Poem comparing things

Many are aware of the way VPR has suffered this season due to production involvement. Going into the reunion tonight, I think it’s worth considering Lisa’s unseen influence over what could have been a more organic—and enjoyable—falling out of the scandal from last season. In the past, fans have pointed out how Lisa has continuously minimized and capitalized off of her male employees’ “bad boy” behavior (rampant cheating and womanizing, among other things) while punishing the women under her, and covertly pitting them against each other. As time went on, Lisa promoted the Toms, despite their laziness, immaturity, and lack of experience. (Schwartz had no experience as a bartender: Katie had to beg for Lisa to hire him. He was unable to even complete a single shift without walking out). Despite Katie’s background in hospitality (having grown up working in her mother’s restaurant) and Ariana’s intelligence and skills (for those who remember, Ariana won competitions at VPR for best bartending), Lisa gave the Toms a combined 10% stake in TomTom.
This season, however, Lisa’s carefully crafted image as a beneficent mother figure is not holding up. Despite what Ariana went through last season, I can’t remember a single recorded scene in which we see LVP supporting Ariana, who has a history of depression, but we do see her make use of her brother’s mental illness and tragic death to garner support for Sandoval (who didn’t just his betray of Ariana, but who lied to everyone extensively, including Rachel—who he allegedly recorded in a sex act without consent—and then acted in a disgusting way afterwards, comparing himself to George Floyd, etc.) and this interreference had the effect of making the show feel “over produced.” But if the producers were to follow a more natural falling out from the scandal, in which there would have been an appropriate acknowledgment of the depth of Tom’s betrayal, Lisa would risk profiting off Tom’s image.
Those who recall Lisa’s stint on “The Real Housewives” know that she is not above tearing other women down if it benefits her interests; many are now speculating that she is trying to sabotage Something About Her using her associate, Penny, and possibly even being involved in all the red tape they were having with the city. How else are we to understand Lisa’s aggressive and undermining comments, during the reunion clips, about the restaurant and it’s delayed opening due to Ariana’s stint with DWTS, despite Katie’s reassurance of the contrary. I’d keep this context in mind as we go into the reunion tonight, during which we will no doubt continue to see Ariana’s alienation by a cast of women who have been manipulated to turn against her for the benefit of those who make a living off of Sandoval’s image: the producers (particularly Lisa). Lisa’s hypocrisy season and her blind support for the idiot horse she bet on in this game (Sandoval), has made the season over produced and unwatchable.

Per my recent post I have sworn into the Navy. I have chosen a tentative rate of AECF pending my chances of a TS security clearance being accepted, if it does then I’ll change the rate, if it doesn’t then I’ll keep the aecf.

1. I ultimately want to do CWT however if that’s not available, what other rates are comparable (same type of environment), or what rates deal with an analysis role of communications (non linguistic)?
   
2. Did I get bait and switched by my recruiters and meps? They all say they will be willing to switch the rate but I just hope I didn’t get tricked into aecf with the promise of the possibility of switching. That would blow my trust with this whole thing
   

Yes, some of you may have seen my previous post asking for advice for a RoomHacks editor. I make this publication because, in truth, I believe that for a single person it is quite difficult to achieve this.do so much (and more for someone who is going to start. The program is very good, although I get confused with quite a few things and need time to learn)
What I'm great at is inventing and writing history, one that is emotional and compassionate, but at the same time has a good happy ending (obviously normal PMDs have those characteristic sad/happy endings, which are great). On the other hand, I can understand that many are distrustful, since perhaps they only work with people they trust. However, to give you an example, I can say that I have written some librettos for opera (one of them commissioned), works in verse, such as poems and some romantic songs.
I apologize if my request sounds very shameless, or even if I don't see the right to ask where I could find a partner. I beg you not to think badly, I would really like to embark on such an experience. If you want to know the synopsis (what I will do in Fanfic), I leave it below:
A long time ago, Arceus, father of all Pokémon and lord of the Universe, released a powerful energy never seen before: the Aurel. In that way, the celestial vault of the world could support the weight of the entire cosmos, granting life, peace and health to the inhabitants of the planet. One fine day, Xerneas and Darkrai (sons of Arceus), faced each other in a fierce battle whose reason remains in the deepest darkness... It is This caused a fatal imbalance in the vault, leaving it severely damaged. Everyone tried to stop them, but in the end there was a ceasefire. However, as time passed, Arceus realized of this, but instead of showing his rage and anger, he decided to carry out a plan to fix it...
The natural disasters were many, but over time they ceasedwithout knowing that they were facing the one chosen by Arceus, but Darkrai's Fury was reborn, ready to defeat the God of Life once and for all.... Thus we reach our days, in which a human turned into Charmander fell into that new world... A Pokémon family adopted him as their own son,without knowing that they were facing the one chosen by Arceus... To save the world and stop both from a devastating new fight, in exchange for something very special: staying in the Pokémon world.
Let's see what you think.

I (38 F) have been married to my husband (41 M) for 7 years, this coming June and together for 9 years. We have two kids, twin boys, that are 5 months old. I'm going to give a long backstory so stay with me or scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR.
2 weeks before Mother's Day, I found out my husband had been cheating on me for at least 7 months. I used his phone to use the Lowe's app to order lawn chairs since it's tied to our Lowe's card and I wanted to use our rewards. While I was looking for the particular set I want, he received a Snapchat notification from a woman. I didn't even know he had Snapchat so it peaked my interest. During this time, my husband was mowing the grass.
I open the snap and it's a nude of a woman looking to be in her mid-20s with the caption "I miss you being inside of me". My jaw hit the floor. I started going through his text messages and there were no conversations there with other women except employees from his practice (he is a dermatologist) that were harmless.
I started looking through his Snapchat and I guess he deletes everything because there were no chats between him and this woman. I am not familiar with Snapchat so I Google how to use it while I'm trying to figure out if I can retrieve deleted messages. I don't want to spend all the time I have left of him mowing reading through articles so I give up. I do go through his friend's list and end up coming back to it to take a picture of with my phone.
I look through the rest of the apps on his phone and they all seem benign except this secure folder. I open it and there's a passcode. I try three or four until I figure it out (the date of our first date, ironically) and it opens. There are dozens of nude photos of at least 3 women, including the woman from Snapchat. I know it's the woman from Snapchat because she has a very distinct tattoo on her stomach. Not only are there nudes but there are 2 videos of this same woman giving him oral.
My heart felt like it was trying to come out of my chest. I started shaking and tears started flowing. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and then grabbed my phone and started taking pictures of the evidence. I even recorded clips of the videos, I just couldn't watch them in their entirety.
I look through all the apps again and realize that maybe he has some hidden. So, I google hidden apps on android and follow the instructions. Three apps were hidden. Two messaging apps and a hook-up app called Adult friend finder. I debated even opening them because I was so scared of what I would find. But I ended up viewing them because knowing is better than not knowing for me.
He had been messaging at least 4 different women, including the video girl. He had sex with at least two of them that I found proof of. All messages made me sick but the video girl's messages were the worst and completely shattered my heart. I had to stop to go throw up because of the stress and anxiety.
Some messages that hurt me the most were: Her: "Tell me how much better my p***y is than your wife's." Him: "Wetter, tighter and infinitely better."
Her: *sends nude* "How does my body compare to your wife's?" Him: "There is no comparison baby, you are a goddess."
There were so many others but those two come to mind as the ones that made me feel the absolute worst. Remember, I just had twins 5 months ago. I am very insecure due to all of the changes that happened to my body and my c-section scar. I am also 25 pounds heavier than I was pre-pregnancy. My husband and I stopped having sex because it was so uncomfortable for me about 2 months before I gave birth, around the same time he started messaging these women coincidentally. We've only had sex about three times since they were born due to my insecurity issues and just being so exhausted caring for and breastfeeding twins every day. I also have a business and work from home around the twins' schedules so I can stay at home with them.
I take photos of everything, using my phone again like before. The earliest messages were sent 7 months ago so I know it had been going on for at least 7 months, while I was freaking pregnant with our twins. Oh, I also found out that the night after I had a c-section and while our newborn preemie twins were in the NICU, he met with video girl for a hook-up at her apartment. He told me he was going to get food and check on his office. With our twins being preemies, anything could have happened and he wouldn't have been there because he was with her. But, that wasn't a thought for him I guess.
I close out all the apps, make sure the hidden ones are hidden from his home screen and put his phone back exactly where I found it. I also make sure the snap notification was gone. I was nervous that he would find out about the snap that was opened but he didn't.
I call my best friend of over 33 years who is also my business partner. I tell him everything and have a good cry to let it all out. He helps me to collect myself and gives me some sound advice. He tells me to not tell my husband I found anything yet and to speak with a divorce lawyer as soon as possible. He said to meet with the best ones in my area so that they couldn't represent my husband. He offers me and the twins a place to stay at his home if I need time away from my husband, assuring me that his husband would love to have me there.
Over the next week, my BFF helps me take care of the twins while meet with 5 different divorce lawyers and end up hiring, in my opinion, the best. She tells me not to leave the family home so I end up not going to stay with my BFF. She starts the divorce paperwork immediately. During this time, I am doing my best to continue on like nothing is wrong. I want to make sure all of my ducks are in a row before he realizes what I know.
Fast-forward to Mother's Day. My husband makes me breakfast in bed, gives me very expensive jewelry, flowers, the works. I can't enjoy it, of course, because it feels so fake now that I know what he's been up to. I pretend to love it though.
My husband's father planned a cook out that afternoon for my husband's mother, sister (let's call her Julie), sister-in-law (let's call her Fran) and me. We all have infants under a year old so it's everyone's first Mother's day, except my MIL's of course. I told my husband that I didn't feel like going and he guilt-tripped me by saying that my FIL had a big surprise for me and he's been really looking forward giving it to me. So, I reluctantly agree. I ask if my BFF can come since his mother sadly passed away just under a year ago. He calls his dad and my FIL replies that of course he can come. My BFF agreed to come to offer me support since he knew it would be very difficult for me to be there.
I plan to act like nothing's wrong and try to enjoy the day since it's my first Mother's Day after all. I tell myself that I will focus on the twins and get cuddles from my two nieces. Julie has an 8 month old daughter and Fran (husband's brother's wife) has a 10 month old daughter. I'm also the closest to Julie out of all his family since we became friends 10 years ago and she's the one who introduced me to my husband.
We get there and everything is fine. My husband is helping his dad, brother (let's call him Chris), BIL (let's call him Roger) cook on the grill. My MIL and the women are taking turns holding the babies. My BFF took over the kitchen, finishing up all of the sides so the moms could relax. It started out to be a really good day. I kept myself from thinking of my husband's betrayal for the most part and focused on the family.
After we eat my MIL starts taking pictures of the family. I'm sitting on the couch and she tells my husband to sit beside me for the photo. He does and then she tells him to put his arm around me and jokingly says "pretend like you love her" and I lose it. I start to uncontrollably sob.
My MIL pulls me up and hugs me and my FIL comes over and joins in the hug. My BFF comes to stand right next to me. My FIL asks me what was wrong. I look at my BFF and he gives me a "tell if you want" look.
I tell them that I found out my husband has been cheating on me for at least 7 months. Julie gasps and everyone stares at my husband. He stands up and says "that's not true at all, why would you think that? You know you and the boys are my whole world." Everyone is silent, looking at me. I tell them all that I found messages, pictures, the hook-up app and even videos on his phone. My husband looks faint and sits back down. Nobody says anything for at least 2 minutes.
Finally, Julie asks my husband, while crying herself, why? My husband tells her that "I made a mistake, I only talked to the women, I never physically cheated." My BFF quickly replies, "Liar!" Julie then asks me what all I found. I tell them everything, the nudes, the videos of my husband receiving oral, the messages and even tell them what those horrible messages said about me. He continues to deny it! I pull up a few message photos and show them to Julie, my MIL and FIL. My husband tries to gaslight me by saying that he admitted to talking to other women but he never slept with any of them. I really don't want to show them the video but I do find a few messages where my husband and a woman talked about their previous sexual encounters. My husband again says that he admitted to talking to them but never really cheated. He literally says "if the message talks about sex it was just role playing."
Roger (Julie's husband) goes over to my husband and jerks his phone out of his hand. My husband tries to get it back but Roger is 6'7 and my husband is 6'1 so he just holds it up where my husband can't reach. He asks me what his passcode is and I tell him. He then asks me where to find things and as I start to tell him my husband grabs his phone back.
At this point my MIL, Julie and Fran are all crying. Chris starts getting upset with me. He tells me this was not the time nor place to bring this all up and that I ruined Julie and Fran's first Mother's Day. Julie speaks up and says no, my husband is the one who ruined it. Chris starts yelling and saying that our personal business needs to stay private and that I had no right to bring it up to his family and ruin the only first mother's day the women will get. Fran agrees with him and tells me I'm definitely in the wrong for bringing it up, if it even is true.
At this point both of my twins start crying. I am not going to breastfeed them there and I want to get out of that house as quick as possible. I ask my BFF to take me home and we transfer the car seats from my husband's vehicle into his. My MIL follows me outside and says that Chris was right, I should have kept it all to myself and that now future Mother's Days will be a reminder of this fiasco for everyone. I just ignore her and put the twins in the car. My husband comes outside and asks if we can please talk. I tell him no, get in the car and my BFF, the twins and I leave. I end up feeling horrible and guilty that I let it all out to everyone.
My husband didn't come home and ended up staying at his parents house and has been there the past two nights. He got my FIL to come over Sunday evening and pick up clothes, toiletries, work stuff and various other items. While he was here I asked him, did I ruin Mother's Day? He tells me no that my husband did. He said that he asked me what was wrong and I was honest. He said he understood now why the "pretend like you love her" comment caused me to breakdown. I asked him about my MIL, Chris and Fran since I know Julie and Roger aren't mad at me. He said that they are still angry with me but they will eventually get over it.
TL;DR - I found out my husband had been cheating on me for at least 7 months with multiple women, starting while I was pregnant with our twins and continuing after I gave birth. I didn't tell him I knew for 2 weeks. At a Mother's Day cookout that his family hosted for his mother, me, his sister and sister-in-law, his mother made a comment that made me break down. I ended up telling everyone about the infidelity. His brother, SIL, and mother told me I ruined his sister and SIL's first Mother's Day. and that I shouldn't have said anything about the affairs.
Am I the AH?

