#activating Zelle

[mangocheesecakes]

the scammer @/rescueplease has now been deleted, but since a lot of people are still reblogging my posts about it, i'm changing my pinned post to a list of currently active scam accounts

scammers with the same m.o., sometimes similar profile pics and linktrees/paypal addresses:

> numberonegoateeeagle (paypal name 'Jeff Owino') new

> nour-samr (paypal name 'Nour Samar') >> nour-samr0 new/remake

scammer pretending to be a sick Black person, using the paypal name, 'Alafred Opondo'

> enchantingqueencreator

the 'insulin scammer''s latest blog (at least i think it's their latest blog:

> fancycoffeepeanut

empty blogs who are mass-reblogging the scam posts and are likely just the scammers sock puppet accounts used to pad the notes of their posts, pls block them too:

> chopra-79

> futuristicphilosopherartisan new

deleted/deactivated/changed url:

maina-3

immariaanszz >> iammarinassaa >> iammarinassaass

jovialsuitdonutai (paypal name 'jeff owino')

khalilhan (paypal name 'samuel obiya') >> khaliilhan

marylinfwaznassar (paypal name 'maryline lucy')

stickytreephilosopher (paypal name 'jeff owino')

perfectlyminiatureface (paypal name 'jeff owino')

optimisticalpacalady (paypal 'jeff owino')

omarkhalini (paypal 'fred odhiambo')

marylinefwaznassar (paypal 'maryline lucy')

khalilhani (paypal 'samuel obiya')

weepingpersondestiny (paypal 'jeff owino')

as always, please block and report these blogs, and more importantly, warn your friends, mutuals, and followers if you see them reblogging their scam posts. if you see a donation post/blog that you believe may be a scam, please do look their url up first on the tumblr search bar to see if someone has already called them out. i will try to update this post with the scammers' new accounts/url as we discover them. please also go to @kyra45's blog, as they are faster and more thorough in updating about newly discovered scams.

some red flags to look out for before sharing donation posts/donating:

new blog, or a couple years old but has only a few random, sporadic posts

backdated posts

spamming asks to a lot of other users, even the ones they don't know or have just followed, and even when the user has made it clear they don't want to receive requests to boost dono posts

is asking you to answer their asks privately, or is sending you a message directly

is straight up asking you for money, and usually for impossibly large amounts

do not put their paypal/money transfer links on their post itself, usually claiming it's to protect their 'privacy'

is using Zelle for their money transfer account, especially if the person is claiming to be in Palestine

please don't be so quick to entertain donation requests and to give away your money, especially if the user ticks a lot of these boxes. if you are familiar with the place they say they are from or the language they are supposed to speak, try conversing with them for a bit to see if their claims would hold. you can also browse my 'donation scam' tag or kyra45's blog to compare if the user has any similarities with past scammers that we've discovered.

that's it po. let's all try our best to look out for each other and make sure that our resources are going to the actual people in need, especially in the case of Palestinians asking for help. the last thing they need right now is for shitty lowlifes to use their suffering to make a profit.

[mousedetective]

URGENT! Please Help A Homeless, Disabled & Mostly Queer Family Get Ready For Housing By Helping With Paying For Much-Needed Loans!

PAYPAL | AMAZON WISHLIST | KOFI | GOFUNDME

VENMO: @penaltywaltz | CASHAPP: $afteriwake23 | ZELLE: DM me for email address

4/29/24 - New Post

So some stuff has happened, some of the loans I listed before have been paid, and I missed a few things, so I'm making a new post!

So, we still haven't heard about Section 8, and while I'm grateful for the shelter housing and feeding us, there's been some pretty toxic activity on my floor and I'm at my wit's end. I'm not sleeping well, I have constant headaches from grinding my teeth, and my blood pressure (which is already high and I'm already on meds for it) keeps being high when I get it checked. So we need to get housing with or without the Section 8 voucher as soon as possible.

Now, I have a list of low-income apartments all over North County. While not ideal, we have also heard of a complex of studio apartments available for $1400 which give preferential treatment to shelter occupants. But the problem is that I not only have a bunch of payday loans to pay, but I also have a payment on a two-month loan, a five-month loan, a six-month loan, and a year-long loan that eat up my entire income until I at least pay off the first three. My mom only gets $1300 and my daughter isn't on disability yet. So we can't even afford the studio until October and we'll have been kicked out of the shelter long before then.

I can probably cover the remaining payday loans and this month's payment for the two-month loan and still pay for the storage units. But I need to pay off whatever I can on the other loans, and the longer I wait the more interest that compiles. So I need a lot more than I was asking for before and I need it quickly to cover at least all of this month's payments while I work on paying off the totals of the bigger loans.

This is the list of payments I need to make as it stands now:

$300 for my loan from Ace Cash Express (due by May 2nd)

$300 for my mom's loan from Ace Cash Express (due May 2nd)

$408 for my loan payment from Ascend Loans (due May 3rd)

$277 for my loan payment from Greenline Loans (due May 3rd)

$177 for my loan payment from Green Arrow Loans (due May 3rd)

$148 for my loan payment to Possible Loans (due May 3rd)

$148 for my mom's loan payment to Possible Loans (due May 3rd)

$321.80 for my mom's loan from Moneylion (due by May 15th)

$285 for my Moneytree loan (due by May 25th)

$285 for my mom's Moneytree loan (due by May 26th)

I can't make partial payments on any of these loans except the Moneylion loans my mom has. I need the full amount for the payment to pay it off early, and for the four non-payday loans, I can't make an early payment but if I can cover the payments in my bank account with donations I'm good.

The Ascend loan was for $1,000. The Greenline loan was for $500. The Green Arrow loan was for $400. The Possible loans are $300 each, coming out as two payments of $148 (one this May, one in June) per loan. So I'm going to set two goals: covering all of the above payments and then covering the bigger loans as a whole throughout the month of May.

I can't take much more of the toxicity at the shelter at the moment, though I have hopes some of it will subside if the most toxic resident on my floor leaves this week like he's threatening to, but yeah. We just need to get all this paid off and get into housing of our own, even if it's just a studio for now. I'm including the $35 I got from a GFM towards the current totals because I spent all the rest of the money I had and I still haven't gotten that donation in my account yet.

TOTAL GOAL: $47/$4850

IMMEDIATE GOAL: $47/$2650

Goal has been met! However, the car is acting up, so we have to take it to our mechanic tomorrow. I may still need some help.

[astromancy-divinare]

Transits & Dasha Periods that can bring a new Romantic Relationship into your life 💖💘

In order for a new romantic relationship to enter your life, a combination of transiting planets and the necessary Vedic Dasha period both✨NEED TO OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME✨

Transits

💖Saturn transiting the 7th house, aspecting the 7th house or aspecting the 7th house lord.

💖Jupiter transiting the 7th house, aspecting the 7th house or aspecting the 7th house lord.

💖Rahu (the North Node) transiting the 7th house.

💖Ketu (the South Node) transiting the 7th house.

Vedic Dasha Periods

The following Dasha periods can be either the Mahadasha (main period) or Antardasha (sub-period). Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not included in Dasha periods.

💖Jupiter Dasha.

💖Venus Dasha.

💖Dasha period of the 7th house lord.

💖 Dasha period of the 7th house lord while transiting Jupiter or Venus aspect the 7th house lord.

💖Dasha period of any planet in the 7th house.

💖Dasha period of any planet that is currently aspecting the 7th house.

💖Dasha of Darakaraka planet (the planet with the lowest degrees in your sidereal natal chart is your Darakaraka planet and it represents your future spouse).

💖Dasha period of 7th house lord in your D9 Navamsa chart.

💖Dasha period of any planet in the 7th house in your D9 Navamsa chart.

💖Dasha period of 1st house lord in your D9 Navamsa chart.

💖Dasha period of any planets in the 1st house in your D9 Navamsa chart.

New reading I’m offering:

💖New Relationship Timing💖 I give you the approximate years when you will most likely enter a new romantic relationship.

I look at your Venus Return charts and Solar Return charts for the next 25 years to find indicators of a new romantic relationship. I then look at what Dasha periods you’ll be running at the time and whether transiting Jupiter and transiting Saturn will be aspecting the necessary houses and planets in your sidereal natal chart in order to activate a new romantic relationship in your life.

I provide you:

💘The years I find indicators of a new romantic relationship entering your life.

💘The dates of your Dasha period that will be running during that time.

💘The dates when transiting Jupiter and transiting Saturn will be aspecting the necessary houses and planets in your sidereal natal chart to activate a new romantic relationship.

$25USD • You’ll receive a typed report in a PDF file.

