I had a fun fight for my players, they said they enjoyed it a lot.
The aim was to give the NPC hacker enough time to bring down the defences of the AI Cortex. Two doors opened to bring in robot defenders at the beginning of each round, and the blue data stacks had the players take lightning damage if they went adjacent plus the robots gained haste if they were adjacent. The data stacks would activate if I rolled odds or evens at the top of the round.
The red boxes were computer terminals, you could hack them with a bonus action. The hacking options are on the right in red. You could only hack from active terminals; I rolled 3d8 each round to determine them.
The universal terminal could be used to answer any in-game lore. If the square bluestacks were spitting lightning then you could only ask questions relating to people. If the rectangle ones were active, you could only ask questions relating to lore. Only 1 question could be asked by the universal terminal, unless the hacking options were used.
Finally, there was a cumulative 20% chance each round to activate darkness, magic suppression, and gloom stalker assassin bots that became inactive when it was light again. Once it was dark, the next round would go back to a base 20% chance.
The end result was hectic with traps being laid to hold back some of the monsters, players running between available terminals, dodging stacks, and asking campaign questions.

I am looking to build a timber base for an outside office, roughly 6.5m x 3m. Researching online, I think the method I want to use is to use high density blocks or plinths to rest the frame on.
I understand how to apply span tables to the joists, but I don’t understand how to apply the span tables to the beams. For example, many guides online have effectively a double width timber rectangle (the beams), and then run the joists along the inside of the rectangle and apply the span table to those joists, attaching them to the beams with joist hangers. But the length of the beams (the perimeter of the base) isn’t continuously supported underneath it (as plinths are spaced at some arbitrary/unknown spacing). Each beam therefore takes the weight being carried by several joists and no one seems to highlight this or justify how they know the beam can take that weight.
I don’t know how to calculate the plinth spacing. Can someone shed (pun intended) some light on this for me please? Thanks

Crossover has been acting up lately and I cannot figure out why. I could no longer launch ClassIn, which I need for work. I tried deleting the bottle and creating a new one. When I create a new bottle, it continues to try and create the bottle for hours. I kill Crossover, and the bottle is then present upon relaunch of Crossover. It always says "Windows XP" instead of Windows 10 even though I chose Windows 10. The status of the bottle always says "scanning".
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When I try to install an application from a .exe file or from the list of recommended apps, it sits in the install stage for a very long time and the status does not change. Does anyone have any recommendations for fix attempts?
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I have attached the cxdiag output that I received from terminal when scanning /opt/cxoffice
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cxdiag output:

justin@justin-Predator:/opt/cxoffice$ ./bin/cxdiag --debug found 32-bit libfreetype.so.6 found 32-bit libXext.so.6 found 32-bit libcapi20.so.3 found 32-bit libcups.so.2 found 32-bit libdbus-1.so.3 found 32-bit libfontconfig.so.1 found 32-bit libgphoto2.so.6 found 32-bit libgphoto2_port.so.12 found 32-bit libgssapi_krb5.so.2 found 32-bit libkrb5.so.3 found 32-bit libodbc.so.2 found 32-bit libOpenCL.so.1 found 32-bit libOSMesa.so.8 found 32-bit libpcsclite.so.1 found 32-bit libresolv.so.2 found 32-bit libsane.so.1 found 32-bit libstdc++.so.6 found 32-bit libudev.so.1 found 32-bit libusb-1.0.so.0 found 32-bit libv4l2.so.0 found 32-bit libXcomposite.so.1 found 32-bit libXcursor.so.1 found 32-bit libXfixes.so.3 found 32-bit libXi.so.6 found 32-bit libXinerama.so.1 found 32-bit libXrandr.so.2 found 32-bit libXrender.so.1 found 32-bit libXxf86vm.so.1 found 32-bit libgnutls.so.30 found 32-bit libnss_mdns.so.2 found 32-bit libvulkan.so.1 [Properties] "vulkan.present"="yes" getrlimit(RLIMIT_AS) returned 0, max=-1 audio_server=PulseAudio (1) found 32-bit libpulse.so.0 found 32-bit libasound.so.2 dev_node: default is a string snd_config_search(type) failed (-2) checking /home/justin/.cache/gstreamer-1.0/registry.i686.bin found 32-bit libgstreamer-1.0.so.0 could not instantiate h264parse in the gst-plugins-bad 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack [MissingGStreamer1Bad2] "Title"="The gst-plugins-bad 32-bit GStreamer plugins appear to be missing h264parse" could not instantiate mpeg4videoparse in the gst-plugins-bad 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack found 32-bit gst-plugins-base GStreamer plugin audioconvert found 32-bit gst-plugins-base GStreamer plugin oggdemux found 32-bit gst-plugins-base GStreamer plugin videoconvert found 32-bit gst-plugins-base GStreamer plugin vorbisdec found 32-bit gst-plugins-good GStreamer plugin avidemux found 32-bit gst-plugins-good GStreamer plugin flacdec found 32-bit gst-plugins-good GStreamer plugin jpegdec found 32-bit gst-plugins-good GStreamer plugin matroskademux found 32-bit gst-plugins-good GStreamer plugin vp9dec found 32-bit gst-plugins-ugly GStreamer plugin asfdemux found 32-bit gst-plugins-ugly GStreamer plugin mpg123audiodec found 32-bit gst-plugins-ugly GStreamer plugin mpg123audiodec could not instantiate avdec_eac3 in the gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack [MissingGStreamer1Libav] "Title"="The gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins appear to be missing avdec_eac3" could not instantiate avdec_h264 in the gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack could not instantiate avdec_vp9 in the gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack could not instantiate avdec_wmav2 in the gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack could not instantiate avdec_wmv3 in the gst-libav 32-bit GStreamer plugins pack found 32-bit libgcc_s.so.1 found 32-bit libpthread.so.0 found 32-bit libX11.so.6 default screen=0, planes=24 [Properties] "display.depth"="24" [Properties] "display.dpi"="96.0" found 32-bit libX11.so.6 found 32-bit libGL.so.1 glXIsDirect() is true OpenGL vendor = 'Intel' OpenGL version = '4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.2.1-1ubuntu3.1~22.04.2' OpenGL renderer = 'Mesa Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)' OpenGL extensions = 'GL_ARB_multisample GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_copy_texture GL_EXT_subtexture GL_EXT_texture_object GL_EXT_vertex_array GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array GL_EXT_texture GL_EXT_texture3D GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip GL_ARB_point_parameters GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_packed_pixels GL_EXT_point_parameters GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_lod GL_ARB_framebuffer_sRGB GL_ARB_multitexture GL_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB GL_IBM_multimode_draw_arrays GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_fog_coord GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_secondary_color GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_INGR_blend_func_separate GL_NV_blend_square GL_NV_light_max_exponent GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_NV_texture_env_combine4 GL_S3_s3tc GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_EXT_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_env_combine GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3 GL_MESA_window_pos GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil GL_NV_texture_rectangle GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_occlusion_query GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_texture_env_combine GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ATI_fragment_shader GL_EXT_stencil_two_side GL_EXT_texture_cube_map GL_NV_copy_depth_to_color GL_NV_depth_clamp GL_NV_fog_distance GL_NV_half_float GL_APPLE_packed_pixels GL_ARB_draw_buffers GL_ARB_fragment_program GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_shader_objects GL_ARB_vertex_program GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_ATI_draw_buffers GL_ATI_texture_env_combine3 GL_ATI_texture_float GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_MESA_pack_invert GL_NV_primitive_restart GL_ARB_depth_clamp GL_ARB_fragment_program_shadow GL_ARB_half_float_pixel GL_ARB_occlusion_query2 GL_ARB_point_sprite GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_sync GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object GL_ATI_blend_equation_separate GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate GL_OES_read_format GL_ARB_color_buffer_float GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object GL_ARB_texture_compression_rgtc GL_ARB_texture_float GL_ARB_texture_rectangle GL_ATI_texture_compression_3dc GL_EXT_packed_float GL_EXT_pixel_buffer_object GL_EXT_texture_compression_dxt1 GL_EXT_texture_compression_rgtc GL_EXT_texture_rectangle GL_EXT_texture_sRGB GL_EXT_texture_shared_exponent GL_ARB_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_framebuffer_blit GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil GL_ARB_vertex_array_object GL_ATI_separate_stencil GL_EXT_draw_buffers2 GL_EXT_draw_instanced GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters GL_EXT_gpu_shader4 GL_EXT_texture_array GL_EXT_texture_compression_latc GL_EXT_texture_integer GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode GL_EXT_timer_query GL_OES_EGL_image GL_AMD_performance_monitor GL_EXT_texture_buffer_object GL_AMD_texture_texture4 GL_ARB_copy_buffer GL_ARB_depth_buffer_float GL_ARB_draw_instanced GL_ARB_half_float_vertex GL_ARB_instanced_arrays GL_ARB_map_buffer_range GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object GL_ARB_texture_rg GL_ARB_texture_swizzle GL_ARB_vertex_array_bgra GL_EXT_texture_swizzle GL_EXT_vertex_array_bgra GL_NV_conditional_render GL_AMD_conservative_depth GL_AMD_depth_clamp_separate GL_AMD_draw_buffers_blend GL_AMD_seamless_cubemap_per_texture GL_AMD_shader_stencil_export GL_ARB_ES2_compatibility GL_ARB_blend_func_extended GL_ARB_compatibility GL_ARB_debug_output GL_ARB_draw_buffers_blend GL_ARB_draw_elements_base_vertex GL_ARB_explicit_attrib_location GL_ARB_fragment_coord_conventions GL_ARB_provoking_vertex GL_ARB_sample_shading GL_ARB_sampler_objects GL_ARB_seamless_cube_map GL_ARB_shader_stencil_export