Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

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Aramek
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Aramek (?) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:48 pm

Throbulator wrote:Based on all the confused posts in the Hearts and Hooves thread it looks like I didn't send out ciphers. Oops. :gotcha:
I remember...

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Image

I solved it, though. It, legit, took me, like, two hours, but I solved it. I solved because I was pretty sure those first two words were "Hello Aramek".
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Damathacus » Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:54 pm

Well someone didn't play cover action as a kid. That thing has spaces and everything, it's like baby level of cryptography compared to what that game throwed at you on higher levels. :gotcha:

ozone

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by ozone » Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:01 pm

VaultAggie wrote:Thanks a ton to my secret santa! I didn't find your name in any of the paperwork but thanks a ton!
I’m glad you liked the gifts. :ohboy:

Neverwinter Nights 2 was a solid game back when I played it even when my PC wasn’t optimal for it and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Mask of the Betrayer. I hope you have a great time with them. However, if you haven’t done so already, I really recommend playing through the Baldur’s Gate series as well if you really want to know what Project Eternity is going to play and feel like although NWN 2 is pretty close as it is.

Regardless, have fun and enjoy the little slice of New York in your apartment. :party:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by ixnay (?) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:06 pm

I made it back from my holiday travels this afternoon. And what did I find on my doorstep when I returned to my house after all that traveling?

Not a package, that would be too easy. There was a delivery attempt slip from the post office though! Even though I was tired, I went back out since I still had some time before the post office closed.

After some standing in line, then I had my package!

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Hooray, a box from Germany! And with a note written on the side of it!
Dear Princess ixnay, since I forgot to pack the letter into the package, I just hope this works out as intended. I wish you a merry Christmas and an unforgettable time from Germany! Hope you enjoy the gifts!

Your faithful Santa,
unknown
Fröhliche Weihnachten!

PS: Hope you don't mind the plain package, but I don't know what is allowed and also I can't draw at all.
And what's inside this package from foreign lands?

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A Lego set and a bunch of cookies and treats! Also a jar of mustard!

Thank you so much, mysterious German secret santa (Metalsonic?)! I love everything! :allears:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Dragoness (?) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:01 pm

Throbulator wrote:
Based on all the confused posts in the Hearts and Hooves thread it looks like I didn't send out ciphers. Oops. :gotcha:
To quote myself from the same thread:



I think it's pretty cool you've saved the note Westy. :allright:
I saved my note :3

Complete with my translation written above each letter - the fact that it began "Hello Glaed" gave me 3 vowels and enough consonants to figure out the rest.

In other words yes Westy you're bad at ciphers :V
ImageImageImage

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by MetalSonic (?) » Fri Dec 28, 2012 11:45 pm

Good my package worked out as intended, ixnay. Hope you enjoy the treats!

Yeah sidenote: since I was worried that this package would be on time, I had to hastily send it on the first Tuesday in December. In which case I forgot to pack in the handwritten letter and had to go in the rain to the post office. Good that he could decipher the reading on the box, anyways. :allears:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by !saak (?) » Sat Dec 29, 2012 6:06 am

So today a note got slipped in our mailbox telling me that the first delivery attempt of a mysterious package failed (they were early :v:). Not having ordered anything I can only conclude that this is the fabled Secret Santa package. Now it'll be here on Monday :allears:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Westy543 (?) » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:04 pm

Glaed wrote:In other words yes Westy you're bad at ciphers :V
IT COULD HAVE STARTED WITH ANYTHING :twonk:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Headless Horse (?) » Sat Dec 29, 2012 7:15 pm

Mine started with "HI HH". If it weren't for the HH part it would have been no help at all. :v:

Throbulator

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Throbulator » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:13 pm

Next time I'll write it all in German.

That's right. Next time. :smirk:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by MetalSonic (?) » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:44 pm

That's not a cipher. :-/

Throbulator

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Throbulator » Sat Dec 29, 2012 9:27 pm

Image :gotcha:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Perrydotto (?) » Sat Dec 29, 2012 9:52 pm

Throbulator wrote:Next time I'll write it all in German.

