Lurker > Strife2

My approach ended up working in a good way (despite the time it took). Each anime got a coin flip. Heads win, tails loss. Each round determined the order of each show. Stuff like Boys Be and Rozen Maiden were things I really wanted to see, so they got free passes. Say a show got through one round of flips. That means they would be watched sooner than ones that didn't. I think I ended up getting all the way to +8 and +9 with these.

Boys Be
B Gata H Kei (the description scares me...but I can't help it)
Deadman Wonderland (Greg Ayres personally recommended this to me)
Moonlight Mile
Rozen Maiden

Between 70 handpicked shows and Netflix's other supply, I won't be hurting for stuff to watch.

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Random Encounters Suck

I was intent on finishing Boys Be tonight. My internet decided to crap out on me instead...

Oh yes. Word of advice. If you have a serious backlog, do not choose by mass coin flip. I was browsing every anime I could think of, and came up with damn near 70 titles to watch. I spent an hour flipping coins just to realize Boys Be and Rozen Maiden were what I wanted to see all along. If nothing else, I came up with a queue order.

But ***damn internet. Boys Be is awesome, and it won't work for me....ugh.

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Random Encounters Suck

Boys Be and South Park back to back marathons....kickass.

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Random Encounters Suck

^when Suigintou, Kanaria, and Barasuishou aren't on screen.

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Random Encounters Suck

I forgot just how bad Rozen Maiden is when Suigintou isn't on screen.

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Random Encounters Suck

*Small spoilers*



RideBack is finally an example of the main character being "normal." What I wouldn't give to see more shows without "hidden superpowers," or "the hero's journey." Rin's abilities come FROM her bike, not herself. I'm glad the show is structured that way. She's vulnerable but determined. It's stayed that way for half the show anyway.

It helps that the show has a serious tone. I've been on fire. Each show since Fruits Basket has been a keeper.

Baka and Test
Android Kikaider
RideBack

All good.

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Random Encounters Suck

*Random Zap Brangigan Reference*

e-ROTIC!

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Random Encounters Suck

I can't wait for Funimation to release Baka and Test season 2. In the meantime, I finished and started rewatching Kikaider. It was one of the first anime I started watching on Cartoon Network. I'd been hoping I'd see it again. It's been almost 10 years.

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Random Encounters Suck

I was dreading Baka and Test for some reason (same with School Rumble). It turns out the show is pretty cool. It helps when one of the characters throws out wrestling moves all the time and the classroom collapses. It could have been made REALLY badly. I'm glad it was done well.

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Random Encounters Suck

Str.A.In. is a must see, I was amazed at how intense and tragic the story was as it unfolded. It certain holds up as a brutal show that goes farther than you assume at the beginning. It has such a simplistic but strong premise and motivation surrounding it.

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Random Encounters Suck

4 episodes in Str.A.In. (what a ****ing weird spelling), and I'm loving it. I'm a huge fan of more serious stuff. It sure washed the taste of R+V out of my mouth. I'm not saying all stupid humor shows don't work, but you just can't compete with a darker, more intense story.

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Random Encounters Suck

It's the mech series called Strategic Infantry something. I guess I should have said S.T.R.A.I.N instead. Unless it's the same thing.

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Random Encounters Suck

Tabi no Tochuu (Spice and Wolf's first OP) is so damn addicting. I haven't loved an anime theme this much since Ningyo Hime from Chobits.

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Random Encounters Suck

Strain: one episode in...good stuff.

Also, I tried to post a plot synopsis of project .hack for a friend over Facebook. Holy crap, I forgot how long that series was.

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Random Encounters Suck

Imagine the voice actors reactions to this character profile.

"All right, this is a episodic character who obtains godly sums of money, using it to kidnap random men, in order to seduce them and chop their ***** off."

I mean, it's probably no stranger than a child molester in a pony costume, but...

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Random Encounters Suck

It's certainly worth rewatching. I've been hard to please recently, so this one (and Casshern Sins) are probably the two best shows I've seen in months. Contrast that with all these.

Rosario + Vampire
Shuffle
Negima
Fruits Basket
Kaze No Stigma
Golgo 13
Pumpkin Scissors
Sengoku Basara
Excel Saga (tried twice)

All couldn't last more than an episode or two recently. Some didn't last half. Eden's certainly a keeper.

