Item dota bleach vs one piece 2.09b
Hajime no Ippo
2012.03.22 20:26 Teekoo Hajime no Ippo
/hajimenoippo is a subreddit dedicated to George Morikawa's work Hajime no Ippo.
2018.07.28 01:25 George_mov DesignerReps Buy, Sell, Trade
This section is primarily used strictly for the selling of designer replica pieces or trading of designer replica pieces.
2015.07.20 07:53 antonlabz Hunter x Hunter: Battle All Stars
Welcome to /HxHBattleAllStars ! This is a subreddit dedicated to the HxH Battle All-Stars game on Android and iOS. Currently the game is only in Japanese but the moderation team has translated most of the game for the users benefits and are actively working on making a full translation of the game.
2024.06.02 17:20 notneenah Clean Out Kit #2 Results
 | Thredup sold these for a combined total of $252. Only one of the expired items failed to sell. My payout after the fee was $8.63. I sent this kit in short after my first but before it processed, so I didn't know what to expect. A lot of the rejected items were excellent and decent brands, CK, etc, so I don’t know why so much was rejected other than they may have just had too much. I'm not upset, I love shopping on Thredup so I kind of see it like contributing to the system, but for all those who always ask "should I send my stuff in?" ...also, the a lot of the baby items are higher end, so sold for $15-$20 a piece, which is not normal, from what I understand. submitted by notneenah to ThredUp [link] [comments] |
2024.06.02 17:03 Angwar Any support nasus enjoyers?
I have been experimenting a bit with ap nasus support in my emerald flex games. It feels quite good as a counter pick to melee champs. Its not a good blind (played vs xerath, corki, lux. That was horrible experience).
But lets say you see enemy bot doesnt outrange you hard and maybe enemy Team already picked a melee champ in some lane. In that case it feels insane. With e and ap items you provide team wide 50% armor pen and decent poke dmg. And you can get Wither to 6 secs cd so basically permanent uptime. This is insane peeling for your adc especially against bruisers. He does suck vs Assassin's of course and hard engage heavy cc is a bit difficult too.
If you wanna have some fun here is my usual build:
First strike (poke dmg and extra gold generation, you want items for cd)
Magical footware (you want movespeed with this build so you dont get caught)
Triple tonic (for the extra skill point, you want max e and w as soon as possible)
Jack of all trades (pretty easy to get with this build and the extra ability haste and ap is invaluable)
Manaflow band (so you dont run out of mana 3 minutes into lane)
Scorch for extra poke
I usually build blackfire torch first and a dark seal for jack stats. and then rylais and imperial mandate. I am not sure yet which one of these First. Ionian boots feel best but mercs or sorcerer boots are also great if you need jack stats.
I usually finish with liandries if i need more dmg or deadmans if i need more Mobility and tankiness.
Summs i Go exhaust and either flash or ghost.
Its real funny to exhaust one bruiser in teamfight and wither the adc and just watch their mental explode.
Secret Technology: I also want to try ROA. Its cheap, makes you tankier so you can actually Front line a bit with ult and also gives an extra lvl so you can max w faster.
submitted by Angwar to nasusmains [link] [comments]
But lets say you see enemy bot doesnt outrange you hard and maybe enemy Team already picked a melee champ in some lane. In that case it feels insane. With e and ap items you provide team wide 50% armor pen and decent poke dmg. And you can get Wither to 6 secs cd so basically permanent uptime. This is insane peeling for your adc especially against bruisers. He does suck vs Assassin's of course and hard engage heavy cc is a bit difficult too.
If you wanna have some fun here is my usual build:
First strike (poke dmg and extra gold generation, you want items for cd)
Magical footware (you want movespeed with this build so you dont get caught)
Triple tonic (for the extra skill point, you want max e and w as soon as possible)
Jack of all trades (pretty easy to get with this build and the extra ability haste and ap is invaluable)
Manaflow band (so you dont run out of mana 3 minutes into lane)
Scorch for extra poke
I usually build blackfire torch first and a dark seal for jack stats. and then rylais and imperial mandate. I am not sure yet which one of these First. Ionian boots feel best but mercs or sorcerer boots are also great if you need jack stats.
I usually finish with liandries if i need more dmg or deadmans if i need more Mobility and tankiness.
Summs i Go exhaust and either flash or ghost.
Its real funny to exhaust one bruiser in teamfight and wither the adc and just watch their mental explode.
Secret Technology: I also want to try ROA. Its cheap, makes you tankier so you can actually Front line a bit with ult and also gives an extra lvl so you can max w faster.
2024.06.02 16:53 tempmailgenerator Identifying the Original Clone URL in Git
Unveiling Git's Clone Origins
Understanding the roots of a local Git repository involves tracing back to its origin, a crucial practice for developers working in collaborative environments. When working with Git, one of the first steps often involves cloning a repository from a remote location, which serves as the foundation for future development activities. This process not only simplifies the initial setup by importing all the history and files necessary for the project but also establishes a connection between the local repository and its remote counterpart. Knowing the original clone URL can be instrumental in troubleshooting, setting up new environments, or verifying the source of the codebase. It serves as a beacon for developers navigating through the complex workflows and collaboration patterns that characterize modern software development.However, the question of how to retrieve this information once the repository is cloned and potentially moved or copied can be a challenge. Git, as a distributed version control system, offers a myriad of commands and options, allowing users to interact with repositories in versatile ways. Among these tools are methods to extract the original clone URL, a piece of information embedded within the repository's configuration but not always immediately apparent. This knowledge not only aids in ensuring the consistency and integrity of the codebase across different environments but also enhances understanding of Git's underlying mechanisms and how they facilitate effective version control and collaboration among developers.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| git remote -v | Displays the URLs of remote repositories connected to the local repository. |
| git config --get remote.origin.url | Retrieves the URL of the default remote repository (origin). |
Unraveling the Origins: A Deep Dive into Git Clone URLs
Finding the original URL from which a Git repository was cloned can be crucial for developers seeking to establish a clear link back to the source of their code. This becomes especially important in collaborative settings where multiple repositories might exist across different platforms (such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket), each serving a unique role in the development lifecycle. By determining the clone URL, developers can ensure they are pushing updates, pulling changes, or cloning new copies from the correct source, thus maintaining the integrity of their development workflow. The ability to trace a repository's origin also aids in the documentation process, providing clear reference points for future code audits, contributions, or for onboarding new team members. It serves as a foundational piece of knowledge, enabling teams to streamline collaboration, review processes, and manage permissions effectively.Moreover, understanding how to retrieve this URL using Git commands not only simplifies repository management but also enriches a developer's toolkit with powerful version control capabilities. Git, being a distributed version control system, allows for flexibility in how repositories are cloned, mirrored, and managed across different environments. This flexibility, however, comes with the responsibility of maintaining a coherent understanding of a project's repository structure. Whether troubleshooting, setting up automated deployments, or migrating projects between services, the command-line skills to unearth a repository's clone URL become indispensable. They embody the essence of effective source control management, enabling developers to navigate the complexities of modern software development with confidence and precision.
Finding Your Git Repository's Origin URL
Command Line Interface Usagegit remote -v git config --get remote.origin.url
Exploring Git's Clone URL Dynamics
Understanding the origin of a Git repository involves more than simply identifying where the code was copied from. It's about establishing a clear, traceable path back to the source, ensuring that all modifications and updates are accurately aligned with the original development roadmap. This knowledge is critical not just for individual developers, but also for teams working on complex projects across various environments. By pinpointing the original clone URL, developers can maintain a seamless workflow, ensuring that all contributions are synchronized with the main codebase. This is particularly important in a distributed version control system like Git, where each clone is a full-fledged repository with its own history and tracking capabilities, enabling developers to work independently and merge changes as needed.The command-line interface (CLI) provided by Git offers several utilities to extract this information, simplifying repository management and enhancing collaboration. For example, understanding how to utilize commands to fetch the clone URL can aid in setting up continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, facilitating automated testing, and deployment processes. Moreover, in scenarios involving repository migration or restructuring, knowing how to locate and modify the origin URL is invaluable. It ensures that all project stakeholders are aligned with the new source, thereby preventing any disruptions in the development process. As such, mastering these aspects of Git not only streamlines project management but also elevates a developer's skill set in managing version control more effectively.
Top Questions on Git Repository Origins
- Question: How do I find the original clone URL of my Git repository?
- Answer: Use the command git remote -v to list all remote URLs or git config --get remote.origin.url to get the URL of the default remote repository (origin).
- Question: Can I change the clone URL of a Git repository?
- Answer: Yes, you can use git remote set-url origin [URL] to change the URL of the origin remote repository.
- Question: What happens if I clone a repository without specifying the origin URL?
- Answer: Git automatically sets the URL you clone from as the origin, making it the default remote repository.
- Question: How can I verify the remote URL after changing it?
- Answer: Run git remote -v again to list all remote URLs, which will now include the updated origin URL.
- Question: Is it possible to have multiple remote URLs for a Git repository?
- Answer: Yes, you can add multiple remotes using git remote add [name] [URL], allowing you to push and pull from multiple sources.
- Question: What is the purpose of tracking the original clone URL in a Git repository?
- Answer: Tracking the original clone URL helps in maintaining the connection to the main codebase for updates, contributions, and collaborative development.
- Question: Can I clone a repository without an internet connection?
- Answer: No, cloning a repository requires an internet connection to fetch the data from the remote server.
- Question: How do I find all the branches that a remote repository has?
- Answer: Use git branch -r or git remote show [remote-name] to list all branches in a remote repository.
- Question: Is the clone URL sensitive to the protocol used (HTTP vs SSH)?
- Answer: Yes, the protocol (HTTP or SSH) determines how your machine communicates with the Git server, affecting security and access.
Mastering Git Repository Management
Understanding the original clone URL of a Git repository marks a significant competency in effective repository management, crucial for both individual developers and teams. This knowledge not only streamlines development workflows by facilitating accurate code synchronization but also reinforces the collaborative essence of version control. By mastering the commands to retrieve and manage this information, developers can enhance their efficiency in navigating Git's distributed nature. Moreover, this expertise supports maintaining project integrity and continuity, especially in dynamic development environments where repositories may migrate or evolve. Ultimately, the ability to trace a repository's origin fosters a disciplined approach to software development, ensuring that every code change is aligned with the project's historical context and future direction. This exploration underscores the symbiotic relationship between command-line proficiency and robust version control practices, empowering developers to harness Git's full potential in their projects.https://www.tempmail.us.com/en/github/identifying-the-original-clone-url-in-git
2024.06.02 16:46 throwaway4fem A simp to Ashley and her family. [Chapter 2]
My next chapter. I made this one a little "spicy", but the following chapters will probably get back to your regularly scheduled simping. Aw, poor Davey, lol
I made my way up their steps and into Ashley’s bedroom. It was far from my 1st time here at this point. I’d often be called over to “hang out”. At the best of times, this involved me down on my knees, rubbing Ashley’s tired feet or painting her toenails as she controlled the conversation. Mostly just her venting about her day, sometimes about some recent party she went to that I was never invited to. Or just tidying up as she relaxed on her large bed and played with her phone or watched tv. I loved any opportunity to be around Ashley. Plus her room had an electric energy to me. I could take a deep breath and smell her very essence through the air. Not to mention the perks of being her little “simp”. Last time I was over I found a loose stay hair on her pillow as I was fluffing it up after making her bed. I was able to sneak that little strand of hair in my pocket and take it home. OMG, I lasted for weeks with that being my main source of masterbation material!!
Tonight I was actually hoping for a quick cleanup. Between this, helping Mrs. Smith and Ashley’s homework, time always seems to get away from me and I spend the next day dragging myself like a zombie. As soon as I walked in her room, I knew I would be a while. Ashley has many great qualities; tidiness isn’t one of them! She had old plates of food sitting on her desk. Chocolate wrappers just tossed on hr floor. Her clothes! She had a mix of worn and dirty clothes thrown about and hanging off of every chair, banister, and littering the ground. I’d have to inspect each item to confirm if they were clean or dirty before finding the appropriate place for them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hamper with bra dangling out. It must have been worn. And I could touch it. Maybe even get a chance to smell it! I felt myself get hot and got those same butterflies in my tummy.
"There you are. What took so long?" Ashley had removed her makeup and decided to make herself more comfortable. She changed out of her trendy day clothes which still followed all school guidelines, which included form-fitting jeans and a slight midriff-baring top, that had a swooping neckline to show off her chest proudly, though they needed no help showing off. Her body often even had some teachers drooling. Those sexy clothes were gone now that it was just us. Now she wore her grey sweatpants, her socks and an old cami top. I know the look wasn't "sexy" but knowing she had removed her bra and only a thin piece of fabric separated us was almost too much to think about. Butterflies in my tummy again.
"Oh, i'm so sorry, Ashley! Your Mom just a-asked me to help with some, um, washing up, in the laundry room after."
"See! Her and my Dad complain about me not doing my own chores, but then she goes and has you scrubbing dirty underwear like some 1950's bimbo housewife! It's because she doesn't wanna do that gross boring shit either! And can you believe my Dad!? Building character!? Like, really? And another thing- Oh, Davey, didn't you hear? My mom gave the okay. You can start on my room.” She gave me an expectant look and I took the hint and grabbed my cleaning spray and rubber gloves.
"Here, start here-“ She remained standing but pointed at a stain with her socked foot. "I spilled some soda I guess and it's like, sticky or something."
"Y-Yes Ashley, right away!"
And I got started cleaning the disaster of a room as Ashley finished venting and then relaxed at her desk. "I'll help in a sec. Just want to check insta 1st..."
Off I went scrubbing and dusting and tidying and primping and promping the teenage girl's room while I was for the most part ignored. I’ll save the boring details of scrubbing and tidying up a teenage girl’s bedroom. About and hour or so later, my fingers ached and my back was starting to hurt from being bent over so much.
"Okay, I think I pretty much got everything in a place your parents would approve, um, Ashley?"
She was now relaxing on her bed, reclined against the pillows. She was still over the sheets with her laptop on her stomach. I remember thinking how it must be hard to see the screen over her rising chest.
"What's that?" She looked up from her laptop for the 1st time in maybe an hour. "Oh sorry, I was messaging with Ryan. I must have got distracted".
Ugh, Ryan. Classic jock jerk! And of course her on again off again boyfriend. Honestly these days he mostly just treated her as friends with benefits. I have no idea why she puts up with him! He's crude, rude and just flat out doesn't treat her like the princess she is!! I have had her cry on my shoulder more times than I can count from this brute, but then the next weekend she is behind the bleachers sucking his cock!! Yuck, hard to imagine my sweet, confident princess getting on her knees for some brute! It's only a matter of time before she realizes she actually prefers sweet and caring types, and then maybe she even finds them sexy, and would even get down on her knees for someone like, like m-"
"Davey! This room looks great. What would you say to a little reward?"
Remember when I said the lines were blurred in the relationship. This is one of those blurred lines.
"A, r-r-rreward? You mean like-"
"OMG, look at your face. I really am too good to you, aren't I. God it's been what, a couple weeks since I let you eat me out, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, um, uh, yes, it-it's been um, yea, uh 3 m-m-months now, um, uh, A-Ash-l-ley..."
"Wowwwww, aw, that's a long time for you. Yea, I was gonna hop in a quick shower before bed, it was a long day. But then I started talking to Ryan and well, now I'm in the mood. Plus, you really, really deserve it. Just look at this place." she gestured to her now sparkling room. "You have been SO sweet lately. Anyway, nothing crazy. Just kinda want to grind one out to help me sleep, you know?"
"Oh, uh, um, y-y-yes, th-thank you-u, I- I, uh, um yes, I unders-s-stand Ashley".
"Good boyyyy. K, in you go". She got under the covers and held the blanket up for me to crawl in. She pulled her sweatpants down, and then threw her underwear off the side of the bed. Under the dark heat of the covers, all I could see are the most beautiful golden tan and toned legs rising out of her ankle socks, and climbing until they met the most perfect, tight and perfectly trimmed pussy. When I got close I could smell her excitement and I could see a slight slickness by her folds. She must have been getting wet while talking to Ryan, ugh, yuck!
"Here!" she said as she ripped the covers off me temporarily blinded by the light. "Open!"
Instinctively my body naturally obeys any command from her lips, and I opened my mouth wide. A second later I saw her reach for a tube and she squirted it in my open mouth.
"It's lube. Swish it around to warm it up for me. Plus it’ll get your tongue all extra slippery.” I obediently opened my mouth wider and stuck out my tongue as she took one hand and grabbed my face, squeezing my cheeks slightly to push open and out my lips into a dramatic ‘O’ shape with my tongue hanging out. I tried not to imagne what I must look like. With her other hand she squeezed the bottle with an undignified glorrp right into my mouth. I gently swished the off-tasting, gloopy mess around my mouth as Ashley instructed. "Mmmmmmmm, that's hot. That's gonna feel so good. K, ready?"
I tried to mumble something back, but warmed lube only crept out the side of my mouth. Luckily I think it was rhetorical as she threw the blanket down on top of me as I began gently licking. Just like that I was in heaven. She tasted of natural feminine juices with a slight hint of the day’s perspiration. My poor Ashley must have really had a long day! Her moans and grinding of her hips urging me on, as well as her little comments of direction here and there.
"Mmmmmmmm, slower. Flick it. Higher. Oh yes, Ryan. Mmmmmmm, fuck. Oh Ryan, Oh Ryannn, mmmmmm”
Ugh, really, him?
It was only a few minutes before her 1st orgasm. I could feel her thighs gently tighten with a delicate moan. I guess she changed her mind about a quick cum, as when I went to get up for air after her 1st release, her hand roughly grabbed my hair by the scalp and re-positioned my face so it was firmly mashed against her pelvis.
My aching erection was painfully pushing against my bikini bottoms and pants. I could feel my poor little penis throb and starting to leak. It was so hot seeing her as she took out her vibrator and pleasured herself as I licked wherever there was space around her movements. Desperate to please her and be useful. This was my chance to impress her, I thought as I licked so hard it ached. It was so cute seeing her comments getting more intense as she got more lost in her own pleasure.
"Fuck yes. Lick me, slut! Uuungh, deeper, I SAID LICK DEEPER! Oh fuck, yes, bitch, just like that. Fucking lick right there. Now lower, LOWER, SLUT”
Sure, I've heard the names the other kids call me at school. Simp, loser, cuck, her bitch. But who else but me gets to see her in these most intimate of moments when she really loses herself.
After another 10 min her thighs clamped down on my head. I could no longer hear anything, I could barely breathe and was trapped in a conjuncture of her sweaty flesh, lube and natural juices. Just as I was preparing to tap out, or succumb to her body, she relaxed. I heard the sound of her vibrator switch off.
Next thing I knew, the sheets were ripped off and I felt the flat bottom of her somewhat sweaty foot on my forehead, pushing me away as I desperately tried to get 1 more glimpse of her most intimate area.
“Mmmm, that was nice.” Ashley rolled off the bed. Still in a daze, I had the most amazing view of her golden, toned ass cheeks. “Well I’m off to shower and then I need some sleep. I’m beat. Did you enjoy your little treat, Davey? You owe me one now!” she said with a wink. "No problem having my history homework done by tomorrow, ya?"
I went to confirm I’d stay up late but my sore and achey tongue just flopped out of my mouth with a “Yeth Asthley. Thatth no pwobrum".
Ashley giggled as she walked out of the room. I watched her butt cheeks bounce as she called over her shoulder “rinse your mouth after you finish whatever my mom needed. That lube stuff might be toxic or something. Can’t have anything happen to my little puppy. But it feels great! I’d get used to that lube taste."
My heart swooned as I drifted downstairs before I continued my night of drudgery. But nothing else mattered. Ashley was happy with me. And she must be satisfied with my oral servitude! She wants to keep it a regular thing!!! She must have really loved it. You know what they say, 1st comes love, then comes marriage!!
submitted by throwaway4fem to cuck_femdom_tales [link] [comments]
I made my way up their steps and into Ashley’s bedroom. It was far from my 1st time here at this point. I’d often be called over to “hang out”. At the best of times, this involved me down on my knees, rubbing Ashley’s tired feet or painting her toenails as she controlled the conversation. Mostly just her venting about her day, sometimes about some recent party she went to that I was never invited to. Or just tidying up as she relaxed on her large bed and played with her phone or watched tv. I loved any opportunity to be around Ashley. Plus her room had an electric energy to me. I could take a deep breath and smell her very essence through the air. Not to mention the perks of being her little “simp”. Last time I was over I found a loose stay hair on her pillow as I was fluffing it up after making her bed. I was able to sneak that little strand of hair in my pocket and take it home. OMG, I lasted for weeks with that being my main source of masterbation material!!
Tonight I was actually hoping for a quick cleanup. Between this, helping Mrs. Smith and Ashley’s homework, time always seems to get away from me and I spend the next day dragging myself like a zombie. As soon as I walked in her room, I knew I would be a while. Ashley has many great qualities; tidiness isn’t one of them! She had old plates of food sitting on her desk. Chocolate wrappers just tossed on hr floor. Her clothes! She had a mix of worn and dirty clothes thrown about and hanging off of every chair, banister, and littering the ground. I’d have to inspect each item to confirm if they were clean or dirty before finding the appropriate place for them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hamper with bra dangling out. It must have been worn. And I could touch it. Maybe even get a chance to smell it! I felt myself get hot and got those same butterflies in my tummy.
"There you are. What took so long?" Ashley had removed her makeup and decided to make herself more comfortable. She changed out of her trendy day clothes which still followed all school guidelines, which included form-fitting jeans and a slight midriff-baring top, that had a swooping neckline to show off her chest proudly, though they needed no help showing off. Her body often even had some teachers drooling. Those sexy clothes were gone now that it was just us. Now she wore her grey sweatpants, her socks and an old cami top. I know the look wasn't "sexy" but knowing she had removed her bra and only a thin piece of fabric separated us was almost too much to think about. Butterflies in my tummy again.
"Oh, i'm so sorry, Ashley! Your Mom just a-asked me to help with some, um, washing up, in the laundry room after."
"See! Her and my Dad complain about me not doing my own chores, but then she goes and has you scrubbing dirty underwear like some 1950's bimbo housewife! It's because she doesn't wanna do that gross boring shit either! And can you believe my Dad!? Building character!? Like, really? And another thing- Oh, Davey, didn't you hear? My mom gave the okay. You can start on my room.” She gave me an expectant look and I took the hint and grabbed my cleaning spray and rubber gloves.
"Here, start here-“ She remained standing but pointed at a stain with her socked foot. "I spilled some soda I guess and it's like, sticky or something."
"Y-Yes Ashley, right away!"
And I got started cleaning the disaster of a room as Ashley finished venting and then relaxed at her desk. "I'll help in a sec. Just want to check insta 1st..."
Off I went scrubbing and dusting and tidying and primping and promping the teenage girl's room while I was for the most part ignored. I’ll save the boring details of scrubbing and tidying up a teenage girl’s bedroom. About and hour or so later, my fingers ached and my back was starting to hurt from being bent over so much.
"Okay, I think I pretty much got everything in a place your parents would approve, um, Ashley?"
She was now relaxing on her bed, reclined against the pillows. She was still over the sheets with her laptop on her stomach. I remember thinking how it must be hard to see the screen over her rising chest.
"What's that?" She looked up from her laptop for the 1st time in maybe an hour. "Oh sorry, I was messaging with Ryan. I must have got distracted".
Ugh, Ryan. Classic jock jerk! And of course her on again off again boyfriend. Honestly these days he mostly just treated her as friends with benefits. I have no idea why she puts up with him! He's crude, rude and just flat out doesn't treat her like the princess she is!! I have had her cry on my shoulder more times than I can count from this brute, but then the next weekend she is behind the bleachers sucking his cock!! Yuck, hard to imagine my sweet, confident princess getting on her knees for some brute! It's only a matter of time before she realizes she actually prefers sweet and caring types, and then maybe she even finds them sexy, and would even get down on her knees for someone like, like m-"
"Davey! This room looks great. What would you say to a little reward?"
Remember when I said the lines were blurred in the relationship. This is one of those blurred lines.
"A, r-r-rreward? You mean like-"
"OMG, look at your face. I really am too good to you, aren't I. God it's been what, a couple weeks since I let you eat me out, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, um, uh, yes, it-it's been um, yea, uh 3 m-m-months now, um, uh, A-Ash-l-ley..."
"Wowwwww, aw, that's a long time for you. Yea, I was gonna hop in a quick shower before bed, it was a long day. But then I started talking to Ryan and well, now I'm in the mood. Plus, you really, really deserve it. Just look at this place." she gestured to her now sparkling room. "You have been SO sweet lately. Anyway, nothing crazy. Just kinda want to grind one out to help me sleep, you know?"
"Oh, uh, um, y-y-yes, th-thank you-u, I- I, uh, um yes, I unders-s-stand Ashley".
"Good boyyyy. K, in you go". She got under the covers and held the blanket up for me to crawl in. She pulled her sweatpants down, and then threw her underwear off the side of the bed. Under the dark heat of the covers, all I could see are the most beautiful golden tan and toned legs rising out of her ankle socks, and climbing until they met the most perfect, tight and perfectly trimmed pussy. When I got close I could smell her excitement and I could see a slight slickness by her folds. She must have been getting wet while talking to Ryan, ugh, yuck!
"Here!" she said as she ripped the covers off me temporarily blinded by the light. "Open!"
Instinctively my body naturally obeys any command from her lips, and I opened my mouth wide. A second later I saw her reach for a tube and she squirted it in my open mouth.
"It's lube. Swish it around to warm it up for me. Plus it’ll get your tongue all extra slippery.” I obediently opened my mouth wider and stuck out my tongue as she took one hand and grabbed my face, squeezing my cheeks slightly to push open and out my lips into a dramatic ‘O’ shape with my tongue hanging out. I tried not to imagne what I must look like. With her other hand she squeezed the bottle with an undignified glorrp right into my mouth. I gently swished the off-tasting, gloopy mess around my mouth as Ashley instructed. "Mmmmmmmm, that's hot. That's gonna feel so good. K, ready?"
I tried to mumble something back, but warmed lube only crept out the side of my mouth. Luckily I think it was rhetorical as she threw the blanket down on top of me as I began gently licking. Just like that I was in heaven. She tasted of natural feminine juices with a slight hint of the day’s perspiration. My poor Ashley must have really had a long day! Her moans and grinding of her hips urging me on, as well as her little comments of direction here and there.
"Mmmmmmmm, slower. Flick it. Higher. Oh yes, Ryan. Mmmmmmm, fuck. Oh Ryan, Oh Ryannn, mmmmmm”
Ugh, really, him?
It was only a few minutes before her 1st orgasm. I could feel her thighs gently tighten with a delicate moan. I guess she changed her mind about a quick cum, as when I went to get up for air after her 1st release, her hand roughly grabbed my hair by the scalp and re-positioned my face so it was firmly mashed against her pelvis.
My aching erection was painfully pushing against my bikini bottoms and pants. I could feel my poor little penis throb and starting to leak. It was so hot seeing her as she took out her vibrator and pleasured herself as I licked wherever there was space around her movements. Desperate to please her and be useful. This was my chance to impress her, I thought as I licked so hard it ached. It was so cute seeing her comments getting more intense as she got more lost in her own pleasure.
"Fuck yes. Lick me, slut! Uuungh, deeper, I SAID LICK DEEPER! Oh fuck, yes, bitch, just like that. Fucking lick right there. Now lower, LOWER, SLUT”
Sure, I've heard the names the other kids call me at school. Simp, loser, cuck, her bitch. But who else but me gets to see her in these most intimate of moments when she really loses herself.
After another 10 min her thighs clamped down on my head. I could no longer hear anything, I could barely breathe and was trapped in a conjuncture of her sweaty flesh, lube and natural juices. Just as I was preparing to tap out, or succumb to her body, she relaxed. I heard the sound of her vibrator switch off.
Next thing I knew, the sheets were ripped off and I felt the flat bottom of her somewhat sweaty foot on my forehead, pushing me away as I desperately tried to get 1 more glimpse of her most intimate area.
“Mmmm, that was nice.” Ashley rolled off the bed. Still in a daze, I had the most amazing view of her golden, toned ass cheeks. “Well I’m off to shower and then I need some sleep. I’m beat. Did you enjoy your little treat, Davey? You owe me one now!” she said with a wink. "No problem having my history homework done by tomorrow, ya?"
I went to confirm I’d stay up late but my sore and achey tongue just flopped out of my mouth with a “Yeth Asthley. Thatth no pwobrum".
