A Not-So-Hidden Mess

This is just a place for me to get things out my head, or to show off something I found. Mostly pictures I've taken from games I play... or writing. Mostly the game pictures, because my brain is slug-slow with stories. Run from the Chaos... or don't. Whatever. I can't control you.

[nagalias-mindscape]

My day has been horrible. Between melting alive (figuratively) and being yelled at by over 20 customers because, suprise suprise, I cannot make out-of-season plants magically appear in the garden center. It’s *summer*. Why are you asking about *winter* plants?

My dad, ever-loving and patient, asked if I wanted good news today.

Sure. Why not.

“We’re getting Poke tonight, and ArenaNet made an official trailer for Guild Wars 3.”

“That’s nice, when are we leav- wait. Guild Wars *3*?”

“Yep.”

So guess who is officially excited for that.

[nagalias-mindscape]

I've finally worked up the energy to write again for more than about fifteen minutes. I've been writing since about... Noon? Today? About eight hours, then, give or take, on and off. This is a tiny piece of my Harry Potter / Hazbin Hotel story. Almost done with chapter 3. After... two years?

Oops.

--- --- --- ---

“It occurs to me, now that we’re here” Master Red began, slow and steady, “That I have no idea what the value of modern commodities are, nor how we’ll transport what coin we need without becoming walking targets for any bored pickpocket.” Nyx blinked at that, then snickered. Of course Master Red hadn’t gotten that far, and it was highly laughable that they would be robbed without consequences, but then again… they were trying to avoid causing too much trouble, weren’t they. He’d gotten the paper permission to use the Hogwarts Teacher funds, which he couldn’t access because of a human-only clause in them. But he didn’t think about any sort of wallet by which to keep them. Somehow, that was among the least surprising things of today.

Then again, Nyx stopped snickering and turned his face upwards in thought. He… He didn’t know how Hagrid had taken the money out of his vault the first time. Had it been loose change in his pocket? Was it in a little mokeskin pouch, hanging freely for anyone to see and wonder? Nyx… Nyx just couldn’t recall. As far as he could (poorly) remember, he hadn’t touched a single Knut of the coinage that had left the Potter Vault that day. … Nyx didn’t even know if Hagrid had returned what hadn’t been used, or how much had been used, or what amount had been taken out.

[nagalias-mindscape]

My cat, I swear. She lives to spite me.

I cleaned up her bed and the area around her bed of all its loose fur because she was trying to eat it while I was petting her, and it's summer. She's shedding like crazy and needs to be brushed every other day or else she'll become a ball of matted orange. Once done, I gave her one command: Stop eating her fur.

She immediately proceeded to hack up a hair ball, sniff it, and then try to consume it.

That damn cat. Now she's yelling at me like I didn't just give her around 20 minutes of straight-up attention and cuddles.

[nagalias-mindscape]

My derp of a pup is broken... and loving life, apparently?

Context: There was a rock there. I broke it, but the dog had path-found itself ontop of the rock right as I broke it. Dog was in the air, 'walked' down, and I told him to stay right as he reached the ground, but before the back paws hit the ground. Hence, the backs paws now being 'broken' and the very odd position.

[nagalias-mindscape]

I have officially hit the 'stall' phase of Subnautica 2's EA. it's not really a stall, but rather... I want my (single) metal farm to farm all the stuff for me. So, yeah. 'stall'.

(Also, for a Collector Leviathan being in the 'natural' metal farm area... I've only seen it twice. Once because I wanted to scan it for the biomod. The second because I forgot to pause my game when I tabbed out to look something up and it saw me in the tadpole...)

[nagalias-mindscape]

Playing Subnautica 2. Or, at least, what's available in the EA.

This... This looks like a trap. But it's one that contains materials I need to build a couple of things I want to play with. Like the speed modification for my vehicle.

Who wants to bet that I die my first ever, terrible, death in this game?

[nagalias-mindscape]

So I got a new bike. I wanted something a little more hefty than my little e-scooter that could still take me to and from even if it ran out of gogo juice and would be able to be serviced by more than just me and my dad's DIY spirit if it starts to break down. Good news? I have said e-bike, and it's awesome. Bad news? I'm so well known for my scooter that I have had multiple coworkers ask where it was and why I was borrowing someone else's bike.

