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Fashion Discussions - Indian Celebrities & Media Industries

2019.10.07 19:54 chafferhuman Fashion Discussions - Indian Celebrities & Media Industries

Your hub to discuss fashion and stylistic choices by ALL Indian celebrities & media industries.
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2009.02.26 08:01 tk1422 The 501st Legion: Vader's Fist

The official subreddit for members and interested recruits of the 501st Legion. The 501st Legion is a worldwide Star Wars costuming organization comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans. While it is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., it follows generally accepted ground rules for Star Wars fan groups. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.
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2013.03.06 21:23 Thereal_Sandman /r/LegoStorage

A place to show off your storage and sorting, links to storage bins, and occasional reviews of containers.
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2024.04.29 09:01 adulting4kids The Tarot Fools Journey Tales

In a mystical world where the air sparkled with magic, The Fool embarked on an extraordinary journey, guided by the whimsical energy of The Fool card. The Fool, a carefree wanderer, stood at the edge of a cliff, a small dog at their side, oblivious to the potential pitfalls below. It marked the beginning of an adventure, a blank canvas waiting to be painted with experiences. With innocence as their guide, The Fool ventured forth, stepping into the unknown with boundless curiosity.
The Magician awaited, a masterful sorcerer who revealed the secrets of manifestation. Through the Magician's guidance, The Fool learned to harness the elements, discovering the power to shape their destiny with intention and will. The journey continued as The Fool encountered the High Priestess, a mystical guardian of ancient wisdom. In the quiet sanctuary of her temple, The Fool delved into the depths of their subconscious, discovering the hidden realms that shaped their inner world.
The Empress, a nurturing force of nature, cradled The Fool in her bountiful arms. Amidst blossoming flowers and flowing rivers, The Fool learned to appreciate the cycles of life, understanding that growth and abundance spring from a harmonious connection with the earth. With the Emperor, a figure of authority and structure, The Fool gained insight into the importance of discipline and order. Together, they built the foundations of The Fool's aspirations, creating a stable framework for their dreams.
The Lovers entwined The Fool in the dance of relationships, urging them to seek balance and connection between heart and mind. Through choices and reflections, The Fool navigated the intricate dynamics of partnerships. The Chariot, a symbol of determination, guided The Fool through challenges with a triumphant spirit. The Fool learned to steer the course of their destiny, harnessing inner strength and willpower.
In the serene hermitage, The Fool encountered the Hermit, a wise sage bearing the lantern of introspection. Through moments of solitude, The Fool discovered the guiding light of their inner wisdom and the importance of self-reflection. Justice, with her scales of balance, weighed The Fool's actions and decisions. The Fool learned that fairness and ethical choices are the cornerstones of a life well-lived.
The Wheel of Fortune spun tales of destiny, reminding The Fool of life's ever-changing cycles. Through ups and downs, The Fool embraced the constant motion of the wheel, trusting in the rhythm of fate. Strength, symbolized by a gentle maiden taming a mighty lion, taught The Fool the power of inner courage and resilience. The Fool discovered that true strength lies in compassion and gentleness.
As The Fool approached the Hanged Man, suspended upside down, they learned the art of surrender and sacrifice. Through letting go, The Fool gained new perspectives and found enlightenment in unexpected places. The mysterious figure of Death marked a profound transformation in The Fool's journey. The old made way for the new, and The Fool embraced the inevitability of change and rebirth.
In the temperate waters of Temperance, The Fool discovered the delicate balance between opposing forces. The winged angel guided them to blend elements harmoniously, finding peace and equilibrium. The Devil unmasked illusions that bound The Fool, revealing the chains of materialism and earthly desires. Through this revelation, The Fool learned the importance of breaking free from self-imposed limitations.
The Tower, a symbol of upheaval, shook The Fool's world, dismantling false structures and beliefs. Amidst the chaos, The Fool found the potential for liberation and renewal. The enchanting Star illuminated The Fool's path with hope and inspiration. Guided by the celestial light, The Fool embraced a renewed sense of purpose and optimism.
In the moonlit shadows of the Moon card, The Fool delved into the realms of intuition and subconscious desires. The mystical journey continued, unveiling the mysteries hidden beneath the surface. With the radiant Sun, The Fool basked in the warmth of joy and vitality. The vibrant card symbolized a period of enlightenment and clarity, infusing The Fool's journey with optimism and positivity.
Judgment called for self-reflection and awakening, urging The Fool to rise from the past and embrace a higher calling. The Fool, reborn and enlightened, stood ready for a new chapter. Finally, The World card marked the completion of The Fool's Tarot odyssey. Encircled by a wreath of victory, The Fool danced in celebration, embodying a harmonious union with the cosmos.
And so, The Fool's journey through the Tarot deck unfolded, a tapestry woven with lessons, challenges, and the eternal cycle of life. As The Fool continued their wandering, each card became a stepping stone, guiding them through the intricate dance of existence, ready for the next adventure that awaited beyond the turn of the cards.
As The Fool danced through the pages of the Tarot, the Ace of Cups overflowed with the pure essence of love and emotional abundance, opening The Fool's heart to new possibilities. It marked the beginning of a profound emotional journey, where The Fool embraced the depths of their feelings and connected with the wellspring of love within.
The Two of Cups celebrated partnerships, whether romantic or platonic, as The Fool discovered the joy of shared connections. With the Three of Cups, The Fool reveled in joyful gatherings and celebrations, savoring the bonds formed with others. These cards encouraged The Fool to appreciate the richness of relationships and the importance of emotional connections in their journey.
As The Fool encountered the Four of Cups, a moment of reflection emerged. This card prompted The Fool to ponder their emotional landscape, encouraging them to consider new perspectives and opportunities. The Five of Cups, a gentle reminder of the inevitability of loss, offered solace in resilience and the healing power of time.
The journey continued as The Fool encountered the Six of Cups, a card that stirred a wave of nostalgia. In the simplicity and innocence of the past, The Fool found moments of warmth and cherished memories, adding depth to their emotional tapestry.
The Seven of Cups presented a myriad of choices, encouraging The Fool to be discerning amidst enticing possibilities. It marked a moment of introspection, where The Fool navigated through illusions and fantasies to uncover their true desires.
With the Eight of Cups, The Fool embarked on a journey of introspection and the willingness to let go of what no longer served them. This card symbolized a crucial step in their emotional growth, encouraging The Fool to embrace change and seek fulfillment.
The Nine of Cups, often called the "Wish Card," promised emotional fulfillment and the realization of heartfelt desires. The Fool found themselves surrounded by a sense of contentment and emotional satisfaction, a testament to the power of aligning one's wishes with the universe.
The journey through the Cups suit reached its culmination with the Ten of Cups. In this card, The Fool immersed themselves in the harmonious bliss of family and emotional fulfillment, completing a cycle of love and joy. It served as a reminder that true happiness can be found in the interconnectedness of our emotional bonds.
As The Fool transitioned into the Swords suit, the Page of Swords rekindled the flame of intellectual curiosity. The Fool eagerly embraced the pursuit of knowledge, opening themselves to new ideas and perspectives. The journey of the mind had begun.
The Knight of Swords rode in on waves of swift decision-making and assertiveness. The Fool learned to charge forth with clear communication and determination, cutting through the complexities of thought. The Queen of Swords embodied emotional intelligence and compassion, while the King of Swords ruled with a discerning mind and wisdom.
The Ace of Swords brought forth a new wave of mental clarity, cutting through confusion and paving the way for fresh insights. The Two of Swords urged The Fool to confront difficult decisions with a balanced mind, seeking equilibrium in the face of uncertainty. The Three of Swords acknowledged the pain of heartbreak, guiding The Fool through the process of healing and renewal.
The Four of Swords encouraged moments of rest and introspection, allowing for rejuvenation and renewal. The Five of Swords urged The Fool to navigate conflicts with discernment, choosing battles wisely. The Six of Swords hinted at a journey of transition and moving towards calmer waters, embracing change with a sense of optimism.
As The Fool delved into the Pentacles suit, the Page of Pentacles signaled a fresh start in practical matters and the pursuit of tangible achievements. The Fool's curiosity extended into the realm of earthly pursuits, grounding their aspirations in the material world.
The Knight of Pentacles encouraged a steadfast and methodical approach to responsibilities. The Fool learned the value of diligence and patience in the pursuit of their goals. The Queen of Pentacles emphasized the importance of nurturing oneself and others, recognizing the interconnectedness of well-being.
Guided by the King of Pentacles, The Fool delved into the art of financial mastery and the creation of a stable foundation for their endeavors. The Ace of Wands burst forth with fresh enthusiasm and creative energy, signaling a new beginning in the material realm.
The Two of Wands invited The Fool to explore new horizons and embrace opportunities with confidence. The Three of Wands urged them to take a proactive stance in shaping their destiny, embracing the potential for expansion and growth.
The Four of Wands beckoned The Fool to celebrate achievements and milestones, fostering a sense of community and joy. The Five of Wands reminded them of the value in healthy competition, where diverse perspectives could lead to growth and understanding.
With the Six of Wands, The Fool found themselves basking in the glow of recognition and success, acknowledging the power of perseverance and determination. The Seven of Wands challenged them to stand their ground in the face of adversity, while the Eight of Wands propelled them forward with swift momentum, embracing the energy of change and transformation.
The Nine of Wands highlighted resilience and the strength to overcome challenges. The Fool learned to navigate through obstacles with unwavering determination. The Ten of Wands cautioned against carrying burdens that hindered progress, urging The Fool to release unnecessary weight and embrace a lighter path.
As The Fool revisited the realm of Cups, the Page of Cups infused them with fresh inspiration, signaling the start of a new emotional venture. The Knight of Cups rode in on waves of romance and artistic pursuits, urging The Fool to follow their heart's desires with courage and passion.
The Queen of Cups embodied emotional intelligence and compassion, while the King of Cups ruled with emotional stability and wisdom. The journey continued, each card revealing new facets of wisdom and experience, weaving a tapestry that echoed the cyclical nature of life and the eternal dance of the Tarot. And so, The Fool eagerly anticipated the next turn of the cards, ready for the mysteries and magic that awaited in the unfolding chapters of their Tarot journey.
submitted by adulting4kids to writingthruit [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 08:39 Will_Jacks987 7 Essential Ecommerce Schema Markups for 2024

As e-commerce continues to evolve, having a well-structured website is more crucial than ever. One of the most effective ways to ensure your site is optimized for search engines is by using schema markup. In this post, we'll discuss seven important e-commerce schema markups you should consider in 2024 to boost your site's visibility and improve the user experience.

What is Schema Markup?

Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a type of code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. This enhanced understanding can lead to rich snippets in search results, which can increase your site's visibility and click-through rates.

Important Ecommerce Schema Markup Examples

Let's dive into the seven critical schema markups that every e-commerce site should consider implementing in 2024:

1. Product Schema

Product schema allows you to give detailed information about the products you sell. This can include product names, descriptions, images, brand, SKU, and more. By implementing this schema, search engines can create detailed product snippets, which can attract more clicks and conversions.

2. Organization Schema

The organization schema provides essential information about your business, such as your company's name, logo, contact information, and social media profiles. This schema can help search engines display your brand information in search results, contributing to brand recognition and credibility.

3. Price Schema

Price schema helps search engines understand the pricing information for your products. You can include data such as currency, regular price, discounted price, and special offers. This information can be displayed directly in search results, helping potential customers make informed decisions before they even visit your site.

4. Reviews and Rating Schema

Reviews and rating schemas showcase customer feedback about your products. By implementing this schema, you can display star ratings and review counts in search results, building trust with potential customers. This schema can significantly impact conversion rates by providing social proof of your product quality.

5. Product Availability Schema

The product availability schema indicates whether a product is in stock, out of stock, on backorder, or pre-order. This information can be crucial for customers, allowing them to know the product's availability before clicking on your site. Accurate availability information can help reduce bounce rates and improve customer satisfaction.

6. Website Schema

The website schema is broader, covering general information about your website, such as the URL structure and site navigation. This schema can help search engines understand your website's structure, leading to better indexing and improved site search functionality.

7. Video Schema

Video schema is valuable if you use video content to promote your products. This schema allows you to mark up video content with information such as the video title, description, thumbnail, and upload date. Search engines can use this data to display video-rich snippets, drawing more attention to your content.

