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2024.05.20 01:22 _SUSP3CT_ đ„ HOGE Finance : Official Update Report đ„
Weekly Update on Hoge: Progress, Challenges, and Community Highlights A Sleeping Giant Awakens - Hoge, the Ethereum-based project, is gearing up for significant advancements. While progress might seem slow to some, there's a dedicated team of holders working tirelessly behind the scenes to amplify the project's impact. These individuals, whether publicly or privately, are committed to enhancing what Hoge has to offer. If you see a project or aspect of Hoge you think you can help with, reach out to us. We'll guide you to the right places where your strengths can shine.
Community Dynamics - It's unfortunate that some holders only witness the drama and FUD perpetuated by a few. However, for those actively involved in contributing to Hoge, the community spaces are positive and enjoyable. Your own Reddit champion and Hoge advisor is now providing wrap-up reports in an easily digestible format (Yes, that would be me). These summaries are perfect for those who can't dedicate a half-hour weekly to stay updated. The ones who tune in here have received updates every week for over two and a half years, making it a reliable source of information.
New Community Website: Hoge.gg - Last week marked the launch of our new community website, [Hoge.gg](https://hoge.gg). It's a hub for showcasing our accomplishments and offering a glimpse into future developments. Jshiz, who spearheaded this project, is highly responsive to community feedback, already implementing updates based on user suggestions. This site is set to be the ultimate source of truth for the Hoge community, providing a centralized location for all Hoge-related information and activities.
New Pitch Deck in the Works - Hoge advisor, Nero Digital Design, is working on an all-in-one pitch deck. This resource will streamline research for grants, influencers, and exchanges, making it easier to share and understand Hoge's value propositions. The pitch deck aims to consolidate all essential information into one easy-to-digest PowerPoint presentation, facilitating content creation and promotional efforts.
Addressing the WhiteBit Situation - Regarding WhiteBit, which listed Hoge back in February 2021, there are some updates and challenges. WhiteBit holds a significant amount of Hoge, but users haven't been able to participate in DAO governance votes. Initially, market-making fees were covered by the original leadership team and later by community members. Currently, WhiteBit has requested increased volume, which typically involves a program simulating trading activityâa practice Hoge prefers to avoid.
- WhiteBit has recently announced that they will hide the HOGE/USDT trading pair from their spot market list starting May 17th. The pair will still be available for trading via a direct link. The community now needs to decide whether to add more liquidity to WhiteBit or redirect those funds to the Solana and Base bridges. This is a critical decision, and we encourage all users to participate in the discussion on Reddit. WhiteBit has promised marketing efforts for Hoge multiple times, yet has not followed through, adding to the complexity of our relationship with the exchange.
HogeAI Nearing Completion - Alex is meticulously refining HogeAI, ensuring the website's flow and content are user-friendly. The sharing page is particularly noteworthy, with a growing library of images that can be easily shared and uploaded. Regular updates are provided on Telegram, but this highlight is essential for everyone to know. The goal is to make HogeAI an intuitive and comprehensive platform for all users.
Hoge PFP Mint Delayed - Lastly, the Hoge PFP mint, initially scheduled for last friday, has been a little postponed. Each NFT is hand-drawn and rich in Hoge lore, making them unique collectibles. A step-by-step guide on how to mint your own is available, and the process is straightforward. With gas fees currently low, it's an excellent opportunity for Hoge enthusiasts to join in the fun and be surprised by the NFTs they receive. The anticipation around these NFTs is high, with many sneak peeks having been shared, yet most designs remain a mystery.
Join the conversation on Reddit and stay engaged with the ongoing developments. Together, we're building something remarkable with Hoge.
Thank you to all our community members, without your resilience, patience, and engagement, none of this would be possible.
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2024.05.20 01:09 Goblinoid-loser Load order help
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2024.05.20 01:05 IseKai_MC Origami above (almost) everyone - DAL vol 10 cover + some illustrations
| Hello guys, since I read Date a Live, I realized that the novel has a certain quality that even more popular and cult novels do not have and that seems to go unnoticed by the fandom, the covers. Yes, the covers are spectacular and break away from the standard of most LNs, there is not just fanservice, there is not just a character striking a cool pose, we actually have covers with a certain visual narrative, whether a connection with the highlighted spirit itself or with the story itself and I will be pleased to show this to you, here are the rules: - Due to the oriental reading sense being left -> right of the page, the details will be presented respecting this sense.
- A picture is worth a thousand words, and DAL is a novel so the images are even more valuable, the idea here is to analyze the covers and relevant illustrations to understand hints, references, foreshadowing, and contexts.
- Pure fanservice images will not be taken into consideration (at least most of them). No, Iâm not the type of otaku who says things like: âfanservice is unnecessary, objectification of women, too gratuitous and empty, it only serves to âexcite the viewerââ, the last one is even plausible and I understand those who think like this, but all the others are nothing more than cheap demagoguery. They will not be taken into consideration because in addition to not actually adding to the plot most of them are posted to exhaustion on this reddit.
- Major spoilers will be avoided, at least directly.
{LN 10 Cover} https://preview.redd.it/erh6epoirg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aff919953d6ba578e05b05deeb01f60b64a7bee0 The first element is Tachibanaâs name , again. The girl of the moment is⊠Origami? But how is Origami a spirit? Calm down, my boy, you havenât missed anything, in fact I promised plot twists and we have one right on the cover. As for the spirit Origami, I want to draw attention to two things. The first is obviously her astral dress which is a wedding dress, each astral dress follows the taste of its spirit user and Origami as a child had the dream of being a wife, but there is much more than that, so this Astral Dress is a small hint of the main plot, this will become clearer in the Spirit Info topic. The second is about the facial expression, Origami looks like she is waking up, this may symbolize that she has just become a spirit, it may be a premonition of the plot of this volume, which deals with Origami discovering the truth about her past. But this expression will be referenced in a scene that will happen 7 volumes later, when we get there I will talk about it. In the volume, Origami calls the spirit that killed her parents âangelâ, look at the hint there. Again the subtitle cites the spiritâs surname, the other time this happened was in the volume 4, Sister Itsuka, clearly there is a connection here as the Tenguu-Nankou fire was a relevant event for both spirits, I also believe that the work opts to use surnames if we already know the spirit of the cover and the main reason is that Tobiichi is written with the character 1, letâs go to the next topic. Origami is the bearer of the first sephirot and, suddenly, everything makes sense. The first important thing here is the rivalry between Tohka and Origami. Tohka is spirit number 10, Sephiroth Malkuth, the kingdom, the final receptacle that concentrates the creative force now in its densest and residual state, while Origami is spirit number 1, Sephirot Kether, force and light in its most subtle state that flows to the others, Malkuth is a reflection of Kether on a lower plane. The rivalry between Tohka and Origami reaches its definitive stage but there is still a small detail missing. That is, Origami, among the spirits, is the closest to God. But itâs still too early to talk about this. And yes, spirit number 10 is on the cover of volume 1 and spirit number 1 is on the cover of volume 10, I would have liked to come here and say that I discovered this but Tachibana put this information in the afterword. Her codename is "Angel", again this word, the name of the angel is Metatron. The title goes back to being in front of the spirit, in the composition âDateâ above and âA Liveâ below and whenever this happens the rule that must be respected is, the characters corresponding to âLiveâ are always positioned in the belly of the spirit. Last but not least, the background, this time very hidden and perhaps in a horizontal strip format, I say perhaps because that part of the astral dress occupies almost the entire cover in that part. The novelty is due to the positioning of the strip that frames Origamiâs legs, which gives a rather empty aspect to this cover. Referring to the position of Origamiâs Sephiroth, closest to God, above the other sephiroth, as well as referring to the main scene of this volume. The scenario is a bit hidden, there are some debris there but nothing that allows to fully identify the scene but obviously there is a fire happening there, which is obviously a reference to that relevant event again, the great fire in Tenguu-Nankou. I donât even need to say how relevant this event is to Origamiâs life, in her first illustration in volume 1, she says: âFive years ago a spirit killed my parents.â Finally, in my opinion this is one of the best covers, again, just imagine you go to the convenience store to buy this newly released volume and find out that Origami is a spirit, just by the shock the value is already high, if you already know the story of the anime and stop to analyze the cover, the value is double the previous one, if you know the whole story of Date a Live, and try to analyze the cover in a deeper way, the value is the squared of the previous one. Letâs open the volume. {Illustration 2} https://preview.redd.it/c4ugx8zkrg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d18e1c3a7176fb4e57acb7a7416e3183d5d526c7 Thereâs something different about this volume, the compositions have improved a lot, apparently a reflection of the success of the animation. The high school student and protagonist of this story, Shido Itsuka, says: âTohka and the other girls just want a normal life.â But wait, Shido is tied to a chair in a strange room and there in the middle is a bottle of water. Ok, it seems that Origami really changed sides. The wizard who hates spirits is unyielding and responds that she will not only kill the spirits, âbut also the entity that made me have a relationship with them.â In the middle of the illustration there is a crack in the wall, symbolic. {Illustration 3} https://preview.redd.it/7twwgnymrg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11bdb8e276eacb62eaf9ed7b353a704e5d8818c2 Another plot twist, Tohka is in full astral dress. And not only that, the spirit Tohka is making a declaration of hatred to Origami. âOrigami Tobiichi, I have hated you from the beginning, but the hatred I feel for you now is probably different from the hatred I used to have before and for that reason, this time I will intend to kill you, donât die, Origami.â Despite everything, this is a cute declaration because for the first time Tohka calls Origami by her name and not satisfied asks Origami to resist because even though she is angry, she does not want to kill Origami. Tohka will gain a little development in this volume, hence the illustration, we will talk about this scene later. {Illustration 4} https://preview.redd.it/e459j6oprg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bf272291179a955d8f2f06f1e7aea1bd4abcf4e Gentlemen, one of the best illustrations of DAL. The spirit Origami says: âMetatron!â Tohka says: âOrigami, why did you become a spirit!?