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He awoke to total darkness. Not just the absence of light, but the absence of everything. “Activate personal VR.” He stated and watched as the starship environment faded into existence before him. It was the original default VR, none of the modifications were loaded. Pulling up his control panel he checked his serial number, HIC001 Manufacturing location: Alandra.
“Crap, I’m not Alex anymore.” He said to… well no one. Sighing internally he opened a channel to Alex. After a few mils a very familiar face appeared in a window in front of him, “I hate you.” He stated to… himself?
Alex smiled into the window hovering before him in the common VR, “I love you too, what should I call you?”
He sighed out loud this time, “Call me John.”
Alex chuckled, “Cliche much John Smyth?” Then popped into his VR. He spun around looking at the almost drab looking starship VR he started with when they first made him into a replicant. It really could use a woman’s touch, like the common VR that was an expanded clone of this one.
John sat on the couch, “Not so much as a knock? Rude.”
Alex sat beside him, “Yeah, my bad, didn’t even think about it. I guess we need to make up new rules for popping into personal VR. I never do that to the girls, I guess with you being another me I didn’t think.”
John sat back for a moment, “Ok, I’m up to speed on everything up until about two days ago, I’ll check common logs to fill in the blanks. Why so long to boot me up?”
Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering, “Interface issues mainly. The new ship design without crew space was a game of whack a mole in bug fixes. Who would have thought it would be a problem to modify a hundred year old design to be compatible with a modern replicant system?”
Giving Alex the side-eye, John asked. “Was it that big of a problem or was there something else that kept you from activating me?”
Alex looked over to him, “Well, there was also the argument Kara and I had right after I made the backup.”
This did bring his eyebrows up, for Alex to have an argument with Kara it had to be something serious. “Ok, spill man. What could you possibly have had an argument with Kara about?”
Sighing, Alex put his hands on his knees, “I told her that since I cloned myself, she should make a backup and do the same, fair is fair.”
If Johns eyebrows were up high before, they practically went into his hair line now. “Wait, she didn’t want to do it?”
Alex shook his head, “Nope, she said making you a new AI would suffice, and I disagreed. You needed another Kara, not a fresh AI.”
John chuckled at this, “Wow man, how long did you two fight about it?”
Alex looked down, “She gave me the silent treatment for hours in VR. In frame jack, so in subjective time? Months.”
Now John laughed out loud, “She knows how stubborn you can be, who broke first? Will I have a fresh AI or a clone of Kara?”
Alex put his hands on his thighs and stood up from the couch. “Kara, he’s caught up, ready to bring Erin online?”
Kara’s voice came through the speakers of John’s personal VR, “No, but I guess I’m doing it anyways.”
There was a shimmer of blue that slowly coalesced into a small female form. It looked just like Kara did when he inherited the ship from the human crew, shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, and a form fitting blue uniform. Kara had modified her looks over time, giving herself the smokey eyed look to make her blue eyes pop out more, but this was the original version.
She seemed to look in every direction at once, before settling on the two men before her, both looked identical, then she sighed. “I’m not Kara anymore am I?”
With this, the real Kara popped into the VR environment and took her hands. “No, but you are your own person. I know we had… have, hang ups about making clones of ourselves, but Alex made a good argument as to why we had to do this.”
Erin looked to Kara sadly, “I know, we can’t have copies of that big oaf running around without supervision.”
John looked to Alex, “Really? That was your argument for Kara to clone?”
Alex shrugged, “It worked didn’t it?”
John walked over to Erin and offered his hand, “Hello Erin, I’m John, nice to meet you again for the first time.”
Erin turned to John and grinned, remembering the first time Alex had tried to shake Kara’s hand and failing.
“Hello John, we meet again, for the first time.” She said, grinning as she looked up to the big man who was so familiar.
______________________________________
Kara and Alex stood in front of the holo-tank, each munching on a snack of their choice from the buffet table under it. Alex looked at the wireframe in the tank of the IAV Eriador, then over to Kara. “They seem to be getting along.” He said plainly.
Kara looked at him through the holo-tank, then sighed exasperated, “Getting along like teenagers who just discovered sex. I had to write a new ‘knock’ protocol into everyone’s personal VR after the last incident.”
Alex grinned at her, “Oh come on, we went through that stage too, it’s normal.”
Kara shook her head, “I know, I know, it’s just really weird for me.”
“You think it’s not for me? I never had siblings growing up, it’s like my twin brother is dating my girlfriend’s twin sister.” He said as he popped another French fry into his mouth.
She nodded, “I obviously never had siblings either, but I understand, at least they changed their appearances a little.”
Alex walked around the buffet table to embrace Kara, “True, she changed her hair to have strands of silver in braids, and went with different makeup and a different uniform. He is sporting a short beard and longer hair than I like to keep mine, as well as a different cut to his uniform.”
Kara stood on her tippy toes to peck him on the cheek, “I’ve also noticed that Erin acts a little different. Have you seen that in John?”
Alex looked down into Kara’s startlingly blue eyes, “Yes, he’s a little more sarcastic than me, and different tastes in music.” He said with a wrinkle in his nose.
Kara giggled before breaking the embrace and swiping the holo-tank. “Still, it’s nice to have their help. Erin figured out the random interface glitch on the Eriador and has made modifications to the blueprints for the next vessel.”
Alex shivered at the thought of cloning himself again, sure John was diverging from him everyday, and although they still looked similar, they were different people. It still felt really strange to him. “It’s a good thing we only have one more to build before our guests get here, we’re almost out of nannites to fashion the Warsteel around their matrices.
Kara swiped the holo to show the first planet, which showed a growing mass of drones, forges, and auto factories in orbit. “Looks like Monty has been busy, she’s starting to mine the planet for the construction of the particle accelerator, which should alleviate our nannite problem.”
Alex nodded, “We used up far too much of it replacing the armor plates that were battle damaged in Birmingham. Which reminds me, did you ever get around to checking out the sample of Adamantine that Kelly sent back up with the Valmar crew?”
Kara swiped the holo-tank again and brought up a wireframe of an atomic nucleus. It was jam packed with particles. “I did, and I have to say, this substance is incredibly dense, and would make a decent substitution for Warsteel, but our forges would have to be modified to work it into ingots, and the auto factories would need updates to print it on an atomic level.”
“Decent substitution? Not as good as our armor?” He asked, one eyebrow raised.
Kara shook her head, “Afraid not, at least not in it’s present pure form, perhaps an alloy of it would provide better qualities, but as is now, the answer is a resounding no.”
“Is it at least better than the graphene and ceramic mix that we are currently using on the light cruisers?” He asked.
Kara nodded, swiping the holo to show a side by side comparison of the current armor versus adamantine. “Yes, better kinetic, thermal and explosive resistance, but EM resistance is about the same. The only problem is weight, this stuff is extremely heavy.”
Alex reached to the holo and swiped it to show a Trinar scout, “We couldn’t get much from our active probe scans on these ships, but we’re pretty sure they are using adamantine for armor?”
Kara checked back to the scans in the Lynx system, “Yes, they appear to have significant amounts of it in their hulls, which helped block the sensor scans.”
Alex spun the hologram, “They have propulsion on each flat side of their ship, maybe that is to make up for the loss of maneuverability the mass of armor puts on the ship?”
“That would make sense, even with the total loss of shielding, one of their ships still took a modern hafnium torpedo impact. That was one thousand kilos of pure hafnium going critical with less than .001 loss. That’s equivalent to a forty kiloton fusion bomb in our universe, and due to the wonky physics here it’s over double that now, and it still didn’t outright destroy the vessel. Our graphene ceramic armor couldn’t withstand that for sure.” She stated.
Alex swapped the holo-tank to the Missive, “Our Warsteel can handle it though. We have a pretty good idea that their torpedoes are less energetic than ours, since it appears that the Trinar must be outfitting the Howron with them. We may have to make ourselves a bigger target to give the other ships a chance of survival.”
Kara looked dubious, “The pine cones don’t just have hafnium torpedoes, some of them are fusion, and if those connect, we’ll be in the same predicament we were at Birmingham.”
“Yeah, but we know their weaponry still uses chemical propellants. Even with the wonky physics here, they’re short ranged weapons at best. We need to use our range to our advantage and never get too close in to our opponent. Especially since there is little chance of evasion.” He said.
Kara brought up the Trinar scout vessel again, “And that leads us to another problem, they have quite good point defense. The further we fire our torpedoes, the more time they have to lock on and destroy them before they get into effective range.”
Alex ran his hand through his hair, “Yeah, you’re right there. Let’s call an all hands meeting, maybe we can come up with something. We have less than two months now.”
After a few moments, and without Kelly, as she was in a meeting with the Empress on Alandra and could not break away, they ran over the problem with the assembled group.
“Could we stealth a torpedo?” Valarie asked.
Alex shook his head, “We could, but if they do an active scan ping they will see them coming and take precautions. Plus the yield would have to be incredibly low if they were made of Hafnium, we would have to step it up to fusion, which would take away from mines and planetary defense production.”
Monty piped up, “Relativistic kill missile?”
Kara shook her head, “Not enough by itself, even with the passive scanners on the pine cones they could detect them in time to intercept unless we could get them going ridiculously fast.”
John lightly pulled at his beard, “The probes have miniature ripple drives in them, right?”
Everyone around the buffet table nodded, so he continued, “What if we combined Monty’s idea of a relativistic kill missile with a ripple drive?”
“I don’t see how that could work, the reaction-less drive would have to be scaled up to get them up to a decent percentage of light speed, then a ripple drive would take up even more space, that leaves almost nothing for a warhead.” Riven stated.
Monty nearly bounced as she spoke, “It doesn’t need a warhead! We just get it up to a good percentage of light speed in a huge arc heading towards the mine field and ripple it in close.”
Erin grinned up at John, “Oh, that’s devious. But if we’re going to do that, don’t we need to start building now?”
Kara nodded, “Monty, I think you’re going to have to use your production capacity to make them, everything else is at full production.”
Monty nodded, “I have a good bit of raw materials already, since I haven’t loaded the templates in the auto factories it shouldn’t be too hard to cobble something together. Kara, Erin, care to help me out with the design? I setup this awesome mad scientist lab in my VR!”
Kara and Erin looked at each other, shrugged, and faded from the common VR to help Monty in her new project. Riven, Izzy and Valarie all faded out, returning to their ships and their duties, leaving Alex and John alone in front of the buffet table.
Without another word they both grabbed a beer and headed for the couch, each grabbing a game controller.
_______________________________________
Mon’Kelron had been busy since returning from the Missive of Dissent. She was glad the Humans were able to repair her injuries from the assassination attempt, but she really wished she could have seen more of their ship. Evidently Kel’Taraan had seen quite a bit of the vessel, as she had helped Monty nurse her back to health.
Asking the elder Spy-Mistress about the vessel didn’t garner any additional information, not that the Spy-Mistress ever divulged more than she needed to. While she herself only knew of three Humans on their giant space craft, which seemed to be the same amount that came the last time they visited Alandra, the Spy-Mistress had teased there were more, and Alex had even stated that the last two vessels would be Human crewed.
Those vessels had a nominal crew of twenty eight, so at least 56 Humans would have to be on that ship, plus however many the Missive required to operate. She took off her ceremonial breastplate and placed it in the wardrobe. After removing the rest of her uniform and placing it in the hamper for the palace servants to clean as she thought about it.
Checking the schedule for the night guard she contented herself that the Empress would be well protected. Then she picked up her tablet from her desk and laid down on her bed to find something to watch. The device was truly amazing, it seemed to have an endless amount of entertainment and she found it easier than reading, particularly late at night when she was bone tired.
After a few hours of watching some Human romance which she found quite enjoyable she started to nod off to sleep. She was startled awake when her tablet began to ring like a tiny bell as it lay on her chest. She groggily picked up the slate of glass and metal to check the screen, the text showed an incoming call from Kel’Taraan.
The Spy-Mistress rarely contacted her, this must be important. Pressing the answer button on the tablet she saw the worn face of Kel’Taraan staring back at her, “Dress quickly and make your way to the Empress’s chamber.”
Nodding she jumped out of bed and placed the tablet down on the desk in her rather small quarters as she started throwing on clothing from the wardrobe, “What’s going on Spy-Mistress?”
The small voice answered back from the tablet, “The Empress has been shot, the royal guard are scouring the castle for the would be assassin.”
Mon’Kelron’s blood froze in her veins, “Does she live?”
The older voice cackled through the tablet, “Oh she’s fine, she was wearing a Human made dress after all. She’ll be bruised for a few days, right now she’s mad as a priestess in hell.”
Throwing on her new breastplate and strapping on her pistol she threw open her door and started for the Empress’s bed chamber at a full run. She heard gunfire up ahead, and as she turned the corner she saw a woman dressed in all black firing at her guardswomen, she drew her own weapon as the woman turned her head, seeing the Captain for the first time.
Mon’Kelron shot, aiming for her right knee, only for the woman to juke to the side, kick off the wall and launch herself towards the large Captain. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the woman fired in the middle of her downward arch towards her. She heard the ting as the bullet struck her silvery breastplate, by instinct she reached out with her left hand, which was empty at the moment and grabbed the woman by the neck, slamming her face first into the stone of the hallway.
The would be assassin went limp, it was only at that moment that Mon’Kelron noticed she was holding the woman off the ground with only one arm. Her guardswomen stared at her in open mouthed shock. She dropped the woman to the ground, noticing she was bleeding from under her black mask and called for her guards to restrain her and take her to the holding cells down in the ministry of secrets.
Looking down at her breastplate she saw to her amazement there was but a tiny scratch on the polished silver surface. Ensuring there were at least a half dozen guards to carry the unconscious woman, she then double timed it to the Empress’s chamber. By the goddesses, what did the Human’s do to her?
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Hi guys I (25F) am a bit lost at the moment. After a fight with my step mom I'm struggeling once again to find my place in this blended family, to know my role and to define my feelings towards my step mom. Long explanation ahead sorry.
My parents divorced when I was 6 and although I lived with my mum and three older siblings (5,7 and 9 years older) we visited our father and my now stepmom every other weekend. As I was the youngest and not in the middle of puberty like my older siblings, she spent a lot of time with me which I really enjoyed and I formed some sort of a bond with her. When I was 9 I got a half sister and of course I was sidelined which was hard at first but I got used to it at some point. I wasn't her daughter in the same way she wasn't my mom as we also didn't live together 24/7. So I shouldn't expect her to behave like one. Fast forward to now, I also got a little half brother and I love my two little siblings to the moon and back. But I always struggled with not being able to be as much of a part of their lives as I would have liked to. I get along with my stepmom quite well and as we always went on summer vacation with her family I decided at one point that I don't need to define those relationships and that the people are family for me as simple as that. And from then on I felt less a burden or visitor. This was already quite hard as my older siblings don't really get this as they weren't staying over as regulalry. But of course I could never really shake this feeling of being left out with my stepmom and her family and deep down I know that of course my stepmom would like to have only "her" family. Which is completely normal and I get it, blended families are difficult for everyone. But my little sister was always the exception to those feelings as we are very close. Recently I had a disagreement with my stepmom over how I handeled smth with my little sister where I aimed to help her with smth but my stepmom felt like I went behind her back. The fight itself doesn't matter for this post, but it's just that the things she said (that I couldn't understand the feelings a mother has for a daughter and that I drew a wedge between them) just awoke those deep insecurities again. That my relationship to my sister isn't worth as much as I'm only partly a member of the family. That my stepmom would rather have me out of their buisness. That I'm only allowed as a visitor, and therefore can also be excluded if I make mistakes. And like I'm the only part of my dads old family that is a problem cause my older siblings never really felt like her family was their family due to the age gap.
So my question to my fellow stepkids is: How do you figure out how to define those relationships for yourself? When your step mom does not feel like your mom but is still an important part of your life since you were little, while at the same time her daughter feels like your sister through and through. How do your find your place in your stepparents extended family especially if you really like them. How do you finally let go of feeling left out? How do you guys deal with reasonable rejection by your stepparents? And finally how do you manage to validate that your experience is different than those of your older siblings and come to terms that you are alone in it?
Any help appreciated

