blue Cash preferred to the American Express Platinum. I’ve got an (targeted, I assume) offer for 150,000 with a 6k in 6 months spend criteria. I’ll be able to hit that so I’m not worried there. I believe I can cover most of the $700 AF in the following ways; $200 Airline Credit for an upcoming flight with Delta, $192 with Audible for a year, Walmart+ for $156 a year = 548 plus my current $100 AF = 648. So, $50 more than my current AF. This doesn’t include any Uber credits I might use or the special hotel credit. 

Am I right in thinking I have the green light to get the AmEx Platinum?

John asks for permission, for a change, to do something unorthodox. Does he get permission? Does it work? I hope you enjoy!
The next chapter will be out on Tuesday.
Terran Space Story: The Lieutenant Saga
Academy Days First Previous Next
Chapter 118: Master Escalator
1 Day Later. March 13th, 2267. 08:00 Slip Space – Captain’s Ready Room
John was sitting in his chair pleading his case to Admirals Dufresne and Dickinson. He had a hard time reading the men as they both had steeled themselves to reactions. Neither man appeared happy with the situation they were in. John wasn’t responsible for the situation, but it was undoubtedly clear- he was the one that lit the match.
“Sirs, now more than ever the Icarus needs to die. We kill her and this bullshit pirate alliance ends,” John said.
“How would you presume to do this,” Admiral Dickinson said, “The Icarus isn’t going to attack you if you have battlecruiser or battleship support.”
“Give me two more cruisers and four frigates. We ought to be able to make do with that,” John said.
Admiral Dufresne was the first to show a bit of emotion, “How are you going to pull that off?”
“There’s a large pirate base in the Altair system. If Naval Intelligence data is to be believed, and frankly I have no reason to suspect otherwise, it’s their primary staging point in this sector. It’s also lightly guarded at the moment because the pirate fleet is elsewhere.”
“So, you mean to toss gasoline onto the fire,” Admiral Dickinson nodded, “That could work. It does carry a fair amount of risk though. What if the pirates attack a colony.”
“Civilian sentiment leans strongly on us but it’s a simple majority at this point,” John said, “If they attack civilians then that sentiment is pegged against them.”
“He’s not wrong. The sentiment against them will grow slowly over time if they stick to attacking military assets. And frankly, we have far more of them than we do ships to guard them,” Admiral Dufresne said, “The problem is the request for ships. We don’t have any ships to give you.”
“There are six ships in the Altair system already,” John said pointedly.
“Which are there defending the military installation located there,” Admiral Dickinson said, “What would you have us do? Shut it down and transfer the crew?”
“Yes. For an inner-core system, it’s a shithole. The pirates built this base years ago but abandoned it. They came back recently, and we’ve tolerated their presence instead of snuffing it out,” John said, “I’m also going to need several prison transports rerouted. I see four empty ones within a day and another six that could be used for the same purpose that is two days out.”
“Can you work with Lieutenant Cohen again? You came down hard on him before,” Admiral Dufresne.
“It is unexpected, but I need his help more than I dislike him as a poor captain. It seems my critique of his actions has at the very least improved his ability to captain his ship though.”
“You have a go,” Admiral Dickinson said, “If this doesn’t work out in your favor this could end very poorly for us all.”
“Then I’ll have to ensure that it doesn’t, sirs,” John saluted then before ending the communication.
He had the green light and acquired more ships. Would it be enough? Time would tell. Even with their reinforcements, there was no guarantee that it’d work. But John knew his abrasive personality would get under his enemy’s skin. At a bare minimum, this action would draw out some of the pirates.
March 15th, 2267. 01:00 Altair System – In Orbit around the moon of the second planet
The pirates had not expected a fleet of Confederate ships to attack their base. In the past several months the Altair system served as a fuel stop for passing ships. Warships, of which dozens upon dozens came through the system, were there briefly and then left. The pirates were confident their reactivated base would be safe.
How wrong they were. Then again, how could the pirates predict the Confederacy to go on the attack so quickly? Their typical response was to pull back and guard, then push out. There was always time following an attack to breathe and generate momentum. This time though, that was not the case, this was not John’s way of responding to an attack.
Their base had been brutalized by orbital bombardment. All defensive weaponry, down to the last missile battery, had been utterly destroyed. There was nothing but wishful thinking preventing an assault on the base from happening. The pirate’s morale was low, but they were already prepared for an assault and had dug themselves in.
They were going to make the Confederates pay for each foot of the base they took. Heavy weapon platforms had been erected in the base’s hangars. They knew about the super-heavy power armor and were prepared for it. Or so they thought.
