I spent the remainder of the evening after the "hike" sorting out my thoughts. Trying to, at any rate. Writing it all down helped, but I was still exhausted and confused.
I woke up in Frankie Preston's bed the following morning. I instantly knew it wasn't mine due to the lack of Dorito crumbs in the sheets. Even so, it took me a while to come to. Once I'd rubbed my eyes and untangled myself from the blanket, I found the man himself sitting upright beside me, fully dressed with his shoes on, presently reading a book. "Morning, Sunshine," he muttered, not looking up. "There's water on the nightstand for you. A muffin, too. I wasn't sure what to get."
I let out an incoherent murmur to which he huffed a laugh and rested his hand on the side of my face. "You were still as a rock, you know."
"I'm sorry for messing up last night," I said, my voice cracked and dry from sleep. "I shouldn't have gone looking for trouble. I should've stayed low and just watched those two."
"What's with that tone? I'm not about to lecture you. I get wanting to take revenge. You did fine as far as I'm concerned. And I think Markov is okay with everything, too. After all, any proceedings against the Collective are highly legitimate now or whatever. Plus, she got that lady cultist in custody now, and she's looking forward to the interrogation. She called and explained it to me on the phone earlier, but I wasn't paying attention." He shrugged to himself and I reached up to tug aside his book's cover. "It's Wuthering Heights," he told me, gently removing my hand. I tried to grab it again, but he pulled it out of my reach. "Oh!" He sounded amused as he finally set the book aside to hug me. "You could have just said something."
"Don't you have to work today?"
"I called in sick. Of course, my six moms know I don't actually get sick so they'll suspect something's up. They're probably gonna be all over me."
"You never get sick?" I inquired.
"No. It's one of the nicer aspects of inhuman nature."
"I'm still not getting any answers on that?"
"Don't worry, you will. Sooner or later."
We went out and took a walk in the park, which was equally weird and nice. It seemed such a normal thing to do. It was a bright, nearly windless day, and the sun shining down on us provided a gentle warmth. The previous days' rain had left the trees heavily laden with drops of water. Occasionally, some would dislodge from the leaves and branches they occupied and plop down on our heads.
I asked Frankie whether he would be alright with checking in on Nettie Peterson together. He chuckled, joking that she would probably just love to see him, but ultimately agreed. Once my best friend was due to be off work, we went around to her house.
Strangely enough, the most drastic changes in other people seem to happen without me really being there to witness them. Kit Sutton had somehow turned into a somewhat responsible roommate without me even noticing. Before I knew it, we had become friends. When my savior human opened the door for us, I felt distinctly reminded of that other development. Nettie, not unlike a butterfly emerging from whatever they call that odd little sleeping bag caterpillars make for themselves, had apparently come out of her dark state of mind all by herself. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she wheedled us inside with much the same enthusiasm I was used to. She had us sit down in the garden while she tended to her flowers.
I watched her closely. Her skin had regained much of its healthy glow, her hair was washed and shiny, the clothes she wore clean—a flowing blouse, mom jeans and sneakers. She had clearly picked them out with care, like she normally did. It was good to see her restored to her old self, but I couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.
"I have to be, don't I?" she replied, her cheerful tone coming out more forced than she'd likely intended. She was cutting away crushed and wilted leaves from one of her small bushes, shaping it in the process. "It's over. Life goes on."
"Does it?" I tilted my head at her.
"Can we talk about anything else? Literally anything?" The snapping movements of her garden shears came faster; more forceful. Frankie Preston and I exchanged uncomfortable looks. Figuring it would make for an interesting topic, I proceeded to tell Nettie about our exploits the night before. Halfway through my story, she had ceased her plant styling activities, blankly staring at me from where she sat on the ground. By the time I was done, she had taken off her rubber gloves and was slowly massaging her temples.
"One of these days, Eva. One of these days, you're gonna give me a heart attack. I don't even want to ask about what you get up to anymore, I think. I'm afraid of the answer." She threw Fran a grateful glance. "Thank you for getting her out of there safely."
The waiter smiled placidly. "Sure." Turning to me, he added in a whisper, "So we're not going to mention that you saved me from the FunFlair guys twice before this?"
I grinned mildly and shook my head before assuming a more serious tone. "Nettie, it's great that you're all better, but you were really down before. If this is just an act, I'd prefer you didn't put it on."
"It's not an act," she said sternly, raising her hands to her hips. "I've resigned myself. That's all. There's nothing to be done, I've accepted it and I've moved on."
"That can't be healthy," Frankie remarked. "You know what would help? Punishing the world in some way. You could take it out on your kindergarteners. Tell them a scary story so their parents have to stay up all night with them. Incite a dirt throwing fight and send them home all muddy. Set up a boxing ring and have them go at each other like in a dog fight. Wouldn't that be far more rewarding than sucking it up?"
Nettie Peterson looked unimpressed. Her dark eyes roamed the young man like she was trying to gauge whether or not he was serious. "You're some kind of sociopath, aren't you?"
That she shouldn't have said. Frankie's serene expression morphed into his customer service smile. I don't know when I started deciphering this being's voice and countenance, but there I was, picking up on the spiteful undertone in what he said next.
"I'm just saying, if the woman I fancied disappeared in such a way, I'd find outlets for my grief." His eyes darted over to Nettie as if to ensure she'd heard him correctly before settling on me, observing my reaction. All I could do however was stare at my best friend.
Her glossy lips had parted. She met my gaze, her thick, expressive brows rising a good deal. "I…" she began, faltering and starting to fumble for words. "That's to say, Kit was… we, um…"
"Oh, Eva didn't know?" Frankie asked, perfectly flat and monotonous. "I had no idea it was a secret. I'm sorry, it wasn't my place to say. I wouldn't have mentioned it, really."
Something about that sent a chill down my spine. I shot him a glare, to which he drew himself up and turned away. Meanwhile, Nettie finally broke from her stupor and blurted out, "We were together, okay?"
For a moment, I sat quietly. “Frank, please go home,” I said at length, not quite looking at him. “We’ll talk later. We will.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but quickly thought better of it, rising to his feet and storming off. Ignoring the queasy feeling in my stomach, I walked over to Nettie and plopped down on the ground beside her. “So that’s what this was about,” I began.
My savior human nodded meekly. “We… we didn’t want to tell you. Not for the time being, at least. We hadn’t defined the relationship yet, i-it was all so new and weird, I felt weird, but it was good, you know? I just wasn’t ready to think about it that way yet. And you’ve only ever seen me date guys, I didn’t know what you’d think…”
“I wouldn’t have thought anything,” I replied. “How long has this been going on?”
“Not long. She called me up before she came back to you a couple weeks ago. That’s kind of when we started seeing each other in… in that way.”
“Romantically?”
“Yes.”
I hesitantly extended a hand to caress her upper arm, locking eyes with her. There was a profound sadness in her expression, a watery gleam. She took a deep breath. “Before that, we used to text back and forth occasionally. I always felt kind of weird about her. Somehow, she got under my skin everytime she was goofing off, what with her little jokes and all. We kept talking, though. I was always so irritated when she was around, and that’s so unlike me, I just ended up wondering… And then when she showed up here, it all kind of came together. W-we did. She stuck around and we spoke and everything simply made sense all of a sudden. I didn't know she liked me, too.” She swallowed audibly, her voice brittle and husky as she went on. “Kit isn't like anyone else I’ve ever had feelings for.”
“Not like anyone else, as in… a woman?” I prompted, raising a brow.
Nettie grunted. “Oh, shush! Don't make me feel guilty for being hesitant at first. I know it’s not a big deal to you, but try going through life believing you’re straight and suddenly running into some cute ditzy punk girl and realizing you’re not. It’s all sorts of confusing, believe me. I was scared it was gonna be weird because it was my first time with a woman but Kit somehow made it easy. It was a bit of a whirlwind, sure, but it felt natural and… just good.”
“Did you tell Eli?”
“No. But I think he suspected. That man knows me like the back of his hand. We’re basically siblings, remember? He was always tactful, never really pressured me into admitting anything, but he made a couple puns here and there, so… I do believe he knew.” She fumbled with her limp gloves, fixing me with a wavering smile. “So?”
“So what?”
“What do you say?”
“Is there something you want me to say?” I shrugged. “I’m only glad I understand now. I wish you’d told me sooner, but that’s your business. Also, I didn’t tell you that I’ve been running around with our waiter, so I guess we’re essentially even. By the way, I’m sorry he put you on the spot like that. You didn’t deserve that. How did he know about you two anyways?”
Nettie pursed her lips. “He might have seen us around the diner or something. I’m not sure. I’m, uh, not gonna comment on whatever you two got going on. You know what you’re doing. Hopefully.”
“Ah, thanks. Then I won’t be giving my opinion on whether or not I consider that deadbeat dork Kit to be worthy of you.”
My savior human snorted. “Much appreciated. Though I guess it’s not really an issue anymore either way.”
I shook my head. “Don’t think like that. We can’t let her go. I certainly won’t, not after this.”
“What do you mean?”
I rose to my feet. “I’m going to drag her blue ass back out of the ocean and have her make an honorable woman of you.”
I don’t believe she thought I was serious. The realization had set in by the time I’d dragged her down to the beach with me, though. We had taken Wammawink for the drive. Wammawink is the name of Nettie’s pastel pink motor scooter. It has a sidecar, which she straps me into with great care whenever we ride. It took her about twenty minutes to get us down to the shore. The more I talked about possibly retrieving my roommate, the brighter and realer the shine in her eyes became. Hope was not yet dead, that much was for certain. I led her down the cliffside and past the rocky expanse to where the concert had been held. It seemed ages ago. Some wistful part of me thought I could hear the faint sound of Kits singing above the gentle murmur of the waves.
The beach was golden in the afternoon sunlight. The sleepy tide sent water steadily dribbling into the sand beneath our feet, the drier patches giving way ever so slightly as we walked along. The faint outline of a plan had taken shape in my mind. We headed for the grotto.
"It makes sense now," I thought aloud. "The creature we fought at the concert was targeting you. The deep ones must have known that you two had a bond."
"I guess so," she replied uncertainly, eyeing the maw that opened up in the natural stone wall before us. "Going spelunking will help us how, exactly…?"
"I figure it tried to take you in there for a reason. This place has to be special. If you want, you can always wait here, but I'd prefer to have you with me. I only want to look around a bit. Maybe there's a clue of sorts on how we can contact Kit."
She sighed. "Now I know why you wanted me to bring my flashlight." She produced the object in question and handed it over before linking arms with me. "Of course I'll stick with you."
The inside of the cave was far too quiet for comfort. The eerie silence was only broken by the occasional plinking of water dripping from the walls and ceiling. We made an effort to step around the puddles glittering on the bumpy ground as we proceeded into the dimness. The sunlight threading through the grotto's mouth didn't reach very far, so we were glad for the bright beam of our torch. I let it travel the hollowed rock, the light crinkling oddly as it reflected off the pools of water that seemed to grow larger the further we got. Nettie Peterson was hanging onto my arm, her grip growing a little tighter with every passing minute. Her face was a set mask of grim determination, belied by the nervous twitch of her eyelid and the occasional quiver of her lower lip.
My own discomfort was undeniable as well. My heart was thundering in my chest and clammy beads of perspiration were running down my face. Every step we took caused a dull thud, the echo of which bounced off the rough stone walls to be funneled by the length of the cave. There were several smaller passages leading off into all directions, but Nettie and I agreed on always picking the largest entrance. This way, the path we took was far easier to memorize and there was little possibility of getting lost. After the third or fourth time we ducked through one of the doorframe-like archs, we were met with an imposing sight. A large room with high ceilings opened up before us. There was natural light seeping through several small cracks overhead. Stringy, pale plant life hung down or clung to the walls. A round lake filled up its entire bottom half.
Both Nettie and I stopped in our tracks. There was no solid ground to walk on anymore. On top of that, the beauty of this subterranean body of water had literally stunned us. Ripples were rolling off the center of its surface, casting a faint shimmer onto the ceiling. The stone-filtered light from outside set the lake aglow, bright speckled dancing across it like sprightly wisps. All I could do was taken in a soft, reverent breath while the very thoughts running through my head escaped Nettie's trembling lips.
"Have you ever seen something so beautiful?"
I would have told her yes, but I truly could not remember when. Unfortunately, the lake also appeared to form something of a dead end. I considered turning and checking out another passage, only for my savior human to point out a ledge running along the side of the room. It was narrow, but no doubt wide enough for the two of us to walk it single-file. We clambered up the shelf-like protrusion and, hand in hand, began to move along. It was bumpy and wet, and I almost regretted continuing this way. I couldn't seem to properly place my feet, my soles slipping a few inches with every step. Glancing over my shoulder, I could tell from Nettie's grim expression that she was experiencing similar difficulties. My pulse was racing, my lower lip caught between my teeth as I attempted to focus on safely making it across.
The cold sweat that leaves my palms was actively working against me at this point, and before I could react, the flashlight had slipped through my shaking fingers. It bounced off a bump in the shelf, then rolled off the edge entirely to disappear in the dark water with a thick, loud plop. I cursed, turning to Nettie with an apologetic expression.
"It's fine," she assured me, squeezing my hand. "It's bright enough here as it is and we'll still have our phones for light later."
I smiled gratefully, about to take my next step when a deep, guttural gurgle came rumbling up from the depths of the lake. The sound hovered in the damp, salty air for a moment or two. My best friend and I froze in place, her grip on my hand turning into an iron vice. For a split second, I believe even my own heartbeat stilled.
"What was that?" Nettie Peterson whispered, her voice barely audible over the sudden charged hum of the water below. Her question would not remain unanswered for long. The droning noise of vast water masses shifting began to fill the air as from deep, deep beneath, something made its way up. My savior human and I helplessly pressed our backs up against the wall, trying to keep steady against the force of the vibration shuddering through the rock. The ledge we were standing on was quaking as though the cave itself had come alive and was trying to throw us into this growling, cold abyss.
Within seconds, the thing broke the surface, causing enormous splashes and sending countless drops of water raining down on us. I blinked them out of my eyes just in time to see it unfurl.
It was not a living being in its entirety, merely part of one. That however only made the sight before us all the more terrifying. Simply put, it was a human arm. Just not of any human I had ever encountered. It was enormous; every webbed finger of the hand it ended in was about my size. There were six of them, each bending in far too many places—I thought I could count as many as eight joints on the longest one. Its nails were more like claws, long and sharp with what looked like barnacles growing underneath them. The thin, nearly translucent skin between its fingers was stony gray, just like the rest of it. The hand slowly began to grope around, searching the walls of the cave. I knew right then and there that I couldn't possibly fight it. If it came to it, I'd try to hold it off with everything I had, but something this huge couldn't possibly be defeated. We had to flee, as long as we still could.
"Oh God," Nettie breathed. "Oh God, oh God, oh God…" Her hand was trembling in mine.
"Quick," I hissed. "Turn around, we gotta get out of here!"
She nodded helplessly, her eyes blown wide in terror. When she began her retreat from the ledge, she nearly took up running. I pulled her close just in time to prevent her from slipping. "Watch out!" I uttered, unable to suppress the fear in my tone. "Don't slip, we're dead if we fall in."
My savior human let out a whine, then took a deep breath and bit her lip. Slowly but steadily, she placed each foot in front of the other, leading us off the ledge. My ears were ringing. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the gigantic arm as it blindly felt along the walls, its nails coaxing a grating sound as they scratched upon the rocks. It was getting closer and closer, the side of its thumb nearly brushing the top of my head for a split second before I could withdraw. I had to press my eyes shut for a moment as my chest tightened painfully. Finally, we had reached the end of the shelf and wasted no time in jumping off.
We didn't even bother with any cell phone flashlights. As soon as we were on solid ground again, we darted through the entrance of the room, back through all of our carefully chosen passages before finally staggering out the mouth of the cave into the sunlight. We were panting like dogs; Nettie was forced to crouch down and sit still for a while to catch her breath. Meanwhile, I was seeing stars. Colorful dots and sparks of lightning seemed to dance before my inner eye as I blinked furiously into the afternoon sun.
"What the fuck was that?" my best friend, having regained her ability to speak, rasped out.
I turned to face her, my knees wobbling like jello. "I have no idea."
"You think it… you think that fish person from the concert was trying to take me there? Dump me into that lake?" She lowered her voice. "It would have fed me to that giant thing, wouldn't it."
I held her gaze, my mind racing. "I don't know. Maybe the giant's different."
"What do you mean?"
"I think we might have just seen Kit's father."
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work