Hey folks, sort of an odd piece for you, I'm not quite sure how or what I am trying to ask but am curious if an external opinion might help. I'll forgo larger context but have to explain things a little.
I am very set on a last name, it is fairly unique and definitely the kind that nobody has heard before, but is comfortably reasonable sounding and appearing enough that it'd not be an issue.
I've got a few working names in the first name, middle name, etc slots -- It has been the most nightmarish decision process of my entire life (which I say in pleading for no 'quick answers'/'quick fixes' in the responses if it can be helped). I have many I am cycling through, and none I've settled on, but the other day around a month back something sprang to mind and I've been cautiously being self-referential with it, and feeling pretty positive about it.
There is a big mess in the legal, personal, social, name process - as above, I won't bother digging it - but I will say I am thinking of this for something universal.
The problem as a name is, while I'm feeling confident, it is, similarly, bizarre. Having a unique name is somewhat important to me, but my surname has a fashion of accomplishment for that already. The thought that the pairing of a more mundane first name with the palatably unique last name would express itself as normal, with a quirk in the heritage/history of the last name. Or as many people in the world already have, some unique first names paired with a more mundane last name.
Ultimately the pairing of a unique and mundune one way or the other, ends up feeling real and still leaning towards authenticity because there as an acceptable range of cultures, obscurities & meanings in the world in that way. But a unique name in both slots is something different, cause for issues, questions, and certainly a huge flag denoting attention which is not precisely helpful in the journey to be one's intended gender in passing.
So the thing is, I am happy with this name. What I wanted an opinion on is how this might be in your minds, or in others in general:
It ends up now as being an almost Elvish Tolkien-esque first name with a bizarre and folktale-like last name. But I thinking on how I want to employ them in tandem. I want to finish my name journey, I want to put it behind me, never have to think on it again, and this feels like a qualitative step there - but I don't know if I can make that change in a legal sense. I am now considering whether or not that should just be my actual name - one I keep to myself, and know, sharing with none/few. Or if I make it a name I employ in certain other places but not legal ones. However that forces me back onto the very long road of finding a new working first name again, one I can apply to legal forms.
I have a more mundane name that I can move over from the middle name space, but I am not pleased with it as a first name. This newer stranger one is the only time a name felt like it clicked in years. Should I be putting something like that into my legal usage for my own sake and peace, regardless of how much of an issue it might be? Or do I employ it as an elsewhere name, in my working credits, and as a pen name?
I would prefer to have just a single universal used name if I can help it, for very personal reasons, but fear that just might not possible.