PayPal: @AstromancyDivinare

CashApp: $AstromancyDivinare

Zelle: astromancy.divinare (@) gmail dot com

DM me if you’re interested! 🫶🏻

[vcnenum]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ❝What is it that you feel?❞ ― ❝Maniacal rage.❞ 

#vcnenum ― FANDOMLESS, SEMI ACTIVE & SELECTIVE PORTRAYAL of Kassian Kaz Ashford, the hunted who became the hunter. A study in: suppressed magic; witch hunt; manipulation; poisoning of the mind; inner conflict; loss and distortion of memories. ( mdni, open for plotting, german highly preferred, 1/4 texts answered )

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Es machte mich wahnsinnig und gleichzeitig war es das einzige, das mich bei Verstand hielt. Das stetige Tropfgeräusch erinnerte mich daran, dass ich mich in der Realität befand – irgendwo gefangen zwischen Himmel und Hölle. Tropf, tropf, tropf, … Himmel oder Hölle? Freiheit oder Gefangenschaft? Eigener Wille oder Manipulation? Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Realität oder reine Fantasie? Keine Ahnung, wie viele Tage ich hier unten schon verrottete. Oder waren es Wochen? Monate? … Jahre?

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Ich zählte die Tropfen. Zählte, wie oft das Wasser auf dem Steinboden aufklatschte und die Zelle, in der ich zitternd kauerte, feucht hielt. So feucht, dass ich an manchen Tagen das Gefühl hatte zu ertrinken.

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Himmel oder Hölle? Freiheit oder Gefangenschaft?

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Eigener Wille oder Manipulation?

Eigener Wille oder… Manipulation?

Eigener Wille…?

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Umgebracht. Leichen über Leichen. Stinkende, verwesende Körper. Blutüberströmte Gesichter. Eigener Wille…? Jäger oder Gejagter?

Tropf, tropf, tropf, …

Ich ertrank. Und was ich für Manipulation hielt, wurde für mich zu einer Realität, der ich nicht mehr entfliehen konnte. Oder … wollte.

( OOC: the character and blog are a work in progress, which is why there may be changes to the profile/carrd. dni if: mun and/or muse are under 25, you are easily triggered by themes like manipulation, foul words, murder, graphic deciption of violence, toxic behaviour, mentions of blood ― list may change regulary )

― carrd (I kindly ask you to check out my rules before interacting with me, thank you! )

[krinsbez]

Tarzan and the Warriors of Kerensky: A Pulp Heroes/BattleTech Story/Worldbuilding Project

Premable: In the later Tarzan backs, a recurring plotline is Tarzan ending up in a weird lost civilization, making friends with some of the locals, but discovering that said civilization has Problems, and proceeds to badass his way into unfucking them, with a combination of martial prowess, trickery, and charisma. Hence the following.

Nobody was able to agree on how to properly BT-ify Tarzan, so going to handwave how exactly he himself is BT-ified. Suffice to say A: he's adept at Mech, ASF, CV, and infantry combat.B: He's a fabulously wealthy Nobleman. Anyways, currently thinking he needs a vacay from civilization, so he and Jane are taking a trip to whatever part of the Periphery is standing in for Africa, and the JumpShip they're traveling misjumps to Strana Mechty in...not sure when, exactly. After they stopped having ilKhans, before the Dragoon Compromise. Alternately, while exploring, they discover a derelict SLDF WarShip and accidentally activate it's malfunctioning Drive? I don't think that works though. Regardless, they end up orbiting Strana Mechty. Clans start squabbling over who gets to claim the JumpShip and whatever it's carrying. Tarzan, being Tarzan, quickly figures out that these people settle issues by duels, and while he is not entirely clear on what "isorla" is, he is not letting anyone claim his wife as it! So, he starts issuing batchalls, and because he's Tarzan, he keeps winning, and winning, and winning. Eventually ,they realize they can't beat him while maintaining zellbringen, but when someone tries to beat him by cheating, it turns out that breaking zell isn't enough to beat him, but it DOES piss him off, and that is a VERY. BAD. IDEA. Not sure where to go from there. Ultimate goal, as noted, is the Clans getting unfucked...not sure if they therefore never invade, or if they do, but they actually are liberators? Kinda imagining some sort of shakeup involving the creation of new Clans, named after notably badass beats Tarzan has encountered on his travels (or at least a Clan Mangani), but that might be too much?

Deffo imaginely Tarzan rolling up to to a meeting, like, riding a hell's horse, wearing a necklace made of ghost bear claws and diamond shark teeth, with a snow raven on his shoulder, a smoke jaguar padding alongside and a troop of fire mandrills coming up behind. Dunno, what do y'all think? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

[divineslcyer]

Art & Commission Signal Boost

So this passing week, we discovered an infection in my mom's foot after her appointment with her PT (Physical therapist). We went straight to her PCP (Primary care physician) upon noticing her foot looked darker in shade, like it was properly bruised. Now for the past two months, my mother's ankle hasn't shown much progress in healing but from what I understand with diabetics, it takes longer than average to heal. At her PCP, we learned her foot likely has an infection, and had to go to Mercy ER for because of the pain in her foot and infection, it was raising her blood sugar levels to higher than normal rates (i mean 300+ high) which is VERY unusual as my mom's been keeping to her meds and learning to stabilize her sugar levels.

Due to the urgency of the situation, travels, buying food outside since we hadn't had the means to go to the store yet, and my being busy tending and monitoring her, I've had to use up the funds for some of my other bills instead. So I'll be linking here my art commissions and graphic commissions for those who can help or are interested in buying work. I accept payment from Cashapp, paypal, and Zelle.

Here's some examples of my newer graphics, mainly character style psd's and dash icons;

and for those who want simple character/dnd busts, I do have a special for $50 that are like so;

Otherwise other commissions are available, slots are open so feel free to dm me here or on my other socials, even discord if interested. Please boost and reblog, as I am actively looking for work to help, takes a moment but means a lot! Thank you!

[ventingfanfics]

Better Boyfriend (Riri x Reader)

Fluff?

There was a rather aggressive knock on the door. As it continued, you were ready to confront the culprit. Not only were you being interrupted from a task, but this person had the audacity to come to your dorm acting like they were the police. 

“Who is it?” You demanded before pulling the door open. The glare on your face faded. You and the uninvited guest stared at each other. Clearing your throat, you spoke. “How can I help you?” Your confrontational tone was replaced with a slightly dull one. But there was nothing boring about the girl standing in front of you—and not just because she’d carried on like she wanted to break your door down.

Your eyes drank in the simple gray T-shirt that clung to her body revealing a sliver of melanated skin that rested just above her jeans. Talk about wearing the outfit and not letting it wear you. Her brown eyes, framed by long lashes, inspected you as well. 

“Apologies about the banging,” she said, her assertiveness unwavering. “Is Eden here?” Her eyes left yours for the first time as she looked past you, hoping to get a peek of the man in question. That man was your boyfriend. Unfortunately. 

Cocking an eyebrow, you asked her why. 

“‘Cause he needs to run me my money.”

Your mouth parted in both shock and realization. Of course money was the reason this young woman had been pounding at your door. You looked at her hands to see if there were any bruises. Then you snapped out of it. 

You sighed, folded your arms, and shook your head. “I told that damn boy. I’m so sorry he keeps doing this to you. You should definitely drop him. He’s a terrible client.” 

The young lady began to smile. Goodness, she was even more beautiful than you thought. “Trust, this is the last time I will ever do business with him. Are you his girlfriend?”

You looked right at her, tilting your head some. “Unfortunately. Oh, and he’s not here, he’s at the gym—or so he claims. You can come in and we’ll wait ’til he gets back and beat his ass?” 

She laughed and you decided you liked the sound. 

“Or I can just pay you back the money,” You added, knowing she’d probably very obviously prefer that option. But you were also trying to see something.

“I’m not gonna lie, I do wanna beat his ass,” She said, earning a light giggle from you, that in turn made her do the same. “But I’d rather take his girl instead.” There was not a trace of amusement in her face now. If anything, it looked she’d been activated into savage mode. She smirked at your noticeably breathless expression. “What do you say, beautiful?” 

You laughed in awe, licking your lips, and smiling. “I’ll do you one better…What did you say your name was again?”

“Riri. Yours?”

You gave your name and invited her to come inside. 

“Hold on a second, I need to do one thing,” You said with a reassuring smile before grabbing your phone. You listened to Eden’s phone ring until he finally answered, sounding out of the breath.

Whether it was from the gym or his “activities” with another girl, you didn’t care. “Yeah, Eden? Can you pay Riri? For fuck’s sake, if you don’t want to pay her for her services, then learn to write a decent fucking paper.”

