A few things; this is a general question regarding the state of games, mostly MMOs but, D4 is leaning towards an MMO in a way. With Diablo Immortal and how it could potentially impact D4 though, I also think it's pretty relevant here. I'd post it in the MMO sub but, chances are they delete it anyway and, Like I said I do believe it is relevant.
What I mean is, why do you hate the inclusion of 'XP boosts', 'Buying to max level', being able to pay for gear repairs maybe etc? I think I'm gonna get downvoted for this but, I don't see the issue.
I know how common this practice is in the MMO space, I've spent a lot of time in that space but, ALWAYS doing PVE content and usually always alone. None of my friends have gotten into MMOs and I don't make friends in them. Anyway, what I'm getting at is, as someone who doesn't interact with ethers in the online games. I don't care whether that random guy has levelled to max or paid to max, i don't care if he is levelling faster because he paid etc. I don't see why it matters.
But, as I stated I'm a loner in these games, does it matter to someone who is trying to be involved and interact and if so, why? It seems weirdly egotistical to me. Not attacking anyone. What I mean is, it comes across as "I earnt my gear, he didn't so mine is/I'm better" or "My sense of achievement comes from the validation of showing it off to others" which all seem weird to me. If you can buy max level, it doesn't make your free grind any less valuable.
I think PVP is different but, not always bad. I think, if the matchmaking is good, it doesn't matter. If it puts similar levels against each other it doesn't matter if he paid or earnt it, you have the same gear. If the matchmaking doesn't do that then yeh, fuck that. Diablo, and this post, aren't really about PVP though so.
Looking for genuine input, I'm not meat riding some company, I just see people withholding on buying D4 because Blizzard might add these types of mtx's (I personally doubt they will) and i don't see why, those types of purchases can put you off the rest of the game.

So for the past two years I worked a part-time job as a software developer alongside doing my grad school. I'll not go into the whole workers' law in my country, but all you need to know is that I was working under a special type of contract, specifically for students that grants some advantages but is legally invalidated by the date of person's graduation.
Before my graduation (which was last Friday), I decided to not sign a new contract after that one would get invalidated. The reasons for it was that, as was revealed to me by some people, the company got into massive debt due to the CEO's dumb choices, causing him to run out of money to the point that he stopped paying out his student workers at some point. The contract has a set pay-day date, but the legal protection for it is not quiet that strong, so we got cut first.
So some time before my graduation, I told him that I won't be signing a new contract and told him directly that the reason for that decision is not getting paid what I should. Then the usual emotional blackmail started, about me being ungrateful, unreliable and all that shit. But I told him that my decision is final and the last thing I'm willing to do for him is to hand over the single project I was working on to whoever he assigns there. I got my Master's degree last Friday, nuking my contract, but I was not directed to anyone to hand the project.
Now it was revealed to me by that project's PM yesterday that since the majority of employers quit (for not getting paid), there's no one to hand the project over to yet. She's a good friend of the boss, so she tried to convince me for a limited time contract, just to do some of the changes the customer is requesting for that system. Obviously I rejected that, saying that I don't any ties to the company.
Than today she came to me with something else, asking me to 'help out' with changing some of the system's setting or whatever, because before me leaving, I was the last person who knows anything about it. I told her that I won't be doing anything for the them, especially not for free. Then she talked to the boss, and gave me the 'offer' that he'll pay me 3 times my former hour rate for doing that single task, directly without a contract. Tbh it would probably take me much less time but I just don't give a shit anymore. Again I rejected that, politely explaining to her that I'm not an employee anymore and I won't to anything for them on the promise of direct payment, especially if the company still owes me one month of my pay for before I quit.
The only response I got from her for that, and mind this is a person I've had a very good and friendly relationship for the whole time working with her up that point today, was a clearly ironic "Okay, thank you for all the willingness...". So basically, did I act as TBF anywhere in all of this? She was one of the few people left in the company I hoped to stay on good terms with.

Hi, I’ve been offered a new job and the position comes with a van which is needed for the job. They said I can have it for personal use but this will change my tax code. I don’t have to pay fuel for personal use or insurance and can use it as much as I need. This sounds great but one of my friends has a company vehicle and it costs him about £5000 a year in tax, granted it’s a brand new top of the range car but will I be paying similar or do vans cost less in tax? Thanks!

Does anyone know what date (month and year) Spectrum Ultra internet went from 300 Mbps to 500 Mbps? There may have been a bump to 400 Mbps in there and if you have that date that too would be helpful to me.
Today I called Spectrum to ask a billing question. That led to me mentioning the 300 Mbps speeds, to which the rep said "Ultra is up to 500 Mbps". This was news to me, so I asked when that had occurred. He said, "A long time ago, over a year". I told him I never got speeds over 300, and he said "It's because of your modem. You need an update."
When I inquired further I learned I needed new hardware to access the 500 Mbps speeds (an updated modem) I'd been paying for over a year and not receiving because no notification was sent that I needed new hardware - which I have to pick up at the local store and install!
I asked for an adjustment to my bill as I'd been paying for a service and not receiving the benefit of the service for whatever time it's been since the update on the speeds available.
Spectrum authorized a $40 credit, for me paying 12 or more months for a service that I didn't receive. I've essentially had their base internet because my modem wouldn't accept the higher speeds.
The rep said he couldn't determine the exact date that the Spectrum Ultra 500 Mbps took effect, but if it was over 300 (say, 400...) at any point, the modem would not have gotten it. Makes me wonder how many customers are out there - like me - paying for Ultra and not knowing they can't access the latest upgrades because of the Spectrum-supplied hardware not being able to handle it and Spectrum not telling customers they need to swap the modem!
Tomorrow I plan on going down to the local store to swap the modem, but I still think the issue of billing for a service and not giving the customer an opportunity to receive the service is BS.
Your thoughts? And any info to when the upgrades happened? Evidence in the form of links to that info would be great. Thanks!

I'm trying to rent an RV from a private party and I need to get insurance for it but every place I called said they can't insure it if I don't own it.
Is it even possible to get insurance on an RV I don't own?
If so, can someone recommend a company?
I've called 5-6 so far and every one said they don't do that.