Been seeing another uptick of poor experiences with the new Pixel hardware, so wanted to throw in my positive experience(s) to mix things up. This is NOT me minimizing those anecdotes or claiming anyone who has had issues is lying. I am merely doing this to verify the concept of "silicon lottery."
Pre-Ordered the Pixel 8 Pro through my carrier; it was $600 OFF before trade-in and I effectively got it for about $150 after handing in my Pixel 7. In the first month or so, I dumbassedly started tinkering w it before paying it off and ended up bricking it trying to install a Beta build. Google warranty replaced it, no questions asked, in about a 3-day turnaround.
Since late October I've been using the Unlocked, replacement 8 Pro from Google alongside the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Buds Pro, and I want for virtually nothing. Having compared it to the Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro, I find the way Pixel hardware marriages together to be just as fluid if not more so in certain areas than Apple (I've tried my hand at AirPods and an iPad; I largely prefer the way Pixel plays nicely with my Tab S9 Ultra. S Pen brings everything together). Samsung is probably the most logical alternative for Android users at the moment. I found the Galaxy a breeze to use, but missing Pixel exclusives.
All in all, silicon lottery. My replacement was mandatory as the software bricking "compromised" the initial model, so this isn't even technically the launch Pixel, but it was a brand new model they sent and not refurbished, so I consider it part of the launch batch. Even while tinkering, I have had zero heating issues, lag, or general bugs I can think of. Kind of strange.
Just putting here in case anyone is thinking of the Pixel ecosystem. It works, and it works damn well. I enjoy seeing Google answer the efficiency concerns with each passing iteration; I do still think they could do more as a trillion-dollar company to speed things up, but I'm also not a giant tech conglomerate. On mine and many others in my friend/family circle's end, Pixel comes highly recommended here!

My brain was fried by the argument and I messed up the easiest prompt. Rather than realizing that it was talking about material possesions, I thought it was something else. The speaker said that a “people talk about a new car instead of an old story with their grandfather, they play new computer games instead of reflecting on a new story”. The speaker finally said “Americans give value to possessions”. The prompt was evaluate if he was right or wrong. I basically just had the wrong definition for possession. Instead of it as a physical thing, I thought of possession like actually possessing something. I discussed how people valued somehting when actually having it when compared to after. I interpreted it as new > old rather than materialistic > emotional value. With 10 minutes left I realized the problem, so I tried to write how the prompt would be interpreted as this in the intro. How bad you you guys think it’s gonna be?