Conclusion

Implementing schema markup is a powerful way to boost your e-commerce site's visibility and improve the user experience. By adopting these seven key e-commerce schema markups in 2024, you can increase your chances of appearing in rich snippets, enhance your search engine optimization, and ultimately drive more traffic and sales to your site. Don't wait to make these changes—start implementing schema markup today to stay ahead in the competitive world of e-commerce.
Reference Link: https://www.resultfirst.com/blog/ecommerce-seo/ecommerce-schema-markups/
submitted by Will_Jacks987 to u/Will_Jacks987 [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 08:02 adulting4kids Lyrical Exploration

These are prompts designed for responses that are songs and song lyrics. Visually they xan provide you with the inspiration for crafting a scene that speaks in rhymes and rhythm!
  1. Prompt: In the moonlit embrace of a city park, two hearts collided. Craft lyrics that capture the magic of unexpected love.
  2. Prompt: Amidst urban chaos, find harmony. Create lyrics that celebrate the rhythm of city life and the music hidden in everyday sounds.
  3. Prompt: Dive into the ocean's depths with lyrical prowess. Tell the tale of a mermaid's longing for the surface world in a melodic masterpiece.
  4. Prompt: Unravel the mystery of a forgotten forest. Let your lyrics paint the enchantment of ancient trees and whispered secrets in the wind.
  5. Prompt: Capture the essence of a summer romance on a sandy beach. Craft lyrics that evoke the warmth of sunsets and the sweetness of fleeting moments.
  6. Prompt: Explore the cosmos through lyrics. Write a song that dances among the stars, narrating the celestial love story of constellations.
  7. Prompt: Unveil the emotions of a lone wanderer in a desert landscape. Your lyrics should echo the yearning for connection under the vast, starry sky.
  8. Prompt: Create a lyrical battle between light and shadow, exploring the contrasts and connections found in the play of sunlight and darkness.
  9. Prompt: Dive into the bustling energy of a vibrant marketplace. Craft lyrics that capture the colors, sounds, and stories echoing through crowded streets.
  10. Prompt: Conjure lyrics that embody the spirit of rebellion. Tell the tale of a revolution through the passionate voices of those who dare to challenge the status quo.
  11. Prompt: Explore the journey of self-discovery in the lyrics of a song. Paint a vivid portrait of personal growth, resilience, and embracing one's true identity.
  12. Prompt: Weave a lyrical tapestry that reflects the changing seasons. Capture the essence of spring's renewal, summer's warmth, autumn's reflection, and winter's stillness.
  13. Prompt: Tell a timeless love story through lyrics. Create a ballad that spans generations, expressing the enduring nature of true love.
  14. Prompt: Craft lyrics that resonate with the rhythm of a train journey. Capture the fleeting landscapes, diverse faces, and the emotions carried through each station.
  15. Prompt: Immerse your lyrics in the tranquility of a mountain lake. Paint a picture of serene reflections, echoing winds, and the silent poetry of nature.
  16. Prompt: Spin a lyrical web that tells the tale of a misunderstood villain. Explore their motives, struggles, and the shadows that led them astray.
  17. Prompt: Dive into the emotional waves of a stormy sea. Craft lyrics that mirror the turbulence of heartbreak and the eventual calm that follows.
  18. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a time-traveling adventurer. Explore the highs and lows of navigating through different eras and the wisdom gained along the way.
  19. Prompt: Create lyrics that dance with the flames of a bonfire. Capture the warmth, camaraderie, and shared stories around the crackling firelight.
  20. Prompt: Explore the melodies hidden within a rainstorm. Craft lyrics that celebrate the beauty of rainfall, the rhythm of droplets, and the cleansing nature of storms.
  21. Prompt: Dive into the magic of a carnival with your lyrics. Paint a picture of whimsical rides, cotton candy dreams, and the laughter that echoes through the night.
  22. Prompt: Craft lyrics that embrace the untamed spirit of a wild horse. Explore the metaphorical journey of breaking free, galloping through open fields, and finding one's own path.
  23. Prompt: Tell the lyrical story of a celestial dance between the sun and the moon. Capture the beauty of their cosmic connection and the poetry in their eternal chase.
  24. Prompt: Explore the concept of dreams within your lyrics. Dive into the surreal landscapes, aspirations, and challenges found in the realm of slumber.
  25. Prompt: Capture the allure of a hidden garden in your lyrics. Paint a poetic picture of blooming flowers, whispered secrets, and the beauty that thrives away from prying eyes.
  26. Prompt: Craft lyrics that embody the resilience of a lone tree in a vast desert. Explore its endurance, silent wisdom, and the stories etched in its rings.
  27. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a cosmic love affair between a comet and a star. Explore the beauty of their fleeting encounters across the vastness of space.
  28. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a mystical forest. Uncover the secrets of ancient trees, mythical creatures, and the whispers that guide wanderers through its depths.
  29. Prompt: Create a lyrical journey through a carnival of emotions. Explore the highs of joy, the twists of surprise, and the bittersweet melodies that accompany life's rollercoaster.
  30. Prompt: Explore the lyrical landscape of a ghost town. Capture the echoes of forgotten stories, abandoned dreams, and the lingering spirits that still roam its deserted streets.
  31. Prompt: Craft lyrics that tell the story of an abandoned lighthouse. Explore the symbolism of its guiding light, lost sailors, and the loneliness that echoes through its tower.
  32. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a resilient phoenix rising from the ashes. Explore themes of rebirth, transformation, and the fiery spirit that conquers adversity.
  33. Prompt: Create lyrics that celebrate the beauty of diversity. Explore the metaphorical garden where different flowers bloom together, forming a vibrant tapestry of unity.
  34. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a haunted mansion. Uncover the ghostly tales, creaking corridors, and the melancholic melodies that linger within its forgotten walls.
  35. Prompt: Craft a lyrical ode to the enduring power of friendship. Explore the shared laughter, the comforting silence, and the unwavering support that defines true companionship.
  36. Prompt: Tell the lyrical story of a nomad wandering through open landscapes. Explore the freedom, solitude, and self-discovery found in the journey of a wandering soul.
  37. Prompt: Explore the lyrics of a cosmic love triangle between the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Capture the cosmic dance, eclipses, and the eternal romance in the skies.
  38. Prompt: Craft lyrics that celebrate the resilience of a lone wolf. Explore its untamed spirit, the moonlit hunts, and the echoes of its howls through the wilderness.
  39. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a forgotten pirate's treasure. Explore the map, the buried chest, and the adventurous spirit that seeks the fortune hidden in the sands.
  40. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a celestial symphony. Capture the harmonious dance of planets, the cosmic melodies, and the grandeur of the universe's orchestration.
  41. Prompt: Create a lyrical journey through the vibrant colors of a market bazaar. Explore the spices, textiles, and the lively exchanges that define the heartbeat of the marketplace.
  42. Prompt: Craft lyrics that echo the call of a siren luring sailors. Explore the enchantment, the treacherous waves, and the irresistible song that guides ships towards an unknown fate.
  43. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a mystical library that transcends time and space. Explore the endless shelves, the ancient manuscripts, and the stories that come to life within its walls.
submitted by adulting4kids to writingthruit [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 07:45 Bochai127 $79 -25%+40Q MORENTO Air Purifiers for Home Large Room up to 1076 Sq Ft with PM 2.5 Display Air Quality Sensor, Remove 99.97% of Pet Hair with Double-sided Air Inlet, 24db, White

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Customers say

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  • Dual Side Air Intake: This air purifier for home large rooms is designed with dual air intakes. Compared to the single air inlet design, it performs purification work on both sides simultaneously, greatly improving the purification speed. Our air purifier for allergies CADR is up to 300 (m 3/ h) For a 1076 square foot/100 square meter room, it can refresh the air every hour, giving you a healthy and fresh breathing environment in smoke.
  • Authoritative Certification: Certified by 3rd party testing agency, MORENTO HY4866 hepa air purifier can effectively remove 99.97% of the air particles ranging from small to 0.3 microns, such as dust, smoke, pollen, hair, and odor. CARB, ETL, EPA and FCC certified. Turn on the high-efficiency air purifier, so that you can enjoy a new and comfortable air environment all the time.
  • PM 2.5 Display & Air Quality Sensor: The MORNETO HY4866 bedroom air purifier is equipped with an infrared PM2.5 sensor, which will monitor the air quality in real time and feed it back to the display screen. When the air purifier is in automatic mode, if the surrounding air becomes cloudy, the display screen will appear yellow or red, and the fan will speed up to clean the air faster, which is a best air purifier for wildfire smoke. Let you know the health of the air at any time.
  • Your Silent Partner: When the MORENTO HY4866 pet hair air purifier for bedroom is operating in sleep mode, our air purifier fan operates at low speed with low noise (less than 24dB), and all indicator lights are turned off. It will not interfere with your sweet sleep, allowing you and your family to enjoy fresh and clean air in sweet dreams. It is a quiet sleep partner worth investing in.
  • 3 Timer & 4 Fan Speed: The hepa air purifiers for home for dust has 4 adjustable fan speeds, which are 1F/2F/3F/4F. You can select the Fan Speed according to the air quality. The higher the wind speed, the faster the purification speed. When you don't know which fan speed to choose , you can turn on automatic mode, it can help you choose the appropriate fan speed. You also can turn on the timer mode when you sleep or go out, which are 2/5/8H.
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submitted by Bochai127 to AmazonDealsSavers [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 07:27 meepmochi_ The Midnight Studio [Episodes 14 & 15]

Seo Ki Joo is a photographer and runs a small photo studio. He is the 7th owner of the photo studio, and the shop is only for ghosts. Ki Joo takes portraits of the ghosts that come into the store.
Han Bom is a lawyer who is passionate about her work and does not tolerate injustice. Somehow, she ends up in a partnership with Ki Joo's photo studio. The studio also has two employees: Assistant Manager Go and Baek Nam Gu. Assistant Manager Go is in charge of bringing in ghosts as customers, and Nam Gu is in charge of taking care of small chores around the store.
submitted by meepmochi_ to KDRAMA [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 07:04 madPolarPride Can I be recognized as a "friend of a lodge" or of masonry in general without becoming a member, or if I would not otherwise be allowed to join?

Hi, I am not a mason however I have studied a lot of philosophy, symbolism, and traveled a bit over the world and overall I think the mission of the Masons, and groups like it, are valuable and good. Brotherhood and making men better men, as I understand it from my perspective.
Additionally my Father has a large steel square hanging in the garage, that was passed down from my grandfather and which he uses in household projects even into his 80s. I respect that he has his own craft, though he is not a Mason or a part of any group AFAIK, though he was "Military Intelligence" and in his own good humor proud of the oxymoronic nature of that term. I admire him, yet he has made no comment when I have dropped hints about being interested in masonry.
Here is the main thing. I have a diagnosed mental illness (don't worry I have gotten over my belief in conspiracy theories though I used to think I was a secret agent or something, probably from a childhood being a military brat), and the one person who I know personally in masonry, who I consider a friend, probably would black ball me if I petitioned to join his lodge since years ago I was in a bad, unmedicated place and displayed a lot of crazy. I recognize my neural non-typicality as essential to who I am, though maybe not so much who I want to become.
So that's strike one against me, I may technically be described as a dotard or not in sound mind. I'm not sure if being medicated and stable for years would be allowed?
Second thing, and I've given this a lot of thought, I'm not 100% sure I believe in "Deity" or "Higher Power" in the way that Masonry requires. I admire Christianity, I grew up "secular-Christian" in the west and understand and endorse it's meaning and morals in broad terms even if I don't believe and practice chapter and verse. But I am very much not a Christian at heart. My ex wife and children are nominally Muslim, so I am sensitive to that. If anything I consider myself a follower of the Tao, and if you think about it (and I have) the Tao might be the absence of an Architect. But also, any words describing the Tao cannot be taken at face value. There are interesting mysteries there I'd like to explore.
I am certainly not an Atheist, but maybe agnostic or deist. That said, I do at times feel a sort of personal relationship with "The Universe" (what Zen calls Buddha Nature and what I think is analogous to what some call "Christ Consciousness"). And So I think I could in good faith claim that as my higher power.
So that's the second strike, I'm not sure I could find a lodge that would allow me to swear on a Tao te Ching or some sort of Zen scripture. Maybe a Constitution since I do firmly believe that is an inspired document?
Even still, I have been glad to follow freemasonry digitally, but it makes me think I need to affiliate in some way in person since... well, as I would say, letters and words are symbols that only point to the truth, or as Lau Tzu would say the Tao that can be written is not the eternal Tao. And as Buddha might say, one of the important aspects of life is being part of a community that understands with its mind as well as PRACTICES the Dharma with its hands.
Given that background, what would you recommend?
I hope you don't mind an outsider like myself asking questions and initiating dialog of this nature here. Please let me know if anything I disclosed is inappropriate for this setting and I'll be happy to rectify in any manner that is needed.
submitted by madPolarPride to freemasonry [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 07:02 OmniscientQuicksand (Rant) The Trophy Road is ruining the game for me