Weekly Wildcard League Report - GW38 Entries remain open, join code: 62bcum
The weekly wildcard league is a league with unlimited free-transfers trying to nail the dream team each week - see the joining details below.
This week in the fantasypl Weekly Wildcard League the Team Of The Week was 'Mansplaining FPL' managed by 'u/drearyDusk ⠀' with a GW score of '78'
Top scouts this GW

rank	id	team_name	manager	GW_points	GW_transfers
1	3310022	Mansplaining FPL	u/drearyDusk ⠀	78	7
2	7592633	Weekly Wanderers	Mike Laskey	78	16
3	5010893	YOLO	Sindre Haugen	77	14
4	456494	BEST ELEVEN	James D Soh	76	7
5	16985	Catch me if you Kane	SlipperySimplicity /	72	10
6	1274664	Areola’s Areolas	Max Basta	71	3
7	4698648	Hits n Giggs	Jimmy B	70	7
8	5069626	Born 2 be Wildcard	Wildcard Sam	70	13
9	5705467	Vancouver Titans	CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM	67	3
10	3091427	Liverpoops	Alex Chen	67	21
11	1416472	Boly magas	Parikshit CH	65	15
12	7596049	Savage vs Scout	u/ Savage9645	65	9
13	1968231	Dream Team	Tiago Costa	62	7
14	439319	Scouting for goals	Scout Master	62	12
15	3273078	Harvardsportsblog	Harvardsports. blogspot.com	61	10
16	1795393	PG Tips FC	Steve Webb	60	6
17	8786569	Eberechi's Ebonies	FMDK00 ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)	59	7
18	5796	WILDCARD BOYZ	u/ Rembata37	58	14
19	7551062	YOLO	Sindre Haugen	58	11
20	7022949	Official scout	Official Scout	56	9
21	4199657	Sterling Effort	Faust R. Peggi	56	8
22	9329092	La Casa Del Rey	Don Oussama	51	6
23	8108322	The Misanthrope	Victor Shawn Awatt	50	3
24	1110323	Flat Balls	Thomas Illescas	49	11
25	406656	lacroix	Charbel Bou Khalil	48	3
26	10118082	Borussia Teeth	Idrees Awais	47	3
27	708428	Wildcard FC	u/ chibibabymoon	42	4
28	259370	HaaLund ke Baal	Jaggu WC	40	13
29	6304618	BaduRanciu	George Bebeselea	36	3
30	4238920	AGP Max	u/ Esseth	33	7
31	154428	Lollypop FC	Olga Silbery	28	10
32	529864	stillTrashAtFPL	Mwai Chatha	26	4