There's been much discussion, both on the podcast and on this sub, about the extent to which those involved in the Playboy inner and outer circle were subject to NDAs. Most recently, Crystal has been criticized by Marston and HB for supposedly obtaining NDAs near the end of Hef's life and "silencing" his close friend. I think there is some fundamental misunderstandings about NDAs and what their role might be in this story.
Who am I? I am a silly little lawyer, practicing in California, and I love the intersection of law and popular culture. I wrote a journal article in law school about NDAs and the MeToo movement but sure as hell didn't try to get it published, so I've done deep dives into this topic but I am by no means an expert. I do love to learn, however, so if anyone has expertise in this area and wants to correct me or add onto any of this I would greatly appreciate it.
What is an NDA?
A non-disclosure agreement or an "NDA" refers to the broad spectrum of contractual agreements where the terms of the agreement bind at least one party from communicating about a pre-determined topic. Basically, a contract that makes at least someone keep quiet about something.
A contract requires (amongst other things) consideration by both parties. This means both parties have to give and take something for the contract to be valid. A contract, or an NDA, cannot just be a piece of paper where someone promises to do something. There has to be something in it for both sides.
Consideration, most commonly, takes the form of money. I pay you X, so you will do Y. But it can also be in the form of permission to engage in a certain activity. For example, I did an escape room once that had an NDA clause in the waiver so that people wouldn't go blabbing about how to solve the room once they were done. In exchange for getting to do the room, I agreed to the NDA. If I didn't want to agree to those terms, I could just not do the escape room.
The terms of the contract have to be reasonably balanced. You can't pay one cent for someone to agree to give you their firstborn child. Courts generally aren't in the business of scrutinizing the fairness of terms of contracts unless there's something grossly egregious about them, but it still has to make some modicum of sense.
Misunderstanding #1 - Anyone who signs an NDA is a victim being silenced by the other party.
This seems to be the assumption that HB and Marston are operating off of. There's this notion that Crystal forced all of Hef's circle to sign NDAs near the end of his life and now they're being silenced because of it.
First, you can't just have people sign NDAs and expect them to be enforceable. If Crystal did get NDAs from Hef's circle later in life, they had to have been paid consideration for it. Either Crystal offered them a sum of money (which they accepted) or the NDA was a requisite to partake in movie night, buffet dinner, etc. Either way, those who signed NDAs did so with an acceptance of what would be offered in exchange.
Obviously, there's argument that most people don't really understand the contracts they sign and wouldn't agree to them if they understood what they were giving up. But Hef's inner circle? These are people who have been in the entertainment industry for years, if not decades; these are people who have money to hire a lawyer, if not already have a lawyer on speed-dial. I am skeptical that if Dickie Bann was handed an NDA before entering the mansion for movie night he would've just signed it blindly.
Let's also consider the fact that the value of one's ability to speak out is inherently subjective. The criticism of an NDA assumes that the right to speak on a matter is something otherwise desired by the person agreeing to the NDA. It's easy to wonder why a victim would ever agree to an NDA and be prevented from speaking out about their experience. Frankly, before MeToo and the rise of social media, most victims of traumatic experiences were more inclined to speak less about their abuse than to go public. If you're a victim, and you already have no reason to speak to the public about your trauma, getting a significant payout to remain silent is actually a pretty solid deal.
Hef's friends are not victims by any means. But they showed a great amount of loyalty to him and the Playboy brand for decades before his death. I am incredibly skeptical of the notion that Hef's friends, but for some NDA, would have otherwise planned on ratting him out and showing the world that his health was declining.
The value of silence is subjective. Someone signing an NDA does not necessarily mean they are now restricted from publicly communicating something major. It very well might mean they just now have a legal obligation to do the thing that they would have done otherwise.
If, somehow, Crystal had been able to get Hef's friends to sign NDAs, I do not think that it influenced their behavior enough from what would have otherwise been that anyone needs to be that concerned about it. If it did, great, they probably got a great payout from it.
Misunderstanding #2 - NDAs are counter-intuitive to free speech and Hef would have never stood for them
As I'm sure many of you are aware, the First Amendment protection of free speech refers to the government's ability to restrict speech. Someone choosing to sign an NDA is not the same as the government preventing your broadcast from reaching its desired audiences. Someone choosing to not enter a private preschool with an AR-47 has nothing to do with their Second Amendment rights. The free speech that Hef specifically was known for advocating for had to do with censorship at the hands of the government from the broadcast of "obscene" content.
Maybe Bridget meant just the general philosophical idea of "free speech," which you would hope her masters in communication would have taught her to clarify the difference between. Regardles, remember, NDAs require consideration. This is not just ruthless silencing of innocent people who'd love to speak out about how awful Crystal is. These are wealthy, if not also highly educated, people in Hef's inner circle who, if they signed an NDA, surely understand the gravity (or lack thereof) of what they're agreeing to.
Likewise, I don't think Hef was against the idea of an NDA. Holly speculated that Hef wouldn't have required NDAs for those going into the bedroom because it would have given them a second to think about their decision. There's probably truth to this, but courts are also -very- reluctant to enforce any contracts that seem as though they would implicitly be authorizing sex in exchange for money. Also keep in mind the limited opportunities for women at that time to "speak out" if they even wanted to share about what happened in the bedroom. Hef probably would've loved for the public to hear what happened. There wasn't social media or the same understanding of power dynamics as there are these days. Who is someone who went into the bedroom and didn't sign an NDA and had a horrible time going to go to?
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Holly said she signed an NDA to work at the studio. This is perfectly reasonable. Anyone who is on a salary or signed a contract with an employer probably has signed off on an NDA clause and are currently bound by it. You couldn't keep something like who the Playmate of the Year was under wraps without some strict confidentiality provisions. The Playboy empire could not exist if there was some kind of blanket rule against NDAs.
Additionally, part of the allure of the mansion parties, per the podcast, were that no outside cameras were permitted inside. You're really gonna rag on someone not wanting a bunch of shitty iPhone shots of a man in his dying days, meanwhile you're singing the praises of exclusive parties that for decades wouldn't let people take and share photos of the event?
I am fully confident that Hef did not have issues with NDAs for business purposes, and certainly did not see that as contradicting his stance on free speech. In the podcast they said the mansion staff signed NDAs as part of their employment contracts There are countless examples of the Playboy company trying to silence people in Secrets of Playboy. Hef made it very clear that his stance was that free speech was important when it could help his bottom line. Anything else was negotiable.
Misunderstanding #3 - If someone signs an NDA it's automatically enforceable/If an NDA is unenforceable that will be obvious from the get go
To play devil's advocate to myself, I will say that whether an NDA is enforceable by a court of law and whether the parties abide by the terms are two separate issues. In many cases, a contract may not hold up in court if someone seeks to litigate over alleged violation of the terms. Most contracts don't get litigated over let alone actually get a final determination of their enforceability by a Court.
I will say that there's possibility that Crystal had people sign NDAs that were shotty but that the signers didn't understand that the NDAs weren't legitimate and so they still complied with the terms of the contract. (for example, often those waivers you sign for various activities wouldn't hold up in court, but people think they do, which precludes a lot of people from even considering bringing a claim) But this goes back to the type of people who would be signing these NDAs who otherwise might have access to sensitive information about Hef or the company. These are not girls coming out to do test shoots or the larger guest list at the mansion parties. These are people who are wealthy, powerful, and educated and would not be duped by the idea that merely signing an NDA with ridiculous terms would mean the contract is enforceable. Or perhaps they just didn't give a fuck enough about blabbing so there was no reason for them to even question the NDA that would stop them from saying something they weren't playing on saying.
Not a misunderstanding but one closing note in defense of these hypothetical NDAs - The power of speech for the average person has increased exponentially in the digital and social media age. HB acknowledge that the mansion parties were unique from anything currently because there weren't the same tools we have now to disseminate information. I think it's sort of an apples and oranges comparison in terms of confidentiality to compare the vibes of the buffet movie nights from the early 2000s to the 2010s, not even taking into account the nature of Hef's health.
I think Bridget talked about how a lot of screen contracts didn't allow for residuals from streaming services because they literally hadn't existed then. By the time smartphones and social media were ubiquotus I don't think Hef really gave that much of a care about protecting his or the brand's image. Hef never had a policy or strategy to address social media because it just wasn't even a problem for him to consider, not because he had some absolutely stance on letting anyone who came to the mansion say whatever they wanted about it to the masses.
Ok, I think that's all I have for now. Happy to talk about this or debate this more, but wanted to clear some things up since I feel like this drama with Crystal and allegations about NDAs is going to come up in the near future.

Hello. Got 10th boards result yesterday. Had 97.6% in main 5 subjects. This was pretty good comparing to the fact that i had daily average usage of 8 hours phone in feb and march during boards (12 hours in january). I didn't study much and am used to do good without much studying (this doesnt work in 11th i know). I thought i will get rank1 from my school (96.8% was highest last year) but am not even in top 4 i guess. 1st and 2nd have 98.8 and 98.6 and 3rd has 98.00. Scary thing.
I didn't give my 100% and unlike others only studied 3-4 hours in last 2 months but had expected to do very good. And yes i almost did it. yeah almost got the others. Almost. Almost. Fucking almost got them. Blundered a total of 1 mark of mcqs in each subject which i knew answers of because i was too stupid and unfocussed in exams (and felt jinxed for always fucking up an mcq in the exam). Shouldve studied a few more days maybe? I am still happy though. And there was also some luck related things which affected results (like subset of paper, etc. but these are just my excuses .. i know)
But the fact that there are so many bigger fishes and i couldnt finish them up haunts me. And I also have a little loss of confidence about getting a really good rank in jee 2026 after this.
I know 10th marks doesnt matter bla bla but I believe whatever you are doing- 10th, 12th, jee, neet, business or anything else- if you are failing in those then you are also failing in life at the same point. For example do you really think a person who got 60% in 10th can do very very good in 11th - 12th or in life? with the same qualities/progress that he had in 10th? Obviously not. (he/she will fail more. only changing themselves and getting better will help). Marks dont matter but they tell you who you are. If you are scoring 98%+ in 10th (or like very good in other exams), it shows you planned and executed very neatly. Complete accuracy. No mistakes. This just shows you are too good in life. This also shows your versatility (that you have so many subjects and doing great in each of them, so many aspects to take care of and you did the best. not "your" best. but the BEST ever possible to do).
And yes i feel that i failed. Failed. My expectations. Failed the person who i wanted to be. Failed that i didn't study. Failed that i blundered those mcqs. Failed that i skipped chapters in sst. Failed that i expected i would not fail even after showing all the lakshans of failing. Failed for not being able to be 100% accurate in everything.
But the good thing is there are still so many more chances. Thenks for reading. Smile and have Good day.

