Blue cross pcp numbers
World of Warships: exploding pixel boats
2011.12.20 21:05 tehblister World of Warships: exploding pixel boats
Revenge-class BB when, Wargaming? đ
2024.06.01 16:48 arogz IUI Success? Tips?
Hey cysters!! I just had my first IUI (yay!!!) and wondering if thereâs anything I can do to support implantation now? Iâm sure itâs mostly luck but maybe thereâs something I can do⊠and I wanna hear your success stories!
We had 2 mature follicles, 12mm lining, a natural LH surge + ovidrel 250 trigger shot, and 25 million sperm count. We will be doing a double IUI so going in tomorrow for a second IUI.
Iâve heard usually the first IUI cycle doesnât take but Iâm hopeful with our numbers. Fingers crossed!
submitted by arogz to TTC_PCOS [link] [comments]
We had 2 mature follicles, 12mm lining, a natural LH surge + ovidrel 250 trigger shot, and 25 million sperm count. We will be doing a double IUI so going in tomorrow for a second IUI.
Iâve heard usually the first IUI cycle doesnât take but Iâm hopeful with our numbers. Fingers crossed!
2024.06.01 16:47 RanchWilder11 What is your favorite Presidential Election?
 | Is it a close election, blowout, comeback or credible âthird partyâ candidates? Something else? submitted by RanchWilder11 to Presidents [link] [comments] Maybe more recency bias and due to age (38), but I thought 2000 was the most fascinating. The hanging chad, actual votes vs. âintentâ, the fact that something as so small as the Elian Gonzalez controversy may have shifted a good enough portion of the Cuban vote to Bush and thus deciding the election itself. Also, people like Katherine Harris, being relatively insignificant, but having a huge role due to the circumstances. Lastly, the fact that this is the last election where a vice president has run to succeed their running mate. |
2024.06.01 16:45 AsparagusTops Using families as a reference?
Hello! Iâm very much on the fence about this, so Iâm coming here for advice. Iâm a toddler teacher who is moving states in a few months. I have a job (pending background/document/reference checks) and I am pulling together my references. I have the required number of professional references, but I was considering using a parent of two of my former students as a personal reference. Is this acceptable, or is it crossing any boundaries or considered unprofessional? Iâve gotten mixed feedback from coworkers.
submitted by AsparagusTops to ECEProfessionals [link] [comments]
2024.06.01 16:38 FluidLikeSunshine Anyone else obsessively hoarding every last bit of gel they can get from their pump bottles?
Basically title. I'm concerned about the number of posts I see where people's GPs have just stopped prescribing out of the blue.
Testogel: 3 pumps "down the sink" to prime the pump and I swear there's at least 3 or 4 full doses left in the bottle when the pump begins to fail.
I've been using syringes designed for filling vape carts to get the last gel out and decanting it into refillable airless pump bottles. As a bonus those unlabelled bottles are a damnsite more discreet than the testogel bottles. I take them away on holidays and to festivals.
I've currently got around 350ml of testogel saved that would otherwise have gone down the sink/to landfill.
Please tell me I'm not the only one that does this đ
submitted by FluidLikeSunshine to transgenderUK [link] [comments]
Testogel: 3 pumps "down the sink" to prime the pump and I swear there's at least 3 or 4 full doses left in the bottle when the pump begins to fail.
I've been using syringes designed for filling vape carts to get the last gel out and decanting it into refillable airless pump bottles. As a bonus those unlabelled bottles are a damnsite more discreet than the testogel bottles. I take them away on holidays and to festivals.
I've currently got around 350ml of testogel saved that would otherwise have gone down the sink/to landfill.
Please tell me I'm not the only one that does this đ
2024.06.01 16:33 _The_Fly Allegiant Air emergency
 | submitted by _The_Fly to flightradar24 [link] [comments] |
2024.06.01 16:29 Mini_Tonk Ficnapped! Hazardous Recovery - Playing Dungeons and Dragons with Space Sheep
(Cong Rats u/Xerxes250! You've been FICNAPPED, EKEKEKEK! Thanks to u/Espazilious, u/CaptainMatthew1, and u/T00Dense for supporting me in Group 3 of the Ficnapping!
That's right, I've Ficnapped Hazardous Recovery, a very well-written fic. I'd recommend it to those looking for a more... tech-inspired fic.
So, enjoy the dumb stuff.)
-====================================-
Memory Transcription Subject: Kimmich, currently dying inside
Date [standardized human time]: October 25, 2136
If I had been made aware that one of the first days we were on Earth was going to be spent sitting in a predator's house, looking at sheets of paper, and listening to said predator prattle on about silly plastic shapes with numbers on them I'd have refused the trip as a whole. The whole concept seemed like a massive waste of time, not only for us but for him too. Unfortunately, I was trapped here by the whims of Vemnka and Sevkan, and they never let up a chance to see new human past times.
Andre, for his part, had been slow with us, letting us ease into the new living situation with relative laxity on where we were allowed to go. We'd already watched a few movies, played a few "video games", and even listened to some of his music. It was... enjoyable. Even with the obvious attempts to cover up a whole heap of predatory behaviors, Andre had managed to get us feeling somewhat welcome.
Until he had us sit at his kitchen table and write out the Venlilian numerical system, to which he responded with a chuckle, "Looks like Skaven Scratch." He did not elaborate. At first, I thought the exercise was going to be a simple lesson on how to read human numbers. But no, it was far worse. Instead, Andre went to his workshop, scanned all the numbers, and began printing a bunch of geometric prisms with the numbers on them. Vemnka was the first to ask about their purpose as she picked up a dodecahedron, each side holding a numeral.
"Well, I figured we'd play a game, and these," he held up a worn version of the same shape Vemnka was holding, this one with human numbers on it, "are how we play."
Not even a minute later we were watching as he 'rolled' the 'dice' across a little pad on the table. "So, basically, these dice, the 'd6's will help us make our characters. I use the '4d6 minus the lowest rolled' method for stats, but there are other ways to do it."
Sevkan picked up a triangular prism and poked his paw pad with it. "And what about the rest of them," he asked as he tossed the plastic shape onto the pad.
"The one you just rolled is a 'd4', it's a damage dice. Same with the d6, 'd8', 'd10', and 'd12'. This," he held up a dice with ten sides, but with two separate numbers on each face, "is a percentile dice. Helps when I need to see what outcome happens when a random encounter starts, though we'll not be using it because we're doing a oneshot." He flicked it up with a click and caught it. Next, he picked up the same dodecahedron as before and rolled it. "Ouph, nat 1, less than ideal when starting a game."
"What does that mean," I asked, looking down at the twenty-sided dice; the side displaying '1' was facing up.
"A nat 1 is the worst roll on a 'd20'. It's a critical failure, which means if you roll a nat 1, something bad happens." He rolled it again as he talked, "The d20 is the most used dice because it's the 'check dice', you use it to figure out how well you did on an action. For instance," he reached across the table for a sheet of paper. Looking it over, I could see it was a 'character sheet', as Andre called them. "This is the strength stat," He pointed at a block on the left side of the paper, "It shows how strong your character is. If I were to roll this d20 and get a 13, but your strength stat is a 14, plus whatever save modifier you have, then I'd fail the check and either nothing would happen, or you'd get a reaction to my failure." He shifted his weight as he reached for the ground. With a plap, Andre brought up a hardbacked book. My translator had a bit of difficulty translating the text due to the font, but in the end, it spat out 'D&D Player's Handbook'. A small script of subtext under the cover art, which I ignored due to its content, read 'Everything a player needs to create heroic characters for the world's greatest roleplaying game.'
"A roleplaying game," Vamnka asked before Sevkan or I could formulate the words.
"Yep! A TTRPG, Dungeons and Dragons, D&D. I played this once or twice before my accident with the reactor room, but I think I still remember enough to DM for it."
This time Sevkan asked the question, "TTRPG and DM?"
"Tabletop roleplaying game, and Dungeon Master. I run the game, so I'm the dungeon master." He laid out three sets of three pieces of paper at each seat. It had the same words and markings as the one before him. "So, as I said, we're doing a one-shot because I can't be bothered with doing a whole ass campaign. Plus you won't be here forever and we have work to do at some point."
"I'll be making your characters with input from each of you. We're doing basic fifth edition rules because the newer editions, sixth up to ninth, all suck." He grabbed four of the d6 and held them aloft, looking at Sevkan, then Vemnka, and finally landing his gaze on me. I felt my fur rise but paid it no mind as he looked down at the dice before him. "Vemnka, you're going first." He picked up and tossed the dice to Vemnka who scrambled to grab all four before they had a chance to fall off the table.
"So, I just... toss them?" The quizzical flap of her left ear was met by a curt nod from Andre. "Alright," she said as her paw flicked the dice across the table. One landed on 1, another on 2, another on 3, and the final one on 6. "Twelve in total," she announced.
"Good, now remove the lowest number rolled and mark it down somewhere on the back of your sheet."
After five more rolls, Vemnka's stats totaled 11 in strength, 15 in intelligence, another 15 in constitution, 16 in wisdom, 16 in charisma, and 13 in dexterity.
Next was my turn. I rolled a 13, which I put into dexterity, a 14 in constitution, a 15 in charisma, a 16 in strength, another 16 in wisdom, and a 12 in intelligence.
Finally, Sevkan rolled a 12, which was placed in dexterity, a 13 in charisma, a 16 in constitution, a 10 in both wisdom and intelligence and, as Andre put it, the ever elusive 18 was put in strength.
With all that tedious, boring, unimportant, and downright torturous work out of the way, now was the time to get into character creation. Andre gave us the book to look over and told us to ask any questions we wanted if we needed to. I pulled up my pad's visual translator and began skimming the text.
-====================================-
Memory Transcription Subject: Vemnka, having the time of her life!
The book wasn't big, not by a long shot. I'd read books three to four times as long in [a day] or two. What the book contained, however, was an entirely different story. It wasn't just a rulebook, or handbook, as the cover suggested, it was a way to shape the wild imagination, to tame the itch to create.
And by the stars am I creating!
Andre told us we'd start by choosing class, race, and background. Of course, we had no idea what that meant, so he took us through it one at a time at a leisurely pace. He flipped through the book's pages before landing near the beginning, showcasing a stout-looking human with the undertext 'Dwarf' printed to the left.
After running through all of the vaguely human-like races to pick and a few classes that would shape our table-side adventure, I'd chosen to be a gnome cleric, which was a humorous choice. Andre said I'd primarily be healing, helping my team by keeping them in battle. I didn't mind the idea of being a sideliner, as long as I could help.
Dad had chosen to be a human 'paladin'. Andre explained that the term equated pretty easily to a form of holy guardian, in the form of a mortal, who the god of their faith gifted to defend those around them. Dad thought is was a pretty cool idea, especially the idea of "burning heretics away with holy fire," as Andre put it. It took him a bit longer to choose his race because he kept returning to the page with the almost-Arxur-looking Dragonborn. Still, after some coaxing, he finally let up on whatever was going on in his head and chose the easiest option, and the one Andre had recommended.
Finally, Sevkan had looked a bit farther into the game itself, finding a non-classified databook called "Player's Companion". Andre described it as a supplemental read, adding a bit more variety to the already large amount of options presented in the Player's Handbook. Sevkan took one look at it and immediately chose the Aarakocra, causing Andre to flinch. He said it'd be fine because the Aarakocra looked nothing like Krakotl, but Sevkan still apologized as best he could. He chose the fighter class, which was about as self-explanatory as possible.
Next was backgrounds, I chose to be an acolyte. It made sense in my head that a religious healer would have a background in religion. Dad leaned toward Folk Hero as his background, an option that both he and Andrew agreed would suit his character. Sev chose to be a hermit, which caught me and dad off guard after Andre gave us a rough rundown of what it was. An isolationist fighter, the sort of stuff that got you locked away.
"Alright," Andre said, leaning forward, looking between each of us again. I noticed Dad's fur rise a bit less than last time. Progress is progress. "We've got a Gnome Cleric, a Human Paladin, and an Aarakocra Fighter. Pretty good party dynamics for your first time even hearing about DnD. Now, for the most part, we've done everything we need to do together. From here you would have normally gone through stats and equipment, but I don't want to, and this is a oneshot so those aren't that important. Vem, on that last sheet, please mark down 'Spare the Dying', 'Sacred Flame', and 'Guidance'. Kimmich, on your last sheet, mark down 'Lay on Hands', 'Divine Smite', and 'Divine Sense'. Sev... you can just throw that sheet away. You won't be moving past where you are now."
Sevkan looked down at the sheet with a hint of sadness. To be fair to him, 'Spare the Dying' and 'Divine Smite' sounded cool, but before I could ask what they meant, Dad beat me to it. "What are these for? What do you mean?"
Andre rolled a D20 absent-mindedly, "Spare the Dying is a Cleric Cantrip that stabilizes a person who's taken fatal damage and is rolling death saves. Divine Smite is that whole 'BURN IN HOLY FIRE' thing I was talking about. Depending on how you flavor it, it's you wrapping your weapon in divine fire and burning away at your enemy's soul."
Despite his previous misgivings, ones which were practically plastered over his fur, Dad seemed honestly interested in the concept behind the Divine Smite. "And I just get to use it? Any time I want?"
"Well, not really." Andre pointed a finger toward me. "She has three cantrips which can be used at any time, you only have two. Divine Smite is an actual spell, as in its magic that requires you to utilize a spell slot. Lay on Hands is a contrip that can heal and Divine Sense allows you to detect certain types of creatures based on their alignment. Good and Evil in particular."
Sev spoke up, displaying confusion with his ears. "So why don't I get any spells or cantrips?" There was a degree of disappointment in his voice.
Andre leaned back with a chuckle, flexing his dexterous prosthetics as he clutched the d20 he'd been rolling. "Because, as a fighter, you probably have the most useful ability of them all. It's called 'Second Wind' and its essentially Lay on Hands but only you gain from it. It's an ability you can only use once per short rest, which we won't be needing to get into, which heals you for 1d10 plus your level, which all of you will be set at level 2.
"Again, we won't need much of the stuff in the books because this is A. Your first time and I want it to be fun, and B. A oneshot where nothing matters and we're here to have a good time. So, real quick," Andre grabbed a d8s and a d10 and began rolling them. "Vem," the d8 clacked across the table, landing on a 4, "you've got 15 health total. Because you're a light class, always expect to be on the lower side of health. Kimmich, you've got," he rolled the d10, it landed on an 8, "20 health, not a bad roll. And finally Sevkan," the d10 rolled across the table once more, the 5 side facing up. "18 health. Not too bad either, given your ability to heal yourself."
"How did you get those numbers," I asked, looking across the table at each of our sheets.
"While you all were reading, I put your modifiers where they belong, and changed what needed to be changed with your stats." Andre leaned over and pointed at Dad's sheet, "I increased each of your scores by one because you're human." He moved to mine, "I increased your intelligence by two." Then he moved to Sevkan's "And I increased your dexterity by 2 and wisdom by one. I made a slight mistake when asking you guys to roll, as usually, you'd choose race and class before putting your stat rolls anywhere, but you all seem to have put them in pretty good spots."
The three of us gave Andre amused looks, to which he raised an eyebrow. "Humans get an additional point in everything?" Sev asked with a small whistling laugh.
"Oh, uh. Yeah, now that there are actual other intelligent races in the galaxy that doesn't look too good does it?"
"It's fine," I said. It was plenty understandable, thinking you're the best at everything you do when there's no one to compare to. "So are we going to start?"
"Yep! Just one more thing. Weapons and armor are important to this, even if you don't have to use them all the time." Andre flipped to a page with a list of item names which I couldn't make ears or tails of. I recognized 'sword', 'bow', and 'spear' as ancient primitive weapons, but other than that everything else escaped me.
"I'm noting a lot of confusion. Anything you need to know?" Andre looked at us expectantly.
"What's a 'maul'," came Sevkan's response.
"Oh, that's a term for a large, two-handed warhammer. Usually, it's depicted as spiked on both ends. Imagine a very large, very crude sledgehammer with spikey bits."
"And a 'glaive'?" Dad asked next.
"I assume you know what a sword is?" We flicked our ears in affirmation. "Well, it's essentially a curved sword attached to a pole. It's made to look a specific way, if it wasn't then it'd probably just be called a Dao. Or maybe the Dao would be called a glaive. Maybe Glaive is just a type of polearm. I have no idea. Anyway, to speed this up, I'll be choosing the weapons and armor you can have for you, and don't worry, I'll use your attitudes as a reference for what you get. For you, Vemnka, I think the mace and shield combo will do nicely with the scale mail. Kimmich, you'd work well with two long swords to accompany your chainmail armor. And finally, Sevkan, a halberd with your chainmail will work fine. Sound good to everyone?"
I was a little disappointed at the stolen opportunity to continue building my character, I'd yet to come up with a name or backstory, as I was sure was the norm, but with the idea of starting taking center stage, I couldn't help but wag my tail.
-====================================-
Memory Transcription Subject: Sevkan, going down the rabbit hole
Andre put a thin plastic sheet over most of the table, took out a bundle of markers, and began drawing, much to our collective surprise.
The sheet was was smooth and cool to the touch, though not through any internal system, probably just from the back of the garage where Andre had found it. It had a grid printed over it, which Andre seemed to be using as a guide as he drew a boxy shape, marking certain areas with certain colors. There must have been a system he was following, one that none of us Venlil in the room had managed to pick up on, and we didn't want to interrupt Andre as we worked in case we caused him to mess up.
I looked over my character sheet, made mostly by Andre with small additions I felt like I needed to add. I still felt a little bad for not realizing how raw the image of a Krakotl must have been to Andre as I chose the Aarakocra, but he'd brushed it off swiftly and curtly, clearly not wanting to continue the line of thought. Still, I should've chosen a different race. The goliath looked cool and probably would have been a better fighter than a bird with hollow bones, but I also didn't want to drag the others much longer, so I kept silent.
At long last Andre stood at his full height and analyzed his work. "There we go. The battle map is set up, now for the tokens." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out three little white objects. I immediately recognized them as chess pieces. A rook, a knight, and a bishop were placed on the table, along with a dozen white pawns, some of which came from a different chess set, and four black pawns as well as a black king. The black pawns were marked with the colors, yellow, beige, green, and white. We quietly agreed which pieces we would be. Dad would be the knight, I would be the rook, and Vemnka would be the bishop.
Andre sat down and we began. "Alright, I've decided to pull the classic 'wake up in a tavern' DnD start because it's funny and I also didn't exactly plan this. So here we go. Please leave your questions for after I'm done talking."
"You wake up, each of you, around a wooden table in a comfortable tavern with candles above you and empty tankards before you. You look at each other and recognize if only barely, the friends you made last night through a bout of drinking and dancing. You feel the roaring of a hangover in your head as you each groan and attempt to lift your heads."
Andre pointed at the chess pieces, which must have represented our characters. "Please roll constitution to see if the hangover affects you in any major way. It's a d20 plus the number below the stat itself."
We looked at each other with slight confusion. Not at the command to roll, nor for its circumstance, but for the setting. Is this a human board game? I mean, I guess I expected something more akin to chess. but this is nothing like it. It's so... alien.
Dad rolled his d20 first; it landed on a 16, "An 18?"
"Yep, Kimmich, your character brushes off the hangover with ease. You still feel a buzzing in your head, but other than that, you're fit as a fiddle." Oh, I get it now. How interesting. I could see Dad and Vemnka twitch their ears in understanding as I rolled my d20.
It landed on 8. "Plus two, so an 11."
"Sevkan, your head hurts like hell but you're still able to function to a normal degree. If it weren't for your fellow drunkards you're sure you'd have to stumble around by your lonesome for a while."
Vemnka let out a laugh as she rolled her dice. While she had been aiming for the center of the table, the dice had other plans and shot off to the right, flying off the table and rolling under a stool in the kitchen. "Oops! I'll get it," she said, jumping out of her seat and lifting the stool. "It landed on 19," she beeped excitedly.
"Nope," Andre said, much to our surprise. "Rule two of dice: if it goes off the table, its results are null. I didn't make that rule, but I still follow it. Roll again."
Vemnka's ears drooped a bit, but she set herself and climbed back into her seat to roll again. This time the dice did as it was meant to and rolled across the table without falling off. It landed on... "A nat 20!"
"No shit?" Andre lept out of his chair to peer across the table toward the dice. "Well, I'll be damned, a 19 and a 20 in succession. Well, I guess you're just better than those other two. Your character's hangover is completely gone, you felt it for all but a second as you raise your head to see your Aarakocra companion still struggling with his."
"Is there anything I can do to help him?" She asked. Andre's lip curled upward slightly.
"Now you're getting it. It's a role-playing game. You have your roles, the ones you set up for yourself, and now you get to play them. And yes, there is something you can do to help. Roll me a medicine check. I'll add your modifier myself." The sound of a die rattling across the table ended with... "Another Nat 20?!"
We jumped at Andre's incredulous shout as he glared at the die before him. He seemed more angry at the dice than at Vemnka so I assumed we were probably not in trouble. How can we be? We didn't do anything that would make him angry. Why's he yelling?
"Sorry, but the chance of rolling two nat 20s in a row, while not astronomical, is pretty fucking low. Something like a one in four hundred chance, maybe more," Andre said, sitting back down and sighing deeply. "It's fine, just funny is all. Usually, RNJesus is on the DM's side, not the party's. Kinda nice to see a change of pace."
"RNJesus," we asked collectively.
"Don't worry about it, let's continue. Vemnka, you put your hand on Sevkan's shoulder and do some voodoo magic bullshit and pray to your god to heal his aching body. Miraculously, it works and Sevkan sits upright feeling light as a feather. The Aarakocra's headache is now on par with Kimmich's."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that, now let's get on with it. As Sevkan gets up and shakes off the remaining ebbing in his head, you all notice five less-than-reputable figures sitting in a booth at the far end of the tavern. Each wears a hood or cowl accompanied by a cloak, which hides their race and weapons from you, however, you can tell that one of them is considerably larger than the others. If you had to, you'd place it at about 226 cm (7'5") while those around it are around the average human height of 180 cm (6'0"). Roll me perception too."
We looked at each other at the description but shrugged it off as we rolled. I rolled a 7, Dad rolled a 19, and Vemnka rolled a 17.
"Both of you," he said, pointing at Vemnka and Dad with one hand, "See that they are pointing in your direction while the big one holds a piece of paper in his hand. It shows artistic renditions of the three of you, along with a long string of words you can't make out from your current distance. Kimmich, you hear them talking about a bounty and that you are the specified targets. Now it's time for you to react, how do you want to move forward?"
"Well," Vemnka said nervously. I could see her tail flick in my direction, looking for guidance, but I had none. "I suppose I'll confront them? I'm not sure what a bounty is exactly..."
"Really?"
We looked at Andre and the obviousness of the situation. If we didn't know what a word was, we knew it must have been predatory. "Right, sorry. Bounties are orders given to hired people to hunt people. For one reason or another, if someone wants someone dead then they'll place a bounty on their head. I'm not sure if it was ever actually a thing, but bounty hunters were popular during the Wild West days of the US. They usually brought criminals in for trial though, and usually didn't kill them."
"Okay, but why do they want us dead," Dad asked, his ears falling back slightly.
"That's the neat part, you have no idea," Andre said as he leaned forward and moved the green-tipped black pawn a space on the map. "Vemnka, as you get up, you notice that one of the figures is moving towards the door with slight urgency. Before you can make a move, however, the large figure stands up and doffs his cloak, revealing the tattooed grey skin of a Goliath wielding a greatsword in the executioner's style. He shouts over the tavern for everyone other than your group to leave immediately as things are about to get bloody. His three other goons, the one moving toward the door exempt, move in unison towards you. Roll initiative. It's a d20, same as all the others."
I looked toward my sister to see her tail freaking out, her bishop is the closest to the enemy party, meaning she was more likely to be targeted first. I had to protect her, not only because of our sibling relationship but also because she could heal us if we got hurt. The three of us rolled as one, I got a 10, Dad a 14, and Vemnka got a 4. Andre himself rolled a few dice before moving the chess pieces into place and writing down something on a sheet of paper. "Alright, perfect. Initiative rolled, time to start combat. First up, yellow pawn."
He moved the pawn toward Vemnka's bishop, immediately putting her in danger. "One of the vagabonds rushes you, Vemnka, and you see the flash of Tabaxi claws as they raise their hand to strike at you." Andre's dice rolled, clattering to a halt inside the pad on his end, obscuring the results. "Does a 14 hit?"
"How do I check that," she asked, her tail going even crazier. Though, I couldn't tell if it was excitement or panic.
"AC," Andre responded flatly, "Armor Class."
"Right, yep." She looked down at her paper and flicked he ears 'no' then shook her head.
"The Tabaxi's claws swipe right above your head and miss by a hair. You can even feel the air move past you as you flinch backward. Next, the Goliath moves toward you, hefting his greatsword. Kimmich, if looks could kill, you'd be halfway to Valhalla by now. He glares at you with a mighty fire in his eyes. It's hard to tell, but you think he might have it out for you. He takes a swing with his sword and..." Andre rolled and looked back up at the table, his eyes focusing rather intensely on the black king representing the Goliath. "Meh, Nat 1. He swings and you dodge, causing his swing to miss wildly and land on the Tabaxi nearby. She takes," he rolls, "A sizable chunk of damage as blood flows from her lower abdomen."
"Wouldn't she be writhing in pain right now," Dad asked, pointing to the yellow-topped pawn.
"In real life? Yes. Here? I control the game, and while she is certainly hurt, she still has enough will to fight. Money is a powerful incentive for some people, especially bandits and vagabonds. Next, Sevkan, you notice the flash of steel as a dehooded human rushes you with a shortsword in hand. He has a keen eye and sharp nose, but your reflexes are faster as you dodge his swipe. He stumbles a bit, but recovers before you have a chance to harm him." Andre looks at Dad, who doesn't even seem to register the human's gaze as he looks over his sheet. "Kimmich, it's your turn. You can attack, retreat, use a spell-"
"Divine smite the Goliath, I'll use Divine Smite on the Goliath."
Andre lets out a chuckling laugh, "Now we're talkin'. Let's do this. Roll for attack."
Dad rolled, and I watched as the dice skipped across the table and finally landed on 11. "Plus five, so 16."
"Very good, that is a successful hit. Please roll both damage and the Divine Smite's 2d8."
Dad rolled his d8 three separate times, coalescing in a massive 18 damage, a 7, an 8, and a 3. "18 damage total against the Goliath."
Andre did a weird whistle as he marked down the information on what I could only assume was the stat sheet for the enemies. "18 against big guy. Sevkan, your turn. D-"
"Actually," Dad interrupted, "it says here that I have an extra action and a bonus action."
"Oh."
"So I'm going to attack him again."
"Okay."
Dad rolled another d8 which landed 6 side up. "Another six damage and I end my turn."
"Thank you, finally. Sevkan, go, please. Attack or... Well, all you can do is attack." Andre leaned back in his chair, stare planted squarely on me. I looked down at my sheet for any actions I had. I had a normal and bonus action, and that was it. I looked at the section marked features and traits and noticed that I could do three actions with action surge. "Alright, I'll attack three times. Twice with my halberd using action surge and once with that dagger, you forgot to give everyone that we all had the option to take." I glared right back at him.
"Yes, I didn't give you all the tools you could have had because it would have just wasted more time. But fine, if you want to use it, fine. It's a d6 slashing damage."
I rolled the 2d10 for damage. One landed on 8 while the other landed on 9. My d6 lands true on a 4. "21 damage to the beige-tipped pawn. That's the human, right?"
"Yep," Andre nodded as he wrote down the damage. "You take two swipes at the human with your halberd, both connect with both his arms and torso, slowing him considerably. It's only when he remains standing that you pull your dagger from its sheath and plunge it into his chest. You miss his heart by millimeters, but it does the job as he collapses in a pool of blood. Congrats, first knockout of the game."
I shudder at Andre's description of my character, who might as well be interchangeable with a Krakotl, killing a man. A human, for that matter. I look over to see Dad glaring daggers at Andre and Vemnka staring at me worriedly. I wave her off with my tail and focus back on Andre.
"Retribution is in store for you, though, as an Elf leaps over a table with two daggers drawn, ready to avenge her slain comrade. She..." Andre rolls and whoops as he punches a fist into the air. "She comes down with blinding speed and rakes her metal blades across your chest," He rolls again and lets out a slightly disappointed 'oh' before continuing. "You take a total of 8 damage from the Elf's daggers."
Andre, once again, leans forward, this time to remove the beige-tipped pawn from the table and replace it with a red cross, as well as move the green tipped toward where all the white pawns were. I assumed the gap in the markings must have been a door, as Andre had moved all the white pawns out of it when combat started. The green pawn must be escaping or blocking ours. Either way, we have to deal with the three remaining in front of us before we can handle that one.
"I see gears turning, always a good sign, but let's continue. Vemnka your combat turn. Make it count. You can use your bonus action to heal or attack with your mace, it doesn't matter as long as you do a different action when using it."
Vemnka looks over at me, then to the board with a contemplative look. "I'd like to use my first action to bless the two of them, then I'd like to use my bonus action to bonk the -what did you call it?"
"A Tabaxi."
"Yeah, that, I want to bonk that." Her tail swayed with contentment as she rolled her damage dice. It rolled into the batch of white pawns before landing on 6.
"Ouph, 'fraid that's not gonna be enough to hit anyone, but, Kimmich, Sevkan, both of you can now roll a d4 to accompany your attack roll." He flicked his d4 into the air but somehow missed it as it fell. It clattered onto the table and got flung into the living room as Andre tried to grab it. "Fuck, alright, hold on. Damned carpet's gonna be the death of me."
He went looking for the die, leaving us Venlil staring at the table before us.
"So what do you think," I asked abruptly.
"I don't know," Dad responded, his tone careful but gruff. "It's very clearly predatory. I mean, we wake up in a tavern after a night of drinking so hard our heads feel like they're about to explode and once the hangover clears we've got a band of roughnecks out for blood from the get-go." He squinted at the chess pieces representing our characters, they were all next to each other. "And I can't even really argue that we should stop because I'm fine with what's being depicted. Even if his description of you... knocking out that human was a bit over the top, I think that's the point."
"I agree," Vemnka spoke up, "The whole game is very fantastical, not meant to be compared to real life. I mean, sure, the concept of bounty hunters is a real thing, but I don't think there are humans as tall as that Goliath walking around. Or whatever a Tabaxi is."
"Fantastical and weird. If those don't describe humanity, I don't know what does," I said with a bemused flick of my tail.
"How about tired of hearing you talk about me behind my back," Andre's voice shouted from behind the couch, where he was scrounging for the lost die. Finally, he seemed to have found it, poking his head out from the backrest and looking over at us. "I'm joking of course, I don't mind at all. Unless you're insulting my taste in music, then we'll have a problem."
"I-I mean it's just-"
"Not for everyone, yadda yadda yadda. Anyway," Andre stood up, holding the d4 in his hand. "Lets continue. Tabaxi time." He took his seat and leaned forward to adjust the white pawns before rolling the hit dice. "Bruh. Another Nat 1. And here I was imagining the Goliath and Tabaxi to be the leaders of the group. Whatever. The Tabaxi attempts another swipe at you, or so it appears because she ends up cat-scratching the arm of the Goliath next to her. That's five damage, and it moves to the Goliath who is slightly pissed at everyone except for the Elf, who's, y'know, actually put in some work. The Goliath makes a wide swing, hoping to cut you all down in one fell swoop." He rolls the d20 three more times, once with a 'whoop' of success, another with a 'aww' of failure, and a final with a 'oh come the fuck on.' I could only assume it was a horrible failure. Andre's sigh fills the room. "Alright, Kimmich, you take 18 damage, he crit succeeded. Sevkan, you take no damage, and instead duck low as the swipe passes over you. Vemnka, you feel the blade move over you, but it does not connect due to your short stature. No, instead, he once again hits the fucking Tabaxi with his swing because he crit failed. Again. And because the human is no longer available to fight, it's now your turn Kimmich."
"I would like to smite again."
"Oh fuck, right you get two 1st level spell slots." Andre almost sounded annoyed when it was brought up, but relented nonetheless. "Take the hit dice."
Dad rolled, and it landed on 14. He rolled the d4 for the blessing Vemnka gave us. It landed on a 3. "Plus the five-"
"Yeah, yeah, it hits. Roll me damage."
