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Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Soldier's Duty ❯ Chapter 25
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Metroanime
the Labor completes, does he pass or fail?
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Fantasy / Comedy / Angst | Type: The Bet | Uploaded On: 10.11.2002 | Pages: 8 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 410 | Status: Completed
A Soldier's Duty, chapter 25
"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - thing about such things." _Philippians 4:8
"1500 years ago, everyone KNEW that the Earth was the center of the Universe. 500 years ago, everyone KNEW the world was flat. And 5 minutes ago you KNEW people were alone on this planet. Imagine what we'll KNOW tomorrow." - Agent K, "Men In Black"
Queen Serenity of the Kingdom of the Djinn was many things. Stupid was not on the list.
"So, you're saying that a partial retroactive temporal flux caused an adjustment in our past that had little effect on the present day Tokyo, but completely rewrote our ancient kingdom, and that only those of you who were cut off from those ties were completely unaffected?" Serenity idly chewed on knuckle as she pondered. "Interesting."
"Actually, I wasn't cut off, and I remember the Moon Kingdom," Mamoru said, still eyeing Usagi and Rei nervously.
"Perhaps the change ran out of power," said Grey over Amieow's purring. "Though if it *was* the Enemy, i think it likely it was stopped because this was *not* the sort of results he was after."
"Rrrrrrr, lowerrrrr Grrrey-chan," purred Amieow. "Oh yeeeeeeeahhhhhh."
Makoto watched Amieow practically melting down while her calves and feet were being rubbed. "Me next!"
"Excuse me, the line is *after* me," disagreed Setsuna.
"Nuku Nuku want try!"
"If I may," said Serenity, "was this 'Moon Kingdom' of 'Senshi' any happier? Will some 'Crystal Tokyo' be a better choice than the reborn 'Djinn Kingdom'?" Serenity openly considered. "Setsuna Meiou. You are among the best informed, if I may ask of you to make an unbiased opinion. What say you?"
Setsuna blinked. SERENITY was asking her opinion? "Well, that would depend on who you ask..."
"Actually," said Serenity wryly, "I had a bit more detail in mind. Basalt?"
Grey kept his attention on a knot of tension in Amieow's low back for a moment until he felt it unwind. Though it was odd feeling the vibration of her purring through his hands. "It depends to some extent, as Setsuna said. The Senshi were less powerful, but more independent, than your Djinn. They were not prone to being stuffed into lamps or anything for example."
"Lamps are only for common Djinn such as Phobos, Deimos, Luna, and Artemis," corrected Serenity. "Rings and gems are more common, while Uranus is bound to a sword and Neptune a mirror. Still, your point is accepted."
"There's also Chibiusa, who is not stuck at a very young age," admitted Grey. "And this group marriage concept wouldn't have flown nearly as well prior to this change."
"I *have* noticed that neither you nor Endymion seem as comfortable with the idea," drily commented Serenity. "How peculiar."
Grey shook his head. He knew some some teenage boys who would be joyful at the prospect of polygamy. It seemed to him, however, (actually facing the possibility of such a relationship) that you took on the problems of a marriage multiplied as well as the good points. Not to mention expenses, the amount of time and affection spent on one curtailing into the others' time, and just plain exhausting (he was thinking specifically of laundry and cooking here actually. When he would eventually get around to the idea of the honeymoon, he'd likely faint.) In fact, it would be likely to dilute the good points in favor of the bad.
"Why me?" Mamoru demanded of the heavens, then realized he was looking at the mural on the ceiling again and shut his eyes rather than burn those images into his retinas. "You know, things were simpler in the fight against Beryl."
"Which one?" Rei asked. "Back when your four chief sorcerers (Jedite, Nephrite, Kunzite, Zoicite) were mind controlled by Beryl and you had to free us, their genie, from enslavement to their base wishes? Or do you mean the one we just got through a couple of years ago with the Blue Djinn and Metallica?"
"That was Metal'la," corrected Makoto. "And Beryl was a moron."
"Well, duh!" Usagi said. "Making pacts with Class Three Freeroaming Entities in a bid to destroy the world because she had the hots for my Mamo-chan? Like, that just totally was bogus."
"Would you stop it with the Osaka-ben language, Usagi?" Rei rubbed her forehead while managing to keep one arm around Mamoru's arm. "You're gonna give me a headache!"
"Good, that means that I'll go first!" Usagi said from her position on the other side of Mamoru.
"I think that *I'm* getting the headache," said Mamoru wearily. Prince of Earth or not, he was in college, he had to study. Where he was going to get the solitude or time was rapidly becoming a major concern.
Somewhere in the multiverse, a boy named Ataru Moroboshi gave a howl of envy and frustration.
This was followed by an electrical crackle and a "Darling No Baka" on general principles.
Which didn't hurt nearly so much for Ataru, as the idea of someone, somewhere, somehow, getting HIS harem.
This would eventually lead him on a quest to find and catch the most beautiful women in the multiverse and put them in pokeballs, up until they got out and started whomping his butt into the ground. But that is another story.(1)
Right now he was just getting zapped.
"So it's sort of mixed, neither particularly better nor worse?" Serenity said, getting tired of everyone talking AROUND the subject. What were they, djinn or politicians?!
"The Senshi were not slaves," offered Grey *very* reluctantly as he worked the kinks out of Hotaru's shoulders. It was kind of alarming that Hotaru seemed to be purring. Just a little, but still!
"Very well then," said Serenity, coming to a decision. "We must correct this. The good of my subjects comes before all else."
"Now THAT sounds like the old Serenity," said Setsuna, then looked down at her feet. "Mineko, why did you bite me in the ankle?"
"Nyah? I did that during the pie fight. Sorry, I had egg creme in my eyes." Mineko went back to watching Grey work. She was beginning to appreciate strong hands in a guy. Even if the guy wasn't that cute. On the other hand, he *was* the closest thing to an offer she'd had since Ace/Danburite.
"Endymion, Basalt, you two are ins. Stand at the center. My daughter, my granddaughter, link hands with me. My djinn, link hands around us." Serenity firmly grasped the two hands and noticed the puzzled look from Basalt. "A magic circle, and three is a number that has its echoes in power. The good of the Kingdom, and my people, is first. If the Senshi Kingdom was superior..."
"Moon Kingdom, and i'm not sure i'd say 'superior' really..." Grey's voice trailed off. He understood that if the changes were still occurring that they had to move quickly if they were to hope to reverse it, but there were so many aspects (*not* the polygamy angle) that he wanted to explore.
"Focus on this Kingdom of color coded warriors," advised Serenity. "Wish for things to return to normal. Genie can provide the power, but it is mortals who provide the focus and the wish. Through cooperation between the two, the sum is greater than either part. Focus, my sha'ir."
The two humans in the center exchanged a helpless shrug. "I wish everything was back to normal," they said in unison.
Endymion tried. He really tried. Though he was getting looks from Usagi, Rei, *and* Uranus and Neptune. Which made him quite self-conscious.
Grey tried, though the looks from Amieow, Mineko, Sakura, Setsuna, and Hotaru were distracting. Especially when he could *swear* that that looked like a cat tail poking out from Hotaru's back?!
(FLASH!)
Celeste checked. "Well, it looks like the time's almost up."
"I thought they had more time," complained Fleece.
"All of these sweeping changes are speeding up the process," Celeste replied and flicked a switch.
A well modulated female voice spoke. "Time until simulated timeline overlays biodeath earth timeline: 5 minutes 37 seconds our time. In simulation: 5 hours, forty four minutes."
"You see?" Celeste said.
"Warning," interrupted the computer voice. "Retroactive alteration occurring. Merger hastening. Recalculating time remaining."
"Oh dear," said Celeste. "Well, there's one chance of pulling something successful out of this now."
"It's not my fault," said Grey. "Though i'm getting this odd feeling of deja vu."
"Nyaaa," agreed Queen Purrenity, not indicating which statement she was agreeing with.
"Usako is a lion-girl," said Mamoru, a little bit in shock.
"So's her mother," pointed out the M'rei as if it were perfectly normal.
"The Moon Kingdom was originally settled by refugees from the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire, fleeing a war with Tau Ceti, what else would you expect?" asked catgirl Artemis. (2)
"I don't even want to ask," responded Mamoru.
"Werecat Tokyo?" Grey stared at the tiger striped Jupiter, the blue furred Mercury, the cheetah-marked Venus, the pantherish Mars, lionlike Usagi and Serenity. He wasn't sure *what* kind of cat the two Plutos, Uranus and Neptune were. Even Hotaru was looking feline. So was Catti Honey, Nuku Nuku, and Phobos and Deimos? "Let me guess, the ancient enemy from Tau Ceti were werewolves?"
"Of course," agreed M'rei. "Oh, waitaminute. You really *don't* remember all this?"
"I didn't ask, I didn't want to know, I still don't want to know."
"And Rei..." began Grey.
"M'rei," corrected the shrine priestess who could turn into Nekosume Bisenshi Panthera Mars.
"And Usagi are engaged to Mamoru here?"
"Nyaaa," agreed Usagi, hugging her Mamo-chan.
"Grey-san? I really could have done without knowing that." Mamoru tried not to picture him and two girls who could literally rip him into ribbons.
"We'll try again, then," said Queen Purrenity, "if this is clearly not right yet."
"Maybe we ought to stop while we're ahead?" Grey was not at all sure what to make of all this, or the eerie feeling of deja vu.
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Mamoru didn't agree with the concept at all.
Black asteroids tumbled closer, passing the orbit of the moon. Travelling at speeds measured in hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, it would take them less than a few minutes to cross that gulf and impact the Earth. Though the largest three would miss, the fourth one was still twenty miles long and eight miles wide.(3)
Sailor Galaxia, having followed some strange person with a strong aura, had found herself in some place called Libya and was trying to find someone with a Star Seed. So far she hadn't had any success. What confused her was that everytime she hit someone with her attack, they faded out as opposed to transforming. And why had the landscape started shifting around her into this barren, bombed out, desolate wasteland?