Ashley giggled as she walked out of the room. I watched her butt cheeks bounce as she called over her shoulder “rinse your mouth after you finish whatever my mom needed. That lube stuff might be toxic or something. Can’t have anything happen to my little puppy. But it feels great! I’d get used to that lube taste."
My heart swooned as I drifted downstairs before I continued my night of drudgery. But nothing else mattered. Ashley was happy with me. And she must be satisfied with my oral servitude! She wants to keep it a regular thing!!! She must have really loved it. You know what they say, 1st comes love, then comes marriage!!
2024.06.02 16:39 powerpopdrummer Don't Know Where to Start
I have questions on an issue with UPS. I don't what to break any rules of this sub so I'm not sure where to begin. Bottom line, a personal item of mine...highly collectible and not replaceable...was lost by UPS. I'm not believing the results of their "investigation". The wording seems very scripted, like a template. I honestly believe my item is in a UPS warehouse somewhere with a missing or damaged label. But I can't get anyone at UPS to help me. Any calls I make go to a call center, seemingly not in the United States where I live, and where my item was being shipped.
Again, this is my personal property. The item in question is a very rare musical instrument (a drum to be specific), that I shipped as part of an entire drum set from my home in Florida to North Carolina, for a Scotland based band to use on their North American tour. Their tour ended in Los Angeles. All of the drums were shipped in professional Humes and Berg road cases. The cases have straps with latches to keep the lid secured to the case. In an abundance of caution, the latches were secured with tie wraps. The tie wraps would need to be cut in order to release the latches. I purchased all the return labels for the 5 cases and sent them to the venue manager in Los Angeles, where he attached the labels to the cases. I paid for UPS pickup of the packages (cases) from the venue. Four of the five cases arrived safely to Florida. Unfortunately the case with my floor tom in it did not.
The first thing I need help with is determining whether I am the sender or the receiver of the missing package/case. Reading through this sub, it appears UPS' contract is with the sender. What criteria determines who the sender is? The person who paid for the labels? Or, the person at the point of origin for the shipping? In this case, the venue manager. I should note, I received two confirmations from UPS when I arranged for pickup...one was confirmation that I arranged and paid for the pick up of 5 packages. The other was confirmation that 5 packages were picked up. However, one of the packages was never trackable. When I tracked it, I kept getting a notification that the item was ready for shipment but UPS hadn't received it yet. However I got the notification from UPS that 5 packages were picked up? I also confirmed with the venue manager that all the packages were picked up.
So I started a lost package claim. I had to do this over the phone, because the online form doesn't work if the tracking does not show the item in UPS custody. All I have is the confirmation from UPS that 5 packages were picked up. Well, the day after I reported the lost package I checked the tracking number, and received the following heartbreaking notice: All merchandise is missing and the empty carton was discarded. UPS will notify the sender. I literally almost passed out when I read this. Then I read the words closely. "All merchandise is missing"...how can that be? It was secured inside a road case? "The empty carton was discarded"...it wasn't in a carton, it was in road case. The only way for that case to be empty is if someone cut the zip ties and removed the drum from the case. This isn't a poorly packed cardboard box...or "carton". There is one additional note that reads: UPS will notify the shipper about the damage. So if I am to believe what I am reading, they are saying the professional drum case was damaged? Where is the burden of proof on this? The way these cases are made, I can not believe this unless I am shown photos. Also, "UPS will notify the shipper". Who is the shipper? I have not heard anything from UPS on this. All of this information is coming from what I see when I check the tracking number.
There is one more piece of information that just doesn't add up. I mentioned this package never showed that it was in UPS custody. There was never a delivery date or scan made. Yet, the results of the in investigation show the "damaged carton" was in Greensboro, North Carolina. How could the case get from Los Angeles to Greensboro, N.C. without showing up in tracking? It just doesn't make any sense. None of this makes any sense. I am despondent and powerless here. I honestly believe the case is sitting in the Customer Service Center in Los Angeles and no one at UPS is trying to even find it. I believe they are just giving me a formulaic answer to close this case and not compensate me for the loss. This is not some piece of merchandise I purchased online. This is my personal property that can not be replaced. They stopped making these drums in the mid 1970s. It is vintage and collectible.
Can anyone here help me? These drums were picked up from Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, zip code 90017-2362. Seeing as the Teragram Ballroom is only a half mile from the UPS Customer Center at 950 Blaine St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, I'm guessing that's were they were taken after being picked up. Does anyone know how to reach a caring human at this location? I am absolutely desperate here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for caring.
submitted by powerpopdrummer to UPS [link] [comments]
Again, this is my personal property. The item in question is a very rare musical instrument (a drum to be specific), that I shipped as part of an entire drum set from my home in Florida to North Carolina, for a Scotland based band to use on their North American tour. Their tour ended in Los Angeles. All of the drums were shipped in professional Humes and Berg road cases. The cases have straps with latches to keep the lid secured to the case. In an abundance of caution, the latches were secured with tie wraps. The tie wraps would need to be cut in order to release the latches. I purchased all the return labels for the 5 cases and sent them to the venue manager in Los Angeles, where he attached the labels to the cases. I paid for UPS pickup of the packages (cases) from the venue. Four of the five cases arrived safely to Florida. Unfortunately the case with my floor tom in it did not.
The first thing I need help with is determining whether I am the sender or the receiver of the missing package/case. Reading through this sub, it appears UPS' contract is with the sender. What criteria determines who the sender is? The person who paid for the labels? Or, the person at the point of origin for the shipping? In this case, the venue manager. I should note, I received two confirmations from UPS when I arranged for pickup...one was confirmation that I arranged and paid for the pick up of 5 packages. The other was confirmation that 5 packages were picked up. However, one of the packages was never trackable. When I tracked it, I kept getting a notification that the item was ready for shipment but UPS hadn't received it yet. However I got the notification from UPS that 5 packages were picked up? I also confirmed with the venue manager that all the packages were picked up.
So I started a lost package claim. I had to do this over the phone, because the online form doesn't work if the tracking does not show the item in UPS custody. All I have is the confirmation from UPS that 5 packages were picked up. Well, the day after I reported the lost package I checked the tracking number, and received the following heartbreaking notice: All merchandise is missing and the empty carton was discarded. UPS will notify the sender. I literally almost passed out when I read this. Then I read the words closely. "All merchandise is missing"...how can that be? It was secured inside a road case? "The empty carton was discarded"...it wasn't in a carton, it was in road case. The only way for that case to be empty is if someone cut the zip ties and removed the drum from the case. This isn't a poorly packed cardboard box...or "carton". There is one additional note that reads: UPS will notify the shipper about the damage. So if I am to believe what I am reading, they are saying the professional drum case was damaged? Where is the burden of proof on this? The way these cases are made, I can not believe this unless I am shown photos. Also, "UPS will notify the shipper". Who is the shipper? I have not heard anything from UPS on this. All of this information is coming from what I see when I check the tracking number.
There is one more piece of information that just doesn't add up. I mentioned this package never showed that it was in UPS custody. There was never a delivery date or scan made. Yet, the results of the in investigation show the "damaged carton" was in Greensboro, North Carolina. How could the case get from Los Angeles to Greensboro, N.C. without showing up in tracking? It just doesn't make any sense. None of this makes any sense. I am despondent and powerless here. I honestly believe the case is sitting in the Customer Service Center in Los Angeles and no one at UPS is trying to even find it. I believe they are just giving me a formulaic answer to close this case and not compensate me for the loss. This is not some piece of merchandise I purchased online. This is my personal property that can not be replaced. They stopped making these drums in the mid 1970s. It is vintage and collectible.
Can anyone here help me? These drums were picked up from Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, zip code 90017-2362. Seeing as the Teragram Ballroom is only a half mile from the UPS Customer Center at 950 Blaine St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, I'm guessing that's were they were taken after being picked up. Does anyone know how to reach a caring human at this location? I am absolutely desperate here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for caring.
2024.06.02 16:23 como365 Art in the Park draws art enthusiasts from around the nation. Festival continues 10-4 Sunday.
 | Afield of white tents sheltered over 100 artists from a light rain Saturday while festivalgoers viewed art from around the country. submitted by como365 to columbiamo [link] [comments] “What artists have noticed in the past is when it rains, more people buy work,” said Kelsey Hammond, executive director of the Columbia Art League. Thousands turned out to Stephens Lake Park on Saturday for the first day of Art in the Park’s 65th festival. The regional festival features artists from across the nation and in a plethora of mediums — from ceramics and painting to knitting and carpentry. Caricaturists, face painting booths, local businesses and food trucks were present as well. The festival is aimed at all age groups, providing five tents with kids’ activities, including tie-dye shirt and necklace-making stations. Outside the Young Collector’s Tent, signs read “Parent Free Zone.” The tent provided a space for children to purchase pieces of art made by attending artists for only $5. Parents were not permitted into the booth, so kids could make the decision about what pieces they wanted. Another long tent was filled with dozens of tables that featured emerging artists. Hammond said the Makers Tent provides a space for artists who might not have the money or resources for a full booth. “I want people to experience art wherever they are,” Hammond said. Colorful glass spires attached to metal stakes marked the location of Cameron Smith and Jan Thomas’ booth. These glass spires, or “garden rockets,” as Smith called them, are some of the glass items made by the duo from Murphysboro, Illinois. Many people stopped to look at the intricate glass flowers Smith made. Hanging on the booth’s wall were several larger glass displays that Thomas made from recycled past projects. The couple has been coming to the festival since 2012, and Smith said they have developed a following. Smith has been blowing glass since 1975 and is originally from California. Smith attributed this “funky” glass style to his home state and said that Thomas’ style was more “whimsical.” Photographer J. Keneth Wallace was one of the artists who traveled farthest for the festival, making the trip from New Mexico. This was a return home for Wallace, who was originally born in Columbia and grew up on a nearby farm. Wallace said he bought his first single-lens reflex camera in the early 1970s and began taking photos professionally 15 years ago. This is his third year showcasing at the festival. His photography is primarily landscape, especially of the American Southwest, featuring mountains and canyons. Dozens of tiny, cream-colored houses sat neatly on a table under a sign reading “Snow Pond Ceramics.” Katie Barnes began making the houses, which are usually only a couple inches tall, at her kitchen table with her children. Friends soon grew interested in having tiny houses of their own, and now her work is shown at the Columbia Art League. “While I’m making them, I have an imaginary world going on where I’m picturing who’s living in these houses ...” Barnes said. “I have kind of developed this whole fantasy world while I make them.” Festival artists will be back from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Stephens Lake Park. Festival judges began determining award winners Saturday, which will be announced Sunday morning. |
2024.06.02 16:17 ProfessionalSpread56 Medium for propagation and struggles
So I had always used water, maybe rooting gel or powder, but I kinda got back onto taking cuttings on ornamentals I came across, and I'm having less luck with Vermiculite. I have fine and Coarse, I've tried it at %100, mixed with perlite recently, I have peat and coco also but haven't gotten there yet.
So I'm wondering if cuttings from some plants are going to prefer one medium vs a 'one is best' thing?
It seems like Vermiculite used to be the choice for cuttings, but I'm not having such great luck this time around.
Does anyone have more thoughts or how to put pieces together on this?
submitted by ProfessionalSpread56 to propagation [link] [comments]
So I'm wondering if cuttings from some plants are going to prefer one medium vs a 'one is best' thing?
It seems like Vermiculite used to be the choice for cuttings, but I'm not having such great luck this time around.
Does anyone have more thoughts or how to put pieces together on this?
2024.06.02 16:09 Espazilious The Crossroads of Destiny - A Ficnapping for JulianSkies
u/SpacePaladin15 is responsible for the creation of the NOP universe. u/JulianSkies is responsible for the creation of a metric fuckton of fics within that universe.
this story is my ficnapping entry for... uhhhh... *checks notes* old scabbard, the allergy, gremlins, game review: escape series, river wolves and meteors. it's probably not strictly necessary to read them to enjoy this ficnap? but you should do it anyway, because they are Very Excellent™.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Reunion ////// Wednesday, July 9th, 2138 8:16 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Ah, the middle of the week. For most bars, it is a time of quiet, of minimal activity. Some scant few people might show up; either regulars who come every day, or those who seek to unwind with a quick drink or just get out of the house for a bit, but they don't often stay long. They get one or two cups, share the bare minimum of a chat, and then get on their merry way.
...But of course, that's just the way humans do things.
The countless aliens who have taken up residence in Sao Paulo since the fall of the Federation simply don't seem to care for our silly calendar. They come in whenever they please, week or weekend, midday or midnight, rain or shine. Sometimes they want to get blackout drunk, other times they just want a quick taste of home. Or, there's always the frequent visitor who's just here to get their fill of social contact. Those ones are perhaps my favorite. After the horrors of the Federation War, and taking refuge on Skalga, I certainly won't ever tire of seeing aliens and humans—total strangers to one another—start chatting and getting along, coexisting in peace and harmony, without anyone batting an eye.
Today, though... was not the typical rush of aliens and one or two human regulars. When the bell above the door jingled and a figure stepped in from the cool outside air, consider my surprise to see not a small fluffy thing with no clothes, but a tall, lanky human man, with a face I hadn't seen in months.
"Lucas," I jovially said. "Welcome. It's good to see you again."
He smiled bashfully and raised an arm in a silent wave, seeing a dozen heads turn to look at him. One head in particular turned much farther than the rest; a gaunt human woman, accompanied by a relaxed venlil—Bella Rivers and Taya, both of whom are... perhaps my most frequent guests. "Oh damn! And here I was starting to think you died in a car accident, Luc," Bella said, clearly surprised to see another human at this hour, letalone one who'd been absent for so long.
"Haha, no..." Lucas said, making a beeline for the bar. "Just been... er, busy, you know how it is. How've things been here?"
Bella cast a brief glance at me, asking a silent question, to which I gave a simple nod. "It's been great," she answered in my stead. "Every day feels like more people know about this place. I keep telling Keeps to start thinking about remodeling, get some more space in here before it starts turning into a moshpit every weekend."
Lucas let out a chuckle. "I almost can't believe you two come here so often that you can say that."
Taya leaned around Bella just enough to look Lucas in the eye. "Well no duh! Where else are we gonna go? Name one pub in this city besides The Crossroad that's licensed to sell alien food and drink, and always cares about dietary restrictions!"
Bella laughed. "Okay girl, you ain't gotta shill that hard."
"Nuh uh. I'm not drunk enough not to shill," the normally-reserved venlil droned. She most certainly was a little drunk...
"Speaking of," I cut in, turning to Lucas. "The usual?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You still remember my drink?"
"Of course."
He looked thoughtful for a moment, before smiling. "Yeah. I'd love that."
I wasted no time in gathering my tools and the requisite bottles and ingredients to put together his complicated order. To say I pride myself on remembering my patrons, their quirks, and their likes and dislikes... would be an understatement. What is a barkeep if not the central pillar of the establishment? It simply wouldn't do for me to be anything less than reliable.
"For real though," Bella said. "It's not just the food that keeps us here. Like yeah, I love being able to trust my food, but there's more to it. Just look around," she waved a hand out at the rest of the room, "Isn't it great, seeing so many different people, from so many different walks of life, all come together in one place? Back during the war, I... we never imagined we'd get to see something like this. And yet here we are, back on Earth, with God knows how many aliens just hangin' around, being chill, doing their things."
"Huh... yeah, I guess I can see it-- ah, thanks Keeps," Lucas said as I passed him his completed drink. "If you forget everything that's happened, it kinda does look like how everyone dreamed things would go before first contact."
Bella smiled wistfully, idly swirling her half-full drink with her straw. "I think it's amazing. All these different cultures and faces mashing together at once, just this giant melting pot of people and worldviews and everything."
"...Yeah. It really is incredible."
Bella's brows furrowed as Lucas wasted no time in taking a large swig of his drink. It seemed as if something was on his mind, and perhaps she could tell. "Hey... where have you been, these past few months?"
"I've... well," he put down his glass, staring at it almost disdainfully. And after I'd made it so perfectly for him, to boot. Rude. "I've actually been trying to uh, cut back on the drinking..."
Bella turned, glancing confusedly at Taya, who flicked her tail in equal uncertainty. "Really? But you've always been such a responsible drinker. I don't think I can even remember a single time you've ever caused trouble, or got sick or anything. Did something happen?"
"No, nothing like that. I just wanted... well, here, look at this," he said and produced his holopad, skillfully swiping to his photo album. In seconds, he pulled up a picture of himself alongside an alien with gray fur... and long, floppy, dog-like ears. A farsul. "This is Talon. He's been staying with me since the xenomed center got going full swing."
Taya recoiled at the sight, ears flattening in apparent anger before Bella turned and shot her a firm glare. The venlil immediately shrunk on herself, looking both apologetic, and yet still agitated.
"I'm doing it for him. He... um, let's just say he gets a little nervous," Lucas mumbled. He swiped to another picture, this time with Talon hanging off his arm like a monkey, tongue lolling out of his wide-open muzzle in obvious glee. "He's such a sweet little guy, like the brother I never had. But it wasn't good for him, to be dealing with me coming home drunk. He needs stability, consistency. I... was making him worry whether I'll be the same every time I walk through the door. So I promised him I'd stop."
Bella put a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Well that's sweet of you. I can tell you care a lot."
Lucas frowned. "Of course I care. After the shit he got put through in those... fucking goddamn facilities."
A bubble of silence surrounded the trio as his words sunk in. Bella swirled her drink one last time before she took a huge swig. Lucas watched her for a moment before he grabbed his own near-full glass and downed the whole of it in one fell swoop.
"Hhh. So much for that," he grumbled as he glared down at his freshly emptied cup. Then his expression softened slightly, turning closer to remorse. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to fuck up the vibe. I uh, got some other pics of him if--"
"No, Lucas, it's okay," Taya suddenly said. "There's nothing wrong with being honest. Especially not in a place like this," she pointed one eye toward me, "ain't that right, Keeps?"
All I could offer in response was a curt nod.
Bella reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "If something's on your mind, then... c'mon, be straight with us."
Lucas sighed. "I wish there were more I could do for him," he bluntly said. "We've tried so many things to help him stay calm. Breathing exercises, fidget toys, music... but it's never enough. He still just can't function in public, or around new people, or... anywhere. Especially if I'm not there. And I don't know what to do anymore. I keep telling him to take as long as he needs, but I..." Lucas slouched over, holding his head in his hands, "I feel like every time takes a little longer."
"Um... Y'know..." Taya spoke up, as her ears twisted nervously. "It... sounds like, maybe, um... he... needs a friend?"
"I am his friend," Lucas deadpanned.
"N-no, I mean... oorgh, how do I say this?"
"I think what she's trying to say is... if you want a little help, Lucas, we'd be happy to be there for you. For him."
Lucas's brows furrowed for a moment before he seemed to grasp what she was saying, and his eyes went wide. "Really? But-" his eyes locked onto Taya, "but you're--"
Taya shook her head. "Don't say it. I... I know. I know what I am," she all but whispered. "But maybe I don't want to be like... this. Maybe I want to be better. After all, if I'd never tried to have an open mind about humans, I never would've met Bella!"
"Well... okay," Lucas said, as a small smile grew on his face. "Here. Lemme get your numbers, and I'll talk to him, and we'll get in touch?"
Bella nodded and presented her pad, as Taya did the same. "Yep! And hey, if he isn't up to meeting in person, maybe you can see if he wants to try just being... like, pen pals or something?"
"Hah. He's not a child, you know. But thanks. I really mean it."
"I know you mean it. We're glad to help."
The three of them tapped pads to exchange contacts, and with that, their fates became intertwined. Whatever may happen to them after today, I cannot know. A humble barkeeper such myself shan't be blessed with the absolutes of the future. Some may try to predict what is to come, but I believe the future is theirs to decide, that they may take whatever happens in their own hands and mold it to their will.
It is all I can hope that Bella and Taya will return and share with me the stories of their antics. Or, as unlikely as it seems, perhaps Lucas could bring Talon here, for them both to participate in this gathering of souls; for them to find joy among friends new and old; for the chance to walk the wondrous crossroads of life and love.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Scampering Menaces ////// Monday, July 14th, 2138 1:39 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Monday. The day of loathing. Of rest and relaxation coming to an end. Of waking up early, getting ready for work, and repeating yet another week of monotony. Some would question my sanity, to open the bar at all on a Monday, letalone to do so at noon. But those foolish few simply haven't seen how excited aliens can be about something so mundane as lunch.
But alas, the lunch rush never persists forever, and just like always, I eventually found my beloved pub woefully empty. As it would likely stay for the rest of the afternoon, save for the occasional visitor with a more unusual schedule.
...Or, perhaps, should I be so lucky... a much more rare sight; a true oddity, who might seek to come here only during the dead hours.
And wouldn't you know, it was on this day that I was blessed with one such patron. Or... multiple patrons. A human and a trio... no, quartet of dossur. It was very much a challenge for me to keep track of the little sapient rodents as they skittered about, both on and literally around their human, but I was more than certain that there were definitely only four of them.
At first, I thought there were three dossur. But then one of them retreated into their human's apparently rather spacious hoodie, and a very distinctly different dossur came out. She looked... mangy, for lack of a polite term, with numerous patches of discolored and uneven fur, and what appeared to be a few healed scars. It was clear to me that she must have been through something horrible, and yet had been saved by the miracle of modern medicine.
The small group's incursion upon my shop was... relatively peaceful. They certainly had no qualms about using their outdoor voices, speaking loudly and freely about whatever came to mind, from plans for when they got home, to theorycrafting about potential vacations they could take, and even to the status of the Sapient Coalition as a whole. I, of course, had no right to begrudge them for being so noisy—they were the only ones in the bar, after all.
But everything changed when the front door swung open, the gentle dingle of the bell heralding the arrival of yet another rare antisocial patron.
To my surprise, this newcomer was another human. But not just any human, oh no, this was a very particular human. One who I could say might be somewhat of a regular, despite his tendency to avoid the busier hours. It was no trouble for me to recognize him from the slightest glance, as his unforgettable silver hair, and the red highlights within, matched gorgeously with his red scarf.
As he entered, a somewhat shorter than average venlil trailed close behind. He too wore a red scarf, though for a... different reason. A deeply personal reason, that neither he nor his human have ever seemed keen to share. And I, out of respect for them both, shan't pry.
With a brief, wary glance at the table of chaos, the two of them made their way toward the bar. They hardly made it more than a few steps before a painfully loud shriek, followed by three more of the same, damn near shattered every piece of glass in my bar.
"HUMY!!!!!" "OH MY GOD HI!!" "JOHN! LOOK!!" "Don't yell in my ear--" "Wait is it really-- IT IS! GUYS GET OUT HERE--"
And in a staggering instant... where I thought there were only four dossur, I was once again proven thoroughly WRONG. From within John's hoodie came not one, not two, but four more of the little bastards! There were eight of them! They all scampered up their poor handler's arms and stood on his head and shoulders, waving their whole bodies and jumping up and down, and being so very loud.
"HI HUMY!!!!!!!!" "HI!!!" "HIIIIII!!!!!!" "He's so tall..." "Is that VV?? HI VV!!" "WOW I didn't know his hair was really that white!"
Humy, while certainly shocked by the sudden attention, somehow managed to take it in stride. He raised a hand and waved back to the crowd of not-squirrels, the action shutting them up for only a moment before they started squealing even LOUDER in sheer excitement.
"Guys... Y'all oughta quiet down a bit," John said... or so I think. I frankly couldn't hear him over the orchestra of rodent insanity.
One particularly bold dossur—the one with the damaged fur—made her way down from the chaos table and practically sprinted to Humy's legs, before climbing him like a tree. He recoiled in surprise, but she kept going until she was leaning off the top of his head, staring straight into his eyes. The others went silent, waiting with bated breath for whatever might happen next.
...
"Hi."
The poor man, frazzled, startled, accosted-by-an-alien-squirrel, took a long moment before he figured out what to do about this situation. "Um. Hi."
Unfortunately, that was the wrong response.
"HE SAID HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "I WANNA SAY HI TO HUMY!!" "THAT'S NOT FAIR, HOW COME SHE GETS--" "JOHN!!!" "Guys, pl--" "--TO SAY HI TO HIM?!?!!?!" "JOHN BRING US TO HIM OR DIE"
John abruptly slapped the table and stood up, nearly flinging half of his passengers in different directions as they panicked and clung to him for dear life. "I'm so sorry," he quickly said, "They're not usually like this. We'll just be going," he turned to me, making eye contact for an instant, "Cya later, Keeps."
"No, wait!" Humy said, just barely before the swarm could scream their collective dissent. "Please don't. I don't mind, I promise. All I ask is you quieten down a notch, is that okay?"
The dossur looked amongst each other; some of them drooped in shame, while others seemed to simply not grasp the relevance of the request. But in the end, it was John who spoke up first. "He's right, guys. Y'all need to tone it down. No more screaming."
"Okay?" "Sorry..." "Makes sense." "SURE!!--"
John immediately snatched up that particular troublemaker before stuffing him in his hoodie, never to be seen again.
"Ah... anyway..." Humy said, and gestured to the counter, where VV had already taken a seat during the commotion. John took the unspoken invitation, and the middle-aged man reunited with his friend as the dossur wrangler sat on his other side.
The swarm, of course, wasted no time in dismounting John and lining up right in front of poor Humy. Or, well, only two of them lined up. One crawled up onto his sleeve, two onto his shoulders, and the last simply kept climbing around, seemingly not intent on stopping ever. The seventh and eighth remained imprisoned in John's pocket and sprawled out atop Humy's head, respectively.
"Is Humy your real name?" "Why's your hair white?" "Your scarves are so cool!" "What's your favorite fruit?"
Humy burst out in a fit of chuckles, evidently amused by the dossur speaking over each other in their haste to treat him like a talking jungle gym. "Wow. John, right?" he turned to the other human, who gave a curt nod. "How do you live with this?"
"Very patiently," John deadpanned. "No one would ever believe me if I told them these little shits are highly trained Marines."
"Have you ever been on a cruise?" "What's your favorite game?" "If I gave you a strawberry, would you eat it?" "Are you two dating?" "Seriously, why's your hair white!?"
"Okay, okay, c'mon, one at a time! Why don't all of you line up right here in front of me, and I'll go down the line?"
"No." "...Nah." "It's comfy up here." "And it's boring down there!" "And your hair smells good..."
Humy sighed and shook his head, but his smile betrayed his mirth at the situation. "Fine... let's see... you, at the very top. What's your question?"
"Huh? Oh, uhhh-" the mangled one trailed off. She'd been rather quiet the whole time. "Hmm... what's your next video gonna be, and when's it gonna be out?"
"Ooh!" "Yeah!" "Yes yes yes tell us!" "Genius question, Fée!"
Humy, despite the dossurs' excitement, grimaced. "I'm sorry, you guys, but I can't answer that. I just can't leak upcoming content!"
"Auugh!" "Noo c'mon!" "What." "That's not fair!"
"But..." Humy cut them off, looking thoughtful. "Well... maybe I can tell you one thing. I might have something very, very special lined up soon. Do you all remember when I played that thafki game, Survivor? Well I--"
Humy jumped, startled as VV—who'd been totally quiet and unobtrusive the whole time—abruptly grabbed his sleeve and tugged it sharply. A sheepish expression spread across the human's face. "Oops! Can't spoil the surprise. Sorry! How 'bout we hear another question?"
The dossur pouted, looking dejected, disappointed and all-around displeased. But, with that, the seven tiny herbivores quickly moved on, and continued to pester Humy with evermore nonsense. Too much nonsense. Truly, veritably, too much.
It wasn't until hours later, around 4 PM, that both parties finally grew fatigued and split ways. In the wake of their madness, I could feel nothing but gratitude for the fact that, despite their behavior, the rodents hadn't made a mess of anything, nor skipped out on their tab. While they were loud, and excitable, and far too much enjoyed using poor Humy as a playground... they weren't hooligans. They were, in the end, people. Not just noisy squirrels.
With that in mind... perhaps, maybe, just maybe, next time they come in... I wouldn't be unwilling to greet them, to welcome them to this place of character and merriment; to welcome their uniqueness among the myriad faces that make themselves known; to invite them in as members, as friends, as we all tread upon the ever-exciting crossroads of greetings and farewells.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Mayflies ////// Friday, August 1st, 2138 9:05 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Ah, the weekend. For a bar, it is the busiest time one could imagine. But for a bartender such as myself, it is so much more. The activity, the bustle, the countless different people coming together and simply being themselves. Just by merely being here, serving drinks and dinner to all who would want it, I am blessed with the wondrous opportunity to overhear talk and tales of peoples' lives—their homes, their hopes and dreams, their fears and regrets.
And today, of course, was no exception. Perchance, allow me to skip the lengthy preamble and get to the good stuff.