“I’m zelling it to her now!”

“And the interest.” You turned to the hottie in your living room. “Riri? Let me know if you get the money.”

She was staring at you deeply but nodded nonetheless. 

“Are you with her?” Eden sounded pathetically confused. 

“You never know,” You answered smugly. 

“I got it,” Riri informed you. 

“Plus interest?”

“Plus interest.” She showed you her screen. 

You nodded once and talked back to Eden. “She got it, but one more thing before I go.”

“Okay?”

“It’s over.”

Riri looked impressed and bemused. “And I thought I was a savage. You got me beat, Y/N!”

“Oh, this has been a long time coming,” You replied, blocking Eden on your phone. “He can’t be decent to people, not even his own girlfriend. Not my problem anymore.” 

“I can be a better boyfriend than him anyways.” 

You laughed, though your heart fluttered at Riri’s words and how she eyed you when she spoke them. 

If there was one thing Eden was good for, it would be him bringing you and her to each other. 

[ghostandghoulsthings]

Hello! I’m taking art commissions!

Dm me at scientificrigor.jpeg on discord!

I ONLY TAKE ZELLE RN! I AM SO SORRY! (You gotta be 18 to send money apparently :( )

I DO NOT DO NSFW, VERY DETAILED MECH OR ARMOR, ANTHRO, FURRY/ANIMAL (furry and anthro sometimes, mech and armor i will do but i will add 2$ + depending on how detailed they may be.)

sketch 6 - 9 - 12 (bust, half, full. add +2$ if it’s super detailed, apply this to everything)

lineart 9 - 12 - 14

coloring 12 - 14 - 16

rendering 14 - 17 - 20

My prices go up to 30-40 dollars depending on the amount of people and if you want it rendered and full body!!!

I am actively in school and I am during the hours of 8:30-3:30 pm CST

I will try to finish your commission as fast as I can with the most amount of effort possible!

Please check me out! :D

References down here! :3

[spudlord]

Crowd Funding !!

Venmo: jesse-a94

Cash app: $jessethecutie

Paypal or zelle: jesserosea94@gmail.com

475/2500 I don't know if I even have active followers anymore over here but I am sharing this everywhere I can because I'm pretty desperate. I know money is tight for everyone and there are so many worthy causes and people to donate to right now so I was really hesitant to toward to crowd funding for this but I am at my breaking point. Please consider helping 2 queers find better housing closer to our jobs& friends. Even if you can only send 1 dollar, every penny will help. If you can't donate, please consider sharing!My wife& I are near our breaking point with our current housing situation. I'm asking for donations to help us move.

I didn't want to turn to crowd funding for this but I'm beginning to feel desperate. Based on the rent we could afford monthly we need about 2000 dollars for move in fees, but we've been hoping to save around 2500 to be safe since moving comes with a lot of unexpected costs and we'd need to rent a moving truck since we don't own a car. We currently have 475 dollars set aside and will also be trying our best to put aside every extra penny we have after bills&groceries& other necessities.

We're 2 disabled queer people trying hard to get our shit together. We've been trying to save for months to move us and our 2 cats but every time we get close an emergency happens or one or both of us gets sick and misses a lot of work. Our current rental house is moldy, and has a laundry list of issues that are impacting our health. It's also a 2 hour commute one way via bus to our jobs. We're trying to move to the Oak Park or Ferndale area so we're walking distance from our jobs, and many of our friends/support network, to be closer to my doctors, and closer to more bus lines since I can't drive due to my disability. Thank you for hearing me out at least and please consider sharing or donating or helping in any way you may be able to.

[tsaritiz]

All Identity V references (or easter eggs) to popular culture found.

Some are taken from theories of fandom others are found by me.

Martha Remington as the surname taken from the typewriter brand "remington" (also curious beacause in the game you have to decode typewriters)

Doctor, Emily Dyer is inspired by Amelia Dyer a british serial killer who killed lots of young children while beyond her cares.

Helena Adams references to Helen keller, a blind def woman who were a full-time activist.

Priestress (Fiona Gilman) references to HP Lovecraft's story "The dream in the witch's house."

The Magician references to Servais le roy, the creator of the illusion technic of levitation.

Naib Subedar, in his backstory makes reference to the british invasion of india.

Thief, Kreacher Pierson references George Müller, a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement. His surname is named after Arthur Tappan Pierson, a friend of George Müller who wrote his biography.

The explorer references to Gulliver's Travels.

William Ellis references William Webb Ellis, the alleged inventor of rugby. He also shares the exact same name as him

Norton Campbell's background story references the author H.P Lovecraft's short story titled The Transition of Juan Romero.

Enchantress, Patricia Dorval's adoptive mother references Marie Laveau a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Vodou, herbalist and midwife who was renowned in New Orleans.

Wilding, Murro's Deductions mentions Kasper Hauser, a German youth who claimed to have grown up in the total isolation of a darkened cell.

Female Dancer, Margaretha Zelle references both Mata Hari, a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and Natalia from The Last Circus.

Acrobat, Mike Morton's appearance references both Arlecchino from Commedia dell'arte and Vander Clyde Broadway an American female impersonator, high-wire performer, and trapeze artist born in Texas.

"Prisoner", Luca Balsa references Nikola Tesla a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

Entomologist, Melly Plinius references Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus) the Roman author/naturalist/natural philosopher.

Batter, Ganji Gupta's background story references the British Colonization of Indian Subcontinent (1858-1947).

"Psychologist", Ada Mesmer's Surname references Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician who developed the theory of animal magnetism. She may also be inspired in Ada Lovelace the matematician

Soul Weaver, Violetta references Aloisia 'Violetta' Wagner, a famous German freak show performer from the early 20th century. She was renowned for having tetra-amelia syndrome.

The Ripper, Jack references Jack the Ripper an unidentified serial killer active in the impoverished districts in and around Whitechapel in the East End of London in 1888. His background story references Walter Sickert, a German-born British painter and print maker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London and was suspected of being Jack the Ripper.

Geisha, Michiko references Chōchō-San from Madame Butterfly. She may also reference Yosano Akiko or Higuchi Ichiyo, both famous writers and geishas. But not only, she may reference the play of Fukuchi Ochi "Mirror Lion" .

Hastur is based on The King in Yellow from H.P. Lovecraft novels (Cthulhu Mythos Franchise).

Wu Chang, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu references Heibai Wuchang (黑白无常, Black and White Impermanence) the two Deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld.

Photographer, Joseph Desaulniers references both Nicéphore Niépce a French inventor, usually credited as the inventor of photography and a pioneer in that field and Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray. His background story also mentions the French Revolution.

Mad Eyes, Burke Lapadura references Edmund Burke, a highly regarded Canadian architect best known for building Toronto's Prince Edward Viaduct or "Bloor Street Viaduct" and Toronto's Robert Simpson store.

Dream Witch, Yidhra references Yidhra from the H.P. Lovecraft novels (Cthulhu Mythos Franchise).

Bloody Queen, Mary references both Marie Antoinette the last queen of France and a controversal figure during the French Revolution and the abilities based on Bloody Mary.

"Disciple", Ann's background story references the Salem witch trials.

Violinist, Antonio references Niccolò Paganini an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique.

Sculptor, Galatea Claude possibly references Camille Claudel a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble and her name references to the statue carved of ivory by Pygmalion of Cyprus of the same name from Greek Mythology.

"Undead", Percy references Victor Frankenstein from the author Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.

The Breaking Wheel, Will Brothers references the Breaking wheel with their trailer also referencing the Execution of St Catherine.

Naiad, Grace references Naiads, fresh water nymphs presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water from Greek Mythology. She also appears to reference H.P. Lovecraft's novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Wax Artist, Philippe is based on Philippe Curtius a Swiss physician and wax modeller who taught Marie Tussaud the art of wax modelling.

Hermit, Alva Lorenz references Thomas Edison, a famous inventor.

Night Watch, Ithaqua is based on Ithaqua from H.P. Lovecraft novels (Cthulhu Mythos Franchise).

"Big Daddy" is likely a reference to "Big Brother" from 1984 by George Orwell, the leader who keeps all citizens under constant surveillance and controls them.

Allen, while little is currently known about him, is likely based off Zadok Allen from The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Andrea may be based on Antonia Bianchi, a singer and the long term lover of Niccolo Paganini.

Arthur Byers is likely based on Ambrose Bierce, the author of “Haïta the Shepherd” in which Hastur first appeared.[1]

Catherine is based on St. Catherine of Alexandria who was executed using a breaking wheel.