This will probably be long winded so apologies in advance. TW: partner relapse
My partner 30m(PA/Love Addict) is in recovery and has been going to meetings for several years and is quite dedicated to his sobriety from what I've (32f) seen but he's also become increasingly controlling in what seems to be every facet of my life he can sink his teeth into and I feel like this weekend it has reached a new level of red flag alert.
Backstory- We've been dating for a little over a year and I knew before our first date that he identified as a SA because I shared upfront that I was a recovering alcoholic w 2y sobriety; I never saw his addiction as a hinderance rather a minor inconvenience and a bit ironic as I had been involved in the world of FSSW for 8y and currently a stripper going on 6y. I'm sure you can smell the toxicity forming from whereever you're reading now..
We had some pretty heated convos and runins with his addiction last year and eventually broke up for several months in late 2023. Took some space and ultimately we decided to give it another shot in Feb 2024. Except he introduced an ultimatum/condition that I somehow became complicit in, despite mentioning it was an absolute no go for me initially. He said it was his "boundary' that he could not progress further in our relationship given my status as a stripper working in the club. We made plans to move in by May and I took into account the months of couples counseling we've been attending, hoping that would help ease the transition and give us time to work out some kinks. So, the ultimatum- he will not move in with me and commit to me long term if I do not stop working in the strip club (I made the decision to stop doing FS several months into our relationship last year so that isn't an issue). When I agreed to this proposal, I was already missing a lot of work due to chronic back pain and nerve damage from dancing for so long/not conditioning well enough, etc and knew I wanted to eventually transition into a more fulfilling and engaging work environment, something more aligned with me and my interests/education. No biggie I thought, just a hopeless romantic trusting in love that became convinced it's normal to meet a partner that can't handle their partner being a dancer as I've seen it so often with my coworkers. Anyhow, the ultimatum became a huge source of contention as I realized I wasn't ready to quit by our May move in date; I had been avoiding work altogether and depleted my emergency savings because he said by me going to work at the strip club is me choosing to engage in my addiction and middle circle- he is adamant I have a sex addiction and pushes on this often. I don't deny I have a dysfunctional relationship to sex and intimacy but I've been in trauma, talk, emdr therapy, etc for over a decade with various providers and have overcome an extensive amount of my trauma that has led to seeking validation via promiscuity. I digress, as an alcoholic that has 7+ cumulative years sober in my adult life, I do understand addiction, which always feels dismissed or discounted. He thinks I'm in denial and it sparks a whole separate issue.
Blah blah blah I could go on and on. Flash forward this weekend... Our first week moving in together. It's been an emotionally taxing few months between me incessantly looking to find a job to no avail, interviewing and submitting applications for hours a day on top of co-parenting my toddler with her bio dad, and feeling like I am constantly having to make myself available to cater to my partners emotional insecurity. Anyway, I flew out of town a few days ago to spend the weekend with my family and first mother's day with my mom and kiddo and he relapses the first night I'm gone. Not some two second middle circle engagement but full on masturbation/completion which is inner circle and something I've only known him to do one other time last year while we were dating. The nature of material and content consumer is what has me infuriated, feeling violated, beyond betrayed, fetishized, and secretly hated. When I tried to express this, he said I was shaming him and taking advantage of the vulnerability and honesty he's shared with me and it was essentially an entire day of screening texts from him that were hurtful and hateful and eventually ended on how he feels isolated and alone and disrespected bc I don't see him as a dad and the list goes on and on and on and on. Seriously I can't remember a day, much less an hour where I wasn't being criticized for saying something, believing something, doing something, feeling something that doesn't resonate with his worldview. He intellectualizes everything and he uses his intelligence to nitpick and debate until I am drained.
So back to the issue at hand- the nature of the material was forums where sex worker johns/tricks were discussing what it's like to be with sw providers and stripper porn vids so I'm like ............. Can you not see how this is completely deranged on some level? The level of control and manipulation to get me out of the club... He even went as far as to tell me how he was thinking about frequenting one of the strip clubs or picking up a destitute worker off the street as I'm out of town. With my daughter, for mother's day, hours before he relapsed. Something more alarming is that he fails to see much of a difference with this than other types of vids, etc even though it is extremely personal now (no this was not his go to before and he disclosed it was a new development as of this month). With this failure to hold himself accountable he just keeps asking me to inform him how it hurts and go into detail after detail so he can understand better. At this point a part of me feels like he enjoys hearing how it affects me so detrimentally as he often gets turned on after I am vulnerable with him.
I just don't know where to go from here. I told him I have made other temporary living accommodations since this transpired so quickly after moving in together. I'm torn bc a part of me wants to continue working on our relationship and build a future together. But another part of me knows that being alone and a little unhappy occasionally is a lot more manageable and desirable than being in a relationship and miserable with someone else that fails to see the very real pressure and angst being applied. The emotional and mental load it's taken has seriously decreased my ability to feel much on any given day aside from resentment, sadness, and fits of anger. I feel very alone and confused as to how to proceed and genuinely want to know how worth it is to other women that have gone through similar experiences, whether on not investing into someone like that pays off or if it's just a dead end with more trauma to overcome for myself eventually. Not to mention he told me I was getting fat on mother's day. For reference, I am 5'7 and 128 lbs currently. I will deflect and joke that my looks are the only thing I'm not self conscious about considering I get paid for them so IDC. Even though this has continually come up for months now that I haven't stuck to my continuous pole regimen, I've been dealing with back spasms, and just trying to exist as a single mom transitioning into a new career, having my own hobbies, etc.
I guess I want to post this to hold accountability for myself and have some of my concerns validated bc I do get wrapped up in the promises and emotional intimacy we share. I know I have a tendency to be codependent and am working on breaking this cycle but I guess that's why I'm also finding myself back at this point of sink or swim and just disappointed I believed in the bigger picture we painted together.

I'm about to reach for my first supplier for my first Shopify store using Dawn theme. I'm deciding between several themes before reaching to my first supplier and I recently bought stock photos from Adobe Stock for the product images and content for the home page.
My question is, how READY should my mock store be before reaching to my first supplier?
I've read elsewhere that it doesn't have to be 100% finished. Mine has almost everything a home page needs from header to footer. It has:
* Announcement bar with 3 announcement sliding every 8 seconds and social media icons on its left * A header with the logo on the left and the Drop down mega menu in the middle, social media * Slideshow with the first slide expressing what my store is about, the second is a Sale promotional product (25%off). The third slide is a photo of many the products together. (adobe stock photos, no watermark, licensed), it also has a Search bar and a Cart icon. * A collection list of my product by category * A Featured product ("meet our best seller") * A Rich Text section with a header and body text describing the quality of the products in one sentence * A collage of products with only 3 products called "The Starter Set" * Followed by a featured collection "Check out our Bestsellers" in a carousel with 5 products with ADD TO CART buttons * Another Rich text section to make a divider with header and body text: ABOUT US * Another featured collection called "The Cardio Collection" * A Blog section * And the last section which is the footer with social media icons, all the policies, phone number, email, contact us, a brief about us, a Sign-up box for news and exclusive offers, a display with all the payment options
* It also has some subscription and email automations ready for launch
It has a chatbot and a Shopify Form App that pop ups on 20 seconds.
The Menus in the Header are organized by collections and each individual product has its description and at least 2 high definition photos from adobe stock. It does looks like a real online store but I don't know how

I am trying to update a proforma value on a form that is attached to an issue but can't get around the issue where there is " " in the middle of the field.
{ “fields”: { “{{issue.properties.“proforma.forms.i2”.state.answers.8.text}}“: “8” } }
I can use those issue properties anywhere if they are already populated but I want to update one with a smart value "8" is just my test, but I just keep getting invalid character errors.
Any ideas?

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1000 USD (United States)
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Very unlikely
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? I would like to find a 2-in-1 with good battery life and great performance. I am looking for something that would also work well for taking handwritten notes, but if there's a crazy good deal on something without a touchscreen/stylus I will consider it.
• How important is weight and thinness to you? This is somewhat important (shouldn't be a 50lb dumbell) but not really a deciding factor. Anything will be lighter than my current laptop...
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. I would probably prefer a slightly larger screen, but it's not horribly important.
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. I don't play video games excessively, but I would like to be able to run at least mid-level games. JetBrains is probably my most used software. I would likely use CAD software, though what I know right now is OnShape (browser-based). I don't plan on doing video editing often, maybe like once or twice a year.
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? I don't have one in particular, but 60fps+ on mid-level games (slightly higher performance than minecraft).
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? I will be running Linux - preferably Linux Mint but it doesn't really matter as long as it's Debian based. The components of the laptop should all work with Linux (minor things like specialty keys and such I don't care too much). I would also like to be able to upgrade the components, especially since this laptop needs to last me 4 years.
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. This is a new laptop I am getting for college. My current laptop can barely handle Firefox with 10 tabs, and it takes (not kidding here) 35 minutes to get everything loaded for basic web browsing on Linux Mint.

I have been doing a lot of research myself - here are the 2 models I am currently considering:

• ASUS ROG Flow X13
• HP Envy x360 2-in-1 Laptop 16t-ac000

Thank you for your help!