Ryouga Hibiki, having no idea who that strange woman with the funky hairstyle was, had absolutely no idea that he'd given Tokyo a reprieve. Of course, by the time he realized she wasn't following him anymore, he'd ended up in the "Pottery Inlayers and Glaziers Convention" (PIGcon, though it was actually more of a tradeshow) in Cairo. Thousands of handcrafted pieces of pottery, sculpture, glassware, and the supplies needed to turn them out. Which is why Ryouga sat down and tried not to move through the crowds. Even he could see this disaster coming.
And in a place known as Japan, in the Minato-ku, Azabu Juuban, section of Tokyo, Death met up with Tiger Tanaka to share one last drink.
And in a place known as the Goddess Relief Office, a woman named Celeste prepared to try and snatch victory from the maw of disaster. Interference had caused the problems, interference could fix it, but the choice had to come from the candidate.
Grey looked around. A void stretched in every direction. The only things present seemed to be a large section of stone, in the center of which was a well, attended by an old woman with a staff. "Oh dear."
"I am a representitive of the Norns," said the woman in a raspy voice. "Fate is upon you, and you must choose."
"Choose what?" Grey's natural response to what was apparently a not immediately hostile but powerful being. Be polite and stall.
"You have several young ladies who may, or may not, end up being with you for quite some time. You must choose one. As your time was curtailed by forces outside your control, you may ask three questions, which I must answer truthfully."
Grey bit back the immediate and obvious questions "Is this for real?" or "Why don't I have time?" Those would obviously count among those three questions. Which meant that one would have to try and be tricky. Unfortunately he wasn't ready for this.
"You may begin," said the older woman, making a gesture and causing a large hourglass to appear and begin marking time.
Letting out a deep breath, Grey focussed. If this was some kind of trap, the girls might be in trouble. So a question to maybe serve the purpose the woman was stating, but also determine if this was one of those nasty little Edgar Allan Poe sort of things. "Who among any of them needs me?"
Celeste winced in her disguise. That had NOT been a good question from her point of view. "None. None of them need you." Seeing his puzzled look, Celeste expounded on the simple answer. "All of them: Senshi, Queen, Warriors, Spies - they are all strong and proud and quite capable of living out their natural span of years without you or any man."
"Oh..." Grey let out another deep breath, trying to squash the feeling of disappointment. At least they were safe, *if* the woman was telling the truth. That didn't mean they were all lesbians, did it?
"Next question," prompted Celeste, looking upwards and asking that the boy before her get a clue.
Trying to center himself and concentrate, Grey tried again. "Who..." He had the feeling he was missing something. Something important. He just couldn't figure out *what* with the sand pouring down. This was a test. He hated tests. Nobody needed him, so what did that leave? "Who would I be able to make the happiest?"
Another wince. "In each case, there will be good times and bad times. From Ami to Setsuna, each would have times when they love you dearly, and other times when they just want to shake some sense into you. In each case the seeds of a serious and long term relationship have been planted, and in each case it all depends on how you and she interact over the nurturing of that relationship that will determine how it grows. In other words, you have more or less normal odds."
"Oh," repeated Grey. That hadn't been much help either.
"Last question," said Celeste, still slightly hopeful. It was an obvious question, why didn't he just ask it?
Grey started working at it, keeping an eye on the hourglass. Or rather more of a 10min glass considering how much was already gone. Still, if choosing one wouldn't necessarily make one happier than the others, and none needed him, then none of them would particularly be upset if he just quietly left and went back to America, would they? He'd heard Mamoru and Rei and the others. Things hadn't been as crazy prior to his appearance. Things had been predictable.
"Any time now," indicated Celeste. Why couldn't he just ask the darn question?
"Uhm," said Grey, just *knowing* there was a question to ask. But what? If choosing one didn't make anyone happy, and nobody needed him, then they weren't in any danger from this were they? So... "That is. I think that. If it's just up to me, that is. Then... argggh!"
Celeste groaned herself. Classic case of Tenchi Syndrome. Nice guy who fell apart into a ruin of indecision when it came to anything regarding women. "Time's almost up."
"None of them actually want me, I think, so I can't ask that. None of them love me, half of 'em are after Basalt - my previous life. Not sure what the other half want. So... Got it!"
"Finally," growled Celeste.
"Whose life would I improve the most by being able to share it with them?" Grey thought this had the most potential for being a good question.
"Idiot," grumbled Celeste. "That's essentially the same as the 'happiness question' and the answer is the same. ANY of them could have their life improved or ruined by you, depending on the decisions you and she make. Now you've got to choose one."
Grey nodded, filled with the absolute certainty of a fifteen year old making a choice that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. "My choice is clear then. If I could bring ruin to any of them, I choose none. If I could make any of 'em happy, if one of them actually wanted or needed me, I'd just go ahead and marry 'em right now."
Celeste covered her forehead. "Moron," she said with a certain painful tone.
"Let the record show then: that during his Fourth Labor, Grey L Shard has failed." THIS voice was male and echoed oddly. "Let his memories be returned, as well as those of the other test subjects. The simulation is ended."
"Huh?! Oh crap," said Grey as memories fell into place.
Celeste pointed. "Sorry. Elevator's over there."
Grey nodded and started walking towards it. Expulsion from the Heavens. In fact, there was only one way to go in THAT elevator. All the way down. He stopped with his hand on the button. "Will any of them at least be happy?"
"We'll see what can be done," said Celeste. "There's a good chance."
Nodding, Grey got into the elevator. There was a certain contentment in that he'd brought some happiness their way at least. Though the music from the elevator was *way* too appropriate.
"In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
to throw myself off.
In an effort to
make it clear to whoever
What it's like when you're shattered."
Grey found himself going back over the Labor. Yeah, he'd have done a few things differently given the chance. Still, he knew in his heart that he just plain wasn't worthy of the affection of any of those girls. He'd been dirtied and soiled by living entirely too long, and in one set of nasty circumstances after another. Better they find someone without all the mental baggage.
"Alone again, naturally," continued the music.
Celeste snapped her fingers and threw off the old woman disguise. "Damn. I had hopes too. Setsuna really deserved a chance too."
"So why so glum?" Toltiir asked.
"Because the boy's gone to hell?" Bast asked in reply. "Frankly, I think he's already been there."
"You weren't just pulling his leg?" Toltiir stared. He'd thought that Bast, Celeste, and Susanou were just setting up for a punch line. It was how *he* would have handled it, after all. "Wasn't *anyone* paying attention to his words? Yeesh."
"But he said..." Celeste began to think about what he'd said. "But the Labor was for him to decide on... but then he *did* didn't he?"
"Put the guy on hiatus, he needs it," advised Toltiir. "Besides, there's a wedding and honeymoon to plan."
"A marriage that goes well can be heaven, one that goes bad can be hell, so there is something of a continuation there of his Labor, yes?" Susanou frowned. He still wanted to kick the little schmuck for leading Amaterasu on like that, but thought that this was a little much.
Grey got off the elevator, head held high. He may have been a failure all his life, and been kicked out of Heaven, and be a really pathetic loser, but he wasn't going to whine about it. He'd done his best! If that wasn't good enough, then it wasn't. He was going into the pits of Hell, but at least the girls he'd met would be better off.
His stride faltered as he realized that this was *not* a stygian depth backlit with volcanic wounds oozing putrescence. Not Hell's lobby after all. There wasn't even the Gates with their made-famous-by-Dante logo. ("Abandon all hope, ye who pass through these portals." Grey had been planning on making a remark about how Hope was among his favorite comedians and he wouldn't abandon him.)
There was no sign of Marller, Charon, or even Oscar. No indication of supernatural evil anywhere he could sense.
A forest? A *green* forest? With normal looking plants and trees? This didn't fit. And why did he feel so *different*? He shouldn't have adapted unless he was...
...in a different timestream.
*Crackle* *THOOM!*
Lying in a daze on the ground, smouldering, Grey wondered if someone was trying to tell him something.
Ami looked at the swirling gate before her. "Why are we seperated like this?"
Amaterasu tsked. "Grey's gone on to finish a little job. He's been expelled for failing in the Labor..."
"There was interference! That wasn't a fair test!" Ami faced the goddess with only a little bit of nervousness showing. *Inside* was another story. She was quite aware of the gap in power levels, the gap in experience levels, and that Amaterasu Omikami had changed from wallflower to warrior princess. Someone who could transform her to drifting ash with less effort than raising an eyebrow, likely even if she were Sailor Mercury or Amieow at the moment.
Amaterasu looked stern. "Interference is *part* of the test. Being able to adapt to different situations and developments is necessary in any of the positions he had applied for. Ahem. Now as for his failure - this is just a temporary respite before he goes to recycling."
"Recycling?" Ami wasn't too sure about that.
"Reincarnation," Amaterasu shrugged. "Not bad enough for Hell, not good enough for Heaven. Of course *he* would end up in a grey area. He failed to choose one of you, and none of you chose him. Room 42's gate was used, just projected into the elevator. He's in for a mortal lifetime, but then as soon as he gets done he'll go on."
"Oh," Ami said, still not satisfied.
"As for seperating all of you, each of you are going to different timelines. The Queen, for example, is going to return to the universe of her origin. You, an Ami Mizuno who has never been Sailor Mercury outside a virtual reality, are going to go through that gateway when the light goes on. You'll forget entirely about the penitent Grey and go on to live a normal life, merged with an aspect of yourself that *is* Sailor Mercury. The same with everyone else, we managed to find ways of hooking you directly into a mainline."
"...can't I even say goodbye?!"
Amaterasu shook her head again, still looking quite stern. Even if one corner of her mouth kept twitching. Funny, Ami hadn't thought Amaterasu the sort to develop a facial twitch. "No, if you entered that timeline you'd change and adapt to that world. You'd be stuck with him and whatever changes occurred to you. Besides, there really shouldn't be any retaking of tests. Bad precedent if it were allowed."