The moment an elderly, borderline decrepit old man entered the bar, he had my attention. Someone his age, coming somewhere like this, alone? The scenario piqued my curiosity.
He had a tired air to him, something between boredom, the general fatigue that comes with such advanced age and... if my keen eyes didn't deceive me, a touch of discomfort. As if he was out of his element in some way, not quite sure what to do with himself. He kept silent, bothering no one as he approached the counter and scanned one of the many QR codes plastered around the dining room.
His face stayed the same as he reviewed The Crossroads' prodigious menu, as though he was unimpressed with our unrivaled selection. But then, he paused, and something changed in his stance. His eyes flicked up and met mine, his expression suddenly lit ablaze, full of energy that wasn't there before. "Redtato tacos?" he curtly asked, sounding almost bewildered. His gaze dropped back down to the menu, to the other dishes on that same page. "Spice plates... cricket burgers," he looks back up at me, wearing a deranged grin, "even goddamn ichor ice cream? You're insane."
"Insane? Tell me you're new here without telling me," a new voice interjected. One of the other patrons—a thafki, who unlike her kin, had taken to wearing a black hoodie with the emblem of the United Nations—turned to us, appearing amused as she looked between me and the old man. "Wow, you're a perfect match for one another. Didn't think humans could get any older than ol' Barkeep here. What's someone as ancient as you doing here, new guy?"
"Hah. I like you, Blue," the man said as he took a seat beside the nosy and maybe slightly drunk alien.
"My name's not Blue. Call me Ayeli."
He held out a hand toward Ayeli. She glanced at it before shaking it without a second thought. "Ryusei," he said, before eyeing her beverage. "Tell you what, Barkeep, gimme one of whatever that is. And a refill for her, if she'll have it."
"Saltwine," I said, and reached beneath the counter to procure the bottle from which I'd poured Ayeli's first glass. I turned it back and forth in front of him, letting him read the translated label. "Be warned. This is a specialty item. It is not to most peoples' tastes, nor is it cheap."
"Pfft just do it. I've eaten rocks, you old coot."
The sheer brazenness of his words, the unwavering resolve in his eyes, and the utter lack of hesitation in his voice, took me truly off guard for the first time in a long, long while. "I'm not an old coot, you bumbling codger," I grumbled as I took a glass and filled it. Then, putting my professional facade back on just like nothing ever happened, I turned to Ayeli and hovered the bottle over her cup. She gave a thumbs up, and I poured.
Ryusei stared at me with a smug grin. "Pff. Looked in a mirror lately? Time ain't been good to you, friend. Look at all them gray hairs. Yeek."
"I can poison you in seventeen different ways," I deadpanned.
"As if I'd even be able to tell? There's nothing you can do to me that my body hasn't done at least twice already."
"Venlise alcohol. Not diluted."
"Now there'd be a challenge..." he murmured, before his attention drifted to his idle drink. He raised the glass to his lips and took a hearty sip, allowing the fluid—its texture, its flavor—to rest in his mouth before swallowing. "Mmh. Damn."
"You like it?" Ayeli asked.
"Y'know what? Yeah. Shit's weird in all the right ways. Hits your tongue like a pile of salt, but goes down smooth. No aftertaste, no burn, just a quick slap in the face and then it's gone."
Ayeli drummed her fingers on the counter before taking a long swig of her own drink. "Mmmhmm. That's how it is. How it's meant to be. I can't wait 'til someone figures out how to make this stuff for cheap."
"Speaking of. Ey Barkeep, put me down for one of them fucked up tacos. Let's see just how close a buncha earthlings can get to authentic Martian cuisine."
With a nod and several practiced movements, I had his request sent to the kitchen in seconds. I don't believe he saw me even touch the order pad with how fast I was.
"...Martian?" Ayeli asked. "Now hang on. That's... the red planet, no?"
"Mhm," The man let out a grunt of affirmation. "First planet humanity settled besides Earth. It's a dead, empty husk. Nothing but rocks and dust and solar radiation. I was born there."
"Huh. What're you doing here, then? There no bars on Mars?"
"...Classified."
"Oh. Yeah..."
Quiet spread between the two, Ayeli staring blankly into her own reflection within her glass. Ryusei's eyes slowly drifted toward her as his brow furrowed. "You... were a soldier, huh?"
Ayeli jolted, startled by the question. "Wh--? How... I mean, yeah. I guess I was. But how can you tell?"
"Eh. I've been there. Where you are now."
"...What?"
He took another sip. "You know how it is. Everything goes to shit. Then it gets better. Now everyone's pretending life is back to normal, and you have to pretend too. Even if you lost friends. Or family. Or... parts of yourself."
...
Ayeli frowned. "I... yeah. I guess."
"You guess?"
"It's... it's not that I've lost people. Or parts of myself," she said. "It's not even that I have to pretend that everything's back to normal."
Ryusei raised an eyebrow.
"All things considered, I've lost nothing. I joined the UN Marines, killed some lizards, and now I'm here. And I'm fine. Not even 'oh you're lying to yourself, you need a therapist' fine, but just... actually fine."
"Why's that, do you think?"
"I don't know. All my friends are so much worse off than me. They're all... fucked up, from everything. But I'm not. I just don't feel anything."
"I just... shouldn't I feel something?" she continued. "I've killed people. Drowned people. Slit throats. But whenever I think about it, there's just nothing. No guilt, no shame, no... no empathy."
"I understand," Ryusei breathed. Something behind his eyes changed, his tone becoming more... genuine. "You and I are alike, in a way."
"...Really?"
Ryusei swirled his drink before taking a quick sip. "When I was younger, I was part of something bigger than myself. It was dangerous as all hell—sixty percent fatality rate—but I was glad to be doing it. Glad to be playing my part. Happy to risk my life so someone else doesn't have to. But then it was over, and I got back to life like normal. I got my accolades, I took my damn awards, and I went home. And that was that."
"Except it wasn't," he continued. "I went home, and found out my family had ripped themselves apart. Half of em were obviously over the moons with pride, knowing I'd been there in the very front and came home a goddamn hero. But the rest... they had been scared. Terrified they'd never see me again. It was all they wanted for me to just come home and be safe."
"And... that's what got you?" Ayeli asked. Something in her voice was vulnerable, almost afraid. "The fact that you were ready to move on, but no one else was?"
Ryusei nodded. "I felt like a shithead not because I'd almost died a hundred times, but because I'd been the reason my parents got divorced."
Ayeli stared into nothing, dead silent for a long moment before she grabbed her drink and downed the remainder of it in one go. "F-fuck," she rasped. "It was supposed to go back to normal. We were supposed to have our happy ending. So why is everyone still like this? Why can't we just be okay now?"
"Because people need time, kid. You and I are the exceptions. You'll get your happy ending, you just... gotta wait. Gotta be there for them when they need you."
"How?"
"Whatever way you can. My little brother got hit the hardest by our parents' shitshow. He couldn't stand being around either of them. So I would drive him out to the middle of nowhere, and we'd just watch the universe go by. We'd count the stars, talk about how small we are, how it just keeps going, how empty it all is, yet still teeming with mystery. By the end of it, we'd both be feeling better... and then we'd do it again a week later when we felt like shit again. And on and on, for years."
"...We've already seen the stars though. How would that help?"
Ryusei slid his glass over to Ayeli, offering her the last few sips he had. "There are more things of beauty in this world than just the stars. Take it from me, old fart that I am—if you just take the time to look, you can find meaning anywhere. Even things you might take for granted."
Ayeli perked up, as if she'd realized something. "The ocean..."
"Something like that."
"It's... it's simple, it's mundane, it's so normal to us now that we can just go swimming whenever we like. But ten years ago, that would've been different. We... we did it. We changed it. For ourselves. We won."
"You hit the nail on the head, Blue. Tell all that to your pals. Really show them that it's over."
She looked down at the drink she'd been given, and lifted it to her lips to take a small sip. "An ocean of water, an ocean of stars... what difference does it make? Maybe you're right. Maybe we really are alike."
"Both have been around for millenia. And both will be there still, long after we're gone," Ryusei said. He looked down at his hands, an odd half-smile on his face. "Call me a sentimental old coot, but part of me still finds comfort in the stars. An infinite sea of beacons, shining in every direction for eternity. Always there, always waiting, no matter what."
"Mmm... y'know, it's funny. Our ancient ancestors probably each thought the same at one point or another. Wonder if any of 'em ever looked up in just the right place, at the right time... and looked straight at each other, even if they didn't know it."
"Heh. As much as I want to rain on your parade and say that's impossible... well, just look at the two of us, eh? The chance that we both would happen to be here, right now. Maybe it's not. The universe is pretty damn huge, and yet here we are."
Ayeli sat up straight in her seat, a determined look spreading across her face. "Yeah. I... I think I know what to do. How to help everyone else move on. Thanks for the drinks, 'Keep. And the chat, Ryusei."
"Yeah yeah. Go on, get outta here. Get back to your friends."
The thafki nodded and gave us both a smile, and then with one last wave goodbye, she made her way out of the establishment. Ryusei sighed and turned back to the bar, crossing his arms and slouching in that tired, past-our-prime way we both must know so well.
Before long, his plate of redtato tacos were brought out, and without another word, he got to work. He remained silent as he ate, but I could tell by the look on his face that he was satisfied.
"Alright... yeah, yeah you did good..." he said when there was nothing left to eat. "I'll remember this place. Think if I ever end up 'round here again, I might stop by."
"You'll always be welcome... until you call me old again. Then you might find something different in your cup than you ordered."
He laughed, grinning like a madman as he stood from his seat. "Bold of you to threaten me with a good time. Now I'm definitely coming back!"
With that, he paid for his meal and his and Ayeli's drinks, and just as suddenly as it all began, he was gone. The cycle of greetings and goodbyes played its part yet again, bringing us together and pulling us apart as if no time had passed at all.
But where his and Ayeli's presence left my bar, their imprints have not. In my memory, and theirs, lies the everlasting essence of our encounter. The feelings of meeting, of learning, of sharing ourselves—and above all else, the words they spoke. The sentiment has truly been burned into my recollection, never to be forgotten with how it touched my heart, my very soul.
How wondrous it is that two people so similar and yet so different could ever meet. The universe is vast—immeasurably so—and still they both happened to be in the right place at the right time for their lives to become intertwined. Is it coincidence? Is it fate? I can't possibly know. Such things are beyond my station. All I can say for certain is that it will happen again, and again, on an eternal cycle. So long as life itself persists, people will always be bound to find one another.
And that, I believe... is the true beauty of our crossroads of destiny.
//////////////////////////
submitted by Espazilious to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
this story is my ficnapping entry for... uhhhh... *checks notes* old scabbard, the allergy, gremlins, game review: escape series, river wolves and meteors. it's probably not strictly necessary to read them to enjoy this ficnap? but you should do it anyway, because they are Very Excellent™.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Reunion ////// Wednesday, July 9th, 2138 8:16 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Ah, the middle of the week. For most bars, it is a time of quiet, of minimal activity. Some scant few people might show up; either regulars who come every day, or those who seek to unwind with a quick drink or just get out of the house for a bit, but they don't often stay long. They get one or two cups, share the bare minimum of a chat, and then get on their merry way.
...But of course, that's just the way humans do things.
The countless aliens who have taken up residence in Sao Paulo since the fall of the Federation simply don't seem to care for our silly calendar. They come in whenever they please, week or weekend, midday or midnight, rain or shine. Sometimes they want to get blackout drunk, other times they just want a quick taste of home. Or, there's always the frequent visitor who's just here to get their fill of social contact. Those ones are perhaps my favorite. After the horrors of the Federation War, and taking refuge on Skalga, I certainly won't ever tire of seeing aliens and humans—total strangers to one another—start chatting and getting along, coexisting in peace and harmony, without anyone batting an eye.
Today, though... was not the typical rush of aliens and one or two human regulars. When the bell above the door jingled and a figure stepped in from the cool outside air, consider my surprise to see not a small fluffy thing with no clothes, but a tall, lanky human man, with a face I hadn't seen in months.
"Lucas," I jovially said. "Welcome. It's good to see you again."
He smiled bashfully and raised an arm in a silent wave, seeing a dozen heads turn to look at him. One head in particular turned much farther than the rest; a gaunt human woman, accompanied by a relaxed venlil—Bella Rivers and Taya, both of whom are... perhaps my most frequent guests. "Oh damn! And here I was starting to think you died in a car accident, Luc," Bella said, clearly surprised to see another human at this hour, letalone one who'd been absent for so long.
"Haha, no..." Lucas said, making a beeline for the bar. "Just been... er, busy, you know how it is. How've things been here?"
Bella cast a brief glance at me, asking a silent question, to which I gave a simple nod. "It's been great," she answered in my stead. "Every day feels like more people know about this place. I keep telling Keeps to start thinking about remodeling, get some more space in here before it starts turning into a moshpit every weekend."
Lucas let out a chuckle. "I almost can't believe you two come here so often that you can say that."
Taya leaned around Bella just enough to look Lucas in the eye. "Well no duh! Where else are we gonna go? Name one pub in this city besides The Crossroad that's licensed to sell alien food and drink, and always cares about dietary restrictions!"
Bella laughed. "Okay girl, you ain't gotta shill that hard."
"Nuh uh. I'm not drunk enough not to shill," the normally-reserved venlil droned. She most certainly was a little drunk...
"Speaking of," I cut in, turning to Lucas. "The usual?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You still remember my drink?"
"Of course."
He looked thoughtful for a moment, before smiling. "Yeah. I'd love that."
I wasted no time in gathering my tools and the requisite bottles and ingredients to put together his complicated order. To say I pride myself on remembering my patrons, their quirks, and their likes and dislikes... would be an understatement. What is a barkeep if not the central pillar of the establishment? It simply wouldn't do for me to be anything less than reliable.
"For real though," Bella said. "It's not just the food that keeps us here. Like yeah, I love being able to trust my food, but there's more to it. Just look around," she waved a hand out at the rest of the room, "Isn't it great, seeing so many different people, from so many different walks of life, all come together in one place? Back during the war, I... we never imagined we'd get to see something like this. And yet here we are, back on Earth, with God knows how many aliens just hangin' around, being chill, doing their things."
"Huh... yeah, I guess I can see it-- ah, thanks Keeps," Lucas said as I passed him his completed drink. "If you forget everything that's happened, it kinda does look like how everyone dreamed things would go before first contact."
Bella smiled wistfully, idly swirling her half-full drink with her straw. "I think it's amazing. All these different cultures and faces mashing together at once, just this giant melting pot of people and worldviews and everything."
"...Yeah. It really is incredible."
Bella's brows furrowed as Lucas wasted no time in taking a large swig of his drink. It seemed as if something was on his mind, and perhaps she could tell. "Hey... where have you been, these past few months?"
"I've... well," he put down his glass, staring at it almost disdainfully. And after I'd made it so perfectly for him, to boot. Rude. "I've actually been trying to uh, cut back on the drinking..."
Bella turned, glancing confusedly at Taya, who flicked her tail in equal uncertainty. "Really? But you've always been such a responsible drinker. I don't think I can even remember a single time you've ever caused trouble, or got sick or anything. Did something happen?"
"No, nothing like that. I just wanted... well, here, look at this," he said and produced his holopad, skillfully swiping to his photo album. In seconds, he pulled up a picture of himself alongside an alien with gray fur... and long, floppy, dog-like ears. A farsul. "This is Talon. He's been staying with me since the xenomed center got going full swing."
Taya recoiled at the sight, ears flattening in apparent anger before Bella turned and shot her a firm glare. The venlil immediately shrunk on herself, looking both apologetic, and yet still agitated.
"I'm doing it for him. He... um, let's just say he gets a little nervous," Lucas mumbled. He swiped to another picture, this time with Talon hanging off his arm like a monkey, tongue lolling out of his wide-open muzzle in obvious glee. "He's such a sweet little guy, like the brother I never had. But it wasn't good for him, to be dealing with me coming home drunk. He needs stability, consistency. I... was making him worry whether I'll be the same every time I walk through the door. So I promised him I'd stop."
Bella put a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Well that's sweet of you. I can tell you care a lot."
Lucas frowned. "Of course I care. After the shit he got put through in those... fucking goddamn facilities."
A bubble of silence surrounded the trio as his words sunk in. Bella swirled her drink one last time before she took a huge swig. Lucas watched her for a moment before he grabbed his own near-full glass and downed the whole of it in one fell swoop.
"Hhh. So much for that," he grumbled as he glared down at his freshly emptied cup. Then his expression softened slightly, turning closer to remorse. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to fuck up the vibe. I uh, got some other pics of him if--"
"No, Lucas, it's okay," Taya suddenly said. "There's nothing wrong with being honest. Especially not in a place like this," she pointed one eye toward me, "ain't that right, Keeps?"
All I could offer in response was a curt nod.
Bella reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "If something's on your mind, then... c'mon, be straight with us."
Lucas sighed. "I wish there were more I could do for him," he bluntly said. "We've tried so many things to help him stay calm. Breathing exercises, fidget toys, music... but it's never enough. He still just can't function in public, or around new people, or... anywhere. Especially if I'm not there. And I don't know what to do anymore. I keep telling him to take as long as he needs, but I..." Lucas slouched over, holding his head in his hands, "I feel like every time takes a little longer."
"Um... Y'know..." Taya spoke up, as her ears twisted nervously. "It... sounds like, maybe, um... he... needs a friend?"
"I am his friend," Lucas deadpanned.
"N-no, I mean... oorgh, how do I say this?"
"I think what she's trying to say is... if you want a little help, Lucas, we'd be happy to be there for you. For him."
Lucas's brows furrowed for a moment before he seemed to grasp what she was saying, and his eyes went wide. "Really? But-" his eyes locked onto Taya, "but you're--"
Taya shook her head. "Don't say it. I... I know. I know what I am," she all but whispered. "But maybe I don't want to be like... this. Maybe I want to be better. After all, if I'd never tried to have an open mind about humans, I never would've met Bella!"
"Well... okay," Lucas said, as a small smile grew on his face. "Here. Lemme get your numbers, and I'll talk to him, and we'll get in touch?"
Bella nodded and presented her pad, as Taya did the same. "Yep! And hey, if he isn't up to meeting in person, maybe you can see if he wants to try just being... like, pen pals or something?"
"Hah. He's not a child, you know. But thanks. I really mean it."
"I know you mean it. We're glad to help."
The three of them tapped pads to exchange contacts, and with that, their fates became intertwined. Whatever may happen to them after today, I cannot know. A humble barkeeper such myself shan't be blessed with the absolutes of the future. Some may try to predict what is to come, but I believe the future is theirs to decide, that they may take whatever happens in their own hands and mold it to their will.
It is all I can hope that Bella and Taya will return and share with me the stories of their antics. Or, as unlikely as it seems, perhaps Lucas could bring Talon here, for them both to participate in this gathering of souls; for them to find joy among friends new and old; for the chance to walk the wondrous crossroads of life and love.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Scampering Menaces ////// Monday, July 14th, 2138 1:39 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Monday. The day of loathing. Of rest and relaxation coming to an end. Of waking up early, getting ready for work, and repeating yet another week of monotony. Some would question my sanity, to open the bar at all on a Monday, letalone to do so at noon. But those foolish few simply haven't seen how excited aliens can be about something so mundane as lunch.
But alas, the lunch rush never persists forever, and just like always, I eventually found my beloved pub woefully empty. As it would likely stay for the rest of the afternoon, save for the occasional visitor with a more unusual schedule.
...Or, perhaps, should I be so lucky... a much more rare sight; a true oddity, who might seek to come here only during the dead hours.
And wouldn't you know, it was on this day that I was blessed with one such patron. Or... multiple patrons. A human and a trio... no, quartet of dossur. It was very much a challenge for me to keep track of the little sapient rodents as they skittered about, both on and literally around their human, but I was more than certain that there were definitely only four of them.
At first, I thought there were three dossur. But then one of them retreated into their human's apparently rather spacious hoodie, and a very distinctly different dossur came out. She looked... mangy, for lack of a polite term, with numerous patches of discolored and uneven fur, and what appeared to be a few healed scars. It was clear to me that she must have been through something horrible, and yet had been saved by the miracle of modern medicine.
The small group's incursion upon my shop was... relatively peaceful. They certainly had no qualms about using their outdoor voices, speaking loudly and freely about whatever came to mind, from plans for when they got home, to theorycrafting about potential vacations they could take, and even to the status of the Sapient Coalition as a whole. I, of course, had no right to begrudge them for being so noisy—they were the only ones in the bar, after all.
But everything changed when the front door swung open, the gentle dingle of the bell heralding the arrival of yet another rare antisocial patron.
To my surprise, this newcomer was another human. But not just any human, oh no, this was a very particular human. One who I could say might be somewhat of a regular, despite his tendency to avoid the busier hours. It was no trouble for me to recognize him from the slightest glance, as his unforgettable silver hair, and the red highlights within, matched gorgeously with his red scarf.
As he entered, a somewhat shorter than average venlil trailed close behind. He too wore a red scarf, though for a... different reason. A deeply personal reason, that neither he nor his human have ever seemed keen to share. And I, out of respect for them both, shan't pry.
With a brief, wary glance at the table of chaos, the two of them made their way toward the bar. They hardly made it more than a few steps before a painfully loud shriek, followed by three more of the same, damn near shattered every piece of glass in my bar.
"HUMY!!!!!" "OH MY GOD HI!!" "JOHN! LOOK!!" "Don't yell in my ear--" "Wait is it really-- IT IS! GUYS GET OUT HERE--"
And in a staggering instant... where I thought there were only four dossur, I was once again proven thoroughly WRONG. From within John's hoodie came not one, not two, but four more of the little bastards! There were eight of them! They all scampered up their poor handler's arms and stood on his head and shoulders, waving their whole bodies and jumping up and down, and being so very loud.
"HI HUMY!!!!!!!!" "HI!!!" "HIIIIII!!!!!!" "He's so tall..." "Is that VV?? HI VV!!" "WOW I didn't know his hair was really that white!"
Humy, while certainly shocked by the sudden attention, somehow managed to take it in stride. He raised a hand and waved back to the crowd of not-squirrels, the action shutting them up for only a moment before they started squealing even LOUDER in sheer excitement.
"Guys... Y'all oughta quiet down a bit," John said... or so I think. I frankly couldn't hear him over the orchestra of rodent insanity.
One particularly bold dossur—the one with the damaged fur—made her way down from the chaos table and practically sprinted to Humy's legs, before climbing him like a tree. He recoiled in surprise, but she kept going until she was leaning off the top of his head, staring straight into his eyes. The others went silent, waiting with bated breath for whatever might happen next.
...
"Hi."
The poor man, frazzled, startled, accosted-by-an-alien-squirrel, took a long moment before he figured out what to do about this situation. "Um. Hi."
Unfortunately, that was the wrong response.
"HE SAID HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "I WANNA SAY HI TO HUMY!!" "THAT'S NOT FAIR, HOW COME SHE GETS--" "JOHN!!!" "Guys, pl--" "--TO SAY HI TO HIM?!?!!?!" "JOHN BRING US TO HIM OR DIE"
John abruptly slapped the table and stood up, nearly flinging half of his passengers in different directions as they panicked and clung to him for dear life. "I'm so sorry," he quickly said, "They're not usually like this. We'll just be going," he turned to me, making eye contact for an instant, "Cya later, Keeps."
"No, wait!" Humy said, just barely before the swarm could scream their collective dissent. "Please don't. I don't mind, I promise. All I ask is you quieten down a notch, is that okay?"
The dossur looked amongst each other; some of them drooped in shame, while others seemed to simply not grasp the relevance of the request. But in the end, it was John who spoke up first. "He's right, guys. Y'all need to tone it down. No more screaming."
"Okay?" "Sorry..." "Makes sense." "SURE!!--"
John immediately snatched up that particular troublemaker before stuffing him in his hoodie, never to be seen again.
"Ah... anyway..." Humy said, and gestured to the counter, where VV had already taken a seat during the commotion. John took the unspoken invitation, and the middle-aged man reunited with his friend as the dossur wrangler sat on his other side.
The swarm, of course, wasted no time in dismounting John and lining up right in front of poor Humy. Or, well, only two of them lined up. One crawled up onto his sleeve, two onto his shoulders, and the last simply kept climbing around, seemingly not intent on stopping ever. The seventh and eighth remained imprisoned in John's pocket and sprawled out atop Humy's head, respectively.
"Is Humy your real name?" "Why's your hair white?" "Your scarves are so cool!" "What's your favorite fruit?"
Humy burst out in a fit of chuckles, evidently amused by the dossur speaking over each other in their haste to treat him like a talking jungle gym. "Wow. John, right?" he turned to the other human, who gave a curt nod. "How do you live with this?"
"Very patiently," John deadpanned. "No one would ever believe me if I told them these little shits are highly trained Marines."
"Have you ever been on a cruise?" "What's your favorite game?" "If I gave you a strawberry, would you eat it?" "Are you two dating?" "Seriously, why's your hair white!?"
"Okay, okay, c'mon, one at a time! Why don't all of you line up right here in front of me, and I'll go down the line?"
"No." "...Nah." "It's comfy up here." "And it's boring down there!" "And your hair smells good..."
Humy sighed and shook his head, but his smile betrayed his mirth at the situation. "Fine... let's see... you, at the very top. What's your question?"
"Huh? Oh, uhhh-" the mangled one trailed off. She'd been rather quiet the whole time. "Hmm... what's your next video gonna be, and when's it gonna be out?"
"Ooh!" "Yeah!" "Yes yes yes tell us!" "Genius question, Fée!"
Humy, despite the dossurs' excitement, grimaced. "I'm sorry, you guys, but I can't answer that. I just can't leak upcoming content!"
"Auugh!" "Noo c'mon!" "What." "That's not fair!"
"But..." Humy cut them off, looking thoughtful. "Well... maybe I can tell you one thing. I might have something very, very special lined up soon. Do you all remember when I played that thafki game, Survivor? Well I--"
Humy jumped, startled as VV—who'd been totally quiet and unobtrusive the whole time—abruptly grabbed his sleeve and tugged it sharply. A sheepish expression spread across the human's face. "Oops! Can't spoil the surprise. Sorry! How 'bout we hear another question?"
The dossur pouted, looking dejected, disappointed and all-around displeased. But, with that, the seven tiny herbivores quickly moved on, and continued to pester Humy with evermore nonsense. Too much nonsense. Truly, veritably, too much.
It wasn't until hours later, around 4 PM, that both parties finally grew fatigued and split ways. In the wake of their madness, I could feel nothing but gratitude for the fact that, despite their behavior, the rodents hadn't made a mess of anything, nor skipped out on their tab. While they were loud, and excitable, and far too much enjoyed using poor Humy as a playground... they weren't hooligans. They were, in the end, people. Not just noisy squirrels.
With that in mind... perhaps, maybe, just maybe, next time they come in... I wouldn't be unwilling to greet them, to welcome them to this place of character and merriment; to welcome their uniqueness among the myriad faces that make themselves known; to invite them in as members, as friends, as we all tread upon the ever-exciting crossroads of greetings and farewells.
////////////////////////// Barkeep's Log: Mayflies ////// Friday, August 1st, 2138 9:05 PM, Brasilia Time //////////////////////////
Ah, the weekend. For a bar, it is the busiest time one could imagine. But for a bartender such as myself, it is so much more. The activity, the bustle, the countless different people coming together and simply being themselves. Just by merely being here, serving drinks and dinner to all who would want it, I am blessed with the wondrous opportunity to overhear talk and tales of peoples' lives—their homes, their hopes and dreams, their fears and regrets.
And today, of course, was no exception. Perchance, allow me to skip the lengthy preamble and get to the good stuff.
The moment an elderly, borderline decrepit old man entered the bar, he had my attention. Someone his age, coming somewhere like this, alone? The scenario piqued my curiosity.
He had a tired air to him, something between boredom, the general fatigue that comes with such advanced age and... if my keen eyes didn't deceive me, a touch of discomfort. As if he was out of his element in some way, not quite sure what to do with himself. He kept silent, bothering no one as he approached the counter and scanned one of the many QR codes plastered around the dining room.
His face stayed the same as he reviewed The Crossroads' prodigious menu, as though he was unimpressed with our unrivaled selection. But then, he paused, and something changed in his stance. His eyes flicked up and met mine, his expression suddenly lit ablaze, full of energy that wasn't there before. "Redtato tacos?" he curtly asked, sounding almost bewildered. His gaze dropped back down to the menu, to the other dishes on that same page. "Spice plates... cricket burgers," he looks back up at me, wearing a deranged grin, "even goddamn ichor ice cream? You're insane."