Christina's death scene in Philipe's character trailer is an allusion to The Death of Marat by French painter Jacques-Louis David.

Claude Desaulniers is based on Claude Niépce, the older brother of French inventor Nicéphore Niépce.

Damballa is based on the benevolent spiritual intermediary in Haitian Voodoo of the same name.

James Reichenbach's last name is a reference to Reichenbach Falls, the name of the location where Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes had his fight to the death with his greatest foe Professor Moriarty.

James Whistler is based on the real life painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler who was the mentor of Walter Sickert.

Papa Legba is based on trickster spiritual intermediary in Haitian Vodou of the same name.

Princess Lamballe is based on Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy (Princesse de Lamballe) who was one of Marie Antoinette's closest friends.

Robert is likely based off Robert Olmstead, the main character and narrator of The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Sullivan is based on Anne Sullivan Macy, an American teacher and lifelong friend of Helen Keller.

The currently Unnamed Cat God is likely based on the short stories Nyarlathotep and Cats of Ulthar by H.P. Lovecraft.

Blue Aladdin references to Aladdin from Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.

Violet Peacock's Chinese description references to The Peacocks Fly Southeast.

Both Poseidon's Crown and Poseidon references to Poseidon the god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses from Greek Mythology.

Caged Butterfly's description mentions Madame Butterfly.

The 1st Essence of Season 2 is based on several Fairy Tale Stories on each Costumes.

King's Tailor references to one of the Swindler from The Emperor's New Clothes.

Both Lazy Mr. Bunny and Mr. Turtle references to The Hare and The Tortoise from The Tortoise and the Hare.

King Arthur references to the character of the same name

Merlin references to the character of the same name.

Black Swan is based on Odile (The Black Swan) from Swan Lake.

Anubis is based on the god of the same name who is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld in Egyptian Mythology.

Ancient Soul references to the Ankh an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used in Egyptian art and writing to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself.

Soul Catcher references to Day of the Dead a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6 from Mexica.

Golden Touch is based on King Midas a king of Phrygia who is known to turn everything he touched into gold from Greek Mythology.

The 1st Essence of Season 6 has several references to Greek Mythology.

Icarus is named after and based on the hero of the same name who is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth on Greek Mythology.

Apollo is named after and based on the God of the same name who is the god of oracles, healing, archery, music and arts, sunlight, knowledge, herds and flocks, protection of the young and the Member of Twelve Olympians.

Leonidas is named after Leonidas I a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta.

Pam possibly is based on Pan the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs.

Captain Hook is based on Captain James Hook.

Eversleeping Girl is based on Wendy Darling.

Forgotten Boy is possibly based on Peter Pan or one of the Lost Boys.

Siren is possibly based on the Mermaids from Mermaids' Lagoon.

March Hare is based on the Character of the Same Name.

Alice is based on the Protagonist of the Same Name.

Mr. Bunny is based on The White Rabbit.

Bill is based on Bill The Lizard.

Caterpillar is based on Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar.

Knave of Hearts is based on the character of the same name.

Executioner is based on one of the Queen of Hearts' Card Soldiers.

The Mad Hatter is based on the character of the same name.

Queen of Hearts is based on the character of the same name.

Serpent is based on Quetzalcoatl the god of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds from Aztec Mythology.

Lady Thirteen is based on Yu Mo from The Flowers of War, portrayed by the actress Ni Ni.

Sophia is based on Sophia Palaiologina a Byzantine princess, member of the Imperial Palaiologos family, Grand Princess of Moscow as the second wife of Grand Prince Ivan III.

Ivan is possibly based on Ivan III of Russia a Grand Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of all Rus'.

Maroon Crystal is based on Dorothy Gale.

Princess Ozma is based on the character of the same name.

The Wicked Witch is based on both Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy Gale.

Emerald City Coachman is based on the Coachman.

Oz, the Wizard is based on Wizard of Oz.

The Tin Man is based on Tin Woodman.

The Spookcrow is based on Scarecrow.

The Toothless Lion is based on Cowardly Lion.

Golden Ratio references to the Philosopher's Stone a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold.

Electrolysis references to the technique of the same name that uses direct electric current (DC) to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction.

Ouroboros references to the ancient symbol of the same name that depicts a snake or dragon eating it's own tail.

Choir Boy has a The squared circle symbol an alchemical symbol (17th century) illustrating the interplay of the four elements of matter symbolising the philosopher's stone on his back.

Mutation represents Chrysopoeia an artificial production of gold, most commonly by the alleged transmutation of base metals such as lead.

Sulfuric Acid has a tattoo on chest resembling the symbol of the same name based on Dalton's Law of Atomic Weights.

Vine references to the Elixir of life a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth.

Philofelist possibly references to Necromancy a practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirits as apparitions, visions or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events, discover hidden knowledge, to bring someone back from the dead, or to use the dead as a weapon.

Judge represents Pride.

Deputy represents Greed.

Clerk represents Envy.

Court 3 Commissioner represents Wrath.

Court 5 Commissioner represents Sloth.

Court 6 Commissioner represents Gluttony.

Court 7 Commissioner represents Lust.

Narcissus is named after the character of the same name who rejected all romantic advances, eventually falling in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, staring at it for the remainder of his life, his name is the origin of Narcissism.

Clio is named after the goddess of the same name who is the goddess of history, lyre playing and a member of the Muses.

Talia is named after Thalia who is the goddess of comedy and a member of the Muses.

Hebe is named after the goddess of the same name who is the goddess of eternal youth, prime of life, forgiveness

"Succubus" is named after a demon of the same name they are female demons that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity.

Rainmaker's Beauty Form is based on both Lady Shizuka, one of the most famous women in Japanese history and literature and Ameonna, a yōkai thought to call forth rain while the Prajna Form is based on Kuchisake-onna, that appears as a malicious spirit, or onryō, of a woman, that partially covers her face with a mask or other item and carries some sort of sharp object.

"The Prince" is based on the titular character of the The Happy Prince.

Feathered Cloak is based on Freyja, a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future) from Norse Mythology.

The 3rd Essence of Season 17 is based on The Masque of the Red Death.

Man in Red is based on The Red Death.

Runaway is based on Prince Prospero.

The 1st Essence of Season 18 is based on The Marriage of Figaro.

Fury is based on both Count Almaviva (Philippe) and Countess Rosina (Christina).

"Susanna" is based on the character of the same name.

The 1st Essence of Season 20 is based on And Then There Were None.

The 2nd Essence of Season 20 takes place on The Crystal Palace on a fictional setting.

Lockheart is shown to be a fictional daughter of the in real life historical figure Joseph Paxton an English gardener, architect, engineer and Member of Parliament, best known for designing the Crystal Palace.

The 1st Essence of Season 21 is based on Bacchanalia, an unofficial, privately funded popular Roman festivals of Bacchus, based on various ecstatic elements of the Greek Dionysia.

Spring Heated Wine is based on Dionysus, the god of the grape-harvest, wine making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre and a Member of the Twelve Olympians from Greek Mythology.

Bai Ze is based on Bai Ze itself, a mystical Chinese beast connected with spirits.

The 3rd Essence of Season 22 is based on insects and also the seven virtues.

Winter Cicada represents Humility.

Frozen Butterfly represents Chastity.

Ant represents Charity.

Scorpion represents Kindness.

Mayfly represents Diligence.

Centipede represents Temperance.

Worker Bee represents Patience.

Boudoir Dream is based on Child Jane Hudson from What Ever Happened to Baby Jane which is a film adaptation of a novel of the same name, portrayed by the child actress Julie Allred

Iron Lady is based on Harriet Craig from the film of the same name which is a film adaptation of Craig's Wife, portrayed by the actress Joan Crawford.

Samara is based on Samarra from The Prodigal which is a film adaptation of Parable of the Prodigal Son, portrayed by the actress Lana Turner.

Rhythm of the Rain is based on Kathy Selden from Singin' in the Rain, portrayed by the actress Debbie Reynolds.

Recluse is based on Jef Costello from Le Samouraï, portrayed by the actor and filmmaker Alain Delon.

Hamlet is based on the titular character of the 1948 film which is the film adaptation of the play of the same name, portrayed by the actor and director Laurence Olivier.

Colonel Dax is based on the character of the same name from Paths of Glory which is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name, portrayed by the actor and filmmaker Kirk Douglas.

The Red Shoes is based on Victoria Page from The Red Shoes which is a film adaptation of a fairy tale of the same name, portrayed by the actress ballet dancer and actress Moira Shearer.