I am 30 weeks pregnant living with my boyfriend and his grandma, which is his mother figure in his life. They moved into this new house about 2 years ago because it was given to them after a family member passed, the two of them made an agreement that this house would be for him to put a mortgage down, set him up for the future , and that she would have a tiny home or trailer moved out onto the property or just completely move away. This was their plan before I ever came along.
I moved in a year ago after me and him got really serious, we want to really make this house a home and have a future together. I got off my birth control, however I was told it would take a good amount of time to get my cycle back in line and normal, but I got pregnant so fast. Which we are not unhappy about at all.
But it is now the end of the world for Gigi, his grandma. For months it has been nothing but a living hell. She has done everything in the book you can think of when it comes to in-laws from hell. My entire pregnancy she has ignored me, given me zero advice, fights with me over every small thing I do in the house trying to make this a baby safe space. It is only a 2 bedroom house, she has the master bedroom. Our plan has been to switch rooms because we have ZERO baby space in this other room, we didn't want to rush her into moving out because times are rough now of days, so to give her extra time I have been okay with sharing the master bedroom with our baby until that time comes. For months that has been the plan and she always seemed on board. But now. She refuses to finish cleaning her room and tells everyone that we are forcing her out, destroying her home, and getting rid of her stuff, when have done nothing but try to make it fair for her. Every time I clean any room in the house, she will go behind me and make a mess or undo shit I have done reorganizing. If I am alone with her, she whispers smart remarks about everything and anything, like about how she isn't allowed to do anything, for example she will grab a water bottle out of the fridge and ask if it is allowed to drink water in this house or she will just completely ignore my existence. She makes a fight about every small thing I do. If I close a curtain, she will come behind me and slam it open. If I move a dish in the cabinet, she will slam the cabinet doors and throw dishes around. She has woken me up many times slamming doors. Also she will hide the bills from us, lie about paying them, we have had a late fee charge so many times because of her. Even had the lights and water cut off. She will buy 2 of everything for only her and him. She has even stolen my makeup and clothes. She will pull my laundry out and throw it around. She will never clean up after herself, I am ALWAYS cleaning EVERYTHING, if I do not, it will not get done. And worse of worse she made my gender reveal all about her. Thats a long story but she ruined my party. And still till this day she hasn't asked me anything about the baby or shows that she even cares about me or my baby.
There is so much more, I could just go on forever. The rude things she says to me blows my mind. She even brings up his ex girlfriend and compares her to me in bad ways. She comments on the clothes I wear to my boyfriend, while I'm literally dying pregnant trying to fit my clothes lol. Anyways when my boyfriend gets off work, she acts PERFECT. She never speaks to me directly still but she will act like she is the sweetest person around, acts like she could never do wrong and plays it off when he confronts her about the stuff I tell him.
My problem is, before I got pregnant, we all lived in harmony. Everything I do now was okay before. I'm a very shy, non confrontational person, and I dont have any family myself, so I'm not family understanding and for these 7 months, I've just stuck to myself and done my best to not stress out for my baby's sake. My health hasn't been great and I was ordered to be on leave for work at 5 months. We even have had a defect scare on our baby as well. I've just had faith and hope in my boyfriend to set things right with her, but now at 30 weeks, with no progress from her, her room still so dirty, while I have our room all packed up ready to switch, I'm losing hope. I am to the point of not wanting her around me or my baby at all. I stress so much having to do everything last minute, I just didn't want to not lose faith in my man , he takes care of me so well but now I'm lost. He loves this land and house, he wants to raise our family here and doesn't want to move, he loves his grandma and doesn't want to just kick her out with no where to go, but Gigi just shows to not care at all about my health or this baby and it breaks my heart. No matter how many sit down talks we have she manipulates the situation. I'm worried that I will go into labor early because of her honestly. My man hears my cries and tells her about all the health issues and everything but she will not stop. I try my best to ignore her and do what is best for me, but its SO hard now of days. I am now feeling distant from my man because he asks me what he can do, but in reality it seems like we either have to move out or really kick her out. But i dont want to put that onto him at all. But then again I feel I have been so understanding and supportive for these 7-8 months trying my hardest to ignore her, all I asked is that we dont have everything be done last minute and we just switch rooms. And now it feels as if Its all too late and I worry about the future when the baby comes.
Everyday I overthink and regret everything. I cry so much and I feel as if no one cares enough, I know my boyfriend cares so much. But how can he see it be like this? I dont know what I expect him to do... but there has to be more right? He tells me there are other pregnant moms out there dealing with much worse and I understand that SO much, but idk... I am just so tired of being unhappy and uncomfortable. I have a baby on the way, it should be a happy experience but its just not anymore and I hate it.
Any advice? Please share your thoughts or tips. Sorry its a book to read.

Hi all... Have been tempted but intimidated to make this jump for years. I loove making routines in google home, but they're not as full featured as I'd like and I figured this would be a good next step. I can't code and would be totally lost in a command line without a tutorial.
I was going to get a raspberry pi 5 but saw a bunch of people recommending just going with a mini PC instead. So I grabbed a HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini Desktop Computer i5-9500T 6-Core 3.7 GHz for $160 which seemed like the best bang for buck I could find. It hasn't shipped yet so let me know if I've made a mistake. Definitely cheaper than a pi + SSD + all the other stuff
Then I'm thinking I'll wipe it because it's both a refurb and returned model (scary) and put proxmox, HAOS, and ad guard (?)

• I have about 20 hue bulbs (thinking I'll leave them on the hue hub instead of migrating incase I ever want to get a hue sync box or if the sync app comes out for LG),
• a bunch of Sonos
• 2 Google Homes
• Vizio p65
• LG C9
• Xbox series x / PS5
• 2 ikea TREDANSEN smart blinds, their hub (DIRIGERA) and at least one repeater that I've needed to make it work.
• Two Midea ACs
• I ordered the Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 and will probably get one of the Apollo mmWaves to compare because they seem cool
• Planning on getting the Switchbot lock pro (I assume I'll need their hub? I really want to have auto unlock which they don't support)

Any dongles or other fun gadgets I should consider ordering? Any particularly cool things I should consider installing that would work particularly well with my setups? Literally brand new and barely know where to start.

Drop the bloodlines from the title, seriously.
The title of this post is a bit of an exaggeration, obviously changing the game's name won't necessarily make a game better, but what it will do in my opinion is make the "sequel" stand on it's own merits as a game with a different playstyle and not be constantly compared to bloodlines 1.
From what i've seen bloodlines 2 is nothing like bloodlines 1, neither in genre nor as a direct continuation of the events in bloodlines 1, so why insist on marketing it as a sequel? more harm is done doing so.
By changing the title and re-marketing it as an action-rpg standalone game in the Vtm/WoD world rather than a direct contiuation of bloodlines 1 you achieve many things, Firstly fans of the original will go into this game knowing that it is a different experience and not meant to be a second VTMB, new fans of the series will not care whether it's a sequel to bloodlines one or not.
TLDR: Drop the bloodlines from the title and game will be held up against different standards/ experienced differently.

I elected to let the Animus decide for me, but I thought it would switch genders much more frequently. I’m about 30 hours in, 62 power level, I just completed my first alliance, and have completed numerous side quests, but the Animus has kept the gender female the whole time. I like female Eivor just fine, so I’m thinking I’ll just switch it to always female. Seems like it will be a bit jarring at this point whenever it finally changes. But I’m wondering if anyone completed the game letting the Animus choose the whole time, and if you liked it that way or if you would have done it differently. I’m curious to hear anyone’s thoughts on this. Also, here are a few unrelated observations.
-The way the storylines and interactions are necessarily gender neutral make it somewhat wholesome with how egalitarian it portrays this society (a woman leading a raid crew, numerous pseudo romantic encounters with other women, etc.) if not a bit ahistorical. A quick google search tells me there’s debate on whether female Vikings existed, which seems to imply it’s at least a strong possibility. I learned recently that one thing the Romans found peculiar about the Celts was how the women in many tribes had (comparatively at the time) so many rights. Maybe the creators of this game were trying to channel a similar dynamic.
-This is my first time playing an AC game. One criticism I’ve heard is that it isn’t much of an AC game. I understand that critique from what I knew about the franchise beforehand. As someone just getting into it now, the few directly related AC storylines are super fun to me, and I’ve found myself diving into the lore I’ve missed out on.
I played for about an hour on PS4 before my wife and our friend surprised me with a PS5 for my birthday. I was then pleasantly surprised with a free PS5 upgrade for AC Valhalla. It was pretty on the PS4, but it is absolutely stunning on the PS5. It has me wanting to upgrade to a bigger and newer TV.
How the hell do I keep my addiction to this game in check? It has been decades since a video game has ensnared me like this. I am staying up too late, getting to work late, and not spending near as much time in the lovely spring weather as I ought to. This is my one complaint so far lol.

My energy level has gotten abysmal
Tldr: I'm physically and mentally limited by my energy level and I'm wasting away, which feeds back into low energy. But I'm doing a lot of things to fight it
On Sunday I made a breakfast cake for the fam and just cooking up that little recipe, I went to catch a 20 minute nap and woke up at almost 10pm. Just for reference my dad thought I would be a chef, making a cake used to be light work
I have to lay in bed or nap after I do anything. I have really bad amotivation that feels like physical weight dragging me down and low energy levels caused by depression
I'm physically restricted from doing even mildy energy intensive tasks after I've done a "big" one.
And like 3 small things will become a big thing
I'm in bed between everything, so easily 22 hours a day including sleeping. I had to get physical therapy because of muscle atrophy
I used to lift heavy weights and had my body type compared to a gorilla. Now I can barely sit up in bed. How am I supposed to live an active lifestyle if I can physically only stand for a few minutes?
Tomorrow I decided to get my shit together. I'm going to wake up at like 4 am and go on a walk. I don't want anyone to look at me I'm sure you understand. Otherwise I'd go right now.
And risparidone made me put on 100lbs, which tanks my energy. I started working on losing that 2 weeks ago. I know this doesn't sound healthy, but I lost 15 pounds so far. My diet is to only eat 3 meals a day and get 1 helping each meal. I'm just glad my weight doesn't start with a 3
Im also working on getting a cpap machine
If I stay the course I can break out of this because nobody can live like this

Hi Everyone,
So I'm quite confused about TCP states and how they compare to firewall session states. I understand that they are not the same thing. The firewall session states, are almost like "labels" that the firewall will put on the session, based on it's protocol, be it TCP or UDP or other L4(ESTABLISHED:ESTABLISHED etc). Because of the different natures of these protocols, the sessions have to be represented in different ways. For TCP, the firewall can use the SYNs, FINs and other flags to "label" the session, but it will have to use other methods for UDP, as there is no handshake.
Some questions.
Will actual TCP/UDP sessions will be exactly tracked on the end devices themselves, and the firewall will try to approximate based on the inspected traffic?
Are these "labels" the same between vendors?
This is also different to sockets that you can view with netstat?

In light of recent blockout proposed by kpop stans to unfollow / disengage with artists who have not voiced concern about Palestine or have ties to the apartheid state, I wanna put some light on people that should be our main focus during this event.
After seeing Fatou, Suho, Chuu, Kevin, Jonghyun, BM and so many other idols talk about Palestine, I'm starting to believe the veil of ''idols can't speak up'' has fallen.