[nagalias-mindscape]

I have a love-hate relationship with language and one specific coworker. They aren’t very good with english- it’s their third or fourth language, and I don’t understand any of their other languages so I don’t blame them for the troubles or anything, and we always have a laugh once we figure out what each other means. If anything, most days it’s kind of fun to find new ways to say things.

But today’s kerfuffle was about a “sharp breaking thing”. I asked for context and got “sharp breaking thing” in return. Not very helpful, so I asked “sharp breaking thing” or “sharp thing breaking”. I.e.: A thing that is broken / breaks into sharp pieces or a sharp thing that breaks / is broken. A distinction needed in the garden center, believe or not. It’s not all bags of dirt and plastic-potted marigolds. (We’re actually out of marigolds…)

Coworked hemmed and hawed over that for a bit before deciding that “sharp thing breaking” sufficed. Then they took me to what they were talking about.

It was our discount / dying rack of cactus. Which has a broken wheel and was at risk of falling on customers. I guess that works.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Outbound is a pretty chill game, no matter what the occasional review bombers are trying to say. But I don't think I'm supposed to Mountain Goat it nearly out-of-bounds.

Maybe that's why it's called "Outbound"... Out-of Bound...

[nagalias-mindscape]

You gotta love it when the doctors prescribe you medication and list serious side effects to watch out for and call them back if you observe.

And then they list all the shit that's common for you in day-to-day life or are 'inconsequential' side effects of other medication you're on.

It's like- "I don't want to sass, but I'm already observing. I haven't taken a dose, but I'm suffering most of those".

[nagalias-mindscape]

I've been playing a cute, chill game all about gathering plants and restoring a town, and all the plants are irl plants + some recipes that can be made from them.

I just made friends with a cow who lets me ride her around. Behold, the Majestic Bessie.

Steam Game: Wholesome - Out and About

[nagalias-mindscape]

Hey, Duo? You haven’t told me if you want me to round up or down. Because as far as I’m aware, 0 is also a potential “nearest 10”. Do you start your numbers with something, or with nothing?

[nagalias-mindscape]

I have enjoyed playing Vampire Survivors a lot.

When Vampire Crawlers released, I was so happy.

I have already managed to summon an army of Tricksters and somehow killed one. I wasn't even trying for that one. I was just playing around and obtaining achievements I don't already have to get more unlocks and realized that I could do something funny. Well, I did it.

My reward for goofing off and doing something I didn't even know was a thing? I now can make cards unable to crack, thus able to be used to my little hearts ugly content.

I have an idea on how to defeat an army of Tricksters, now. But a little more work before I can get there.

Oh, I haven't laughed like that in a bit.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Customer: I heard that the bags of soil are half off, this true?

Me: That is correct.

Customer: I want to do that Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: Alrighty! *Rings up six bags of soil*

Customer: No, I want the Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: How many bags do you want to go home with?

Customer: Six in total. I’m only buying the three.

Me: The Buy 3, Get 3 is why each bag is half off. You buy two sale bags for the price of one regular bag, four for two non-sale bags, and the six bags for the price of three non-sale bags.

Customer: No. I am buying three bags, getting three free.

Me: There’s no such thing as something free, ignore the advertisement you saw. If I ring you up for three bags, the loader will only load three bags. If you want six bags, I have to charge you for six bags. Each bag is only half off, though. So instead of paying $5 for each bag, you’re paying $2.30 for each bag.

Customer: It says $2.30 on your screen. Half is $1.50.

Me: The system has already calculated the sales price, ma’am. It’s normally $4.98.

Customer: No.

Me: Unfortunately, yes.

Customer: You’re a scam! A cheat! A liar! I’m calling your boss and reporting you for fraud!

Me: Have fun with that. You’ll be the thirtieth person to threaten me with that in the past two weeks.

Customer: *grumbling, setting plants on my counter* These were on the discount rack. 90% off.