"I'm sensing some hostilities from you," Dad said smugly.
"I'm starting to understand why my DMs hated being DMs, that's all. Please, fuck up that Goliath." And so he did, rolling a 15 in total. "You swing one of your longswords upward and cleave the Goliath's jaw in two, but he does not die. A mere flesh wound such as that would do little to dampen the giant-kin's will. No, what killed him was the bright light that engulfed his head after the strike landed. His face was the first to go as he tried to breathe through the holy flames surrounding him. His screams ended abruptly as his larynx melted away, leaving only writhing agony. He died a pitiable death in all fairness, as any sinner does. The second knockout of the game goes to Kimmich. Yay."
Again, the feeling of discomfort appeared as Andre described in unnecessary detail the visual of... someone burning alive. Oh stars, he planned that out, didn't he?
"Let's move on. Sev, your turn. First, lemme see you all roll perception again."
I rolled a 10 while both Dad and Vemnka rolled 16s. Adding modifiers made their 16s into 19s. "Alright. Again, Vemnka and Kimmich only, you see the figure who'd been moving toward the door at the beginning of the fight, now make a break for it as the Goliath collapses into a burnt-out husk. His hood is removed by the movement revealing it to be a green-scaled Dragonborn." Andre moves the Dragonborn's piece next to the door and through it, stopping it just within our sightlines. "He has a chance to escape, will you let him?" He looked at us expectantly.
I turned to Dad to see him eyeing the piece like a fresh firefruit. "Dad, no. If he leaves then that leaves the Elf and the Tub- Taba- Tabasi, whatever it's called. We can end this soon." Vemnka put her tail on his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. He flinches at the touch and lowers his raised fur.
"Yes, yeah. Let him go," he says hoarsely.
"Alright, letting the Dragonborn go. Now it's Sev's turn. Go ahead and do something about his pesky elf." Andre moves the Elf's pawn a bit to put it back on the right square.
I shrug, attempting to fight off the conflicting feelings. On one paw, it's a game and no one is going to get hurt by me doing these things. But on the other, if I do this willingly does that make me any better than someone who would kill in real life?
Andre's voice snapped me out of my stupor. "Don't overthink it. It's a game, and this situation is self-defence. Kimmich is the only person here who's killed someone so far. The human will probably live in prison and the Dragonborn might find new meaning in life. It's not like any of this properly reflects the real world anyway. Just focus on the game, nothing more, nothing less."
I shook my body to rid myself of those thoughts and rolled my d20 and d4 from the blessing. "18 to hit."
"And hit it does. Halberd is a go!"
With another roll, it lands on a zero. "Got a 0?"
"Oh, yeah, the model I imposed the numbers on only uses one character for each side, but that's a 10. Good roll. Elf takes 10 damage and doesn't like you right now. I'm super tired of talking, so I'll just roll the hit dice. She attacks you for 19. Your AC is 19. Meets it beats it, that's a hit. Rolling damage, she lands a solid blow of 9 damage for her twin daggers. Now both you and Kimmich should have 3 health. Vem, your turn."
"Hit the tab?"
"Hit the tab."
"Hitting tab." Vemnka rolled her d20 and it landed on a 19. "19 plus whatever, I already know it hits."
"That it does," Andre responded. With a flick of his wrist, he knocks over the Tabaxi's pawn and places a cross where it was, he does the same with the Goliath's king. "Wait, why did you do that? I hadn't rolled damage."
"The Tabaxi had one health, there's no feasible way you do zero damage when rolling a dice with no zero on it. Anyway, let's wrap this up, it feels like we've been at this forever. Kimmich, your turn."
Dad sighed a deep whistling sigh. "I'll just roll to attack the Elf." He rolled his two dice, one landed on a 12 and the other landed on a 7, plus the 5 to his hits. "17 and 12. Rolling damage for that 17."
"Roll for both, the Elf's AC isn't that high."
"Really," I asked, bewildered.
"Really. The Goliath had the most AC at 16, but meets it beats it and Kimmich met it in the first round." The clack of dice interrupted him as Dad rolled his two damage die. Andre leaned forward to announce the numbers. "A total of 13. Congratulations, the three of you have just won a skewed encounter of DnD."
"Skewed encounter?"
"The Goliath had 40 health while everyone other than the Tabaxi had 20. The Tabaxi had 17. The Goliath had an AC of 16 while the rest had between 12 and 14. At least one of you should have died. I was betting on Kimmich because I had the Goliath go after him, but the nat 1s kinda stopped that from happening." Andre shook his prosthetic hands and brought them up to his chin. "Anyway, I'm dead tired. Never want to do that again, ever."
"I can't say I'm in the same cruiser as you, I found it quite fun, even with the gruesome descriptions," I said, probably unconvincingly. I did have fun, but it was a lot to take in all at once.
"I had fun too. Just, if we do do this again, try to tone back the predatory stuff. The fighting was fine, but the description was a bit... spot on I think." Vemnka's tail curled a bit as she probably imagined the images Andre described in her head.
Dad only gave a small 'hmph' as he scooted off his chair and went toward our rooms.
"Well," Andre started, "that's about what I expected from a bunch of scared space sheep."
I let out a whistle as Vemnka gently lowered herself to the ground, marched up to Andre, and bopped him on the thigh with all her might.
===================END=TRANSCRIPTION===================
submitted by Mini_Tonk to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
That's right, I've Ficnapped Hazardous Recovery, a very well-written fic. I'd recommend it to those looking for a more... tech-inspired fic.
So, enjoy the dumb stuff.)
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Memory Transcription Subject: Kimmich, currently dying inside
Date [standardized human time]: October 25, 2136
If I had been made aware that one of the first days we were on Earth was going to be spent sitting in a predator's house, looking at sheets of paper, and listening to said predator prattle on about silly plastic shapes with numbers on them I'd have refused the trip as a whole. The whole concept seemed like a massive waste of time, not only for us but for him too. Unfortunately, I was trapped here by the whims of Vemnka and Sevkan, and they never let up a chance to see new human past times.
Andre, for his part, had been slow with us, letting us ease into the new living situation with relative laxity on where we were allowed to go. We'd already watched a few movies, played a few "video games", and even listened to some of his music. It was... enjoyable. Even with the obvious attempts to cover up a whole heap of predatory behaviors, Andre had managed to get us feeling somewhat welcome.
Until he had us sit at his kitchen table and write out the Venlilian numerical system, to which he responded with a chuckle, "Looks like Skaven Scratch." He did not elaborate. At first, I thought the exercise was going to be a simple lesson on how to read human numbers. But no, it was far worse. Instead, Andre went to his workshop, scanned all the numbers, and began printing a bunch of geometric prisms with the numbers on them. Vemnka was the first to ask about their purpose as she picked up a dodecahedron, each side holding a numeral.
"Well, I figured we'd play a game, and these," he held up a worn version of the same shape Vemnka was holding, this one with human numbers on it, "are how we play."
Not even a minute later we were watching as he 'rolled' the 'dice' across a little pad on the table. "So, basically, these dice, the 'd6's will help us make our characters. I use the '4d6 minus the lowest rolled' method for stats, but there are other ways to do it."
Sevkan picked up a triangular prism and poked his paw pad with it. "And what about the rest of them," he asked as he tossed the plastic shape onto the pad.
"The one you just rolled is a 'd4', it's a damage dice. Same with the d6, 'd8', 'd10', and 'd12'. This," he held up a dice with ten sides, but with two separate numbers on each face, "is a percentile dice. Helps when I need to see what outcome happens when a random encounter starts, though we'll not be using it because we're doing a oneshot." He flicked it up with a click and caught it. Next, he picked up the same dodecahedron as before and rolled it. "Ouph, nat 1, less than ideal when starting a game."
"What does that mean," I asked, looking down at the twenty-sided dice; the side displaying '1' was facing up.
"A nat 1 is the worst roll on a 'd20'. It's a critical failure, which means if you roll a nat 1, something bad happens." He rolled it again as he talked, "The d20 is the most used dice because it's the 'check dice', you use it to figure out how well you did on an action. For instance," he reached across the table for a sheet of paper. Looking it over, I could see it was a 'character sheet', as Andre called them. "This is the strength stat," He pointed at a block on the left side of the paper, "It shows how strong your character is. If I were to roll this d20 and get a 13, but your strength stat is a 14, plus whatever save modifier you have, then I'd fail the check and either nothing would happen, or you'd get a reaction to my failure." He shifted his weight as he reached for the ground. With a plap, Andre brought up a hardbacked book. My translator had a bit of difficulty translating the text due to the font, but in the end, it spat out 'D&D Player's Handbook'. A small script of subtext under the cover art, which I ignored due to its content, read 'Everything a player needs to create heroic characters for the world's greatest roleplaying game.'
"A roleplaying game," Vamnka asked before Sevkan or I could formulate the words.
"Yep! A TTRPG, Dungeons and Dragons, D&D. I played this once or twice before my accident with the reactor room, but I think I still remember enough to DM for it."
This time Sevkan asked the question, "TTRPG and DM?"
"Tabletop roleplaying game, and Dungeon Master. I run the game, so I'm the dungeon master." He laid out three sets of three pieces of paper at each seat. It had the same words and markings as the one before him. "So, as I said, we're doing a one-shot because I can't be bothered with doing a whole ass campaign. Plus you won't be here forever and we have work to do at some point."
"I'll be making your characters with input from each of you. We're doing basic fifth edition rules because the newer editions, sixth up to ninth, all suck." He grabbed four of the d6 and held them aloft, looking at Sevkan, then Vemnka, and finally landing his gaze on me. I felt my fur rise but paid it no mind as he looked down at the dice before him. "Vemnka, you're going first." He picked up and tossed the dice to Vemnka who scrambled to grab all four before they had a chance to fall off the table.
"So, I just... toss them?" The quizzical flap of her left ear was met by a curt nod from Andre. "Alright," she said as her paw flicked the dice across the table. One landed on 1, another on 2, another on 3, and the final one on 6. "Twelve in total," she announced.
"Good, now remove the lowest number rolled and mark it down somewhere on the back of your sheet."
After five more rolls, Vemnka's stats totaled 11 in strength, 15 in intelligence, another 15 in constitution, 16 in wisdom, 16 in charisma, and 13 in dexterity.
Next was my turn. I rolled a 13, which I put into dexterity, a 14 in constitution, a 15 in charisma, a 16 in strength, another 16 in wisdom, and a 12 in intelligence.
Finally, Sevkan rolled a 12, which was placed in dexterity, a 13 in charisma, a 16 in constitution, a 10 in both wisdom and intelligence and, as Andre put it, the ever elusive 18 was put in strength.
With all that tedious, boring, unimportant, and downright torturous work out of the way, now was the time to get into character creation. Andre gave us the book to look over and told us to ask any questions we wanted if we needed to. I pulled up my pad's visual translator and began skimming the text.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Vemnka, having the time of her life!
The book wasn't big, not by a long shot. I'd read books three to four times as long in [a day] or two. What the book contained, however, was an entirely different story. It wasn't just a rulebook, or handbook, as the cover suggested, it was a way to shape the wild imagination, to tame the itch to create.
And by the stars am I creating!
Andre told us we'd start by choosing class, race, and background. Of course, we had no idea what that meant, so he took us through it one at a time at a leisurely pace. He flipped through the book's pages before landing near the beginning, showcasing a stout-looking human with the undertext 'Dwarf' printed to the left.
After running through all of the vaguely human-like races to pick and a few classes that would shape our table-side adventure, I'd chosen to be a gnome cleric, which was a humorous choice. Andre said I'd primarily be healing, helping my team by keeping them in battle. I didn't mind the idea of being a sideliner, as long as I could help.
Dad had chosen to be a human 'paladin'. Andre explained that the term equated pretty easily to a form of holy guardian, in the form of a mortal, who the god of their faith gifted to defend those around them. Dad thought is was a pretty cool idea, especially the idea of "burning heretics away with holy fire," as Andre put it. It took him a bit longer to choose his race because he kept returning to the page with the almost-Arxur-looking Dragonborn. Still, after some coaxing, he finally let up on whatever was going on in his head and chose the easiest option, and the one Andre had recommended.
Finally, Sevkan had looked a bit farther into the game itself, finding a non-classified databook called "Player's Companion". Andre described it as a supplemental read, adding a bit more variety to the already large amount of options presented in the Player's Handbook. Sevkan took one look at it and immediately chose the Aarakocra, causing Andre to flinch. He said it'd be fine because the Aarakocra looked nothing like Krakotl, but Sevkan still apologized as best he could. He chose the fighter class, which was about as self-explanatory as possible.
Next was backgrounds, I chose to be an acolyte. It made sense in my head that a religious healer would have a background in religion. Dad leaned toward Folk Hero as his background, an option that both he and Andrew agreed would suit his character. Sev chose to be a hermit, which caught me and dad off guard after Andre gave us a rough rundown of what it was. An isolationist fighter, the sort of stuff that got you locked away.
"Alright," Andre said, leaning forward, looking between each of us again. I noticed Dad's fur rise a bit less than last time. Progress is progress. "We've got a Gnome Cleric, a Human Paladin, and an Aarakocra Fighter. Pretty good party dynamics for your first time even hearing about DnD. Now, for the most part, we've done everything we need to do together. From here you would have normally gone through stats and equipment, but I don't want to, and this is a oneshot so those aren't that important. Vem, on that last sheet, please mark down 'Spare the Dying', 'Sacred Flame', and 'Guidance'. Kimmich, on your last sheet, mark down 'Lay on Hands', 'Divine Smite', and 'Divine Sense'. Sev... you can just throw that sheet away. You won't be moving past where you are now."
Sevkan looked down at the sheet with a hint of sadness. To be fair to him, 'Spare the Dying' and 'Divine Smite' sounded cool, but before I could ask what they meant, Dad beat me to it. "What are these for? What do you mean?"
Andre rolled a D20 absent-mindedly, "Spare the Dying is a Cleric Cantrip that stabilizes a person who's taken fatal damage and is rolling death saves. Divine Smite is that whole 'BURN IN HOLY FIRE' thing I was talking about. Depending on how you flavor it, it's you wrapping your weapon in divine fire and burning away at your enemy's soul."
Despite his previous misgivings, ones which were practically plastered over his fur, Dad seemed honestly interested in the concept behind the Divine Smite. "And I just get to use it? Any time I want?"
"Well, not really." Andre pointed a finger toward me. "She has three cantrips which can be used at any time, you only have two. Divine Smite is an actual spell, as in its magic that requires you to utilize a spell slot. Lay on Hands is a contrip that can heal and Divine Sense allows you to detect certain types of creatures based on their alignment. Good and Evil in particular."
Sev spoke up, displaying confusion with his ears. "So why don't I get any spells or cantrips?" There was a degree of disappointment in his voice.
Andre leaned back with a chuckle, flexing his dexterous prosthetics as he clutched the d20 he'd been rolling. "Because, as a fighter, you probably have the most useful ability of them all. It's called 'Second Wind' and its essentially Lay on Hands but only you gain from it. It's an ability you can only use once per short rest, which we won't be needing to get into, which heals you for 1d10 plus your level, which all of you will be set at level 2.
"Again, we won't need much of the stuff in the books because this is A. Your first time and I want it to be fun, and B. A oneshot where nothing matters and we're here to have a good time. So, real quick," Andre grabbed a d8s and a d10 and began rolling them. "Vem," the d8 clacked across the table, landing on a 4, "you've got 15 health total. Because you're a light class, always expect to be on the lower side of health. Kimmich, you've got," he rolled the d10, it landed on an 8, "20 health, not a bad roll. And finally Sevkan," the d10 rolled across the table once more, the 5 side facing up. "18 health. Not too bad either, given your ability to heal yourself."
"How did you get those numbers," I asked, looking across the table at each of our sheets.
"While you all were reading, I put your modifiers where they belong, and changed what needed to be changed with your stats." Andre leaned over and pointed at Dad's sheet, "I increased each of your scores by one because you're human." He moved to mine, "I increased your intelligence by two." Then he moved to Sevkan's "And I increased your dexterity by 2 and wisdom by one. I made a slight mistake when asking you guys to roll, as usually, you'd choose race and class before putting your stat rolls anywhere, but you all seem to have put them in pretty good spots."
The three of us gave Andre amused looks, to which he raised an eyebrow. "Humans get an additional point in everything?" Sev asked with a small whistling laugh.
"Oh, uh. Yeah, now that there are actual other intelligent races in the galaxy that doesn't look too good does it?"
"It's fine," I said. It was plenty understandable, thinking you're the best at everything you do when there's no one to compare to. "So are we going to start?"
"Yep! Just one more thing. Weapons and armor are important to this, even if you don't have to use them all the time." Andre flipped to a page with a list of item names which I couldn't make ears or tails of. I recognized 'sword', 'bow', and 'spear' as ancient primitive weapons, but other than that everything else escaped me.
"I'm noting a lot of confusion. Anything you need to know?" Andre looked at us expectantly.
"What's a 'maul'," came Sevkan's response.
"Oh, that's a term for a large, two-handed warhammer. Usually, it's depicted as spiked on both ends. Imagine a very large, very crude sledgehammer with spikey bits."
"And a 'glaive'?" Dad asked next.
"I assume you know what a sword is?" We flicked our ears in affirmation. "Well, it's essentially a curved sword attached to a pole. It's made to look a specific way, if it wasn't then it'd probably just be called a Dao. Or maybe the Dao would be called a glaive. Maybe Glaive is just a type of polearm. I have no idea. Anyway, to speed this up, I'll be choosing the weapons and armor you can have for you, and don't worry, I'll use your attitudes as a reference for what you get. For you, Vemnka, I think the mace and shield combo will do nicely with the scale mail. Kimmich, you'd work well with two long swords to accompany your chainmail armor. And finally, Sevkan, a halberd with your chainmail will work fine. Sound good to everyone?"
I was a little disappointed at the stolen opportunity to continue building my character, I'd yet to come up with a name or backstory, as I was sure was the norm, but with the idea of starting taking center stage, I couldn't help but wag my tail.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Sevkan, going down the rabbit hole
Andre put a thin plastic sheet over most of the table, took out a bundle of markers, and began drawing, much to our collective surprise.
The sheet was was smooth and cool to the touch, though not through any internal system, probably just from the back of the garage where Andre had found it. It had a grid printed over it, which Andre seemed to be using as a guide as he drew a boxy shape, marking certain areas with certain colors. There must have been a system he was following, one that none of us Venlil in the room had managed to pick up on, and we didn't want to interrupt Andre as we worked in case we caused him to mess up.
I looked over my character sheet, made mostly by Andre with small additions I felt like I needed to add. I still felt a little bad for not realizing how raw the image of a Krakotl must have been to Andre as I chose the Aarakocra, but he'd brushed it off swiftly and curtly, clearly not wanting to continue the line of thought. Still, I should've chosen a different race. The goliath looked cool and probably would have been a better fighter than a bird with hollow bones, but I also didn't want to drag the others much longer, so I kept silent.
At long last Andre stood at his full height and analyzed his work. "There we go. The battle map is set up, now for the tokens." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out three little white objects. I immediately recognized them as chess pieces. A rook, a knight, and a bishop were placed on the table, along with a dozen white pawns, some of which came from a different chess set, and four black pawns as well as a black king. The black pawns were marked with the colors, yellow, beige, green, and white. We quietly agreed which pieces we would be. Dad would be the knight, I would be the rook, and Vemnka would be the bishop.
Andre sat down and we began. "Alright, I've decided to pull the classic 'wake up in a tavern' DnD start because it's funny and I also didn't exactly plan this. So here we go. Please leave your questions for after I'm done talking."
"You wake up, each of you, around a wooden table in a comfortable tavern with candles above you and empty tankards before you. You look at each other and recognize if only barely, the friends you made last night through a bout of drinking and dancing. You feel the roaring of a hangover in your head as you each groan and attempt to lift your heads."
Andre pointed at the chess pieces, which must have represented our characters. "Please roll constitution to see if the hangover affects you in any major way. It's a d20 plus the number below the stat itself."
We looked at each other with slight confusion. Not at the command to roll, nor for its circumstance, but for the setting. Is this a human board game? I mean, I guess I expected something more akin to chess. but this is nothing like it. It's so... alien.
Dad rolled his d20 first; it landed on a 16, "An 18?"
"Yep, Kimmich, your character brushes off the hangover with ease. You still feel a buzzing in your head, but other than that, you're fit as a fiddle." Oh, I get it now. How interesting. I could see Dad and Vemnka twitch their ears in understanding as I rolled my d20.
It landed on 8. "Plus two, so an 11."
"Sevkan, your head hurts like hell but you're still able to function to a normal degree. If it weren't for your fellow drunkards you're sure you'd have to stumble around by your lonesome for a while."
Vemnka let out a laugh as she rolled her dice. While she had been aiming for the center of the table, the dice had other plans and shot off to the right, flying off the table and rolling under a stool in the kitchen. "Oops! I'll get it," she said, jumping out of her seat and lifting the stool. "It landed on 19," she beeped excitedly.
"Nope," Andre said, much to our surprise. "Rule two of dice: if it goes off the table, its results are null. I didn't make that rule, but I still follow it. Roll again."
Vemnka's ears drooped a bit, but she set herself and climbed back into her seat to roll again. This time the dice did as it was meant to and rolled across the table without falling off. It landed on... "A nat 20!"
"No shit?" Andre lept out of his chair to peer across the table toward the dice. "Well, I'll be damned, a 19 and a 20 in succession. Well, I guess you're just better than those other two. Your character's hangover is completely gone, you felt it for all but a second as you raise your head to see your Aarakocra companion still struggling with his."
"Is there anything I can do to help him?" She asked. Andre's lip curled upward slightly.
"Now you're getting it. It's a role-playing game. You have your roles, the ones you set up for yourself, and now you get to play them. And yes, there is something you can do to help. Roll me a medicine check. I'll add your modifier myself." The sound of a die rattling across the table ended with... "Another Nat 20?!"
We jumped at Andre's incredulous shout as he glared at the die before him. He seemed more angry at the dice than at Vemnka so I assumed we were probably not in trouble. How can we be? We didn't do anything that would make him angry. Why's he yelling?
"Sorry, but the chance of rolling two nat 20s in a row, while not astronomical, is pretty fucking low. Something like a one in four hundred chance, maybe more," Andre said, sitting back down and sighing deeply. "It's fine, just funny is all. Usually, RNJesus is on the DM's side, not the party's. Kinda nice to see a change of pace."
"RNJesus," we asked collectively.
"Don't worry about it, let's continue. Vemnka, you put your hand on Sevkan's shoulder and do some voodoo magic bullshit and pray to your god to heal his aching body. Miraculously, it works and Sevkan sits upright feeling light as a feather. The Aarakocra's headache is now on par with Kimmich's."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that, now let's get on with it. As Sevkan gets up and shakes off the remaining ebbing in his head, you all notice five less-than-reputable figures sitting in a booth at the far end of the tavern. Each wears a hood or cowl accompanied by a cloak, which hides their race and weapons from you, however, you can tell that one of them is considerably larger than the others. If you had to, you'd place it at about 226 cm (7'5") while those around it are around the average human height of 180 cm (6'0"). Roll me perception too."
We looked at each other at the description but shrugged it off as we rolled. I rolled a 7, Dad rolled a 19, and Vemnka rolled a 17.
"Both of you," he said, pointing at Vemnka and Dad with one hand, "See that they are pointing in your direction while the big one holds a piece of paper in his hand. It shows artistic renditions of the three of you, along with a long string of words you can't make out from your current distance. Kimmich, you hear them talking about a bounty and that you are the specified targets. Now it's time for you to react, how do you want to move forward?"
"Well," Vemnka said nervously. I could see her tail flick in my direction, looking for guidance, but I had none. "I suppose I'll confront them? I'm not sure what a bounty is exactly..."
"Really?"
We looked at Andre and the obviousness of the situation. If we didn't know what a word was, we knew it must have been predatory. "Right, sorry. Bounties are orders given to hired people to hunt people. For one reason or another, if someone wants someone dead then they'll place a bounty on their head. I'm not sure if it was ever actually a thing, but bounty hunters were popular during the Wild West days of the US. They usually brought criminals in for trial though, and usually didn't kill them."
"Okay, but why do they want us dead," Dad asked, his ears falling back slightly.
"That's the neat part, you have no idea," Andre said as he leaned forward and moved the green-tipped black pawn a space on the map. "Vemnka, as you get up, you notice that one of the figures is moving towards the door with slight urgency. Before you can make a move, however, the large figure stands up and doffs his cloak, revealing the tattooed grey skin of a Goliath wielding a greatsword in the executioner's style. He shouts over the tavern for everyone other than your group to leave immediately as things are about to get bloody. His three other goons, the one moving toward the door exempt, move in unison towards you. Roll initiative. It's a d20, same as all the others."
I looked toward my sister to see her tail freaking out, her bishop is the closest to the enemy party, meaning she was more likely to be targeted first. I had to protect her, not only because of our sibling relationship but also because she could heal us if we got hurt. The three of us rolled as one, I got a 10, Dad a 14, and Vemnka got a 4. Andre himself rolled a few dice before moving the chess pieces into place and writing down something on a sheet of paper. "Alright, perfect. Initiative rolled, time to start combat. First up, yellow pawn."
He moved the pawn toward Vemnka's bishop, immediately putting her in danger. "One of the vagabonds rushes you, Vemnka, and you see the flash of Tabaxi claws as they raise their hand to strike at you." Andre's dice rolled, clattering to a halt inside the pad on his end, obscuring the results. "Does a 14 hit?"
"How do I check that," she asked, her tail going even crazier. Though, I couldn't tell if it was excitement or panic.
"AC," Andre responded flatly, "Armor Class."
"Right, yep." She looked down at her paper and flicked he ears 'no' then shook her head.
"The Tabaxi's claws swipe right above your head and miss by a hair. You can even feel the air move past you as you flinch backward. Next, the Goliath moves toward you, hefting his greatsword. Kimmich, if looks could kill, you'd be halfway to Valhalla by now. He glares at you with a mighty fire in his eyes. It's hard to tell, but you think he might have it out for you. He takes a swing with his sword and..." Andre rolled and looked back up at the table, his eyes focusing rather intensely on the black king representing the Goliath. "Meh, Nat 1. He swings and you dodge, causing his swing to miss wildly and land on the Tabaxi nearby. She takes," he rolls, "A sizable chunk of damage as blood flows from her lower abdomen."
"Wouldn't she be writhing in pain right now," Dad asked, pointing to the yellow-topped pawn.
"In real life? Yes. Here? I control the game, and while she is certainly hurt, she still has enough will to fight. Money is a powerful incentive for some people, especially bandits and vagabonds. Next, Sevkan, you notice the flash of steel as a dehooded human rushes you with a shortsword in hand. He has a keen eye and sharp nose, but your reflexes are faster as you dodge his swipe. He stumbles a bit, but recovers before you have a chance to harm him." Andre looks at Dad, who doesn't even seem to register the human's gaze as he looks over his sheet. "Kimmich, it's your turn. You can attack, retreat, use a spell-"
"Divine smite the Goliath, I'll use Divine Smite on the Goliath."
Andre lets out a chuckling laugh, "Now we're talkin'. Let's do this. Roll for attack."
Dad rolled, and I watched as the dice skipped across the table and finally landed on 11. "Plus five, so 16."
"Very good, that is a successful hit. Please roll both damage and the Divine Smite's 2d8."
Dad rolled his d8 three separate times, coalescing in a massive 18 damage, a 7, an 8, and a 3. "18 damage total against the Goliath."
Andre did a weird whistle as he marked down the information on what I could only assume was the stat sheet for the enemies. "18 against big guy. Sevkan, your turn. D-"
"Actually," Dad interrupted, "it says here that I have an extra action and a bonus action."
"Oh."
"So I'm going to attack him again."
"Okay."
Dad rolled another d8 which landed 6 side up. "Another six damage and I end my turn."
"Thank you, finally. Sevkan, go, please. Attack or... Well, all you can do is attack." Andre leaned back in his chair, stare planted squarely on me. I looked down at my sheet for any actions I had. I had a normal and bonus action, and that was it. I looked at the section marked features and traits and noticed that I could do three actions with action surge. "Alright, I'll attack three times. Twice with my halberd using action surge and once with that dagger, you forgot to give everyone that we all had the option to take." I glared right back at him.
"Yes, I didn't give you all the tools you could have had because it would have just wasted more time. But fine, if you want to use it, fine. It's a d6 slashing damage."
I rolled the 2d10 for damage. One landed on 8 while the other landed on 9. My d6 lands true on a 4. "21 damage to the beige-tipped pawn. That's the human, right?"
"Yep," Andre nodded as he wrote down the damage. "You take two swipes at the human with your halberd, both connect with both his arms and torso, slowing him considerably. It's only when he remains standing that you pull your dagger from its sheath and plunge it into his chest. You miss his heart by millimeters, but it does the job as he collapses in a pool of blood. Congrats, first knockout of the game."
I shudder at Andre's description of my character, who might as well be interchangeable with a Krakotl, killing a man. A human, for that matter. I look over to see Dad glaring daggers at Andre and Vemnka staring at me worriedly. I wave her off with my tail and focus back on Andre.
"Retribution is in store for you, though, as an Elf leaps over a table with two daggers drawn, ready to avenge her slain comrade. She..." Andre rolls and whoops as he punches a fist into the air. "She comes down with blinding speed and rakes her metal blades across your chest," He rolls again and lets out a slightly disappointed 'oh' before continuing. "You take a total of 8 damage from the Elf's daggers."
Andre, once again, leans forward, this time to remove the beige-tipped pawn from the table and replace it with a red cross, as well as move the green tipped toward where all the white pawns were. I assumed the gap in the markings must have been a door, as Andre had moved all the white pawns out of it when combat started. The green pawn must be escaping or blocking ours. Either way, we have to deal with the three remaining in front of us before we can handle that one.
"I see gears turning, always a good sign, but let's continue. Vemnka your combat turn. Make it count. You can use your bonus action to heal or attack with your mace, it doesn't matter as long as you do a different action when using it."
Vemnka looks over at me, then to the board with a contemplative look. "I'd like to use my first action to bless the two of them, then I'd like to use my bonus action to bonk the -what did you call it?"
"A Tabaxi."
"Yeah, that, I want to bonk that." Her tail swayed with contentment as she rolled her damage dice. It rolled into the batch of white pawns before landing on 6.
"Ouph, 'fraid that's not gonna be enough to hit anyone, but, Kimmich, Sevkan, both of you can now roll a d4 to accompany your attack roll." He flicked his d4 into the air but somehow missed it as it fell. It clattered onto the table and got flung into the living room as Andre tried to grab it. "Fuck, alright, hold on. Damned carpet's gonna be the death of me."
He went looking for the die, leaving us Venlil staring at the table before us.
"So what do you think," I asked abruptly.
"I don't know," Dad responded, his tone careful but gruff. "It's very clearly predatory. I mean, we wake up in a tavern after a night of drinking so hard our heads feel like they're about to explode and once the hangover clears we've got a band of roughnecks out for blood from the get-go." He squinted at the chess pieces representing our characters, they were all next to each other. "And I can't even really argue that we should stop because I'm fine with what's being depicted. Even if his description of you... knocking out that human was a bit over the top, I think that's the point."
"I agree," Vemnka spoke up, "The whole game is very fantastical, not meant to be compared to real life. I mean, sure, the concept of bounty hunters is a real thing, but I don't think there are humans as tall as that Goliath walking around. Or whatever a Tabaxi is."
"Fantastical and weird. If those don't describe humanity, I don't know what does," I said with a bemused flick of my tail.
"How about tired of hearing you talk about me behind my back," Andre's voice shouted from behind the couch, where he was scrounging for the lost die. Finally, he seemed to have found it, poking his head out from the backrest and looking over at us. "I'm joking of course, I don't mind at all. Unless you're insulting my taste in music, then we'll have a problem."