Welcome, fellow explorer, to Immanis Ocean, a place that is home to many species of unique wildlife that are certain to give you the exploration of a lifetime. At Fortis Corporation, we are dedicated to helping explorers such as you visit this ocean safely, so that you may return and help us in cataloging the different creatures that live here. However, the waters here can be extremely dangerous to the unprepared, which is why we prepared a list of rules for you to help you stay safe. Do keep in mind that you have signed a waiver with us that absolves our corporation of any responsibility if you happen to break a rule, so please listen carefully to the instructions.
PRE-VOYAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Before you begin travelling the ocean, there are a few things you must do to ensure the safety of you and your crew.
Rule 1: The only boats that are permitted to travel these waters are the ones created by Fortis Corporation. The vessels created by them are specifically designed to withstand these waters, and as such, they are the only ones that can withstand the ocean. Should you attempt to travel on any other boat, we are not responsible for what happens to you.
Rule 2: Before deciding to travel the waters, you must have one of our guides with you, as well as two experienced crew members hired by us. Also, you must not bring more than 8 people on your voyage, as exceeding that number may exponentially increase the dangers associated with this ocean and disrupt the wildlife.
Rule 3: Pay attention to OUR weather forecast before you even attempt to explore Immanis Ocean. This weather forecast is made specifically for this ocean, and outside forecasts will not accurately predict what may happen. If the weather is not suitable for travel, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES may you voyage out to sea, as you will be endangering your entire crew as well as yourself by doing so.
Rule 4: Please make sure you are equipped with the proper supplies before setting out to sea. You will need: - Food and water that will last for the entire duration of the trip. - A Fortis Corporation compass. - A map of Immanis Ocean. - A specialized marker gun for each member of your crew. - A specialized tracker gun for each member of your crew. - Military grade firearms for each member of your crew. - Fortis Corporation communication devices. - Lifevests for each member of the crew. - At least three Fortis Company flare guns.
Failure to bring the required items will result in our company no longer being responsible for your well-being. Please ensure you have these items before you begin traveling.
Rule 5: Ensure that every member of your crew, as well as you, are familiar with these rules and have committed them to memory. As a reminder, we are not responsible for your well-being if you break these rules. Be careful and do not make mistakes.
VOYAGE INSTRUCTIONS
When you are at sea, Immanis Ocean can be extremely dangerous. Thus, we recommend these rules to you so that you can stay safe.
Rule 1: Be mindful of the different types of wildlife. In our guidebook, we document a few of the creatures that inhabit these waters, and how to respond to them. Please try to remember these creatures, and how to respond to them. Dangerous creatures should not be engaged with, as this will put your crew in danger. However, you may engage with harmless creatures, though you must not cause injury to them.
Rule 2: Should you see an unidentified creature that you do not believe is part of our encyclopedia, attempt to tag it with the tracker gun. This will help us in documenting these waters, and you will be rewarded for your actions. However, please do not engage, as this can be extremely risky.
Rule 3: Should you find treasure within the ocean, you may take it back to shore. However, you must first secure it inside the vault that is located at the center of our Fortis Corporation boats. This is for safety reasons, and please be mindful of this rule.
Rule 4: Should the weather begin to change, you must IMMEDIATELY head back to shore. Since our weather forecasts are generally quite accurate in predicting poor weather conditions, a sudden change may indicate extreme danger.
Rule 5: Should your boat sustain damage, use your communication devices to call for help from our dock. After that, use your Fortis Corporation flare guns to indicate your location, and follow all instructions that our company issues you. We will return you to shore safely as long as you do not break any rules.
Rule 6: Should you or another member of your crew sees unnaturally large waves, steer the boat away from that area IMMEDIATELY. Those conditions indicate danger, whether it be from wildlife or something else.
Rule 7: Do not stray away from the areas listed on our map without express company permission. Unless you are specifically equipped to voyage into unknown territories, your chances of returning will be extremely low.
Rule 8: Protect your equipment very dearly. Losing it will make returning to shore extremely difficult. If you happen to lose a critical piece of your gear, return to shore immediately and do not stop for anything else. Every second you spend on the ocean without proper equipment is a second where you are in danger.
Rule 9: Should you see another Fortis Corporation boat, look for a red circular mark. If you see none, then feel free to converse with the other cree, though respect their boundaries if they wish to not interact. However, if there is a red circular mark, either steer your boat away from the vessel or attempt to destroy it with your firearms. None of the human looking creatures on the boat are truly human, so do not hesitate to fire.
Rule 10: If you find yourself in a situation where you are almost certainly going to die, please use your marker gun to mark your boat in a location that is visible. The mark will be a red circle with an exclamation mark in the center. If you are unable to create a mark with the gun, please attempt to engrave the symbol onto your boat through any means possible. After that has been done, please have you and every member of the crew mark themselves. This will make our job easier.
Remember, we are here to make your exploration of Immanis Ocean as safe as possible. Following our instructions will ensure that you are safe for the duration of your trip. Please commit these rules to your memory, as they are essential for keeping yourself safe. We do not want to lose any explorers at sea, though we are not responsible for you if a rule is broke. Sail responsibly, sail intelligently, and sail carefully.

I'm 33 and recently married. I work in warehousing/forklift and that is most of my experience. I do have a certificate in IT, but not much of anything else.
The problem is my lower back and knees. I simply can't keep doing physical labour. It's making me miserable.. I hate life complications and finding good work is the most difficult complication for me. If I try to keep doing this job though it seems likely I won't be able to use my lower back at all by the end of the year. I don't even like sex much anymore cause I can't put my back into it. The pain started years ago and I've sought help.. it didn't stick though due to my field of work.
Perhaps this is a bit of encouragement seeking.. but I'm just so scared of this. I spent a long time without employment and I don't want to be that poor and bored ever again. I have a wife to support, a cute little dog to look after and I still have enthusiasm for the good things in life. For doing a good job and feeling good in my free time because of that. I don't want to be useless.
How do I get out of this job and into one that won't break my back? I can engage in physical therapy but it seems moot when lifting 20 - 30 kg boxes at work reverses any progress I make. And there's no room for restricted work duties.. typically any forklift job will require manual labour.
I actually like the company I work for now and I hate that I'm too weak and fragile to continue the work I'm doing now. I hate that I have to tell my manager that I can't keep doing the job. I don't know if I should tell the truth or make up some bullshit?
It's not the companies fault.. I knew I had physical problems going in but I just hoped I could manage it I guess. I can't help but blame myself for my physical state even if my employer + previous employers had something to do with it. I know it was mostly me.. not exactly sure how but went from gym junkie to minor injury and I haven't physically been the same since.
Any advice or encouragement would be great.

Hello there! My name is Thom.
Ive been on here before and gotten some conversations i liked. But they all didnt lead to anything really. So here i am trying again :).
I am Thom. 21 from the Netherlands. I am precisely 2 meters tall. Which is about 6"6. Not great in those units 😅 i am decently fit. I try to stay in shape by working out. For the rest i am a bit nerdy but i am alright with that.
I am currently working as an intern at a IT company and working on the side so i can get enough money. I play games as well. Like all kinds of games. I love movies or series. Just something fun to watch. I like cooking and hiking as well. Sadly theres not much hiking to do in the Netherlands.
I am looking for anything really. I dont mind where it goes. I like a good conversation. Just to have someone to chat too. Talk about anything and have fun with sounds amazing.
Please feel free to message me :)

Being in a high conflict co-parenting situation, I really would like to go no contact with my ex. In 3 years, my children will all be grown, and that will be possible, but I'm not sure my mental health can take another 3 years.
I recently found grey rock communications online, and wondering if anyone has used them and can tell me about their experience. Looks like they monitor our communication app (which we already use per court order), and send and receive messages on my behalf, which they shield me from. So if ex goes on a rant, they will only tell me what I need to know from said rant. (Just the facts without his colorful commentary) And when I send a message to them, they will massage the wording to try to keep conflict to a minimum. This sounds like a god send for my situation!
If anyone has dealt with this company, or know of others similar that I could look into, I would love to hear your reccommendations and feedback!