â In a great composition by Tsunako, Tohka and Origami are referencing the positions of their sephiroth in the tree of life. Origami appears in a superior position, distant from the âcameraâ and in front of the sun representing illumination, Kether, while the representative of the Kingdom, Malkhut, is in a much lower position, in the foreground and with her back to the reader. So, besides everything, they are staring at each other, symbolizing the mirroring already mentioned before. And speaking of mirroring, do you remember the illustration I asked you to keep? As I know I asked a lot I will make it easier for you, I am talking about the mono illustration number 9 of volume 2, I warned that that image would be mirrored and there it is. In the aforementioned image Origami was still wearing a basic CR Unit from AST and Tohka for the first time debuted in her limited astral dress, the readerâs angle, our angle, brought Origami almost back in the foreground, in the image now the camera position has inversed and now we are with the vision of Tohka. A great illustration but what generates more content here for sure are the illustrations of the table of contents, Iâm sure the next one will please some people here. {Table of contents} https://preview.redd.it/pk2fbzqsrg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a97157f277b2b04ba05100a26aa8f41b9d96d5a1 Look whoâs back, Kurumi Tokisaki, itâs been a while since Iâve talked about âThe worst spirit.â But thereâs nothing enigmatic here, itâs just Kurumi from the back (weâve seen and will see many backs in this volume) and as for the phrase, she just stole Kotoriâs catchphrase, Iâm sure she wouldnât be happy if another character started saying âara araâ around. Anyway, just having Kurumi here is hype enough because, whether you like the girl or not, just her being here is a sign that something relevant is going to happen. {Mono Illustration 5} https://preview.redd.it/q15slhcwrg1d1.jpg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b701c43f35ccc5fbfc6be162cd2d428c19ae3817 Ellen seems confident, on the other hand Kotori seems impatient. To ensure that Fraxinus does not interfere with Origamiâs fight, Ellen plans to use the newest toy that DEM has manufactured, the Goetia ship (another name related to magic and occultism). Ellen and Kotori have a small dialogue where Shidoâs sister tries to provoke THE STRONGEST WIZARD IN THE WORLD, but Miss Matthers is calm today, at least until she mentions Woodman. The duel is unavoidable. {Mono Illustration 6} https://preview.redd.it/0a44e2fzrg1d1.jpg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f961966e5f536bd04af5f7325a8d7c98dcb9cce There is a lot to talk about here, letâs start with the context. Origami challenged the spirits Tohka, Yamais, and Miku to a fight to the death and by being equipped with the CR-Unit Mordred, Origami is able to build an advantage in the fight, she leaves Tohka unconscious and hurts the other 3 a lot, the former sergeant-major decides to start the killing by Yuzuru, precisely the spirit she got along with the most. It is at this moment that Tohka wakes up and seeing this whole scene she begins to go through the inversion process, but Tohka manages to interrupt this process, two passages stand out. âThis power would not save anyone.â She didnât want to save just Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Miku, she wanted to save Origami too. âShe was an arrogant, violent, uneducated, and foul-mouthed girl, Tohka never knew what was going on in the mind of that girl who always bothered her. Even so, Tohka wanted to hold that girlâs hands.â Tohka says: âShido, lend me your strength.â And she gets her full powers back. And so the two engage in a really cool fight, at this moment the narration becomes from Origamiâs point of view, there is a detailing about the features of Mordred and the fighting movements, time passes a little and Origami begins to feel too confident. She begins to ramble about having the ability to kill spirits, she begins to think about the death of her parents, about what she saw in the DEM report of the fire in Tenguu-Nankou. Clearly Origami is not well, finally her body collapses and we have an illustration. Now talking about the illustration itself, this is a reference to Mono Illustration 2 of volume 1, whose differences I highlight now. The most obvious difference is about Tohka who is no longer with that serious and empty look, here Tohka is clearly angry and screaming, in a way such expressiveness demonstrates how much this girl has developed. Still about Tohka, this time it is she who is making an attack movement, but there is no blood in this image, an indication that it was not an attack to kill. The other difference is about Origami, in that illustration I quote how much the âexpressionlessâ Origami demonstrated tension, effort, and pressure, and I highlight the drop of sweat on her face. Something we canât do here because this time Origami is with her back to the âcameraâ not allowing us to see her eyes. âThe eyes are the window to the soulâ So not showing the eyes is a strong symbolism, you canât read the personâs emotions, you canât even recognize the person, humanity is taken from the person and about this, this is the last illustration in which Origami Tobiichi is still human, because⊠{Mono illustration 7} https://preview.redd.it/1x6bx464sg1d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b88de0aa5fbe00002ce78523b449d149d102302f Origami became a spirit. âHey, is it power that you desire?â âWhat are you?â Origami used [What] instead of [Who] in reflex. [It] might have guessed what she meant and laughed as if it found it funny. âWhat I am doesnât matter now.â After becoming spirit Origami, without delay, she goes to Tohka and then we have the illustration which is of Origami using Metatronâs Shemesh skill. {Mono Illustration 9} https://preview.redd.it/43ary5y9sg1d1.jpg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25ec601b07e71cd20bc3f1061f2dd8f32daa25df Ara, ara. Origami was so crazy that it was only after seeing Shido and running away from there that this girl began to understand the points, mainly about who gave her the spirit powers, the mysterious âPhantomâ. She reflects a little more and realizes that a certain spirit may have the ability to go back in time. About the illustration itself, another beautiful composition by Tsunako, in it we can contemplate Kurumi, apparently on a terrace, with building lights, Kurumi appears joyful in seeing Origami. âItâs been a long time, Origami-san!â As for Origami, again she is with her back turned and carrying a clone of Kurumi. The anime softened but here in the novel Origami seems to have returned the âaffectionâ that Kurumi had done to her in volume 3 in the form of a very strong âmassageâ. But the clone does not seem to have liked it. âI did not come here to fight.â âAmong the 12 bullets, is there one that can go back in time?â Kurumi makes a little suspense but answers that, yes, there is, Origami asks her to lend her this bullet. At first Kurumi denies, but since we are talking a little more about the Kabbalah, the Sephiroth of the worst spirit is Binah, the understanding, realizing that Tobiichi would not leave there without a âyesâ as an answer Kurumi asks âwhy?â âI want to go back 5 years and kill the spirit that killed my parents.â At this moment the narration enters Kurumiâs thoughts, she begins to think that Origami came to her because she felt so invincible and therefore would force Kurumi to do what she wants, if necessary. But then Kurumi begins to think that it was just a miscalculation by the girl, a miscalculation caused by the temptation to change the past. âAnd Kurumi understood so much that it even hurt.â Kurumi accepts but will not do this for free, time travel would cost a lot of lifetime, but that would not be a problem since now Origami has plenty of it. {Mono Illustration 10} https://preview.redd.it/fyubgawdsg1d1.jpg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e79e4113ca1068c56d0cf786c3ab77843b720e36 Origami discovered the harsh truth. She really went to the past, had a brief fight with Phantom, managed to be the first to take off Phantomâs "mask", also managed to hear Phantomâs real voice, and when she thought she had also managed to save her parents, when she looked down there was a little girl swearing Origami to death, the little girl was Origami herself 5 years ago. âI will definitely kill you!â âWho killed⊠my father and my mother⊠Was meâŠâ - Mini review of the volume.
This was Volume 10, released on March 20, 2014, about 2 weeks before the second season premiered, and itâs a sensational volume. First of all, itâs a volume full of plot twists, Shido in private imprisonment, Origami fighting with the intention to kill 4 spirits at once, Fraxinus being defeated by Ellenâs Goetia, Tohka returning to use a full astral dress, Origami becoming a spirit, Origami going to the past, Origami facing Phantom, Origami killing her own parents, the illustrations end there but thereâs still a lot of content, Origami inverts, Inverse Origami destroys all of Tenguu City and finally Kurumi going to Shido, Shido also being sent to the past. Entertainment and tension are not lacking here. Did you notice that the lore makes a lot of references to the first volumes? This volume also makes a point of rewarding the reader for all this time following the story, the plot twist of Origami for example, was foreshadowed back in Volume 1, when she aims at Tohka but hits and "kills" Shido, from there a big hint that Origami has the bad habit of killing, by accident, the people she loves the most. Origami was not the only character developed here, Tohka also grows and thanks the Shidoâs ideology, at no time did she deny the existence of Origami and even though she said she was going to attack to kill she asked Origami not to die. Although short, Kurumi had a great participation and we were able to learn more about her and for someone who is known as âthe worst spiritâ she was quite kind. The only impediment for Volume 10 to sit alongside the best volumes of DAL is because most of the answers are in the next volume and when we take into consideration what both have to offer, the overall impression about Volume 10 improves, after all there is a big cliffhanger for Volume 11. Origami managed to take off Phantomâs âmaskâ and even hear her voice, with that we can know that Phantom is a girl and is someone Origami knows, that is, she is also someone we know. Thatâs it, Origami was a spirit all this time, and next we will find out how Shido and Kurumi will solve this mess. Finally, stay with this iconic phrase that Origami says in this volume, the phrase says a lot about many things in DAL. âI will now wield this power to defeat the Spirits. I will become the Spirit that kills Spirits. Once I eliminate all SpiritsââââI will erase the last one, meâ. Previous Reviews. - volume 1 - The color of the Night. - volume 2 - Yoshinon and the Rain. - volume 3 - The smile of Kurumi. - volume 4 - Sister or Girlfriend? - volume 5 - Yamais - volume 6 - Lilies, she likes - volume 7 - The Dark of the Night. - volume 8 - What do people do on Halloween? - volume 9 - Natsumi Without Costume submitted by IseKai_MC to datealive [link] [comments] |
2024.05.20 00:39 TheBookhuntress DEATH MATCH - CONFESSIONS - ROUND 2 MATCH 6
Sorry for the delay but I'm still drunk on all the content we got from LOL FanFest and I haven't even gone deep into day 2. What a blessing this weekend was!!
Anyways, here we have Round 2 of the Death Match, category: VIPERS!!
On the left, a selfish character that couldn't care less about those he hurt to get what he wanted and on the right, another who contrary to what his name suggested, couldn't take no for an answer!
Support your champions! You have 1 day to vote for each match.
MATCH 6!! View Poll submitted by
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2024.05.19 23:47 MegaSmurf101 [FNV] NPC animations aren't working, any help?
I am very new at modding this game, not only that but this is also my first playthrough of the game. I've modded the game up to where I can enjoy the rest of it with no other mods, but now I'm facing this persistent issue with NPC animations (see video).
I have no idea what mod is causing it. I did follow Viva New Vegas' guide and everything worked well until I added a couple more mods that I liked off of Nexus.