Favourite picks this GW

name	selected	captained	gw_pts
Alexander-Arnold	28	0	4
Salah	24	11	5
Kane	22	6	16
Fernandes	15	2	10
Álvarez	14	1	2
Rashford	13	3	2
Eze	12	1	2
Ødegaard	11	1	3
Trippier	11	0	0
De Gea	10	0	7
Son	10	1	5
Wilson	9	1	1
Watkins	9	0	9
Tarkowski	9	0	8
Mahrez	7	0	2
Mitoma	6	0	1
Estupiñán	5	0	1
Gabriel	5	0	6
Maddison	5	1	2
Rodrigo	5	0	2
White	5	0	6
Guéhi	4	0	2
Ederson	4	0	3
McNeil	4	1	3
Ramsdale	4	0	6
Isak	3	0	2
Jesus	3	0	12
Pickford	3	0	5
Schär	3	0	2
Firmino	3	1	5
Castagne	3	0	2
Ramsey	3	0	9
Iheanacho	3	0	5
Johnstone	2	0	3
Saka	2	0	6
Garnacho	2	0	2
Alisson	2	0	0
Mbeumo	2	0	5
Dalot	2	0	2
Groß	2	0	5
Barnes	2	0	7
Andersen	2	0	2
Tsimikas	2	0	-1
Lewis	2	0	2
Mitrović	2	0	-1
Steele	1	0	2
Pinnock	1	0	15
Botman	1	0	3
Mac Allister	1	0	2
Foden	1	0	2
Mina	1	0	8
Aké	1	0	8
Casemiro	1	0	2
Arrizabalaga	1	0	3
Van Dijk	1	0	0
Wissa	1	0	2
Havertz	1	0	1
Henry	1	0	7
Enciso	1	0	2
Lindelöf	1	0	2
Douglas Luiz	1	0	7
Willian	1	0	5
Almirón	1	0	2
Ayling	1	0	0
Iversen	1	0	2
Keane	1	0	0
Bowen	1	0	1
Jones	1	0	1
Dubravka	1	0	3
Diogo Jota	1	0	13
Kelleher	1	0	2
Kiwior	1	0	13
Sergio Gómez	1	0	2
Martínez	1	0	3
Trossard	1	0	9
Palmer	1	0	2
Cash	1	0	1
Emerson Royal	1	0	2
Gibbs-White	1	0	4
Sancho	1	1	9
A.Doucouré	1	0	11

Overall weekly wildcard League:

rank	id	team_name	manager	total_score	total_transfers
1	3310022	Mansplaining FPL	u/drearyDusk ⠀	2605	234
2	8786569	Eberechi's Ebonies	FMDK00 ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)	2571	374
3	7592633	Weekly Wanderers	Mike Laskey	2563	329
4	456494	BEST ELEVEN	James D Soh	2544	257
5	5705467	Vancouver Titans	CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM	2534	98
6	7596049	Savage vs Scout	u/ Savage9645	2506	302
7	16985	Catch me if you Kane	SlipperySimplicity /	2486	224
8	8108322	The Misanthrope	Victor Shawn Awatt	2476	86
9	406656	lacroix	Charbel Bou Khalil	2469	130
10	4199657	Sterling Effort	Faust R. Peggi	2443	317
11	3273078	Harvardsportsblog	Harvardsports. blogspot.com	2440	193
12	439319	Scouting for goals	Scout Master	2434	359
13	5069626	Born 2 be Wildcard	Wildcard Sam	2428	283
14	708428	Wildcard FC	u/ chibibabymoon	2426	211
15	1968231	Dream Team	Tiago Costa	2425	167
16	5796	WILDCARD BOYZ	u/ Rembata37	2419	261
17	4698648	Hits n Giggs	Jimmy B	2417	276
18	7022949	Official scout	Official Scout	2408	254
19	3091427	Liverpoops	Alex Chen	2407	96
20	1416472	Boly magas	Parikshit CH	2401	97
21	1274664	Areola’s Areolas	Max Basta	2387	95
22	529864	stillTrashAtFPL	Mwai Chatha	2365	154
23	1110323	Flat Balls	Thomas Illescas	2348	238
24	4238920	AGP Max	u/ Esseth	2295	172
25	1795393	PG Tips FC	Steve Webb	2245	143
26	259370	HaaLund ke Baal	Jaggu WC	2225	180
27	7551062	YOLO	Sindre Haugen	2134	318
28	5010893	YOLO	Sindre Haugen	2133	326
29	10118082	Borussia Teeth	Idrees Awais	2114	83
30	6304618	BaduRanciu	George Bebeselea	2061	159
31	154428	Lollypop FC	Olga Silbery	2006	223
32	9329092	La Casa Del Rey	Don Oussama	1969	89

Join the scout league:
The aim is to make a secondary FPL team to try and get the most points from your 1st XI each week, with no restrictions on transfers: - Transfers will not count against your "scout league" score (they will still be counted on the official site) - Points are only scored for the first XI each week, subs don't count. - Captain only, Vice-Captain will not be counted - Auto-subs will not be counted. - Chips will not be counted (you can play them if you want, but they won't affect your score)
I'm still confused how does this work? People in this league create a secondary team and try and pick the best XI each week without caring about transfer costs/hits. Scoring is done manually to exclude any transfers costs and also excludes bench players. The score/rank on the official site will usually be terrible because of the many transfers, but that's not what counts for this ML, it's what gets posted in the table above that counts.

I've got around 800 subs and I'm starting to get the same view counts as guys with 20k subs in my niche. 2k-6k views per video. I've been doing YouTube for 6 months.
The difference being I put out a video every 2 weeks if I'm lucky. While they do 3-4 a week.
If the view counts are saying my video quality is as good as a 20k channel do I just have to wait it out the same few years it took them to grow to 20k?
Thing is my niche is product reviews. And getting sent the product for free is what allows other channels in my niche to put out 3-4 videos a week. They have constant content being delivered to them.
I've worked with a few companies already, but most say my sub count is too small for them to work with me.
Do I just need to wait? Cause right now I'm buying the products with my own money and it's not cheap. And subs seem incredibly slow to get. I'll get 1000 views in a day on a new vid easy and then only 8 people sub.

"Whoa 100$? That's insane!?" This is not your typical paid per session campaign, instead we are offering a full level 3-20 experience for an upfront deposit, that may be returned under the right circumstances.
"What do you mean by "deposit"?: 100$ is a lot of money to invest into a game up front, we understand this. We are not out to make a profit on this game, the deposit will be returned on the conclusion of the campaign. There will also be other circumstances where the money may be returned. Had a major life change and just can't make time anymore, such as a baby, divorce or big move? No problem, let's talk about that. Started strong but you just aren't clicking with the party? Okay, let's talk about that, maybe put it to a vote in the party. We don't want anyone to feel trapped in a game they aren't enjoying, but we only want to attract the players who will be fully committed to play the game all the way through, be prepared every session, and are just generally a good person to play with. If you are being a jerk and get kicked, deposit forfeited. If you are missing session, constantly distracted, or frequently coming unprepared, you're getting kicked and forfeit your deposit. We don't want to kick players, and will try to fix a problem or come to a solution first, we will listen to our players' concerns as well. Any forfeited money will be used towards the campaign.
"Okay that's fair, and I'm eager to play! When do you want my money?" Your money isn't held hostage, it's a sign of commitment. We won't expect a payment until after session 0, This will give everyone a fair chance to see what they're getting into, meet the people they'll be playing with, and decide this isn't for them. We will also be much more lenient to return money in the first month after seeing how the people you're playing with act.
Disclaimer: If you are racist, bigoted, or just generally a jerk, this isn't the game for you. We didn't make this to fulfill your sick fantasies, and if you're making our players uncomfortable it will be fixed immediately, or you will be kicked. Do not make us pause our game in the middle of the session to correct your behavior. If you made it to here tell us you're a major dice goblin in the other section of the google form. That being said, we are all adults and expect everyone to act like it. There will be cussing, adult content (drinking, smoking, violence), NSFW scenes will be fade to black though, we don't want to RP sexual acts with y'all, keep that in mind for flirting as well, to a lesser extent.
Alright, with that out of the way, lets dive in!
Logistics-
Games are every other week, Beginning in July
You do not need a ready-made character before Session 0, just a concept!
We will stream on twitch. Your backstory can be whatever you want with a couple of stipulations. You are an "other-worlder", you came to this planet through a portal for whatever reason you can come up with, maybe you're on the run, maybe you were sent here as a scout, maybe you were just curious, but your backstory should always end with you entering the portal from your home planet to be transported to Oob. Keep in mind, whatever you left in your old world, can also find its way to Oob... Your ideals should also be that of which you want to go on an adventure, and preferably line up chaotically for the Chromatic kingdom, or lawful for the Metallic kingdom.
The game will be ran with 2 Dungeon masters. That is to say, 2 separate campaigns in the same world run at the same time. We are looking for 8 players, 2 groups of 4. There will be sessions that involve all of us together, but most of the time it will be the typical makeup of 4 players and your DM. You will choose whether to play through either the Metallic campaign or the Chromatic campaign.
Choices you make matter! Not only could they change your campaign, they can change the other players campaign, and the world. There can and will be consequences and rewards, we are aiming for a living world that evolves all the time. If you made it here, Tell us you're not only a major dice goblin, but a major dice goblin who bakes brownies too.
About us:
u/gogone3 : Hi! I have 8 years of experience with DnD, I've been DMing for 6, and I love the game. I'm 28 years old and am in the military. I've never had the pleasure of playing a full campaign all the way through and that's my goal here. I'm pretty laid back and lenient, my players come first, whatever you want to try, whatever homebrew you have, let me know so I can help you do that thing! I will be running the Chromatic campaign.
u/AirForce_Demon_420 : With about 2 years of experience DM-ing and 3 years total Dnd experience, I offer a serious game and am open to all types of ideas that make sense within the world. I will not tolerate arguing after I have decided on a ruling, and things may change after the "heat of the moment" ruling. I also will treat everyone as an adult and don’t sugar coat things. All that being said, the games I run have been received very well, I offer voices, streaming, custom homebrew, and a strong balance between roleplay, exploration, and combat. I to tend a little more towards RP though. I am open to ideas that you may have and will do my best to reach a balance everyone can enjoy. I hope to see you at the table!
We offer a serious game for anyone interested, players will have access to all the DnDbeyond content. We ask you base your toon concept off of official books, and no UA doesn't count. We will be playing on foundry VTT and using discord for voice, If you want to use a camera even better but not a requirement. Please keep in mind this material may be streamed so have an Avatar portrait available and understand that your voice will show up on any of the streams.
About the Setting -
The planet of Oob, a world ruled by the 3 kingdoms of dragons, Metallic, Chromatic, and Gems. The 3 kingdoms are at constant strife with each other, each believing their way of living is right. The Metallics believe that the world should be united under them, their citizens pledging allegiance to the great Bahamut. The Chromatics on the other hand believe that everyone should live freely, pledging fealty to the dragons and offering tribute to live in their land. The Gems believe everyone should live freely, but they take a more neutral approach. They focus more on bringing peace to the 3 kingdoms and allow their citizens to live in their territories unhindered by the dragons. This has led to the land outside of the Gem cities to be very dangerous as the other-worlders live without oversight. The dragons differencing beliefs have led the world to be at a constant war. To make matters more tense, the world is scattered with portals acting as doors from other worlds, a much larger portal in the center of the world is said to connect all the worlds. Through these portals, otherworldly denizens constantly stream through, making up the population of the planet, you are one of these individuals. Whatever your reason for coming to Oob, you quickly find that there's no turning back, the portal you came through is only 1 way. You start to panic, realizing your trapped here. Soon after, a friendly crystalline humanoid approaches you. The person calms you down and takes you to a hidden abode, where a magic circle on the ground whisks you away to a beautiful city made of various gemstones. Buildings, structures, monuments, and even the roads are made of gemstones of all kinds including; Amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, and crystal. You marvel at the architecture for only few moments before another humanoid, this one's skin seems to be a shade of shiny blue, comes to you and leads you to a barracks-like encampment where you are allowed to be at ease, your role in this world has not yet been decided. Tomorrow you will meet with a dragon to find out where you belong.
If you've made it this far, leave a comment or send us a message, we will then send you an application link with google forms. We are very excited in the world we've built and can't wait to play with you! Link to Startplaying https://startplaying.games/adventure/clhtvm7sd004d08md5be4gzol