I've been feeling this way for a while now. What pushed me to write this post is the new Squad Busters game. I hate the fact that I manage to find Squad Busters more enjoyable and I now play it more than Brawl Stars, despite the fact that, gameplay wise, Squad Busters isn't up to par with Brawl Stars.
The reason I choose to play Squad Busters over Brawl Stars most of the time now is for one simple reason. I'm not punished for losing and I can just play casually worry-free. In Squad Busters, losing a game doesn't feel like a big deal because nothing is taken away from me for losing. Instead, I simply gain less reward. This means whether I win or lose, I always make progress. In Brawl Stars, however, if I lose a game, I lose trophies in the Trophy Road and for the brawler. And losing trophies in the Trophy Road for me is much more of a mental punishment.
A brawler's trophies are measured in hundreds, so it gives me the illusion that I can gain those back in no time. The Trophies in the Trophy road are measured in thousands or tens of thousands, and I can sometimes lose hundreds of trohpies in a row. Sometimes it feels like a monumental task to gain the trophies back. The Trophy Road also gives me a sense of progression, so losing a game feels like I'm losing progress, and it feels like the game is taking something away from me for losing. And it doesn't help that the game clearly tells me where my highest used to be. It's like the game is constantly mocking and teasing me.
I now dread the thought of starting a game, because I'm afraid of losing. Not because of losing the game per se, but because of losing trophies the Trophy Road. Most of the time I just want to play the game to have fun, without worrying about the consequences for losing.
I know some people will say, just don't worry about trophies. I actually do not worry about trophies for brawlers, and I know the Trophy Road isn't necessarily tied to your skill level and is not used in matchmaking, but I simply can't bring myself to ignore the Trophy Road. But the game is displaying it right there front end centre. And like I said, on top of that, the game teases me by showing me what my highest used to be. Also, it's not like the Trophy Road doesn't matter at all, because it unlocks game modes, missions, etc. And clubs can require a minimum amount of trophies in the Trophy Road.
And I know Map Maker maps and friendly mode exist, but you know they are not the same thing. It usually takes a lot longer to find matches for Map Maker, and I can only play with friends in the friendly mode, not random people online.
If the Trophy Road could work in a similar fashion as Squad Busters, I think the game would be a lot more enjoyable for me. I think it makes sense to lose trophies for brawlers if I lose, because those are strictly used for matchmaking, but I don't think I should lose trophies in the Trophy Road.
Rant over.
submitted by OmniscientQuicksand to Brawlstars [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 06:40 Bochai127 $449 -34% BLACK+DECKER Air Conditioner, 14,000 BTU Air Conditioner Portable for Room up to 700 Sq. Ft. with Remote Control, White

$449 -34% BLACK+DECKER Air Conditioner, 14,000 BTU Air Conditioner Portable for Room up to 700 Sq. Ft. with Remote Control, White
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Customers say

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  • Portable AC: Use this personal air conditioner (16.5” x 14.06” x 27.09”) in rooms up to 700 sq. ft. Stay cool in the hot summer months and sleep well with this BLACK+DECKER ac unit for bedroom.
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submitted by Bochai127 to AmazonDealsSavers [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 06:20 Bjornen82 Fetuses deserve more rights that people

Fetuses deserve more rights that people submitted by Bjornen82 to SmugIdeologyMan [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 06:02 AutoModerator [Weekly Megathread] FREQUENT Feedback / Requests / Suggestions

UPDATE: reordered the list a bit for better overview. Fixed issues will now appear at the bottom of a specific list for better readability.
========================================
We are a Fan subreddit, and not run by Blizzard, but the devs and CM's are frequently reading feedback from all sources, including reddit.
Many people come here to give feedback, which is welcome, but since some of the feedback is given very frequently, we compile this frequently given/posted feedback / requests / suggestions from players on specific issues in this weekly updated and reoccurring thread here to not bloat up the subreddit and people feed with it.
We will redirect most new threads about issues / feedback that are about below listed topics, to this weekly thread, to keep the subreddit better readable, while also keeping these issues highlighted as things the community is concerned about.
The list of these issues / topics is posted below and will be adjusted (when necessary) every week.
========================================
Things that have been fixed or otherwise solves or addressed will be crossed out like this.
This also proved a good overview of which issues have already been adderesed / fixed / etc.

--- List of Feedback / Requests / Complaints that are frequently posted on the subreddit ---

UI

Stash

Items

Legendary Aspects

Artisans and Crafting

Balance (Combat)

Mount

Leveling / Campaign / Dungeons / Endgame / Uberbosses

Season Specific

Technical & Bugs

Other Quality of Life

Other

Recent additions to the list
========================================
Tell us in the comments and discuss with other about which topics you think should be on this list to be highlighted, and why!
That helps us to update the list for next week.
submitted by AutoModerator to diablo4 [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 05:55 FarslayerSanVir Taking Flight, Chapter 21: The Next Step

I'M BACK, GLITCHES!
Sorry about the delay, folks. Got a bit caught up with the whole Puzzlevision thing as well as a little writer's block, but I can now present to you the next chapter of Taking Flight.
Enjoy!
We begin in the Castle with Tari and Aybel in the main hall. Tari cautiously holds the orb in her right hand as Aybel hovers beside her.
Aybel: Are you ready, Miss Tari?
Tari: There were times I would be too terrified to even THINK about doing something like this, especially with no idea as to what could happen. Well, times have changed.......
She stares down at the orb she's been holding onto for a week now.
Tari: ..........and so have I.
Aybel: You'll be stepping into uncharted territory. There may be no turning back after this.
Tari: If this is the next step I need to take....... then so be it.
She takes a deep breath as she lightly places her robotic hand on the orb. It begins to glow as the silvery shell peels away to reveal a radiant core. Her metallic fingers close around the core, and the floating remnants of the shell expand and weave across her arm until it forms an armored gauntlet that goes up to her shoulder. The symbol of a blue wing is emblazoned on the pauldron, and the polished flat crystals on the back of her hand and arm dance with a tapestry of sigils and scripts. She admires her new upgrade in astonishment.
Clench: WOO! Now THIS is an upgrade! ........ now what?
Aybel: Now?.......... We get to work.
Later on we see the two gathered with all four SMGs outside. SMG4 and SMG3 are seen dragging in a large crate.
SMG4: Alright, one fresh batch of extra spicy memes at the ready!
The crate opens to reveal an assortment of memes such as Pingas Heads, Dancing Pepes, Wojacks, and.......uh.........Singing Fruit. Whatever, we'll roll with it.
SMG1: Shall we begin?
SMG1 nods and joins hands with SMG2. SMG3 and SMG4 also join hands, and the four proceed to draw the memes out of the box before converting them into golden motes of Meme Energy.
SMG2: In its raw form, Meme Energy can only be properly utilized by beings such as SMGs and Avatars.
A few motes flow into Mario, giving him the Power Star Power-up. He then proceeds to abuse this power by flying after an Ice Cream Truck. The Ice Cream man is shocked at the opalescent Italian plummer flying at him at Mach 2 and hits the gas as Mario gives chase. They both speed off into the distance, much to the amusement of Three and the bemusement of Four.
SMG1: But Meme Energy can take many forms, some of which can be drawn upon by those who are "attuned" to how the universe works. Aybel, would you care to demonstrate?
Aybel: With pleasure.
He raises his hand as a mote floats in his palm. He jestures with his other hand and currents of energy flow from the mote and weave around his fingers.
Aybel: Through methods of conduction, channeling, and communion, a soul can manipulate the flow of energy around them. Even in a diluted ambient state, the applications of such energies are practically endless.
The energy flows into his palm and creates a burning butterfly-like creature. It flutters into the distance before exploding in a brilliant display of crackling sparks and flames. He then lets the energy mote float over to Tari. She reaches for the mote with her new gauntlet. Its crystallic facets giving off a vivid azure glow as she clenches the mote.
SMG1: The Metarunners had the ability to condense this ambient energy into something more refined and concentrated.
She opens her hand to see that the mote is glowing brighter and has turned a bright blue.
SMG1: This is what we call "Meta." It is a force that not only holds great power, but memories as well. And it is through those memories that this power is realized.
Tari allows the mote to phase into her hand. Crackling energy courses through her body as her irises begin to glow blue.
SMG2: Now that you've joined with the artifact, you can now more efficiently draw from both ambient AND raw Meme Energy by refining it into Meta.
Aybel: How are you feeling, Miss Tari?
Tari: It's a bit much, to me honest....... but it's fine! I can handle it.
She transforms her arm into a railgun as the SMGs convert some of the motes into floating targets. With pinpoint precision, she fells each target with each thunderous crack.
Clench: WOOOOOO! WHO WANTS SOME!? COME RIGHT UP!
Aybel: Let's start her off with something simple.
The SMGs then condense the remaining motes into HIVE DARKBLADE KELGORATH, RISEN FROM BONES, TAKEN BY WAR, CHISELED BY LOSS, KNIGHT CHAMPION OF DEATH as a boss for Tari to fight. She draws her glaive and speeds towards the knight. Kelgorath raises his axe and attempts to bring it down upon her, but she easily dodges and cleaves a chunk of chitin from his bicep. He turns to retaliate with another swing only for his axe to shatter against an iridescent barrier. He tosses the broken axe aside and resorts to hurling balls of Arc energy. But she still manages to evade getting burned, even batting one of the balls right into Kelgorath's face and breaking his helm to reveal a bulbous growth overtaking his head. The frenzied Knight lets out a gutteral roar that echoes across the Showgrounds.
Clench: Oh, now he's pissed.
Seething with rage, Kelgorath's fists crackle with electricity as he charges in. Tari flings a blink blade past Kelgorath before he brings down his fists and shatters the earth beneath him. When the dust settles, he scans the area for any remnants of his target. A sudden pain shoots up his leg, and he looks down to see his ankle completely severed with a swing of Tari's blink blades.
Aybel: Clever girl.
Tari climbs up the Knight's back before plunging her glaive into the back of his head. The blade's glow rapidly intensifies before she unleashes an earth shattering blast, leaving nothing but a smoldering stump. She then makes her way down as the Knight's body collapses to the ground before evaporating in a cloud of Soulfire.
Tari: WOOOOOO! THAT'S how you get it done!
SMG4: How ya feeling, Tari?
Tari: Like a million quid! Slightly tingly, though.
SMG1 notices that her scars are glowing. He and SMG2 share glances of concern.
SMG1: Tari, I think you should take it easy. Your body may still need time to acclimate to channeling this kind of energy.
Tari twirls her glaive like a baton, not really heeding SMG1's advice as she notices Ragatha and Jax walking by. In a blink she rushes right up to the group and stops right in front of Ragatha.
Ragatha: Oh, uh, hi Tari.
Tari: Hey guys, whatcha doin'?
Ragatha: Not much.......uh.......
Jax: You're a lot more chipper than usual.
Tari: Oh, sorry. I'm just really really REALLY full of energy right now and I've been practicing for a bit.
Jax: Does that explain the fact that you're literally glowing right now.
Aybel floats over to the three. He carefully analyzes Tari before turning to Ragatha.
Aybel: Miss Ragatha, please forgive the intrusion, but could you perhaps assist us with Tari's training for today? We weren't expecting her to dispatch the boss we had planned so quickly.
Ragatha: It's no problem at all. I'd be glad to help.
Tari: YAAAAAAAY!
Tari immediately grabs Ragatha's hand and hauls her back to the others. The two take their starting positions as they get ready to spar. Tari makes the first move, drawing her glaive and rushing in tip first. Ragatha swiftly draws her cleavers and parries a flurry of thrusting attacks with near perfect precision. Tari steps back and switches to her blink blades. She throws one forward and Ragatha sidesteps, the blade whizzing by her head. Tari teleports to the flying blade and attempts to land a double sword strike, but Ragatha once again dodges with uncanny ease. Try as she might, Tari can't land a single blow on Ragatha. That's when she gets an idea. With a wave of her hand she summons 5 square shaped barriers and combines them into a cube around Ragatha. Now she has no room left to dodge.
Ragatha: Well, she's certainly getting more creative with her barriers.
With her quarry trapped, Tari transforms her arm into a massive fusion cannon and takes aim at the cube. The machine hums with escalating intensity as the tip of the barrel glows blue with energy. But Ragatha has another trick up her sleeve. She pricks her finger up, and a transparent thread around Tari's wrist tugs the cannon upwards right as it fires. A brilliant blue beam erupts from its barrel and streaks into the sky with a thunderous boom. A flock of birds fall out of the sky, fully cooked, basted, and seasoned for some reason.
SMG3: Oh sweet, lunch.
Tari falls onto her back, her arm reverting back to its previous form as the blue glow fades from her eyes and scars. The prism trap flickers away, allowing Ragatha to go check on her now drowsy and barely conscious sparring partner.
Ragatha: You still up for more?
Tari: Yeah, just........give me a minute to.......
Aaaaaand she's out, her snoring now audible as Ragatha picks her up in her arms.
Ragatha: Take all the time you need, kid.
Jax: whistles Well that was a show and a half. One second too late and Dollface would've been in pretty bad shape.
SMG2: And so would Tari if she hadn't expended all that excess energy.
SMG1: Indeed. It'll be some time before her body can properly handle that much energy, but her progress is still coming along swimmingly. We should probably focus more on channeling.
Ragatha makes her way back to the Castle with Tari resting peacefully in her arms.
Ragatha: Yeah, let's save that for tomorrow.
submitted by FarslayerSanVir to SMG4 [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 05:51 FarslayerSanVir Taking Flight, Chapter 21: The Next Step