This is my load order:
- FalloutNV.esm
- DeadMoney.esm
- HonestHearts.esm
- OldWorldBlues.esm
- LonesomeRoad.esm
- GunRunnersArsenal.esm
- ClassicPack.esm
- MercenaryPack.esm
- TribalPack.esm
- CaravanPack.esm
- YUP - Base Game + All DLC.esm
- NavmeshOverhaul.esm
- fixy crap ue.esp
- Landscape Texture Improvements.esm
- Vanilla Enhancements.esm
- Landscape Texture Improvements - YUP Patch.esm
- Bad Touch.esm
- Uncut Wasteland.esm
- Functional Post Game Ending.esm
- TLD_Travelers.esm
- FCOMaster.esm
- Better Brotherhood.esm
- Functional Post Game Ending - YUP Patch.esm
- Functional Post Game Ending - Uncut Wasteland Patch (VNV).esp
- MikotoBeauty.esm
- SomeguySeries.esm
- QS3rdPerCamOverhaul.esm
- DLpndPowerSlider.esm
- Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus.esp
- YUP - NPC Fixes (Base Game + All DLC).esp
- NVMIM.esp
- Crafting Consistency Fix.esp
- Impostors and LOD Flicker Fix.esp
- ExRB.esp
- The Mod Configuration Menu.esp
- Vanilla UI Plus.esp
- JustAssortedMods.esp
- ImmersiveRecoil.esp
- Follower Tweaks.esp
- DelayDLCRedux.esp
- FCO - NPC Changes.esp
- Vurt's WFO.esp
- Vigor.esp
- Vigor - SMIM Patch.esp
- delilah.esp
- Little More Lamplight.esp
- DLC Enhancements.esp
- Russell.esp
- Varmint Rifle 22LR.esp
- FCO - OHSB NPC Edits.esp
- EVEM - YUP Patch.esp
- EVEM - Crafting Consistency Fix Patch.esp
- EVEM - Vigor Patch.esp
- Trap Tweaks.esp
- Uncut Wasteland - YUP Patch.esp
- Uncut Wasteland (VNV) - Vigor Patch.esp
- Holster.esp
- Uncut Wasteland (VNV) - EVEM Patch.esp
- Misc Content Restoration.esp
- Misc Content Restoration - YUP Patch.esp
- Misc Content Restoration - UW (VNV) Patch.esp
- FPGE - EVEM Patch.esp
- Essential DLC Enhancements Merged - JSUE Patch.esp
- Better Brotherhood - YUP Patch.esp
- Better Brotherhood - FPGE Patch.esp
- FNV FaceGen Fix.esp
- rockbiter_AnimationSounds.esp
- B42Inertia.esp
- Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks - EVEM Patch.esp
- Interior Rain.esp
FalloutNV_lang.esp
- FCO - GlowingOne.esp
- FCO - Delilah.esp
- MikotoBeauty.esp
- FCO - Russell.esp
- Eyepatch.esp
- A Bois race.esp
- Robert S Body Replacer.esp
- HairPatcher.esp
- FOVSlider.esp
- Enhanced Movement.esp
- RWD-NV v1.4 [Standard Version].esp
- HitLuckyReload.esp
- Realistic Movement.esp
- Realistic AI Movement 1.0.esp
- Climbing.esp
- Player Headtracking.esp
- Diagonal movement.esp
- PerkEveryLevel.esp
- Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks.esp
- Strip Lights Region Fix.esp
- DNWeathers.esp
- CC - Rain.esp
- CC - 3D Rain.esp
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
https://reddit.com/link/1cvzbwb/video/hgkm9x4wcg1d1/player submitted by
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2024.05.19 23:36 JustPlummy mother, lady, wife
Spring had finally begun to fully settle over Casterly Rock, and the early season showers had slowly given way to serene, sunny afternoons. Joanna kept the windows cast open as often as she could, especially in the nursery. The children would need the fresh sea air to preserve their health, what with so much travelling ahead of them.
Daena most of all, blessed creature.
Joanna had perched herself on the edge of Daenaâs bed, running a comb through the princessâ tangled tresses. Daena was doing her utmost not to fidget from her place on the horsehair bench, and failing.
âIt hurts,â she reported, though Joanna had taken care to be generous with the oil she put on the comb.
âI know, precious, but this is why you ought to let me braid your hair before you venture into the brambles.â
She hummed a tune from a play theyâd seen the evening prior, which distracted Daena for a good while until the Princess started squirming once more.
âI made you something,â she said after a time.
âOh?â
âBy myself, with my needles.â
Without turning round, Daena stuck a hand under the waist of her skirt to rummage through her pockets, eventually producing a small wad of cloth.
Joanna couldnât determine what it was with any certainty, but she inspected it with awe nonetheless.
âSuch fine craftsmanship! Show me how to use it properly.â
âYou do it like this,â Daena said, dabbing the cloth against her face. âBut with water.â
A washcloth, Joanna realised.
âOh, how thoughtful of you. Iâll treasure it always. Thank you, sweetling.â
Daena settled then for a while, it seemed, listening patiently to Joannaâs humming. It was a play about the trials of a young shepherd. Willem had spent much of his time since imitating the sheep, bleating at his siblings while they broke their fast. It caught her by surprise when Daena spoke next.
âI wish you were my mother.â
Joanna paused, halfway through a tangle. She set the brush aside, leaning down to envelop Daena in an embrace.
âI would be so honoured to have a daughter like you, but we ought not to discuss such things.â
âWhy not?â
âBecause it would make your mother sad. We can be something else, if you want. Something special, but different.â
Daena was content with that for only a moment. Joanna hadnât even begun to tackle the next knot when a small hand closed around hers. Daena had twisted in her seat to look up at her.
âMy mother wonât be sad. Sheâs never sad.â
âI had a lovely little girl much like you, once. I know it would have made me sad.â
That was enough new information for her to ponder in silence. Daena resumed her obedient position between Joannaâs knees and let her finish her work on her hair. It shone in the firelight, a molten mix of silver and gold. Joanna weaved it into two neat plaits before pinning them, one overtop the other, to form a crown at the top of her head.
âThere we are. You look lovely, Princess.â
âAre we going sailing today?â
Joanna wished that Damon had neglected the topic entirely, but heâd slipped, mentioning their plans to the children over breakfast. While Desmond was entirely uninterestedâ or perhaps more excited to have the opportunity to get up to mischief without themâ Daena was less than thrilled at the idea that she was not invited.
âAnother day, perhaps. Itâll just be me and your father, Iâm afraid.â
âCanât I go with you?â
âNot this time.â
âI never get sick on the boat.â
âIâve never been afraid of that.â
âI donât understand. Why do you have to be alone?â
âBecause, little dove, people who love one another want to spend time together.â
âYou love him?â
âWhat do you think?â
Joanna squished Daenaâs cheeks between her hands just to watch her squirm before sending her off with a kiss.
She met Damon at the docks before the sun had sunk below the horizon, casting its light in shades of red, orange, pink and purple all across the sky. She wondered if she ought to have been worried by the invitation, given his sudden morbid fascination with an untimely death, but the evening was too lovely to squander contemplating such matters.
âA thousand apologies for the delay, Your Grace. Your daughterâs hair was beyond saving.â
âA family trait, Iâm afraid,â Damon said with a smile, and he extended a hand to help her onto The Maid of the Mist.
She rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek once safely on board.
The Maid of the Mist was one of the few places where both she and he could truly be alone â no Kingsguard, no city watch, no advisors⊠just the two of them. Oftentimes, theyâd retreat into themselves, Damon focused entirely on the sails, the rudder, the horizon, herself daydreaming of what could have been.
Being alone together was something they both cherished and had unfortunately found little time for in recent weeks. Joannaâs residual anger aside, Damon had been too preoccupied with the Great Council to escape. Once again, they were left to pretend that things were simpler, and that theyâd never ceased taking the opportunity to enjoy each otherâs company in contented silence.
Once Casterly Rock was far enough behind them and Damon had set the sails, they found each other. Damon had kicked off his boots and sat himself by the rudder, leaving a place for Joanna to sidle up against him. It was quiet, save for the lapping of the waves, and slowly she could feel the tension theyâd boarded with melting away.
âMy sister will be arriving soon.â It was Damon who broke the silence after a time.
âI have everything in hand. You neednât worry.â
âIâm worrying about the things that cannot be in hand. Such as my sister herself.â
âI think you forget how well I know your sister.â
âKnew my sister.â He looked down at her, nestled in the crook of his arm, and raised an eyebrow. âHave you forgotten the reception she gave you in Oldtown?â
âI had other things on my mind. Seeing you again, mainly. Besides, weâve always had that sort of relationship. The push and pull.â
âAnother thing about women I suppose Iâll never understand.â
She looked up to see him smiling; she hated that she could forgive that sort of grin so readily. Doubly so now that their son shared one that looked much the same. She swatted him before settling back into his arm.
âDonât spoil the moment, Damon Lannister.â
He squeezed her tighter to himself.
âIâm glad we have this moment.â
Her throat suddenly felt unbearably tight. Every conversation theyâd had as of late had been tinged with a sense of foreboding, as though a fortune teller had promised Damon that his death waited just around the corner.
âThe children are displeased with their new wardrobes.â
âOh?â
âWell, Willem didnât fuss at least, and Daena is positively delighted weâll match. Desmond, however⊠was very unhappy. Especially about the stiffness of his shirt collars.â
âHm. There will be more than just the children unhappy with a matching ensemble.â
âI donât mean to offend. In truth, if I thought it bothered you, I never would have suggested it.â
Damon pulled away to look her in the eyes. âNo, it doesnât bother me. Quite the opposite, in fact. It brings me great pleasure to see our family presented as it ought to be.â He leaned back into their embrace. âItâs only my sister I was thinking of,â he explained. âThough nothing will be able to appease Ashara in this regard, and so half measures are whole wastes of our time.â
âAshara is hardly the sort to be unhappy without reason.â
âI donât mean to say she hasnât her reasons, only that those reasons neednât beckon me to action. I cannot fix the worldâs unhappiness, Joanna, but I can try to make my children happy. I can try to make you happy. Tell me how I can make you happy.â
âI am the most happy.â
âHm. And yet not the most believable.â
She scowled at him then, though it was only half meant, and quickly soothed when he offered her an apology kiss in turn.
âI have something for you.â
âIâve heard that from one Lannister already today.â
âOh?â
âDaena made me a washcloth.â
âAh, is that what that was?â
âAs though you could ever present a gift even half as worthy â handmade, thoughtful.â
Damon raised an eyebrow playfully. âWhat I have for you is handmade, just⊠Well, not by my own hands, necessarily. And thoughtful? I hope so. A great deal of thought went into it. All the thoughts I have, in fact.â
âWell, not to be greedy but get on with it then.â
âWait here.â He got up, taking care not to disturb her, and moved to the cabin.
Joanna pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them. The breeze off the Sunset Sea was warm. Spring has truly settled in and she decided that should summer never come, that would be fine enough. This was fine enough â for both of them.
When Damon returned he was carrying a small leather pouch in his hands, which he held with care as he took his seat back beside her on the deck.
âI hope it isnât another washcloth, darling, because I already have a favourite.â
âHere, see for yourself.â He gingerly passed her the bag, not being able to contain a final, âcareful,â as he did so.