"Insane? Tell me you're new here without telling me," a new voice interjected. One of the other patrons—a thafki, who unlike her kin, had taken to wearing a black hoodie with the emblem of the United Nations—turned to us, appearing amused as she looked between me and the old man. "Wow, you're a perfect match for one another. Didn't think humans could get any older than ol' Barkeep here. What's someone as ancient as you doing here, new guy?"
"Hah. I like you, Blue," the man said as he took a seat beside the nosy and maybe slightly drunk alien.
"My name's not Blue. Call me Ayeli."
He held out a hand toward Ayeli. She glanced at it before shaking it without a second thought. "Ryusei," he said, before eyeing her beverage. "Tell you what, Barkeep, gimme one of whatever that is. And a refill for her, if she'll have it."
"Saltwine," I said, and reached beneath the counter to procure the bottle from which I'd poured Ayeli's first glass. I turned it back and forth in front of him, letting him read the translated label. "Be warned. This is a specialty item. It is not to most peoples' tastes, nor is it cheap."
"Pfft just do it. I've eaten rocks, you old coot."
The sheer brazenness of his words, the unwavering resolve in his eyes, and the utter lack of hesitation in his voice, took me truly off guard for the first time in a long, long while. "I'm not an old coot, you bumbling codger," I grumbled as I took a glass and filled it. Then, putting my professional facade back on just like nothing ever happened, I turned to Ayeli and hovered the bottle over her cup. She gave a thumbs up, and I poured.
Ryusei stared at me with a smug grin. "Pff. Looked in a mirror lately? Time ain't been good to you, friend. Look at all them gray hairs. Yeek."
"I can poison you in seventeen different ways," I deadpanned.
"As if I'd even be able to tell? There's nothing you can do to me that my body hasn't done at least twice already."
"Venlise alcohol. Not diluted."
"Now there'd be a challenge..." he murmured, before his attention drifted to his idle drink. He raised the glass to his lips and took a hearty sip, allowing the fluid—its texture, its flavor—to rest in his mouth before swallowing. "Mmh. Damn."
"You like it?" Ayeli asked.
"Y'know what? Yeah. Shit's weird in all the right ways. Hits your tongue like a pile of salt, but goes down smooth. No aftertaste, no burn, just a quick slap in the face and then it's gone."
Ayeli drummed her fingers on the counter before taking a long swig of her own drink. "Mmmhmm. That's how it is. How it's meant to be. I can't wait 'til someone figures out how to make this stuff for cheap."
"Speaking of. Ey Barkeep, put me down for one of them fucked up tacos. Let's see just how close a buncha earthlings can get to authentic Martian cuisine."
With a nod and several practiced movements, I had his request sent to the kitchen in seconds. I don't believe he saw me even touch the order pad with how fast I was.
"...Martian?" Ayeli asked. "Now hang on. That's... the red planet, no?"
"Mhm," The man let out a grunt of affirmation. "First planet humanity settled besides Earth. It's a dead, empty husk. Nothing but rocks and dust and solar radiation. I was born there."
"Huh. What're you doing here, then? There no bars on Mars?"
"...Classified."
"Oh. Yeah..."
Quiet spread between the two, Ayeli staring blankly into her own reflection within her glass. Ryusei's eyes slowly drifted toward her as his brow furrowed. "You... were a soldier, huh?"
Ayeli jolted, startled by the question. "Wh--? How... I mean, yeah. I guess I was. But how can you tell?"
"Eh. I've been there. Where you are now."
"...What?"
He took another sip. "You know how it is. Everything goes to shit. Then it gets better. Now everyone's pretending life is back to normal, and you have to pretend too. Even if you lost friends. Or family. Or... parts of yourself."
...
Ayeli frowned. "I... yeah. I guess."
"You guess?"
"It's... it's not that I've lost people. Or parts of myself," she said. "It's not even that I have to pretend that everything's back to normal."
Ryusei raised an eyebrow.
"All things considered, I've lost nothing. I joined the UN Marines, killed some lizards, and now I'm here. And I'm fine. Not even 'oh you're lying to yourself, you need a therapist' fine, but just... actually fine."
"Why's that, do you think?"
"I don't know. All my friends are so much worse off than me. They're all... fucked up, from everything. But I'm not. I just don't feel anything."
"I just... shouldn't I feel something?" she continued. "I've killed people. Drowned people. Slit throats. But whenever I think about it, there's just nothing. No guilt, no shame, no... no empathy."
"I understand," Ryusei breathed. Something behind his eyes changed, his tone becoming more... genuine. "You and I are alike, in a way."
"...Really?"
Ryusei swirled his drink before taking a quick sip. "When I was younger, I was part of something bigger than myself. It was dangerous as all hell—sixty percent fatality rate—but I was glad to be doing it. Glad to be playing my part. Happy to risk my life so someone else doesn't have to. But then it was over, and I got back to life like normal. I got my accolades, I took my damn awards, and I went home. And that was that."
"Except it wasn't," he continued. "I went home, and found out my family had ripped themselves apart. Half of em were obviously over the moons with pride, knowing I'd been there in the very front and came home a goddamn hero. But the rest... they had been scared. Terrified they'd never see me again. It was all they wanted for me to just come home and be safe."
"And... that's what got you?" Ayeli asked. Something in her voice was vulnerable, almost afraid. "The fact that you were ready to move on, but no one else was?"
Ryusei nodded. "I felt like a shithead not because I'd almost died a hundred times, but because I'd been the reason my parents got divorced."
Ayeli stared into nothing, dead silent for a long moment before she grabbed her drink and downed the remainder of it in one go. "F-fuck," she rasped. "It was supposed to go back to normal. We were supposed to have our happy ending. So why is everyone still like this? Why can't we just be okay now?"
"Because people need time, kid. You and I are the exceptions. You'll get your happy ending, you just... gotta wait. Gotta be there for them when they need you."
"How?"
"Whatever way you can. My little brother got hit the hardest by our parents' shitshow. He couldn't stand being around either of them. So I would drive him out to the middle of nowhere, and we'd just watch the universe go by. We'd count the stars, talk about how small we are, how it just keeps going, how empty it all is, yet still teeming with mystery. By the end of it, we'd both be feeling better... and then we'd do it again a week later when we felt like shit again. And on and on, for years."
"...We've already seen the stars though. How would that help?"
Ryusei slid his glass over to Ayeli, offering her the last few sips he had. "There are more things of beauty in this world than just the stars. Take it from me, old fart that I am—if you just take the time to look, you can find meaning anywhere. Even things you might take for granted."
Ayeli perked up, as if she'd realized something. "The ocean..."
"Something like that."
"It's... it's simple, it's mundane, it's so normal to us now that we can just go swimming whenever we like. But ten years ago, that would've been different. We... we did it. We changed it. For ourselves. We won."
"You hit the nail on the head, Blue. Tell all that to your pals. Really show them that it's over."
She looked down at the drink she'd been given, and lifted it to her lips to take a small sip. "An ocean of water, an ocean of stars... what difference does it make? Maybe you're right. Maybe we really are alike."
"Both have been around for millenia. And both will be there still, long after we're gone," Ryusei said. He looked down at his hands, an odd half-smile on his face. "Call me a sentimental old coot, but part of me still finds comfort in the stars. An infinite sea of beacons, shining in every direction for eternity. Always there, always waiting, no matter what."
"Mmm... y'know, it's funny. Our ancient ancestors probably each thought the same at one point or another. Wonder if any of 'em ever looked up in just the right place, at the right time... and looked straight at each other, even if they didn't know it."
"Heh. As much as I want to rain on your parade and say that's impossible... well, just look at the two of us, eh? The chance that we both would happen to be here, right now. Maybe it's not. The universe is pretty damn huge, and yet here we are."
Ayeli sat up straight in her seat, a determined look spreading across her face. "Yeah. I... I think I know what to do. How to help everyone else move on. Thanks for the drinks, 'Keep. And the chat, Ryusei."
"Yeah yeah. Go on, get outta here. Get back to your friends."
The thafki nodded and gave us both a smile, and then with one last wave goodbye, she made her way out of the establishment. Ryusei sighed and turned back to the bar, crossing his arms and slouching in that tired, past-our-prime way we both must know so well.
Before long, his plate of redtato tacos were brought out, and without another word, he got to work. He remained silent as he ate, but I could tell by the look on his face that he was satisfied.
"Alright... yeah, yeah you did good..." he said when there was nothing left to eat. "I'll remember this place. Think if I ever end up 'round here again, I might stop by."
"You'll always be welcome... until you call me old again. Then you might find something different in your cup than you ordered."
He laughed, grinning like a madman as he stood from his seat. "Bold of you to threaten me with a good time. Now I'm definitely coming back!"
With that, he paid for his meal and his and Ayeli's drinks, and just as suddenly as it all began, he was gone. The cycle of greetings and goodbyes played its part yet again, bringing us together and pulling us apart as if no time had passed at all.
But where his and Ayeli's presence left my bar, their imprints have not. In my memory, and theirs, lies the everlasting essence of our encounter. The feelings of meeting, of learning, of sharing ourselves—and above all else, the words they spoke. The sentiment has truly been burned into my recollection, never to be forgotten with how it touched my heart, my very soul.
How wondrous it is that two people so similar and yet so different could ever meet. The universe is vast—immeasurably so—and still they both happened to be in the right place at the right time for their lives to become intertwined. Is it coincidence? Is it fate? I can't possibly know. Such things are beyond my station. All I can say for certain is that it will happen again, and again, on an eternal cycle. So long as life itself persists, people will always be bound to find one another.
And that, I believe... is the true beauty of our crossroads of destiny.
//////////////////////////
2024.06.02 16:07 Possible-Ad2247 Another YouTube powerscaller
 | submitted by Possible-Ad2247 to OnePiecePowerScaling [link] [comments] |
2024.06.02 15:28 bmch Mortgage Pre-Qualifying - How many sources to contact & pros/cons of joint mortgage
Mortgage Pre-Approval - Number of Sources to Contact & Pros/Cons of Joint Mortgage
I just started looking for homes w/ my gf (just looking at open houses at this point, no rush and no agent). However, the houses in my area go under contract quickly, so I wanted to be prepared to make a strong offer in case I came across something I liked. I was hoping to get advice on the following questions:
2) Given the below information, what are the pros/cons of entering into a joint mortgage with my gf vs. just having the mortgage in my name - I know the basics for both and am aware of the risk of unmarried persons having a joint mortgage, but I wanted to see if our specific situation raises any red flags? And is this something that would be worth discussing with whatever financing source I get the pre-approvals from?
My gf is a tenured W-2 employee, so guaranteed a job for the foreseeable future but only started working 2 years ago. She also is not a citizen (~10 years residency) so has a more limited credit history and ~730 FICO score.
I am a 1099 contractor, but make several times more than her and have several times more in savings. I haven't checked my FICO score in a while, but last time it was ~800 and I doubt it has moved that much. I also have a much spottier employment record - while I've worked consistently for the past 2+, I was unemployed during the pandemic, and before that founded an ill-fated start up after having worked 5+ years at a big law firm. Neither of us have any substantial debt payments.
I know that both borrowers are examined individually if they are to be on the mortgage, but I wanted to know if the consistency that her employment brings would be beneficial to include with my higher income and savings or if the lower credit score and credit history be likely to negatively impact the approval.
submitted by bmch to FirstTimeHomeBuyer [link] [comments]
I just started looking for homes w/ my gf (just looking at open houses at this point, no rush and no agent). However, the houses in my area go under contract quickly, so I wanted to be prepared to make a strong offer in case I came across something I liked. I was hoping to get advice on the following questions:
- For a pre-approval how many sources of financing should I be contacting? Should I get multiple pre-approval letters or is one enough?
2) Given the below information, what are the pros/cons of entering into a joint mortgage with my gf vs. just having the mortgage in my name - I know the basics for both and am aware of the risk of unmarried persons having a joint mortgage, but I wanted to see if our specific situation raises any red flags? And is this something that would be worth discussing with whatever financing source I get the pre-approvals from?
My gf is a tenured W-2 employee, so guaranteed a job for the foreseeable future but only started working 2 years ago. She also is not a citizen (~10 years residency) so has a more limited credit history and ~730 FICO score.
I am a 1099 contractor, but make several times more than her and have several times more in savings. I haven't checked my FICO score in a while, but last time it was ~800 and I doubt it has moved that much. I also have a much spottier employment record - while I've worked consistently for the past 2+, I was unemployed during the pandemic, and before that founded an ill-fated start up after having worked 5+ years at a big law firm. Neither of us have any substantial debt payments.
I know that both borrowers are examined individually if they are to be on the mortgage, but I wanted to know if the consistency that her employment brings would be beneficial to include with my higher income and savings or if the lower credit score and credit history be likely to negatively impact the approval.
2024.06.02 15:25 harpquin How do YOU build your gallery wall?
I am curious what others experience has been in building a gallery wall, assuming you don't wake up one day and put up a gallery wall, but most people collect, add to the arrangement, move it around.
I am curious what types of wall art you seek out. I am always looking for small framed works (under 6"), but now I suppose I could use larger pieces.
Do you have items on a wish list (like antlers, sconces, mirror, tiny, large?)
Do you go out looking for a particular item to fill in a spot (like by size, or type: a mirror, gold frames, 3-D, original art.)
Do you shop around and pick up what ever suits your fancy, what do you tend to be drawn to? (like floral, landscape, portrait, modern, quirky, funky, antique or MCM, music or hobby orientated?)
Is there a work of art or type of art you know will "complete" your arrangement, or don't you think about it and buy on the spur knowing it will fit in somehow.
submitted by harpquin to maximalism [link] [comments]
I am curious what types of wall art you seek out. I am always looking for small framed works (under 6"), but now I suppose I could use larger pieces.
Do you have items on a wish list (like antlers, sconces, mirror, tiny, large?)
Do you go out looking for a particular item to fill in a spot (like by size, or type: a mirror, gold frames, 3-D, original art.)
Do you shop around and pick up what ever suits your fancy, what do you tend to be drawn to? (like floral, landscape, portrait, modern, quirky, funky, antique or MCM, music or hobby orientated?)
Is there a work of art or type of art you know will "complete" your arrangement, or don't you think about it and buy on the spur knowing it will fit in somehow.
2024.06.02 15:10 fixer_66 Honest feedback on a game that I'm rooting for, but still has some dumpster fire problems.
Hey Devs, stay a while and listen.
*scratches neck beard*
Let me just first say I'm a Diablo series enjoyer and have been playing d2 since 2002 and d3 since 2012. Each game has its pros and cons and its own feel. Watching rainbow unicorns fart out gold and vomit up cosmic wings isn't exactly for everyone. D2's loot progression and surprisingly deep yet simple character progression is the iconic throat goat of the arpg industry. D3's smooth feel, efficient gameplay loop, cozy damage vs toughness systems, and linear paragon power are great for zoning out but boring for some. To each their own. I genuinely love them both so much.
So why is it that when I'm playing D4 I quickly get this subtle bad taste in my mouth? Cheeto breath you say? I have plenty of Baja Blast for that. No. I'd say it's all the little freaking problems adding up and sapping my enjoyment. Maybe there's a better way to put it... Your game sucks. But it doesn't have to.
Now that my intro is done, I can finally get to the damn recipe. Here's a list of stuff you need to fix and why. And a reasonable suggestion for each:
1. Most important. Tempering system smells like Rax's hoodie after a 48hr stream. Bricking 3GA items via the tempering system feels bad. It feels bad and it's arbitrarily implemented at 5 rerolls and with no protection system and no way to recharge the craft.
Suggestion: Do much much better. Do one or multiple of the following: Get rid of the limit all together (consistent with all your other systems), If need be, make it progressively more expensive after x number of rerolls. Certainly add in keeping and protecting a previous roll until replaced. If there must be a limit, please put in a recharge system with these prisms that you're now making world bosses spurt out more consistently. Additionally, put in progressive +10% targeted bad luck protection toward the affix you actually want.
2. Tempering QoL a smaller but related topic. The skip animation button on tempering should be able to be toggled on/off and shouldn't require interaction every cast. I feel like Pearl Abyss' Black Spirit is mocking me with that slow gem polish animation every time I slam these tempers on. And allow the reroll temper to remember your previous selection and with a more explicit UI. Current system yeets you out of the selection every time. Feels bad man.
3. Uber bosses are inefficient to spam. Every time I have to hit leave dungeon and run back in, I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly forced into tedious gameplay loop.
Suggestion: FFS Please just let us summon bosses at the altars without having to reset the dungeon.
4. NM dungeons need lovin' too. 1. Starting a new NM dungeon while inside one (as one is want to do) currently ports you outside at the door of the old dungeon? lol. 2. The in-dungeon door opening mini objectives that force doubling back through empty rooms make me want to slam my head into my stack of empty pizza boxes.
Suggestion 1: Please let us be teleported directly to new NM dungeons when accepting the prompt for the new one. Or leave us in old NM and give us a port to new dungeon button that we can accept whenever we want, like an adult. This would cut out a load screen and not force us to (sometimes) find the NM on the map in order to head there.
Suggestion 2: Rework the in-dungeon progress door opening objectives so that the objective is accomplished on the way to the next room. Doubling back through empty content feels.. empty. What a concept.
5. Pit. 3 major things. 1. Only the person who opens pit get the full reward, wtf? Can't believe that problem even exists tbh. 2. A few of the bosses need serious balance rework. Namely Sharpshooter. 3. Pit has no leaderboard but gauntlet does? lmao
Suggestions. 1. Reward same materials at the end for all who participated. Big yikes.
Suggestion 2. Balance those bosses. Feels like Tyson vs Paul in some of these fights.
Suggestion 3. Pit is the one mode in the game that requires deep thought about build true potential. This is the mode that needs the leaderboard. The leaderboard should show all aspects of the build as well. No one cares how fast a sorc can run through gauntlet but then does the lowest dps in the game. People want to examine your pits ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
6. Horse default movement speed feels like a bad dream where you're late for the game development meeting and you're running there but can barely move so you missed all the notes on how to make a good game.
Suggestion: Make the current max sprinting speed the default speed so that it feels better than walking on foot. Get rid of dismount from attacks. Keep the looting while mounted. Allow us to stay mounted while talking with npcs. Get rid of cooldown to remount when your horse is too dumb to jump over grapple targets.
7. Optimization: Lag spikes constantly, sometimes crashing the game. Crashed? Swapped Characters? Logged for a moment? All your consumable (which are way too expensive) buffs are now gone. It still lags and often crashes the game while moving through zones on horse. Z-axis like hills and slopes often cause rubberbanding and framerate issues especially on horse as well.
Suggestion: Unify the consumable duration to 30 min each. Lower material cost of craft slightly. Legion is great for materials but cost to craft is still significantly too high. Allow consumables to persist through crashes, logging out, flipping characters etc. As for lag and frame rate, have you tried turning it off and back on again? Idk on that one, man. Small indi company so you get a pass on that one.
8. Stash space so smol, so smol. You did away with us hoarding gear for the aspects and created a system where we brick items and can't reroll the temperings for different builds. So now we are hoarding gear to trade and to brick craft spam on. Hoarding has gotten worse, not better just different with the current system.
Suggestion: This is a looter bruh. Either give us progressively more expensive stash tabs (and lots of them) or make the tabs like 10 times bigger. Or both.
Suggestion: NM dungeon keys, Organs, elixirs, incense, still all share the same tiny inventory. Need Fewer elixirs, significantly bigger stack sizes, and fewer summoning items. Or, again, simply a bigger inventory. There are purists that will love their tiny smol exotic inventory size and brag that it is the motion in the ocean not the size that matters. But, they would be wrong. Size matters. I guess 'till then, we better work on that mouth game.
9. Cosmetic system. So much of the baseline looks are frumpy, filled with tassels and gilded crap, the shop is too expensive and sunsetting items availability doesn't motivate a swipe. It just feels mildly lame. There is some bottom-line motivated corporate analy$t pushing for urgency to $wipe. Meanwhile the casual user can't even see the catalogue of options.
Suggestion: Look, I'll swipe. I will. But make all the items available at once. Maybe cycle the discounts or something. Put in more realism, minimalism, slut mog, darker colors, pieces that blend well with other sets, sleek gothic and badass gore. There are players that don't want their look to be campy, corporate, kitsch and garish. Please consider putting in more and more baseline items earnable via achievements. Please let us have way more control over the color palate.
There is so much more I could say, but I can see this is becoming a wall of text and most people here stopped reading after my tempering snark. There's only so much I can raw-dawg generator-build punch that copier machine into the grass, so I'll rest my case.
TLDR: Game is still meh. Doesn't have to be. My ideas would be a drop in the bucket and a nudge in what I believe to be the right direction. We also need more input from you, gentle reader.
*Tips 0-GA Shako* "M'lady"
submitted by fixer_66 to diablo4 [link] [comments]
*scratches neck beard*
Let me just first say I'm a Diablo series enjoyer and have been playing d2 since 2002 and d3 since 2012. Each game has its pros and cons and its own feel. Watching rainbow unicorns fart out gold and vomit up cosmic wings isn't exactly for everyone. D2's loot progression and surprisingly deep yet simple character progression is the iconic throat goat of the arpg industry. D3's smooth feel, efficient gameplay loop, cozy damage vs toughness systems, and linear paragon power are great for zoning out but boring for some. To each their own. I genuinely love them both so much.
So why is it that when I'm playing D4 I quickly get this subtle bad taste in my mouth? Cheeto breath you say? I have plenty of Baja Blast for that. No. I'd say it's all the little freaking problems adding up and sapping my enjoyment. Maybe there's a better way to put it... Your game sucks. But it doesn't have to.
Now that my intro is done, I can finally get to the damn recipe. Here's a list of stuff you need to fix and why. And a reasonable suggestion for each:
1. Most important. Tempering system smells like Rax's hoodie after a 48hr stream. Bricking 3GA items via the tempering system feels bad. It feels bad and it's arbitrarily implemented at 5 rerolls and with no protection system and no way to recharge the craft.
Suggestion: Do much much better. Do one or multiple of the following: Get rid of the limit all together (consistent with all your other systems), If need be, make it progressively more expensive after x number of rerolls. Certainly add in keeping and protecting a previous roll until replaced. If there must be a limit, please put in a recharge system with these prisms that you're now making world bosses spurt out more consistently. Additionally, put in progressive +10% targeted bad luck protection toward the affix you actually want.
2. Tempering QoL a smaller but related topic. The skip animation button on tempering should be able to be toggled on/off and shouldn't require interaction every cast. I feel like Pearl Abyss' Black Spirit is mocking me with that slow gem polish animation every time I slam these tempers on. And allow the reroll temper to remember your previous selection and with a more explicit UI. Current system yeets you out of the selection every time. Feels bad man.
3. Uber bosses are inefficient to spam. Every time I have to hit leave dungeon and run back in, I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly forced into tedious gameplay loop.
Suggestion: FFS Please just let us summon bosses at the altars without having to reset the dungeon.
4. NM dungeons need lovin' too. 1. Starting a new NM dungeon while inside one (as one is want to do) currently ports you outside at the door of the old dungeon? lol. 2. The in-dungeon door opening mini objectives that force doubling back through empty rooms make me want to slam my head into my stack of empty pizza boxes.
Suggestion 1: Please let us be teleported directly to new NM dungeons when accepting the prompt for the new one. Or leave us in old NM and give us a port to new dungeon button that we can accept whenever we want, like an adult. This would cut out a load screen and not force us to (sometimes) find the NM on the map in order to head there.
Suggestion 2: Rework the in-dungeon progress door opening objectives so that the objective is accomplished on the way to the next room. Doubling back through empty content feels.. empty. What a concept.
5. Pit. 3 major things. 1. Only the person who opens pit get the full reward, wtf? Can't believe that problem even exists tbh. 2. A few of the bosses need serious balance rework. Namely Sharpshooter. 3. Pit has no leaderboard but gauntlet does? lmao
Suggestions. 1. Reward same materials at the end for all who participated. Big yikes.
Suggestion 2. Balance those bosses. Feels like Tyson vs Paul in some of these fights.
Suggestion 3. Pit is the one mode in the game that requires deep thought about build true potential. This is the mode that needs the leaderboard. The leaderboard should show all aspects of the build as well. No one cares how fast a sorc can run through gauntlet but then does the lowest dps in the game. People want to examine your pits ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
6. Horse default movement speed feels like a bad dream where you're late for the game development meeting and you're running there but can barely move so you missed all the notes on how to make a good game.
Suggestion: Make the current max sprinting speed the default speed so that it feels better than walking on foot. Get rid of dismount from attacks. Keep the looting while mounted. Allow us to stay mounted while talking with npcs. Get rid of cooldown to remount when your horse is too dumb to jump over grapple targets.
7. Optimization: Lag spikes constantly, sometimes crashing the game. Crashed? Swapped Characters? Logged for a moment? All your consumable (which are way too expensive) buffs are now gone. It still lags and often crashes the game while moving through zones on horse. Z-axis like hills and slopes often cause rubberbanding and framerate issues especially on horse as well.
Suggestion: Unify the consumable duration to 30 min each. Lower material cost of craft slightly. Legion is great for materials but cost to craft is still significantly too high. Allow consumables to persist through crashes, logging out, flipping characters etc. As for lag and frame rate, have you tried turning it off and back on again? Idk on that one, man. Small indi company so you get a pass on that one.
8. Stash space so smol, so smol. You did away with us hoarding gear for the aspects and created a system where we brick items and can't reroll the temperings for different builds. So now we are hoarding gear to trade and to brick craft spam on. Hoarding has gotten worse, not better just different with the current system.
Suggestion: This is a looter bruh. Either give us progressively more expensive stash tabs (and lots of them) or make the tabs like 10 times bigger. Or both.
Suggestion: NM dungeon keys, Organs, elixirs, incense, still all share the same tiny inventory. Need Fewer elixirs, significantly bigger stack sizes, and fewer summoning items. Or, again, simply a bigger inventory. There are purists that will love their tiny smol exotic inventory size and brag that it is the motion in the ocean not the size that matters. But, they would be wrong. Size matters. I guess 'till then, we better work on that mouth game.
9. Cosmetic system. So much of the baseline looks are frumpy, filled with tassels and gilded crap, the shop is too expensive and sunsetting items availability doesn't motivate a swipe. It just feels mildly lame. There is some bottom-line motivated corporate analy$t pushing for urgency to $wipe. Meanwhile the casual user can't even see the catalogue of options.
Suggestion: Look, I'll swipe. I will. But make all the items available at once. Maybe cycle the discounts or something. Put in more realism, minimalism, slut mog, darker colors, pieces that blend well with other sets, sleek gothic and badass gore. There are players that don't want their look to be campy, corporate, kitsch and garish. Please consider putting in more and more baseline items earnable via achievements. Please let us have way more control over the color palate.
There is so much more I could say, but I can see this is becoming a wall of text and most people here stopped reading after my tempering snark. There's only so much I can raw-dawg generator-build punch that copier machine into the grass, so I'll rest my case.
TLDR: Game is still meh. Doesn't have to be. My ideas would be a drop in the bucket and a nudge in what I believe to be the right direction. We also need more input from you, gentle reader.
*Tips 0-GA Shako* "M'lady"
2024.06.02 15:04 JyammaDev We're thrilled to announce that the Demo Update for Enotria: The Last Song is now LIVE on PC and soon on PS5! Your voices have shaped the game; we can’t wait for you to experience the changes. Check the comments to read the full change list. Thank you for your invaluable feedback! 🎭
 | https://preview.redd.it/nxfog5x4b54d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=bfef401b12d49fbb5bc5983a6c7c5d8f020bb5a1 submitted by JyammaDev to EnotriaGame [link] [comments] UI / UX:
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2024.06.02 15:03 MADDL007 [XB1] H: Weapons, Off-Meta AP/WWR Armor, UNY WWR Armor W: B/50c/15c Handmade, Enclave Aligned Flamer Mods, Apparel, Masks
Not sure what the abbreviations mean? No problem, let me know! I’m willing to bundle for the items I want.