Leading the charge was a brash lieutenant with a somewhat bloodthirsty mood toward pirates. Even more scary, for the pirates that is, is that he was leading the charge on the base. John’s armor had been repainted pitch black. One knee pad was checkerboarded with white and red squares. His helmet was painted bronze, and its face shield had that distinctive white skull he always bore.
The Confederate attack on the enemy base didn’t go according to how the pirates presumed it would occur. Sure, they stormed the docking bays, but they did so after a team of Confederate scouts gained access to the base from a secret entrance on the surface of the moon. Those very same scouts’ mission was to disable the docking bays’ atmospheric shields. An inelegant manner of attack, but none of the pirates were wearing void suits.
Why fight a dug-in enemy when you can simply space the lot of them? Facing heavy weapons deep inside the base was unlikely. In the docking bays though? There was plenty of space to fire them without worrying about the structural integrity of the base. John’s plan was as cunning as it was ruthless.
The transport ships came in quickly and disgorged their armored cargo. Seven hundred and fifty power-armored foes began to fan out into the base. Fifty stayed behind to dismantle, or destroy, the heavy weapons and ensure the pirates don’t do anything to their rides home.
John led the charge down one corridor, “With me, we’re going to rush their central command.”
A squadron of marines, all wearing the older and diminutive suits of power armor, fell in behind John. They charged down the corridor. Unlike John, they did clear the intersections just in case. Some small arms fire came from in front of John, but the moment the pirates saw the hulking mass run towards them they bugged out quickly.
John arrived at the door to the central command of the station. It didn’t open when he pressed the console button in the frame. It also didn’t open when he smashed the button with a closed fist. That gave time for the Marines that were with him to catch up to him.
With his fingers extended John’s right hand shot forward at the point the two doors met in the middle. Both doors bent slightly inward because of the force imparted onto them. John followed that up with his left arm and forced the doors open.
No matter the number of protestations the door’s locking mechanisms gave, the Broadsword’s power was overwhelming them. The locks then succumbed to the imparted force, and the broken doors were wedged into the door frame.
John stepped inside and drew his battle rifle deftly, “Hands up, compliance or death, your choice.”
The guards on either side of the door jumped backward in shock. They immediately dropped their guns and held their hands up. Virtually everyone in the room did that save for the two men sitting at the central console.
“Last chance assholes, hands up,” one of the Marines barked.
“This is a…” the presumed leader said from his seat.
John wasted no time and fired a single round from his rifle. It was a through and through, though thankfully there wasn’t anyone else behind the man taken out as collateral damage. The man that was standing to the side of his boss looked at John, then at the console, and back at John.
“Flinch and you're dead,” John growled.
“Everyone back the fuck away from your stations,” another Marine said as he walked along the outer edge of the room to John’s left.
The second in command tensed up. John reacted almost instantaneously to the man’s action. Whether he was or wasn’t going to do something didn’t matter. In that moment the presumption was he was going to do something bad. John fired off another round. He fell backward, gasping on the ground for a few moments before his life gave out.
John walked over to the console. The self-destruction screen had been pulled up but had not yet been activated. He hovered his hand near an input port. Eve then directed the suit to connect its external cable from John’s wrist to the port.
“Eve, lock out the pirates from their systems and share with our friendlies the locations of all hostiles,” John said calmly.
“Understood,” Eve said as she was already well underway in taking control of the station.
“This Falchion Leader to all teams, the central command is ours. Tactical readouts are to be shared momentarily. Continue with mop-up operations.”
“Sir, the room is secured. All weapons have been taken from the prisoners,” the sergeant of the squad of marines said.
“Excellent,” John said as he carefully removed his helmet, “Now then, who’s going to spill the beans on what y’all are planning and doing?”
“Why should we talk to you?” one of the guards answered.
“Your choice is talking to me instead of Naval Intelligence. I’m a whole lot friendlier to deal with.”
“I doubt that you just merced both our bosses,” another pirate said.
“True, but I ain’t going to make you suffer. I at least have the decency to put you down in one shot.”
“Some comfort that is,” an older-looking man from the rear of the group said, “I’ll take my chances.”
“What can you offer me?” the youngest-looking member of the gaggle of pirates said.
“Don’t you dare tell them anything Tiffany!” huffed another one.
John made a couple of gestures to the Marines. All of the pirates were ushered into a conference room. Two of the Marines watched over them. Tiffany, the traitor pirate, looked confident standing in front of John. Perhaps too confident for John’s taste.
Her corroboration of events wasn’t actually needed. John looked at his wrist and noticed that Eve already pulled highly detailed information on the pirates’ activities. But if there was an opportunity, she really was looking for leniency, John wouldn’t overlook free intel.
“Speak, now,” John said as he loomed large over the young girl.
“This is merely a waystation. We acquire goods and ammunition for pirate vessels. We aren’t…”
“Spare me that bullshit. This isn’t just a waystation. This is home to three different pirate factions,” John hissed, “That’s your first strike. You won’t get another one.”