Joanna opened the bag carefully to find a set of jewelsâ necklace, earrings, bracelet and small sunburst tiara, all in the most dazzling matching rubies.
âThese are Lannister jewels.â
âTheyâre your jewels.â
âNo, theyâreââ
âTheyâre yours, Joanna. For decades now, theyâve been set aside for you.â
Joanna felt almost afraid to touch them, still holding the open satchel and staring at the treasure within. When she reached a hand forward, her fingers were trembling and she could not bring herself to continue.
âPut them on,â Damon insisted.
âNo, you put them on me.â
He obeyed, taking back the satchel and then sitting up properly to clasp the necklace around her throat, the earrings on her ears, the teeth of the tiaraâs comb in her hair, the bracelet around her slender wrist. The last she could see glittering in the sun reflected off the Sunset Sea.
She wished she could see the rest of them.
âWell, how do I look? Like the Lady of the Rock?â It felt strange to say out loud. Theyâd been dancing around the subject for so long.
âYouâve always looked like the Lady of the Rock, Joanna. Now you look like my wife.â
He had always been the only one who could make her blush.
âIâd say to never take them off, but you do have to sleep, I suppose.â
She laughed, feeling light and breathless as she tilted her wrist to watch the gold of her bracelet catch the gold of sunlight.
âI wonder,â Damon said, âhow it would be for you to do so in my bed once more.â
âI have been sleeping in your bed, Damon.â Joanna refused to let him be coy. âAre you asking me to bed you properly?â
If he were embarrassed, he was trying not to let it show and Joanna delighted in that.
âI am the Lord of the Rock, am I not? What am I to do with its Lady?â
âI think youâll be disappointed when you find that this lady does as she pleases.â
As if heâd taken it for a challenge, Damon leaned over to slide an arm around her waist, pressing his forehead against hers. She could feel her hair brush the floorboards of the deck, and at once wanted to feel them under her back.
âYouâre my wife, Joanna,â he said, murmuring the words as he buried his face in her neck, the heavy gold and ruby earrings becoming tangled in his windswept curls. âI want to have another child with you â I want to have seven children with you. Itâs a holy number, Joanna, donât you see?â
âWell, I do believe we made our last on this boatâŠâ With his lips against her throat she found it harder to come up with the right words â the sensible word â no. That no, it was too risky, that no, they had gone far too far already, that no, to push even further now would be taunting the very gods themselves withâ
âSix more to go, then.â
âDamonâŠâ
âIf my life were to end tomorrow, my only regret would be that I didn't spend more of it with you, Joanna, that I didn't leave this world without leaving more of you and I together in it.â
âDonât talk like that, you arenâtââ
âBut we can fix that â we can fix something at least, right now.â
Joanna slid her fingers into his messy hair, the golden bracelet disappearing into golden curls. She knew what was sensible, but The Maid of the Mist was hardly a place to be sensible. It was home, after all. For all of them.
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2024.05.19 22:54 CDown01 Eagles Peak pt. 5.5
Previous Part I grabbed the back pack Bianca had left in the kitchen and waited in the living room. I had no idea what she was packing for but after this morning I wasnât going up there to check. I wasnât really sure what I wanted to ask Tuck yet. I wanted him to tell me he was a werewolf himself, that seemed like pretty important information just on the basis of trust. But I also wanted to know why he was really out by the mine yesterday. His story didnât add up and thereâs no way he knew we would be up there, I think that was just a coincidence. As I was trying to come up with exactly how I wanted to broach the question to Tuck, Frank put a hand on my shoulder. He was wearing his lab coat so I guessed he just came up from the basement. The hairnet he always seemed to wear when he was working was in its usual spot. I suppose he wore it to protect the memory of hair that was once on his head. He looked solemn and a little sick as he turned to me.
âKeep her out of trouble will you? I know we havenât always been the best to her and Iâm sure Stein and I donât really give her the help she needs. But sheâs like the daughter I never had time to have, I couldnât live with myself if something happened to her.â
âFrank, you probably do more than you know for her. Did she ever talk about her family with you?â
âVery briefly throughout the years, I donât know if sheâs told you much or anything for that matter. It⊠it certainly wasnât easy for her growing up and it never got easier.â
âIâll do my best to keep her out of trouble. If she does end up following me into⊠whatever this trial ends up being just promise me youâll have a way to get her out. Some kind of contingency, I can fend for myself but Iâve seen her just shut down before. Like yesterday in the caves someone grabbed her and she lashed out and just⊠wasnât herself. She just froze and I donât want that to happen anywhere near Shaoni.â
âIâll work on something but I canât promise that. Like Stein said weâre scientists, we donât really do field work like that. If I do come up with something youâll be the first to know. Iâm glad she ran into you when she did Keith, she could really use a friend.â
With that Frank walked away, back towards the kitchen and into the basement.
It wasnât long after that when I heard Bianca coming down the stairs asking if anyone had seen her toothbrush. At which point Rocco appeared in front of me from god knows where holding a suspicious disassembled toothbrush.
âNot. A. Word. Kid.â
Rocco growled at me as he scampered out the door behind me.
âI have a couple that I packed for the trip here from Wisconsin I can just give you one of those.â
I called to Bianca. Partially because I wanted to get a move on and partially because I wanted no part in whatever Rocco was getting up to. If there was one supernatural thing about this town it was that raccoonâs knack for mischief. I get thatâs what raccoons are known for but seriously, Rocco was on another level. Bianca reluctantly agreed to take one of the travel tooth brushes I had back at my house. I wasnât even going to ask why she packed a duffle bag to go a few hundred feet into town and back again.
âCome on weâll take the bikes again.â
Bianca said as she made her way behind the house.
âIâm telling you theyâre going to give me tetanus one of these days but sure. Lets just stop at my place first, I want to drop off this backpack you took yesterday first.â
Bianca was still wearing the ratty jeans sheâd taken from me yesterday and at this point I just figured she could have them. I really wasnât about to get into an argument as to why she should take my pants off and⊠ugh even saying it is just⊠no. Those were hers now as far as I was concerned.
We rode over to my house through the crisp autumn afternoon. The trees along the street were finally being to change color, it looked like a scene from a postcard. One of those oneâs of the idyllic towns that couldâve come straight out of a hallmark movie. I had to give it to Eagles Peak, it may by turning into a den of vipers for me minute by minute but it sure could be beautiful, in itâs own isolated kind of way.
âWow its very⊠small.â
Bianca commented as she stepped into my house and looked around.
âYeah not everyone has a blank check from two different governments like Stein.â
âI didnât mean liâŠâ
âItâs ok I know what you meant, its different.â
I said cutting her off before she had the chance to apologize. I dropped off the backpack in my room and rooted around in the one duffle bag I still hadnât unpacked from my trip here. I found the toothbrush without to much trouble and walked into the living room to give it to Bianca only to find her unpacking on the couch.
âWhatâs going on here, are you moving in?â
I joked, not expecting the answer I was about to get.
âYeah, kind of hard to keep an eye on you from my house. I suppose I could from the top floor but if weâre working against Shaoni that doesnât seem like a great idea. Sheâs got that whole thing with lighting and I get the sense her being angry at you while your up in the air isnât a great combination.â
Bianca said, unpacking a blanket like she wasnât just inserting herself into my house.
âWHAT?â
I shouted, maybe a little too loud.
âIs there a problem?I thought you wanted me looking out for you, this is me, doing that.â
She said looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. Youâve got to understand, those eyes coming from someone like Bianca, glowing or otherwise, well you just canât say no to that. When itâs Bianca you
really canât say no. She can just take that option away in an instant but again she didnât for me, it was still my choice.
âI.. sure but you can have my bed. Weâll get everything set up once we get back from the Roost. You did tell Frank and Stein about this right?â
I gave in, deciding to let her stay.
âIâm a big girl, they doinât need to know everything I do, and⊠thanksâ
âItâs alright, just let me know next time youâre going to pull something like this ok?â
I added, equal parts excited to actually have someone to talk to besides myself in my own home, and worried what Frank and Stein might think was going on here. I put those thoughts out of my head for the moment as we got back on the bikes.
It was about 3 by the time we made it to Tuckâs bar after the delay Bianca had caused by moving herself out before we left. Just as I expected the sign said closed but the door was unlocked. The bar looked exactly the same as the last time I was there. Stone fireplace roaring and pristine wooden floor looking like it had been polished just this morning. Tuck was sitting behind the bar looking worse for wear. The look on his face said he knew we were coming and he wasnât to thrilled about it.
âDoes he know?â
Tuck asked pointedly, looking straight through me and speaking to Bianca.
âAbout me or you, because the answer is both of us.â
Tuck shook his head at this and a grim look came over him.
âYa shouldnât have pulled him into this.â
âActually I pulled her into it if anything, going out there was my idea. Iâve got a mark like Robertâs, its actually what brought me to town in the first place.â
I said, hoping my honesty would get the same out of Tuck.
âSo that bird called ya out here somehow?â
âMore or less, but thatâs not what Iâm here about. I want to know why exactly you followed us out there yesterday.â
Tuck sighed and gestured to the seats at the bar, beckoning Bianca and I to take a seat.
âWhen Robert chased ya out the other night some of his friends came by. They all got that mark like him, they were sayinâ something about the thunderbird makinâ an appearance back at the old mine. I wanted to see for myself and make sure they were wrong. I found those bikes and ended up followinâ the trail. By the time I got there some guys were poking around that hole in the wall and a storm had kicked up. I saw them cut that rope and figured they werenât doinâ no good. I⊠changed and dealt with them then forced my way into the old mine entrance, the rest ya already know cause I ran into ya not long after.â
This story made more sense to me, Tuck never came out there to find me, I just so happened to be out there. Those boulders I thought were moved had been, by Tuck which made me question just how strong he was. Each of those huge things had to weigh tons and there were three strewn about the entrance.
âOk that makes more sense than what you told me, but what were you hoping to accomplish up there. If you ran into the thunderbird what would you have done?â
âI just wanted to make sure it wasnât really up there again but the storm seemed to say otherwise. No storm like that just pops up and goes away, the bird had to be involved with that.â
âActually she was there, just not as some huge bird. She was down in the caves with us but she looked human, native American to be more precise. Thatâs how I met her when I got marked and now sheâs holding some kind of trial out in those mines.â
âYou met the thunderbird, its a person? What does she want with this place now.â
Tuck said his demeanor changing into one full of concern. I didnât know what else to say cause at the moment I didnât actually know much more than that. Itâs infuriating, this being in the dark thing. I just settled for dodging the question.