GT: MADDL007
——Weapons for trade——
AA/E/90 The Fixer
AA/FF25 Ultracite Gatling Laser {mule}
ARIS/50crit/25 Ultracite Laser Rifle
ARIS/FFFR Light Machine Gun
B/FF90 10mm Pistol {mule}
B/FFFR Elder’s Mark
B/50crit/FR The Fixer
B/FF90 The Fixer {mule}
B/50vhc/15crit Handmade {mule}
B/50crit/15crit Tesla Rifle
B/50crit/15crit Ultracite Laser Rifle
B/50crit/15crit Crossbow
EXE/E/25 Handmade {mule}
EXE/FF25 Handmade
EXE/50crit/25 Ultracite Laser Rifle {mule}
MUT/50crit/25 Laser Rifle
MUT/FF25 Gatling Plasma
Q/50vhc/25 Alien Disintegrator
Q/50vhc/90 Alien Disintegrator
Q/E The Fixer (2 Star)
Q/E Handmade (2 star) {mule}
Q/E/15crit Handmade {mule}
Q/50crit Railway Rifle (2 Star) {mule}
Q/50crit/1A Railway Rifle {mule}
Q/E/FMSWA Railway Rifle {mule}
Q/FFFMSWA Railway Rifle
Q/50crit/90 Enclave Plasma Rifle w/ Vicious Capacitor, True Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight {mule}
Q/15AP/25 Tesla Rifle {mule}
Q/50LD/Stealth Tesla Rifle
Q/50crit/25 Pump Action Shotgun
Q/DWA/FR 50 Cal Machine Gun {mule}
Q/50crit/25 Gatling Gun {mule}
Q/FFR Light Machine Gun (2 Star)
Q/DWA/FR Pepper Shaker
SUP/DWA/DRWA Resolute Veteran (Survivor Mode Legacy)
TS/50vhc/15crit Alien Blaster
TS/E/90 10mm Submachine Gun
TS/FMSWA Laser Rifle (2 Star - Legacy)
V/50crit/25 The Fixer {mule}
V/FFFR The Fixer {mule}
V/E/FR Handmade {mule}
V/E/25 Railway Rifle
V/40PA/1S Power Fist
Enclave Plasma Rifle w/ Standard Capacitor, Aligned Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Dross Grenade, Pearly Peepers
——Plans & Recipes for trade——
All Scout Backpack Mod Plans including High Capacity
Plan: Meat Tenderizer {mule}
Plan: Pepper Shaker
Plan: T-60 BOS Knight CPT Paint
Plan: Wasteland Hunter Backpack
——Armor & Other items for trade——
AutoStim/AP/WWR Robot Right Arm (Sturdy) {mule}
BOL/AP/WWR Wood Chest Piece {mule}
GS/AP/WWR Robot Left Leg {mule}
HunteAP/WWR Metal Chest Piece
MS/AP/WWR Trapper Chest Piece {mule}
NOC/AP/WWR Combat Armor Right Arm (Light) {mule}
UNY/1E/WWR Robot Left Leg
UNY/1INT/WWR Robot Left Leg (Light) {mule}
UNY/1P/WWR Combat Armor Chest Piece (sturdy) {mule}
UNY/1P/WWR Combat Armor Right Leg (Heavy)
UNY/1P/WWR Robot Left Leg (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/FDC Metal Chest Piece (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/WWR Leather Chest Piece (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/WWR Leather Right Arm (Light)
UNY/FIRE/AWR Combat Armor Chest Piece (Light)
UNY/RAD/WWR Combat Armor Right Leg (Light) {mule}
Z/AP/WWR Robot Right Arm (Sturdy)
All 8 Holotape Mini Games
All Non-Rare apparel available - just ask
Misc Items: ask me for my list
———
———
——Items I want——
B/50crit/15crit Fixer or Handmade
B/50crit/25 Fixer or Handmade
B/50crit/25 Laser Pistol / Rifle
B/50crit/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle (reflex sights, aligned auto)
B/50crit/25 Plasma Rifle
Q/E/25 Handmade
Q/E/FR Handmade
Q/50crit/15crit Railway
Q/50crit/25 Railway
Q/50crit/FR Railway
Q/15AP/FR Tesla Rifle
Q/50crit/90 Tesla Rifle {mule}
Q/50vhc/25 Tesla Rifle
Q/50vhc/FR Tesla Rifle
Enclave Plasma Gun Aligned Flamer Barrel Mod (one or multiple)
Baseball bats level 45 - indigo, pink, yellow
Plan: Dr. Bones
Plan: Golf Cart
Plan: Princess Backpack
Plan: Ultracite Calibrated Shocks
Plan: Ultracite Emergency Protocols
Asylum Worker Uniform Forest
Asylum Worker Uniform Pink
Asylum Worker Uniform Red
Asylum Worker Uniform Yellow
BOS Jumpsuit
Fasnacht Brahmin Mask
Fasnacht Buffoon Mask
Fasnacht Crazy Guy Mask
Fasnacht Deathclaw Mask
Fasnacht Demon Mask
Fasnacht Fiend Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Blue Devil Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Honey Bee Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Scorchbeast Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Scorchbeast Queen Mask
Fasnacht Hag Mask
Fasnacht Loon Mask
Fasnacht Raven Mask
Fasnacht Winter Man Mask
Forest Camo Jumpsuit
Forest Scout Armor Mask
Hunter’s Long Coat (will pay caps)
Leather Coat
Radicals Face Mask (will pay caps)
Responder Fireman Helmet
Responder Fireman Uniform
Tattered Field Jacket
Traveling Leather Coat
Urban Scout Armor Mask
White Powder Jumpsuit
I’m really only after the items listed above, make me an offer. No caps, flux, or junk offers please.
submitted by MADDL007 to Fallout76Marketplace [link] [comments]
GT: MADDL007
——Weapons for trade——
AA/E/90 The Fixer
AA/FF25 Ultracite Gatling Laser {mule}
ARIS/50crit/25 Ultracite Laser Rifle
ARIS/FFFR Light Machine Gun
B/FF90 10mm Pistol {mule}
B/FFFR Elder’s Mark
B/50crit/FR The Fixer
B/FF90 The Fixer {mule}
B/50vhc/15crit Handmade {mule}
B/50crit/15crit Tesla Rifle
B/50crit/15crit Ultracite Laser Rifle
B/50crit/15crit Crossbow
EXE/E/25 Handmade {mule}
EXE/FF25 Handmade
EXE/50crit/25 Ultracite Laser Rifle {mule}
MUT/50crit/25 Laser Rifle
MUT/FF25 Gatling Plasma
Q/50vhc/25 Alien Disintegrator
Q/50vhc/90 Alien Disintegrator
Q/E The Fixer (2 Star)
Q/E Handmade (2 star) {mule}
Q/E/15crit Handmade {mule}
Q/50crit Railway Rifle (2 Star) {mule}
Q/50crit/1A Railway Rifle {mule}
Q/E/FMSWA Railway Rifle {mule}
Q/FFFMSWA Railway Rifle
Q/50crit/90 Enclave Plasma Rifle w/ Vicious Capacitor, True Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight {mule}
Q/15AP/25 Tesla Rifle {mule}
Q/50LD/Stealth Tesla Rifle
Q/50crit/25 Pump Action Shotgun
Q/DWA/FR 50 Cal Machine Gun {mule}
Q/50crit/25 Gatling Gun {mule}
Q/FFR Light Machine Gun (2 Star)
Q/DWA/FR Pepper Shaker
SUP/DWA/DRWA Resolute Veteran (Survivor Mode Legacy)
TS/50vhc/15crit Alien Blaster
TS/E/90 10mm Submachine Gun
TS/FMSWA Laser Rifle (2 Star - Legacy)
V/50crit/25 The Fixer {mule}
V/FFFR The Fixer {mule}
V/E/FR Handmade {mule}
V/E/25 Railway Rifle
V/40PA/1S Power Fist
Enclave Plasma Rifle w/ Standard Capacitor, Aligned Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Dross Grenade, Pearly Peepers
——Plans & Recipes for trade——
All Scout Backpack Mod Plans including High Capacity
Plan: Meat Tenderizer {mule}
Plan: Pepper Shaker
Plan: T-60 BOS Knight CPT Paint
Plan: Wasteland Hunter Backpack
——Armor & Other items for trade——
AutoStim/AP/WWR Robot Right Arm (Sturdy) {mule}
BOL/AP/WWR Wood Chest Piece {mule}
GS/AP/WWR Robot Left Leg {mule}
HunteAP/WWR Metal Chest Piece
MS/AP/WWR Trapper Chest Piece {mule}
NOC/AP/WWR Combat Armor Right Arm (Light) {mule}
UNY/1E/WWR Robot Left Leg
UNY/1INT/WWR Robot Left Leg (Light) {mule}
UNY/1P/WWR Combat Armor Chest Piece (sturdy) {mule}
UNY/1P/WWR Combat Armor Right Leg (Heavy)
UNY/1P/WWR Robot Left Leg (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/FDC Metal Chest Piece (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/WWR Leather Chest Piece (Sturdy)
UNY/1S/WWR Leather Right Arm (Light)
UNY/FIRE/AWR Combat Armor Chest Piece (Light)
UNY/RAD/WWR Combat Armor Right Leg (Light) {mule}
Z/AP/WWR Robot Right Arm (Sturdy)
All 8 Holotape Mini Games
All Non-Rare apparel available - just ask
Misc Items: ask me for my list
———
———
——Items I want——
B/50crit/15crit Fixer or Handmade
B/50crit/25 Fixer or Handmade
B/50crit/25 Laser Pistol / Rifle
B/50crit/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle (reflex sights, aligned auto)
B/50crit/25 Plasma Rifle
Q/E/25 Handmade
Q/E/FR Handmade
Q/50crit/15crit Railway
Q/50crit/25 Railway
Q/50crit/FR Railway
Q/15AP/FR Tesla Rifle
Q/50crit/90 Tesla Rifle {mule}
Q/50vhc/25 Tesla Rifle
Q/50vhc/FR Tesla Rifle
Enclave Plasma Gun Aligned Flamer Barrel Mod (one or multiple)
Baseball bats level 45 - indigo, pink, yellow
Plan: Dr. Bones
Plan: Golf Cart
Plan: Princess Backpack
Plan: Ultracite Calibrated Shocks
Plan: Ultracite Emergency Protocols
Asylum Worker Uniform Forest
Asylum Worker Uniform Pink
Asylum Worker Uniform Red
Asylum Worker Uniform Yellow
BOS Jumpsuit
Fasnacht Brahmin Mask
Fasnacht Buffoon Mask
Fasnacht Crazy Guy Mask
Fasnacht Deathclaw Mask
Fasnacht Demon Mask
Fasnacht Fiend Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Blue Devil Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Honey Bee Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Scorchbeast Mask
Fasnacht Glowing Scorchbeast Queen Mask
Fasnacht Hag Mask
Fasnacht Loon Mask
Fasnacht Raven Mask
Fasnacht Winter Man Mask
Forest Camo Jumpsuit
Forest Scout Armor Mask
Hunter’s Long Coat (will pay caps)
Leather Coat
Radicals Face Mask (will pay caps)
Responder Fireman Helmet
Responder Fireman Uniform
Tattered Field Jacket
Traveling Leather Coat
Urban Scout Armor Mask
White Powder Jumpsuit
I’m really only after the items listed above, make me an offer. No caps, flux, or junk offers please.
2024.06.02 15:01 ibid-11962 Inspirations and Interactions with Other Media [Post Murtagh Christopher Paolini Q&A Wrap Up #9]
As discussed in the first post, this is my ongoing compilation of the remaining questions Christopher has answered online between August 1st 2023 and April 30th 2024 which I've not already covered in other compilations.
As always, questions are sorted by topic, and each Q&A is annotated with a bracketed source number. Links to every source used and to the other parts of this compilation will be provided in a comment below.
The previous post focused specifically on the writing process. This installment will focus on Inspirations, including Christopher's idea process, specific inspirations used, and some comments about other properties. The next post will focus on Worldbuilding and Promotion.
submitted by ibid-11962 to Eragon [link] [comments]
As always, questions are sorted by topic, and each Q&A is annotated with a bracketed source number. Links to every source used and to the other parts of this compilation will be provided in a comment below.
The previous post focused specifically on the writing process. This installment will focus on Inspirations, including Christopher's idea process, specific inspirations used, and some comments about other properties. The next post will focus on Worldbuilding and Promotion.
Inspirations
Coming up with ideasDo you have trouble coming up with new ideas? They don't fall out of trees, but it takes me so long to write a book that I usually come up with at least one or two ideas over the six months to a year that it takes to write, edit and publish, if not longer. So they keep accumulating. One of the reasons that I really like having a world to play in for a long time is that the longer I spend in a setting, the more story ideas suggest themselves because you get to know the characters so much and you get to know the implications of the magic in the world and the culture. [1]Executing ideas
What is your inspiration process like? I read a lot of books, I watch a lot of movies, and I make sure I have time to stare out the window and do nothing but daydream. And all of those things continually give me ideas for stories. [20]
Inspiration can come from anywhere, but good stories and good music will actually give me the proverbial tingle up the spine. And basically nothing else in life does that. So I'm always chasing that high. And that's really the inspiration. And trying to replicate that both for myself and for my readers. [33]
I get my inspiration from the beauty of the world itself, from every book and movie that I watch and read, even the bad ones, sometimes especially the bad ones. I get my inspiration from meeting folks like you who have so much energy and enthusiasm and from thinking and talking and listening to music. Everywhere can be a source of inspiration. [36]
I listen to soundtracks when I write. I can't listen to anything with lyrics because it's too distracting. But my biggest source of inspiration is simply the environment in which I live. The mountains around my house look like the mountains from The Lord of the Rings. If I have no experience with the things I write, the descriptions would probably not be as good. You have to look around for inspiration. Photos, visiting places… that which just comes out of your head ultimately has its limitations. You can do a lot, but it helps creativity if you can base it on your own experiences. [23]
You have an idea, you have a spark of thought. Do you jot it down and leave it? Or do you immediately delve into it? It depends on the idea ultimately and it depends how much of it I have. But I always write something down because I have forgotten story ideas in the past, which sucks. So the instant I have something that I think is interesting, I write it down. I won't write most of these because I don't have the time but I write them all down. I have a file here with 140 pages of story ideas, 19,147 words. I try to write it down. If I have a sense of more of the story than the initial thing, then I'll write that down. Then mostly I just let it sit and I think about it while I'm working on other stories. [28]
Would you rather lose a mental battle against another author so he could steal your ideas? Or give away your true name to your literary agent so he could control you? Wow. I trust my agent with my life. But I'd go with the first one, lose a mental battle, because honestly, ideas are cheap, execution is what matters. You could take every single idea I would have and give it to Brandon Sanderson, or any other author, and their execution would be totally different than mine, and vice versa. And quite honestly most authors wouldn't want to write the ideas I have, they have their own ideas. So that seems like the least perilous of the two options. [17]Fantasy Inspirations
When have the greatest flows of creativity happened for you? Whenever I know what I'm trying to write in terms of the scene, I understand what it's doing for the characters and who the characters are. And it all clicks together. And I don't have to sit there, banging my head against the keyboard trying to figure any of that out and then I could just work on writing it. Are there times where you have to bang your head against the keyboard? Or do you just get up and walk outside and just walk away from it? You need to do some of the head banging on occasion just to get past the tough stuff. But you also have to recognize when you're not making any progress and then it's better to step away, move physically in order to get your brain to move. And learning when to step away is always a challenge and has taken me a long time. [34]
What do you think about the idea that when we're asleep, our minds or souls wander off and act unbeknown to us and perhaps ideas aggregate which may lead to us waking up in the morning with sudden ideas, realizations? I think it's a very common occurrence. The whole point of creativity is that you connect two or more things that are seemingly unconnected. That's what a metaphor is or simile. "Her love was like a red, red rose." It's not literally a rose, but you're connecting two things to make a point. So when you sleep the barriers in your mind sort of descend and it's much easier to connect things. And there does seem to be some indication that if you are trying to solve a certain problem or working on something in the back of your head that your subconscious, whatever the hell the subconscious is, this older more instinctual part of the brain, continues to work on the problem even while you sleep. There have been multiple instances of scientists and inventors, engineers, who have actually thought of the solutions to their problems that they're trying to solve while while dreaming. So it's a known phenomena. And it's something that I do try to take advantage of. Sometimes I will think of things I'm trying to solve right before I go to sleep. The trick is you can't do it in a way that stresses you so that it keeps you up. So don't do this if it's going to keep you up. But it doesn't stress me to think about what I'm trying to figure out with the writing. So I'll think about that as I'm falling asleep and a lot of times I'll have a better idea in the morning or a better sense of what path to pursue and sometimes I'll actually dream of a solution. ... There's also some very solid research that says that if you're trying to learn something, whatever that something is, put in a couple hours of study, practice, whatever it is, and then you need to sleep in order for your brain to consolidate that knowledge. So if you pull an all-nighter studying, you're not going to retain the information very well. But if you were able to sleep even for just three hours, it allows the brain to take that temporary knowledge and encode it in more permanent memory. And that seems to be a very important part of the process. [19]
How much has Tolkien influenced your writing, if at all? I wouldn't be here if not for Tolkien. I'll be honest with that. And I think there are a number of other contemporary fantasy authors that were equally as influential on me. But they wouldn't exist without Tolkien either. So Tolkien's the foundation that so much of this genre rests upon. [33]
Which dragon in literature do you find to be the most impactful as an influencer on stories that came after it? Historically, you'd have to put in for St. George and the Dragon, the dragon from Beowulf, Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent from Norse mythology, Tiamat. Of course, then there's all the Asian dragons as well. And all of those influenced the authors that have influenced us, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula Le Guin, Wizard of Earthsea. Vermithrax Pejorative. [30]
What was the inspiration for how you approached the dragons in your books? For me it was a whole mess of fantasy that I read. Lord of the Rings, of course, with Smaug. The Pit Dragon trilogy by Jane Yolen. Dragon Singer was the first Anne McCaffrey book I read, and that got me into the Dragon Riders of Pern series. I still have a soft spot for Dragon Singer. The Wizard of Earthsea series. Raymond Feist's Magician series. As well as I think the Millennium series by David Eddings. A lot of others. Beowulf, of course. Tad Williams's Memory Sorrow and Thorn, which has some really impressively dangerous dragons in it. [30]
From just the first book and the second I can see how heavily Christopher was 'influenced' by George R R Martin. The part about the swords being imbued with spells to keep them sharp and the dragons growing forever isn't borrowing. It's downright plagiarism. I, uh, have never read GOT. Started the first book in 2011 and bailed when Bran was pushed out the window. However, Tolkien and Dragonriders of Pern were certainly big influences. [R]
Did the way Eragon and Arya ended remind you of the way Will and Lyra ended in His Dark Materials? In love, but unable to be together. Completely unintentional. I didn't read His Dark Materials until I'd already written Eragon (and plotted out the whole series, including the ending). I won't lie though: I love bittersweet endings, and Pullman wrote one of the best ones. [R]
Names
How do you go about naming all the places in Alagaësia? Well, these days I tend to think about where the name is coming from with the internal cultures of the land. So is it an Urgal name? Is it an Elvish name? Is it a Human name? Is it something else? For the human names I'm often drawing from established cultures, Germanic cultures, Scandinavian cultures. But I have a lot of invented and established things within the world itself. So it just sort of depends what I'm writing and how I'm doing it. The nice thing is because I've created various invented languages for the different races, that gives me a good starting place for the feel of some name that I might be creating. [12]Name of Names
Where do the names in your worlds come from? Some are puns, Eragon is Dragon but with an 'e' instead of a 'd'. It also means an Era Gone By. Saphira is from Sapphire. The names also come from historical names: Germanic, Northern influences or were made up by me based on the rules from my world. For example, Murtagh is Irish. [23]
Does the ancient language have a canon name? I know it's never said in order to keep the mystery feel, but out of curiosity, do YOU know it? Or is it something that does not even truly have a name for you? Yup, I do have a name for it. Not sharing it with anyone, though. :D [R]World of Eragon
What is the "World of Eragon"? Well it encompasses the entire Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance), as well as The Fork the Witch and the Worm, Murtagh, as well as all the other projects that I hope to be doing in this setting, whether books, games, or other things. And the reason we went with "World of Eragon" instead of something like Alagaësia is because Alagaësia is hard to say and hard to spell, and some of the adventures the characters will be going on actually go beyond that land. So World of Eragon it is. Also I'm rather fond of that Brisingr symbol in the "O" there. It felt appropriate for the character, for the world, and like I said, I like it myself. [Y]Arya
What would you say to introduce someone to the World of Eragon? Well, it's the story of a young man who finds a dragon egg. And the dragon and Eragon, they go on a series of adventures and there's duels and dragons and battles and villains and romance and all the good stuff a story needs. I think it's fundamentally a good hearted series. I don't really like to write stuff that's like super super grim. It definitely is a good place to start if you're getting into epic fantasy and you're a slightly younger reader and then as you go along with the books, adult isn't really the word, but they get more elaborate and epic as the series progresses. I was learning as I wrote the series and so I tried to put all of that learning to use with each new book. [12]
What is the difference between the World of Eragon and other fantasy series? The fact that I wrote it and not someone else! There are definitely references to other works, because I love reading about elves, dwarves, magic and dragons and I wanted to write about them. At the same time, there are some unique aspects. I believe that my magic system is unique in the fantasy genre and I have unique races such as the Werecats, Ra'zac and my slightly different take on Dragons. It's a mix of familiar and really new things. [23]
George [R R Martin] and I invented the name Arya completely independently. We talked about it: he was trying to come up with something fierce and warrior-like … I was thinking of an aria in an opera. [R]Eldest
I was today years old when I realized "Eldest" refers to Murtagh. And Roran. [T]Shruikan
Me, a weeb, reading Shruikan as "shuriken" Where do you think I got the name from? Shruikan is just 'shuriken' rearranged a bit (and with the 'e' changed to an 'a'). [T]Do Well Then
Am I the only one who ever realized that Du Weldenvarden sounds like Do Well Then, Varden? You are not. [T]
People, Places, Things, and Scenes
EragonDoes the character Eragon resemble you? Initially, yes, a lot! But the more the story progressed, the more my hero experienced his own adventures. The common point that remains between him and me is that we both like to ask each other questions. [4]Beor Mountains
What are the commonalities that you now still have with Eragon to this day? Curiosity. Eragon is very curious about the world and wants to understand it and learn, and that's definitely something I still have and still pursue. Probably a willingness to tackle big adventures and projects, even knowing it's going to be a huge thing. And then maybe a basic sense of optimism, all things considered. [19]
Eragon's journey appears to me from the beginning to the end a quest of research of identity, of self-discovery, the "Who am I?" question. Did you put yourself through the same examination Eragon and Saphira did on Vroengard while searching for their true names? And do you have an idea of what your true name will be? I think that identity and character and figuring out who you are is one of the central things of adolescence. Because you transition from a child to an adult and figuring out what sort of an adult you're going to be, and how you fit into society and how you're going to function as an adult once you have agency and power versus a child who usually doesn't have a whole lot of agency and power. And so that's why writing about adolescence to me very naturally becomes writing about identity and who you are. And yes, it's something I have spent a large portion of my life thinking about and figuring myself out. I think I have a pretty good idea of who I am and have had a pretty good idea for a long time. If you asked me to guess at my true name, I think I could come pretty close. [19]
Do you think emulating your characters’ actions is a necessary part of the writing process? It’s definitely not necessary, but it can be helpful. Having personal experience with a particular activity is always a plus. Failing that, books, articles, and YouTube can be a decent substitute. Given that I write about spaceships and dragons, there are somethings that I’ll never be able to encounter in real life . . . but, hey, that’s what our imaginations are for! [10]
I drew a map and it was like the western half of the current map. And I thought, well, this gives me everything I need. But then I was like, "oh, I want to visit this location. I want to visit that location." And pretty soon I realized I was out of space. So I didn't want to spend like days and days drawing another map because I wanted to keep writing. So I took another sheet of printer paper and put it next to the first one, and I quickly scribbled in some mountains in a giant forest. And I was really lazy. I did this in like 15 seconds, 30 seconds tops. And I was moving so fast that I made the mountains huge. And I looked at that and I was like, well, wait a minute, what if they actually were 10 times bigger than the normal mountains? And that's how I got my Beor mountains. Also, I'd read an article about the mountains in New Zealand being 10 miles high if it weren't for erosion, given their rate of upheaval. That also contributed. [34]Roran
You grew up in Montana, is it true that the valley where Eragon comes from is based on that? Yes. There is even a mountain in the valley that is as high and the same shape as Tronjheim, the mountain where the dwarves live. And I looked at that and thought: hm, what if that was a city? You can take things from everyday life and recreate them in something. [23]
Roran and his chapters have a good bit of biblical allegory. It wasn't intentional, but I read a LOT of Biblical stuff growing up. Make of that what you will. [R]Forging of Brisingr
One of my favorite parts of the Inheritance Cycle was the forging of Brisingr. Tell us about the research process you used in order to construct such an intricate and detailed scene. I've done a fair bit of metalworking myself. I built two forges as a kid. I credited in the back of Brisingr two different books I have on Japanese sword making, both of which I referenced pretty heavily because they were relevant, since Brisingr is made for meteorite steel and there's various reasons for using the Japanese method on a western-style sword in that book. So I did some research but I also had a fair bit of practical knowledge and that was helpful. That scene actually was even longer because if you know your metalworking you'll know there's definitely some things I skimmed over or condensed and it was just because the scene was too long and my editor said, "look, Christopher, just summarize or say it was magic. You've got a magic elven smith, let her use some magic, move it along a little faster. So I was aware of the things that I had to skimp over a little bit, but no, that was one of my favorite scenes to write and I think that came through since so many people enjoyed it. [34]Erôthknurl
Is this [Japanese dorodango] what Orik's earth rock was based off of? Of course. [T]Burrow Grubs
Trauma is an element that's always been a part of these books, but it's been talked around and mentioned, up until I think the burrow grubs in Inheritance. That one is rude. They're bad. I won't lie. They came from a nightmare. That literally came from a nightmare. I shared it with the world so that it's out of my head and into yours. But when I write about something, I stop thinking about it. After it's done, it purges it from my brain. [11]Inheritance Climax
I need to know how you came up with the burrow grubs because they've always freaked me out. Bad nightmare. [T]
Was there a particular experience in your life that suggested to you that it was ultimately through compassion and empathy that Eragon will vanquish Galbatorix? No. It was the result of sort of a long chain of logic while writing the books, and a lot of thinking I've been doing about violence and responses to violence and when it's appropriate to use violence. Part of the chain of logic was the fact that I just got sick of writing sword fights. I wrote a lot of sword fights between Eragon and Arya, Eragon and Murtagh, and of course, Roran's hammer fights. So resolving the entire series's conflict just through a physical confrontation felt inadequate. There needed to be a moral component to it. One of my own criticisms for myself here is that I feel like I failed to do that with Roran in Inheritance. There really should have been a little bit slightly deeper resolution to his storyline and his confrontation with Barst that taught us something new or resulted in a change in his character. Roran's character is a little different than Eragon's because he's already grown up in a lot of ways and thus is not resolving the same issues, but a good arc, a good journey, would have reflected on what was happening with Eragon and Galbatorix. So how Roran defeats Barst in some ways should stand in contrast to how Eragon defeats Galbatorix. Maybe it does, but that's something I would have spent more time taking another look at were I to do that now. But again with Eragon and Galbatorix, just one more sword fight was inadequate. So much of the story with Eragon involved him paying attention to the lives of the ants and learning about the different groups in Alagaësia, the Urgals, the dwarves, this and that. So all of that played into this decision to have him defeat Galbatorix in that matter. And with all of that, the fact that I really didn't want there to be some obvious way of defeating Galbatorix. Galbatorix isn't stupid. He protected himself in all of the ways that one might think of protecting himself, and he's had a long time to think about that. So it needed to be something that was non-obvious. Non-obvious and yet inevitable. [19]
Favorites
Which of the fantasy creatures/races did you most enjoy writing about? I obviously love dragons. Before Murtagh I would have said the dwarves because I think they are funnier than the elves, although I enjoy writing about the elves too. But the dwarves are more earthly and interesting and human in their own way. [21]
Who is your own favorite character anyway? Saphira. I used to say Eragon right after that, but nowadays Murtagh is number two. That said, I feel most connected to Brom. Because I'm also getting old and starting to get some white spots in my beard. [21]
Which of your characters would you bring along with you to a deserted island? Saphira, because she could fly me off the deserted island. [34]
Which place in your Eragon universe would you like to live in the most? Probably with my dwarves, because they live in these 10-mile high mountains. And I love mountains and I have a beard like a dwarf these days. And I think the dwarves have more fun than the elves. [2]
Which fantasy world would you like to live in? Middle-Earth can be a nice place to live in some places, especially Hobbiton. I wouldn't mind living in a Hobbit hole and writing my books there. [23]
Interactions with other media properties
Getting into FantasyI got into sci-fi and fantasy because of a magical creature. My parents had a lot of sci-fi fantasy in the house, and I wasn't particularly interested in it at the time. But when I was around eight, my grandfather was taking me through a bookstore. I saw a book that had a knight in full armor without his helmet, holding a spear, facing off with a giant scaly humanoid, dragon-like monster. And at eight years old, all I knew was that this was the coolest book cover I had ever seen in my life and that this therefore must be the best book in the world. And so I begged my grandfather to please, please, please, buy me this book. He wasn't entirely sure about it, but he bought it for me anyway. That ended up being The Ruby Knight by David Eddings, which I took home and I read as fast as I could. I got a little concerned as I got near the back of the book because I was getting through the pages and then there's only this many pages left. I started to get this weird feeling that somehow the author couldn't end the whole story in the number of pages that were left. And sure enough, when I got to the end, I discovered that this was the middle book of a trilogy. Yeah, I wasn't always the brightest kid. So I finished that and immediately said, "well, I need to know what happens". So I went to our library and I read all the David Eddings books they had. There really was no internet back then, so I didn't know what to read next. So I'm standing in the library staring at Eddings, "E". What do I read next? Well, two shelves down from "E" was "F" and there was a giant book called Magician by Raymond Feist, which had a dragon on the cover. And I thought, okay, well maybe that's good. It's got a dragon, the same magical creature. So I checked out that book and I read it and it was pretty awesome. So I read everything by Raymond Feist. And then I go, "well, what do I read now?" And well, a couple of shelves down, there was a book called Mossflower by Brian Jacques which was the prequel to Redwall, so I read the entire Redwall series. And wasn't too far from Brian Jacques to Anne McCaffrey, and there was the Dragon Riders of Pern series. So I basically worked my way through the library, just chasing the covers with dragons and talking animals, which is not the worst way to set up a reading program when you're ten. And that really transformed my life. And I just absolutely fell in love with reading in a way that I never really had before. [35]Anne McCaffrey