"Whoa 100$? That's insane!?" This is not your typical paid per session campaign, instead we are offering a full level 3-20 experience for an upfront deposit, that may be returned under the right circumstances.
"What do you mean by "deposit"?: 100$ is a lot of money to invest into a game up front, we understand this. We are not out to make a profit on this game, the deposit will be returned on the conclusion of the campaign. There will also be other circumstances where the money may be returned. Had a major life change and just can't make time anymore, such as a baby, divorce or big move? No problem, let's talk about that. Started strong but you just aren't clicking with the party? Okay, let's talk about that, maybe put it to a vote in the party. We don't want anyone to feel trapped in a game they aren't enjoying, but we only want to attract the players who will be fully committed to play the game all the way through, be prepared every session, and are just generally a good person to play with. If you are being a jerk and get kicked, deposit forfeited. If you are missing session, constantly distracted, or frequently coming unprepared, you're getting kicked and forfeit your deposit. We don't want to kick players, and will try to fix a problem or come to a solution first, we will listen to our players' concerns as well. Any forfeited money will be used towards the campaign.
"Okay that's fair, and I'm eager to play! When do you want my money?" Your money isn't held hostage, it's a sign of commitment. We won't expect a payment until after session 0, This will give everyone a fair chance to see what they're getting into, meet the people they'll be playing with, and decide this isn't for them. We will also be much more lenient to return money in the first month after seeing how the people you're playing with act.
Disclaimer: If you are racist, bigoted, or just generally a jerk, this isn't the game for you. We didn't make this to fulfill your sick fantasies, and if you're making our players uncomfortable it will be fixed immediately, or you will be kicked. Do not make us pause our game in the middle of the session to correct your behavior. If you made it to here tell us you're a major dice goblin in the other section of the google form. That being said, we are all adults and expect everyone to act like it. There will be cussing, adult content (drinking, smoking, violence), NSFW scenes will be fade to black though, we don't want to RP sexual acts with y'all, keep that in mind for flirting as well, to a lesser extent.
Alright, with that out of the way, lets dive in!
Logistics-
Games are every other week, Beginning in July
You do not need a ready-made character before Session 0, just a concept!
We will stream on twitch. Your backstory can be whatever you want with a couple of stipulations. You are an "other-worlder", you came to this planet through a portal for whatever reason you can come up with, maybe you're on the run, maybe you were sent here as a scout, maybe you were just curious, but your backstory should always end with you entering the portal from your home planet to be transported to Oob. Keep in mind, whatever you left in your old world, can also find its way to Oob... Your ideals should also be that of which you want to go on an adventure, and preferably line up chaotically for the Chromatic kingdom, or lawful for the Metallic kingdom.
The game will be ran with 2 Dungeon masters. That is to say, 2 separate campaigns in the same world run at the same time. We are looking for 8 players, 2 groups of 4. There will be sessions that involve all of us together, but most of the time it will be the typical makeup of 4 players and your DM. You will choose whether to play through either the Metallic campaign or the Chromatic campaign.
Choices you make matter! Not only could they change your campaign, they can change the other players campaign, and the world. There can and will be consequences and rewards, we are aiming for a living world that evolves all the time. If you made it here, Tell us you're not only a major dice goblin, but a major dice goblin who bakes brownies too.
About us:
u/gogone3 : Hi! I have 8 years of experience with DnD, I've been DMing for 6, and I love the game. I'm 28 years old and am in the military. I've never had the pleasure of playing a full campaign all the way through and that's my goal here. I'm pretty laid back and lenient, my players come first, whatever you want to try, whatever homebrew you have, let me know so I can help you do that thing! I will be running the Chromatic campaign.
u/AirForce_Demon_420 : With about 2 years of experience DM-ing and 3 years total Dnd experience, I offer a serious game and am open to all types of ideas that make sense within the world. I will not tolerate arguing after I have decided on a ruling, and things may change after the "heat of the moment" ruling. I also will treat everyone as an adult and don’t sugar coat things. All that being said, the games I run have been received very well, I offer voices, streaming, custom homebrew, and a strong balance between roleplay, exploration, and combat. I to tend a little more towards RP though. I am open to ideas that you may have and will do my best to reach a balance everyone can enjoy. I hope to see you at the table!
We offer a serious game for anyone interested, players will have access to all the DnDbeyond content. We ask you base your toon concept off of official books, and no UA doesn't count. We will be playing on foundry VTT and using discord for voice, If you want to use a camera even better but not a requirement. Please keep in mind this material may be streamed so have an Avatar portrait available and understand that your voice will show up on any of the streams.
About the Setting -
The planet of Oob, a world ruled by the 3 kingdoms of dragons, Metallic, Chromatic, and Gems. The 3 kingdoms are at constant strife with each other, each believing their way of living is right. The Metallics believe that the world should be united under them, their citizens pledging allegiance to the great Bahamut. The Chromatics on the other hand believe that everyone should live freely, pledging fealty to the dragons and offering tribute to live in their land. The Gems believe everyone should live freely, but they take a more neutral approach. They focus more on bringing peace to the 3 kingdoms and allow their citizens to live in their territories unhindered by the dragons. This has led to the land outside of the Gem cities to be very dangerous as the other-worlders live without oversight. The dragons differencing beliefs have led the world to be at a constant war. To make matters more tense, the world is scattered with portals acting as doors from other worlds, a much larger portal in the center of the world is said to connect all the worlds. Through these portals, otherworldly denizens constantly stream through, making up the population of the planet, you are one of these individuals. Whatever your reason for coming to Oob, you quickly find that there's no turning back, the portal you came through is only 1 way. You start to panic, realizing your trapped here. Soon after, a friendly crystalline humanoid approaches you. The person calms you down and takes you to a hidden abode, where a magic circle on the ground whisks you away to a beautiful city made of various gemstones. Buildings, structures, monuments, and even the roads are made of gemstones of all kinds including; Amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, and crystal. You marvel at the architecture for only few moments before another humanoid, this one's skin seems to be a shade of shiny blue, comes to you and leads you to a barracks-like encampment where you are allowed to be at ease, your role in this world has not yet been decided. Tomorrow you will meet with a dragon to find out where you belong.
If you've made it this far, leave a comment or send us a message, we will then send you an application link with google forms. We are very excited in the world we've built and can't wait to play with you! Link to Startplaying https://startplaying.games/adventure/clhtvm7sd004d08md5be4gzol

I have built hundreds of thousands of links over my career. In the online gambling space especially I have built more links than I would be able to count, and I will be the first one to admit that I think most of those links did nothing to positively impact rankings. I built those links because that is what I got paid to do. But I have also worked in companies where we only built real links, to a much smaller degree (in terms of volumes).
A couple of months ago the Yandex ranking factors were leaked and it turns out that Yandex considers the amount of clicks a link gets as a ranking factor. I've said this for years, and since Yandex is a very obvious copy of Google (they even employ ex-Google engineers) I'm pretty confident that links that never get clicks are worthless.
Link-building isn't hard, if you are just building any old link. Hell, you don't even need a human to do it. For over a decade now you can automate link-building or buy links from lists (just see this sub for the number of dummies buying and selling links via lists and PBNs) and the vast majority of those kinds of links will never be seen or clicked by an actual user of the internet.
Do you think a link that is placed on a site that never gets clicked helps improve rankings at all? Honestly, I find it kind of shocking that this is not something that there is much info on out there or something that is being discussed by SEOs (not "SEOs" that buy links off lists or "brokers" selling links) in the overall SEO community.
Maybe I should just tweet Mueller and ask him straight out.