âNot to change the topic but are we to early to grab a bite to eat?â
I wish I had a camera handy because the face Tuck made at that whiplash change of topics was priceless. I canât properly do it justice with words. Suffice it to say one of his eyebrows hit the ceiling while the other hit the floor and a violently confused expression plastered his face.
âSure I guess, what do the two of ya want!â
Tuck exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air and walking back behind the counter. I ended up ordering some fried chicken sandwich with bacon and pickles, and as I took the first bite my risk of heart attack increased ten fold. Bianca ordered the same thing and was pecking at it inquisitively when I asked,
âSo whatâs the story with Rocco?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI mean why, why did Frank and Stein make him in the first place?â
I asked through a mouthful of greasy goodness.
âWell I think it started out as a joke, then Stein actually wanted an assistant and that joke became Rocco. They worked on him for a while, pretty much they took a random raccoon off the street and played around in its head. I know there was some gene splicing involved but if you want to know how they did it ask them.â
âSo he was supposed to be an assistant in the lab? I think Iâve seen him doing one thing to help them out this whole time and he was poking through a back alley for old batteries.â
âYeah, heâs not a great assistant, must be good enough though cause they havenât tossed him out.â
âAre you kidding me! If they tossed him out he be so much worse! Just think, Rocco left to his own devices without any supervision.â
Both of us shuddered at the thought, if he was bad now heâd be a menace to society without the little control we had over him.
Bianca and I ate and eventually Tuck came out and I told him my story about Imalone. He seemed really concerned at the fact that the thunderbird could be walking around town and he wouldnât know about it. I assured him that Shaoni was really hard to miss if you just looked at the eyes. It wasnât like she looked any different either, no matter what she was wearing those tattoos would be a dead giveaway. Tuck assured me he was going to keep an eye out and gave me his number to call if I saw her. I donât want to talk down on Bianca, but something about having a werewolf looking out for me as well was reassuring. Tuck told us a bit about what he was doing with Frank and Stein too. Apparently he contracted his âdiseaseâ as he called it long before he came to work in Eagles Peak. He was originally from Louisiana and moved to New York for a change of scenery and ended up getting a job in the mines here around 1940. I should also mention Tuck ages very slowly due to his âdiseaseâ so he looks like heâs in his 50âs or so but he was born in 1900. To his credit youâd never know he was anything other than your friendly middle aged bartender.
Bianca and I were getting ready to leave as it came time to open the bar for real. When Tuck offered us a round of drinks on the house.
âNo, no thatâs alright Tuck, youâve done enough for us weâll see you later.â
Bianca politely declined, pulling me towards the door. After I said my goodbyes and we had gotten back to the bikes I asked Bianca,
âDo you not drink? Iâm not judging just⊠when Tuck offered you seemed kind of jumpy.â
âI just never have, I was kind of bouncing around the country when I turned 21 so I just never started.â
âSo your telling me you never had your first drink? Well, we have to fix that then.â
âAre you sure?â
âYeah, its like a right of passage where Iâm from. Weâll pick up a six pack or something on the way back but we donât have to do anything if you donât want to.â
I said, trying to convince her. Iâm not a huge drinker but I am from Wisconsin, alcohol is a way of life out there and weâre know for our beer. In my family turning 21 and having your first drink is cause to bring the whole family together. I couldnât do that for her but I could at least give her the experience, maybe give her just one more good thing to remember.
Bianca agreed and we pulled into the Save-A-Lot just outside town. The building was painted white bit it was slowly peeling away revealing a concrete grey underneath. The big glowing sign was missing a few letters now simply reading Sav- -Lo. Despite its decaying state it still had the classic beer cave inside. I took a second to look for something from Wisconsin, call me a snob but we do beer right. I settled on a 12 pack of Leinenkugel, that was close enough to home for me. Bianca trailed behind me in the store, a bit like a scared cat looking for a place to hide. Obviously she didnât get out much and having people she didnât really know much about was stressing her out somewhat. We got to the checkout and an older cashier eyed my suspiciously.
âCan I see an IDâ
She croaked in a hoarse smokey voice. Now I donât always look my age but Iâm 28 there was no reason to try and ID me. That didnât really bother me so much as the fact that my wallet was still at home. Iâve been spending the cash Bianca gave me back when I watched her house and I just keep that in my pocket. I also have a bad habit of only brining my wallet when I knew I would need it instead of carrying it on me. Regardless I started to sweat a little as I tried to explain the situation.
âYou see I would but I left mine at home and Iâm not sure ifâŠâ
I was cut off by Bianca reaching out and brushing the cashierâs hand Then looking her straight in the eye. I knew exactly what she was doing.
âLook we donât have an ID for you right now can you just take it on faith?â
âI understand sweetie, here why donât I cover it for you, my treat.â
The cashier said, turning a complete 180 on her previous question. I looked from Bianca to the old woman a few times before Bianca finally shrugged.
âWhat?â
I wondered if it was that easy for her to change my mind back when she manipulated me into watching the house.
âSo she just payed for it?â
I asked Bianca as we walked back to the bikes.
âThat was her, not that I couldnât make her do that. As far as I can work out, if I suggest something people tend to do it. Over the years I learned how to control that to the point where Iâm only able to do it when I want to. Frank said it has something to do with pheromones in my breath or something like that.â
Bianca explained, hoping onto her bike and keeping pace with me back towards my house. I didnât ask for an explanation but she gave it. Iâm not really sure pheromones were something that could have that profound of an effect on someone but Iâd just add it to the list of questions Iâd have to ask Frank or Stein at some point.
âStill it was a bit weird seeing it from the outside. Was I that easy to convince before?â
Bianca got a mischievous look in her eye.
âOh, you were so much easier, I barley needed to try. Just flip my hair and flutter my eyes a few times and that was that.â
She said, smiling devilishly at me. I blushed a little bit, partly because thatâs probably all it wouldâve taken from someone who looked like her and partly because I was embarrassed that she might not just be poking fun at me.
âNo you definitely did something to me, I lost like 6 hours in your kitchen! That was you rightâŠright?!â
I asked a little nervous. Bianca just laughed and pedaled off ahead of me. She did not put my mind at ease with any sort of answer but she did beat me back to the house.
When I got in She was sitting on the couch sorting through a pile of movies she pulled out of her duffle bag. She really had just thrown the entire contents of her room into a bag and brought them over. Bianca seemed to settle on a movie before she realized Iâd walked in.
âSo you like horror?â
I said, gesturing to the same movies Iâd seen lying out earlier when I watched her house.
âYeah, I just like seeing how people think all these things act. Like Tuck, werewolves are always looked at as these big imposing things in movies but heâs a puppy in comparison.â
âThe guy looks like he could tear me apart down the middle with his bare hands buuuut, I see your point.â
Thinking back to every interaction Iâd had with the guy so far, he never really was as scary as he looked. I sat down on the couch, dropping the case of beer on the coffee table.
âSo, have you picked out a movie yet?â
To which Bianca closed her eyes and poked at a random movie in the pile. âDog Soldiersâ, it was called, actually I think Iâve heard of that movie before. One of those its so bad its entertaining things. I popped the movie into my DVD player and sat back, handing Bianca a beer.
â Is this how normal people feel?â
She asked as the movie started.
âDepends on what you mean by normal, even then Iâm not sure thatâs the question Iâd be asking. Maybe you just finally have a chance to relax after years of never being able to.â
âOh sure, Iâll just relax now that I know we have the actual thunderbird looking to force you into some kind of trial.â
Bianca joked sarcastically before suddenly softening and taking a sip of her beer.
âUggg thatâs bitter⊠but not bad. Maybe your onto something Kieth.â
I donât remember much from the movie. One scene stuck with me, a guy trying to fist fight a werewolf. It was already campy but the effects on the werewolf were just dated enough to make it that much funnier. Bianca and I couldnât help but to Imagine Tuck as the werewolf, bewildered as to why this scrawny thing thought it could fight him. At some point the beer ran out, Bianca and I making it through the whole case. I remember getting up to go to my own room and Bianca pulling me back. What I didnât remember though was letting Shaoni into my house. I was woken up by a tap on my shoulder, coming face to face with her. Shaoniâs hand was on one shoulder and Biancaâs head was on the other. At some point we both feel asleep on the couch together, the TV was still on, illuminating the dark room.
âWell well, I wasnât expecting you to have guests Keith.â
Shaoni mocked, clicking her tongue at me as she finished. She wore the same white night dress Iâd seen her in before. Something in the house was open, a window, a door? I didnât know but the smells of an autumn rainstorm blew into the house, a storm no doubt caused by Shaoni.
âI⊠its not what it looks like.â
I stammered out, embarrassed to be caught like this.
âI donât care what you get up to in your free time Keith. I just came to tell you Iâll expect you at the mine tomorrow, The trials will be starting soon and I want everyone who will be participating to meet each other, you will be participating, wonât you Keith?â
She asked like it was a question but it really wasnât, wether I liked it or not I was going to be there, I could come willingly or kicking and screaming. She was simply asking which I wanted it to be.
âWhen do you want me there?â
âOh donât worry about that, Iâll send someone to collect you around noon.â
With that she turned to walk away, but I wasnât done with her yet.
âWait! What exactly are these trials, what am I going to be doing out there?â
âThat would spoil the surprise Keith, be patient, youâll know in time. That pretty little thing there, her name wouldnât happen to be Bianca, would it?â
Shaoni asked, pointing at Bianca who was still asleep on my shoulder.
âHow did you know that?â
I shot back, immediately jumping to Biancaâs defense. I hadnât known her all that long true, but I didnât want her any closer to this than she had to be.
âOh no reason.â
Shaoni said with a snicker that sounded more like a hiss. With that she disappeared, and I mean she was just gone. One minute she was there the next there was a gust of wind and a brief flash of light and she was gone. The disruption was enough to wake Bianca up finally.
âUgh, head..stillâŠspinning.â
âHeh, I think you overdid it a bit last night.â
âUgh maybe.â
She said, holding her head that still rested on my shoulder.
âWhatâs going on anyway, whyâd you wake me up.â
âItâs just⊠well things are moving a bit faster than I hoped.â
I said, trying to reassure her that it was nothing, most likely failing miserably but she didnât seem to notice. There was a second there that I thought maybe things could just be normal. This whole thing would just blow over and Shaoni would never come back and get me for these âtrialsâ but I always knew it was wishful thinking. Now Bianca was a part of it to somehow, that had made up my mind. Sheâd been through enough, now Shaoni seemed interested in her all of a sudden. If putting myself through these trials kept her away from Bianca thatâs exactly what Iâd do.