The Black Tulip is based on both Guillaume de Saint Preux and Julien de Saint Preux from The Black Tulip which is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name, both portrayed by the actor and filmmaker Alain Delon.

Just Around the Corner is based on Penny Hale from Just Around the Corner which is a film adaptation of Lucky Penny, portrayed by former child actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat and diplomat Shirley Temple.

Zouzou is based on the titular character of the 1934 film, portrayed by actress, French Resistance agent, and Civil Rights Activist Josephine Baker.

Ben-Hur is based on Judah Ben-Hur from Ben-Hur which is a film adaptation of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, portrayed by the actor and political activist Charlton Heston.

Dorothy is based on Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz which is a film adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, portrayed by actress and singer Judy Garland.

Salome is based on the titular character from the movie of the same name, portrayed by actress, dancer, and producer Rita Hayworth.

Da Vinci is based on Leonardo da Vinci from The Life of Leonardo da Vinci which is a miniseries about the real life artist, portrayed by actor Philippe Leroy.

Svengali is based on the titular character of the 1931 film which is a film adaptation of Trilby, portrayed by the actor on radio, stage and radio John Barrymore.

Rashomon is based on the Samurai's wife from Rashomon which is a film adaptation of two Ryūnosuke Akutagawa novels "In a Grove" and "Rashōmon", portrayed by the actress Machiko Kyō.

Broken Blossoms are based on Cheng Huan from Broken Blossoms which is a film adaptation of The C**** and the Child, portrayed by the actor Richard Barthelmess.

Scarlet is based on Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind which is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name, portrayed by the actress Vivien Leigh.

Faust is based on the titular character of the 1927 film which is a film adaptation of the play of the same name, portrayed by the actor, director and singer Gösta Ekman.

Million Dollar Mermaid is based on Annette Kellerman from the film of the same name which is a biography about the real life swimmer, portrayed by swimmer and actress Esther Williams.

[thelador-s-mclargehuge]

Episode 3, Finding some footing!

So this is where I started to find where I stood in the series. The last couple of posts was just me going scene by scene describing things, this one I want to focus in on two things. Starting a Lore Bible, and Action Scenes.

So between ep 2 and 3 I took a trip to my grandmas which is always good to get the creative juices flowing. And I knew the Mantis Lords were coming up, and I thought "Mantises are kinda tied in to a lot of places, what with the Trator Lord, the breakup between the tribes, and the pale mourner quest. It seems like there's a lot of fertile ground for lore expansion there!" So I started expanding The Mantis stuff. Then I kept going. I'd established that Fighting History, was going to be a simplified version off Film History I'd already name dropped Zells and Hilltop, during the hornet fight. How much farther can I go with that? And maybe I should give the exposition to Sly.

The Concept I had for Quirrel was based on a Blade Runner 2049 reference I used him to make in the old series... but what if I Kept Expanding Outward.

And eventually, it was time to make this episode. Here is where I had an idea of where to go after this. I'd been playing it by ear up until this point, with a few exceptions. I knew how I was going to do some story beats, like Myla and The Ending. But now I knew what direction I was taking everything else. Hollow Knights lore is veeery open to interpretation. And If I was going to make a narrative series out of it. I needed to interpret. So I decided to go hard on that. I'd say I threw off my shackles and made my own cannon, but Hollow Knight's cannon is a tapestry filled with bits torn out on purpose. So I just filled them in. And while filling them in I realized how wide the canvas was. So I just kept going. And I'm still going!

And ultimately, going that direction I think is the best way to go. Everyone watching the series probably know how the story goes. And it's going to go mostly the same way. But it sure feels a lot different when you've got a lot more going on. And I still got a lot of surprises up my sleeve!

Now let's talk about the fight scenes. So something I didn't talk about during the Episode 2 behind the scenes is that I stopped rendering these videos in 60fps. The reason I did that is because, with the dynamic cutting, the Hornet Fight Scene just looked *way worse* in 60FPS. That framerate is really good when you have to watch out for Hornet's attacks, and therefor are focusing on a mostly static screen where the movement is done by the character and not the camera.

But when every action gets it's own cut, And the camera AND the characters are moving 60FPS can get visually overwhelming. You don't need to actively interact with A Youtube Video. The editing and camera movement does that for you! And if you just have a static screen of the characters moving it looses a majority of the 'oomph' quick cuts, zooms, and framing can give you. It's incredibly boring!

So I render these in 30FPS exclusively now.

But the reason I bring that up is that I noticed something else in the Hornet Fight It's very vertical, and Academy Ratio Widescreen looks much better than 16:9.

So i played around in the hornet fight a little, and eventually decided against going with that. Because hornet did do a lot of jumping in the air and having the full 16:9 rectangle gave me a lot more vertical room.

But I didn't need that with the Moss guards.

So the day before it needed to be released, I looked at it, and it felt like half an episode. There wasn't really a conclusion to it. 'cus at that point it just had the moss guard fight on the bridge and "Still Counts!" was all the training out lil guy did the whole episode.

So I thought "Why don't I just put, like, another fight scene in there where he learns something?"

So I did that. Then I went back to my Widescreen idea.

And I thought to myself "Okay, pretentious much? You're just gonna change the aspect ratio purely for the fight scene on your Hollow Knight Youtube Video?" Everything Everywhere All At Once hadn't come out yet, you see.

So I thought "Well okay, If I'm gonna do that. I think I need another reason for it to be there other than It Looks Better This Way" Which was wrong, of course, that's always a good enough reason. but I thought "If he's training, maybe those are the margins the character writes his notes in. He can put boss attack strategies in there!"

And, while it's been a pain in the ass and a helova lot of work. It's honestly one of the best ideas I had for the series! And I made it 3 hours before my final render lol. Sometimes you give yourself needless barriers, but sometimes a clever solution to something that isn't a problem, turns it into a new cool thing. Not always. Probably not usually. But sometimes!

[astromancy-divinare]

Future Spouse Readings💕

✨A lot of people have asked me recently if I offer future spouse readings and what they cover, so here’s an explanation✨ I’ve included a recent client’s review at the end of this post!

I look at both your Tropical and Sidereal natal charts, including your D9 Navamsa chart: a Vedic astrology divisional chart that reveals your future marriage(s).

💖The most important feature of this reading!💖 I tell you which Vedic Dasha planetary periods you are most likely going to get married in AND I give you several specific dates of when transiting Jupiter and Saturn will both aspect the correct houses needed to activate marriage in your Sidereal natal chart. These dates will correspond with your Dasha periods in which marriage is possible.

My 💞Future Spouse Reading💞 covers:

Whether you have placements that promise marriage

Whether you have indicators of divorce

Whether you have indicators of having more than one marriage

Your 7th house lord and its placement in your Tropical & Sidereal natal charts (This can tell you about the characteristics of your future spouse and how/where you’ll meet them)

The Upapada Lagna in your Sidereal natal chart (This is a Vedic astrology technique to discover the longevity of your marriage and whether you’ll have more than one marriage)

Your Vedic Dasha planetary periods when you will most likely get married (Dashas are a Vedic astrology technique to predict when specific events will most likely happen)

Specific dates when transiting Jupiter and Saturn will both aspect the necessary houses to activate marriage in your Sidereal natal chart (These dates will correspond with your Dasha periods in which you’re most likely to get married during)

Your Zodiacal Releasing dates based on the Lot of Eros in your Tropical natal chart when you may experience significant changes in your love life (I highlight which dates correspond to your Vedic Dasha periods in which marriage is most likely)

💕Here is a review from a recent client I did a Future Spouse Reading for!💕 They asked to remain anonymous.

If you are interested in purchasing a Future Spouse Reading, DM me! Make sure you know your time of birth because otherwise I won’t be able to do the reading for you.

Info I’ll need from you:

Date of birth

Time of birth

Location of birth

How many serious relationships you’ve been in so far (that lasted at least a year or longer)

If you’ve already been married and divorced once

As of April 11, 2024: Future Spouse Readings = $25

PayPal: @AstromancyDivinare

CashApp: $AstromancyDivinare

Zelle: astromancy.divinare (@) gmail dot com

[luminous-gemstone]

I’m looking for donations to help repair my vehicle after being stolen. It’s not starting and I need to get it diagnosed and repaired as soon as possible. I am currently unemployed and actively looking for a job but I’m so behind on my phone bill and need help. I’m also at risk of homelessness soon. Anything given would be greatly appreciated.

cashapp-$elilovelace

venmo- @eli-lovelace0

zelle- elizabeththebutterfly@gmail.com

paypal- @elizabethdew

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

Character Mannerisms

Taking a page from @the-raging-tempest's book and making a loose collection of Zell's mannerisms/little ways. I'll likely be updating this over time hahaaaa

Zell primarily comes off as laid back but subtly intimidating. He tries for the former more than the latter, but he can't really turn off how intense his gaze is. Pierces right through who or what he's looking at. Tries to soften this with the rest of his mannerisms. Even so he has a very commanding presence, so he leans on laid-back affectations and his thick accent to be seen as something of an affable buffoon with a temper.