Hi guys, I have to create a very big form with more than 50 fields. I'm using React Hook Form for the form and Yup for its validation. Do you have any general tips for handling such a very big form?
Also, I was thinking to handle it with nested objects, for example something like this:

// Form values values: { person: { name: "", surname: "" }, car: { model: "", insuranceData: { company: "", otherField: "" } }, anotherArea: { subArea: { subSubArea: { field: "", ... OTHER FIELDS OF subSubArea }, ... OTHER FIELDS OF subArea }, ... OTHER FIELDS OF anotherArea }, acceptConditions: false } 

so I will have areas (in the above example are "person", "car" and "anotherArea") and the fields (in the example are "person.name", "person.surname", "car.model", "car.insuranceData.company" and "acceptConditions").
Sadly, as you can see, there are some fields that are very nested (anotherArea.subArea.subSubArea.field). If I follow this standard, I could have some problems, for example if I have to count how many fields have been entered (so how many fields are not empty or false), it would be complicated.
So I had another idea, instead of using nested object use "_" to separate area from subarea or fields :

values: { person_name: "", person_surname: "", car_model: "", car_insuranceData_company: "", car_insuranceData_otherField: "", anotherArea_subArea_subSubArea_field: "", anotherArea_subArea_subSubArea_other_fields: "", anotherArea_subArea_other_fields: "", anotherArea_other_fields: "", acceptConditions: false } 

So it would be easier to work with, just cycle values and count how many fields are not "" and false.
What do you suggest me?

Context: War Thunder is a vehicle based combat-MMO from 2013. Vehicles in game are planes, tanks, and ships ranging from the early 1920s to the 1990s. The game is ostensibly free to play, but at higher tiers especially it becomes very difficult to play the game without a premium subscription (which earns you 50% more money per match) or a premium vehicle. Without premium, you're basically guaranteed to lose Silver Lions when you die at higher tiers.
Gajin, the developer, is notorious for implementing mechanics that increase the grind/are not player friendly (for example: when first playing a new tank, you have to research and buy a fire extinguisher. If your tank catches fire before this, you're shit out of luck, and you'll have to wait until your tank burns down and your crew dies).
Now the playerbase, and /WarThunder in particular, has a reputation for being fairly toxic and for hating the game while continuing to play. The reason given being that no other game hits that sweet spot of historical combined arms combat.
When Gajin announced the newest changes to the economy, a portion of the playerbase finally had enough and raised an outcry, as described in this SRD post.
After this the /warthunder sub was dominated for days by players review bombing the game on Steam and Google, changing the game's overall reception to 'mixed'.
Gajin eventually removed Steam from their listed platforms, but as far as I know the game is still playable through Steam.
Ten days ago, Gajin announced that they were reverting the latest economy change. They also invited players to take part in a survey about the in-game economy (with predictable results) Later they followed this up with a blog post, apologizing for the state of the economy, and promisied a road map with changes to be published next month (The aplogy blog post has since been deleted from the website).This was received with suspicion on /WarThunder: redditors either believed this was a move by Gajin to stop the review bombing, or were convinced this proved they were not aware of the state of their own game because they do not test it properly.
While all this was going on, some players formed the subreddit /WarThunderPlayerUnion. A sub dedicated to organizing a boycott of the game, starting on the 26th of may. Anticipation rose to a fever pitch, posts on both subs reminding people not to play (although there seemed to be some confusion about how long the boycott was suposed to last: a day, or several weeks).
The 26th rolled around and... nothing happened. The player count basically stayed just as high as usual.
Meanwhile union members (mostly centered on Discord) immediately spotted one of the organizers still playing the game.
The player count led to several conspiracy theories about Gajin artificially inflating the player numbers. Other posts on the player union sub even accused Gajin of remotely taking control of their PC, and logging into the game.
Union organizers started getting pretty slap-happy with the banhammers on people pointing out that they still logged into the game. Infighting between conspiracy theorists and moderates happened, and this all led to several dramatic 'I'm resigning as a union admin'-posts.
The /Warthunder sub seems to be mostly back to normal now. Normal of course being complaining about the state of game, posting about anime body pillows, with the occasional post exhorting players to not give Gajin money.
EDIT: added some missing links.

For a very long time the largest criticism that we've seen of this sub is that the posts are disproportionally focused on sexual content. We've actually run the numbers on this in the past and only about 15% of posts in /TIFU are sexual in nature, but that number rises to over 30% of posts in Top of Month and over 50% of front page posts. Subscribers who have been here for a while may remember that we used to have a rule limiting NSFW posts to the weekend. This rule was scrapped about 5 years ago along with a dozen other archaic rules in an effort to simplify and revitalise the sub (and it succeeded; /TIFU used to have traffic comparable to subs with under 100k subscribers while being over 100 times larger, and it vastly improved after the rules were simplified). But since its removal there has been a perpetual call from users and mods alike to reinstate it in some form or fashion.
This is something we've debated about for a long time, and we have heard the innumerable complaints from users. Deciding whether a complaint is being expressed by the overall userbase or a vocal minority is trickier than you'd think though: These NSFW posts consistently garner positive attention and lots of traffic, which indicates that users enjoy these posts, in contrast to what is often echoed by users in posts and comments. Ultimately as a modteam we value the quality of the sub over the number of clicks it receives, but these things are never as simple as they're made out to be.
Nevertheless, we've decided to trial a practical solution, and temporarily bring back the old 'weekend rule' to observe any changes in user engagement and sub quality that such a rule would cause.
 

Starting today (the 29th May) and until the 12th June (2 weeks), we will only allow NSFW and sex-related posts on the weekend.

This amendment has been added to Rule 4:

C. Posts involving sexual or similar NSFW content are allowed only during the weekend.

We will be defining the weekend as beginning 12pm Friday UTC and ending 11:59am Monday UTC. This way it accounts for all time zones, if it's the weekend somewhere it'll count.
Upon the end of the 2 weeks we will be returning to the regular ruleset; however, a post will be made at the end to gather your feedback, from which we'll decide on whether or not to make it a permanent change at a later point.
We may trial similar rules in the future - Feel free to post your suggestions to /IdeasForTIFU!

And don't just tell me here.
I've been working on a channel for the past couple years, achieving 2,600 subs and getting monetized, but even so, things haven't gone nearly as smoothly as I'd hoped, and doing this on my own, I've felt basically clueless. I've been taking the whole "throw ideas against a wall and see what sticks" approach, but everything I try is a shot in the dark, and so far, nothing's quite sticking. My other problem is that the dumb Shorts I make, which only take an hour or so and are the one thing that has kinda stuck, tend to do far better than the actual quality videos I put full days of work into, which I find incredibly discouraging.
So why not just stick to the daily Shorts? Well for one, they haven't proven to be the most reliable in terms of long-term growth. They started out strong last summer, and were my channel's first major breakthrough, getting 3-5k views each, and sometimes way more. But their performance is all over the place, and they sometimes get literally zero views (forcing me to reupload them later, although I haven't noticed this as much anymore), not to mention the fact that the little sub-genre I've been making Shorts of has fallen off since I started, as I now average only 1-2k views on each. Additionally, instead of them doing better and better with every subsequent success, each time, I'm just hoping to get lucky, which isn't really how channel growth is supposed to go. They were a good source of subscribers too, with the 106 Shorts I've done netting me over 1,000, but again, the pace was steady, at best, and decreased over time. Oh, and they only tend to pull good numbers if I do a single one each day at 6 AM ET, no other times I've tried can compare. While making them has certainly served my channel better than if I hadn't, I don't want my channel to forever be stuck at this trot when changing my strategy could turn that into a gallop.
The other issue with them is that I'm not content with my channel being nothing more than a Shorts factory. No one wants their channel to be known as simply being a meme farm, and I'm no different. Pumping these out hasn't helped me build a community, sustain much of an audience, or let my personality shine through (giving my viewers no sense of who I am, or anything to relate to). If seeing 1,000 views and my sub count go up by 5-10 per day were enough, I wouldn't be complaining, but I know I could do so much more if I wanted to.
What I don't know though is how. When it comes to longer vids, I've hardly gotten anywhere, and nothing I've done has been even remotely worth the effort (with what the Shorts can pull in comparison just being a slap in the face).
What I'm after, and the whole point in making this thread, is a person or place to get real advice and tutelage on how to grow a channel. I'm not just talking about general know-how, like using VidIQ and/or TubeBuddy, understanding CTR and audience retention, or optimizing my branding (SEO, thumbnails, etc.), but rather getting personalized help specifically tailored toward me and my channel, from someone who knows the ins and outs of the platform, and ideally has a significant following of their own to show for it.
Like, there's this one channel I stumbled upon for instance named Robert Benjamin, who makes YouTube growth guides, and while a lot of what he says is accurate, the way he markets his videos can be extremely deceptive, and his demeanor comes off as highly disingenuous. I'm mentioning him as an example because he has a channel mentoring program, which is exactly what I want, but there's no way I'd be willing to pay hundreds to get "help" from a sleazebag like that. So many of these "YouTube/social media gurus" are either idiots, con artists, or both. But when I first made my channel, along with my first vid, I got some pointers from a guy named Blaines, who had a few hundred thousand subs at the time (and has gotten much bigger since), so it's not like what I'm trying to find isn't out there if you know where to look.
I've also explored Fiverr gigs for social media promotion and whatnot, but honestly, those are just as bad as the fake gurus, especially the cheaper ones. While they may "work" a little, they normally use questionable methods to go about it, such as viewbotting, or putting your vids in a social media feed that isn't related to your channel where they aren't likely to get many clicks. Plus you have to constantly be paying for those to power your channel, and they aren't helping you to get anywhere on your own, and that's all I really want-for my channel to be able to grow its own pair of legs it can run with.
So how can I find my footing, how can I find something I can roll with for the long run, and who can show me the way?