"I see," said Ami, not a sufficiently good actress that she could keep a crafty look from briefly appearing. "Uhm, so what kind of reality was he inserted into?"
"Not of your concern," said Amaterasu. "I didn't look other than it was an SM line and a 4xx series, so it's a bizarre variation on the Silver Millenium. It could be one where you'd have ended up being a catgirl, a bunnygirl, an android marionette, or even a pokemon. Fortunately you're not going there, isn't it? Now, if you don't mind, I have other things to do."
"You've split, haven't you?" Ami deduced suddenly from an odd feeling she'd had ever since the goddess had appeared. "You're just an image projected here while you're having conversations with everyone else who took part in the simulation."
"Still have your feline instincts, Amieow?" The sun goddess almost smiled. "Projecting a mirror image is perfectly within my portfolio. Besides, did you know you came out of there with two more people than had gone in? That was supposed to be impossible but there's a lot of chaos in that boy's karma. You're actually a lot less stressed without him. Keep in mind, as a Goddess First Class, I cannot lie."
Ami silently added "directly" as she was already familiar with the concept. She watched Amaterasu's image turn translucent then fade. Then looked at the door behind her then at the swirling gate. Go ahead and accept that things had turned out like they had, and meekly go through that gate. It would be easy and it would be following the local rules, doing what everyone told her to do. She wouldn't get in trouble with any divine authority, she'd be reunited with her friends in this other life, and she'd be reasonably content.
Ami checked the door she'd entered in. Locked, of course. Ami sat down for a moment, deep in thought. She'd seen some of those 400000 lines while waiting for the simulation matrix to finish setting up. SM meant Silver Millenium, *not* (to Usagi's disappointment) Sailor Moon, so that could mean that there were no Senshi or some odd variant, or even that the Silver Millenium had been completely different. Both the genie and catgirl Moon Kingdoms would have been considered SM 4xxx timelines.
The Ami Mizuno she'd seen in various "Sailor Moon" timelines would have considered this a no-brainer. She'd have sat on the bench, waiting to be reunited with Usagi and the others, and a boyfriend would not have been a concern. The Ami Mizuno who had been one of a group of nonSenshi friends who had followed a transformed gold dragon as he accidently conquered China, she would likewise have waited to be rejoined with her friends. The Ami who had grown up with her best friend Grey, only to discover that she was part of NERV's genetically engineered soldiers, would also have not have a had problem deciding - she would have battered down the door by now and gone to "room 42" by now.
Amaterasu reformed. They had all been given the idea. Now that the seed had been planted, it was time to determine *what* would result.
She was beginning to see what Urd found so interesting about this matchmaking stuff.
"To: Penitent Grey, recently of the Rival Relief Office, Alley of Lingering Smells, Asgard
From: the Almighty"
Grey got to *that* line and stared. In his more mortal experience and roles, any time you got the bosses' personal attention it was Bad. It being easier to notice a Screw Up than the opposite, after all. This was not *a* boss. This was *the* capital-B Boss.
The thought of screwing bad enough that it got *His* attention was stressing enough that Grey considered going off into those bushes over there and quietly throwing up. Except that his knees didn't want to cooperate. Not to mention that this was unprecedented. The "Norse runes lightning bolted into the ground" treatment was *never* done for anyone less than a Goddess 2nd Class. Well, hardly ever. Seperation Of Heaven & Earth Clause and His desire not to micromanage anyone.
Another problem was that he had a *lot* of trouble reading Celestial, which was the variation of Norse runes that everyone used in Asgard. He was still mortal, despite the Binding and other events, and nobody really mastered that language without either using a spell or some other aid.
"As an agent of the Celestial Bureaucracy, you gave your word regarding marriage. He just wants to remind you that your word is binding as such an agent.
Frigga, secretary for the Almighty."
Grey sighed a little, relieved. Not nearly so bad as he'd first feared.
Waitaminute? He was still an agent?! That meant that this was NOT his original destination? It *was* a real timeline? But if that was the case, where was his mission briefing?
*crackle* *THOOOM!*
Grey groaned, smouldering again. "Ask and ye shall receive... ouch..."
The Earth that had suffered from plague and war shimmered briefly. Just before it would have been overwritten by a simulation, that simulation had been cancelled.
The simulation itself was broken down into its various parts, which Celeste could then later study and determine what kind of fine-tuning was necessary for better performance. Too many unexpected events had taken place for her to be comfortable with it as it was.
The "Heart Of Darkest Chocolate" was put up for sale, where it remained for a week before being remodeled into a tavern named the "Magni's Meadhall." Other places catering to the sweet tooth were eventually able to pick up the slack.
Rei Ayanami was eventually able to enter a Ranma timeline, oddly enough as a Chinese Amazon.
Others assisted where they could. Some of the other entrants into the simulation had to be placed, having failed to make their choice - thereby making a choice.
Grey stretched out, wondering where the rest of it was. His mission would depend on who joined him and would be a mortal lifetime? Who was to meet him?
"Basalt."
Grey turned and saw her standing there, tall and regal in her gown. For a moment he looked hopefully about. Setsuna or Ami?
"Basalt," repeated the Queen. "It is time."
Grey sighed and summoned his "costume" of Basalt/Nebula. His Silver Millenium identity, complete with the Chain. Love had, it appeared, been too much to hope for.
He was not Ranma Saotome, who could forgive and forget betrayal in an instant. It had taken decades to put the pain behind him, but Nebula had eventually forgiven and come to peace with Queen Serenity. In that time, love had died.
Had Jupiter not gone pursuing Narcissus or had merely noticed him at the Ball, she could have reached out her hand and collected a suitor more constant than the General had been. Had Pluto thought to leave a letter or message with other than the Queen herself, she *could* have had a love dedicated to her that would have survived 10,000 years undimmed. Neither had.
Basalt nodded and strode to the Queen's side. At her look, he crooked an arm so that she could take it.
Kingdom always came first, so while there could be affection, Basalt had learned the lesson well that her foremost and most abiding love would always be for her kingdom and her position. No doubt he would be expected to beget another Heir for the Moon Kingdom. Another Heir for the position of Knight of Duty would also be required.
No, there was no love in his heart for the Queen anymore. He simply couldn't summon a false sincerity, so there it was. She had her role. He had his.
He was the Knight of Duty after all, adventures with friends and companions to the side. Basalt, the Marine engineer, the soldier. Nebula the Knight, the Consort, the Queen's Right Hand. He had sought Love and Comfort and a Home of his own. And failed at all three.
Duty was all he had left.
Putting on a false face to return to the Queen's palace and his role as Consort, Basalt, aka Grey, alias Nebula, found himself hoping that at least the Queen would permit him to keep some friends this time around. Perhaps he could even give Pluto a break in her vigil.
Well, it was *something* at least. (5)
well, that's it. The end of the Labors and my experiments with doing an SI.
It was interesting seeing the votes. So far the only surviving member of Studio Aesir wanted this pairing, so here it is.
Celeste had requested Setsuna + Grey. i've wondered what she'd think about my characterization of Sailor Pluto...
(1) can you picture this? Scary, ain't it?
(2) has anyone else seen Outlaw Star and been struck with the fusion possibility:
Jim Hawking replaced by Nabiki Tendo
Gene Starwind = Ranma Saotome
Melfina = Kasumi Tendo
Gilliam = Soun Tendo
Aisha Ctarl-Ctarl = Shampoo
"Twilight" Suzuka = Kodachi Kuno alt: Ukyo Kuonji
Fred Luo = Tatewaki Kuno
The McKenzie Brothers = Ryouga and Mousse
alternatively have Nabiki be Fred Luo, the McKenzie brothers be the Kunos, and Jim could be played by Ukyo
(3) No, i hadn't forgotten about this.
(4) "Alone Again Naturally" by Gilbert O Sullivan.
(5) That's pretty much the end of Grey, a touch of realism here. Stuck in a relationship that the Silver Crystal couldn't bring love back into (Sorry, Sky, but i just cannot see anything less than significant rewriting of the character by mind control magic ever putting something close to love or trust back in that relationship. At which point he ceases to be anything other than a puppet under the Queen's control.) i was considering having Basalt seperate from Grey, as well as the other parts, and having seperate ends for each, but figured that was too trite. This, however, fits with my life experiences as to likely outcomes.
And now for something more upbeat:
___omake_omake_omake_omake___
"What if someone *else* had fulfilled Genma's role," mused Toltiir.
"With Ares, we saw a capable martial artist who frankly didn't take much crap off anyone," reminded Bast. "Unfortunately, or fortunately if you prefer, he had little in the way of traditional Western morality."
"Yeah, none of this 'don't hit girls' or 'let other people push me around' sort of thing." Ares felt that he'd done a pretty darn good job there. And it had been strangely fulfilling to take on the role of father-sensei. Much better than he'd done with his two real sons.
"I disagree, Genma did a much better job of raising Ranma," argued Fleece. "Look at that Ranma! Anybody who jumps him shouting 'Ranma, prepare to die' is gonna get killed! Heck, if the Nabiki in *that* world tried half the stuff I did with *my* version of Ranma, she'd be lucky if she didn't end up in the hospital!"
Ares considered the idea briefly. "Nah. More likely he'd just contact the local Yakuza and tell them that this little girl was poaching on their territory. Once he did that..."
Fleece flinched at the likely consequences of *that* sort of thing. "You see what I mean? THAT Ranma is going to have even more social problems than the original."
"So. You're saying you could do a better job?" Bast purred as she regarded the Nabiki Tendo that had dared to cross path with the gods, and had ended up becoming a minor goddess herself due to the whims of Toltiir. There were times when Fleece was in serious danger of being demoted as per Titania's suggestion - to tooth fairy.
Nabiki *almost* said "Yeah, right." The grins around her were enough clue. "NO! NO WAY! I am *NOT* going to play the part of Genma Saotome!"