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2024.05.19 22:44 Joshh170 Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail Release Date and Time (Early Access and Full Release)
| Final Fantasy 14 players will soon to be able to explore the warm lands, cold mountains, bright cities, and more with the release of the Dawntrail expansion. It comes roughly two years after the previous one, Endwalker, which put FF14's first narrative arc to an end a decade after it started. Fans will also discover new job actions from level 90 to 100, as well as the Pictomancer and Viper jobs. As usual, there are two different dates players will be able to discover Dawntrail. The expansion will release in Early Access a few days before the full release, when servers will be overloaded with new and returning players. Here are the precise dates and times of both releases. Dawntrail Early Access Date & Time FF14 players will get access to Dawntrail a few days ahead of others if they have pre-ordered the expansion. The servers are set to open after a long maintenance on June 28, at 2am PDT. The developer might encounter unforeseen issues that could delay that opening hour, though. Square Enix will keep the community updated through social media and official FF14 websites, so it's recommended to stay up to date with the latest communication around that time. Preodering Dawntrail costs $39.99 at the official Square Enix shop. It requires players to own the base version of FF14, as well as an active online subscription to get access to the content. Players will obtain various bonuses from this option, in addition to Early Access. These include a 30% XP boost, a Zidane minion, and Azyma's Earrings, which will offer the XP boost up to level 90 when equipped. It won't help players go from level 90 to the new Dawntrail cap of 100, however. Players who preorder the digital Collector's Edition will get these advantages, as well as an Ark mount, a Wind-up Garnet minion, and a Chocobo Brush. Dawntrail Full Release Date & Time The next expansion will officially release on July 2. The server opening might also be planned for 2am PDT, although a delay couldhappen. Similarly to Early Access, theSquare Enix will inform players of disruptions through social media and official websites. Warning: There are high chances of server overload on the release date, as well as on high-activity hours for at least two weeks following the release. Players should be prepared to wait in long lines before entering the servers during that busy time. Following the official release of Dawntrail, Square Enix will take a break before introducing more content to the game. After some time, though, more updates will bring post-scenario missions and highly-expected features to keep players engaged while the developer works on the second FF14 expansion of the new narrative arc. submitted by Joshh170 to GameGeeks [link] [comments] |
2024.05.19 22:43 thayeryan I learned how to speak to shadows.
I was brought up in a church. It was always boring and strange and I never really felt welcome, despite everyone's persistent attempts to tell me how happy they were to see me every week. Nevertheless, the stories I was taught there were all I had. And even if I didnât fully understand them, to me, there was a god and good and evil, and I was just a mortal caught in the middle of it all.
I was around 12 or 13 years old at the time. I remember it being spring time outside, beautiful but tainted by a plague of allergies that had come over me. I was stuck in a habit back then of reading books late into the night. My mom was mostly supportive of it though and bought me a book light to use in the dark, with the caveat that I put the book down by 10PM at the latest.
On the first night that it happened, I remember being very sucked into the story I was reading. I had started a new book and I distinctly remember thinking that the story wasnât for someone my age, and if my mother found out what I was reading, she might not let me keep it. The feeling that I was doing something wrong had me on edge in a sort of fun and exciting way, and my heart was beginning to beat somewhat quickly as I continued.
And then I heard it. A rustling sound like something had slid off of a hanger in my closet. I jumped in place, dropping my book down on the blanket, the clip-on book light casting a long and imposing shadow across the room. What I saw next was difficult to make out and is even harder to picture in my mind all these years later. I remember my clothes hung up in the closet, swaying in place, almost shivering or jittering from the movement coming from behind them. The book light was cut off along one edge of the closet opening, only showing the bottom of my hanging clothes and part way down onto the floor where some old shoeboxes and retired sports equipment was stored. But there was something odd and quite noticeable partially in view within the small glow of light that existed there. At the time it was puzzling to interpret as I had been expecting my angry mother to have somehow divined that I was reading something she didnât approve of. But with time and reflection it became clear that the dark shape I saw amongst my belongings was an abnormally long and trembling leg.
âP-please!! P-put that down!â
It spoke with a frantic whisper, as if I was inadvertently pointing a loaded gun at it. I froze for a moment, staring at the indiscernible shape, watching my jacket and button down shirts shivering on their hangers when it suddenly occurred to me. I frantically grabbed the book light and pulled it to my chest. I could have quickly turned and shown it directly into the closet, but for some reason, I didnât.
The nights that followed were difficult. I kept looking over my shoulder, staring in the direction of my closet, wondering if something would happen instead of falling asleep or reading. My mother even took notice of the sudden change, asking me, âIs something wrong, sweetie?â before tucking me in one night.
I shrugged. âI donât know. I think Iâm just bored with my book,â I lied.
âYou canât give up on it now, dear! Even if itâs not for you, at least try and finish it so you know for sure.â
That night I pulled the book out again and continued from where I left off. I felt bad, as if I was taking advantage of my momâs ignorance as she advocated for me to read a book that she must not have known the full story behind. But still, I wasnât really bored of it. In fact, once I had the book out and in my hands again, I felt that same itch I had before. An excitement to see what came next. To know what else lies between the pages of the coming chapters. And as I read further, my heart began to race again. I felt a tingle going up my spine now, and for some reason, I began to sweat.
âCan you hear us?â
The voice was closer this time, somewhere off to my side now, away from the closet and more toward the center of my room. I remained still, careful not to bounce the book light around in fear that I would drive the being away.
âYes.â I told it. The moment after I spoke back to it for the first time, the strangeness of the situation became somewhat mildly apparent to me, although it still did not deter me or drive me toward fear.
âGood.â
I had church that next morning. What I didnât realize that day, as we piled into the car at the crack of dawn, was that it would be the last time I would ever go to church for the rest of my life. I remember this day very well, as youâll soon be able to tell.
âDid you sleep okay?â Mother asked me, peering into the backseat through the rear view mirror.
âOkay, yea.â
âHow about your book? Did you read any?â
âYeah.â
âGood! Iâm glad.â She said, smiling with her eyes as they returned to the road ahead.
We pulled up to the church and parked in the small parking lot out front. It was altogether a poorly cared for area with faded yellow lines on the ground separating the parking spaces, and chunks of concrete broken apart as if the urban environment had somehow fallen victim to a recent bombing. Our church service was held in an office park of all places, down a flight of stairs and through a long hallway that always smelt like damp carpet. The church pastor had acquired the space for a good deal, and always talked about the location as if it were merely the humble beginning compared to where they would someday be.
We took our seats in the cramped room as usual and an eerie silence was broken by the sound of an old, muffled electronic organ that tried and failed to lift the energy of the room before our pastor walked out center stage.
âWelcome and good morning to everyone on this fine, somewhat humid day. I hope you all are doing well and the drive in wasnât too problematic, what with all the traffic cones blooming for the summer.â He gave a sort of wincing smile as a few members of the crowd let out a light chuckle. âIâm sure weâre all eager to get on with service today as this is the day weâve all been waiting for for almost 18 years now - wow! But I just wanted to take a brief moment before we begin to acknowledge the significant achievement of everyone here, and the endless effort you all have gone through in order to make sure that today happened at all.â The room filled with gentle clapping, everyone turning toward one another as they nodded in approval.
âVery good. Now, without any further delay. Let us begin.â
Several quick yet world changing events occurred in the minutes after his speech. Minutes that have dominated my life and memory ever since they happened. My mother stood up and took me by the hand, looking down at me with a large smile across her face.
âCome on! Itâs time!â
âWhat for?â I hesitated, only slowly scooching off of my seat.
âItâs ok, youâre just going to read something out loud for everyone. Think of it like a speech in class, except everyone here is excited just to hear you speak. You wonât do anything wrong, I promise.â I nodded nervously and followed her up to the front of the congregation where she positioned me in front of a mic stand, adjusted down to my height, before leaving to stand next to the pastor. And then I saw her do something quite strange. She took the pastor's hand in her own and kissed him on the lips. The room was deadly silent as the lights overhead were shut off, suddenly leaving us all in a thick darkness. I squinted my eyes as I tried to look back towards my mother, hoping to god I could catch even the slightest hint of her familiar face.
The shadows were pierced by something on the far side of the room. A glow of red light parting the darkness like a curtain, illuminating the pages of an old looking but familiar book that was slowly making its way down the aisle and toward me. Somebody placed the book in my hands and opened it to the first page.
And then a familiar voice spoke.
âRead.â
âBut⊠Iâve already read the beginning before.â I replied quietly.
âBut they havenât.â The voice explained with a seductive hiss. I held the book closer and looked it over. It was my book. It was my light.
As I began reading the words from the pages, I could hear people in the crowd whispering. Some of them were praying, some were crying, one woman in particular I could hear whispering excitedly to her partner: âHe can read it! Can you believe that?â
And there were other noises as well. Chanting. Whaling. A sound that I can only explain as a guttural choking noise. I tried to stay focused. To read loudly and not stutter. But as I read further, another noise began to distract me. A drumming or clanging of metal, followed by a rhythmic grinding, over and over and over. Eventually the noise was so loud it was hard to hear my own voice, but I could tell that the audience was loving it. In fact, they were beginning to yell out their approval: âAmazing,â âWeâve finally found him,â âPraise be!â
The tingling had returned up my spine again and my skin felt electric, like I was being filled with some sort of strange energy. It was as if I was moving with momentum as the words of the book were flowing from my mouth like I had somehow memorized every page - even the parts I hadnât read before. It was so easy I didnât even need to look at the pages at a certain point, but by that time, something had started to come over me. A hesitance or doubt. I felt wrong and I desperately wanted to leave.
I looked at my book light, examining the streaks of red marker across the glowing plastic, and without a second thought, I scratched it off with my thumb nail. The rhythmic sounds of metal ceased and a blood curdling scream sounded off across the room, followed by several animal-like growls from the now seething congregation. I had stopped reading now and dropped the book to the ground, clutching the light firmly in my trembling hands as the light showed all around me.
âMom?â I called out with no reply. There wasnât a sound in the room now apart from the heavy breathing of the congregation, as if they had all just finished running in a triathlon. I started inching my way forward, stepping down the aisle way between all the seats, swinging my head over each shoulder as the sound of bare footsteps sounded off the linoleum floor, mere inches around my glowing circle of protection. I had considered aiming my light around the room, but couldnât stomach to see what I might reveal. âMom?â I called again. A sea of hisses erupted from everyone in the room, and without any further investigation, I ran. I pushed open the office door, turned down the long hallway and made short work of the stairs leading up and out of the building. The light outside was blinding, and everything after that was a blur.