Is it awkward though, sitting here between Dragonriders of Pern, the original series about Dragonriders, from a beloved author who was nice enough to give you a blurb for your first novel, knowing that you sort of borrowed the whole Dragonriders thing? Oh, not at all. Absolutely shameless about it. And McCaffrey was kind enough to give me not just a blurb, my first blurb. So funny thing is I did kind of repay her in the most roundabout way. I was touring in Spain and found out that her books were out of print there. And I talked them up so much that they ended up reprinting the entire series in Spain and I blurbed her books in Spain. But you know, it's a small market so it probably doesn't count. Right. No, I would say not. [31]Star Wars
I was homeschooled and raised in a very rural environment in Montana. I had no access to the internet and stuff. I literally had not heard about Star Wars all the way up until I was 14. And it was referenced in the movie Space Camp. And I said, "Why are they saying 'Luke use the force'? What does that mean?" And my dad got this horrified expression on his face. Like he had failed as a parent, and so we watched Star Wars the next day. [5]Star Trek
The problem with Lost is those seasons are full length seasons. I mean it's like 23, 26 episodes. It's a huge commitment. My wife watched Next Generation for the first time a couple years ago, and each season is like 24 or 26 episodes, and it's a big commitment of time. And that's part of the problem getting into something like Battlestar Galactica or something else. [21]The Prisoner
Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek, because they actually managed to take the Ferengi and turn them into interesting, well-rounded, deep characters, which you wouldn't think, and not just the Ferengi, but other aliens, which the other Star Treks didn't manage to do anything like that, I think. [29]
The original Prisoner television show is the most prophetic piece of science fiction in a lot of ways because it deals with loss of privacy and individuality, the strength of the individual against the system of government. And the cool thing too is that I think The Prisoner is definitely an auteur piece. It was written by Patrick McGuinn who also stars in it and he also directed the majority of episodes. And it directly follows from his earlier series Secret Agent Man. When that show ended he was at a party and there were some governmental officials and someone asked him, so what does a secret agent do when he retires? And he said, I don't know, you tell me what does a secret agent do when he retires? And the bureaucrat just kind of goes, well we take care of them. And that was kind of the beginning of the concept for the show. A lot of people hate the ending. I actually quite like the ending but there's a sense of absurdity to the show as well that I think is very well suited for the nature of modern life given that although we live in a Heinlein future in the sense we have rockets taking off and landing vertically as God and Heinlein intended, at the same time, we live in a very strange modern life and Philip K. Dick captured that, but I also think the prisoner absolutely did. So if you haven't seen The Prisoner, I can't recommend it enough personally. McGuinn had some really strong philosophy driving it underneath. He was a very religious man, actually very similar to Gene Wolfe, both Catholic. And that drove a lot of his beliefs and approach to the material. [21]House of the Dragon
I'm not necessarily a fan of the way George R R Martin writes. House of the Dragon pretty much started with a bloody scene about a young mother who had to pay for the birth of her child with death. My wife was just heavily pregnant, I turned off the TV and didn't look back. But there is no arguing about the quality of Game of Thrones and the enormous cultural impact of the series. All respect. [18]Dragons Love Tacos
I've had to read Dragons Love Tacos to my son more times than I care to remember. Look, dragons do not love tacos. Dragons love some of the things that go into tacos, like cows or maybe sheep or goats. But dragons do not love tacos. And this is sheer slander upon the whole race of dragons. [14]Video Games
They'll probably like the ground meat that sometimes goes into tacos, but no, dragons don't eat tacos. Come on. [34]
What was the first game that you played where you thought, I really love games? Crystal Quest. If anyone remembers that. Old game that was on the Mac Classic. I got up to level 99 on that or something. It was insane. But, yeah, Myst, Riven especially, the Marathon series, Mass Effect trilogy. Loved Control recently. I've spent way too many hours playing Far Cry 5 because it's set in Montana and looks exactly like Montana. And there are some similarities to things in that game, to actual real world stuff, which is kind of weird, but it's cool. I don't know. Too many games to list and they're all awesome. [26]Minecraft
I played a lot of classic Mac games, we're talking about like on the old Mac Classic, so things like Crystal Quest and Starship Mono and things like that. And then later on, when the computers upgraded, I loved the Myst series, so Myst and Riven. My friend had a PC, so I got to play the original Doom and Wolfenstein 3D and all of that. On the Mac, I loved the Marathon series. That was a huge influence on me with storytelling. I'm really excited that they're rebooting it or doing a sequel to the Marathon game finally over at Bungie. So the Marathon trilogy. Unreal Tournament 1999 is still the best shooting game I've ever played in a lot of ways, a tournament game. So yeah, all that stuff definitely had an influence on me. [12]
All of my gaming experience was computer games, video games. One that had a huge influence on me was the old Myst series. Personally I love solving puzzles, so that's the first thing. And also the concept of the series, especially with the second game, Riven, it's all based around people writing books that create new worlds. And you get to go in them and solve puzzles and understand how that world works. And that just tickled every single part of my brain back in the day. [26]
Now, funny thing with Spyro is that the company that made the Spyro games actually worked on the Eragon video game back in the day. Now, I've never played the Spyro games, but my wife is a huge fan of them, and I like Spyro. Proper number of legs. The wings are a little small, though. But sheer force of personality, and at least Spyro's not a dog dragon. [13]
What do you love about Mass Effect? I like the RPG elements, but I like the universe. I like the setting. I like the fact that really their big jump is they assume the existence of this element zero that if I'm remembering it correctly, allows for all of the technology. And then they don't break the laws of physics past that. They assume there's one break from what we know and then explore that. But I love the setting. I like how much blue they use. No, seriously. And if I'm remembering correctly, one of the planets in Mass Effect actually is the planet from Dragon Age. So they've tied in their two different franchises, which is cool. I have so many wonderful memories with the characters and in the world of Mass Effect that in some ways it was almost like a Star Wars experience for video games. [21]
There's great aliens in Mass Effect. I seem to recall Wayne Barlow, an artist, creating a cool book with some aliens in it. [29]
My favorite game these days is Minecraft. If you put a gun to my head and told me I can only have one game for the rest of my life, I'd pick Minecraft right now. If you go to my YouTube channel, you can see my storage system, which is mechanized and can store every single item in the game, either in shulker boxes or bulk storage or chests. It's mechanized. If you're familiar with the Hermitcraft series, they actually invited me on the server as a guest at one point. Scicraft, I got to tour with them. I built a machine to kill the Ender Dragon with one arrow. I love Minecraft. The problem is I could spend so long playing Minecraft, I will never write another book in my life. So I haven't played it in six months. But I really want to update my storage system. So we'll see. [26]Crossovers
You went almost a decade from the time that you published Inheritance to the time that you published another book that people cared about, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. What were you doing during this time besides Minecraft? Have you seen my storage system in Minecraft? I have, it's pretty solid. It's not just solid, it's like I built a computer in Minecraft. Honestly, I could have written another book. I was going to say, imagine if you had written a book instead. What was I doing in those ten years? Well, I suppose I was just relaxing on my giant pile of money. Plagiarism pays, nepotism pays, I was just relaxing, enjoying life. And then I decided that I should probably, pay tribute to a lot of the sci-fi games and movies that I enjoyed and pluck up a bunch of pieces from them and paste them all together and put out a new book. And that was To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. That's fantastic. Absolutely. And you know what's even better? It won Best Sci-Fi of the Year over at Goodreads. I'm starting to wonder if you might be a pretty smart guy. People have said that on occasion, but I don't really believe it. Yeah, I wouldn't either. No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't. [31]
Who wins in a fight, Kratos or Eragon? I'm enormously fond of Eragon and he does have magic at his disposal, but we are talking about a man who literally killed the Greek pantheon and then the Nordic pantheon. So I hate to say it, but I think Kratos has it here. Not to mention that technically his son becomes the Midgard Serpent. [30]
Who would win in the fight? Eragon or Anne McCaffrey? Not the dragons, the author? Well, look, Anne McCaffrey gave me my first blurb. I kind of have to go with Anne McCaffrey there. [30]
[Rebecca Yarros:] How would our dragons interact with each other? I think your dragons would consider Saphira a bit soft. But I think Saphira would rise to the occasion. She's more humane. Like she's more human. She has more like a softness to her, as where mine are superior jerks. Well, I think also she's trying to be nice for the nice little squishy humans around her. And if she were stuck with a bunch of dragons who weren't quite so nice, she'd probably go a bit more feral. [33]
What would Eragon's signet be if he was in the Fourth Wing world instead? Probably something with fire, firebending essentially. The first spell he ever used was Brisingr, which was fire. So probably something with fire. I think that that seems appropriate. I could come up with something more exotic, but let's face it, Eragon's kind of basic. So it's going to be fire. [33]
I assume Roran would have carried a 45-70 govt in a different timeline. He absolutely would, if not a 45-90 or even a 50-110. [R]
What Taylor Swift song do you feel most represents each character? I’ve never listened to a Taylor Swift song, so … How is that even possible?? You must not have listened to a radio in the last decade. You would be correct. That is actually insane. What kind of music do you listen to? I love classical. However, mostly I listen to movie & game soundtracks while writing. And when not writing, I've had enough music, so don't listen to stuff. I can't listen to anything with English lyrics while writing. Messes with the words in my head. Nothing while lifting? Heh. Heavy Metal. Amon Amarth. That sort of thing. [T]
2024.06.02 15:00 callicocallie 6/2/24 - ISO, Selling, and Trading Megathread
***The two separate weekly threads that were going on in this subreddit have been merged for now. Feel free to comment any separate or combined ISOs, items for sale, and items for trade on this weekly post.**\*
ISO:
All ISO related posts should be commented in this megathread from now on. Individual ISO posts will be removed.
SELLING & TRADING:
Please review the selling & trading rules before commenting. As a reminder, your Reddit account should be at least one month old if you want to sell or trade.
The basic rules are (but PLEASE review the full rules):
submitted by callicocallie to TaylorSwiftMerch [link] [comments]
ISO:
All ISO related posts should be commented in this megathread from now on. Individual ISO posts will be removed.
SELLING & TRADING:
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The basic rules are (but PLEASE review the full rules):
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2024.06.02 15:00 BrodogIsMyName Frontier Fantasy - Chap 41
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Generous hours donated to the editing foundation by WaveOfWire
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Lukewarm water gave way to sand underfoot, frequent rocks and dried sea flora giving the orange shore a coarse design. Following an animate piece of metal to harvest underwater stone was not something the gray-skinned fisherwoman thought she would ever be doing. She hauled the ‘potassium’ up and into the wheelbarrow alongside her sister, the once-submerged resources’ rugged texture reflecting the bright sun’s rays in peculiar ways. Unfortunately, the days were getting colder much faster than she would have liked, despite the plentiful light. It was dismissible, but it ever so slightly urged her toward the warmth of the fires… and her new living quarters—the luxurious abode provided by the star-sent himself.
She could not understand how the brick home was capable of keeping such heat without flames, but she would not question it. Instead, she elected to enjoy the first nights of truly comfortable sleep in a long while… and it had been quite some time since the fisherwoman twins enjoyed the luxury of proper civilization. The village was quiet and peaceful compared to the bustling capitol, but it simply lacked the amenities that a large population provided. Their escape to the island provided poor bedding, no entertainment, little variation in food, and a nauseating deficiency of rum. Oh, how the sisters missed the sweet burning liquid. Their… past… may have heightened such affection for the alcohol, but it also didn’t help that they were suddenly branded as sky-worshipers and forced to flee to a humble islet—one that didn’t have any drinks besides boiled water…
Now look at the fisherwoman; there was no escaping her banishment. All that time spent making good with the locals, just for the inquisitors to show up once more and throw her onto the deck of a boat before it departed for an unknown land. She was not scared of the prospect, no. So what if she was to live on the mainland? It was no less rural than the last island—one they were just getting used to. No, she was vengeful for what they had stripped from her and her sister. They had crawled their way from nothing to something within the capitol only a winter or two prior. They could have lived like regular citizens. She supposed it was the grace of the Mountain God that they were led to an actual deity-sent. The siblings’ living situation had improved, too, even over their previous urban living situation. The two would not have to resort to… alternate forms of making a living ever again. She was even starting to appreciate the honor of completing a hard day’s work.
The wheelbarrow creaked and whined underneath the strain it was put under. The hefty rocks were intent on digging the two wheels deep into the dirt. Her sister’s equipment was fairing much the same, but they persevered, dragging the precious haul to the workshop where the Creator needed them. She shoved the portable storage up and over the small hump of the ‘cargo bay’ entrance, hauling it down the rows of animate creations.
Dozens of ‘hums,’ ‘whirrs,’ ‘tonks,’ ‘slams,’ and ear-mauling scrapes assaulted her senses. The ‘machines’ were clumped up with one another under the bright white lights. They spat materials, clear liquids, and yellow gasses amongst their others in a jumble of… something. Some things boiled, others hissed. There was much going on, with one foreign male at the center of it all.
The Creator stood by a towering device, pushing it with the help of the juvenile and the ceramist. The group slid the apparatus into place, leaving the star-sent to deftly manage the many colors on the glowing, rune-filled panel, while the assistants were dismissed, having received a few genuine words of appreciation from the male.
The gray-skinned fisherwoman clicked her tongue, garnering his attention, his weary eyes meeting her own.
“Hey,” he addressed them casually, eyeing their cargo with a raised brow. “You two are back soon. You can put the stuff in the same place as last, then just close the panel. Appreciate the hard work. Feel free to take a break between the next three loads; these machines won’t work fast enough to keep up with y’all.”
“You have my appreciation,” the twins said in unison.
The two of them did as asked, traversing the maze of tubes and metal, pouring the crumbling rocks into the belly of the machine, making sure to close the door as requested. Her sister sighed and stretched her back, extending all four arms up and backward, revealing the short cuts she had on their undersides. The fisherwoman cringed underneath the sudden aura of shame at the sight… It was the only real differentiator between the two, and it was her fault.
“I believe I shall take up the Creator on his blessing and take a short break by the fire. Will you join me?” her twin asked.
“I will be there shortly. Allow me a moment,” she returned.
Her counterpart squinted playfully. “Planning on something with the males, eh?”
“Nothing of the sort,” the fisherwoman chided, flicking her sister's snout with a singular talon.
The twin scowled and turned away, exiting the castle swiftly.
The fisherwoman shook her head and made her way to the star-sent, heedfulness and hesitation quieting her footsteps. It was an unusual feeling. She was never the best when it came to respecting those higher on the mountain than herself; they were always flippant, derisively ordering and pecking at those ‘who make not an honest day’s work.’ She despised giving her labor for such self-assured fools, forced to put on a face for them while suffering through their ‘hierarchy.’
That was why the small island villagers were so welcoming. They were much less strict in their positions or status, allowing for a community focused on the goals of the whole rather than the aspirations of a singular high-ranking Malkrin. Maybe that was why it was so easy for the gray-skinned twins to return to sincere labor there.
The star-sent was much the same, though… different in one aspect. Where the village had a sort of collectivism while still keeping some status of the elders or those higher up the mountain, the Creator did not seem to place himself within any sort of hierarchy. He was solely focused on seeing the settlement progress, addressing and communicating with whomever as if they were of the same status. It made tasks a lot easier and was most certainly why she felt it so easy to approach him with such an unnecessary question.
He was not by the previous set of machines, leaving the fisherwoman to look around. She scanned the entire floor, looking over much of the equipment, spotting him by one of the desks. She stepped up behind him, curiously eying the items on his table. He was… disassembling his staff? His blunt digits twisted small metallic pieces and pulled off larger ones, sliding the large cylindrical end out. He continued until all the components were resting on their respective cuts of cloth, each cleaned and rubbed down with a few liquids.
The fisherwoman did not realize she was leaning over him and staring until he stopped and stretched upward, inadvertently tapping her snout. His chair jolted out of the way, turning around to face her. The Creator’s body was stiff as his wide eyes bored into her, palm resting atop his shoulder-bound blade. He stared up at her for a long few seconds, his burning glare stunning her in place all the while. A loud huff finally escaped him, his strained posture loosening.
“…Jesus, you fuckin’ scared me,” the high male groaned, his chest still rising and falling rapidly. His hand still had not left his knife. “Did you need something?”
“Forgive me star-sent,” she bowed her head, embarrassment and a hint of shame running through her frills. She quickly excused her actions nervously. “I did not mean to startle you… Nor did wish not to bother you, b-but I have a query. You had mentioned that I was free to ask any.”
“Mm, yeah.” The Creator finally released his blade and took a piece of cloth, returning to his task of rubbing down another metallic piece of his staff. “I’d rather you guys ask questions than sit in confusion. So, what’s up? Is there anything you need to harvest the deposits? We’ve got some metal to spare.”
Sparing metal for her simplistic job? Lord above… “N-No. Please excuse my prodding, but I wish to know what these machines are doing.”
“What they’re doing? Like, each one specifically or as a whole?”
“As a whole, Creator.” She did not dream of wrapping her head around the blessed equipment.
He grabbed a gray tube from his staff’s belt. “Gunpowder… for these. Or, more accurately, modified black powder. It’s just as powerful, but it’ll also put on more of a smoke show… and dirty the hell out of barrels and bolts alike…” He frowned at the components next to him before noticing her confused expression. He shook his head. “Sorry. It’s a powder that ignites and propels—” he dug into the cylinder with his digits and slid out a piece of metal. “—slugs and bullets. It’s essentially the whole reason guns work. I’m sure you’ve seen the FAL Akula’s touting around, right?”
She slowly nodded, understanding what he was alluding to. The dark-green-skinned fisherwoman was quite proud of receiving her own staff, keeping it in hand at all times.
“Yeah, so without this, her weapon would be as good as a piece of wood. That’s why I plan on making so much of it.”
“I… see.” She looked back at the whirring snake of moving parts within the center of the castle, a greater sense of awe settling on her as she took in its final purpose. “So it takes metals from a cave, rocks from the sea floor, and the burnt husks of logs to produce such?”
“There are a few more ingredients, like the spider-crab biofuel and trace air elements, but yeah.” The high male continued to clean the components of his weapon as if the process of gunpowder creation was only a menial accomplishment. “It takes a good bit of specific inputs to make the stuff.”
The others claimed the star-sent to be a wizard, and that would be an easy assessment with his staff and mystic equipment, but that would not be accurate. The Creator was clearly a great alchemist, turning useless materials into the very power of his grand weapons. Not to mention forming fine metals from coarse rocks. How did the settlers not see such? The villagers were more blessed than they realized.
A thousand other questions burned into her mind of what else he was capable of creating. What could he do with tree bark? What about dirt and fish? Were they ingredients of powerful remedies or sturdy materials? The dam almost burst, but she held it in. The star-sent’s invitation to casual conversation should not be squandered by her pestering any further. Perhaps he would enlighten her another time. For now, she was required to complete her tasks—this time with much more purpose than she had prior.
She thanked the high male and left for the shore with a swaying tail. Perhaps her efforts would be rewarded handsomely were she to keep it up.
\= = = = =
Harrison sat back on a stool by the outdoor range. The sun had already been down for some time, keeping much of his work underneath the few Malkrin-sized floodlights placed around the settlement. Their bright white light illuminated the decimated wooden targets twenty meters out, dim moonlit covering the rest of the meadows further beyond. It wasn’t a great idea to stay out in the night, given Tracy’s reconnaissance drones weren’t equipped with any night vision or thermals yet, but there was still work to be done, so he instead relied on two armed females to serve as early warnings and defense while he finished up his testing.
The modified black powder was finally narrowed down to a suitable side-grade for traditional double and triple-base gunpowder. The first batch wasn’t nearly powerful enough, and it dirtied the hell out of the FAL he used. The second attempt was much the same, but actually managed to reach an acceptable muzzle velocity. Now, after a whole day of experimenting with the ingredients, it was a damn powerful propellant. The most important ingredient was the added biofuel-adjacent compounds that were made from, of course, biofuel, and much of the air-extracted elements like oxygen and nitrogen.
It was an increasingly convoluted process that required many of the machines to be switched around. Most of their programmed inputs and outputs had been changed several times by the end of the day. Hell, almost the entirety of the workshop’s stock of chemical and mechanical fabrication units had been used up by the operation—if they hadn’t already been taken by the other ongoing lines of industry.
The powder dirtied the hell out of the rifles, it kicked like a horse, and it was a pain in the ass to synthesize, but it was done. He wouldn’t need to worry about letting loose any bullets into those spider-crabs anymore. He even had a suitable source of metal, solving all of his iron and steel needs too. It was small scale, but it was something, and that little bit of income was all he needed to start scaling up the process and deal with all the alloy-hungry projects he needed to start on.
The first of which was probably going to be simple automated mules for the heavy ore. He spent a good portion of the morning assisting with the mining operations until he was confident that the lumberjack got a hang of the hand-held lasers. The most prevailing thing the engineer learned from his efforts was how much of a pain in the ass it was to drag the sphalerite back on sleds.
They didn’t have any on-hand blueprints for any transportation droids until he traveled to the vehicle bay and got them himself. Thankfully, there just happened to be a woman who specialized in creating automated drones, and she was more than happy to take the task on herself. Some part of him felt a little bit of remorse for dumping the work on the technician, but she genuinely seemed to actually kind of enjoy it, almost like it was just a hobby for her. The woman even had her own corner of the workshop dedicated to her tinkering. It had two fabricators, warm yellow lighting, and plenty of cluttered parts and pieces around her laptop. All of it surrounded a central chair that she used to bounce between the different sections of the building process. One corner was for the printers and requesting components, another was for welding, a third for circuitry, and so on.
However, the whole thing did urge him to visit the vehicle bay before the blood-moon. There were a hell of a lot more applications for drone automation than he realized, and he wasn’t intent on putting all of that on Tracy.
The engineer sighed and rubbed his forehead, grabbing for another blue-leaf on the nearby bullet casing-covered table. The finger-width frond was something he’d been enjoying since the foraging Malkrin started to bring them back. They tasted like the fragrance of jasmine. Simply chewing it and letting the small particles of plant matter mix with saliva created a sort of tea in his mouth. He saw Cera using it alongside the whole ‘females using a stick to sharpen their teeth’ thing, so he asked and was generously given a bunch.
The blue-leaf jutted from his mouth like those depictions of Old-Earth farmers chewing the stems of wheat, slowly being gnawed until its tip as the night went on. He eyed Sharky and the ceramist standing at their post nearby, the two of them staying as alert as possible despite it being later than they would usually go to sleep… Maybe it wasn’t best to test gunpowder late at night with unsuppressed fire while the others were sleeping. A tinge of embarrassment and regret nipped at the back of his head.
It was worth it, though. Their ranged capabilities would benefit immensely from the gunpowder, most likely ensuring their survival to come… if it weren’t some small issues. It was a shame the Malkrin had such difficulties with the weapons. Not enough to make them unusable, but enough to cause annoyance with general handling. The guns were practically compact submachine guns to the giant females. Cera and Akula had a hard time reloading with their big ‘ol talons, especially for the mag-release paddles by the trigger. Not to mention the process of actually packing ammo back in the empty magazines… Furthermore, there was irritation with trying to keep the firearm in a suitable place while they worked. Slings swung around too much, and pack attachments poked their lower arms and back. Of course, none of them voiced their opinions on it. He simply noticed all the ways they squirmed when the gun swung out and poked them in the side, or how they fumbled with them while reloading.
Honestly, at this point he might just consider designing a whole new weapon system if the most basic aspects of kinetics were a bother. Something more ergonomic for them to use and store… probably with a bigger bullet that’s easier for them to handle. He’d figure it out later, after he managed to finish helping Tracy build the automated mule.
“Shar! Cera! C’mere!” he called out, his voice somewhat muffled by the frond stuck between his teeth.
The two females perked up, quickly making their way back to his ramshackle firing point. The paladin clipped her M2 onto her back as she trotted up to his side.
“Are we fin—hed for the even—g?” the maroon-colored Malkrin questioned, looking rather tired.
He packed the can of ammunition up, slapping its cover closed. “Just about. I’ve still gotta test the fifty-cal ammo for your browning, but that’s for us to deal with tomorrow.”
“Of course. Will y–u be requiring this firearm for the durat—n?”
“Luckily for you, I won’t.” He pointed a thumb in the direction of the workshop. “I’ve got another being printed right now.”
The paladin squinted. “Anot—r? For whom?”
Cera flipped through the notebook she used for communication, scribbling on it for a mere second before turning it around for the other two to see. It showed a crude outline of the turret they used during the last blood moon… How’d she know?
“I’m guessing Tracy filled you in, huh?” The technician and the ceramist were pretty close, especially whenever Tracy went to help her with drawing. He slid a few FAL magazines into a small pseudomycelium bag, glancing up at Shar. “We’re planning on putting two or three active turrets up around the modules and possibly around the beach and sphalerite cave—depending on resources, of course.”
A grin spread across Shar’s muzzle, her tail swaying. “So we sh—l be furthering our fortificat—ns? It is wise we act early before the bl—d-moon.”
The engineer continued to pack the range items away with the ceramist's assistance. “Yeah, only about ten days or so until then. We have to make the best of it. But that’s not the only reason; I’m planning on setting out sometime ‘fore the blood-moon to retrieve some data from a module further out. This time, it’ll be a longer expedition; ‘Smore than a day’s walk. We’ll be needing more than just the two of us to keep watch overnight. So yeah, we’ll need to keep home base safe while we’re out.”
She leaned forward, an inspired glint in her eye. “I underst—d. Will there be anyth—g I can do to assist the p—paration process?”
“Nothin’ specific.” He smirked, patting her on her oversized forearm for a moment. “‘Cept training and lifting stuff like you do anyway. Definitely gonna need yer strength for hauling turret materials around. Even more for the bullshit we’ll probably have to go through on the journey.”
Her restrained smile turning into something different than the grin she wore before. “I-I am at your c—mand, Harrison. I give my labor to y–u freely.”
Harrison caught Cera idly watching their conversation, a curious look gathering on her face as she observed him. He soon noticed his palm was resting atop shar’s wrist, his hand in a much different place than he last remembered leaving it. He awkwardly coughed and removed it, returning his attention to the mass of equipment he packed up. “Right, uh… Again, that’s all for the day. Cera, you’re free to check out if you want.”
The addressed female raised a brow, still eying up him and the paladin before wiping the look off her face and smiling. She bowed and gave a short wave, leaving him and Sharky to stand underneath the outdoor floodlights while Cera slunk back to the barracks. He looked back up at the tall female beside him, giving her a knowing look.
“You can head off too if you want. I know you’ll be sleeping anyway if we head back into the workshop.”
She stood up straight, an adorable mix of furrowed brows and a pout resembling offense forming on her visage. “I w—ld not fall asl…” The flushed paladin paused, clearly realizing her inaccuracy, causing Harrison’s smile to grow all the wider. She huffed and quietly continued with her excuses. “I can not leave you to the night by y—rself. What if sculking b—sts enter the castle? I should not dare to l—ve your side.”