Deliberate and purposeful in his movements. Doesn't gesticulate wildly, instead prefers to punctuate with a motion or gesture and emote more with his face and voice. Points with his chin more than his hands. When he's holding or fidgeting with something it's very methodical, like he's examining whatever it is. Very tactile, usually holding on to something when he talks - usually his belt, if there's nothing else.

He moves through the room when speaking, almost as though he's monologing on a stage, however always engaging the other speaker(s) to keep the conversation flowing, usually with jokes and quips to keep the energy up. Speaks with a thick Ustalavian accent, but is very expressive - somewhat musical - in how he enunciates. Rough low tenor, like he's just recovering from losing his voice.

Makes a sound like a cross between a gator hiss and a tiger snarl when he's really pissed or about to rage.

Has laughs and smiles for every occasion, from the fond to the utterly villanous. Has cultivated a particularly scary cackle for occasions that require scaring the shit out of gullible people.

Idle stance is hand on hip, weapon over shoulder - out for an evening stroll kinda vibe; has an upright posture. Every motion follows a glance; leads with his eyes first, then head and shoulders follow, giving him a patient, relaxed look - usually. Can turn on a dime over to predatory when necessary.

Prefers not to wast energy but moves around at a consistent, slow pace. He sometime gets stiff if he stays still. If standing idle for too long he'll do slow stretches to keep his legs and hips from tightening up. Tucks his glaive around his shoulders to rest his wrists upon as well sometimes.

Fidgets with his braids, usually twisting one around his left wrist and then playing with the tail end with his right hand.

Drums his knuckles on surfaces when he's deep in thought.

Presses his index and middle fingers to his lips and looks away when covering his annoyance.

Very much enjoys holding or touching hands as a casual or friendly intimacy. Grasping both hands in greeting is how you know he likes you.

When he has a horse animal companion, he'll idly pet or scratch it's head and flanks, check the saddle and bit, or give them ear rubs.

Holds his left elbow and receives with his right whenever being given something.

Not an indoor boots guy, keeps a pair of indoor shoes. No he doesn't care that the floor is stone it's the principal of the thing.

Ambidextrous but primarily uses his left hand.

He has the 'must tidy to calm down' gene that activates whenever he's pissed off about something he can't do anything to fix. If he can't tidy, he'll find some other chore. if he can't do that, it's very agitated pacing and grumbling about the situation. This is reserved mostly for issues that are not personal. If he's pissed about something personal he can't fix, he ruminates & then suffers the consequences of staring at a spot on the wall for too long.

Will get distracted by an insect of some sort and spew facts about them at the drop of a hat. Bug facts are also a form of high-level flirting, to him.

Extremely subtle about showing genuine affection at first before ramping up to the Full Gomez once he's sure things are solid.

Charismatic enough to somehow be tactical to the point of surgical precision with extremely blunt statements.

When excited, becomes surprisingly mobile. If participating in a game, will usually be loping around encouraging other players and acting some sort of support role to make sure the game stays fun.

Doesn't get drunk often, but is a very cozy drunk. Usually will just kind of melt into a puddle where he's at and not pay too much attention to anything. Unless it's tequila. Keep him away from tequila at all costs. Otherwise you're looking at an instigator with no problem causing a loud brawl with loads of collateral property damage.

He mostly does not go out of his way to start fights. He will always try to talk someone down unless they throw a punch or try to make it personal. Most people outside of combat situations get three chances and then, well. Of cours you know, this means war. Once provoked he will ruthlessly instigate his target to mayhem or fights until he has secured total victory. He tries not to be too vengeful but he does reserve the right to be smug.

Always dances along a little bit if he hears music being played, doesn't matter the type. Always does the hops if he comes across a hopscotch grid on the ground.

Gets somewhat frequent, awful migraines that make him extremely unwilling to talk and very prickly. Will hide under a deep hood rarely speaks unless it's something important or to make a vampire quip, which is also important.

Will escalate any verbal suggestion at the drop of a hat. The king of yes-and, will not hesitate to turn a sarcastic remark into an absolutely unhinged bit, especially if he can get the other person laughing about it.

He *does* experience bloodlust, but generally only for demon blood. Aasimar, however, is extremely tempting to him so he tries to stay mindful of that.

[asryakino]

FULL STORY OF THE SAGA OF THE EXPLOSIVE PHONE AND THE ELECTRONICS STORE THAT TRIED TO GET ME TO COMMIT DOMESTIC TERRORISM! -

This is going to take a hot minute to type, so be patient

on June 18th 2024 I was out running errands, and picked up dinner, in doing so I overdrew the credit union account, I THOUGHT I had zeroed it out, but it had actually overdrawn.

I didn't find out until after the bank had closed, and since the 19th was Juneteenth (a federal holiday in the states) the CU was closed.

I THOUGHT I could sign the account up through Zelle and/or cashapp and just transfer money directly into the account, but Zelle continually failed, and cash app let me enroll it, but not transfer the money to the account.

Continually they said the issue was with the DEBIT CARD, not the account and told me to call the bank. I couldn't.

On the 20th, I woke up early enough to call the bank, and began the arduous process of verifying over the phone with my dad just so I could talk to them, and Zelle, and try to figure out why the everloving hell the zelle system said there was something wrong with the card and not letting me even sign up so I could transfer money into the account.

I spent four hours on this. Calling one, calling the other, being on hold. and NO ONE could fix the problem.

I repeated myself so many times I was tired of hearing myself. I got one person who said it was the carrier, so I had to call t-mobile, except it wasn't tmobile it was mint, and tmobile transferred me to aura and not mint, and finally to mint who said 'oh that feature is already unlocked on the account you need to call the banking institution or zelle.

On the final call to zelle, the new tech was refusing to accept the verification. and starts going through her little trapper keeper script of why she was refusing to accept the verification when we had all the answers all the info and had ACTIVELY BEEN VERIFYING FOR FOUR HOURS until this point when she says, off handedly during her script read (she was literally just reading the fucking bullet points, I could HEAR the pauses as she shifted line down) "Your account must have more than a dollar in it to enroll"

I spin, looking at the phone only to realize that the phone my dad is holding has expanded, and popped the back of itself off. And immediately begin internally panicking but externally I'm just being frustrated because THAT was the problem for the past four hours, not me entering info wrong, not the information being incorrect with the bank, not the debit card being mislinked, not a system error THE ACCOUNT WAS ALREADY OVER DRAWN AND IT TOOK FOUR HOURS AND WIGHT TECHS TO TELL ME THIS CONDITION?!

I tell dad to immediately hang up the phone and give it to me, I'm ready to rip my hair out and he thinks I'm going to throw the phone and kind of clings to it. I say, firmer. "Give me that timebomb NOW" and he goes 'what is the pro- what the fuck is that?"

I saiod "That is a spicy pillow and you need to give itt to me -now-. I'm taking it to best buy it should still be under warranty." "Yeah, yeah.." and he handed me the phone "When did that happen?" "When you took the phone out of the case to talk to zelle a second ago. It's blowing out, and It doesn't need to be here." "Yeah you go handle... this..."

I explain the zelle issue why it wouldn't enroll, and go get dressed, grab the spicy ravioli and run out the door with the idea that I'll go to the credit union two cities over, fix the overdraft and then take care of the phone return. While driving it's still expanding so I reprioritize and decide to return the phone first.

In my mind, this is a simple thing. I know the phone is under warranty, it has become a safety issue, their standard practice of "keep this and send it off" is not a viable option so it will HAVE to be a refund/in store exchange.

I know this because I've had to do this once before in the past. I know how their policies work, I know the standard returns but more importantly I know the severity of a bloated li-ion battery and how fucking important it is to get it into a safe disposal unit to be picked up by hazardous waste techs with a fireproof vehicle

I go in, at this point I am forwardly professional, I am not panicked, excitable or anything I have my mask of professionalism on and I'm all fucking business. I go to customer service and say 'I need to make a return but before that, do you have a fire blanket or fire suppressant for this fire hazard" and I gently set the phone on the counter. My only thought is to safely contain this ACTIVELY EXPANDING lithium battery.