"Spoilsport," said Ares. "Put your money where your mouth is."
"Well, who do *you* think would do a better job of being Genma?" Toltiir blinked at the girl, yellow eyes gleaming. "Keeping in mind the following points typical of Ranma timelines:
a) Ranma must be a highly ranked martial artist, it may not be his only focus, but it's got to be in there.
b) His orbit must intersect the Tendos. He may not end up engaged to any of 'em. Maybe neither group knows about the arrangement, but they'll at least meet. The test point is Ranma meeting them, and how different it is from the original.
c) The person who does the raising has to spend at least ten years subjective in the simulation."
"This ain't another Bet, is it, Toltiir?" Bast glared at the cat.
"Heaven forbid, no. Just a possibility of related omake." The cat waved a paw.
"Well, in that case," suggested Nabiki with her own catty expression.
Almost everyone traced her gaze to the side where a visitor had been preoccupied with other concerns. More smiles.
The old man looked up.
"He'll be here any moment," said Soun, smiling at the prospect of joining the two families. Though the calligraphy was much more neat and precise than he'd expect from Genma. The wording had been odd too. "Tendo- I will be bringing Ranma on Mar-11. We shall discuss the engagement then. -S"
"So is he cute?" Nabiki asked, not quite as mercenary as she would later become. In an unaltered timeline, that is.
"How old is he. Younger men bore me," said Kasumi, not quite as oblivious as she would later become. Were everything to remain normal, of course.
"Hmmmph, boys," Akane grumbled. Boy=pervert=target. Math wasn't her best subject but some things were obvious. The entire gender could be deleted from existence or chained into dungeons and she'd be a lot happier. She hated boys. She loathed boys. Boys had ignored her most of her life, and then suddenly she couldn't literally beat them off. Boys were beyond icky.
There came a knocking at the door as if someone had not gotten into a fight on the way to the dojo.
"That must be Ranma!" Nabiki hoped for cute. Rich would be even better. Cute and rich? Too much to hope for. But she would certainly settle for cute.
"I do hope he's older," sighed Kasumi.
"ACK!" Soun made a warding sign. There was no paunchy Genma present, just Nabiki (who had somehow gotten out the door before him) eyeing a tall and broadshouldered young man. That wasn't the ack part. An old man, still standing straight and proud, was eyeing him as if judging him on his entire life experience and deciding that he was just barely worth continued existence.
"Oh my," Kasumi looked over the boy. Tall, strong, lithely muscled, immaculately dressed in a nice dress shirt, slacks, and boots of some kind. Very nice if a bit Westernized in appearance.
"hmmmmph," hmmmphed Akane, then turned around and walked back into the house. Okay, the boy was fairly good looking. THAT didn't mean anything.
"Genma couldn't make it," said the old man. "May we come in?"
"So Genma died and you took over his training," Soun said, nodding.
"Yes, Genma fell into a pit of starving cats. Terrible tragic story." The old man didn't look as if he thought it was terribly tragic. "So we've been wandering back and forth, hither and yon."
"Yes, well, these are my three daughters," Soun said, indicating each girl and her age, then turning back to Ranma, "pick any one you like. She'll be your new fiancee."
"Geez, they're not bagels, Mister Tendo. Pick one? None of them seem interested. Besides there are other more pressing concerns."
"AH?! It's a matter of family honor." Soun glanced over the three. "Akane is a martial artist, she'll be your fiancee."
"Oh my," said Kasumi, who was too old and housewifeish to be chosen. And was regretting it. Ranma was polite and had a cute... he was nice.
"WHAT?!" Nabiki and Akane reacted with entirely different motives.
"You see?" Ranma gave a helpless shrug. A beeping from a pocket caused him to consult a pager. "Ooops. Gotta go. Old man, you handle this?"
The old man nodded.
"But but but but but...?!" Soun was going into shock. If only Genma were here to back him up!
Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane blinked. Ranma had gotten lost by going off into their backyard. Their reactions were quite different. Nabiki was intrigued by the boy's butt... err purposeful stride. Akane was wondering what the pervert was up to. Kasumi wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings, sometimes her father made a rather poor first impression.
Ranma ducked around the side of the dojo. This really got the three curious, as there was nothing back there. As one they approached from a different angle. Yes, there was that fiance. He was standing still, looking heavenwards, and his mouth opened as he said a single word.
"SHAZAM!"
*BOOOM!* Thunder answered.
Nabiki had just realized that she'd leapt up and was being held by Kasumi as all three sets of eyes watched a major hunk fly up and away in a high speed blur.
"That was *Captain Marvel*..." Nabiki said to Kasumi.
"Oh my, oh dear," said Kasumi who had little hearts floating in her eyes. Not a boy at all. Oh heavens no. There had been a nobility and maturity in the Captain that just did not fit any of the categories she placed younger boys in. Nope.
Akane stood where Ranma had stood, took an identical pose, and tried something. "Shatsamu. Shatsam! Sha- tsa - mu! Damnit, why won't it work for me?"
Kasumi let Nabiki go, her arms were getting heavy anyway, and considered. Captain Marvel seemed very mature. Perhaps she should speak up. Running off to save the world probably made for not eating as well as he should normally.
Nabiki thought about this. Let anyone know she knew who Captain Marvel was? Oh yeah, duh! The moment she even advertised something like that, she'd be kidnapped by supervillains and tortured for the information. She was allergic to being tortured. Not to mention she'd be alienating someone who could wrestle Godzilla and any friends he happened to have!
Akane sulked. If some stupid boy could transform into Captain Marvel, why couldn't she? Twenty years ago there had been a Mary Marvel, there was a girl named Aoi Marvel who'd briefly appeared in Osaka, so why not Akane Marvel? She was noble and worthy and nobody could say she wasn't a great fighter! Dang it.
Three girls found their father alone, crying to the extent that there was going to be no answers from that quarter.
Nabiki mused. Captain Marvel made headlines. When he was in China recently, he made news fighting some sort of Juggernaut. All she had to do was wait for him to start appearing in a particular area, then track him down. She was sure that she could make a good press manager.
Kasumi thought. It seemed to her that if the Captain was off saving Japan or the world, he'd need someone to cook and clean and maintain a home. Well, what an amazing coincidence that she currently had no suitors or prospects. Look for where the trouble is, he'd be nearby, then she could grab him and make mad passionate... uhm apply for a job and get to know him.
Akane glowered. She'd catch that boy and make him tell her the secrets of whatever martial arts technique he'd used to transform! Then she could go assist the Senshi!
Soun wailed. Prior engagements?! "Waaaaaaaaa!"
Ranma sped across town so quickly that he was just a blur, and smiled. THIS was living. Everything that was so confusing was suddenly clear, the world was his rice bowl, he felt a thousand times more alive than as plain old Ranma Saotome.
One didn't need the Wisdom of Solomon to see the dangers in staying as Captain Marvel for too long. Black Adam was still around, somewhere, a wonderful advertisement of how power could corrupt. Then there was that mysterious Juggernaut who had appeared in China. Someone who could hurt *him*. But here was the thing that had drawn him.
Captain Marvel came to a halt to observe the battle before he weighed in. It looked like he should do something...
Usagi shrieked like a little girl (which she was actually - being fifteen years old) as the big yoma prepared to bring that gleaming claw down and reduce her to the consistency of fish paste. Her Moon Rod had been knocked out of reach and the other senshi had been scattered about with a few swipes.
"SAILOR MOON!" Several young girls cried as they watched what was about to be a gruesome scene.
Tuxedo Kamen prepared to throw a rose despite that the past three had bounced off the armor plating on the creature.
"Excuse me, may I cut in?"
Everyone blinked. Some guy had popped out of nowhere, and was lifting the yoma up into the air by a grip on its outstretched paw.
Tuxedo Kamen dropped the rose, feeling completely and totally inadequate.
The yoma roared and tried to swing at the caped man holding it.
"Shall we dance?" The man threw the yoma straight up, giving the crowd a good look at the chest emblem of a stylized lightning bolt.
"CAPTAIN MARVEL?!" Venus, Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Tuxedo Mask exclaimed.
"My new sempai..." Sailor Jupiter said dreamily, little hearts beginning orbits around her head.
The yoma came down, Captain Marvel stopped its progress with an uppercut. The yoma disintegrated.
Sailor Venus sighed longingly as she checked out a powerful physique and high charisma level. Idol singers suddenly dropped on her priority scale to a new low.
"Well, Sailor Senshi," said Captain Marvel, floating slightly above head level. "I've wanted to make your acquaintance. Shall we arrange a meeting to discuss pooling our resources?"
Seeing that Mars was too starstruck, Venus was drooling, and Jupiter was repeating something about a sempai every so often, Mercury quickly set up a meeting for after school the next day on the roof of her mother's hospital. (Which had the benefits of being remote and accessible. Thoughts of a home court advantage were ruthlessly suppressed.)
There was a group sigh as the Captain flew away.
"I don't trust him," said Luna as soon as the fellow was out of earshot. "He wasn't present in the Moon Kingdom after all, and... why is everyone looking at me like that? HEY! LET ME OUT OF THIS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! USAGI!"
"Where'd you get a mailing box anyway," Venus asked Mercury.
"Oh dear, ha ha, I just happened to have one handy," Mercury said, blushing furiously. After all, the Captain was said to be quite intellectual, and well, Ryo hadn't been around for over a year, and well... (blush twitch shrink blush-some-more)
Venus smirked. She knew one way to make sure he was considered part of the group. And if Sailor Venus had to drag the stud off by his cape, she was gonna make sure he knew she was willing to be his... friend. Or something like that.
Jupiter was already gone. She had to make sure she had plenty of cookies baked so she could bring them along and introduce herself to her new sempai!
Mars wanted to check the sacred fire and see if Shinto priestesses and Divinely empowered superheroes were a good match. She was sure they were, but maybe a horoscope would be good too.