"I-I mean it's just-"
"Not for everyone, yadda yadda yadda. Anyway," Andre stood up, holding the d4 in his hand. "Lets continue. Tabaxi time." He took his seat and leaned forward to adjust the white pawns before rolling the hit dice. "Bruh. Another Nat 1. And here I was imagining the Goliath and Tabaxi to be the leaders of the group. Whatever. The Tabaxi attempts another swipe at you, or so it appears because she ends up cat-scratching the arm of the Goliath next to her. That's five damage, and it moves to the Goliath who is slightly pissed at everyone except for the Elf, who's, y'know, actually put in some work. The Goliath makes a wide swing, hoping to cut you all down in one fell swoop." He rolls the d20 three more times, once with a 'whoop' of success, another with a 'aww' of failure, and a final with a 'oh come the fuck on.' I could only assume it was a horrible failure. Andre's sigh fills the room. "Alright, Kimmich, you take 18 damage, he crit succeeded. Sevkan, you take no damage, and instead duck low as the swipe passes over you. Vemnka, you feel the blade move over you, but it does not connect due to your short stature. No, instead, he once again hits the fucking Tabaxi with his swing because he crit failed. Again. And because the human is no longer available to fight, it's now your turn Kimmich."
"I would like to smite again."
"Oh fuck, right you get two 1st level spell slots." Andre almost sounded annoyed when it was brought up, but relented nonetheless. "Take the hit dice."
Dad rolled, and it landed on 14. He rolled the d4 for the blessing Vemnka gave us. It landed on a 3. "Plus the five-"
"Yeah, yeah, it hits. Roll me damage."
"I'm sensing some hostilities from you," Dad said smugly.
"I'm starting to understand why my DMs hated being DMs, that's all. Please, fuck up that Goliath." And so he did, rolling a 15 in total. "You swing one of your longswords upward and cleave the Goliath's jaw in two, but he does not die. A mere flesh wound such as that would do little to dampen the giant-kin's will. No, what killed him was the bright light that engulfed his head after the strike landed. His face was the first to go as he tried to breathe through the holy flames surrounding him. His screams ended abruptly as his larynx melted away, leaving only writhing agony. He died a pitiable death in all fairness, as any sinner does. The second knockout of the game goes to Kimmich. Yay."
Again, the feeling of discomfort appeared as Andre described in unnecessary detail the visual of... someone burning alive. Oh stars, he planned that out, didn't he?
"Let's move on. Sev, your turn. First, lemme see you all roll perception again."
I rolled a 10 while both Dad and Vemnka rolled 16s. Adding modifiers made their 16s into 19s. "Alright. Again, Vemnka and Kimmich only, you see the figure who'd been moving toward the door at the beginning of the fight, now make a break for it as the Goliath collapses into a burnt-out husk. His hood is removed by the movement revealing it to be a green-scaled Dragonborn." Andre moves the Dragonborn's piece next to the door and through it, stopping it just within our sightlines. "He has a chance to escape, will you let him?" He looked at us expectantly.
I turned to Dad to see him eyeing the piece like a fresh firefruit. "Dad, no. If he leaves then that leaves the Elf and the Tub- Taba- Tabasi, whatever it's called. We can end this soon." Vemnka put her tail on his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. He flinches at the touch and lowers his raised fur.
"Yes, yeah. Let him go," he says hoarsely.
"Alright, letting the Dragonborn go. Now it's Sev's turn. Go ahead and do something about his pesky elf." Andre moves the Elf's pawn a bit to put it back on the right square.
I shrug, attempting to fight off the conflicting feelings. On one paw, it's a game and no one is going to get hurt by me doing these things. But on the other, if I do this willingly does that make me any better than someone who would kill in real life?
Andre's voice snapped me out of my stupor. "Don't overthink it. It's a game, and this situation is self-defence. Kimmich is the only person here who's killed someone so far. The human will probably live in prison and the Dragonborn might find new meaning in life. It's not like any of this properly reflects the real world anyway. Just focus on the game, nothing more, nothing less."
I shook my body to rid myself of those thoughts and rolled my d20 and d4 from the blessing. "18 to hit."
"And hit it does. Halberd is a go!"
With another roll, it lands on a zero. "Got a 0?"
"Oh, yeah, the model I imposed the numbers on only uses one character for each side, but that's a 10. Good roll. Elf takes 10 damage and doesn't like you right now. I'm super tired of talking, so I'll just roll the hit dice. She attacks you for 19. Your AC is 19. Meets it beats it, that's a hit. Rolling damage, she lands a solid blow of 9 damage for her twin daggers. Now both you and Kimmich should have 3 health. Vem, your turn."
"Hit the tab?"
"Hit the tab."
"Hitting tab." Vemnka rolled her d20 and it landed on a 19. "19 plus whatever, I already know it hits."
"That it does," Andre responded. With a flick of his wrist, he knocks over the Tabaxi's pawn and places a cross where it was, he does the same with the Goliath's king. "Wait, why did you do that? I hadn't rolled damage."
"The Tabaxi had one health, there's no feasible way you do zero damage when rolling a dice with no zero on it. Anyway, let's wrap this up, it feels like we've been at this forever. Kimmich, your turn."
Dad sighed a deep whistling sigh. "I'll just roll to attack the Elf." He rolled his two dice, one landed on a 12 and the other landed on a 7, plus the 5 to his hits. "17 and 12. Rolling damage for that 17."
"Roll for both, the Elf's AC isn't that high."
"Really," I asked, bewildered.
"Really. The Goliath had the most AC at 16, but meets it beats it and Kimmich met it in the first round." The clack of dice interrupted him as Dad rolled his two damage die. Andre leaned forward to announce the numbers. "A total of 13. Congratulations, the three of you have just won a skewed encounter of DnD."
"Skewed encounter?"
"The Goliath had 40 health while everyone other than the Tabaxi had 20. The Tabaxi had 17. The Goliath had an AC of 16 while the rest had between 12 and 14. At least one of you should have died. I was betting on Kimmich because I had the Goliath go after him, but the nat 1s kinda stopped that from happening." Andre shook his prosthetic hands and brought them up to his chin. "Anyway, I'm dead tired. Never want to do that again, ever."
"I can't say I'm in the same cruiser as you, I found it quite fun, even with the gruesome descriptions," I said, probably unconvincingly. I did have fun, but it was a lot to take in all at once.
"I had fun too. Just, if we do do this again, try to tone back the predatory stuff. The fighting was fine, but the description was a bit... spot on I think." Vemnka's tail curled a bit as she probably imagined the images Andre described in her head.
Dad only gave a small 'hmph' as he scooted off his chair and went toward our rooms.
"Well," Andre started, "that's about what I expected from a bunch of scared space sheep."
I let out a whistle as Vemnka gently lowered herself to the ground, marched up to Andre, and bopped him on the thigh with all her might.
===================END=TRANSCRIPTION===================
2024.06.01 16:22 Adventurous-Map-9400 Growing Up Alien Chapter 33
A homeless teenager reaches out to the Shilâvati on first day of the invasion of Earth.
Credit to: who has beta read just about every chapter, and the only reason it's readable half the time
u/bluefishcake for writing the original SSB story.
Pizzaulostin who has been beta reading since the beginning.
Credit to u/HollowShel for getting me started with this!
This story is based in the SSB universe.
Previous
First
Chapter 33:
âOne more day.â I felt glued to the bench as I stared back into the silver mask I hadnât worn for almost [twenty-five years] prior, and had hoped never to put on again. I cursed my old girlish wishes when I first joined up, wanting to be a war hero, and then a mother afterwards. To grow old and see my own child in uniform. I had even wanted a son since I was already demanding the impossible.
I never believed in the gods, but now Iâm sure that Iâve tempted Niosa to grant my wishes, but only after I made my peace with them that they would never come true.
Klein bounced around the suiteâs kitchen, eating enough for two Shil women and already wearing his armorâs underlayment. The chair creaked a bit as he sat, his own horror-show mask on the dining table next to him staring back at him unblinking.
And It was a horror show.
Heâd wake up cheerful and happy, and Iâd watch over the day as every bit of his energy was drained out of him. The daily exercise routine of a morning run and gym day in a month being performed in a few short hours. Every time Klein finished a trail faster, or performed a more grueling task, the trainers would make him do even more as his contract offers rose another level.
I didnât blame the instructors, it was their job to challenge each applicant, but Klein blew through all their expectations, so they just kept piling more onto him. Many of those same instructors had asked me if they were pushing him too far, but all I could do was shrug. Even I didn't even know where his potential ended.
I blinked and looked up. He was in his full armor now, with only the mask off.
âReady to go?â
I nodded and stood up, quickly heading over to Ruhal, who in turn looked at me with sleep deprived eyes. Worn out as I was, he was worse, playing subject matter expert on all things human around a bunch of high ranking officers desperate for information not tainted by censorship.
âStay safe out there,â he politely ordered as he kissed me.
I kissed him back and held his hand. âYou too.â
Sighing,I left to let him rest, popped my back, and donned my own mask.
As Klein paced the door, I begged for safety. âOne more day, please let everything be okay after today.â
I shouldnât have tempted Niosa again.
Klein and Reqellia were coming home tonight! Reqellia had sent me her contract offers that came from a dozen different Imperial departments and bureaus. Dad already agreed years ago she could move in with us, a pack sister was always welcome. Now she wouldnât feel like a burden if she had to.
And Klein⊠Well, I wouldnât be bothered by a few love-marks.
âI see that smile. Excited?â I heard my fatherâs deep voice like distant thunder. I turned around to his massive form only a few steps away. We both had learned to walk silently when my siblings were just pups and the discovery that they were light sleepers had been made.
I felt my ears droop just a little to see his melancholic face. He had gone out of his way the last few weeks to spend more time with just me now that I had a pack of my own. There was always a soft smile on his face, but the way his tail hung low to the floor was a dead giveaway on his mood.
I tried to cheer him up. âI am. Itâs been weeks since I got to speak to Auâtes, and KleinâŠâ I trailed off, the insinuation clear. He smirked. He had met Klein in passing, but I wasnât bringing him home yet. Hario on the other hand had made one or two bawdy jokes at the dinner table after a second glass of her favorite liquor.
First time Klein spends the night, you might want to check up on Itaro, make sure she didnât keel over from exhaustion.
âAt this rate Iâm going to have to teach you sword fighting to beat back other male suitors from poaching you for their own packs!â My father joked. Stepping off the patio landing, he hit the ground noiselessly, bending his legs to absorb the shock.
After letting out a quiet grunt indicative of an age he tried to keep hidden, he turned around and looked back up at me. âWant to come with me for a walk?â
I jumped down and followed him into our little patch of forest my motherâs terraforming job paid for. The early morning was already warm without a cooling vest, but not intolerable. The chirping of birds and the soft whistle of wind tinged with just a hint of salt made everything feel fresh.
It was like when I came home from school and my father would stop construction for the day. Weâd explore the forest, play on the beach, go into town for groceries.
Except now my father didnât run and have me chase him. He carefully inspected the trees for pests, and our conversation was far more practical than whimsical. âYour motherâs coming home next month. Can you write her a message before she meets Klein, just so she has a better idea of your pack?â
I nodded. âOf course. How long is she going to be home this time?â.
Her terraforming jobs always lasted months, if not years. I never faulted her for the huntress life, but it made connecting with her difficult. She was more a guest of honor than a mother to the household, always bringing a fatted Souâta carcass home as a present, but rarely cleaned dishes, or the house.
Or really any choreâŠ
He shrugged before crouching next to a felled tree, trimming away small branches for kindling with a tiny hatchet he hand pulled from his tool pouch. âMight be a good long while this time. The last message I got said her department only had small projects and a few hazard jobs on the periphery. Besides, we might need an extra set of hands more than the money now.â
I scoffed. âHer, a house mother!? No offense, but mom is a terrible cook, and a worse caretaker. Remember the time she nearly burned down our kitchen boiling water?â
He laughed with me as he pocketed the hatchet. Standing up with two sticks, and then threw me one. I caught it as he swung his own stick in my general area. âDefend yourself! I did say I needed to teach you sword fighting. How else are you going to fight off possessive men when they realize what a catch you are?â
He didnât teach anything but how to rough house on a lazy Shel morning.
We played and swung the flimsy branches until I accidentally hit him square in the chest. The branch, already crumbly and dry, disintegrated on impact. It didnât stop him from dramatically acting out a death scene. Falling to his knees in an overly theatrical fashion. âOh, woe is me! Cut down by my own daughter in cold blood!â
I let him pretend to be on stage for a few moments longer before standing over him to offer a hand. He took it, and then yanked me down to the grassy patch, holding me for a long, quiet minute. âIâm going to miss you.â
For the first time I noticed the stray white hairs around his muzzle, I knew what he meant, but I tried to play it off. âIâm not going anywhere.â
He just held me for a silent heartbeat longer, then let go and stood up.
He proclaimed cheerfully to mask his wet eyes. âNow, letâs get you cleaned up. You canât look like a pup out of a mud bath for your victorious pack! I even scheduled a visit at Tuloâs for a haircut. Ruhalâs treat.â
My mind played with potential futures as we headed home. Between the three of us, we could write our own life together. Maybe I could even stay close to home.
I looked up to the rising light.
âOne more day!â
Instructor Liâkele was wearing full battle rattle today, complete with a compact lasrifle holstered to her leg.
âGood morning applicants! Itâs the last day of selection! Your assignment will be to support your sisters in the combat section in the wargames! You see all this critical equipment? Our first assignment will be to load all of it on auto-turoxes and hover-wagons. Unfortunately we donât have enough capacity , some of you will need to carry gear on your person as we make the [ten mile] trek into the forest. Applicants 849, 734, 236 and 953 step up after we finish loading! You are our extra carriers.â
I knew I was going to be picked. It was easy to not let it bother me though. Reqellia had explained that the instructors were just trying to push us to our limits, and every extra duty and handicap meant a better contract with a brighter future.
Still, after hefting thousands of [pounds/kilos] of stuff onto the squat legged droneâs cargo cages and the little platforms that would float once powered, dread formed in the pit of my stomach as an entire counter-battery system was cinched onto my person. I trudged as we formed up for our road march.
The combat selection team rolled in as we took positions, already covered in mud from what I could guess was their own morning fun, their las-rifles at the low ready. Their own instructor, a severe looking Hyena-like Kortika woman with fur that trimmed short and smooth. She yelled out orders to the gaggle of applicants under her command. âForm on either side of the supply train and defend them at all costs! If they get shot because you werenât doing your job, then itâs your ass that will be carrying the extra gear!â
We marched out of the base, clinking and clunking as we traveled uphill. The weight wasnât too bad now that it was evenly distributed on my body, but it would be hell taking it off and putting it back on anytime we stopped.
âIsnât that the new shock trooper ? Whatâs he doing with the non-combat selection?â I heard one of the combat applicants say idly. It was easy to pick up conversation in the nearly silent dawn as we marched on a dirt path extending across an expanse of grassland in the reddening sky. It was really pretty, watching the light play on the green forested hills in the distance.
Their Instructor sidled up to the commenting girl silently, ears swiveled back in anger. She grabbed her shoulder, growling low. âCut the chatter, girl. â
Silence followed for the next hour in the pre-dawn light.
We got the first taste of the wargames when red beams bolted over our heads and dropped one of our auto-turoxes. âEveryone get down!â yelled one of our instructors, and I threw myself on the path.
With all the weight on me, the impact on the ground hurt . I looked up and saw red beams blink in and out over me. Their flashes brought back memories.
The red glow through convenience store windows . An alien invasion.
I blinked furiously and turned my head to see what was going on with the combat teams on the sides of the road. They had already taken out two of the âraidersâ who stood up, hands in the air as they walked away. Another minute clicked by before a squad decided to double check the tall grass and found a third raider hiding. All had the insignia of the instruction cadre commandos.
âEveryone, up !â Instructor Likâele belted out in a two-word shout, and I had to push up off the ground, creaking under the weight. My arms burned as I got to my knees, then raised a hand and called out, âassistance!â One of the unnumbered girls gave me a hand to steady myself, and I rocked a bit trying to stand.
âThank you,â I said, but between the voice distorter and my mask, the girl backed away as soon as I was up, fear registered in her eyes.
[At the bus stop, a classmate backed away from me. scared of me for some reason mumbling âyou're bleedingâ. Warmth on my upper lip, a coppery taste.]
I shook my head, trying to banish the weird memory surfacing, I hadnât had a nosebleed since I left Earth. I looked back up, but the girl had already gotten back in formation and we started moving again.
It wasnât quite noon when we stopped for lunch. I got help removing my kit, and stretched to work out the kinks. Reqellia stood next to me as I sat down on the hard packed surface. I took off my gloves, and jammed them under my chest holster.
I was technically âarmedâ right now. We had gotten the thirty-minute las-pistol training yesterday on how to safely handle them, and then ran through a quick range. They were nothing more than glorified laser pointers though. They could lock up a suit set to respond to the laser signal, but they wouldnât so much as redden skin otherwise.
Reqellia had let me in on their real purpose, to see if we could be trusted with a dangerous object and not play with it.
Eating was a pain, I had to lift my mask halfway up and eat blind. The meal pack was cold, but eh, it was food. Goddess, I was hungry.
âHow are you holding up?â Reqellia asked, the silver mask obscuring any expression, and the voice distorter deadening any intonation, but by the angle of the head tilt, I could guess the question was more concern than curiosity.
âItâs not too heavy, but itâs awkward trying to move around,â I admitted as I put my mask back in place and pulled out my omni-pad. I tried not to boggle at the contract offers I was getting. It was a straight up bidding war, including furnished houses, years of leave after an initial stint, even minor titles.
Ruhal had helped me, even filled out the forms himself with less than a day for submission. He had also messaged me about the fine print of many of these absurd offers. The watch word was âRelocationâ.
âThey will send you back to Earth. Right now, you are the only human any department can recruit who might know an obscure piece of human signage or culture that got skipped during their culture crash courses, has the physical ability to keep up during an operation, and they can implicitly trust it is loyal to the Imperium.â
I scrolled past the too-good-to-be true proposals and to the ones without relocation, not ridiculously overpaying, but still plenty. Maybe I would follow Kaâtel into ICAD, orâŠ
âWe need to get moving!â Liâkele barked and I signaled for help again. This time Auâtes was ordered to help me with my gear. Now seeing her up close, she was definitely worse for wear. She smiled, but it was the kind of tired smile that had almost no energy in it. Her usual well controlled movements were slurred by exhaustion, and she leaned on me after buckling the packs on my shoulders, her own extra gear was a large backpack of energy cells.
âDamn, girl runs away in fear from combat selection after spending years in the militia and now plays valet. Bet whatever is underneath that suit is more would eat her alive if unmuzzled,â I overheard one of the combat applicants snicker. Auâtes winced, just a bit, at the barb from her former youth militia group.
âLift your visor.â I said. It was dumb, it was really dumb, but I wanted to give her at least a reminder of what she had that they didnât. Auâtes had a flicker of confusion, but flipped up the visor on her suitâs helmet.
I lifted my mask just enough to kiss her. It was honestly a gross kiss and wished I could have brushed my teeth beforehand. But when I dropped my mask down there was the manic Auâtes again, full of energy and gusto. I looked past her to the shocked combat applicants. I put my finger to roughly where my mouth was and whispered in my distorted voice, âNo one will believe you.â
Auâtes brought her visor down and squeezed my hand for a second longer before leaning in close âThank you for letting me know you still exist under there.
I kept myself entertained by listening in on the comms chatter that I could pick up on the wargames going on about us at large. I had enjoyed playing the no-holds-barred opposing force when I was a commando on rotation here.
Right now there was a particularly fun little drama going on up north of our location. A mechanized assault unit tasked with taking out an anti-orbital battery got one of their exos stuck in mud because of a poor assessment of the ground composition. The armored crane they had first ordered to pull it out was now also stuck.
The Lieutenant was trying to get an exception to the wargame rules to bring a drop ship in to pull them both out, but the higher-ups told her to figure it out. The whole point of these wargames was to discover how things could go wrong. The Lieutenant tried to pull title to overrule them, only to get a nasty conversation from her commander.
A small beep from my monitoring systems told me Kleinâs heart rate had slowed and I looked up to see the front of the supply train had been ordered to halt. Up ahead was the âfort,â a clearing on top of the hill with nothing but some half buried holes.
The Kortika woman got to the front of the formation and gave her orders. âListen up! Combat selection is going to set up a perimeter while the Auxiliary builds us a structure safe enough to hold during an assault. All weapons are going âliveâ, but for those in the non-combat teams I will again warn you to only use them in self-defense. If you wanted to shoot people for a living you should have signed up for it.â
I tried not to flinch as I watched Klein and his compatriots start to offload all the gear they had packed this morning and attempt their best effort at setting it up with basic instructions from Liâkele and the manuals that came with the equipment. Just another test to see how the applicants would handle the technical situation.
At this point they were at their limit, physically and mentally exhausted as they tried to bolt frames together, wrestle antennas, install expandable barriers, and put together the foundations of a forward operating base.
Klein had all but given up on the counter battery system he schlepped here and handed that responsibility off to a Senthe Boy while speaking a rough northern dialect of Satenthia. The boy was more than happy to talk to someone who knew even a few words of his native tongue.
I opened a small window on my HUD and watched with amusement as the early contract offers rose and fell. Kleinâs offer from naval engineering, already paltry compared to other, more suitable jobs, dropped to barely above standard. Intelligence and Law branches, however, rocketed upwards again.
I could almost hear the recruiterâs comments as the numbers and terms changed. Does not have familiarity with Shil military equipment. Comfortable with speaking multiple languages. Works well with multiple species.
I watched them work. Klein, in usual Klein fashion, pushed himself. After getting the counter battery laser hooked up, he volunteered for other physically demanding tasks. Pile driving in the foundations that hold the columns of the structure. The rhythmic thump gave me ghost aches when I had done the same thing out in the periphery while getting pot shotted by roaches.
I shook my head. It was going to be another rough night for him by the way he was bunching up his shoulders as he braced the handheld pile driver. Thankfully, tomorrow heâd be home and with an appointment with Cee who might force him on bed rest for the next month.
I started to chuckle at the thought of how protective Itaro was going to get after taking one look at Klein. I came back from deployment once missing three fingers from a plasma grenade and Bahtet waited on me and foot, wouldnât so much as let me handle a kitchen knife until they were replaced later that month.
A few stray red beams were thrown our way, even a flash bang or two from the commandos tasked with harassing us came and went. As the ramparts of the temporary base were finished, I took up station on the second level to oversee the whole complex. Klien was working with a combat team, helping them put a second defense line in. They had driven stakes into the ground to support parallel knee-high thermocast plates with an arms-length gap between them, which Klein was filling in with dirt to act as a wall and platform for the heavy, crew served lasgun.
I was thankful there would be a shuttle to pick us up soon. I played the opposing force for Selection a few times, and I still remembered the script. Right now we were in a lull that would last until dusk, then at least three full commando teams would assault the base. The battle would be made as realistic and demanding as possible with creeping dark to add to the complexity.
The Selection team would always be wiped out, but it was how they performed against overwhelming odds that would shift the contract offers that last bit before everything was locked in place.
I heard the whirr of a counter battery system swiveling around, and then the crackle of it firing. I turned to see what it was aiming for but all I saw was a cloud of smoke . Then a fast moving object came through the cloud before I heard the crackle again and another exploded .
Blanketing everything in a tar-black fog .
My stomach dropped. This wasnât the cadre commando team, and they were attacking too soon. I got on the comms with Liâkele âHALT, HALT, HALT! We need to stop the exercise!â
I got a crackle on the comms. Then Liâkeleâs voice came in that terrifyingly calm voice used to keep control of a combat operation. âI canât get a signal out, I need a report on the situation.â
Instead of trying to explain I sent her my video feed as I jumped down from the ramparts and started to sprint for Klein. I needed to get him out of here , but I hadnât had time to prime my augments. I started the cold power cycle as I cursed myself for letting my guard down.
I was already too late . I watched as our own counter-battery laser weapons were used against us, acting as the triggers for each smoke grenade engulfing Kleinâs team right in front of me, their signal dropping right out. I got a response from Liâkele that alleviated at least some of my terror. âDammit! Itâs the 171 st Raiders from the wargames, they mus-â
And then I was enveloped in darkness and static. The smoke was so thick I could only see a few paces away in all spectrums. I tried my internal radio andâŠ.
Nothing. I was alone and with nothing to guide me, and then I saw to the right of me a few weak beams of red, and then a ball of light of a simulated explosion. I let my gnawing panic subside and walked their way with a observers flag in my hand. I was practically on top of them before I saw the combat selection team that had been âkilledâ, their frowning faces and hands up as they sat there grumbling.
The Raiders appeared soon after. A four woman squad. Two Helkam, a Rakiri, and a Shilâvati hefting a large antiquated grenade launcher. I called out âDo you have a way to call a emergency stop to the battle?â
The squad leader responded. âDid someone get seriously injured? I can fire off a flare and our medic teams will be here to extract them.â
âNo! This is Selection, we arenât supposed to be part of the Wargames.â I argued, but she waved me off.
âWe got orders to assault the base up here. Trust me, our commander is mighty pissed at getting tasked with a frontal assault on the youngest and toughest the Imperium has to offer, with adding insult to injury if we lose to kids. Thatâs why we broke out the smoke screen.â
âOne of the Selection members is the first of their species. Higher ups want them monitored at all times,â I partly lied.
The gears whirred and the team lead brought her weapon up again, eyes a little wider. â Blue Eyes is here? Shit, girls ready up and head on a swivel!â
The team reformed in a circle facing outwards, a tactic specifically meant for ambushes and roach suicide drones. I stood there, confused. âBlue eyes?â
The team lead started to move into the smoke again, but explained, her eyes darting around. âYeah, the freaky creature in the mask, toyed with an unmanned Exo before annihilating it with a shipcutter! A close quarters combat specialist with heavy armor and a real mean streak . Youâre telling me theyâre loose in a forest with enough concealment to sneak up on us and tear us to shreds? Maâam the only ones in immediate danger are us. â
submitted by Adventurous-Map-9400 to HFY [link] [comments]
Credit to: who has beta read just about every chapter, and the only reason it's readable half the time
u/bluefishcake for writing the original SSB story.
Pizzaulostin who has been beta reading since the beginning.
Credit to u/HollowShel for getting me started with this!
This story is based in the SSB universe.
Previous
First
Chapter 33:
Reqellia:
It was the darkest part of the night, and yet I could hear the energetic commotion of Ruhal blearily heating up food for a famished human along with the clinks of dishes and silverware.âOne more day.â I felt glued to the bench as I stared back into the silver mask I hadnât worn for almost [twenty-five years] prior, and had hoped never to put on again. I cursed my old girlish wishes when I first joined up, wanting to be a war hero, and then a mother afterwards. To grow old and see my own child in uniform. I had even wanted a son since I was already demanding the impossible.
I never believed in the gods, but now Iâm sure that Iâve tempted Niosa to grant my wishes, but only after I made my peace with them that they would never come true.
Klein bounced around the suiteâs kitchen, eating enough for two Shil women and already wearing his armorâs underlayment. The chair creaked a bit as he sat, his own horror-show mask on the dining table next to him staring back at him unblinking.
And It was a horror show.
Heâd wake up cheerful and happy, and Iâd watch over the day as every bit of his energy was drained out of him. The daily exercise routine of a morning run and gym day in a month being performed in a few short hours. Every time Klein finished a trail faster, or performed a more grueling task, the trainers would make him do even more as his contract offers rose another level.
I didnât blame the instructors, it was their job to challenge each applicant, but Klein blew through all their expectations, so they just kept piling more onto him. Many of those same instructors had asked me if they were pushing him too far, but all I could do was shrug. Even I didn't even know where his potential ended.
I blinked and looked up. He was in his full armor now, with only the mask off.
âReady to go?â
I nodded and stood up, quickly heading over to Ruhal, who in turn looked at me with sleep deprived eyes. Worn out as I was, he was worse, playing subject matter expert on all things human around a bunch of high ranking officers desperate for information not tainted by censorship.
âStay safe out there,â he politely ordered as he kissed me.
I kissed him back and held his hand. âYou too.â
Sighing,I left to let him rest, popped my back, and donned my own mask.
As Klein paced the door, I begged for safety. âOne more day, please let everything be okay after today.â
I shouldnât have tempted Niosa again.
Itaro:
I quietly padded out of the childrenâs den to a chorus of snoring from my siblings. The well carpeted securely fastened to wooden floors muffled my footsteps. I opened the large storm shutters and then pulled open the sliding glass door to the patio. I couldnât sleep anymore, excitedly bouncing from one foot to another.Klein and Reqellia were coming home tonight! Reqellia had sent me her contract offers that came from a dozen different Imperial departments and bureaus. Dad already agreed years ago she could move in with us, a pack sister was always welcome. Now she wouldnât feel like a burden if she had to.
And Klein⊠Well, I wouldnât be bothered by a few love-marks.
âI see that smile. Excited?â I heard my fatherâs deep voice like distant thunder. I turned around to his massive form only a few steps away. We both had learned to walk silently when my siblings were just pups and the discovery that they were light sleepers had been made.
I felt my ears droop just a little to see his melancholic face. He had gone out of his way the last few weeks to spend more time with just me now that I had a pack of my own. There was always a soft smile on his face, but the way his tail hung low to the floor was a dead giveaway on his mood.
I tried to cheer him up. âI am. Itâs been weeks since I got to speak to Auâtes, and KleinâŠâ I trailed off, the insinuation clear. He smirked. He had met Klein in passing, but I wasnât bringing him home yet. Hario on the other hand had made one or two bawdy jokes at the dinner table after a second glass of her favorite liquor.
First time Klein spends the night, you might want to check up on Itaro, make sure she didnât keel over from exhaustion.
âAt this rate Iâm going to have to teach you sword fighting to beat back other male suitors from poaching you for their own packs!â My father joked. Stepping off the patio landing, he hit the ground noiselessly, bending his legs to absorb the shock.
After letting out a quiet grunt indicative of an age he tried to keep hidden, he turned around and looked back up at me. âWant to come with me for a walk?â
I jumped down and followed him into our little patch of forest my motherâs terraforming job paid for. The early morning was already warm without a cooling vest, but not intolerable. The chirping of birds and the soft whistle of wind tinged with just a hint of salt made everything feel fresh.
It was like when I came home from school and my father would stop construction for the day. Weâd explore the forest, play on the beach, go into town for groceries.
Except now my father didnât run and have me chase him. He carefully inspected the trees for pests, and our conversation was far more practical than whimsical. âYour motherâs coming home next month. Can you write her a message before she meets Klein, just so she has a better idea of your pack?â
I nodded. âOf course. How long is she going to be home this time?â.
Her terraforming jobs always lasted months, if not years. I never faulted her for the huntress life, but it made connecting with her difficult. She was more a guest of honor than a mother to the household, always bringing a fatted Souâta carcass home as a present, but rarely cleaned dishes, or the house.
Or really any choreâŠ
He shrugged before crouching next to a felled tree, trimming away small branches for kindling with a tiny hatchet he hand pulled from his tool pouch. âMight be a good long while this time. The last message I got said her department only had small projects and a few hazard jobs on the periphery. Besides, we might need an extra set of hands more than the money now.â
I scoffed. âHer, a house mother!? No offense, but mom is a terrible cook, and a worse caretaker. Remember the time she nearly burned down our kitchen boiling water?â
He laughed with me as he pocketed the hatchet. Standing up with two sticks, and then threw me one. I caught it as he swung his own stick in my general area. âDefend yourself! I did say I needed to teach you sword fighting. How else are you going to fight off possessive men when they realize what a catch you are?â
He didnât teach anything but how to rough house on a lazy Shel morning.
We played and swung the flimsy branches until I accidentally hit him square in the chest. The branch, already crumbly and dry, disintegrated on impact. It didnât stop him from dramatically acting out a death scene. Falling to his knees in an overly theatrical fashion. âOh, woe is me! Cut down by my own daughter in cold blood!â
I let him pretend to be on stage for a few moments longer before standing over him to offer a hand. He took it, and then yanked me down to the grassy patch, holding me for a long, quiet minute. âIâm going to miss you.â
For the first time I noticed the stray white hairs around his muzzle, I knew what he meant, but I tried to play it off. âIâm not going anywhere.â
He just held me for a silent heartbeat longer, then let go and stood up.
He proclaimed cheerfully to mask his wet eyes. âNow, letâs get you cleaned up. You canât look like a pup out of a mud bath for your victorious pack! I even scheduled a visit at Tuloâs for a haircut. Ruhalâs treat.â
My mind played with potential futures as we headed home. Between the three of us, we could write our own life together. Maybe I could even stay close to home.