I'd like to find somebody thoughtful, someone who isn't superficial. Somebody who appreciates the rich vastness of our shared multicultural past, and freely follows her curiosity in exploring it. Somebody who is trying her best to adhere to the guidance of her inner moral compass, and isn't so easily fooled by the distractions and illusions of the world.
One such illusion, that must immediately be mentioned (this is important, because it's led to a break for me, in the past): religion. Religion is man-made, and not of any higher authority. The Bible and the Quran all permit slavery—in addition to countless other horrid and divisive ideas—while claiming to be eternal wisdom, and that is indefensible. I still like to believe in the idea of some permeating higher morality, that imbues us with our general sense for justice, fairness, and empathy...but, I know that without outright proof, even my holding of such a notion can be deemed a flight of fancy, a residual remnant of a system so entrenched. However, it seems to me that life is often more than just what's on the surface. Um, but now, then—back to the person I wish to know...
I'd also love it if she were artistic. Singing, sketching, painting, writing, composing, creating. Someone who is trying to nurture their talents and passions. I know it can be difficult...
As for me, well... I adore music. Mostly voices from the past (the 1960s would have to be my favorite), because I find them to be humbler and more from the heart, at least in popular music. I’ll just give an example of something I’ve looked into, and this is nowhere near representative of my wider taste, but if you go back to early 1920s country music... (Here's an aside: a lot of what people think of as "country" today is a long cry from what the genre is actually like, historically. If you are into folk music—Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan—it is indelibly linked to "country", and if you'd like a popular example of a song that originated within the genre, look no further than the universally recognized "You Are My Sunshine", from 1939!)
Anyway. If you go back to that early period, where undiscovered niches of music were still sought out and first put to tape... a lot of those artists had no idea about anything to do with recording—no ego, no attempt to sound "cool". What came through instead was a bare expression of the life that had been lived—the inner beauty of their own personhood, and I love hearing that. It's so honest. A vulnerable and piercing expression.
So if you're into history or the beautiful music of decades (and centuries) past, if you have any aspirations for creating as a method of changing the world for the better, if you'd like to play games and watch movies together, if you'd like an accountability partner—or all of the above...please message me. I don't mind the chat function, either—in fact, it's probably easier. Also, to get this out of the way: this is what I look like.
I love beautiful things. Nature, music that tugs at your heartstrings or is so honest you're enraptured, experiences that heal. More specifically, here are some of my current interests:

• music (singing/playing an instrument/the Beach Boys are my favorite group—I also love Maybelle Carter, Cass Elliot, Pink Floyd, Lana Del Rey, The Cranberries, Sixpence None The Richer, loads of video game music, The Smiths, The Beatles, The Who, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Harry Nilsson, Joni Mitchell, The Righteous Brothers, Judy Garland, Sam Cooke, Frank Churchill, Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori... Here’s a brief go at the Beatles’ “Julia”.) And, if you liked that—a more recent one…
• drawing—here are a few I've done.
• video games (any era from Atari—I like exploring the history and evolution—to the Switch and PS4) [Currently playing, or starting: The Binding of Isaac, Catherine]
• Disney, especially the Golden Age and Renaissance—Pinocchio (my favorite movie ever), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, The Lion King, Tarzan. I love how handmade the early films look. And yet, how no expense was spared in creating these most precious and moving works of art.
• films/series/books I've enjoyed lately: The Sound of Magic, The Little Prince, Matilda, Love Hard, The Fundamentals of Caring, This Beautiful Fantastic, Donnie Darko, Alamut by Vladimir Bartol (this book was a key inspiration for the first Assassin's Creed), The Trial of the Chicago 7, Medici: The Magnificent, Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter, Judy

To close... I suppose I should say I've been afflicted with long-COVID for over two years. It'd be very nice to keep each other company, especially if we share any of the interests up above—we could watch favorite films, have shared listening sessions on Spotify, and it'd be a godsend to find somebody up to play on PS4 and Switch! Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3 on the secret hard modes, maybe? Or sculpting our own world from scratch in Minecraft? Or maybe we could act out Ocarina of Time's storyline using all the options available on Smash Ultimate!
I'd really like to know an intelligent person with a unique identity...who puts forth effort—though at the same time, no pressure on reaching out. If you are this type of person, but can currently only muster up a few words because, hey! Life is tough, and grueling, and we don't always have a ready-made letter in us to flip out of our pockets—don't be scared away by my tower of words. I absolutely know, firsthand, what it's like to want to communicate, yet not currently have the energy or the mindpower for it. Life can really sink you... I promise I will not judge. Please send me a chat message, if you're at all interested in chatting.

I'm coming up on my 60K service on my 2018 Subaru Outback, and I'm trying to decide if I should take my car to the service department to get it serviced or if I should try a local independent shop (as recommended by Costco, with a 15% discount on parts cost.. )
The dealership was taken over and is now run by a new company. Prior to my last scheduled service, they made recommendations that they said should have been presented around the 45K mark... Which ended up costing me about 1K to complete.
At this point, I just feel a little bit apprehensive about taking my car in, since it just feels like dealerships as a whole will milk you for all of your worth. So I'm open to the idea of going to an independent shop -- but I have no idea of estimated costs.
Does anyone know the estimated service costs of a 2018 Subaru Outback, with 60K miles on it? Any ideas where to get a breakdown of service recommendations that's not in some car dealers' books?

i just moved to a new private all girl school which is fairly small with an average class size of 18 people (per grade). ive known this girl (friend a) since the first day of school but we were never close until this january. we hung out a lot with my other best friend (friend b)who i met the first day of school and from then on we were super close. I did a lot with friend A that friend B just wasnt interested in, like getting out nails done or going shopping. Recently, I've noticed a change in the way she acts. Im not sure why but she has just been a little distant (which im fine with i dont mind) shes been picking fights for no reason, and i feel like shes just so much more dumb and she doesnt make sense with her arguements??? ill explain the picking fights, a couple days ago me and friend a and b were sitting on the field during lunch and playing whos most likely to (in our class) one of the questions from friend b was whos most likely to not have a job, and me and friend b said the same person. we explained to friend a we thought this because her family is extremely rich (which is true and everyone knows that, her father owns a rich company). She kept trying to say that that girl was not rich, we pointed out that her father has a wealthy company, they live in a big house and she is spoiled (not in a bad way). she kept saying things like "well what if no one buys from the company" like what? People do buy from the company. Periodt. That girl has a waterfall in her house, we pointed THAT out and she just said well you can *just* buy one, you can't JUST buy a waterfall for your house. Today we were talking about people from our old school, old friends, old enemies, old teachers e.t.c and the topic went to old enemies, theres this one kid who was just really rude to me for no reason and always insulted me. I told friend a and b i didn't like him because he called me a "hoe and a prostitute that doesnt know how to do their job" friend b was shocked and was like oh thats rude. friend a on the other hand was like oh lol they were just joking haha, as if that was funny? Everything anyone had done badly to me,friend a would just brush it off as a joke. FOR EXAMPLE, i had left my jacket and $5 flow water next to a tree as i went to go to the bathroom with my friend, a grade 6 girl with her friend threw my water, shook it and also (other friend told me) were contemplating on drinking it. I dont really see this as a big deal but i just tell my friends everything. Friend A, brushed it off as a joke haha its so funny they were just messing with you. I dont get it? She complains about the topics me and friend b talk about. Also she used to beg me and friend b to get on her back basically a piggy back so we did, for a while we just asked her if we could get a piggyback ride from her because we just had this idea she liked it because she begged us for months to do it. She even begged me and friend b to get on her shoulders (like legs on her shoulders) and we refused because it was dangerous, friend b gave in after friend a yelled "your so mean!" and she got in trouble. Couple days ago friend b told me that friend a told her that she had told her parents that I was forcing her to give me piggyback rides. I dont want to be friends with her if she just keeps on acting like this. I dont know if this is just me, but i just feel so uncomfortable with her around (friend b agrees with what i say so idk).