Tuxedo Mask waved his hand in front of Usagi's face and sighed. Well, at least he knew that he'd end up with Usagi. And maybe the Captain could deflect some of the looks that had been heading his way lately from the other Senshi.
"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Luna called from inside the box marked "To: Paris" by Usagi and "by way of Elbonia" by Ami.
"You weren't going to really mail that were you?" Venus turned to find Mercury running off. Wait a minute! She had to get things ready for meeting her new boyfriend tomorrow!
Tuxedo Kamen became Mamoru and picked up the boxed kitty. Looked like their current adventure had gotten more complicated.
Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26


The Hamilton Beach Breakfast Burrito Maker cooks and constructs the breakfast fave. No thinking necessary.
Breakfast is only the beginning. After breakfast comes lunch. But before lunch comes brunch. Somebody was thinking clearly when they made that up. And perhaps that is what is so odd about this meal that got squeezed into the a.m. hours; this is not the time of day for thinking clearly.
Could it be that brunch was invented by a non-morning person? Yes, I do believe that makes sense. The late morning hours give time for the shroud of sleep to completely burn off. But what of those early hours that the rest of us must trudge through? Must we be relegated to non-thinking bowls of cereal and no-brainer breakfast bars?
Complicated meals are not the friend of early morning hours, but the Hamilton Beach Breakfast Burrito Maker ($44.99) seeks to disagree. The breakfast-making contraption (complete with trap door) heats tortillas and cooks eggs automatically. When the eggs are ready, slide out the cooking plate from underneath and they get neatly deposited onto the waiting tortilla.
The breakfast burrito-making machine may do everything but fold and eat it for you, but that doesn't mean you are completely off the hook; decisions still have to be made. Luckily, these are delicious decisions in the form of choosing ingredients. Peppers? Yes. Onions? Yes. Pre-cooked meat and cheese? Yes, yes and yes. And if you somehow manage to make an executive decision in the morning and decide upon something other than a breakfast burrito? Well, this countertop appliance also makes stuffed pancakes. Don't worry; recipes are included.


God anticipated that this particular scripture would become a matter for contention, and therefore Paul closes the subject by writing, "But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God" (v. 16). Yet this is the Word of God, and deeply important for the true blessing of all the church of God on earth. Paul has stated the truth, but will not allow it to be a contentious issue. The truth of God is too precious and vital than to be dragged down to the level of human argument.
Let us therefore approach such a subject with reverent, humble faith, desiring only that God will make His will clearly known and understood. We shall never lose by bowing to His own will, but will prosper more greatly in spiritual growth and wisdom.
First, we must remember that this book of 1 Corinthians is written, not to individuals as such, but "to the church which is at Corinth . . . with all who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:2). Therefore what Paul is saying is to be taken to heart by the whole assembly as such. All the assembly will be affected by the obedience or disobedience of any individual in the assembly, so all should be concerned that individuals should bow to the authority of God's Word. This chapter begins the subject of the assembly in its functions together, and the first 16 verses are introductory. Verse 17 speaks of their actually gathering together. How important then that these preparations for gathering are closely observed!
The assembly in Corinth is commended for keeping the instructions Paul had given them (v. 2), but there was a matter that needed to be specially called to their attention. He wanted them to understand that "the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (v. 3). It is surely just as important today to insist on this as it was in Paul's day, for its significance is much more vital than many want to realize. This was actually God's order in creation, though the world ignores it. But if the church of God is to maintain any proper order, it cannot ignore God's order in creation. Some have imagined that this cannot apply, since "in Christ" "there is neither male nor female" (Gal. 3:28). However, that scripture has to do with the new creation, and is absolutely true, but the assembly now on earth is still connected with the first creation, where God's creatorial order still applies. "The head of every man is Christ." This fact surely gives us no difficulty. But "the head of the woman is the man." Some do object to this clear, decided fact; but it does not imply that man is better than or superior to the woman, but God has given him that place of headship. More than that, "the head of Christ is God." Certainly Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is fully equal with God, yet as Man He is willing to recognize that God is His head. We should all see the great wisdom of God in this, and bow with thankfulness before Him for it.
However, a man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his head. Why? Because his head is Christ: he is therefore dishonoring Christ. Christ should not be covered, but the One who is seen. If a man in this case covers his head he is covering up Christ, and in this way he dishonors Him.
On the other hand, if a woman prays or prophesies with her head uncovered, she dishonors her head. That is, she dishonors the man, who is her head. In what way? She is virtually putting him in the place that Christ should have. That is sad dishonor. If she covers her head, she covers the man, which is right.
Some have sought to sidestep this issue by urging that this applies only if a woman prays or prophesies audibly. In assembly meetings then she would never use a head covering, because women are to keep silent in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:34). Can a true believer be serious in taking an attitude like this? In assembly meetings every person in the assembly is to participate in all the prayers and ministry and reading of the scriptures, though most individuals usually participate inaudibly. A woman's spiritual exercise of taking part without speaking is just as important as the man's place in furthering the welfare of the assembly. This is too easily forgotten in our tendency to exaggerate the public place. Those who are behind the scenes, exercised in lowly, genuine affection for Christ, have far more effect in the way a meeting progresses than we generally stop to consider. This instruction then clearly applies to assembly gatherings, though it is not confined to these.
Some also have said that since a woman's hair is given her as a covering, this is sufficient. However, while it is true that God has given her long hair as a covering, He expects her, on this account, to also cover her own head, thus confirming her agreement with what God has done. Notice also how clearly scripture answers this when we are told, "If a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn" (v. 6). Can this mean, "if a woman does not have hair, let her also cut her hair off?" Of course the Word of God does not indulge in such foolishness. The force of this verse is that, if the woman refuses to cover her head, then she might as well go all the way in refusing also what God has done in giving her long hair. But since it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her then cover her head. Honest simplicity of faith can only bow to the facts as God gives them.
"For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God" (v. 7). As such he represents God, and God is to be, not covered, but prominent. "But woman is the glory of man," and the glory of man is not to be prominent. For in creation the man was not from the woman, as has been true subsequently, but the woman from the man, as Eve was taken from Adam's side. She was created for the man, as God said, it was not good for man to be alone. This was God's order in creation, and therefore the woman should have the sign of authority on her head, that is, that she is under authority to her head, the man. It is added here, "because of the angels." Angels are vitally interested in the order God has prescribed in His creation, and they care as to whether both man and woman are obedient.
"Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord" (v. 11). There is a unity in God's creation that is seen to be most beautiful when both man and woman keep their place and function as each is properly fitted to function. For it is to be remembered also that though the woman came from man to begin with, yet since that time man has come through the woman. Both are given a dignity that is peculiar to each, and both should act in the dignity that is becoming to the particular place God has given.
This being the case, the assembly is told to judge in themselves, is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? How could we ever dare to answer yes to this? And it is added, "Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?" In the world today things are so out of course that people cannot even discern this evident lesson from nature. But believers should have no difficulty with this. Also, if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her. Nature teaches us this also, though it is often ignored, not only by unbelievers, but sadly also by too many believers. "For her hair is given her for a covering." This is what God has done, in effect telling the woman that it is her glory to be covered. Her willing consent to this will induce her to also cover her head when prayer or prophesying is exercised.
We have been thankful to learn in recent months that even a number of denominational churches have been awakened to a sense of failure in having ignored this scripture, and the women have been stirred to wear head coverings in their gatherings. This is a refreshing contrast to the trend in the opposite direction.
It has been a concern to some that, if a lady visits a meeting, she may be offended because others are wearing head coverings while she has none. On this account some have even disposed of the head covering out of apprehension as to what the other may think. This is too bad. For always our obedience to the Word of God is the best possible testimony to anyone else. Compromise in this is weakness. The visitor may rightly ask questions if she sees others wearing a covering. We know of a recent case where one asked such questions that led to her conversion, and then she willingly adopted the wearing of a head covering, without being told to wear it.
May our God and Father give grace that both the believing man and the woman may gladly accept the dignity of the honor with which God has invested each one, and then to function willingly in that place. We surely know that God would love to see this, rather than any contention about a matter that He Himself, in His great love and wisdom, has found necessary to bring to our attention.


Hi there, I will start the breakdown of a Grand Tableau to apply the theory that has been covered until now. I will do this in several posts, step by step. Click on the picture that represents the Grand Tableau to view it full size if you need. I only put the cards that will be read in this post. I think it keeps things visually simple. This is actually a spread I did for myself, so feedback will be easy. If you need to read some theory first, click on the link "The Grand Tableau" within the Lenormand cards category on the right of this page.
The location of the Querent's card is the first thing that will be analysed and then, the 4 corners.


text:
Q: Javascript's .includes function not working correctly with array of objects I have an array of objects which I'm using the .includes() function. I'm searching this array with an object that is in the array (Objects are identical). However there doesn't appear to be a match. I have replicated the problem in this fiddle. The code is also below. So what is the correct way to check if an array contains am object?

let list1 = [{
    name: "object1"
  },
  {
    name: "object2"
  },
  {
    name: "object3"
  },
  {
    name: "object4"
  }
]

if (list1.includes({
    name: "object1"
  })) {
  document.write('contains')
} else {
  document.write('doesnt')
}

A: You can try following

let list1 = [{name:"object1"},{name:"object2"},{name:"object3"},{name:"object4"}]

if (list1.some(({name}) => name === "object1")) {
  document.write('contains')
} else {
  document.write('doesnt')
}

A: You can't compare objects directly, but using this method , you can compare them with JSON.stringify.

let list1 = [{
    name: "object1"
  },
  {
    name: "object2"
  },
  {
    name: "object3"
  },
  {
    name: "object4"
  }
]

var contains = list1.some(elem =>{
  return JSON.stringify({name: "object1"}) === JSON.stringify(elem);
});
if (contains) {
  document.write('contains')
} else {
  document.write('doesnt')
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dan and Lance return and like always we start off with a healthy dose of news. We talk Mataagi, Solthecians, Vet Honour, Harriet and then we attempt to tackle a question from a local: Why should someone play Engineers over Hunters, or vice versa?