GL_ARB_shader_texture_lod GL_ARB_tessellation_shader GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object_rgb32 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map_array GL_ARB_texture_gather GL_ARB_texture_multisample GL_ARB_texture_query_lod GL_ARB_texture_rgb10_a2ui GL_ARB_uniform_buffer_object GL_ARB_vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev GL_EXT_provoking_vertex GL_EXT_texture_snorm GL_MESA_texture_signed_rgba GL_NV_copy_image GL_NV_texture_barrier GL_ARB_draw_indirect GL_ARB_get_program_binary GL_ARB_gpu_shader5 GL_ARB_gpu_shader_fp64 GL_ARB_robustness GL_ARB_separate_shader_objects GL_ARB_shader_bit_encoding GL_ARB_shader_precision GL_ARB_shader_subroutine GL_ARB_texture_compression_bptc GL_ARB_timer_query GL_ARB_transform_feedback2 GL_ARB_transform_feedback3 GL_ARB_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_ARB_viewport_array GL_EXT_direct_state_access GL_EXT_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_AMD_multi_draw_indirect GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt3 GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt5 GL_ARB_base_instance GL_ARB_compressed_texture_pixel_storage GL_ARB_conservative_depth GL_ARB_internalformat_query GL_ARB_map_buffer_alignment GL_ARB_shader_atomic_counters GL_ARB_shader_image_load_store GL_ARB_shading_language_420pack GL_ARB_shading_language_packing GL_ARB_texture_storage GL_ARB_transform_feedback_instanced GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample_blit_scaled GL_EXT_transform_feedback GL_AMD_query_buffer_object GL_AMD_shader_trinary_minmax GL_AMD_vertex_shader_layer GL_AMD_vertex_shader_viewport_index GL_ARB_ES3_compatibility GL_ARB_arrays_of_arrays GL_ARB_clear_buffer_object GL_ARB_compute_shader GL_ARB_copy_image GL_ARB_explicit_uniform_location GL_ARB_fragment_layer_viewport GL_ARB_framebuffer_no_attachments GL_ARB_invalidate_subdata GL_ARB_multi_draw_indirect GL_ARB_program_interface_query GL_ARB_robust_buffer_access_behavior GL_ARB_shader_image_size GL_ARB_shader_storage_buffer_object GL_ARB_stencil_texturing GL_ARB_texture_buffer_range GL_ARB_texture_query_levels GL_ARB_texture_storage_multisample GL_ARB_texture_view GL_ARB_vertex_attrib_binding GL_KHR_debug GL_KHR_robustness GL_KHR_texture_compression_astc_ldr GL_AMD_pinned_memory GL_ARB_buffer_storage GL_ARB_clear_texture GL_ARB_compute_variable_group_size GL_ARB_enhanced_layouts GL_ARB_indirect_parameters GL_ARB_internalformat_query2 GL_ARB_multi_bind GL_ARB_query_buffer_object GL_ARB_seamless_cubemap_per_texture GL_ARB_shader_draw_parameters GL_ARB_shader_group_vote GL_ARB_shading_language_include GL_ARB_texture_mirror_clamp_to_edge GL_ARB_texture_stencil8 GL_ARB_vertex_type_10f_11f_11f_rev GL_EXT_debug_label GL_EXT_shader_framebuffer_fetch GL_EXT_shader_integer_mix GL_INTEL_performance_query GL_ARB_ES3_1_compatibility GL_ARB_clip_control GL_ARB_conditional_render_inverted GL_ARB_cull_distance GL_ARB_derivative_control GL_ARB_direct_state_access GL_ARB_get_texture_sub_image GL_ARB_pipeline_statistics_query GL_ARB_shader_texture_image_samples GL_ARB_texture_barrier GL_ARB_transform_feedback_overflow_query GL_EXT_polygon_offset_clamp GL_KHR_blend_equation_advanced GL_KHR_blend_equation_advanced_coherent GL_KHR_context_flush_control GL_KHR_robust_buffer_access_behavior GL_ARB_ES3_2_compatibility GL_ARB_fragment_shader_interlock GL_ARB_gpu_shader_int64 GL_ARB_parallel_shader_compile GL_ARB_post_depth_coverage GL_ARB_shader_atomic_counter_ops GL_ARB_shader_ballot GL_ARB_shader_clock GL_ARB_shader_viewport_layer_array GL_EXT_shader_samples_identical GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_R8 GL_KHR_no_error GL_KHR_texture_compression_astc_sliced_3d GL_NV_fragment_shader_interlock GL_ARB_gl_spirv GL_ARB_spirv_extensions GL_MESA_shader_integer_functions GL_ARB_polygon_offset_clamp GL_ARB_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_memory_object GL_EXT_memory_object_fd GL_EXT_semaphore GL_EXT_semaphore_fd GL_KHR_parallel_shader_compile GL_NV_alpha_to_coverage_dither_control GL_EXT_EGL_image_storage GL_EXT_shader_framebuffer_fetch_non_coherent GL_EXT_texture_shadow_lod GL_INTEL_blackhole_render GL_INTEL_shader_atomic_float_minmax GL_INTEL_shader_integer_functions2 GL_MESA_framebuffer_flip_y GL_NV_compute_shader_derivatives GL_EXT_EGL_sync GL_EXT_demote_to_helper_invocation GL_NV_ES1_1_compatibility ' [Properties] "opengl.vendor"="Intel" [Properties] "opengl.version"="4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.2.1-1ubuntu3.1~22.04.2" [Properties] "opengl.renderer"="Mesa Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)" [Properties] "opengl.glsl_version"="4.60" [Properties] "opengl.extensions"="GL_ARB_multisample GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_copy_texture GL_EXT_subtexture GL_EXT_texture_object GL_EXT_vertex_array GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array GL_EXT_texture GL_EXT_texture3D GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip GL_ARB_point_parameters GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_packed_pixels GL_EXT_point_parameters GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_lod GL_ARB_framebuffer_sRGB GL_ARB_multitexture GL_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB GL_IBM_multimode_draw_arrays GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_fog_coord GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_secondary_color GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_INGR_blend_func_separate GL_NV_blend_square GL_NV_light_max_exponent GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_NV_texture_env_combine4 GL_S3_s3tc GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_EXT_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_env_combine GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3 GL_MESA_window_pos GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil GL_NV_texture_rectangle GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_occlusion_query GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_texture_env_combine GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ATI_fragment_shader GL_EXT_stencil_two_side GL_EXT_texture_cube_map GL_NV_copy_depth_to_color GL_NV_depth_clamp GL_NV_fog_distance GL_NV_half_float GL_APPLE_packed_pixels GL_ARB_draw_buffers GL_ARB_fragment_program GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_shader_objects GL_ARB_vertex_program GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_ATI_draw_buffers GL_ATI_texture_env_combine3 GL_ATI_texture_float GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_MESA_pack_invert GL_NV_primitive_restart GL_ARB_depth_clamp GL_ARB_fragment_program_shadow GL_ARB_half_float_pixel GL_ARB_occlusion_query2 GL_ARB_point_sprite GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_sync GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object GL_ATI_blend_equation_separate GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate GL_OES_read_format GL_ARB_color_buffer_float GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object GL_ARB_texture_compression_rgtc GL_ARB_texture_float GL_ARB_texture_rectangle GL_ATI_texture_compression_3dc GL_EXT_packed_float GL_EXT_pixel_buffer_object GL_EXT_texture_compression_dxt1 GL_EXT_texture_compression_rgtc GL_EXT_texture_rectangle GL_EXT_texture_sRGB GL_EXT_texture_shared_exponent GL_ARB_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_framebuffer_blit GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil GL_ARB_vertex_array_object GL_ATI_separate_stencil GL_EXT_draw_buffers2 GL_EXT_draw_instanced GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters GL_EXT_gpu_shader4 GL_EXT_texture_array GL_EXT_texture_compression_latc GL_EXT_texture_integer GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode GL_EXT_timer_query GL_OES_EGL_image GL_AMD_performance_monitor GL_EXT_texture_buffer_object GL_AMD_texture_texture4 GL_ARB_copy_buffer GL_ARB_depth_buffer_float GL_ARB_draw_instanced GL_ARB_half_float_vertex GL_ARB_instanced_arrays GL_ARB_map_buffer_range GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object GL_ARB_texture_rg GL_ARB_texture_swizzle GL_ARB_vertex_array_bgra GL_EXT_texture_swizzle GL_EXT_vertex_array_bgra GL_NV_conditional_render GL_AMD_conservative_depth GL_AMD_depth_clamp_separate GL_AMD_draw_buffers_blend GL_AMD_seamless_cubemap_per_texture GL_AMD_shader_stencil_export GL_ARB_ES2_compatibility GL_ARB_blend_func_extended GL_ARB_compatibility GL_ARB_debug_output GL_ARB_draw_buffers_blend GL_ARB_draw_elements_base_vertex GL_ARB_explicit_attrib_location GL_ARB_fragment_coord_conventions GL_ARB_provoking_vertex GL_ARB_sample_shading GL_ARB_sampler_objects GL_ARB_seamless_cube_map GL_ARB_shader_stencil_export GL_ARB_shader_texture_lod GL_ARB_tessellation_shader GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object_rgb32 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map_array GL_ARB_texture_gather GL_ARB_texture_multisample GL_ARB_texture_query_lod GL_ARB_texture_rgb10_a2ui GL_ARB_uniform_buffer_object GL_ARB_vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev GL_EXT_provoking_vertex GL_EXT_texture_snorm GL_MESA_texture_signed_rgba GL_NV_copy_image GL_NV_texture_barrier GL_ARB_draw_indirect GL_ARB_get_program_binary GL_ARB_gpu_shader5 GL_ARB_gpu_shader_fp64 GL_ARB_robustness GL_ARB_separate_shader_objects GL_ARB_shader_bit_encoding GL_ARB_shader_precision GL_ARB_shader_subroutine GL_ARB_texture_compression_bptc GL_ARB_timer_query GL_ARB_transform_feedback2 GL_ARB_transform_feedback3 GL_ARB_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_ARB_viewport_array GL_EXT_direct_state_access GL_EXT_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_AMD_multi_draw_indirect GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt3 GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt5 GL_ARB_base_instance GL_ARB_compressed_texture_pixel_storage GL_ARB_conservative_depth GL_ARB_internalformat_query GL_ARB_map_buffer_alignment GL_ARB_shader_atomic_counters GL_ARB_shader_image_load_store GL_ARB_shading_language_420pack GL_ARB_shading_language_packing GL_ARB_texture_storage GL_ARB_transform_feedback_instanced GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample_blit_scaled GL_EXT_transform_feedback GL_AMD_query_buffer_object GL_AMD_shader_trinary_minmax GL_AMD_vertex_shader_layer GL_AMD_vertex_shader_viewport_index GL_ARB_ES3_compatibility GL_ARB_arrays_of_arrays 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GL_NV_depth_clamp GL_NV_fragment_shader_interlock GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil GL_NV_texture_barrier GL_OES_EGL_image GL_S3_s3tc" justin@justin-Predator:/opt/cxoffice$ 

​

I have 12 balls of Mandela Thick and Quick (#6 Super Bulky), 5.3 oz - 87 yards.