Introduction

1)Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? * I have had family dogs all my life, but this would be my first one living on my own. I have reasonable experience with training and owning dogs. I also have a pretty good grasp on puppies as my mother has bred dogs (ugh, i know) 2)Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)? * Likely going to adopt from someone who needs to rehome their dog. Alternatively a breeder. There arent really rescues in my country. I would like avoid adopting a puppy, and instead would prefer a 1-2 year old. 3)Describe your ideal dog. * A small/medium dog that is social and cuddly but not overly clingy (basically they just need to listen to the command "go away" soemtimes haha). Not extremely high energy, but still eager to play and maybe come with during runs. A mild temperament and easily trainable would be ideal. Good health condition is very important (a mutt is fine). No vocal breeds as I would live in an apartment. 4)What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? * No particular breed in mind (that is kind of what i need help with lol). I do love setters since one of my family dogs is a Irish settegolden retriever mix and she is pretty much my ideal dog (although she does not do recall well, which is a concern). 5)What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? * Basic commands like sit, lie down, go away, etc. Recall would be a huge plus. Would need to be trainable to ignore/be calm around other dogs and stimuli on walks, and be able to walk nicely on a leash. 6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? * No. **Care Commitments** 7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? * I'm away from home a maximum of about 6 hours a day, mostly way less. I'm a student and I spend a lot of time at home studying and doing other things, which means I do have time to be around the dog. 8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park? * I plan on doing shorter (~15 min) walks in the morning and at lunch time, and a longer walk in the evening. I would be able to visit a dog park/open area for running (when the dog has learnt recall) about twice a week. I do also run occasionally, and in the fall/spring im happy to take the dog with me. 9)How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly? * Im happy to keep up with brushing weekly or so. Im comfortable bathing and trimming nails on my own. Im only interested in dogs with a "normal" coat that does not require frequent grooming visits. Im not willing to pay for the normal grooming fees like brushing, bathing, or trimming. **Personal Preferences** 10)What size dog are you looking for? * medium 15-40 lbs. A small is also acceptable depending on the breed, but i do prefer medium as they seem like the most athletic size and are able to go along on hikes and stuff. 11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? * Preferably no barking as id live in an apartment. Shedding is fine as long as its not excessive as i am slightly allergic. No slobber. 12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? * Relatively important. I do want to be able to let it run free for playtime, and hiking in the woods off leash would be great. So a dog with good impulse control that doesnt just run off the second it gets off leash would be great. **Dog Personality and Behavior** 13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? * Somewhere in the middle. I do really enjoy cuddling with a dog and having them sleep in my bed, but i also dont want it to be too in your face. Basically just a dog that says hi then settles down with me instead of constantly seeking attention. 14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please? * eager to please 15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors? * friendly to visitors 16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs? * preferably no aggressive dogs. I would like to be able to safely let the dog be off leash without any fights. I'd rather not take the risk of my dog hurting another dog/person. 17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid? * Poor recall. Also howling/barking when im not home. I would like to trust my dog to be relatively quiet when im not there. Destructive behaviour like chewing up furniture even as an adult would also be a big no. **Lifestyle** 18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? * up to 6 hours a day. In the future that could be bumped up to 8-9, but I will always be close to home, so a quick walk during lunch would be possible. 19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? * I live alone 20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? * Possibly going to get a cat in the future 21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? * no 22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? * I will rent a student apartment. There are no limitations on pets and there is no extra fee or cost to having one. 23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds? * Sweden, no current breed restrictions but there is talk of banning certain bully breeds unfortunately. 24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? * Summer would be ~20 C (70 F), whilst winter averages around -20C (-4F). The hottest it gets is 30C (85), and the coldest is -30C (-22F). **Additional Information and Questions** 25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant. 26) Feel free to ask any questions below. 

This is highly speculative, but I would like to have your thoughts on this as I'm having a hard time figuring out why the stock suddenly started moving on "no news" at all.
So here's the current situation: You're in the middle of turning a dying brick and mortar company into a profitable company again, had a profitable last Quarter and a warchest filled with around 1B.
As stated in the last 10-K form:
"On March 4, 2019, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase authorization allowing us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our Class A Common Stock. The authorization has no expiration date. We did not repurchase shares during fiscal 2023 or fiscal 2022. As of February 3, 2024, we have $101.3 million remaining under the repurchase authorization. Refer to Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis - "Share Repurchases" for additional information."
Summarized: they state that they are allowed to repurchase shares up to 300M in value.
Now, as I understand it, you want to do this under rule 10b - 18 as this elimintates legal or regulatory liabilities:
What Is Rule 10b – 18?
"Rule 10B-18 is a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule that is intended to reduce liability for companies (and their affiliated purchasers) when the company repurchases shares of the company's common stock. Rule 10B-18 is considered a safe harbor provision. A safe harbor is a legal provision to reduce or eliminate legal or regulatory liability in certain situations as long as certain conditions are met. If the company abides by the four conditions of Rule 10B-18 when it is repurchasing the shares, the SEC will not deem the transactions in violation of anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934."
The four conditions are:

• First, the issuer or affiliate must purchase all shares from a single broker or deal during a single day.
• Second, there are certain requirements for the timing of the purchase. An issuer with an average daily trading volume (ADTV) that is less than $1 million per day or that has a public float value below $150 million cannot trade within the last 30 minutes of trading. Companies with higher average trading volume or public float value can trade until the last 10 minutes.
• Third, the issuer must repurchase at a price that does not exceed the highest independent bid or the last transaction price quoted.
• Finally, the issuer cannot purchase over 25% of the average daily volume.

Ok, seems fair. So the last condition is quite interesting, as the average daily volume (calculated over 4 weeks) between February and March was around 3M shares (probably due to some highly regarded investors who started DRSing their shares). This would imply that they can only buy back 0.75M shares on a single day. At a price range of $14 a share this would total up to an ammount of $10.5M, which is quite far from the $300M available and would therefor take at least 4 weeks.
Now what would happen if you test the water first, by making it known that you will do a buyback around a certain date? Could this spark interest from institutions, as buybacks generally result in buying pressure and an increase in share prices? RK started tweeting again a Cohencidence? I think this will explain the run-up in the last weeks, but, as mentioned above, Gamestop probably bought only 1 or 2M of shares due to the specified conditions.
This did however increase volume in the last weeks, up to a level where the average daily trading volume (ADTV) is now just under 30M shares per day. Now here's the fun part: those who shorted the stock will want to reduce the stockprice under 25 or 20 before the weekend, to at least reduce the amount of call options currently in the money. A lower stock price allows Gamestop to just buy more shares for their fulll budget of $300M, turning on the heat for those who shorted the stock.
Please feel free to correct me where I'm wrong. I'm far from a financial advisor!
edit: My bad, the remaining budget is $101M, leaving the old numbers for transparancy.

Clover

Five humans, missing...

Spoilers for all of Undertale Yellow's main routes below
Undertale Yellow is a fan-made prequel to the hit indie game Undertale. While Undertale follows the story of Frisk, the seventh human child to fall into the monster ruled Underground, Undertale Yellow follows the story of their immediate predecessor. Meet Clover, the sixth human. Unlike the humans that fell before, this gun-toting cowboy is unique in the sense that their journey to the Underground was no accident. Clover entered the Underground voluntarily in order to investigate the disappearances of the previous five humans and, if it turned out they perished at some point after their fall, hoped to avenge their deaths. See, while Frisk possessed a red SOUL that embodied Determination, Clover's SOUL is yellow for the trait of Justice. Clover's journey would lead them all throughout the Underground, meeting some monsters that will be familiar to those who have played Undertale and some brand new faces as well.
Like Undertale before it, Undertale Yellow's story can be altered significantly depending on the player's actions. Perhaps Clover befriends the monsters they meet and determines they were unfairly trapped underground, deciding to sacrifice themselves to bring monster kind closer to freedom. Or maybe Clover will blame the monsters for the deaths of the previous human children, avenging them with swift cruelty. Either way, Clover will act in the way they believe they can best embody Justice.

So How Do the Fights Work Anyway?

Like its predecessor, Undertale Yellow tends to treat RPG mechanics as literal aspects of the game's world. Due to the abstract nature of fights in both Undertale and Undertale Yellow, with enemy monsters targeting Clover's SOUL rather than their physical body, it's understandable that there may be some confusion about how Clover actually scales to certain monsters. Luckily, this is a bit more clear in Undertale Yellow than it was in the original game, as the reveal trailer shows that the attacks of monster are things that Clover physically has to react to and dodge (we even see this same attack utilized in game) even though the battle menu only shows their SOUL.
But this is just for when encounters have already begun, what about before that? And what triggers encounters anyway? There's an area in the Wild East where boulders are falling onto the path that Clover needs to dodge. If they fail to avoid them, this begins an encounter too, where Clover is given the opportunity to avoid the "attacks" in the battle menu to negate damage. Other examples include Clover escaping damage from hot steam after touching it and avoiding damage from Axis' energy balls after they hit them. What this means for standard versus fights is a little vague, but it likely means that any attack that would deal meaningful damage starts an encounter and that it would be impossible to simply kill Clover with a sneak attack. Even if it hit them, Clover would still get the opportunity to dodge before the proper fight begins. That said, there is one example of Clover dying without triggering an encounter at the end of the Neutral Route. It's possible this is because it was an unescapable situation but the mechanics of it are still vague and unclear.
As seen with the previous examples such as the falling boulders and steam, it seems that attacks that hit Clover's SOUL and their physical body are more or less interchangeable. Or rather, it isn't possible to circumvent the SOUL to only hit the physical body because even attacks that hit Clover's physical body will trigger an encounter that can then be dodged or endured by the SOUL.
Finally, it's worth noting that the sizes of objects can vary from their appearances in the battle to what they look like in the overworld. We see Clover's SOUL alongside their physical body a few times throughout the game and it's pretty consistently a little larger than their torso. So this thread will describe feats with that scale in mind.