Lastly, we spread some love about the upcoming Muse On Con in May.


ASHEVILLE — The James Beard Foundation has winnowed its lists of award semifinalists to a "short list" of nominees.
Joining a talented group of finalists for Best Chef Southeast is Asheville's own Katie Button, the also-talented and always active chef and co-owner of Cúrate and Button & Co. Bagels.
This is the second consecutive nomination for Button, who was also a semifinalist in the category in 2015, a Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee in 2014 and Rising Star semifinalist 2012-13.
Button, along with a number of other local culinary cognoscenti, is deep in the planning stages of September's Chow Chow culinary festival, so it's no surprise that, in the moments after her nomination, she had Carolina on her mind.
"I want to take a minute to make sure people recognize that there is something incredible happening in the North Carolina food and beverage industry," she said in an email.
"Thank you to the other chefs, local farmers and purveyors, restaurant employees and guests in our area that are committed to supporting positive change in our food system — y'all set the bar so high!"
The biggest thank you, she continued, went out to the staff at Katie Button Restaurants, "for sticking to our values every day, and driving me to do better every year."
What is a James Beard Award?
The James Beard Foundation's Restaurant and Chef Awards recognize talent in restaurants, bars and in the food-writing industry. Awards include Outstanding Bar Program, Outstanding Baker and Rising Star Chef.
More: 3 Asheville chefs are James Beard Award semifinalists. What does that mean?
The other nominees for Best Chef Southeast are Mashama Bailey, executive chef and partner at The Grey in Savannah, Georgia; Cassidee Dabney, executive chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee; chef Ryan Smith of Staplehouse in Atlanta; and chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in Memphis, Tennessee.
Were there other Asheville finalists?
Unfortunately, Asheville's other 2019 semifinalists — Chai Pani's Meherwan Irani for Best Chef Southeast and Buxton Hall's Ashley Capps for Outstanding Pastry Chef — did not make the short list this time.
What's next? Judges, including leading regional restaurant critics and food writers, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard Award winners, will select the winners, which will be announced in May.


text:
The top 50 video games of all time, ranked!
It's hard to pick favorites when it comes to video games. As with movies and books, one's preference for video games is deeply personal.
But that didn't stop us from rounding up the top 50 video games of all time.
We did have some parameters, however, when choosing the games: This list includes console video games, spanning from the 1980s to today, and includes only games from more-modern consoles (sorry, Atari fans!). In most instances, we chose an entire franchise or series of games, rather than just one, as our favorite.
We also took into consideration Metacritic scores, user reviews, as well as our own personal experience to choose the games on this list. The good news is that many of these games were either re-released or are still around in some form, whether on eBay, Amazon, or through virtual consoles like that of the Wii U.
50. "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"
Original release date: October 18, 1987
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
When you think of boxing video games, the first one that comes to mind has to be "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" Players took on the role of Little Mac, who fought his way up the ranks to beat the big guy, Mike Tyson, at the end.
The game was re-released in 1990 and billed as just "Punch-Out!!," after Nintendo's license to use Tyson expired. The last battle was replaced by a fictional character, named Mr. Dream. The game was also released for the Wii in 2009.
The game was notoriously hard, however. Not even Tyson can beat himself in the game.
49. "Soul Calibur" (franchise)
YouTube/Namco Bandai
Original release date: September 9, 1999
Platform: PlayStation, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
The weapon-based fighting game is a standout in the genre. There are six games in the series, which are all set in a fantasy version of the 16th century. There are a ton of characters in the game, all with unique backstories, fighting abilities, and weapons. The franchise has also included characters from other games, like "God of War" and "Assassin's Creed." In "Soul Calibur IV," you could even play as Darth Vader or Yoda from "Star Wars."
48. "Silent Hill" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Vita
Unlike so many horror games that try to make you jump out of your seat, Konami's survival horror series has long relied on psychological terrors to keep gamers coming back. Each game of the franchise is set in the foggy, fictitious American town of "Silent Hill," where players are often forced to face monsters that are actually real-world manifestations of the unconscious mind.
47. "Wii Sports"
Platform: Nintendo Wii
"Wii Sports" was bundled with the Wii when it was released in 2006. The game included five different sports — tennis, baseball, bowling, boxing, golf — meant to show you how to use the Nintendo Wii Remote. It's the second-best-selling game of all time, behind "Tetris" (which was bundled with the original Game Boy).
46. "Call of Duty" (franchise)
Platform: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The first-person shooter was originally released on PC but expanded to consoles and even mobile. The games' settings range from World War II through the Cold War and into the future. Sometimes way in the future.
The most recent game in the series, "Infinite Warfare," was released last month and stars Kit Harington, a.k.a Jon Snow from "Game of Thrones," as the antagonist. Our favorite, however, is "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," which brought the series to present day and introduced a range of weapons and technology to the series.
45. "Guitar Hero" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Wii U
Ever dreamed of playing "I Love Rock 'n Roll," followed by "Killer Queen"? "Guitar Hero" let you be a rockstar in the comforts of your home. It's a music rhythm game that came with cool guitar accessories. The franchise branched out with various sequels and accessories, like a drum set and microphone. It was followed by another successful game in the genre, "Rock Band."
44. "LittleBigPlanet" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable
For a long time, the puzzle platform game "LittleBigPlanet" was one of the only reasons to get a PlayStation 3. Players control Sackboy, navigating him through various levels and collecting bubbles along the way. But the coolest part of the game is the creative portion, in which players get to design levels for others to play.
43. "Contra"
"Contra" is perhaps most well known for its use of the Konami code — up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start — a cheat code that gave players up to 30 lives in the Nintendo version of the game. The Konami code has since been used to find Easter eggs and cheats in various games and websites.
Gameplay objectives include running around and shooting enemies, while trying to avoid getting shot yourself. The game is both a side-scroller and a sort of 3D game, in which players could run forward and backward.
42. "Madden NFL" (franchise)
Original release date: June 1, 1988
Platform: Originally released on the Apple II; later released across all platforms
The greatest (American) football simulator game of all time has to be "Madden NFL." The game, which features realistic scenarios, players, and voice commentary, has been released annually since 1990. The latest in the series, "Madden NFL 17," features New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on the cover.
41. "Assassin's Creed" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Wii U
The intricate plot line of the "Assassin's Creed" series is hard to describe. It's a story within a story, and the main protagonist, Desmond Miles, is the crux — at least in the beginning of the series. You play through his memories, as an Assassin, trying to defeat the Knights Templar.
The best part about the series, however, is its historical accuracy. The game takes you to Italy, America during the Revolution, Paris during the French Revolution, and even the high seas in "Black Flag." You meet a range of historic characters along the way, from Leonardo Da Vinci to George Washington.
The open-world action adventure game is among the top in its genre, and it's worth playing through, even if only to check out the views.
40. "Dragon Age" (franchise)
YouTube/Bioware
Original release date: Nov. 3, 2009
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Bioware's dark fantasy role-playing series has attracted a huge loyal fanbase with varied, interesting, memorable characters and strong storytelling. After a solid entry in 2009 with "Dragon Age: Origins," Bioware wowed audiences with "Dragon Age: Inquisition" in 2014, which let you be the leader of an organization charged with protecting the world from peril.
39. "Resident Evil" (franchise)
Platform: Dreamcast, GameCube, Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Sega Saturn, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
One of the original survival horror games, "Resident Evil" has spawned more than 20 sequels and remakes, and even a series of feature-length films starring Mila Jovovich. But it's the games themselves, which revolve around the evil Umbrella Corporation and its release of the T-virus that turns everyone into zombies and grotesque creatures, that makes it one of the best franchises and Capcom's biggest, with more than 61 million games sold as of this year. The next game in the franchise, "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard," will release on January 24, 2017.
38. "Okami"
YouTube/Capcom
Platform: Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
A stunning and extremely creative video game, "Okami" lets you play as the great spirit Amaterasu, who takes the form of a white wolf, as you roam a beautiful watercolor and cel-shaded world, which looks straight out of a Japanese ink wash painting. Your goal is to hunt down an ancient demon. Your weapon? A celestial paint brush.
37. "Star Fox 64"
Platform: Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS
This scrolling shooter was one of the top-selling games of 1997, and it's easy to see why. Players took on the role of Fox McCloud over 15 levels, with multiplayer support. It was the first game to support the Nintendo 64's Rumble Pak accessory.
For those who missing the fun back in the 90s, a Nintendo 3DS version was released in 2011, called "Star Fox 64 3D."
36. "Final Fantasy" (franchise)
Platform: Nearly every platform you could think of
Though each installment has its own setting, story, and characters, "Final Fantasy" remains one of the constants in gaming. The series is known for its creative characters, emotional plot lines, and soaring visuals. The franchise's 15th installment just arrived on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this month.
35. "Mortal Kombat" (franchise)
Midway/Warner Bros
Original release date: September 13, 1993
Platform: Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
"Mortal Kombat" started as an arcade game, but its reputation of bloody violence — especially those brutal finishing moves called "Fatalities" — spawned countless sequels and spin-offs set in the fantasy-horror-fighting genre. The colorful characters, like Johnny Cage and Scorpion, were also carried over into two movie adaptations in the mid-90s, "Mortal Kombat" and "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation." Fun fact: The Fatalities in "Mortal Kombat" were a big reason for the creation of the ESRB video game rating system, which assigns age and content ratings to video games.
34. "Tomb Raider" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The "Tomb Raider" franchise has been around for 20 years now, but while Lara Croft, everyone's favorite archaeologist-adventurer, has undergone some massive graphical improvements since her early days, the gameplay has stayed about the same: The "Tomb Raider" games are still all about exploration, puzzles, and combat. The last two games of the rebooted franchise, "Tomb Raider" and "Rise of the Tomb Raider," are easily some of the best games you can play today on current-gen consoles.