Me: *not missing a beat* They’re 90% off with the purchase of a bag of soil or mulch, as the sign states. Would you like me to ring you up those bags of soil from earlier?

Customer: Fuck you, and I hope you rot in hell with your horrible attitude and inability to give the customer what they want. They’re always right! I will see to it you’re fired!

Me: Only in matters of taste, as the full saying goes. Please have a wonderful day, ma’am, and watch out for puddles on your way out. The ground is uneven and slippery right now.

Customer: Oh, I just bet that was your doing too, wasn’t it?

Me: I have not yet figured out how to control the weather.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Customer: I want the Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: Of course. How many bags do you want?

Customer: I want the 6.

Me: Of course, let me ring that up-

Customer: No, I don't want 12 bags. I want 6. Why are you ringing me up six?

What I want to say because it'll get me fired, no matter how true it may feel at the time: Because the marketing department doesn't understand the kind of stupidity their sales team has to deal with when they make misleading signs like that because a good deal of the customers we deal with have a single smooth brain cell and an empty abyss it can't bounce off of to make thought. Want to complain? Talk to corporate. They have a public number, I think.

What I actually say: Please ignore that sign, it's written to be misleading. Every bag is half off while the sale lasts, no matter how many you buy. It's like the 5 for 5 on the pint-size flowers- every flower is 1 dollar, regardless of how many or how few you get. How many bags of 50-% off soil would you like?

Customer: I want the Buy 3, Get 3 deal. It's literally hanging right outside the gate. You can see if from right here! Buy three bags of soil, get three bags of soil free. Free- as in, I don't pay for them.

Me: Ignore that sign, it's written to be misleading and if I wouldn't get fired for it, I'd have torn that sign down day one. All that sale really means is that every bag of that type is half off, no matter how many or how few bags you buy.

Customer: Then it shouldn't say Buy 3, Get 3. I want to purchase my three bags and get my additional three bags with it.

Me: I agree. It's written stupid, but if you want to get three bags without a purchase, you'll need to talk someone higher up. Would you like to me call the person who can make that sort of call?

Customer: Yes.

The assistant store manager, who has been in the register next to me this whole time helping with the massive backlog of customers, without even looking away from the customer they're helping: Denied. Every bag is half off, I cannot override that. If you want a total of six bags, buy six bags. You're getting those six bags for the price of three bags. i.e., you're getting your discount. it should say "Buy 6 for the price of 3" or something like that, but common sense has failed the US in recent years. You can talk to corporate, or you can talk to your local politicians to change the education system around here.

Customer walks off, in a thoroughly pissy mood. That makes two of us, especially since they walked off with merchandise they didn't get around to paying for. Welp, not my problem at that point.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Me, happy because that stupid sale should have ended yesterday. In my zone, in my lane, putting my ducks in a row without a care to the world. Happy. Zen. Bliss.

Coworker, leaning over the register divider without so much as a ;by-your-leave' or 'as-you-do': Corporate extended the sale.

Me, bubble burst. No longer zen. No longer bliss. Cold, pure dread filling my heart: ... Which sale.

Coworker: You know the one.

Me: No.

Coworker: Yes.

Me: No.

Coworker: Yes. Another two weeks. The 90% sale on the discount plants is also still ongoing because the department supervisor wants those plants out. Give 'em for free if we gotta, they just have to buy a bag of mulch or soil

Me: Fuck.

Coworker, mock gasp: You don't say. Also, you better watch your language young lady! That kind of talk gets people fired around here. Don't you remember our other coworker?

Customer, who walked up who knows when. I don't think either of us noticed them until they spoke: Uh... Can I get that Buy 3, Get 3 deal that's going on...?

Coworker, not missing a beat and turning to the customer with a smile that is unnatural at 8am: That sign is a marketing lie, don't fall for the ploy! That 'get 3' is still something you have to pay for.

Customer: That's stupid.

Coworker: Yep. Every bag is, however, half off. Regardless of the amount you get.

Customer: So if I buy a single bag...

Coworker: $2.30, minus tax. You bring home one bag.

Customer: And getting that free bag...