That's right. Next time. :smirk:
And I will just snicker. :smirk:
Image /// Image /// Image

logicow

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by logicow » Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:22 am

I haven't received my gift yet and I'm going back to Montreal on Monday, so no secret Santa gift for me for a little while. :ohrarity:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Dexanth (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:57 am

Ohmigosh! It's the long promised post!

So, when I arrived in Seattle, this was waiting for me :

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I could write a bunch of words about how cool it is to get a package from Finland, or I could show AWESOME STICKERS

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A Rarity & Sweetie Christmas

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Twilight and Spike as well!

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And Rainbow-Scootaloo, as well as the Mane 6! But the most important one is last!

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AHH THE CUTENESS IS OFF THE CHARTS :twonk:

So we begin our journey of ripping into the box, and are confronted with :

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MORE TAPE! This is soon dealt with, however. TREASURES are revealed within :

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The most important treasure is...

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Finnish Bill Cosby, or something of the sort! I cannot read the language so I am going to say he was calling up the ghost of Jimi Hendrix for a dark northern ritual that saved the world from certain doooooom :gotcha:

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The lighting is less than optimal here, but there are so many things I am going AHHH WHOEVER THIS IS DID TOO MUCH the anticipation is murdering me! With kindness! :yay:

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I can read the part on the left! But not the right! It is all mysterious runic runes to me! Naturally it must mean it's another prophecy about how the end of the world was averted by ponies. And Bill Cosby.

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Gift One : I believe these are throat losenges! If so, that is awesome because home does like to get cold winters and sore throats are not at all pleasant! But it only gets better!

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The powers of Amazon and Google sages have revealed these to be Rowan Marmalade traditional Finnish candies! And since I love sugar, it makes it the best kind of tradition, namely the sort that tastes delicious! :awesomedash:

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But not ONLY that there is also blueberry and truffle and chocolate things which are :party: because ohmigosh chocolate! And here is where it starts getting BEST

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HOT SAUCE! Some kind of Costa Rican Hot Sauce, maybe? It said that somewhere on the bottle! I am leaving it as MYSTERY HOT SAUCE because something deserves to remain totally mysterious! But it was not alone...

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MEGA DEATH! The name already strikes fear into my heart, or at least builds a delightful anticipation. And when we turn around the box, we get a lovely warning!

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Oh heck yes. Naturally, the first thing I will do when I get home is ignore the warning entirely, and place a droplet directly on my tongue. I expect this is a TERRIBLE idea, which makes it the best kind of idea in these circumstances. Worst case scenario I start swilling glass after glass of milk. A price I am willing to pay for ADVENTURE!

Now, is this everything? Oh no. There is one more package. The biggest package. A package containing....

























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Pinklestia is the bestia!

Also Twilight and Spike and that means I am formally in the category of OWNS OFFICIAL PONY TOYS AHHH!

I have now fully drank the Kool-Aid :pcstare:

Anyhow based upon my guesswork I suspect DAMATHACUS to be the culprit behind all this wonderfulness! I am going to attempt to salvage as many of those package stickers as well, although despite my best efforts Luna-Celestia was fatally wounded during the opening process, though I shall attempt emergency tape surgery when I get home!

Yay! Thanks a ton! :flattered:

Damathacus

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Damathacus » Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:26 am

Dexanth wrote:
Anyhow based upon my guesswork I suspect DAMATHACUS to be the culprit behind all this wonderfulness! I am going to attempt to salvage as many of those package stickers as well, although despite my best efforts Luna-Celestia was fatally wounded during the opening process, though I shall attempt emergency tape surgery when I get home!

Yay! Thanks a ton! :flattered:
Indeed it was me. The MYSTERY HOT SAUCE is some what milder stuff than the Mega Death, so you can use it when the Mega Death would be too hot.
I'm glad you enjoyed your presents, and I would love to hear what you think about the sauces and the candies once you have had time to try them out. :excite:

VaultAggie

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by VaultAggie » Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:07 pm

ozone wrote: I’m glad you liked the gifts. :ohboy:

Neverwinter Nights 2 was a solid game back when I played it even when my PC wasn’t optimal for it and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Mask of the Betrayer. I hope you have a great time with them. However, if you haven’t done so already, I really recommend playing through the Baldur’s Gate series as well if you really want to know what Project Eternity is going to play and feel like although NWN 2 is pretty close as it is.