I have various colors that total 12 balls, but some are different and I understand how to coordinate them.
I am making it for someone who lives in the Seattle area - rainy, damp temps. Not freezing.
Hx: Started a different afghan for this person and colors were wrong plus it was basketweave and too dense.
Looking for:
Ideas for stitches

 * Nothing too dense * Since yarn is multicolor I would like stitch to be simple. I’m not even sure stitches that drop into row below would be noticeable with the variety of colors - but I am sure y’all know way more than me! * Something that doesn’t use a ton of yarn for each stitch. * I plan to make a rectangular back and forth stitch - not granny square rectangle. * I want it to not be so dense as to be too hot. 

Would a simple double crochet, chain repeat work? Yes - I guess - but do you have any ideas that might be ‘fun yet simple’ that I might consider?
For crochet it calls for P-15. I have a N - 15. Is that OK?
Thank You!

This year’s games took place at the Ghostly Lake. Capital viewers were treated to a dark and ominous sight as the cameras panned through the arena. A forest biome littered with dark green pine trees spanned throughout this year’s arena. There were no mountains or hills, but interest was piqued when a couple caves were discovered. However, the crown jewel of this arena was the lake in the middle. It spread one kilometer in diameter and was covered by a blanket of mysterious fog. Hidden inside this fog, unbeknownst to the now rising tributes, was a small island. The cornucopia was placed on western shore of the lake, the only spot with an open area. The semicircle of podiums circled around the cornucopia which was barely two meters from the water. The clearing held the usual weapons and supplies one would expect with one peculiar exception. There were several flashlights and small lanterns with battery pouches attached. Viewers speculated that these must have a purpose. All in all, the Capital appreciated a more laid back arena compared to the meticulous detail put into the previous year’s games. Tributes rose up to the surface and felt the gloom and despair upon seeing the gray cloudy sky and the strange fog hovering over the lake. Cameras spotted grins on the faces of Harbor and both tributes from 7. Harbor was placed between Colt (3) and Sean (14). He searched for his allies and spotted all three of them. Jacqueline was near the end of the semicircle between Zest (9) and Malona (2). There was slight tension between the two. Facet was at the far end of the semicircle with only Dorothy (12) as his neighbor. He spotted Harbor and pointed towards Jacqueline, Harbor understood and signaled him to help her since he was closest. Brook on the other hand was between Atlas (6) and Lee (11). She felt slight relief upon seeing her district partner and diverted her attention back to the cornucopia. When the gong sounded, it was absolute pandemonium. Fifi (6), Zulu (10), Lassie and Sean (14) were the only tributes that ran away from the cornucopia. Malona (2) didn’t hesitate to chase after Jacqueline. Jacqueline was swifter however and she sprinted for the cornucopia. She approached the first supplies and thinking quickly, swiped one of the flashlights and hurled it towards her pursuer. Her throw struck Malone in the face and she fell back. Jacqueline ran further into the cornucopia to fetch a weapon. Facet was running behind the chase that was happening and chuckled at Malona’s fall. While Jacqueline ran to the cornucopia, Facet ran to Malona and kicked her back down. He grabbed the flashlight and proceeded to whack her sharply on the head knocking her clean out. He was interrupted by Amarylio (7), who had attempted to strike him with an axe. Facet rolled out of the way and retreated to the cornucopia towards Harbor, who was holding his own. Harbor was one of the first to make it to the cornucopia. He grabbed a trident and immediately dispatched Atlas (6). He covered for Brook by killing a surprisingly fierce Scarlet (8). Brook quickly grabbed a trident and was scrambling to find supplies. She was nearly stabbed by Lee (11) but she managed to slice his throat. She spotted Crane (2) cutting down Hargree (12) with his back turned. Brook decided to use this opportunity to attempt to kill him. She charged towards him but was not expecting him to turn around. Crane quickly sidestepped and tripped Brook. She begged for her life and promised her family’s money without thinking. Crane busted out laughing and called her a “gutless fish”. Before he could give the killing blow, Facet hopped over Crane’s shoulders and Amarylio (7) collided into Crane. The two men fell over and Facet pulled Brook off the ground. Crane and Amarylio fought for a few seconds before Amarylio ultimately decided to retreat instead, taking out Volta (5) on his way out. The four careers continued to gather supplies and fight more tributes until everyone was gone. So much happened in such a short amount of time that it was hard seeing the order of events. Camilia and Silica ordered a death toll for the bloodbath. The fallen included Malona (2), Darlene (3), Volta (5), Atlas (6), Scarlet (8), Zest and Mazin (9), Mateo (10), Lee (11), and Hargree (12). Ten cannons rang out through the arena. The commentators nearly asked for who killed who but the careers were already comparing kills. Harbor boasted about his three kills, them being Atlas, Scarlet, and Mazin. Facet sported just two kills, them being Malona and Zest. Jacqueline cursed to herself, saying she was going to go back for her but appreciated him looking out for her. Jacqueline said her only kill was Darlene but claimed to have wounded Daisy (11). Cameras confirmed this to be true. Brook said she managed to kill Mateo and Lee but sulked for failing to surprise Crane. Harbor scolded her for trying to face him alone but she wasn’t fazed. Facet said it was worse that she tried to bribe him with money. Jacqueline was quick to say, “That was stupid. What’s money going to do here?” Brook was red with embarrassment. Facet said what mattered was that they had the whole team in case they ran into Crane again. They all knew he would be angry and craving vengeance. After two hours of inventory, the four discussed their next move. Jacqueline commented on how mysterious the arena felt and had a nagging feeling they were being watched. The rest felt it too but knew it was too soon for an arena event. Facet noted how they couldn’t just dive into the forest as all the tributes went there. Harbor agreed but was still dumbfounded over what they should do. He pointed out the lake and wished the fog would let up so they could see the other side. Brook finally suggested they walk along the shoreline around the lake. The three stared at her in surprise. Brook said, “What? Being rich doesn’t always mean being dumb.” The three agreed to her plan and they all set off. Facet speculated the addition of the flashlights as they were never added to the arenas before. Harbor guessed it to be a future arena event or potential mutts. Jacqueline made her own guess that since they arrived at a dark arena, it would stay dark the entire duration of the games. Brook changed the subject to current threats. It was unanimous that Crane (2) and the pair from 7 were their biggest threats, especially the latter for this being similar to their home. Harbor optimistically pointed out that being from District 4, they had the expertise to navigate the lake. Brook was unsure about that, admitting to feeling a sinking dread everytime she stared at the lake. Almost as if something was under the surface looking back at them. Harbor and Facet shrugged it off but Jacqueline shared Brook’s discomfort. The four exited the clearing and were now in the forest. They maintained a short distance from the lake and kept a watchful eye on the dark forest to the left of them. The forest noises made them jump a couple times. Viewers knew they didn’t need to worry about other tributes as the closest ones were Lassie and Sean (14). The career pack finally decided to settle down in the northwestern sector. Harbor and Brook started fishing for a couple hours. Jacqueline joined them while Facet organized rations for dinner. Jacqueline noted that the lake still was covered in fog and wondered if anything was out there. Harbor said that while he couldn’t feel fear or dread like the girls can, he did sense something was off. He had a feeling the lake would somehow be utilized for the finale as it was the center of the arena. Brook snarkily said, “Good thing I’m a good swimmer.” Harbor scoffed and declared himself the better swimmer. The two began a humorous argument over who the better swimmer was, both reaching for their training feats while doing drills in Gottagrin Bay. Jacqueline was cracking up at their exchange. Facet finally shut them up and had them eat dinner. The four told each other stories about their training regimens, finding remarkable similarities. The four were startled by a cannon in the distance, belonging to Carter (8). Carter was discovered by Crane (2) and was mowed down after a short chase. Soon enough, night fell and the tributes began to sleep. Facet kept the first watch. The portraits of the fallen arrived and displayed all those that fell on the first day. The fallen included Malona (2), Darlene (3), Volta (5), Atlas (6), Scarlet and Carter (8), Zest and Mazin (9), Mateo (10), Lee (11), and Hargree (12). This left fifteen tributes remaining.