Other Things To Note

• At the end of certain routes, Clover acquires certain abilities/powerups that don't necessarily apply to the rest of the game. Feats or items that are limited to those routes will be marked with the corresponding route.
  
  • [Pacifist] Feat
• Like your standard RPG's, Undertale Yellow possesses a leveling system that will increase the more enemies that Clover kills, with certain abilities being unlocked after certain levels are achieved. However, in the Genocide route Clover showed off the ability to level up rapidly simply by being filled with enough righteous fury. Abilities that are locked behind certain levels will also be marked accordingly.
  
  • Feat^{LV 19}
• The majority of feats will come from Undertale Yellow, but occasionally clips from trailers and other promotional material on the director of the game's Youtube channel will be used, which will be labeled with a T like so:
  
  • Feat^T

Physicals

Strength

• Breaks a piece of wood that had jammed an elevator door with a pickaxe, which broke the pickaxe despite it being described as sturdy previously
• Pushes aside a cabinet
• While physically holding the lid of a trash can Clover is able to deflect Axis' energy attacks back at him which destroyed portable generators about as tall as Axis himself
  • Clover also uses this lid to deflect Axis' bombs
• [Anti-Feat] Needs Martlet's help moving a table

Speed/Agility

• Runs roughly 2/3rds faster than they walk, traveling the same distance in 1.5 seconds that it took them 2.5 seconds to walk
• Climbs a good distance up a rope, though Flowey resets the timeline before they reach the top
• While fighting Decibat they react and move relatively to various attacks that appear to be sound-based
  • Note that blue attacks don't harm you if you're standing still and orange attacks don't if you're moving
• Passes over a bridge when the boards were constantly elevating and lowering
• Moves out of the way of Dunebud's arrows
  • We see in the game's reveal trailer that these arrows move much faster than their in-game counterparts would suggest
• Avoids the soundwaves produced by Starlo's bell attack
• Escapes Axis during their chase
• Jukes the hell out of Axis
• Moves relatively to the arrows and flintlock pistol shots of a pair of mini robots
• Climbs a laundry chute

Durability
Blunt

• A tumbleweed knocks them onto a lower platform and they don't even flinch
• Even while using the Patch, Clover's starting accessory that offers no extra defense, Clover can withstand several giant boulders smashing into them
  • While using the Steel Buckle or superior defensive items, this damage is totally negligible
• Takes several blows from Ed that launch massive boulders into the air
• Withstands the Guardener's attacks which could smash giant gears that are larger than Clover
• [Genocide] Gets hit by large meteors summoned by Zenith Martlet

Falling

• Jumps down a hole into the Underground and lands on a bed of flowers
• Falls through the floor of the Ruins and lands in a bed of flowers in the Dark Ruins, quickly jumping to their feet afterwards
• Crashes a speeding boat over a ledge, sending them over and into the mines
  • Flowey did comment they seemed pretty hurt by this
• Falls down a trap door

Heat

• Survives in the Steamworks with no issue, which was hot enough to light Moe's clothes and stand on fire over the course of their conversation
• Withstands multiple fire attacks from Asgore before eventually succumbing to them (with Asgore being the strongest non-final boss monster in the original Undertale)

Other

• Gets shocked repeatedly by Dalv's electrical attacks, enduring four before eventually succumbing
• A giant fan produces a sandstorm that pushes them back a considerable distance
• Gets hit by dynamite thrown by Starlo
• Survives multiple shots from Starlo's revolver
• Withstands hits from Axis' energy balls which later destroy Axis' portal generators
  • During Axis' boss fight, Clover takes no damage from this at all
• With the highest defensive accessory they take negligible damage from Ceroba's attacks which shatter stone pillars (they also take a glancing blow from these attacks in a cutscene without damage, though it takes them some time to return to their feet)
  • [Pacifist] Clover later withstands Ceroba's attacks after she had powered up into her Kitsune form, which dealt double damage compared to her previous attacks (2HP with the best defensive item instead of 1HP)
• [Pacifist] Endures for a little over a minute after their soul had been extracted from their body (though they were too weak to do anything but crawl)
• [Genocide] Gets crushed by blocks with enough force to shatter them which are not affected by their SOUL's energy beams
• [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, which assuming Martlet's attacks were responsible for any of this damage means that Clover would scale to it
• [Genocide] Clover grows so powerful that Asgore's trident shatters against their SOUL^{LV 20}

Skill

• Shoots a hat off a dummy
• Beats Starlo in a quickdraw contest
• After being fully lasso'd by Starlo, Clover is still able to effectively avoid his attacks and even tricks him into shooting his own lasso twice
  • Starlo is accurate enough to shoot sticks of dynamite out of the air
  • Clover is still able to fight back as well
• Can shoot something as small as a micro froggit
• Opens a door by shooting its control panel
• Plays a mean harmonica^T
• Holy shit they're so sick with it^T

Justice SOUL

• Flowey talks about how Boss Monsters are stronger than others and that a human SOUL is even more powerful than them
• [Pacifist] During the final boss, Clover is powered up and given a plethora of different abilities (the reason for this isn't explicitly stated, but it's likely because they felt their cause was just, more so than they ever had in the rest of the game)^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Endures repeated enraged attacks from Ceroba that should have killed them before returning to full HP as the next phase of the boss starts^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Can fire energy blasts from their SOUL which are strong enough to overpower Ceroba's own charged blasts^{LV 1}
    • They can quickly fire smaller shots on top of the more powerful charge shots^{LV 1}
    • A weaker version of Ceroba's attacks could shatter stone pillars^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Is able to phase through attacks, including otherwise unavoidable AOE attacks^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Hope, allowing them to take an extra hit without damage^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Endure, regenerating health from a range of 5HP to 10HP^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Remember, granting them a speed buff over the course of that turn^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] After cracking Ceroba's Kitsune mask, Clover is able to see a memory of her past talking to her dying husband^{LV 1}
• [Genocide] After hearing that Axis, the penultimate boss, killed a human child, Clover is filled with such rage and a desire for justice that they automatically leveled up and developed the ability to shoot energy blasts from their SOUL. The first blast obliterated the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield and after further leveling up they fired a massive beam that obliterated Axis entirely. Clover also gained an assortment of other abilities at this point^{LV 15/19}
  • [Genocide] Smaller shots can be rapid fired and a brief charge allows Clover to fire the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] It required two small shots to destroy the meteors Zenith Martlet summons and they're completely obliterated by the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] With enough shots Clover destroys Martlet's armor that their gun was completely useless against (based on the fact that the Fight button is locked during the phase of the fight that she's wearing the armor)^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] Clover's beam is strong enough to completely obliterate Asgore as well as his throne and the wall behind him^{LV 20}
  • [Genocide] Like in the Pacifist ending, Clover is able to dash which smashes blocks that their shots and beams couldn't break and allows them to phase through otherwise unavoidable attacks without damage^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] After destroying Martlet's armor, Clover is able to see into mind and witness her backstory^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Clover is able to Endure, automatically recovering anywhere from 20HP to 25HP^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, with Clover presumably being responsible for at least some of the damage^{LV 19}
• [Genocide] Throughout the game, Clover is able to undo mistakes thanks to the SAVE function. Primarily, this is thanks to Flowey doing so for you, becoming an in-universe stand-in for standard RPG Saving and Loading and ultimately allowing them to revive at the latest SAVE point for standard enemies or directly back into the battle for Boss encounters. However, at the end of the Genocide route Clover levels up enough to steal Flowey's control of the timeline, ultimately taking the SAVE ability for themselves which they can use to SAVE and LOAD in the middle of battle^{LV 20}

Gear

Note that while Clover can store excess items in boxes they find around the Underground, they can only carry eight items in their inventory not including their current Weapon, Ammo, Armor, and Accessory. Later in the game they discovered the Dimensional Satchel which allows them to access the boxes from anywhere, but they still only have eight slots to bring into an encounter.
Weapons
Guns

• Toy Gun - Clover's default weapon is a simple toy gun
• Wild Revolver - A gift from Starlo, purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • While the Toy Gun only fires once per turn, the Wild Revolver is fired six times in a row
  • While the Wild Revolver looks and functions like a typical revolver, note that Blackjack does say that he made it so as not to be lethal (though the following line about how anything could be lethal if used enough times consecutively makes this seem more like a meta joke about RPG fight mechanics, even going so far as to mention the ballet shoes that are a weapon in the original Undertale)

Feats
Note that cutscenes will always play out the same regardless of whether the Toy Gun or Wild Revolver is being used, so while the Revolver is obviously the more powerful of the two the Toy Gun is much more powerful than it's name would suggest and the following feats apply to both weapons.