I'M BACK, GLITCHES!
Sorry about the delay, folks. Got a bit caught up with the whole Puzzlevision thing as well as a little writer's block, but I can now present to you the next chapter of Taking Flight.
Enjoy!
We begin in the Castle with Tari and Aybel in the main hall. Tari cautiously holds the orb in her right hand as Aybel hovers beside her.
Aybel: Are you ready, Miss Tari?
Tari: There were times I would be too terrified to even THINK about doing something like this, especially with no idea as to what could happen. Well, times have changed.......
She stares down at the orb she's been holding onto for a week now.
Tari: ..........and so have I.
Aybel: You'll be stepping into uncharted territory. There may be no turning back after this.
Tari: If this is the next step I need to take....... then so be it.
She takes a deep breath as she lightly places her robotic hand on the orb. It begins to glow as the silvery shell peels away to reveal a radiant core. Her metallic fingers close around the core, and the floating remnants of the shell expand and weave across her arm until it forms an armored gauntlet that goes up to her shoulder. The symbol of a blue wing is emblazoned on the pauldron, and the polished flat crystals on the back of her hand and arm dance with a tapestry of sigils and scripts. She admires her new upgrade in astonishment.
Clench: WOO! Now THIS is an upgrade! ........ now what?
Aybel: Now?.......... We get to work.
Later on we see the two gathered with all four SMGs outside. SMG4 and SMG3 are seen dragging in a large crate.
SMG4: Alright, one fresh batch of extra spicy memes at the ready!
The crate opens to reveal an assortment of memes such as Pingas Heads, Dancing Pepes, Wojacks, and.......uh.........Singing Fruit. Whatever, we'll roll with it.
SMG1: Shall we begin?
SMG1 nods and joins hands with SMG2. SMG3 and SMG4 also join hands, and the four proceed to draw the memes out of the box before converting them into golden motes of Meme Energy.
SMG2: In its raw form, Meme Energy can only be properly utilized by beings such as SMGs and Avatars.
A few motes flow into Mario, giving him the Power Star Power-up. He then proceeds to abuse this power by flying after an Ice Cream Truck. The Ice Cream man is shocked at the opalescent Italian plummer flying at him at Mach 2 and hits the gas as Mario gives chase. They both speed off into the distance, much to the amusement of Three and the bemusement of Four.
SMG1: But Meme Energy can take many forms, some of which can be drawn upon by those who are "attuned" to how the universe works. Aybel, would you care to demonstrate?
Aybel: With pleasure.
He raises his hand as a mote floats in his palm. He jestures with his other hand and currents of energy flow from the mote and weave around his fingers.
Aybel: Through methods of conduction, channeling, and communion, a soul can manipulate the flow of energy around them. Even in a diluted ambient state, the applications of such energies are practically endless.
The energy flows into his palm and creates a burning butterfly-like creature. It flutters into the distance before exploding in a brilliant display of crackling sparks and flames. He then lets the energy mote float over to Tari. She reaches for the mote with her new gauntlet. Its crystallic facets giving off a vivid azure glow as she clenches the mote.
SMG1: The Metarunners had the ability to condense this ambient energy into something more refined and concentrated.
She opens her hand to see that the mote is glowing brighter and has turned a bright blue.
SMG1: This is what we call "Meta." It is a force that not only holds great power, but memories as well. And it is through those memories that this power is realized.
Tari allows the mote to phase into her hand. Crackling energy courses through her body as her irises begin to glow blue.
SMG2: Now that you've joined with the artifact, you can now more efficiently draw from both ambient AND raw Meme Energy by refining it into Meta.
Aybel: How are you feeling, Miss Tari?
Tari: It's a bit much, to me honest....... but it's fine! I can handle it.
She transforms her arm into a railgun as the SMGs convert some of the motes into floating targets. With pinpoint precision, she fells each target with each thunderous crack.
Clench: WOOOOOO! WHO WANTS SOME!? COME RIGHT UP!
Aybel: Let's start her off with something simple.
The SMGs then condense the remaining motes into HIVE DARKBLADE KELGORATH, RISEN FROM BONES, TAKEN BY WAR, CHISELED BY LOSS, KNIGHT CHAMPION OF DEATH as a boss for Tari to fight. She draws her glaive and speeds towards the knight. Kelgorath raises his axe and attempts to bring it down upon her, but she easily dodges and cleaves a chunk of chitin from his bicep. He turns to retaliate with another swing only for his axe to shatter against an iridescent barrier. He tosses the broken axe aside and resorts to hurling balls of Arc energy. But she still manages to evade getting burned, even batting one of the balls right into Kelgorath's face and breaking his helm to reveal a bulbous growth overtaking his head. The frenzied Knight lets out a gutteral roar that echoes across the Showgrounds.
Clench: Oh, now he's pissed.
Seething with rage, Kelgorath's fists crackle with electricity as he charges in. Tari flings a blink blade past Kelgorath before he brings down his fists and shatters the earth beneath him. When the dust settles, he scans the area for any remnants of his target. A sudden pain shoots up his leg, and he looks down to see his ankle completely severed with a swing of Tari's blink blades.
Aybel: Clever girl.
Tari climbs up the Knight's back before plunging her glaive into the back of his head. The blade's glow rapidly intensifies before she unleashes an earth shattering blast, leaving nothing but a smoldering stump. She then makes her way down as the Knight's body collapses to the ground before evaporating in a cloud of Soulfire.
Tari: WOOOOOO! THAT'S how you get it done!
SMG4: How ya feeling, Tari?
Tari: Like a million quid! Slightly tingly, though.
SMG1 notices that her scars are glowing. He and SMG2 share glances of concern.
SMG1: Tari, I think you should take it easy. Your body may still need time to acclimate to channeling this kind of energy.
Tari twirls her glaive like a baton, not really heeding SMG1's advice as she notices Ragatha and Jax walking by. In a blink she rushes right up to the group and stops right in front of Ragatha.
Ragatha: Oh, uh, hi Tari.
Tari: Hey guys, whatcha doin'?
Ragatha: Not much.......uh.......
Jax: You're a lot more chipper than usual.
Tari: Oh, sorry. I'm just really really REALLY full of energy right now and I've been practicing for a bit.
Jax: Does that explain the fact that you're literally glowing right now.
Aybel floats over to the three. He carefully analyzes Tari before turning to Ragatha.
Aybel: Miss Ragatha, please forgive the intrusion, but could you perhaps assist us with Tari's training for today? We weren't expecting her to dispatch the boss we had planned so quickly.
Ragatha: It's no problem at all. I'd be glad to help.
Tari: YAAAAAAAY!
Tari immediately grabs Ragatha's hand and hauls her back to the others. The two take their starting positions as they get ready to spar. Tari makes the first move, drawing her glaive and rushing in tip first. Ragatha swiftly draws her cleavers and parries a flurry of thrusting attacks with near perfect precision. Tari steps back and switches to her blink blades. She throws one forward and Ragatha sidesteps, the blade whizzing by her head. Tari teleports to the flying blade and attempts to land a double sword strike, but Ragatha once again dodges with uncanny ease. Try as she might, Tari can't land a single blow on Ragatha. That's when she gets an idea. With a wave of her hand she summons 5 square shaped barriers and combines them into a cube around Ragatha. Now she has no room left to dodge.
Ragatha: Well, she's certainly getting more creative with her barriers.
With her quarry trapped, Tari transforms her arm into a massive fusion cannon and takes aim at the cube. The machine hums with escalating intensity as the tip of the barrel glows blue with energy. But Ragatha has another trick up her sleeve. She pricks her finger up, and a transparent thread around Tari's wrist tugs the cannon upwards right as it fires. A brilliant blue beam erupts from its barrel and streaks into the sky with a thunderous boom. A flock of birds fall out of the sky, fully cooked, basted, and seasoned for some reason.
SMG3: Oh sweet, lunch.
Tari falls onto her back, her arm reverting back to its previous form as the blue glow fades from her eyes and scars. The prism trap flickers away, allowing Ragatha to go check on her now drowsy and barely conscious sparring partner.
Ragatha: You still up for more?
Tari: Yeah, just........give me a minute to.......
Aaaaaand she's out, her snoring now audible as Ragatha picks her up in her arms.
Ragatha: Take all the time you need, kid.
Jax: whistles Well that was a show and a half. One second too late and Dollface would've been in pretty bad shape.
SMG2: And so would Tari if she hadn't expended all that excess energy.
SMG1: Indeed. It'll be some time before her body can properly handle that much energy, but her progress is still coming along swimmingly. We should probably focus more on channeling.
Ragatha makes her way back to the Castle with Tari resting peacefully in her arms.
Ragatha: Yeah, let's save that for tomorrow.
submitted by FarslayerSanVir to SMG4Fanon [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 05:37 5docdoc RPDR Randomized Era 4: Season 12, Episode 13 (Grand Finale)

RPDR Randomized Era 4: Season 12, Episode 13 (Grand Finale)
Before the Grand Finale...
-
-
The queens reunited (at home). RuPaul talked to the queens about the season and hashed out 'beefs' as well as spent time talking through storylines that we saw get developed.
https://preview.redd.it/pa8n9a6c5zwc1.png?width=1658&format=png&auto=webp&s=109d8d32c2d2257f46bda85f2613dc228f25fdad
The reunion ends with each of the eliminated queens talking through who they want to see take the crown home out of the top 4 queens.
-
-
-
THE GRAND FINALE
For the first time in Drag Race herstory, the grand finale took place all over the US in so many timezones as the queens joined from the comfort of their own homes! The finale kicks off with a reintroduction of the 9 eliminated queens!
https://preview.redd.it/v8hr8scidzwc1.png?width=1410&format=png&auto=webp&s=104bcc2559390d5e011a1469f14b152fa3a7e5ee
https://preview.redd.it/ye6m89gkdzwc1.png?width=1176&format=png&auto=webp&s=8719e511d26d8fcb12ab7a8f00f846388634ae52
After the introduction of the 9 eliminated queens, Michelle introduces the top 4 Queens!!

https://preview.redd.it/l3y2otxnfzwc1.png?width=1262&format=png&auto=webp&s=71e4214c75dff131f6dbce1d7a59a7f2c3e56d80
-
-
Michelle then introduces the RuPaul who joins from her home as well!

https://preview.redd.it/47ocwc4bhzwc1.jpg?width=2170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe295dfd9e8f10b674c7bea697adf60025db3ac1
Ru welcomes everyone to the grand finale and talks about how proud she is of her top 4 queens. She goes on to thank the crew of Drag Race who are still working tirelessly to put this show on even though they are all working from home as well. Ru then says that the top four queens will have to survive three lip sync performances tonight in their hopes of becoming America's Next Drag Superstar! She explains that the lip syncs will be as follows:
- A four-way close up lip sync where they serve face
- A lip sync from home. In this lip sync the queens produced their own performance to a song of their choice.
-Ru then says that she will then choose the top two queens who will lip sync side by side but thousands of miles apart.
-
-
Ru then introduces the three main season judges, who are also watching from home!
https://preview.redd.it/0r1801jfizwc1.jpg?width=2479&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c3477f5158c745750e924fb2bb1a0252539f06f
Each of the judges talk about how they are looking forward to the finale and their favorite parts of the season. After the judges speak, we hear from some celebrities who have been enjoying the show all season, many of them being guest judges that made appearances throughout the course of the show.
-
Ru then announces that prior to tonight, she had a special one-on-one conversation with each of the queens in the top 4. The first closer look we are given is into her conversation with Jasmine Kennedie.