33. "Destiny"
It was one of the most anticipated games of 2014, and the first big game to take advantage of the graphical and online capabilities of the current generation of consoles. But while Bungie's latest adventure has a few kinks in the armor, "Destiny" has vastly improved since its initial launch, and is one of the most addictive first-person shooters around right now, with its gorgeous environments, snappy gameplay, and fun powers and abilities to choose from.
32. "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim"
Bethesda Game Studios launched the first "Elder Scrolls" game in 1994, but the franchise didn't take the world by storm until almost two decades later, with "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." It's the biggest action role-playing game Bethesda has ever created (that's saying something), and it's also one of the richest in terms of looks and gameplay.
Unlike past games, everything you do in the game, from mixing herbs to fighting to shooting arrows and using magic, helps you improve those skills simply by performing them more often. It's also deeply rewarding in terms of a storyline: You are the Dragonborn, the human who is prophesized to destroy a dragon that wants to eat the world. And with a living world and so many powerful abilities to choose from, no two journeys in "Skyrim" are ever the same.
31. "Mario Tennis"
YouTube/Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U
With simple controls — you press A or B, plus your directional stick, to hit the ball in different ways — "Mario Tennis" was an extremely addicting game for the Nintendo 64, especially when you had four players at once. It received critical acclaim for its accessibility as well as its physics.
30. "Dark Souls" (franchise)
A spiritual successor to the game "Demon's Souls," "Dark Souls" is easily one of the most difficult games ever made, but also one of the most rewarding. There's not much of a plot to speak of — it's mostly left up to the player to piece together various clues — but you basically play as a "cursed undead" who resurrects every time you die. By the end of the game, you can "link the flame" to preserve the Age of Fire and start the game over again essentially, or you can end the cycle by letting the flame die, thus beginning the Age of Dark. The "Dark Souls" games take you through various open worlds as you fight off impossibly tough monsters and get killed again, and again, and again, and again, and again. And then a few more times after that. But it's punishing without being unfair, and thus, each of your lone victories will taste all too sweet.
29. "Psychonauts"
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
One of the funniest, most creative, and beautifully stylistic games ever made, "Psychonauts" centers on a boy named Raz who runs away from the circus to sneak into a summer camp for those with psychic powers. To progress in the game, you must jump into other characters' minds, gain new psychic abilities, fight their demons, tag their emotional baggage, and defeat their other mental afflictions.
28. "Shadow of the Colossus"
YouTube/Sony
Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
You play a boy named Wander, who only has a sword, a bow, and a horse at his disposal. He needs to resurrect a young girl named Momo — you don't know why yet — but the secret to her revival is by defeating various colossi that roam the world. Each giant has its own abilities and weaknesses, and it's your job to find them. It's a straightforward game, but it's also one of the most beautiful games ever made.
27. "Uncharted" (franchise)
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
One of the best reasons to buy a PlayStation console over an Xbox is "Uncharted." The action-adventure third-person shooter — from Naughty Dog, one of the most beloved game makers of the past few decades — follows the story of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter, on his quest to find, you guessed it, lost treasures.
The second game in the series, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," is among the top-rated games across all consoles, and the latest game, "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," is easily one of the most beautiful games ever created. You've never seen how good a video game can look until you've tried an "Uncharted" game.
26. "GoldenEye 64"
Platform: Nintendo 64
Though countless games have been based on movies, Rare, the developer of "Donkey Kong Country," created one of the most addictive, memorable first-person shooters ever. It has the same plot as its namesake film, but the game shone thanks to thrilling moments (dropping in on bad guys in a bathroom is a great way to start a game) and its incredible multiplayer.
25. Bloodborne
Platforms: PlayStation 4
"Bloodborne" is made by From Software, the Japanese game company behind some of the most punishing video games of all time, including the beloved "Dark Souls" franchise. "Bloodborne" is similar to the "Dark Souls" games, but its mechanics reward a more aggressive playstyle, and thus, the game is a bit more approachable. Still, you will die a lot in this game — but it makes every victory that much sweeter. From the incredibly detailed environments to the varied monsters and addictive combat mechanics, "Bloodborne" is quite possibly the best horror-action-adventure game ever made.
24. "Red Dead Redemption"
Flickr / epredator
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Rockstar is known for the "Grand Theft Auto" series, but the company created something truly beautiful and memorable with "Red Dead Redemption," which is an open-world adventure set in the Wild West. As John Marston, a former outlaw charged with bringing his old partners to justice, you can ride horses, collect bounties from wanted posters, duel, play cards (and cheat), collect herbs, hunt wild animals, and even hogtie random characters and place them on the train tracks, if you so desire.
Thankfully, a sequel will arrive later next year.
23. "Metal Gear Solid" (franchise)
Konami/MGS 5 trailer
Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The pioneer of stealth gaming, Hideo Kojima's "Metal Gear Solid" franchise is considered one of the best of all time. The game's protagonist is Solid Snake, a legendary soldier-spy who is often charged with disarming and destroying giant nuclear weapon-armed mechs known as "Metal Gear." But the core skills needed are stealth and infiltration — you must hide under objects, sneak around walls, and use gadgets like infrared goggles to avoid, distract, or take out enemies.
22. "Half-Life 2"
Flickr/tux404
Platform: Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Roughly 20 years after the events of the first game — in which a group of scientists accidentally create an inter-dimensional instability that lets aliens flood the earth — you play one of those scientists, Gordon Freeman, as he collects information and weapons to fight an oppressive multidimensional empire called The Combine. "Half-Life 2" is a first-person shooter that has a lot of fun with physics, exploration, and strategy.
21. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (series)
YouTube/Rocksteady
Starting with "Arkham Asylum," Rocksteady's take on the caped crusader is by far the best — and it's also one of the best superhero series ever made. As a third-person action adventure game, you play as Batman as he tries to foil the Joker's various plots — first at Gotham's mental hospital in "Arkham Asylum," and later across all of Gotham in "Batman: Arkham City." The final game of the series is coming in 2015: "Batman: Arkham Knight."
20. "Kingdom Hearts" (franchise)
Disney / Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable
This action role-playing game combines perhaps two of the most beloved franchises of all time: "Final Fantasy" and Disney. The main character, Sora, and his buddies Donald Duck and Goofy are tasked with traveling to various Disney-themed worlds on a mission to prevent invasion by the bad guys, called Heartless.
Several sequels across various platforms were released. "Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix" will be released soon (you can preorder a special collector's edition of the game now), and "Kingdom Hearts 3" is in development.
19. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" (franchise)
Original release date: August 31, 1999
Platform: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3
Tony Hawk's awesome "Pro Skater" put you on a board and sent you off throughout various cities, trying to complete missions. By stringing together awesome tricks, like aerials and ollies, you could rack up the points to be a true pro skater. The game also featured a great soundtrack and some big names in skateboarding, like Bam Margera and Bob Burnquist.
There were several sequels and spin-offs, but our favorite has to be "Pro Skater 2," which added more mechanics and more modes than the original, while also featuring some of the best levels and music across the series.
18. "Mass Effect" (franchise)
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U
"Mass Effect" is a lot of things: a third-person shooter, a role-playing game, a high-octane action-adventure strategy game. But more than anything, it's a space opera. You are Commander Shepard, and your mission is to save the galaxy from the destructive mechanical beings called Reapers. You must recruit soldiers, scientists, and allies from different planets across the galaxy and make difficult decisions that affect you, your crew, and the entire universe. And in "Mass Effect 3," the company introduced same-sex relationships in the series.
The original trilogy ended in 2012, but BioWare will soon release a new game set in the "Mass Effect" universe. "Mass Effect Andromeda" will launch in March 2017.
17. "Super Smash Bros." (franchise)
"Smash Bros." is one of the best fighting games out there. Instead of knocking opponents down, players have to knock opponents off a stage. Each character has his or her own set of moves, but the button combinations for each are the same no matter which character you are.
The cast of "Smash Bros." brings together a bunch of characters from the Nintendo universe. The latest sequel to the game works on both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS — but we'd expect some kind of update to the series when Nintendo launches its Switch console in March 2017.
16. "Journey"
YouTube/thatgamecompany
You wake up in the middle of a sprawling desert. Off in the distance, you see a shining mountaintop. Your goal: to get there. Through dunes and ruins, your character will learn how to fly to get to that mountain — but the journey is much more than the destination. "Journey" is one of the most beautiful-looking and beautiful-sounding games ever created — its soundtrack, composed by Austin Wintory, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (the first ever for a video game).
15. "Super Mario Kart" (franchise)
Platform: Super NES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Wii U
"Super Mario Kart" is a go-kart racing game that lets the player take control of one of several different characters from the Mario and Nintendo universes. There are a bunch of "Mario Kart" titles in the franchise, the most recent being "Mario Kart 8" for the Wii U, but they're all incredibly fun to play — especially with a group of people.
14. "Fallout" (franchise)
The "Fallout" games are incredibly fun role-playing action-adventure games, where you play as a Vault Dweller who must endure the Wasteland, the name for the post-apocalyptic landscape (though you play in different areas in every game, like Boston or Washington D.C.), fighting off mutated creatures, traveling to new locations, and meeting people who send you on quests. "Fallout 4," which released last year, was so popular that it reportedly netted around $750 million in its first 24 hours of availability.
13. "Minecraft"
Original release date: May 17, 2009
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
"Minecraft" is a huge, open-world sandbox game that was originally released for the PC in 2009. Since then, it has been released on other platforms, including on the current-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Microsoft just purchased the company behind the game, Mojang, for more than $2 billion.
The game looks like a huge gridded landscape, with various blocks representing trees, dirt, rocks, etc. The landscape is "procedurally generated," meaning that content is generated via an algorithm and can basically be infinite. And there's an in-game time system, which cycles through day and night.