Thanks u/TheWickedQueen_ for the commission!
This was a six dollar commission so once the commissioner gets a crack at the script it becomes public for anybody that wants it!
I've always kinda disliked the "sexy mafia dude/gal is all into you" cliche. I've always felt that criminals are either romanticized or demonized in fiction, like a slightly less creepy Madonna vs Whore complex. As somebody that grew up in an area with a lot of Ex-cons I wanted to make something more down to earth and explore what its like to be an ex-con a little bit ( I think I've just watched The Wire too much lol).
Also this city isn't based on any real place although I think its probably in the American rust belt somewhere. Its named after the city from Revolt of the Cockroach people
Archive: https://www.reddit.com/ASMRScriptHaven/comments/x9hb9v/script_archive/
If you like what I'm doing swing by my Ko-Fi! And DM me if you want a commission of your own! :https://ko-fi.com/timeraft
You've been coming to this seedy hole in the wall bar for a while, and it's not exactly for the food or the ambiance. No, it's because you've got a massive crush on the former-criminal-turned-bartender who runs the place. You know she doesn't see you that way, but for now, you're happy just to spend time with her and listen to her stories. But today, you'll realize just how badly she's misunderstood your intentions.
Dialogue
Context
SFX
Listener is a quiet shy type living in the inner city(probably early to late 20’s). Speaker is an ex mob boss turned bartender(Probably mid-30’s-early 40’s). They like spending time with the listener and telling stories, but they see a little more of themselves in the young person than they’d like.
And how's my favorite little regular customer on this hot summer night?
You feel that south wind blowing up Saginaw Highway? All hot and dry and smelling like the smog that usually stays way down in the valley? That means it's gonna be a scorcher. So make sure you stay hydrated tomorrow.
Rough day eh? I suppose I can relate. I admire you for sticking it out though, for what it's worth I never could myself. I never took to working, and I paid for it.
I’m surprised you don't have anywhere better to be. What I wouldn't give to be your age again, all alone just before sunset in the dog days of summer. You sure there's no pretty girl out there, just waiting on you to show up at her door and ask if she’s too busy for a little dancing?
No girl? Is there a boy?
Not that either eh? A good looking little thing like you with no place better to be than my little hole in the wall bar. Makes me wonder what you’re really after. I don't suppose you’re here for my pretty face either.
Sets glass on bar
Drink up kid, it's on the house. Finish it up and leave. Don't come round here no more.
Don't give me that look. It's not anything you did.
Listen, you're a good kid. You don't want to hear this, but you’re innocent. Pure as fresh fallen snow. I’d kill to get half of that innocence for myself.
I know you’ve figured out that my regulars are all criminals or ex-cons, they come in here to take a load off. Or sometimes talk shop. I don't care about them, they’re all too far gone for somebody like me to be able to pull them back, but I can stop you at least.
This isn't a place for somebody like you. So finish your drink. And leave.
You remind me of a younger me. The dissatisfied ambitious youngblood, who felt like they weren't going to get anywhere in life unless they were willing to take serious risks.
I spent a lot of time in a place just like this, trying to rub elbows with the people I looked up to.
I told you all the stories before, but what the hell, how about a refresher.
It took a while, but I got in and I was pretty good at it.
Real good.
There was a time not too long ago where I ran this whole neighborhood. Ran the numbers game for a while, that was safe but the returns weren’t the millions I dreamed of so I moved on to more dangerous stuff.
Turned out I was good at that too. Too good. People got hurt. I need you to understand that.
I hurt people. A lot of people. More than I ever got punished for.
And it got me what I wanted. Power. Money. Respect. Fear.
It couldn't last though. You can never be on top all the time.
The sheriffs and the staties couldn't touch me, but I got sloppy with my money and the revenuers locked me up. That's typically how it goes.
I spent ten years in Terre Haute, eight behind bars and two working at the baking powder factory. When I got back to Tooner Flats everything I built was gone, all I had left was this building. I’d never even been inside before. I just used it to launder money.
You ever spend any time in a prison? I know you’re aware it's not a fun time, but you know what really kills you? It's not the gangs or the guards. It's the boredom.
Time slips away from you, but also seems to pass so slow that it's like trying to carve your name in dry cement.
You try to keep your feet on the ground, but you can't all the time.
You get up in the morning at 6, get counted at six fifteen, eat your oatmeal at six thirty, grab a full eight assembling office furniture for the feds. Two hours of rec time, outside if you’re really well behaved. Eat dinner, green Jello on fridays, red Jello every other day. Bed inspection. Choose between the library or the movie. Go to your bunk, lights out.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I went mad for most of year four, came back around to something close to sanity in year six. I never really fully recovered though. I cant really complain I suppose, I deserved to be in there. A lot of people have been in there a lot longer for a lot less.
Here, I want you to try something
Opens a bag of chips and pours them into a bowl
This is a brand of chips they had in the canteen out there in Indiana. You can't normally get this brand outside of prison. I picked up a few bags on ebay because every now and then I find myself craving it. They’re flavored with whatever flavor dust the day shift at the chip factory didn’t use up, so they’ve got a lot going on. Try a couple.
Crunch
Kinda gross right? Wayyyy too much flavor and it all clashes weird. It's like licking the floor at Dollar general.
But believe me. They hit differently when you’re wearing orange and black.
When everything feels and looks the same day and day out, you start craving sensation. Any sensation. This absolute overload of flavor felt like heaven. The closest I ever saw to a riot was the saturday they opened the canteen without a fresh stock of these.
You go a little crazy in there. Just looking for anything to silence that steady drumbeat of monotony. I got really into the twilight books when they were coming out. I know somebody that spent a long time in solitary who spent their time touching cold metal, waiting for it to get warm, letting go and touching it again when it got cold again. Anything to break up the void.
When I look back at those two years where I was on top of the world, they weren't worth it. They weren't worth my time in Indiana. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did.
Downs a drink and slams down the glass
My dad won't even talk to me now.
He was a nurse, down at the VA clinic on Cleveland Boulevard. It’s closed now, I think they tore it down and built a Costco. Back when I was a kid it was still seen as emasculating for a man to take that job, but he was good at it and it paid enough for him to raise me on his own after mom died. I felt ashamed though.
He was a good honest man, and I spent my childhood ashamed of him. And then threw away everything he ever gave me to pursue life as a bigshot.
I tried to visit him the other day. He lives in a trailer park on the other side of old highway nine, way down in the valley now. I could see him in there, on his chair watching the hockey game.
He could see me. I knocked and we made eye contact, but he never stirred from his chair.
I suppose I’m dead to him,and I don't blame him. I just wish to god I wasn't.
So finish that drink and leave. If I see you around again I’ll break your arms.
Listener swears they don't come around because they want to be criminal
Oh no? You’re not in the market for a life of crime? Why do you come around then? Riddle me that. I know it's not for the drinks, I can't mix a cocktail to save my life, and I know it's not for the company. What are you an undercover cop or something?
My stories? You're pulling my leg! I’m just old and full of shit. Next thing you're gonna say you’ve got some sort of crush on me.
Listener does not deny it.
No
Nooooo
Oh god. You’re kidding.
Hysterical laughter
What in the name of Peter and Jane is wrong with you!?
Look at me. I’ve easily got ten years on you. I'm going grey and getting wrinkles.
I’ve got callouses from the prison shop and dark circles around my eyes that won't go away no matter how much I try to sleep. My hands are cold and my face is sad. Little kids cry when they see me at the grocery store.
You deserve some passionate young woman with stars in her eyes. Mine are just empty and tired. I don't have passion in me anymore.
Hell I don't even do anything anymore. All I want to do at the end of the day is make myself some oatmeal and watch the rerun channel. You can do better.
You can do a lot better.
I really can't talk you out of it?
Well who am I to deny you the right to make terrible choices? You can't say I didn't warn you about me. You damn fool.
I’ll tell you what. This place is dead tonight, what do you say we go dancing?
On one condition. You stop hanging around here. If this works it works and we’ll hang out someplace else. And if it doesnt I dont need you floating around like a sad little puppy.
Deal? Good
They kiss the listener on the cheek.
Go back home and clean up a bit, I’ll go upstairs and do the same. It’s ballroom night at the Falcons lodge. I haven't danced in ages and I want to see if I’ve still got it. We’ll see where that south wind takes us from there.
I’ll see you in an hour. On the dot. If you panic now and stand me up I might straight up break your legs.
God you’re an idiot
-30-

Hey guys. I'm relocating to Saskatoon in the near future and I am absolutely devastated right now. What does this city have against dogs? I can't seem to find a single rental that will allow for my medium/large breed dog. Other places refuse him simply because he's a heeler mix.
I'm at the end of my rope here trying to find a place. Does anyone have any suggestions for companies that allow large dogs? Or have a place they are looking to rent?
Thank you!