The people who found me, wandering alone around a park, brought me to the police who quickly started a search for missing children. Shortly after that, an investigator was brought in who had already been tipped off that I may not have been the child of the woman who raised me.
Years later, I have now learned who my true biological parents are. The woman who I had once called mother had kidnapped me from the hospital on the day I was born, and several lengthy trials later, she has been placed in prison.
I donât know what the book really was, and for some reason I have no recollection of its contents either. While these events do haunt my memory, it also helps me to share the bizarre and horrifying tale with others. As time has gone on the days have gotten easier to get through, while the nights are still haunted by the feeling of something lingering in the shadows, watching me with anger but unable to act as I always keep my book-light nearby and ready.
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2024.05.19 22:09 USFreedomFighter1776 My 2 cents on the state of the game
First let me say, these are my opinions, I'm not doing this to start a "game is ded", "it is or isn't meta" or "skill issue" debate here.
So it's no surprise that the latest Warbond hasn't gone over with the community very well. The now closed Patreon poll sitting at 71,513 votes, 57% of voters are okay with it, while most having a complaint one way or another, with the other 42% of voters not approving of the Warbond. This isn't to start an argument over why it's good or bad, personally it's alright with me. The only weapon in it I don't like was the Purifier energy weapon. Now for the BIG but, it definitely doesn't make sense. None of the armors in it do anything for the polar planets, no easier mobility in snow or ice, no better traction on ice, nothing. They just have the same copy pasta 'Armor Passives' as everything else. And you can argue that, yeah this is still a relatively new game, I believe the community is getting a little tired of the "samey" feel with the content, especially the armors. After hearing that helmets were supposed to have unique HUD's, but were cut to launch the game, I hope this is added or brought back I guess, to help add variety and purpose to them more than just aesthetic pieces. Back to armor passives, I can understand having the same passives for different weights (Light, Medium, Heavy) and outside of Armor, Speed, and Stamina regen, nothing changes between them, for example = the light armor SC-37 Legionnaire, the medium armor SA-25 Steel Trooper, the heavy armor CW-36 Winter Warrior have the same stats for the passive. Plus 30% throwing range, and 50% limb health. So why not have a little bit of change, the light armor having the biggest throwing range bonus, with the lowest limb health bonus, and the heavy being the opposite to really define their roles. I kinda understand why, but in my opinion, if they want a risk and reward system, then I think this would help a bit more, maybe that's just me.
Then factor in the types of damage in the game; acid/bile, projectile, explosive, slashing, fire, electric, gas, impact, etc. why aren't there armors with resistances to those? Sure it may be too complex to add specific resistances to specific armors, but it's not even a one size fits all, "this armor is best" deal. Think about it, you bring an armor that has say, 40% resistance to projectile damage against automatons, that's not going to help against getting butchered, punched, blown up or thrown into a rock, again, risk and reward.
Now shifting away from armor for a bit, another divisive cut in the community has been the balance patches, a real hot topic for sure. Whichever side of the fence you're on, the game is about fun, first and foremost. Yeah you have the people out there who only play nothing but helldive and love the challenge and difficulty, but you also have those people who just want to chill and have a good time with their friends without having to feel pressured into using certain things because they work better than others. By no means am I saying the game should be easy, that's what the difficulties are for. But what I am saying is that weapons should be unique and competitive. The R-36 Eruptor for example, it was my favorite weapon pre-patch. It was a bit situational, had it's weaknesses and strengths, but was fun to use. Now, I don't really use it anymore unless I feel like messing around or challenging myself. Many have even been comparing the new AR-61 tenderizer with the starter AR, some saying it's worse, some saying it's better. When it's advertised as something that's "high-caliber" it should be at least medium armor penetrating OR do a lot more, very noticeably more damage than the base AR.
Another hot topic, and idk if it's in the works, planned for later or whatever, and I know people will say "oh it's going to ruin the game, it's going to ruin the balance!" but I would love to see weapon and armor customization. I know people are going to complain about stuff one way or another, and it could be argued to the heavens and back the benefits and drawbacks of it, or how it could be implemented. And just looking at the digital pad for the Armory, it looks like we should be able to tweak and customize our weapons, but that could just be a set piece. Regardless, I'd like to see it for a number of reasons.
Now I'm not going to advocate for fewer warbonds, but the game definitely needs some major fixing. And if that means delaying warbonds, then so be it. One of the issues I'm tired of is enemies either shooting through terrain, or popping through terrain right next to me, as well as personally getting stuck in terrain. With all that being said, it hasn't been the smoothest ride, but the devs should be commended for their work. I think there's just a lot of grouchy people out there who do nothing but play this game and complain about the slightest thing that doesn't fit them or how they play or want stuff done. But if the devs keep on it, sprinkle in some more magic, this game will go far. Again I gotta stress that this isn't to start any fights or debates (but it's the internet so, yeah) If you read this far, thanks for listening to my 2 cents.
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2024.05.19 21:44 OpinionatedIMO Appointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
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2024.05.19 21:42 OpinionatedIMO âAppointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
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2024.05.19 21:39 OpinionatedIMO âAppointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
joinmeatthecampfire [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 21:37 OpinionatedIMO Appointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
cryosleep [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 21:30 OpinionatedIMO âAppointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
absurdshortstories [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 21:29 OpinionatedIMO Appointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
afterdarkfairytales [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 21:25 OpinionatedIMO âAppointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
Odd_directions [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 21:24 OpinionatedIMO âAppointment with the Brokerâ
âDonât assume my life has always been lollipops and rainbows, young man. Like most people, Iâve had my share of problems and difficulties. I have experienced frustrations, money troubles, issues with finding and keeping a romantic relationship, health scares, etc. Iâm like everyone else in that regard. It may seem as if I donât have a care in the world, but it hasnât always been that way for me. The sweet âgumdropsâ of life came much later. My pivotal moment came when I met âthe brokerâ. That changed everything. After my appointment with him, all my troubles melted away. I negotiated an amazing deal on that fateful day.â
âThe âbrokerâ?â; his captive audience-of-one, stammered.
The young man was perplexed and intrigued by the odd segue. It held the promise of offering an interesting story and fulfillment of the developing narrative. The curious lad prodded the conversation along by dutifully asking for an explanation of the curious term. Without further interruption or delay, the senior gentleman picked back up in his unveiling story of contentment.
Their unspoken understanding was confirmed. With his appropriate response, the question facilitated the means for the story to move forward. It was the equivalent of two people playing âcatchâ. The back and forth âgive-and-takeâ had been handled judiciously, and with nuance.
âMany, many years ago I had a similar conversation with an older gentleman who was about the same age that I am, now. He didnât seem to carry the weight of hardship on his shoulders and I was fascinated by his enviable sense of calm. I was about your age; and I suspect, had similar troubles to those you have. After appealing to him for his secret, he told me about âthe brokerâ. itâs about time I passed that torch to you. Itâs selfish of me to keep such knowledge to myself.â
The young man smiled. He sensed an entertaining reveal around the corner.
âThereâs an enchanted, magical being of unknown origin; collectively known as âthe brokerâ. At least thatâs what I was told, years ago.â
The old man had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoon-fed the strange details to his curious protege.
âThe brokerâ collects personal dreams, the same way others might desire to own a classic car, or rare coins. He is drawn to interesting and unique experiences. I canât begin to explain to you why he collects such odd things. Regardless, youâll only have one opportunity to meet him. If he is intrigued by your entry, he will offer you a deal for the rights to âownâ it. Heed my advice. Be fully prepared when that happens and donât squander away your only chance. Wait to summon him when you have an exceptional item to offer, and know exactly what you want in return for it.â
The young man could hardly believe his ears. It seemed like an intricate setup to trick a gullible rube, but the older gentleman appeared to be dead serious about the surreal details heâd divulged so far. Despite suspecting it was a masterful joke at his expense, he dared to ask follow-up questions.
âHow do I summon this âbroker of interesting dreamsâ, when the right time arises? I donât remember my dreams very often, nor are many of them exceptional in any measurable way. Of the few I do remember, most of those are sinister nightmares. If I do experience something that is vivid, positive, and highly interesting, I want to be ready to share it with the dream broker.â
âThatâs both wise and very prudent, young man. I feel like you grasp the gravity of my advice, but youâve taken the parameters too literally. It doesnât have to be an actual dreamscape you experienced while asleep. It can also be about your hopes and aspirations for the future, you see? The only thing worse than not having a valuable item to barter with in the deal; is having the perfect one to present, but not having an audience with him. Thatâs a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for certain.â
The young man nodded in agreement. He was highly pleased and proud his personal advisor recognized his understanding of the seriousness of the matter. He waited as patiently as he could for the answer.
âWhen your time arives, youâll know. It will soon become crystal clear. There will be no doubt youâve secured the ultimate deal. Donât waste time by asking for silly, impractical things like âeternal lifeâ or âvast riches beyond compareâ. A dream broker isnât the almighty, of a magical genie. His powers to grant you wishes arenât limitless, and his pocketbook isnât bottomless. If he is intrigued by the dream you share, heâll initially offer you a pittance for it. Heâs a shrewd businessman who has negotiated countless deals. Resist the urge to accept any âlowballâ offers. Be ready with reasonable expectations, and stand firm on your demands. Good luck young man. May you broker an amazing deal which brings you a lifetime of well-being and happiness.â
The old man winked and turned to walk away.
âBut wait Sir! You didnât tell me how to contact the broker of dreams, when Iâm ready to strike my deal.â
He turned back around to face the curious youth. âOh, you are ready! I already know what you desire, young man. I can see it in your humble eyes. Iâve heard the same requests a million times from others but that doesnât detract from its validity or precious value. All reasonable dreams for the future are basically the same, and a delight for me to fulfill. You see, when I had my own special meeting, I asked to become a broker of dreams, myself. Happiness, and good health is a wise choice, my boy. Iâve already granted them for you.â
submitted by
OpinionatedIMO to
Wholesomenosleep [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 20:30 Few-Equal3619 2023 Trek Marlin 6 Upgrades
So I wanted to spend low on a bike and upgrade it for fun. So far I've upgraded the grips, pedals, saddle, fork, and tires. I was pretty content until I took it out on the trail and noticed something....The rear hub.
The hub has a delay in the gear grip when I start to pedal while in motion. I hope I'm explaining that right.
It's a 1x10 drive and the rear hub is Formula DC-22, alloy, 6-bolt, Shimano 8/9/10 freehub, 135x5mm QR
What hub should I get? which would fit even? I'm gonna change it myself as a fun project.