Day 2
The next morning just as Brook was waking up her allys to begin their day. Facet kept the group in high spirts by telling them about many sparing matches he was in at the Ritshlund academy. Jacqueline asked “Didnt you win oly 50% of them.” As Facets face blushed bright red Harbor laughed replying that it was still
“Honorable”.
Facet smiled before asking Harbor if he or Brook were any of teh training academys. Both brook and harbor looked at each other in a beliwdered look before Harbor replied “Were kind of a secondary carrer district are mentor has one but she has been in the captial lately.” Jacqueline chimed in that it “Didnt matter that they werent carrers they were still strong enough in there eyes.”
This honorable moment of honesty garnered many “Awwws” in the capital with Silca replying “Thats an efficent carrer pack I hope they last.”
As one cannon sounded the 4 jumped up and looked around there camp before Harbor shoutted at Facet to duck. As he obliged Brook and Harbor simatensoly hurt led there tridents into Fifi from 6s heart. As her cannon then sounded. Viewers in the captial saw that Colt from 3 had been chassed down by Fifi and Crane a suprsing alliance that shocked many viewers. As Colt’s cannon sounded Crane had pointed to the “Carrrer aliance”and told Fifi to get them. However as she protested he took out his sharp dagger that had been genersouly sponsored by his mentor Herminia gold. And as Fifi’s cannon sounded Crane laughed before running away. Facet had thanked Harbor for defending him from the “Loony girl.” Harbor smiled and told him “not to worry.”
Facet smiled back viewers in the captial and even Harbor noticed a small blush cross his face. He walked over to the near by camera jokingly saying “Dont worry Melanie He and I arent dating”. As ripples of laughter crossed the capital and even district 4 Melanie let out a guilty smirk as she was being interviwed by peacekeepers in the district.
Afterword 4 chimes of sponsor gifts flew down for the alliance,Jacqueline and Facet smiled gleefuly at there bread baskets and news set of weapons. Harbor walked behind a tree and opened it seeing a small dagger with a note saying “handle with care,keep your eyes peled your doing good so far’’ from S.
Harbor smiled softly at the note before thanking Sienna before hearing a loud gut wrentching scream. Brook had unforeanutly been attacked by this years vampire bats mutts. Forteanutly it was her arm that was striked before Jacqueline shoutted at teh group to run. Viewersin the captial were shocked seeing Vampire bats shooting down at the tributes like hawks. Luckily for the carrers they were only stroke 2 more times with the group hiding behind a hiding by a cave entrance. Facet quickly pulled out the flashlights and handed them to everyone, figuring that the light might deter the bats. Indeed, as soon as they switched on the flashlights, the bats screeched and retreated, uncomfortable with the sudden brightness. Harbor helped Brook inside the cave, where Jacqueline started to bandage her wounded arm.
The careers took a moment to catch their breath and evaluate their situation. Facet was the first to break the silence, commenting on how the flashlights seemed to be more useful than they initially thought. Harbor nodded in agreement, suggesting they keep the lights on while inside the cave to avoid another surprise attack. As a few more bats attacked the group they turned the flash lights made the bats screech louder the carrers rested in exhaustion as the bats dispersed to the other tributes. A sponsor gift quickly flew down for the carrers as Jacqueline smiled seeing a medical kit and a vaccine that could remove toxins from the bat bites. Brook grimiced as the wound was being cleaned causing Jacqueline to shush her.
Facet soon asked Harbor if he was “Fighting for anyone”. Being taken a back by the question provided Harbor said “No just wanna get back home if I can get out.” Facet shrugged before saying “My boyfriend im fighting for.” Harbor smiled before saying “I change my answer wanna win for my girl and family.” Camiilia and Silca both gasped in awe saying that they “defintly wanted one of them to win” as there popularity rates skyrocketed over night. After the cannon of Darian from 5 sounded. Brook pointed to Lassie and Sean from 14 running away from the bats. Facet hurled his knife as it whistled into Seans neck his cannon sounded. Jacqueline high fived him on the kill before Jacqueline chassed after Lassie. As Lassie’s canon soon sounded the vampire bats flew back up to the control room leaving an eerie quiet sensation in the arena.
The carrers then rested for the rest of the afternoon with Brook’s condition restoring as her arm turned back to the usual white color. However there rest was sharply interputed when Crane from 2 shouted in early joyful manner that he “Found the little mice.” As Crane hurled his weapons at the four Jacqueline and Facet when darting at the phsyoctic boy from 2 with Brook quietly whispering “Should I offer him my money again”. Harbor smirked before slapping her good naturedly before yelping as Facets knife nearly hit the pair from 4 on accident. However this encounter wasnt with out its losses. Crane managed to stabed Jacqueline in the heart causing her to wheeze in pain. Micarseolu both she and Jacqueline raged on before whacking a near by rock onto Crane’s head. As jacqueline soon lost concoious her cannon also sounded. Facet looked werily out before Harbor placed his hand on his shoulder and said he was sorry.
“She wasnt much but she was from home.”
Facet soon sighed before stabbing Crane sevral times in the back saying “Disqusting 2s”. As his cannon sounded Harbor walked him back to there orignal camp. As they soon looked on in a tired heep at they looked at the lake. As a ghostly figure known as a swamp monster popped out. Camilia imedtlay popped the interview with game maker swan. She soon told to all of panem that this swamp monster wasnt violent until provked. Which made most of the captial citzens gasp. Harbor soon was picked up by the monster as he screamed out Facet hurled his knife into the monsters leg. As it screamed out it kicked Facet into a tree he managed to get back up. However as the swamp monster grabbed its leg in pain Brook softned before cleaning its wound. Harbor soon pated the giants head causing it to smile. As a rather cute momemnt started to unfold. Facet bowed his head as an act of an applogy. The monster accepted the appology before picking him up in its shrub hands.
“The monster just wants a friend.”
Facet laughed before feeling the flowers of the monsters hand as it walked over toward the perimeter as it covered the group in its aborial hands. As this convent opportunity allowed all three tributes to rest they had a breif dinner and slept as horn of plenty played at midinght featuring the fallen. Jacqueline from 1 Crane from 2 Colt from 3 Darian from 5 Fifi from 6 and the pair from 14 leaving Facet from 1 Brook and Harbor from 4 Bloom and Amarylio from 7 zulu from 10 the pair from 11 and Dorthoy from 12 remaing.
Day 3
Earily in the morning the following day the cannons of the pair from 7 awoke most of the tributes after they were ambushed by Zulu from 10. After the carrres awoke the monster returned them to the lake. However just before Camilia revealed the top 3 tributes on the captial’s good books Facet had been quietly wandering over to Brook with a tomahawk in his possession.
Harbor looked at him with a sarcastic expression saying “Drop it.” However as Facet did not listen Brook got up and grabbed her trident saying “ 2 against one doesnt seem fair does it.”
As Facet spat out he through his tomohawk toward Harbor as he ducked he grabbed Brook by the arm and through her to teh ground. And tried to stab Brook Harbor grabbed his flashlight before shinning it into Facets eyes as he sreamed in anger as Brook grabbed her trident before hurling it into Facets neck. As his cannon souned Brook smiled softly saying “Sorry for being a dush bag to you when we were kids”.
Harbor smiled before nodding as the hovercraft soon flew over to take Facets body. The pair keot each other from boredom by talking about the acadmys and on what they would do if they made it back home. Viewers were surprised hearing Brook saying she would “Try to make amends with everyone she wronged.”
“You started with me and were good Jacqueline would want you to continue on.”
Brook smiled before Harbor and Brook walked around teh forest again for the time being. As they heard the cannon of Zulu sound in the late afternoon. Game maker swan made alive announcement she congratulated the remaining 4 tributes that afeast would take place at evening and would feature anything the tributes desired.