https://preview.redd.it/w9kalhvqqzwc1.png?width=1940&format=png&auto=webp&s=41e42b9273e268fee9582be4821b27eb7b7adc9c
Ru talks with Jasmine about how amazing of a peformer she is and how she is looking forward to seeing what she brings tonight. There is a segment where Jasmine's family sends a video message that includes a funny moment from Jasmine's mom where she tells Ru that she was wrong to put Jasmine in the bottom two so many times and the only way to make it right is to give her the rightful title of America's Next Drag Superstar. They spend a little time talking about Jasmine's transition and how her time at home allowed her even more time to become more of the woman she always knew she was. Ru then asks her what her strategy is going to be going into her lip sync performances. Jasmine assures her that they only got to see a fragment of what she has under her sleeves and that she is a performer at the end of the day so she is going to put on the performance of a lifetime because the only outcome that makes sense is her winning this season. Ru then asks Jasmine what advice she would give to her younger self and Jasmine gives a heartfelt message about discovering who you are and overcoming a lot of dark times. The segment ends with Ru asking Jasmine why she should win the season and her explaining that she worked so hard for it and showed that with determination anything could be possible.
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Ru then has her one-on-one chat with Maddy Morphosis!
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Ru congratulates Maddy on making it to the finale and shares how proud she is for all that Maddy was able to show over the course of the season. Maddy thanks her again for bringing her back and says that she is really happy with what she was able to bring to this season. We then see a video message from Maddy's family and then a surprise video message from Maddy's partner. Maddy makes jokes with Ru about how she has no idea who any of those people were but that they had really nice things to say about her. Ru then asks her about the advice that she'd give to her younger self and she talks about having to battle with her image and who she was but that she would soon realize exactly who she is and perfect her ability to live unapologetically. Ru then asks her why she should win the competition and Maddy talks about how she feels like this season she was able to show the full breadth of her talents and that she came out on top more often than her other competitors, who are also talented.
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Following Maddy's segment, there is a video montage of all the queens of Season 12 performing to the song "Blessed" by RuPaul as they thank those who have made a difference in the world. It's a really sweet montage where we see the queens given touching accounts and really being down to earth.
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Following this segment, Ru has her one-on-one with Spice!
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Spice brings her signature chaotic energy to her talk with Ru where it's clear that she is saying whatever she wants even if it isn't connected to the question that was asked. This cracks Ru up throughout their conversation. Spice then gets a message from her brother, who mentions how proud of Spice he is and how he saw her star power before making it on to the show and that he hopes that she sees that in herself as well. Ru then shows an image of younger Spice and asks her what advice she has for her younger self. Spice starts off joking that it is actually a picture of Sugar being shown before getting more serious and talking through her growing pains but how important it is to stick to your heart and do what makes you happy. Ru then asks her why she should be the queen who wins the season. Spice talks about how she grew so much from where she started in the competition to making it to the finale and how so many of her competitors doubted her and her talent but she proved them wrong. She goes on to say how this sentiment is shared by so many queer people out there and she wants to be able to represent all of them.
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Ru finally is shown having her one-on-one with Sugar!
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Sugar also leans into her established brand of ditzy chaos in her conversation with Ru. Ru tells her how much of a joy she was to watch this season and how much she grew from week to week. Ru talks to her and asks her what pushed her to fight week after week to make it to the final four. Sugar mentions how she loved having her sister by her side and that she knew she couldn't leave her on her own which made her try even harder to perform better and better. Ru then shows a surprise message from Sugar's mom. In this message, Sugar's mom apologizes for negative things she has said about Sugar and attempts to reconcile their relationship and adds that she wants to have a relationship with her son again. Sugar tears up quite a bit following this. Ru then shows Sugar a younger version of herself and asks her what advice she has for her younger self. Sugar makes the same joke as Spice and then cackles when Ru lets her know that Spice also said the same thing. Sugar mentions how confident she should be and never let anyone dim your star. Ru then ends the segment by asking Sugar why she should take home the crown. Sugar mentions how she always knew she had star power even before coming to Drag Race and that she felt that the show gave her a larger platform to extend her brand of drag to the masses and show everyone that there is more than one way to be a valid drag performer.
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RuPaul announces that the time has come for the first lip sync round of the night, the close up lip sync. RuPaul explains that she wants the queens to connect with the song and serve realness using only their face.
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RuPaul announces that the time has come for them to lip sync for their lives. They had to prepare a lip-sync performance to the song Bring Back My Girls by RuPaul.
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Good luck and don't FUCK it up!
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The lip-sync is so tight! The queens don't have their full bodies to convey a killer performance, it's just their faces up close and personal. Jasmine, who has shown how strong of a dancer she is, isn't inhibited by this as she nails the lyrics. Sugar and Spice tap into their Tik Tok background and bring forth a really strong performance as well especially since it is their first time performing in the season. Maddy, much like her competitors, leans close and delivers a succinct and strong lip sync as well. It is truly too close to call.
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Following the lip sync performance, we are shown a video of the queens of Season 12 performing a lip sync number about voting to the theme of "Supermodel". They are all wearing red, white, and blue and talk through the importance of registering to vote and letting your voice be heard.
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RuPaul then tells us that for the second lip sync of the night each of the queens in the top four were asked to produce and star in their own lip sync numbers from their homes, to a song that they have chosen. Ru goes on to say that the judges will be watching the performances and are poised to give their critiques because following the lip syncs there will be an elimination. Ru announces that up first will be Jasmine Kennedie!
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Jasmine performs a lip sync to the song "Last Dance" by Dua Lipa. Jasmine really connects with her video and dances all throughout her home. She looks like a music video pop star in her own right. She knows the words, she hits every rhythm and even finds a way to flip into a split all in her living room. Truly and iconic performance.
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The next performance comes from Maddy Morphosis! Maddy performs to the song "Not Myself Tonight" by Christina Aguilera. Maddy is in rare form as she turns look after look in her video and plays on her being a straight man who turns into a drag queen. She has campy moments but really leans into delivering some sex appeal throughout her video.

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Ru announces that the next performance will come from Spice! Spice performs "In the Next Life" by Kim Petras. Her video includes her emerging from a casket and serving face. She looks great and really leans into her darker side and aesthetic with her performance. You can tell that Spice is really feeling herself with how she struts and pops around during her performance. It's a definite high point for her.

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The final performance that we see is Sugar! Sugar creates a performance to the song "Iconic" by Trisha Paytas. The performance is the epitome of Sugar's brand as it is ditzy, sexy, and stupid. She doesn't take herself too seriously at all and really has fun with her performance and the visuals are really on point. She looks great and bops around and sells the performance like only she could.
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Following, Sugar's performance, Ru announces that it is time for the judges final critiques.
Ross starts with Jasmine and talks about how geniusly she moves. He gushes over how great she looked in her lip sync from home and mentions that it felt like he was watching an actual music video. Michelle says that her lip sync from home played to all her strengths and truly made her look incredible. Carson talks about her close up lip sync and mentions how they all know she can dance but seeing her locked in and only serving face was also incredibly done.
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Carson moves on to Maddy and talks about how incredible she looked during the up close lip sync. He then goes on to say this was a big night for her and that he loved what she did with her lip sync from home. Ross agrees and adds that he felt like she really put on a show and gave us all something we hadn't seen from her all season. Michelle talks about specific moments from her lip sync from home that she enjoyed and says that she thinks Maddy nailed it.
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Michelle then talks about her thoughts around Spice's performances. She mentioned that with Sugar and Spice they were the two that the judges didn't know what to expect and that she really enjoyed everything Spice brought tonight. Carson agrees and adds that her lip sync from home was one of his favorites in that it was edgy, sexy, and true to her brand. Ross also talks about how much he enjoyed her lip sync from home but also talks about how incredible she looked during her up close lip sync given how talented she is with makeup.
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Michelle ends the critiques by talking about Sugar and what she brought to her final performances. She mentions that she thought she looked really good in her close up lip sync and that since she didn't have to dance we could focus on how amazing she looks. Ross agrees and says that Sugar knows who she is as a queen and brought that same energy to her lip sync from home with he really enjoyed. Carson also talks about how the lip sync from home spoke to who Sugar is and what they have come to love about her as a queen.
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Following the critiques, RuPaul jokingly tells the judges that they were no help. She then tells the top four queens that it is time to announce who will be moving forward to the final lip sync. Ru tells the queens that tonight, and all season long, they have displayed performances that brought them to the finale. She then announces that...
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Sugar will not be moving forward to the final lip sync.
Sugar thanks RuPaul for an amazing experience all season long and tells Spice that she hopes she brings it home this season.
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RuPaul then says as the final three queens get ready for their final lip sync that it's time to hear from Season 11's Miss Congeniality, Deja Skye, as she passes on the title.

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Deja calls in and jokingly talks about happy she is that she doesn't have to act congenial anymore and can revert back to being an online troll account. She then announces that the queen chosen to be Miss Congeniality of Season 12 is...
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Salina Estitties!!
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Following this announcement, RuPaul introduces the winner of Season 11, Aquaria!

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Aquaria talks about how her life has changed since winning the season and all the incredible things that she has been afforded. She goes on to say that she is looking forward to welcoming one of the queens of Season 12 into the winner's circle.
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RuPaul then announces that it is time for the final lip sync of the night.

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RuPaul announces that three queens stand before her. Prior to tonight they were asked to prepare a lip sync performance to "Survivor" by Destiny's Child. She explains that this is their last chance to impress her and snatch the title of America's Next Drag Superstar.
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The time has come for them to lip sync for the crown!
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Good luck, and don't FUCK it up!
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The queens are battling in this lip sync! They are limited in what they can do dance-wise for this performance given that they are in their own homes and not on a stage. This doesn't stop Jasmine from hitting every single beat of the song. Spice looks that part from the music video but has moments in her performance that come across as a little rehearsed. There are funny moments where she turns to the side as if she is talking to the other queens she is performing against. Maddy pulls focus towards the climax of the song when she pulls out a reveal and really starts giving the performance her all. Each queen is trying their best not to let the others upstage them. It is a photofinish to the end!
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The lip sync ends and RuPaul announces...
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The winner of Season 12...
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America's Next Drag Superstar is...
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Maddy Morphosis!!
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ALL STARS 5 COMING SOON!
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2024.04.29 05:34 TheBrianJ It was in my darkest hour when Lady Luck came to me