She looks down, eye go wide and goes "I don't know let me check" and runs to the back, I hear from the back "We have a bucket of sand" and I retort "That will do, this needs to be contained immediately please"

They come get it, and take the potential fire hazard to be buried in the sand bucket. NOW we may commence the return process. I immediately put on the customer service interaction mask, and give them the information for the account, I joke that my receipt for the purchase had bleached out in the car (It had, I keep it in the sunglasses holder and it had legitimated denatured) and we agree that is why they have everything digital.

The CS says it's a rapid exchange in store for this, I said yay, that's actually really nice, because 'express' is not great. She agrees, and sends me to the mobile department, I say take all the time they need, I'll pick a new phone and confirm it's what my dad wants, and I know the paperwork is going to take a hot minute.

I confirm dad doesn't care as long as it's functional, so I pick out the same type, but updated model of phone (Moto G Stylus 2023 model to replace the 2021 model that is buried in sand in the back)

I talk to mobile, connecting with the associate over customer horror stories and the like while the new phone that he, customer service, geek squad techs, and two other associates and a manager have seen, agreed this is going to be an instore exchange because of the circumstances.

We begin setting up the phone and I realize the sim card is still in the bomb. I roll back over in my wheelchair to ask if it's safe to get the sim card. And they say they have to check the IMEI anyway and I bawk. We've already confirmed it's probably not safe to turn the phone on right now, and they say it's okay, it's on the sim tray. I didn't know that, good information. And I ask, cautiously, if it'd be okay to turn it on BRIEFLY so I can get only the login email on it to know which email my dad used for logging into google so I can get his contacts and account synched

the tech says "I don't recommend it" I asked if it would be okay to do so knowingly against advice to turn it on, get the info, turn it off and rebury the thing?

By now, it's been confirmed the battery is no longer expanding, and it's not actively leaking, smoking or heating up. We all agree it's a compromised cell within the battery but it hasn't been breeched, so it's safe-ISH to handle, briefly, but it shouldn't be agitated too much just in case.

I suggest removing the back fully so there's no pressure points. I'm ignored.

I get the info, turn off the fire bomb and hand it back, where it's taken back to what I assume is the sand bucket.

after a little while, the replacement phone is ready for login, I begin setting up the phone for my dad and logging in his information so it'll be set up and ready to go. They begin the return paperwork for the other phone.

At this point it's been about 45 minutes. It's been a smooth process where everyone was on the same side of 'we do not want to agitate the bomb, and Asrya should be leaving with a functional phone and NOT a fire hazard."

when they try to do the return, the SKU (sales identification number) comes up as dead meaning that the store chain doesn't carry that model any more, and the system won't accept the item as a return for cash, credit, or refund. It just -won't- . Initially, I tell them I've had to do this only twice before (I didn't mention it was spread out over like twelve years that I've been using this specific protection plan with Best Buy) and that they may have to store manager override it.

I've had to utilize this process before with laptops I had to exchange due to manufacture defects... so I actually do know how the policy works, the former general manager of the store had explained it to me YEARS ago.

So I tell them that it happens, and to take their time, I know it's a pain in the ass and I'm sorry I'm taking up so much resources, but it's really okay and as long as the end result is good, I don't mind waiting.

At this point it's 1 in the afternoon.

I've been at the best buy for an hour.

The manager comes up after a while, telling me that it's physically impossible. And I'm going to have to use the 'express return' system, it's the only solution that their system is allowing them to process.

I start getting frustrated, which means I start crying because I am fighting the urge to begin yelling. I've now been here for over an hour, I was in the middle of handling the situation and I NEED the phone in order to process the banking issue this all started with so my dad doesn't get charged overdraft fees.

I explain I can't wait a week for a new phone and what am I supposed to do with the bloated phone?

they explain this process, and get snippy telling me "It's 2-3 days not a week" I tell them it's 2-3 BUSINESS days "well... yeah" "This is THURSDAY, at the earliest it'll process Friday then ship out on Monday, if I'm LUCKY it'll arrive on TUESDAY at the earliest, and maybe not until Thursday of next week! During that whole time my dad's account will have overdraft fees being applied to it for each day! We can't afford that! On top of that you want me to pay a 70$ deposit just to do this! We do not have that money right now"

I was told I could apply for and use the best buy credit card.

I asked for a phone number to call, that there HAD to be an alternative solution, I said I didn't want to take the fire hazard home with me.

By now they had REMOVED THE PHONE FROM THE BUCKET and were walking around with it after me, trying to get me to take the fucking compromised battery.

I tell them to put that thing back in the sand bucket. And they give me 'corporate's number' a 1877 number. I ask if that's the number to call to talk to a supervisor or manager because this is an exception to the policy if ever there was one. If anyone would have the directions for overriding this dead sku problem, it should be the store manager's area or district manager

I am told there is no area or district manager.

I am FLOORED, I realize I've not been around this system for a couple of years but that information just... baffles me. I ask who THEY call when they have a situation come up that can't be handled in store.

They tell me they call the 1877 number.

I am BAFFLED by this, but I call the 1877 number, the call id comes up as 'best buy express kiosk" and I groan because I recognize this as the trunk line call center. I brace for and prepare to handle this for an hour. I am still trying to be as professional as possible.

I have now been here for going on two hours.

I roll out into the entry way, they CHASE ME with the fucking firebomb of a phone and ask if I'm leaving. I look back at them holding this fucking bloated phone and say no I'm just trying to get out of everyone's way so I can call the number and would they PLEASE put that thing back again and leave it in the safe bucket!

I spend the better part of hour three struggling to get through these customer service techs, explaining the situation and begging for them to transfer me to a manager or supervisor. I'm being denied this at every turn until I get to "returns" and am told to ask THEM for a manager by a tech who seemed to understand the situation and why I was calling.

I'm transferred, the tech listens, agrees that I should NOT be handed a firebomb to go home with, and should not be expected to ship a bloated li-ion battery in the mail and that it should be an in store return with store credit. I ask her to please explain this to the manager and go to remove my headset and put her on speaker so the manager can hear it from corporate

the call disconnected

I break

I begin crying, as quietly as I can, and the manager goes 'well' and I explain the call disconnected... I have to get back to that point.. and roll back into the entry way to begin the process again.

I'm crying, I just need this to work.

I've been here for nearly three hours.

The new tech that answers refuses to confirm the account and begins insisting I give my personal number and email to him. Refusing to accept the account information.

He puts me on hold. I call the corporate number again, merge the calls, and he has me on a mute hold. I get another tech that sound like the same guy, who also eventually puts me on hold, and then disconnects the call.

I'm sobbing and breaking down at this point, I'm having a panic attack, and struggling to maintain any type of composure at this point. I tell them I'm going out to my car so I'm not causing a scene in their store and is the manager positive there is no other option. I need to be leaving with a working phone, or at least I do NOT need to be leaving with a fucking FIRE HAZARD that they are expecting me to ship in the mail it is ILLEGAL to ship compromised batteries in the mail.

this fucking manager looks me dead in the face and says I can purchase a new phone to use, and just bring it back after the 'express return' is finished, or I can just do the express return, but there is NO WAY at all physically for her to do the return, in any shape, form or fashion, that I will have to take the fire hazard phone with me and ship it to their facility when the new phone comes in the mail in five days or so

I say I do not feel comfortable holding onto a FIRE HAZARD for a week, much less being without the ability to do the banking and is best buy going to cover the overdraft fees I'll be incurring and what am I supposed to do with a fucking bloated phone that could explode?!

Her solution? "You can go to walmart and buy a bucket and sand and put it in there if you don't feel safe with it, I hear that sand is good for batteries like this"

I snap... I just.. break down and begin crying because at this point I've been here for three hours, I know what she's suggesting is absolutely wrong, she's lied to me about not having an area/district manager, and she's standing over me like some fucking goon while telling me to take a BOMB home and then send it in the federal post in a week!

I break down, I take the stupid fucking bomb, they make me factory reset the phone I had been working on previously, I take the sim card, and I ask again if there is ANYONE I can call to talk to that will help. Who do THEY call when there's a situation because there HAS to be SOMEONE. They insist that nope, there's ONLY the 1877 number to the call centre.

I'm bawling, I'm broken, and crying I'm having heart issues, my head is screaming, my face feels burnt, and I roll out to the car and put the chair away. While unpacking the chair I realize I had actually put a pack of switch thumbsticks in the cart because I had been hoping to buy them with the leftover store credit I'd have when they all thought it was going to be a store credit exchange.