He stared at her with lighthearted contempt. “C’mon, Shar. Wouldn’t you rather fall asleep in a comfortable bed than a metal desk? I’m gonna be helping Trace with her drones for a long while too.”
“I would prefer noth—g more than to be within arm’s r—ch of you,” she insisted. Her orange irises burned as her tail found its way around him. “Even still, the other star-s—t has left for the other castle alr—dy.”
He raised a brow, the cool skin of her limb rubbing against his palm. “Wait, Tracy left already? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“F—give me, I was busy patrolling the settlem—t. She offered a short wave to me as she left.”
If the technician was gone already and wasn’t in the workshop in the first place to need his help… why did he even need to be in there? She noticed his realization, leaning in closer. Her eyes glanced away nervously for a short moment as she appeared lost in thought before being wrangled back to match his gaze.
“Then, if there is noth—g else for you to complete with the machines, might I sugg—t a compromise to the is—e at hand?”
He raised a brow curiously.
Short clacks of the talons tapping together filled the air. “W-Well, If y–u were to join my slumber, It would satisfy your wish as w—l as my own. I will not fall asl—p atop the desk and you shall be within my p—tection. I-It would be best for your sl—p if I were there, no?
He gave her an incredulous look, the corners of his cheeks breached by a small smile. It wasn’t a great ‘compromise’ for him, but it wasn’t like he had any place to argue against it, really. He wasn’t that tired, yet there was fuck all to do in the workshop until tomorrow… so… “If it’ll get you to sleep, then fine.”
Her eyes lit up in surprise. She clearly wasn’t expecting him to go without debate. “Y-You… Yes, of c—rse. The offer was intended for both our be—fits…” The paladin gestured toward the other module with a wide arm, her thin confidence barely hiding her vibrating frills. “Sh—l… we…?”
He nodded, letting her tail rest on his shoulder like a scarf as he turned around, nudging her to follow. They strolled through the soft grass and night breeze, eased by the thought of a comfortable bed and sound sleep.
\= = = = =
A consistent click came from Kegara’s talon tapping rhythmically against her shield, the piercing sound mirroring the force of her scalding breaths. The tent was bathed in the flickering hue of flame from a centralized fire, yet the warmth bled from everywhere she looked, which was primarily the current target of her displeasure. When their excursion team returned, the Grand Paladin thought them to come back with results or news, yet they brought only an infuriating pitiful recount of a spineless worm.
Every exhale was riddled with the white-skinned female’s ire as she paced around the trembling, pink-skinned female that stood inside the Grand Paladin’s tent. The fisherwoman’s shaking breaths could barely be heard beneath the sizzling of Kegara’s unfinished meal. She had lost her appetite, and the contents she had been looking forward to were now tainted by the taste of ineptitude. A burnt smell permeated throughout the room. A waste, but no more of a waste than the pathetic trash currently fouling her tent.
The failure’s back was straight, her head was kept level, and her tail was as still as the mountain towering above the camp outside, yet nothing but inadequacy was visible.
The Grand Paladin stopped her pacing in front of the messenger, covering her burning vexation with cold, quiet intent and an edged stare. The fisherwoman swallowed heavily. “Were you at least capable of finding their sea vessel, incompetent one?”
“W-We did, Grand Paladin,” the pitiful excuse for a Malkrin quickly returned, fear and guilt bleeding through her voice. A sense of hope entered those dull eyes as they tried to salvage what was already lost. “There were footsteps we followed along the beach, b-but they were cut off abruptly by the tracks of abhorrent!”
Kegara took another step forward, brows furrowing as she bore her gaze ever deeper into the scum that stood before her, the head-height difference in stature between them further emblazening the glare. Her words grew more heated with every question, each syllable teeming with threats. “Then they perished? Was there blood? Signs of a battle?”
The pink-skinned female struggled to keep herself straight, trembling down to the talons. “T-There was no sign of s-such.”
“And you did not pursue them?” A simple question, and one spoke through a frigid, flat tone. Dignified and controlled, yet making no effort to hide the malice underneath. Her digits twitched, barely restrained.
“N-No, we f-feared the abhor—”
The fisherwoman’s speech was cut short with a choke and a flicker of movement from the white-skinned paladin. A singular hand wrung the failure’s throat and lifted the veritable waste, her grip tight enough to cull the fouled intent before it could spit more worthless drivel. Kegara’s frills shook with her burning projection. “You failed because you were *scared? Fourteen females were **frightened of footprints? You insolent failure! Your heathenous brothers and sisters are left to the whims of the mainland because of your fear! Left to be mauled and eaten alive by the abhorrent!”*
“W-We could not have—”
“SILENCE,” she commanded sharply, her voice a blade that tore through the fisherwoman’s denial. She snarled, feeling the very heartbeat within the fragile neck as her grip tightened. Shameful vocalizations and strained breaths failed to bring air to the pathetic one’s lungs. It would be quicker to silence the fool permanently, and Kegara’s pride demanded it be done. Every move within the paladin’s talons threatened to rend the very flesh beneath them, yet her claws must be stayed, for allowing blood to spill would be an equally foolish mistake. The fisherwoman was lucky; menial labor was a strained resource. Such a failure of a banished fool would be culled on the spot otherwise.
The pink-skinned female was thrown to the ground, dirt being tossed into the air as she skid to a stop. She hacked and coughed on her back, her ragged gasps irritatingly scraping the high one’s ears. Kegara’s slow exhalations poured through clenched teeth as she controlled herself. Perfection required persistence. If she wished to send the group back out for their incompetence, then she would need them to live long enough to do so. To ensure the new banished were found and brought back. To prove themselves worth her kindness.
But were there banished left to collect? The latest group was most likely reduced to bones for the repulsive creatures to gnaw on by now, and it would be but a waste of Malkrin to frivolously send more out. It was a situation wrought from mistakes and inadequacy, searing her flesh with its reflection onto her, painting her image with its wretched color. The vexation burned her from the inside as she resisted the urge to stain her tent with the failure’s red. This was much greater a failure than the fisherwoman could understand, but at least a large catch of meat had been procured. This was still a salvageable outcome.
“Bring half the food to the cooks,” the grand paladin relented with a simmering hiss, glaring down at the coughing lump of shame. “Leave the rest by the cave as always. Do not fail me with such a simple task, or you will prove my benevolence to be a mistake.”
“Of… c-course.” The fisherwoman shakily nodded before shuffling away, all but fleeing the tent to complete her duties. The failure was gone, but her stench persisted.
Kegara spat on the ground, no longer wishing to return to her meal, as disgusting as it had become. The searing exasperation that gnawed at her chest slowly fell away, leaving only the frigid caress of mortification on her frills. The lack of success would carry with it great consequences, and those would carry more in an ever-growing rockslide of punishment.
Would it impact her mission? What would happen if her settlement was incapable of providing logistics for the excavation? Would they no longer return with the relics? How would the Grand Script-keeper react? What of the high priestesses? The Grand Paladin was no fool; she knew where their disdain would lie, should she prove to be as pathetic as that fisherwoman. The blame could not be siphoned off into the tainted peasantry beneath her command. It would be put on her and her alone. She would face judgment without reprieve.
The white-skinned Makrin let out a shaky breath, steeling herself away from the agonizing worries. The solution was as clear as her faith, and just as certain. She would not allow such a mistake to occur again. More capable laborers would be sent next time, paladins without such weaknesses as fear, and success would be enforced.
According to the report, the next island that the inquisitors were approaching was one with a larger population, numbering in the thousands. It was assured that they would find many more of the blighted Malkrin to be exiled, and the traitorous filth would find their labor funneling directly to the mainland. She could perform her duties properly once she had the subordinates to do so.
Those higher on the mountain would see her accomplishments then. Surely.
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Next time on Total Drama Anomaly Island - SpaceMarines Malkrin
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Lukewarm water gave way to sand underfoot, frequent rocks and dried sea flora giving the orange shore a coarse design. Following an animate piece of metal to harvest underwater stone was not something the gray-skinned fisherwoman thought she would ever be doing. She hauled the ‘potassium’ up and into the wheelbarrow alongside her sister, the once-submerged resources’ rugged texture reflecting the bright sun’s rays in peculiar ways. Unfortunately, the days were getting colder much faster than she would have liked, despite the plentiful light. It was dismissible, but it ever so slightly urged her toward the warmth of the fires… and her new living quarters—the luxurious abode provided by the star-sent himself.
She could not understand how the brick home was capable of keeping such heat without flames, but she would not question it. Instead, she elected to enjoy the first nights of truly comfortable sleep in a long while… and it had been quite some time since the fisherwoman twins enjoyed the luxury of proper civilization. The village was quiet and peaceful compared to the bustling capitol, but it simply lacked the amenities that a large population provided. Their escape to the island provided poor bedding, no entertainment, little variation in food, and a nauseating deficiency of rum. Oh, how the sisters missed the sweet burning liquid. Their… past… may have heightened such affection for the alcohol, but it also didn’t help that they were suddenly branded as sky-worshipers and forced to flee to a humble islet—one that didn’t have any drinks besides boiled water…
Now look at the fisherwoman; there was no escaping her banishment. All that time spent making good with the locals, just for the inquisitors to show up once more and throw her onto the deck of a boat before it departed for an unknown land. She was not scared of the prospect, no. So what if she was to live on the mainland? It was no less rural than the last island—one they were just getting used to. No, she was vengeful for what they had stripped from her and her sister. They had crawled their way from nothing to something within the capitol only a winter or two prior. They could have lived like regular citizens. She supposed it was the grace of the Mountain God that they were led to an actual deity-sent. The siblings’ living situation had improved, too, even over their previous urban living situation. The two would not have to resort to… alternate forms of making a living ever again. She was even starting to appreciate the honor of completing a hard day’s work.
The wheelbarrow creaked and whined underneath the strain it was put under. The hefty rocks were intent on digging the two wheels deep into the dirt. Her sister’s equipment was fairing much the same, but they persevered, dragging the precious haul to the workshop where the Creator needed them. She shoved the portable storage up and over the small hump of the ‘cargo bay’ entrance, hauling it down the rows of animate creations.
Dozens of ‘hums,’ ‘whirrs,’ ‘tonks,’ ‘slams,’ and ear-mauling scrapes assaulted her senses. The ‘machines’ were clumped up with one another under the bright white lights. They spat materials, clear liquids, and yellow gasses amongst their others in a jumble of… something. Some things boiled, others hissed. There was much going on, with one foreign male at the center of it all.
The Creator stood by a towering device, pushing it with the help of the juvenile and the ceramist. The group slid the apparatus into place, leaving the star-sent to deftly manage the many colors on the glowing, rune-filled panel, while the assistants were dismissed, having received a few genuine words of appreciation from the male.
The gray-skinned fisherwoman clicked her tongue, garnering his attention, his weary eyes meeting her own.
“Hey,” he addressed them casually, eyeing their cargo with a raised brow. “You two are back soon. You can put the stuff in the same place as last, then just close the panel. Appreciate the hard work. Feel free to take a break between the next three loads; these machines won’t work fast enough to keep up with y’all.”
“You have my appreciation,” the twins said in unison.
The two of them did as asked, traversing the maze of tubes and metal, pouring the crumbling rocks into the belly of the machine, making sure to close the door as requested. Her sister sighed and stretched her back, extending all four arms up and backward, revealing the short cuts she had on their undersides. The fisherwoman cringed underneath the sudden aura of shame at the sight… It was the only real differentiator between the two, and it was her fault.
“I believe I shall take up the Creator on his blessing and take a short break by the fire. Will you join me?” her twin asked.
“I will be there shortly. Allow me a moment,” she returned.
Her counterpart squinted playfully. “Planning on something with the males, eh?”
“Nothing of the sort,” the fisherwoman chided, flicking her sister's snout with a singular talon.
The twin scowled and turned away, exiting the castle swiftly.
The fisherwoman shook her head and made her way to the star-sent, heedfulness and hesitation quieting her footsteps. It was an unusual feeling. She was never the best when it came to respecting those higher on the mountain than herself; they were always flippant, derisively ordering and pecking at those ‘who make not an honest day’s work.’ She despised giving her labor for such self-assured fools, forced to put on a face for them while suffering through their ‘hierarchy.’
That was why the small island villagers were so welcoming. They were much less strict in their positions or status, allowing for a community focused on the goals of the whole rather than the aspirations of a singular high-ranking Malkrin. Maybe that was why it was so easy for the gray-skinned twins to return to sincere labor there.
The star-sent was much the same, though… different in one aspect. Where the village had a sort of collectivism while still keeping some status of the elders or those higher up the mountain, the Creator did not seem to place himself within any sort of hierarchy. He was solely focused on seeing the settlement progress, addressing and communicating with whomever as if they were of the same status. It made tasks a lot easier and was most certainly why she felt it so easy to approach him with such an unnecessary question.
He was not by the previous set of machines, leaving the fisherwoman to look around. She scanned the entire floor, looking over much of the equipment, spotting him by one of the desks. She stepped up behind him, curiously eying the items on his table. He was… disassembling his staff? His blunt digits twisted small metallic pieces and pulled off larger ones, sliding the large cylindrical end out. He continued until all the components were resting on their respective cuts of cloth, each cleaned and rubbed down with a few liquids.
The fisherwoman did not realize she was leaning over him and staring until he stopped and stretched upward, inadvertently tapping her snout. His chair jolted out of the way, turning around to face her. The Creator’s body was stiff as his wide eyes bored into her, palm resting atop his shoulder-bound blade. He stared up at her for a long few seconds, his burning glare stunning her in place all the while. A loud huff finally escaped him, his strained posture loosening.
“…Jesus, you fuckin’ scared me,” the high male groaned, his chest still rising and falling rapidly. His hand still had not left his knife. “Did you need something?”
“Forgive me star-sent,” she bowed her head, embarrassment and a hint of shame running through her frills. She quickly excused her actions nervously. “I did not mean to startle you… Nor did wish not to bother you, b-but I have a query. You had mentioned that I was free to ask any.”
“Mm, yeah.” The Creator finally released his blade and took a piece of cloth, returning to his task of rubbing down another metallic piece of his staff. “I’d rather you guys ask questions than sit in confusion. So, what’s up? Is there anything you need to harvest the deposits? We’ve got some metal to spare.”
Sparing metal for her simplistic job? Lord above… “N-No. Please excuse my prodding, but I wish to know what these machines are doing.”
“What they’re doing? Like, each one specifically or as a whole?”
“As a whole, Creator.” She did not dream of wrapping her head around the blessed equipment.
He grabbed a gray tube from his staff’s belt. “Gunpowder… for these. Or, more accurately, modified black powder. It’s just as powerful, but it’ll also put on more of a smoke show… and dirty the hell out of barrels and bolts alike…” He frowned at the components next to him before noticing her confused expression. He shook his head. “Sorry. It’s a powder that ignites and propels—” he dug into the cylinder with his digits and slid out a piece of metal. “—slugs and bullets. It’s essentially the whole reason guns work. I’m sure you’ve seen the FAL Akula’s touting around, right?”
She slowly nodded, understanding what he was alluding to. The dark-green-skinned fisherwoman was quite proud of receiving her own staff, keeping it in hand at all times.
“Yeah, so without this, her weapon would be as good as a piece of wood. That’s why I plan on making so much of it.”
“I… see.” She looked back at the whirring snake of moving parts within the center of the castle, a greater sense of awe settling on her as she took in its final purpose. “So it takes metals from a cave, rocks from the sea floor, and the burnt husks of logs to produce such?”
“There are a few more ingredients, like the spider-crab biofuel and trace air elements, but yeah.” The high male continued to clean the components of his weapon as if the process of gunpowder creation was only a menial accomplishment. “It takes a good bit of specific inputs to make the stuff.”
The others claimed the star-sent to be a wizard, and that would be an easy assessment with his staff and mystic equipment, but that would not be accurate. The Creator was clearly a great alchemist, turning useless materials into the very power of his grand weapons. Not to mention forming fine metals from coarse rocks. How did the settlers not see such? The villagers were more blessed than they realized.
A thousand other questions burned into her mind of what else he was capable of creating. What could he do with tree bark? What about dirt and fish? Were they ingredients of powerful remedies or sturdy materials? The dam almost burst, but she held it in. The star-sent’s invitation to casual conversation should not be squandered by her pestering any further. Perhaps he would enlighten her another time. For now, she was required to complete her tasks—this time with much more purpose than she had prior.
She thanked the high male and left for the shore with a swaying tail. Perhaps her efforts would be rewarded handsomely were she to keep it up.
\= = = = =
Harrison sat back on a stool by the outdoor range. The sun had already been down for some time, keeping much of his work underneath the few Malkrin-sized floodlights placed around the settlement. Their bright white light illuminated the decimated wooden targets twenty meters out, dim moonlit covering the rest of the meadows further beyond. It wasn’t a great idea to stay out in the night, given Tracy’s reconnaissance drones weren’t equipped with any night vision or thermals yet, but there was still work to be done, so he instead relied on two armed females to serve as early warnings and defense while he finished up his testing.
The modified black powder was finally narrowed down to a suitable side-grade for traditional double and triple-base gunpowder. The first batch wasn’t nearly powerful enough, and it dirtied the hell out of the FAL he used. The second attempt was much the same, but actually managed to reach an acceptable muzzle velocity. Now, after a whole day of experimenting with the ingredients, it was a damn powerful propellant. The most important ingredient was the added biofuel-adjacent compounds that were made from, of course, biofuel, and much of the air-extracted elements like oxygen and nitrogen.
It was an increasingly convoluted process that required many of the machines to be switched around. Most of their programmed inputs and outputs had been changed several times by the end of the day. Hell, almost the entirety of the workshop’s stock of chemical and mechanical fabrication units had been used up by the operation—if they hadn’t already been taken by the other ongoing lines of industry.
The powder dirtied the hell out of the rifles, it kicked like a horse, and it was a pain in the ass to synthesize, but it was done. He wouldn’t need to worry about letting loose any bullets into those spider-crabs anymore. He even had a suitable source of metal, solving all of his iron and steel needs too. It was small scale, but it was something, and that little bit of income was all he needed to start scaling up the process and deal with all the alloy-hungry projects he needed to start on.
The first of which was probably going to be simple automated mules for the heavy ore. He spent a good portion of the morning assisting with the mining operations until he was confident that the lumberjack got a hang of the hand-held lasers. The most prevailing thing the engineer learned from his efforts was how much of a pain in the ass it was to drag the sphalerite back on sleds.
They didn’t have any on-hand blueprints for any transportation droids until he traveled to the vehicle bay and got them himself. Thankfully, there just happened to be a woman who specialized in creating automated drones, and she was more than happy to take the task on herself. Some part of him felt a little bit of remorse for dumping the work on the technician, but she genuinely seemed to actually kind of enjoy it, almost like it was just a hobby for her. The woman even had her own corner of the workshop dedicated to her tinkering. It had two fabricators, warm yellow lighting, and plenty of cluttered parts and pieces around her laptop. All of it surrounded a central chair that she used to bounce between the different sections of the building process. One corner was for the printers and requesting components, another was for welding, a third for circuitry, and so on.
However, the whole thing did urge him to visit the vehicle bay before the blood-moon. There were a hell of a lot more applications for drone automation than he realized, and he wasn’t intent on putting all of that on Tracy.
The engineer sighed and rubbed his forehead, grabbing for another blue-leaf on the nearby bullet casing-covered table. The finger-width frond was something he’d been enjoying since the foraging Malkrin started to bring them back. They tasted like the fragrance of jasmine. Simply chewing it and letting the small particles of plant matter mix with saliva created a sort of tea in his mouth. He saw Cera using it alongside the whole ‘females using a stick to sharpen their teeth’ thing, so he asked and was generously given a bunch.
The blue-leaf jutted from his mouth like those depictions of Old-Earth farmers chewing the stems of wheat, slowly being gnawed until its tip as the night went on. He eyed Sharky and the ceramist standing at their post nearby, the two of them staying as alert as possible despite it being later than they would usually go to sleep… Maybe it wasn’t best to test gunpowder late at night with unsuppressed fire while the others were sleeping. A tinge of embarrassment and regret nipped at the back of his head.
It was worth it, though. Their ranged capabilities would benefit immensely from the gunpowder, most likely ensuring their survival to come… if it weren’t some small issues. It was a shame the Malkrin had such difficulties with the weapons. Not enough to make them unusable, but enough to cause annoyance with general handling. The guns were practically compact submachine guns to the giant females. Cera and Akula had a hard time reloading with their big ‘ol talons, especially for the mag-release paddles by the trigger. Not to mention the process of actually packing ammo back in the empty magazines… Furthermore, there was irritation with trying to keep the firearm in a suitable place while they worked. Slings swung around too much, and pack attachments poked their lower arms and back. Of course, none of them voiced their opinions on it. He simply noticed all the ways they squirmed when the gun swung out and poked them in the side, or how they fumbled with them while reloading.
Honestly, at this point he might just consider designing a whole new weapon system if the most basic aspects of kinetics were a bother. Something more ergonomic for them to use and store… probably with a bigger bullet that’s easier for them to handle. He’d figure it out later, after he managed to finish helping Tracy build the automated mule.
“Shar! Cera! C’mere!” he called out, his voice somewhat muffled by the frond stuck between his teeth.
The two females perked up, quickly making their way back to his ramshackle firing point. The paladin clipped her M2 onto her back as she trotted up to his side.
“Are we fin—hed for the even—g?” the maroon-colored Malkrin questioned, looking rather tired.
He packed the can of ammunition up, slapping its cover closed. “Just about. I’ve still gotta test the fifty-cal ammo for your browning, but that’s for us to deal with tomorrow.”
“Of course. Will y–u be requiring this firearm for the durat—n?”
“Luckily for you, I won’t.” He pointed a thumb in the direction of the workshop. “I’ve got another being printed right now.”
The paladin squinted. “Anot—r? For whom?”
Cera flipped through the notebook she used for communication, scribbling on it for a mere second before turning it around for the other two to see. It showed a crude outline of the turret they used during the last blood moon… How’d she know?
“I’m guessing Tracy filled you in, huh?” The technician and the ceramist were pretty close, especially whenever Tracy went to help her with drawing. He slid a few FAL magazines into a small pseudomycelium bag, glancing up at Shar. “We’re planning on putting two or three active turrets up around the modules and possibly around the beach and sphalerite cave—depending on resources, of course.”
A grin spread across Shar’s muzzle, her tail swaying. “So we sh—l be furthering our fortificat—ns? It is wise we act early before the bl—d-moon.”
The engineer continued to pack the range items away with the ceramist's assistance. “Yeah, only about ten days or so until then. We have to make the best of it. But that’s not the only reason; I’m planning on setting out sometime ‘fore the blood-moon to retrieve some data from a module further out. This time, it’ll be a longer expedition; ‘Smore than a day’s walk. We’ll be needing more than just the two of us to keep watch overnight. So yeah, we’ll need to keep home base safe while we’re out.”
She leaned forward, an inspired glint in her eye. “I underst—d. Will there be anyth—g I can do to assist the p—paration process?”
“Nothin’ specific.” He smirked, patting her on her oversized forearm for a moment. “‘Cept training and lifting stuff like you do anyway. Definitely gonna need yer strength for hauling turret materials around. Even more for the bullshit we’ll probably have to go through on the journey.”
Her restrained smile turning into something different than the grin she wore before. “I-I am at your c—mand, Harrison. I give my labor to y–u freely.”
Harrison caught Cera idly watching their conversation, a curious look gathering on her face as she observed him. He soon noticed his palm was resting atop shar’s wrist, his hand in a much different place than he last remembered leaving it. He awkwardly coughed and removed it, returning his attention to the mass of equipment he packed up. “Right, uh… Again, that’s all for the day. Cera, you’re free to check out if you want.”
The addressed female raised a brow, still eying up him and the paladin before wiping the look off her face and smiling. She bowed and gave a short wave, leaving him and Sharky to stand underneath the outdoor floodlights while Cera slunk back to the barracks. He looked back up at the tall female beside him, giving her a knowing look.
“You can head off too if you want. I know you’ll be sleeping anyway if we head back into the workshop.”
She stood up straight, an adorable mix of furrowed brows and a pout resembling offense forming on her visage. “I w—ld not fall asl…” The flushed paladin paused, clearly realizing her inaccuracy, causing Harrison’s smile to grow all the wider. She huffed and quietly continued with her excuses. “I can not leave you to the night by y—rself. What if sculking b—sts enter the castle? I should not dare to l—ve your side.”
He stared at her with lighthearted contempt. “C’mon, Shar. Wouldn’t you rather fall asleep in a comfortable bed than a metal desk? I’m gonna be helping Trace with her drones for a long while too.”
“I would prefer noth—g more than to be within arm’s r—ch of you,” she insisted. Her orange irises burned as her tail found its way around him. “Even still, the other star-s—t has left for the other castle alr—dy.”
He raised a brow, the cool skin of her limb rubbing against his palm. “Wait, Tracy left already? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“F—give me, I was busy patrolling the settlem—t. She offered a short wave to me as she left.”
If the technician was gone already and wasn’t in the workshop in the first place to need his help… why did he even need to be in there? She noticed his realization, leaning in closer. Her eyes glanced away nervously for a short moment as she appeared lost in thought before being wrangled back to match his gaze.
“Then, if there is noth—g else for you to complete with the machines, might I sugg—t a compromise to the is—e at hand?”
He raised a brow curiously.
Short clacks of the talons tapping together filled the air. “W-Well, If y–u were to join my slumber, It would satisfy your wish as w—l as my own. I will not fall asl—p atop the desk and you shall be within my p—tection. I-It would be best for your sl—p if I were there, no?
He gave her an incredulous look, the corners of his cheeks breached by a small smile. It wasn’t a great ‘compromise’ for him, but it wasn’t like he had any place to argue against it, really. He wasn’t that tired, yet there was fuck all to do in the workshop until tomorrow… so… “If it’ll get you to sleep, then fine.”
Her eyes lit up in surprise. She clearly wasn’t expecting him to go without debate. “Y-You… Yes, of c—rse. The offer was intended for both our be—fits…” The paladin gestured toward the other module with a wide arm, her thin confidence barely hiding her vibrating frills. “Sh—l… we…?”
He nodded, letting her tail rest on his shoulder like a scarf as he turned around, nudging her to follow. They strolled through the soft grass and night breeze, eased by the thought of a comfortable bed and sound sleep.
\= = = = =
A consistent click came from Kegara’s talon tapping rhythmically against her shield, the piercing sound mirroring the force of her scalding breaths. The tent was bathed in the flickering hue of flame from a centralized fire, yet the warmth bled from everywhere she looked, which was primarily the current target of her displeasure. When their excursion team returned, the Grand Paladin thought them to come back with results or news, yet they brought only an infuriating pitiful recount of a spineless worm.
Every exhale was riddled with the white-skinned female’s ire as she paced around the trembling, pink-skinned female that stood inside the Grand Paladin’s tent. The fisherwoman’s shaking breaths could barely be heard beneath the sizzling of Kegara’s unfinished meal. She had lost her appetite, and the contents she had been looking forward to were now tainted by the taste of ineptitude. A burnt smell permeated throughout the room. A waste, but no more of a waste than the pathetic trash currently fouling her tent.
The failure’s back was straight, her head was kept level, and her tail was as still as the mountain towering above the camp outside, yet nothing but inadequacy was visible.
The Grand Paladin stopped her pacing in front of the messenger, covering her burning vexation with cold, quiet intent and an edged stare. The fisherwoman swallowed heavily. “Were you at least capable of finding their sea vessel, incompetent one?”
“W-We did, Grand Paladin,” the pitiful excuse for a Malkrin quickly returned, fear and guilt bleeding through her voice. A sense of hope entered those dull eyes as they tried to salvage what was already lost. “There were footsteps we followed along the beach, b-but they were cut off abruptly by the tracks of abhorrent!”
Kegara took another step forward, brows furrowing as she bore her gaze ever deeper into the scum that stood before her, the head-height difference in stature between them further emblazening the glare. Her words grew more heated with every question, each syllable teeming with threats. “Then they perished? Was there blood? Signs of a battle?”
The pink-skinned female struggled to keep herself straight, trembling down to the talons. “T-There was no sign of s-such.”
“And you did not pursue them?” A simple question, and one spoke through a frigid, flat tone. Dignified and controlled, yet making no effort to hide the malice underneath. Her digits twitched, barely restrained.