I looked up to the rising light.
âOne more day!â
Klein :
The mountains of gear and equipment around us were illuminated by harsh flood lights. We stood in formation with each person, regardless of species, showing physical signs of exhaustion. Drooping shoulders and bent knees, unfocused and slow eye movement.Instructor Liâkele was wearing full battle rattle today, complete with a compact lasrifle holstered to her leg.
âGood morning applicants! Itâs the last day of selection! Your assignment will be to support your sisters in the combat section in the wargames! You see all this critical equipment? Our first assignment will be to load all of it on auto-turoxes and hover-wagons. Unfortunately we donât have enough capacity , some of you will need to carry gear on your person as we make the [ten mile] trek into the forest. Applicants 849, 734, 236 and 953 step up after we finish loading! You are our extra carriers.â
I knew I was going to be picked. It was easy to not let it bother me though. Reqellia had explained that the instructors were just trying to push us to our limits, and every extra duty and handicap meant a better contract with a brighter future.
Still, after hefting thousands of [pounds/kilos] of stuff onto the squat legged droneâs cargo cages and the little platforms that would float once powered, dread formed in the pit of my stomach as an entire counter-battery system was cinched onto my person. I trudged as we formed up for our road march.
The combat selection team rolled in as we took positions, already covered in mud from what I could guess was their own morning fun, their las-rifles at the low ready. Their own instructor, a severe looking Hyena-like Kortika woman with fur that trimmed short and smooth. She yelled out orders to the gaggle of applicants under her command. âForm on either side of the supply train and defend them at all costs! If they get shot because you werenât doing your job, then itâs your ass that will be carrying the extra gear!â
We marched out of the base, clinking and clunking as we traveled uphill. The weight wasnât too bad now that it was evenly distributed on my body, but it would be hell taking it off and putting it back on anytime we stopped.
âIsnât that the new shock trooper ? Whatâs he doing with the non-combat selection?â I heard one of the combat applicants say idly. It was easy to pick up conversation in the nearly silent dawn as we marched on a dirt path extending across an expanse of grassland in the reddening sky. It was really pretty, watching the light play on the green forested hills in the distance.
Their Instructor sidled up to the commenting girl silently, ears swiveled back in anger. She grabbed her shoulder, growling low. âCut the chatter, girl. â
Silence followed for the next hour in the pre-dawn light.
We got the first taste of the wargames when red beams bolted over our heads and dropped one of our auto-turoxes. âEveryone get down!â yelled one of our instructors, and I threw myself on the path.
With all the weight on me, the impact on the ground hurt . I looked up and saw red beams blink in and out over me. Their flashes brought back memories.
The red glow through convenience store windows . An alien invasion.
I blinked furiously and turned my head to see what was going on with the combat teams on the sides of the road. They had already taken out two of the âraidersâ who stood up, hands in the air as they walked away. Another minute clicked by before a squad decided to double check the tall grass and found a third raider hiding. All had the insignia of the instruction cadre commandos.
âEveryone, up !â Instructor Likâele belted out in a two-word shout, and I had to push up off the ground, creaking under the weight. My arms burned as I got to my knees, then raised a hand and called out, âassistance!â One of the unnumbered girls gave me a hand to steady myself, and I rocked a bit trying to stand.
âThank you,â I said, but between the voice distorter and my mask, the girl backed away as soon as I was up, fear registered in her eyes.
[At the bus stop, a classmate backed away from me. scared of me for some reason mumbling âyou're bleedingâ. Warmth on my upper lip, a coppery taste.]
I shook my head, trying to banish the weird memory surfacing, I hadnât had a nosebleed since I left Earth. I looked back up, but the girl had already gotten back in formation and we started moving again.
It wasnât quite noon when we stopped for lunch. I got help removing my kit, and stretched to work out the kinks. Reqellia stood next to me as I sat down on the hard packed surface. I took off my gloves, and jammed them under my chest holster.
I was technically âarmedâ right now. We had gotten the thirty-minute las-pistol training yesterday on how to safely handle them, and then ran through a quick range. They were nothing more than glorified laser pointers though. They could lock up a suit set to respond to the laser signal, but they wouldnât so much as redden skin otherwise.
Reqellia had let me in on their real purpose, to see if we could be trusted with a dangerous object and not play with it.
Eating was a pain, I had to lift my mask halfway up and eat blind. The meal pack was cold, but eh, it was food. Goddess, I was hungry.
âHow are you holding up?â Reqellia asked, the silver mask obscuring any expression, and the voice distorter deadening any intonation, but by the angle of the head tilt, I could guess the question was more concern than curiosity.
âItâs not too heavy, but itâs awkward trying to move around,â I admitted as I put my mask back in place and pulled out my omni-pad. I tried not to boggle at the contract offers I was getting. It was a straight up bidding war, including furnished houses, years of leave after an initial stint, even minor titles.
Ruhal had helped me, even filled out the forms himself with less than a day for submission. He had also messaged me about the fine print of many of these absurd offers. The watch word was âRelocationâ.
âThey will send you back to Earth. Right now, you are the only human any department can recruit who might know an obscure piece of human signage or culture that got skipped during their culture crash courses, has the physical ability to keep up during an operation, and they can implicitly trust it is loyal to the Imperium.â
I scrolled past the too-good-to-be true proposals and to the ones without relocation, not ridiculously overpaying, but still plenty. Maybe I would follow Kaâtel into ICAD, orâŠ
âWe need to get moving!â Liâkele barked and I signaled for help again. This time Auâtes was ordered to help me with my gear. Now seeing her up close, she was definitely worse for wear. She smiled, but it was the kind of tired smile that had almost no energy in it. Her usual well controlled movements were slurred by exhaustion, and she leaned on me after buckling the packs on my shoulders, her own extra gear was a large backpack of energy cells.
âDamn, girl runs away in fear from combat selection after spending years in the militia and now plays valet. Bet whatever is underneath that suit is more would eat her alive if unmuzzled,â I overheard one of the combat applicants snicker. Auâtes winced, just a bit, at the barb from her former youth militia group.
âLift your visor.â I said. It was dumb, it was really dumb, but I wanted to give her at least a reminder of what she had that they didnât. Auâtes had a flicker of confusion, but flipped up the visor on her suitâs helmet.
I lifted my mask just enough to kiss her. It was honestly a gross kiss and wished I could have brushed my teeth beforehand. But when I dropped my mask down there was the manic Auâtes again, full of energy and gusto. I looked past her to the shocked combat applicants. I put my finger to roughly where my mouth was and whispered in my distorted voice, âNo one will believe you.â
Auâtes brought her visor down and squeezed my hand for a second longer before leaning in close âThank you for letting me know you still exist under there.
Reqellia:
The dirt trail up the hill was easy enough for my legs. I stayed in the same general area as Klein, but with my augments I already had his pinpoint location and medical data, I could even access his helmet camera. I didnât want to get in his way while the instructors gave him snap secondary tasks to complete on our journey up to the outpost location.I kept myself entertained by listening in on the comms chatter that I could pick up on the wargames going on about us at large. I had enjoyed playing the no-holds-barred opposing force when I was a commando on rotation here.
Right now there was a particularly fun little drama going on up north of our location. A mechanized assault unit tasked with taking out an anti-orbital battery got one of their exos stuck in mud because of a poor assessment of the ground composition. The armored crane they had first ordered to pull it out was now also stuck.
The Lieutenant was trying to get an exception to the wargame rules to bring a drop ship in to pull them both out, but the higher-ups told her to figure it out. The whole point of these wargames was to discover how things could go wrong. The Lieutenant tried to pull title to overrule them, only to get a nasty conversation from her commander.
A small beep from my monitoring systems told me Kleinâs heart rate had slowed and I looked up to see the front of the supply train had been ordered to halt. Up ahead was the âfort,â a clearing on top of the hill with nothing but some half buried holes.
The Kortika woman got to the front of the formation and gave her orders. âListen up! Combat selection is going to set up a perimeter while the Auxiliary builds us a structure safe enough to hold during an assault. All weapons are going âliveâ, but for those in the non-combat teams I will again warn you to only use them in self-defense. If you wanted to shoot people for a living you should have signed up for it.â
I tried not to flinch as I watched Klein and his compatriots start to offload all the gear they had packed this morning and attempt their best effort at setting it up with basic instructions from Liâkele and the manuals that came with the equipment. Just another test to see how the applicants would handle the technical situation.
At this point they were at their limit, physically and mentally exhausted as they tried to bolt frames together, wrestle antennas, install expandable barriers, and put together the foundations of a forward operating base.
Klein had all but given up on the counter battery system he schlepped here and handed that responsibility off to a Senthe Boy while speaking a rough northern dialect of Satenthia. The boy was more than happy to talk to someone who knew even a few words of his native tongue.
I opened a small window on my HUD and watched with amusement as the early contract offers rose and fell. Kleinâs offer from naval engineering, already paltry compared to other, more suitable jobs, dropped to barely above standard. Intelligence and Law branches, however, rocketed upwards again.
I could almost hear the recruiterâs comments as the numbers and terms changed. Does not have familiarity with Shil military equipment. Comfortable with speaking multiple languages. Works well with multiple species.
I watched them work. Klein, in usual Klein fashion, pushed himself. After getting the counter battery laser hooked up, he volunteered for other physically demanding tasks. Pile driving in the foundations that hold the columns of the structure. The rhythmic thump gave me ghost aches when I had done the same thing out in the periphery while getting pot shotted by roaches.
I shook my head. It was going to be another rough night for him by the way he was bunching up his shoulders as he braced the handheld pile driver. Thankfully, tomorrow heâd be home and with an appointment with Cee who might force him on bed rest for the next month.
I started to chuckle at the thought of how protective Itaro was going to get after taking one look at Klein. I came back from deployment once missing three fingers from a plasma grenade and Bahtet waited on me and foot, wouldnât so much as let me handle a kitchen knife until they were replaced later that month.
A few stray red beams were thrown our way, even a flash bang or two from the commandos tasked with harassing us came and went. As the ramparts of the temporary base were finished, I took up station on the second level to oversee the whole complex. Klien was working with a combat team, helping them put a second defense line in. They had driven stakes into the ground to support parallel knee-high thermocast plates with an arms-length gap between them, which Klein was filling in with dirt to act as a wall and platform for the heavy, crew served lasgun.
I was thankful there would be a shuttle to pick us up soon. I played the opposing force for Selection a few times, and I still remembered the script. Right now we were in a lull that would last until dusk, then at least three full commando teams would assault the base. The battle would be made as realistic and demanding as possible with creeping dark to add to the complexity.
The Selection team would always be wiped out, but it was how they performed against overwhelming odds that would shift the contract offers that last bit before everything was locked in place.
I heard the whirr of a counter battery system swiveling around, and then the crackle of it firing. I turned to see what it was aiming for but all I saw was a cloud of smoke . Then a fast moving object came through the cloud before I heard the crackle again and another exploded .
Blanketing everything in a tar-black fog .
My stomach dropped. This wasnât the cadre commando team, and they were attacking too soon. I got on the comms with Liâkele âHALT, HALT, HALT! We need to stop the exercise!â
I got a crackle on the comms. Then Liâkeleâs voice came in that terrifyingly calm voice used to keep control of a combat operation. âI canât get a signal out, I need a report on the situation.â
Instead of trying to explain I sent her my video feed as I jumped down from the ramparts and started to sprint for Klein. I needed to get him out of here , but I hadnât had time to prime my augments. I started the cold power cycle as I cursed myself for letting my guard down.
I was already too late . I watched as our own counter-battery laser weapons were used against us, acting as the triggers for each smoke grenade engulfing Kleinâs team right in front of me, their signal dropping right out. I got a response from Liâkele that alleviated at least some of my terror. âDammit! Itâs the 171 st Raiders from the wargames, they mus-â
And then I was enveloped in darkness and static. The smoke was so thick I could only see a few paces away in all spectrums. I tried my internal radio andâŠ.
Nothing. I was alone and with nothing to guide me, and then I saw to the right of me a few weak beams of red, and then a ball of light of a simulated explosion. I let my gnawing panic subside and walked their way with a observers flag in my hand. I was practically on top of them before I saw the combat selection team that had been âkilledâ, their frowning faces and hands up as they sat there grumbling.
The Raiders appeared soon after. A four woman squad. Two Helkam, a Rakiri, and a Shilâvati hefting a large antiquated grenade launcher. I called out âDo you have a way to call a emergency stop to the battle?â
The squad leader responded. âDid someone get seriously injured? I can fire off a flare and our medic teams will be here to extract them.â
âNo! This is Selection, we arenât supposed to be part of the Wargames.â I argued, but she waved me off.
âWe got orders to assault the base up here. Trust me, our commander is mighty pissed at getting tasked with a frontal assault on the youngest and toughest the Imperium has to offer, with adding insult to injury if we lose to kids. Thatâs why we broke out the smoke screen.â
âOne of the Selection members is the first of their species. Higher ups want them monitored at all times,â I partly lied.
The gears whirred and the team lead brought her weapon up again, eyes a little wider. â Blue Eyes is here? Shit, girls ready up and head on a swivel!â
The team reformed in a circle facing outwards, a tactic specifically meant for ambushes and roach suicide drones. I stood there, confused. âBlue eyes?â
The team lead started to move into the smoke again, but explained, her eyes darting around. âYeah, the freaky creature in the mask, toyed with an unmanned Exo before annihilating it with a shipcutter! A close quarters combat specialist with heavy armor and a real mean streak . Youâre telling me theyâre loose in a forest with enough concealment to sneak up on us and tear us to shreds? Maâam the only ones in immediate danger are us. â
2024.06.01 16:13 VarDumped Concerns on XRP's Performance
Hello,
I have been banned on the XRP subreddit for no apparent reason, therefore here is the post again.
like the title already states, I have concerns about the future price of XRP.
I will put everything into detail first, then explain.
Distribution
March 31, 2024 Total XRP Held by Ripple: 4,836,166,156 (4.8 billion XRP) Total XRP Subject to On-Ledger Escrow: 40,100,000,005 (40.1 billion XRP)
Ripple placed the XRP in escrow in December 2017, providing a level of supply certainty and helping to manage concerns about the potential for market flooding.
It's also important to understand how xRapid works.
Example:
US-Sender sends USD to MXN -> Mexican-Recipient
USD is sent by the sender USD is swapped to XRP XRP is sent XRP is swapped to MXN MXN is received by the recipient
How does Ripple plan to facilitate transactions with XRP, when they don't have the supply to handle the transactions? 40.1 billion XRP are held in escrow, meaning they are not accessible to be used yet. The current max supply is set to 100 billion XRP. In case the Ripple Team increases the supply or does not set a limit at all, XRP will probably be created out of thin air at first to provide liquidity for cross-border transactions, then later maybe reused but still created - all of course based on demand of the xRapid. This also means that new XRP will flood the market, increasing the likelihood of a decreasing price.
Sure, this is just an assumption. I figure, Ripple has measurements in place or thought about this when releasing xRapid regarding the XRP supply.
But this now accesses a new concern, which is that the XRP price will not be affected by any transactions made with xCurrent since it does not use the token itself.
I've read a lot, people comparing it to SWIFT and forecasting the XRP price to somewhere between $5 and $18. This is where I like to point to the market capitalization of cryptocurrencies.
XRP is currently at 0.53 USD per token. The market cap is 28 billion USD.
In case the price should skyrocket to $5, the market cap will total $140 billion USD. In terms of the ranking it places XRP on third place between Ethereum and Tether. $18 would place it on the second place.
It would take a large amount of funds to reach this and even if so, it would take several heavy corrections to do so. Ripple isn't the first cryptocurrency where financial institutions put their funds. I simply don't think it's doable in the next 2 to 5 years. Ripple has always been the black sheep among the cryptocurrencies, because rather than working away from banks, it works with them. I don't see the broad adoption at this point.
My concerns are based on my research. If I have provided misleading information, corrections are welcome.
Hello,
like the title already states, I have concerns about the future price of XRP.
I will put everything into detail first, then explain.
Distribution
March 31, 2024 Total XRP Held by Ripple: 4,836,166,156 (4.8 billion XRP) Total XRP Subject to On-Ledger Escrow: 40,100,000,005 (40.1 billion XRP)
Ripple placed the XRP in escrow in December 2017, providing a level of supply certainty and helping to manage concerns about the potential for market flooding.
It's also important to understand how xRapid works.
Example:
US-Sender sends USD to MXN -> Mexican-Recipient
USD is sent by the sender USD is swapped to XRP XRP is sent XRP is swapped to MXN MXN is received by the recipient
How does Ripple plan to facilitate transactions with XRP, when they don't have the supply to handle the transactions? 40.1 billion XRP are held in escrow, meaning they are not accessible to be used yet. The current max supply is set to 100 billion XRP. In case the Ripple Team increases the supply or does not set a limit at all, XRP will probably be created out of thin air at first to provide liquidity for cross-border transactions, then later maybe reused but still created - all of course based on demand of the xRapid. This also means that new XRP will flood the market, increasing the likelihood of a decreasing price.
Sure, this is just an assumption. I figure, Ripple has measurements in place or thought about this when releasing xRapid regarding the XRP supply.
But this now accesses a new concern, which is that the XRP price will not be affected by any transactions made with xCurrent since it does not use the token itself.
I've read a lot, people comparing it to SWIFT and forecasting the XRP price to somewhere between $5 and $18. This is where I like to point to the market capitalization of cryptocurrencies.
XRP is currently at 0.53 USD per token. The market cap is 28 billion USD.
In case the price should skyrocket to $5, the market cap will total $140 billion USD. In terms of the ranking it places XRP on third place between Ethereum and Tether. $18 would place it on the second place.
It would take a large amount of funds to reach this and even if so, it would take several heavy corrections to do so. Ripple isn't the first cryptocurrency where financial institutions put their funds. I simply don't think it's doable in the next 2 to 5 years. Ripple has always been the black sheep among the cryptocurrencies, because rather than working away from banks, it works with them. I don't see the broad adoption at this point.
My concerns are based on my research. If I have provided misleading information, corrections are welcome.
submitted by VarDumped to XRPInvestTalk [link] [comments]
I have been banned on the XRP subreddit for no apparent reason, therefore here is the post again.
like the title already states, I have concerns about the future price of XRP.
I will put everything into detail first, then explain.
Tokenomics
Circulating supply: 55,450,358,947 XRP (55.4 Billion XRP) Max. supply: 100,000,000,000 XRPDistribution
- Ripple Labs Allocation: 20 billion XRP
- Distribution to Ripple Labs Founders: 20 billion XRP
- Ripple Labs for Operational Purposes: 60 billion XRP (which includes allocations for sales, incentives for market makers, business development, and other operational purposes.
March 31, 2024 Total XRP Held by Ripple: 4,836,166,156 (4.8 billion XRP) Total XRP Subject to On-Ledger Escrow: 40,100,000,005 (40.1 billion XRP)
Ripple placed the XRP in escrow in December 2017, providing a level of supply certainty and helping to manage concerns about the potential for market flooding.
RippleNet
Ripple provides a solution called RippleNet, consisting of 3 products:- xCurrent (does not use the XRP-Token)
- Function: Provides real-time gross settlement (RTGS) for cross-border payments.
- Features: Includes messaging, clearing, and settlement functionalities. It ensures end-to-end tracking of payment status, payment confirmation, and delivery.
- Process: Uses Interledger Protocol (ILP) to connect different ledgers and payment networks, facilitating instant settlements and real-time reconciliation.
- xRapid (now part of On-Demand Liquidity, ODL): (uses XRP Token)
- Function: Specifically uses the XRP token to offer liquidity for cross-border transactions.
- Features: Helps financial institutions source liquidity in real-time without needing to pre-fund accounts in destination currencies.
- Process: When a payment is initiated, xRapid converts the senderâs currency into XRP, transfers the XRP to the recipientâs country, and then converts XRP into the recipientâs currency. This process is much faster and cheaper than traditional methods.
- xVia:
- Function: Provides a standardized API for connecting to RippleNet.
- Features: Allows businesses, payment providers, and banks to send payments across various networks using a simple interface.
- Process: Facilitates easy integration and communication across different payment networks without needing deep technical changes.
It's also important to understand how xRapid works.
Example:
US-Sender sends USD to MXN -> Mexican-Recipient
USD is sent by the sender USD is swapped to XRP XRP is sent XRP is swapped to MXN MXN is received by the recipient
Concerns
Since we don't have numbers on the performance of xCurrent nor xRapid, we can't say which one is used more. I'm just guessing it is not xRapid. Let's say 80% of the transactions is held by xCurrent, 20% by xRapid.How does Ripple plan to facilitate transactions with XRP, when they don't have the supply to handle the transactions? 40.1 billion XRP are held in escrow, meaning they are not accessible to be used yet. The current max supply is set to 100 billion XRP. In case the Ripple Team increases the supply or does not set a limit at all, XRP will probably be created out of thin air at first to provide liquidity for cross-border transactions, then later maybe reused but still created - all of course based on demand of the xRapid. This also means that new XRP will flood the market, increasing the likelihood of a decreasing price.
Sure, this is just an assumption. I figure, Ripple has measurements in place or thought about this when releasing xRapid regarding the XRP supply.
But this now accesses a new concern, which is that the XRP price will not be affected by any transactions made with xCurrent since it does not use the token itself.
I've read a lot, people comparing it to SWIFT and forecasting the XRP price to somewhere between $5 and $18. This is where I like to point to the market capitalization of cryptocurrencies.
XRP is currently at 0.53 USD per token. The market cap is 28 billion USD.
In case the price should skyrocket to $5, the market cap will total $140 billion USD. In terms of the ranking it places XRP on third place between Ethereum and Tether. $18 would place it on the second place.
It would take a large amount of funds to reach this and even if so, it would take several heavy corrections to do so. Ripple isn't the first cryptocurrency where financial institutions put their funds. I simply don't think it's doable in the next 2 to 5 years. Ripple has always been the black sheep among the cryptocurrencies, because rather than working away from banks, it works with them. I don't see the broad adoption at this point.
My concerns are based on my research. If I have provided misleading information, corrections are welcome.
Hello,
like the title already states, I have concerns about the future price of XRP.
I will put everything into detail first, then explain.
Tokenomics
Circulating supply: 55,450,358,947 XRP (55.4 Billion XRP) Max. supply: 100,000,000,000 XRPDistribution
- Ripple Labs Allocation: 20 billion XRP
- Distribution to Ripple Labs Founders: 20 billion XRP
- Ripple Labs for Operational Purposes: 60 billion XRP (which includes allocations for sales, incentives for market makers, business development, and other operational purposes.
March 31, 2024 Total XRP Held by Ripple: 4,836,166,156 (4.8 billion XRP) Total XRP Subject to On-Ledger Escrow: 40,100,000,005 (40.1 billion XRP)
Ripple placed the XRP in escrow in December 2017, providing a level of supply certainty and helping to manage concerns about the potential for market flooding.
RippleNet
Ripple provides a solution called RippleNet, consisting of 3 products:- xCurrent (does not use the XRP-Token)
- Function: Provides real-time gross settlement (RTGS) for cross-border payments.
- Features: Includes messaging, clearing, and settlement functionalities. It ensures end-to-end tracking of payment status, payment confirmation, and delivery.
- Process: Uses Interledger Protocol (ILP) to connect different ledgers and payment networks, facilitating instant settlements and real-time reconciliation.
- xRapid (now part of On-Demand Liquidity, ODL): (uses XRP Token)
- Function: Specifically uses the XRP token to offer liquidity for cross-border transactions.
- Features: Helps financial institutions source liquidity in real-time without needing to pre-fund accounts in destination currencies.
- Process: When a payment is initiated, xRapid converts the senderâs currency into XRP, transfers the XRP to the recipientâs country, and then converts XRP into the recipientâs currency. This process is much faster and cheaper than traditional methods.
- xVia:
- Function: Provides a standardized API for connecting to RippleNet.
- Features: Allows businesses, payment providers, and banks to send payments across various networks using a simple interface.
- Process: Facilitates easy integration and communication across different payment networks without needing deep technical changes.
It's also important to understand how xRapid works.
Example:
US-Sender sends USD to MXN -> Mexican-Recipient
USD is sent by the sender USD is swapped to XRP XRP is sent XRP is swapped to MXN MXN is received by the recipient
Concerns
Since we don't have numbers on the performance of xCurrent nor xRapid, we can't say which one is used more. I'm just guessing it is not xRapid. Let's say 80% of the transactions is held by xCurrent, 20% by xRapid.How does Ripple plan to facilitate transactions with XRP, when they don't have the supply to handle the transactions? 40.1 billion XRP are held in escrow, meaning they are not accessible to be used yet. The current max supply is set to 100 billion XRP. In case the Ripple Team increases the supply or does not set a limit at all, XRP will probably be created out of thin air at first to provide liquidity for cross-border transactions, then later maybe reused but still created - all of course based on demand of the xRapid. This also means that new XRP will flood the market, increasing the likelihood of a decreasing price.
Sure, this is just an assumption. I figure, Ripple has measurements in place or thought about this when releasing xRapid regarding the XRP supply.
But this now accesses a new concern, which is that the XRP price will not be affected by any transactions made with xCurrent since it does not use the token itself.
I've read a lot, people comparing it to SWIFT and forecasting the XRP price to somewhere between $5 and $18. This is where I like to point to the market capitalization of cryptocurrencies.
XRP is currently at 0.53 USD per token. The market cap is 28 billion USD.
In case the price should skyrocket to $5, the market cap will total $140 billion USD. In terms of the ranking it places XRP on third place between Ethereum and Tether. $18 would place it on the second place.
It would take a large amount of funds to reach this and even if so, it would take several heavy corrections to do so. Ripple isn't the first cryptocurrency where financial institutions put their funds. I simply don't think it's doable in the next 2 to 5 years. Ripple has always been the black sheep among the cryptocurrencies, because rather than working away from banks, it works with them. I don't see the broad adoption at this point.
My concerns are based on my research. If I have provided misleading information, corrections are welcome.
2024.06.01 16:11 Haunting-Band-2763 Hazbin Hotel - E3S1: Scrambled Eggs (Genderswap)
(At Hazbin Hotel, the cat is sleeping at the sofa, until it hears a hammer sound and sees Charles at a stair in the front of a banner above the entrance door saying "Happy First Week, Miss Pentious")
Charles: That looks perfect! (Screams excitedly) I am so excited that Miss Pentious is staying at the hotel!
Vagner: Um, Pentious was just trying to take over the city with her weird steampunk bullshit a few days ago.
Charles: Well, I haven't seen her try to pull any of that here.
(The cat runs from Miss Pentious pushing a giant ray gun)
Vagner: What the hell is that?!
Miss Pentious: Oh, hello, purple male. It's my new invention: the Skin Flayer 11,000! I'm really looking forward to shooting the other residents.
Charles: What? Why?
Miss Pentious: Everyone is being too nice. Obviously it must be a lie. I can sense they're planning to kill me. But when? How? I must be prepared! Ooh, the new parts of my machines are here!
(Two boys enter the hotel with a bunch of box in a cart)
Oddie: Sign here, please. (Gives a clipboard and pen to Miss Pentious, she signs it and give it back) Thank you for your business. Enjoy your Carmine purchase.
Vagner: Carmine? As in Carmillo Carmine? You are buying parts from an overlord?
Miss Pentious: Uh, of course. He's the top weapons dealer in Hell.
Vagner: Okay, well, that stops right now. (Gets the kart with the boxes from Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: Hey!
Vagner: You absolutely cannot build weapons in this hotel! No one is trying to kill you. People are being nice beacause they they want you to feel welcome.
(Miss Pentious looks at the bar Hisky and Angela give her the middle finger and Niffter smiles and laughs creepily to her)
Miss Pentious: I have my doubts.
Vagner: Well it's true. You have to trust us.
Miss Pentious: But I don't.
Charles: Well, why don't we focus on that for today's activities?
Vagner: Not before we lay some ground rules: no more building weapons, no more plotting against the other guests and you need to get rid of these things.
(One of the Egg Girls shoots a laser at the roof and breaks it)
Vagner: Ah! What did I just say? What did I just say?
Miss Pentious: What? Not my little Egg Girls! They do my evil bidding for my.
Vagner: Do you want to stay here and redeem yourself?
Miss Pentious: Yes?
Vagner: Then, no more eggs!
Miss Pentious: Alright, eggies. You've got to go. I (Sniffs) can't keep you anymore.
Egg Girl #1: Okay, boss!
Miss Pentious: No, don't resist, this is how it has to be.
(The egg girls follow Vagner and Miss Pentious cries sterically with Charles patting her)
(Alice is seen eating a dead deer with fork and knife in a table in the middle of a swamp)
Vagner: Alice!
(The screen moves showing the swamp in a room and Vagner at the door)
Alice: Do you mind? I'm in the middle of breakfast.
Vagner: Pentious' eggs are all over the place and I need you to get rid of them.
Alice: Oh! Well, in that case, I'd be delighted to!
Vagner: Humanely!
Alice: Um. Well, that's a lot less fun. But I suppose I can take care of that on my outing today. (Leaves her room)
Vagner: Great! (See the dead deer) Oh, this is disgusting.
(At the looby)
Charles: Hi, guys! Thanks for coming! It's been brought to our attention that there maybe a littleeeeeeeee tension at the hotel!
(Miss Pentious grabs Niffter and prepares to shoot him, but Vagner gets her gun)
Vagner: Tension that can be counterproductive to what we're trying to do here.
Charles: We think that this group could really benefit from...(Jumps in front of a lighthing background) Trust exercises!
Vagner: Trust exercises! Oh, shit! (Falls butt down on the ground and Charles gets him up)
Charles: Vagner, we rehearse this. (Sighs) We're doing trust exercises!
Hisky: So, um, what's with the whole, uh...This?
(A stage is seen behind Vagner and Charles)
Hisky: I'm not about to put on some show for these fuckings chumps!
Angela: Oh, I will! (Puts her legs in Hisky's) But it's cash up first. And I know that one afford me.
Miss Pentious: Gross! I'd think of it, spider!
Vagner: Right, let's get started. Charles?
Charles: Actually, I thought maybe you could take the lead on this one. I trust everyone, so maybe you'd know better about how to build it properly.
Vagner: What? Uh, I don't know I'm qualified to...
Charles: Oh, come on! It'll be easy, I'm sure you can handle this.
Vagner: Yeah, um, sure. I can handle this, no problem. (Inhales) Alright, so we are starting with trust falls! Each of you are going to share something vulnerable about yourself and then fall backwards while the rest lf the group catches you, got it? Who wants to go first?
Charles: Ooh! Ooh! Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me!
Vagner: Alright, get on up there!
(Charles gets in the stage)
Charles: I...I love you guys. Like, really love you! (Turns around, falls backwards and Vagner catches him)
Vagner: Got you!
Charles: That...Felt...Good! Angela, why don't go next?
Angela: Fine! (Goes to the stage)
Vagner: This time everyone needs to catch her, okay? Unless you want me to hurt you!
Angela: Well, something about myself, huh? Well, how about this? I love to lick...
Hisky: I swear to fuck if you say pussies!
Angela: Lollipops, ya sicko! Get your head head of the gutter! (Falls backwards and Hisky catches her) But ya know? Pussies, too. (Hisky drops her) Ahh! Alright, new girl, you're up.
(A spotlight shines on Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: I don't want to leave without my minions! Nobody catch me. (Falls backwards and Vagner, Charlie and Hisky catch her) Damn it!
Vagner: That's great. Wow, you're slimy. Good job. Uh, Niffter? (Niffter runs runs past him and gets in the stage)
Niffter: Sometimes, I kill father bugs in front of their children as a warning to others! (Falls from the stage, everyone backs away and he falls face down in the ground) Yay! Pain! (Gets up, goes to the stage, falls and repeats it) Hehe, pain!
(Charles and Vagner walk away)
Charles: I don't think this really working the way we hoped. Maybe, we should...
Vagner: Honey, you have to trust me here. I got this, okay? I'll figure something out.
Angela: If you're in the market for some ideas, I got just the thing for some trust building.
Vagner: (Sighs) What do you have in mind?
(In the town, Alice is seen walking with the Egg Girls)
Egg Girl #1: Oh, boy! What's the plan, boss?
Egg Girl #2: I like your suit.