Hi guys, it’s been a long time since I’ve been near this sub (or any other ED subs) I’ve been ‘recovered’ from AN for the longest time (5 years) which has been great! Not going into detail but up and-down moments but overall my self-image and health has been up and consistent :)
These past few months I’ve taken on a really high-stress job and have had some issues with money and my partner moving overseas. And idk the stress is mounting and I can’t stop wanting to go to that familiar comfort that ED brings. I’ve started counting again, I know I can’t hide it for long but I don’t know what to do and needed to get it off my chest.
Sorry for the random vague rant.

I've been a part of the FGC for 2-3 years now playing Xrd/Strive/SFV and other games casually on and off and I love following the occasional big tournament like Combo Breaker yesterday, it's some of the most hype you can have with fighting games imo.
The weirdest thing for me is that Combo Breaker yesterday had like 20-30k viewers on official channels during Tekken and GGST and also people like Max co-streaming doubling that number when you add all of them up, and yet I can't find discussion for TOP8 anywhere on reddit.
I come from League of Legends, and every single competitive game has a 'post-match' thread where, specially on big tournaments, you'll see at least 2k upvotes and 2-5k comments depending on how hype the game was. CSGO majors, big Valorant games, Rocketleague, R6 Siege and every other competitive game I've ever followed have reddit as sort of a main hub for discussing competitive games. Even sports sub like ones for Formula1 and NBA have HUGE post-match/race threads.
Why is the FGC different? It's not like the events don't get much viewership or that the twitch chat isn't hype during the game, but I'd like to be able to see discussions of people who follow these players and immerse myself more in the competitive aspect of these games. Is there place that isn't reddit for discussions like this?

Thank you in advance for your help. This is in London. AST.
The situation is the following: a very large agency managing portfolio of properties for an overseas investor (so no contact for landlord, only the agency). Section 21 served (all appears legal, the tenants aren't actually sure it arrived in the mail or not, but they were notified by the agency about it and given it's a very large agency, there's no reason to assume it wasn't done on the correct form). Tenants have been in for years, rent paid by direct debit and no contract breaches/violations, agency relisted the flat at much higher price.
Tenants genuinely tried to secure another tenancy, but after everything agreed, new landlord pulled out for personal reasons. Now the new property has a move-in date 2 weeks after the previous contract ends.
The agent is refusing to grand additional 2 weeks and insists the tenants find alternative accomodations for this period. They maintain that the move out inspection will happen on May 30th and keeps must be surrendered. There is no new tenant moving in as of now.
I understand from Shelter, CAB and this sub that the tenants don't have to leave and will not be evicted in 2 weeks. However, this is very stressful and tenants don't want this to go to court, nor do they want to be harassed by the agency.
What is a good response to email to the agency to avoid being held accountable for the court costs? If the agency does go to court on June 1st, will the court actually rule on this and order the tenants to pay court costs even though they would have been long gone by the time the case goes in front of the judge? Will this create a negative record for the tenants and count as an eviction? Can the agency charge any other costs besides prorated rent for the extra 2 weeks?
Thank you for your help. To add, I read the Shelter's site and other information on gov.uk and CAB. I was really hoping to hear from someone who has legal experience in such matters and hopefully someone can offer a few sentences to email the agent in response to the "you were served section 21, we want you to leave on May 31, you need to seek alternative accommodations for this additional period".
*Edited some of the spelling typos

It’s not an easy task adapted a hit of any kind into a series. The usual outcome is falling short by drawing direct comparisons. Fans will be upset over little differences. But taking liberties also alienates fans. I choose to respect taking risks, and like the approach taken of sharing an inciting incident then quickly setting this version apart. I stuck with the show because it did a lot to differentiate itself from being a cookie cutter retelling of the movie.
I’m glad I didn’t see the twists coming. This whole time I was expecting Alex to have faked her death. No body, we didn’t see happen yet a guy is convicted, pretty much all the conventions to make the staged murder plausible.
Arthur being the culprit—while really being endearing and completely getting away with it—took me completely by surprise. What’s more, I get the feeling if he tells Beth and Dan neither would be upset with him. It’s more clever of the show to have Arthur kill Alex with this motive of protecting his friends than for it to have been about him getting rid of Dan so he could move in on Beth. Poor guy even tried to confess and a lawyer told him to just let it go.
As for Ellen becoming the new Alex. I think those here in the sub are unhappy about this because you’re used to things being set up in a fashion where the payoff is anticipated. Audiences tend to like getting what they expected. The show’s frantic leaps between timelines don’t do it any favors when it comes to understanding what’s taking place. It was very tough to comprehend what is going on with college Ellen, but in hindsight we needed to be kept in the dark to preserve the reveal. Sure she had much better father figures in her life than Alex, but she’s deep into psychology and the timing of her talk with Alex and her dad’s prompt arrest may have been a reasonable turning point for her.
I wouldn’t count on a second season happening. Seems the circle is complete, and I’m good with that.

Long time listener, first time caller.
Gah. 39yo and worked out this was probably me end of 2021. Since then been stuck in a waiting list (UK based) for referral.
If I was to explain what my head has felt like most of my life, it'd be an octopus weave of tentacles trying to access various parts of my brain whilst a swarm of bees just fly around inside just incase things felt too quiet. I just cannot switch off, invasive thoughts (sometimes not entirely pleasant) just constantly queue jumping in front of whatever it was I had decided five minutes previously was a priority.
I can be sat on a Teams call that I'm chairing, suddenly look at my watch for the time. Then I'm counting watch links. Then I'm thinking what I'd need to get to smelt down the metals, could I repour them into a mould fo... "So what do you think about that?".
Me: 'sorry my connection went then, can you repeat that?'
I work such lumpy hours, I know everything I need to do but sometimes I can be sat there just pointing a stick at my head awaiting something to happen. Then inevitably I get my work done at 10pm that evening, fueled by the mix of needing to get it done and the relative quiet of the evening.
Sleep is just an arse. Can never fall asleep within 90 mins and ruminate through the churn of whatevers happening. It's like you go to flick the switch but it goes from on to on. I can rarely fall asleep quickly but only when absolutely exhausted, never at 'bedtime' but those times feel so good to just know I'm in that state.
The more I learn and read about ADHD the more it fits the things I've always struggled with but have lacked the awareness of what it was and wasn't strictly neurotypical behaviour. Could never concentrate at school or absorb information easily, was always told I could do big things by teachers (English usually) but just needed to apply myself.
I lose so many items around the house and so many hours of my life meandering through. I'm getting there, my workplace are supporting me now (I decided to get it in the open with them last week) and am trying to get the process of a referral expedited. Just feel so exhausted, feel like I'm close to burning out at the moment and feel really emotional. Spoke to some good people recently who have ADHD and it's given me hope. Been on a journey with anxiety and depression for 20 years, if I can potentially get to a root cause and maybe tailor meds to help I'd be so happy. I mean I am happy sometimes but it's always underpinned, always compromised by never being able to fully feel that joy of just being without the constant noise of expectation, failure and inability to just be 'normal'.
I'm trying to get back into a few small things to get me baselined again (exercise mainly) but what has really helped you guys? To quote Ned Flanders Dad: "I've tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas". This sub has help me so much to just understand it's not just me and provided me with that solice. I'm getting there, but it's just such a grind sometimes. Thanks for reading.

Hey everyone, ill keep this short and simple,
Im a relativly new twitch streamrer, ive been streaming for years but ive only started taking it seriously just recently, im currently affiliate but i average a lower viewer count and dont get followed as much.
Im just hoping you guys could give me some tips in what i can do to expand my name and help improve my streaming quality. If any one could follow me or just come watch my streams, even as a lurk i would appreciate it more than anyone could ever imagine.
https://www.twitch.tv/klassicramen
Thank you so much to anyone who considers this

(From the sidebar of QuittingKratom. Posting for those who are new, or may need a "refresher" or for those who are on the Reddit mobile app and have difficulty finding the sidebar information. If you encounter someone brand new here, feel free to link this to them. So many of us are "lost" when we're new and have no idea where to start. This wiki is a good place to start, along with the support from the wonderful members of this subreddit. If you're looking for more links to helpful information from the sidebar, scroll to the bottom of this post. I've added them there, after the Wiki information, for convenience.)
So you've decided you want to quit Kratom.

Withdrawal Symptoms

You may experience a number of withdrawal symptoms, both physical and psychological. Keep in mind that all humans are affected differently and experiences with symptoms will differ among us.

Physical Withdrawal Symptoms

The most common physical withdrawal symptoms experienced are outlined below.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Also known as RLS, this is the most common symptom of withdrawal. It can be described as an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can also affect the arms, torso, and head. Moving the affected body part modulates the sensations, providing temporary relief. On average, this symptom will be almost entirely gone by day 7.

Insomnia

As you would expect with RLS, insomnia is another commonly experienced withdrawal symptom. Lack of sleep usually occurs due to RLS, but it can continue even without RLS present.