“N-No, we f-feared the abhor—”
The fisherwoman’s speech was cut short with a choke and a flicker of movement from the white-skinned paladin. A singular hand wrung the failure’s throat and lifted the veritable waste, her grip tight enough to cull the fouled intent before it could spit more worthless drivel. Kegara’s frills shook with her burning projection. “You failed because you were *scared? Fourteen females were **frightened of footprints? You insolent failure! Your heathenous brothers and sisters are left to the whims of the mainland because of your fear! Left to be mauled and eaten alive by the abhorrent!”*
“W-We could not have—”
“SILENCE,” she commanded sharply, her voice a blade that tore through the fisherwoman’s denial. She snarled, feeling the very heartbeat within the fragile neck as her grip tightened. Shameful vocalizations and strained breaths failed to bring air to the pathetic one’s lungs. It would be quicker to silence the fool permanently, and Kegara’s pride demanded it be done. Every move within the paladin’s talons threatened to rend the very flesh beneath them, yet her claws must be stayed, for allowing blood to spill would be an equally foolish mistake. The fisherwoman was lucky; menial labor was a strained resource. Such a failure of a banished fool would be culled on the spot otherwise.
The pink-skinned female was thrown to the ground, dirt being tossed into the air as she skid to a stop. She hacked and coughed on her back, her ragged gasps irritatingly scraping the high one’s ears. Kegara’s slow exhalations poured through clenched teeth as she controlled herself. Perfection required persistence. If she wished to send the group back out for their incompetence, then she would need them to live long enough to do so. To ensure the new banished were found and brought back. To prove themselves worth her kindness.
But were there banished left to collect? The latest group was most likely reduced to bones for the repulsive creatures to gnaw on by now, and it would be but a waste of Malkrin to frivolously send more out. It was a situation wrought from mistakes and inadequacy, searing her flesh with its reflection onto her, painting her image with its wretched color. The vexation burned her from the inside as she resisted the urge to stain her tent with the failure’s red. This was much greater a failure than the fisherwoman could understand, but at least a large catch of meat had been procured. This was still a salvageable outcome.
“Bring half the food to the cooks,” the grand paladin relented with a simmering hiss, glaring down at the coughing lump of shame. “Leave the rest by the cave as always. Do not fail me with such a simple task, or you will prove my benevolence to be a mistake.”
“Of… c-course.” The fisherwoman shakily nodded before shuffling away, all but fleeing the tent to complete her duties. The failure was gone, but her stench persisted.
Kegara spat on the ground, no longer wishing to return to her meal, as disgusting as it had become. The searing exasperation that gnawed at her chest slowly fell away, leaving only the frigid caress of mortification on her frills. The lack of success would carry with it great consequences, and those would carry more in an ever-growing rockslide of punishment.
Would it impact her mission? What would happen if her settlement was incapable of providing logistics for the excavation? Would they no longer return with the relics? How would the Grand Script-keeper react? What of the high priestesses? The Grand Paladin was no fool; she knew where their disdain would lie, should she prove to be as pathetic as that fisherwoman. The blame could not be siphoned off into the tainted peasantry beneath her command. It would be put on her and her alone. She would face judgment without reprieve.
The white-skinned Makrin let out a shaky breath, steeling herself away from the agonizing worries. The solution was as clear as her faith, and just as certain. She would not allow such a mistake to occur again. More capable laborers would be sent next time, paladins without such weaknesses as fear, and success would be enforced.
According to the report, the next island that the inquisitors were approaching was one with a larger population, numbering in the thousands. It was assured that they would find many more of the blighted Malkrin to be exiled, and the traitorous filth would find their labor funneling directly to the mainland. She could perform her duties properly once she had the subordinates to do so.
Those higher on the mountain would see her accomplishments then. Surely.
- - - - -
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Next time on Total Drama Anomaly Island - Space
2024.06.02 14:47 JoyfulEpistemophile Wagamamas Hotpot
Please please help me. I’m obsessed with the Wagamamas ‘hotpot’ which of course is not actual hotpot. The base of it is just incredible. There are no traditional Korean restaurants around me to go and try more authentic food. I asked one of the waiters to find out for me what’s in the base and it’s gochujang, tamari, stock, possible kimchi and maybe miso. He couldn’t remember the last one. Do you think this be similar to a gochujang jjigae?
The other things in it are a protein, either chicken, beef or tofu. Butternut squash, Pak Choi, mangetout and then kimchi.
I’d love to be able to try and recreate it. I have gochujang etc at home but no idea what amounts to use of each item. Has anyone tried both and can compare?
Edited to add - I’m aware Wagamamas is not Korean nor is it traditional Japanese. And neither is it authentic in any way, hence saying there are no authentic restaurants around me. Its just my absolute favourite dish and I’m trying to find anything that closely resembles it, which I was wondering if anyone has tried both and could maybe point out the similarities vs differences between that and gochujang jjigae, that’s all.
submitted by JoyfulEpistemophile to KoreanFood [link] [comments]
The other things in it are a protein, either chicken, beef or tofu. Butternut squash, Pak Choi, mangetout and then kimchi.
I’d love to be able to try and recreate it. I have gochujang etc at home but no idea what amounts to use of each item. Has anyone tried both and can compare?
Edited to add - I’m aware Wagamamas is not Korean nor is it traditional Japanese. And neither is it authentic in any way, hence saying there are no authentic restaurants around me. Its just my absolute favourite dish and I’m trying to find anything that closely resembles it, which I was wondering if anyone has tried both and could maybe point out the similarities vs differences between that and gochujang jjigae, that’s all.
2024.06.02 14:42 lannistargaryen Japan Trip Report May 2024
 | Date: May 14-22 Accommodation: plat hostel asakusa submitted by lannistargaryen to phtravel [link] [comments] Just got back from an 9D/8N Japan trip with my girlfriend. Figured I’d share some photos and tips here Apps - Google Translate (to translate menus, receipts) - DeepL (translator) - CityMapper (navigation app when walking) - Google Maps (navigation for trains/buses) - Yahoo! Weather (i’ve read that it’s very accurate in Japan - merong one day na maling mali siya though lol) Itinerary Day 0 (Asakusa) Day 1 (Shinjuku) Day 3 (Disney Sea) Day 4 (Shibuya & Harajuku) Day 5 (Ueno) Day 6 (Fuji) Day 7 (Shimokitazawa) Day 8 (Kamakura) Learnings - Learning a few phrases gets you a long way. I’ve been on duolingo for like 3 months pero ang nagamit ko lang ay “Sumimasen”, “Gomen”, “Wakarimasen”,“ Eki wa doko desu ka?”, “Mizu kudasai”, at “Oishii!” - Wish we stayed in Shinjuku/Shibuya for a couple of days. Asakusa is great (The Tokyo Skytree view we had sa baclony ng hostel was insane) pero I couldn’t really go on a night out kasi I don’t want to pay 8,000 JPY for a cab. Di ko na rin kaya magparty until the trains open again. - Use the “near me” functionality in Google Maps. Can be used for anything really “Shoes”, “Used Clothing Store”, “Restaurants”, “Pharmacy” - GCash card is all you need. I had 45K Yen in cash. Felt like I could’ve gotten away with less since most places take card anyway. - Merong QR supposedly for Tax Free shopping in Japan but they don’t honor that, so bringing your passport is still a must. - Pharmacy shopping > Donki - There is so much to explore in Tokyo. I always see the “Go to Kyoto for the real Japan” experience but I think there’s places that offer that near Tokyo. - Naglista ako ng restaurants from Reels/TikToks but ended up going to one lang yata. Tokyo has 137,000 restaurants. No need to line up sa viral ones, from sketchy looking to higher-end ones I’ve never had a bad meal. - I feel like Shinjuku Gyoen is underrated? How I wish we have parks that looked like that. - If you have an active lifestyle (or trying to get into it), Alpen Tokyo and Victoria Sports is a must for you. - I did so much research on our Disney Sea day which made it so much more bearable. Our longest wait was like 20 minutes. We did walk 31,000 steps though so be prepared for that! - Look up the Disney crowd calendars - I had already mapped out the sequences for the rides (tip: start at the back of the park) - Buy disney premier access passes (they are like 1500 JPY each, i would say that’s worth it vs waiting for 2 hours) - There are free passes within the app - There are single rider lines which makes the ride from a 2 hour wait to 5 minutes. - Shibuya Sky sunset tickets sell out fast. Kailangan mo siya abangan sa Klook. They release tickets one month in advance. - We originally planned to go to Nikko for a day trip pero we were too tired so we went to Ueno instead. I enjoyed it kasi mura na nga sa Japan, pero mas mura pa sa Ueno. Bought running gear there (2 shoes, a running belt). - Bought tickets on the same day we went to Fuji kasi I was super wary of the weather. My biggest learning is that you should rely on fuji visibility websites AND youtube live feeds of fuji than just the weather app. Walang kinalaman yung ulan or araw sa visibility ng Fuji. In our case, it was rainy but it was like 75% visible naman. Tapos the next day na maaraw, 0 visibility at all. - Shimokitazawa is one of the coolest neighborhoods I’ve ever been to. Lahat mga naglalakad na estetik and full of vintage shops. Clothes are still a bit expensive, though. But nice place to hangout for sure. Selling point is more on availability of rare items vs affordability. - Kamakura gave me my traditional Tokyo fix. About an hour and a half away from Tokyo, merong bamboo forest (di namin pinuntahan) and a shrine with the red tori gates. Temples look amazing too. We finished our day taking a pic sa slam dunk train & sitting by the beach :) - Don’t go to 2nd street sa big cities - dun ka sa mga mas tago if you want rare finds. - TreFactStyle is my favorite 2nd hand shop. |
2024.06.02 14:38 Particular_Being_269 My Top 15 Cutest Cartoon Art Styles
 | https://preview.redd.it/l9ipllbik54d1.png?width=588&format=png&auto=webp&s=8ca828da9bfb9d8c454541868bf5854e3eb97361 submitted by Particular_Being_269 to cartoons [link] [comments] Greetings, people of the cartoons subreddit! Particular Being 269 here, and today I wanted to make a different kind of post today that I’m surprised I haven’t seen more people try to cover: a list of the top 15 cartoons with the cutest art styles (in my opinion, of course). And yes, I went with 15 instead of the usual 10 because there were just too many shows I couldn’t for the life of me leave out. For this countdown, I looked at various cartoons for people of any target age group and picked out the ones whose art/animation style, designs, layouts, and other aspects caught my eye the most for how cute and endearing they appeared to me visually speaking. You might even notice some patterns as to what styles draw me in the most in this regard the further we get into things. Now I must make note: how one person defines “cute” may be very different from how another person defines the word. And I know there are definitely select shows a handful of folks would rank amongst the all-time cutest that didn’t make my personal list. So I ask that you please respect my opinions, and I’ll be totally willing to respect all of yours. Without further ado, let’s kick things off with… 15. Harvey Girls Forever (formerly known as Harvey Street Kids) https://preview.redd.it/3mz8v6ckk54d1.jpg?width=2400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=116303348f145eb9f52e0e5136934fd6b7f05d6b We’re kicking things off with a 2D-animated Dreamworks series inspired by an old comic book series. And I must say I think the team behind this show did a great job at putting their own modernized spin on the classic character designs. With a bright and vibrant color palette, simplified and stylized character designs that make each character appear just as playful and approachable, and a whimsical variety of backgrounds, Harvey Girls Forever managed to just sneak by at #15. 14. Gravity Falls https://preview.redd.it/kg55k3ksk54d1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=90db64bac423e40c67c0bdd36d822436c5def07a Compared to the last entry, this ever-so-acclaimed Disney series makes a lot more detailed use of techniques such as shading that really help make it stand out amongst others of its kind. And when it comes to the characters, this has to be my personal favorite example of the now commonly-coined “CalArts” style. While I could’ve easily put other shows like Steven Universe and Star vs. The Forces of Evil in this spot (and believe me, I’ve pondered doing so for a while), Gravity Falls ultimately ended up being the one that won out in the end. Thanks to its memorably distinct and expressive character designs, as well as various other nuances, it’s no wonder why this show (and art style) became such a favorite ever since its release. 13. Rosie’s Rules https://preview.redd.it/s0s1ahetk54d1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6256e1d350e769e1cc623be162565eead3cc405 We’ve now reached the first preschool show and only PBS Kids representation on my list, as well as the most recent show to come out in my list. Rosie’s Rules, which premiered in 2022, centers around the titular 5-year old Rosie exploring the world around her in her San Antonio home through a multicultural lens. On that note, I really admire the diverse range of ethnicities and cultures being represented within the character designs. Whether it be in skin tone, hairstyle, or clothing attire, each character’s appearance is super distinct. And one combination I’m particularly fond of in many animated shows is the combination of bright colors and bold lines, yet still keeping the character’s features relatively simplified to maintain that cuteness factor. Now moving on to a much more recognizable piece of childhood for many… 12. The Fairly OddParents https://preview.redd.it/9m1bieutk54d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56ed672cf4c1b0ac062a9f46e6573a8675f275b6 While many of Butch Hartman’s shows feature fairly similar designing techniques, I personally think that his first and longest-running series in The Fairly Oddparents made the best use of this in terms of how it enhances it’s cuteness and distinguishable appearance. The show is very vibrant and colorfully saturated for one. The animation style is very expressive and fast-paced, and the character’s features manage to keep things simple while still being able to exaggerate from time to time. Similar to the last several entries, I always enjoy what various cartoons can pull off from simplicity. And in FOP’s case, it created a very humorous, beautiful, and memorable experience for my eyes. And while the new FOP: A New Wish also has a cute art style (despite being totally different from the original), the original is ultimately what lands here. 11. Over the Garden Wall https://preview.redd.it/536c3w6uk54d1.jpg?width=2500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6587c5719914f52ec38d7276a3477c5526c8e894 When I asked folks a long while back what they thought some of the cutest cartoon art styles were, this was one that came up a lot. And despite not having seen it myself for the longest time, I can definitely see why. With its more vintage aesthetics and influence, more muted color palette, more subtle lining and expressions, and fall-like textures, this is definitely a different direction than what was taken with many of the other shows I’ve mentioned already. Also, those eyes? YES. Anyway, this show ended up doing a perfect job at capturing that folky, supernatural and nostalgic tone with its various art influences that help make it stand out in such a special way. And while we’re on the topic of shows with folkloric and autumn-like influences… 10. Hilda https://preview.redd.it/33gxh7muk54d1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65ec08faee385c76c4875cee399e21f47c9c6fb7 This is the other show on my list that has an art style that makes for a very cozy fall-viewing experience. First inspired by a graphic novel series, the animated show is defined by its visually enchanting settings, smooth and naturalistic animation, harmonious and more subdued color palette, and once again keeping things simple, soft and rounded, yet also expressive and distinct at the same time. The Scandinavian and minimalistic influences ended up doing wonders for Hilda, alongside the many atmospheric effects. So with all of that combined, I had to place it here at #10. 9. Sandra The Fairytale Detective https://preview.redd.it/fapet9gvk54d1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25f2290f33368561b3c18802f985b543acc1a138 Going back to things that are a lot brighter and vibrant in color, we have this Spanish animated series which came out in 2009. And while that color does earn it a lot of points in the cuteness department for me (in addition to perfectly suiting the magical ‘fairytale’ aspect of the show), I also really dig the various gradient style of shading here too. That and of course, large and expressive eyes. The color variety also extends to things like hair and clothing also, which once again help each character stick out individually. On one little last minor note, but this is one of the shows on the list that also gets boosted by incorporating a frequent use of my favorite facial expression: 😯 (or ‘pogs’ as I like to call them, basically anytime a character reacts wide-eyed and with their mouth/lips compressed in a small/rounded shape). This’ll also very much apply for a later entry down the line also, but in the meantime, let’s move on to another big childhood favorite of mine… 8. My Life As A Teenage Robot https://preview.redd.it/w410k9tvk54d1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da3d3ac80f86dbe9162e8783762c5bf58e0c6e5c This Nickelodeon classic is another example of how much I enjoy when retro influences combine with futuristic animation and design techniques. Aside from another entry we’ll get into a bit later, this is one of those rare examples that features such heavy amounts of action despite having such an endearing art style. And while yes, Jenny herself is definitely the biggest contributor to this show landing so high on my list, many of the other characters also share similar design traits that endear me to them too. With the bold outlines, distinct silhouettes, large eyes, and very fluid animation style that enhances the excitement of various scenes. So that’s ultimately what got MLAATR to land here at #8. 7. Bee and Puppycat https://preview.redd.it/7pizt63wk54d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21facb97f67be81a2c224d21e909f24faa86e150 Another show that has been requested to me numerous times over for shows in this category, and… yeah, they were definitely right. This whimsy and surreal little show makes really gorgeous use of a pastel and muted color palette, which not only complements the characters and show environments extremely well, but also provides a very calming and dreamlike effect. Featuring a solid blend of fantasy and realism, its animation style also does a great job at supporting the show’s emotional and narrative depth. So even though I haven’t had as much experience with this show as several others I’ve mentioned already, it captivated me enough to put it at #7 on my list of cutest art styles. 6. Trulli Tales https://preview.redd.it/c5o1cinwk54d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=207f3f0c7f08329dcedd4f9d47d3edecbe8be599 Going back to another newer preschool entry… and one I’m a bit surprised hasn’t gotten more attention. For those who aren’t aware, Trulli Tales is an Italian series that takes place in the world of Trullalleri, and features four children who learn to cook through their Grandma Trulli’s old cookbook and help from their teacher Miss Frisella, all while often trying to stop Copperpot, the show’s main villain, from stealing the book through their magical powers provided by their wands. And even though I’m well above the target age group for a show like this, I’m just a sucker for many of the techniques this show’s art style provides. For one, the vivid and cheerful color palette. Second, the large eyes, simplistic facial features and rounded heads which create a very friendly and approachable appearance. And I also dig how the bold and clean outlines blend in with their respective colors so seamlessly. And similar to Sandra: The Fairytale Detective, this is another show that makes very noticeably frequent use of that silent ‘😯/pog’ facial expression I mentioned earlier, which to me just enhances this already cute, magical and playful art and animation style even more. (But of course that’s more of a bonus rather than a main factor) Anyway, moving on… 5. The PowerPuff Girls https://preview.redd.it/nk81qx5xk54d1.jpg?width=1152&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e46d459c94b11f73bcc29bd708f8dc87c988897a Now for anyone who may be asking if I’m only counting the original series, or if I’m also counting the ever-so-notorious reboot series that everyone wants to pretend never existed, my answer is… yes. The thing is, both shows feature very similar ideas and concepts in design and art style that help elevate both shows’ levels of cuteness. They just provide different ways of doing so, with the original series featuring stronger bold outlines, and a slightly more muted color palette, while the reboot uses thinner outlines and a broader and richer color palette. As far as the animation goes, the original series goes the traditional hand-drawn route, while the reboot goes the digital route. And while there are a HANDFUL of things that can be said about the 2016 PPG reboot, the art style is one of the few things it can absolutely be given credit for, in addition to largely retaining many of the elements that made the original show’s art style as cute and memorable as it was. For that reason, I put both shows here at #5. 4. True and the Rainbow Kingdom https://preview.redd.it/sccj1rmxk54d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4aeb119ff0e5d10c08a8e22ec607c6dac64656e8 Yes, I’m just as surprised as many of you probably are that I’m only NOW getting into talking about a 3D/CGI show on this list. And spoilers, also the only one on this list. I guess due to the current overabundance of CGI shows for younger audiences (and how many of them can run together for me) combined with me having grown up much more with 2D shows, I tend to be a bit more picky when it comes to what CGI shows really stand out to me as being the cutest of the lot. But True really stuck out in that regard. Of course the show’s color palette would be just as bright, diverse, and vibrant as its title would imply, but the super large eyes and rounded faces make a big return here, creating that familiarly adorable and approachable look. Not only that, but the environments are also lush and full of detail which help create a fantastical environment. Even with the change in animation style from the first season to the next, the show maintains its charming and uniquely cute appearance all the same, so it lands here at #4. 3. MLP: Equestria Girls https://preview.redd.it/a30a0f5yk54d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=03b46aaeb8df1fceb489ee702c40f54ffb2f6b50 Okay, so this will come off as quite a curveball on this list. And many of you are probably thinking why I didn’t go with the much more popular, recognizable, and franchise-defining main series, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic? Well, it’s largely because while the original series can be undeniably cute, I think the humanized versions of the characters took everything that made the main MLP:FIM’s series’ art style so memorable, and added tons of new features to it that enhance their cuteness factor even further. It keeps the vibrant and bold coloring, large eyes and hairstyles of the original, and make slight updates to the characters’ facial features, and giving them new, modern sets of clothing and accessories that align with their personalities. And in keeping with the franchise’s expressive animation style, we get a very memorable new set of designs that doesn’t come off as too surprising as to how it spawned as many movies and mini-series’ as it did, LOL. 2. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan https://preview.redd.it/uly1f5oyk54d1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf2d85924f644776608f4a4efaa1885b0b5f8296 These last two shows are BIG nostalgia vibes for me, and just to clarify, this isn’t a ranking of how good the shows themselves are, it’s just how cute I personally consider their art styles to be. And Ni Hao, Kai-Lan is one of the shows that perfectly nails that descriptor for me. It once again makes great use of that bright and saturated color palette + bold line combo that I’ve been proven to be quite the sucker for, but it also does a solid job at incorporating various East Asian aesthetics and settings. In addition to the smooth animation, the characters all have something in common that I think ultimately puts it super high on my list: large heads/eyes, and small bodies. A true match made in heaven for providing an infectiously cute look that naturally appeals to such a young demographic, to the point even adults like myself can’t deny how adorable it looks. But somehow, it still managed to miss out on my #1, which is actually from the same network and came out around a similar time. So with that… 1. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! https://preview.redd.it/jn6kk31zk54d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5488c9c43bb200f2418839244eefc633acd04c20 What are the odds that both of my top 2 shows were both from Nick Jr.? Aside from it being a network I heavily grew up with as a small kid, many of its shows’ art styles I still manage to recall pretty easily to this day. And this is probably the biggest example of that. One of the best examples of using simple and playful geometric body shapes, along with that aforementioned bright and saturated color palette + bold line combo that works superbly to help them stand out amongst the equally colorful backdrops. This is proof of just how effective simplicity can really be in delivering cuteness. Furthermore, I know I’ve hinted at it before (and I even talked about it on a post way back when), but this is also a show that LOVES to make use of its expressive faces, most notably my favorite ‘😯/pog’ expression (to the point it literally happens every several seconds, and there are many moments with group shots of characters doing it). Not to say that’s the sole reason why this show tops my list, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t contribute in some way to it. I mean just see for yourself... https://preview.redd.it/vhote0d7l54d1.png?width=3057&format=png&auto=webp&s=ba77e38dfe1f804957bc34bb83d88cbd6c77727b This was also a detail I remembered even as a small kid, and it took me a long while to remember just how adorable I always found it to be in various shows, but it especially applies here. So with all that, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! takes my #1 spot for my cutest cartoon art style. Whew, that was a fun ride and trip down memory lane to be sure! Feel free to leave your thoughts and/or suggestions down in the comments below on what you consider to be the most adorable cartoon art styles of all time! Of course, just remember to be respectful and understanding down there, lol. Having said all of that, this is Particular Being 269 wishing you all a great rest of your day/night, and a Happy Pride Month! |
2024.06.02 13:51 menaceofCT EIQE Subtest 4: High-Range Number Series!!
Greetings, ct, and thank you for the support on the last post! Today I will be releasing the first norm report for the EIQE Paper Folding Subtest, as well as the fourth subtest, NVQR Number Series. A few things before taking the test:
Preliminary Norms:
4- 5= 12ss
6-7= 13ss
8= 14ss
9= 15ss
10= 16ss
11= 17ss
12= 18ss
13-14= 19ss
15-16= 20ss
17-18= 21ss
19-20= 22ss
21-22= 23ss
23-25= 24ss
submitted by menaceofCT to cognitiveTesting [link] [comments]
- For this test, you are allowed paper and a four-function calculator. You may find it useful to grab these materials beforehand, just in case, though most of the problems are designed to be fairly easy to solve without these items
- Please put an email, Discord, or Reddit when prompted!! This is absolutely necessary if you wish to receive your scores. (Scoring sadly couldn't be automated due to the acceptance of multiple answers for one or two of the questions.)
- Please keep the same username as the first three tests!! This is absolutely necessary for future norms to be generated that require intercorrelations, such as norms for FSIQ, Verbal, Nonverbal, VCI, QRI, FRI, and VSI. If you used a less recognizable username, or one that you’re likely to forget soon, on the first test and would like to change it, please write your new name with your old name in parentheses and a little note.
- Please submit any test scores you have!! This is absolutely crucial for accurate norms, and if not enough scores are submitted, then no norms can be generated.
- Please have your test scores on hand. This will reduce the time needed to write and retrieve them. The following tests are going to be asked for on the form: SLSE 1, WN, Old SAT-M, Old Gre-M, SMART, QAT, SBV NVQR, and RAIT QII. If you have any of them, PLEASE put them on the form.
Preliminary Norms:
4- 5= 12ss
6-7= 13ss
8= 14ss
9= 15ss
10= 16ss
11= 17ss
12= 18ss
13-14= 19ss
15-16= 20ss
17-18= 21ss
19-20= 22ss
21-22= 23ss
23-25= 24ss
2024.06.02 13:49 WayemS When to defend the base ?
I know, I know. Ridiculous, right ?
Again a bronze/silver asking dumb questions. But it's confusing for a new player to know when to pressure/to back and defend. After all, Fiora is shining most in splitpush, so what could be a better time to force recall/defense from the opposite team than when you're under siege ?
So I imagined a few scenarios and I had hoped you could tell me if I'm on the wrong track or not.
In all scenarii:
Scenario 2: T2 top is up, you are close to T2 in top lane, no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: we are losing this and I'll not flip it in this teamfight. Let's go T2 and hope I'll get even stronger and/or draw some attention, maybe if the enemy team messes up I can even go deep.
Scenario 3: T2 top is up, you are close to T2 in top lane, someone is defending you cannot dive (4v4 sieging your base) My answer: I drew someone to me, great ! I recall to be 5v4 and hope for the best.
Scenario 4: T3 top is up, you are around river in top lane (need some time to bring your wave to tower), no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: river is too far from T3, I recall and try to help
Scenario 5: T3 top is up, you are close to T3 in top lane, no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: I go all in, trying to match inhib vs inhib. Maybe this will create some confusion and my team will get a temporary number advantage even.
Scenario 6: T3 top is up, you are close to T3 in top lane, someone is defending you cannot dive (4v4 sieging your base) My answer: I drew someone to me, great ! I recall to be 5v4 and hope for the best. Maybe someone ever panic recalled in the meanwhile and it's even better.
A friend (plat) told me to recall in 100% of cases otherwise it's griefing but I am not so sure...
Thanks all for your help !
submitted by WayemS to FioraMains [link] [comments]
Again a bronze/silver asking dumb questions. But it's confusing for a new player to know when to pressure/to back and defend. After all, Fiora is shining most in splitpush, so what could be a better time to force recall/defense from the opposite team than when you're under siege ?
So I imagined a few scenarios and I had hoped you could tell me if I'm on the wrong track or not.
In all scenarii:
- You are above the curve in terms of items/xp
- Your team however loses in 4v4, there is maybe a fed ADC in enemy team or something
- You are the main menace in your team, so if you can't find a great angle in teamfight it will be not as easy as "i protect my AD carry from a diving master yi"
- You can 1v1 anyone in lane
- You cannot easily dive and kill someone defending a tower
- Your team is under siege in mid lane, if nothing else happens (you don't force a recall or you don't defend), they will probably take T3 tower + inhib
- Game is not hopeless but you're losing
Scenario 2: T2 top is up, you are close to T2 in top lane, no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: we are losing this and I'll not flip it in this teamfight. Let's go T2 and hope I'll get even stronger and/or draw some attention, maybe if the enemy team messes up I can even go deep.
Scenario 3: T2 top is up, you are close to T2 in top lane, someone is defending you cannot dive (4v4 sieging your base) My answer: I drew someone to me, great ! I recall to be 5v4 and hope for the best.
Scenario 4: T3 top is up, you are around river in top lane (need some time to bring your wave to tower), no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: river is too far from T3, I recall and try to help
Scenario 5: T3 top is up, you are close to T3 in top lane, no one is defending (5v4 sieging your base) My answer: I go all in, trying to match inhib vs inhib. Maybe this will create some confusion and my team will get a temporary number advantage even.
Scenario 6: T3 top is up, you are close to T3 in top lane, someone is defending you cannot dive (4v4 sieging your base) My answer: I drew someone to me, great ! I recall to be 5v4 and hope for the best. Maybe someone ever panic recalled in the meanwhile and it's even better.
A friend (plat) told me to recall in 100% of cases otherwise it's griefing but I am not so sure...
Thanks all for your help !