At the time, I was sitting on the side of the road, on the outskirts of town, across the street from a dive bar that reeked of desperation and depression. And the only reason I wasn’t inside was because I had just been thrown out.
Let me back-up. I’m not gonna tell you my name, but if you live in or near Las Vegas, chances are you’ve heard of me. The king of the strip. The luckiest man in the luckiest city. The guy you want at your table. When I was a kid, it seemed like a harmless quirk; always hitting the ladders and missing the chutes, the perfect draws in Candyland, something for my parents to wow their dinner guests with when there was a lull in conversation. It was around middle school when I realized I could use my luck to my advantage. My school got bit hard by Magic the Gathering fever and while everyone else was doing their damnedest to craft the perfect deck, I was the one who was winning by drawing the perfect card at the perfect time. Made back my lunch money a few times over that year.
College wasn’t my thing, but neither was staying in town; at that point everyone knew to not play any games with me because I’d always end up winning. But I had bigger ambitions. I had gotten a taste for being the victor and now I was hungry for more. So when I turned 21 I hit the road, with a whole new world of unsuspecting people just waiting for me. Hustling isn’t exactly a difficult science; you pretend you don’t know what you’re doing, fold a few hands, then when they raise the stakes and propose a few big money games, you wipe the floor with them and move on to the next town. I lost a few teeth along the way to some sore losers, but with the money I was making it was never too hard to pay for dental work, ice packs, and aspirin.
But that wasn’t enough. I was ready to go big. And the glitzy lights and siren song of jackpots drew me to Las Vegas. Yeah, cliche place, but when you have my luck, the old adage “the house always wins” doesn’t mean jack. That’s when I started making real money, putting my luck to good use full-time. Every pull of a lever, push of a button, throw of the dice… it all came my way. Sure, I got a bad hand or a crap throw often enough, but by the end of the night I always left with more than I started. First few months I was there, I got dragged into back rooms to be interrogated by a bunch of stiffs in tight suits more times than I could count. They were convinced I was cheating. But they never found anything on me: no extra dice, no hidden cards, no cameras, nothing. I told them the truth; that I was just lucky. They didn’t like that answer, but with no proof, they would send me on my way, telling me not to come back for the day. I learned to pace myself: switch up where I was gambling each night, don’t win too much, stop when the dealer was starting to sweat.
Even with those restrictions, I was making more than enough to not just survive, but thrive. Got a nice little penthouse at the top of one of the hotels, spent my days gambling and my nights partying. Slowly, people started to learn my name, follow me around, and want to get close to me. They all were hoping to sap up a little bit of my luck. And the crazy thing? They did. When I was at their table, suddenly everyone’s hands were coming up in their favor. I watched grown men fight over the chance to sit at the slot machine next to mine. I wasn’t just a great gambler, I was the great gambler. The guy who got whispered about when I walked by. The Luckiest Man In Vegas. Hell of a title.
In the back of my mind I always thought one day my luck would peter out. I wasn’t expecting it to be so dramatic.
It started at the poker tables that morning. You know how unlikely it is to get four 2-7 offsuit draws in a row? But there they were, taunting me. The casino always gave me free drinks when I hit a cold streak, but the taste of defeat wouldn’t leave my mouth. Bad day for the tables, I figured, and moved onto the slot machines. Didn’t hit a single payout for an hour. I was starting to sweat; was this some kinda prank by the casino, rigging the games to take me down a peg? Even the lowliest gambler doesn’t have a day this bad. Insulted, I took my business down the strip.
But the next casino didn’t fare much better either. Snake eyes, 0s and 00s, couldn’t hit 21 to save my life. I began to hear the whispers; some of my regular hangers-on, worried that their cash cow was having a dry day. They started moving to other tables, hoping not to catch whatever dark cloud was hanging over my head. After I got two sevens and a lemon, I decided my day would be better spent in bed. It’d give my luck a chance to recharge.
When I swiped my card on the key reader and the light flashed red, I knew something had to be up. I stormed straight down to talk to whoever was working the front desk; I knew them all by name, so getting this sorted out shouldn’t have been a problem. So imagine my surprise to see some new girl behind the desk who didn’t believe me when I told her what was happening. She told me the system said I hadn’t paid my rent that month; I told her I had dropped the check off a week ago, like I always do. There was no record of it in the computer though, and she trusted it more than she trusted me.
Things went south quickly. I suppose I could have just waited for a shift change to talk to someone I actually knew, or given them a call to get this sorted out. But I was already having a bad day, and her attitude was pissing me off. So maybe reaching over the counter to grab her by the hair wasn’t the smartest idea, but the way those two guys the size of tanks grabbed me and threw me out of the building wasn’t called for if you ask me.
I was making a mental note to start looking into a new place to stay when my cell phone rang. It was my bank, telling me that there had been a lot of “suspicious activity” in my account, and that my cards were being frozen until they could sort it out. I definitely turned a few heads on the street with the string of obscenities I screamed into the phone, but I’m pretty sure they hung up on me halfway through; I would have checked, had I not thrown my phone to the ground and shattered it. I checked my wallet to see how much cash I had on me to make it through the day; I really shouldn’t have been surprised to see an empty space where the neat stack of 100’s usually sat.
The rest of the day was kinda a blur; attempts to contact anyone I knew were met with dial tones and busy signals, and in the mood I was in I got stopped from entering all my usual casinos because they said I “looked like I was there to cause problems.” Can’t say I blame them, but it wasn’t doing my demeanor any favors. Do you have any idea how pathetic it is to ask tourists for a little cash to spend at a gas station slot machine? They all thought I was some poor sap in way too deep, rather than the celebrity they should have been treating me like. By the time the sun went down, I had made my way out of town and plopped myself down at the aforementioned dive bar, and their one lowly, pathetic penny slot. I had found a penny in the gutter outside. This was it: the end of this horrible day, the clouds clearing, the path back to being on top of the world. I put the coin in and pulled the lever.
Watermelon. Bananas. Bell.
I stared at the machine. I swear, those stupid little symbols were laughing at me. I saw red, reared my hand back, and punched the machine as hard as I could; next thing I knew, a few of the regulars were hauling my ass out the door and across the street, throwing me into the ditch and telling me to stay out.
And so there I was. Luckiest man in Vegas, sitting on the side of a road. Everything I had in life, gone in the span of a day. No idea on how to get back to where I was… or even if it was possible anymore. My luck had finally run out, and it had run out hard.
That’s when I heard her voice.
“Whoof, you look like you’re having a rough day,” she said.
“Lady, you have no idea how much I don’t wanna talk right now,” I said back. I expected that to be it; people were quick to move on in this city when it was clear you were in no mood. Instead, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Aw, don’t be like that,” she cooed. She had the tone of someone who wasn’t used to consoling people, but was trying her hardest.
I looked over at my visitor; she had on a sparkling red dress like she was headed for the fanciest club in town—odd given how far we were outside the city—and a matching red derby hat with a wide brim and feathers sticking out the side. You know those old ads you’d see for Vegas with some perfect-looking woman dressed to the nines inviting you to come throw your life away? She looked for all the world like she had just stepped right out of one of those, but with a sincere smile that somehow clashed with the rest of her look.
“What do you want?” I seethed, looking her up and down.
She sat down beside me.
“So, um,” she said, casually scratching the back of her head as she searched for the right words. “I don’t know how to tell you this—”
“Oh my god just say it and go away,” I snapped at her.
She nodded. “Alright. I’m… Lady Luck.”
Judging by her reaction, she noticed my eyes rolling. “Cute nickname. Tell me what you’re selling, so I can tell you no and to fuck off.”
“No seriously! I’m her.” She leaned forward a bit, staring me down intently.
This lady wasn’t gonna leave me alone, I figured. “Alright,” I said. “I’ll humor you a bit. Prove it.”
“Uh…” she mumbled, glancing around. “Kinda hard to prove luck… Oh!” She pointed at the bar across the street, where four people were exiting, three of whom looked like they were about to collapse and one who was clearly ready to end the night. “Okay, see the guy in the gray shirt?”
I nodded. “Designated driver, I’m guessing.”
“Good guess,” she said. “And he’s gonna get rewarded for that.”
Two of gray shirt’s friends had already been piled into the car by him, and he was struggling to get the third to follow suit. Like a cartoon, the friend fell straight down to the ground, leading to a world-weary groan from gray shirt. Just as he was leaning down to help his friend up, a truck passed by with its brights on. As the light hit his car, there was a momentary glint from around the driver’s seat. Abandoning his friend, gray shirt reached towards where the glint was; when he pulled his hand back, I could see the tears in his eyes as he held his clenched fist close to his chest.
“The hell…” I muttered.
“Alonzo lost his wedding ring six months ago,” she said, happily leaning back on her hands and surveying the scene. “If his friends hadn’t decided to go out tonight, if he hadn’t been selected as the designated driver, if Marty hadn’t fallen out of the car at just that moment, if that truck hadn’t driven by at that moment, he might have never found it.” She gave me a sheepish grin. “I’m really proud of this one! Love it when luck can give someone a story to last a lifetime.”
Everything she was saying was absurd. But the way Alonzo was cradling his hand, carefully placing something onto his finger, a smile brighter than any of the lights in the city… I was in enough of a terrible mood to buy it.
“Alright, fine, whatever. You’re Lady Luck. So what?” I said. “You come here to gloat? Brag about ruining my life?”
“Nah, I don’t like bragging,” she said. “I wanna apologize. I’ve been watching, today’s been way worse on you than I expected it to be.”
“Expected?” I looked her dead in the eyes. “You knew this was gonna happen?”
“Well, yeah,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s my whole job to know. But I figured I owed you an explanation.” She turned to fully face me, sitting cross-legged like she was a teacher in a kindergarten class. “How do I put this… everyone in the world has a set level of luck when they’re born. It determines how likely forces beyond your understanding will intervene to make something happen, for better or for worse. Follow me?”
“No.”
“Yeah, didn’t think you would.” She mulled something over in her mind, trying to find the right words. “Okay, so someone is born, and their luck is ‘zero.’ That means anything in their life that comes down to luck is just that: luck. Complete random chance. But if someone has, say… ‘one,’ maybe they’ll be a biiiiiiit more likely to end up with positive results. Or if it’s ‘negative one,’ a bit more likely to end up with negative results.”
“So our lives are determined by stupid video game stats?” I scoffed.
“Not everything in life; in fact it’s only luck. It’s kinda an intangible, a mystical thing, you know? There’s nothing you can do to increase or decrease luck, it just is.” She gave me that sheepish smile again. “Sorry, I’m really not used to explaining this to people.”
“I can tell.”
“So here’s where things get a bit more complex.” She held her hands out in front of her, trying to diagram something that wasn’t there. “There’s only a set amount of luck in the universe. New luck can’t just be conjured from nothing, it’s gotta be distributed amongst everyone and everything. When someone dies, their luck is spread out among the rest of the world; when someone is born, everyone gives them a bit of their luck. So in general, things stay pretty stable. Got it?”
“I think so?” My inflection reflected my confusion. “Lot to think about, but everyone just has their own luck. Got it.”
“Annnnnnd this is where you and I come in.” She continued to smile; it was starting to get to me. “I’ve been doing this job for a looooong time. I’m good at it, but think about how many living things have ever existed. Having to balance all that luck is tough! And, well… I was bound to make a mistake eventually.”
At the word ‘mistake,’ I felt my eye twitch. “What do you mean, mistake?”
She put her hand on my shoulder like a guidance counselor telling a student they’d never make it to college. “Look, I’ll be blunt: you were born with waaaaaay too much luck. You ended up with more than a city’s worth.”
Hearing her say it was like a gut punch and an eye opener all at once. “Sonofabitch,” I mumbled, looking up at the sky and taking it all in.
“What, are you surprised?” she asked.
“Nah, it just… hits different when you actually hear it from someone.” I didn’t say anything for a minute; I just gazed at the stars above me. She went quiet too, giving me the space I needed. Once I was ready, I had to ask the next obvious question. “So, why today? I’ve been lucky my whole life, and then you come by and take it all away from me in a snap? Just wander on in and treat me to the worst day of my life?”
Her smile faltered; she shifted uncomfortably, clearly not thrilled at the prospect of answering the question.
“Well?!” I shouted at her.
“That’s why I’m apologizing!” She shouted back. “I only noticed the error today, so I had to correct things. And the best way to do that is to rip the bandage off, metaphorically speaking. Take all that extra luck and distribute it among everyone else. But yeah, considering the day you had, that was probably a mistake on top of another mistake, so I owe you an apology. This one is on me.”
I wasn’t sure how to react, but I certainly wasn’t feeling positive about her apology.
“‘On me?’” I said through gritted teeth. “That’s all you got for me?”
“I know I’m not good at this, but I can count the number of people I have had to apologize to on one hand, so please cut me a little slack,” she said.
“Cut you some slack?!” She winced when I shouted. “You ruined my life, then expect me to forgive you? Give me my goddamn luck back!”
“I can’t do that, it wouldn’t be fair to everyone!” She stood up; I quickly jumped up to meet her there. “But the worst of it is over now, you’re basically at zero from now on. I’m already having to break a rule to set things straight, do you know how much worse it would be if I—”
“Zero’s not good enough!” I grabbed her by the lapels of her dress. “You give all of it back right this fucking instant!”
“Let me go!” she yelled.
I saw red. Before I knew what I was doing, I drove my head forward; there was a sickening thud as our heads made contact, and she went down immediately. Blood started to trickle down from her forehead, the same color as her dress. I went into auto-pilot and dropped down.
“GIVE IT BACK!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as I curled my hands into fists and drove them down into her face. “GIVE ME MY LUCK BACK!!”
Over and over and over, I brought my hands down on her. With each hammer, I felt something more give; another vicious crack, another splatter of blood, another tooth flying to the side. By the time a minute had passed and my senses were returning to me, the woman under me was unrecognizable; a red pulp of blood and bone that would make a medical examiner run from the room in horror. I breathed heavily, staring down at what I had just done, at the lifeless figure below me.
And then… she was fine.
She didn’t magically heal herself, her body didn’t reform and attach itself back together, there wasn’t even a spark or a sound. One moment she was a corpse, the next she looked as pristine as she was when she had come to me minutes ago. She stared back up at me, a mixture of annoyance and disappointment on her face.
“Seriously!?” She yelled.
My only reaction was to fall back, trying to process what I was seeing. She casually stood up and brushed dust off of her dress.
“I-I-I, I’m—” I stammered.
“I APOLOGIZED! I was genuinely sorry for what I put you through! I was trying to make good, and you ATTACK me?!” She put her hands on her hips like a disappointed parent. “See, this is why I don’t like talking with people; you’re all such assholes!”
“B…but…” was all I could get out. She reached down and took me by the shirt, pulling me up to my feet. The smile was gone; there was an intensity burning in her eyes.
“Fine. You want your luck back? You got it!” she said. “Boom. It’s yours again, congratulations. But you know what? You only get it for one more week. Then, it’s over. Got it?!”
I wasn’t about to argue with her. I nodded. “One more week, one more bad day, then all this luck stuff is over. Got it.”
She shook her head. “No. I gave you the chance to do it all in one day, and you decide to get all violent.” The smile returned; this time, combined with the look in her eyes, it terrified me. “You thought I ripped the bandage off badly by doing it in one day? Let’s see what happens when we do it in a minute.”
She shoved me away and turned to leave. I hit the ground, the dust kicking up around me.
“W-wait!” I said, scrambling back to my feet. “Can’t we—”
She was gone. There was no indication that anyone had been there besides me. I looked around frantically, but other than the bar across the way, I was alone.
I’m not sure how long I stood in silence, but eventually all I could do was turn back towards Vegas and start walking. No sooner had I done so then the street lit up and a truck pulled alongside me. The driver rolled the window down.
“Heyo, need a lift into town?” he asked. I nodded, and he pushed the door open and patted the seat.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I sat down.
The moment I closed the door the pitter-patter of rain echoed outside the car, turning into a near-torrential downpour in seconds.
“God damn, it’s really comin’ down!” the driver laughed as he turned his windshield wipers on high. “I usually don’t take this road neither, but my usual route’s backed up. Lucky I came this way or you’d be soaked right now, huh?”
That word rang in my head and I nodded again. “Yeah. Lucky.”
When he dropped me off at my hotel, one of the usual workers was at the front counter. He offered me a sincere apology about the mix-up earlier, said that the new girl hadn’t been told about me yet, and that they found my check behind a desk in the back. They left me champagne and a free gourmet meal for the trouble, but I left it out and collapsed into bed. The next day I went to the bank, where I was greeted with another apology; a clerical error was to blame for my cards being frozen, but now everything had been restored. They even increased my credit limit as an apology.
Things returned to normal for me. The dice were hot, and the hands were hotter. My luck was back. I should have been ecstatic.
But I wasn’t. I was empty.
I’ve been in a haze since then. Because every time I hit a jackpot, every time I get a win, every time someone hands me a free drink, I can see her. Out of the corner of my eye, she’s standing there, watching me with that same smile. But when I turn to look at her, she’s gone.
That was seven days ago. I’m sitting in my penthouse right now writing this. Over the last hour, the lights outside my window have faded, leaving the strip looking an eerie black. There’s no noise either. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard Vegas quiet.
A few moments ago, I heard a soft knock at my door and a woman’s laughter.
Lady Luck has come to collect.
submitted by TheBrianJ to nosleep [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 05:11 aztects17 After realizing that I worship Joy and the ability to share it with others - I wondered what I would ever want from Jesus or a reason to become like him.