With my legs SCREAMING in pain, and barely able to walk, I limp back in on my crutches, unintelligibly sobbing and return the nearly-pilfered item, then go back to the truck. St this point I've set the phone on my driver's seat, I begin working on possibly loading the chair back on the truck when there's a loud, gunshot-like POP noise

and for a brief, horrifying moment, I think the battery has just exploded in my truck. Only to realize the heat had actually boiled a bottle of soda, and THAT was what had just exploded.

I'm determined, angry, frustrated, pissed, and petty... I don't want this fucking bomb in my possession, I know for a goddamn fact I am not supposed to have this bomb in my possession, I know that if it goes off and causes damages that best buy will be liable for it, and frankly, while the payout might be nice the inconvenience of having to deal with the damage, replacement, insurance, lawyers, and court costs and investigation are too much for me to handle. I don't want to go through it I JUST want a phone that works, the bank situation to be fixed and to NOT HAVE A FUCKING BOMB IN MY POSSISSION

I begin calling the useless as fuck call centre again, and for the next three and a half hours (totaling seven now) I continually try to explain, repeat, get transferred, sobbing, crying and getting hung up on by asshole techs. and I'm losing more and more composure as it goes on.

I FINALLY get a tech who says 'it should be store credit' I said I need the instructions on how to do that because the manager is claiming to not know how to do it. and I beg her to talk to the manager. Success. I go back in side, clinging to this tiny spider thread of hope that they'll fix it.

the manager takes my phone, asks if she can step tot he side, I say yes, and she comes back and they're both just repeating that the only solution is for me to send this bomb in the mail

I tell them it's ILLEGAL to send it, it's literally a federal crime. It CANNOT be policy to do this. None of them will budge. None will do the override, they're INSISTING I have to wait for a phone to come in, and then send a BOMB in the mail. I tell them this is probably why we've had mail trucks catch fire if they're telling people to do this it's ILLEGAL

The fucking manager says 'it's not actively leaking, it's not smoking or how it SHOULD be legal to send it in the mail' I ask for the salary person she mentioned. I go tot the mobile guy I'd been talking to six hours ago. I ask HIM to get me the salary person. This woman comes over and stands over me, arms crossed, with them angrily standing in front of me, arms crossed, like they're trying to intimidate me out of the store for trying to run a scam.

they continue to tell me there's no other option that they wouldn't spend six hours to tell me know they'd help if they could that I'm going to have to use the mail system.

I ask the salary manager who they call. She says corporate. I say that is horseshit. She gets offended and I clarify. That if their new policies is to call the call center number they gave me that is a horse shit policy and THEY are in danger of running into DANGEROUS situations like this without a way of getting out or around it. Who do I call to complain about that policy then?

"You can complain but it won't do anything to change the answer"

"Who do I call?!"

They give me no answer.

I leave

after seven hours of fighting with them. I leave, in possession of a fire hazard, my head pounding, feeling sick, having now gone through MULTIPLE break downs, melt downs, and panic attacks over the past seven hours of being on site trying to get them to do the right things.

I go home and explain to my parents what happened, I unload the tiny amount of groceries I'd picked up (twenty bucks of emergency cash) and realize how much bullshit it is what had happened. So I begin calling the local investigative news stations to see if they want to look into this.

One of the news stations is VERY interested in the fact this store told me to buy a bucket of sand to put a dangerous fire/explosive into. They're interested that the store can't be called with inbound calls, that there's apparently no area or district manager to call, that the store sent me home with an explosive and told me to send it in the mail.

I send the store to the news station. I call other stations, they're not as interested. That's fine. I'm advised to call the attorney general of commerce and leave them the story. I do.

June 21 2024 - I still need to correct the banking situation so I determine to drive to the bank, make a physical deposit with some change I have on hand to bring the account high enough to accept the cash app deposit I tried to withdraw two days before. And while I am in the area of the credit union, I'll go to a different best buy, explain what happened, and see if they give me the same answer.

The bank was thankfully open two hours later than I though, giving me plenty of time. They accepted the deposit, and I was on my way, I get to the other Best Buy.

The battery has expanded again by this point. But still no leaks, smoke, or active heat but I don't trust it, and moving it is a bad idea. I take it inside, I explain what happened and this store is absolutely horrified of my story.

I show them receipts of what happened. I explain their responses, their 'solutions' and their suggestions. This store's crew is just locked in abject horror that this happened. I explain why the other store wouldn't do the store credit and they say 'let me call my manager' and I tell them about how the other store told me there was NO area or district manager.

They look confused "Well he's kind of a roaming district manager, but... yeah... we have... I have a lot to tell Abby."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I was right, there's an area manager, and a roaming district manager... I wasn't crazy I did remember correctly how their policies worked... I tell them about the 'we call corporate' situation and how I was on the phone for 7 hours thereabouts, being hung up on.. they all continue to look horrified... at this point they hit the same dead sku issue, and I lament a possible repeat. They said they were NOT going to let me have that bomb back, we were NOT going to be sending it through the mail (one even said 'Isn't that considered like.. terrorism?!" and I agreed I was pretty sure it was. ) they said I was leaving with a phone they just had to get 'Abby' to tell them how to bypass this... and she did. In like.. five minutes.

"Is store credit okay? It'll probably have to be store credit" "YES! That's perfect, it means I can just get the phone and a new plan..." They help me find a phone they have (Moto G 5g 2024 model) and even with a new plan, I had 33% of store credit left over!

They tell me that phone is NOT leaving the sand bucket, and there's a brief funny moment of one associate holding up the sim tray (they'd used it to confirm the IMEI and confirm it was the phone under warranty) and the tech laughing and holding this tiny piece of plastic "This is probably the least problematic part of the phone"

I agree... the situation was handled, and I tell them I DID report them to the AG, and the news stations, and one of the associates goes "I'm REALLY surprised that store did that... that's the main hub store of the district, and he's on vacation right now but Roy, the district manager... that's his HOME store... I don't know what they were thinking" and I go "Roy.... Roy.... Mister Roy? Kinda tall, brown/black hair? Used to be the General manager of that store? THAT Mister Roy is the district manager?" "Yeah! He was the general manager there for a while." "Yeah about three0four years ago, I've met him! He's the one who told me about the way the protection plans work"

They all agreed he was not going to be happy, and any new friends that store makes from my reports were justified, they were glad I raised hell about the battery because it would have been a disaster if it'd gone off, and "didn't they know how dangerous these batteries are" and "why the hell did they send you home with that?" and me agreeing it was insane and wrong and just... feeling better to know I wasn't crazy in the way I knew the world was SUPPOSED to work.

So in the end - the banking situation was handled, I was able to get a new working phone for my dad, that did indeed transfer all information, contacts, images and everything over (for as evil as it's become, google synching system and account connections are INCREDIBLE for this exact situation) and I had enough money left over to get the switch thumbsticks I'd wanted to get from the other store... I still have some money left over. and they were cheaper than my local store.

the news station hasn't gotten back to me yet, but they may not until Monday at the earliest, but the situation is done at least, (largely) and the end was a good one.

and that concludes the epic saga of "Asrya and the exploding battery - and the store manager that wanted her to commit an act of domestic terrorism"

[toptrendingforexbrokers]

Venmo vs Cash App vs Zelle: Are Mobile Payment Apps Safe?

Venmo

Venmo, owned by PayPal, is widely used for peer-to-peer payments. The app allows users to send and receive money quickly, but its social feed feature, which publicly displays transactions, can be a privacy concern. However, Venmo has robust security measures in place, including encryption, multifactor authentication (MFA), and fraud detection systems. Users are encouraged to set their transactions to private and regularly monitor their account for unauthorized activity.

Cash App

Cash App, developed by Square, is another popular choice for sending and receiving money. It offers additional features like investing in stocks and Bitcoin. Cash App employs encryption and MFA to protect user data. However, it has faced criticism for its limited customer support, which can be problematic if your account is compromised. Users should enable security features like PIN entry and Face ID to enhance protection.

Zelle

Zelle is integrated directly with many major banks, allowing users to send money quickly without needing to create a separate account. Since Zelle operates through your bank, it benefits from the financial institution’s security protocols, including encryption and fraud monitoring. However, Zelle doesn’t offer purchase protection, meaning you should only use it to send money to people you trust.

Safety Tips

Enable Security Features: Use MFA, PIN codes, and biometric authentication where available.

Be Cautious with Public Wi-Fi: Avoid sending money over unsecured networks.

Verify Recipients: Double-check the recipient’s details before sending funds to prevent sending money to the wrong person.

Monitor Accounts Regularly: Keep an eye on your transactions for any unauthorized activity.

In conclusion, Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle all offer secure payment methods, but they are not without risks. By following best practices and utilizing the security features provided, you can use these mobile payment apps safely and confidently.