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Random Encounters Suck

I just watched Eden of the East the other day. The most memorable moment: the "Johnny" Hunter. What a totally ****ed way to spend ten billion yen.

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Random Encounters Suck

Faris survived. After spending ALL day in the N-Zone, I'll keep Omega and Shinryu in the rear view. I've died enough for one playthrough.

Summary

Classes I wish I picked early: Monk, Summoner, Thief, Ninja

Monk totally abused everything it touched (or maybe that was cause Faris had Rapid Fire).
Summoner changed the game. Golem+Bahamut turned the tables in the final battles.
Thief: SPRINT MOTHER****** DO YOU SPEAK IT? His other skills pale in comparison.
Ninja's dual swords gave Bartz total killing power with Rapid Fire.

Underrated Classes: Bard, Dancer, Geomancer

I thought Edward's curse would doom me. Instead, Power Song and Requiem burned through everyone (it's easy to master)
Dancing skills and Ribbons are enough to use dancers (or the dancing dirk) for at least a little while
Geomancer has some power, so long as Wind Slash, Stalactite, or Branch Spear come up every turn

Killer Classes: Hunter, Summoner, Monk, Samurai

Rapid Fire is the one skill I would get on everyone...*must remember that*
Once again, Summoner would have been great (stupid random choice)
Monk > fleshy monsters
GP toss still fits the bill as "cheat code." Just wish I had money to spare in the N Zone.

Classes I'll Never Use Again: Black Mage, Red Mage, Berserker, Dragoon

Summoner makes Black Mage look like a pansy
Red Mage...what a bust. 1000+ ABP is no price to pay, even though Dualcast saved my ass. For that price, I could have had Rapid Fire+Dual Swords...and something else.
Berserker and Dragoon are outclassed with ease.

Tough Spots: Soul Cannon, random Dragon ambushes, Later N-Zone, Damage Floors

Souped up AoE really killed me, even when I could use White Mage skills.
I got frustrated and torn to pieces by mobs of "doom users." Don't take anyone lightly.
You'd think I would have remembered "Summoner Cave" in FF4...I had Float, didn't use it, wasted 200 potions in 20 minutes.

Weak Spots: Lithograph Bosses, Phoenix Tower

I forgot how weak some bosses really were. Trench Goblins (BWI!) blew hot air, and I cruised up the tower (barring that ******* pot).

All in all, I'm glad I played this again.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

I finally managed to beat Neo Exdeath with practically one shot remaining...whew.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: North Mountain

Looks like Neo Exdeath is a harder **** than I thought. This might take a while.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

It pissed me off. The first two took one and ran off; greedy bastard.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

*Current Location: N-Zone

After countless job completions via the Phoenix Tower (excluding one bastard pot that took 7 Elixirs and STILL wasn't happy), I'm ready to get this over with.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Easterly Falls

Even with a souped up party, I think I'll skip Leviathan. I haven't used a summoner, nor do I necessarily need one with dual black mages. I also had to bend my stern rules one time. Those damage floors in the trench were total *****. A Geomancer IS needed, lest you waste a fortune in potions and die in seconds. Bleh.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Fork Tower

Stoker took a while, but he dead. I FINALLY got a white mage too. That ends the horror that was the Red Mage job.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

V is the hardest of those listed. It certainly doesn't compare to the hell that is I-III. After IV, things got slightly more manageable.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

It's not glitchy. It's only bad if 2-3 seconds of load time bothers you...every time you open a menu. It's a mountain out of a molehill problem.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

A lot can be said for atmosphere. In VII, you're dragged into a dismal environment, following around stragglers who eke out a living as terrorists. The aura gets completed with down to earth attitudes, pissed off angry dudes swearing, weird sex minigames, and lots of killing. It was like VI, as if seen through a filter of depression and drug use.

The game had a ton of brooding, but it wasn't done while jumping into midair by the power of "FRIENDSHIP" to destroy a flying dragon. It was like watching Metal Gear or something. That movie did more harm than good.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Elder Tree

I'm glad to be out of the Pyramid. Those forced Mechahead battles pissed me off. Krile turned into a Dancer. I should be annoyed, but her physical and magical skills seem unfazed. I've made a proposal to eliminate from contention any job obtained twice. I want to experience different things while in the third world...most of all, a challenge.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

VIII has so much going wrong. I was in the process of explaining it further, and even I had to quit. Remembering Squall languishing in the fetal position half the game, just to whine about Rinoa in the second summed up my feelings. It was like Square was stuck thinking, "let's do a teenage drama about LOVE!" What we got was a burning mess of unfinished plotholes and hot air.