Egg Girl #3: What are the antlers for?
Egg Girl #4: Can I touch your staff thing?
Egg Girl #5: Are those your ears or is it your hair? I can't tell.
(A tall woman appears in front of Alice)
Zestia: Hark, Alice. How fare thee this day?
Egg Girl #1: Who's that boss? Want me to ruff her up for ya?
Alice: Follow in silence if you value your shells! Greetins, Zestia!
Sinner #1: Ahh! Holy shit! (Falls backwards)
Zestia: Ah, the weather did become fine this day!
Sinner #2: Oh! Uh-oh! (Hides in the garbage)
Alice: Indeed! Looks like we might have some acid rain this afternoon!
(A demon screams, covers her in gas and combustes her in flames)n
Zestia: If our luck doth hold. I do reveal in the screams. How art thou? (Walks with Alice) It's been an ages since thou hath graced us with thy presence. Some hath spun wild tales of you falling to...Holy arms.
Alice: (Laughs) Oh, I just took a well earned sabatical, nothing serious. Though is fun to keep everyone on their toes. Ha ha!
Zestia: (Chuckles) There too hath been rumor of thy involvement with the prince and his flight of fancy. Tell me, how does thou fall in such folly?
Alice: That is for me to know. But please, do guess, I'd love to hear the theories!
Zestia: (Chuckles) T'would be grander folly by far to assume the workings of your mind, Alice. Thou hath been naught but an enigma since thy manifested in this realm.
Alice: Coming from someone as ancient as you I take that as quite the complement!
(They walk into an alley, pass through a security cam and Alice statics it, the girls get in an elevator and Alice prevents the egg girls from entering with her staff)
Alice: No, no. I have a very important task for you: stay here and guard the front until I return.
(The Egg Girls salute Alice, the elevator closes and goes up)
Egg Girl #1: Oh, look, Frankie is up there!
Egg Girl #2: We have names?
(In the top the building, the elevator doors open and Zestial, Alice and Frankie get out of it, Frankie sees a blck eyes man and a blue skull woman saluting and a dinosaur guy come ou of an elevator and all of them enter a room with a table and chairs and Frankie hides behind Alice, the black eyes man see her, she waves at him and he smiles showing his teeth and she hides scared, and a man appears at the end of the table with the delivery boys from later)
Carmillo: Welcome, Hell's sovereign overlords. I invited you all here because you represent the controlling powers of our city. Together you own millions of souls. Souls at risk with a new extermination schedul. We need to discuss what can be done to minimize the impact. (See Zestia sitting at his side) Zestia, so good to see you my friend.
Zestia: Encanted as always, Carmillo.
Carmillo: Alice?
Alice: Yes, I know, I've been absent some time. I'm sure you've all been wondering.
Carmillo: Not really. But welcome back in ay case. (Snaps fingers and Oddie gives him a clipboard) This year's extermination was brutal. Far more even than years past. We have assessed that about 16% of the population was lost. With the Angelic Legions returning twice as quickly, I think is prudent that we...
(Veener quicks the door and everyone looks at him)
Veener: (At the phone) Yes, I've got it handled, Vix. Are you doubting me? Really? Me? That's what I thought. Ha ha ha! Yes, I know, they're all a joke. (Laughs) Thank you, Vee. (Kisses) Kisses, darling!
Carmillo: Nice of you to join us, Veener. Will your colleagues be joining?
Veener: No. They have better shit to do than to listen to an old windbag that thinks he's tough shit. I'm here to represent.
Carmillo: Charming. (Veener puts a poop filter on him) So, as I was saying, we need to discuss...
(Veener raises and shakes his hand)
Carmillo: Yes?
Veener: On the subject of discussion. (Throws an angel head in the table)
(Everyone gasps)
Alice: Ooh! Tasty!
Carmillo: Where did you get this?
Veener: We found it during the extermination day. If these holy rollers can be killed, the game has changed. We can take the fight to them. The girls and I have come up with a full assault plan...
(Everyone hears sipping noises, and look at Zestia drinking tea loudly and she puts the cup in the table)
Zestia: If it be true thee and thy colleagues desire to war, with such meagre proof. Thou art far more foolish than I be thought.
Veener: (Scoffs) "Meagre proof"? It's a dead fucking exorcist! I'd say that's pretty fucking definitive! You're going blind, old woman?
Zestia: We know not how this perished. Mayhaps it was not by a demon's hand at all. If we rush to war without knowing might, they purge all of Hell for ding an uprising.
(Everyone mutters in agreement and Veener looks to Carmillo worried)
Veener: Oh! I get it. So grandma is too pussy to fight, so I guess there's no point, right?
(Zestia gets angry)
Veener: Oh, what's the matter, fossil? To senile to make a real power grab for...
Carmillo: (Singing) You better show some respect! Check your behavior! No one speaks too Zestia that way! Did you expect us to sir baxk and rake your insolent brazen display?
Veener: Haha! (Singing) You've got it twisted! I'm not the one who needs a attitude! Maybe you missed it, but I'm that #Bitch and I will do nothing else then what I please! Woo! I'm the backbone of the Vees! Mad that I acted respectless? Well, it's 'cause no one could respect this. Sorry group attendin', since when are overlords too scared to fight? You're long past trendin'. Sorry, bae, but I ain't swipin' right. You lost your relevance.
Zestia: We can't act without more intelligence!
Veener: Ugh, no wonder I'm so respectless. I could eat you lot for breakfast. You and the Vees are inane and uninformed, Smug wannabes, who don't heed when you've been warned!
Veener: Oops! Did I strike a nerve? 'Cause when I brought out the angel's head, couldn't help but observe that your wrinkled face was turning red! And why are you avoidin' war? That's what the guns you sell are for. Thanks to my being respectless. One thing I'm starting to suspect is. You know why this angel's headless. Do you have a disclosure?
Carmillo: This meeting's over!
(Everyone stare at the boys)
Alice: That was a productive meeting!
Veener: (Normal) Hmmph, fine. Safe travel back to nursing home, fuckers! Kiss my ass! Hahaha! (Leaves the room)
Zeezo: What the hell? We literally just got here.
Oddie: Father?
(Carmillo walks away and Zestia follows him and everyone else leaves the room almost staping on Frankie, and Alice see Zestia and Carmilla enter another room)
Alice: Well, that's interesting. You little egg creature. I have a job for you.
Frankie: Oh, yes, boss.
Alice: Follow them.
(Frankie salutes and enters the other room, back to Vagner, Charles and Angela)
Vagner: Angela! What the actual fuck?!
(They're seem in a sex dungeon)
Angela: No activity requires more trust them BDSM, baby. No bond stronger than those formed through bondage. That's their motto. (Points to a poster)
Charles: Angela, love the enthusiasm. But umm, uh...Hmmmm...
Vagner: What makes you think anyone would be into this?
(Hisky purrs with a mister messaging her)
Hisky: Ya know, I...I don't hate this.
(Niffter appears holding a stick)
Niffter: I'm ready to punish some bad girls. (Giggles)
Hisky: Uhh...Nevermind, I-I'm out. (Gets up and walks away)
(Misters surround Charles)
Charles: (Laughs uncomfortably) Okay, hello there. Hi. Um. Hm...(Vagner drags him away)
Vagner: Ugh, can't fucking believe I let you drag us here, Angela. This is disgusting.
Charles: It's no big deal, Vagner. You know, maybe I can just help, uh...
Vagner: No. I told you could trust me. And I'm not gonna let you down. I just need to teach them the way I was taught.
(In a tower roof)
Charles: This is how you learn to trust people?!
(A lot of demons are seen fighting in a bettlefield)
Vagner: (In drill sergeant style) There is nothing stronger than a trust between comrades and arms. Buckle up, buttercups, because today you boys become men! You...(Grabs Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: Wait, wait! I can't fight without my minions...(Vagner throws her off the building)
Vagner:...Are gonna survive together! Miss Pentious: AAAAAAHHH!
(Vagner turns to Angela)
Vagner: And you...
Angela: Don't you even think about it...
Vagner: Are make this hotel work! (Vagner throws grabs and throws Angela off the building)
Angela: AAAAAAHHH!
Niffter: (Excitedly) My turn, my turn!
(Hisky get out of the roof, Vagner grabs Niffter, but Charles catches him)
Charles: Vagner, no!
Vagner: This is the only way they'll learn, Charles.
Charles: No, it's not. There are other ways. It just take time.
Vagner: Time we don't have. How many exterminations will have to gone by before these idiots get their shit together? How many times we have to watch your people be killed before we make headway?
Charles: Vagner...
Vagner: I took charge today and it all went sideways. I'm suppose to make your dreams a reality. I'm suppose to protect you. I'm suppose to never fail you. (Leans on the edge of the terrace)
Angela: I blame you for this you crazy bitch!
Charles: You didn't fail me, Vagner...You're not...
Vagner: If I can't help you, what's the point of me?
Charles: (Gasps) Vagner, don't say that! You do so much! It's...
Vagner: I'm sorry. I'd like to be alone for a minute.
(Charles turns away from Vagner and see Angela grabbing Miss Pentious in her back getting in the roof and Angela throws Pentious in the ground)
Angela: Made it.
Charles: Let's go home, guys.
Angela: Ugh! I just walked up all those stairs. (Grabs Miss Pentious and pulls her following Charles)
(In Carmillo's office, he pulls himself a drink)
Carmillo: Ay, que barbaridad. (Drinks from a bottle)
Zestia: Carmillo, what troubles thou? Loosing thy composure is unlike thee.
Carmillo: (Sighs) It's nothing, Zestia. Really.
Zestia: The felled angel...'Twas by thy hand, was it not?
Carmillo: Let's not talk abou it. (Walks away)
Clarence: Dad, maybe she should know.
Carmillo: Nobody should know. (Sits in his desk) I did what to do. I am not discussing this. (Zestia puts her hand in his shoulder)
Zestia: (Singing) What weighs on your soul, old friend? I implore you to share the load. If it was thou who slew the angel, why not let your strength be known?
Carmillo: (Singing) I always thought, that I would keep blood off my face. But when that thing attacked, I had to act, to cross that line and keep them safe. But if anyone knew, then all of Hell would rise to war and who's to say who'd survive the fray? I might lose the ones that I was killing for! So I! I'll be your keeper! (Hugs his sons) Do whatever it takes! I'll make the mistakes! I'll keep you safe and keep this secret!
(Meanwhile, Vagner climbs the outside of the hotel)
Vagner: (Singing) When I saw your face, you made me feel like a stranger in a brand new place and it felt so good to be understood. But there's so much I wished that I could say. So I...I'll be your armor, do whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes, I'll spend my life being your partner.
Carmillo: And I don't know what we might face, But I know I can't replace you so I'll do anything to save you!
Vagner: And I will try to make your dreams come true!
Vagner and Carmillo: Whatever we go through. I know I....
Carmillo: I'll be your keeper
Vagner: I'll be your armor!
Carmillo and Vagner: Whatever it takes!
Carmillo: I'll make the mistakes!
Vagner: I'll make the mistakes!
Carmillo and Vagner: Whatever it takes!
(Meanwhile, some of the Egg Girls are dumpster diving)
Egg Girl #3: Ooohh. This smells like fun. Ooh, I love garbage.
(Frankie get out of the elevator and Alice stops her)
Alice: So, what did you hear?
Frankie: First, the old woman w-was all "you're not yourself, you're the one who killed the angel" a-a-and the he was all (Singing) Whatever it takes!
Alice: And then what was that last thing?
Frankie: He killed the angel?
Alice: Interesting. Let's keep this between us, shall we?
Frankie: You got it, boss!
(At the hotel, Vagner finds Charles at the hotel)
Vagner: Hey.
Charles: Hey.
Vagner: I'm sorry I got so crazy today.
Charles: No, no, I'm sorry. I'm put pressure on you. We work as a team. I guess I just thought all this would be easier, but we'll figure it out...Together. I mean, look what your exercise did for them.
(In the sitting room below everyone is laughing)
Angela: And then when that buff girl started beating the shit outta you.
Miss Pentious: Ha ha! Yeah, with the desmembered arm. Yes, that, was, particularly unpleasent.
Niffter: He he. I liked that part.
Hisky: Well hey, at least you can take a beating like a champ. You did okay, new kid.
Miss Pentious: Really? Oh, well, I suppose I did get into a little of the old rough and tumblr today. (Laughs) And, uh...Thank you for pullinh me out of there. (Angela staps her back)
(Everyone laugh and giggle, the girls stop, but Niffter keeps laughing manically)
Vagner: Well, how about that?
(Alice returns)
Vagner: Alice. Failed to get rid of the eggs, I see.
Alice: Yes, well, the little monsters prove to be rather useful.
Vagner: Why don't you give them back to Pentious?
Miss Pentious: Really?
Vagner: Yeah. After today, I guess I can trust you with them. But seriously, no more weapons.
Miss Pentious: Ahhhh! (Hugs the Egg Girls) My eggs! Yeah. Oh, it's so good to have you back. Now go clean my quarters this instant!
Charles: Maybe things will move faster than you think.
(In Pentious' room)
Miss Pentious: Ah! How was your day with Alastor, my minions?
Frankie: It was awesome, boss. I went to this meeting and there was a knife guy, an old lady and a dinosaur.
Miss Pentious: Umm. That's nice.
Frnkie: And the knife guy killed an angel. And I was not suppose to be talking about it.
Miss Pentious: Oh, I'm so sure and maybe you'll meet martians tomorrow. Bit now it's time to sleep. Good night, Eggies. (The egg women sleep over her and they all go to sleep)
(The end credits start playing)
submitted by Haunting-Band-2763 to hazbin [link] [comments]
Charles: That looks perfect! (Screams excitedly) I am so excited that Miss Pentious is staying at the hotel!
Vagner: Um, Pentious was just trying to take over the city with her weird steampunk bullshit a few days ago.
Charles: Well, I haven't seen her try to pull any of that here.
(The cat runs from Miss Pentious pushing a giant ray gun)
Vagner: What the hell is that?!
Miss Pentious: Oh, hello, purple male. It's my new invention: the Skin Flayer 11,000! I'm really looking forward to shooting the other residents.
Charles: What? Why?
Miss Pentious: Everyone is being too nice. Obviously it must be a lie. I can sense they're planning to kill me. But when? How? I must be prepared! Ooh, the new parts of my machines are here!
(Two boys enter the hotel with a bunch of box in a cart)
Oddie: Sign here, please. (Gives a clipboard and pen to Miss Pentious, she signs it and give it back) Thank you for your business. Enjoy your Carmine purchase.
Vagner: Carmine? As in Carmillo Carmine? You are buying parts from an overlord?
Miss Pentious: Uh, of course. He's the top weapons dealer in Hell.
Vagner: Okay, well, that stops right now. (Gets the kart with the boxes from Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: Hey!
Vagner: You absolutely cannot build weapons in this hotel! No one is trying to kill you. People are being nice beacause they they want you to feel welcome.
(Miss Pentious looks at the bar Hisky and Angela give her the middle finger and Niffter smiles and laughs creepily to her)
Miss Pentious: I have my doubts.
Vagner: Well it's true. You have to trust us.
Miss Pentious: But I don't.
Charles: Well, why don't we focus on that for today's activities?
Vagner: Not before we lay some ground rules: no more building weapons, no more plotting against the other guests and you need to get rid of these things.
(One of the Egg Girls shoots a laser at the roof and breaks it)
Vagner: Ah! What did I just say? What did I just say?
Miss Pentious: What? Not my little Egg Girls! They do my evil bidding for my.
Vagner: Do you want to stay here and redeem yourself?
Miss Pentious: Yes?
Vagner: Then, no more eggs!
Miss Pentious: Alright, eggies. You've got to go. I (Sniffs) can't keep you anymore.
Egg Girl #1: Okay, boss!
Miss Pentious: No, don't resist, this is how it has to be.
(The egg girls follow Vagner and Miss Pentious cries sterically with Charles patting her)
(Alice is seen eating a dead deer with fork and knife in a table in the middle of a swamp)
Vagner: Alice!
(The screen moves showing the swamp in a room and Vagner at the door)
Alice: Do you mind? I'm in the middle of breakfast.
Vagner: Pentious' eggs are all over the place and I need you to get rid of them.
Alice: Oh! Well, in that case, I'd be delighted to!
Vagner: Humanely!
Alice: Um. Well, that's a lot less fun. But I suppose I can take care of that on my outing today. (Leaves her room)
Vagner: Great! (See the dead deer) Oh, this is disgusting.
(At the looby)
Charles: Hi, guys! Thanks for coming! It's been brought to our attention that there maybe a littleeeeeeeee tension at the hotel!
(Miss Pentious grabs Niffter and prepares to shoot him, but Vagner gets her gun)
Vagner: Tension that can be counterproductive to what we're trying to do here.
Charles: We think that this group could really benefit from...(Jumps in front of a lighthing background) Trust exercises!
Vagner: Trust exercises! Oh, shit! (Falls butt down on the ground and Charles gets him up)
Charles: Vagner, we rehearse this. (Sighs) We're doing trust exercises!
Hisky: So, um, what's with the whole, uh...This?
(A stage is seen behind Vagner and Charles)
Hisky: I'm not about to put on some show for these fuckings chumps!
Angela: Oh, I will! (Puts her legs in Hisky's) But it's cash up first. And I know that one afford me.
Miss Pentious: Gross! I'd think of it, spider!
Vagner: Right, let's get started. Charles?
Charles: Actually, I thought maybe you could take the lead on this one. I trust everyone, so maybe you'd know better about how to build it properly.
Vagner: What? Uh, I don't know I'm qualified to...
Charles: Oh, come on! It'll be easy, I'm sure you can handle this.
Vagner: Yeah, um, sure. I can handle this, no problem. (Inhales) Alright, so we are starting with trust falls! Each of you are going to share something vulnerable about yourself and then fall backwards while the rest lf the group catches you, got it? Who wants to go first?
Charles: Ooh! Ooh! Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me!
Vagner: Alright, get on up there!
(Charles gets in the stage)
Charles: I...I love you guys. Like, really love you! (Turns around, falls backwards and Vagner catches him)
Vagner: Got you!
Charles: That...Felt...Good! Angela, why don't go next?
Angela: Fine! (Goes to the stage)
Vagner: This time everyone needs to catch her, okay? Unless you want me to hurt you!
Angela: Well, something about myself, huh? Well, how about this? I love to lick...
Hisky: I swear to fuck if you say pussies!
Angela: Lollipops, ya sicko! Get your head head of the gutter! (Falls backwards and Hisky catches her) But ya know? Pussies, too. (Hisky drops her) Ahh! Alright, new girl, you're up.
(A spotlight shines on Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: I don't want to leave without my minions! Nobody catch me. (Falls backwards and Vagner, Charlie and Hisky catch her) Damn it!
Vagner: That's great. Wow, you're slimy. Good job. Uh, Niffter? (Niffter runs runs past him and gets in the stage)
Niffter: Sometimes, I kill father bugs in front of their children as a warning to others! (Falls from the stage, everyone backs away and he falls face down in the ground) Yay! Pain! (Gets up, goes to the stage, falls and repeats it) Hehe, pain!
(Charles and Vagner walk away)
Charles: I don't think this really working the way we hoped. Maybe, we should...
Vagner: Honey, you have to trust me here. I got this, okay? I'll figure something out.
Angela: If you're in the market for some ideas, I got just the thing for some trust building.
Vagner: (Sighs) What do you have in mind?
(In the town, Alice is seen walking with the Egg Girls)
Egg Girl #1: Oh, boy! What's the plan, boss?
Egg Girl #2: I like your suit.
Egg Girl #3: What are the antlers for?
Egg Girl #4: Can I touch your staff thing?
Egg Girl #5: Are those your ears or is it your hair? I can't tell.
(A tall woman appears in front of Alice)
Zestia: Hark, Alice. How fare thee this day?
Egg Girl #1: Who's that boss? Want me to ruff her up for ya?
Alice: Follow in silence if you value your shells! Greetins, Zestia!
Sinner #1: Ahh! Holy shit! (Falls backwards)
Zestia: Ah, the weather did become fine this day!
Sinner #2: Oh! Uh-oh! (Hides in the garbage)
Alice: Indeed! Looks like we might have some acid rain this afternoon!
(A demon screams, covers her in gas and combustes her in flames)n
Zestia: If our luck doth hold. I do reveal in the screams. How art thou? (Walks with Alice) It's been an ages since thou hath graced us with thy presence. Some hath spun wild tales of you falling to...Holy arms.
Alice: (Laughs) Oh, I just took a well earned sabatical, nothing serious. Though is fun to keep everyone on their toes. Ha ha!
Zestia: (Chuckles) There too hath been rumor of thy involvement with the prince and his flight of fancy. Tell me, how does thou fall in such folly?
Alice: That is for me to know. But please, do guess, I'd love to hear the theories!
Zestia: (Chuckles) T'would be grander folly by far to assume the workings of your mind, Alice. Thou hath been naught but an enigma since thy manifested in this realm.
Alice: Coming from someone as ancient as you I take that as quite the complement!
(They walk into an alley, pass through a security cam and Alice statics it, the girls get in an elevator and Alice prevents the egg girls from entering with her staff)
Alice: No, no. I have a very important task for you: stay here and guard the front until I return.
(The Egg Girls salute Alice, the elevator closes and goes up)
Egg Girl #1: Oh, look, Frankie is up there!
Egg Girl #2: We have names?
(In the top the building, the elevator doors open and Zestial, Alice and Frankie get out of it, Frankie sees a blck eyes man and a blue skull woman saluting and a dinosaur guy come ou of an elevator and all of them enter a room with a table and chairs and Frankie hides behind Alice, the black eyes man see her, she waves at him and he smiles showing his teeth and she hides scared, and a man appears at the end of the table with the delivery boys from later)
Carmillo: Welcome, Hell's sovereign overlords. I invited you all here because you represent the controlling powers of our city. Together you own millions of souls. Souls at risk with a new extermination schedul. We need to discuss what can be done to minimize the impact. (See Zestia sitting at his side) Zestia, so good to see you my friend.
Zestia: Encanted as always, Carmillo.
Carmillo: Alice?
Alice: Yes, I know, I've been absent some time. I'm sure you've all been wondering.
Carmillo: Not really. But welcome back in ay case. (Snaps fingers and Oddie gives him a clipboard) This year's extermination was brutal. Far more even than years past. We have assessed that about 16% of the population was lost. With the Angelic Legions returning twice as quickly, I think is prudent that we...
(Veener quicks the door and everyone looks at him)
Veener: (At the phone) Yes, I've got it handled, Vix. Are you doubting me? Really? Me? That's what I thought. Ha ha ha! Yes, I know, they're all a joke. (Laughs) Thank you, Vee. (Kisses) Kisses, darling!
Carmillo: Nice of you to join us, Veener. Will your colleagues be joining?
Veener: No. They have better shit to do than to listen to an old windbag that thinks he's tough shit. I'm here to represent.
Carmillo: Charming. (Veener puts a poop filter on him) So, as I was saying, we need to discuss...
(Veener raises and shakes his hand)
Carmillo: Yes?
Veener: On the subject of discussion. (Throws an angel head in the table)
(Everyone gasps)
Alice: Ooh! Tasty!
Carmillo: Where did you get this?
Veener: We found it during the extermination day. If these holy rollers can be killed, the game has changed. We can take the fight to them. The girls and I have come up with a full assault plan...
(Everyone hears sipping noises, and look at Zestia drinking tea loudly and she puts the cup in the table)
Zestia: If it be true thee and thy colleagues desire to war, with such meagre proof. Thou art far more foolish than I be thought.
Veener: (Scoffs) "Meagre proof"? It's a dead fucking exorcist! I'd say that's pretty fucking definitive! You're going blind, old woman?
Zestia: We know not how this perished. Mayhaps it was not by a demon's hand at all. If we rush to war without knowing might, they purge all of Hell for ding an uprising.
(Everyone mutters in agreement and Veener looks to Carmillo worried)
Veener: Oh! I get it. So grandma is too pussy to fight, so I guess there's no point, right?
(Zestia gets angry)
Veener: Oh, what's the matter, fossil? To senile to make a real power grab for...
Carmillo: (Singing) You better show some respect! Check your behavior! No one speaks too Zestia that way! Did you expect us to sir baxk and rake your insolent brazen display?
Veener: Haha! (Singing) You've got it twisted! I'm not the one who needs a attitude! Maybe you missed it, but I'm that #Bitch and I will do nothing else then what I please! Woo! I'm the backbone of the Vees! Mad that I acted respectless? Well, it's 'cause no one could respect this. Sorry group attendin', since when are overlords too scared to fight? You're long past trendin'. Sorry, bae, but I ain't swipin' right. You lost your relevance.
Zestia: We can't act without more intelligence!
Veener: Ugh, no wonder I'm so respectless. I could eat you lot for breakfast. You and the Vees are inane and uninformed, Smug wannabes, who don't heed when you've been warned!
Veener: Oops! Did I strike a nerve? 'Cause when I brought out the angel's head, couldn't help but observe that your wrinkled face was turning red! And why are you avoidin' war? That's what the guns you sell are for. Thanks to my being respectless. One thing I'm starting to suspect is. You know why this angel's headless. Do you have a disclosure?
Carmillo: This meeting's over!
(Everyone stare at the boys)
Alice: That was a productive meeting!
Veener: (Normal) Hmmph, fine. Safe travel back to nursing home, fuckers! Kiss my ass! Hahaha! (Leaves the room)
Zeezo: What the hell? We literally just got here.
Oddie: Father?
(Carmillo walks away and Zestia follows him and everyone else leaves the room almost staping on Frankie, and Alice see Zestia and Carmilla enter another room)
Alice: Well, that's interesting. You little egg creature. I have a job for you.
Frankie: Oh, yes, boss.
Alice: Follow them.
(Frankie salutes and enters the other room, back to Vagner, Charles and Angela)
Vagner: Angela! What the actual fuck?!
(They're seem in a sex dungeon)
Angela: No activity requires more trust them BDSM, baby. No bond stronger than those formed through bondage. That's their motto. (Points to a poster)
Charles: Angela, love the enthusiasm. But umm, uh...Hmmmm...
Vagner: What makes you think anyone would be into this?
(Hisky purrs with a mister messaging her)
Hisky: Ya know, I...I don't hate this.
(Niffter appears holding a stick)
Niffter: I'm ready to punish some bad girls. (Giggles)
Hisky: Uhh...Nevermind, I-I'm out. (Gets up and walks away)
(Misters surround Charles)
Charles: (Laughs uncomfortably) Okay, hello there. Hi. Um. Hm...(Vagner drags him away)
Vagner: Ugh, can't fucking believe I let you drag us here, Angela. This is disgusting.
Charles: It's no big deal, Vagner. You know, maybe I can just help, uh...
Vagner: No. I told you could trust me. And I'm not gonna let you down. I just need to teach them the way I was taught.
(In a tower roof)
Charles: This is how you learn to trust people?!
(A lot of demons are seen fighting in a bettlefield)
Vagner: (In drill sergeant style) There is nothing stronger than a trust between comrades and arms. Buckle up, buttercups, because today you boys become men! You...(Grabs Miss Pentious)
Miss Pentious: Wait, wait! I can't fight without my minions...(Vagner throws her off the building)
Vagner:...Are gonna survive together! Miss Pentious: AAAAAAHHH!
(Vagner turns to Angela)
Vagner: And you...
Angela: Don't you even think about it...
Vagner: Are make this hotel work! (Vagner throws grabs and throws Angela off the building)
Angela: AAAAAAHHH!
Niffter: (Excitedly) My turn, my turn!
(Hisky get out of the roof, Vagner grabs Niffter, but Charles catches him)
Charles: Vagner, no!
Vagner: This is the only way they'll learn, Charles.
Charles: No, it's not. There are other ways. It just take time.
Vagner: Time we don't have. How many exterminations will have to gone by before these idiots get their shit together? How many times we have to watch your people be killed before we make headway?
Charles: Vagner...
Vagner: I took charge today and it all went sideways. I'm suppose to make your dreams a reality. I'm suppose to protect you. I'm suppose to never fail you. (Leans on the edge of the terrace)
Angela: I blame you for this you crazy bitch!
Charles: You didn't fail me, Vagner...You're not...
Vagner: If I can't help you, what's the point of me?
Charles: (Gasps) Vagner, don't say that! You do so much! It's...
Vagner: I'm sorry. I'd like to be alone for a minute.
(Charles turns away from Vagner and see Angela grabbing Miss Pentious in her back getting in the roof and Angela throws Pentious in the ground)
Angela: Made it.
Charles: Let's go home, guys.
Angela: Ugh! I just walked up all those stairs. (Grabs Miss Pentious and pulls her following Charles)
(In Carmillo's office, he pulls himself a drink)
Carmillo: Ay, que barbaridad. (Drinks from a bottle)
Zestia: Carmillo, what troubles thou? Loosing thy composure is unlike thee.
Carmillo: (Sighs) It's nothing, Zestia. Really.
Zestia: The felled angel...'Twas by thy hand, was it not?
Carmillo: Let's not talk abou it. (Walks away)
Clarence: Dad, maybe she should know.
Carmillo: Nobody should know. (Sits in his desk) I did what to do. I am not discussing this. (Zestia puts her hand in his shoulder)
Zestia: (Singing) What weighs on your soul, old friend? I implore you to share the load. If it was thou who slew the angel, why not let your strength be known?
Carmillo: (Singing) I always thought, that I would keep blood off my face. But when that thing attacked, I had to act, to cross that line and keep them safe. But if anyone knew, then all of Hell would rise to war and who's to say who'd survive the fray? I might lose the ones that I was killing for! So I! I'll be your keeper! (Hugs his sons) Do whatever it takes! I'll make the mistakes! I'll keep you safe and keep this secret!
(Meanwhile, Vagner climbs the outside of the hotel)
Vagner: (Singing) When I saw your face, you made me feel like a stranger in a brand new place and it felt so good to be understood. But there's so much I wished that I could say. So I...I'll be your armor, do whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes, I'll spend my life being your partner.
Carmillo: And I don't know what we might face, But I know I can't replace you so I'll do anything to save you!
Vagner: And I will try to make your dreams come true!
Vagner and Carmillo: Whatever we go through. I know I....
Carmillo: I'll be your keeper
Vagner: I'll be your armor!
Carmillo and Vagner: Whatever it takes!
Carmillo: I'll make the mistakes!
Vagner: I'll make the mistakes!
Carmillo and Vagner: Whatever it takes!
(Meanwhile, some of the Egg Girls are dumpster diving)
Egg Girl #3: Ooohh. This smells like fun. Ooh, I love garbage.
(Frankie get out of the elevator and Alice stops her)
Alice: So, what did you hear?
Frankie: First, the old woman w-was all "you're not yourself, you're the one who killed the angel" a-a-and the he was all (Singing) Whatever it takes!
Alice: And then what was that last thing?
Frankie: He killed the angel?
Alice: Interesting. Let's keep this between us, shall we?
Frankie: You got it, boss!
(At the hotel, Vagner finds Charles at the hotel)
Vagner: Hey.
Charles: Hey.
Vagner: I'm sorry I got so crazy today.
Charles: No, no, I'm sorry. I'm put pressure on you. We work as a team. I guess I just thought all this would be easier, but we'll figure it out...Together. I mean, look what your exercise did for them.
(In the sitting room below everyone is laughing)
Angela: And then when that buff girl started beating the shit outta you.
Miss Pentious: Ha ha! Yeah, with the desmembered arm. Yes, that, was, particularly unpleasent.
Niffter: He he. I liked that part.
Hisky: Well hey, at least you can take a beating like a champ. You did okay, new kid.
Miss Pentious: Really? Oh, well, I suppose I did get into a little of the old rough and tumblr today. (Laughs) And, uh...Thank you for pullinh me out of there. (Angela staps her back)
(Everyone laugh and giggle, the girls stop, but Niffter keeps laughing manically)
Vagner: Well, how about that?
(Alice returns)
Vagner: Alice. Failed to get rid of the eggs, I see.
Alice: Yes, well, the little monsters prove to be rather useful.
Vagner: Why don't you give them back to Pentious?
Miss Pentious: Really?
Vagner: Yeah. After today, I guess I can trust you with them. But seriously, no more weapons.
Miss Pentious: Ahhhh! (Hugs the Egg Girls) My eggs! Yeah. Oh, it's so good to have you back. Now go clean my quarters this instant!