The young girl took a small step back. Her confidence had left her. In place of that was pure terror. She didn’t know what to do or say anymore. Her eyes darted around the room, in fact the room felt considerably smaller than it had just moments before.
“What do you want to know?” she said as she looked at the floor in shame.
“The truth,” John said before leaning down to get closer to her, “The whole truth.”
“The Alpha and Omega, Pirate Brothers, and the Void Sovereign groups used this as their base. There was an uneasy alliance between the three. None were big enough to take out all their rivals, so an odd partnership formed here.”
John turned and walked near a console, “All of this is known to me.”
“They also made this a port of call of sorts for other pirates. They were charged an arm and a leg, but it brought a steady stream of money and recruits in. When the Confederacy announced their anti-pirate actions, they shut the station down cold and we all left to parts unknown,” the girl continued to stare at the floor, “That was until the hunting appeared to have ceased. We returned and reclaimed our base. At that point, a decision was made to be less boisterous about our base.”
The girl took a deep breath before speaking again, “The Icarus came to visit. She was in rough shape. They called in favors from all three groups and began retrofitting the ship here. My group had to deal with them in the past, and some sizable debts incurred to the Icarus.”
“This is the base that retrofitted the Icarus?”
“It is, yes,” the girl said, “We acquired a retrofitting dock several years ago. We’ve done a fair amount of business using it.”
“Where are the records of this retrofit?” John asked sternly, “I presume you kept detailed records of their upgrade.”
“It should be on our mainframe, or it could be partitioned off into some secret storage. They clearly didn’t want any records of what was being done to the ship kept anywhere.”
John grinned as he turned to face the young girl, “A request your leaders clearly and flagrantly disobeyed.”
She nodded.
“Who knows where that information is?” John said as he looked at his wrist’s holographic outputs.
Eve was listening to the conversation and was already searching for the hidden data. If this story was true and a copy of it was saved it could be an amazing coup of data intelligence. That is if it were true. But the dejected look of the young girl suggested to John that she was telling the truth.
“Jamis. He’s the tall black guy with the grey beard.”
“Corporal, take her to a more secure place away from the rest of her ilk. I’ll decide what to do with her later.”
“You said…”
John raised a finger to shush her, “I promised nothing. You tried to offer me false intelligence. You and I are far from done speaking.”
“Private, bring Jamis from that room, we need to have a conversation.”
The corporal saluted John and walked over to the room. The door on the room’s right side opened. In walked another squad of marines. Their sergeant was leading the way.
“Sergeant Decker, how goes containment?”
“Fighting is contained to a single sector. The pirates there have chosen death over life. We should be completed with the operation within the hour.”
“Excellent. Begin transporting the prisoners to the ships immediately. None of the adults, irrespective of their age, are to be included with the women and children.”
“Sir, even the eighteen-year-olds? There’s a number of them…”
“Include them with the rest of the men. The courts can settle the matter of their punishment or guilt.”
“Understood,” Sergeant Decker saluted John and turned around.
“Jamis, I hear y’all had an interesting guest a while back,” John said to the tall man being held firmly in place by two marines in power armor.
“What do I get out of helping you? And what assurances do I have that you’ll hold your end of the bargain?”
“Clever strategy,” John grinned as he had Eve activate the communication systems, “Hey Mark, how’s life?”
Mark Wilhelm, John’s one-time boss at Naval Intelligence’s Miami Base appeared on screen, “What can I do for you?”
“What criminal history does a Jamis Miles, one-time Alpha Centauri citizen and current pirate affiliated with the Void Sovereign group, have?”
Mark looked down at his console. He then split the communication screen in two. Jamis’ profile appeared on the right side of the screen. A litany of crimes he had committed began to be displayed on the screen. About a third of them he had served his time successfully for but there were some pretty serious charges on the list that had not been adjudicated yet.
“Seems your bargaining position is a bit dubious. There are at least five charges that we can put you away for life,” John said.
“Thirteen actually given his age,” Mark added in his normal monotone way.
“I need a deal and assurances that you will follow through with it,” Jamis hissed back.
“What kind of deal would NI offer?” John asked.
“What are we getting in return?” Mark quipped, “You kind of brought me in mid-conversation as you normally do.”
“Ahh, that’s my bad. Supposedly detailed information on the Icarus’ most recent refit.”
Mark nodded and looked deep in thought. Jamis looked at both men’s emotionless exteriors and didn’t know what to expect. As the silence continued, the more worried and agitated, he grew. He didn’t feel comfortable in his bargaining position. More than that, he trusted none of these men at all. Especially the man in the large suit of armor. There was a callous viciousness underlying his actions that rubbed Jamis the wrong way.