Love is all you need...that and a sledgehammer to beat yourself over the head when you're done playing.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

It's too bad FFVIII >Disc 3 is so bad. The ending was FMV awesomeness (while still sucking somehow). Oh that's right...that thing.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

I don't know about that: Memoria kicked a lot of ass. It had a great atmosphere. If you're talking about the final boss, then I can understand.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

VI is a wise choice. Get to the opera house. That should hook you into the series forever.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

IX does have charm. It's more light hearted than any game in the series (barring X-2). VII and VIII certainly profess to "why so serious" mentality. Zidane's antics provide the game's best moments.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

IX is more "classic gameplay without the difficulty" than "noob friendly." It's still harder than anything VII or VIII throws at you. It's because IX doesn't feature as many obvious broken gameplay elements. VIII lets you abuse it by the end of disc 1. What's also an issue is whether you want "classic" settings versus "modern" era. VII certain fits enough pseudo sci-fi to interest any geek. That and a ******* Road Rash style minigame.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

I'll map out my feelings about each game from V to IX, so you can get a gauge of what they offer.

V

Last "difficult" FF game (most enemies kill you with ease, but they aren't insurmountable)
Last "classic" FF game (Warriors of Light, Crystals, Medieval setting, etc)
Customizable job system (same as the Dressphere system from X-2 that you may have heard of)
Decent characters (but limited development and lame villain kills them)
Hilarious recurring boss (Gilgamesh is the star of the show)

This is probably the best case if you'd like to experience the old-school games without the difficulty level of I-IV. Sadly, it can be unforgiving if you're not prepared. The characters and plot don't help either. Get it if the others interest you.

VI

First "modern" FF game
Tremendous character development (probably its best selling point)
Amazing Villain
Best music in the series (Don't take that lightly)

VI sets the bar to which every game in the series adheres to. Story, sound, music, character development; everything in this game is spectacular. It's also less challenging than its predecessor.

VII

Amazing Cinematics and Setting (brought down by AWFUL block models)
No "character classes" (Materia is a blank slate, and offers more flexibility, even compared to VI)
Tremendous "flow" (by that, I mean moving from point to point feels organic, dynamic, and seamless)
Deep storyline (convoluted is the right word, but not nearly as crazy as people make it out to be)
More "sci-fi" than VI (which felt more "steampunk")
Mature (This is the most mature FF game. Not just swearing, sex, etc...but the grimy, seedy, grown up asthetic adds to it)

I admit VI is the better game. That doesn't excuse VII from being the most "eventful" in the series. It has so much going for it that it is an experience; not just as a FF game, but as a cinematic achievement. It hasn't aged well, but the grown-up, ballsy asthetic shines bright. Given that a lot of games in the genre have subverted to "J-pop/Anime" or teenager cliches, VII stands stall as one of the truly "mature games" the genre has to offer. It took everything VI had and ramped it way up. Both VI and VII have to be played; no excuses.

VIII

Broken Gameplay (Abusable in every fashion)
Ages better than VII (graphics and sound especially)
Weak Romance (borderline goofy, nonsensical, illogical...any other word to describe absurd sums this up)
Villains feel ineffectual (moreso than Kefka or Sephiroth do)
Slower Pace (this story and setting definitely feels more like a chore to get through than VII does)

Still accessible, still fun, but good god, Disc 3 onwards is just awful. I don't want to spoil it. Just...take my word for it. If you hate romance, you will gouge out your eyes and pour acid in your ears.

IX

Callback to old-school FF
Character Classes Return
Harder than VI-VIII
Eccentric villain (has great style and execution, but he's seriously *** looking)
Dynamic main character (Cloud and Squall fit that "emo" image)
Romance subplot doesn't suck (not as abhorrent as VIII, not as effective as X)

IX is everything one would want in an old-school RPG in the modern era. It continued Square's ascent in quality (in every area). I don't think the game flows as well the modern FF styles, but is one of the best games you will find.