Charles: Maybe things will move faster than you think.
(In Pentious' room)
Miss Pentious: Ah! How was your day with Alastor, my minions?
Frankie: It was awesome, boss. I went to this meeting and there was a knife guy, an old lady and a dinosaur.
Miss Pentious: Umm. That's nice.
Frnkie: And the knife guy killed an angel. And I was not suppose to be talking about it.
Miss Pentious: Oh, I'm so sure and maybe you'll meet martians tomorrow. Bit now it's time to sleep. Good night, Eggies. (The egg women sleep over her and they all go to sleep)
(The end credits start playing)
2024.06.01 16:08 zenkoph Finally got my first cc â€ïž
 | After getting regularized from my job I finally got approved for a cc. submitted by zenkoph to PHCreditCards [link] [comments] I canât wait to use it but unfortunately I experienced the âNo credit card for activationâ bug when using the QR to activate so I have to wait until next week to get it activated đ„Č Anyway I just wanted to share my excitement as Iâve been scrolling in this subreddit for some time now even not having a cc yet. Sharing my timeline: April 21 - applied for a cc online April 22 - got the confirmation text that my application was received May 16 - got regularized and decided to follow up my application via their hotline and was asked if I was regular already May 28 - received the welcome to BPI CC text May 30 - received my Intervolve tracking number June 1 - contacted Intervolve via email to give my contact details & their CS called me to inform that it was in my mailbox already (I live in a condo) Got 120k CL which was not expected, and if ur still reading this do you think itâs worth to jump from BPI Blue to Gold? |
2024.06.01 16:06 secret58_ r/USdefaultism monthly report â May 2024
 | Hello, everyone. This is the May 2024 monthly report. This covers 2nd through 31st of May (the last 30 days). submitted by secret58_ to USdefaultism [link] [comments] Overview of the month
Subreddit unique views Subreddit members growth Staff insights
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Moderation Team. |
2024.06.01 16:02 AdventurousMix3825 Best Communication Strategies When SHTF
When a crisis strikes, effective communication becomes crucial for survival. Whether it's staying informed about the situation, coordinating with family and friends, or calling for help, having a solid communication plan can make all the difference.
Here are the best ways to stay connected when SHTF:
What communication methods do you use in your prepping plans? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
submitted by AdventurousMix3825 to PrepAhead [link] [comments]
Here are the best ways to stay connected when SHTF:
1. Family Communication Plan
- Establish a Meeting Point: Designate a safe location where everyone can meet if separated.
- Contact List: Create a list of important contacts, including family members, neighbors, and emergency services.
- Communication Tree: Set up a chain of communication so everyone knows who to contact if the primary person is unreachable.
2. Battery-Operated or Hand-Crank Radio
- NOAA Weather Radio: Essential for receiving emergency weather updates and alerts.
- AM/FM Radio: Stay informed about local news and developments.
- Hand-Crank Models: Ensure you have a radio that doesnât rely on batteries alone.
3. Walkie-Talkies
- Short-Range Communication: Ideal for staying in touch within a few miles.
- Multiple Channels: Choose models with multiple channels to avoid interference.
- Battery Backup: Keep extra batteries on hand or choose models with rechargeable options.
4. HAM Radios
- Long-Range Communication: Can transmit over hundreds of miles.
- Licensing: Requires a license, so get trained and licensed before an emergency.
- Community Networks: Join local HAM radio groups for support and information.
5. Satellite Phones
- Global Coverage: Work anywhere in the world, independent of cell towers.
- Expensive but Reliable: More costly than other options, but reliable in remote areas.
- Emergency Numbers: Program essential contacts and emergency numbers.
6. CB Radios (Citizen Band)
- No License Required: Easy to use with no licensing needed.
- Truckers and Preppers: Commonly used by truckers, so a good way to get road updates.
- Limited Range: Typically works within a few miles.
7. Signal Mirrors and Whistles
- Visual and Auditory Signals: Effective for attracting attention in daylight and open areas.
- Simple and Reliable: No power needed, just skill and practice.
8. Text Messaging
- When Networks Are Overloaded: Text messages can often get through when voice calls canât.
- Pre-Written Messages: Keep important information pre-written to send quickly.
9. Apps and Social Media
- Emergency Alerts: Apps like FEMA, Red Cross, and local emergency services provide updates.
- Offline Messaging Apps: Apps like FireChat can work without the internet if both parties have the app installed.
10. Practice and Drills
- Regular Drills: Practice your communication plan regularly with your family.
- Testing Equipment: Ensure all devices are in working order and everyone knows how to use them.
- Updating Plans: Review and update your communication plan regularly.
What communication methods do you use in your prepping plans? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
2024.06.01 16:02 EmmaWatsonButDumber Heard something in the wall or ceiling? Call us!
Hello!
We are an independent organization with one purpose: to make you feel good in your own home and restore the peace and quiet! We deal in all kinds of intruders, from cockroaches to rats to racoons: all sizes and shapes and colors! Safety and comfort is one call away!
We offer a high variety of services, accommodated to your needs and enquiries, and have a flexible schedule. Call us anytime!
That's the job I work at. For privacy reasons, I won't say the name of the company.
The pay is decent, the hours are flexible, and I get uniforms on the house and meals. Yes, I do have to deal with all kinds of infested homes: from termites to roaches to bees, and even 'intruders' like racoons, foxes, once even a snake. It can be dangerous, but I take my precautions.
I can also take phone duty if I'm feeling particularly lazy. Like last week. Don't imagine we're working non-stop: we rarely get any calls. Not a lot of incidents happen around here, in this village.
Last week, however, I had three calls, which was interesting enough by itself, because I rarely get this much activity. Three calls also meant that I had to go do ground duty, because we didn't have enough personal for three interventions in one day.
The first call happened at around 6PM.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
Hi, yeah, my name is Emily and I think there's something in my ceiling.
"Hi, Emily! Could you describe the issue with a bit more details? What kind of noises are you hearing, any signs of anything living up there... anything like that can help a lot."
Okay, um... so I've been hearing these faint scratches, like rats? The scratches started yesterday, around midnight, and at first I thought it was the rain, you know... the way you can hear each individual drop fall on the roof of your house... Then I imagined it must've been the birds, but I ended up realizing it was coming from the attic, because I, uh, I heard the scratches... like... coming from right above me. And I thought something had gotten into the house - I live next to Helene-
"Right, so the gas station. Which one, exactly? The one you pass by going to Kaden or the other one down the road to the bridge?"
No, the one down the road. To the bridge, right next to the creek. My house is the blue one right when the town starts. I don't have any neighbors. It's Pollen Street no. 3. So, you know, I'm afraid something got into the house from the forest. It wouldn't be the first time. I just hope this time, it isn't a snake. But snakes don't scratch like that.
"Are you hearing the scratches now?"
They're really faint, but persistent. Could be rats.
*"*Okay, Emily! We'll be on our way soon."
Thank you.
I sent the team over there, but they couldn't find anything out of place. No insects, no animals. No rats.
The next call came around 10PM.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
Hello. I keep hearing these scratches and thuds coming from the ceiling, and I think it moves to the walls. I'm not sure, though, but there's definitely something in there.
"Could you describe the issue with a bit more details? Anything like that can help a lot."
The noises started like three hours ago. At first, I thought it was the pipes, but they're too... rhythmic. Like footsteps or more like something dragging its limbs through the walls. I don't understand and I can't identify the animal. It sounds big. This is an old house, and it's relatively easy to dig through it. I've never heard anything like it.
"Where is it, right now?"
I can't hear anything right now. I don't know where it went.
"Could you tell us your address?"
Pollen Street no. 7.
My stomach tensed. Could it be a coincidence? Maybe some raccoon was making its way through homes...
"All right, thank you. We'll be on our way!"
I sent the team to the location, and was left alone with Andrew, a coworker. The night had fallen and I hated night interventions, so I hoped the phone wouldn't ring again until they came back. Honestly, I was pretty relaxed. There wasn't such a high chance that I'd get any other calls for the day-
Riiiiiiing.
I lifted my head from the lasagna. Me and Andrew stared at each other.
Riiiiiiing.
It had been... what, like 30 minutes since the last call? The fuck?
Andrew raised his shoulders. I stood up and lifted the receptor.
"This is... um, XXX Exterminators. How can I help you?" I mumbled.
There was a pause on the other line, then heavy breathing.
"Sir? ... Madam? Are you okay? What happened?"
It fucking dragged something into the house.
"What do you mean? Who dragged what? Sir, be more precise."
Andrew's eyes widened. "What?" he whispered.
I shook my head and motioned to him to be quiet.
"Sir, what's going on?"
Something broke into my, my house. But there's two of them. Two... DISTINCT... bodies. Not a raccoon. Not a bird. No, and at first I thought there were two alive things, but as I listened more I realized one of them was... dragging the other. Across my attic. On my fucking ceiling. I don't even know how it got there... I ain't heard anything like climbing on the house... Like it just landed on the roof then dug down to the attic. I don't know.
"... Right."
No, I'm not done. I got scared shitless, because I thought it was a person at first. It sounded big enough to be a person. I was like, shit, it's a murderer, but that was until I heard it... eating.
*"*Eating? What do you mean?"
Andrew frowned. The fuck? he mouthed.
Yeah. I can hear this heavy thing eating right above me, and I hear the floorboard of the attic creaking. I'm afraid it's gonna come down. The thing is dragging something... heavy. Fucking hell... please just come. I wanted to call 911, but I know it's not human.
"All right. I will send someone right away. Address and name, please?"
"Who are you gonna send?" Andrew asked. "There's just us-"
Finnick Gallen. Pollen Street no. 11
Fuck me.
"Okay. Sir, we'll be on our way."
After I hung up, a moment of silence followed, where me and Andrew just stood there, perplexed.
"You know it's us that have to go there, right?" Andrew asked.
"I'd really rather not."
"Then call Walt. Ask him if they're finished there. Are the houses close to each other?"
"All three calls came from the same street. Pollen Street. Near the forest."
"Fuuck. Yeah, call them."
I dialed Walt's number. It took a while for him to pick up.
"Hi! Walt? You done there? Cause I got another call..."
"Liam, there was no one in that house."
My hand was shaking on the receptor. "What do you mean?"
"There was no creature, no person, nothing. However, the scene is rather... interesting. I'm afraid we'll be busy here for a while."
"Why?"
"The windows are broken. Furniture destroyed. The attic is covered in scratches and broken wood. And there's the blood... it's fresh. I don't know what happened here, but we need to find your caller. And the intruder. We're searching the property."
"Right." I responded, my mouth dry.
The third call had mentioned something dragging something else...
We need to find your caller.
I think I knew where he was.
I had never been so afraid. As me and Andrew put on our uniforms, I couldn't help but wonder if I should get the police involved. This was no snake, no fox, no bear. The most frustrating thing was that I didn't know what it was.
We took a deep breath and drove into the night.
Reached our destination pretty fast. I know what you'll say: if the houses' numbers were so close, why couldn't Walt just take a look at number 11 too? Well, the numbers were really far apart. This area wasn't so populated.
I reached this cabin with its lights on. We hesitated, then got out of the car and knocked on the door.
I got an instant response - Finnick opened, pale and shaking. "I am so, so glad you came."
I was used to clients being afraid. Finnick, however, was deeply shaken. His eyes were glossy and his movements irregular - he sensed the same thing I had, that something sinister was going on, but we couldn't quite label it out. I tried to remain calm.
"Sir, you can wait in the car if you want."
He didn't need to be told twice. Me and Andrew made our way upstairs, to the master bedroom.
The house looked pretty normal. Nothing out of place, and nothing broken like on number 7. The bedroom had old, creaking furniture and floors - it was undeniable that something was in the ceiling. I could hear the sound of something being torn apart, and scratching. So much scratching. The ceiling was old too, consisting in some slabs. Andrew and I took out our equipment, gathering our courage to go inside the attic.
Had the slabs always had this... red tint? I raised my hand and felt them - they were humid and smelled like metal.
"Andrew, get your gun."
Pulling the attic stairs down, I tried to be as quiet as possible. I didn't want to make our presence known.
As silent as we tried to be, the stairs creaked obnoxiously and I closed my eyes. Fuck.
The sounds upstairs stopped.
"Okay, you go first." I told Andrew.
"Fuck you", he responded, then disappeared into the darkness.
I heard his footsteps, then a loud, echoing scream that turned into an inhuman wail. My first instinct was to crouch and stay on the ground, with my hands on my ears. Then, I heard two gunshots and Andrew cursing.
More gunshots followed. Then, glass breaking and something batting its wings and wailing. The voice was not human, but had some inflexions of a woman - it made my skin crawl.
The attic window was broken, and the thing had flown away. I don't know why, but I pulled away the curtain to the bedroom and looked outside, for any signs of what it could have been.
When Andrew came back down, he was crying. I had never seen him cry.
"I saw it... I saw it... I saw hell, Liam. I looked right at it. I saw it happen."
The sweet smell from the attic made me gag. I put on my mask and went upstairs, leaving Andrew frozen, staring into a corner.
The light didn't work, so I had to use my flashlight. The floor was humid and darkened in blood, and the smell lingered, putrid and overwhelming. I couldn't understand at first what I was seeing, and at first it had no impact on me. I didn't realize I was staring at what would turn out to be the second caller.
I have never dealt with gore, so my head didn't know how to take it. I guess I knew in some sort of way that that inflated shape was supposed to be the head, and what was above it were the limbs... the stomach lay somewhere farther, and the torso was dug into. I was in shock, and the images just didn't seem real. Above the body, it had carved something on the wooden wall. Some symbol.
My face felt numb. Remaining in the same position, I made a call.
"Hey, Walt?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you guys done there?"
"Are you ok? You sound... weird."
"Yeah, um..." I blinked a few times, then cleared my voice. "Are you done there?"
"We didn't find anything. Did you guys do the other intervention?"
"Oh, yeah. We did."
"And?"
"We found the caller. Not all of him, though. And the thing is gone now. Probably resting."
"What?"
"Yeah. You might want to come."
Since then, I have been giving interviews non-stop. Asked to describe the three calls and our interventions. The creature. I told them everything.
Well, almost everything.
That night, I had looked through the window as an instinct.
I don't know why. You know how the most horrible things have a way of drawing you in.
Pulled the curtain, placed my face close to the window. I hadn't heard it fly away yet. I should have waited for it to leave.
In the darkness, I saw two eyes shimmering a few inches from mine, two eyes that looked so human, I almost thought it was my reflection I was seeing. Except, well, they were upside down, and the other parts of the face had been kind of carved into the flesh, with blood drained skin sort of stretched over them. Behind the head, large wings, made the same way. It turned its head so it wasn't upside down anymore, but the body remained exactly the same. I felt it had wanted to see me better.
Then, it pressed its forehead onto the glass. Fear paralyzed me, but I remained still. I hadn't known it had a mouth until then, when it smiled. It had no teeth, just more skin - not even gums, not even a tongue.
Then, it flew away. The rest of its body was stretched out, the limbs curved and molded from the grey flesh. I watched it disappear into the night, leaving nothing but a bloody stain on the window, where it's forehead had been.
I didn't get a lot of sleep after that. I was hesitant to return to the job, but I had no better option.
It has been exactly a week since then. As I am typing this, it is almost midnight, and I got a call earlier.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
There is something in my ceiling, scratching-
*"*Address?"
You didn't even let me finish! Pollen Street, no. 13-
*"*Ma'am, get out. Just leave. Trust me."
What?
"Yeah, fuck no we ain't helping you with that. It's beyond us. That shit needs a priest."
Are you kidding?
*"*Nope."
As I hang up, I know we can't run from that forever.
And there's this other thing I know.
My address is Hamney Lane no. 34. Right across from Pollen Street.
submitted by EmmaWatsonButDumber to nosleep [link] [comments]
We are an independent organization with one purpose: to make you feel good in your own home and restore the peace and quiet! We deal in all kinds of intruders, from cockroaches to rats to racoons: all sizes and shapes and colors! Safety and comfort is one call away!
We offer a high variety of services, accommodated to your needs and enquiries, and have a flexible schedule. Call us anytime!
That's the job I work at. For privacy reasons, I won't say the name of the company.
The pay is decent, the hours are flexible, and I get uniforms on the house and meals. Yes, I do have to deal with all kinds of infested homes: from termites to roaches to bees, and even 'intruders' like racoons, foxes, once even a snake. It can be dangerous, but I take my precautions.
I can also take phone duty if I'm feeling particularly lazy. Like last week. Don't imagine we're working non-stop: we rarely get any calls. Not a lot of incidents happen around here, in this village.
Last week, however, I had three calls, which was interesting enough by itself, because I rarely get this much activity. Three calls also meant that I had to go do ground duty, because we didn't have enough personal for three interventions in one day.
The first call happened at around 6PM.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
Hi, yeah, my name is Emily and I think there's something in my ceiling.
"Hi, Emily! Could you describe the issue with a bit more details? What kind of noises are you hearing, any signs of anything living up there... anything like that can help a lot."
Okay, um... so I've been hearing these faint scratches, like rats? The scratches started yesterday, around midnight, and at first I thought it was the rain, you know... the way you can hear each individual drop fall on the roof of your house... Then I imagined it must've been the birds, but I ended up realizing it was coming from the attic, because I, uh, I heard the scratches... like... coming from right above me. And I thought something had gotten into the house - I live next to Helene-
"Right, so the gas station. Which one, exactly? The one you pass by going to Kaden or the other one down the road to the bridge?"
No, the one down the road. To the bridge, right next to the creek. My house is the blue one right when the town starts. I don't have any neighbors. It's Pollen Street no. 3. So, you know, I'm afraid something got into the house from the forest. It wouldn't be the first time. I just hope this time, it isn't a snake. But snakes don't scratch like that.
"Are you hearing the scratches now?"
They're really faint, but persistent. Could be rats.
*"*Okay, Emily! We'll be on our way soon."
Thank you.
I sent the team over there, but they couldn't find anything out of place. No insects, no animals. No rats.
The next call came around 10PM.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
Hello. I keep hearing these scratches and thuds coming from the ceiling, and I think it moves to the walls. I'm not sure, though, but there's definitely something in there.
"Could you describe the issue with a bit more details? Anything like that can help a lot."
The noises started like three hours ago. At first, I thought it was the pipes, but they're too... rhythmic. Like footsteps or more like something dragging its limbs through the walls. I don't understand and I can't identify the animal. It sounds big. This is an old house, and it's relatively easy to dig through it. I've never heard anything like it.
"Where is it, right now?"
I can't hear anything right now. I don't know where it went.
"Could you tell us your address?"
Pollen Street no. 7.
My stomach tensed. Could it be a coincidence? Maybe some raccoon was making its way through homes...
"All right, thank you. We'll be on our way!"
I sent the team to the location, and was left alone with Andrew, a coworker. The night had fallen and I hated night interventions, so I hoped the phone wouldn't ring again until they came back. Honestly, I was pretty relaxed. There wasn't such a high chance that I'd get any other calls for the day-
Riiiiiiing.
I lifted my head from the lasagna. Me and Andrew stared at each other.
Riiiiiiing.
It had been... what, like 30 minutes since the last call? The fuck?
Andrew raised his shoulders. I stood up and lifted the receptor.
"This is... um, XXX Exterminators. How can I help you?" I mumbled.
There was a pause on the other line, then heavy breathing.
"Sir? ... Madam? Are you okay? What happened?"
It fucking dragged something into the house.
"What do you mean? Who dragged what? Sir, be more precise."
Andrew's eyes widened. "What?" he whispered.
I shook my head and motioned to him to be quiet.
"Sir, what's going on?"
Something broke into my, my house. But there's two of them. Two... DISTINCT... bodies. Not a raccoon. Not a bird. No, and at first I thought there were two alive things, but as I listened more I realized one of them was... dragging the other. Across my attic. On my fucking ceiling. I don't even know how it got there... I ain't heard anything like climbing on the house... Like it just landed on the roof then dug down to the attic. I don't know.
"... Right."
No, I'm not done. I got scared shitless, because I thought it was a person at first. It sounded big enough to be a person. I was like, shit, it's a murderer, but that was until I heard it... eating.
*"*Eating? What do you mean?"
Andrew frowned. The fuck? he mouthed.
Yeah. I can hear this heavy thing eating right above me, and I hear the floorboard of the attic creaking. I'm afraid it's gonna come down. The thing is dragging something... heavy. Fucking hell... please just come. I wanted to call 911, but I know it's not human.
"All right. I will send someone right away. Address and name, please?"
"Who are you gonna send?" Andrew asked. "There's just us-"
Finnick Gallen. Pollen Street no. 11
Fuck me.
"Okay. Sir, we'll be on our way."
After I hung up, a moment of silence followed, where me and Andrew just stood there, perplexed.
"You know it's us that have to go there, right?" Andrew asked.
"I'd really rather not."
"Then call Walt. Ask him if they're finished there. Are the houses close to each other?"
"All three calls came from the same street. Pollen Street. Near the forest."
"Fuuck. Yeah, call them."
I dialed Walt's number. It took a while for him to pick up.
"Hi! Walt? You done there? Cause I got another call..."
"Liam, there was no one in that house."
My hand was shaking on the receptor. "What do you mean?"
"There was no creature, no person, nothing. However, the scene is rather... interesting. I'm afraid we'll be busy here for a while."
"Why?"
"The windows are broken. Furniture destroyed. The attic is covered in scratches and broken wood. And there's the blood... it's fresh. I don't know what happened here, but we need to find your caller. And the intruder. We're searching the property."
"Right." I responded, my mouth dry.
The third call had mentioned something dragging something else...
We need to find your caller.
I think I knew where he was.
I had never been so afraid. As me and Andrew put on our uniforms, I couldn't help but wonder if I should get the police involved. This was no snake, no fox, no bear. The most frustrating thing was that I didn't know what it was.
We took a deep breath and drove into the night.
Reached our destination pretty fast. I know what you'll say: if the houses' numbers were so close, why couldn't Walt just take a look at number 11 too? Well, the numbers were really far apart. This area wasn't so populated.
I reached this cabin with its lights on. We hesitated, then got out of the car and knocked on the door.
I got an instant response - Finnick opened, pale and shaking. "I am so, so glad you came."
I was used to clients being afraid. Finnick, however, was deeply shaken. His eyes were glossy and his movements irregular - he sensed the same thing I had, that something sinister was going on, but we couldn't quite label it out. I tried to remain calm.
"Sir, you can wait in the car if you want."
He didn't need to be told twice. Me and Andrew made our way upstairs, to the master bedroom.
The house looked pretty normal. Nothing out of place, and nothing broken like on number 7. The bedroom had old, creaking furniture and floors - it was undeniable that something was in the ceiling. I could hear the sound of something being torn apart, and scratching. So much scratching. The ceiling was old too, consisting in some slabs. Andrew and I took out our equipment, gathering our courage to go inside the attic.
Had the slabs always had this... red tint? I raised my hand and felt them - they were humid and smelled like metal.
"Andrew, get your gun."
Pulling the attic stairs down, I tried to be as quiet as possible. I didn't want to make our presence known.
As silent as we tried to be, the stairs creaked obnoxiously and I closed my eyes. Fuck.
The sounds upstairs stopped.
"Okay, you go first." I told Andrew.
"Fuck you", he responded, then disappeared into the darkness.
I heard his footsteps, then a loud, echoing scream that turned into an inhuman wail. My first instinct was to crouch and stay on the ground, with my hands on my ears. Then, I heard two gunshots and Andrew cursing.
More gunshots followed. Then, glass breaking and something batting its wings and wailing. The voice was not human, but had some inflexions of a woman - it made my skin crawl.
The attic window was broken, and the thing had flown away. I don't know why, but I pulled away the curtain to the bedroom and looked outside, for any signs of what it could have been.
When Andrew came back down, he was crying. I had never seen him cry.
"I saw it... I saw it... I saw hell, Liam. I looked right at it. I saw it happen."
The sweet smell from the attic made me gag. I put on my mask and went upstairs, leaving Andrew frozen, staring into a corner.
The light didn't work, so I had to use my flashlight. The floor was humid and darkened in blood, and the smell lingered, putrid and overwhelming. I couldn't understand at first what I was seeing, and at first it had no impact on me. I didn't realize I was staring at what would turn out to be the second caller.
I have never dealt with gore, so my head didn't know how to take it. I guess I knew in some sort of way that that inflated shape was supposed to be the head, and what was above it were the limbs... the stomach lay somewhere farther, and the torso was dug into. I was in shock, and the images just didn't seem real. Above the body, it had carved something on the wooden wall. Some symbol.
My face felt numb. Remaining in the same position, I made a call.
"Hey, Walt?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you guys done there?"
"Are you ok? You sound... weird."
"Yeah, um..." I blinked a few times, then cleared my voice. "Are you done there?"
"We didn't find anything. Did you guys do the other intervention?"
"Oh, yeah. We did."
"And?"
"We found the caller. Not all of him, though. And the thing is gone now. Probably resting."
"What?"
"Yeah. You might want to come."
Since then, I have been giving interviews non-stop. Asked to describe the three calls and our interventions. The creature. I told them everything.
Well, almost everything.
That night, I had looked through the window as an instinct.
I don't know why. You know how the most horrible things have a way of drawing you in.
Pulled the curtain, placed my face close to the window. I hadn't heard it fly away yet. I should have waited for it to leave.
In the darkness, I saw two eyes shimmering a few inches from mine, two eyes that looked so human, I almost thought it was my reflection I was seeing. Except, well, they were upside down, and the other parts of the face had been kind of carved into the flesh, with blood drained skin sort of stretched over them. Behind the head, large wings, made the same way. It turned its head so it wasn't upside down anymore, but the body remained exactly the same. I felt it had wanted to see me better.
Then, it pressed its forehead onto the glass. Fear paralyzed me, but I remained still. I hadn't known it had a mouth until then, when it smiled. It had no teeth, just more skin - not even gums, not even a tongue.
Then, it flew away. The rest of its body was stretched out, the limbs curved and molded from the grey flesh. I watched it disappear into the night, leaving nothing but a bloody stain on the window, where it's forehead had been.
I didn't get a lot of sleep after that. I was hesitant to return to the job, but I had no better option.
It has been exactly a week since then. As I am typing this, it is almost midnight, and I got a call earlier.
"Hello, this is XXX Exterminators, where the safety of your home is our priority. How can I help you today?"
There is something in my ceiling, scratching-
*"*Address?"
You didn't even let me finish! Pollen Street, no. 13-
*"*Ma'am, get out. Just leave. Trust me."
What?
"Yeah, fuck no we ain't helping you with that. It's beyond us. That shit needs a priest."
Are you kidding?
*"*Nope."
As I hang up, I know we can't run from that forever.
And there's this other thing I know.
My address is Hamney Lane no. 34. Right across from Pollen Street.
2024.06.01 15:53 bryanchii Last month revenue for astra
 | submitted by bryanchii to astraknightsofveda [link] [comments] |
2024.06.01 15:45 coasttocoastgenetics {UPDATED} Rare Heirloom Cannabis Seeds for Sale - NY
{UPDATED} Rare Heirloom Cannabis Seeds for Sale - NY
Hey everyone! I was pleased by the overwhelming interest I got in my collection, as someone who has a passion for building soil and hunting beans for unique phenos the last 15 years. I am glad how many people appreciate true one of kind heirloom genetics!
Why am I getting rid of them? Simply put - I am trying to go the legit route and this state is making it beyond difficult. I need to recoup and regroup. Any support is much appreciated. Iâve waited my whole life for this.
Pricing - I updated below. Much of my collection is very hard to find one of kind stuff that is highly sought after. No random pollen chucking, true bred stabilized genomes. Thereâs a lot of history in that list as well if youâre someone who understands the genomics of the plant. Youâll see breeder, where theyâre out of, the strain name, the cross and a little bit of history / description on some of it. Some very very special stuff. Pricing is either what I paid for it or a little more if itâs something special thatâs not easy to find or not being bred anymore.
*Each strain is in original packaging stored in a curidor at a steady 52 degrees, no light, no humidity. I find this is the best way to store beans for long term storage and guaranteed high germination rates. I usually get 97-100% germ rate with my germination method which I will include on a printed out sheet for anyone who grabs any of my offerings. I want you to succeed and find something special - I cherish my collection and sad to see a lot of it go but you gotta do what you gotta do. Iâd really like to see this stuff go to growers who care about the plant and preserving the uniqueness to it for years to come. Hope all of this helps
Here is the full list:
coasttocoastgenetics@gmail.com (get in touch)
{Regs}
{Fems}
submitted by coasttocoastgenetics to gardening [link] [comments]
Hey everyone! I was pleased by the overwhelming interest I got in my collection, as someone who has a passion for building soil and hunting beans for unique phenos the last 15 years. I am glad how many people appreciate true one of kind heirloom genetics!
Why am I getting rid of them? Simply put - I am trying to go the legit route and this state is making it beyond difficult. I need to recoup and regroup. Any support is much appreciated. Iâve waited my whole life for this.
Pricing - I updated below. Much of my collection is very hard to find one of kind stuff that is highly sought after. No random pollen chucking, true bred stabilized genomes. Thereâs a lot of history in that list as well if youâre someone who understands the genomics of the plant. Youâll see breeder, where theyâre out of, the strain name, the cross and a little bit of history / description on some of it. Some very very special stuff. Pricing is either what I paid for it or a little more if itâs something special thatâs not easy to find or not being bred anymore.