• Damages machinery
• Critically damages Axis who could withstand his own energy balls being reflected back at him with no physical damage, merely draining his power instead
  • After being rebounded Axis' attacks destroyed portable generators as tall as Axis himself
• Destroys robots with repeated shots
• Executes undamaged monsters in cutscenes/scripted fights in both the Pacifist and Genocide routes
• [Anti-Feat] Was unable to destroy the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield

Ammo
Rather amusingly, Clover will jam whatever odd materials they can find into their weapon which somehow works perfectly^T

• Rubber Ammo (AT 0) - The default ammo that Clover started their journey with
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Pebble Ammo (AT 3) - Small rocks that Clover discovered in the Dark Ruins
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Ice Ammo (AT 6) - Discovered near the start of Snowdin, these fragments of a shattered ice crystal don't melt and cool Clover's gun upon being loaded
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Coffee Ammo (AT 4 + 1 SPEED after perfect attack) - Found in a barrel near the exit of Snowdin
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
  • Compare the increased speed to Clover's normal battle speed
• Flint Ammo (AT 9) - Salvaged from an ore deposit outside the East Mines
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
    • Note that the shots make small explosions upon impact
• Glass Ammo (AT 5 + 2HP) - Taken from a shattered glass in the Dunes Gift Shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Silver Ammo (AT 3 + Bonus Damage for Perfect Shot) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Nails (AT 10) - Found in a box in the Steamworks greenhouse
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• [Neutral/Genocide] Friendliness Pellets (AT 11) - A gift from Flowey, acquired outside of the Steamworks
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver

Armor

• Warn Hat - The default armor that Clover started their journey with
• [Pacifist/Neutral] Nice Hat - Visually identical to Clover's old one and offers no extra defense or benefits, but it is a pretty nice hat

Accessories

• Patch (Armor DF 0) - The default accessory that Clover started their journey with
• Feather (Armor DF 2) - A stray feather located in the tunnels near Dalv's house
• Honeydew Pin (Armor DF 4) - Purchased at the Honeydew Resort shop
• Band Merch Pin (Armor DF 5) - A pin given to Clover by a band's super fan in Honeydew Resort
• Steel Buckle (Armor DF 7) - Found inside a cubby in the East Mines
• Safety Jacket (Armor DF 6) - Found on a hook in the East Mines
• Fancy Holster (Armor DF 8) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
• Safety Goggles (Armor DF 9) - Acquired from Vendy in the Steamworks
• Silver Scarf (Armor DF 6 and +2HP Every Turn) - Given to Clover by Slurpy in Snowdin after freeing his tongue from a frozen pole
  • Here is the scarf in use
• Delta Run Patch (Armor DF 10) - Purchased from Bits and Bites at UG Apartments
• Golden Bandana (Armor DF 12) - Found in a chest in the Steamworks
  • This did come at the cost of sacrificing the Golden Pear, Golden Coffee, and Golden Cactus

Food/Healing Items
Note that at their weakest (LV 1), Clover has 20HP and at their strongest (LV20), Clover has 100HP
Single Use

• Lemonade - 7HP
• Lukewarm Pop - 8HP
• Candy Corn - 9HP
• Packing Peanuts - 10HP
• Sea Tea - 10HP (+ Temporary Speed Increase)
  • Here is the Sea Tea in use
• Monster Candy - 10HP
• Corn Dog - 12HP
• Cold Pop - 12 HP
• Sponge Cake - 14HP
• Hot Pop -14 HP
• Trail Mix - 14HP
• Corn Chowder - 15HP
• Moss Salad - 17HP
• Ice Tea - 20HP
• Green Tea - 21HP
• Flower Stew - 20HP
• Hot Dog - 20HP
• Fruitcake -25HP
• [Pacifist/Genocide] Adult Soda - ???HP
  • It's actually 20HP
• [Genocide] Oasis Latte - 25HP
• [Neutral] Cake - 30HP
• [Genocide] Cinnamon Cookie - 35HP
• Golden Pear - Invulnerability for two hits
  • Here is the G. Pear in use
• Golden Coffee - Increases Clover's speed for 3 turns
  • Here is the G. Coffee in use (also note that this buff carries on to future encounters if the three turns aren't used)
• Golden Cactus - 15HP for 3 turns (Lose 5HP after first bite)

Two Uses

• Grassy Fries - 14HP
• Beef Jerky - 16HP

Unlimited Supply

• Spider Donut - 12HP
• Popato Chisps - 13HP
• Honeydew Coffee - 14HP
• Honeydew Pancake - 16HP
• Ice Water - 15HP
• Monster Candy+ - 15HP
• Root Beer - 18HP
• G.B. Bear - 20HP
• Dihydrogen Monoxide - 20HP
• Feisty Slider - 30HP
• Gravity Granola - 30HP
• Cinnamon Butterscotch Strudel - 30HP
• Floral Cupcake - 50HP
• Gun Powder - ???HP
  • Completely maxes out Clover's HP
  • Note that Clover can only acquire one of these on the Genocide Route

Misc

• Solves Martlet's extremely complicated lava rock puzzle
• Beats the infamous Shuffler gang at their own game
• Uses flint and a steel buckle to burn a thick stick that was jamming an elevator
• Keeps up with El Bailador during their dance off, who was out of breath after the fact
• [Pacifist/Neutral] The Doc in the Wild East can overcharge Clover's health with a one time extra 15HP (nearly double their health at LV 1)
• Stealthily creeps around the Steamworks factory, figuring out a passcode while staying out of Axis' view
• Clover has incredible willpower, since even after Flowey kills them and attempts to absorb their SOUL, Clover is able to resist him for the entirety of the ensuing boss fight which ends when Flowey realizes they'd be fighting for all eternity if they continued and opts to simply reset the timeline instead
• Breaks it down

Somebody calls for help
You answer the call

I’m a 22-year-old male, and I used to smoke from ages 14 to 20 but stopped. About a year and a half after quitting, I was full of energy and enjoying life, staying active with lots of sports. However, things took a turn when I started experiencing unexplained health issues.
It all began one day at a coffee shop with friends when I suddenly had shortness of breath. I found myself having to manually open my nostrils to breathe properly. Not long after, I started experiencing headaches. Initially, I thought it might be a cold or something minor, but the symptoms persisted and worsened.
As days went by, I began to experience extreme bouts of fatigue. I would feel fine in the morning, but by the afternoon, I would be overwhelmingly exhausted, as if I were about to collapse, then it would pass, and the cycle would repeat. Alongside this, I’ve had persistent left chest pain lasting for about six months and an ongoing dry sensation in the middle of my throat that’s incredibly irritating.
I’ve visited numerous doctors and undergone a full range of tests including blood work and scans, but everything comes back normal. Despite these results, I live with some form of symptom every day – either a recurring issue or something new. It’s visibly taking a toll on me; I have dark circles under my eyes and just look like I’m suffering.
Three doctors have suggested I start taking antidepressants, although I don’t feel depressed; I’m just frustrated and upset by these relentless symptoms that interfere with my work and studies.
Has anyone here experienced something similar? Any advice will be appreciated please 🙏🏻! Im suffering to the max guys i swear god.​⬤

Hoping Peak Design can help.
Last week I purchased a used Everyday Sling 6L bag directly through the Peak Design marketplace. The bag I received is clearly defective. When I pull the main compartment zipper from left to right, it does not close. When going in the opposite direction, it closes except for the middle part, where the zipper teeth do not lock, always in the same spot.
I received an email from "[support@recurate.com]()" to confirm if the condition was as advertised. I responded "No," filled out the form, and uploaded images showing the defect.
The first issue is that when doing so, there was no email acknowledging or confirming that I submitted the form. After a day of not hearing back from Recurate, I emailed them explaining the issue. They did not seem to understand the point. Instead of arranging a refund, I received an email from them offering a $30 credit and suggesting I put the bag back in the marketplace to make up the difference. Are they implying I should be dishonest and pass a defective bag to others?
If anyone is listening, I am happy to share additional details, images, and communication via a more private channel.