Coworker: For the sake of inventory, I have to add the second to your bill. However, because every bag is half off, you are buying those two bags for a grand total of a single bag when it's not on sale, minus tax. Hence the 'free' part. Blame clever age-old marketing in an era where brain rot is a literal on-going epidemic. No love for the classics these days.

Customer: ... I don't understand.

Coworker: The bags, or the brain rot?

Customer: ... Yes.

Coworker: Same. How many bags would you like to take home, and I'll ring you up for them. Remember- every bag is fifty percent off, so you're getting twice the amount of bang for your buck if buy in multiples of two!

[nagalias-mindscape]

Customer: I heard that the bags of soil are half off, this true?

Me: That is correct.

Customer: I want to do that Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: Alrighty! *Rings up six bags of soil*

Customer: No, I want the Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: How many bags do you want to go home with?

Customer: Six in total. I’m only buying the three.

Me: The Buy 3, Get 3 is why each bag is half off. You buy two sale bags for the price of one regular bag, four for two non-sale bags, and the six bags for the price of three non-sale bags.

Customer: No. I am buying three bags, getting three free.

Me: There’s no such thing as something free, ignore the advertisement you saw. If I ring you up for three bags, the loader will only load three bags. If you want six bags, I have to charge you for six bags. Each bag is only half off, though. So instead of paying $5 for each bag, you’re paying $2.30 for each bag.

Customer: It says $2.30 on your screen. Half is $1.50.

Me: The system has already calculated the sales price, ma’am. It’s normally $4.98.

Customer: No.

Me: Unfortunately, yes.

Customer: You’re a scam! A cheat! A liar! I’m calling your boss and reporting you for fraud!

Me: Have fun with that. You’ll be the thirtieth person to threaten me with that in the past two weeks.

Customer: *grumbling, setting plants on my counter* These were on the discount rack. 90% off.

Me: *not missing a beat* They’re 90% off with the purchase of a bag of soil or mulch, as the sign states. Would you like me to ring you up those bags of soil from earlier?

Customer: Fuck you, and I hope you rot in hell with your horrible attitude and inability to give the customer what they want. They’re always right! I will see to it you’re fired!

Me: Only in matters of taste, as the full saying goes. Please have a wonderful day, ma’am, and watch out for puddles on your way out. The ground is uneven and slippery right now.

Customer: Oh, I just bet that was your doing too, wasn’t it?

Me: I have not yet figured out how to control the weather.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Customer: I want the Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: Of course. How many bags do you want?

Customer: I want the 6.

Me: Of course, let me ring that up-

Customer: No, I don't want 12 bags. I want 6. Why are you ringing me up six?

What I want to say because it'll get me fired, no matter how true it may feel at the time: Because the marketing department doesn't understand the kind of stupidity their sales team has to deal with when they make misleading signs like that because a good deal of the customers we deal with have a single smooth brain cell and an empty abyss it can't bounce off of to make thought. Want to complain? Talk to corporate. They have a public number, I think.

What I actually say: Please ignore that sign, it's written to be misleading. Every bag is half off while the sale lasts, no matter how many you buy. It's like the 5 for 5 on the pint-size flowers- every flower is 1 dollar, regardless of how many or how few you get. How many bags of 50-% off soil would you like?

Customer: I want the Buy 3, Get 3 deal. It's literally hanging right outside the gate. You can see if from right here! Buy three bags of soil, get three bags of soil free. Free- as in, I don't pay for them.

Me: Ignore that sign, it's written to be misleading and if I wouldn't get fired for it, I'd have torn that sign down day one. All that sale really means is that every bag of that type is half off, no matter how many or how few bags you buy.

Customer: Then it shouldn't say Buy 3, Get 3. I want to purchase my three bags and get my additional three bags with it.

Me: I agree. It's written stupid, but if you want to get three bags without a purchase, you'll need to talk someone higher up. Would you like to me call the person who can make that sort of call?

Customer: Yes.

The assistant store manager, who has been in the register next to me this whole time helping with the massive backlog of customers, without even looking away from the customer they're helping: Denied. Every bag is half off, I cannot override that. If you want a total of six bags, buy six bags. You're getting those six bags for the price of three bags. i.e., you're getting your discount. it should say "Buy 6 for the price of 3" or something like that, but common sense has failed the US in recent years. You can talk to corporate, or you can talk to your local politicians to change the education system around here.