Uncontrollable Body Temperature

This withdrawal symptom can be common, yet not as common as the two above. This symptom causes the body to experience drastic changes in temperature within a short period of time. This probably sounds much worse than it really is, but during the day it is fine. At night it involves being cold, putting the covers over you, then being really warm and throwing all the covers off.

Other symptoms

In addition to the above, you may experience a runny nose, teary eyes, sneezing, diarrhea, and an aching body. These are generally not a major problem. For diarrhea, loperamide can help (see below). For aches and pains, OTC pain relievers such as Advil can be useful.

Psychological Withdrawal Symptoms

Commonly referred to as PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms). Usually the psychological withdrawals tend to kick in after the physical withdrawals have passed. Described below are the most common psychological withdrawals that are experienced.

Lethargy

The lack of energy and enthusiasm is the most common psychological withdrawal experienced. This symptom can be minor for some, but it is quite commonly major. Although ironic, a good remedy for this lethargic feeling is exercise. It may be hard to get exercising initially due to the lethargy, but many people experience a huge improvement in their mood afterwards.

Cravings

Cravings are quite commonly experienced by addicts withdrawing from Kratom. Major cravings can cause addicts to relapse if the impulse is acted upon. Usually cravings don't last too long, and they seem to come in waves. Psychologically, cravings can play with your mind. You may find yourself thinking things like "I'll just take it this once, I've already made the decision to quit so I won't do it again".

Depression

Depression can play a big part in relapse when it comes to recovery from Kratom addiction. Although some users have existing mood disorders or depression, the PAWS during Kratom withdrawal hugely amplify these feelings/mindsets. Expect to experience some mild to moderate depressed feelings during PAWS and prepare your mind to acknowledge that these feelings are caused by the Kratom withdrawal. You WILL feel better. Once again exercise is a HUGE help to mitigate the depression experienced during withdrawal. It has been proven that regular exercise is as effective than the most common anti-depressants.

Taper vs. Cold Turkey

While one method may work for some, it may not work for another. We are all different and unique in many ways, including the way our body reacts to (lack of) substances.

Tapering

Tapering has been tried many times by different people. Some found tapering helpful, others did not. The main advantages of tapering are:

• Little to no physical withdrawals symptoms.
• Not as big of a shock on the body.
• Doesn't affect your day-to-day life as drastically as cold turkey (if you can't take time off work or don't have a weekend free).

Disadvantages of tapering off Kratom are:

• Requires a lot of self control and discipline.
• Easy to make an impulse decision to take more than your schedule planned.
• Although it may not impact your day-to-day life as drastically as cold turkey, the impact will be longer and more drawn out.

Note: Another effective method used is to taper with stem and vein kratom.

Cold Turkey

The cold turkey method seems to be the more preferable method as well as the most successful. The main advantages are:

• Getting it over and done with, no drawn out symptoms.
• Improvement is felt much sooner since the withdrawals are not drawn out.
• Day-to-day life is not affected for as long as it would be tapering.

Disadvantages of going cold turkey are:

• Physical withdrawal symptoms that are taxing on the body.
• The withdrawals are much worse over a short period of time compared to tapering.

Managing Your Withdrawals

There are a few tried and tested methods to dealing with various withdrawals symptoms. They are described below.

Exercise

The most effective way to make yourself feel better. It has been proven that regular exercise is as effective than the most common anti-depressants. The effects are very profound, and can remain present for hours. Exercise releases a flood of endorphins, directly stimulating your opioid receptors the same way Kratom does, reducing both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Regular exercise will hasten the recovery process by bringing your body's endorphin system back online. It can be difficult to get started, but if you force yourself, you should find that it gets easier after only a few minutes as your heart starts pumping and the endorphins start flowing. Heavy weightlifting is one of the most efficient methods, in terms of benefits vs. time spent, but prolonged cardiovascular activity (jogging, bicycling, etc.) is also effective. Intense yoga is another option.

Orgasm

When you stop taking Kratom, your sex drive may return with a vengeance. Take advantage of it :). Orgasm, like exercise, causes a release of endorphins.

Meditation

It can be difficult when you are uncomfortable and your mind is racing, but a few minutes of meditation can significantly improve the way you feel. Close your eyes, and let your thoughts flow without trying to control or resist them. Take slow deep breaths, focusing on each inhale and exhale. Try not to think about anything else, but if a thought arises, let it be. Visualize each inhalation as bringing healing energy into your body, and each exhalation as removing negativity. Continue until you feel better, or longer, and repeat the process anytime you feel overwhelmed. Check out /meditation for great tips on meditation.

Supplements

Loperamide

Warning, kratom and loperamide.. We don't know if loperamide (in the recommended dosage for diarrhea (https://www.drugs.com/dosage/loperamide.html)) combined with kratom has health risks (in particular heart issues at higher doses), or people could start to abuse it. It had been reported that even the recommended loperamide doses can cause a rebound of withdrawal symptoms after you stop using it . Therfore we don't recommend to use loperamide. Other warnings: At recommended doses, the half-life of loperamide is approximately 10 hours. However, with higher doses, even as little as 16 mg, longer half-lives have been observed (upwards of 41 hours). News videos: "it's actually potentially even worse than using heroin...", "Kratom and Loperamide is a dangerous combination".

Supplements

There are a number of drugs and supplements that can improve mood, motivation, and sleep quality. Most of those listed are naturally derived, and many can be easily obtained at such locations as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, pharmacies, and "natural" grocery stores, as well as online at sites like AllStarHealth, Bodybuilding.com, and Amazon.

• Black seed oil. some qk members reported that they used 3 x 2 teaspoons daily at the beginning.
• L-theanine: Found in green tea, this substance has a calming effect and improves cognition. Useful both during the day and to help with sleep.
• Ashwagandha: The "Indian ginseng," Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that improves overall well-being. Like L-theanine, can be used both day and night. "In anxiety and depression, ashwagandha has been demonstrated to be as effective as some tranquilizers and antidepressant drugs. Specifically, oral administration of ashwagandha for five days suggested anxiety-relieving effects similar to those achieved by the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam (Ativan®), and antidepressant effects similar to those of the prescription antidepressant drug imipramine (Tofranil®)": look here.
  
• Rhodiola rosea: Another adaptogen, this one has mild stimulating qualities (but without the jitters of caffeine). Best taken during the day. (Warning: Rhodiola has MAOI activity and could potentially interact with other meds/supplements. Be careful, do your research, and start with small amounts.)
  
• DLPA: A combination of the natural "L" form and the synthetic "D" form of the amino acid phenylalanine, DLPA has been shown to fight depression and reduce pain by boosting dopamine levels and preventing the breakdown of enkephalins (similar to endorphins).
  
• L-tyrosine: boosts dopamine.
  
• L-phenylalanine: Try L-tyrosine first. If the results are not satisfactory try L-phenylalanine.
  
• Valerian root: Sleep aid. Smells terrible but can be rather effective. Common in "sleepy" teas.
  
• 5-HTP: Precursor to serotonin. Improves mood and sleep. People who are taking antidepressant medications should not take 5-HTP, because in that case common side effects are : *Agitation or restlessness *Confusion *Rapid heart rate and high blood pressure *Dilated pupils *Loss of muscle coordination or twitching muscles *Heavy sweating *Diarrhea *Headache *Shivering *goosebumbs"
  
• Tryptophan: (propably superior to 5-HTP).
  
• SAM-e: Is a quick acting antidepressant.
  
• Chamomile and passion flower: These two herbs, widely available as teas, can help with anxiety and insomnia. At least one ex-Kratom addict has reported that, in does of 2-4 teabags, they can be very effective. WARNING: Passion flower is a MAO inhibitor, don't use it together with kratom.
  
• Melatonin: The body's sleep hormone, used for regulating the sleep/wake cycle. Tells the body that it's time to sleep. Taking too much (more than a milligram or two) can screw up the body's circadian rhythm and have the opposite of the intended effect. Good in combination with valerian root and 5-HTP. Some feel very groggy after taking melatonin.
  
• Kava: An herb that reduces anxiety, but can be hit-or-miss when it comes to sleep.
  
• Chocolate: Contains phenethylamine, which reduces anxiety and improves mood and cognition. Buy a generous amount of dark chocolate with a high cacao concentration, and eat as much of it as you want. The more, the better. Alternatively, phenethylamine is available as a supplement.
  
• Magnesium: Helps with sleep. Many people believe that Calcium needs to be taking with Magnesium for absorption, but this is not true. Calcium and Magnesium actually compete for the same transport system into the blood so it is better to take them at different times during the day. The only time this competition is eliminated is in the case where calcium and magnesium are bound to a single amino acid and are called calcium and magnesium amino acid chelates, as opposed to calcium carbonate/citrate or magnesium oxide/citrate. Minerals in the amino acid chelate form have double the absorption rate of calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide because they do not have to be altered in order to enter the bloodstream. Source.
  
• Cannabis: Given its legal status, not everybody is able or willing to obtain it, but cannabis can potentially aid with a wide spectrum of withdrawal symptoms. Indica-dominant strains are recommended for insomnia and anxiety, while Sativas are better suited for improving mood, motivation, and appetite. (However, it should be noted that Sativas can worsen anxiety in some cases.) Medical dispensaries, if you have access, are the best option due to the wide variety of strains available. If you have had problems with other drugs or drug substitution in the past, it is advised not to use Cannabis after quitting Kratom as it may lead to another substitution.
  

Warning: It's best to avoid using antihistamines (diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, hydroxyzine etc.) such as those found in Benadryl, Dramamine, NyQuil, Unisom, and Tylenol PM. While they can produce drowsiness under normal conditions, they are well known for exacerbating Restless Leg Syndrome, which will make your insomnia worse, not better.