Below were reasons given to me on why I would find Jesus Lifestyle appealing, but to be honest - I don't find anything that I want directly from him... Sure would I love to be immortal - yes, but live in a sterile place where everyone becomes perfect and only worry about what is or isn't sin doesn't sit well with me.
If I could have a way to grant everyone immortality and live on earth with the freedoms that's guaranteed in America I would and allow people to be themselves forever and "Pursue Happiness" with endless life and liberty.
Jesus wants mankind to become like him until they are selfless like him and have no will for themselves, only that of the Father's until they are perfect. This to me is not what I signed up for. I worship Joy and the ability to share it with others, even to the point of strangers. I want to continue to innovate to bring an end to illness and poverty - where everyone has an equal chance and pursuing happiness (however it may interest them).
I'd be honest that the purpose of life in my opinion is to Live Long, Love Much, Laugh Hard, and Learn lots & to love yourself, love others and the Father of your Soul. But I know I don't worship God the Father - I love him and am glad he exists and I want him to find Joy in his existence, but I worship Joy, as true Joy is principal based in happiness & love.
Below is what I was suggested to look unto Jesus for but I honestly rather have more modern role models - such as Bill Gates, Mr Beast, Arnold Schwartzenegger - my ideal of perfection (could I create someone) would never look like Jesus to me, he'd be more of a Hercules with the intelligence of Bill Gates.
I know this is going onward...but what are your guys thoughts, do any of you struggle with this in religion?
--+---------------------------------------------------------------+------- Individuals may desire to emulate or acquire various qualities and attributes that are traditionally associated with Jesus Christ for a multitude of reasons. Here are some aspects that people often find appealing and strive to incorporate into their own lives: Unconditional Love: Jesus is often revered for his capacity to love unconditionally. People may aspire to have the ability to love others without judgment or precondition.
Compassion: Jesus demonstrated profound compassion for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. Emulating this compassion can lead to a more empathetic and caring approach to others.
Forgiveness: The ability to forgive, as Jesus did, is a quality many seek to cultivate. Forgiveness can lead to personal peace and the resolution of conflicts.
Wisdom: Jesus is often considered a source of great wisdom, with his teachings providing guidance on how to live a meaningful life. People may seek this wisdom to navigate life's challenges.
Peace: Jesus is associated with inner peace and the ability to remain calm in the face of adversity. Many desire this sense of peace in their own lives.
Purpose: Jesus had a clear sense of purpose and mission, which can inspire individuals to seek a greater sense of direction and meaning in their own lives.
Sacrifice: The willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, as Jesus did, is a noble quality that can lead to personal growth and the betterment of society.
Hope: Jesus is a symbol of hope for many, providing a sense of optimism and the belief that change and redemption are possible.
Faith: Jesus exemplified strong faith in God, which can be a source of strength and comfort for believers facing their own trials.
Humility: Despite his divinity, Jesus displayed humility, serving others and placing himself in a position of a servant. This humility is something many strive to emulate.
Resilience: Jesus endured suffering and persecution without losing faith or love for humanity. This resilience is a quality that can help individuals persevere through their own hardships.
Healing: Jesus' ability to heal both physically and spiritually is something that draws people to him, as they seek healing in their own lives or the ability to help heal others.
Joy: Despite the challenges he faced, Jesus experienced joy and encouraged it in others. People may seek to experience and spread this joy in their own lives.
Eternal Life: The promise of eternal life through Jesus' teachings and sacrifice is a fundamental aspect of Christian belief that offers a profound sense of hope and comfort to believers.
Moral and Ethical Guidance: The teachings of Jesus provide a framework for moral and ethical living that many find valuable for personal development and community harmony.
It's important to note that the desire to possess these qualities is not limited to religious individuals; many of these attributes are universally admired and sought after in various cultures and societies.
submitted by aztects17 to religion [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 04:35 meadowofwildflowers Candlelight Boutique + Tale of Stars purchasable packs, available 4/29 - 5/8

Candlelight Boutique + Tale of Stars purchasable packs, available 4/29 - 5/8
Event Time: After the update on 4/29 - 5/8, 23:59

Candlelight Boutique

https://preview.redd.it/vm329te0ybxc1.jpg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8b0197b741c1818b762f0b0914b93069f9a914e
Super-Value Packs:
  • [Candlelight Pink Gem Pack]: Includes Candle of Devotion x2, the pose [Lonesome Waltz], and Pink Gem x300.
  • [Candlelight Gem Card Pack]: Includes Candle of Devotion x10 and a [Gem Card] (grants Star Gem x300 instantly, Pink Gem x56 every day for 30 days).
  • [Candlelight Privilege Card Pack]: Includes Candle of Devotion x20 and a [Privilege Card] (grants Star Gem x680 instantly, Pink Gem x106 every day for 30 days).
  • [Candlelight Star Gem Pack]: Includes Candle of Devotion x15 and Star Gem x500.
Candlelight Gifts:
  1. Visit the boutique to get Gold x50000.
  2. Purchase 2 packs to get the fancy makeup piece [Abyssal Gaze], [Innocent Star Tear], [Entwined Heart Thief], the pose [Kaleidoscope of Grace], the furniture and 3D prop [Starry Nightlight], and the atmosphere [Starlit Remembrance].
  3. Purchase 3 packs to get the scene interaction [Blossom Tea Rendezvous], the dressing and sticker background [Sunny Repose], the furniture and interactive prop [Ivory Encounter], furniture and 3D prop [Floral Oath], [Warm Tea Reverie], Misty Haze Bottles, and hair dye materials.
Special Notice:
  1. When you use the scene interaction [Blossom Tea Rendezvous], you can tap the main menu to see different pose displays and listen to different voice feedback.
  2. When you purchase these packs, you will get the VIP EXP and Guild Gifts based on your actual payment. These packs won't be counted in the first top-up rewards.

Tale of Stars Packs

https://preview.redd.it/9d3lnp3kybxc1.jpg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba733b574ebf7a963ed3126ac7a00d0f8632a1f8
Event Info: During the event, tap [Event Center] - [Tale of Stars] to buy the packs.
Pack Content:
  • Midnight Reverie Pack: Includes the new dynamic background [Midnight Reverie] and its sticker background, the atmosphere [Night Veil Starscape], Pink Gems, and Gold. You can also get a static dressing background and a sticker background [Midnight Reverie: Serene].
  • Starry Wanderlust Pack: Includes the new UR handheld [Starry Wanderlust], the motion pose [Charming Magic], [Drifting Dreams], Pink Gems, and Gold.
These packs can only be purchased once. Don't miss out!
Special Notice: You can tap the main screen and get different pose and voice feedback when you put on [Starry Wanderlust].
submitted by meadowofwildflowers to Shining_Nikki [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 04:09 PsychixNFLScouting WR Keon Coleman Deep Dive

I wasn't able to publish this scouting report before the Draft, but I wanted to release it now that Keon Coleman is a Buffalo Bill!
Background:
A three-sport athlete at Opelousas Catholic School in Louisiana, Coleman dominated on both offense and defense, racking up multiple All-State selections and being named team MVP as a senior. While Coleman's prowess on the gridiron earned him 4-star recruiting status, he committed to Michigan State to play both football and basketball. Though he eventually decided to step away from hoops, Coleman made his mark in East Lansing, being named 3rd Team All-Big Ten in 2022 before transferring to Florida State and breaking out to the tune of 11 TDs.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Summary:
Keon Coleman is an enigma. His most exciting trait is certainly his talent at the catch point, though it's difficult to feel confident when he reeled in just 30% of his contested looks as a junior. A "build-up speed" athlete whose 10-yard split outshines his 40 time, Coleman has plenty of work to do on his perimeter skillset; he needs to add separation to his game by becoming a savvier route runner while also deepening his release package. Keon Coleman has true X WR upside, but he could end up as a matchup-based big-slot if he doesn't improve as a separator.
Future Role: #2 Perimeter WR
Scheme Fit: X / Big Slot
Pro Comp: Drake London (Atlanta Falcons)
Round Grade: 1st / 2nd Round
Full Keon Coleman scouting report available here!
submitted by PsychixNFLScouting to u/PsychixNFLScouting [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 04:03 meadowofwildflowers Maintenance Notice for 4/29

Maintenance Notice for 4/29
From Facebook:
Dear Stylists, Shining Nikki will have update maintenance from 2024-04-29 2:00:00 to 2024-04-29 6:00:00 (UTC-7). During the maintenance, Stylists will not be able to log in. Please be aware of the maintenance and plan your game time accordingly. It may take longer or shorter than expected to complete maintenance. Thank you for your understanding! Please be aware that there will also be a non-mandatory update available on App Store and Google Play Store.
[Maintenance Compensation] Pink Gems x100, Stamina x60, Mystery Tickets x3
  1. The themed event [Evernight Prayers] will be live after the update. Top up to get SSR sets and reach the designated VIP EXP to get the SR set [Ode to Light].
  2. The event [Candlelight Boutique] will be live after the update. Special packs and gifts await.
  3. The special packs [Tale of Stars Packs] will be live after the update, including a special UR piece and dynamic background.
  4. The benefits event [Chocolate Delight] will be live after the update. Accumulate points to get UR clothing and a sticker background.
  5. The collaboration event [Cloudweaver] will be rerun.
    1. No dates for the rerun yet, but it's this event: https://www.reddit.com/Shining_Nikki/comments/xo8gek/new_welfare_cloudweaver_attire_beginning_927/
  6. [Realm of Bounty] Time Corridor 5 will be updated. Relevant material packs will also be available in Shop.
  7. [Memory Stairway] Season 16 will be live.
  8. [COLOURS Newsroom] Issue 19 will be live.
[Optimization]
  1. Optimized the UI interfaces and the visual display of some clothing pieces.
https://preview.redd.it/z3xhna25tbxc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4224bc9daee34b061e1a74ad4afa3ddaa98bc21
submitted by meadowofwildflowers to Shining_Nikki [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 03:57 wildestnacatl Original New Mutants 28 Cover Art from Marvel Age 28

Original New Mutants 28 Cover Art from Marvel Age 28 submitted by wildestnacatl to comicbookcollecting [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 03:15 Jotoku Just Purchased the PSVR2 My quick impressions

I got the headset over the weekend and played 2 titles so far.
Background, I have experience building VR headsets since the time Palmer Lucky built his Rift on the website "Meant to be seen in 3d". Own most headsets also including the StarVR One with the 200 degrees FOV (RGB Oleds)
Before purchasing the HMD I dived in to watching and reading many reviews, old ones and recent. The consensus has been that there is a lot of Mura (but is not really MURA, is the anti-SDE filter, although is a MURA like effect) The other issue is Reprojection, Persistence of the displays, low sweets spot and lastly tracking. The less important complaint if the cheap feeling.
My quick opinion is; it is a very well designed headset overall. The heads trap for the most part does its thing, the face mask is unique and works fine although it does irritates my forehead where the edge of the mask makes contact with the skin
Mura, I was expecting terrible Mura and was concerned when doing the purchase, however, i do not perceive the Mura at all. Not sure if its my eyesight, but I cant see it. To be fair I have only played GT7 and Horizon. Maybe on Resident Evil will be obvious because of the dark setting but as of now, It is a none issue for me.
Reprojection, this one is obvious, especially in Horizon. Graphically is a stunner. I do hope that when the PS5 Pro is released this game is patched to run at native 90FS and not 60 as it currently stands. It doesn't bother me but it can be better. Note: I have not detected any puke feeling from climbing sequences, but this may be due to my VR legs.
Sweet spot, well they are Fresnel lenses, so the usual complaint. If it wasn't for the tobii Eye tracking, I would have been compelled to do a Gear VR mod to it for improved clarity.
Tracking, this is the current most annoying part of the HMD. I only dealt with it on Horizon but happens often especially when looking up when climbing. it interrupts the gameplay to ask if I want to set the boundaries, then quickly goes back to resume gameplay. This happened quite a bit. I played with the lighting on the room. It happens often enough to be bothersome. I do not have the issue on GT7.
I think the headset is pretty good, the FOV is good enough, the resolution is pretty good also. Better than my old Samsung Odyssey + with Amoleds and the anti-SDE filter.
I have yet to fire up Red Matter 2, I read that it runs at 90FPS native so no reprojection. Curious how that will look. but overall i like the PSVR2, not bad, just that it needs more exclusive and cool games
submitted by Jotoku to PSVR [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 03:13 _Fyzus_ The Galactic Empire saved the Galaxy once more! Hurray!