I was killing time in Barnes and Noble and saw this DOPE magazine. Thick and filled with great pics of the band that I've never seen before. Filled with tons of stories and even album rankings. 

Man. If I wasn't a cheap bastard I'd totally buy it. But i figured some of you would maybe want to buy it.

So I'm using Pokemon home and every time I try to open it and go into it it just keeps errors every time I try and it's gotten so bad that I've called Nintendo twice and I can't even post a ticket to the Pokemon company itself because every time I try it says something about tool or stuff like that if someone could just help me get this fixed it would be so nice I'm begging at this point I'm literally close to just stopping playing Pokemon forever

All I did was replace the original fuel line (because I accidentally broke the stock one) and replace the original gas tank with a Coleman one because I needed the fill cap on the other side. Anyone know what could be wrong I’m probably just going to clean out the carburetor and try that.

This is a long one and I’m sorry if it doesn’t make much sense, but here goes.
When I was a toddler, I was in an accident that resulted in an insurance payout. It was a large sum of money, enough to pay for 4 years of college and that was what the money was supposed to be used for. I was told it couldn’t be be touched until I was 18.
We weren’t poor growing up but we definitely struggled. My dad was in and out of jobs a lot and my mom was stay at home. They filed bankruptcy when I was a teen. At that point, I told my mom to use my money to support the family if she needed to. She told me she couldn’t, that legally she was not allowed to and that it was for my college education so I dropped it.
Fast forward to my first year of college. I needed to write a paper for a class and I was lazy, so I went to my parent’s house to see if any of my old high school papers were still saved on the computer. As I was combing through the files I saw something with my name on it. Obviously, I opened it. It was a letter from my mom to the lawyer who looked over my account, stating my parents had used some of the money to support the family and that they were going to pay that back in instalments. I can’t remember exactly when it was dated, but it was from before I had offered the money.
I was completely taken aback, having been told that they couldn’t and wouldn’t touch it. I decided to go to the bank and find out how much money was left. I also had the transactions printed to see how much I had spent vs how much my parents had spent.
I spent roughly $30k and my parents had spent nearly $50k, which meant that the money was practically gone. No deposits were or had ever been made. I called the lawyer on the letter and he was surprised and advised me to take whatever was left and close the account, so obviously he never received the letter. He never followed up with me. In hindsight I’m not so sure if there ever were any real legal reasons my parents couldn’t use the money, I think they were also owners of the account.
I confronted my mom about it. Why didn’t she just tell me? Was she planning to once I tried to go into my second year of college and realised I had no way to pay for it? Did she just forget? She honestly didn't say much that I can remember, but we came to some sort of agreement about them paying for my phone bill indefinitely and helping me pay for groceries and other things should I ask. So they put me on the family plan for my phone and took me shopping a handful of times. (In hindsight, I’m not sure why I wasn’t on the plan already. I was only 18 and was working a crappy fast food job trying to support myself in college and my siblings were all on the plan, two of whom are older than me and had jobs.) Anyway, after a while it got to be like pulling teeth trying to get financial support from them so eventually I just stopped asking.
I ended up distancing myself from my family for a good part of my 20s for a lot of reasons, only really seeing them for the holidays and maybe a couple times throughout the year. I guess this made my parents forget about the money entirely. I wanted little to do with them so asking for money just wasn’t worth it to me, particularly as it had proven difficult already so I forced myself to let it go even though I was a really broke and struggling college drop out and working as a server. I was also partying a lot to cope and numb myself from other traumas. Eventually I met someone who was from another country and long story short, moved overseas and so my phone bill was no longer paid for by my parents.
I’m now 31 and in therapy to deal with a lifetime of trauma and the money came up recently. It has brought up a lot of anger and I do not know what to do with it. My parents are and have been financially comfortable for some time now, getting a nice big house and new cars and all the rest. They also got inheritance recently and bought my sibling a $14k car. There’s also a lot of other threads in this story that fuel my anger. Without giving details, one of those threads is that they didn’t show up or support me and another sibling at a significant time of need, emotionally or financially.
There’s a lot of family dynamics missing from this story that I know, deep in my soul, are the reasons. It’s what I’m in therapy for. But I guess talking to a therapist has brought up so many emotions. I honestly had let the money go and was living my life. I haven’t allowed myself to care about money at all, it’s always been “life is short so don’t squirrel away when you can enjoy today.” But now I have no money to my name other than the little in my account which at 31, I am starting to realise is going to be dangerous for me as I age.
But I had originally offered the money anyway. I know that if they had accepted it, the outcome would have been the same. I would have never asked for them to pay it back so I still wouldn’t have it. I still wouldn’t have been able to pay for college or put it away or anything you could possibly do with $80,000.
So why am I so, so angry now? How do I well and truly let this go? Despite everything my family has put me through, I still want to have as good a relationship as I can with them, but how do you get over a betrayal of this magnitude? I find myself pulling away from them again like I did in my 20s. I know I need to continue exploring this with my therapist and eventually we will figure it out. But god damn. Thanks for reading.

Hey Redditors.
Call the Dub. Normal dude, 32 years just about one year into marriage, no kids yet (at least for the next year or two). I love my wife to the moon and back, she is my best friend, roommate, gossip girl etc. She is the whole package and I can never ask for anything else. I am in tech, me and my wife both work fully remotely, and we are financially ok. So I got all that one could ever ask for (or so I think?).
Here is why I am writing this. My wife got her group of friends. They go out have fun and brunch and have cocktails and all. I have 0 friends. Why is this making me feel lonely these days? I used to enjoy being a loner and just doing my things, but why am I suddenly feeling this deep drop of loneliness?
Most of the time I drink casually alone in the house listening to random music from random artists, but when I decide to go out, I will go to the countertop high stool seats, stay on my phone, sing along to the music by myself, and most of the times just live in this bubble of self-enjoyment, but lately, I get this heavy feeling of loneliness and I do not know why. My wife tries to make me friends with her friend's husbands, (which I have tried), but they all glorify smoking weed and having weird conversations about weed they smoked at work, and how one of their pedi is a cop. They literally can't talk about anything else, and because I do not smoke, they straight up just don't like me. So why should I bother hanging out with them? I always drop wifey at those, parties and meetups, and leave for my own thing.
Let's back it up a little. Remember when I said I am just into a year of marriage? Last year, after dating for almost 6 years I tied the knot. On planning the wedding, you see that list of best men? My uncle was my best man, and the other slots were filled with cousins, with whom we even rarely talk, and my wife's brother (I have a brother but I knew he will drink himself to death before the wedding so I did not place him as part of the groomsmen. I was right). I blame this on my wife because she wanted a million girls and so I had to match the number. Apart from the two guys I went to campus with, I had no one I could call a friend at my wedding. I didn't mind, but thinking about it right now brings back that deep drop of loneliness feeling.
My younger brother lives with us right now, after his contract graduate trainee job he hopped to turn permanent ended. He has asked me twice why I do not have friends, and I do not have an answer. I guess I just don't know how to make friends. He leaves his group of friends when he calls and realizes that I am at the loft club by myself, to come and just give me company. I will ask him why he did not bring his friends, but he says "I came to be with you". That really sucks sometimes because I think he sees it through me.
I can share a lot, but it's really hard to put in words. So if you read this part and you get the picture, are you in some kind of the same shoes? And I guess the question is, How do people make friends?