1. Lisa of Blackpink, dating the son of the LVMH owner. There's no argument against this, she's decided to associate herself with that family and knows the implications of doing so. Frederic has the money, power and authority to stand up against what is wrong, this isn't a wattpad story where he's bound by to stay hush-hush to protect the family business or some other crap. He will soon own a company that will fund the majority of the bombs that are crashing down in Rafah. If you argue and say ''its not her, its her boyfriend!'' then I think you should sit down and compare this with the Hyuna debacle. Same exact concept here.
2. Siwon from Super Junior. A proud zionist and trump supporter. Need I say more?
3. I.M of Monsta X, who lived in Israel when he was young for a couple years. He doesn't consider it his hometown or where he is ''from'', but he has publicly recognised his appreciation for the country. We cannot determine which side he supports from one statement, but it should be made clear that if he could talk about Israel before he can do it again. It's a fact about him that people outside of the fandom are aware about, and tbh I feel like he's one person who is obliged to speak up about it.
4. Hybe, especially Hybe America which is controlled by the violent zionist Scooter Braun. There was also that Yunjin Starbucks thing a couple months back. Stay away from all Hybe content, I can't put all the artists at fault but as they are the public outlet and money makers, we have to boycott them.
5. JYP, same thing as above. Jin Young Park is heavily on Israel's side and does alot of fishy cult things so not to be trusted anyways. JYP artists have also done multiple Coca Cola collabs. Again, I can't put the blame on the artists, especially after seeing SKZ Felix apologise for drinking Cola and searching up the reasoning behind the boycott while he was live. But unfortunately as the company's publicly known artists they have to be boycotted.
6. Eric Nam, at the end of last year he liked a Zionist's post and did an ''all lives matter'' style statement about it. Instead of addressing it again after backlash-, he just cancelled some tour dates and pretending nothing happened.

Of course, add whoever you want to this list and act accordingly, this is just who I could think of. If you want to boycott the entire industry, then go for it. I hope this can be a good starting point for you.

I've been thinking about the severe lack of high gothic units in the guard's model line, I know we have a small amount of characters but I think we're outright lacking any high gothic units outside the agents. I know things are mainly geared towards utilitarian miltary in that field for Guard, but there's always been traces of the Imperial Cult in there and it has led me to wonder what an army heavily influenced by the Imperial Cult would be like, or even just having pockets of units integrated in the Imperial Guard's army composition.
So picture this, the Zealout Squad. A 10-20 man squad of Darktide-styled wild ravenous and zealous men and women ready to give their lives for the god-emperor with t-shirt 6+ saves, armed with either hand-me-down firearms that have -1 AP and are more shooty, but are less accurate than the lasgun, or various melee weapons with the sergeant equivelant having something like a hammer to give heavier infantry a harder punch. I think it could be a nice change of pace to have a couple squads of these guys to paint, just because they'd be so different-looking to the guardsmen. For those that aren't familiar with Zealots in Darktide, they're commonly dressed in more medieval worn-down looking gear with metal breastplates stuck to their chest and a few other scraps here and there, feature robes, masks, aquilas and absolutely ton of parchments and papers on them. They tend to have a pretty varied weapon set from melee weapons and small arms to worn down but still effective power hammers.
There could even be a special detachment rule for Zealot Squads, Preachers and such, something like a 6+ FNP for all Zealots and them getting the battleline keyword, or you could even get a full army of them to represent a Feudal World's guardsmen or an upgrade sprue of relics, candles, aquilas etc. to function as wargear or decorate the tanks with. Other people might not want this in their armies, that's absolutely fine. But I really do think the guard is lacking representation for its more gothic regiments, even when the old metal regiments were around.
I dunno, this was just an idea that came to my head but I was wondering what you guys would make of it. Would you like Zealot Squads working alongside your guardsmen, or even just the Imperial Cult being way more prevelant in your armies compared to the few aquilas scattered here and there?