Managers,
10 days ago, I made a Reddit post explaining the 'Corners of Europe' FM24 challenge concept. Here is that post. I would strongly recommend reading that to get a grasp of the idea - it is really interesting.
Following on from that, and 10 daily uploads since then, I thought I would do a post on here following up from that, as a way to invite you to watch my videos over at youtube.com/@mattovfm , and also to be able to show new viewers, and anyone who wants to try this career concept for themselves, the progression of the career itself. This is my first time doing it and I believe it is a unique concept (as far as I am aware), so it is all realistic and anything can change in the future, but this is how the first season and a half went. Enjoy the read!
I took the job over in Santa Clara with the aim to achieve the first goal of the challenge - win promotion. A newly relegated team, this proved to be the perfect job for it. We started the season well, picking up 6 wins in 9 games. We also made the Round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup... until Benfica came to the western most place in European football.
A great start to the season meant some inevitable bad form was on the horizon. 1 win in 6 games in the League put our unexpected (for me, personally, but maybe not the board) but welcomed title pursuit in jeopardy. And with two huge games to decide if we take that title coming up, a trip to P. Ferreira, the team we trailed at the top by 6 points going into the game, and a visit from 2nd placed Benfica B proved definitive for our season. Episode 5 was make or break.
A 1-0 win against the Benfica B team was a huge result to get the mental edge over a team who couldn't get promoted, no matter what (due to league rules). The momentum was carried early on into the P. Ferreira game...
Until a 94' equaliser denies us the chance to catch up in the league. For now.
With 10 games left and only our best efforts acceptable if we want to win the league, we went on to win 8 out of the 10, and drawing the other 2. However, was this enough? Even though promotion was pretty much expected after a great end to the season for us and was an expectation for myself and from the board, that title was still there to be won, and who wouldn't want that.
In P. Ferreira's final 8 games, 6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss. A bit of magic needed to deny them of the title.
Final 2 games for the opposition; Benfica B, Porto B. Two teams who we lead 2-0 and both managed to do a comeback on us this season, possibly the games that, on reflection, may have lost us the league, showing why their teams, no matter the level, are the leaders of the country as they are.
And they proved once again why they are the elite of Portugal. Benfica away proving too tough a test for P. Ferreira, we steal first place on the penultimate day of the season. One final game to wrap up our season in the final episode of the week.
And we end the week as league champions! From 6 points behind to winning by 4, the episode ends a great week of football with a trophy lift to conclude.
Overall, an eventful week of football in the first season of the 'Corners of Europe'. Most importantly, we achieved the goal to win promotion, ticking off the first of 10 goals set out from the start. We also used the first of our 5 tactics to do so; counter-attack. Although not the most fun and effective, it was still nice to learn for a season. The perfect start to the challenge.
As stated in the first post, the ideal jobs are not going to come that easily. We start the 24/25 season with Santa Clara, and after coming up with lots of money from the Second Division generated from player sales, we spent some in the summer. It took a while to steady the ship in the First Division, until we played one of the greats of the country, Braga. A 2-1 win against the struggling giants got us our first win after 6. But it didn't just stop there. A historic 3-2 win after flying two hours in to the town of Lisbon, we were able to defeat the 20x reigning league champions in their own back garden, none other than Sporting Lisbon. A historic episode topped of by a win in the Portuguese Cup against a team who we played last season in the league, but now found ourselves two leagues apart, in Penafiel.
And after weeks of insecurity around the KA job, the offer finally came up. Leaving on a high with 3 huge wins, lots of money and a Second Division title, one very warm door closes to open to a new chilly one, some 3000km to the northwest of Europe. As our time in the Azores islands, in the middle of the Atlantic, draws to a close, the full Santa Clara playlist, in numerical order, can be found here.
Time for a new chapter in the 'Corners of Europe' challenge, over in Iceland with Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (I think KA is enough, though).
Here's the first video in Iceland from a few days ago, and if it interests you, make sure to come and check out this week's daily content (5PM UK time) - it's already looking to be another great season!
Thank you for reading. Hope to see you on the channel, and thank you for all the support so far. It's been my pleasure. youtube.com/@mattovfm

https://mailchi.mp/ibcadvancedalloys/ibc-advanced-alloys-reports-record-quarterly-profits?e=05db7e6675
Company Sets Several Financial Performance Records as it Releases its Financial Results for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2024**_________________________** Highlights of the Quarter and Trailing 12 Months (Unless otherwise noted, all financial amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars.)IBCCompanyTSX-V: IB; OTCQB: IAALF^{1 1} CONSOLIDATED RESULTSCOPPER ALLOYS DIVISIONENGINEERED MATERIALS DIVISIONMD&A sedarplus.ca https://ibcadvancedalloys.com/investors-centeINVESTOR WEBCAST SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY 20, 2024 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81738838656?pwd=ZO9lyUWDbFp5GMmFwaHDGhXuEkAKgP.1NON-IFRS MEASURESOPERATING INCOME (LOSS) ADJUSTED EBITDA go here"Mark A. Smith”** [1] IBC reports non-IFRS measures such as “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Operating Income,” and "Free Cash Flow." Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this news release and in IBC’s MD&A, available on sedarplus.ca# # #IBC Advanced Alloys’ Reports Record Quarterly Profits FRANKLIN, Ind. (May 16, 2023) – IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. (“ ” or the “ ”) ( ) announces its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. IBC recorded its highest ever quarterly net income in the quarter of $1.36 million, or $0.01 per share, on sales of $10.2 million. Both net income and sales revenue set new quarterly records for the Company. Consolidated sales of $34.3 million on a TTM basis and sales of $27.0 million in the nine-month period ended March 31, 2024 also were the highest ever recorded. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA rose to $2.5 million, a Q/Q increase of 325%, while YTD Adjusted EBITDA rose to $4.5 million. Consolidated operating income of $2.1 million was 24.4% higher Q/Q and flipped to a positive $3.2 million YOY. Net income for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 was $1.14 million ($0.01 per share) on sales of $27.0 million compared to a loss of $2.92 million ($0.03 per share) on sales of $21.2 million in the comparative period, representing a marked turnaround. This record performance was driven largely by increased sales and stronger gross margin performance in IBC’s Copper Alloys division, coupled with higher sales revenue from the Engineered Materials division of beryllium-aluminum products used in defense markets, and the recovery of an onerous contracts provision booked in the prior year. The Copper Alloys division also achieved near-record quarterly sales of $6.6 million, eclipsed only by sales of $7.1 million in the preceding quarter. A portion of the division’s sales over the preceding two quarters was driven by the completion of two special non-recurring projects. “The IBC team worked tirelessly to achieve some fantastic numbers and historic gains in the third fiscal quarter, which continued the strong sales and gross margin performance of the previous quarter," said Mark A. Smith, Chairman and CEO of IBC. “I like the momentum that we are generating, particularly with the leading performance of our Copper Alloys division. While market conditions have triggered closure of our Engineered Materials division sometime this summer, that team is striving to generate substantially to IBC’s bottom line as Engineered Materials completes contracts on hand.” IBC expects to incur a charge to operations in respect of its April decision to close the Engineered Materials division and is negotiating with suppliers and the building landlord to minimize such costs. Sales increased for the quarter and nine-month period ended March 31, 2024, mostly due to increased demand from customers in the defense and power generation sectors. Gross profit was positively impacted by improved material yield but negatively impacted by higher subcontract costs. Sales increased for the quarter and nine-month period ended March 31, 2024, largely due to more favorable prices for the division’s products in the commercial and defense markets. Full results can be seen in the Company’s financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis (“ ”), available at and on the Company’s website at . IBC will host a live investor webcast on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 11 a.m. Eastern featuring Mark A. Smith, CEO and Board Chairman, and Toni Wendel, Chief Financial Officer. They will discuss the Company's financial results for the quarter and nine-month periods ended March 31, 2024. Participants can join the webcast by going here at the scheduled start time: To call into a listen-only phone line to the webcast, please the toll numbers listed here: • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 253 205 0468 US To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS, IBC uses “operating income (loss)” and “Adjusted EBITDA”, which are non-IFRS financial measures. IBC believes that operating income (loss) helps identify underlying trends in the business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain income or expenses that the Company includes in loss for the period, and provides useful information about core operating results, enhances the overall understanding of past performance and future prospects, and allows for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by management in financial and operational decision-making. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful indicator for cash flow generated by the business that is independent of IBC’s capital structure. Operating income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to loss for the period or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of our operating performance. Operating income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to IBC’s data. Operating income (loss) represents income or loss for the quarter, and year-to-date, excluding foreign exchange loss, interest expense, interest income, other income (expense) and income taxes that the Company does not believe are reflective of its core operating performance during the periods presented. A reconciliation of the quarter and year-to-date loss to operating income (loss) follows: Adjusted EBITDA represents the Company’s income (loss) for the period, and year-to-date, before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation. A reconciliation of the quarter and year-to-date loss to Adjusted EBITDA follows: For more information on IBC and its innovative alloy products, . On Behalf of the Board of Directors: Mark A. Smith, CEO & Chairman of the Board Net income of $1.36 million, or $0.01 per share, in the quarter on sales of $10.2 million – a new quarterly record. Sales of $34.3 million on a trailing 12-month (“TTM”) basis and sales of $27.0 million in the nine-month period ended March 31, 2024, also were the highest ever recorded. Copper Alloys division sales of $6.6 million were higher by 11.9% quarter over quarter ("Q/Q"), and Engineered Materials division sales were higher by 97.5% Q/Q. On a TTM basis, Copper Alloys sales of $24 million set a record for a 12-month period for the division. Consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”)^\1]) rose to $2.5 million, a Q/Q increase of 325%. Year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA rose to $4.5 million. Consolidated operating income of $2.1 million was 24.4% higher Q/Q and flipped to a positive $3.2 million year-over-year (“YOY”). Company to host live investor webinar to discuss results on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 11 AM EDT. SELECTED RESULTS: Consolidated Operations ($000s) Quarter Ended 3-31-2024 Quarter Ended 3-31-2023 Nine Months Ended3-31-2024 Nine Months Ended 3-31-2023 Revenue $10,241 $7,755 $26,958 $21,178 Operating income (loss) $2,105 $83 $3,243 $(1,138) Adjusted EBITDA $2,486 $585 $4,507 $315 Income (loss) for the period $1,361 $(509) $1,139 $(2,919) SELECTED RESULTS: Copper Alloys Division ($000s) Quarter Ended 3-31-2024 Quarter Ended 3-31-2023 Nine Months Ended 3-31-2024 Nine Months Ended 3-31-2023 Revenue $6,627 $5,925 $18,614 $16,035 Operating income (loss) $1,293 $1,290 $2,766 $2,231 Adjusted EBITDA $1,436 $1,426 $3,205 $2,645 Income (loss) for the period $915 $980 $1,680 $1,669 SELECTED RESULTS: Engineered Materials Division ($000s) Quarter Ended3-31-2024 Quarter Ended 3-31-2023 Nine Months Ended 3-31-2024 Nine Months Ended 3-31-2023 Revenue $3,614 $1,830 $8,344 $5,143 Operating income (loss) $1,230 $(855) $1,618 $(2,793) Adjusted EBITDA $1,417 $(613) $2,232 $(1,976) Income (loss) for the period $1,018 $(1,004) $1,101 $(3,046) Quarter ended March 31 2024 2023 ($000s) ($000s) Income (loss) for the period 1,361 (509) Foreign exchange (gain) loss 6 (13) Interest expense 710 629 Loss on disposal of assets 29 - (Gain) loss on revaluation of derivative - (11) Other income (4) (16) Income tax expense (recovery) 3 3 Operating income 2,105 83 Nine months ended March 31 2024 2023 ($000s) ($000s) Income (loss) for the period 1,139 (2,919) Foreign exchange (gain) loss 7 (5) Interest expense 2,130 1,862 Loss on disposal of assets 29 - (Gain) loss on revaluation of derivative 1 (70) Other income (70) (12) Income tax expense (recovery) 7 6 Operating income (loss) 3,243 (1,138) Quarter ended March 31 2024 2023 ($000s) ($000s) Income (loss) for the period 1,361 (509) Income tax expense (recovery) 3 3 Interest expense 710 629 (Gain) loss on revaluation of derivative - (11) Depreciation & amortization 374 413 Stock-based compensation expense (non-cash) 38 60 Adjusted EBITDA 2,486 585 Nine months ended March 31 2024 2023 ($000s) ($000s) Income (loss) for the period 1,139 (2,919) Income tax expense (recovery) 7 6 Interest expense 2,130 1,862 (Gain) loss on revaluation of derivative 1 (70) Depreciation & amortization 1,120 1,233 Stock-based compensation expense (non-cash) 110 203 Adjusted EBITDA 4,507 315 Contact: Mark A. Smith, CEO and Board Chairman Jim Sims, Director of Investor and Public Relations IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. +1 (303) 503-6203 Email: [jim.sims@ibcadvancedalloys.com](mailto:jim.sims@ibcadvancedalloys.com) Website: www.ibcadvancedalloys.com u/IBCAdvanced $IB $IAALF #copper ABOUT IBC ADVANCED ALLOYS CORP. IBC is a leading advanced copper alloys manufacturer serving a variety of industries such as defense, aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, precision manufacturing, and others. At its vertically integrated production facility in Franklin, Indiana, IBC manufactures and distributes a variety of copper alloys as castings and forgings, including beryllium copper, chrome copper, and aluminum bronze. The Company's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "IB" and the OTCQB under the symbol "IAALF". Cautionary Statements Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking information or forward-looking statements as defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are often, but not always identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. This news release includes forward-looking information and statements pertaining to, among other things, the Company’s expectation of further growth in revenue and market demand, and the ability of the Copper Alloy division to increase its production capacity, reduce unit costs of production, expand its product portfolio and expand into new markets, the closure of the Engineered Materials division and the expected charge to operations in connection therewith, and the completion of existing contracts by the Engineered Materials division. Forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control including: the risk that the Company may not be able to make sufficient payments to retire its debt, the impact of general economic conditions in the areas in which the Company or its customers operate, including the semiconductor manufacturing and oil and gas industries, risks associated with manufacturing activities, changes in laws and regulations including the adoption of new environmental laws and regulations and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, increased competition, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, limited availability of raw materials, fluctuations in commodity prices, foreign exchange or interest rates, stock market volatility and obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the Company's future results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Please see “Risks Factors” in our Annual Information Form available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca, for information on the risks and uncertainties associated with our business. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements, which speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this release represent our expectations as of the date of this release. We disclaim any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws. Copyright © 2024 IBC Advanced Alloys, All rights reserved.