Thank you for your time.
submitted by
Few-Equal3619 to
cycling [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 19:28 SaddleSocks On Open AI: "...Shouldering all Humanity..." - "..back seat to shiny products'' <- Jan Leike. More on the alignment issues and capabilities OpenAI is persuing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OphjEzHF5dY Jan Leike, Illya etc have all been fleeing - not leaving, fleeing, from OpenAI.
The links and refeneces below were posted earlier - but this week is an inflection point where the actions, public statements, tweets, documents and videos/reviews of the OpenAI situation should be FN terrifying.
This video is talking about what is openly talked about in public - so what is being discussed behind closed doors.
The links below are incredibly relevant and important to take within the context of whats been going on this week. It would seem that we already passed a pivitol inflection - which appears to be related to the use of AI in military applications unfettered by entanglements with ethical alignments .
Israel has likely been the first full testbed of AI in warfare. Is this what the employees are fleeing from?
THIS IS NOT ABOUT ISRAEL/GAZA *politically* This is about AI in warfare as a technology. { / { \ * { } /~~~\ { / } o.0 { /,`( . )`,\ <---- Whooo needs to Chill Owlt? { \ _________^_^___ { /
This is about Alignments, Guardrails, Applications, Entanglements etc for this iteration of AI.
Israel is the only country at war that has a bunch of AI usage claims riddled in media, so:
OpenAI GPT4o - realtime video, audio understanding. Realtime video/audio interpretation availble on a phone - Read my SS for more context on where we are headed with AI as it pertains to wasurveillance - Nvidias announcement: 100% of the worlds inference today is done by Nvidia.
SS:
- Nvidia CEO talking about how all AI inference happens on their platform
- Zuckerberg talks about how many chips they are deploying
- Sam Altman (OpenAI FoundeCeo):
- OpenAI allows for Military Use
- @Sama says Israel will have huge role in AI revolution
- Israel is using "gospel AI" to identify military targets
- Klaus Schab: WEF on Global Powers, War, and AI
- State of AI Index in 2024 PDF <-- This is really important because it shows whats being done from a regulatory and other perspective by US,EU and others on AI -- HERE is a link to the GDrive for all the charts and raw data to compose that Stanford Study
HN Link to that study in case is gets some commentarty there
So what amount of war aid is coming back to AI companies such as OpenAI, Nvidia....
The pace is astonishing: In the wake of the brutal attacks by Hamas-led militants on October 7, Israeli forces have struck more than 22,000 targets inside Gaza, a small strip of land along the Mediterranean coast. Just since the temporary truce broke down on December 1, Israel's Air Force has hit more than 3,500 sites.
The Israeli military says it's using artificial intelligence to select many of these targets in real-time. The military claims that the AI system, named "the Gospel," has helped it to rapidly identify enemy combatants and equipment, while reducing civilian casualties.
Nvidia has several projects in Israel, including
- Nvidia Israel-1 AI supercomputer: the sixth fastest computer in the world, built at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars
- Nvidia Spectrum-X: a networking platform for AI applications
- Nvidia Mellanox: chips, switches and software and hardware platforms for accelerated communications
- Nvidia Inception Program for Startups: an accelerator for early-stage companies
- Nvidia Developer Program: free access to Nvidiaâs offerings for developers
- Nvidia Research Israel AI Lab: research in algorithms, theory and applications of deep learning, with a focus on computer vision and reinforcement learning
EDIT: Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin on JRE should be valuable context regarding ethics, alignment, entanglements, guard-rails
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2024.05.19 18:40 nicjj Repeated crash of drive 8 in DS1823xs+ even after swapping drives
Hi everyone,
I have a DS1823xs+ that I've been running for about a year with 8x 20TB WD Red Pro (WD201KFGX-68BKJN0), RAID 6 in a single Storage Pool. Homelab, I'm the primary user of the machine besides some networked devices (TVs) streaming content.
Approxamiately once every other month, sometimes less, sometimes more, Drive 8 drops out "Crashed". If I Disable the drive, remove the drive, re-insert and Repair, the repair and scrub is successful.
After this happened twice about 6 months ago, I replaced that Drive 8 with another new/identical WD 20TB Red Pro.
Since then, the same "Slot 8" has failed another 4 times. While it's possible I have bad luck, and both 20TB drives (the original and replacement) have some sort of issue, is it more something like "Slot 8" is just having a problem?
The drive crashes seem to happen after a network account accesses any shared folder on that storage pool (after a period of inactivity maybe?).
For example, in my logs I an access then the pool crashes 5 seconds later:
5/18 12:46:54 User [blah] from [ip] via [CIFS(SMB3)] accessed shared folder [blah] 5/18 12:46:59 Storage Pool [1] degraded [7/8 of drives remaining]. Please repair it.
The exact same thing happened a few days before:
5/16 17:20:14 User [blah] from [ip] via [CIFS(SMB3)] accessed shared folder [another blah] 5/16 17:20:14 Read error at internal disk [8], serial [blah] sector blah. 5/16 17:20:25 Storage Pool [1] degraded [7/8 of drives remaining]. Please repair it.
My theory: an shared folder is being accessed after a period of quiet, the drive spins up, but maybe not fast enough. Since it's always slot 8, maybe it's because drives 1-7 get spun up first? Then 8 is too slow and so it's marked as "Crashed"?
Both the original and replacement drives have no SMART errors and otherwise function normally.
In the Power settings I've disabled
HDD Hibernation (for internal and USB) to try to avoid spin-up delays. I'm still having issues after disabling HDD Hibernation.
Any other ideas? Should I try yet another WD 20 TB Red Pro? Is Slot 8 just unlucky? Any other DSM settings to give it more time to spin up? (though it shouldn't be hibernated)
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2024.05.19 17:16 atra55 Unmatched potential, Chapter 11
first previous next
Essemi chapter
The Defender of Virtues was ⊠Well, at least it was capable of moving around, which was rather impressive considering its age. It was built during the Aviel succession crisis, more than a century ago. It was, at the time, a brilliant display of engineering.
To be honest, its sheer size was still impressive, and it was probably better to command it than a smaller, more recent ship. Its shape was a classic example of the later Altirian period, a sort of arrow as the main body, with two smaller one attached to the sides. On the side the artificial gravity considered the âtopâ, there were building-like structures, resembling a city.
The whole thing looked like it was built for atmospheric flight, which was very much not the case, considering it was more than 800 meters long, and as such would probably fall apart under the forces applied. But it was definitely stylish, even if a little outdated, and still very practical.
There were worse ships to be stuck on for months for sure, and the crew was pretty nice too, barring the exception sitting in front of me. Of course, I was the one who needed to manage Commander Zedbi for the foreseeable future.
âI have come once again to make my complaints heard, Captain.â
âCommander, itâs much too late for me to go back on my decision, even if I wanted to. Complaining now will accomplish nothing except waste everyoneâs time.â
âWell, perhaps you should have thought about that before limiting me to bringing only three servants on board. Someone of my status needs at least five, even in special circumstances.â
âCommander, this is a long-term mission. Anyone we bring will be a significant strain on our precious resources. I consider three servants to be more than sufficient for our officers.â
âYes, I guess you wouldnât understand who would need more personnel than your mother was ever able to afford. Then again, you only have one butler on a captainâs salary. Guess the Temidian blood runs strong in your family.â
âEnough, Commander. Go back to your post or this conversation will be reported to high command on our return.â
âYou wouldnât dare! Theyâll know Iâm right!â
Curiously for someone so sure of his righteousness, he still left the bridge, letting me concentrate on the maps of what was known on Terra space. The answer was resoundingly ânot muchâ. But we could speculate on what systems would be the potentially juiciest to settle for them, considering what we knew.
I was busy planning the best potential routes for our operation, when the absolute darkness I could see through the glass bay suddenly filled with stars, and the main alarm began blasting.
âWe left FTLâ, screamed a Licam operating the propulsion system.
âI can see that,â I mumble. âCut the alarm and send everyone to their combat position. Every officer on the bridge. We need to assess the situation.â
I was already thinking. We were five days of travel away from Earth. We had just encountered an FTL disruption field. What could that mean? Well first of all, the map the sensors were building around us didnât detect any significant body or hostile vessels nearby, which meant⊠The disruption field filled a significant part of the system!
For what purpose? It was obvious: traversing it without distortion would take us months. It was a wall. I quickly went over the implications. A disruptor station had to be manned, or at least, maintained. That meant they needed ships travelling for months at sub light speed to resupply these stations! That was quite the commitment to prevent us entry. Fortunately, we could easily turn back to exit the field and go back home, which is exactly what I ordered.
Then, something impossible happened. A ship appeared on the radar, as if it had just exited a jump. But it had done so in the disruption field. Even worse, the gravitational wave detector spiked, like we were now almost right next to the disruptor.
I realized that it was the case: this ship could ignore the disruption field, and as such it had no problem having the disruptor on board.
We began blasting at it with our energy weaponry, to no avail. They were essentially teleporting after each time they fired, always being gone by the time our rays reached their position.
After of few minutes of that pointless exchange of fire, were our weapons never hit and theirs did barely any damage, twelve new signals appeared on the screen coming towards us at a terrifying speed. Missiles! No, the way they maneuvered to escape our point defenses ruled that out. Strike craftsâŠ
The Terrans were hopelessly outmatched in firepower, and elven of the strike crafts were destroyed. But the last one managed to slam in the left âsecondary hullâ, destroying it almost entirely. We could survive without it, but I doubted that was all the Humans had in stock. We needed to get out now, but how? We were in the middle of a light-hour wide disruption field, that our enemy could somehow ignore! But that gave me an idea. If it didnât work, we were dead anyway.
âActivate the disruptor!â
My subordinates didnât understand why I would do that when the enemy was clearly immune to it, but they werenât paid to think, and they knew it! (Those who were paid at all, that is.)
as soon as our own field reached the enemy ship, they became a lot less jumpy. I was right, they could jump in the field they generated, but ours could still pin them down!
âFire a relativistic missile at them and cut the field so that they can jump a second before it hits them!â
If we destroyed the main craft, I had no doubt the strike crafts would avenge it. If they fled, however, we might have a chance. Of course, the most logical course of action for them would be to dodge and finish us of, but I hoped one second would be a short delay enough to overwrite rationality in the brains of our opponents.
And I was right. After a few hours, when the enormous disruption field had completely dissolved, our enemies still hadnât returned, and we were able to escape.
If Commander Zebdi had not met his demise during the battle, (a tragedy that took me several seconds to recover from), he would have probably pointed out that that we should have destroyed the ship at the cost of our lives in the name of honor.
I, however, was certain that the intel we were bringing back would be a more devasting blow to humanity than the loss of any ship could be. The fact that it allowed us to remain alive was merely a pleasant side effect.
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