*Each strain is in original packaging stored in a curidor at a steady 52 degrees, no light, no humidity. I find this is the best way to store beans for long term storage and guaranteed high germination rates. I usually get 97-100% germ rate with my germination method which I will include on a printed out sheet for anyone who grabs any of my offerings. I want you to succeed and find something special - I cherish my collection and sad to see a lot of it go but you gotta do what you gotta do. Iâd really like to see this stuff go to growers who care about the plant and preserving the uniqueness to it for years to come. Hope all of this helps
Here is the full list:
coasttocoastgenetics@gmail.com (get in touch)
{Regs}
~ Oni Seed Co (Maine) ~Tropicanna Cookies F2 - Girl Scout Cookies x Tangie (multiple award winner) [R] 250 ~ Elev8 Seeds (Seattle, Washington) Tangerine Cookies - Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Tangie [R] 120
~ Mountain Organics ~Cosmic Lotus - Gonzo x TOVR (Thai, Afghan, Haze, Northern Lights) [R] 120 Maya - Acapulco Gold x Lotus [R] 120 Gold Rush - Colombian Gold x Lotus [R] 120 The One BC1 - 1976 Highland Thai x 1971 Kandahar Afghani [R] {Clackamus Coot} 150 {See Mountain Organics Genetics PDF (now MOB seeds) for more info on genetic lineages.} ~ MOB seeds (Mountain Organics) ~ Psyche - The One BC1 x The One BC1 (Afghani Hybrid) [R] 120 Eros - The One BC1 x The One BC1 (Thai Hybrid) [R] 120 The One BC2 - The One x The One BC1 [R] 120 Morpho (Blue Lotus F2) - Blue Gonzo x Lotus [R] 120 Blue Gonzo BC1 - Blue Gonzo x Blue Lotus [R] 120 {Blue Gonzo - The One x (Nevilles Haze x NL5) (blue pheno)}
~ Symbiotic Genetics / The Village (Sacramento, California) ~Mimosa - Clementine x Purple Punch F2 [R] (multiple award winner) 200 Banana Punch - Banana OG x Purple Punch F2 [R] 200 Cherry Punch - Cherry AK47 x Purple Punch F2 [R] 200 Wedding Crashers - Wedding Cake x Purple Punch F2 [R] 200 Orangeade - Tangie x Purple Punch F2 [R] 200 Big Block - Motorbreath 15 x Purple Punch F2 [R] 200 {Purple Punch lineage - Larry OG x Granddaddy Purple}
~ Exotic Genetix - EG Mike (Washington) ~{Over 50x Cannabis Cup Awards since 2008} Tina F2 - (Tina x Tina) Constantine x Triple OG [R] (multiple award winner) 200 Paradise Circus - Tropicanna Cookies x Tina [R] 200 Cookies & Creme - Mystery Cookies x Starfighter F2 [R] (multiple award winner) 250 Big Smooth - OG Blueberry x Cookies & Creme [R] 200 Scoops - (Gelato x Tina) x Cookies & Creme F2 [R] 200 Strawberries & Creme F2 - Strawberry x Cookies & Creme F2 [R] 250
~ Dying Breed Seeds - Shiloh Massive (Mendocino, California) ~California Black Rozé - Rozé x OG eddy [R] 350 Red Rozé - Rozé x Adonai [R] 350 Sour Zkittlez - Zkittlez x Candy Zkittlez #3 x Adonai [R] 400 Watermelon Zkittlez - Watermelon Zum Zum #3 x OG Eddy [R] 400 {Zkittlez - Grape Ape x Grapefruit} {Adonai - (Russian Kush (LA Cut) x Silver Tooth (Super Silver Haze x Train Wreck)) x Sweet Tooth}
~ Humboldt Seed Company (Humboldt County, California) ~Blueberry Muffin F5 - Purple Panty Dropper x Razzle Berry [R] 100 Purple Mountain Majesty F3 - Purple Train Wreck x Train Wreck x Blueberry Muffin [R] 100 Amethyst F3 - Purple Panty Dropper x Blueberry Muffin [R] 100 Mango Sherbert F3 - Mango Trees x Mango Kush x Sherbert [R] 100 {2018/2019 HSC Phenotype mega hunt - Best 0.1% selected out of 10k plants} Mango Trees F5 - Mango Kush x Humboldt OG x Jack Herer [R] 100 Banana Mango F3 - Mango Trees x Banana OG x Blueberry Muffin [R] 100 Magic Melon F3 - Mango Trees x Honeydew Melon x Mango Sherbert [R] 100 Pineapple Upside Down Cake F3 - PUDC BX3 x Pineapple Train Wreck x Cookie Monster [R] 100 {2019/2020 HSC Phenotype mega hunt - Best 0.1% selected out of 10k plants} Very Cherry - Old Timer Seed x Lemon Kush Bx3 [R] 100 Vanilla Frosting - Humboldt Frost OG x Humboldt Gelato Bx3 [R] 100
~ Gage Green Group (Detroit, Michigan) ~Grateful Breath F2 - OGKB (OG Kush Breath) x Joseph OG [R] 400 5th Dimension - Out Of Body Experience x Synchronicity [R] 300 Guiding Light - Out Of Body Experience x Breathwork [R] 300 Luna Golden - High School Sweetheart 2 x Synchronicity [R] 300 Mo Lune Day - Motorbreath 15 x Breathwork [R] 300 {Out of Body Experience - (Skywalker OG x Grateful Breath) x Grateful Breath F2} {Synchronicity - Irene x Grateful Breath} {Breathwork - Mendobreath x Grateful Breath} {High School Sweet Heart - Cherry Pie Kush x Grateful Breath}
~ Dominion Seed Co - Duke Diamond (Virginia) ~Stash Plant - The Puck (Skelly Hashplant) x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 Munson - Northern Lights #5 x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 Kough Drop - Strawberry Afghani x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 Free Bird - Headband x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 Shine Apple - Virginia Beach Afghani x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 Pine Bomb - Sensi Durban Poison x Screaming Eagle [R] 140 {Screaming Eagle lineage - Airborne g13 x (88 g13 Hashplant x Kandahar Afghani)} Granny Skunk - Virginia Beach Afghani x (Skelly Hashplant x SSSC Skunk #1) [R] 200 Local Skunk - Original Diesel x (Cuddlefish HP x Sour Diesel IBL) x (Skelly Hashplant x SSSC Skunk1) [R] 200 Sis Skunk - Chem Sister x (Skelly Hashplant x SSSC Skunk1) [R] 200
~ Lucky Dog Seed Co - SkunkVA (Virginia) ~{Holder, Preserver, Sharer of the most elite / influential Chemdog cuts in existence.} Dog Patch - Chemdog 91 Bx2 x Chemdog D [R] 150 Hunza Valley 91 - Skelly Hashplant x Chemdog 91 Bx3 [R] 150 Road D.O.G. - Crossroad Chem x Chemdog 91 Bx2 [R] 150 Chem Fuego - Sour Band (Sour Diesel x Headband) x Chemdog 91 Bx3 [R] 150 Double Krush - Chem Krush x Chemdog 91 Bx2 [R] 150 Guerilla Fume - Silver Chem (Silverback OG x Chemdog 91) x Chemdog 91 Bx3 [R] 150 Bohemian Highway - Occidental Kush x Chemdog 91 Bx3 [R] 150 SkunkVA Chemdog 91 S1 - Chemdog 91 x Chemdog 91 [F] {Crossroad Chem - Chemdog 91 x SFV OG Kush Bx2 (Chem pheno)} {Chem Krush - Chemdog 91 x SFV OG Kush Bx2 (Kush pheno)} {Chemdog 91 lineage - Nepalese x Thai Landraces} Chemdog 91 is considered to be âthe godfatherâ in cannabis genetics and has paved the way for some of the most popular strains in history such as Sour Diesel and OG Kush. Chemdog lineage can be found in most modern day hybrid genetics and these crosses are from there original seed stock - Original Skunk VA Chemdog 91 S1 gifted to me by Headies Gardens. Friend & Distributor of Skunk VA genetics Lucky Dog Seed Co.}
~ Green Bodhi (Eugene, Oregon) ~{Intentional Horticultural ~ Mexican ~ Thai ~ Afghani} Hazy Kush - Hazy Kush x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] (extremely unique genotype in Phylos Galaxy) 120 Hazy Dog - Dog Walker OG x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] 120 Hazy Star - Stardawg x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] 120 Hazy Sour - Sour OG x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] 120 Hazy OG - OG Kush x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] 120 Hazy Ghost - Ghost OG x Hazy Kush Bx2 [R] 120 Sour 78 (Tenzin Kush) - Sour OG x 78 LA Affie OG [R] (extremely unique genotype) 200 Dog Walker 78 - Dog Walker OG x (Sour OG x 78 LA Affie OG) [R] 150 Kosher 78 - Kosher Kush x (Sour OG x 78 LA Affie OG) [R] 150 SBSE 78 - Sour Best Shit Ever x (Sour OG x 78 LA Affie OG) [R] 150 Ancient Tenzin #2 - Tenzin Kush #2 x Ancient OG (72 Iranian x Snow Lotus) [R] 200 Ancient Tenzin #4 - Tenzin Kush #4 x Ancient OG (72 Iranian x Snow Lotus) [R] 200 {Hazy Kush lineage - Golden Pineapple x ((Trainwreck x Purple Affie) x (OG Kush x SAGE))}
~ Old World Genetics - DJ Short (Eugene, Oregon) ~Newberry F5 - Blue Heaven F4 x DJ Short Blueberry F4 Male [R] 300 Velvet Krush F5 - FXW #4 Mother x DJ Short Blueberry F4 Male [R] 300 Blueberry F5 - Highland Thai x Afghani Indica [R] (first place indica cannabis cup 2000) 150 {Blueberry seeds are F4-F5 selectively bred from pure Landrace P1s since the 1970s. The mother for DJ Shorts Blueberry is over 20 years old - Selected in 1998 and rereleased in 2004.}
~ Dynasty Genetics - Professor P (Portland, Oregon) ~Oregon Huckleberry IBL - Oregon Huckleberry F4 x Oregon Huckleberry Bx3 [R] 150 Mt. Hood Huckleberry F4 - Mt. Hood Huckleberry F3 x Mt. Hood Huckleberry F3 [R] 150 Huckleberry Kush V5 - Oregon Afghani x Oregon Huckleberry [R] 150 Crater Lake V6 - Super Silver Haze F2 x Oregon Huckleberry [R] 120 Alpenglow - Cherry Vanilla Cookies x Oregon Huckleberry 2017 #5 [R] 120 Blue Magoo Bx2 - Blue Magoo x Blue Heron #111 [R] 120 Salmon River OG - Pre 98 Bubba x Blue Heron #111 [R] 120 Birds Of Paradise - Kali Snapple x Blue Heron #111 [R] 120 Starduster - Pre-99 East Coast Sour Diesel x Ms. Universe (clone) [R] 120 {Kali Snapple - (Snowbud x Pineapple) x Kali Mist (Pre 2000)} {Ms. Universe - Dess*tar (Starship x Kali Mist) Mother x Space Queen F3 Farther} {Oregon Huckleberry - Oregon Blueberry (Blueberry X Temple Flo) X Morning Glory (Hawaiian x Afghani x Shiva Skunk)} {Blue Magoo - Oregon Blueberry F4 x Williams Wonder F2} {Blue Heron - Blue Magoo x Blue Magoo / Huckleberry}
~ Relic Seeds - Professor P (Portland, Oregon) ~{Preservation of Rare Heirloom ~ Landrace ~ Unique CBD Varieties} Relic Grapefruit - Grapefruit IBL x Grapefruit F2 [R] 140 Durban Grapefruit - Durban Poison x Grapefruit F2 [R] 140
~ Massive Seeds (Rogue Valley Terroir, Southern Oregon) ~{Bred, Grown and Harvested outdoor at 42.0 Latitude (Same Latitude as mid Hudson Valley) Some of the largest growing / biggest yielding plants on record with massive uniform nugs.} Pineapple Pomegranate F3 - Pomegranate x Applegate Hornblower [R] 140 Durban Pomegranate F2 - Durban Poison x Pineapple Pomegranate F3 [R] 140 Black Pomegranate - Pineapple Pomegranate F3 x South African Landrace [R] 140 Rogue Valley Wreck - Big Wreck x Blueberry Snow [R] 120 Summer Sunset OG - Purple Hindu Kush x Lemon Larry OG [R] 120 Mint Sunset - Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Summer Sunset OG [R] 120 Purple Lemon Chem - Chem 91 x Summer Sunset OG [R] 120 Snow Skunk - Yuki Dog x Purple Lemon Chem [R] 120 Chem541 - Chem91 Bx1 x (Chem91 x Session Sour Diesel BX1) [R] 120 {Pomegranate - Shishkaberry x Blueberry x Oregon Snow x Lemon Pineapple} {Applegate Hornblower (Pineapple Trainwreck) - Mexican x Thai x Afghani}
~ Freeborn Selections - Mene Gene (Mendacino, California) ~Piña F4 - Super Silver Haze x ((Dirt x Bigbud) x (Dirt x Purp) [R] 300 Sky Cuddler Kush F3 - PK x (Skywalker OG x (PK x (Hindu x Big Red) [R] 300 Lime Pop Kush F3 - OG x (PK x Black Lime) [R] 300 Cherry West Bx - Cherry West x (Cherry West x Cherry Limeade) [R] 300 {Thoroughly worked lines over at least 3-4 generations before released to the public.} {(Dirt x Bigbud) x (Dirt x Purp) and (Big Red) are 80s Afghani lines from Santa Cruz.} Black Lime Reserve F2 {Eclectic Elegance Preservation} - Northern Lights x Purple Kush x Chemdog Special Reserve [R]
~ Emerald Mountain Legacy - Mandelbrot Brothers Family Heirlooms {Ras Truth} ~ Royal Kush IX (Bx10) - (Sour Diesel x Highland Afghani) x Southern Humboldt Purple Kush [R] 350 Oil Spill (Bx5) - XXX OG x Royal Kush 7 [R] 300 Royal Spill - (XXX OG x Royal Kush 7) x Royal Kush 8 [R] 300 The Real RozĂ© - (Zkittlez x Royal Kush 7) x Royal Kush 8 [R] 300 Royal Limez - (Zkittlez x Black Lime Reserve) x Royal Kush 8 [R] 300 Royal Maui Berry - Diesel Maui Dawg x Blackberry Kush x Royal Kush 9 [R] 250 {Royal Kush genome is one of the most sought after stabilized / homogenized IBLs in existence from the heart of the Emerald Triangle in Northern California.}~ Karma Genetics (Holland) ~Biker Kush (Ha-OG Bx2) - Ha OG x Biker Kush V1 [R] 150 Sour Power OG - Sour Power (cup winning cut) x Biker Kush V1 [R] 150 Tha Melon - Melon x Biker Kush V1 [R] 150 Karma Sour Diesel Bx2 - Rez Sour D x (Rez Sour D x (Rez Sour D x Biker Kush v2)) [R] 350 Headbanger - Rez Sour D (KG cut) x Biker Kush V1 [R] {2013 Amsterdam Cannabis Cup 1st} 300 Josh D OG - SFV OG x Triangle Kush x Hells Angels OG [R] 300 {Real OG Kush Story - Josh D & Matt âBubbaâ Berger began developing these genetics in Orlando, Florida back in 1991.} {Biker Kush v2 - Ha OG x (Ha OG x (Ha OG x SFV OG Bx2))} (cup winning genetics) {Sour Power - Starbud x East Coast Sour Diesel} (cup winning genetics) {Sour Diesel used in Karma Sour crosses is a KG cut of a Rez Sour D IBL selected in 2007}
~ Surfr Seeds (Pacific Northwest)Citrus Tsunami - Tropicana Cookies x Orange Zkittlez [R] 100 Island Zkittlez - Sour Strawberry x Orange Zkittlez [R] 100 North Shore - Mendo Purps x Orange Zkittlez [R] 100 Endless Summer - Purple Punch x Orange Zkittlez [R] 100 So Pitted - MAC1 x Orange Zkittlez [R] 100
~ Pacific North West Roots - Ras Kaya Paul (Washington) ~Koffee F5 - Alien OG x Alien Kush {Rare Pacific Northwest Roots Hierloom IBL} [R] 300 Black Koffee - Black Dog Kush Bx4 x Koffee F5 [R] 300 Koffee & Donuts - Glazed Cherries F4 x Koffee F5 [R] 300
~ Green Source Gardens (Southern Oregon Heirlooms) ~Pinkleberry Kush F5 {Mendacino Blackberry Kush Hierloom IBL} [R]
~ HBK Genetics ~Chile Verde - Key Lime Pie x Lavender [R] 300 {Emerald Cup 2018 Winner - Best Personal Use} {Key Lime Pie - Durban Poison x Cherry OG x OG Kush} {Lavender - Super Skunk x Big Skunk Korean x Afghani Hawaiian}
~ Alien Genetics ~Sour Apple IX (IBL) - Sour Apple IBL x Sour Apple IBL [R] 350
~ Mos_Cutty ~Cherry AK 47 IBL (Original Serious Seeds stock) 250 {AK47 - Colombian x Mexican x Thai x Afghani} [R]
~ Motherlode Gardens (Yosemite, California) ~Ancient OG F5 - 1972 Iranian Landrace x Snow Lotus {Bodhi Seeds Hierloom IBL} [R] 200
~ Twenty20 Genetics (Mendacino, California) ~SFV OG Bx5 (SFV OG IBL) - San Fernando Valley OG Kush [R] 150
~ Elev8 Seeds (Seattle, Washington)Bruce Banner OG - OG Kush (Ghost Cut) x Strawberry Diesel [R] 140
~ Jaws Genetics ~Fruity Pebbles OG IC1 - Fruity Pebbles OG F2 x Fruity Pebbles OG F1 [R] 200
~ OrgnKid / Zoolander ~Banana OG F3 - OG Kush x Sagmartha strain [R] {Original Seed Stock} 200
~ GG Strains (Las Vegas, Nevada - RIP Joesy Whales) ~Gorilla Glue #4 IBL (Original Glue) - GG4 x GG4 Bx6 [R] 300 {Original Seed Stock of Michigan / Los Angeles High Times Cannabis Cup Winner 2014 and High Times Jamaican World Cup Winner.}
~ FYG Tree (Santa Cruz, CA) ~Black Rose F13 (Heath Robinson IBL) - Black Russian x Shiva Skunk (purple pheno) [R] 200 Shiva Skunk Bx - Shiva Skunk x Black Rose F12 [R]
~ AK Bean Brains (Anchorage, Alaska breeder and old school genetic preservationist holding beans & cuts for over 30 years from original Dutch Seedbank stocks.) ~N L #1 x N L #5 [R] 100 TK/NL5 Haze - Triangle Kush x Northern Lights #5 [R] 100 (Northern Lights #1 x Big Skunk) x Northern Lights #1 [R] 100 (Big Skunk x Northern Lights #1) x Super Skunk [R] 100 95 Black Domina - Northern Lights x Ortega x Hash Plant x Afghani [R] 100 Black Domina Bx (Black Domina x Pacific Northwest Hash Plant) x Northern Lights #1 [R] 100 (Black Domina x Matanuska Thunder Fuck) x Northern Lights #1 [R] 100 Matanuska Thunder Fuck Bx3 - Alaska Thunder Grape x Dutch Thunder Fuck [R] 100 {Northern Lights was brought to Neville Schoenmakers in the Netherlands in 1985, where he worked the line before releasing it under âThe Seed Bank of Hollandâ ~ NL #5 became the High Times Cannabis Cup Winner in 1989, 1990 and 1992 and is considered one of the most influential strains of all time. These seeds have been preserved in Alaska since the late 80s.}
~ The Nature Farm (Real NorCal Culture) ~Cheddar Skunk V2 - 89â UK Cheese (Exodus Cut) x Uncle Festers Skunk #18 IBL [R] 100 Hidden Hills Skunk - 94â SFV OG x Uncle Festers Skunk #18 IBL [R] 100 Uncle Festers Skunk #18 IBL aka Skunkbud - Afghani Indica x Mexican Sativa (64â Brick Weed) x Colombian Gold & Red [R] 100 {Original Hells Angels strain bred in 1964 by âUncle Festerâ an early 60âs psychologist turned outlaw. Authentic Original Skunk #1 lineage that is pre Skunkman. Preserved / held by family in Northern California over 3 generations.}
~ Doc D Seeds ~Bandaid Haze ix 3.0 (Piff) - Cuban Black Haze x A5/Thai [R] 200 (2 packs) {These seeds originally came from a Spanish grower in the âA5 crewâ out of Southern Holland. âA5â was short for their NL#5 x Haze A open Thai pollination project. These seeds were shared with legendary grower Bodhi, who found one male and used it to pollinate a cut of âCuban Black Hazeâ that he had. The strain was referred to as âPiffâ and the seeds were shared almost exclusively with Doc D. After running the seeds, Doc selected âPiff #7â and shared the cut back with Bodhi who further worked the line. The cut was a significantly better long flowering haze variety with a shorter flowering time than the Cuban Black Haze mother or A5 father. Bodhi then later referred to the strain as âBandaid Hazeâ coining the term because he said âit heals all woundsâ This genome has direct lineage to the New York Hazes (NYC Piff / Uptown Piff / Washington Heights Haze) of the 2000s without any of the paranoia/anxiety that came from many of the hazes from that era. Many world renowned breeders agree that most of the âNew York Hazeâ and âNew York City Piffâ varieties are all just different cuts of the same strain, that most likely comes from an early selection of Neville Schoenmakers (NL#5 x Haze) which is often referred to as the âpinnacle of cannabis breedingâ that has dominated cannabis scene from the 1980s in Holland to the present day.}
{Fems}
~ Mass Medical Strains (Massachusetts) ~Star Pupil - Purple Thai x Afghan/Pakistan [F] 150 {High Times Flower of Month - Jan. 2017} Pu Tang - Star Pupil x Tangie [F] {High Times Top 10 Strains of 2019} 150 Grape Pupil - Pu Tang x Star Pupil [F] 150 Triangle Pupil - Triangle Kush x Star Pupil [F] 150 Bubba Pupil - Pre-98 Bubba Kush (Katsu Bluebird) x Star Pupil [F] 150 Nepali Blue - Nepalese White Mountain Charas Sativa Heirloom x Blue Magoo Bx2 [R] 200
~ Compound Genetics (Portland, Oregon) ~Gelateria - Acai Berry Gelato x Jet Fuel Gelato [F] 150 Liquid Imagination - Blue Zkittlez x Jet Fuel Gelato [F] 150 Icicles - White Sherbet x Jet Fuel Gelato [F] 150 Petrol Rainbows - Sour Gelato 5 x Jet Fuel Gelato [F] 150 The Menthol S1 - The Menthol x The Menthol [F] 150 {Jet Fuel Gelato - Gelato 45 x (High Octane OG x Jet Fuel G6)} {The Menthol - Gelato 45 x (White Diesel x (High Octane x Jet Fuel G6))}
~ Phinest Cannabis (Sacramento, California) x Cannarado (Colorado) ~PB Souffle - Dosidos x Lava Cake [F] 150 Lava Breath - Mendobreath F3 x Lava Cake [F] 150 Magma Cookies - Cuvee Cookies x Lava Cake [F] 150 {Lava Cake - Grape Pie x Thin Min Girl Scout Cookies} {First major genetic line released to public that was created from tissue culture / micropropagation - RIP Jai Malloy (founder of Phinest Cannabis)}
2024.06.01 15:45 AlarmingChart9251 Highland and Lowell: A Traffic Snapshot
Inspired by MeteorsOnStrike's nice artwork (which I very much enjoyed), some traffic and intersection data for anyone curious.
Lowell @ Highland (6/1/24, 8:03 to 9:03 am, sunny, mid-60s)
Of 12 bicycles, 2 made what would qualify as "safe" or "Idaho Stop" violations and 2 made what we might call the "Somerville Stop" in which red lights are treated as non-existent. A total moving violation infraction rate of 33.3%. Subtracting the Idaho Stop violations, the infraction rate drops to 16.7%.
There were also 83 pedestrians who crossed the intersection bringing the total number of crossings to 543. Motor vehicles then comprised 82.3% of all crossings, pedestrians accounted for 15.3%, and bicycles accounted for 2.2%.
submitted by AlarmingChart9251 to Somerville [link] [comments]
Lowell @ Highland (6/1/24, 8:03 to 9:03 am, sunny, mid-60s)
- 447 motor vehicles (97.2% of vehicular traffic)
- 12 bicycles (2.6% of vehicular traffic)
- 1 scooter (0.2% of vehicular traffic)
Of 12 bicycles, 2 made what would qualify as "safe" or "Idaho Stop" violations and 2 made what we might call the "Somerville Stop" in which red lights are treated as non-existent. A total moving violation infraction rate of 33.3%. Subtracting the Idaho Stop violations, the infraction rate drops to 16.7%.
There were also 83 pedestrians who crossed the intersection bringing the total number of crossings to 543. Motor vehicles then comprised 82.3% of all crossings, pedestrians accounted for 15.3%, and bicycles accounted for 2.2%.
2024.06.01 15:41 Madrugada_Quente Some advice for newcomers: Hydration, protein, fiber, sleep issues help
F50, SW 225, CW 194, GW 145 (3 months in, started on M, moved to Z, now on C - NO differences between them).
I learned these things over the course of the last 3 months the hard way. Hopefully this will help someone.
On day one, be prepared with a few things that will make your transition using this med a whole lot smoother for you.
Hydration, protein, and fiber are essential. If this med affects your sleep (it does me), see below.
ELECTROLYTES: Get yourself some electrolytes that you like and will take daily. I donât like sugary things, and use âHRDWRK (electrolytes powder that is sugar free with magnesium, potassium, and sodium)â once or twice a day. I discovered how essential this was by getting dizzy 2 times to the point of nearly passing out when trying to garden. It was my own fault because I hadnât eaten enough and plain water wasnât enough. Electrolytes stopped my dizziness completely (was even happening just bending over) and occasional headaches. I take this first thing in the morning before I do anything else. Sometimes, if I had a super busy day, I will drink another glass of it in the evening.
PROTEIN: After thinking I could possibly get enough protein through food (hardheaded know it all syndrome đđ)only for 6 weeks, I finally gave in and got some readymade protein drinks. I use âLean Bodyâ strawberry and vanilla (others taste too sweet to me). This has really helped with my weight loss and not losing muscle. I drink them for lunch only now (with some fruit on the side), which frees up my lunch hour to go to the gym. Never in a million years did I think that sentence would apply to me!!!
FIBER: Constipation for many on this med is a daily reality. Get a good fiber routine. I use âNOW: psyllium husk powderâ once daily in the evening and it helps tremendously. Fruit and other things help, but I still find I need the supplement daily.
SLEEP ISSUES/INSOMNIA: I have always had sleep issues, but had finally gotten them worked out before starting on this journey. That ended with the first shot. After several types of trial and error and 4-5 hours of sleep for 6 weeks (!!!!), I finally found the combination that works for me - Magnesium with Zinc combo that also has Vitamin D for absorption PLUS a TIME RELEASED melatonin. I took regular melatonin before and woke up like clockwork at 3am. The time release changed everything. This has helped me get back to 7+ hours of sleep consistently. I take the Magnesium supplement in the morning and then take the melatonin (3mg) when Iâm completely ready for sleepâŠnot just getting in bed, but turning everything off and going to sleep. I also got a blue screen protector for my phone because I like to read on my phone for about an hour while in bed. These things have been a game changer for me in the sleep department.
My last suggestion is to set a weigh and measure day each MONTH (with photos, because itâs an amazing transformation). I see so many posts on here where people weigh every single day and get discouraged because the scale goes up a couple of pounds. This happens naturally in our bodies depending on so many factors. None of us need any discouragement when it comes to getting healthy. Itâs a process that is individual for each of us. I will say since starting I have not one single time been discouraged or disappointed when seeing the numbers on the scale after a month of waiting. The number is always lessâŠand that is a HUGE win!
I hope this helps someone - best of luck to all of you. I really enjoy seeing everyoneâs progress and stories. Itâs how I end my night every day, seeing how great everyone on here is doing and I especially love the transformation photos. These posts really keep me encouraged and positive!!
submitted by Madrugada_Quente to compoundedtirzepatide [link] [comments]
I learned these things over the course of the last 3 months the hard way. Hopefully this will help someone.
On day one, be prepared with a few things that will make your transition using this med a whole lot smoother for you.
Hydration, protein, and fiber are essential. If this med affects your sleep (it does me), see below.
ELECTROLYTES: Get yourself some electrolytes that you like and will take daily. I donât like sugary things, and use âHRDWRK (electrolytes powder that is sugar free with magnesium, potassium, and sodium)â once or twice a day. I discovered how essential this was by getting dizzy 2 times to the point of nearly passing out when trying to garden. It was my own fault because I hadnât eaten enough and plain water wasnât enough. Electrolytes stopped my dizziness completely (was even happening just bending over) and occasional headaches. I take this first thing in the morning before I do anything else. Sometimes, if I had a super busy day, I will drink another glass of it in the evening.
PROTEIN: After thinking I could possibly get enough protein through food (hardheaded know it all syndrome đđ)only for 6 weeks, I finally gave in and got some readymade protein drinks. I use âLean Bodyâ strawberry and vanilla (others taste too sweet to me). This has really helped with my weight loss and not losing muscle. I drink them for lunch only now (with some fruit on the side), which frees up my lunch hour to go to the gym. Never in a million years did I think that sentence would apply to me!!!
FIBER: Constipation for many on this med is a daily reality. Get a good fiber routine. I use âNOW: psyllium husk powderâ once daily in the evening and it helps tremendously. Fruit and other things help, but I still find I need the supplement daily.
SLEEP ISSUES/INSOMNIA: I have always had sleep issues, but had finally gotten them worked out before starting on this journey. That ended with the first shot. After several types of trial and error and 4-5 hours of sleep for 6 weeks (!!!!), I finally found the combination that works for me - Magnesium with Zinc combo that also has Vitamin D for absorption PLUS a TIME RELEASED melatonin. I took regular melatonin before and woke up like clockwork at 3am. The time release changed everything. This has helped me get back to 7+ hours of sleep consistently. I take the Magnesium supplement in the morning and then take the melatonin (3mg) when Iâm completely ready for sleepâŠnot just getting in bed, but turning everything off and going to sleep. I also got a blue screen protector for my phone because I like to read on my phone for about an hour while in bed. These things have been a game changer for me in the sleep department.
My last suggestion is to set a weigh and measure day each MONTH (with photos, because itâs an amazing transformation). I see so many posts on here where people weigh every single day and get discouraged because the scale goes up a couple of pounds. This happens naturally in our bodies depending on so many factors. None of us need any discouragement when it comes to getting healthy. Itâs a process that is individual for each of us. I will say since starting I have not one single time been discouraged or disappointed when seeing the numbers on the scale after a month of waiting. The number is always lessâŠand that is a HUGE win!
I hope this helps someone - best of luck to all of you. I really enjoy seeing everyoneâs progress and stories. Itâs how I end my night every day, seeing how great everyone on here is doing and I especially love the transformation photos. These posts really keep me encouraged and positive!!
2024.06.01 15:40 Meraki_believer Relocated to Australia, now living on Moon/Pluto crossing. Not sure itâs ideal regarding my situation/chart. Any thoughts?
 | Relocated to Australia, now living on Moon/Pluto crossing - not sure it's the best regarding my situation/chart. Any opinion? submitted by Meraki_believer to u/Meraki_believer [link] [comments] I've relocated to North Brisbane, Australia earlier this year and have found it challenging. On this location I have a Sun IC at around 850km east (very weak orb) and I am on a Moon/Pluto crossing (70km south of the paran). I'm still pretty beginner with astrocartography, however I have learned the following about the Moon-Pluto paran: problematic, emotional extremes, outbursts, isolation, insecurity, obsession with change, roller coaster of feelings, major life changes, painful growth, powerful emotions. Since I am living here I want to change career (I feel anxiety going into my old career here), therefore new study path. I am struggling to choose between two new career path (one creative, one in healing therapy). Definitely feeling emotional quite often out of the blue, lot of soul-searching, feeling of stuckness and isolation. I'm still struggling to link my map to my natal chart, especially understanding the aspects. I've looked at the coast of Australia trying to find where there would be more supportive parans for studying and starting a business, and in a couple years starting a family. There are 3 places that stood out: A) Port Macquarie 3 parans: Moon/Jupiter - Saturn/Pluto - Moon/Venus B) Adelaide around 650km from Moon MC line & 3 parans: Chiron/Nodes - Moon/Mars - Moon/Venus C) Newcastle 3 parans Moon/Jupiter - Moon/Mars - Moon/Venus Would you say any of those 3 places would be more suited for study/career change/family life? |
2024.06.01 15:34 kenUdigitt Novel Chapter 423
Disclaimer: I do not speak Korean. This is purely translated by machine with a lot of cleanup afterward. With that in mind, I am open to criticism to improve these translations. Enjoy!
Chapter 423
Thud!
The moment I hurled the Arch Lich to the ground with a resounding crash, I coiled my energy and kicked the air.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion of compressed air echoed as I hurtled toward his descending form with fearsome velocity.
The Skeleton Warlord let out a scream or cheer â it was hard to tell which.
- That's it, human! Finish him!
Finish what, exactly?
His judgment was unfortunately wrong. I knew this better than anyone, especially as I drove my fist into the Arch Lich's jaw.
'Did he cast a defensive spell in that brief moment...?'
Before my fully-powered Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fist could make contact, he conjured a Bone Shield across his face, warding off the brunt of the blow.
Though the strike wasnât wholly futile, he was no easy foe to vanquish.
And my prediction proved accurate. The Arch Lich, whose body had been plummeting earthward like a comet, abruptly stopped mid-descent, as potent magic filled the air.
- Darkness Hold.
Swoosh!
From the void, two colossal hands materialized. At first glance, they appeared as mere Dark Hands, but Darkness Hold was designed exclusively to ensnare its target, as the name suggested.
I dived headlong toward the encroaching hands, my spear poised for battle.
'I see it.'
Everything possesses an 'essence' â living creatures, the wind, even invisible forces.
With my middle dantian now open, I could discern and understand the core and essence of all things.
Just like in this moment.
Screech!
Flames burst forth, cleaving through the darkness. The writhing black hands dissipated into a mist, while the Arch Lichâs eyes glinted with malice.
The next instant, his spectral bony hand sliced through the air.
- Dark Claw!
Swoosh, swish!
The evaporating black mist morphed into the savage claws of a beast, descending in a furious onslaught.
The attacks came from every direction, each with a unique path. Deflecting them would be manageable if I concentrated, but that meant losing ground on the Arch Lich just after having narrowed the gap.
'I must make a choice.'
It's impossible to catch both rabbits, especially when the opponent is more of a tiger than a rabbit.
In an instant, I made my decision and unleashed White Flames â not at the encircling magic, but directly at the Arch Lich.
Boom!
The searing blue blaze of White Flames tore through the air like a bolt of lightning.
From the Arch Lich's mouth came a voice, tinged with unprecedented desperation.