“It’ll depend on…” Mark began to speak but was quickly interrupted.
“No, I get assurances on a deal before I say one goddamned thing.”
“The clock is ticking Jamis. My VI is searching for all known servers and data feeds. If I find it before you do there won’t be a deal,” John said as he turned to face a pair of Marines in the room, “On that note. Corporal, go to this man’s quarters on the station. Flip the place apart, I want every square millimeter scanned and checked for any hidden compartments.”
“Yes sir,” the corporal quickly saluted John.
He and another Marine quickly left the room. John turned to look at Jamis. He loomed large over the man.
“Tick-tock, Jamis.”
“I won’t quite be the antagonistic asshole my former associate is, but ultimately the deal we make with you is going to depend on what you have. What we glean from it is ultimately going to determine the degree of leniency you receive.”
“I want the deal in writing.”
“Which you’ll get, but you are going to have to give me something to work with so I can propose a deal. I won’t be offering any deals, and my superiors certainly won’t sign off on anything, without you telling me what intel you have. Once we receive it and it checks out to what you tell me now, then we can affirm the proposal.”
Jamis shook his head. He wanted more. So much more in fact. But he was not in a position of power. He had some leverage but not much. The concern he had was what could he bargain.
“I want to walk.”
“Not happening,” Mark replied instantly, “That’s not realistic given your checkered past. Were it not for these serious charges I could consider it. But your history warrants a prison sentence.”
“Minimum security, no hard labor. Ideally on the frontier,” Jamis said.
“If you provide us sufficiently detailed information on the Icarus, I’ll remove hard labor from your location. And super-max facilities. We will not offer more than that.”
“Five-year sentence. I want a chance to get out before I’m old and crippled,” Jamis said.
“Minimum fifteen-year sentence, with a parole hearing guaranteed after year five. NI will recommend parole at that time provided the data checks out and you have received appropriate good credit during your stay with us.”
“Three years till the hearing.”
“Five. But I’m going to defer the charging of several of the more egregious ones. If you get out and fall back into your pirate ways we’ll throw the book at you,” Mark stared down the pirate, “No matter how old you may be.”
“Make it five years on parole with a caveat that the remaining charges are expunged permanently, and I’ll agree.”
John smiled. This attack would provoke a response from the pirates. Instead of waiting, like they presumed they’d do, the Navy attacked immediately. Worse, the pirates lost an important staging ground for their attacks. And thousands of prisoners and family members were taken. This would no doubt anger the pirates, but it would also attack the morale of their fleet too.
By the end of the day, everyone would be transferred off the station. A substantial amount of stolen goods was reacquired by the Navy and shipped away to a nearby station. Farther eroding the pirates’ capabilities to wage war.
The last thing John did before they left the system, they detonated several warheads they brought over from the transports within the station. One more station was forever taken from the pirates. If they were lucky, they’d find out exactly what systems the Icarus was upgraded with. With that knowledge, they could develop an attack plan to precisely defeat the Icarus. Now they needed a bit of luck to draw that accursed ship out and engage it in a proper battle.

Hey folks,
Took a job that required us to move from Atlanta to Fort Worth. We’ve been a Delta family for at least 15 years. We’re platinum on Delta and use their Amex Delta Reserve credit card to help maintain status.
We’ve tried to keep using Delta considering all the status and perks but if we’re honest we hate connecting flights and probably need to switch to American since we live in DFW now.
Looking for advice on how hard/easy the upper tiers of AA Status to get are and which AA credit card y’all think is best. The Delta Reserve card is one of those 500$ a year cards and I’m sure AA has one too.
Also, does anyone know how to do a status challenge with AA to see if they will match our Delta status?
Thanks!

Not sure I understand all the mechanics of this game yet. I found a person of interest's credit card in the victim's desk. H. Ogawa. I went to the cruncher at city hall and pulled out Haru Ogawa's file. But on my clipboard there's still just "H. Ogawa" whom nobody knows who it is and says I haven't given them enough information. I can't ask about Haru Ogawa, even though I have his picture and his info.
How do I tell the game that H. Ogawa is Haru Ogawa? Or ask about Haru Ogawa?

Why does Chase still used embossed credit cards? I mean, it’s literally pointless today. My CSP is sitting pretty for years, meanwhile I just requested my 4th CFU replacement card in like the past 2 yrs or so. The numbers wear off so fast!

Basically I thought I had setup automatic car payments when i made my March car payment. Fast forward to this morning and CreditKarma let me know my score dropped 95 points because of two late payments to Bank of America. Login to my BoA app to see the automatic payment was not setup and I missed April and May payments. I had the money for the payments and just made them, but I’m worried about my credit score. Anything I can do to get the late payments off my record/score back up?