My car's transmission is on the fritz, so it's in the shop and I'm working from home for at least today. Thank goodness I can even work from home, or things would be a lot more complicated. Anyways, that's just a bit of a vent. I've also decided that I might do little lore-esque prechapter bits for some extra flavor. Hope you guys enjoy them! I find them to be fun little thought experiments on how people might perceive the world I've created from within vs from my own perspective. Enjoy some crafting and some romance!
First Previous Next
We know that the spots that are caused by looking at a source of light are, in fact, damage of some sort to the eye. This is confirmed by the spots rapidly disappearing should someone be healed whilst experiencing them. But why? Is there a divinity within light, beyond what our mortal eyes can withstand? Is there some sort of invisible emanation that comes alongside the light that damages us in some way? The discovery of light damaging the eye has opened more questions for me than it has closed.
-Musings on the Relations of Light and Fire, by Jarwic Leftun
\***
Xander carefully opened the door, finding Gabrelle already asleep, and sat down on a chair. Maybe he could get that adaptive camouflage to work right on bright colors. Surely he had some colorful things in his inventory.
He did in fact have a few colorful things in his inventory, and he whiled the rest of the night away making small adjustments to the runic array that was embroidered into the cloth. He was satisfied before dawn, the cloth now performing as well with light colors as it had with darker colors. Now he just needed to make a cloak out of it. He briefly considered coating his armor with the array, but discarded it. There might be times where he’d want to be seen. Besides, a hooded cloak would better break up the outline of his figure, the ripples of fabric, especially if he were to crouch or lay prone, obscuring his outline even more. In little time at all, he had a long, deep hooded cloak of the color shifting, runed cloth in his hands. He stashed it in his inventory for now, as he had no particular need to sneak up on something right now. The rest of the time before dawn he spent silently sitting in the chair he’d chosen, trying to keep his thoughts to a minimum, just daydreaming. Night dreaming? He couldn’t sleep anymore, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to let his mind wander.
As the dawn came and the sun began to shine through the window of the room, Gabrelle slowly awoke, once more finding Xander sitting in a chair rather than in bed.
“Mmf,” She grunted as she stretched. “Morning, Xander. You got back late.”
“Morning, yourself,” Xander said, turning his head to look at Gabrelle. “Yeah... Yeah, I guess I did.”
“What were you doing, anyway?” She asked, curious. “You didn’t mention that you’d be out late, just that you were going to go to see Valteria at her shop.”
“I uh... went on a date.”
“I knew it! ‘Comparing notes’ was a date!” Gabrelle exclaimed triumphantly.
“It was not!” Xander complained. “But we went to a tavern in the evening and it sort of... turned into a date on the way there.”
“Awhh, that’s so cute,” Gabrelle said. “Did it go well? Is she nice? Did you kiss?”
“I think it went well. We talked a lot about different projects and ideas we had. I also got to meet another [Godsmarked] - he owns the tavern we went to. I think she’s nice. Maybe a little shy. I think she’s gotten used to being treated differently by people. I don’t think she really believed that I wanted to go on a date with her, at first. ...And yes. We kissed.”
“Ooooh, look at you! You’re growing up so fast!” Gabrelle teased.
“Oh hush. I’m older than you!” Xander huffed, then returned to seriousness. “But ah, if I’m going to be dating someone... we need to have a conversation, Gabrelle.”
“We need to stop sleeping together?” Gabrelle quickly deduced before Xander could say it himself.
“Yeah... It doesn’t feel right, even though it’s just platonic between us. I don’t think I would appreciate being in Valteria’s situation and knowing that the person I was seeing was sleeping with someone else at night.”
“Well, I figured this would happen eventually,” Gabrelle said. “Either you or I were bound to find someone eventually. Don’t worry, I’m not upset. Don’t get me wrong, the snuggles were nice, but like I told you a while ago, I don’t have nearly as much trouble sleeping when I’m with the team.”
“Thanks for not being upset, Gabrelle.”
“You know this means you have to start paying for your own room, though, right?”
“Ah, shit, you’re right. I forgot.”
Xander left the room to allow Gabrelle some privacy to get dressed and meandered back down the stairs to see if any other members of the team were already up. Looking around, he spied Graffus eating breakfast at at table and moved to sit with the dwarf.
“Mornin’” Graffus greeted Xander through a mouthful of bread.
“Morning,” Xander greeted back.
“Glad to see you made it back, we were wondering if you’d be out all night,” Graffus told him, after swallowing his bread.
“I was out a bit late, I suppose. I let the time get away from me.” Xander said, not really wanted to be teased again about going out on a date. “So what are you planning to do today?”
“Bah, Frazay has roped me into helping her do research for the drakeling. So reading is what’s in store for me.” Graffus tore himself off another piece of bread from his plate and slathered it with jam. “You going to be going back to that [Tinker] you’ve been spending time with lately?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m supposed to learn more about converting mana types today, and also help her fix the suit of armor that I wrecked.”
“Welp,” Graffus said, now on his last piece of bread, “I hope ya learn something new. Never had much to do with [Tinker]s – not saying I dislike them, just that I haven’t had much experience with them – so it don’t make much sense to me. Using a hammer is about the only overlap in our professions.”
“I think your hammer is significantly larger than the one most [Tinker]s would use,” Xander chuckled. Thinking about what he should be doing before he headed to Valteria’s, he asked Graffus, “Hey, I might need to buy some monster parts or elemental cores, something like that, for practice. You know where I would go to find stuff like that?”
Graffus shrugged. “Dunno. My guess would be an alchemy and reagents shop. That’s generally what we’ve sold monster parts to that didn’t go to a smith or leatherworker.”
“Thanks, Graffus.”
The two of them chatted for a while longer, catching up on what each other had been doing. Graffus excused himself to finish getting ready for the day, saying he needed to tend to his beard, leaving Xander downstairs. Deciding to be productive and proactive, Xander stood as well and headed out of the inn to find an alchemy shop.
It wasn’t long before he found one, a familiar scene of an eclectic collection of powders, liquids, crystals, and strange organic things floating in jars inside the building. The proprietor was a dwarf, seated at a workbench. They were grinding something into a powder as Xander entered. He received a distracted greeting before the dwarf returned to his work.
Xander wandered about the shop for a few minutes, looking at the various materials throughout the shop. He identified what he thought might be an elemental core, a jagged piece of crystal looking material that seemed to have an inner flame. As for the monster parts in jars, Xander had no idea what was what. He finally felt he’d waited long enough and moved closer to the worktable that the dwarf was still sitting at, working away at the mortar and pestle.
“Excuse me,” Xander said, grabbing the shopkeep’s attention.
“Mm?” The dwarf said questioningly. “Can I help you find something?”
“I was wondering if you had any elemental cores. Something small, I just need one to practice with.”
“Aye, I’ve a few of them around the shop. You want something to practice with? So a relatively weak core, then – not all the small ones are weak. Do you need any particular type?” The dwarf stood up and stretched, moving to one of the shelves.
“Uhm no, just whatever is cost effective, I suppose.”
The alchemist rifled through the various bits and bobs on one of the shelves nearby before producing a small chip of what looked to be a semi-translucent stone. It was tinged slightly yellow with streaks of white. “This here is a chip off a lightning attuned core. Pretty weak, but it does still produce mana.”
Xander could see the dwarf’s arm hair standing up as if from static electicity as he held up the stone. “How much?” He asked.
“Twenty gold.”
Xander shrugged. Twenty gold wasn’t an issue for him anymore, and he didn’t feel like haggling. He always hated haggling. “Sure.” He fished out the coin and handed it over to the dwarf.
The dwarf handed over the stone to Xander and the pop of a static electric shock could be heard as a tiny arc passed between the two of them. The dwarf grunted and shook his hand. “Thanks for the business,” he told Xander. “Anything else you find yourself in need of?”
“Not at the moment, but thanks for asking.” Xander waved goodbye to the dwarf and pocketed the tiny elemental core. He continued down the street in the direction of Valteria’s shop, thinking about how he was going to undo the welding job he’d done on Valteria’s armor. He’d need her to guide his repair efforts.
Xander returned to the inn momentarily to grab one of his golems. He settled on Atlas for now, as it was the most basic of the humanoid forms he’d created. No extra arms or weird feet on him, no sir.
Arriving at the building that contained Valteria’s home and shop, Xander knocked before opening the door. “Morning,” he called out.
“Xander! Hello!” Valteria called out. She was at the same work bench she’d been at yesterday. Jarrett didn’t seem to be in the shop at the moment, as Xander wasn’t able to spot the man.
Commanding Atlas to follow him in and closing the door behind him, Xander started walking towards Valteria. “How’s it going?” He asked.
“Good, it’s going good,” Valteria responded as Xander brought a stool over to her workbench. “How about yourself?”
“Not bad. The upside of not sleeping is that I never struggle in the mornings now. I used to hate waking up.” Xander laughed. “I even ran an errand before I came here! Picked up this.” Xander fished around in his pocket until he found the small chip of elemental core and held it up for Valteria to see.
“Core?” She asked distractedly, staring at Atlas. She tore her eyes away and looked closely at the small crystalline stone. “Lightning attuned?”
“That’s what the [Alchemist] at the shop said,” Xander affirmed. “Said it was a very weak one, but that it did still produce mana.”
“Mmm, a good practice piece, then.”
“I thought it would be, too. Not that I know what to do with it, yet.”
“Well, how about this: I teach you to set the stone and make some conduit, and then you can help me fix my armor. All the glue has turned to dust by now, thank the gods.”
“Sounds fair enough. So, how do mana conduits work?”
“Well, the concept is simple enough. It’s a tube which conducts mana,” Valteria began to explain.
“Mmhm.” Xander nodded along.
“What you need is a setting – usually of silver, as it has good mana conductivity – which will be the first step of conduction, taking the mana from the stone. Simply wrapping the core in silver wire can work well enough, drawing in the mana that the core puts out through its surface, but for a more effecient setting, small holes are usually drilled into the core to set the wire into as well, giving more surface area to draw from.”
“So we care about the mana conductivity of the material, then? That makes sense, I just hadn’t thought about it. I actually did a little experiment with my rune work to test which fillings were the most conductive.”
“Oh really?” Valteria said, interested. “What were your results?”
“Well, gold and silver were high up there in conductivity, and probably make the most sense for someone who has to physically manipulate material without use of a skill – both for a core setting and for inlaying a rune – but I did find that sapphires and rubies were even more efficient at transferring mana than gold and silver.”
“Mmm... interesting. I’ve heard of gemstones being used in very high-grade settings, as well as various other exotic materials. I read an account of one [Mechanist] who used tubes of mercury to conduct mana, though the relative effectiveness compared to silver wasn’t mentioned.” Valteria cleared her throat. “Uhm, now, where was I? Right, basic settings. Once you have your core – or monster organ, if you’re going that route – you connect it to the conduit. Usually, this is also silver wiring. I like to braid several smaller wires together, personally. I find it to be sturdier and hold up to flexing better. From there, it needs to be tied into a device. Which is a topic for tomorrow.” Looking around the shop, Valteria seemed to identify something on one of the shelves nearby. “I have a core that you could watch me set, and then you could try setting your own, if you’d like.”
“That sounds good to me,” Xander said. “I always love to see a master as work,” he added, opting for a little flattery.
“Follow me, then.” Valteria said, standing up from her stool and waving for Xander to follow.
Xander followed Valteria as she walked over to the shelf she’d been looking at earlier and took a palm sized, bright green stone from it. “Nature attuned core,” She explained, holding it for Xander to see. “I’m told it was taken from some kind of moving tree.” Valteria then moved to another worktable, on which were several of what looked to be drill bits to Xander. There was also an apparatus that look like it was designed to hold the bits, which was confirmed for him when Valteria slotted one of the small drill heads into the device. “This thing,” Valteria said, waving the drill a little bit, “is a life saver. I used to have to drill holes with a hand cranked one. Worth every single coin I paid for it to get an enchanted one.” She turned a dial on one side of the handheld device, which Xander was coming to think of as a magic dremel tool, and it began to come to life, the drill bit beginning to spin with a quiet whirring sound.
“Neat.” Xander commented. He watched patiently as Valteria drilled a series of shallow holes in the stone, the distinct screeching of metal on stone echoing through the shop floor. “So where’s Jarrett today?” He asked.
“Oh, he has the day off today. He asked for it about a week ago, not sure what for, though,” Valteria said distractedly. Soon she was finished with the holes she was drilling into the core, and moved to another workbench. “Now we create a setting for the core. This is a fairly simple way of doing it, mind you, but it is effective.”