I feel like I'm not doing enough, but it's so hard to do anything. 4wks postpartum here, little guy is EBF but I just started introducing the bottle with pumped milk, he refused enfamil (the yellow can, neuropro?). My partner has been very supportive and was a huge help the first two weeks. Week one was spent in the hospital thanks to unexpected caesarian and a rebound trip for BP, week two was hell week of me trying to adjust to baby at home. He did all the chores and cooked for me and cared for the dog during this time.
Now I'm all on my own. He works out of town most of the time, often mon-fri, so it's just me, baby, and my dog. I feel like I can't get anything done, I'm barely taking care of myself. Some days have been better than others, but it's really rough. When my son actually takes a nap longer than five minutes the only thing I want to do is sit in my recliner and scroll reddit, watch tv, or play a game. I'm just so exhausted and feel like I get no time to myself. I wake up for all the diapers, all the feeds, I take care of him 24/7 unless I get lucky on the weekends and can get my partner to wake up for a diaper change without complaints. I tried waking him up Saturday at 8am and while he did it, the first words out of his mouth were "oh so now I can't get any sleep on the weekends". He just got such an attitude about it, I was so upset. Like what, I don't deserve to sleep too? I was up until 3am that morning with a fussy, overtired, screaming baby who has been cluster feeding since birth. That whole week I got hardly any sleep because he was gone. I'm on leave so I get why I'm the default parent but taking care of the baby is a full time job too. I still matter, or at least I should...I deserve rest too.
He hasn't said anything about me letting housework go, at least until he woke up for work with no clothes this morning. He was pretty upset about that. I'm not trying to complain about him either, I just feel sub-human at this point. I love my child but I just want him to sleep (in his bassinet) so I can be at rest. I feel bad for even wanting that. I should want to do things with him, and I do take the time when he isn't screaming, eating, or sleeping to try to engage him with toys and stuff. We do have good cuddle times too where I just talk to him and we just relax and look at each other's faces, that's one of my favorites...but I still feel empty.
Top it all off, everyone is expecting me to return to work in 8 weeks...without childcare. I work from home, part time, fairly flexible job. I'm rarely in meetings, maybe take a couple calls a day, depending on where things are at make phone calls as well, but the projects I work on require my full attention when I am working on them. I do have tasks that require me to go on site as well, by myself might I add. Thanks to the pandemic though, it is expected for me to do what I do while taking care of my child. I have heard this from all of my coworkers, supervisor, even the director, and worst of all my own partner and my family. One of my coworkers even spends 2000 a month on baby sitting services for his 14mo old despite the fact that his wife works from home, yet he expects me to do what I do with my newborn. I am so stressed out about this. On top of the fact that I can barely take a shower or cook for myself, let alone sleep, it is expected that I go back to work. If my partner, who I must add works in the field for the same company, was home nightly, it would be feasible for me to dedicate a couple hours in the evening a few nights a week. We don't have family that will come over to watch the baby and I am so ungodly underpaid it should be a crime. I couldn't afford childcare services of any kind. When I try talking to my partner about this, he gets really mad at me, tells me that's loser talk, I don't try hard enough, yadda yadda. I can't win and I just feel like an empty shell of the person I used to be. I'm not a person anymore, or at least not viewed as or treated as one. I just want to cry. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I feel so "blah" that even my partner asked if I'm experiencing PPD, to which he said "if you are, I'm not the person to talk to about it" and laughed. I think asking me was a joke? I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling.
​
TLDR I'm pretty convinced I have completely lost my identity. I don't have a support system and I'm drowning taking care of a fussy clusterfeeding 4wk old. On top of it all everyone is expecting me to go back to work without childcare. I can't win and I feel so empty inside. And tired. So, so tired.

I know it doesn't directly pertain to Philosophy but, I'm having a hard time coping with purchasing necessities of life through companies like Amazon and Walmart. I want to make ethical choices when I purchase items. I've been studying Stoicism and have been trying to live more virtuously.
Does anyone know of a list or legitimate website that ranks companies based on environmental ethics and human labor ethics as well?
Thanks!

For those who haven't read the first phase, here's a link. I want to thank the people who upvoted and the ones who commented, I thought this sub would be tired of cinematic universe re-writes by now but I'm glad to see that my take on it is fresh and appreciated! Now, let's move into phase two of this universe.
Schedule

• Captain America: Out of Time
• The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms
• Excalibur
• Iron Man
• The Brotherhood of Mutants
• The Uncanny X-Men (Cyclops' team)
• Daredevil
• X-Corporation
• The New Mutants (Xavier's team)
• The Groundbreaking Giant-Man
• Fantastic Four: Rising Storm
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron

This phase keeps the mutants separated in their factions so that the phase three final event can feel larger in scale and more earned, and rather focuses on building up the Avengers.

Captain America: Out of Time

This movie is about the Winter Soldier story arc. We've already seen the mystery aspect of the whole Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier thing and Bucky wasn't introduced in the first film properly so I would avoid the mystery, rather skip straight to expositing to Steve that Bucky is back and deal with the emotional ramifications. Crossbones and Aleksander Lukin play the same roles they do in the comic arc, a side and the main antagonist respectively, Crossbones is a bit of a one-and-done. We will replace Union Jack's role in the original story with Ian Zola to continue their surrogate fatheson relationship, but Union Jack will be present at the end of the story in a post-credit scene joke.
This is a bit asshole-y of me but I want it to be out in the dirt-sheets that Captain Britain has been cast and may appear in the new Captain America film. We set that up and have someone like Taron Egerton on set for the film in 'leaked' pictures, and we finally have him show up after the credits, only for him to reveal himself to be Union Jack... and that's it. He probably won't show up in any other project again.

The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms

The movie starts with cameos from Cyclops and Iceman alongside Wolverine, showing Wolverine deciding not to stand by Scott's side and leave Scott's X-Men.
This is the start of the formation of X-Force, we have a couple of extra characters alongside Wolverine: namely Colossus and Deadpool. To be clear, this Deadpool is the same one from the Untitled Deadpool sequel, so he can continue to make meta jokes about the universe and try to bounce off of the new Colossus everytime he forgets its not the one he first interacted with in the first two Deadpool films. The main antagonist is a mysterious group moving behind the scenes to take down political enemies of mutantkind, who are using Nightcrawler and the newly introduced Spider-Woman to get things done, as well as Kitty Pryde, who audiences as of now still think left with Scott. This catches the attention of Moira, who is involved with the British intelligence at this point in time and passes word to a 'friend', later found out to be Psylocke.
The group is revealed to be Worthington Industries, as Warren Worthington III is behind it all (can't call him Angel because he isn't really powered anymore with his wings gone). He is eventually shut down but isn't killed.
Post-credits: Psylocke introduces the now unaffiliated Nightcrawler, Spider-Woman and Kitty Pryde to the idea of joining her team of mutant defenders and introduces them to their leader: Captain Britain. Excalibur, here we go!