Regardless, have fun and enjoy the little slice of New York in your apartment. :party:
Awesome, thank you so much! Glad to have another Obsidian fan too. :yay:

brakeless

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by brakeless » Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:13 pm

On the subject of reading Finnish: Don't do it.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Dragoness (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 1:38 pm

My head hurts now.
ImageImageImage

Damathacus

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Damathacus » Sun Dec 30, 2012 1:51 pm

Well there is a reason why Finnish is said to be one of the hardest modern languages to learn. Unfortunately it also works other way around. Because in Finnish words are pronounced exactly as they are written, it makes learning English pronunciation and grammar really hard for us, and causes us to usually have really heavy accents.

Throbulator

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Throbulator » Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:23 pm

How do you pronounce the double vowels in words?

As an example let's take that person identity certificate from the article: henkilöllisyystodistus. What do you do with the double y's there? Do they mean the y sound has to be prolonged, so the word is pronounced as henkilöllisyyyystodistus. Or is there a pause between the y's, so the word has to be pronounced as henkilöllisy-ystodistus?

brakeless

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by brakeless » Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:33 pm

You pronounce it as a double y, duh. :v:

It's a prolonged vowel, but you don't stress it.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by BartonFink (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:34 pm

Image

Aramek
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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

"So you're saying..."

Your brain is about 20% tumor.
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Aramek (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:52 pm

In a whole world full of foreign gibberish, Finnish is the most foreign and the most gibberish. :allears: *hug*
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Frosthawk (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:34 pm

I love Finland so much, you don't even know. I once tried to learn Finnish just because Finland is my favorite country. I failed. :party:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Pineapple » Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Finnish is the language of puns, ie: Fingerpori and viperless milk

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by synthorange » Sun Dec 30, 2012 6:13 pm

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Oh hello, what's this? For me? :awesomedash:

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Aaaaaa pony alert! :sweetielarm:

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A mysterious secret santa! Good thing customs didnt require him or her to have their name plastered all over the package. :-I (I averted my eyes, really!)

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Aaaaa what could it be, what could it be!

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AAAAAA holy crap snatter came through! It's everything I ever wanted! Tea! A tea strainer! A horrible giant headed mutant mug! A tiny giant lego block! Jake shirt! Thank you stalky santa, you really did your homework! Raritea blend too, eeeee. And I just needed a new tea strainer, it's perfect!

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Time to imbibe fluids from the top of MODOK's grostesque head! Yaaaay!

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by diribigal (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 6:49 pm

synthorange wrote:Thank you stalky santa, you really did your homework!
You're welcome! Drink the lego box in good health. :-I
synthorange wrote:Good thing customs didnt require him or her to have their name plastered all over the package. :-I (I averted my eyes, really!)
Great, now everyone knows my real name is diribigal. :-/
ImageImageImage Very math.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Throbulator » Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:27 pm

Oh my, what a pretty pony card you got there. :smirk:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Frosthawk (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:58 pm

I got my present this afternoon! :party:

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Sorry that the picture quality is kind of crap for all of these - I'm not a good photographer and I can't find my good camera today argh. But anyway, here it is! My cat had a good time with the wrapping paper later.


Tearing open (well carefully opening) the package yielded this little ad'awwable card.
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With this message:
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Since the picture makes that completely unreadable it says this:
Frosthawk,
Sorry for the lateness of my package but I had to go home to pick up your gift. You wanted local candy, so I got you some Esther-Price chocolates. Esther-Price has been a local favorite for years. The second box is one of their best selling products: chocolate covered potato chips. It's double local as the chips are made by Mike-sells, another Dayton company. I hope you enjoy these and I hope they are worth the wait. Have a good holidays and a happy Hearth's Warming!

Santa
Fuck yeah I love getting food I could never get where I live! :awesomedash:

Here are the goods.

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I really like these boxes too. I kind of don't want to throw them away after the chocolate is gone. I'm particularly intrigued to try the chocolate-covered chips - the sweet-savory combination is something I don't have often enough.