Start with VI or VII. Venture off to IX or V for a more classic approach. VIII is good, but that romance plot and growth system are grotesque.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

The lag still occurs on FFV. It's a safe bet it still occurs on VI.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are definite classics too. Cross doesn't have quite the luster due to a massive character pool and weird magic system, but the music and ambience is extrordinary. Breath of Fire III and IV and Legend of Mana are old favorites too.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

FF5 and FF6 have really bad load times. The translation for Faris is a crock too. I'm playing 5 again, and I swear, Faris says, "D'arr" in every second sentence.

I wonder if pirates actually did that ****.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

VII and IX are great. VIII is brought down by the worst romance plot in gaming history. Suffice it to say, Squall has Mario and Link beat in the "whipped" category...I've never seen someone go so for something so stupid as a love interest he didn't care about, until the game says he did.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Location: Ancient Library

Eddeath was a joke. Faris and Lenna ripped him to pieces practically by themselves.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

CLASS CHANGE!

Faris: Dragoon -> Samurai
Bartz: Red Mage -> Ranger

Thank God Red Mage is done; what a pain in the ass that was.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

CLASS CHANGE!

Faris: Hunter -> Dragoon

Pros: Better defensive equipment, a viable user of Rapid Fire
Cons: Weaker than a lot of other physical jobs, Suffers severe agilty issues

Galuf/Krile: Time Mage -> Samurai

Pros: Physical attacker (subset in Time, since most skills aren't reflective on magic power), $Toss is overkill
Cons: None

I'm starting to get annoyed that Bartz and Lenna are both tied to that insane ABP sink Dualcast (regardless of its worth). Galuf is about to switch to Krile, so I shifted Galuf over to Samurai to get a headstart.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Zeza's Ship

I am pleased with my new lineup. Faris should get Rapid Fire after a couple more dungeons.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

I guess the only challenge now would be to get Dualcast before it becomes too late for it to matter. Val Castle isn't going anywhere...

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

MASSIVE CHANGE!

Current Location: Val Castle

After an hour of grinding hapless statues, I've undergone tons of changes.

Bartz: Blue Mage -> Bard -> Red Mage

Pros: Practically everything...at least the bard went quickly.
Cons: LONG wait till Dualcast

Lenna: Black Mage -> Red Mage

Pros: Access to healing (along with Bartz and endless potions, my problems are gone)
Cons: Red means very little when I already have mastered Black.

Galuf: Black Mage -> Time Mage

Pros: Access to buffs/debuffs
Cons: None (mastered black means death to all)

Updated Party

Bartz: Red Mage (subsets: singing/blue)
Lenna: Red Mage (subset: black)
Faris: Hunter (subset: blue)
Galuf: Time Mage (subset: black)

Interpretation: What a difference an hour makes. My party has bent to become offensively efficient, has multiple healers, and versatility in nearly every magical area. If I get Dualcast in a reasonable time (not likely), I could be unstoppable.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Easterly Falls

I need an exorbitant ring (flame or coral) to stand a chance against the last meteor boss. That or luck that he won't throw AoE spells like the plague.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

CLASS CHANGE

Bartz: Blue Mage -> Bard

*Tilts head in shame*

I threw back three other jobs...I had others, and I let them go for that.

Pros: situational buffs/debuffs, minimal decrease in magic power...I can also use a healing spell (Regen)
Cons: No equippable items (I'm stuck in a dungeon) and stuck in the back row.

Faris: Blue Mage -> Hunter

That's much better: mastery of the previous class with no downgrades.

Pros: Vastly attack power, same equipment, attack from back row
Cons: Slight magic downgrade (if any)

Yeah, bards have improved since Edward's time...still, I'm a damn bard.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Floating Ruins

It can't come soon enough, because I can't bypass the gun turret. I finally met a boss that merits a healer or physical tank to bust through. I have to say I I'm shocked it took this long.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

Current Location: Floating Ruins

I'm about to master both blue mages. It can't come soon enough, unless I pick a bard.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money

With no Phoenix Downs and solely relying on Tonics, I've gotten farther than I thought. Elemental damage is insane. Doom Claw better be worth wasting three retries getting it.

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"Should I slice off your tongue or break your countless bones? Either way, I get paid; you'll bleed to death and die alone." - Blood Money