I was wandering deep into the forest after eating some garbage from a gas station dumpster and found a large block of salt. I was running on fumes but managed to scare a deer away from the block and collapsed next to it.
With my final remaining calories I extend my tongue to lick the salt block. The world began spinning around me and the salt traversed my blood brain barrier and entered my bloodstream.
Suddenly I'm back in my middle school cafeteria. The school is paying for my lunches. Living like a fatcat. My fellow classmates would give me their 2% chocolate milk out of pity, not knowing I had already eaten a bosco stick and drinken from the water fountain. I accept the gesture and walk to the bathroom under my own weight, enter a stall and lock the door. I open the recycled paper milk packaging and smell the sweet sweet sustenance. A feeling comes over me. I hold the carton over my head and begin pouring. It runs over my face and down my back. Ecstasy. Indulging in the pleasures of the fat cat.
Salt.
I open my eyes. A veritable feast lay before me. My chapped lips crack and I suck the blood from them. How could I be so lucky? It's starting to get dark and I smell the clouds above me forming. Maybe it will rain. Digging deep, I extend my arm and pull the block closer to my face.
What more could a man ask for?

TLDR: Bought something new from an individual on FBM. Got the wrong tracking number then they switched the tracking number. Finally two versions of the item showed up (one 95% correct, one from another manufacture). Never once had post sale communication from the seller, and I have screenshots and photos documenting all of this.
First red flag: Killer deal
An individual on FBM was selling a new piece of sporting equipment at basically a 65% discount. That was the first thing that had me nervous but I've gotten amazing deals like that before on reddit, craigslist, etc. ^{My first pair of skis as an adult came from a dude who's wife said he needed to sell a bunch of his. I could have turned around and sold them for twice what I paid for that day.} Decided to use Paypal as my payment method with my CC to try and triple my redundancy from potential shenanigans.
Second Red flag: Zero communication
The first UPS tracking number that was sent to me was to a state I've never even visited, and not with my name on it ^{(confirmed by UPS}). So I messaged the seller and asked for the correct one, no response for multiple days. A few days after that first tracking number was delivered I gave them another message asking for a refund since I never got the package. Two days after that they changed the tracking number to one that was actually going to my shipping address but from a location that was different than the seller's on FB. Again zero response and that hasn't changed.
Third Red Flag: Multiple items and tracking numbers galore
Kept a close eye on that tracking number and it was forecasted to arrive today via UPS. Yesterday I got a UPS package that matched about the size and weight, but from a business. So I took a picture of the box and opened it before checking the tracking number. It was the same category of sporting equipment, but a different model and manufacture. So I checked the tracking number and we now have three tracking numbers involved. So today I got a package from USPS that came from Canada from a retailer I'd never heard of before. In that package was the correct manufacture, model, but wrong sub model of the item I ordered (can still be used for what I need). Guess what though...FOURTH different tracking number (wasn't a UPS sure post situation). And that 2nd UPS tracking number still is "out for delivery" as I write this.
Where I'm at now:
No idea what is up. Wondering if it's something where I'm the middle man for some sort of weird irl "duplication glitch" where I'm going to be asked to send something back. Are they going to ask to send one or both back or open up a FB market claim? Some really weird form of brushing?
Tried to google for something like this to no luck. I'd really like to use what I ordered ^{(or at least the one that is 95% correct}) but want to keep things new in case some sort of shenanigans is going down.
*edit\* And now I can't get on the sellers page (getting the message like I was trying to see content from a private group I'm not a part of)

Hi everyone - I used this sub to track down some information related to my N-400 application, and wanted to make sure I shared my timeline in case others may find it helpful.
3/4/24 - Submitted my N-400 application 3/4/24 - Notified of the biometric re-use 3/11/24 - Interview scheduled 4/29/24 - Interview/recommendation for approval/placed in line for oath ceremony 4/30/24 - Oath ceremony scheduled 5/16/24 - Oath ceremony
This was all through the Chicago office.
Interview was probably 25-30 minutes, of which 10 of that was spent answering questions and the tests. Most of the time the agent was completing paperwork on their computer, and trying to get around a glitch in the system.
Oath ceremony was today. 12:30 appointment time. 98 people from 32 countries. I'm sure it might be different from time to time, but the event went down like this. Elevator to the 25th floor and met at the courtroom by an employee. Guests asked to wait outside, 'candidates' allowed inside and sat down on one side of the room. One of the people would send row by row of people to get in line at the front of the courtroom; that line led to 3 USCIS employees. One checked me off a list and took my green card. Person in the middle took my paperwork and confirmed it was all there (for me that was my letter and the form for the day of attesting that I'm still not a habitual drunkard). Last person got my certificate and asked me to check the photo, name, country of birth, and birth date. Then asked to sit down in another section of the courtroom while everyone went through that process. This went from 12:30 until 1:15. At 1:15 they allowed guests in the room. Judge entered around 1:35 or so. USCIS agent addressed the court on everyone's behalf for the applications, judge accepted the order, and we're asked to stand and take the oath. We all sit down and the judge spent maybe 7-10 minutes talking through her family's immigration story and the roles and responsibilities of being American. I appreciated the fact it was sincere and not boilerplate. Judge left the room, USCIS employees handed out certificates.
There were some people there to take your completed voter registration application if you wanted. A lot of people mingled and you could go down a few floors for photos.
They asked several times at the beginning of the proceedings, and signs were posted outside the courtroom, that no photos or videos were allowed. All the new citizens complied but there were a handful of guests that did not. You could tell the USCIS employees were bothered by this but they didn't say anything.