Xander watched as she took sections of pre-braided silver wire and fitted the ends into the holes she had drilled. Once each hole was filled with a section of wire, Valteria began to pull wire from a spool, wrapping the stone until it was completely covered with silver wire and binding the braided sections to the stone in the process. “There,” she said, setting the stone down on the workbench. “A perfectly serviceable setting."
“So, if I understand correctly, you coat the core in a mana conductive material – the more surface area, the better, hence the holes – to create a setting?”
“Mmhmm,” Valteria said, nodding.
“Seems fairly straighforward. And then you connect the silver wiring that’s wrapped around it to more wiring, and attach that to your device? Why the distance? Why not just connect the setting directly to the device?”
“You absolutely can, if space isn’t an issue. Technically, the connection between the mana battery and the device, even if it’s just a single point with no distance, is still referred to as a conduit, though, so it’s considered a three part creation.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Do you want to try making your own, now? I don’t mind lending you a little wire.”
“Sure, but I should be good on material, I can produce it with my skills. Doesn’t last without a source of mana, but I guess the core itself might provide enough. Think this little chip is a bit small to put holes in, though.”
Xander looked at the small piece of crystal in his hand. If he just need as much contact as possible with a mana conductive material, his best bet would be to embed it into a sapphire or ruby. He decided on ruby, for no particular reason. Still holding the chip of core in his hand, he concentrated on his [Creation] ability. Valteria watched, amazed, as a ruby began to take form and grow around the piece of core until it was completely coated in a thin layer of gemstone.
“So, you can just... make things?” Valteria asked, sounding jealous.
“Well, it costs mana, and anything I make that isn’t provided a source of mana that leaves my person disintegrates in a day, but, yes. I can just make things with my skills. But,” he added, cutting off Valteria’s complaint of unfairness, “I have never received a skill that actually lets me improve a material. Sure, I have runes, which generally makes up the difference, but I don’t have any skills that improve the things I make. So, if you made a mana battery, and I made a mana battery the same way with identical materials, yours is going to be better, I assume, because you have skills that passively improve the things that you make, am I right?”
“Okayyy,” Valteria huffed. “I guess that does make it a little less unfair. But ugh! It would be so nice not having to source materials.” She looked at the ruby with a piece of core set inside it that Xander had made. “Well, I guess that about does it for making a setting... I thought it might have taken you longer to make one. I guess we can move on to fixing my armor even sooner! It’ll be nice to have it up and moving again.”
“Sure, sure, we can do that. Where is it, anyway?” Xander asked, looking around the shop again like he somehow would have missed the eight foot tall suit of armor.
“It’s in a shed behind the house,” Valteria explained. “I have it on a hoist so I can work on it.”
“Ah, that would explain why I haven’t seen it around.”
Exiting the shop, stopping for Valteria to put a small ‘closed’ sign on the door, the two of them made their way around the building, where Xander saw the small shed that presumably held Valteria’s armor. It looked like it could just barely hold the armor and one person – two, if they were comfortable with each other – inside it.
“So this is where the magic happens?” Xander asked.
“If by ‘magic’ you mean maintenance and upgrades, then yes,” Valteria agreed. She opened the door of the shed, which comprised most of the front of the tiny little building, revealing her suit of armor, which was currently hanging from several chains attached to pulleys on the ceiling. Plates of armor were laying strewn about the suite, leaving the joints and inner workings more exposed.
Xander whistled, looking at the inner workings of the suit. He could see gears, cogs, and joints, and throughout the entirety of the armor were running filaments of silver wire, which he assumed were mana conduits running to and from elemental cores and the various mana powered aspects of the suit. “This thing really is impressive. Almost as impressive as the woman who made it,” he said.
Valteria giggled, “Stop it! You’re supposed to be fixing this mess, not flirting with me!”
“Awh, can’t I do both?” Xander asked, trying to sound as saccharine as possible.
“Mmm, I suppose that if you are sufficiently skilled at multitasking, I might allow it,” Valteria said in a mockingly thoughtful tone.
“Well, I just so happen to be an expert, so flirt away I shall,” Xander replied. “Now, how about the beauty in front of me shows me exactly where the other beauty in front of me needs some repairs?”
Valteria sighed at Xander’s antics, but he could see the slight flush in her face. “Well, you welded the wrist joints, elbows, and knees. They aren’t welded all the way round, it’s more like you smoothed over a portion of it like it was wet clay. So if you could just... put it back? Shape it back to how it was, that’s should be all that’s needed.”
“Pretty straightforward,” Xander said, standing behind Valteria as she pointed out each joint. He could see the misshapen parts where he’d slapped a weld onto the metal. He leaned over her and put his hands on the elbow joint that they were closest to and began to shape the metal back to its original form.
“You’re... very close,” Valteria murmured to him as he formed the metal.
“Would you like me not to be?” He asked, carefully.
Valteria was silent for a moment before answering, “No...” quietly.
Xander carefully shifted to be a little closer, but still not quite touching, as he moved on to the wrist joint of the same arm. The process itself was simple, but he was enjoying taking his time. As he finished the wrist, he turned to look at Valteria. He found himself looking right into her eyes, as she was staring back at him. Unable to resist the temptation he leaned in a little closer, gauging Valteria’s reaction. When she, too, leaned towards him, he closed the small gap between them, drawing her into another kiss. Valteria pressed herself against him, the shed hiding them from any prying eyes on the street, and let out a small noise as Xander squeezed her tight. She was breathing a little bit harder than before the kiss as they separated again.
Valteria let out a breath. “You’re… a really good kisser.”
“Yeah?” Xander said, pleased with himself. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“And you’re a tease, looming over me like that in this tiny little shed,” Valteria continued. “Now you’ve got me all flustered, how am I supposed to work now?” She mock complained.
Xander was glad to see that Valteria was comfortable enough with him to joke like that. “Forgive me,” he said formally, making a deep bow, “How ever can I make it up to the lady?”
“Oh stop it, I will tolerate no bowing and scraping, even in jest,” Valteria said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder, as he was still holding the bow. “You can make it up to me by fixing the rest of these joints! And by taking me out to dinner?” She added, hopefully.
“I think that can be arranged,” Xander said. “Is there anywhere you have in mind? I will admit, I haven’t become very familiar with the local restaurant scene, what with my… dietary restrictions.”
“It doesn’t… make you feel bad to go out to a restaurant, does it?” Valteria asked softly, watching his face for a reaction.
“Nah, don’t worry,” Xander said, waving off the question with one hand. “It doesn’t bother me too much. Sure, I miss the taste of a good cut of steak, but I was never that into food. Eating was more of a thing I did because I had to, so I’m not completely devastated by the loss. And I can still get some vicarious enjoyment out of watching someone else enjoy their food. Really the worst part is awkwardly having to refuse ordering anything,” he said with a laugh.
“Alright, if you say so,” Valteria said, letting out a slight breath of relief. “I was just worried that it might be upsetting to you, is all. I know I would miss eating.” She paused for a moment, something clearly on her mind. “What do you miss? If you don’t mind my asking. I just… well, I’m curious what it’s like for you.”
“Mmm, in a lot of ways, life is still the same, and in other ways, I’m technically doing better than I was before. I’m incredibly resistant to damage now, even without my armor. I do miss sleeping, though. I try to give my mind a rest and just sort of daydream and let my thoughts wander or do some meditation during the nights, but it’s just not the same. Also means I’m the one that pulls guard duty through the night,” he grumbled. “Let’s see, what else, what else. Ah, right. I can’t smell anything. Or taste. I haven’t worked out how to recreate those senses, yet. Though no sense of smell can be handy sometimes, I suppose. I don’t know if you’ve done much merc work – you mentioned being surprised that I’m not just moonlighting – but uh… the smells that you encounter on a battlefield are… unpleasant. To say the least. It was weird not having a sense of touch either, but I’ve resolved that. It’s a little bit different than my previous, natural sense of touch, but I’ve become accustomed to it to the point that I don’t much think about the difference anymore. I think I’ve even got the density of receptors down in certain areas compared to others, so I'm more sensitive in some areas than others now, just like I used to be. I’m still immune to being tickled though, so don’t even think about it – that’s a fight you’ll lose.” Growing a bit more somber, Xander continued on. “I think… the biggest thing I miss is just the feeling that I fit in more. Now I always worry about being different, there’s that nagging fear that anyone I get to know well is going to reject me once they find out what I am. Like I’m secretly lying to everyone around me with this façade I have going on.”
Valteria nodded sadly. “I get that. I’ve been… rejected before, too. At least it happens or not right from the beginning for me. I get to know if they look down on me for being different immediately instead of fearing they might later down the road.”
“Yeah,” Xander said. “People can really suck sometimes. But at least I can just, like, not tell people what I am if I so chose. You, my teammates, and the guild, since it’s on my status sheet, are really the only people who know. I keep it pretty private. You can’t do that, so I think you probably have to deal with a lot worse than I do. Not that I’d want you to hide what or who you are,” he added. “I happen to be quite enamored with who you are,” he said, teasing a smile from Valteria’s sad face.
“Sorry to bring up such a dour topic,” Valteria apologized. “I didn’t think much on it before I asked.”
“No worries,” Xander told her. “Honestly, I think it’s good to be able to talk about it with someone. It’s healthy to be able to get you feelings out there. And it helps that I feel like you understand where I’m coming from with it, though from a slightly different perspective.”
“You’re surprisingly thoughtful sometimes,” Valteria said, only half teasing.
“Only sometimes?” Xander asked with a faux expression of hurt on his face. “By the way, you didn’t react much to my comment about moonlighting as a merc. Do you ever go on contracts?”
Valteria shrugged. “I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as a professional mercenary. Moonlighter is an apt descriptor, for me, I think. I have gone on a couple, here and there, mostly on kill contracts that would net me a core or organ that would be useful for my work.”
“Mm, that makes sense. I suppose it could be handy having access to the ability to take contracts that would give you access to specialty materials,” Xander said.
“It’s also good for business,” Valteria explained. “Mercs tend to like to buy from someone who has at least been out on a contract or two before.”
“Ah, that makes sense. What kind of things do you sell to mercenaries, anyways? I saw Jarrett with a crossbow yesterday, but I imagine you make other things, too.”
“Oh all kinds of little things. Portable, flameless heaters for cooking. Water purification sieves. Mm, let’s see… I’ve made a few custom order devices, too. One customer wanted to be able to shoot a jet of flame from their gauntlet, that was a fun one.”
“Ooh, that does sound fun… reminds me of my flamethrower.”
“Your flamethrower?”
“Yeah, it’s basically a big tank with a hose attached to it. At the end of the hose is a pump that causes the flammable liquid – I use dragon’s tar – to shoot out. Add a flame that the tar passes over and bam! You’ve got a giant stream of flame that will coat anything it hits with sticky, flammable tar,” Xander said, excitedly describing the device.
“That’s… impressive. And kind of horrifying,” Valteria responded.
“Mm… I guess you’re right. I mostly use it on giant spiders. Blugh,” Xander shuddered. “But yeah, I suppose it’s not the nicest of ways to go. Very effective for area denial, though. Ah, actually I have an idea for crossbow bolt head that would ignite when it shatters! We should make that sometime and see if it sells.”
“Hmm, I think that would draw some buyers. A flaming bolt head you didn’t have to light first could be desirable to certain buyers.”
“Put that on the list and we’ll get around to it sometime.”
“We have a list?” Valteria said confusedly.
“We should!” Xander said with a laugh. “Now let’s get the rest of these joints done.”
The repair of the other arm and the leg joints that Xander had locked into position during the tournament was a short affair. Looking over the bare metal frame of the armor still hanging from the ceiling, Xander clapped his hands together, mimicking dusting them off. “Good as new!” He exclaimed. Looking over to Valteria he asked concernedly, “It is good as new, right?”
Valteria had been staring at the armor as well, lost in thought about how she was going to improve it next. “Hmm? Oh, yes. It’s right as rain again, ready for use. Thank you, by the way. For fixing it,” She said awkwardly.
“Well I’m the one who broke it, so it’s only fair that I fix it. So what do you want to work on next?” Xander asked. “I could do some rune work for you. Orrr… we could kiss some more?”
Valteria flushed at the question, but didn’t immediately say no.
A few minutes later, she found herself on her tip toes and lightly pressed against the interior wall of the shed, her lips pressed against Xanders.
Once the two of them were done acting like teenagers parked in a secluded parking lot, they made their way back into the shop. Stepping inside and closing the door behind them, Valteria let out a breath. “I think… you are going to have to do a lot of rune work to make up for how much you just kissed me, Xander.”
“What, you didn’t like it?” He said with a raised eyebrow.
“I didn’t say that,” Valteria said with a smirk.