Customer walks off, in a thoroughly pissy mood. That makes two of us, especially since they walked off with merchandise they didn't get around to paying for. Welp, not my problem at that point.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Customer: I heard that the bags of soil are half off, this true?

Me: That is correct.

Customer: I want to do that Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: Alrighty! *Rings up six bags of soil*

Customer: No, I want the Buy 3, Get 3.

Me: How many bags do you want to go home with?

Customer: Six in total. I’m only buying the three.

Me: The Buy 3, Get 3 is why each bag is half off. You buy two sale bags for the price of one regular bag, four for two non-sale bags, and the six bags for the price of three non-sale bags.

Customer: No. I am buying three bags, getting three free.

Me: There’s no such thing as something free, ignore the advertisement you saw. If I ring you up for three bags, the loader will only load three bags. If you want six bags, I have to charge you for six bags. Each bag is only half off, though. So instead of paying $5 for each bag, you’re paying $2.30 for each bag.

Customer: It says $2.30 on your screen. Half is $1.50.

Me: The system has already calculated the sales price, ma’am. It’s normally $4.98.

Customer: No.

Me: Unfortunately, yes.

Customer: You’re a scam! A cheat! A liar! I’m calling your boss and reporting you for fraud!

Me: Have fun with that. You’ll be the thirtieth person to threaten me with that in the past two weeks.

Customer: *grumbling, setting plants on my counter* These were on the discount rack. 90% off.

Me: *not missing a beat* They’re 90% off with the purchase of a bag of soil or mulch, as the sign states. Would you like me to ring you up those bags of soil from earlier?

Customer: Fuck you, and I hope you rot in hell with your horrible attitude and inability to give the customer what they want. They’re always right! I will see to it you’re fired!

Me: Only in matters of taste, as the full saying goes. Please have a wonderful day, ma’am, and watch out for puddles on your way out. The ground is uneven and slippery right now.

Customer: Oh, I just bet that was your doing too, wasn’t it?

Me: I have not yet figured out how to control the weather.

[nagalias-mindscape]

My sister borrowed my phone and confiscated my laptop for about an hour. I got it back about... three hours ago? With a romhack open on the screen. My sister and I have been playing "Celia's stupid romhack".

I have been having so much fun, you don't understand.

So far it's been a wild series of "Can I- Yes I can- oh my fucking god, why did the creator allow us to do this?!". The 'Press Start' was changed to 'I'm Sorry', but let me tell you: There's no need to apologize. This has been a hilarious set of chaos and dumb-humor.

You wanna guess what my very first thought was upon getting the ability to use Cut? It was to see if one the very first NPCs I can interact with had a "You can't do that!" thing. It did not.

I have not only given a scammer my trainer ID for pop-up ad wallpapers, but I have also given myself a legit criminal history.

... Which I did multiple times. Because why not.

[nagalias-mindscape]

I'm stuck on a puzzle and decided "Fuck it's, let's goof off". I have two clefables and an ungodly amount of patience and elixers. I used metronome, then moonbeam, and repeat. An unholy amount of times, you don't want to know the extent. I'm not expecting to win my battle- I'm stalling out of pure spite while planning things to try. If I have to be frustrated, so to does the NPC.

But one of the moves, bless celia's heart, made me loose it laughing. Because why did my poor Clefable decide that Tax Fraud, of all possible moves in the game, was the correct move to use when fighting the DMCA?

[nagalias-mindscape]

One the NPCs is a "Don't look at me" kind of NPC. They have a Clefable. Clefairy? One of the two. The smaller, cuter one- that's the one they have.

It's opening move (metronome) was to use the move Flash. Which flashed me- as in, the poor Clefairy(?) was pixel-blurred for a few moments and my Pokemon's accuracy was reduced. Which, uh. Hmm. I suppose that works if distracting me with laughter was the intended outcome of that move. But I feel like that goes against the whole "Don't look at me" thing that trainer was aiming for.