However suprsingly only Dorthoy from 12 died. Brook and Harbor rested at there first camp for teh remainder of the day as horn of plenty played featuring the fallen Facet from 1 Bloom and AMarylio from 7 Zulu from 10 and Dorthoy from 12 leaving Harbor and Brook from 4 and the girl from 11 as the final 3 tributes remaing,
Day 4.
Imedtllay after the remaing 3 tributes awoke the cannon of the girl from 11 (Cherry) sounded after she tried to run away from the vampire bats but got chomped on neck causing her to bleed out in seconds. Harbor looked forward seeing Brook suddenly have a vindictive smile.
“You really thought I was sorry hahah your such a dumass.”
After hearing this sudden delcartaion many citizens in snow square started to jeer at the girl with Camilia saying “Thats one way to kill your repuation.”
Harbor smiled before saying he knew she “Never was sorry.”
Brook smiled before hurling her trident at Harbor many viewers in snow square and evenn Sienna and her 2 friends Aj Carnvile victor of the 104th games and Quintin Mahoney the only 3 mentors left in the mentoring gallerly shouted at Harbor to defend himself.
Harbor through himself to the ground only grabbing his dagger that Sienna had sponsored him and darted to the corncopuia as game maker swans announcment had been barley audible due to the loud screams in snow square and in the arena.
Luckily for harbor the same swamp monster that had sheltered the pair on the second night came back. It shot its ivy roots out allowing Harbor to hide within it. Harbor smiled sadly seeing Facets bow and arrow he had been sposnored the second day before holding the bow before pocking out of the bushy arms. However after hearing Brook’s gut wretching scream after a violent monster hurled her into the corncopuia wall he stuck teh arrow out and let it fly. As it flew intoo her heart her cannon sounded. As the sun popped out over the grim arena. Harbor let out a small smile as brook’s cannon sounded. The swamp monster soon placed him back on the lake as game maker swan crowned Harbor Zanders of District 4 to be the victor of the 114th hunger games. Once he boarded the hovercraft he smiled seeing his mentor before melting in her arms causing her to embrace him as the hovercraft left the arena.
Harbor was adorned in a light blue pirate suit with his curly black hair dyed a crispy shade of brown. He was also given a pirate hat which in general came as a surprise to many viewers. Camilia was dressed in a golf uniform fashioning a rainbow suit golf hat and even a rainbow golf club.
Camilia appluaded Harbor on his victory before joking “Must of been tough having the high school bully with you.”
“Yeah she was a nightmare in its self when we were at school”.
As the crowd laughed Camilia went over the strategies of the carrer pack and his allies mistakes/kills. When Facets death was shown he softned before saying Facet was a “good ally” causing Camilia and the audience to sigh symptheaticaly. She then revealed to Harbor that his victors nickname was “The swamps soul”. HArbor laughed before saying that “it wasnt to horrendous>’ As teh crowd cheered Harbor bowed before game maker swan was welcomed with high appluse.
She was adorned in a sliver suit with a yellow bountiner. However it came to a surprise as Game maker swan remained quiet only saying to “Whatch out for flying objects.”
As teh citizens in the studio questioned this mysterious hint a few bits of appkuse sounded Camilia ende dthe interviews there. Harbor returned home to district 4 moving into the victors village with his family and girl friend. Unforeanutly not even after a weak he was stabbed by Coral Brook’s father luckily he was able to be reusiated and healed. He would later go on to marry his girl friend Melanie and had 4 kids with him naming his oldest after his ally Facet. Harbro would go on to be a decent mentor to the furture male tributes of the district manging to get 2 wins in the following 1 and a half decades. Also opening up a seaside bar naming it "Shellys" becoming quite famous for their seafood and cianttis. After the hideous end to the 137th hunger games he would go on and become one of the many victors who helped Sienna obtain her presidency after president Mcaines removal. He would then become incharge of panems coastal forces.
And that is the end of story 114 I do hope you alll enjoyed. In my own opinion I do think this is one of my better writen tales. Also I would like to thank Mortimer Whimwick for helping me on writing the blood batha nd the remainder of day 1. One thing to note the european file will be delayed I do belive I will try get fully up after I finsh the 116th games. But yep I do hope you all have a wonderful mornung noon or night or what ever time it is for you and as we always say panem today panem timrow panem forever.

First/Previous/Next
Gemma was right about the sky’s open night, and I could sympathize with her recollection of the beauty, but for me it must’ve been a greater tragedy—the young woman had only ever enjoyed the stars in the pits of Golgotha; I could, long before, drink in the sky at leisure. Cruel memories.
The night the Rednecks died was one of viscera, but before that it was coolness on the breeze, a warmth by the fires while John played his guitar and we had only just taken two dozen kegs of lager (personal reserves) from the Atlanta despot—the man that kept his subjects as slaves and not a person among the camp was left without budding intoxication. No matter the age, everyone was invited to be merry; if it was that children too faced the plight of a bad world, then so too should they reap the moments of plenty—or so the camp figured.
John had taken a group by the fires where wagons were drawn in interlocking semicircles for cover and Jackson sat beside the picker. Jackson was a man which normally preferred quiet reflection over boisterous singing and nearly never wore the band on his throat, and yet there he was belting out the chorus at the top of his lungs, tankard in hand, red cloth blazed around his neck—it was a contagion and those drunk enough for easier embarrassment sang proudly along:
“There is power, there is power in a band of working folk!
When we stand hand in hand,
That’s a power, that’s the power,
That must rule in every land!”
I’d taken to the outlying shadows with my back pressed against the gas-powered caleche, my own tankard in hand. I loved the warmth of that great big family, truly, but even in those days—and maybe it was that queer youthfulness which longed for individualism that made me that way then—I remained as distanced as possible when I could. I sipped the lager, it was a fine drink and my brother Billy, nearly as old as I was when I’d first taken up in the infantry, swaggered to stand beside me just as quiet for minutes and we looked at the stars and he asked me what it was like to kill a man.
“Is it hard?” he asked.
I nodded, “Sometimes.”
“Killing monsters ain’t so bad. Don’t know if I could do it to a person.”
“You could if they meant to kill you; or if they meant to do it to someone you cared about,” I promised him. In those days, spry, energized, I held no time for staring into abysses; though I still wasn’t a man fully, I pretended as one. It was about family, and it was about doing what was right—what’s right seemed to change, or I changed. The world felt stark with good and evil and even later I’d feel that sentiment well up in me, but if that’s true, I know I stand more on the latter and so I intentionally obfuscated it—this I know. If not, it might be too much to bear. I was required to lie to myself and even in knowing I lied, it was better.
Billy tugged on the red kerchief around his throat and asked me how it looked on him.
“Looks good,” I said.
“Don’t think I look stupid at all?”
I smiled over my drink, “You always look stupid.” I sipped. “The neckwear’s fine.”
“Give me a break,” said Billy; he investigated his own cup, gave it a swish with his wrist, watching its contents swirl. “Aren’t you ever afraid you’ll die?”
“Sometimes—nights like this—I wouldn’t mind it.”
“Really?” my brother asked.
“There’s always a chance of it. Every moment, I guess.”
He smiled. “I wish I had that confidence.”
“You’ll get it,” I returned his smile; it was true that he would gain the fighting spirit. It came to us all with time and reminiscing on the early days, I recall the grit and the hatred—there was learning there too though. Besides, I’d seen the squalors of a stationary man. The stagnation of a place, an unmoving home.
John put his guitar away and laughter erupted from the crowd from something said and Sibylle, cowboy hat cocked funny, traipsed across the camp to the open keg for a refill; the man there, tending the cylinders, was a man named Tandy (a foreigner and one unknown besides the way he smoked a skunk pipe and told wild stories). My mother leaned over while Tandy opened the spigot mouth on the keg, and she froze there, and I could see her there cut out forever against the light of the fires; I watched, and it came so suddenly that I couldn’t be sure what’d happened at all. It was so sudden that I couldn’t find my weapon and I couldn’t find even the courage to fight because in those moments it wasn’t courage I needed, it was grounds to understand.
Sibylle came apart in two pieces immediately, torn completely through and dust erupted as her legs struck the ground while her torso spun through the air like a top, a trail of liquid trailed after, caught in the blue of night so it shone as black; she couldn’t scream. Tandy was a statue. Before anyone could react, more flesh, other bodies, went up and there was all manner of limbs which filled the ground, and it is astounding how quickly a red mist forms across the ground during a massacre. Perhaps the wails of my comrades started before, perhaps others fell before Sibylle, but I could not comprehend the goings-on till I saw her drop the way she did.
Frail human screams rose on the night; I slammed to the ground, tankard gone away and hands scrambling in the dirt; I reached up blindly and yanked Billy to my level and his expression was one of innocence, panic, tears even. Glancing around, I saw the demons bolt from the pitch-black darkness on the edges of camp, mutants taking the fore while greater creatures lurked further back, some hurled whips of gliding metal which writhed over their heads when they stretched them out for a strike—alien—and they sliced directly through soft human bodies. Not even a cry escaped me, but Billy let go with it and I slapped my cupped hand over his mouth hard to hold the screams. His voice would not have been alone anyway, not alongside that startling cacophony. Amidst the cries of people, there were the cries of horses, of our hounds.