The Galactic Empire saved the Galaxy once more! Hurray! submitted by _Fyzus_ to StarWarsEmpireAtWar [link] [comments]


2024.04.29 03:10 TheloniousHowe Strange Friends in Odd Places

Big ups to Accidentally Adopted for inspiring this white hot dumpster fire. Enjoy, or don't I have shenanigans elsewhere that need my attention.
“So we’re screwed?”
“Well, Neb, let’s go over the day's events. Pirates have boarded, they’ve blown away our communications relay, all but slaughtered us and those of us who survived are stuck in the safe room with no control over the ship, so-”
A third voice flatly interrupted the condescending tirade. “Specimen’s loose.”
“And now the specimen is loose. Yeah Neb, I think we’re screwed.”
Four scientists were all gathered in the ship's safe room. They were all that remained. Pared down from a crew of over two dozen they were the only ones that happened to be close, or perhaps lucky, enough to make it to the final bulwark.
“But we’re in the safe room. They can’t get in here, right? We just have to wait them out, wait for help?”
That question belonged to Trest, the youngest and most inexperienced of the lot. She had just earned her apprenticeship and had come to Kem’s ship wide-eyed and primed for adventure. But fate occasionally has a cruel sense of humor, so her first foray into the stars would be her last, it seemed.
Kem turned to face her, he didn’t want to be mean, he really didn’t. But the time for pleasantries and comforting lies had passed. The poor lass needed to know what they were facing so that she could make peace with whatever god it was she prayed to.
“I’ll humor you Trest,” he quipped “Let’s assume that these particular pirates are the special kind of bland that happen to be the only crew that galavants around without plasma cutters. They’ve already cut out our comms. They’ll simply steal everything of value, everything of no value, anything else not nailed down, and blow our engines. Doesn't matter if they can’t get in, there is a finite amount of oxygen in this room. With no signal or signature, we’ll be corpses before anyone even realized we were missing.”
He could see the tears begin to well in her eyes as the realization washed over her. Perhaps he could have used a little more tact in his hypothetical, but the stress of being about to be consigned to the void was weighing on him. He made a mental note to apologize to her in the afterlife.
He was also not trained or ready to deal with a blubbering intern, so he decided to distract himself with more pertinent matters.
“What are they up to out there?” He asked Wren, purposely avoiding the torrential sob storm that Trest was about to unleash.
“No idea.” Wren huffed as he tossed his tablet to the side, “After they broke the locks on the specimen’s cell, they cut the feed. We’re stuck blind and waiting now.”
Kem’s frills rippled. It was one thing to be trapped waiting for death, but to do so with no inkling as to the estimated arrival time of the Great Winged Guardian was a different beast altogether. Fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, the universe grew tired of its malicious malarky and decided not to leave the beleaguered scientists in bated anticipation as the muffled roar of a plasma cutter opposite the security door broke through the air.
Instinctively the four moved toward the back wall, away from their impending demise. Not that it mattered much, there really wasn’t anywhere to go. The loud thunk of the safety interlock being cut, and the scraping metal on metal of the door being pried open gave finality to the doomed researcher’s situation.
Two Korrivian pirates strode through the threshold. Their armoured carapace would be more than enough to ward off any feeble assault the biologists could muster. Their mandibles were hungry clacking at the sight of new, succulent prey.
Oh good Kem thought They’re not just the steal your stuff kind, they’re also the kill and eat you kind. And currently, he was very much hoping that they would choose to do it in that order.
So it came as a minor relief when one of the insects raised its rifle towards him. It then came as a major shock when the pirate was suddenly relieved of his weapon. And one of his arms.
The bug didn’t even have time to register the missing appendage when the stock of his former rifle became intimately acquainted with his face plate. He crumpled to the ground in a heap of twitching chitin. His associate turned to face this unexpected intrusion only to be met with the same weapon slamming down on the top of his head, shattering whatever minuscule cluster of neurons that passed for a brain it had once had.
The quartet had no time to feel any relief, however, as their would-be savoir turned out to be the thing of their nightmares set loose. It was the specimen. It stood over the pirates, skin glistening and breathing heavily, likely examining its most recent handiwork. It took a long deep breath and dropped the rifle to the floor with a loud clang. This led to Trest letting out a petrified yelp. Bad move. The specimen took notice and looked up. It scanned the petrified group of academics until its predatory eyes landed squarely on Trest. It bore its teeth and raised one of its hands, waving it back and forth violently in some aggressive hunting display.
Wren and Neb took measured steps to distance themselves from poor Trest, who appeared to have, for some reason or another, attracted the targeted ire of the bloodthirsty beast. Kem, however, was made of slightly stiffer stuff and took his role as expeditionary leader rather seriously, so he stepped between the beast and the quivering intern. After the violent display the specimen just put on he seriously doubted that this gesture would make any difference, but at least he could make a good show of it, and maybe provide the girl a few more moments of precious life.
The specimen recoiled slightly and looked almost offended. It shook its head back and forth a few times.
“Friend,” it said as it pointed a single digit toward a violently trembling Trest. “Friend sing me.”
The three others turned toward her looking for clarification on the bizarre statement. Her frills deepened with embarrassment. She had been, admittedly, more than a little unsettled to be in such close proximity to what could best be described as a walking war machine, so while running her experiments she had taken to singing hatchery rhymes softly to herself to soothe her nerves. The bizarre creature had mistakenly thought she was singing to it, though given her current precarious predicament, she thought better of correcting it.
Neb would be the voice to ask the question that now lingered in everyone’s mind. “Wait. How the hell does it know how to mimic our speech? Where could it possibly have learned that?”
The specimen it seemed had anticipated that question, or at the very least one in the same vein. It cocked its head to one side “See-know, same not same.” Its face seemed to condense, it tried to clarify, “Learn speaks. Learn space.”
“Great” Wren moaned “All it knows is gibberish.”
“No, I don’t think that it's gibberish.” Neb retorted. “I think it’s trying to communicate. I’m fairly certain we can decipher what it's trying to say if we look at it scientifically. We have to work backwards; extrapolate from incomplete data.” He began pacing as he was wont to do when faced with a particularly vexing quandary.
“Learn space is fairly obvious, it’s likely analogous to one of our schools or academies. Learn speaks is more difficult, but seeing as it was able to use the singular for Trest’s singing and used the plurality for speaking, combined with the speed at which it picked up words from our language we can reasonably surmise that it wasn’t actually learning to speak per se, but likely was learning languages, or at least something adjacent like linguistics. Same-not-same is a different challenge.” His pacing became more erratic as he fell deeper into the linguistic mystery. “Likely something that is close, but not the exact same.” His eyes lit up as the pieces began to fall into place “Something similar! See-know is a little more difficult…I think that, in conjunction with similar, we can assume it to be comprehension, or at the very least understanding.”
Neb’s tail smacked the floor with insight “Recognition! So if we combine all the data points, of course factoring in interpretation errors, I think it’s trying to say that it has pattern recognition and picked up our language because it was studying them at an academy!” Neb’s pride at deciphering the solution quickly gave way to abject terror “Wait…if it has pattern recognition…and was studying at an institution…that would mean…NO! No. Nononononononono.” He pointed a shaky phalange at the specimen “It’s a sentient! We’ve been running experiments on a sentient!” Neb collapsed to the floor, embracing himself in a fetal position at the revelation, incoherently rambling about “moral failings.”
The specimen looked slightly upset at Neb’s existential crisis “Hurt.” It said as it pointed to the whimpering mess
“No, not hurt. Stupid.” Kem hoped his simplified answer would suffice, but the empty stare he received indicated the opposite.
Though it couldn’t fully understand Kem its ability to perceive and react to change did lend weight to Neb’s theory. This gave him an idea to truely test the sentient capabilities of the specimen. He stared down the one working computational station in the room. Show time.
Kem made a gesture to the specimen to follow as he walked over to the console, and much to his surprise it dutifully followed him without any hesitation.
He booted up the translation matrix input program. The screen flickered and a crude picture of a dwelling appeared. “Speak,” Kem said.
The specimen narrowed its eyes at the image before it turned to Kem and lifted its shoulders briefly.
Kem scoffed. “You. Speak.”
It stared back at the picture for a moment, before bringing up one of its hands, moving it in a way that created an odd clicking sound. It then growled something in a strange dialect that he assumed was its mother tongue. The image changed and the specimen belted out something else.
Shit, it's figured it out. Looks like Neb was right Kem reasoned. As the specimen continued to work through the images brought up on the console, he made his way over to Neb, plucking the earpiece from his incapacitated colleague.
He made his way back to the specimen, as it was finishing up with the program, and let out a short cough to grab its attention. He offered up the earpiece and pointed to the side of his own head. The specimen took it and moved its head up and down. With some difficulty, it managed to seat the piece on its alien anatomy.
“Hello? Is this better? Is it easier to understand?” Kem asked the specimen.
Its face contorted briefly, “Yeah…yes. Better. Thank you.”
“It won’t be perfect, syntax, idioms and grammar may become distorted or incorrect, but it’s a logarithmic learning algorithm. The more we speak, the clearer it will become, you understand?”
The specimen nodded its head. “Yeah, I get it. What I don’t get, however,” Kem flinched at the sudden shift in tone from the specimen “is why we didn’t just do this off the hop. It would have made everything easier!”
This decidedly posed a problem for Kem. He could lie, and risk pissing the specimen off. Or he could tell the truth, and risk pissing the specimen off. As science is the pursuit of truth and to his core he was a scientist, he went with the latter.
“We didn’t know you were a sentient,” he said quietly.
“What?!” the specimen seemed incensed. “When you scooped me up, did you not notice the cities? The signals? The satellites? Like I get it, it’s not Star Trek-level space shit, but surely that level of civilization should have given it away.”
There was a strange silence as no one apparently wanted to answer the question. The specimen once again regarded the others in the room, all of whom had suddenly, simultaneously found the floor incredibly fascinating.
Kem sighed, the next answer may be more difficult, but seeing as thus far the specimen had been fairly amenable, he pressed on. “You were purchased.”
“WHAT!? WHY!?”
Kem’s tail flicked non-commitally. “Because grant funding has been sparse recently. To get any appreciable amount, a shattering discovery needs to be made. One of my crewmen said he “knew a guy” as it were, and it turns out his contact was good. So we pooled what little funding we got, along with some of our own savings, and purchased you, stasis pod, and all. You were billed as an exotic, unknown, apex ambush predator. Something that’s relatively difficult to get one's hands on.”
The specimen stared blankly at him for a few moments before bursting out in a fit of laughter. “Buddy, you got railroaded. I may be one of those things. But if that’s what you were paying for, you got scammed.”
“How’s that?” asked Kem.
“For starters, I ain’t apex. I could rattle off a dozen animals that would beat my ass, half of them prey, off the top of my head.” the specimen explained “Plus, not an ambush predator, there’s persistence hunting in my lineage, sure, but not something we’ve done for a long time. All in all, we’re pretty bland. I think the ‘unknown’ thing is the only category I qualify for.”
“Persistence predation? That would explain why our experimentation was going awry, we were chasing the wrong path!” Kem froze, in the excitement he had accidentally, explicitly, revealed their ethically dubious enterprise. He looked back to the specimen who seemed to have not reacted to the information.
“I do apologize. Had we known about your sentience, we wouldn’t have performed such invasive procedures.”
The specimen let out a strange snort “You call those invasive? Hell, I’ve had worse blood draws at the lab. I do wonder though, what was your end goal with all this? Surely some blood draws, and alien Xrays weren't it."
Kem gulped. This was the question he was dreading. "We...well we were going to make you as comfortable as possible, then we would have euthanized you and performed a dissection. All painless, I swear, and it was for science. I can only hope you aren't terribly cross with us. As commander of this operation I take full responsibility and can only request you direct your rage toward me."
The specimen let out a heavy breath "Oof, I'm glad it didn't come to that."
Kem glanced to the bodies of the still twitching pirates "As am I. Again, I offer my deepest apologies. Please do not harbor resentment for my crew."
The specimen waved a hand dismissively at him. "Look, other than the weird mix-up where you assumed I wasn’t a person, this whole trip has been a ride on easy street. So no, I’m not angry.”
This made very little sense to Kem, if he had been kidnapped, mistaken for a beast, and had experiments performed on him he would be more than a little miffed. So for the Nth time today, he decided to be bold. “I’ll risk overstepping, but why aren’t you at least a little mad?”
“Because this is so objectively absurd. If you had told me six months ago, that I’d be bouncing around a starship, waxing alien cockroaches to save a bunch of walking Geico ads that thought that I had the cognitive capacity of an ant and had plans to vivisect me, I would have asked if you were smoking crack cocaine, but…” The specimen gesticulated widely around the room “Here we are!”
The specimen thought for a moment. “Wait…you said stasis pod and all? Hell, it may be longer than six months, but my point stands. All of this, it’s insane.”
“Insane as it all may be,” Kem said as he wandered back to the console “Now that we’ve cleared up this, uh, unfortunate misunderstanding, I think it would be beneficial for all parties to get you back where you came from.”
He pulled up a holographic galactic map and turned back to the specimen, whose demeanor had once again shifted, this time it emanated an air of disappointment.
“Something the matter?” He asked.
“Well, it’s just that, where I’m from, this would literally be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” It paused “I was kind of hoping you’d allow me to stay, even if for just a while. A grand space adventure sounds pretty neat.” It pointed to the map “‘Sides, that might as well be written in hieroglyphs, don’t know if I could find Earth even if I was chomping at the bit for it.”
Kem thought on this, there was a lot of potential to having such a creature around. If he could somehow convince it to allow experimentation to continue, even at a reduced rate, the data provided could be invaluable, not to mention recrewing would be infinitely easier with the level of protection the specimen could offer. He prepared himself to negotiate with all the tact that he could muster, but the specimen seemed ready to do his job for him.
“I ain’t no freeloader. I’d be willing to pull my weight, hell I’d be willing to let you keep running your experiments, with the euthanasia and dissection bits off the table, of course.” It offered.
Kem was shocked. Not only was the specimen ready to work to earn its stay, but it had also willingly offered its body for science. He was practically salivating at the academic prestige, not to mention the grant funding that would roll his way. There was no chance he was going to let this opportunity slip through his webbed fingers.
“No cutting you open. Seems a reasonable compromise.” He hissed with amusement “I’m sure we can make reasonable accommodations to facilitate your stay, if you’re certain. Though if you do find yourself lacking anything, once we crew up, feel free to ask.”
“I think I'm alright. I’m a creature of few earthly comforts, all I need is the clothes on my back and-”
The specimen stopped mid-sentence, glancing down briefly at its own form. Its face twisted into one of abject horror. Realizing, seemingly for the first time, that in this entire escapade, it had been naked as the day it was hatched.
“Actually, there is one thing,” it added quickly “You guys got a towel? Bit chilly in here.”
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