Excalibur

Roster: Captain Britain, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Spider-Woman
This film is basically Kingsman but less spy and even more British. Our main villain is Modred the Mystic, and I would have him and a couple of minor antagonists working for him all played by BBC legends. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, the works. This film is basically a love letter to old BBC comedies and thespian culture, maybe some more cameos from actors who were in the IT Crowd, Yes Minister, BlackAdder and the like. Get Matthew Vaughn he knows how to balance British humour with an action plot he's done it quite a bit and we've had him in the universe already. There's room for social commentary about the villains all having south English accents and being played by actors all associated with that posh background too.
We have a smaller role from Black Knight too, he plays a part in fighting Modred but he isn't an official member of the team, more of a wildcard.

Iron Man

This will be an adaptation of the Demon in a Bottle storyline. Unlike Iron Man 2 it will not be a side plot but rather the focus of the film, as we've already seen Tony fight physical threats similar in skillset to himself a lot.
Ideally I want to bring Sam Rockwell back as an older Justin Hammer putting together a set of smaller villains - Blizzard, The Melter and Whiplash. We have Henry Gyrich and Nick Fury in small roles, as well as the Wasp and Namor making cameos similar to their roles in the original Demon in a Bottle comic arc.
I want Tony's emotional turmoil to bleed over into his personal life too, so we have Bethany Cabe and Pepper Potts both in the film, Potts just as his personal assistant while Cabe is the one he is in an actual relationship with. But it's clear that Tony has some reservations about Bethany and may be falling for Pepper. Rhodey is in this film too to give him some platonic support to lean on but no mentions of War Machine. A couple extra footnotes, Jarvis is a physical butler like in the comics, not an AI, and Tony does not go public with his identity.
The film ends with, yes, Hammer in jail, and two out of the three side villains dead (Whiplash survives and is in custody), but the real victory comes when Tony gets over his alcoholism. I don't want to insist upon any specific story beats, but getting someone like Dexter Fletcher to direct would be perfect as his work on Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman shows a deep understanding of egoist, narcissistic but undoubtedly talented people falling into substance abuse. That is the real core of this film and it's okay if the physical antagonists fall to the way-side for it.

The Brotherhood of Mutants

Magneto starts a cult in Latveria based around mutants being the next step in humanity's evolution. Members of the cult are Rogue, Mystique, Toad, Pyro and his twin children Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I would get someone like Greta Gerwig in on this who can create scripts that study characters inside and out as this movie should focus a lot more on the complexity of all the morally grey characters than any actual fights between the characters.
This obviously raises the eyebrow of Victor von Doom (who was already introduced in F4 if you recall), and the two ideologies clash. While Doom is not the outright villain in this film as both sides have problems, it's more a mix of grey. Magneto does 'lose' as Doom kills Pyro and warns Magneto to leave Latveria which Erik complies with. The film ends with Colossus hearing about the 'brotherhood', misinterpreting it as a school like Xavier's, and introducing Erik to his sister: Magik.

Uncanny X-Men

Established Roster: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Kitty Pryde
New Members: Armor, Gambit, Blink, Sunspot, Havok
This film basically begins with Kitty leaving the team which explains her involvement in the The Wolverine: Brothers in Arms. Cyclops very clearly has issues with Xavier and its explored how Scott feels Xavier failed the team by being too soft. The team have their internal conflicts about if this is the right thing to do, with Bobby and Jean pulling one way while Scott pulls the other. The villains are Sebastian Shaw and his latest recruit to the Hellfire Club: Abyss (Alexander Koch).
Abyss is killed by Shaw so he can absorb his power in the final battle, and Shaw fights Jean and Armor, seemingly having the upper hand after absorbing Abyss' energy but he is killed by a stray laser beam from Cyclops. The team is distraught that Scott would just kill a mutant in cold blood like that, causing a major rift. The team essentially is over, with only Jean remaining at his side. Havok decides this is not his fight to fight, while Sunspot, Armor and Iceman begin to agree more with Xavier and decide to leave for the Xavier School, and Gambit goes back to being essentially a free agent.

Daredevil

Get Drew Goddard and the Netflix series cast on this ideally, match that tone of elevated street-level work. This is essentially the Guardian Devil storyline from the comics, including the Mephisto, Wong and Black Widow stuff.
I don't really have a lot to say, keep Spider-Man as a major player even if the actor's cost is a bit steep as he will really bring eyes to this, as well as the debuts of Black Widow and Mephisto. Let 'em at it, but keep Gwyneth and Karen Page as separate characters, I know it could be tempting to roll them into one to keep the number of players in the storyline low and maybe avoid the PR trouble that comes with a teenage pregnancy in your cinematic universe.
Mysterio is revealed to be the guy behind everything in the final act, setting Bullseye and the Twin Killers on Matt and Peter and having made a deal with the devil. He is defeated, but not killed.

X-Corporation

Our next conceptual experimentation comes with the X-Corporation. My ideal team for this would be the same team that made Deadpool to allow for some dark and meta humour.
This is unlike the X-Corporation from the comics, rather it's the polar opposite. It's not an official company under the wing of Genosha or Krakoa or anything like that, but rather a rag-tag group of, essentially, nobodies. Worthington Industries continues its illicit activities, and two people notice it: Davis and Heather Cameron (Slipstream and Lifeguard, respectively). They decide to put together a team of their own, inspired by the X-Men. The team consists of themselves as well as Risque, Penance (Monet St Croix), Darkstar, Multiple Man, Domino, Cannonball, Sunfire and Thornn. The meta commentary and rag-tag style of team makes this movie sorta feel like a hybrid of James Gunn's Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy, but with mutants.
It's quite the large team, and that's the fun part because unbeknownst to them or the audience, a lot of them will be dead by the end of the movie. While not present in the marketing in any way, the movie makes it clear that not all of the team will survive this mission, almost in the way movies like the first Avengers did, a way that makes it seem like just a way to raise the stakes without doing anything about it, but this movie delivers.
Warren is back, but reveals that with the help of a new ally he has regained his ability to fly. Magneto, playing a much more villainous role now, has given Warren new metal wings, completing his transition to Archangel. These two along with a new player form our trio of villains: Mister Sinister. He is also working with Angel, but it is made clear in this movie that both Sinister and Archangel have a larger power they are working for.
The final battle is Mister Sinister against the X-Corporation, but Sinister decides to play his ace in the hole: a set of five clones to form "Sinister's Six" (including himself). The clones are of Wolverine, Mystique, Storm, Beast and Nightcrawler. The team's goal, previously taking down the Worthingtons, changes as they realise they are massively out of their depth. Their goal is now simply to get out of there alive. In the end, the clones are all killed and Sinister decides to live to fight another day but the team takes heavy losses. Risque, Penance, Darkstar, Sunfire, Thornn and most importantly: our protagonist, Slipstream, all perish. That leaves us with Lifeguard, Multiple Man, Domino and Cannonball alive.