Prescription drugs

In addition, there are various prescription drugs that can be of assistance. The ones listed below are prescription-only. These are not necessarily recommended; do your research before considering them. Be especially careful if you are taking any psychiatric prescriptions, such as SSRIs, MAOIs, or Wellbutrin. The following information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor. [We do not recommend to use this medications together with Kratom].

• Gabapentin: Gabapentin is an epilepsy and nerve pain drug, which is also prescribed for the restless leg syndrome. The drug acts as a sedative. It also helps with sleep and gives you energy. Don't abuse it, gabapentin causes a withdrawal syndrome if you use it for too long (use it maximal 5-6 days). Drug experts say the effects of using gabapentin for long periods of time or in very high quantities, particularly among sensitive populations like pregnant women, are not well-known. Attention:"treatment with gabapentin is associated with a substantial increase in the risk of opioid-related death".
• Clonidine: Due to its lack of abuse potential, doctors will generally not hesitate to prescribe it for a patient undergoing withdrawals. Clonidine can "stop" an opioid withdrawal relatively effectively, which is (simplified) due to the following mode of action: Adrenaline docks onto two receptors when released: α1 and α2. Clonidine docks onto α2-adrenergic receptors and “blocks” them. Also lowering blood pressure, works against the "adrenaline rush". Clonidine has an idiosyncrasy, i.e. the first dose of the active ingredient triggers an effect opposite to the actual effect !. Clonidine doses must be slowly increased, starting at a low dose. It should also be noted that clonidine must not be discontinued immediately; the dose has to be slowly reduced, because otherwise there can be a blood pressure crisis - with an already destabilized blood pressure (due to withdrawal), extreme caution is required here and we strongly recommend that treatment with clonidine is only carried out under medical supervision. Existing depression can be exacerbated or a new depression can be triggered by using clonidine. Existing depression can be exacerbated or a new depression can be triggered by using clonidine.
• Modafinil/adrafinil (Provigil, Nuvigil): [Warning: Do not use Modafinil together with Kratom (it may cause seizures)] A unique, non-euphoric stimulant, used to treat narcolepsy, shift-work disorders, and by Air Force pilots as a replacement for amphetamine. This drug, at levels of 100-200mg per day, can relieve the malaise and lack of motivation associated with withdrawal. Should not be taken within 12 hours of bedtime. While Modafinil is under Schedule IV in the US, Adrafinil, which metabolizes to Modafinil in the liver, is unscheduled and can be easily purchased.
• Selegiline (L-deprenyl): A MAO-B inhibitor used to treat Parkinson's, this drug increases levels of dopamine in the brain and has been shown to increase lifespan in rats. Unlike traditional MAOIs, selegiline does not require dietary restrictions, and is generally considered quite safe at levels of 5-10mg. Do not take near bedtime. Unscheduled in the US. .

Warning: Be mindful of the possibility of drug substitution. With addiction, drug substitution is a common problem when going through recovery. With all CNS depressant drugs (antidepressants, benzodiazepines, neuroleptics), it should be kept in mind that these drugs sedate in the long term and can trigger a so-called 'hangover', ie. they also lead to additional exhaustion during the day. In some cases, this can be perceived as a burden and can lead to losing sight of the desired goal or lowering the motivation to endure the withdrawal. Whether drug treatment makes the withdrawal easier or more difficult depends on personal factors and cannot be determined in general. Remember that your body can regenerate itself best and fastest if it is not exposed to other stresses.

Stem and Vein Kratom

Although total alkaloid levels are lower than in leaf, there is supposedly relatively more mitragynine present in S&V. The levels of mitraphylline, rhynchophylline (related to mitragynine) and corynantheidine are higher. In kratom communities on the internet it is sometimes reported that S&V can reduce tolerance to kratom, but this seems not to be the case. Anecdotal reports claim that S&V can be useful for mitigating withdrawal symptoms, and accelerating the brain's recovery from kratom addiction. There is a great guide on using stem and vein kratom to taper off here.

Relapse

Relapse is a normal part of recovery. It has happened to every single one of us. Try not to beat yourself up about it or feel like you are worthless and useless. That doesn't help a thing. It is just a small bump in your road to recovery. All you can do is get back up, dust yourself off and get back to quitting as soon as you are ready. You will know when you are ready.

More important information from the sidebar

• Quitting Kratom: What to Expect
  
• A list of possible Kratom withdrawal Symptoms
  
• Guide to Quitting Kratom Cold Turkey
  
• Tapering Guide
  
• Odds and ends of withdrawal symptoms
  
• PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)
  
• So-called "Kratom Alternatives"
  
• Naltrexone: Important Information & Personal Experience
  
• Mega-Dosing Liposomal Vitamin C protocol for Withdrawal
  
• Wim Hof Method: An Awesome Set of Exercises
  
• Read Sub Rules and the "READ THIS FIRST if you're new..." Guide before posting
  
• How to add your Quit Date next to your username
  

Just finished the finale, and I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who feels a little mixed. Overall I liked it and on most counts I think it stuck the landing, with a few brilliant turns too. But there is a "but", and yes it is about Shiv's last minute change of heart. Knowing how this sub has been with Shiv posts I wanted to get my thoughts out and try and balance negatives with positives.
I find when something contraversial happens in a story, people will be quick to attack or defend characters on plausibility and reason, but usually miss the actual key questions. 1. Is something a sound character / story idea in the first place? 2. Even if so, was it well executed? As a really extreme example you may or may not know that at the end of Stephen King's It, after defeating the monster we are treated in the book to a scene in which our cast of barely-pubescent children characters take it in turns to have sex with the one girl of the group in the sewers. Thematically, it is symbolic of the loss of childhood innocence, which the clown in It is largely a metaphor of. On a practical level it's a few pages of a writer, probably high on cocaine, graphically describing a bunch of child boys running a train on their one female friend. Idea - artistically sound. Execution - jesus fucking christ.
Nothing so extreme happens in Succession. We do not get a scene of Roman jerking off to a woman breastfeeding. And the finale is mostly full of good ideas well executed. Tom "winning" is nicely machiavellian and subversive in a juicy way. I like that he keeps Greg as a character moment - good ending spots for them both. I LOVED Roman summing it up by saying that they're all just bullshit. So what's the deal with Shiv?
During those scenes what we are mostly getting is everything breaking down because at the end of the day, these are some fucked up adults who throw it all away in a basically childish fight. I like that - dress it up however you like, this is a family drama and they're squabbling siblings. And that, I think, is mostly why Shiv turned at the last moment. The family history and dynamic is too strong. She just couldn't bottle seeing Ken win, not least be the person who actually gives it to him.
Plausible / thematic / believable / true to her character / empathisable? All yes. Did it work as a good story moment? I'm not sure. In a series of exciting twists and turns it feels a little flat and anticlimactic. And anticlimaxes can work too, I get that. But this one element just isn't all there for me. I like the idea that Shiv fucks it because she just can't stomach it. But having it just... happen at the 11th hour after spending so long building up the opposite maybe isn't the best way of doing it, in service of her character and the larger plot.
Still overall a great finalie to a great show. I don't mean for this post to have been too negative. I think where everyone ended up is perfect. If something you're not sure about has happened it can just be worth considering if it really is the character you don't like, or the specifics of how something went down in the show.

I've seen this kind of post every couple months over the last 3 years and just used the search function and the comments are usually the same ~10 names repeated when someone asks this question (for good reason of course, they were good playthroughs). With the anticipation of a crumb of Rebirth news at an all time high I've been in the mood to check out good Remake playthroughs that I haven't seen yet.
Have you folks checked any out that haven't been mentioned repeatedly already? Preferably a playthrough you've watched that was recorded over the last year because it means it's probably someone I've never heard of before. Watching someone play on PC/PS5 with fixed textures and smooth fps is a good bonus too.
I don't mind if it's on Twitch/YouTube, what view count they have, whether it's their first FFVII experience or they played the original first, etc. I just need a playthrough with someone who is on camera, that I haven't watched before, who is immersed in the story and doesn't go on long tangents with their chat (if it's on Twitch) during cutscenes.
If you know any that fit that description I'd appreciate the recommendations.

Ciao ragazzi e benvenuti nella Gaming Room.
Questo megathread settimanale è un contenitore per tutti quelle domande o chiacchiere per cui non vale la pena di creare un post apposito.
Qui potete parlare dei giochi a cui state giocando, scambiare consigli o opinioni, fare domande alla community e così via. Sempre nei limiti del regolamento ovviamente!
Se vi ricordate i vecchi megathread "A COSA GIOCHI?" e "GAMERS HELP CENTER", questo thread è una combinazione di quei due più chiacchiere generiche.
Questo thread sarà disponibile dal lunedì al venerdì. Durante il weekend sarà sostituito da "LA CREATOR ROOM" che funzionerà allo stesso modo con la differenza che sarà ANCHE possibile pubblicizzare i propri canali Twitch/Youtube o consigliarne alla community.
Inoltre vi ricordo che abbiamo anche un canale Telegram molto attivo e un canale Discord in fase di avviamento. Trovate i link nella barra laterale del sub

There is a sub I really like, it's not trolly at all, where I recently made a post. The post was removed but I didn't get any notification that would normally explain why. I wouldn't even be able to tell it was removed if I didn't find the lack of replies odd and then checked it while logged out.
I asked the mods what was the issue but I didn't get a reply.
I would like to post it again because I don't think it broke any rules, and because I didn't get any notification that it broke rules and not to attempt to repost (the usual).
Should I do it, or can that get me banned? But when a post is stealthily removed without any mod notice to the user, does it even count as any type of warning?