We rolled across the ground, slipped beneath the raised body of the gas-powered caleche, remained quiet in the dark, peeked out between the wheels.
“What’s happening?” Billy whispered through my fingers; I removed my hand from him and caught a glimpse of him framed in a square of firelight through the wheels—we lay there on our bellies and the left side of his face was glazed with dirt where I’d pulled him down.
“Shh,” I told him, “Shh, please. Please.” Not another word came while I pleaded with him, pleaded with the world to make this all a nightmare.
Through the haze and the running silhouettes painted black, I saw what might have been Jackson; he stumbled and in the moment that it took me to gasp, his head was gone from his body, his torso slid on as he collapsed, came to rest mere feet from the motor wagon. I told myself that it wasn’t him, but it probably was.
Some mutants lumbered through the camp like animated corpses, some leapt with wild energy or sprayed noxious fumes which lingered in the air; others still were amalgams of humanlike limbs themselves—fiends—exhausting terrible sounds, producing smells of sulfur, glistening with whatever liquids excreted from their oblong alien orifices. Demons ran amok, chanted in devil tongued languages, laughed madly at the destruction—others still, those which displayed some greater intelligence, broke into a song I could never hope or want to replicate; it seemed a unified damnation.
“Please,” I repeated in a whimper and Billy hushed me this time and I realized we were holding hands, squeezing for dear life as figures walked the camp, speared those half-alive, elected others for twisted carnality.
In darkness, in fright plainly, we scuttled from the recess of our hiding place, kept quiet, held to each other, and went into the wasteland where nothing was—every shadow was a potential threat, every second could’ve been the last. We were holding hands; then we weren’t.
Only a glance—that’s all I afforded my brother and nothing more—what a joke of a person I am! What a coward I was. Always.
Something got him in the dark and instead of dying alongside those I cared about, I went on, heartbeat driving me till it was all that I heard in my ears and my muscles ached and my chest heaved and sweat covered me, chilled me in the breeze of the night—it was only once I’d accepted the dark completely, crawled into a hollowed space of rocks along a squat ridge that I watched the demolished camp; it seemed no larger than a spark, but the creatures, fiends and others continued their war cries; never before had I witnessed demons participate in such an attack.
I watched till the sun came, till the fires became smoke, then I watched the band of hell creatures disband. The smell of sulfur remained in the air—copper too—and I stumbled back to the camp in a dreamlike daze, totally unbelieving of the things I saw. Among those dead on the ground, I could recognize none; among those piked from rear to shoulder, standing like morbid scarecrows where they’d been steadied against the ground, I could not want to recognize.
Many of the wagons were overturned, including the gas-powered caleche and I went to it; the metal of its body was warped but I fell to the ground by it and pushed my back against the exposed undercarriage, remained frozen there while examining the bodies, the terrible strips of skin which rested places like wet sheets of paper, the piles of bones removed and smashed and piled.
I cried so deeply that oxygen became a memory, and the shakes couldn’t be contained.
It was like that for so long, knees pulled up, face pushed between, and the wails came unafraid of whatever attention they might garner; there was no rationale, but I imagine if there had been, I would’ve welcomed death in that misery. It was a deep wound that not even my own cowardice would overcome for the sake of survival.
Unaware of my surroundings, not wanting to look up from the ground between my legs, the noise which had started out as imaginary became real and I raised my head then to listen better and wipe my sore eyes; it was the sound of clip-clop horse hooves and I mildly wondered if any of the animals had been spared. I stood and pivoted around the dead camp and there it was, a man on a painted horse with golden hair; he leisurely drove the mount through the place, maneuvering around pools of blood, clumps of body parts and upon seeing me, he smiled and offered a languid wave, keeping one of his gloved hands on the reins.
The man wore white and swished his hair back upon arriving directly in front of me. Ahoy, he offered kindly, Did you happen to see the other riders?
I shook my head, feeling numb.
Ah, he said, I could have sworn four other riders, at least, passed me on my way. His gray eyes examined the carnage. Shame. He shook his head. You are?
“H-harlan.”
He nodded and nearly offered an expression of genuine condolence before descending from the horse; the animal gave a gentle grunt and wandered away from its master to inspect a nearby group of the dead. The man offered his hand, and I took it in a shake. Mephisto, said the man. He flashed a smile again before his face grew serious. I’ve come to you to deal.
I shot him a questioning look, one of bafflement.
I heard your calls from far off. He nodded, removed a white handkerchief from his breast pocket and swiped it down his face. Hot out. He shrugged then replaced the cloth in his pocket. This, he motioned to the disarray of vehicles, of bodies, I can’t fix all this—it’s too much—but there’s a person you love, I know. I could bring them back.
“Doctor?” In retrospect it was such a naïve question.
He shook his head.
“Angel?”
He grinned and nodded, Sure.
“Demon?”
Undoubtedly. His eyes—pits of gray in that radiant face—nearly expressed solemness; he daintily shook the hair from his face and looked at his steed which sniffed a corpse. What’s the word, Harlan? There are others calling and I must be on my way soon—I can’t dally. There was a sharpness to the words. Can’t dally. We must convene soon, or I’ll mosey on.
I snorted back the clog in my nose from the tears and wiped my eyes with my sleeves. “Okay.”
Deal?
I nodded, “Deal.”
Sleep tonight, said Mephisto, Sleep and you’ll be rewarded in the morning.
“You said it’s a deal.”
He nodded and scanned the carnage before we matched gazes and then he said, Yes?
“What is it you want from me?”
Nothing you need now. He called the horse, and it came, and he swept his feet quickly from the ground and settled into position atop the animal. Sleep, Harlan. You won’t be bothered. There are worse things still over the horizon.
I watched him go till he disappeared and once he was gone, I couldn’t cry anymore and instead rummaged through the wagons for what I might carry; along the way I found John, face twisted but corpse intact. The body from the previous night that I’d guessed was Jackson couldn’t be determined but I found him nowhere else. I slid Sibylle’s holster from her hips, fell hard onto the ground and found that I could sob more. I took her cowboy hat, placed it on my head and held her pistol in one hand and the belt holster dangled from the other while I searched the other bodies; there were so many, but I could not find Billy.
Waiting for darkness, I took the spot where I rested, back against the caleche’s undercarriage, watched the sky and felt the gun in my hand; it was heavy. I put it to my head, closed my eyes, and whispered affirmations to myself then I put the pistol between my splayed legs, watched it still in the dirt, and pulled the hat down over my eyes but it did little for the smell. Though the brim of the hat cut the sky out, I watched the ground and saw circling shadows form overhead and heard calls of turkey vultures; they came to pick over the bodies. I withdrew my knees to my chest there again and laid my forearm across them and bit into my arm while closing my eyes. I had thought I was a man and for a time, maybe I was, but there in that miserable pit of despair I became a child again and if I’d become more delirious, I’m sure I might’ve called out for Jackson like it was a bad dream.
Into a fading stupor of sleep in the sun I went and when I awoke again it was dark and chilly and I was tired and hungry but too sick to eat and hardly strong enough to move; I looked at the gun and put it into its holster and left it there by the caleche. In the light of the moon and stars, I moved to gather a bolt of canvas; I unfurled the fabric and created a leaning shelter against the overturned vehicle and crawled into it. There was a hole in the canvas, and I peeked out at the stars.
Weeping came again, but not so uproarious; I was stuck there letting go of whimpers, lying on my back, feeling the tears trace in lines from the outer corners of my eyes to collect along my earlobes. In time, I fell to sleep again on the hard ground because the mourning had taken all else from me.
A pinpoint of sunlight broke my eyelids and I jerked awake and reached for the holster, but it was gone. So was the hat. I crawled from the leaning shelter and there he was.
Billy stood plainly among the dried, congealed blood-soaked field and he looked on to the horizon and all shadows were long in the midday sun which hung up there in a soft blue sky. Whether it be a dream or a spell, I couldn’t care—I charged to him and spun him so he faced me and though his face was plain and expressionless, I wrapped him into a forceful hug. He placed his hands on my back and gave a gentle squeeze; when I pulled from him, my hands on his shoulders, I saw he held Sibylle’s hat in his left hand, pinched by the brim; he’d already tugged her holster belt around his hips—he could have it all. I shook while holding him then let go to wipe my face.
“You’re alive,” I nodded.
He nodded without speaking then looked at the hat in his hand and placed it on his head and firmly pressed it down.
“Billy! Hell, you’re alive!”
The corners of his mouth twitched upward for a moment then he nodded again. “Yeah.” His eyes curiously searched our surroundings like he meant to take each detail in forever.
I slapped him on the shoulder and almost squealed. “Goddammit.” I wiped my eyes again and could do little to keep the excitement from exploding from me. “Oh, we should go. We should go on and get somewhere safe.”
He nodded toward the horizon, “’Lanta?”
“Sure.”
We packed and it was a like an ethereal phantom remained among us beside the quiet dead; turkey vultures cawed to break the silence, pecked where they pleased on the bodies, and I couldn’t want to fight them. I kept sidelong eyes on Billy with the ever-present worry that he’d vanish. Perhaps he was the phantom.
From the rear of the caleche, I removed a few sentimental books Jackson liked, essential cookware, and sparse rations for the trek. The last thing I grabbed was my shotgun and a bit of ammo.