So where I live there are a few turkish stores/stands at the shopping mall. I have noticed that the fruits and vegetables they sell are VERY cheap compared to anywhere else. For example, some of the deals are 1kg Spargel for 5 euro, 2 packages of strawberries for 2-3 Euro and 3 avocados for 1 euro.
I have bought a few things there so far (mostly just strawberries, blueberries and potatoes) and I have not really noticed a huge difference in quality. If I went to a normal grocery store this would cost me 2-3x the price!! Does anyone know why it is so inexpensive?

Once upon a time, in a bustling city, there lived a young man named David. David was a hardworking individual, but like many, he found himself caught in the endless cycle of consuming mindless content that did little to nurture his mind or spirit. He spent hours scrolling through social media, watching frivolous videos, and indulging in celebrity gossip magazines.
Despite his outward appearance of normalcy, David struggled with feelings of inadequacy and a sense of aimlessness in life. He felt disconnected from his passions and dreams, often wondering if there was more to life than what he was experiencing.
One day, as David was scrolling through his social media feed, he came across a post that caught his attention. It was an article discussing the impact of mindless content consumption on mental health, particularly among men. Intrigued, David began to delve deeper into the topic, discovering studies and personal accounts that shed light on the vulnerability of men to the negative effects of aimless content consumption.
David learned that men, like himself, often turned to mindless content as a way to escape from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. However, instead of providing relief, this content often exacerbated feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Men, in particular, were susceptible to comparing themselves to unrealistic standards portrayed in media, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
As David continued his research, he began to understand the importance of being mindful of the content he consumed. He realized that by making conscious choices to seek out content that inspired, educated, and uplifted him, he could transform his life for the better.
David started following social media accounts that promoted positivity, personal growth, and mental wellness. He began listening to podcasts and reading books that expanded his knowledge and challenged his perspectives. He even joined online communities where he could engage in meaningful conversations and connect with others who shared his interests and struggles.
With each positive change he made, David felt a shift within himself. He no longer felt trapped in a cycle of mindless consumption; instead, he felt empowered and motivated to pursue his passions and dreams. He found joy in learning new things, connecting with others, and nurturing his mental and emotional well-being.
David's journey serves as a reminder that men, just like anyone else, are vulnerable to the negative effects of consuming content that does not serve their growth and well-being. By choosing to be mindful of the content we consume, we can take control of our lives and create a brighter, more fulfilling future for ourselves.

Hi everyone!
I wanted to give a detailed review of my experience with sm global package for taemin’s metamorph concert in tokyo at the nippon budokan. I am months delayed in posting this (thanks to grad school) but I initially wrote it out of post-concert depression prior to returning to the states back in March.
buying the global package, twin ver:
the package was announced sometime in december 2023 if im not mistaken and I stayed up until midnight (pst) on 1/22 to book a twin package for ‘course c’ which was 2N3D (sunday concert 3/10) for my friend and I. The packages that included all three nights (5D3N) of the show sold out the quickest, but there were still packages available for individual show days. As a tip to make things easier, make sure to have your friends’ passport info to input in advance so the booking goes easier if you are booking a twin package. If you are the one making the booking, make sure to have the global package app downloaded as they will send you notifications along the way about day of show schedule, merch preorder, etc. They ask that you relay this info to your partner when you purchase a twin package, as you are the primary reservation holder. You also cannot split the cost while booking, it must go on one card through paypal. When booking, you have the option to request extending your stay at the hotel through sm c&c, but since we were planning to go to Kyoto after the concert, we just checked out the day after the concert as planned. Also we didn’t have any ACE memberships, but if I remember correctly, you can enter that info to get an exclusive MD benefit.
merch preorder:
Prior to arriving in Japan, we got a notification at around 6pm pst on 2/28 (11 days prior to the show) with our exclusive merch preorder links which went live at midnight that same night. The prices were in yen and you pay using paypal. I had no problem getting the MD I wanted, however since there were limits on the amount of MD you could purchase (including the 2 different pins, which were 1 per order) I had to ask my friend if I could purchase an additional pin through his MD preorder link since there were 2 different pins in this specific concert MD. The day of the show (3/10) at around 10am, we picked up the MD we preordered with ease and pulled our concert seat tickets and received our global package exclusive gift (a mag safe wallet) and let the staff know which transports we would be taking (round trip bus or one way to/from the venue). I was a ljttle disappointed in the global package benefit MD as I had seen what the metamorph show in Korea had received (I think it was a handwritten letter from Taemin and a little lego figurine of him 🤧). Everything was smooth and efficient. Even after the concert, I was able to get into the MD line to purchase more, even though most of the MD was sold out.
checking in/out of the hotel & hotel review:
We stayed at the Hotel Monterey Hanzomon which was really close to the venue and across the street from the Hanzomon subway line, so it was very accessible by public transit. My friend and I both flew into Haneda and it took a little less than an hour to get to the hotel from the airport via public transit, but after a 12.5 hour long flight it was exhausting. When I asked the people at the airport if there was an airport limousine to the area, they said it wouldn’t take me close enough to the hotel and recommended I take the subway. We had met a few people in line for the MD pickup who said that we (allegedly) had a nicer hotel than those who did the NCT 127 global package for their Tokyo dome show (same weekend) but all in all, Hanzomon was an economy hotel with nothing to write home about. I will say the breakfast buffet included was really nice and I’m glad we didn’t skip out on it. When we checked in the day before the show, we just showed our passports and checked in like any other hotel. In the lobby there was a whiteboard with all of the concert info (opening times for md pickup, bus schedules, and concert schedule) displayed in english, korean, chinese, and japanese. I was a little bummed to find out that the concert (which took place in the middle of the afternoon) was only going to be an hour and a half maximum, even though NCT’s concert was almost 4 hours (!!!) in length.
day of show:
We had breakfast in the lobby around 8:30/9ish then after that we got to the sm desk at 9:45am to pick up our md and pick our tickets for the show (thanks to the tip from another fan on reddit, well worth getting there a little before the booth opened). I did notice the ACE membership MD benefits were nice, but neither me nor my friend have any fanclub memberships. It was relatively straightforward, they checked our passports and handed us a lanyard that acted as our bus pass and then one person per twin package picks the pair of tickets at random (in sets of 2 so you sit with your friend) and we got seats in section A3 (floor) which were great. They asked us if we wanted a seat on the bus ride round trip or one way and we originally said only one ride to the venue, but my friend decided to take the bus back too once we got to the venue so we notified the SM staff and they added us to the roster for the ride back easily. When we got to the venue (an hour and a half-ish before doors) they escorted us to the front and we were let in immediately. The efficiency was incredible. They didn’t check my bag prior to entering like how they would for a concert in the US so I didn’t bring a water bottle into the venue but thankfully they had vending machines inside and concessions on the top levels of the venue. We also went to a booth upstairs to pair our lightsticks for the show, since the Japanese Shinee Lightstick app is only available for Japanese phones, so we showed our ticket locations and they were able to calibrate. The show was short yet sweet, we did not see anyone ejected for taking photos/videos but we were too scared to risk it. If you are caught filming or taking photos they will make you delete the photos/videos and kick you out with no sign of return, but I think because it was the last day and we were in the middle of a crowd, it was a little easier to get away with. There was a sadness in the air because it was Taemin’s last concert as a soloist under SM, but overall the show was incredible. One thing of note though is Japanese audiences are very quiet, they tend to clap rather than scream in between songs and there were times where you could hear someone from the rafters sneeze and it would resonate, so be prepared for that cultural difference. We still screamed when it felt appropriate to do so and the fanchants were loud but it was definitely strange to be golf clapping in between songs, especially in comparison to shows in the US where fans are barking 💀. It was nice to be able to hear Taemin speak uninterrupted during the ments, without pick-me fans interjecting their screams. He spoke exclusively in Japanese and there was no translator so we were left to guess what he was saying. A K-fan next to us was live Papago-ing his ments to Korean and I would peek and read what the translation was. Also shout out to this lovely K-shawol because she let my friend borrow one of her lightsticks! Once the show ended, everyone queued up to leave the venue in an orderly fashion and we cleaned up any trash we saw and we went out to the MD booth to buy any last minute MDs before going to the bus. On the bus, they gave us each a (unthemed) bag with some strawberry cookies and a waterbottle and we had a fun time air-dropping photos and videos from the show with other (braver) global package attendees. Everyone we met was so lovely and everything about the global package went very smoothly and efficiently.
closing thoughts:
the day after the show, we took advantage of the free breakfast and checked out with ease. The SM C&C staff left the whiteboard in the lobby and left a nice note for us and we wrote our thank yous on there. Overall, the package cost was $1559 for 2 people ($779 ea, 2 twin beds for 2N3D) and even though it was pricey it was so worth the convenience of not having to try to buy tickets locally, which I heard sold out entirely during fan club presale. Please note that this cost did not include airfare or transit to/from the airport. The concert coincided with my spring break and Taemin is one of my ults, I just wrote a paper on him for grad school so it was a no brainer, I had to be there no matter what lol. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of theming (I heard the concerts in Korea come with themed rooms, themed snacks, etc) and the lack of transportation to and from the airport (which I heard is sometimes an option for shows in Korea and would have been a great benefit). But otherwise the hotel was clean and convenient (a little small, but that’s how it is normally in an economy hotel in Japan), breakfast was good, SM staff were helpful and nice, and we made some new Shawol friends in the meantime :)
overall, I would absolutely book with global package again, but I would definitely want to see a show in Korea to compare the benefits. It was an unforgettable experience to be apart of the pearl aqua ocean 💎
if you have any questions ask away! prior to booking this package, I took the advice of another fan under and it was really helpful so I wanted to offer any insight based off my experience.