There are various activities you perform in the game: combat, exploration, crafting, gathering items, and building things. There are no specific goals, but there are different modes: Survival, Adventure, and Creative. But Creative mode is where "Minecraft" really shines, with people building amazing creations and structures. Including a working version of Disney World, where you can even ride the rides.
12. "Sonic the Hedgehog"
Platform: Sega Genesis, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii, Wii U
Sonic, that blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who runs at supersonic speeds and curls into a spiky ball to hit people, remains one of gaming's most recognizable characters. His side-scrolling games mostly involve racing through levels, avoiding obstacles, and collecting golden power-up rings. Though Sega's mascot once rivaled Mario in popularity, his games in recent years have not been received well — although he has joined Mario on a few occasions, most notably in Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros." franchise.
11. "The Last of Us"
The Last of Us trailer
In Naughty Dog's adventure-survival-horror game, you play as Joel, a man who is forced to survive a zombie apocalypse that claims many of his loved ones. You are charged with smuggling a teenage girl named Ellie, who is immune to the virus that turns people into zombies, to a group of rebels fighting the quarantine zone authorities that want to kill her. It's a stunning tale with several twists and turns, but it's beautiful throughout, and the plot makes it feel as if you're in a movie. Thankfully, Naughty Dog is working on a sequel, which will likely be released in late 2017.
10. "Donkey Kong" (franchise)
Platform: Every Nintendo platform
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the "Super Mario" and "Legend Of Zelda" franchises, is also the creator of the red-tie-wearing great ape named Donkey Kong. He first started off as a bad guy throwing barrels at Nintendo's little red plumber, but he really grew up in Rare's "Donkey Kong Country" series, which featured three-dimensional playable characters Donkey and Diddy Kong in a mostly 2D side-scrolling world of jungles, oceans, and more. He is one of the most iconic characters in gaming, and his difficult side-scrolling adventures continue to attract new fans on Nintendo's platforms.
9. "BioShock" (franchise)
The Fiscal Times
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
A spiritual successor to the dystopian "System Shock" series — and produced by former developers of that series — the first "BioShock" game in 2007 introduced gamers to the underwater city of Rapture, learning of the city's past through exploration while overcoming the city's horrific denizens, the creepy Splicers, and the heavily armored Big Daddies. Luckily, you have tons of unique weapons and superpowers at your disposal — powers you get by either saving the human Little Sisters that accompany the Big Daddies, or harvesting their bodies for more of that superhuman juice. But the decisions you make throughout the game affect how it's played, and how it all ends.
In case you missed the series the first go-around, be sure to buy "BioShock: The Collection," which includes the first two "BioShock" games, plus "BioShock Infinite."
8. "Metroid"
It's one of Nintendo's oldest and strongest intellectual properties: You play as the female bounty hunter Samus Aran as you protect the galaxy from Space Pirates, their dragon-like leader Ridley, and the parasitic organisms known as Metroids. You wear a cybernetic suit that gets powerful upgrades as you progress through the game. The shooter/platformer started as a 2D experience, but it really blossomed as a 3D first-person shooter in "Metroid Prime," which is widely considered to be one of the best games ever made, and it remains one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic.
7. "Grand Theft Auto" (franchise)
Platform: Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The "Grand Theft Auto" series started out in 2D and has since branched out into a huge open world, where players take on the role of a criminal. Gameplay involves assassinations, car theft, and pretty much any other criminal activity you can think of.
The storylines aren't linear, and the people you meet and the things you do are based on the choices you make. A re-release of "Grand Theft Auto V" on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will come out Nov. 18.
6. "Portal" (franchise)
You've never had so much fun solving puzzles. In "Portal," you wake up in a glass-enclosed room that's owned by Aperture Laboratories, which is running a series of "tests" on you. Your goal is to pass these tests with one tool and one tool only: a portal gun, which creates one blue and one orange portal. If you enter through the blue portal, you'll come out of the orange portal, and vice-versa. It's an extremely simple premise — best the tests, and escape the labs — but it's a highly enjoyable experience, marked by some of the funniest writing ever found in a video game as well as some of the most creative physics-related puzzles you've ever encountered.
5. "Tetris"
Nintendo/BulletProof Software
Platform: Various consoles
"Tetris," the game in which you manipulate falling blocks to create lines that are then cleared from the screen, turned 30 years old this year.
The story behind "Tetris" is complicated, but the game is fun and hugely addicting. And who can forget the music?
It was released with the Game Boy handheld gaming system and turned the Game Boy into the most popular portable gaming system of its time. Since then, it has become one of the top-selling games of all time. It's so beloved, in fact, that a movie trilogy will be based on it.
4. "Halo" (franchise)
Platform: Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
In 2001, Bungie redefined the first-person shooter with the original "Halo," which let characters play as the super-soldier marine known as Master Chief as he took on a religious alien alliance known as the Covenant. In the original game, the Covenant is trying to activate Halo, a planet-size ring created to destroy all sentient life in the universe, and you as Master Chief are trying to stop them.
With a strong story and truly addictive gameplay, Microsoft made sure to hold onto the rights to Halo even after Bungie, the developer behind the original games, purchased its independence from Microsoft and stopped making the series. "Halo" is now in the hands of Microsoft-owned 343 Industries, which just released "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" (a remastering of the first four "Halo" titles for Xbox One) and is working on "Halo 5."
3. "Pokémon" (franchise)
YouTube / Pokemon X and Y screencap
Platform: All Nintendo platforms, particularly portables
The game is simple: The world is inhabited by colorful animals — monsters, really — that you can capture and keep as pets and use to fight other owners, called "trainers." Your character travels from town to town, meeting people and running into wild Pokémon along the way. The goal is to build the best team of Pokémon possible, so as you challenge other trainers, and bosses known as "gym leaders," your Pokémon get stronger, you earn badges for your achievements, and you can brag to your friends and rivals that you are "the very best that no one ever was."
Pokémon is the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, second only to Nintendo's Mario.
2. "The Legend of Zelda"
All gamers have their favorite Zelda game — whether "A Link To The Past," "Ocarina Of Time," "Wind Waker," or one of countless others.
"The Legend Of Zelda" franchise has withstood the test of time — even though most of the games, while never featuring the same "incarnation" of these characters, feature a young hero named Link who must save Princess Zelda from the evil Gerudo thief known as Ganondorf.
Many of the tales take place in the kingdom of Hyrule and involve an omnipotent symbol called the Triforce, which consists of three all-powerful golden triangles: the triangle of courage is given to Link, the triangle of wisdom is given to Zelda, and the triangle of power is given to Ganondorf. The tales are all varied — sometimes you're transforming into animals and creatures to complete quests; other times you're traveling back and forth in time — but gamers of all ages have been able to connect with these emotional characters and their rich, often-amusing adventures.
1. "Super Mario Bros."
Platform: Every Nintendo console
He got his start as the ladder-climbing "Jumpman" in "Donkey Kong," but starting with "Super Mario Bros." in 1985, Mario quickly became the face and mascot of Nintendo — and an icon for the entire industry.
Mario is an absolute juggernaut, and the face of video games: Mario owns Guinness World Records for "Best Selling Video Game Series of All Time," "Most Prolific Video Game Character," and yes, even "First Movie Based On An Existing Video Game." Mario is also a pop culture icon: He has toys, commercials, candy, and of course, tons and tons of best-selling games. Mario has appeared in 116 distinct video game titles — including landmark games like "Super Mario 64" and "Super Mario Galaxy" — but that number doesn't even include all of the remakes and re-releases over the years. Mario, we salute you.
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Home / Diseases & Conditions / Cancer / CityNews' Cynthia Mulligan reveals Stage 4 cancer battle
CityNews' Cynthia Mulligan reveals Stage 4 cancer battle
Longtime CityNews on-air reporter Cynthia Mulligan has announced she is once again battling breast cancer.
The Toronto Sun,
By: Mark Daniell
The veteran Toronto TV personality revealed the news in a Twitter thread sharing that she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer last December — 11 years after she first fought off the illness.
" The scariest words ever said to me were 'You have cancer,'" Mulligan wrote as she announced she will be taking the summer off. "Now 11 years later I have heard words that are even more frightening. 'Your cancer is back. Stage 4.' I found out two days before Christmas and I admit it has taken time to process."
Mulligan said that she has been part of a clinical drug trial for targeted chemotherapy since earlier this year and the treatment is having some success.
" The cancer is not progressing and in fact it has shrunk by 30%, so don't count me out."
The multi-platform journalist, who won an Edward R. Murrow award for her series on Kicking Cancer — her first-person account of what it was like to suddenly be diagnosed with the disease — said she will take the next few months off " to slow down and just take care of me."
" Time is the most precious thing any of us will ever have — and so are the people we love," she continued. "I have my girls, my family, cherished friends and my partner Stef who is my rock and fills my heart with love. I'm going to celebrate and savour every moment."
Mulligan said that because she has battled the disease earlier she is prepared to fight again, but added: " It's harder because I have done this before."
She pledged to " live every moment to the fullest" writing, "When I was 1st diagnosed with breast cancer I kept praying for 10 years so I could watch my two young daughters grow & fill them with a lifetime of mother's love. I got those 10 years, I'm so grateful … The thought of leaving them now though breaks me, they still need their mom. I am determined to have many more years with them, I am so very proud of who they each are. I would go through this a million times more if it meant they didn't have to."
Mulligan's thread was flooded with wellwishers, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who wrote, "
Cynthia, you are a true champion and fighter. You've beaten cancer before and we are with you during this new battle. I look forward to you holding my feet to the fire when you're back at Queen's Park in the fall."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also shared his support with a message that read, "
Like so many others, Sophie and I are rooting for you, Cynthia. I think you said it best in one of your tweets: you got this."
Mulligan ended her thread asking followers not to see her as someone who is sick.
"See someone who is loving every second of this glorious thing we call life. I'm not living with cancer, it's just hitching a ride on my amazing life."
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She ordered him to pay a $100 fine before adding, "You've got to get that cleaned up. That is totally inappropriate."