- Bone Shieâ!
It's already too late, you bastard.
Whoosh!
The blue blaze enveloped the Arch Lich completely.
The nascent bone shield disintegrated into dust under the blistering assault.
Crack!
The White Flames' blade speared through the Arch Lichâs chest, skewering him like meat over a fire. His scream was like none I had ever heard before.
Suddenly, a biting chill sliced through the air from every direction.
- Human, danger...!
Even without the Skeleton Warlord's cry, I already knew.
Yet, I did it anyway. In order to take bones, you have to sacrifice flesh. Fully aware of the impending harm, I still believed in my choice.
As magical claws descended from all around, I mulled over my decision.
'...Maybe I should have just blocked it.'
But regret was a luxury I could no longer afford.
Shhhhhh!
A wind swept over my entire form, chilling to the bone.
It was no illusion like a Bone Spear, nor slow enough to block. I contorted my body, bolstering my Qi, but the onslaught was relentless.
Shiing, slash, screee! Swoosh!
Shoulders, flanks, thighs, arms...
Countless magical claws lacerated my flesh. Blood gushed from the wounds, and agony surged through me.
'Damn it.'
It hurts enough to make me wish for death.
No matter how often one experiences it, pain is something one never gets used to.
My vision blurred, my limbs grew heavy and succumbed.
It was a brief lapse, yet it stretched into an agonizing eternity.
When my eyes fluttered open again, the first thing I saw was an imposing mass of concrete that had materialized seemingly out of nowhere.
- Wake up, human!
"âŠ!"
The urgent command of the Skeleton Warlord jolted me back to awareness.
I funneled Qi into my stiff limbs, the pain from ruptured meridians reigniting my dulled senses.
'Now!'
With no time to waste, I hurled myself over.
Bang! A cloud of dust billowed as I crash-landed onto the concrete debris. Sharp tremors and pain shot through my legs.
"Ugh."
The Skeleton Warlord spoke to me as I grit my teeth against the pain,
- Human, you don't look⊠okay.
I drew a ragged breath and shot back,
"Huff. If you know that, then shut up. My head is throbbing."
It was no exaggeration; even the System notifications were enough to make my stomach churn.
Beep.
- Status abnormality, [Serious Injury] has been inflicted!
- Status abnormality, [Excessive Bleeding] has been inflicted!
- Due to severe injuries, your physical stats have drastically decreased!
- [Strength], [Agility], [Stamina] have each decreased by 200 points!
- You have sustained severe injuries! Immediate medical attention is required!
Yep, that sounds about right.
Whether from the blood loss or the relentless pain, my vision swam, and my thoughts muddled.
Yet, through the haze, one thought remained clear.
"The Arch Lich. Where is the Arch Lich?"
At my hoarse voice, the Skeleton Warlord shouted.
- You crazy human! Get treated first!
"The kill notification hasn't popped up yet. He's still alive..."
- Notification or not, get treated now!
"Ugh."
I told you to shut up.
Leaning heavily against the rubble, I felt dizzy. Blood seeped from my drenched clothing, and my limbs shook uncontrollably like trembling leaves.
'Shit.'
This time, I took a serious beating.
The only small comfort was that the Arch Lich must be just as badly off, if not worse.
- You foolish human!
I know. I know already.
While the echoes of reprimand rang in my skull, I spread my palm and whispered to myself.
'Inventory open. Summon.'
Pop!
Everything happened simultaneously.
From a subspace pocket, once belonging to Lee Jeong-Ryong, I retrieved an item now mine to command.
'Top-grade potion.'
Could Lee Jeong-Ryong have ever imagined that the two emergency potions he'd packed would both end up in my hands?
My fingers shook as I uncorked the Top-grade potion, desperate to drink it like it was the very elixir of life.
But just as I raised it to my lips.
Thud, swoosh!
"âŠHuh?"
It all happened in an instant.
A black vine shot up from the concrete debris, lashed at my wrist, and sent the potion arcing through the air, disappearing into the fog.
As I watched a few droplets disperse into the dusty air and sink into the earth, I muttered,
"Dark Vine."
A spell all too familiar.
The Skeleton Warlord groaned.
- It's him.
I lifted my gaze. A red light flickered through the dense fog like a distant flame.
Approaching was a figure, three meters tall with a sinister black gleam. It resembled a human, yet bore an essence that defied such a simple label as it emerged from the fog with heavy, deliberate steps.
- You, human.
The voice was low, heavy with unmistakable rage.
The Skeleton Warlord trembled within my Inventory, and a faint smile crossed my lips.
"You damn bastard. I was drinking that."
- Your struggle ends here.
Shriek, snap!
I had no chance to react â when the Arch Lich flicked his fingers, Lee Jeong-Ryongâs ordinary-looking subspace pocket was swept into the distance by the Dark Vine.
- Your shallow tricks will no longer work.
With each word he spoke, the magic encircling the Arch Lich stirred to life.
Yet, just as I bore grave injuries, his power too seemed diminished.
My White Flames spear that had scorched through his chest was unmistakably the cause.
'I can do this.'
Summoning my strength, I pushed myself upright. Extending my hand, I summoned a spear from my Inventory, clasping it firmly.
"The spear stuck in your chest really suits you. Should I add another so you're symmetric?"
- Do you think you will have the chance?
"Of course. Seeing your state, it seems quite possible."
- Human, you always fail to distinguish between bravery and recklessness. Foolish, truly foolish.
The Arch Lich, with a booming laugh, spread his arms wide.
Instead of his robe, now reduced to cinders by my previous assault, pitch-black magic surged from his form, taking shape.
'That's a...'
A menacing vortex of magic, its presence alone ominous.
Instinctively, I grasped the Arch Lichâs intentions.
'Gate.'
It appeared volatile, on the verge of eruption, yet it was unmistakably shaping into a gate.
The next words from the Arch Lich confirmed my suspicions.
- It's not complete yet... but if I can defeat you, I can complete it.
Suddenly, a deep voice, as if echoing from the heavens, caused the air itself to quiver.
- Come forth. Gate Open.
"âŠ!"
I had to intervene somehow. But the pain hindered my movements, and the transformation had already begun.
I watched, eyes wide, as the next moment unfolded.
Boom!
The sparse rays of sunlight, which had been meekly filtering through the ashen clouds, vanished entirely.
As the sky split with a deafening roar, a tempest raged around us, and the ensuing darkness rose like a primordial giant.
Whoosh!
The flickering darkness ballooned from the heart of the ruined cityscape.
Rising as tall as a skyscraper and spanning wider than a football field, it dwarfed any Gate I had ever encountered, stirring a primal fear deep within my bones.
- Ah, aah.
Even the undead monster, the Skeleton Warlord, trembled at the sight.
As I stared transfixed at the Gate, a critical reminder flashed through my mind.
'I must stop it. No matter what.'
Though it wasn't fully formed, leaving it unchecked could unleash an unimaginable catastrophe.
Millions, possibly tens of millions, could perish.
And... among them might be those dear to me.
Mr. Choi, steadfast on the battlefield, and Shao Shen, to whom I had unexpectedly grown close.
Should the Arch Lich extend his reach beyond China to the peninsula... even the members of the Peace Guild and my cherished family would face dire peril.
'I must go.'
Pain and terror had seized my body, but it was sheer determination that propelled me forward.
Drawing on every reserve of strength, I rallied my Qi as my wounded meridians protested sharply, spurring fresh blood to seep from my wounds.
But I could not falter. I only had this one shot, this one opportunity.
'Brilliant Path of Fire.'
With each agonizing step, my battered legs drove me forward, leaving a blazing trail in my wake.
At its end awaited the catalyst of this chaos.
The one whose death could also end this.
'Die.'
One Strike.
Time seemed to slow as I drove my spear forward with all my strength.
The tornado I unleashed barreled toward him.
Boom!
And amidst the sea of blue flames that enveloped the world, his mocking laughter and his words sliced through the inferno.
- Blink.
Previous Table of Contents Next
submitted by kenUdigitt to u/kenUdigitt [link] [comments]
Chapter 423
Thud!
The moment I hurled the Arch Lich to the ground with a resounding crash, I coiled my energy and kicked the air.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion of compressed air echoed as I hurtled toward his descending form with fearsome velocity.
The Skeleton Warlord let out a scream or cheer â it was hard to tell which.
- That's it, human! Finish him!
Finish what, exactly?
His judgment was unfortunately wrong. I knew this better than anyone, especially as I drove my fist into the Arch Lich's jaw.
'Did he cast a defensive spell in that brief moment...?'
Before my fully-powered Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fist could make contact, he conjured a Bone Shield across his face, warding off the brunt of the blow.
Though the strike wasnât wholly futile, he was no easy foe to vanquish.
And my prediction proved accurate. The Arch Lich, whose body had been plummeting earthward like a comet, abruptly stopped mid-descent, as potent magic filled the air.
- Darkness Hold.
Swoosh!
From the void, two colossal hands materialized. At first glance, they appeared as mere Dark Hands, but Darkness Hold was designed exclusively to ensnare its target, as the name suggested.
I dived headlong toward the encroaching hands, my spear poised for battle.
'I see it.'
Everything possesses an 'essence' â living creatures, the wind, even invisible forces.
With my middle dantian now open, I could discern and understand the core and essence of all things.
Just like in this moment.
Screech!
Flames burst forth, cleaving through the darkness. The writhing black hands dissipated into a mist, while the Arch Lichâs eyes glinted with malice.
The next instant, his spectral bony hand sliced through the air.
- Dark Claw!
Swoosh, swish!
The evaporating black mist morphed into the savage claws of a beast, descending in a furious onslaught.
The attacks came from every direction, each with a unique path. Deflecting them would be manageable if I concentrated, but that meant losing ground on the Arch Lich just after having narrowed the gap.
'I must make a choice.'
It's impossible to catch both rabbits, especially when the opponent is more of a tiger than a rabbit.
In an instant, I made my decision and unleashed White Flames â not at the encircling magic, but directly at the Arch Lich.
Boom!
The searing blue blaze of White Flames tore through the air like a bolt of lightning.
From the Arch Lich's mouth came a voice, tinged with unprecedented desperation.
- Bone Shieâ!
It's already too late, you bastard.
Whoosh!
The blue blaze enveloped the Arch Lich completely.
The nascent bone shield disintegrated into dust under the blistering assault.
Crack!
The White Flames' blade speared through the Arch Lichâs chest, skewering him like meat over a fire. His scream was like none I had ever heard before.
Suddenly, a biting chill sliced through the air from every direction.
- Human, danger...!
Even without the Skeleton Warlord's cry, I already knew.
Yet, I did it anyway. In order to take bones, you have to sacrifice flesh. Fully aware of the impending harm, I still believed in my choice.
As magical claws descended from all around, I mulled over my decision.
'...Maybe I should have just blocked it.'
But regret was a luxury I could no longer afford.
Shhhhhh!
A wind swept over my entire form, chilling to the bone.
It was no illusion like a Bone Spear, nor slow enough to block. I contorted my body, bolstering my Qi, but the onslaught was relentless.
Shiing, slash, screee! Swoosh!
Shoulders, flanks, thighs, arms...
Countless magical claws lacerated my flesh. Blood gushed from the wounds, and agony surged through me.
'Damn it.'
It hurts enough to make me wish for death.
No matter how often one experiences it, pain is something one never gets used to.
My vision blurred, my limbs grew heavy and succumbed.
It was a brief lapse, yet it stretched into an agonizing eternity.
When my eyes fluttered open again, the first thing I saw was an imposing mass of concrete that had materialized seemingly out of nowhere.
- Wake up, human!
"âŠ!"
The urgent command of the Skeleton Warlord jolted me back to awareness.
I funneled Qi into my stiff limbs, the pain from ruptured meridians reigniting my dulled senses.
'Now!'
With no time to waste, I hurled myself over.
Bang! A cloud of dust billowed as I crash-landed onto the concrete debris. Sharp tremors and pain shot through my legs.
"Ugh."
The Skeleton Warlord spoke to me as I grit my teeth against the pain,
- Human, you don't look⊠okay.
I drew a ragged breath and shot back,
"Huff. If you know that, then shut up. My head is throbbing."
It was no exaggeration; even the System notifications were enough to make my stomach churn.
Beep.
- Status abnormality, [Serious Injury] has been inflicted!
- Status abnormality, [Excessive Bleeding] has been inflicted!
- Due to severe injuries, your physical stats have drastically decreased!
- [Strength], [Agility], [Stamina] have each decreased by 200 points!
- You have sustained severe injuries! Immediate medical attention is required!
Yep, that sounds about right.
Whether from the blood loss or the relentless pain, my vision swam, and my thoughts muddled.
Yet, through the haze, one thought remained clear.
"The Arch Lich. Where is the Arch Lich?"
At my hoarse voice, the Skeleton Warlord shouted.
- You crazy human! Get treated first!
"The kill notification hasn't popped up yet. He's still alive..."
- Notification or not, get treated now!
"Ugh."
I told you to shut up.
Leaning heavily against the rubble, I felt dizzy. Blood seeped from my drenched clothing, and my limbs shook uncontrollably like trembling leaves.
'Shit.'
This time, I took a serious beating.
The only small comfort was that the Arch Lich must be just as badly off, if not worse.
- You foolish human!
I know. I know already.
While the echoes of reprimand rang in my skull, I spread my palm and whispered to myself.
'Inventory open. Summon.'
Pop!
Everything happened simultaneously.
From a subspace pocket, once belonging to Lee Jeong-Ryong, I retrieved an item now mine to command.
'Top-grade potion.'
Could Lee Jeong-Ryong have ever imagined that the two emergency potions he'd packed would both end up in my hands?
My fingers shook as I uncorked the Top-grade potion, desperate to drink it like it was the very elixir of life.
But just as I raised it to my lips.
Thud, swoosh!
"âŠHuh?"
It all happened in an instant.
A black vine shot up from the concrete debris, lashed at my wrist, and sent the potion arcing through the air, disappearing into the fog.
As I watched a few droplets disperse into the dusty air and sink into the earth, I muttered,
"Dark Vine."
A spell all too familiar.
The Skeleton Warlord groaned.
- It's him.
I lifted my gaze. A red light flickered through the dense fog like a distant flame.
Approaching was a figure, three meters tall with a sinister black gleam. It resembled a human, yet bore an essence that defied such a simple label as it emerged from the fog with heavy, deliberate steps.
- You, human.
The voice was low, heavy with unmistakable rage.
The Skeleton Warlord trembled within my Inventory, and a faint smile crossed my lips.
"You damn bastard. I was drinking that."
- Your struggle ends here.
Shriek, snap!
I had no chance to react â when the Arch Lich flicked his fingers, Lee Jeong-Ryongâs ordinary-looking subspace pocket was swept into the distance by the Dark Vine.
- Your shallow tricks will no longer work.
With each word he spoke, the magic encircling the Arch Lich stirred to life.
Yet, just as I bore grave injuries, his power too seemed diminished.
My White Flames spear that had scorched through his chest was unmistakably the cause.
'I can do this.'
Summoning my strength, I pushed myself upright. Extending my hand, I summoned a spear from my Inventory, clasping it firmly.
"The spear stuck in your chest really suits you. Should I add another so you're symmetric?"
- Do you think you will have the chance?
"Of course. Seeing your state, it seems quite possible."
- Human, you always fail to distinguish between bravery and recklessness. Foolish, truly foolish.
The Arch Lich, with a booming laugh, spread his arms wide.
Instead of his robe, now reduced to cinders by my previous assault, pitch-black magic surged from his form, taking shape.
'That's a...'
A menacing vortex of magic, its presence alone ominous.
Instinctively, I grasped the Arch Lichâs intentions.
'Gate.'
It appeared volatile, on the verge of eruption, yet it was unmistakably shaping into a gate.
The next words from the Arch Lich confirmed my suspicions.
- It's not complete yet... but if I can defeat you, I can complete it.
Suddenly, a deep voice, as if echoing from the heavens, caused the air itself to quiver.
- Come forth. Gate Open.
"âŠ!"
I had to intervene somehow. But the pain hindered my movements, and the transformation had already begun.
I watched, eyes wide, as the next moment unfolded.
Boom!
The sparse rays of sunlight, which had been meekly filtering through the ashen clouds, vanished entirely.
As the sky split with a deafening roar, a tempest raged around us, and the ensuing darkness rose like a primordial giant.
Whoosh!
The flickering darkness ballooned from the heart of the ruined cityscape.
Rising as tall as a skyscraper and spanning wider than a football field, it dwarfed any Gate I had ever encountered, stirring a primal fear deep within my bones.
- Ah, aah.
Even the undead monster, the Skeleton Warlord, trembled at the sight.
As I stared transfixed at the Gate, a critical reminder flashed through my mind.
'I must stop it. No matter what.'
Though it wasn't fully formed, leaving it unchecked could unleash an unimaginable catastrophe.
Millions, possibly tens of millions, could perish.
And... among them might be those dear to me.
Mr. Choi, steadfast on the battlefield, and Shao Shen, to whom I had unexpectedly grown close.
Should the Arch Lich extend his reach beyond China to the peninsula... even the members of the Peace Guild and my cherished family would face dire peril.
'I must go.'
Pain and terror had seized my body, but it was sheer determination that propelled me forward.
Drawing on every reserve of strength, I rallied my Qi as my wounded meridians protested sharply, spurring fresh blood to seep from my wounds.
But I could not falter. I only had this one shot, this one opportunity.
'Brilliant Path of Fire.'
With each agonizing step, my battered legs drove me forward, leaving a blazing trail in my wake.
At its end awaited the catalyst of this chaos.
The one whose death could also end this.
'Die.'
One Strike.
Time seemed to slow as I drove my spear forward with all my strength.
The tornado I unleashed barreled toward him.
Boom!
And amidst the sea of blue flames that enveloped the world, his mocking laughter and his words sliced through the inferno.
- Blink.
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2024.06.01 15:32 East_Bodybuilder_425 Pacific Fleet of the Regia Marina
At the beginning of the Holy Order's seizure of power in America, the majority of the Royal Navy was recalled to Europe and Africa to protect the motherland and the Europan African colonies, given the great maritime power of the new enemy, this left the Dutch, Indonesian, Japanese, British forces and those of its colonies not protected against the Holy Order navy in the Pacific which, however had been reduced in size given that many of the fleets engaged in the Pacific Ocean were now used for the Atlantic, even if in the period 1945-46 clashes with the Holy Order in the Pacific area had occurred very rarely, the problem of one of the most important oceans devoid of allied naval forces except for the Soviet Pacific Fleet which was not equipped with a large number of cruisers and destroyers nor in their totality of battleships and aircraft carriers to think of countering the Holy Order Fleet in a single skirmish and the Australian and New Zealand navies with some addition of Japanese ships that managed to escape the nuclear holocaust that Japan had become that they were incapable of blocking in a serious way the Forces of the Holy Order if they had mounted a serious offensive remained, and this made an already difficult situation even more desperate given that the Royal navy was engaged together with the Soviet Arctic, Black Sea and Baltic Fleets and what remained of the Marine nationale against the Atlantic Fleet of the Holy Order which began to make more and more sorties arriving even near the Portuguese coasts. This situation could not continue and after a raid by the forces of the Holy Order which hit both Singapore and Java hard the Dutch government asked for help from the only navy that was still intact and with numbers that could rival the weakened Holy Order Pacific Fleet the Italian Regia Marina, It wasn't a bolt from the blue however, given that some under-the-table meetings had already taken place and the Royal British Navy, under orders from the Admiralty, was helping to modernize, repair and finish the various ships that formed the Italian Fleet in secret. Thus the Pacific fleet left Taranto towards the ports of Singapore and Batavia. More to come (This is just the beginning of an idea that I have had in mind for some time, the composition of the allied fleet in the Pacific will be done on another date)
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2024.06.01 15:30 MireaBP jupiter community letter musings by mirea
 | https://preview.redd.it/jwfprrcwry3d1.png?width=580&format=png&auto=webp&s=f24c629dcdb2ce2a4a41baa1a785f9c978c8598c submitted by MireaBP to jupiterexchange [link] [comments] Hey cool cats! đ Mirea here â„ïž
Have you spotted Opacksâ recent post? Here he infographicizes (yes thatâs a new word, shh Iâm making it happen) the recently introduced Jupiter Product Changelog. This is available on jupresearch, but Iâm loving this format too! Jupiter moves so fast and partners so well that even if this was just the other day - we still have some new updates for you. JupSOL is now live in Kamino Multiply đž. Jupiter Perpetuals has updated their trading fees structure! It should benefit the vast majority of traders, pretty much 99%. đ https://www.jupresear.ch/t/jupiter-changelog/16834 Congrats to 0xYankee for going from yellow (trusty discord mods) to green (jup team)!!! đ LFG!! <3 BTW when Opacks says heâll forward your feedback, he really means it! If you canât make it to the town halls and calls, drop your feedback or questions in the Reddit. Thereâs trusty delivery cats who will ensure your message makes it to the right eyes & ears - you will be heard đŁ! Siong read these himself. https://preview.redd.it/hj1rc4m2my3d1.png?width=506&format=png&auto=webp&s=a7835663261d31c09881e0b8b870e2a05b966866 Meteora Alpha Vault & UpRock Launch on LFG Meteora launched their latest anti-sniper bot system alongside the $UPT launch on Jupiterâs LFG platform. For the first time, you could be the first to buy, ahead of bots and other buyers, by depositing USDC into the vault before it closed. No Operators* allowed - the Alpha Vault is Chamber* proof! â Your tokens will be secured ASAP, but with a Vesting period (like heâs wearing a vest⊠coincidence?! đ€Ż) *to be clear, these are Valorant references - OP is a sniper rifle, Chamberâs ult is a sniper rifleAND he has a vest, Alpha Vault tokens have a vest. TY for coming to my TED talk. BTW guys - do I need to remind you that thereâs a difference between the free 10 $UPT drop and the ASR rewards coming in July? No? Good. đ Either way, jup_dao has us covered re Whatâs ASR. Pretty sure Opacks and BlueZenith also have some cool infographics for this topic! meme by menger on Discord if you DID need that reminder, TY slorg! Now, I heard there were some hiccups with communications⊠you better hop on jupresearch for that tea. đ” Uplink WG Video Missions Uplink will have a video mission each week to jumpstart âCommunity Powered Commsâ - and yes Kash, I do like the name. You can hear him discuss this during the Planetary Call #15. Do reach out to Organized General if youâve got bounty questions - easily find him on #uplink-work-group on Discord. OrdiRums explains how they work through a video he posted on X: https://x.com/ordirums/status/1796120930537570468 I think itâs ingenious crowdsourcing mixed with some good ole community empowerment. Iâll be waiting to see some of those vids cross-posted here on Reddit! No cross-posts, no cookies. đȘ Donât know how to make videos? Thereâs a class for that in a few hours (12nn EST) - check the Discord! Upskill -> Upload -> Uplink, sounds good to me. Up, Up, and Up! đâŹïž Speaking of the Planetary Call, make sure to catch the next one. Drop a J4J in the chat there for me! If you missed it, I know Web Work Group is compiling summaries - Iâm excited to see those back on the jup.eco site soon! v2 is looking đ€© Community Spotlight Over on Discord, I heard wake, SAX, and KEMO had a trippy art day? Tell me if Iâm wrong, but show me if Iâm right!! I demand pictures đŒïž. Thereâs another Jupiter Catdet Meetup coming up in Vietnam! If you find yourself in Ho Chi Minh City on June 7 - Julianâs posted a link to register. link to register is in #catdet-notifications on Discord! On X, we spotted a killer core and a sus official retweet! I think Slorgâs onto something here đ€ https://preview.redd.it/4phiupcwly3d1.png?width=534&format=png&auto=webp&s=de103f50bce79b41f123beb3da749be53e9418a4 Always happy to see lots of things going on! I know I didn't touch on everything so please do comment some other highlights and things you enjoyed seeing this week â„ïž Letâs be excellent to each other, LOVE that. https://preview.redd.it/yrofk74tly3d1.png?width=304&format=png&auto=webp&s=068642465dbdbe37ce81a2c7b16e92b4a1378f4c See you next time, cats đ Love, Mirea |
2024.06.01 15:30 DariaRPG PS1 RPGs and Why You Should Play Them
Ok so this is a weird cross post from PSX. Another user requested some of the definitive RPGs for the system with a description of why they should play them. I took a bit of time writing this is up... to crickets. Annoying, but thought maybe someome here would be interested in what the system has to offer outside of Squaresoft.
Breath of Fire 3 - Probably the best of Breath of Fire series. A gorgeous 2D adventure with memorable characters and systems. Dragon summons, fishing, dungeon puzzles. If you love it follow it up with Breath of Fire 4 which is also amazing and somewhat darker and mature.
Valkyrie Profile - Also extremely pretty 2D. You play as a Norse Valkyrie tasked with gathering the souls of fallen warriors to fight in the battle of Ragnarok. The story structure has you play through these warriors final moments. A lot of sad, some funny; an amazing game.
Alundra - Another really impressive 2D game. Action RPG and spiritual successor to Landstalker on the Sega Genesis. You have the ability to jump into people's dreams and literally defeat their inner demons. The story revolves around a single town with very fleshed out NPCs. You get to know them individually and so when you do the dream hopping thing you really care whether or not you can help these people (spoiler alert: sometimes you can't). Tear jerker.
Suikoden 2 - incredible story about friends caught in opposing sides of war. Just play it.
Star Ocean 2 - ok super fun super gorgeous sci-fi RPG that plays out a bit different depending on which characters you choose for your party. And choosing some characters locks you out of choosing other characters. So you're probably meant to play it twice for the full story, but it's also like 100 hours long so good luck with that. I love the battle system hectic action characters constantly running all over the field spamming arte attacks and shouting. Immersive crafting systems, and a lot of skits between characters fleshing out stories and relationships.
Tales of Destiny 2 - oh God. Just another amazing game. One of the best of the Tales series. You find an alien girl who has dropped from the world hovering upside above the one you live in. Ensue globe trotting adventure with a lot of heart.
Lunar Eternal Blue - both Eternal Blue and Silver Star Story are solid adventures. I prefer the second one a bit more for the party members. But really either are a lot of fun. Translation has aged a bit poorly but I think they still have a lot of humor between character interactions.
Thousand Arms - weird RPG meets dating sim. When this was current gen there really wasn't anything else like this one. Humor can be crass at times, and the game is pretty misogynistic but I think it's worth an experience. Story is you're a sort of blackmith that has to imbue weapons with the power of love, which you do by dating all the women in your party. The game recognizes that Meis (main character) is sort of sexiest jerk and makes fun of him for it. Lots of humor.
Koudelka - RPG meets survival horror. 18th century period piece that has a psychic Gypsy, pompous Bishop, and cynical atheist exploring a haunted mansion. They do not get along and the dialogue and interpersonal conflicts are pretty entertaining. Voice acting is incredible especially considering how bad other PSOne dubs were. Tactical battles sadly don't provide much challenge.
Dragon Warrior 7 - this is a long one. I'd say it's one of the best of the series, but they're all consistently good. Story is broken up into vignettes, you travel to an island see there's a problem and then travel back in time to solve it. A lot of these mini-stories are well written. Some funny, some sad. Like Lunar these also a lot of good banter and chemistry between the party members.
Rhapsody - this is another weird one. Gameplay sadly sucks. It's just really easy, and the dungeons used a ton of recycled assets. Think budget game. But, and this is a huge but the game is adorable. You play as Cornette, a girl who lost mother but has the ability to speak to puppets. She then recruits these puppets to help her on her quest to rescue the prince she loves from a bumbling band of sexy witches. She also sings. It's like a Disney musical meets JRPG.
Azure Dreams - this is the other Dating Sim RPG on the PSone. But it's a mystery dungeon roguelike. And a monster collector. And town sim. So you scale a tower, collecting and hatching eggs, and dating town girls while investing money in rebuilding the town. Hard, but addictive.
Persona 2 - "modern day" (circa 25 years ago) a crazed maniac named Joker is murdering high school children. There's also a sort of pandemic going around that turns rumors into reality. You are a group of investigators trying to figure out what's going on, also you control demon versions of yourself in battle (personas). Dark. Very dark.
Honorable mentions to Wild Arms (western fantasy RPG), Vandal Hearts (tactical RPG based on the French Revolution with blood fountains squirting out of dead enemies), and Guardians Crusade (cute cozy 3D RPG with a baby dragon).
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Breath of Fire 3 - Probably the best of Breath of Fire series. A gorgeous 2D adventure with memorable characters and systems. Dragon summons, fishing, dungeon puzzles. If you love it follow it up with Breath of Fire 4 which is also amazing and somewhat darker and mature.
Valkyrie Profile - Also extremely pretty 2D. You play as a Norse Valkyrie tasked with gathering the souls of fallen warriors to fight in the battle of Ragnarok. The story structure has you play through these warriors final moments. A lot of sad, some funny; an amazing game.
Alundra - Another really impressive 2D game. Action RPG and spiritual successor to Landstalker on the Sega Genesis. You have the ability to jump into people's dreams and literally defeat their inner demons. The story revolves around a single town with very fleshed out NPCs. You get to know them individually and so when you do the dream hopping thing you really care whether or not you can help these people (spoiler alert: sometimes you can't). Tear jerker.
Suikoden 2 - incredible story about friends caught in opposing sides of war. Just play it.
Star Ocean 2 - ok super fun super gorgeous sci-fi RPG that plays out a bit different depending on which characters you choose for your party. And choosing some characters locks you out of choosing other characters. So you're probably meant to play it twice for the full story, but it's also like 100 hours long so good luck with that. I love the battle system hectic action characters constantly running all over the field spamming arte attacks and shouting. Immersive crafting systems, and a lot of skits between characters fleshing out stories and relationships.
Tales of Destiny 2 - oh God. Just another amazing game. One of the best of the Tales series. You find an alien girl who has dropped from the world hovering upside above the one you live in. Ensue globe trotting adventure with a lot of heart.
Lunar Eternal Blue - both Eternal Blue and Silver Star Story are solid adventures. I prefer the second one a bit more for the party members. But really either are a lot of fun. Translation has aged a bit poorly but I think they still have a lot of humor between character interactions.
Thousand Arms - weird RPG meets dating sim. When this was current gen there really wasn't anything else like this one. Humor can be crass at times, and the game is pretty misogynistic but I think it's worth an experience. Story is you're a sort of blackmith that has to imbue weapons with the power of love, which you do by dating all the women in your party. The game recognizes that Meis (main character) is sort of sexiest jerk and makes fun of him for it. Lots of humor.
Koudelka - RPG meets survival horror. 18th century period piece that has a psychic Gypsy, pompous Bishop, and cynical atheist exploring a haunted mansion. They do not get along and the dialogue and interpersonal conflicts are pretty entertaining. Voice acting is incredible especially considering how bad other PSOne dubs were. Tactical battles sadly don't provide much challenge.
Dragon Warrior 7 - this is a long one. I'd say it's one of the best of the series, but they're all consistently good. Story is broken up into vignettes, you travel to an island see there's a problem and then travel back in time to solve it. A lot of these mini-stories are well written. Some funny, some sad. Like Lunar these also a lot of good banter and chemistry between the party members.
Rhapsody - this is another weird one. Gameplay sadly sucks. It's just really easy, and the dungeons used a ton of recycled assets. Think budget game. But, and this is a huge but the game is adorable. You play as Cornette, a girl who lost mother but has the ability to speak to puppets. She then recruits these puppets to help her on her quest to rescue the prince she loves from a bumbling band of sexy witches. She also sings. It's like a Disney musical meets JRPG.
Azure Dreams - this is the other Dating Sim RPG on the PSone. But it's a mystery dungeon roguelike. And a monster collector. And town sim. So you scale a tower, collecting and hatching eggs, and dating town girls while investing money in rebuilding the town. Hard, but addictive.
Persona 2 - "modern day" (circa 25 years ago) a crazed maniac named Joker is murdering high school children. There's also a sort of pandemic going around that turns rumors into reality. You are a group of investigators trying to figure out what's going on, also you control demon versions of yourself in battle (personas). Dark. Very dark.
Honorable mentions to Wild Arms (western fantasy RPG), Vandal Hearts (tactical RPG based on the French Revolution with blood fountains squirting out of dead enemies), and Guardians Crusade (cute cozy 3D RPG with a baby dragon).