The New Mutants

It's been long enough, get me the Russos on this one. They are oh so good at taking ensemble films, deconstructing them into their most raw character conflicts and raising those conflicts. I want that to happen here.
Established Roster: Professor X, Emma Frost, Storm, Beast
New Members: Thunderbird, Bishop, Jubilee
Magneto and Archangel decide to go after a common enemy: Xavier and his team. Xavier's school has produced some new talent who are being slowly integrated into the team, namely the three new recruits. Magneto and Archangel bring along Sabretooth too, who Xavier eventually realises is Logan's half-brother and convinces to join his side by the end of the film. Xavier is still our protagonist, as Magneto's ideals directly conflict with Xavier's ideals much like Scott, and Xavier feels massive guilt for his part in Archangel's crippling. We can have Xavier try his best to reconcile with Warren, drawing parallels to his own crippling (no details given, I want to hold that back but we do get some vague things like that it was a bullet that Xavier could very easily have avoided and that wasn't intended for him).
It seems like Xavier is getting through to Warren but just as that seems likely, Magneto realises why Xavier has never tried using his powers on Erik, or rather that he has but has failed due to Erik's helmet. He very quickly fashions a way for Warren to shut Xavier out, completing the Archangel look with a new exosuit and helmet. The final battle doesn't result in any deaths but the X-Men take a few hits before being put down, Storm eventually being the X-Factor when she electrocutes Warren's wings, shorting them and causing Magneto to flee with him.

The Groundbreaking Giant-Man

This is the Ant-Man sequel, as you may have realised by now I'm doing a weird thing with the titles where I change the alias and the descriptor for each film in the series. This is another Edgar Wright film, and while there will be comedy it will be slightly dialed back for more serious emotional weight. Not saying that funny films can't be films that make the audience feel, but some tonal consistency would be nice and a comedy having the kind of themes I want this film to explore would be a bit dissonant.
This film is about Hank realising he won't be around forever, and looking to pass the mantle on. This creates two options: Scott Lang, or an AI.
Scott and Jessica Jones are in a rocky relationship, we explore this as one of the central dynamics of the film, this is as much as Scott Lang film as it is a Henry Pym film. The main villain is Kilgrave who is manipulating Jessica but eventually Hank and Janet put an end to his schemes, Janet finally becoming the Wasp properly after a brief test run of the suit in Iron Man.
In the end, Scott's fractured emotional state after his tumultuous relationship with Jessica leaves him an unsuitable candidate for Hank, and he decides to create an AI to protect the Earth.

Fantastic Four: Rising Storm

I don't have a particular plot in mind for this film but I have an idea, basically just the coming of Galactus plot but with less of Galactus, rather more of Silver Surfer as a precursor to his arrival. Make it known that the Baxter Foundation is looked at with more and more raised eyebrows as they seem to be misplacing some important and dangerous things often, as proven by the existence of the Fantastic Four as well as the accidents involving Mole Man and Spider-Man.
The main things I want this film to accomplish is setup Galactus as a top threat for the future and strengthen the bonds between the F4 and their peers. Really make them feel united together, Alicia too is with Ben and the two are happy together. The Silver Surfer retreats, he is defeated (no switching of sides just yet).
Post-credits: Hank Pym, with the help of Reed, completes his AI: Ultron, the final pieces being some alien remnant tech that the Silver Surfer left behind. Ultron immediately awakens, becomes self-aware, and kills Hank before escaping the Baxter building, gaining access to non-nuclear missiles and decimating New York City using it. The extent of the damage is unknown in this scene.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

This film could even be a two-parter, but I think one 3 hour film should do the trick.
New York is decimated. In the wreckage, Wasp, Mister Fantastic, The Thing, Human Torch, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-Woman and Scarlet Witch are confirmed dead. We have an actual 'age' of Ultron as Ultron basically takes over the world, creates Vision and inhabits his body, while the rest of the world tries to survive. As you have realised by now, the only surviving member of the Fantastic Four is Sue Storm, and while its unclear which mutants died, Emma Frost and Wolverine who are two of the most prominent characters in this film, both imply that they lost many friends. We explore these characters' grief while in this dystopia. As must be clear by now, Ultron has no real personality. He is what Ultron should be: ruthlessly efficient, and unfeeling. The Terminator, given the goal to terminate the world.
We have a new character in Hawkeye and Spider-Man introduce us to the post-apocalyptic world, and then slowly the plot is discovered: that technology that Silver Surfer left behind is capable of travelling across timelines. Before their final gamble, we spend the majority of the film in this dystopia with all the heroes, exploring their lives in the post-Ultron world trying to survive and hide. Heroes from elsewhere like Storm, Black Panther, Namor and others come to New York too so that all the power is in one place to devise a plan against Ultron.
Our primary protagonists after the first few minutes with Hawkeye and Spider-Man are Wolverine, Invisible Woman, and Emma Frost. Wolverine and Invisible Woman have their screen-time and grieve their massive losses, but another important player must be Emma. Her arc of going from cunning and sly Hellfire Club member to standing with Xavier and choosing the right side of history is made very clear in this film.
We have our heroes send Wolverine and Invisible Woman to an alternate timeline, where they meet The Defenders which consists of Iron Man, Captain America, Ant-Man, Wasp, Professor X and another Wolverine. The two parties fight, thinking our heroes have been sent by Morgan Le Fay, before the Defenders realise that our heroes aren't lying about their timeline and agree to help them, using the Silver Surfer's technology to reconstruct another device to send them back to their timeline to before Hank and Reed create Ultron.
Our big 'final' confrontation is Logan and Sue trying to confront Hank about creating Ultron, trying to convince him not to do it. Hank refuses to listen, and eventually Logan is forced to kill him, causing him and Sue to become fugitives. Upon capture, Emma Frost reads their mind and realises they aren't lying. However, unbeknownst to all of them, Ultron knew about the technology (because of course he did) and followed the heroes into this point in the timeline. As Ultron does not exist in this timeline yet and isn't connected to the rest of the world in his semi-organic android Vision body, he is not more than his android body, resulting in our final fight being Ultron against everyone, a proper one versus all as Ultron's practically infinite computing power causes him to sense pretty much every attack that comes at him.
Everyone who died is back (minus Hank of course), but the final fight extracts a price too, as Black Panther dies when he gets in the way of a Vision beam headed straight for Namor. Emma Frost dies when she tries to infiltrate the mind of the android but encounters Vision's countermeasures, which instantly attack her and render her brain-dead. Emma dies trying to do the right thing, ending her arc over the course of the last two phases in tragic fashion. Ultron is eventually defeated when Doctor Strange uses magic to trap him in an infinitesimally small micro-universe after being worn down by everyone else.
And that's how this phase ends. The world is saved but it is quite the downer. Nick Fury however, sees potential in putting the non-associated heroes together, and decides to contact Tony Stark about starting the Avengers. Our movie ends with the very first Avengers team being put together.
Post-credits scene: The Baxter Foundation is officially disbanded, and Reed Richards replaces it with the Future Foundation.
So, to recap the end of the phase, here is how our factions look:-

• Avengers: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Wasp, Scarlet Witch
• X-Men (Scott's team): Cyclops, Jean Grey, Blink
• X-Men (Xavier's team): Professor X, Beast, Thunderbird, Storm, Bishop, Jubilee, Sabretooth, Sunspot, Armor, Iceman
• X-Corporation: Lifeguard, Multiple Man, Domino, Cannonball
• Future Foundation: Mister Fantastic, The Thing, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Wolverine
• Unnamed villain faction: Archangel, Magneto, Mister Sinister

The next phase will close out the first arc of this universe by eventually bringing the X-Men together for the final event, while also giving some hints to phases to come with some cosmic stuff and the introduction of the Inhumans.