As we set from the dead place, the terrible silhouettes that were cut from there on the horizon behind us grew in my mind with every backward glance—I wanted to fall to pieces, but I saw Billy walk alongside me and although contented is not the right word, it is the nearest. The steps of our boots were all that was heard because I could not fathom to pierce the space between us with words for fear that it would all end. It was a dream, surely. I’d lost my mind. With my hands thumbed into the straps of my pack, I saw I my hands still shook, and they would shake a lot longer—years and with memories too. The crunch of earth underfoot became a rhythm and instead of looking at my brother, I watched his shadow on the ground.
“Everyone’s dead?” He asked.
“Yeah.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah,” I repeated.
“How ain’t I? How ain’t you?”
To say that it was luck would’ve been too morbid. Instead of saying anything, I shrugged, kicked a loose stone, watched my feet some more, and felt a queasiness come over me. For the moment, the immeasurable deaths of those I’d left behind were forgotten in the company of my brother and a sickness welled up inside of me so suddenly that I felt that I’d fall to pieces at the slightest provocation. Finally, I did speak again, but only after steeling myself to the troubles, “Yeah, how are you alive?”
Billy shrugged at me then stumbled up a hill which overlooked trash wood wilderness where sticks lay twisted and bare and further on the sight of Atlanta was visible and I cupped a hand across my brow and Billy did the same and we looked on at the shadows of the place out there where strings of smoke rose from the skyline as a signature for the desolation of the city; it was dead. I felt it in my bones.
My hands were light while my head was heavy, my throat was dry, and the entire world seized in moments of stillness or perhaps it was my own vision which construed the world in that way; I took to the small hill which Billy had climbed and sat there and stared at the place between my feet to steady myself.
“Fire,” said Billy.
I nodded and nearly choked.
Leviathan—till then I had no belief in dragons—glided over the broken city, its winged shadow little seen but its voice was deep across the scene, letting go of roars which shook the ground. We hid among the trash wood and moved down the hill and watched the creature thrash in the air as if it was angry for its abominable life. Whatever millennia it spent in the pits of hell seemingly thrust upon it a love of destruction and pain.
My brother moved with a more assured stride and kept a cool distance and upon fleeing from the wreckage, from the outlying area of Atlanta and the place we’d left our family, he spoke little and watched me strangely whenever I took to melancholic fatiguing. We lit no fires for fear of what it could draw from the night so in the dark I’d see him watching some far-off place, maybe seeing through the reality which surrounded us, and he’d snap from it, catch my eye, and disappear for minutes to scan the perimeter of whatever place we stayed. Being alongside my resurrected brother was lonelier than I could bear, and I hoped he’d disappear for good or that I could work up the courage to end my own life. It was like purgatory explained in books and for a time, it felt endless; upon witnessing the destruction of Atlanta, we pushed to Marrietta, and it was much the same. As was Chatanooga, Nashville, Knoxville, Louisville, Charlotte. The ocean had risen so that Fayetville was gone underwater, and the Florida leg disappeared completely as far as I’m aware. I understood later that Memphis was overlooked and more places further west were alive too, but when we’d exhausted the south, we moved north and found strongholds of families or traders or even small groupings of civilization, but by and large we found nothing much in the two years that we hoofed it from place to place; it was my doing mostly—I wanted to find a place untouched by the mayhem in the area my family had once patrolled.
In retrospect, I am certain that Billy only stayed by my side for convenience; there wasn’t any of my brother left in the man that was my travelling companion for that time. He was a ghost of a person and Mephisto had preyed upon my desire in the worst moment of weakness in my life. There were nights—maybe we’d taken up in a natural alcove for shelter or we’d locked ourselves in some ancient structure for sleep—I’d watch Billy lay where he was, Sibylle’s hat and holster lying beside him, and I’d think of putting him down but he’d stir and in a brief shadow I’d see my brother as he’d been and withdraw to bury my face in fake sleep to be met with images of the night the demons attacked where I’d shake, sweat, and bite my lips so hard I’d drink blood.
Two years we marched around the Appalachians and in that time, I felt myself wither and disconnect.
Upon moving further north we met Indianapolis—that’s what it was called back then—and it was run by an older woman called Lady Lazarus; I reckon her father, affluent and dead, was a fan of Plath. Indianapolis was fortified more than most with its high walls, and its wall men, and its underground facilities which produced substantial ammunition. We—me and Billy’s revenant—were travelling with a group of traders we’d taken up with from out west; they called themselves wizards and although they seemed of the occult, their spirits discounted whatever suspicions I might’ve had of them.
I remember first pushing through that big gate; the town kept with it an indisputable malaise and though we were greeted at the gate by the leader Lady Lazarus—her brothers came along with her—and her jovial demeanor carried a certain infectious quality, I could not help but notice that the regular denizens maintained a healthy distance from their leader (the guards which followed the Lady everywhere probably had something to do with this).
Lady Lazarus touched each of our hands in greeting with enthusiasm and I could not help but notice how soft they were, how vibrant her eyes were, how much she smiled, and how beautiful she was given her age; already her head was fully gray.
Upon meeting each of us, going through the wizard traders first, she came to me, and Billy and she shook my hand then pivoted to Billy.
“Welcome. You can call me Lady.”
Billy caught her hand in his, held it longer than she’d intended so that they held eye contact, and he smiled broadly, tipped the cowboy hat on his head back to expose his smooth forehead and said, “And you can call me Maron, mam. You are quite a sight for a tired man.”
Though Maron—as he’d named himself—was more boy than man, Lady took a disturbed liking to him immediately and we prolonged our stay in Indianapolis after the wizards departed to head west.
Under the rule of Lady, Indianapolis was a theocracy, with her addressing the huddled masses at the steps of her grand abode, she’d preach for hours on sin and strife and quote her favorite passages; though reminiscent of my time with the Rednecks, I never found any truth or sincerity or freedom in her teaching—hers was more trouble, brimstone, fire and I’d had enough of that for a lifetime. Public execution was common. As was torture.
Maron distanced himself further from me, but I remained to keep an eye on him—it was not sentimentality but rather I existed without purpose and conjured some from watching my brother.
Often, Lady invited Maron to her private rooms and though the rumors and speculation ran the full spectrum of perverse speculation, every denizen feigned ignorance at her pregnancy.
Upon giving birth, the infant was malformed with two heads—her brothers took this as an omen and killed the child, put their leader in the stocks for months, and stripped her of dignity while the denizens did to her what they pleased.
Maron rose through the wall men while Lady’s brothers assumed control of Indianapolis and called themselves Bosses; in the time since Lady’s reign, the place was renamed to Golgotha for its closeness to a messiah.
I went west but always found myself drawn back to Golgotha because of some emptiness in me. It was only with Suzanne that I wanted something more and knowing them, I almost believed in a world like the one that children dream about. The world that Gemma and Andrew chased after when they left home, like the one Aggie talked about in her mother’s books. There’s a hopelessness in me that I’ll never be rid of. In the interim between our initial arrival to Golgotha and that flight from that terrible city, I cannot know how many people I sacrificed in convening with demons because I refuse to know because the number would destroy me. That is the worst of it; I do not even have courage enough to face myself or the actions of my past in any substantive way.
Mephisto tainted me so that I could speak with his kind as a dealmaker and the disease grew.
Billy or Maron or whatever he is should have been reaped long ago or better, I should never have brought that abomination alive. Such a cruel world where a deep longing like that can be inverted, weaponized. Me and him should both die; me and him should have died a long time ago.
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Phone just updated and I believe the One Ui or whatever its called got updated and it changed the way my navigation works/looks before it was always hidden unless i swipe up and the 3 buttons were 3 thin rectangles with curved edges if that makes sense and now after the update its always there unless Im watching YT or smth in fullscreen and it has actual icons, 3 lines, a square, and a back arrow but I would like it to go back to what it is before so wondering if thats possible? I go to navigation bar in the display settings but dosent have what I want, theres buttons which is what it is but not the exact one I want and more options just changes the layout of them or swipe gestures which isnt what I want.

Here's what I mean...
Like some people on this sub, I just started drawing. I worked on straight and tapered lines and saw great improvement. (Only 2 days though)
Then I started working on squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, and ellipses. (Only 1 day though). Saw improvement and started getting better.
Then I had a problem I wanted to start moving into 3d and I realized while I can draw these simple basic shapes, I still am not a master of 2d, here's what I mean.
I can't draw a pentagon, octagon, hexagon, heart, star, flower, etc.
I can't look at any 2d image and instantly be able to draw it.
Eg: Vector icons, 2d vector man, Number 2 drawing, Phineas & Ferb, Maple leaf
Sans(not in pixelated form though).
I keep on having this fear that if I start to learn 3d fundamentals and become a great artist(hopefully). I would run into problems due to my lack of not being able to draw every 2d image.
Here's what I mean:
What if I want to sign a heart next to my name or add a heart somewhere in my drawing but can't?
Or I want to draw a star in my art but can't.
Or I want to draw the petal part of a flower but I can't
Or in biology class (when I get to grade 9) we're asked to draw a vector image like person, as shown here: 2d vector man to then use to label some random system in the human body but I can't.