The package comes from Ohio, making my Santa potentially hard to guess since I think there are at least 70 Ponygoons from Ohio. BUT, I have a hunch that this package comes from snakeinabox, of which I'm about 95% certain

If I am right (I think I am) thanks, Snake! I'm going to crack these open and enjoy them with a nice glass of red wine tonight and be one happy motherfucker.

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Hope you had a good Christmas too, and congrats on the vinyl Lamb Lies Down! That's one of my all-time favorite prog albums as well.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Durandal (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:08 pm

Frosthawk wrote:this package comes from snakeinabox, of which I'm about 95% certain
If it was from him, there would have been a snake in it :spike101:

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Vivianinatoga (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:14 pm

Not gonna post the chains yet, but here's some data on the current analyses of the census:

- Number of participants: 61
- Total claimed: 48
- Total unclaimed: 13(-ish, until Cosmobot posts his gift)
- Current number of chains: 20
- Longest chain: 7 links (x2)
- Shortest chain: 1 link (x4)
- Most frequent chain length: 2 links (x6)
- Number of Santa/Santee exchanges: 1 (Herr/Crow) :gotcha:
- Number of recipients not knowing who their SS is: 6
- Total minimum number of possible chains: 2


- Number of Non-SS gifts given: 6 (+1 expected) :allears:
Perrrydotto < > Mad Surge
Durandal/princess spaceship/Aramek > Willsun
DarkMatter > Willsun
Brightman > Aramek
Adelor > Aramek
??? > BattyBovine
One Giant Bum (Glaed) > Another Giant Bum (Westy)


You guys are so cool. :yay:

EDIT: VV Except you. You and Westy are bums. :-P
Last edited by Vivianinatoga on Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Dragoness (?) » Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:34 pm

Davyinatoga wrote: - Number of Non-SS gifts given: 5 (+1 expected) :allears:
Take a closer look at Westy's unboxing :gotcha:

*innocent whistle*
ImageImageImage

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by !saak (?) » Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:26 am

So that package I mentioned earlier that would arrive today? It did and it's the videocard Feedsy sent me that I completely forgot about :v:
It arrived like 15 minutes ago and I got all excited and had my phone ready. Started tearing off the wrapping to find the box of a videocard.

Which is supercool, but... where is it?! :gonkity:

logicow

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by logicow » Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:39 am

Hah, I got my gift right before we leave for Montreal for a while.

I'll unbox ASAP.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Venusy (?) » Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:43 am

Davyinatoga wrote: - Number of Non-SS gifts given: 6 (+1 expected) :allears:
I was going to say plus an additional one expected, but someone from Parcelforce knocked on the door less than 10 minutes ago! :crack:
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Video to follow once I find the scissors and after my phone's charged a bit.

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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

"So you're saying..."

Your brain is about 20% tumor.
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Aramek (?) » Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:14 am

Venusy wrote:Parcelforce
That's bad ass.
"USPS."
"UPS."
"FedEx."

Pssh! Those names are weak like Fluttershy! :modesty:

PARCELFORCE! That name is powerful, like Rainbow Dash! :awesomedash:
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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Big Boss (?) » Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:29 am

I wrote a joke once about delivery guys. This delivery guy was kinda clumsy, and he was all depressed. He worked for PUS, you see. He hates the guys who work at ExFed because they only hire former FBI agents.

:v:

I'll go hide back under my rock now.

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Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by Venusy (?) » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:18 am

Aramek wrote:PARCELFORCE! That name is powerful, like Rainbow Dash! :awesomedash:
They are also lazy and incompetent! :gotcha:


Anyway, videos! I was going to merge them into one, but then I remembered I have no idea how to save the final product in AviSynth. :-I



(I forgot what happens if you try to record in portrait with the last one, which is why everything is sideways :v: )

Thanks Perry! :yay:

logicow

Re: Forumswide Secret Celestia X-Mas X-travaganza 2!

Post by logicow » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:32 am

Socks! Galaxy S3 shell! The horse from toy story (whatever its name is)!
Also some excellent MODERN ART
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High 5, Throbulator! Your socks are much appreciated. <3

I have the unboxing video file here but youtube's uploading too slowly and we have to go :(

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