Or in math class were' meant to draw an octagonal-shaped pyramid but I can't
The list goes on and on and on and on, you get the idea.
So I want to know 3 things
Do I need to be a master of anything 2d before I move on to 3d?

• If I do how long should I spend on it before moving on to 3d art? ( I know people might say that depends on you but I want to know a rough estimate of the time I should spend on this if I'm drawing any chance I get, which is a lot) 2 days, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks a month.
• If I don't and only need to learn squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, and ellipses. how long should I spend on it before moving on to 3d art? ( I know people might say that depends on you but I want to know a rough estimate of the time I should spend on this if I'm drawing any chance I get, which is a lot) 2 days, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks a month.

Also posted on learnart
Thank you for reading this far
Au revoir :)
Edit: Thanks to the two commenters so far I understand I can never "master" 2d just get better at it, but I'm still confused. I guess I'm looking for a more yes or no answer should I move onto 3d or work on 2d a bit more.

Former Colorado Buffaloes PG KJ Simpson declared for the draft and is 100% committed: https://twitter.com/KSimpsonJstatus/1778862077618118765 Simpson committed to Arizona out of high school as a four star recruit but decommitted after Sean Miller was fired and chose to play for Colorado. He was on the Pac 12 All Freshman team as a rookie, Second team All Pac 12 as a sophomore, and First team All Pac 12 as a junior, averaging 20/6/5. Advanced metrics and impact stats ranked Simpson as a top 5-10 player this past season in college basketball.
Simpson measured in at 6'0.25 w/out shoes at the combine. 6'4.5 wingspan which is solid for a smaller guard. He's 6'1.5 or so in shoes which is close to what he measured in at Colorado. He's a small guard but plays with grit and toughness. He tested well athletically....agility and speed are pluses for him and he can also elevate quite surprisingly at times. He's a below the rim finisher overall but he can elevate with time/space and when he can really load.
Although he's fast in a straight line and extremely shifty, he's doesn't have tremendous burst in the halfcourt offensively, nor is he elite laterally defensively. But he uses craft and timing to play quicker than he is on the offensive end in the halfcourt.
Simpson has some of the most shake as a ballhandler in this class. He has a very tight handle and can handle in tight spaces, can break double teams, has tons of different counters, fakes, combos in his disposal, can drive with both hands, hesitations and in-and-outs that get defenders off balance...awesome at the hostage dribble, rising up and drawing fouls behind his back or creating space to finish at the basket, misdirections. He is one of the best PnR ballhandlers and playmakers in this class...really has a sixth sense of understanding pacing. He's fantastic at snaking the PnR and creating looks for himself or making plays for his teammates....he hits his teammates in their pockets. From the perimeter and the post. Cutters, shooters, dump off men...you name it. Scoops, bounce passes, baseball passes, cutters, skip passes, lobs. He's got a lot of different tricks in his bag and really slings the ball around the floor. Creative and hits tight windows on time. Elite out of bounds passer, consistently finds the big or a cutter for easy baskets and/or fouls. He'll hook guys arms and draw fouls on them in the PnR. You can't rush him as a creator or playmaker. He finds gaps, he probes decisively, and he makes plays.
Simpson is one of the very best outlet passers in this class. He loves the hit ahead pass. He's awesome in transition. His speed is a force in transition. He always keeps his head up. Maintains full court awareness and has amazing timing as a passer. Not just the timing but the accuracy and the ability to make dimes with both hands and the versatility as a passer. His understanding of what kind of pass to make depending on the circumstance. The pass itself and the touch and direction of the pass. He's a great ball mover and the kind of passer who thinks a pass ahead---he often makes a pass with the idea of creating an open look with the next pass by a teammate after that. He passes teammates open, makes very quick reads and is an awesome processor, which makes him an great playmaker.
Simpson does take risks as a passer and will turn the ball over, which will come with the territory of his style of play, but only had a 14% turnover rate which is an overall good number for someone who is fairly ball dominant.
He likes the up and under and he loves the behind the back baseline move. He uses misdirection dribbles a lot to surprise defenders and rejects screens. His timing and craft allow him to play quicker than he is and gain a step often but not always in the halfcourt. If you can hang with his initial moves, he's simply not big enough and doesn't have the explosiveness to create enough separation to finish cleanly around the rim. His touch around the rim isn't incredible for a guy who's a fantastic shooter, he misses bunnies around the rim or doesn't display very good accuracy on touch shots at the rim. He does have very good touch on his floater and diversity...can use both hands, he changes the flight of his floater depending on the circumstance, and he's someone who can stop on a dime from full speed and has fantastic body control with the floater. He will use the jump stop and he has pretty long range with his floater. His all around rim numbers were not anything to write home about this season and never were in college. He plays strong, and will use his strength to muscle balls up at the rim and create contact or finish through contact. He has ball fakes, head fakes at his disposal. The hostage dribble keeps guys on his back. He got to the line 5 times a game which is a great number for a 6'1 guard and made 88%. I think that's a part of his game that will translate at the next level, but his raw finishing will likely never be a strength of his. His ability to pressure the rim is an important trait for any smaller guard to have, however, and makes him an all around scoring weapon and offensive force.
Simpson is an awesome pull up shooter. That helps alleviate concerns surrounding his finishing. He's got fantastic balance and footwork as a pull up shooter and he can rise up on a dime which makes his shot very difficult to contest. He was an elite shooter all around this year, after being a mediocre one his first two seasons in college. He really worked hard on his jumper during the summer of 2023 and it paid off. He's got great mechanics as a shooter. His mechanics as a shooter are very clean, with a quick trigger. He is an elite PnR pull up shooter. He doesn't need much space to fire. He simply does an expert job of creating space for himself as a shooter in the PnR and actually using the big to his advantage on ball, and he will screen himself and create open shots for teammates which is what the attention he requires opens up for teammates. He will make fantastic reads as a passer as he's coming off screens out of DHO's.
He is one of the better off ball movers in this class. He's a great cutter, that lulls defenders to sleep and quickly dives to the rim and loves to cut to the rim with his defender navigating traffic, he is great at relocations off ball, he flies off screens on the perimeter, and he's always ready on the catch. He's one of the best C&S guys in this class. He's always on balance and square to the basket. Simpson shot 44% from 3 on 5 attempts a game and has very deep range; he's someone that extends a defense far from the basket with the range he has.
He loves the pull up baseline in the midrange. He sells the drive with his final step before rising up. He makes shots over contests. He can occasionally have pull ups blocked because of his size. He is very good at feeling the defender, and either spinning off their body or simply deftly stepping back and quickly rising up and hitting pull ups in the midrange. He likes the turnaround pullup around the FT line and the elbows, or quickly taking it to a defender and pushing them back, which doesn't allow for them to be able to recover when he pulls up. His game winner against the Gators was on such a baseline pull up; the decisiveness he plays with forces defenders to play on his terms.
Simpson averaging 6 rebounds a game at 6'1 is so impressive. It's cliche, but he really does have a nose for the ball, an innate sense of where balls will be off the rim off misses and he gobbles them up in the air. He's willing to mix it up in the trees for rebounds. He pursues boards. It's a fantastic ancillary trait to have that compliments and enhances all the other things he does so well. His ability to grab and go and make plays in transition as a passer or as a transition 3 shooter makes his defensive rebounding abilities a real weapon for him and his team.
Simpson is a bit of a mixed bag on the defensive end. He has some really good possessions of ball denial and ball pressure and being a pest. His agility testing at the combine does lend one to believe he can be a pest as an on ball guard going forward and he showed moments of that, picking up full court and forcing steals, or in the halfcourt sticking to his man and forcing tough shots. But he wasn't consistent at all in doing so, and he gave up a lot of dribble penetration.
His effort on the defensive end comes and goes. He's just not elite laterally overall. Guys who quickly take it to him off the dribble and force him to really react quickly can burn him. He can navigate screens but very regularly took circuitous routes and died on screens too often. He ended up either out of position or simply late to contest when he did so. Went under screens, and allowed open 3's, but also allowed drives when he didn't work hard enough to get back in front. He does a great job anticipating passes; causing deflections and outright thefts. He intercepts a ton of passes. He likes sneaking up behind ballhandlers or guys in the post and tying them up or forcing balls out of their hands. He's active in passing lanes and breaks up passes. He does a good job suffocating ballhandlers on traps. He averaged 1.6 steals a game but think that belies his ability a bit in this area.
He's too small to contest most shots and he loses focus a ton on defense and ends up behind plays. He will get back cut although he's not as bad as other teammates at Colorado were. He does battle hard on post switches. His overall defense wasn't anything to write home about while in college, and he likely never will be a great defensive player because he just doesn't have the tools, but he wasn't a liability this season. Less offensive load should help his defense but he doesn't have a very high ceiling on this end.
KJ Simpson is entering the NBA as one of the most polished offensive talents this draft has at his position. You could say at any position. He can score and make plays for others on or off the ball. The questions surrounding his size, defense, and ability to finish/pressure the rim at the NBA level, is what has some wondering whether he'll be able to stay on the floor at the pro level. He was one of the best performers during the combine scrimmages the last two days. There are not many guys as skilled as he is in this class, and I think he will find a way to make it work.
Are you all Thumbs Up, Down, or Across on KJ Simpson?